The Howler
Volume 16, No. 10 Issue No. 181
October 2011 Founded 1996
TAMARINDO COSTA RICA www.howlermag.com THE HOWLER Ced. Juridica: 3-101-331333
FEATURES
Publisher, editor and production David Mills
dmills@racsa.co.cr Tel: 2-653-0545
14 Around Town
CONTRIBUTORS ELLEN ZOE GOLDEN TONY OREZ TOM PEIFER JEFFREY WHITLOW MONICA RIASCOS KAY DODGE
JEANNE CALLAHAN JESSE BISHOP MARY BYERLY CYNTHIA CHARPENTIER ROBERT AUGUST NICK HOLT
Deadline for November: October 15 Howler advertising
The Howler offers a wide range of advertising sizes and formats to suit all needs. Contact David Mills • dmills@racsa.co.cr
Openings, closings, parties, music. The Gold Coast has it all, and barhoppin’ David is in the groove.
17 Surf Report
An anticipated very busy off-season for competition surfers has turned dry due to a lack of sponsorship. Jason Torres wins ALAS Pro in Nicaragua.
22 Surviving Costa Rica
Once again, Jesse resorts to his favourite Shar-Pei doggie pal Sun Tzu to resolve his writer’s block.
23 A Matter of Fact Faced with lies and fabrications on all sides, our columnist tries to find some reality in the financial world situation.
Advertising rates & sizes Size 1/8 1/4 1/3 1/2 Full
Dimensions (cms) Width Height 9.4 9.4 19.2 6.3 9.4 19.2 19.2
x x x x x x x
6.15 12.70 6.15 25.80 25.80 12.70 25.80
Price $ 75 120 150 210 400
Discounts For 6 months, paid in advance, one month is deducted. For 12 months, paid in advance, two months are deducted.
DEPARTMENTS 5 Doctor’s Orders
18 Yoga
10 CD Review
20 October Forecasts
11 Book Review
21 Parents’ Corner
12 Word Puzzle
24 Sun & Moon
13 Slice of Life
24 Rain Gauge
16 August Odysseys
27 Tide Chart
Ads must be submitted on CD or e-mail attachment, JPG or PDF format at 266 dpi, at the appropriate size (above). All comments, articles and advertising in this publication are the opinion of their authors, and do not reflect the opinion of Howler Management.
www.tamarindobeach.net
www.tamarindohomepage.com
Cover Caption: Tamarindo Beach Iguana Cover Photo: Sarah Long Cover Design: David Mills
Doctor’s Orders Jeffrey Whitlow, M.D.
T
his month we will return to our discussion about diet. I will explore some common misconceptions about what constitutes a healthy diet, and which actions are necessary to maintain a set of healthy dietary habits. One of the most common misconceptions is that it is necessary to eat breakfast, or that breakfast is “the most important meal of the day”. The reader must realize that no other animals eat on a schedule except for humans and their pets and domesticated animals. Every other animal follows its basic instincts and eats whenever it is hungry. The fact is that the average human needs only 2,200 calories or so a day to maintain his/her body weight. Any calories consumed in excess of that amount are usually stored as fat. Therefore, unless a person eats a very small breakfast, like fruit, granola, or a couple of eggs, he/she is going to have trouble staying under that 2,200 figure, if they also eat lunch and supper. Having lost fifty pounds over 10 years ago, I notice that when I consistently eat two or more large meals a day, I start gaining weight. For me, and for most men, one small meal and one large meal a day will suffice. Women, because of their smaller muscle mass, must eat more often than that. Why? Because the muscles are the main storehouse of a complex sugar called glycogen. Glycogen is formed from some of the sugar that is consumed but not burned immediately by the body for energy. When the blood sugar gets too low before or between meals, then the glycogen is mobilized into the bloodstream and broken down into the simple sugar glucose. Since women have less muscle mass than men, on average, they have less glycogen available, so their blood sugars drop more often and more quickly than men. So, most women do need to eat at least two small meals and one large meal per day. Another misconception is that it is somehow detrimental to eat a large meal right before going to bed, or that such a habit will cause weight gain. I usually eat one large meal right before I go to bed, yet I have maintained a 50-pound weight loss for over ten years, and I notice no other ill effects. Moreover, I am not aware of any scientific study that associates any ill effects or health problems with this dietary habit. To put it another way, think of the large hunting cats, like lions and tigers. Their pattern is to gorge themselves on a large meal and then immediately go to sleep. I have never seen or heard of a fat lion or tiger, in the wild at least. In fact, it is natural for a human being to fall asleep after a large meal anyway, as the blood is shunted away from the head and to the digestive tract so that the white blood cells can supply the protein that is needed to digest the food. Don’t a lot of people fall asleep in front of the TV after their Thanksgiving dinner (especially if the Detroit Lions are on)?!?
So don’t feel forced to eat meals, or eat meals at a certain time, just because that’s conventional wisdom, because there is no scientific evidence to back these erroneous suppositions. Next month, we will turn our discussion to mental health and the maintenance of a healthy and positive mindset, as that is the most crucial aspect of a healthy lifestyle.
Around the World ( a news digest)
A Swedish man who was arrested after trying to split atoms in his kitchen said he was only doing it as a hobby. Richard Handl had radium, americium and uranium in his apartment when police arrested him on charges of unauthorized possession of nuclear material. Handl, 31, who could face fines of up to two years in prison, said he was trying to set up a nuclear reactor at home, just for fun. A micro-sensor, developed at the University of Illinois, which attaches to the skin like a temporary tattoo, can sense electrical impulses in the body to monitor heart and brain activity. Cathay Pacific Airlines has delayed a global marketing campaign, whose slogan was “meet the team who go the extra mile to make you feel special”, after photographs were published showing crew members engaging in sex acts in a plane’s cockpit.
L
et’s hope this one really comes about! In the past few years Tamarindo has suffered several serious fires that have destroyed businesses and property – fortunately without loss of life. Now the Costa Rican government has plans to add 32 new fire stations around the country – one in Tamarindo. The funds for these stations will be raised by a 1.75% tax on electricity bills.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Bad news and good news! Bad is that Comet Elenin, which had promised a fine display in October and November, has self-destructed, due to solar forces acting on its fragile composition. The good is that this comet had also fuelled some end-of-the-world predictions involving the imaginary planet Niburu, so all those doomsayers will have to look elsewhere for their gloomy scenarios.
A South African health official says a man awoke to find himself in a morgue fridge. Health department spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said Monday that the man awoke 21 hours after his family called in an undertaker who sent him to the morgue after an asthma attack. The man started yelling, prompting morgue workers to run away in fear. He was eventually taken to a nearby hospital and later discharged by doctors who deemed him stable.
Another comet, Garradd, will reach maximum brightness in October and shine in our night sky until March. Though some of this duration is during our winter, there may be clear periods when it may be visible in the constellation Hercules. We will keep you posted if this promises to become a spectacular event.
According to the U.S. Treasury in July, Apple Computers has more cash than the U.S. government. Apple has cash assets of $76 billion - and rising; the U.S. has $74 billion – and falling. (So why doesn’t Apple buy the U.S. treasury and run it like a real business?)
Another Tamarindo Marathon, and of course it was welcomed by many as it brought extra business to town. But why, in any local event, must there be a constant “boom, boom, boom” accompaniment, all night and all day, audible two miles away? This wasn’t music, just heavy bass with no melody, continuing at least ten hours after the marathon finished. Can’t people function without this mindless background?
