Tiny Grass

In the last 3 days, there have been 125 google site searches for ‘this-is-a-crumpet.’ I don’t get it.

On this first day of 2009, I’m a happy camper.  The two things I like about winter - snow & our Christmas tree - are in effect.  The thing I hate about winter - frigid cold - will be a distant memory in 48 days.  Last night I packed another suitcase, which will be ‘done’ once I borrow a scale from our neighbor and weigh it.  Things are starting to move, and there’s a lot to look forward to - warm weather, fresh food, new experiences, new friendships and more family time.

But no place is perfect, and if you are going to make an international move, you have to take the rose-colored glasses off and go with your eyes wide open.  Things *will* be different and some things will be hard to let go.  An eye-opener for me last year was the tale of another family, rather similar in outlook to mine, went to Costa Rica and just had a miserable experience.  They were gullible and not prepared for the realities that awaited them.  I’ll probably have additions to this list after living in there awhile, but this is what I’ll miss about the US for now.

Our library by smantrom

1. The library system

I use our library system a LOT, and Costa Rica has few libraries.  Our local library is small and in a gorgeous little historic building, but I have access to almost everything in our library system.  I can go online and request books, music & movies and get a nice email when they’re waiting for me.  When I find a book I want to read, the first thing I do is look it up in the library system and add it to my list.  Same thing for movies, audiobooks and, to a much lesser extent, music.  Recently I’ve been really into movies - especially since the 2nd closest library is practically a video store.

The best part is the books for my children.  I can’t imagine a better foundation to develop a love for reading than to let them loose at the library and see how excited they are to pick out books.  Using the library saves a lot of money, but it’s especially true for children’s books.  You can’t always predict what book will capture a child’s long-term imagination and which ones are worth a single read.  And having the choice and freedom to explore different stories and topics is priceless.

I will probably miss the library more than I will miss family members.  Seriously - I can have a quick videochat with a relative but new books are often not available in Costa Rica, especially less mainstream fare.  I can mitigate this by getting an e-reader, but there will still be books that can only be acquired from Amazon.  And getting new children’s books will be tough.  We’ll have to keep an updated wishlist on Amazon and ask our folks to send a big box of books down once or twice a year.

2. Easy online shopping & shipping

Well, you can buy stuff online from CR too, but shipping (and occasionally customs) is a bigger expense.  You can spend more to ship internationally, or use a service like Aerocasillas (where you get a US address and then the service ships it internationally).  Now this is part of the lifestyle & outlook change - live more simply, live with less, etc - so it’s not a complaint.  But I know I’ll miss it.  Especially since I recently got into boardgames which will be much harder to come by.  I suppose I’ll take it slow and enjoy what we have to the fullest, but there will be times when I wish I could order something and have it come sooner & cheaper.  I doubt I can buy a sofa online and have it shipped for $1 like in the US.

3. Reliability of services

In America, if the cable company says they’ll be there on Tuesday between noon and 5pm, they will show up by 5pm on Tuesday.  If they can’t, they will let you know.  If they make a mistake and no one shows up, they’ll try to make nice by offering a free box of Jujubes.  In Costa Rica, if the cable company says they are coming mañana, it could mean tomorrow, 2 weeks, 2 months or never.  Once you actually get a service - like cable or dsl - it will work.  Most of the time.  And hopefully as good as advertised (there are many who say that high speed internet in Costa Rica qualifies as great dial-up in the US).  I know that at some point when I need to work online, I won’t be able to and it’ll stress me out until I get used it.  This is another lifestyle change to adapt to, perhaps not wasting time and using the internet when it is available for what is truly necessary.  I guess it’s not all bad when you think in terms of needs vs wants, but it’ll take some getting used to regardless.

That’s my list for now.  I’m sure I’ll have some more to add by this time next year - hopefully not too much more

Ah - Imperial. Costa Rica’s yummy cerveza. Instead of champagne, I thought it would be more apropriate to toast to the upcoming year with The Beer of Costa Rica. We have an adventure that’s already begun and much to look forward to. Here’s wishing everyone a peaceful, fulfilling new year. Don’t ignore your dreams - inspire yourself and make them happen.

