Thievery

Funny thing about time and stealing is that there is a sense of justice after all: at any point, if you feel you've managed to nick a little time away for yourself, there will eventually come the realization that Time has stolen back from you. You don't get away with anything.

Sometimes I worry that I don't make the most of my time. I spend a lot of it playing silly games or reading silly things or having silly discussions. I suppose it's built into our nature that we don't suck the marrow from every second of life, and there is value to be found in recreation. But there are things I'm interested in doing and learning that get moved aside because it's easier just to relax. I believe the technical term for this is lazy.

I envy the mindset that effort does not necessarily equate to work. Work is something to be slogged through, tolerated - a necessary evil, usually with some payout we can decide is worthwhile. Sometimes it can seem like anything that requires effort is work, especially when there are other options available that are just pure, unadulterated fun. I find, as countless people have before me, that too much "pure fun" is bad for the psyche. It's a drug; far too easy to get used to and increasingly hard to break away from.

"Let's see... I could go for a run, or... play Skyrim... Hm."

And this is where discipline comes in, and maybe a little self-discovery. Maybe the aspirations I have for myself are exaggerated - maybe I wouldn't enjoy them as much as I think. But I'll return to the idea of time-as-currency here. Could I be getting a better value for the time I spend? Am I investing poorly, frittering away (what I hope is) a vast inheritance, like an irresponsible playboy? Or do I just work hard and play hard? And if so, is there anything wrong with that? In typical high-minded fashion, I think there is... as I sit here blogging with other things I have to do.

Don't Forget the Gift Basket!

    Hi there! So, you're a new resident of Me-topia? Well, welcome! I have some good news and some bad news.  Good news first: Me-topia is AWESOME! It is the BEST place to live in the WHOLE WORLD, hands down! The bad news? Well... we're in a bit of a financial pickle.  But not to worry! The government of Me-topia (it's all very complicated, so don't try to understand it - just trust it!) has developed a fail-proof plan to fix everything for everyone! It was actually pretty easy. We all sat down one day and really tackled the problem, really got down to brass tacks.  We took the problem to its most fundamental level to come up with an amazingly responsible fiscal solution:

     "What exactly is the problem here?"

    "Well, sir, people are saying they can't afford things anymore and that their investments are losing value."

    "Really? That's it? They just don't have enough money?"

    "Uh... well, yes sir, I suppose that's basically it."

    "Well that's easy!"

    And it was! So here's the deceptively simple genius: I'm just going to give you some money.  I know! Isn't it great? How much do you want? A million me-dollars? You got it! Yeah, I just gave it to you.  It's yours now.  Once we realized that moving money around was as easy as changing some numbers from low ones to higher ones, the solution became pretty evident. Ah, the glories of this technological age! What? Oh, we don't physically HAVE the money. But that's a good thing! I mean, can you imagine carrying around a million me-bucks to give everyone? Ha ha! For laughing.  No, we just give some electrons a meaningful nudge and presto! Instant wealth.  It works because we SAY it works.  That's right, everyone in Me-topia is trading on the value of our word!

    So, welcome again! You should be all set with your million me-dollars.  Yeah, it IS a lot!  The only problem you might encounter is that everything now costs a million and one me-dollars.  We're still working on that one, but we'll probably just take control of everything anyway, so it'll work out.  Mostly.

    ...Probably.

--The Management

We're still working on the exchange rates for Schrutebucks and Stanley Nickels.

Retraction, The USS "My Buddy" and Costa Rica Trip '08, Part VIII (Finale)

Concerning my entry entitled "BFF," which was about creatures being chummy with their Creator, I have been shown and have read the flood of scriptural argument. I realize now that Jesus does in fact call us "friend," but I stand by the sentiment. Semantically, it's definitely not the same as what we have here on Earth. Still, my apologies for the wrongful use of words.