NASA scientists, using the new lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, claim to have found a spaceship which crashed on the far side of the moon in 1967. Judy Wade didn’t want her birthday to be boring. The 82-year-old grandma decided to go skydiving to celebrate her big day. She was accompanied by her grandson, New York Daily News staff writer, Joe Kemp: “It wasn’t a big surprise to me when my grandmother, said she wanted to celebrate her birthday by jumping out of an airplane.” Earth’s first “Trojan” object – an asteroid that travels in the earth’s orbit 60 degrees away from earth – has been discovered by astronomers. Billionaire Warren Buffett has asked Congress to increase his taxes, and those of people earning over one million dollars. He claims that the 17.4% he paid last year was much lower than that paid by his employees. “Stop coddling the super-rich,” he told Congress. A man in Norwich, England, has been suspended from driving for one year after he was caught driving while talking on a cell phone – and texting on another at the same time.
As we go to press, La Nacion writes that the development of cellular communication networks has been halted due to community fears about radiation. Many municipalities have stopped issuing permits and are implementing rules about distances of towers from inhabited areas. Tamarindo apathy! A thief was apprehended in Langosta and surrounded by 30-40 local residents, some of whom threatened to do him physical harm. The Fuerza Publica arrived and took him under arrest. They told the crowd that, if someone went to Santa Cruz to file a denuncia with OIJ, the ladron would be turned over for justice. Nobody wanted to bother, so he was set free.
Huacas Heat
A
combination of girls from La Paz and Country Day Schools, Huacas Heat is a Varsity basketball team formed a few months ago and playing year-round against the best teams of Costa Rica. They hold their home games at the gym/salon in Huacas (which they have renamed Ghetto Gym) two days a week, and have a very good record of play. Team members are: Amelia Worrel, Alexa Worrel, Lilly Pandis, Morgan Osborne, Luanna Barbosa, Katherine Degnan, Storm Lawrence, Laicia Bouali, Sabrina Degnan, Ashley Goodloe and Olivia Goodloe. Practice days are Wednesday and Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. In addition to their sports events, the girls have planted native trees near the gym and plan to do community service in El Llanito. This will consist of a sports clinic, for which the girls will receive community service hours. For information contact Paola at 8353-6579.
GO HEAT!
Barbara’s Pet Stories Masked Intruder
S
unday morning at 8 a.m., Jim went to his neighbours, Elli and Andre, to ask them if they could keep an eye on his house as he had to leave for that day. He also said that he has closed all doors and windows, so his four cats will be in the house, as he does not want them to run around while he is gone. The day went by, all was fine. Elli and Andre were sitting at their patio in the afternoon, having a cup of coffee, when they saw Zippy, one of Jim’s cats, walking around in the garden. Andre said to Elli: “I thought Jim had closed all doors; what is his cat doing outside?” Then Elli saw the second cat sitting next to Zippy. “Let’s go over and have a look”. Both walked over to Jim’s house, wondering as now all four cats were outside. As they walked around the house they saw a window open and then they heard a noise coming out of the living room. “Elli, run and call Jim, I think there is a thief in the house.” Andre ran to the open window, and tried to look inside. “Elli, bring me a machete, quick,” and into the window he shouted with a strict voice: “Nobody leaves the house.” Elli had called the owner, Jim; he came in no time. He unlocked the backdoor, and the two strong men, Andre and Jim, walked quietly into the house...they heard noises now in the kitchen. Oh, yeah, there is the thief! Both shouted “hands up” and with a big step they jumped into the kitchen. A little raccoon was sitting in front of the door of the fridge!! This one window Jim had forgotten to close, so the little raccoon was able to squeeze into the house to look for food, as he was so hungry.
Inspired Insults In order to avoid being called a flirt, she always yielded easily. Charles, Count Talleyrand
Harmonia Pura Eight amazing women followed their dream and became professionals in manicure, pedicure and facial after a a 4-month intensive training with professional trainer Maria Hakansson from Sweden, organized by CEPIA and the Swedish Do Good Now organization. It is now your turn to discover their talent in beauty care in the comfort of your home.�
Inspired Insults He has Van Gogh’s ear for music Billy Wilder
CD Review The History of Central American Music Tony Orez
I
n a region that has been a melting pot for centuries, Central America has become steeped in cultures and traditions, some of them in regional pockets and some unilaterally across the entire area, and music is no exception to this historical collage. Manuel Obregon is a classically trained pianist. He took it upon himself to transcribe to keyboard the music of legendary Peruvian guitarist Agustin Barrios Mangoré. He is a member of Malpais, one of Costa Rica’s most popular bands. He is one of the founders of Papaya Music, one of the premier recording labels in Central America. Last year, he was recruited as the Minister of Culture for this country. That is quite a resumé. I also perceive Sr. Obregon as a musicologist and an even bigger music nerd than I, and I mean that in a nice way. And one of his passions has been to record and present a musical history of Central America. In my estimate, there have been no less than five offerings by him thus far in this vein. The first album on Papaya was Sr. Obregon directing and accompanying La Orquesta de la Papaya, which was a conglomeration of fourteen musicians from all seven Central Americans playing songs individually rooted in each country and morphed into a kind of musical Central American stew with a definite indigenous backbone. It’s a unique concept and the outcome is remarkable. The second release from the Orquesta included five female vocalists as the music, like the area, continued to evolve, and the definition and character of the music became even stronger. These two albums and the live tours promoting them put Central American music on the global map. Piano Malango was Obregon’s next dissertation into the area’s musical legacy and this one is born of Manuel’s insight. An instrumental album of piano accompanied by members of Malpais on percussive, stringed and wind instruments, Sr. Obregon takes the listener on a musical journey of time and geography across Costa Rican, Nicaraguan and Panamanian terrain. One needn’t know the songs beforehand to appreciate the sojourn. Manuel Obregon could never be accused of being conventional, the irony being that the bulk of his work is steeped in history. The next chapter in his presentation is a duet of piano and vocals presenting thirteen traditional tunes from the working class, mostly of the Central Valley of Costa Rica. The songs cover a span of more than two centuries and were unearthed over thirty years by the vocalist, Aurelia Trejos. The result is breathtaking and indicative of Obregon’s (and Trejos’) devotion to preserving history that has been encased in music, and that would certainly evaporate without the passion and perseverance of people like them. The fifth chapter is a conglomerate of some of Obregon’s other recordings with Papaya Music, including his part in Malpais, a group that blends folkloric Guanacaste music with jazz and improvisation (popular in San José) to create a style all their own. Obregon also played on the “Wade in the Water” album gospel music in another fusion of modern and historic music that has been a part of Caribbean culture for centuries. He also appeared several times on the “Guanacaste Atardecer” compilation CD, with Malpais as well as in Cuarteto Esporadico with Fidel and Jaime Gamboa and revered guitarist Mario Ulloa, performing a fifty-year-old Panamanian bolero, and on the opening cut, playing in a trio live with a flautist and Mother Nature on the Osa Peninsula. OK, the music/history lesson is over. There will be no test. But please do your homework and listen to any Manuel Obregon music you can find.
