I'm sitting here with my Papatico reflecting on my time in Costa Rica. I was thinking about what was my favorite part. I thought about the beaches and the mountains and everything. Then it dawned on me that what I was doing in this moment is my favorite. About 3 or 4 times a week, after 4 hours of classes, I just want to sit and chill. So, I come home, and watch TV, normally NCIS or CSI, with Papatico who is retired. We make origami stars or I work on homework or we just chat. The dogs are always here, either on the couch or laying on my feet making them incredibly hot. My mamatica is always in the kitchen doing something and usually Lorna is giving a lesson at the kitchen table. They usually end up making a great lunch and, even though they aren't supposed to, they invite me to eat lunch with them. These afternoons are what I've loved.
I decided to let Papatico know. I looked at him and told him that these afternoons that I spend with him are my favorites. He got the biggest smile on his face and told me, "Nina, oh, how happy that makes me. I know that I'm a little boring since I don't do much but I am so happy that you enjoy the time we spend together. I love it, too." (Roughly translated). Then, we went right back to normal and watched a little bit of futbol and NCIS. Sure, I've loved all of my time here, but these simple afternoons, or tardes sencillas, were my favorites.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Monday, April 29, 2013
¡Que Dios Te Acompañe!
I cannot believe my time here. I've been on TV here, speaking Spanish. I've jumped from some incredible waterfalls. I've bruised my tailbone. I've danced Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, and mas. I've gone ziplining. I've gone to Panama. I've earned myself a tan (ask my family if you don't believe me). I've seen a night sky literally filled with stars. I've seen a rainbow that puts every other rainbow to shame. I've seen more beaches than I even have before. I've been electrically shocked by my shower more times than I can count. I've walked up a volcano. I've traveled through a cloud forest. I've seen monkeys, sloths, birds, cockroaches, fish, coral, dolphins, and more. I've had a sinus infection. I've gone snorkeling. I've stayed in some pretty crazy hostels. I've gotten sick from the water. I've stayed out all night and watched the sunrise over the mountians. I've made relationships in which I only speak Spanish. I have really lived "Pura Vida".
I'm officially down to the less than the week count down. As of today, it is officially 3 days. Pretty soon I'll be packing up my things and saying goodbye to the country that has become my home. I cannot even begin to describe the feelings that I've having. I'm so unbelievably excited to come home to the people that I love. I miss them more than I can explain. But that is the life that I have always known. Its nothing new, not like how everything I do here is brand new. I'm going to miss it here for sure.
I'm going to miss my Mamatica taking care of me all of the time. I'll miss watching NCIS with Papatico and making origami. I'll miss going out with Analia and Lorna all of the time. I'll miss the cutest little dogs, Simba and Inca, following me everywhere I go. I'll miss watching TV in Spanish and texting on my cheap little tico phone. I'll miss walking to the store and buy avocados to make some amazing guacamole. I'll miss the mountians that surround the city. I'll miss the parks and the buses too. I'll miss that everything is a test of my Spanish when I need something. I'll miss all of the amazing people I have met here. I will miss this beautiful country.
I know how I'll feel once I sit down in the car to drive home from the airport in Chicago: I'll be so sad because I have finally finished something I have been dreaming of doing for years. It'll feel like the end of your favorite movie, one that you never want to end. As I begin to accept that I'm leaving this dream, I've realized that while I'm planning on returning to Costa Rica, si dios quiere, I know that no matter what, it's been amazing. I've been supported by everyone, my family here and there. I'm so grateful for all of them.
Every morning when I left my tica casa, my mamatica would kiss my cheek and tell me "Que dios te acompane", which means "May God go with you". I cannot think of a better way to end my time here. It's been amazing and I loved it. The only thing now that I can wish upon people is that God goes with them. Entonces, que diosito te acompane!
I'm officially down to the less than the week count down. As of today, it is officially 3 days. Pretty soon I'll be packing up my things and saying goodbye to the country that has become my home. I cannot even begin to describe the feelings that I've having. I'm so unbelievably excited to come home to the people that I love. I miss them more than I can explain. But that is the life that I have always known. Its nothing new, not like how everything I do here is brand new. I'm going to miss it here for sure.
I'm going to miss my Mamatica taking care of me all of the time. I'll miss watching NCIS with Papatico and making origami. I'll miss going out with Analia and Lorna all of the time. I'll miss the cutest little dogs, Simba and Inca, following me everywhere I go. I'll miss watching TV in Spanish and texting on my cheap little tico phone. I'll miss walking to the store and buy avocados to make some amazing guacamole. I'll miss the mountians that surround the city. I'll miss the parks and the buses too. I'll miss that everything is a test of my Spanish when I need something. I'll miss all of the amazing people I have met here. I will miss this beautiful country.
I know how I'll feel once I sit down in the car to drive home from the airport in Chicago: I'll be so sad because I have finally finished something I have been dreaming of doing for years. It'll feel like the end of your favorite movie, one that you never want to end. As I begin to accept that I'm leaving this dream, I've realized that while I'm planning on returning to Costa Rica, si dios quiere, I know that no matter what, it's been amazing. I've been supported by everyone, my family here and there. I'm so grateful for all of them.
Every morning when I left my tica casa, my mamatica would kiss my cheek and tell me "Que dios te acompane", which means "May God go with you". I cannot think of a better way to end my time here. It's been amazing and I loved it. The only thing now that I can wish upon people is that God goes with them. Entonces, que diosito te acompane!
La ultima
This was my last weekend. I cannot even believe that I'm writing that right now. It was the last. Trust me though, it wasn't the least.
On Friday, I went to the Mercado Central with my class. After, I definitely needed a nap. Once again, this week wasn't too great for sleeping. After my nap, I spent the afternoon with Melvin but then came back home for dinner. After dinner, I went to Iron Man 3 with Anna and Jen. I was so tired that I might have even taken a nap during the middle of the movie. I had promised Melvin that I would stop at the bar that he was working at to say hi so instead of going home, I ended up there with him at about midnight. I stayed until closing when the bosses of the bar called me over and told me that I was going to have some drinks with them and Melvin. Apparently, now I'm a part of the family there. They were really funny because they were making fun of me and Mel the entire time. We ended up leaving at about 4 and I eventually got to bed at about 5.
On Saturday, I sleep in nice and late. At about 3, my friends Kristen, Anna, and I went to the bus which we rode to the Teatro Nacional to meet up with Melvin. He was sweet enough to offer to help us get to Heredia because we had no idea how to get there on a bus. Silly Gringas. So we walked a few blocks and hopped on the bus to Heredia. I thought that Melvin was just going to take us to the stop but he rode the entire way with us and waited with us until we found our friends. We met up with Natalia and Karin, two of our friends that we met in Panama. After thanking him about a million times, we left him to go get some food and leave for the party. We drove for about 30 minutes and finally got to INCAE, a small international business school. Apparently, every year, they throw an amazing party that is about all of the different nations. And yeah, it was pretty good. They had live bands and DJs and everything. We danced pretty much every type of dance you could. We were out until about 2 and then we walked back to the car and went to Tico Hamburgesa for some much needed food. After, we decided to go back to Natalia's and crash.
On Sunday, I made everyone get up early because I had plans to go out with Melvin for a surprise in San Jose. So, even though we didn't want to, we got up at 8 and drove back to SJ. We hopped a bus back to our neighborhood and I left with Melvin for the surprise. Pobrecito, I don't really do surprises very well and figured out that we were going to the Parque de Diversiones, the tican equivalent of an amusement park. So, we met up in SJ and got batidos, or smoothies. Fresh fruit smoothies, oh, how I'll miss them. Then, we got on a bus to get to the park. The motto of the park is "El nino sano ayuda el nino enfermo", or "The healthy child helps the sick child", meaning that all of the money that is made in the park goes to help sick kids. It is run by the government in order to support the children's hospital. The park wasn't as large as Six Flags, but it was still really fun. We rode on the big rides and even went up on the giant drop, even though I thought it was going to kill me. After, even though the park was owned by the government, we went to the mass that was offered in the church there. It was actually really funny having mass while there were people screaming from the rides about 100 meters away. To end the night at the park, we rode in the paddle boats. The pond was filled with fish that would even come up to the surface. It was fun. We then took the bus back to SJ were we went to Popeye's for dinner. Yup, still delicious. I ended up coming home after and just going straight to bed.
That was my last weekend in San Jose. I cannot believe it. It was so much fun but a little bitter sweet because I know that I'll miss it. I don't even have words to describe this feeling.
On Friday, I went to the Mercado Central with my class. After, I definitely needed a nap. Once again, this week wasn't too great for sleeping. After my nap, I spent the afternoon with Melvin but then came back home for dinner. After dinner, I went to Iron Man 3 with Anna and Jen. I was so tired that I might have even taken a nap during the middle of the movie. I had promised Melvin that I would stop at the bar that he was working at to say hi so instead of going home, I ended up there with him at about midnight. I stayed until closing when the bosses of the bar called me over and told me that I was going to have some drinks with them and Melvin. Apparently, now I'm a part of the family there. They were really funny because they were making fun of me and Mel the entire time. We ended up leaving at about 4 and I eventually got to bed at about 5.
