The here and now... and what and why

Complacency is a trap. At least that’s what I was thinking when I up and left the comfort of a Yankee prep school gig, where I taught music, amongst other things, for 28 years. There was also that life long career as a composer, musician and artist.

First, it was a year in St. Thomas, USVI, working as a reporter and shooting photography and then, a year in San Agustin Etla, Oaxaca, Mexico.
Time passed.
More time passed and a year back in the Athens of America followed by a hasty return to Oaxaca where it is all happening.
A couple of years in San Sebastian Etla and now, just down the road in San Pablo Etla. Life is good.

Click on an image to see it larger.
For additional photography please visit my flickr page.
You can find my music on Jango (World & latin - Worldbeat) and at iTunes and most online stores.
¡Soy consciente de todas las tradiciones del Internet!
If you are coming to Oaxaca, please contact me for tours or advice.

Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo
The view from Corazon del Pueblo

The hereafter re me

My photo
Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico
Musician, photographer, videographer, reporter, ex-officio teacher, now attempting to be a world traveler

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Transition

It's been a few days with lots of movement and little sleep. Trips to the airport, bus station and lots energy expended as I get ready to move to a small house just down the road in San Sabastien Etla. The place needs everything except a stove and I have been, as is my manner, neurotically researching and comparing quality and cost.

I also had to wait for some inspiration for the place. It came at midnight a couple of days ago. Cost me a night's sleep, but it was worth it. Figured out how to put in a large vegetable garden. It involves oxen.... after that, the rest just fell into place

Of course the first things I took to the house were a couple of plants.

So I have noticed a few differences. I bought a refrigerator today and they loaded onto a truck and a guy followed me home with it, helped me move it in and disappeared, all in about 20 minutes. It was Elektra, not Sears - Sears wanted eight days for delivery and was more expensive. Duh?

Furniture has been tougher, but not bad. Most everything is very reasonable, most all of it pine and some very nice looking pieces. I ended up just buying everything at one place very nearby, Did it in one fell swoop (after going back four times - gotta play the game.) Free delivery immediately, but I had to tell them to wait until Tuesday so I could thoroughly clean the place... if/when I get water, which is supposed to be tomorrow.

All in all, in almost every store, people were very attentive and nice.... and I hit a lot of places from mattress places to Office Depot to small places out in the country. Not that much different from El Norte, I guess. (Psst... they were really nicer- just being diplomatic)

Driving to the airport? It occurred to me that after 30 years of driving to Logan in Boston, I still wonder where to go - they are always building or changing something. And Central Parking? Easy to lose your car and walk a long way with bags. In Oaxaca, yes, it is a small airport, but they are pretty efficient. Drop off, park, in two minutes. Check in amazingly fast, even with a crowd... only one word for it... weird.

Same for the bus station. Buses are the choice of travel and the nice ones are NICE.

With this amount of things to do, I work off lists and I checked a ton of things off today. Tomorrow.. cutting board, untility knife, pillow, sheets, trash can, jasmine, rugs, water, toilet brushes, lamps, black pottery, you know, all the vitals.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Not for posting.
If you are momentarily out of ideas just now, I think that you should continue about how to furnish and move into your house. This last post was interesting. And I am sure more for people who dream to do it or for those who enjoy the cultural differences. How do you exactly find, furnish, and move in to a new rental? What has been most difficult? what the nicest surprise? What is the soil like? How many fireflies? What is the first plant you bought. How do you know you found the right place?
Sleep tight and dream loose,
Henry