Last weekend I went to the party at Diego’s, after the dentist, like I said. The dentist wasn’t too bad, but I had to cut it short after she drilled on three teeth without anesthetic. We were going to go for five, but I was getting stressed out. Maybe next time I’ll ask about novacaine or lidocaine, whatever they use here. Ily says most people don’t get anesthetic for minor drilling, only gringos seem to need this. It’s too expensive for Ticos, she says. I’m going back Saturday, and for many foreseeable Saturdays, until my teeth are sufficiently perfect.
But then, I’m wondering, why is it so easy to go to the pharmacy and get a shot of muscle relaxant when your back hurts? You don’t need a prescription, just an honest face and a few Colones, and it’s really cheap, and really works.
Anyway, I guess the benefit is that I could eat afterwards without fear of biting myself, so that made Diego’s chanchada barbeque more fun. I had a couple of Costa Rican beers (Bavaria Gold, the best in my opinion) ate some beef and salchichon, and sang and played Rock Band, for the first time.
I played drums on Rebel Girl by Bikini Kill (does anyone remember when BK played at PG High?) and then I sang Carry on My Wayward Son, by Kansas, to everyone’s enduring surprise, since I’m pretty quiet at work, and also pretty old (even somewhat stodgy, perhaps).
I just got email encouraging us to wear shorts, t-shirts and sandals to work tomorrow (just don’t overdo it, whatever that means). I’m going to look ridiculous wearing my coat with that outfit when I ride the bus in the morning. Maybe I’ll skip the shorts. Or the whole thing altogether, in keeping with my usually stodgy attire and demeanor.
Over in San José, they are going to build a new stadium in a section of the big Sabana park where there is just an empty grass field right now. The Chinese government is funding it. For awhile, it looked like it might not happen, since someone raised a doubt about its Constitutionality, saying the park was meant to be enjoyed as open space in the city, something there is mighty little of around here. The Constitutional Court, Sala IV, said it was fine to go ahead.
Now, Chinese workers are coming from China to actually build it. Not every Tico worker is happy about this. It seems kind of ironic to me, a gringo working at an offshore American company. But then I’m one of the people who thought they should just keep using the Ricardo Saprissa stadium they have in Tibas. Maybe someone thinks moving the stadium from the sketchy, crime-ridden neighborhood of Tibas to the more safe La Sabana area will make the soccer games more civilized. I’m guessing it will make La Sabana less so.
I took some pictures with my phone on my way home from work yesterday.
Downtown Heredia elementary school
I took a few photos with my phone on the way home this evening. It was rush hour and the sunlight was coming in straight sideways from the west. Even though there were a lot of people around, and Ily always tells me to be careful with my valuables since I attract attention as a gringo, I felt okay about taking these pictures. My phone is not really valuable except as a phone, and it takes bad pictures. I took these photos in the middle of the city at rush hour, and no one even noticed. Maybe I’ll try it again.
I like the one of the billboard best. The tattered shred of image left at the top, with the advertisement for billboard’s availability underneath.
It speaks for itself. That is the wonderful thing about images.
Luxton Rocket Re-Launch 