What kind of ship never sinks? Friendship! I am delighted more and more to be a part of people's lives here in Texas. I hate what I'm about say because the words are trite, but I'll do everything I can to clarify. I have met amazing people here. By that, I mean that they literally amaze me, that I am awestruck by the sorts of people they are. Fine and knowledgeable Christians, morally upright and intelligent, and we have a lot in common to boot. I've found a thriving swing dancing scene and met more great folks there. I have nervously eased back out onto the dating stage - even if it is a virtual one - and have learned a lot about myself and the sorts of people at large as a result. Experience finds its value in learning - I've been mulling this over thanks to the intellectual challenge presented by one of the aforementioned great people. And what I mean by that statement is that the things that happen to us - no matter how trivial or monumental - are only of value to us if we learn from them. And I'm not talking about life lessons, or pivotal moments, or anything like as dramatic. It can be something as simple someone paying you the tiniest of courtesies, and being reminded that there are decent people out there. But if the events of your life go unnoticed, if you have no reason to mark their passing and your daily external stimuli fail to alter your brain with even the most minute of wrinkles... then they may as well have not occurred at all - at least, as far as you're concerned. Sorry - bunni trail. :P

15 April
--Backtracking Again... Again--
13 April (cont.): The cloud forest was just a little disappointing, since there [were] precisely zero clouds. But what the forest lacked in clouds, it more than made up for in vistas. We got an incredible view of Arenal from an observation tower on the first trail we hiked. We even heard / felt a burp from the volcano. Great Success! The forest itself was very different from Corcovado. All the trees were covered in a sort of nebulous-looking moss. It was significantly quieter, too, allowing us to hear some really cool bird calls and, in many cases, to find their sources. Totally different scene. Also, randomly, some guy told us "Bye!" as he exited the park with his family. Much merriment resulted on our part, though it was neat to see someone being so friendly. That was pretty much the extent of our excitement for the day, and most of the evening was spent in a restaurant called The Tree House. The gimmick here was that an enormous tree grew right through the center of the place, which was pretty neat. We treated ourselves to a nice dinner and some excellent Spanish guitar. The guy even played Classical Gas. After that, it was back to the playpen for bedtime.
14 April: Finised The Problem of Pain, and it's definitely gonna require a few more reads. I really wish I had gotten into Lewis's philosophical works earlier than I did. I think I even bought Mere Christianity on nothing but a whim. Anywho, we started to La Fortuna via taxi-boat-taxi. Not a bad little ride - very scenic views of the Costa Rican countryside, and of course, the volcano looming ever closer. It amazes, the way it distinguishes itself form the rest of the landscape. There's just no doubt in the mind that you're looking at an active volcano. The charred and ashen slopes are a bit of a giveaway, too, but I'm really just talking about its geometry. Also, I didn't realize it, but the lava flows don't actually flow, per se. The lava builds up and cools in the crater, then bounces down the slope, exploding and burning as it goes. We got to see this on the touristy tour we took upon arriving in La Fortuna. I can only pray that it will be among the memories I keep forever. After watching the lava, we got to spend two hours in real, bona-fide hot springs. Oh, I can't remember the last time I was so relaxed. One of the pools was somewhat spoiled by a young couple apparently unable to restrain themselves - even in plain sight of a dozen other people - so Jesse and I had a lot of fun at their expense. Take that, lewd acts! We wrapped the evening up with a nice meal and an air-conditioned sleep. Muy bueno.
15 April / Today: Actually, not a lot going on. Lazy morning, internet time, taxi-boat-taxi back to Santa Elena. We're enjoying the ambiance of this other, better hostel. It's full of hippies but it's very mellow. I can dig it. Jersee is hell-bent on me fetching some food for him. Ha! (2007, 15 April)

So ends my travel journal for Costa Rica. It is incomplete, I know, but all you're really missing is the trek back to San Jose and the flight out. It was a life-changing trip for me and I learned more things about more things than I would ever have thought possible.

"The total pattern, of which [the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ] are only the turning point, is the real Death and Rebirth: for certainly no seed ever fell from so fair a tree into so dark and cold a soil as would furnish more than a faint analogy to this huge descent and reascension in which God dredged the salt and oozy bottom of Creation."
--C.S. Lewis, Miracles

