Changes, Changes

A couple of weeks ago, I had found a house and was waiting to learn if the surgery my dog needed was possible here.

First, the house.  I have decided not to move into the Grecia house.  Some of the promises made were not kept, which included installing a security gate across the property entrance. As it is now, anyone or any animal could stroll onto the property, which is hidden from the street.  Also, it would be difficult to walk my ailing pup up the very steep driveway.  So, I’m out of that and looking for another; one requirement is that puppy and I can do our daily walks on a flat surface, since it will become more and more difficult for him to breath.  I did find a fabulous house with four bedrooms and killer views; it was a bit too much for one person though, and it had steps.

As for QiJian, the news is not good.  We had the CT scan and discovered that there is metastasis; the cancer has spread.  This makes the surgery unnecessary, as it is impossible to remove all the cancer.  Thank god he doesn’t know he’s sick; he’s eating and pooping and still jumping for joy every time I get home.  I try not to think of his dying…it is too painful. So, I’m holding him close and playing with him (and still scolding him when he plays the brat and spits out his medications).

One interesting event is that, on Saturday, I went to my very first party in Costa Rica.  As friendly as people are, they rarely invite strangers over.  In my ten months here, not one of my neighbors has invited me for coffee, and, the one time I tried to invite one of them (who was always pleasant when I saw him), the guy almost had a stroke– He started babbling about not feeling well and being at the end of an illness and not leaving the house.  Not sure what the big deal was; I live across the street.  After a couple of follow-up calls, I told him I’d just wanted to have coffee and not to worry about it

So, last Saturday afternoon, I was surprised to get an phone call from my realtor, with whom I went to Nuevo Arenal (see earlier post), inviting me to a party that same evening.  I was concerned, because I hadn’t heard from her and didn’t think I would.  Her boyfriend Carlos came by and picked me up and brought me back to their house; I then waited half an hour for her to get ready, and off we went to the party.

I’m pleased to announce that I had a wonderful time and met several great people, some of whom were speaking Spanish, Italian, English and French. It was a hip crowd (not young hip) and I had several fun conversations.  I became more popular because of the quality of my Samsung photos; everyone was taking pictures and selfies, so I took the opportunity to take pictures and text the good ones to interested parties.

Parties here do run late.  We arrived at 10 and people were still showing up at midnight. I, however, decided to leave just after 12.  I don’t stay up as late as I used to, and I figured it was smart to leave before I accidentally insulted somebody’s mother with my less than perfect Spanish.  All in all, a good time was had; however, I didn’t think about how, when you text someone a photo that they can capture your address.  I’m now getting messages from strangers, and I’m trying to figure out how to respond.  But these are better problems.

The evening ended with the jubilant reception I received when I got home. QJ was so happy to see me that he forgave me for breaking curfew and leaving him alone during what is our TV and reading time.  That’s my boy!

Pura Vida