On Saturday, I sleep in nice and late. At about 3, my friends Kristen, Anna, and I went to the bus which we rode to the Teatro Nacional to meet up with Melvin. He was sweet enough to offer to help us get to Heredia because we had no idea how to get there on a bus. Silly Gringas. So we walked a few blocks and hopped on the bus to Heredia. I thought that Melvin was just going to take us to the stop but he rode the entire way with us and waited with us until we found our friends. We met up with Natalia and Karin, two of our friends that we met in Panama. After thanking him about a million times, we left him to go get some food and leave for the party. We drove for about 30 minutes and finally got to INCAE, a small international business school. Apparently, every year, they throw an amazing party that is about all of the different nations. And yeah, it was pretty good. They had live bands and DJs and everything. We danced pretty much every type of dance you could. We were out until about 2 and then we walked back to the car and went to Tico Hamburgesa for some much needed food. After, we decided to go back to Natalia's and crash.
On Sunday, I made everyone get up early because I had plans to go out with Melvin for a surprise in San Jose. So, even though we didn't want to, we got up at 8 and drove back to SJ. We hopped a bus back to our neighborhood and I left with Melvin for the surprise. Pobrecito, I don't really do surprises very well and figured out that we were going to the Parque de Diversiones, the tican equivalent of an amusement park. So, we met up in SJ and got batidos, or smoothies. Fresh fruit smoothies, oh, how I'll miss them. Then, we got on a bus to get to the park. The motto of the park is "El nino sano ayuda el nino enfermo", or "The healthy child helps the sick child", meaning that all of the money that is made in the park goes to help sick kids. It is run by the government in order to support the children's hospital. The park wasn't as large as Six Flags, but it was still really fun. We rode on the big rides and even went up on the giant drop, even though I thought it was going to kill me. After, even though the park was owned by the government, we went to the mass that was offered in the church there. It was actually really funny having mass while there were people screaming from the rides about 100 meters away. To end the night at the park, we rode in the paddle boats. The pond was filled with fish that would even come up to the surface. It was fun. We then took the bus back to SJ were we went to Popeye's for dinner. Yup, still delicious. I ended up coming home after and just going straight to bed.
That was my last weekend in San Jose. I cannot believe it. It was so much fun but a little bitter sweet because I know that I'll miss it. I don't even have words to describe this feeling.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Como una tica
This week, I didn't exactly sleep very much. I didn't go to be before 1 am once this entire week. Part of it was that I just wasn't feeling any of the homework that I had been assigned. The other part was that talking walks with my friend when he got off work seemed way more fun. So, needless to say, Friday, was time to sleep. So, I went to class, quickly finished my presentation on El Salvador that I had finished about 2 minutes before class, and then came home. I took a 3 hour nap that was extremely necessary. After, I had planned on hanging out with Melvin until he had to work at 6. It began down pouring so we just hung out in the park under one of the giant trees here. After, I came home, ate an incredible dinner, and chilled out. It felt great. I was supposed to go visit Melvin at the bar that he works but I definitely fell asleep multiple times and didn't make it. I was so tired.
On Saturday, I woke up rather early since all I did was sleep the day before. I had some amazing breakfast (as always) and took care of some errands. I was supposed to go to lunch with Melvin but he wasn't answering his phone all day so instead I cleaned up my room and organized the mounts of papers. I even planned out packing a little bit. Not too much though, because I don't want to commit to leaving just yet. I also took a nap. Pretty relaxing.
For dinner that night, we had Analia, one of my hermanaticas, her boyfriend, Mario, and his family over. Before the dinner, I wasn't really certain if I was officially invited to the dinner. Sometimes, I just miss the little nuances like the difference between "we're having them over for dinner", meaning we or just us. So before dinner, I decided it would just be easier if I asked her straight up. She looked at me and said, "Little girl, of course you're invited." It was really cute. It only got cuter during the introductions when she introduced me as her "hija norteamericana" or her North American daughter. The dinner was amazing and so much fun. We had sangria, champagne, paella, pastel de tres leches, and more. The family was the funniest family ever. They all were teasing me because Mamatica told them that I am the bad influence on Lorna, my other hermanatica. This was only the beginning, especially when they found out that we were going to a concert at about 10pm after they left.
After they left, Lorna and I ran to change out of our family dinner clothing into our concert clothing. I finally got ahold of Melvin and we went to the bar in which he was working to discuss our plans. Lorna and I decided that we would go early and watch until Melvin came after work at 2 am. We went to this super shady club that was a short taxi ride away. We sat in the back of the club and just people watch. Melvin sent Lorna messages the entire time because he was worried that someone would carry me away. Shell, the main attraction, is a rapper/singer of reggae from Limon, Costa Rica. He started singing at about 2 am and immediately the atmosphere went from dance club to concert. I really liked his music. Melvin came and, since he sometimes helps out as a bouncer at this bar, he took us up to the VIP section. It was so cool. Melvin introduced me to all of his friends that work there. He is surprisingly popular because, according to him, "he is Costa Rica". How do I always make friends that say things like that? Lorna got really tired at about 4 am so we decided to leave. When we went outside, we met Shell, the singer. He was really cool. (See photos below)
On Sunday, I was supposed to go to Volcan Irazu with Melvin and Lorna. It was originally a surprise for me but I eventually got it out of him. I was all ready to go but then it started raining so we decided to go another day. Melvin was still going to come and get me so that we could go out together that night. Well, here comes another cultural miscommunication. He was 2 hours late and his cell phone was turned off. So, naturally I assumed I was being ditch and was really upset. Mis padres ticos were talking to me about not worrying about it and just letting it go. And then, I got a phone call that he was waiting for me. My familia tica must thing that I´m a nut case. So I went out with Melvin and watched the fútbol games and went to Rostipollos for dinner. Overall, it was a pretty good weekend.
This whole weekend, I kept rerealizing that I have very limited time here in Costa Rica. I started thinking about how I started this semester traveling literally every weekend trying to see as much of the country as I could. Now, I´ve calmed down and have started just enjoying the culture. I don't need to go to a beach every single weekend, nor do I really want to. I can just spend time with my familia tica and enjoy San Jose. I realized this weekend that I´ve stopped living like a gringa and am now living como una tica.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
A cada persona su propio
I made it until now, about 2 weeks before I leave, without any major cultural clashes. The only thing I can think of was being told that I couldn't cross my legs in church and having to always remind myself of that. Another was that people here think that shorts are inappropriate more often than not. Pretty minor if you ask me. Today, though, I had my first few golpes, or hits. What specifically they were about isn't really important. What is was how I felt. I was talking to my tico friend, Melvin, and we encountered our first disagreement. We were talking about showering and how often people should. Ticos here are very, very, very clean. It was weird how we both just couldn't see eye to eye on it. We decided that it wasn't anything and we just joked about it. After about another hour, we hit another bump. He obviously felt very differently than what I had been raised to feel. It was odd. I couldn't get past the fact that once again, we were completely different. We were on such completely different sides of the world on this issue, that I knew he was seeing me differently now. It hurt a little bit to be perfectly honest.
What I've come to realize is that I cannot judge anyone. Culture is something completely different for every person. It is what defines what you think and how you feel. No, I cannot be upset about us seeing the world differently. It's not my place to judge. I think that it just reaffirms the fact that you need to understand why you think something and why someone else may think differently. You just need to remind yourself sometime that every person is different. To each their own, or, a cada persona su propio.
What I've come to realize is that I cannot judge anyone. Culture is something completely different for every person. It is what defines what you think and how you feel. No, I cannot be upset about us seeing the world differently. It's not my place to judge. I think that it just reaffirms the fact that you need to understand why you think something and why someone else may think differently. You just need to remind yourself sometime that every person is different. To each their own, or, a cada persona su propio.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Ahora o Ahorita?!
Want to talk about confusing? Tell me the difference between ahora and ahorita. Sure, to the untrained eye, or that of google translate, both translate as "now". Here, though, time is a completely different idea. Ahora is like right now. Ahorita means soon, like in 5 minutes, 30 minutos, or 2 hours. I've heard that one of the biggest cultural differences is that time isn't money here, like it is in the gringo world. Ticos have all day. I'm not kidding. I know whether or not my teachers have lived abroad judging by how on time they are. Those that haven't, well, 15 minutes late to class is on time. At the beginning, this was difficult to understand. I would show up for class and the teacher wouldn't come for a while. I would go to meet my tico friends and would end up waiting for un ratito, or a little while. I would run home thinking that I was late for dinner and then be teased for running when 10 minutos is nothing. Going home will be quite the culture shock because whatever way you say it, ahora, ahorita, luego, or despues, all of these translate as now, right now.
Amor
Love is definitely cultural. Or, por lo menos, the way that we express love is. When we first arrived here, our orientation leader put up a statistic that talked about how often couples from different countries touch. 180 for ticos. For the US? Zero. Couples here touch a lot. Actually, everyone does, but couples especially. It is weirder to see a couple not touching than if they are holding hands, kissing, hugging, or anything else. And there isn't really a difference in location. Park? Sure. House for a birthday party with the family? Why not. It just doesn't faze anyone, unlike in our culture where PDA is a little controversial at times. Even the language is different. It isn't uncommon to call your boyfriend "Mi amor" which translates to "my love". Likewise, a girlfriend is commonly called "preciosa", "mi amor", "mi vida" or any other sweet thing that someone can think of. Names even go a little farther like "mi gordito" or "mi flacito", which translate to my little fat/skinny boy.
