News from the Jungle

It’s been an awfully long time since I sat down with the intention of penning (do we say keying these days?) a jungle update.  So many of you have written and said how much you appreciate them.  That’s heartwarming and great motivation to keep them flowing.  Today, on Gary’s perceptive suggestion, I’ve set my computer up outside overlooking the Gulfo Dulce with a bowl of mamones to munch on for sustenance, listening to thunder in the distance, and howler monkeys much closer.  It’s a good spot for reflection and maybe, if I’m lucky, a few creative words will come.  (See the photos for what a mamones are). 

Time has flown by at shuttle speed lately.  Lots of new experiences, new friends, and new dreams.  A few challenges, some obstacles, and stressful decisions too.  Yes, we’re still a party to that nasty little thing called stress.  But we never figured to eliminate it from our lives.  So, managing it means making time and opportunities for the things we do like.  And there’s one of those opportunities around every tree here.  As everyone knows though, we can get blinded and not even see those trees. 

Missing Gary

As some of you are aware, Gary has been back in the Oregon since July.  He said he got a few weird looks around town.  He’s working for his former wonderful boss, Rob Lieberman, working on a remodel job for mutual friends Chris and Roby Bennett.  It was a decision we had to make reluctantly to help make ends meet right now.  We still have the house up for sale in Roseburg and the monthly payments on an empty house were zapping our resources.  So, he’s working for a few months and has already done some great work on the house, finishing the basement off to make another bedroom.  It sounds like it’s made a vast improvement and will help market the house much better we believe.  That puts a hold on things here, but no money does that too.  Turns out we put the house up on the market just when it was changing (downward) and now it has slowed even more.  We certainly believe the house will sell, just no idea when.

We miss each other terribly and are realizing how we rely on each other to make our life a life!  “Absence . . . fonder“ type of thing.  We make a really good team together, and as independent as I thought I was, I feel like I’m missing an arm or eye.  Everything is out of balance and out of focus.  We chat via Internet almost daily, when I have a good signal that is.  That helps tremendously. 

I’ve changed my living location to the quite comfortable cabin of our friends from Roseburg, Donna and Lenny.  They left in March and probably won’t be back for a few months so they generously offered me the chance to stay here.  What a blessing!  Thanks D&L!  Henry has his privacy for a little while and I don’t have to cook for anyone else.  It’s a cute, rustic cabin that overlooks the gulf, about 9 kms from our property.  Una buena vista and cell service, more or less.  What more could a girl ask for?  I’m now closer to the pueblo of Los Mogos and within walking distance to the little ‘pulperia’ or country store.  I’m able to drop by the homes of locals for afternoon coffee and am always welcomed.  I’m often at our place during the day, making sure things are going okay there.

I think this move has also been a great cultural opportunity for me as I’m getting to know the locals and them, me.  Because Gary isn’t here, I’m speaking a lot more español and learning when they are kind enough to point out my mistakes.  It’s a nice change that people don’t have to rearrange their dialog for me.  More often than not now, I can understand a conversation and maybe even participate.  I’m still at a loss to sit down and have the type of conversation I’d like, but it’ll come.  I have such a desire to ask questions about their lives, their impressions, their passions and share mine.  And to be able to joke around with them in Spanish.  They love to joke around.

Author’s note: Oops, location change, the rain is making its way as I can hear it in the trees.  Not computer-friendly, those raindrops.

Living here has brought on some unwelcome events too.  One Sunday afternoon a tree fell on top of the house of the caretaker, Willie.  A BIG tree! (See photo of the tree on the house).  Busted the roof and front porch pretty good, but no one and nothing inside was hurt.  Thankfully.  By the next afternoon, the tree was cut-up, the roof and porch repaired and Willie and his girlfriend were back home.  A testament in part to the simplicity of their homes.  If a tree fell on your house, how long do you think it would take to repair it?  The only residual is some legitimate fear of windy, stormy weather.