Book Review Macho Eco-tourism Made Easy Tony Orez
T
ravelling outside the normal parameters in Central America requires a sense of adventure and a lot of ego. Stephen Benz has a healthy dose of both, as he demonstrates in his travel journal “Green Dreams”, a Lonely Planet publication. The book actually opens with him in Peru in the late eighties, following the political strife there and eventually taking a canoe journey into the Amazon, where he gets a taste of his new career. As an independent journalist with a sense of wanderlust, Benz initially was looking for political hotspots for a paying byline. He discovered that he not only got into that game a little too late, but that he also did not have the nerve for the tension and indiscriminate violence. What he did have was the desire, the ability and enough of the swashbuckling braggadocio to rub elbows with established journalists at all the local ex-pat watering holes. When the talk of a biosphere in Honduras and ecotourism cropped up, Benz showed interest while others balked: after all, green tourism was untested, nobody was shooting at each other there, and it was in the Caribbean Mosquitia zone, a godforsaken area, in the collective opinion of the seasoned veterans. But Stephen’s curiosity was piqued, so he researched as much as he could of that area (very little) and quickly took the plunge, relying largely on introductions by friends of friends, and soon found himself in the small village of Brus on the Caribbean coast, whose only other gringo citizens were a missionary couple, a retired doctor and at times a pilot. The rest of the people spoke Meskita, a dialect of indigenous, Spanish and English combined. And no one had heard of the biosphere. He had been an exchange student in Costa Rica so his next venture was to San José, where he struck paydirt. Ecotourism was catching on here and Benz jumped onboard. Benz does a good job observing the changes he’s seen the country go through since he visited twelve years earlier, musing on the contradiction in terms between ecology and tourism. He is a witty writer with a perceiving eye. The journalist’s next stop was Guatemala City, to follow the Ruta Maya northeast into the Yucatan Peninsula. After a stopover in Tikal, he met with several young, educated Mayans who were part of the group dedicated to empowering Mayas and their traditions. It is a powerful section of the book. Oddly, Benz only visits a few of the more popular Mayan ruins: Tikal, Palenque and Copan, preferring to go into Maya hamlets off the beaten path. It was enlightening but I felt it strayed from the concept of seeing how ecotourism was working in the area: there was no tourism in the pueblos he visited. Still, Benz makes a lot of valid observations and the book is certainly worth the read. Green Dreams is Stephen’s second book about Central America, his first being “Guatemalan Journey” written after living in that country for two years. He currently teaches in Atlanta and has apparently discovered his softer side, becoming a hiway poet with his new publication “U.S. 77”.
Casagua Horses The greatest variety of tours and riding experiences for all ages, featuring spectacular countryside, howler monkeys, colorful small towns and fun-filled fiestas. Cantina Tour - Nature Tour Fiesta & Tope Rental - Old Tempate Trail Tour Located near Portegolpe on the main road, opposite the Monkey Park, just 20 minutes from the beach.
Phone us at: 2-653-8041 • kaydodge@racsa.co.cr www.paintedponyguestranch.com The best horses on Guanacaste’s Gold Coast!
Word puzzle States of the U.S.A.
All words from the list below can be found in the word block on the right. Answers may be forward, backward, upwards, downwards and diagonal. alaska arizona arkansas florida georgia hawaii illinois indiana kentucky louisiana maine maryland massachusetts michigan minnesota
mississippi missouri montana nebraska nevada newhampshire newmexico northdakota ohio southcarolina utah vermont virginia washington wyoming
A Slice of Life Birthday Flypast David Mills
I
t was our first vacation away from our little Welsh village – a family trip to London! Arriving at Euston Station after a long train trip we found our bed-and-breakfast and settled in, an exciting experience for three kids of 10, 12 and 14 who had never been anywhere away from the countryside. The Big City fascinated us, with its museums, parks, homes of famous people, Buckingham Palace, zoo, Windsor Castle… September 15 was my dad’s birthday and, after giving little presents over breakfast, we all headed to the city. On The Mall we found a place to sit down and wait, although we kids didn’t know what we were waiting for, but there were hundreds of people there, all waiting for the same thing. “It’s a surprise for your dad’s birthday,” said Mom, “it will be something really special.” Slowly, a distant booming started, growing over the sound of the crowd and the traffic noise. It grew louder until it was a thunderous roar so loud that we couldn’t hear ourselves speak. Suddenly, over the trees appeared bombers, dozens of them, then hundreds, until the sky was filled with Lancasters, Halifaxes and Mosquitos in tight formation, squadron by squadron. Around the formation flew agile Spitfire and Hurricane fighters, describing figures-of-eight and victory rolls. Traffic stopped, people descended from taxis, buses and trucks and a huge cry went up from the crowds as they cheered the pilots and their aircraft. The flypast lasted about an hour; we even saw King George and Queen Elizabeth waving from the balcony as the aircraft flew over Buckingham Palace. All this panoply, just for my dad? Nice thought, but no. September 15 is also Battle of Britain Day, which celebrates the victory of the Royal Air Force against the Luftwaffe just a few years earlier, putting an end to Herr Hitler’s plans to invade Britain and going on to destroy the Nazi menace. This was the last big flypast, as the huge bomber fleet was retired shortly afterwards. None of us really believed that it was a birthday gift to our dad.
Does anyone have a “Slice of Life” to share with the readers? Humorous, weird, interesting, whatever... Send it to dmills@racsa.co.cr or call 2653-0545.
Mail Boxes, Etc., has moved from Langosta to its new location in the green building 100 meters east of Ferreteria Fertama, between Tamarindo and Villarreal. Mail Boxes, Etc., is a full service shipping and mailing center, also offering digital services and office supplies. Phone: 26534670. Email: info@mailboxesetclangosta.com. Web: www.mailboxesetclangosta.com
Alcoholics Anonymous Schedule of Meetings
Flamingo
Tuesdays: 5:30 - 6:30 pm (open) Fridays: 5:30 - 6:30 pm (open)
Location: Hitching Post Plaza Unit 2, Brasilito Contact: Don H. at 2-654-4902
Tamarindo
Saturday: 10:30-11:30 - Open General Meeting Monday: 5:30 Open Meeting Thursday: 6:30-7:30 - Open Meeting Location: Behind Restaurant La Caracola Contact: Ellen - 2-653-0897
Distribuidora Londres for safes of all shapes and sizes by Seyma, all at reduced prices; dishwashers at $139; file cabinets. See ad on page 15. Bench Dedication in Central Park, N.Y: Susan Curtis, Tamarindo chiropodist and long-time resident, wishes to thank all who donated to the fund for her sister Karen Dressner, who passed away last January. Karen was a science teacher at Nightingale-Bamford School in New York. On October 12, the school will dedicate a bench in Central Park to honor their beloved colleague and friend. A link to the school can be found at http://www.nightingale.org/events/karen-dressner-bench-dedication. For garage door openers and all your automatic and secure access needs - domestic, commercial and industrial - contact Portones & Sistemas in Liberia, agents for LiftMaster Series. See ad on page 9. After a well-deserved vacation El Coconut Fine Dining in Tamarindo will reopen to serve you all again on Friday, October 14. Call 2653-0086 for reservations. And in Potrero, El Coconut Beach Club reopens Friday, October 21, tel: 2654-4300. Radicon sells and services all types of communications equipment, audio, auto and marine radios. See the ad on page 11. Thursday, October 20th is the date for the 2nd Annual Gold Coast Women’s Group (GCWG) Dinner & Fashion Show. This women-only event will be held at Playa Conchal Beach Club beginning at 5:00 p.m. Presale tickets will be available early October for $25.00 or $30.00 at the door day of the event. Email annescalf@gmail.com for more information and inclusion on our mailing list. For all your legal requirements and advice, call Bufete Martínez y Asociados. See ad on page 9. Restaurant La Dolce Vita, offering fine Italian cuisine, will open this month on the top floor of the SuperCompro building (ex-Mirador). Best sunset views in Tamarindo. For all medical services, Calle Real Medical Services has a full crew of professionals. See ad facing page. Sharky’s is back! Well, almost. It will be opening weekends in October while construction continues, then full-time in November. The new building, which burned down a few months ago, will now have two floors, with big screens on each for all your sports events.
