Rain

I think the old saying “when it rains, it pours” only portends to life situations. There has been many cases here when it only drizzles and then the sun comes out. Life lately seems to be pouring. And not the good kind of water that you really want when your thirsty. Our tour has slowed down significantly which is OK because the guys definitely need a break. We knew it would happen as this is the lowest season right now but not having a tour for a week at a time is has not been the norm. Chocolate sales are doing alright as we are expanding our market with chocolate to eat which is great, but we now have the local cacao co-op breathing down our necks because not only do they have new competition, they are not getting as many cacao beans because we are selling them directly to consumers instead of the co-op. Our artisan group has already heard the rumblings of their displeasure and if it wasn't for Salomon, the group would have already given up in fear that the co-op would hand down some type of penalty. As people started talking about it in our group Salomon quickly pointed to the wall where we have all of our documents and said “let them come... this is our land and we owe them nothing”. Fact is that we have our chocolate making business registered with the correct government office here, and have our own type of organic certification for our chocolate products. I do get the feeling that even with all this, they are going to tell people that if they sell their cacao beans to our artisan group then they won't be able to sell them to the big co-op.

MORE RAIN

I came home from the island the other day to a somber mood. I didn't really notice it was somber until Salomon let me in on what had happened. Apparently my neighbor, who was pregnant, and whom I visit all the time because they are practically one good leap from my house, went to the hospital to have her baby and it didn't go so well. As the father told me, her water broke, she went to the hospital to have the baby and when she started delivering the baby no one was in the room for the entire thing. IN A HOSPITAL NO ONE WAS IN THE ROOM. She tried yelling for a nurse and nothing. The baby strangled itself on the way out with the umbilical chord and died. Now, I have heard of this happening but I have never heard of this happening this way. Of course with technology and good doctors even when the umbilical chord wraps around the baby's neck things can be done. The point of this story is that she went in, the baby was alive when it was inside her, and because the nurses weren't paying attention she lost her baby. This isn't the first time the exact same thing has happened at this hospital either. I've been told others have had the same problem and there is pretty much nothing they can do. My neighbor said he is in the process of writing a letter to some council members but I can tell you right now what good that will do. Nothing.

Funny Stuff

My other neighbors hen keeps jumping onto my porch, jumping into a cardboard box I have on the porch, and then sitting there for all day sometimes. I've tried kicking it out about 10 times but one day it did lay an egg which I soon made breakfast with so I stopped complaining.

Its been hotter and wetter than ever here. It seems like if it is not raining really hard lately, it is blazing hot. Many people here have told me that it is unusual for this time of year. Can't wait until it goes one way or the other.

My health is pretty good. My brother brought me down some pro biotics and some grape seed extract so I've been taking those with just rain water and I've been on the OK side. Still a little queezy every once in awhile but I can handle it now. Also received a generous package from the Armstrong family back home with a whole bunch of goodies from Trader Joes. One item in particular was great to share with my community. It was the Wasabi Peas that are little on the hot side. If you didn't know, the natives here don't like spicy hot food. Everyone always wants to try new things and they usually just put their hands out when you are eating something so I went around my community eating the peas in front of them. When they put their hands out I graciously handed some out. Most had the same reaction of spitting them out and making a terrible face, but a few select people did like them.

I will be home in exactly 3 and one half months. It is pretty crazy to think about. It will be just over a year since I left. I do have to say that I think I will be receiving some culture shock. I really don't want to stay for too long as I don't want to loose touch with the real world or what I call the real world now. Here.....