The pool is being filled with river water!
By tomorrow we should be swimming. I was hoping for today, as I kinda put my back out yesterday and I'm in a little need of some exercise, pain free floating and fresh blood to pump into the spasm.
I forgot we have a walkway with a step now and I went down jarring my bloody back.
Of course it was because I was distracted.
This damn injured brain can't do two things at once, or there's trouble, and its balance is so horrific that I'm a permadrunk.
I was distracted because was angry about the Housemaid meddling in our business again and telling the workers what we wanted, when we have told her, and them, 20 times what we've wanted.
She wants to keep more of the money she wrangled from us.
Nope. You steal that amount of money, you're giving us what we paid for.
But she kept on telling the workers, "No door. Just a concrete wall."
Right. We just moved to paradise on the ocean to look at a fucking concrete wall.
I don't think so. We're having our wooden slats in front so that we can still look at the ocean, and that is the last word.
I had to get stern with her and tell her she is not in charge, that she works for me and that if she's going to talk about this, she talks about it with me and nobody else.
Then I had to remind her of our contract of what we agreed upon, and that we WILL be getting what we agreed on. Period.
This exchange of hardheaded communication was while Papi was yelling at the entire neighbourhood.
You see, we came home from a quick shopping excursion to practically all our neighbours having a party in our yard.
Everyone was hanging out on our deck, sitting in our furniture, hanging out pool side, and kids and dogs were running around the yard.
I have to keep telling the kids to stay away from the pool to set up the ground 'rules', because I'm not being responsible for a drowning accident on my property.
But this was ridiculous.
So, Papi lost it after hearing that the Housemaid was trying to talk to someone in Spanish saying something contrary to what we agreed on.
He yelled at everyone, "If your'e not working get the hell out! This is our damn home! This is not a public park! Go on! Get the hell out!"
Oh, they didn't understand what he was saying literally, they just knew they should leave, NOW!
From that point forth, the kids stayed on the perimeter and just looked in.
It was then that the Pool Man's wife said, "You're a strong man now. Now everyone will respect you. You won't have any troubles anymore."
The funniest part was, everyone just went on like nothing happened.
I know that in Canada, if Papi yelled like that, there would be much hostility, glaring of eyes, exchanges of hurtful words and perhaps even a fist fight.
Like I learned from my Spanish teacher back home, it's the way people communicate here.
You fling your arms about and puff yourself up, speaking louder than the one before you, and it's just the way it has to be if you want someone to listen to you.
I have to say, I was a little taken aback, because I'd never seen Papi that angry!
But then, I've never seen myself be so strict with someone who is trying to take advantage of us either.
When the Housemaid and I were finished communicating, I found a place in myself that was stronger than I'd ever seen.
I say that I have to teach the Housemaid how to clean, because from living in a shack her whole life, she doesn't really know what North American clean means.
But honestly, she's training us how to be firm, and the nicest part was, there was no disrespect involved. It was just hard-nosed heart.
This morning when I let the puppies out to pee, ...
... not that they needed to, the floor was covered in puppy art for me this morning ...
... the workers just waved like they do every morning with a smile.
And you know what? There were no kids running around our yard.
We're closer to the peace of Casa Paraíso we came for.
That light at the end of the tunnel is shining very brightly as I watch the last of the river water getting poured into our pool, and that damn wooden door is finally getting put up so that I can let the dogs run free.
Shine bright, light.
I can see you now.
By tomorrow we should be swimming. I was hoping for today, as I kinda put my back out yesterday and I'm in a little need of some exercise, pain free floating and fresh blood to pump into the spasm.
I forgot we have a walkway with a step now and I went down jarring my bloody back.
Of course it was because I was distracted.
This damn injured brain can't do two things at once, or there's trouble, and its balance is so horrific that I'm a permadrunk.
I was distracted because was angry about the Housemaid meddling in our business again and telling the workers what we wanted, when we have told her, and them, 20 times what we've wanted.
She wants to keep more of the money she wrangled from us.
Nope. You steal that amount of money, you're giving us what we paid for.
But she kept on telling the workers, "No door. Just a concrete wall."
Right. We just moved to paradise on the ocean to look at a fucking concrete wall.
I don't think so. We're having our wooden slats in front so that we can still look at the ocean, and that is the last word.
I had to get stern with her and tell her she is not in charge, that she works for me and that if she's going to talk about this, she talks about it with me and nobody else.
Then I had to remind her of our contract of what we agreed upon, and that we WILL be getting what we agreed on. Period.
This exchange of hardheaded communication was while Papi was yelling at the entire neighbourhood.
You see, we came home from a quick shopping excursion to practically all our neighbours having a party in our yard.
Everyone was hanging out on our deck, sitting in our furniture, hanging out pool side, and kids and dogs were running around the yard.
I have to keep telling the kids to stay away from the pool to set up the ground 'rules', because I'm not being responsible for a drowning accident on my property.
But this was ridiculous.
So, Papi lost it after hearing that the Housemaid was trying to talk to someone in Spanish saying something contrary to what we agreed on.
He yelled at everyone, "If your'e not working get the hell out! This is our damn home! This is not a public park! Go on! Get the hell out!"
Oh, they didn't understand what he was saying literally, they just knew they should leave, NOW!
From that point forth, the kids stayed on the perimeter and just looked in.
It was then that the Pool Man's wife said, "You're a strong man now. Now everyone will respect you. You won't have any troubles anymore."
The funniest part was, everyone just went on like nothing happened.
I know that in Canada, if Papi yelled like that, there would be much hostility, glaring of eyes, exchanges of hurtful words and perhaps even a fist fight.
Like I learned from my Spanish teacher back home, it's the way people communicate here.
You fling your arms about and puff yourself up, speaking louder than the one before you, and it's just the way it has to be if you want someone to listen to you.
I have to say, I was a little taken aback, because I'd never seen Papi that angry!
But then, I've never seen myself be so strict with someone who is trying to take advantage of us either.
When the Housemaid and I were finished communicating, I found a place in myself that was stronger than I'd ever seen.
I say that I have to teach the Housemaid how to clean, because from living in a shack her whole life, she doesn't really know what North American clean means.
But honestly, she's training us how to be firm, and the nicest part was, there was no disrespect involved. It was just hard-nosed heart.
This morning when I let the puppies out to pee, ...
... not that they needed to, the floor was covered in puppy art for me this morning ...
... the workers just waved like they do every morning with a smile.
And you know what? There were no kids running around our yard.
We're closer to the peace of Casa Paraíso we came for.
That light at the end of the tunnel is shining very brightly as I watch the last of the river water getting poured into our pool, and that damn wooden door is finally getting put up so that I can let the dogs run free.
Shine bright, light.
I can see you now.
i feel good about the way i do my job
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