14
www.howlermag.com
WHAT ARE WE DOING COSTA RICA? Cynthia Osborne Charpentier
I
Why are you here?
s it hard to be happy with life in Costa Rica? No, but there are many complaints about facilities in paperwork and maintenance. What is one of my reasons to write about this? Simple, I love my country and want to know why we have so many nice people here. I have talked to many people and here are their comments: “Coming from USA, going to Mexico and Puerto Rico to work. His daughter says, Costa Rica is perfect for us, the ocean, the sun, the people and the great seafood. He came to Costa Rica the first time in 2001 and bought a condo in 2004.” - Tony Capezza. “It’s my home and I love it.” – Lynn, from Canada. “Don’t write about me, I am incognito.” - C.M. “Because of my father since 1980. I like this style of life and the people. I couldn’t leave now because all my friends are here.” John R. “We won’t be staying here in Guanacaste if we don’t see changes in the roads. You need improvements in Costa Rica.” If I came to Costa Rica for good I would like to be in Playa Coco, they have better roads than here in Potrero.” - W. “I’m just here on vacation. Would I build? No, It takes too long to get anything done. To live here six months at a time is good” Brenda, British Columbia. “Iguanas, monkeys and the beauty. I have my heart in Costa Rica because it is real, not plastic. That’s how I feel, not too many people know how to feel here” - Norman L, USA. Three and a half years here. Low cost of living. I cannot afford to live on the ocean in the States. I moved to Costa Rica because of the beauty and the people. I didn’t know my neighbors in Florida, here I know everyone – Dwane, Florida. So many points of view but one reason, they love Costa Rica. I am happy and you are very welcome. Who makes the decision to stay in Costa Rica after one day here? If you do, good decision. I love all the people from different countries that live here. I love my community. I know my neighbors. Why are you here?
August Odysseys
Robert August
I
n 1963, during the filming of The Endless Summer, air travel was very limited. We knew there were waves in South Africa and a few guys were surfing Cape Town. Bruce Brown’s idea was to go to South Africa where no one else had surfed or filmed. All travel in those days went in one direction; it was much cheaper to go all the way around the world, rather than back and forth. There was no direct flight, you had to stop in New York, Senegal, Ghana and Nigeria. Stopping in those countries produced great parts of the movie as we would have to spend a week to ten days in each waiting for a flight. We had plenty of time to check beaches and breaks. Our next destination after South Africa was Australia and there were no direct flights across the Indian Ocean, so to get there we had to fly to Kenya, Arabia, Bombay, India, Sri Lanka to Singapore and then into Perth in Western Australia. Sometimes we would sit in airports for five days just waiting for a flight. One of the points we stopped in was Bombay, India. It was a ten-day stay and we were stoked because it was close to the coast and we figured we could find something good there. The bummer was, when we landed the customs inspectors confiscated all of our camera equipment and surfboards. In 1963, poverty, starvation and depression was very visible in India and you had to have a special permit to take any photography. The customs inspectors kept insisting that they wanted to open the surfboards to check inside them and we pleaded with them not to! We didn’t have the permits, so the officials held our cameras and boards while we waited ten days for the next flight to Sri Lanka. We caught a taxi to the coast and found a place to stay on the beach. There was a beautiful 3-4 ft. wave right in front, warm water, crystal clear, a nice left on a sandy point. We tried to body surf it, but it was too fast and hollow. It was a bummer to watch the waves and have no equipment. While we were there, we see a guy coming up the beach with two gunny sacks, he spoke pretty good English and he told us that he had a mongoose in one bag and a cobra in the other. For the right amount of money, he would release them and we could watch them fight. Of course, the mongoose was fast and the cobra was slow; it took awhile but the mongoose prevailed. We figured that the word got out that there were Americans on the beach willing to pay for amusement so there was a string of visitors, the last being a fortune teller. She looked deep into my eyes and told me that she saw that I thought I was going to marry a blonde-haired woman, but that I would actually marry a dark haired girl ~ which I did... There were good parts and bad parts of India, but what I’ll always remember is sitting on the beach watching the beautiful waves, with no one on them, not a surfer within 3,000 miles, knowing that they would not be a part of the film.
Surf Report Story: Ellen Zoe Golden
I
f you follow my column regularly—and I hope you do—you will know that I write about the surf contests that the Federación de Surf de Costa Rica (FSC) put together. Earlier this season, I was told by José Urena, President of the FSC, that this was going to be an exciting 2010-2011, with contests going all around the year. In between the contests, national selections would venture to international events and compete for Costa Rica. After the Circuito Nacional de Surf was completed, and the ISA World Surfing Games in Panama were finished, there was supposed to be the Triple Crown of Surf, with cash prizes for the winners. What was supposed to be a very full off-season for the national competitive surfers here in Costa Rica, has turned into just the opposite, as the FSC cancelled the Triple Crown of Surf due to lack of sponsors. In addition, we are still waiting for details on the sixth edition of the Central American Surfing Championships, which were supposed to take place sometime around now in Costa Rica. This contest pits Costa Rica—who have won every year—against Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador for the Central America title. Next week, a Costa Rican national surf team will be put together for the ISA World Masters Surf Championships in Punta Roca, El Salvador, which will take place October 16 to 23, 2011. Howler deadlines preclude me from finding out who will be on the team. Other than that, for the first time in years, the country’s national surf competitors are quiet.
Even the distraction of competing at the Association of Latinamericana Surfistas Profesionales (ALAS) Latin Pro won´t be there for the next couple of months as that circuit takes a break for September, October and November. The next date will be the final in Venezuela, December 9-11. Unfortunately, there will be no ALAS date in Costa Rica this year. Previously, there did seem to be some smart action on the ALAS Latin Pro, however. Some really ambitious surfers just finished up a run at the Latin Pro in Madera-San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, and for the first time in its history, the Ticos owned the trophy platform (above). The winner of the whole shebang was Jacó’s Jason Torres (photo, page 25), who walked away with a check for $4,400. Luis Vindas, also from Jacó, was the second place winner, and he earned $2,200.
It was, as a matter of fact, in man-to-man combat that Torres defeated Vindas to earn the title at the Latin Pro. In the three days of competition, Torres always scored over 10 points in his combinations, and his 16.83 in the quarterfinals was the best combo of the event. In the finals, he got the lead out of the way early, racking up his scores of 6.50 and 5.50 on his first two waves and holding steady with that while Vindas worked to beat him. With this win, Torres adds an important 6,000 points to his rankings score, which might mean more if he had done more than three ALAS contests this year. Meanwhile, he only ranks #17 with this win. Jason’s podium triumph comes a year after his last victory in the Latin American Tour; he won the Latin Pro Guatemala in August of 2010. “What I have left is to be thankful for God to arm to me to win again. I tried it again and I could; I am, once again, at my best competitive level and that makes me very happy since this year has not been the best one for me, but now things are going to change,” Torres said. The Junior category of the Latin Pro in Nicaragua was captured by local guy Rex Calderon, whom I’ve had the pleasure of watching for a few years now. Since this was the first time the Latin Pro took place in Nicaragua and the first time Calderon has won the gold, it goes to show that there is a lot of new talent out there waiting to be seen in the country to the north of us. “This is the first time that an international event came to my country. If we continue to organize this type of championship, we will grow a lot,” Calderon mused. After advancing in his two previous series in second place, he kept the best for the finals. His first two waves marked 6 and 7.33, with what looked like unattainable control. This forced his rivals to fight for second place. The Peruvian Joaquín del Castillo took second with 9.20 points, while Costa Rica’s Anthony Fillingim made it to third place with 8.90. Ecuador’s Jonathan Chila placed fourth with 7.54. Down in Nosara, the Safari Surf School has teamed up with Billabong to offer a week of surfing and music with surfer/musician Donavon Frankenreiter. The experience, called Billabong Surf With a Pro, is limited to 16 guests and will take place during the week-long trip on November 12 to 19. (continued page 25
Now Begins the Study of Yoga Balance “One learns through yogic discipline the ways and means to balance one’s life so that it’s in rhythm with the environment around us.” B.K.S. Lyengar Many times we find it tough to achieve balance in our life. We feel as though we do not have the right balance of work and play, time with our family and friends, or balance in what we pursue for others versus what we pursue for ourselves. We can feel off-balance in any or all realms: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. The lack of balance in one realm can often begin to destroy a semblance of balance in another realm, creating a negative downward spiral.
