When I think of sending some notes back home to friends and folks I first think of trying to bring up interesting stories that try to convey the experience of what it`s like to go to a new culture, adapt to a new language etc. But that has started to feel like it is missing the mark. - I also wanted to explain the "why" I would leave familiarity and comfort, and what some call the "richness of potential of my sporadic music endeavours" to come here to the middle of nowhere, but I don`t have an answer. But here I am still shoeing out chickens from my room, planting beans, asking people to "repetes por favor, no entiendo", dealing with ways that seem to come sometimes from another planet, eating food cooked on a fire, riding a moped etc. - Sometimes when I sit under my mosquito net, it takes me a bit of time to be reminded that Diana`s tears are just like mine, that Marisol`s frustrations are just like my frustrations, that Juan`s alcohol problem is like everyone`s alcohol problem, that Angela`s laugh is as bright as a laugh anywhere, that Lélé`s hugs are soulful. - It still doesn`t answer the why`s though, but I do know that some thought keeps trying to pop it`s head out from the ether so it can be expressed and for some reason I keep suppressing it, the closest I can maybe come to expressing it, is that maybe we can`t have it all. And if that is what the thought is, I know I don`t have to come all the way here to realize that, but it sure helps, it seems. - So I think I am looking for a certain Petri dish for myself. I don`t know what is going to happen though because I seem to always be looking for Petri dishes. But even that is just a part of it. The view is pretty nice too. - If you would like to take a closer look at this Petri dish to check out either my project website which I added some thank-yous too www.labocainaproject.blogspot.com or this one, my recent thoughts and stories about my trip back here, you are welcome to - and you are always more than welcome to let me know what is happening in your petri dish.
All the best in the new year
Feliz Navidad
Ed
lunes, 22 de enero de 2007
miércoles, 17 de enero de 2007
Edito and the rain
Random story number 9
Edito, a small frail vocal man, about 85 years old, lives across from me now with his wife Andrea. He somehow survived some serious bladder infection as well as some other serious problem I couldn´t understand, they were all saying he was going to die - and he is now up and going, a new man, always wanting to show me his new attachment, a bag for capturing his urine, and smoking his cigars. Today he asked me if I could still get a hard-on, using gestures and some words I didnt quite get, and as I could tell by his voice that it was a sincere question I had to answer. He was so delighted, he raised his hands in the air, and then he started praising God as he walked away. It was an interesting mix of subjects I have never really experienced together like that before.
_________________________________________________________
It feels like never before has my faith been this tested, through these crops I am trying to help out a people who I am daily reminded of how poor they are, and we are being sent down rain day after day, for over 2 straight months, quite a abnomally, everyday I look up incredulously at another batch of rain clouds rolling over, damaging our crops, though the crops are somehow still holding on strong.
But my patience is worn thin, I lent one eyed Pedro my sling-shot to help him shoo chickens from Lion´s bean garden, I put in a good amount of time and effort to find materials to build it well, he said he was going to replace the leather pocket that was breaking, and instead he redid the whole dang thing! shortening the rubber, and now it shoots half as far. He must like chickens more than I. I got angry and pitched it on the wet ground, he got angry back because he was trying to help. Today I still held a grudge and he was all happy to go, saying hello and how are you Eduardo, how did you sleep? as he always does, not worried about me, the sling shot or the rain, like most people here.
This rain puts everything I´ve tried here at risk, 2.5 months of rain is quite a lot. We haven´t been able to dry our clothes for more than 2 weeks - we had one day of sun and there were clothes drying everywhere. We can´t weed, can´t travel well as most rides are on the back of a truck or on a motorcycle - hard to get firewood, it´s cold, all is mucky - and I seem to be one of the few here who is bitching, maybe its because I have half my life´s savings in the crops across the river.
- I was reminded of the quote:
- The source of all glory is acceptance of what the Lord hath bestowed and contentment with that which god has ordained. - Baha´u´llah
and today it was sunny... like nice and sunny...
Edito, a small frail vocal man, about 85 years old, lives across from me now with his wife Andrea. He somehow survived some serious bladder infection as well as some other serious problem I couldn´t understand, they were all saying he was going to die - and he is now up and going, a new man, always wanting to show me his new attachment, a bag for capturing his urine, and smoking his cigars. Today he asked me if I could still get a hard-on, using gestures and some words I didnt quite get, and as I could tell by his voice that it was a sincere question I had to answer. He was so delighted, he raised his hands in the air, and then he started praising God as he walked away. It was an interesting mix of subjects I have never really experienced together like that before.
_________________________________________________________
It feels like never before has my faith been this tested, through these crops I am trying to help out a people who I am daily reminded of how poor they are, and we are being sent down rain day after day, for over 2 straight months, quite a abnomally, everyday I look up incredulously at another batch of rain clouds rolling over, damaging our crops, though the crops are somehow still holding on strong.
But my patience is worn thin, I lent one eyed Pedro my sling-shot to help him shoo chickens from Lion´s bean garden, I put in a good amount of time and effort to find materials to build it well, he said he was going to replace the leather pocket that was breaking, and instead he redid the whole dang thing! shortening the rubber, and now it shoots half as far. He must like chickens more than I. I got angry and pitched it on the wet ground, he got angry back because he was trying to help. Today I still held a grudge and he was all happy to go, saying hello and how are you Eduardo, how did you sleep? as he always does, not worried about me, the sling shot or the rain, like most people here.
This rain puts everything I´ve tried here at risk, 2.5 months of rain is quite a lot. We haven´t been able to dry our clothes for more than 2 weeks - we had one day of sun and there were clothes drying everywhere. We can´t weed, can´t travel well as most rides are on the back of a truck or on a motorcycle - hard to get firewood, it´s cold, all is mucky - and I seem to be one of the few here who is bitching, maybe its because I have half my life´s savings in the crops across the river.
- I was reminded of the quote:
- The source of all glory is acceptance of what the Lord hath bestowed and contentment with that which god has ordained. - Baha´u´llah
and today it was sunny... like nice and sunny...
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