Family news: Monsoon is here

 It is the end of hot season, so every day it goes up to the upper 90s F.

The good news? Monsoon season is starting: Late afternoon thunderstorms

the bad news? High humidity and heat mean my asthma is worse.

The town is busy fixing things, so still no city water and our pump is working but noisy. So I can shower at least and the maid can wash the clothes.

Since our previous live in helpers left, we have new people stsaying here but I don't know much about them: a man wife and I think their child. A
We also have two live in maids, one with a young boy, and our old secretary who is back fro working in Japan and is married and has a child. She lives at home but brings her child here while working, and there is always someone to watch the child.

I usually keep the dogs in my room but they still bark at the new help, which is frightening but not dangerous, since they don't usually bite, unlike our previous vicious dog who bit anyone who came near him and we had to keep chained up during the day.

A neighbor down the street died: A middle age man, no news of what he died from, but the cook will visit and take a gift to the family to help with the expenses and come back with the news.

Usually people here are laid out in their homes, and there is often a tent like covering outside the home where the men can sit and play cards while watching most of the day and night, while inside the coffin is laid ou and there are seats for the visitors, who are given soft drinks and small snacks.

A lot of people have relatives overseas, so it could be a week until the burial.  

In the meanwhile, I will stay indoors most of the time.

But the electricity is off, probably because they are fixing the lines. Luckily the generator is working so we have internet and lights, although the airconditioner is weaker than normal so it's not very cool in the room.

Ah the wonderfulness of living in a tropical paradise.