In working with balance: 1. Find a spot to gaze at that isn’t moving, preferably on the floor in front of you. This will help you to keep steady. If you are looking at someone else doing the pose, and they start to wobble, guess what? You will too. Off your mat, do this by recalling your intentions for your life to help you regain focus. 2. Figure out the ways to keep equilibrium. If you are doing a standing balance pose, where are you grounding down and where are you lifting up? If part of your body is extending out to one side, how are you extending equally in the other direction? Balance your actions and energy in the pose. Off the mat, figure out how to divide your time and energy in a balanced way towards your intentions.
Mary Byerly is one of the owners and the yoga teacher at Panacea. An oasis of tranquility and health 10 minutes from Tamarindo. Discover Paradise and Bring a Peace Home www.panaceacr.com • 2653-8515
To regain balance, we need to regain clarity in what is going on, particularly if life has begun to feel as though nothing is working right. This is mirrored in our work on the yoga mat in poses that work with balance. Nadine, one of our frequent Panacea guests, says, “To create balance in life, create balance within”. Here are two fairly simple standing balance poses that you can use to work on your physical balance: Tree Pose (Vrksasana) and Eagle Pose (Garudasana).
3. Use support or a variation as needed. In Tree Pose, use a chair, wall or a tree to help you balance. Try this pose in a pool if you are concerned about falling. Eagle Pose can be done in a number of ways, depending on your body. You can simply do the legs of chair pose if your hips are tight, or just bring your elbows together in front of your body if your shoulders are tight. Off the mat, figure out where you need support and ask for help! Let there be the balance of ease and effort in your poses and in your life. 4. Have fun. When we teach the kindergarteners, they love to play with swaying back and forth as they pretend to be trees or eagles. Open to the joy of playfulness in your life again. Namaste.
A
Early ‘60s Surfing
round 5:30 in the morning my father takes me along on his way to work and drops me off at Beach Blvd, with my 9’6” popout board, a towel, army blanket and $2.50 in saved lunch money. Roll my stuff up in the blanket, tie the ends and sling it across my shoulders, like Rebel infantry. Hitch hike down Beach Blvd. to Huntington, about fifteen miles and taking maybe two hours. Leave my stuff on the beach and paddleout, surfing cool, glassy beach break for three or four hours until the onshores mess everything up. Towel off and have a beach burger, then take Pacific Coast Highway and hitch my way south to Doheny. Plenty of surfers on PCH, good hitch hiking, talk story, fun time and no hurry. Stop at a few shops, especially Wardy’s in Laguna; he makes the most beautiful boards. Usually run into some other surfers from home, talk waves and girls. Reach Doho in the late afternoon just as the wind begins to wind down. If Huntington is fun, Doheny is a magic clearwater reef break and everybody’s favorite wave, mellow and well-formed, always breaking. There are well over a hundred guys and boards out there, the noise alone is impressive with everyone talking, laughing, hooting, squawking. Add in all the colors of boards, shorts and surfers, along with the sun, sky and crystal clear water…incredible, senses just overwhelmed. No leashes in those days so every paddleout is a zig-zag cut-and-dodge through dozens of loose longboards, leaping and tumbling in the whitewater. For every smoothly executed kickout there are four wipeouts with the rider losing his board and swimming for it. “Logjam” we called it. As the evening glass-off continues it just gets better. Watch a beautiful sunset, sitting in the ocean, a quarter mile out. Continue surfing even as darkness settles in, until the waves are just impossible to see or catch…and finally come in. Towel off and get my bedroll, walk across the beach to the camping area. Look for a nice family and ask if I could roll out my blanket in their campsite. The young girl is giving you the Farmer’s Daughter look, and maybe they’ll feed you. If not, go across PCH to “A”s Burgers, where I can pick up a huge green burrito, coke, chips and salsa for about a buck. Get fried zucchini with ranch dressing if I can swing it; pig out… Back to the campsite and sleep, snug between towel and blanket, dreaming of endless waves, sunburnt back and arms giving off a warm glow. The next morning it’s more of the same. Low tide Doheny, sitting on the board between waves, water so clear I can see the bottom, watching crabs skitter and fish dart. Catch a wave and it disappears; feels like riding on air, the rock bottom zooming past just below your feet. So it goes all day long, until it’s time to head home. Maybe I find a friend with a lift, maybe I’m back thumbing. Either way, it’s time to go. Those were some pretty good days…1962 and fifteen years old.
Jim Surfer
Inspired Insults She had lost the art of conversation, but not, unfortunately, the power of speech. George Bernard Shaw
by Jeanne Callahan
October October Forecasts Forecasts
Aries: 21 March - 20 April
This month’s energy is primarily concerned with partnerships, both professional and personal. There is considerable focus on maintaining balance and structure while preserving your individuality. Mars transiting your fifth house brings in plenty of diversions, creativity and fun, just don’t go overboard and avoid your responsibilities. The 10th,11th and 12th are days with power for you.
Taurus: 21 April - 21 May
With Venus now in the sign of Libra, along with the Sun, Mercury and Saturn in your solar sixth house, you are primarily concerned with your working environment and your health. Focus on establishing a new routine that doesn’t take you into the extremes of long hours and inadequate time for rest. Maintain a balance in your professional and personal life. The 13th and 14th are days that support your interests.
Gemini: 22 May - 21 June
Visit Jeanne’s site at CelestialAdvisor.com
Libra: 23 September - 23 October
With four planets in your sign right now you are in the perfect storm of expansion and growth. Responsibilities are great but so are the potential rewards. You may be offered a new job or contract with a powerful company or person who greatly respects your abilities. Don’t be shy about singing your praises and worth, just be sure you define your boundaries within these new relationships (and old ones, for that matter). Take some time to enjoy life on the 24th and 25th.
Scorpio: 24 October - 22 November
Some previously hidden issues are coming to light this month and will require some action on your part. The truth is coming out and you’ll have a better idea of where you stand in your relationships, both personal and professional. Take steps to protect your interests as Mars at the top of your chart gives you the ability to further your career ambitions. Things go your way on the 26th and 27th.
Sagittarius: 23 November - 21 December
The stellium of planets in Libra in your solar fifth house provides you with numerous creative ideas and opportunities for social activities. This is a great time to meet new people and find out about what’s going on in your local environment. Your professional life brings you in contact with people from the past who can help you. Keep the 15th, 16th and 17th open for smooth negotiations and personal gain.
This month has you regaining some ground in terms of your professional networks and friendships. Allies may also come from foreign contacts or spiritual groups. Attend as many functions as possible to fortify connections. Creativity is high and you may find yourself involved with a new crowd of unusual people. Health issues need attention so they don’t become more serious in the next three months. The 1st, 2nd, 28th and 29th are excellent days for you.
Matters concerning your home, parents and real estate are all front and center now. You have many decisions pending that require closure in the first two weeks of the month. Keep your emotions under control and consult with trusted advisors for the big picture issues of taxes, legacies and estate planning. There is potential for some power struggles to emerge in this process. Lunar aspects are in your favor on the 18th and 19th so save the big battles till then.
You are tremendously focused on your profession right now and dealing with issues of power and control. There is some potential for upset in the home or with parents regarding issues that surfaced in the spring. Keep looking for ways to compromise and find common ground with family matters. Solutions need to be practical and grounded in reality. The 3rd, 4th, 30th and 31st are your best days this month.
