Life with Monkeys

Paying Bills

The other day Ivan walks into the house holding some papers.  He hands them to his dad and says that a guy on an old motorcycle drove up to our driveway and gave them to him.  Brian looks at them and announces that they are the electricity bill.  Then Adrian said, "I thought we paid that at the pharmacy the other day."  Brian says, "No, that was the cell phone bill I paid at the pharmacy.  The electricity bill I paid at the bank."   Now this was certainly an exchange I could never have imagined.  Imagine going in to the neighborhood pharmacy in the states to pay your cell phone bill!    
It just sounded like the silliest thing in the world; paying your cell phone bill at the pharmacy and the electric bill at the bank.

But, that's apparently standard practice here.  Since moving here, I have often felt like I may as well have landed on a different planet, although I must admit, I really have no Earthly idea what landing on a different planet would be like.  And although I am completely fluent in Spanish, there are often situations and conversations I have had difficulty understanding.  It has given me a greater understanding and respect for people who have managed to immigrate to a new country and had any form of success.  And by success I mean learning a new language and culture and bureaucracy without bursting into tears at each new encounter.  Sometimes after returning home from a meeting, I feel so wiped out, I need a nap.  I guess it's a lucky thing I chose a country that well understands the importance of a nap.    

 

Feliz Navidad, Parrita!

While my friends back home were either hosting fabulous Christmas Boat Parade parties or attending them, my men and I, attended a different kind of Christmas Party.  My friend, the mayor (okay so he's not exactly my best friend but he did find me at the party to say hello and meet my kids) put together an extravaganza for the people of Parrita that was really fabulous.
First off, my-friend-the-mayor, gave away hundreds of toys to our city's poorest children! Or rather, he had Santa Claus give them away.  Imagine, Santa in Costa!  I have no idea how my-friend-the-mayor and his office were able to run the city while simultaneously planning the party of the year but they did!  You should have seen it; the excitement, the joy, the emotion, it was just like Christmas!

Aside from Santa Claus, present also was a very disturbing looking clown, kind of like Bozo the clown, only much creepier.      
I am only posting a few photos of the party as most of them didn't turn out that well owing to the fact that it gets dark here at about three in the afternoon.  Okay, I'm exaggerating but not by much.   My-friend-the-mayor hired the most wonderful band, La Big Band, (and no, I'm not making that name up) and they were really, really good!  They played contemporary hits and jazz standards and they even played Glenn Miller's In The Mood and BESAME MUCHO!  !QUE EMOCION!  So, there we are, my boys asking if we can leave now (10 minutes after we arrived) my mister and I enjoying the music and the whole scene, when
I look to my left and there they are, probably the best dancers in all of Parrita!  Maybe even the best dancers in the whole country, they were that good!  This couple was ON FIRE!  They were so good, you wouldn't have believed it!  This photo doesn't do them or their skills justice.  I wish I could have videotaped them and posted it.  Don't have the skills so here are photos instead.

They must have danced
for nearly half an hour.
The crowd around them got bigger
and bigger and the dancers looked as though they didn't notice anything except the music and each other. 
It was magic. 
And while I missed my friends and the boat parade, not to mention the great food at the boat parade parties, I'll bet none of the parties I missed had dancing like this!  Feliz Navidad, Parrita!

Furniture Factory Field Trip

My mister was introduced to a man from the states who manufactures teak furniture near us and ships it all over the world.  We looked on his website and found his line very pretty.  Most of it the furniture is best suited for outdoor use but it's really pretty, we need furniture, and we have nothing but time to check it out! 

When we first arrived, we were confronted by the son of the security guard there.  He was the cutest little boy and had a lot to say.  And like my dear mayor, he was all smiles until the camera was turned on.  What is up with the Ticos that go all serious when they are photographed?  I could not believe the size of this tire.  I guess where trucks are concerned, size really does matter!  Before moving here, I had never been so up-close and personal with heavy machinery and livestock; I had no idea what I was missing!

This lovely unfinished bench Adrian is sitting on is absolutely stunning.  I should have taken a photo of the benches that were finished but frankly, I was too busy goofing off with my man-child while my mister talked to the proprietor of the factory.  The teak bench is lovely and so well designed, that it is actually very comfortable.  The factory was pretty impressive and I was so enthralled with my surroundings that I didn't shoot as many photos of the furniture as I should have.  As we were touring the factory, we walked past the 'servicios' and I found the designations so funny that I decided to take a photograph and post it for your viewing pleasure! 

A Sign From A Blog

In one week two events made me consider going back to the states and then almost immediately, a lovely thing happened to reassure me that I should stay.  How's that for cosmic, fateful, and fabulous?  For those of you who have been reading my blog, (and shame on you who haven't) you likely remember that just a few nights ago, we had a bat in my house.  Heck, not just in my house but in my hair!  A flying rodent that likely carried rabies.  A few nights after that, we spotted what we now know to be a highly venomous snake in my yard!  It's ironic, after feeling frustrated and isolated in the jungle for six weeks, I had just begun feeling comfortable and hopeful.  I spent one very long and sleepless night berating myself for being so reckless and putting my beloved sons in harm's way.  The whole situation was made slightly worse by the fact that my dear husband was away slaying dragons for a few days.  When I finally decided to get out of bed, accepting the idea that sleep would not be forthcoming, I checked my e-mail.  There in my in-box was a lovely note from a lovely man proclaiming that his Ex-pat web-site, loved my blog!  Seriously, in the subject line in caps, that's what it said.  He went on to say that they had chosen my little blog as blog of the month for November.  Well, I CAN"T leave the country now!!! 

