Fear Itself

8/4/14

Today, something truly horrific happened.

I woke up, like any other Monday, and walked around the corner to the bathroom. I glanced up and was jolted out of my stupefied post slumber phase and looked dead into his eight eyes. There was a spider. But not just any spider, he was a tarantula. Not big one, but big enough to make me pee a little. He was about as big as the back of my hand but that’s still pretty big for a spider. I named him Fear Itself because to name your foe is to know him and he’d just become my mortal enemy. Neither of was leaving with the other alive. I couldn’t afford to give him the opportunity to visit me while I slept. This was war.

After my initial fear lessened I began to think rationally about how to kill this mythical creature. I geared up; put on my only Oregon State sweatshirt, pair of jeans, shoes. I crept back to the shower area where I left the monster. Of course, he was gone. But a quick inspection of the area found him on the floor of the shower. At that point, I could have tried to wash Fear down the drain. But given the uneven footing of the shower floor and an inability to get a high water flow in that area made the possibility impossible.

Turning my back to the beast I looked around, hurriedly, for another weapon. My eyes alighted on my most recent purchase. A large knife, at least a 10 inch blade that I’d been sharpening all weekend. This was my Excalibur.

Grabbing the knife I turned to battle with my foe. My shaking hand came down with the first stroke and severed a few of his legs. He dragged himself to the corner. Overcome with bloodlust I refused him quarter and continued to hack away until the red veil lifted from my eyes. When it was all over Fear lay vanquished and curled. I crowed with victory and grabbed my pointer broom then swept him triumphantly down the drain.

Now, this was not the horrific part. Later, I was sitting on the toilet doing some paperwork. And I see a few ants. Not normally a cause for concern given that my house is open to the elements. But then I see a few more until they’re swarming in front of the open bathroom door. Then slowly I see the swarm carry something from around the corner. I squint and try to make it out. It’s one of the spider’s legs. It slowly moves from one side of the door to the other and disappears into a crack in the wall. And that is probably the most interesting thing that will happen to me this week.

My House

I have to reiterate how beautiful it is here. It’s ridiculous. As I write this at 8:30AM on Friday, August 1^st there’s a light rain falling and it’s a balmy 65 degrees out. It almost reminds me of home.

I live on the second floor of a two story house at the back of the lot. Between me and the main road stand two houses, one belonging to my host mom and landlady, Pam, and the other belonging to her daughter, Samantha. Directly beside me is Pam’s sister, Patsy. On the other side of Samantha Pam and Patsy’s sister and brother each own a house but are not home. The sister is in New York and the brother is in Canada. Pam and Patsy still maintain their homes for them as they like to visit on holidays.

When I exit my house I’m greeted by the obnoxious calls of about 6 roosters. They begin crowing at 3:00AM and continue to wake me every 30 to 45 minutes until around 5:30. This morning I gave in quickly and rose around 4. I’m anticipating an early bedtime. A late one for me is now around 10PM.

Also upon my exit I can see one, of what I think, of the most beautiful vistas in the world. First, it’s green. Green as far as I can see. Directly below me is a small yard filled with dirt and the odd mix of plants. This is where the chickens and roosters live during the day. At night their corralled into a small pen about 20 yards to my left. Further out that direction, maybe a half mile is a small row of houses. And from there up to the edge of the yard below me is a field of green grass filled with the odd goat, sheep or cow. People’s livestock tend to run wild and free here. I’m not sure what stops people from taking them or how they get home. There may be some mutton in my future.

Further out in front of me, past the yard, there’s a row of palm trees and then a rice paddy. One of many near me. It’s basically a controlled swamp in which rice happens to grow. But it too is very green and pleasing to the eye. And from there back until where the jungle starts is simply rice paddies and rows of palm trees. It’s very quaint and often quiet most of the time. Relaxing doesn’t even begin to describe it.

My house is small, but I don’t need much space. I have a main room that flows into the kitchen and the bathroom is around the corner. Supposedly we’re supposed to get water from 6AM-10AM and then from 6PM-10PM. Unfortunately, that is hardly ever the case. As I write this the water still hasn’t come on and in the past week hasn’t come on at all in the evenings. Luckily, I have a rain barrel the gutters lead to that I can draw upon in times like this I’m told it holds 200 gallons and at the rate the rain is falling the barrel will be filled soon.

I also have a cozy bedroom, just enough space for my bed, mosquito net, and a small chest of drawers. I also have a spare room where my hammock is hung. It’s also where I store my odds and ends. It’s a tad untidy now but I have plans today to go through and clean it, hopefully they materialize.

There’s thunder and lightning now, adding to the racket already going on in my house. That’s one thing that surprised me and continues to, actually. Every house has a corrugated tin roof without exception. Now imagine a drop of water travelling at terminal velocity which must be close to the speed of gravity, 9 meters a second if I’m recalling correctly, striking a piece of tin. It probably makes a small ringing noise which quickly dissipates. Now multiply that by however many drops fall when it’s raining and imagine you’re in a small room with a tin roof with the sound reverberating off every surface. At times it’s deafening.

Supposedly the rainy season is over soon and the steel drum band above me will call it off for the season. But that’s an equally scary thought, the rain keeps things vaguely cool and when that stops it’ll just be hot, hot, hot. But no one said this was glamorous.

I keep saying I miss you all, I imagine at some point you’ll stop believing me. But it’s true, I’m constantly thinking of all of you, how you’re doing, what you’re up to. Shoot me an email sometime (timdaniel25@gmail.com), I only have intermittent email access at this point but I think that may change soon.

Bye.