Teaching English

One activity that has added spark to our life here and helped us become a little more accepted is an English class.  A number of people here have expressed a desire to learn English and it seemed like a good idea at the time.  Another North American woman who lives here had a small class a few years ago, but wasn’t offering it anymore.  Some people have taken a little English in school, but have few chances to practice it.  Pronunciation is very intimidating for them.  In Spanish, each letter has one sound, more or less, and words are pronounced just as they are spelled.  Of course English isn’t so simple, and those darned diphthongs are mind boggling.  I’m glad I don’t have to try to learn it at my age!

So the class was arranged.  Two hours on Thursday evenings, in the little Mogos schoolroom.  Eight classes per session with two weeks off in-between sessions.  I charge only for materials which makes it about $4 a person for each session of eight classes.  (Cost and access to a course is a huge obstacle for these folks).  I was hoping for 10-12 students.  The first night 25 came.  The second week there was 35!  Yikes, I was in over my head, especially with my limited Spanish.  I couldn’t say no to anyone, they were soooooo anxious to start learning.  And besides, I figured they would tire of my lousy Spanish and drop like flies.  We’re halfway into our 2nd session now and there are still 23 regular attendees.  The students’ ages range from 10 years to 40+.  Some with past English classes, some are beginners and most of the adults have only gone as far as the 6th grade themselves.  They are so excited, dive into the worksheets I make up each week and groan if I don’t have homework for them.  Some have a harder time, so I drop by to visit during the week.  They gladly repay me with coffee or a fruit drink and some homemade goodie.  They are learning and so am I!  And, I’m blessed with a happy heart.

A wonderful thing happened thanks to some Roseburg High School students in the Interact Club (the high school equivalent of Rotary).  Once I started this class I realized how important it was going to be for the students to have a dictionary.  Few in the class had one in their home and it was going to be a significant obstacle.  The Club kindly agreed to make a donation so we could provide a dictionary for every household that didn’t have one.  We bought 19 and distributed them in class.  We even had a class on how to use a dictionary, as I couldn’t assume everyone had used one before.  Thanks Interact!!

Campesino Life

And did I say how committed these amazing students are?  Some come by bus, the high school kids are dropped off on their way home from school (after already being gone for 11 hours)l, and there are two women who come separately, by horseback!  They make a one hour trek each way, every Thursday.  They head back home by flashlight and usually in the rain.  One of them, Odilli, shared that she saw a Jaguar on her way home after class one night.  Wow!  (I’m not making ANY of this up).

I had a really special experience about 2 weeks ago.  After Odilli missed a couple of classes, I offered to help her catch up.  That turned into a horseback trip to her family home where we spent the day on English lessons and interacting with her family.  She, her 2 school-age boys, her parents, a sister and 2 brothers live in a simple ranch house on about 900 hectares (about 2,300 acres) of gorgeous forest and ranchland.  They live as Ticos have lived for generations.  Cows, cattle, horses, pigs, chickens, fruit trees, crops, fit into their daily routine.  To the casual observer, a home with 8 people, no electricity, cooking by wood-fired stove, washing clothes by hand, and a long horse trail for a driveway seems like a pretty tough life.  They would probably say they have everything they need.

Material things?

Ticos in this area have few of the conveniences we are used to and don’t seem to get as ‘attached’ to things as we Americans do. They don’t seem to ‘want’ or ‘need’ as much as we do.  If something breaks, gets stolen, or chewed up by the family dog or pig, oh well.  We have seen this with our caretaker many times and it’s an interesting observation that I’m still trying to grasp and put into perspective.  I initially reacted to their ‘ho hum’ complacent attitude with sheer frustration.  I just couldn’t accept “oh well, they were nice shoes while they lasted” or “why should I try to make my yard nice, when the neighbor’s horse will just end up mowing it down?”  They don’t expect things to last or stay the same, so why worry or get attached in the first place. 

