January 8, 2012 Sunday
Okay, this is cool. Just when I was getting restless (I need constant entertainment and stimulation, I've accepted that), something maybe exciting may be happening.
There is this guy that I have known since I arrived in Costa Rica. He's helped me with many things during this time. That is the kind of man he is. He helps everyone. I haven't seen him frequently, maybe every three months or so. He has always been a bit formal, for a tico, but gradually he has become more relaxed, especially when he is warning me that I must be more careful-there are dangerous people on the streets.
He was married when he was younger, divorced, has two children in college, visits his mother often and rarely drinks. Well I don't actually know about his drinking, but the last time we had dinner together I suggested that, although I can't drink, he could have a beer if he wanted one. Oh, no, he said. I'm driving. At least that's what I think he said. My Spanish lacks finesse, which is part of the problem. I don't want to
make an assumption and be wrong and seem presumptuous. I especially don't want to have to face rejection.
So, the other day we were talking about the term in Spanish, bano maria. I asked if it was bano marea, which refers to the sea and to me seemed a logical thing to call this type of cooking. Or was it a bano Maria, after the virgin, mother of our lord and savior, oh she of much vaunted reputation. I didn't add that sarcasm during our conversation, of course, remembering the religious aspect of his personality. An aside: not that it has any bearing on the meaning of bano maria, but this man seems very religious.
Moving on. We had only exchanged text messages by cellular heretofore, usually logistical stuff. I fumble around on the cell phone keypad like and elephant trying to thread a needle, so I sent him a message asking if he had email. I am not great on the keyboard of a computer either, but at least when I hit a wrong key on Open Office it doesn't send the message to everyone on my contact list.
I get the reply, si, with the email address..
So I Google the origin of bain marie, which is the French version of cooking in a water bath. I always love to be the first to provide new information. It's and ego thing. Former teachers' pet etc. Turns out there a several possible origins. Miriam the sister of Moses is one and another is some woman named Maria de'Cleofa, who invented the process in Florence in the sixteenth century. There were more, but I sent these two to my friend.
Shortly I get a reply, in Spanish, of course, Yes, good, thank you.
Okay, so, I go about my business, smoke 18 cigarettes, color my hair ( which turns out 3 shades too dark, but one day in this equatorial sun will lighten it that much), shower, put talcum powder on my heat rash (at least I hope it is heat rash), go buy some more Cokes, read in bed for maybe two hours. Kindle. It's much easier to carry a Kindle when you get bored and move apartments every two or three months. I think I have abandoned more books in the last three years than most people have owned in a lifetime. Just an ordinary evening.
Unable to fall asleep, I get back up at midnight thirty or so, smoke 18 more cigarettes and check my email.
I have been forwarded a link to a song from this friend. I play it. I'm linking it so you can decide for yourself if it means anything.
The lyrics are a combination of Italian and Portuguese. I don't know how good the translation is, but, is it erotic or religious?
Of course, after playing it several times and searching for lyrics and meaning, I definitely couldn't sleep. Took a pill at 3AM.
I am so pathetic. I don't know if I want it to be an overture or not. He is a nice guy and I've thought in the past that I felt chemistry, but wasn't sure. One of the problems here is that this man is young. Not as young as the last one, but younger than me by more than 10 yards. That doesn't seem to matter in this country; it is not uncommon, but, I don't really want a steady love anymore. I would, however love to have a good, clean, trustworthy friend with benefits.
It may be a non-starter, but I am enjoying the speculation. BTW: my reply was, “This song, with this video, is very erotic. I like the song and the video. Do you understand the words in Italian and Portuguese?” Was that non-committal enough but not discouraging? In the interests of being cool, I waited til late this morning to send it. No response so far. It is the heat of the afternoon now and I am sitting here with the fan blowing hot air on my heat rash. Now I gotta go study Spanish and browse.
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