One week. That is how long I lacked power. In the states, if my house or apartment had lacked power for an entire week, I would have considered myself living under great hardship, but in Belize, one week is a miraculously short period of time to wait for a basic service. But I did get electricity, in a most typically developing country fashion.
On Monday I dropped off my little signed piece of paper that showed that I had indeed had a a certified electrician hook up my single light and two outlets. The lady at Belize Electricity Limited at first did not believe me, and accused me of trying to cheat the system, but after a call from the actual electrician, they decided to put my work order in their pile. It should be just a couple of days, she told me. Well, the rest of the week went by, no BEL. In the meantime I lived a perfectly romantic life of candlelight cooking, dining, and reading. Of course, I had to supplement with my headlamp, but for the most part I burned candles.
Friday came and I had almost given up hope of being able to flip my brand new light switch and get a response, when what should come cruising down the road but a BEL truck. But wait, why didn't they stop? They blew past my house at about 30 miles per hour, not even glancing at my disconnected meter wires. They weren't getting away this easy, and with my road being a one-way trip into the jungle, I knew that they would have to come back. Sure enough, a little while later the truck appeared on the horizon and I flagged them down. The driver stopped and listened to my plea about turning in my work order and living with no light. Not so surprisingly, he hadn't heard a thing about it. It would only take him about 10 minutes to connect my house to power, but he didn't have any meters on him. I smiled and thanked him and told him that I understood, and that I knew that he had a tough job. Well, he said, maybe his partner that was reading meters would be able to help, and he would be right back. 5 minutes later they were back, connecting my lines without the meter and before I knew it they were on there way. They told me not to worry about telling BEL, that they would be back with a meter, but for now I had free electricity. I guess the helpless woman act is universal.
12.05.2006
11.25.2006
Thanks Giving
Wrapped up in my colorful, Caribbean blanket, sipping my hot coffee and eating a bowl of oatmeal, I can almost imagine an Autumn day. A bouquet of golden-fire hued foliage sent by a friend add to the illusion. By the by, the steaming coffee and oatmeal are simply a misguided attempt to recreate a Northwest November morning - I am really cold.
Over the past week Belize has been experiencing a formidable cold front. A month ago I would have scoffed at the idea of donning socks, pants, and 2 long sleeve shirts before crawling into my REI sleeping bag. But with lows dipping into the 50's at night, I'm doing my best to stay warm in my breezy house.
In addition to being Thanksgiving, it was also my first morning in my new home. I call it my Blue Creek Studio. At 12 by 18 feet, it's cozy, but holds anything and everything Missy and I could possibly want. A bed, a hammock, a table, bookshelf, stove, and mini-fridge. Kind of like college sans the running water and glass windows. I had a wonderful experience with my host family, but having my own space allows me a speck of control of my schedule, diet, and music selection (except when the neighboring Pentecostal Church is having service, then it's synthesizer Holy Pop for 3 hours whether I like it or not).
So my life is good. I ate my first solo Thanksgiving, well, solo. I fixed a lovely meal of curried rice and stewed cabbage and ate by candlelight. Not because it is romantic, though it was, but because I wont have electricity until next week. I wasn't even lonely. Mostly I was thankful: for my health, for my food, and most of all for having the guts to do this whole adventure and for all the people in my life who support me along the way. Love.
Over the past week Belize has been experiencing a formidable cold front. A month ago I would have scoffed at the idea of donning socks, pants, and 2 long sleeve shirts before crawling into my REI sleeping bag. But with lows dipping into the 50's at night, I'm doing my best to stay warm in my breezy house.
In addition to being Thanksgiving, it was also my first morning in my new home. I call it my Blue Creek Studio. At 12 by 18 feet, it's cozy, but holds anything and everything Missy and I could possibly want. A bed, a hammock, a table, bookshelf, stove, and mini-fridge. Kind of like college sans the running water and glass windows. I had a wonderful experience with my host family, but having my own space allows me a speck of control of my schedule, diet, and music selection (except when the neighboring Pentecostal Church is having service, then it's synthesizer Holy Pop for 3 hours whether I like it or not).
So my life is good. I ate my first solo Thanksgiving, well, solo. I fixed a lovely meal of curried rice and stewed cabbage and ate by candlelight. Not because it is romantic, though it was, but because I wont have electricity until next week. I wasn't even lonely. Mostly I was thankful: for my health, for my food, and most of all for having the guts to do this whole adventure and for all the people in my life who support me along the way. Love.
11.11.2006
By the Carib Sea
Most days I forget where in the world I am located. From my densely jungled vantage point, I could be in the middle of the Amazon or the Boundary Waters Canoe Area for as close as I feel to the actual Caribbean Sea. Today I was reminded, that yes, I do live in a country that has a coast line, islands, and beaches that attract people from all over the world, and that I too can enjoy these awesome natural assets.
So at 10 am this morning I found myself snorkeling in crystal clear blue waters, in awe of the coral and fish, basking in the tropical sun, all for the bargain basement price of absolutely nothing. How did I manage this, you ask? Well, turns out being a Peace Corps Volunteer isn't all about hardship and crazy diseases. It is also about getting in with the right people, so that when a class trip from the U. of Belize has an extra space on the boat out to some fabulous marine reserve, you manage to get your American butt in that seat.
So there I was, snorkeling for the first time, enjoying it beyond all expectations, when a sting ray the size of a manhole cover goes floating right by me, with three barracudas in tow. I was later to learn that its not the sting ray I should worry about, but the barracudas. Anyways, the point of this whole thing is that I wasn't even scared. I even started to follow the ray, from a safe distance, just because I was so entranced by this whole underwater world. I am even considering scuba as a feasible option, something that may shock all of my dear friends and family. The best part about the day, I made it home in time for a nap and dinner. Two hours from jungle to reef, what a life.
So at 10 am this morning I found myself snorkeling in crystal clear blue waters, in awe of the coral and fish, basking in the tropical sun, all for the bargain basement price of absolutely nothing. How did I manage this, you ask? Well, turns out being a Peace Corps Volunteer isn't all about hardship and crazy diseases. It is also about getting in with the right people, so that when a class trip from the U. of Belize has an extra space on the boat out to some fabulous marine reserve, you manage to get your American butt in that seat.
So there I was, snorkeling for the first time, enjoying it beyond all expectations, when a sting ray the size of a manhole cover goes floating right by me, with three barracudas in tow. I was later to learn that its not the sting ray I should worry about, but the barracudas. Anyways, the point of this whole thing is that I wasn't even scared. I even started to follow the ray, from a safe distance, just because I was so entranced by this whole underwater world. I am even considering scuba as a feasible option, something that may shock all of my dear friends and family. The best part about the day, I made it home in time for a nap and dinner. Two hours from jungle to reef, what a life.
11.07.2006
medical evacuation
Last Thursday I had a pretty unfortunate day. Over 4.5 months in a tropical climate, and I finally came down with my first strange illness. It was quite a day, and for those who are interested, I will relate my version, but it is clouded by a really high temperature and severe pain, so I am attaching a link to my sitemate Jeff's blog and his capable words. http://www.jeffinbelize.blogspot.com/
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