Settling In

• Well, after realizing that there is no way to compose individual e-mails and texts to keep in touch, I now accept the fact that a blog might be the most thorough way of communicating with any who might be curious about how we are faring down here in Costa Rica. The alternative might be radio silence because I am a little daunted by all there is to tell about our first two weeks getting set up with our house, car and school for the year.

When I came down on my fact finding mission this past June, I bought a car from a couple who were tired of the heat, the bugs and the mud and were setting out for Spain. “To be cold again,” they mused dreamily, as four different fans blasted us on their deck. We arranged for them to leave the car in the shade in mid-July, keys with the gate keeper of their condominium, ready for collection by us in early September. Well. Shade translated to fungal infestation and leaving it led to a dead engine. Seemed to make sense at the time, but a few helpful Ticos, a new battery and several rounds sponging bleach solution soon put us right.

Our house is fabulous–we love its location and its low monthly rent. Unfortunately, it is low for a reason since there are a few glitches. In the first week we met Harry, the locksmith, and Huver, the guy who can fix anything. Slowly crossing things off of the list, but it has become apparent that a few things will remain on the list for the duration of our lease.

On our second night, in the very middle of it, there was the sensation of a wrecking ball smashing into the concrete structure of the house. Just one vibrating crash, but it turned out to have been an earthquake (un temblor) in nearby Nicoya. Only a 5.2, and a quick one, but it had people talking of tsunamis and heading for the mountains all of which didn’t even occur to us at the time. The next day in school, the kids conducted earthquake drills wherein they all line up by class outside and proceed in an orderly fashion off campus and up to higher ground. Maybe if we feel something like that in the middle of the night again, I might just pack up the kids and drive to higher ground? Rookies, all of us…

Yes, it has been raining, but not as much as you might think. There have been a handful of days with zero rain, but more often it rains at night or in the late afternoons. I lie in bed at night, listening to it coming down and wondering how it might be affecting specific gulleys and canyons on the road to school.

School is great–the boys were pleased with it from day one. Mainly because they think it’s going to be pretty easy, but I have told them that if they come away with Spanish, I don’t care if the rest is review. Henry told me after the first week that he no longer needed to bring in a snack. He is bartering his pencil sketches with kids for bags of plantain chips which he prefers to my snacks. And the lunch plan–we parents need such a lunch plan–they get into the car every day after school with lavish descriptions of their five-course lunches. For 5./day, an Israeli expat (who loathes rice and beans, he told us) cooks and brings hot lunch for eighty kids who have signed on to his plan. Lucky kids!

As for my beans, I oversalted my first batch but have now come up with a reasonable semblance of frijoles negros, which we gringos will never get right because of our lame-o black beans. Ever noticed how they turn grey and bleached out and look like they’ve been dyed? Not these beans; they are as black as night, and taste like beans! Everything, for that matter, tastes like what it is and so simple cooking yields great results. My first few breakfasts of fried eggs on toast were beyond gourmet, according to everyone! Can’t wait to get back to US food that tastes like sawdust.

Anyway, that’s it–I tried to post pictures, but I can’t figure it out yet in my fledgling blogger phase. Both boys home with fevers, so we are laying low today while I try to technologically educate myself. It will get better, I promise.