Tropical Storms and Termite Swarms

Prepare to be grossed out.

Tropical Storms

When I sat down to write this post, a tropical hurricane hurled my paper across the floor and lightning struck the pool. Palm branches crashed against the power lines, and my daughter and her friends ran around the porch screaming, “We are going to die.” Before I could hide in my bedroom, I had to clear all the backpacks, shoes, and clothesline  from the exposed dining area while the rain whipped against my legs. My husband wanted to live outdoors, but his tune has since changed.

Eco Fever

Before our Bali adventure, my husband was overheated with eco-idealism. His ideals were to live in a house built of natural materials, within walking distance to all of our daily needs, and to be outdoors most of the day. Krishna delivered.  For around 1,000 a month we have a three bedroom furnished Joglo house with a pool.  Only the bedrooms are indoors with AC. The rest of the house, which includes the kitchen, dining and bathrooms, are outdoors. There is no living room. For me, the solid wood walls and the thatched ceiling invoke a sense of old time Bali.

We are a three minute walk from the ISKCON temple and a 15 minute walk to Green school through back roads. Instead of being surrounded by other villas, we are next to a coconut farm at the end of Hare Krishna road. Perfect for us. 

Creepy Flying Things

But now that it’s the monsoon season, the mosquitos congregate on our porch. My husband has gone awol with his racket zapper. During one of his zapping frenzies, I overheard him holler, “I’m done with outdoor living.” Krishna has a sense of humor. An outdoor floor plan means the invasion of nature. Aside from mosquitos, here are other invasion examples:

Seasonly, there are large swarms of (Laron) also known locally as termite flies—though not actually termites. If you leave your lights on, they swarm to the light. Of course, I left the bathroom light on one night. I woke up at midnight to use the restroom and here are pictures of the termite fly invasion (Yes, they are alive and thriving in the toilet bowl, around the seat, and sink, and all over the floor): 

Scaly Things and Big things

Our bathroom is really a lively place. Yesterday, my ten year old daughter came running to me, petrified. “I saw two scaly things—not the little tokays- but big things with horns, bulgy eyes– staring at me this close.” She measured six inches with her hands. “ I’m going to have nightmares, Mommy.” Poor thing. I gave her a hug. 

Letting Go

Outdoor living is not all gloom, I love laying on our bean bags--our sofa substitute- in the evening and watching the moon through the coconut palm fronds. I find the breezy mornings pleasant. Though the afternoon humidity weighs on me, slowing me down, lulling me into a more mellow pace of life. Maybe living outdoors is not meant to be all pleasant but instead, real. The the blasts of rain, the mold that creeps into my clothes, the the cicadas that slam against the glass doors–are all reminders of the unpredictability, the fragility, and the smallness of our lives.