Whenever I go out with my tico friends, I get to experience it first hand. They never finish a sentence without a "piropo" or compliment. Furthermore, despite my objections, they refuse to let me pay. It makes them actually mad if I even try.
The biggest difference for me besides being complimented all of the time is definitely the eye contact. I am known for not exactly enjoying people looking me up and down. Here, there is absolutely no stigma whatsoever. People look and even stare without problem.
I really like this part of the culture here. It is different because I´m a firm believer that chivalry in the states is for sure dead. Here, though, if you are someone´s girlfriend, you get treated like a princess. I definitely think that el amor is better here than the love up there.
Whenever I go out with my tico friends, I get to experience it first hand. They never finish a sentence without a "piropo" or compliment. Furthermore, despite my objections, they refuse to let me pay. It makes them actually mad if I even try.
The biggest difference for me besides being complimented all of the time is definitely the eye contact. I am known for not exactly enjoying people looking me up and down. Here, there is absolutely no stigma whatsoever. People look and even stare without problem.
I really like this part of the culture here. It is different because I´m a firm believer that chivalry in the states is for sure dead. Here, though, if you are someone´s girlfriend, you get treated like a princess. I definitely think that el amor is better here than the love up there.
Mi país
On Monday of this week, I went out with my hermanatica, Lorna, to the bars. She and I have become pretty good friends and we always go out together. This time, we went so that we could meet up with her friends for someone´s birthday. I still have no idea whose. We went to Terra U, a three story bar on La Calle, or the street with all of the bars near Universidad Costa Rica. There, we met up with her friends that I have meet before. We drank, talked, and danced some salsa together. Her group of friends are great. I´m like the little pet gringa. They all talk to me and put up with my broken Spanish. They even get me to dance and always include me. I really like going out with them. This time, though, ESPN was playing on the TV behind our table. For those of you who don´t know, I love ESPN. I watched it every morning before going to middle and high school. Here though, I don´t know what channel it is on. So naturally, I was a little excited to have an imperial in my hand and watch it.
A story about baseball finished and the coverage of the bombing at the Boston Marathon started. It felt like my world stopped. I was watching the different footage while all of my friends were still dancing around and talking. I was watching people from my country getting hurt and they were talking about which beer is better. It was a little weird to feel so out of place. I was glued to the TV because I had missed all of the news coverage earlier that day and wanted to know what was up.
Normalmente, I try not to associate with the USA. It´s not exactly my favorite all of the time, but none the less, it is still home. Watching the tragedy in Costa Rica, though, made me feel something a little different. Normally, it would´t have bothered me much, but since I was with people who had no idea what my home is like, I felt oddly connected to the states then. I guess that even though I hate that this violence is always happening there, I can´t deny that the states are mi país.
A story about baseball finished and the coverage of the bombing at the Boston Marathon started. It felt like my world stopped. I was watching the different footage while all of my friends were still dancing around and talking. I was watching people from my country getting hurt and they were talking about which beer is better. It was a little weird to feel so out of place. I was glued to the TV because I had missed all of the news coverage earlier that day and wanted to know what was up.
Normalmente, I try not to associate with the USA. It´s not exactly my favorite all of the time, but none the less, it is still home. Watching the tragedy in Costa Rica, though, made me feel something a little different. Normally, it would´t have bothered me much, but since I was with people who had no idea what my home is like, I felt oddly connected to the states then. I guess that even though I hate that this violence is always happening there, I can´t deny that the states are mi país.
"Pruébame y olvídelo"
This weekend it finally happened. I´ve been putting off leaving the country for my entire time here and I finally had to do it. On Monday, I heard that we didn´t have classes on Thursday. So in two days, I planned to skip town on Thursday to leave the country and just miss my class on Friday. The only problem was with who I would go and where we could go. I really wanted to go to Nicaragua but that filled up before we even got to pay. Panama it was. As for who I´d go with, I´ve come to realize that you can judge a person´s character by how willing they are to help you out when they know your situation. Luckily, I´ve made some pretty amazing friends. So, Anna, Kristen, and I ran around to pack and get out US dollars and get ready. We left Thursday morning at about 5 am.
Exhausted and nervous was the best way to describe the ride. The night before, I stayed out a little late talking to my tico friend Melvin. By the time I got home and finished up packing, it was about 1 am. I woke up every hour because I was so nervous. Technically, I was rather illegal and didn´t know how leaving the country would go. We shared a cab and rode to the station to catch the bus. From there, we drove for about 4 hours to the boarder. Kristen, being as considerate as she is, gave up her ticket so a man with a cane didn´t have to stand the entire time. So we watched as she fell multiple times because the bus driver was pulling some pretty crazy stunts. It was so funny. I was able to eat an adorable little breakfast that Mamatica packed for me, complete with sandwich, napkin, straw, and drink. She spoils me. We got to the boarder where we had to get off the bus, get a stamp to leave the country, and cross a bridge that was a little on the sketchy side. We met one of the guys that was affiliated with our contact in Panama before we went to the bridge. We had no idea what his name was, so we called him lil Papito, because, if we understood correctly, he is the son of Papito, our contact in Panama. Yes, our contact se llamaba Papito. We crossed over while lil Papito carried our bags and talked to us. We had to wait in line to get the new stamps on our passports for entering Panama. In the lines on both sides, we made friends with some people from Sweden and Belgium who were staying at the hostel attached to the bar that we were going to on Saturday. After getting stamped and paying the $3 to enter the country, we quickly ran down to get some water from the corner store close by because it was boiling out. We were definitely gawked at by all of the locals in the market. It was a little uncomfortable. The upside, though, was that they use dollars in Panama. To be completely honest, it was a very weird feeling. Have you even noticed how small a dime or quarter is?? I completely forgot how to pay with that money. I even forgot how to look at a price and not immediately start to convert the price into dollars. It was a very odd feeling to know that something that used to be so normal was now so different to me. After a few minutes, we met up with Papito and he drove us in his truck to the port that would have water taxis to Bocas del Toro, our final destination. Papito taught us slang that they use in Panama. According to them, you can call a girlfriend ¨mi pastel¨ which is a cake. So not true, Papito.
We rode on the water taxi to Bocas and met the next contact that took us to our hostel. We arrived at about 3pm but were so exhausted. We watched some NCIS and CSI Miami and relaxed. Then, since our hostel had a kitchen, we went out and bought some pasta and sauce to make dinner. It was a nasty, dirty kitchen, but we had a feast of pasta, chips and salsa, and nutella. So good. After, we were so tired that we slept and watched TV. We may or may not have been in bed by about 7pm. No shame whatsoever.
We woke up the next day and got ready to go on the tour that was included in the package that we had. We made some amazing tortilla and nutella sandwiches for breakfast and nutella and bread sandwiches for lunch. We waited for our guide and went over to the boats. We got in and quickly made some friends with some ladies from Alajuela, an area about 40 minutes from San Jose. We went out and rode to Bahía de Delfínes, or Dolphin Bay. My friends had told me that there are always a ton of dolphins. I was a little disappointed at the beginning because I hadn´t seen any. We were about to leave and then all of a sudden we saw two groups of three. They were so cool. I´ve never seen dolphins in the wild before. It was pretty cool. We then rode to a restaurant that was on stilts over the water. We ate our little sandwiches and befriended some other ticos that were spending time in Bocas. They were so much fun. Our little group of three, plus Ron and Cintia, and another group of Natalia, Pablo, and Karen. We learned phrases ¨pachucu¨ which is like the gangster slang here. It was so much fun. We even laughed so hard that I spit water out all over Kristen. Poor girl. After lunch, we went back out and got ready to go buceo, or snorkeling. It was gorgeous. I loved snorkeling more than anything. We had and hour to go out and just explore. Anna even showed me a type of animal that grows out of a tube and when the water pressure around it changes, it goes back into its hole. So we spent most of the time looking for that animal. We were the last ones off the boat and so they pulled up to us to make us get in. Too bad, getting into boats is something that I have never been very good at. I was the joke of the boat ride because it took like three different tries. None the less, it was fun. We then went to Red Frog Beach and got to go swimming. The rip tide was really strong and we got pulled out a couple of times so we spent most of the time playing on the beach. Our group of 8 was now officially a group. After that, they dropped us back off on the island the we were staying on and we went home to shower and change. We made plans to meet up with our friends later that night so we decided to splurge and go get some dinner. We went out and when we were looking for dinner, we got yelled at from some people up on a balcony of a hotel. It was our friends. We went up and had some beers with them but were quickly kicked out for being too loud. Typical gringas. So we got some dinner and then headed to the bars. It was a great night. We got home at about 4 am.
