Cedro's perfect dream

ridiculous

I have to say, I've never before seen such immaturity and selfishness in a supposed professional.  The institution I work for proudly unveiled a program, the first in Costa Rica to produce Biodiesel almost two years ago.  It began as a garage project, literally brewing the stuff in reused barrels unter a tin roof by the art room.  Within a year, we had expert volunteers coming to refine our progress, a grant for 10,000 dollars to build an infrastructure, and a paid program coordinator. 

This past week the program coordinator, who has been with us since the beginning of the project, lost his mind, his cool, and all the respect that had been built up over the years in the community.  He had left for the states after the last school year, and in his stead, our gate guard was carefully trained to make top grade biodiesel, as few of us expected this man to return to town (the reasons for that could make for an entirely different blog entry).  When he did come back, he was welcomed back as a visitor.  Last week, he arrived at the school and demanded angrily to be paid for some percieved debt owed by the school - paid in biofuel, that is... 

Now, I know for a fact that he was paid for the time he spent here, so no one can figure where this supposed debt was coming from.  When he was told that the biodiesel was not in fact his, he began a smear campaign against the school around town.  This culminated with him trespassing onto the campus on a weekend, breaking the lock off the biodiesel hut, and stealing a large amount of fuel, which he attempted to sell outside the school gates.  What?!
How do you steal from kids?  How do you steal from a school?  How do you help build up an environmental dreamboat and then deliberately try to sink the ship as soon as it's afloat?  Incidentally, he was busted leaving the campus by our gate guard, and the fuel was recovered.  40 liters was never accounted for, though, and it is assumed they were stolen in a separate visit.

I don't believe in naming names, but I just am so frustrated that my trust and the trust of 225 young people has been broken so completely by one of our own. 

To add insult to injury, he showed up the Monday after the theft and tried to pick a physical fight during a school day with school personnel.  My class was outside writing and witnessed a useless barrage of misplaced vitriol and colorful language.  Way to save the world there, guy! 

The three R's revisited

Do you remember me from the old days?  Remember how I NEVER wore shoes and let my hair fly in the Sarasota breeze?  Remember how all my clothes were worn until they literally fell off me thread by thread?  I'm still like that. 

I have this shirt that my mother gave me for Christmas probably ten years ago or more, which features a buddha head in meditational bliss and the caption "Inquire within".  It has always been one of my favorites.  When the shirt got too stained, I tie-dyed it to hide them.  When the holes started dotting the shoulders, I started using it only as a weekend shirt on warm windy days.  It has sat stubbornly in my shirt drawer since the 100th day of school last year, when I wore it to show off its 100 gaping holes, but last night it met its destiny.  A reincarnation as a doll.  Bismark had a school project to create a rough representation of a character in a book he read for Spanish class as a figurine or doll.  The shirt provided perfect raw materials.  We decided the doll will go to the baby when the project is through.  I think the buddha himself would somehow approve of this new avatar. 

quiet in the trees, quiet in Earth

Woke early yesterday and found a femal quetzal outside the window.  An agouti foraged near the back door.  I was the only one awake, so I grabbed the camera and binoculars and caught them both.  Distant but cool nonetheless. 

                                                        

check in

We are all in terrific spirits these days.  The rains have come early to Monteverde, washing the streets clean, darkening the dense endless green of the jungle.  For the first time, I've seen mosquitos around the house, flitting in the dim lights, buzzing in ears at night.  Damn global warming...

Sandra is six months pregnant, thus we are all three months anxious, but her pregnancy is going well, and our little home is heaven.  We barricade ourselves to the world.  No internet, no neighbors, no street noise, and at times, no phone or electricity.  A lightning bolt blew out my phone, so we now have no answering machine.  We watch tons of movies (just this weekend was Legend of the Black Scorpion, Das Boot, and Last of the Mohicans) eat, read and play El Gran Banco (Costa Rican Monopoly). 

The school year has gotten off to an amazing start.  I already love my sixth graders, and all the new staff are terrific.  I gig most Fridays and give massages a couple of times per week.  Saturday is all about the farmer's market and ultimate frisbee.  Life is good.  I miss you, though, so keep in touch!

Jesse, Sandra, Bismark, and ?