Exchanging one thing for another...

Since moving here I have been wishing for cell phone signal, and internet signal, but its just been that.  A wish.  Now that I have cell phone signal, and internet capabilities, I am wishing that I didn't.  Sort of.

Let me back up and explain.  We have a truck that has been a faithful transportation for the last three years.  When I say faithful transportation I mean that it has always been working.  Not in great shape, but it at least got us from point A (our house) to points BCDEF (two different high schools, a elementary school, a kinder, and my mother in laws house) and back. And it has always gotten good gas mileage, and general there hasnt been many complaints.  I was even nice and let it have a rest for almost a school years worth when we bought the other truck.  (the one that got smashed by a Dole truck)  We would take it out a couple of times a week, but no heavy work. Just for a stroll around the city, to the river to let it look at the water and get a bath, you know, little things like that.  I will say though, that anytime we had a bit of extra money the truck knew.  Something always went wrong with the truck, and it usually cost within $15 of the amount extra that we had.  But it has always been reliable.  Until now.  Something has gone horribly wrong with the truck, (something in the computer/fuel injector area) and to take everyone to and from school - three trips a day because Jordan has class in the afternoon - now would cost me $80 a day in gas.  Where as before it would have cost me $4ish per day.  I dont know about you, but I dont have $80/day to stick in the gas tank.  I dont even have $80/day in general.  So I am renting a house near all the kids schools.  The cost of the rent for this huge house is slightly shy of $160/month.  So its a nuch better deal.

But in saving money on gas, and being able to get online, and talk on the phone I am giving up alot.  In my house we have running water 98% of the time, and it has awesome pressure.  I have my 3 pilas.  I have space to hang up the clothes to dry.  I can turn on the faucet and have cold water to drink.  In the house that we are renting there is more space.  It has 5 bedrooms, 2 living rooms, a dining room, kitchen and two bathrooms.  It also has 2 pilas.  What it doesn't have is water 60% of the time.  And when it does have water, there is no pressure.  In the two bathrooms there are two showers.  Little itty bitty things, but two of them anyways.  In one, when you turn it on to take a shower the water comes out in drops.  Really in drops.  In the other shower, when the water comes out, it goes straight across and hits the wall behind you about 3-4 inches above your head.  (there isnt a shower head, just a faucet that opens out, not down)  And the water isnt good to drink.  At all.  The only thing it is good for is washing clothes, and washing dishes.  There is not much space to hang up the clothes, and for a family with 9 kids in the house, you need space.  And the two pilas that it has, combined it holds not even 1/4 of the amount of water as the main pila at my house holds.  It holds maybe 1/2 of the amount of water as the middle pila at my house does.

How do we bathe, you might ask, seeing as how the showers dont work worth didly?  Well at the pila of couse.  At first it took some getting used to because the pila is on the side of the house, facing the road.  And how can you bathe (well) without taking off your clothes?  Especially facing the road, and you can see everyone that passes by, and the houses near you as well.  Well as you can see from this picture, you can see everyone, but no one can see you.  Can you tell that I am bathing here?

can you see me there?  no? well how about in this one...

After I realized all you could see was my eyes and forehead,

I realized I could bathe the day away with no worries.

And this is what I get to look at while I take a bath.  Nothing like a mountain view.

How many of you are that lucky :)

And its hot.  At my house, because its up the mountain, it is much cooler.  Here, it is so dag on hot.  I hate it.  But I can see and talk to my mom, and brothers and other family and friends in the US. (skype!!)  And when you arent in your own house, it just feels weird.  But the kids can sleep a bit more and can play with their cousins in the afternoon.  So its all about exchange, and compromise.  While I am here I will enjoy the benefits, and deal with the drawbacks, because I know it isnt permanent.