mi nueva casita verde

Goodmorning! This is my moment to breathe and reflect. Glad you can be a part of it. I must say quickly that I loved my last blog entry, however short, and wish that I could be so thoughtful and vivid in my descriptions and perceptions all the time. But alas, I'm not always so clever.
Life has gotten busy and that is when and why I don't write things down and tell the world what is going on. But I have some moments right now, and I'd like to use them up like such. This Sunday I got keys to my new house. Walking there for the first time as the official renter, I was approached by a drunk man wanting to walk me. He asked me where I live. I lied and told him elsewhere and that I was checking in on this house for a friend. White lies save lives. Or something. It will be interesting to live alone as a single woman in a place where NO ONE, especially women, live alone. Always people live with families until they have families of their own. But I am different and I will enjoy this different existence in this different life.
Monday I went to Cayo (the closest town with most everything I need) to turn on my water and electricity. The electricity errand was a bust because the previous tenant didn't pay their balance. This means that the owner of the house must present herself to clear a form, etc etc. The owner lives in the states. The landlord however got a call from me, and she then called the previous tenant to tell him off. Hopefully this will resolve itself in the next couple hours as I have to return to Cayo to do it all again. Worst case, I pay the stupid balance and deduct it from my rent. Also, I needed a passport. Forgot that yesterday.
So after leaving the electric office, onto the water office, across the bridge, and all by foot because I'm ambitious and crazy like that. No one here walks that much in the sun. I like to be strange and make people wonder apparently. Water got paid and established however it wasn't on yesterday afternoon when I went to clean. Hopefully that too gets figured out today. All in good time... or as they say, "Right now." [Note: right now does NOT mean right now. It some sort of cruel BZ joke that I have yet to fully understand] So without water, all ready to clean with a bucket, new mop and broom and bleach purchased, I went to my neighbors house across the street, introduced myself in Spanish, told her I was a new neighbor and may I please borrow a bucket of water. It was a pleasant exchange and back I went with a bucket of water.
I cleaned for hours. Swept, mopped, wiped walls and counters and got things somewhat ready for myself to move in comfortably - ideally sin all the spiders and geckos that had taken residence. As I finished mopping the last corner of the kitchen, I stood up quickly, got super light headed and hung onto the counter for balance. This happens from time to time. Mas agua por favor. I sat down and waited for the floors to dry while I watched the street and all that passed before me.
My neighbor to the left was hanging clothes on the line. She has children apparently by the size of the clothing. A puppy of hers was running around as puppies do in their adorable way. He went up to a mangy stray dog in the street, regarded him for a moment, found a plastic cup in the gutter and soooo happily took it in his mouth and frolicked back to his house to play with his new toy. He did this a couple times. I think I want to be his friend. Puppies are fabulous.
So the floors dried, I gathered my things, called it a day and locked up the house (many locks, very secure). As I was fiddling with the gate, two boys were walking down the street towards my neighbors house and passing me by. One boy, appearing to be maybe 18 or 19 lit up when he saw me. Now, I will say that a blog may be coming titled something like "Propositions" because there are so many. A gringa gets bastante attencion en a place like Belize. So I say, Buenas tardes, since its 4pm. He responds accordingly and comes to introduce himself. The conversation is again entirely en espanol. He is from Guatemala but lives in Benque. He was asking if I lived here and I explained my situation (voluntaria, two years, moving in this week...) He asked me about mi esposo.. No estoy soltera. I am single. He lit up like a little boy that just found out a girl checked the yes box on a note asking her out... He asked me what church I went to. No, I don't attend church although I like to visit churches sometimes. Again, very exciting moment for him. I began to walk my way back to the house I'm living in as we wrapped up our conversation. He told me he used to visit that last tenant in the house and talk and talk. He then said that he didn't think he could just come by and visit me like that. I said No, that is correct. I explained the he could say hi but he couldn't just stop by whenever. A veces, sometimes.
We parted ways. I walked to my office to check emails and get details together. Tomorrow, Wednesday starts the festival that I've been working on so hard with others. It will be grand. I'll write more about it throughout the week hopefully. But for now I've written too much, haven't proof read and need to go. Hope this is a pleasant update. New house. Problems and lots of work getting into it and getting things set up. Too much attention from curious boys and men. Lots of locks to avoid unwanted attention :) And festival coming up which means plenty of work for me. Really really too much work in a week. I'm feeling a little crazy but its all good. Life is good. Benque is beautiful and the sun is still my friend.

You are all wonderful people. Hope to converse with you very soon.