Costa Rica Trip '08 Part VII

11 April
--Slacker--
Yep, I slacked it up good. I missed three days of writing! I'll go ahead and get today out of the way: not much goin' on. The bus ride back to San Jose was long, but (somewhat) restful. We got a meat lover's pizza (delicious) and watched subbed American TV. It was nice not to feel so far from home.
Yesterday wasn't too much different. Up with the sun (instead of before it) and an hour of beach walking to Carate, a two-hour ride in the back of a taxi truck - leg cramps galore - and a day in dirty Puerto Jimenez. Again, not eventful. The hike from Sirena to La Leona was... interesting. Most of it was on the beach, which turned out to be murder on backpackers. I did see some amazing scenes, though, and we got to beach-bum a little along the way. Nothing quite like lying on the beach, under the palms, sun peeking through the clouds... Not too hot, not chilly, maccaws squawking overhead, hermit crabs scuttling purposefully on the sand...
In other words: Paradise. (2030, 11 April)

14 April
--Backtracking Again--
12 April: Unnecessarily long bus ride from San Jose to Santa Elena. I spent most of the ride asleep or gaming; from what I saw of the landscape, I didn't miss much, although Jesse says there were some pretty parts. Our arrival in Gatlinburg... er, Santa Elena was immediately fraught with peril. Little did I know that the hostel we had reserved required payment in cash. Cash! We had all but spent what we had gotten in Puerto Jimenez. And so began our epic journey through the town to find a working dinero machina - "working" meaning "would take MasterCard." We did eventually find one [...] Long story short, we got enough money to pay for our stay. This hostel isn't very nice, though, and I suppose we should've heeded the wallpapering of signs that said, "We don't have many rules, but here are a few..." Jesse was immediately at war with this guy when he was told not to put his pack on the bed. Internet gets shut off at 10pm, which is also lights out / bedtime. As Jim would say: totally lame-o. That's why...
13 April: We used his internet to find other hostels for our trip back through! Nothing was said, but he very clearly saw the giant headings of his competition in town. Score. But before any of this happened, we went hiking in the Santa Elena cloud forest. More on that later - time for taxi-boat-taxi! (0745, 14 April)

Costa Rica Trip '08, Part VI

9 April

--On Population--

Something I had meant to write about but didn't was the fact that there are so many people at Sirena.  It's not very nice.  Oh, it would be, if they were all mature and/or considerate, but of course they aren't.  So we get woken up by Chatty Kathys and people banging around the tent platform, not to mention that the rest of the day is spent surrounded by loud people playing "Would You Rather."  The stay would've been significantly more enjoyable if, at a minimum, the number of people that were here could've been other than they were.  Of course, that's not possible - things always happen the way they're supposed to.  Was there a reason that these people were obnoxious, or was it just a clash of free wills - the simple fact that they can act as they wish and all I can do is resent them for it?  No; they're enjoying their trip in the way they want.  Just because my idea of a visit to the rainforest is different doesn't make mine right and theirs wrong.  And it's not as though they made my stay at Sirena unenjoyable... there were just a few points of contention.  All things considered, my complaints against them are pretty trivial. I mean, I'm in the RAINFOREST.  How much complaining am I actually allowed to do?

I find myself wishing them a pleasant journey.  And I feel better.  Isn't that nice? (0738, 9 April)

An Awful Lot Like Work / Costa Rica Trip '08, Part V

I started learning Tai Chi Chuan (or taijiquan, however you prefer it) on Monday.  Know how I know these guys are teaching it right?  Not only am I getting beat up in sparring sessions, but it is HARD.  If you see someone practicing their Tai Chi, chances are it's an older (and, let's face it, Chinese) person who's been doing it for a long time.  And you probably think to yourself, "Oh, that's very pretty.  Also, it looks very easy."  As someone learning it from the beginning let me assure you that it is not.  On the other hand, I have something good to wake me up and put me to bed every day.  Great Success!

In daily news, things are well here.  I'm making new friends and getting settled in nicely, I think.  Some concrete plans for the future would be nice, but hey, I'm not greedy.  I'm happy with the way things are going.

How are you, Reader?

8 April

--Day of Rest--

Started off today with a 0530 wakeup call from our tent neighbor.  Apparently he just loves talking to himself.  Ostensibly, he was speaking to his wife, but she didn't say a word.  Eventually I was able to force myself back to sleep.  Blech.

We sat on the deck for a long time in the morning and I started The Problem of Pain.  This one is much more challenging than The Great Divorce, and if nothing else, it reminds me that there is still much I need to learn.  I'm not sure that I agree with all of Lewis's postulations - especially concerning Genesis 1 - but again, I need to learn more about (for example) evolution before I can really decide for myself.  But as always, Lewis does a great job of putting words to the nebulous logic I already possessed - a talent I appreciate more every time I ready his works.