We slept in on Saturday until about noon. Then, I´m ashamed to say, that we spent most of the day just watching NCIS inside our room. It was raining so a beach wasn´t really an option and we were just too lazy to do much. In all honesty, though, it was great. We went for a walk later during the afternoon and got some ice-cream. We looked out at the sea that surrounded our island for a little while also. We then got ready and went out for a great dinner with Ron and Cinita because the others had to go back home already. After dinner, we went back to get bug spray because the bugs in Bocas could almost carry you off if you weren´t careful. We then spent some time with Ron and Cintia but when they told us they weren´t going to the bar that we were planning on going to all weekend, we parted ways. We had to go to find the amor de la vida de Kristen, who was a bartender at this place, Aqualounge. She also had friends from San Jose that were staying there and our other international friends were there too. It was pretty fun. We met people from Panama and Uruguay. It was definitely a good time. We got back home at about 4 or 5. I hopped in the shower and we slept for 2 hours because our boat ride back was at 7 ish.
After packing, we rode back on a different bus that Papito hooked us up with. It was huge, and air-conditioned, and beautiful. We had some McDonald´s for breakfast and rode to the boarder where while we were waiting, joked around with lil Papito. Then, after passing through and paying $3 more, we got onto our bus and I slept almost the whole way to San Jose.
This weekend was so much fun. There is a saying in Panama when you are going to drink something that is ¨Try me and forget it¨. It means that you are drinking this for only a short time and then you can forget it after. After my friends left, I was pretty homesick. It kills me to admit it, but I really missed them as soon as they were gone. Going to Panama was exactly what I needed to remind me to have fun with some new people now. I definitely tried Panama and forgot about my homesickness, which was amazing. ¨Pruebame y olvidelo¨ was just what the doctor ordered.
Exhausted and nervous was the best way to describe the ride. The night before, I stayed out a little late talking to my tico friend Melvin. By the time I got home and finished up packing, it was about 1 am. I woke up every hour because I was so nervous. Technically, I was rather illegal and didn´t know how leaving the country would go. We shared a cab and rode to the station to catch the bus. From there, we drove for about 4 hours to the boarder. Kristen, being as considerate as she is, gave up her ticket so a man with a cane didn´t have to stand the entire time. So we watched as she fell multiple times because the bus driver was pulling some pretty crazy stunts. It was so funny. I was able to eat an adorable little breakfast that Mamatica packed for me, complete with sandwich, napkin, straw, and drink. She spoils me. We got to the boarder where we had to get off the bus, get a stamp to leave the country, and cross a bridge that was a little on the sketchy side. We met one of the guys that was affiliated with our contact in Panama before we went to the bridge. We had no idea what his name was, so we called him lil Papito, because, if we understood correctly, he is the son of Papito, our contact in Panama. Yes, our contact se llamaba Papito. We crossed over while lil Papito carried our bags and talked to us. We had to wait in line to get the new stamps on our passports for entering Panama. In the lines on both sides, we made friends with some people from Sweden and Belgium who were staying at the hostel attached to the bar that we were going to on Saturday. After getting stamped and paying the $3 to enter the country, we quickly ran down to get some water from the corner store close by because it was boiling out. We were definitely gawked at by all of the locals in the market. It was a little uncomfortable. The upside, though, was that they use dollars in Panama. To be completely honest, it was a very weird feeling. Have you even noticed how small a dime or quarter is?? I completely forgot how to pay with that money. I even forgot how to look at a price and not immediately start to convert the price into dollars. It was a very odd feeling to know that something that used to be so normal was now so different to me. After a few minutes, we met up with Papito and he drove us in his truck to the port that would have water taxis to Bocas del Toro, our final destination. Papito taught us slang that they use in Panama. According to them, you can call a girlfriend ¨mi pastel¨ which is a cake. So not true, Papito.
We rode on the water taxi to Bocas and met the next contact that took us to our hostel. We arrived at about 3pm but were so exhausted. We watched some NCIS and CSI Miami and relaxed. Then, since our hostel had a kitchen, we went out and bought some pasta and sauce to make dinner. It was a nasty, dirty kitchen, but we had a feast of pasta, chips and salsa, and nutella. So good. After, we were so tired that we slept and watched TV. We may or may not have been in bed by about 7pm. No shame whatsoever.
We woke up the next day and got ready to go on the tour that was included in the package that we had. We made some amazing tortilla and nutella sandwiches for breakfast and nutella and bread sandwiches for lunch. We waited for our guide and went over to the boats. We got in and quickly made some friends with some ladies from Alajuela, an area about 40 minutes from San Jose. We went out and rode to Bahía de Delfínes, or Dolphin Bay. My friends had told me that there are always a ton of dolphins. I was a little disappointed at the beginning because I hadn´t seen any. We were about to leave and then all of a sudden we saw two groups of three. They were so cool. I´ve never seen dolphins in the wild before. It was pretty cool. We then rode to a restaurant that was on stilts over the water. We ate our little sandwiches and befriended some other ticos that were spending time in Bocas. They were so much fun. Our little group of three, plus Ron and Cintia, and another group of Natalia, Pablo, and Karen. We learned phrases ¨pachucu¨ which is like the gangster slang here. It was so much fun. We even laughed so hard that I spit water out all over Kristen. Poor girl. After lunch, we went back out and got ready to go buceo, or snorkeling. It was gorgeous. I loved snorkeling more than anything. We had and hour to go out and just explore. Anna even showed me a type of animal that grows out of a tube and when the water pressure around it changes, it goes back into its hole. So we spent most of the time looking for that animal. We were the last ones off the boat and so they pulled up to us to make us get in. Too bad, getting into boats is something that I have never been very good at. I was the joke of the boat ride because it took like three different tries. None the less, it was fun. We then went to Red Frog Beach and got to go swimming. The rip tide was really strong and we got pulled out a couple of times so we spent most of the time playing on the beach. Our group of 8 was now officially a group. After that, they dropped us back off on the island the we were staying on and we went home to shower and change. We made plans to meet up with our friends later that night so we decided to splurge and go get some dinner. We went out and when we were looking for dinner, we got yelled at from some people up on a balcony of a hotel. It was our friends. We went up and had some beers with them but were quickly kicked out for being too loud. Typical gringas. So we got some dinner and then headed to the bars. It was a great night. We got home at about 4 am.
We slept in on Saturday until about noon. Then, I´m ashamed to say, that we spent most of the day just watching NCIS inside our room. It was raining so a beach wasn´t really an option and we were just too lazy to do much. In all honesty, though, it was great. We went for a walk later during the afternoon and got some ice-cream. We looked out at the sea that surrounded our island for a little while also. We then got ready and went out for a great dinner with Ron and Cinita because the others had to go back home already. After dinner, we went back to get bug spray because the bugs in Bocas could almost carry you off if you weren´t careful. We then spent some time with Ron and Cintia but when they told us they weren´t going to the bar that we were planning on going to all weekend, we parted ways. We had to go to find the amor de la vida de Kristen, who was a bartender at this place, Aqualounge. She also had friends from San Jose that were staying there and our other international friends were there too. It was pretty fun. We met people from Panama and Uruguay. It was definitely a good time. We got back home at about 4 or 5. I hopped in the shower and we slept for 2 hours because our boat ride back was at 7 ish.
After packing, we rode back on a different bus that Papito hooked us up with. It was huge, and air-conditioned, and beautiful. We had some McDonald´s for breakfast and rode to the boarder where while we were waiting, joked around with lil Papito. Then, after passing through and paying $3 more, we got onto our bus and I slept almost the whole way to San Jose.
This weekend was so much fun. There is a saying in Panama when you are going to drink something that is ¨Try me and forget it¨. It means that you are drinking this for only a short time and then you can forget it after. After my friends left, I was pretty homesick. It kills me to admit it, but I really missed them as soon as they were gone. Going to Panama was exactly what I needed to remind me to have fun with some new people now. I definitely tried Panama and forgot about my homesickness, which was amazing. ¨Pruebame y olvidelo¨ was just what the doctor ordered.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Chao for now
Three month have come and gone. So have my friends. The majority of the students that came to Veritas with me this January were only going to be here for three months. This weekend I had to say good bye to them.
To say the least, it was weird. Sure, I've only known them for three months, which is minuscule compared to my friendships from home. But see it from this angle: Mark Twain once wrote, "The best way to find out if you like people or hate them is to travel with them." Traveling with someone is how you get to know them. You find out how to push their buttons as they are pushing yours. Yes, sometimes while traveling with my friends, I was going to scream, just as I'm sure I made them want to scream. But these trips together were where I grew the most with these people. We always ran into problems, such as injuries, hostels with questionable beds, buses without seats, or even just having no idea where we were. It was in these moments where we eventually had the most laughs. Our two favorite sayings were "I promise we'll laugh about this some day" and "There isn't anything you can do about it, so just take it". When I look back at my time with my friends, I am so grateful for it all, both the ugly and beautiful moments. Like how after every time at the beach, we all almost always ended up completely fried. Or when Brittany gave us a show we'll never forget. Or when Chelsea and I spent a whole bus ride in accents. When Josh, Shelby and I had wars of pick up lines. When Rosie and I made a pact at the beginning that we would hold each other's hand whenever we could, and did. Or the night that we spent just sitting in the hostel rooms taking crazy pictures. Or every single bus ride that always ended up with Shelby, my eternal bus buddy, and me completely car sick. Or the time I bruised my tailbone jumping from a waterfall and needed my friends to just promise me it would be funny some day. Or just all of the nights we've spent looking at the stars in disbelief that we were in Costa Rica.
