Michael: Odds and Ends

If there’s coffee and
Chocolate, it’s civilized
Enough to live there.

Monday, July 13, 2015

There are things that we no longer have any control over here that we find humorous, mystifying, frustrating and frightening. Sometimes all at once.

 For example, we don’t drive here. We walk or use buses or taxis. If you’re on the bus and it’s moving at a vibrant pace around some treacherous stretches in the road, be grateful. It’s a strong indicator that the driver isn’t texting.

In L.A.  if we had a tech. problem we picked up the phone and they either resolved it remotely or talked us through it. That didn’t happen often and we took it for granted that the same would be true here.

 But that’s not the way it’s done here. After our internet provider called us last week to tell us our internet service had been repaired, it is working better. But it still flickers and goes out for extended hours during the day for reasons we don’t understand. Lately, it’s been on early in the morning and early in the evening. If it stayed that way we’d be fine. There’s no way that would’ve been acceptable to us in the states, but again, that’s out of our hands here.

 The weather, of course, we have no control over. But in L.A. I believe our trail club only cancelled a run once due to inclement weather. Here, we are well into the rainy season and I thought by now the Quetzal trail would no longer be usable as a running trail until December. There are short sections that require a cautious approach due to downed branches and brush, but for the most part it’s holding up pretty well and people are still out there hiking on it. How long that last, I can only be grateful for.

Relinquishing control over the wheel, or the keyboard, or possibly a trail in some ways is a relief. But it also brings very many other emotions to the surface at times as well.