11> The JNT life

Technology is increasingly embedded in our everyday objects and it is difficult to imagine our lives without it. It is impossible to conceive our society without unlimited access to electricity and gasoline. Technology equips objects with an animated interface that responds to our orders, like inputting information in our laptop or turning on our car. I spent six weeks in the small town of Puerto Viejo -in the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica- just to realize that the local culture is very much based on the JNT life (Just the Necessary Technology). This does not mean that they don’t have electricity or computers; it means that they are not interested in spiraling technologization of their everyday lives. It was clear that consuming less electricity, moving around by bicycle rather than car, or barely using the cell phone were incredibly therapeutic habits that not only affected the way time unfolded, much more slowly and intensely, but also brought me closer and closer to Nature and natural habits. This sounds romantic, perhaps, and I will not deny it was difficult at first, like breaking an addictive habit. But it proved to be cathartic at many levels. The majority of the last ten objects are a sampling of the JNT life I learned to understand in Puerto Viejo. Some of them show great intelligence, even if it is not battery operated. They also show a deep cultural attachment and a longing for permanence.