This weekend has been just a parade of good byes. So, now that they are gone, you can understand how empty San Jose feels. Its a weird feeling knowing that about 50 of the people that I am used to seeing every single day are no longer here. Thank God, though, that we all decided that it isn't goodbye, its just chao for now.
To say the least, it was weird. Sure, I've only known them for three months, which is minuscule compared to my friendships from home. But see it from this angle: Mark Twain once wrote, "The best way to find out if you like people or hate them is to travel with them." Traveling with someone is how you get to know them. You find out how to push their buttons as they are pushing yours. Yes, sometimes while traveling with my friends, I was going to scream, just as I'm sure I made them want to scream. But these trips together were where I grew the most with these people. We always ran into problems, such as injuries, hostels with questionable beds, buses without seats, or even just having no idea where we were. It was in these moments where we eventually had the most laughs. Our two favorite sayings were "I promise we'll laugh about this some day" and "There isn't anything you can do about it, so just take it". When I look back at my time with my friends, I am so grateful for it all, both the ugly and beautiful moments. Like how after every time at the beach, we all almost always ended up completely fried. Or when Brittany gave us a show we'll never forget. Or when Chelsea and I spent a whole bus ride in accents. When Josh, Shelby and I had wars of pick up lines. When Rosie and I made a pact at the beginning that we would hold each other's hand whenever we could, and did. Or the night that we spent just sitting in the hostel rooms taking crazy pictures. Or every single bus ride that always ended up with Shelby, my eternal bus buddy, and me completely car sick. Or the time I bruised my tailbone jumping from a waterfall and needed my friends to just promise me it would be funny some day. Or just all of the nights we've spent looking at the stars in disbelief that we were in Costa Rica.
This weekend has been just a parade of good byes. So, now that they are gone, you can understand how empty San Jose feels. Its a weird feeling knowing that about 50 of the people that I am used to seeing every single day are no longer here. Thank God, though, that we all decided that it isn't goodbye, its just chao for now.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
"Why are you so white?"
To tell you about this weekend, I have to tell you about this week. It was an awesome time. I had fun every night. It started on Wednesday. Manuel and I decided to have an adventure in San Jose. After work, we hopped a quick bus downtown and have an adventure. We went for a walk and then I mentioned that my family was coming and that I´d like to find out where their hotel is. So we ended up looking for 2 hours for our hotel. He was so sweet and we eventually found it. After, there was a talent show in my school put on by the international club that was interesting to say the least. It was only funny because it was my friends doing their acts.
On Thursday, during breakfast, I heard that there was a basketball game between Costa Rica and El Salvador for Los Juegos Deportivos de Centroamerica, or the Central American Olympics. I convinced Manuel to go with me. We hopped a bus as soon as he was off of work at about 5. We rode down to San Jose center and asked around to find out where the game was. We took a bus to Hatillo Stadium and were able to see the end of the women´s game and the beginning of the men´s game. The style that they play is completely different from that of the states and it was so cool to watch. I was even able to explain the game to Manuel who knew absolutely nothing about basketball and also does not speak a lick of English. Outside of the stadium was also the pool that the news has had in the background for the past week and I was so shocked to see what I was just watching on tv.We then hopped a bus and a taxi home so that he would have time to go back and catch a bus back to his home.
On Friday, I walked downtown with my friends and we went out to pizza. We then went thrifting and spent sometime at the artisan market. Después, my friends Brittany and Shelby and I spent some time just hanging out in a park down there for a little while. We all decided to watch a movie at Brittany´s house after dinner. After a little bit of drama, though, Shelby and I ended up watching a movie at my place and splurging on some ice cream. It was a really relaxing Friday night, something that I haven´t had in a while.
On Saturday, I woke up early and met my teacher at 8:30 to go to the market with her and another classmate of mine. She drove us to an organic market and it was so cool. All of the farmers bring their own produce and people come to buy it because it is certified as organic. We even had some breakfast there of wraps and pitas that were to die for. I even splurged a little bit and bought veggies to eat for lunch during the week. After, my teacher dropped us off at the U and we walked home from there.
I decided that I wanted to get my hair cut right after the market. I joked with Manuel, who works 2 building away from the salon, that I was nervous that they were going to cut off all of my hair. Well, guess what. Call me superficial but after telling them that I only wanted my dead ends cut off and layers put in, I was shocked to see four inches of my hair cut off. I might have cried a little and, since mamatica never misses anything, received a pep talk for 10 minutes about how beautiful I am. She is great.
After growing up and telling myself that it was only hair, I got ready for a lunch date that my family invited me to. The couple that came over was amazingly sweet. The wife is tica and the husband is Spanish. Papatico and the husband, Jesús, didn´t only talk, they had what seemed like a heated conversation for about 4 hours. Hands were flying and they were talking so loud. Mamatica said that it was just because they both are from Spain. The wife, Sonya, the twins, mamatica, and I all spent the time talking and eating the amazing paella-like dish that mamatica made. I was so full. We chatted until the twins went upstairs to get ready for going out and I left for a date.
I went with Manuel and we went out to Popeye´s for dinner to remind me of home. I forgot how good chicken strips taste. We then walked downtown for a little while. Funny enough, he was pooped on by a bird, which is kind of common for us when we go out. We must be super lucky because here they say that brings luck. Unfortunately, it put a little bit of a damper on the day so we left and I went out with my hermanaticas. We went to a bar where I immediately realized that I would have to be really on with my Spanish because I was the only gringa. Good thing their friends are super fun and welcoming. I ran over to another bar to quick say hi to some other friends that were there and watched our friend Lucho play the guitar and sing there. I went back and my group decided to go to a different bar. This one was more dancing and music. It was so much fun. We danced and hung out until the bar closed at 2 am. I really like that group of friends. They were funny and super understanding with integrating me in when I don´t speak Spanish fluently.
Sunday, I slept in late. I got up and finally had breakfast around 11am. My papatico then invited me to go to mass with him and mamatica. We went to the church that is known as the Police church because it is in the same building as the local police station. Absolutely no separation of church and state here. After, they took me to a local mall that was a quick car ride away. We walked around and had McDonald´s for lunch. Papatico insisted that I have a double big mac, not just a big mac. He is precious. After walking in the mall for a couple of hours, they then drove me over to mamatica´s sister-in-law´s house. We had coffee there and chatted for a while. They joked that they kidnapped me for the day because I was gone until about 6pm when I agreed under the pretense that I would be only going to mass with them. It was funny, but definitely exactly what I was thinking. After coming home, I skyped with my family for a little while and watched the closing of the Central American games.
During the coffee time with mamatica´s sister-in-law, they talked about how mamatica was still shocked that I was still so white. After trying to explain to them that this is just how my skin is, and that it probably will not get any darker (even though this is the darkest I have ever gotten), she looked at me and said, "No, its just that you never go out." It´s true, I´m not like every other gringa that is always running to the beach because let´s be honest, it is so hard on my skin. This weekend, though, was a testament as to how much fun you can have not on the beach. I spent the whole week doing something and having fun without going swimming once. So, while by their standards, I am still incredibly white, I am having an amazing time.
On Thursday, during breakfast, I heard that there was a basketball game between Costa Rica and El Salvador for Los Juegos Deportivos de Centroamerica, or the Central American Olympics. I convinced Manuel to go with me. We hopped a bus as soon as he was off of work at about 5. We rode down to San Jose center and asked around to find out where the game was. We took a bus to Hatillo Stadium and were able to see the end of the women´s game and the beginning of the men´s game. The style that they play is completely different from that of the states and it was so cool to watch. I was even able to explain the game to Manuel who knew absolutely nothing about basketball and also does not speak a lick of English. Outside of the stadium was also the pool that the news has had in the background for the past week and I was so shocked to see what I was just watching on tv.We then hopped a bus and a taxi home so that he would have time to go back and catch a bus back to his home.
On Friday, I walked downtown with my friends and we went out to pizza. We then went thrifting and spent sometime at the artisan market. Después, my friends Brittany and Shelby and I spent some time just hanging out in a park down there for a little while. We all decided to watch a movie at Brittany´s house after dinner. After a little bit of drama, though, Shelby and I ended up watching a movie at my place and splurging on some ice cream. It was a really relaxing Friday night, something that I haven´t had in a while.
On Saturday, I woke up early and met my teacher at 8:30 to go to the market with her and another classmate of mine. She drove us to an organic market and it was so cool. All of the farmers bring their own produce and people come to buy it because it is certified as organic. We even had some breakfast there of wraps and pitas that were to die for. I even splurged a little bit and bought veggies to eat for lunch during the week. After, my teacher dropped us off at the U and we walked home from there.
I decided that I wanted to get my hair cut right after the market. I joked with Manuel, who works 2 building away from the salon, that I was nervous that they were going to cut off all of my hair. Well, guess what. Call me superficial but after telling them that I only wanted my dead ends cut off and layers put in, I was shocked to see four inches of my hair cut off. I might have cried a little and, since mamatica never misses anything, received a pep talk for 10 minutes about how beautiful I am. She is great.