Cancer: 22 June - 22 July
Leo: 23 July - 23 August
Mars is in your sign all month giving you some extra energy to pursue your interests and make your presence known. There may be issues coming up with siblings or in your neighborhood that need your attention and input so don’t ignore it as it won’t just go away. Home and property matters become a priority in the latter part of the month or you may decide to throw a party! Go for it! The 20th and 21st are your best days this month.
Virgo: 24 August - 22 September
Assets, money and your income stream are the priority issues this month as you look to improve that part of your life. Opportunities come in through areas that involve women, the arts, beauty and possibly the legal profession. The latter part of the month involves more travel, negotiations and contracts. Stay focused and you will achieve what you want. The 22nd and 23rd are your best days.
Capricorn: 22 December - 21 January
Aquarius: 22 January - 19 February
Your interests in travel, education, and higher consciousness are main concerns for you this month as you seek to engage with others who share your interests. Consider joining new groups, public speaking or hosting some gatherings in your home to satisfy this need. Focus on getting yourself out there and being socially engaged. Partnerships can be a bit testy this month as Mars is in your seventh house, creating some drama. Don’t hide from it; listen and learn. The force is with you on the 5th, 6th and 7th.
Pisces: 20 February - 20 March
Issues involving insurance, wills, legacies and your partner’s money are front and center this month. These are practical issues that need clarification and thought before signing on the dotted line. Consult with people you trust before you commit. Your own health is good so that is not the motivation for action, it’s more about attending to things that are left undone. Work is demanding but good if you keep your temper under control. The 8th and 9th hold some good fortune for you.
Namasté
Parents’ Corner Children & Stress
W
e use the word “stress” when we feel under pressure: if it is the optimum amount of pressure, stress can be beneficial to our performance; if it is too much pressure and we feel that we can’t handle it, it is detrimental to both physical and mental health. Stress affects children as well, and sometimes with dramatic consequences. Younger children that are suffering from stress are not able to express their emotions and display symptoms that parents tend to disregard as just “naughty behavior” or personality, often ignoring an underlying problem that needs attention. Some symptoms of stress in a younger child are: • • • •
Attention–seeking misbehavior or frequent temper tantrums Being withdrawn and quiet most of the time (depressed) Aggressive behavior (violent towards others or self) Clinging to parent, or wanting to be alone at all times.
It is important that you observe any changes of behavior in your child over a period of time – if any of the above-listed behaviors becomes persistent, it could indicate that the child is struggling with a situation he cannot handle and experiences severe stress. Some of the most common causes for stress in children are: Bullying, in any form, and at any age (bullying can be found even in kindergarten!). If you suspect that your child is being bullied, talk to the teachers and the school administration – action must be taken. Having no friends: teach your child some simple strategies to approach other children, arrange play dates, and work with your child’s teacher to help him feel included. Permissive parents: lack of authority, no rules and no boundaries confuses a child. A child who “can do whatever he wants” experiences constant stress, due to the lack of predictability and structure in his life. Children need parents that are in charge in order to feel safe and protected. Authoritarian parents: the other extreme is in no way better – parents who impose and dictate intimidate their child, using fear as the main educational tool. Always teach your child in a loving way, talk to him, be firm and consistent, but not rigid. Unfair expectations: if parents’ expectations are too high, the child will constantly feel under pressure and in fear of losing the parents’ affection and approval. While it is necessary for children to have ambitious goals to work towards, those should be realistic and presented in a positive manner, acknowledging any achievement and handling mistakes as learning opportunities - not failure. Divorce or any problems in the house will affect your child’s emotional stability as well, even if you try to keep your child out of it. Since many problems cannot always be prevented, you need to make sure that you explain the situation to your child, to the extent he can understand, and assure him that it is not his fault (children tend to blame themselves when a parent is unhappy). Work together in trying to control your own emotional outbursts and provide for “stress free” moments, such as a family meal, a bedtime routine, or a game. Your own emotional state has a direct impact on your child’s, therefore, the happier you are, the happier your child. “Children learn to smile from their parents.” Shinichi Suzuki Monica Riascos H. Psychopedagogist – Psychologist Tel. 83589550 consultariascos@live.com
Surviving
C hapter LXXXVIII
M
COSTA RICA
Interview With a Dog
y dog Sun Tzu originally appeared in The Howler in the August 2004 issue documenting the titanic struggle of wills between the dog and my wife, which continues even as you read this article. He reappeared for the May 2005 Howler edition when he guestwrote a column to critical acclaim. It also prompted the new “human only” rule at Howler Corporate Mega Publishing S.A.
THM: We’d like to remind you this is a family oriented publication and you might want to watch your language. THM: No response. Sun Tzu, SPEAK!!!!! ST: Look, we had a good beach walk this morning and you didn’t manage to screw up opening a can of dog food, so I’m doing you a favor by granting this interview. I’m a very busy dog in this neighborhood.
Sun Tzu’s gay dog marriage to a French Weimaraner named Foster also made The Howler although it was never reported that, sadly, the marriage was never consummated and was annulled due to unrequested neuterings before both were old enough to know the difference.
THM: Okay, sorry. ST: I was still a young dog in those days, but let’s face it, in those dog year things you and I are about the same age now. We have a saying “when I was a puppy I did what puppies do, but now I am a dog and I’ve put my puppy ways behind me”.
It should also be noted that at times like these when a “new” idea is not gonna spring into my head and the Editor’s thinly disguised threatening “Deadline” notices have started showing up and I need to do something. So I’ll interview my dog.
THM: That’s pretty deep stuff for a dog; sounds familiar, though. You’ve lived in Langosta all of your life and have apparently convinced yourself that you’re the top dog, how do get along with the other dogs? ST: Well I can assure you they all know I’m there. I have a hard time understanding why certain humans think they can bring their dogs to my neighborhood; I mean how many Labradors can there be in Costa Rica? I do like the bitches though.
The Howler Magazine: Thank you for agreeing to this interview at such short notice. I know you like to keep to your routine and enjoy the art of “Napping”. Sun Tzu: You’re quite welcome; I know you haven’t figured out anything better to write about. THM: You wrote your first column for the Howler when you were barely fifteen years old in dog years. How did that change your life? ST: I was just a kid when that came out and it was a double-sided blessing. Sure, those bitches on the beach were hot for me but thanks to a pointless and inexplicable “fixing” there wasn’t much I could do about ‘em, however every Pit Bull within a ten square kilometer radius wanted to kick my ass!
THM: What concerns you the most about conditions in Playa Langosta? ST: I’m concerned about the number of cats that have started showing up in increasing numbers. You can be sure that we don’t have any in “our” yard; perhaps one of your readers would like to rent me for a day for little “cat discouragement”. THM: Come on dog, you know nobody’s going to read this. ST: Oh yeah, I forgot. I could do a far better job of dealing
Story by Jesse Bishop
with the cats if humans did not insist on keeping me behind a gate. Thanks a lot! How long are we doing this anyway? I’m thinking I should be sleeping. THM: I’m gonna need about two hundred more words so hang in there. What gives you happiness? ST: I smell. THM: I didn’t want to say anything but… when did your mother last give you a bath? ST: She’s not my mother and you’re not my dad! Can’t I get this through to you? And anyway, I meant I like to smell things. It is my life’s ambition to have smelled everything there is to be smelled in Playa Langosta at least twice, a goal I am well on my way to accomplish. I am familiar with most forms of grass, gravel and sand and can identify the pee of at least seventeen pure blood local breeds as well as hundreds of local Guanacaste Zaguates. Just look at my face, my nose is magnificent! THM: That is quite a nose. Describe a typical day. ST: My early morning duties around the house involve “sleep guarding”, best accomplished while sleeping. When someone finally rolls out of bed I’m let outside to sleep some more. Then I go to the beach and get enough exercise to then go home, eat a lot of dog food and then sleep some more. There’s another opportunity to get out and smell something around five, after which I eat some more, do a little sleeping and then spend the evening guarding the house and keeping it safe from cats and raccoons, all the while in constant contact with the local doggy grapevine. THM: There. That ought to make the editor happy. You look sleepy, why don’t you take a little nap? ST: I was just thinking the same thing.