Today's wildlife: crabs, hermit crabs, a jellyfish that I (hopefully) rescued from certain death, a white faced monkey (chacupin? cachupin?  capuchin!), some scarlet maccaws (!), and magically submerging river logs (probably crocs).  Today was mostly about resting up for tomorrow, but we had some fun, too.

--Tidal Pools--

We went down to the beach after our morning relax-fest.  The tide was out - WAY out - and had left behind an alien landscape.  It was less like going to the beach than going to the moon.  Most of the pools were very shallow, but I did get to see a lot of little crabs and fish.  We walked all the way out to the surf and found a pool deeper than the others.  We floated around in that one for some time, apparently missing the landing of a plane.  We did get to see its departure, though.  I waved, but I'm not sure if they saw.  Oh well.  Jesse and I both got stung on the leg by something, whether jellyfish or anemone, I do not know.  It went away pretty quickly.

--Scouting the Trail--

We walked down to the beach again in the afternoon to check out the trail to La Leona.  That's where we finally got close to the maccaws.  Upon emerging onto the trail from the beach, we saw a veritable swarm of hermit crabs pretty far inland.  The ground was almost literally alive with them.  The river we have to cross tomorrow is very wide and, from what I'm told, a meter deep at low tide.  Also, there are crocs and sharks.  So that'll be quite the adventure.

Rain's here.  Time for sleep.  Another glorious day in paradise, Lord.  (2105, 8 April)

BFF / Costa Rica Trip '08, Part IV

We sang a strange song today in church; some of the lyrics were along the lines of "God calls me friend."  I suppose it's kind of strange, but it really struck me as bizarre.  Can we be friends with God?  I don't really think so.  I quoted a passage from Lewis's The Problem of Pain three posts ago in which he makes analogies to differing aspects of God's love.  Maybe it's just a semantic argument, but I don't think friendship is what God has in mind for us.  Can creatures be friendly with their Creator?  

Think about your friends for a moment.  They're probably people you joke with, drink with, spend a lot of time with... but also people you consider your equals, at least in some regard.  As anyone who has spent a few moments around organized religion knows, we can never be equals with God.  We are, by nature, separated by an infinite moral gulf - one which is reconciled through Christ, true, but that doesn't mean we can be like the Most High.  In fact, I'm pretty sure someone got in some trouble for that.  So, distilling everything to a point: I don't think most of the sane people out there consider themselves on par with the Supreme Reality Himself, but you may save yourself from some wrong thinking if you avoid singing or saying, "God calls me His friend."

7 April

--The Long Leg--

Well, today's completion marks what should be the most strenuous part of our excursion.  If the signs are to be believed, we did 17 km in 7 hours, which was just what I had predicted.  We had heard that it takes anywhere from 6 to 10 hours [from Los Patos to Sirena], so I guess we did alright.  We had been under the impression that the trail would be downhill or flat - lied to again!  The first part was up and down a lot, and steep, to boot.  To the credit of whoever told us that, the trail did eventually level out.  Regardless of the slope, my everything hurts again.  I am very pleased (and thank God) that I made it today.  That we made it today.  Wildlife roll call: lots of monkeys, an anteater, a bird that looks like a little emu, ants that make their own roads (!!), a poison dart frog, lots more Jesus lizards, and hopefully some tapir tonight.  The anteater was in a tree - I didn't know they do that!  We also got to see a sloth before leaving Los Patos.  Very cool.  They do everything in slo-mo.  Later in the day, we heard what we think were howler monkeys - very intimidating sounds.  The other monkeys that we saw tried to chase us off by throwing sticks and leaping between branches.  Not quite as scary as the howlers.  And as I sit and write this, seven spider monkeys are climbing into a bare tree in the distance.  Settling in for the night, I suppose.

--The Lodge--

Sirena is very pretty.  Like Los Patos, it's basically been hollowed out of the forest.  It is much bigger and even has its own airstrip (which coincidentally leads to a beach).  I imagine there are even a few trails - we'll find out tomorrow.  We're being buzzed by bats again!  (1711, April 7)