After growing up and telling myself that it was only hair, I got ready for a lunch date that my family invited me to. The couple that came over was amazingly sweet. The wife is tica and the husband is Spanish. Papatico and the husband, Jesús, didn´t only talk, they had what seemed like a heated conversation for about 4 hours. Hands were flying and they were talking so loud. Mamatica said that it was just because they both are from Spain. The wife, Sonya, the twins, mamatica, and I all spent the time talking and eating the amazing paella-like dish that mamatica made. I was so full. We chatted until the twins went upstairs to get ready for going out and I left for a date.
I went with Manuel and we went out to Popeye´s for dinner to remind me of home. I forgot how good chicken strips taste. We then walked downtown for a little while. Funny enough, he was pooped on by a bird, which is kind of common for us when we go out. We must be super lucky because here they say that brings luck. Unfortunately, it put a little bit of a damper on the day so we left and I went out with my hermanaticas. We went to a bar where I immediately realized that I would have to be really on with my Spanish because I was the only gringa. Good thing their friends are super fun and welcoming. I ran over to another bar to quick say hi to some other friends that were there and watched our friend Lucho play the guitar and sing there. I went back and my group decided to go to a different bar. This one was more dancing and music. It was so much fun. We danced and hung out until the bar closed at 2 am. I really like that group of friends. They were funny and super understanding with integrating me in when I don´t speak Spanish fluently.
Sunday, I slept in late. I got up and finally had breakfast around 11am. My papatico then invited me to go to mass with him and mamatica. We went to the church that is known as the Police church because it is in the same building as the local police station. Absolutely no separation of church and state here. After, they took me to a local mall that was a quick car ride away. We walked around and had McDonald´s for lunch. Papatico insisted that I have a double big mac, not just a big mac. He is precious. After walking in the mall for a couple of hours, they then drove me over to mamatica´s sister-in-law´s house. We had coffee there and chatted for a while. They joked that they kidnapped me for the day because I was gone until about 6pm when I agreed under the pretense that I would be only going to mass with them. It was funny, but definitely exactly what I was thinking. After coming home, I skyped with my family for a little while and watched the closing of the Central American games.
During the coffee time with mamatica´s sister-in-law, they talked about how mamatica was still shocked that I was still so white. After trying to explain to them that this is just how my skin is, and that it probably will not get any darker (even though this is the darkest I have ever gotten), she looked at me and said, "No, its just that you never go out." It´s true, I´m not like every other gringa that is always running to the beach because let´s be honest, it is so hard on my skin. This weekend, though, was a testament as to how much fun you can have not on the beach. I spent the whole week doing something and having fun without going swimming once. So, while by their standards, I am still incredibly white, I am having an amazing time.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Adultos de Tercera Edad
In my last class, we went on a field trip to a Retirement home. It was a conversation class so we could literally do whatever we wanted so long as we were talking. We went on the last Friday of class that we had. I´m so glad that´s what we decided to do.
We arrived at the home at about 9 am with our fruit and yogurt we brought as gifts. Our teacher introduced us to a few people and then basically set us free. I began speaking with one woman that used to have exchange students also. She told me how much she loved the students that she had from the US and Europe. She told me how they impacted her and that now she missed them so much. As I was speaking with her, a man came over and introduced himself. After flashing the biggest smile I have ever seen, he told me that he knew someone that would love to meet me. I followed him over to a man that was drinking coffee in the eating area. This man took one look at me, finished his coffee, and decided to take me on a walk. We walked around the home and saw the men working and the garden. He paraded me around, showing me off to all of the other men. He told me how beautiful I was and always laughed at whatever I said. He kidnapped me from the rest of the group for about 40 minutes. My favorite part of talking with him was when his face lit up when I told him he had the same name as my tico friend, Manuel.
After my walk with him, I convinced him to come play cards with the other people and me. We played ¨Ron¨ or what I´m pretty sure was gin rummy. We played that and dominoes for a good chuck of time. Manuel was right next to me laughing at everything I said for the entire time. There was also a man that my teacher befriended. He was the jokester of the group. He told us that he was a ballerina and singer but then denied it when we asked him for a song. He eventually sang to us, with his mouth that only had one tooth left. He also surprised me when he came up behind me to sing to me and I didn´t see him until he was right behind my face. My scream almost gave him a heart attack, or "ataque de corazón" according to him.
These people were the cutest. They loved talking and telling us about everything that they knew. They were so happy to have people to talk to that they spoke so quickly that they were almost impossible to understand at times. It was cool to see that they were happy to receive us, even if we didn't speak the language all of the time.
We arrived at the home at about 9 am with our fruit and yogurt we brought as gifts. Our teacher introduced us to a few people and then basically set us free. I began speaking with one woman that used to have exchange students also. She told me how much she loved the students that she had from the US and Europe. She told me how they impacted her and that now she missed them so much. As I was speaking with her, a man came over and introduced himself. After flashing the biggest smile I have ever seen, he told me that he knew someone that would love to meet me. I followed him over to a man that was drinking coffee in the eating area. This man took one look at me, finished his coffee, and decided to take me on a walk. We walked around the home and saw the men working and the garden. He paraded me around, showing me off to all of the other men. He told me how beautiful I was and always laughed at whatever I said. He kidnapped me from the rest of the group for about 40 minutes. My favorite part of talking with him was when his face lit up when I told him he had the same name as my tico friend, Manuel.
After my walk with him, I convinced him to come play cards with the other people and me. We played ¨Ron¨ or what I´m pretty sure was gin rummy. We played that and dominoes for a good chuck of time. Manuel was right next to me laughing at everything I said for the entire time. There was also a man that my teacher befriended. He was the jokester of the group. He told us that he was a ballerina and singer but then denied it when we asked him for a song. He eventually sang to us, with his mouth that only had one tooth left. He also surprised me when he came up behind me to sing to me and I didn´t see him until he was right behind my face. My scream almost gave him a heart attack, or "ataque de corazón" according to him.
These people were the cutest. They loved talking and telling us about everything that they knew. They were so happy to have people to talk to that they spoke so quickly that they were almost impossible to understand at times. It was cool to see that they were happy to receive us, even if we didn't speak the language all of the time.
Montezuma: Se sube y se baja
This past weekend my friends and I went to Montezuma. If you look at a map of Costa Rica, it is located on the peninsula all the way to the west of the country. Montezuma is known for its waterfalls, or catarratas, beautiful scenery (including stars), and the go with the flow mentality. We left for the bus station right after classes. My backpack was completely full of clothing for adventure and food. My goal was not to spend any money on anything other than a hostel. We stood in line for about 2 hours to get on the bus because we couldn´t buy tickets ahead of time. We got on and rode the first bus for about 3 hours. My friends and I occupied the whole back seat of the bus and slept and told jokes. The bus was almost 40% filled with other gringos from our school. For some reason, we all decided to go at the exact same time. Next, we hopped onto a ferry that took us across the water. It was gorgeous. We watched the sunset on the upper deck with the mountains and foot hills in the distance. After that ride, we got onto another bus that took us a little bit closer. I met a guy that was from U of I and chatted with him for a while about his program that is located in Heredia. After about another hour ride, we hopped onto another bus that was the local bus that took us to our hostel. I talked with a man from Belgium and some girls from Germany and Holland. These girls told us about how they learned all of the different languages and how they were traveling together. I think that the US could learn a ton from Europe in the way that we teach languages at a certain age.
We arrived at the hostel which was called Luz en el Cielo. It was gorgeous. The owner was from Colorado and there was a girl there doing a work stay program from Minnesota. Due to some problems with reservations, I was only able to reserve a hammock to sleep in. I has planned with my friends to just keep my things in their rooms and just sleep outside. I was hoping that someone would not show up and I would just get their bed. I had to wait to see. We ate a little family dinner of all of the food that we brought from home. For me, refried beans, corn tortillas, and a ton of hot sauce. After, we walked down with our friend from Minnesota to see a fire show. It didn´t happen, but my friend Brittany and I ended up in a local bar that played a mix between Merengue, Salsa, Bachata, and pop music. I´m going to miss these bars were they do pair dancing so much when I leave. We laughed as we watched older travelers dancing the way that university students normally do in the States and as younger adults were dancing salsa. It was way different. After, Brittany, Josh, and I went for a walk on the beach to look at the stars. I have never seen so many stars in my life. It was increíble. En serio. You could see everything. You could even see the spiral galaxy stripe. I was in love. After, we went back and sat around the table in the common room and drank coffee. Brittany decided that she wanted to sleep in the hammock and so I slept in her bed. Funny enough, she said she didn´t sleep. Ademas, Shelby didn´t sleep either so they sat outside my room talking all night. Poor girls.
Since it was a hot room with bunk beds that creaked and moved, I didn´t sleep very much either. I woke up at about 7 am just ready to go. So we all got up and went downstairs to hang out. We made friends with a guy from Seattle named Mike and spent the morning telling jokes that in reality wouldn´t have been so funny if it weren´t for the lack of sleep. We ate a breakfast that was amazing for the $15 we paid for the night. We then went with our friend Mike to the waterfalls.