A Matter of Fact Tom Peifer
But reality, unlike perception, cannot be changed by propaganda - Charles Hugh Smith
E
ven cynical observers have been caught unprepared. Clearly, no single environmental phenomenon can be positively attributed to climate change. Nonetheless it appears that humanity is faced with a perfect storm of increasing B.S. on all fronts. Now, it may be that a future Nobel winner proves conclusively that there is an inverse correlation with the health of the global economy and the volume of lies that are told to prop it up. The week of Independence Day in Costa Rica was certainly a case in point. Global stock markets were subject to gyrations worthy of a top-notch contortionist. Of course, most eyes were on the Miss Universe contest and the ongoing struggle in Libya, but investors, as usual, were watching their screens. They were paying close attention as the recently declared “successful” efforts to save Greece from default hit the whirling fan of market realities. As industrialist Jean Paul Getty put it: If you owe the bank $100 that’s your problem. If you owe the bank $100 million, that’s the bank’s problem. It became clear that, you know, the banks that loaned Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal the money in the first place had a big, and then bigger problem. Notwithstanding efforts at Eurozone solidarity, and an interesting offer by China to help out with Italy, it seemed like every statement out of an official mouth drove the market bonkers. Enter the propagandists, whose main job is to reassure everyone that “every little thing’s gonna be all right,” and the market soars until the next piece of the big picture falls into place. In the boiling caldron of global finance, propaganda is part and parcel of everyday parlance. One constantly hears reference to “restructuring” of debt: Presto magic, rabbit out of the hat and on with the show. The debt doesn’t mysteriously disappear, perhaps from the collective attention span, but there it is, somewhere, on someone’s balance books. The ghost of past economic growth spooking the present and haunting the future. There’s an eerie analogy to the stockpiles of radioactive waste left over from yesterday’s electricity generation, toxic for decades to come. Those who are old enough remember the Big Lie that accompanied the launch of nuclear power in the US: “Our children will enjoy in their homes electrical energy too cheap to meter.” The Big Lie is a timeworn technique. Anyone who reads the Costa Rican press, or listens to the pronouncements of politicians, will hear the mind-numbing mantra, “sustainable development,” repeated as the cure all for ills ranging
from crime and bad roads to high-school desertion and the crisis of state budgets. You name it - more growth will fix it. In the medium-to-long run, a problem we looked at a while ago, (“Dangerous Curves Ahead”, The Howler, June 2011), resource constraints, in particular energy issues, begin to cloud the rosy picture painted by the growth-cures-all crowd. Shorter term, due to the global financial meltdown, as a financial analyst for the BBC put it bluntly: “The reality is we will have to steel ourselves for very low growth for a prolonged period.” At the very least, the underlying Big Lie of perpetual progress seems to have been forced by events on the ground into a bit of a holding pattern. Forty percent youth unemployment or more, in Spain and plenty of other countries, and the forty million US citizens officially living under the poverty line provide living testimony to the progressive narrowing of the access road to the universally desired “American life style.” The way of life that was long proffered as available to everyone who played by the ‘rules’. The way of life that President George Bush once declared to be ‘non-negotiable.’ As it turns out, the fact of the matter is that reality doesn’t negotiate. As one writer put it, “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.” By contrast, the Armani-clad talking heads who appear on TV walk the well-worn path of political elites throughout history. Impress the motley hordes with their understanding of the situation, convince all that they need compliance with plans to improve things and deliver assurances that the future will be better than the present. The art of propaganda, from the Big Lies to the small, is to mould perception in a way that the legitimacy of those in control is never perceived to be founded on the bedrock of untruth. If you have the BS detector really well tuned, I’ve found that a sense of ironic humor helps preserve one’s sanity. Consider the following, and decide for yourselves: Petroleum giant Exxon, which funded the anti-global-warming science disinformation campaign, is actively preparing for exploration and production in the soon-to-be-ice-free Arctic Sea. Costa Rica, still proudly touting its much-ballyhooed vow to achieve carbon-neutrality by 2021, is pressing ahead with plans for a new airport in the Zona Sur, petroleum exploration and (continued page 24)
A Matter of Fact (from page 23) production in the north, the gulf of Nicoya and along the Pacific Coast and various tourism mega projects all, by their nature, very carbon intensive.
RAIN GAUGE
6
RAINFALL - August/Sept
5
c m
And the winner is: Posthumously awarded to Adam Smith, the father of modern economics, whose magnum opus, The Wealth of Nations begins with the single, flawed phrase: “The annual labor of every nation is the fund which originally supplies it with all the necessities and conveniences of life.” Karl Marx receives a runner-up nod for only adding ‘capital’ to the mix. The key missing element, as pointed out by one of my favorite commentators on reality, John Michael Greer, is of course Nature: Left unrecognized is the crucial fact that the annual labor of a nation would be utterly useless without the goods and services provided free of charge by Nature, which enable labor to be done at all by making human life possible in the first place and by providing all that labor with something to labor on.
Maricle Meteorological Observatory
4
La Garita Total rainfall: 29.8 cm (11.7 inches)
3 2
s
1 0 16
20
25
31 1
5
August
10
15
September
Rainfall August/Sept 2011: 29.8 cm 2010: 63.9
Year-to-date 2011: 161.7 cm 2010: 248.5
And, just as the economic spigots that politicians manipulate to keep themselves in the driver’s seat are showing signs of running dry, the natural flows—air, water and a livable climate—are still being overtaxed and under-represented in the political and economic calculus of mainstream thought, discourse and planning for the future. We now know that our children’s future electricity is likely to be neither free, nor nuclear, in spite of the propaganda of the ‘50s. It’s high time to jettison the propaganda and update the economic thinking, locally and globally, that will have profound bearing on the world we bequeath to them. Let’s provide them with the stuff of dreams, but grounded in reality, ‘cause, as Einstein remarked, “Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.” Tom Peifer is an ecological land use consultant with 16 years experience in Guanacaste. Phone: 2658-8018. peifer@racsa.co.cr El Centro Verde is dedicated to sustainable land use, permaculture and development. www.elcentroverde.org
October ( a l l
t i m e s
2011 l o c a l )
Inspired Insults
Sun
1st - rise 5:32; set 5:34 15th - rise 5:32; set 5:26 31st - rise 5:34; set 5:19
1st quarter: Full: Last quarter: New:
Moon
3 11th 19th 26th rd
9:15 p.m. 8:06 p.m. 9:30 p.m. 1:56 p.m.
He hasn’t an enemy in the world, and none of his friends like him. Oscar Wilde
Surf Report (from page 17) For those not familiar with Frankenreiter, he is a pro surfer and singer/ songwriter who is about to release his fourth album, called Glow, this Fall. Jack Johnson produced his first album of folk songs along with famed Beastie Boys collaborator Mario Caldato, Jr. This followed his 2004 self-titled debut with a full-band record, then came 2006’s Move by Yourself which chronicled his life on the road. Joe Chiccarelli (The White Stripes, My Morning Jacket) produced 2008 disc Pass It Around, which featured guests Ben Harper and G. Love, and marked the first time he wrote with other people. After that, Frankenreiter moved to Hawaii and peppered his next album, Revisited, with that island’s flavor. It worked because Revisited was a track-by-track interpretation of his debut folk album. As to what people who see the live show can expect, that will be a surprise. We don’t have a set show. If we did, I would go crazy,” he says. “You never know what’s going to happen. I love that element of surprise
Poet’s Corner Are You Made for Paradise? Before you move to “paradise” I recommend using your “brain” to wonder what you really want. How close you enjoy to watch the bulls? and how strong you really are? Some like to talk about how great is this and that, “the green, the wild”, but when it comes to live in it they’d better go to a zoo instead. All our wonders are the same, no matter who thinks other way. The fact that you no longer enjoy just means you couldn’t hold it all. Several people come and go, and many others stay here... Those understand that paradise also includes challenge and odds Then, for those who enjoy taking the chance of making a life a whole adventure here I greet you with my welcome. And, remember: Costa Rica has no artificial ingredients that’s why ants cut, monkeys howl and rain still falls flooding... Even when it isn’t for some convenient.