If you click on their little logo on the right side of the page, it will take you there.  Having spent the past 19 years being a stay-at-home mom and defining myself primarily as that, being given this honor that has little to do with my children is very affirming.  I have done very little the past two decades that didn't at least peripherally involve my family.  If people out there in the blogoshpere enjoy reading my little blog, it makes me very happy. 
I know that must sound terribly self-centered but I did take it as an omen that this adventure was well worth a few risks and many precautions.  For instance, we will all be wearing the knee high rubber boots that locals wear when walking in the jungle and I personally may also be wearing them inside the house, as well! 

And Now For Something Completely Ridiculous

I have always been a snob about authenticity when traveling.  You won't find me seeking out tourist spots and certainly not spending time where the folks around are primarily North Americans.  After all, if I want to be surrounded by people just like me, I would stay in the states.  In fact, the only 'white' people in the area we have chosen to live in, are my husband and children.  That said, we realized there were certain things we really didn't want to do without that were unavailable locally.  The solution, and I am a bit ashamed to say it, was a trip to PRICE SMART.  It is basically a Costco and locally pronounced something like, Prees Mar.

Now, at home, I absolutely HATE going to Costco but here, knowing that I would soon be face to face with products that I use and eat routinely at home, brought me to nearly  giddy anticipation!
I know I probably sound like a mental patient.  In any event, we stocked up on many things I have taken for granted for years, the most valued being a GIANT bag of Hershey's kisses, mmmmmm. 
At the end of our shopping marathon, my little monkeys declared they were hungry.  I hoped they didn't really want to eat at the Prees Mar, but they did want to.  I assumed it would be gross like the Costco food back in the states.  It wasn't too bad, really.  Of course, I didn't eat it.  I do have some standards, you know.
We were quite successful in our little shopping trip and I think we will be able to survive for a few more weeks shopping locally.  I can only say, in my defense, that I really did need that weedwacker and softer bathroom tissue.  Really.

My Happy Brithday

So, yesterday was my birthday and Brian surprised me by throwing a little party in my honor.  This is a photo of our cochera (carport) that Brian decorated.  If you click on the photo, it will enlarge and you may be able to see what he did with the row of printer paper sheets.  He wrote out Feliz Cumpleanos Norita.  Brian made all of the arrangements prior to my arrival in Costa Rica.  He did have the absolute best party planners though.  Omar and Hugo, the two men I consider my dearest friends and greatest protectors here.  I love and admire these two men greatly but that is another post for another time.   Julia, a local woman, cooked all of the food, which was amazing!  She cooked it in a tiny, makeshift kitchen where she does the daily cooking for the crew who is building our house at the top of the hill.  Brian invited a few of our neighbors, yes, that was a little awkward, and our friend who left show business to open a resort here 20 years ago.  But wait, just as the neighbors are walking over, Hugo pulls up with a car full of... MARIACHIS!  They came to serenade me!  Before long, they are playing our song, 'Besame Mucho' and Brian and I are dancing and I feel as though I am in a dream.  Not exactly my dream, more of a David Lynch sort of a dream but hey, I'll take it.  Brian and Hugo hired a Mariachi band since I am Mexican and it seemed appropriate!  They played so many songs I remember from my youth, like Cielito Lindo.  It filled my heart to see my monkeys trying to have conversations with the shy little boys who didn't speak a word of English.  They are seen here sitting in the chairs, watching the musicians.  The boys were wearing shiny black leather shoes and had slicked their hair back for the occasion.  I overheard Adrian asking questions like, "Que color es tu favorito?"  (What's your favorite color?)  The little boys just beamed at this big American boy who was taking an interest in them! 
As you can see here, fruit was a dominant part of the menu.  The fruit here being more delicious than any I have ever tasted.  The fruit here is sweeter , its color deeper.  The giant pot held arroz con pollo (rice with chicken) we also had picadillo de papaya (papaya salad), picadillo de papa (potato salad), platanos fritos (fried bananas), and the piece de resistence...
empanadas de frijol (too delicious to translate).  I will shoot pictures of the leftovers today and post one day.  It seemed too weird to be photographing the food at the party, although I was dying to!  I am quite certain my new neighbors would have though I was a lunatic had they seen me taking photos of FOOD!      After the musicians had eaten, collected some of the extra food, (at our insistence) and left, Omar picked up the guitar and began to play and sing.  He has a really lovely voice.  Omar Jr. is in Adrian's lap and this moment of the party was certainly one of my favorite.  How natural it is for a guest to pick up a guitar and play at a gathering here. Whenever I become overwhelmed by the heat, roads that make your kidneys hurt, and missing my friends, I will look at this photo and remind myself of the lessons my children are living and learning here.