(I love how the ornate eagle on the label seems to be holding … a towel. Or as they say in Spanish, una toalla. Why is it there? Is the bird going to poop?)

After weeks of workaholism on my part, we FINALLY did some packing yesterday.  Trish purged her wardrobe of many articles of clothing (some 4 garbage bags worth - thankfully the clothing bin at the local FD had room).  We packed one suitcase full of warm weather maternity clothes and stuffed animals until it was 50lbs.  We’re working within the confines of Continental’s checked baggage policy - each of us gets 1 bag checked for free and can add a second for $25.  Each bag can have a maximum weight of 50lbs, which we have to stick to because going over equals an extra charge of $50.  And even that has a max of 70lbs, at which point they’d just refuse the bag.  The good thing is that there are 4 of us, so we can check 8 bags for $100 extra total.  Not a bad deal at all.  So one down, 7 to go! 

In the process we’re craigslisting, freecycling and just plain getting rid of Stuff.  And that feels GREAT.  I never felt possessions as a weight but getting rid of them feels like a weight lifting.  Maybe it’s chi - who knows?  I think getting rid of stuff that are remnants of a past life is really it.  It’s hard to move forward if you keep looking behind and the closer we get to the move, the more I find myself looking forward and not back .  It took me years to learn to just move on and stop wishing that this & that were different.  In some ways, I don’t have a choice so there are no more excuses to procrastinate.  And I don’t think it’s reinventing myself as much as just becoming me.

I really don’t know how schooling parents do it.  Today I was up before 7am and for me, it is an ungodly hour.  It’s cold, it’s dark, and it reminds me of waking up for school.  I can’t believe that people do this on a regular basis, motivate their kids and get them ready to leave the home.  Then there’s the after-school activities, sports & the like.  I don’t have any issue with them (especially if it’s interest-based instead of resume fillers), but on top of spending hours and hours away from the kids it seems like a lot.  Just running from one place to another multiple times a day is stressful.  When do these families get to spend time together?  An hour a day and a few on weekends?  How sad.

And in NYC, picking a middle school is now a big deal.  11 school visits?  Interview prep?!  Just reading that makes me feel their stress.  Sure it’s NYC and not the typical suburb or town where the choice is limited to one, but you know this will catch on.  (At one time, cramming for SATs with Kaplan was rare, now it’s common.)  It’s not unwarranted - if you spend more time away from your kids than with, you do as much as possible to feel better about the decision since you won’t be there to guide them when they really need it.  All in the name of the Rest of Their Lives.

This stress over schooling supports the fact that institutional education is little more a 16 year job interview.  In grammar school kids are taught to shut up, do what they’re told and withhold their natural curiosity and instincts unless the time is ‘appropriate.’  A good classroom is just like a good office - quiet & busy.  By high school, many kids have been ’socialized’ and stay quiet on their own, while the ones who don’t are threatened with poor wages, eternal damnation and the spectre of the Bad Permanent Record.  (Good students get this too - I have to send Ms. Kenny, a guidance counselor in high school, a nice f*ck you for actually calling my mom and stressing her out over *my* permanent record back in the day.)

College is the final piece of the puzzle for many since non-physical office-oriented labor is prized over manual labor, regardless if you have an actual interest in auto mechanics or construction or not.  The Right School is part of the process to impress someone else enough to be hired.  You can sugarcoat it, but in the end it’s a 16 year path with the same repeated goal over and over again - to hear someone else say you’re good enough.  It’s about measurable results and not the learning itself (the latter can be supremely satisfying and motivating- read more on focussing on results vs process here).  I really hope my kids, if they decide to go to college, will study something that moves & fascinates them, with the goal of learning as much about it as possible.

It’s hard to see things from the schooling parent point-of-view, but a local tribe member shared something this week that opened my eyes.  Author unknown, and since it’s from a Geocities page, it’s probably been around for 10 years: Read more »