Let me paint a picture: We walked for about 10 minutes on the road and then cut off into the woods. We followed a stream and climbed over boulders and what not to get to the first pool. The first pool was rather large and had a waterfall that spilled into it. It was surrounded by rocks that you could jump off of. My friends and I immediately jumped in and swam out to the rocks to jump. We didn´t loose any time. It was a blast. Mike then explained that there really wasn´t a trail up to the others. We just had to climb and follow him. We climbed up a rather steep foot trail that took about 15 minutes. I was sweating bullets by the end of that work out. We arrived at the next two pools. The very top pool had a small waterfall that flowed into it from the stream. Then from that pool, there was a huge waterfall down to another pool, which had the huge waterfall that flowed down into the very first pool. In the top pool, there was a rope swing. Between the middle and bottom waterfall, there was a 50 ft. waterfall that you could jump from. We watched as Mike didn´t even blink before jumping off of the huge waterfall into the pool below. It was so high that I doubted that I would jump. So we swam around and swung on the rope swing. After a while, I worked up the courage to jump off of the waterfall. My friends explained to me that in order to land and not get hurt, you had to be completely straight and point your toes. I ran off and jumped down to where my friends Rosie and Chelsea were waiting for me. As soon as I jumped, I realized that this was actually really huge and I was probably going to get hurt. I landed in the water and felt a horrible pain in my lower back and butt. I apparently had my legs just a little bit in front of me and that was all it took. I came up and realized that I wasn't really able to swim. Thank God I had Rosie and Chels because they carried me over to the rocks to hold on while I waited to stop hurting. To make a long story short, I had to climb up the rocks and hike a trail with a sore back. Not the best but it was still really gorgeous. Some crazy guy that climbed like a monkey helped me across some rocks too.
We went back to the hostel and I took a shower and relaxed my back. Everyone else went to the beach. I spent the time doing some homework and hanging out with a girl I met from Australia. She was really interesting. She was taking a break from reality before she went to work full time for a new company. We talked and she gave me a scarf she bought in Morocco because she didn't need it in the heat of Costa Rica. After my friends came back, we all just hung out and talked. We played a little bit of cards and basically relaxed. It was just a big family atmosphere. We thought about walking down to a bonfire that was going to be on the beach but when the time came, my group decided that it would just be best to go sleep. So we packed up and got ready to leave at the crack of dawn.
Shelby, Brittany, and I decided to get up early and take the earlier bus that left at 6:30 am. We got to the station and waited for the bus. That bus took us to another bus. We we bought tickets, Brittany and I decided to be nice and let a 2 ticos go ahead of us. Wrong decision. We were told that we probably wouldn't have seats on the next couple of buses after the ferry. Awesome. So we hopped on the bus and sat in the back. Shelby and I began to eat a quick breakfast of refried beans and pb and j tortillas. I was sitting next to a tica woman and her daughter. They were super sweet. She even gave Shelby and me an empanada when she saw our pathetic breakfast. After than, while I was just sitting thinking about how tired I was, her daughter leaned over and gave me a pair of Hello Kitty earrings. Yea, she gave me her earrings. When I told her I couldn't accept them, she said I had to because she didn't have pierced ears. She also gave Shelby a pair of teddy bear earrings after Shelby said how cute mine were. People here are really amazing. After that bus ride, we boarded the ferry and I decided to splurge and buy a torta. My back was really hurting and the benches were hard to sit on so I just hopped that the ride went faster. When the ferry reached the land, Brittany and I basically ran to try and get seats on the bus. It was pointless because the man made us wait regardless. So we waited and by the luck of God, Josh saved us a seat. I sat in it first and Brittany took the floor. We promised to switch so that one person didn't have to always be on the floor but seat opened up after the first 30 minutes and a couple of stops. So we all had seats. We made it back in record time and I was home making guacamole by about 1 pm. Amazing.
This was a great weekend. I absolutely loved Montezuma. The people there are super nice and really understand the idea of solidarity. Nature is beyond abundant and beautiful. Even though I hurt my back, I think that this was the most beautiful weekend I have had. Sure, it has been about 4 days since my horrible jump and I am still having trouble sitting down, especially now as I write this blog, but it was definitely worth it. I just needed to relearn the lesson of what goes up must come down, or se sube y se baja.
We arrived at the hostel which was called Luz en el Cielo. It was gorgeous. The owner was from Colorado and there was a girl there doing a work stay program from Minnesota. Due to some problems with reservations, I was only able to reserve a hammock to sleep in. I has planned with my friends to just keep my things in their rooms and just sleep outside. I was hoping that someone would not show up and I would just get their bed. I had to wait to see. We ate a little family dinner of all of the food that we brought from home. For me, refried beans, corn tortillas, and a ton of hot sauce. After, we walked down with our friend from Minnesota to see a fire show. It didn´t happen, but my friend Brittany and I ended up in a local bar that played a mix between Merengue, Salsa, Bachata, and pop music. I´m going to miss these bars were they do pair dancing so much when I leave. We laughed as we watched older travelers dancing the way that university students normally do in the States and as younger adults were dancing salsa. It was way different. After, Brittany, Josh, and I went for a walk on the beach to look at the stars. I have never seen so many stars in my life. It was increíble. En serio. You could see everything. You could even see the spiral galaxy stripe. I was in love. After, we went back and sat around the table in the common room and drank coffee. Brittany decided that she wanted to sleep in the hammock and so I slept in her bed. Funny enough, she said she didn´t sleep. Ademas, Shelby didn´t sleep either so they sat outside my room talking all night. Poor girls.
Since it was a hot room with bunk beds that creaked and moved, I didn´t sleep very much either. I woke up at about 7 am just ready to go. So we all got up and went downstairs to hang out. We made friends with a guy from Seattle named Mike and spent the morning telling jokes that in reality wouldn´t have been so funny if it weren´t for the lack of sleep. We ate a breakfast that was amazing for the $15 we paid for the night. We then went with our friend Mike to the waterfalls.
Let me paint a picture: We walked for about 10 minutes on the road and then cut off into the woods. We followed a stream and climbed over boulders and what not to get to the first pool. The first pool was rather large and had a waterfall that spilled into it. It was surrounded by rocks that you could jump off of. My friends and I immediately jumped in and swam out to the rocks to jump. We didn´t loose any time. It was a blast. Mike then explained that there really wasn´t a trail up to the others. We just had to climb and follow him. We climbed up a rather steep foot trail that took about 15 minutes. I was sweating bullets by the end of that work out. We arrived at the next two pools. The very top pool had a small waterfall that flowed into it from the stream. Then from that pool, there was a huge waterfall down to another pool, which had the huge waterfall that flowed down into the very first pool. In the top pool, there was a rope swing. Between the middle and bottom waterfall, there was a 50 ft. waterfall that you could jump from. We watched as Mike didn´t even blink before jumping off of the huge waterfall into the pool below. It was so high that I doubted that I would jump. So we swam around and swung on the rope swing. After a while, I worked up the courage to jump off of the waterfall. My friends explained to me that in order to land and not get hurt, you had to be completely straight and point your toes. I ran off and jumped down to where my friends Rosie and Chelsea were waiting for me. As soon as I jumped, I realized that this was actually really huge and I was probably going to get hurt. I landed in the water and felt a horrible pain in my lower back and butt. I apparently had my legs just a little bit in front of me and that was all it took. I came up and realized that I wasn't really able to swim. Thank God I had Rosie and Chels because they carried me over to the rocks to hold on while I waited to stop hurting. To make a long story short, I had to climb up the rocks and hike a trail with a sore back. Not the best but it was still really gorgeous. Some crazy guy that climbed like a monkey helped me across some rocks too.
We went back to the hostel and I took a shower and relaxed my back. Everyone else went to the beach. I spent the time doing some homework and hanging out with a girl I met from Australia. She was really interesting. She was taking a break from reality before she went to work full time for a new company. We talked and she gave me a scarf she bought in Morocco because she didn't need it in the heat of Costa Rica. After my friends came back, we all just hung out and talked. We played a little bit of cards and basically relaxed. It was just a big family atmosphere. We thought about walking down to a bonfire that was going to be on the beach but when the time came, my group decided that it would just be best to go sleep. So we packed up and got ready to leave at the crack of dawn.
Shelby, Brittany, and I decided to get up early and take the earlier bus that left at 6:30 am. We got to the station and waited for the bus. That bus took us to another bus. We we bought tickets, Brittany and I decided to be nice and let a 2 ticos go ahead of us. Wrong decision. We were told that we probably wouldn't have seats on the next couple of buses after the ferry. Awesome. So we hopped on the bus and sat in the back. Shelby and I began to eat a quick breakfast of refried beans and pb and j tortillas. I was sitting next to a tica woman and her daughter. They were super sweet. She even gave Shelby and me an empanada when she saw our pathetic breakfast. After than, while I was just sitting thinking about how tired I was, her daughter leaned over and gave me a pair of Hello Kitty earrings. Yea, she gave me her earrings. When I told her I couldn't accept them, she said I had to because she didn't have pierced ears. She also gave Shelby a pair of teddy bear earrings after Shelby said how cute mine were. People here are really amazing. After that bus ride, we boarded the ferry and I decided to splurge and buy a torta. My back was really hurting and the benches were hard to sit on so I just hopped that the ride went faster. When the ferry reached the land, Brittany and I basically ran to try and get seats on the bus. It was pointless because the man made us wait regardless. So we waited and by the luck of God, Josh saved us a seat. I sat in it first and Brittany took the floor. We promised to switch so that one person didn't have to always be on the floor but seat opened up after the first 30 minutes and a couple of stops. So we all had seats. We made it back in record time and I was home making guacamole by about 1 pm. Amazing.
