We're back on line!!!

As of this last week, we have internet at the house! (Which also means our internet-based home phone number is set up and working.) We are getting to know the neighbor kids; they like to come over to play with the swords/guns, or to draw on the sidewalk with chalk.

Our kids are getting more confident in using their Spanish... proof being that they bought snacks from the vendor walking down the sidewalk with their own money the other day. :P

Though we are close to "down town" walking one way, we are also only one block from the Rio Puyo and the end of town going the other; the kids tried to "plunk" all the rocks in the other day, but there are still quite a few left.

Between various sicknesses and getting unpacked, school has been a little hit and miss this month, but we are still plugging along. One really fun project has been to learn the dialog between the Lord Jesus and Nicodemus out of the Spanish Bible...the older two acted it out as a skit for Papa today with the "help??" of Dan and Nate, who introduced them. I was the Narrator; Levi was Nicodemus, and Glory said the Lord's answers. (BTW white board marker wipes off chins just fine...in fact, Levi's beard kept sweating off before he was done with it.)

Is Everything Backwards?

Obviously, in moving to a new country one would expect differences, but I am continually humored ("humored" is the nice way to say it!) by how many things are quite opposite from the States. Here are some notable encounters: 

• The toilets flow counter-clockwise. 

• When you set a meeting for, say 3pm, instead of ARRIVING at your destination at 3pm, you should LEAVE your house at 3pm...sometimes without regard to how long the travel time is.

• Stop signs are equivalent to Yield signs in the States. 

• Red lights are strictly honored....unless no one else is coming, in which case you may freely proceed or be blasted with honking taxis from behind. 

Finally, what sparked this post:

• Refrigerators circulate cold air exactly opposite of the models found in the States. I state this last one as having some authority. As of yesterday evening, I have now serviced/repaired (in some way or another) every refrigerator that we have ever owned: Feeling confident of my ability in this subject, I opened the compartment where the fan motor *should* have been, but I did not find it. After some time(45 minutes!) hacking away at the fridge, I derived that the fridge must circulate air differently than I had expected. 

Enjoy!

Taylor

P.S. - What are some things that you have noticed that are backwards, or at least confusingly different living in Latin America? 

P.P.S. - The fridge is now functioning normally...mostly...sort of...I think....?  ;-)

My Office Space

Though it was not in "the plan" when we decided to move to Puyo, I again, have set up my office "away from home". The adequate house that we rent has a small apartment nicely separated by a small courtyard...why the landlady agreed to rent it to us for free, I am still not quite sure yet. That separate apartment was going to be my office. It has its own bathroom and shower and it is nicely sized at about 10' x 20'. As things sometimes go in Latin America, we had a dilemma in our plans. The best ISP comes via phone line (DSL-equivalent), but when I went to the phone company they informed me that there were no more numbers available for our street...no phone number = no internet.

So, praise the Lord, He helped me find an office building that had some office space available. I am on the 3rd floor, with doctors' offices below me. The office building was already equipped with internet, so after purchasing a desk, I quickly set myself up and have been working satisfactorily since coming to Puyo. The building is 4 blocks away from the house and takes me between 2-5 minutes...depending on how many times I stop to talk or enjoy the atmosphere.

I mention all this and reemphasize that working away from my house was not my desire, but then my wife reminded me that I do seem to enjoy having an office "in town". The walk to work, smelling the delicious aromas of late breakfast and lunch cooking, the various commotions that proceed on the street, and most importantly the contacts that I make along the way; all these come together to make my "office" more dynamic than if I were working out of the house.

Enjoy!
Taylor

P.S. - I have already made several invaluable contacts as a direct result of my office space. Thank you Lord for knowing my needs.