Ticos in this area live a simple life, only in part because of their income.  They spend a lot of time just living and surviving and making it to tomorrow.  They really don’t think too far ahead and rarely plan out their time because something is bound to happen to change those plans. (Like a tree falling on your house or a bus that breaks down).  My perception after only a few months is that it’s in their cultural programming, a survival instinct of sorts, or a flexibility gene maybe.  And it is a lot easier to live that way; less frustration, less stress.  These wonderfully patient people don’t like things too complicated and sure don’t understand our obsession with complexities.  It’s not really a part of their make-up to dive into something just for the challenge of it.  They usually just watch us in amazement or may ask a simple question, “Why?”  It’s a hard one to answer sometimes. 

And don’t try to convince them they should do something they don’t see the need to do.  Whew, it’d be like trying to teach a chicken to swim.  What you can do is show them the reasons and the ‘how to.’  When, and if, they recognize the benefits, they’ll be your strongest supporter.  We’ve made Henry, our caretaker, a true believer in the magic of composting and worms.  But it took months!

I think I’m coming to terms with the difficulties I encounter here when attempting to do more than one thing at a time.  You all know this incredibly valued trait - Multi-tasking.  If one masters this ability well, they are like gods in their workplace, super parents at home, and able to leap over tall . . . well maybe not.  I could have given seminars and workshops on this quality.  For 9 months I have tried the art of multi-tasking and flopped miserably.  I’ve given up, or given in maybe.  It cannot happen here.  It’s almost dangerous to try!   At first I thought it was something like Alzheimer’s taking control.  I’m convinced there’s a devious force at work suppressing all my attempts to find that rhythm, that flow, that Zen place where everything you do falls into place.  So, if I’m doing laundry, I better not be trying to cook anything, clean the house, and bird watch at the same time, or if I’m cooking, I better not be running outside to clean out the truck, wash Sydney, and cut flowers.  Instead, I’m learning (with much difficulty) to take it one thing at a time, put on some music, have a book handy that I can put down, and use my alarm on my watch.  I’m trying to accept things the way they is!

Gecko Joe

And it’s amazing how comfortable one can become with the ‘way things are.’  A part of my life each morning, after crawling out of bed and splashing water on my face, is scouting for the gecko dropping from the night before.  There is a particularly large gecko (he’s cuter than the Geiko geckos) living in the cabin ceiling with me.  Joe, or José (if he’s gonna live with me he’s gotta have a name) is about 6” long and a welcomed visitor, dining on the ample supply of insects and spiders.  Geckos have one opening for their wastes called a cloaca, so the dropping, about the size of a dime, consists of white pasty ‘urine’ and a firmer darker bundle, plopped down together.  (Your zoology lesson for today).  There’s usually just one each morning and always in a different spot.  Joe’s other endearing trait is his vocalization, a sort-of barking bird call.  Loud!  He makes his presence known, but never barks after I go to bed.  A very respectful lizard my housemate Joe.

Toasted Spiders

Another, not as endearing, nature interaction involved our toaster.  After a month here, I started noticing little web-like things hanging off my toast from time to time.  I’d take out the crumb tray and bang out the bread crumbs and call it good, for awhile.  I figured, how could spiders be living in my toaster?  Well, living might not be the best word and I finally figured out what was happening.  I guess they would live in there for a few days, until I used it.  Then new ones would come in, until I used it.  Anyway, I finally took the toaster apart the other day and cleaned out a few months of toasted webs and spider crumbs.  (Yes dad, I unplugged it first).  I told myself that everyone should know how to take apart their toaster and give it a good cleaning.  How’s that for accepting the way it is?

Living here is a little like accepting quantum physics and the existence of a parallel universe.  If you’re a quantum physicist or have seen “What the Bleep Do We Know” you probably get my drift.  Well, we may as well be in a parallel universe in Costa Rica.  It’s hard for us ‘gringos’ to stop fighting and accept the reality of this other universe because our core values have developed so differently.  We can’t just change countries and expect to stay the same people.  We’re working on it though and Costa Rica is working on us too.  For both Gary and I, I think there’s more evolving to be done on the inside than the outside.  It’s still a great journey.