Jess
(In response to the poem in September’s Howler)
with music and surfing – you never catch the same wave twice.” Lest one think music is everything to Frankenreiter, he has been surfing since he was 10 years old. He is a member of the Billabong surf team. The Surf With a Pro package includes accommodation for 7 nights and 8 days at Casa De Olas in Nosara, airport greeting and roundtrip airport transfers, three meals a day, coaching by Frankenreiter (and the Safari Surf Camp staff), edited DVD and photo of the trip, Billabong boardshorts, T-shirt, and a canopy tour. Included in the vacation is admittance to a private Donavon Frankenreiter charity concert which will take place in Nosara at La Estancia. Proceeds from the concert will go to the Surfing Nosara Foundation. To book your spot on this adventure, email Tim Marsh at tim@ safarisurfschool.com.
That’s all I’ve got. Looking forward to hearing what you think. Keep those emails coming at EllenZoe@aol.com. Send your comments, information, errors or praise, because I can’t do this column without you, the real surfers.
New Airport Terminal
Officials proudly inspect the new terminal at Liberia International Airport, scheduled to open in November.
Letters
Human Kindness is Alive & Well in Tamarindo
L
ate afternoon Wednesday, July 13th, started for me with a walk around town while my girlfriend Cher took a nap in our upstairs bedroom It apparently ended with a “BANG” for Cher. When I returned from my walk and opened the door to our condo, I heard a faint “help me, help me” coming from the stairs. There I found Cher in a clump. She was semi-conscious and in obvious pain from falling down the stairs, having slipped at some point. I managed to get her to her feet and onto the sofa in our living room. Upon examination in the light, I immediately noticed a large bruise developing across her lower back and her face and neck were blown up like a balloon. Unfortunately, due to Cher’s 30+ years working in a radiology hospital environment, she began self-diagnosing and selfmedicating. The next afternoon, during the beginning of one of the worst rainstorms in Tamarindo’s history, I was at the Pharmacy Plaza Conchal getting pain medication, when I met the local chiropractor, Susan Curtis, whose office is in Langosta. She told me about her 57-year-old sister who had recently died from internal bleeding and warned me not to wait, to get Cher to a doctor or hospital. I immediately spoke with the resident doctor, Dr. Luis Diego Herrera Fernandez, who drove me to our condo to examine Cher. His instant diagnosis was broken ribs and a punctured lung and instructed me to get her to the hospital now! While at our condo he gave Cher a shot for pain and took the time to draw us a map to the hospital in Liberia. He then drove me to the Alamo rental car office which was closing for the day and he waited to be sure I could get a car before leaving. When I asked the doctor about the cost he said “Don’t worry about it now, get her to the hospital”. Once the rental paperwork was completed, the rental car agent drove me to our condo and assisted me with getting Cher from our condo to the car. Did I mention that we were in the middle of what turned out to be a storm with nine inches of rainfall? Or that we are 64 and 63 years old? And we have NO medical insurance? We successfully navigated flooding, downed trees across the road and severely heavy downpours to safely arrive at Hospital Liberia, approximately 50 miles away, where Cher was examined, X-rayed and diagnosed, then treated for exactly what Dr. Herrera had determined during his examination at our condo. Since Dr. Herrera’s initial “house call” Cher has made several visits to his office for post-op treatment including removal of her lung drain tube stitches. Throughout this entire process, Dr. Herrera never once pressured us for payment for his services. His concerns have always been for Cher’s medical health and well-being.
Without Dr. Herrera’s willingness to make that initial instant house call that stormy July evening, we can only speculate as to the other possible outcomes from Cher’s unfortunate injuries. Thank you to all who assisted in Cher’s treatment and recovery and for the kind thoughts of many Tamarindo visitors and residents. Thanks Doc Fred Matthews and Cher Plummer
Great Job! David, the Sept issue is beautiful. You really put out a quality product here in the jungle. It has a very professional look and a lot of variety between the covers. Keep up the good work and we´ll surely keep advertising with you. All the best, Jim Shaw Compus Liberia
1S
2S
3M 1st Qtr 4T
5W
05:05 11:18 17:34 23:35 05:55 12:09 18:27 00:28 06:49 13:03 19:25 01:27 07:49 14:04 20:30 02:34 08:57 15:13 21:41
10.5 6T -1.0 9.5 -0.4 9.9 7F -0.5 9.0 0.2 8S 9.2 0.2 8.4 0.9 9S 8.5 0.8 7.9 1.5 10M 7.9 1.3 7.6
11T Full Moon
03:49 10:09 16:25 22:52 05:04 11:18 17:32 23:53 06:09 12:18 18:27
1.9 7.5 1.5 7.6 1.9 7.4 1.5 7.8 1.6 7.6 1.4
00:45 07:00 13:08 19:13 01:29 07:42 13:50 19:52
8.1 14F 1.3 7.8 1.1 8.4 15S 0.9 8.1 0.9
12W
13T
OCTOBER TIDE CHART 02:07 08:19 14:29 20:27 02:43 08:54 15:05 21:01 03:17 09:27 15:41 21:35 03:51 10:01 16:16 22:09 04:25 10:36 16:52 22:44
8.7 0.6 8.3 0.8 8.9 0.4 8.4 0.7 9.0 0.2 8.4 0.7 9.0 0.2 8.4 0.8 8.9 0.3 8.2 1.0
16S
17M
18T
19W Last Qtr 20T
05:00 11:12 17:29 23:21 05:37 11:49 18:08
8.7 21F 0.5 7.9 1.2 8.4 22S 0.8 7.7
00:01 06:18 12:31 18:52 00:46 07:05 13:18 19:42 01:40 08:00 14:12 20:41
1.5 23S 8.0 1.1 7.4 1.8 24M 7.6 1.5 7.2 2.0 25T 7.3 1.7 7.2
26W New Moon
02:43 09:05 15:13 21:45 03:51 10:13 16:17 22:48 04:58 11:17 17:19 23:46 05:58 12:15 18:15
2.1 7.2 1.7 7.4 1.9 7.3 1.5 7.9 1.4 7.7 1.1 8.5 0.7 8.2 0.6
00:39 06:53 13:09 19:08
9.3 30S 0.0 8.8 0.0
27T
28F
29S
01:30 07:44 13:59 19:59 02:19 08:33 14:49 20:48 03:07 09:22 15:38 21:38 03:36 10:10 16:27 22:28 04:45 10:59 17:18 23:19
9.9 -0.6 9.3 -0.4 10.4 -1.1 10.7 -0.7 10.6 -1.3 9.9 -0.8 10.6 -1.3 9.8 -0.6 10.3 -1.0 9.5 -0.1
31M
05:36 11:50 18:11
9.8 -0.5 9.1
1T Nov
00:13 06:30 12:44 19:08 01:11 07:28 13:41 20:09 02:15 08:32 14:43 21:19 03:24 09:39 15:48 22:17
0.4 9.1 1.1 8.6 1.0 8.4 0.7 8.2 1.5 7.8 1.3 7.9 1.8 7.4 1.6 7.9
2W 1st Qtr 3T
4F