This was a great weekend. I absolutely loved Montezuma. The people there are super nice and really understand the idea of solidarity. Nature is beyond abundant and beautiful. Even though I hurt my back, I think that this was the most beautiful weekend I have had. Sure, it has been about 4 days since my horrible jump and I am still having trouble sitting down, especially now as I write this blog, but it was definitely worth it. I just needed to relearn the lesson of what goes up must come down, or se sube y se baja.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Mi poema
This is the poem I wrote in class one day:
Si hubiera nacido como pez,
no habria sentido la brisa.
Si hubiera nacido como pajaro,
no habria sentido las olas.
Si Dios me preguntara si uo quisiera cambiar,
le diria que no.
Si yo tuviera que cambiar,
no podria hacerlo.
Porque yo puedo saltar,
como si fuera cangauro.
Porque yo puedo cantar,
como si fuera un violin.
Me gusta ser quien soy,
y agradezco a Dios cada dia de ser rana.
Translation:
If I had been born a fish, I wouldn't have felt the breeze. If I had been born a bird, I wouldn't have felt the waves. If God asked me if I wanted to change, I would tell him no. If I had to change, I wouldn't be able to do it. Because I can jump as if I were a kangaroo. Because I can sing as if I were a violin. I like who I am and I thank God every day that I am a frog.
Si hubiera nacido como pez,
no habria sentido la brisa.
Si hubiera nacido como pajaro,
no habria sentido las olas.
Si Dios me preguntara si uo quisiera cambiar,
le diria que no.
Si yo tuviera que cambiar,
no podria hacerlo.
Porque yo puedo saltar,
como si fuera cangauro.
Porque yo puedo cantar,
como si fuera un violin.
Me gusta ser quien soy,
y agradezco a Dios cada dia de ser rana.
Translation:
If I had been born a fish, I wouldn't have felt the breeze. If I had been born a bird, I wouldn't have felt the waves. If God asked me if I wanted to change, I would tell him no. If I had to change, I wouldn't be able to do it. Because I can jump as if I were a kangaroo. Because I can sing as if I were a violin. I like who I am and I thank God every day that I am a frog.
Saying No
I think that it is impossible for the people here to say no. It is not in their culture, vocabulary, or thoughts. I´ll never forget what one of our orientation leaders told us in regards to saying no here: "No, they would rather do almost any other thing than tell you no. But, when they want to tell you yes, they will practically hop on one foot to say it." So unbelievably true. When someone wants to tell you a direct no, they beat around the bush, or as you say in Spanish, andan por las ramas. It is almost worse when they don´t know something such as directions, because they will maybe lie just a little bit because it is a part of their culture not to offend anyone. This is just a wonderful example of how great the culture here is. They only want to make you happy or make sure you have some way to be happy. After all, it would be "happier" to walk and think you are going the right way than have someone tell you that they don´t know.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Manuel Antonio: Hot sauce and all
This weekend my friends and I went to Manuel Antonio. Papatico and Mamatica told me starting about 2 weeks before I left that it was "la playa mas linda de todas" (the most beautiful beach of all). Yup, they were right.
On Friday, after my last class of Conversacion Avanzada, Brittany and I went to buy our tickets at the bus station. After having to change taxis and being dropped off at the wrong station, we finally made it to Tracope, the correct bus station. We bought our tickets and had some lunch while we waited for the rest of the group that had already bought their tickets earlier in the week. While we waited, I was joking with Brittany about how excited I was to go to the beach. I turned to her and said, in regards to the food that I had brought to save money this weekend, "Want to know what I brought to really make this weekend exciting? Hot sauce and refried beans." That turned into the motto of the weekend.
We hopped onto the bus and I sat next to a street vendor with sunglasses. I bartered (possibly the best I ever have) them down to the bargain price of 2 mil colones, or roughly $4. We rode for four hours and arrived at Quepos, where we rode a bus to our hostel Pura Vida. The bus stopped a little ways away from the hostel and so we walked up a huge hill. As we walked, Michelle's jelly fell out and cut her foot open. There was blood and jelly every where. Good thing we were close to the hostel. To add to the fun, we quickly realized that it would be the hottest temperature we have ever felt. After seeing the room, we decided to upgrade from $10 a night to $15 a night (how expensive!!) to get air conditioning. Those of us who brought our food ate in the room and after we left to try and find a place for the others to eat. I love beans and hot sauce. After, we walked down the hill and it began to rain. We decided to stop in a pulperia (small store) to find food for them. It started raining harder and so we ran back up the hill to our hostel. As we were completely soaked, we decided just to change and hang out in the room. We played BS and some other card games. It was so much fun. I slept the best I have ever slept in a hostel there. It might have been because my friends Michelle and Brittany and I pushed our beds together and were right by the air conditioner.
The next morning, we got up and had a surprisingly good breakfast that was included in our $15 price. We changed and hopped a quick bus to the beach. It was so hot. By the end of the ride, we all were dripping sweat. Thank God we only had to walk a little bit to make it over to the National Park beach. After paying $10 to enter, we walked up a hill to make it to the beaches. We heard that the second beach was way better than the first so we walked past the first and were so happy when we found the second. Gorgeous. Completely and totally amazing. We took turns watching the stuff we brought on the beach and swimming. That was perfect because I was able to come out, dry off, and dump on more sunscreen. I didn't burn because of this system. We spent the whole day on the beach. I was able to eat my refried beans, hot sauce, and tortillas on the beach for lunch. Heavenly. It was so hot but it was cloudy so it wasn't too bad. We stayed until the park closed and then walked to find dinner. We sat at a place on the second level that over looked the public beach. We were able to eat hamburgers, drink pina coladas, and watch the hooligans below. What a life I have here. After taking a bus back to our hostel, we showered in the dorm shower and moved our things to the other room because someone had already reserved the wonderfully air conditioned room. We were now in the hottest room I have ever stayed in. We played cards in the community lounge. I learned how to play uker and how other people play 31. After, we struggled to sleep. Needless to say, clothing was way too much, as was the sheet so we all slept in some variation of bathing suit or what not. We had the doors closed but the windows fogged up due to the heat. We decided to for go locking the door and finally opened it up and put the fan in front as a form of security. 3 hours of sleep at the most for this little traveler.
The next day, two of our friends caught an earlier bus because of some serious sunburns. The four of us that were left went to the public beach after a quick bus ride. It was still so pretty. We stayed there until about noon. The water was clean and beautiful. The beach was perfect. I really enjoyed swimming there. My friend and I went to the local market and bought some tank tops. We then came back to the hostel and packed up and took showers. We rode in taxi to the next town over to catch the bus back to San Jose. After being unsuccessful at changing our tickets to an earlier time, we waited and played uker at the station for a few hours. We then hopped the bus and rode back to San Jose, which for some reason was uncharacteristically cold for this time of year. It was about 60 degrees. It felt like 40. It also felt amazing.
I was really excited to come home to San Jose. As much as I always enjoy the beach, it is wonderful to come home to a clean, dry, sand-free environment. My has never felt so comfortable before. Regardless, I had a great weekend, hot sauce and all.
On Friday, after my last class of Conversacion Avanzada, Brittany and I went to buy our tickets at the bus station. After having to change taxis and being dropped off at the wrong station, we finally made it to Tracope, the correct bus station. We bought our tickets and had some lunch while we waited for the rest of the group that had already bought their tickets earlier in the week. While we waited, I was joking with Brittany about how excited I was to go to the beach. I turned to her and said, in regards to the food that I had brought to save money this weekend, "Want to know what I brought to really make this weekend exciting? Hot sauce and refried beans." That turned into the motto of the weekend.
We hopped onto the bus and I sat next to a street vendor with sunglasses. I bartered (possibly the best I ever have) them down to the bargain price of 2 mil colones, or roughly $4. We rode for four hours and arrived at Quepos, where we rode a bus to our hostel Pura Vida. The bus stopped a little ways away from the hostel and so we walked up a huge hill. As we walked, Michelle's jelly fell out and cut her foot open. There was blood and jelly every where. Good thing we were close to the hostel. To add to the fun, we quickly realized that it would be the hottest temperature we have ever felt. After seeing the room, we decided to upgrade from $10 a night to $15 a night (how expensive!!) to get air conditioning. Those of us who brought our food ate in the room and after we left to try and find a place for the others to eat. I love beans and hot sauce. After, we walked down the hill and it began to rain. We decided to stop in a pulperia (small store) to find food for them. It started raining harder and so we ran back up the hill to our hostel. As we were completely soaked, we decided just to change and hang out in the room. We played BS and some other card games. It was so much fun. I slept the best I have ever slept in a hostel there. It might have been because my friends Michelle and Brittany and I pushed our beds together and were right by the air conditioner.
The next morning, we got up and had a surprisingly good breakfast that was included in our $15 price. We changed and hopped a quick bus to the beach. It was so hot. By the end of the ride, we all were dripping sweat. Thank God we only had to walk a little bit to make it over to the National Park beach. After paying $10 to enter, we walked up a hill to make it to the beaches. We heard that the second beach was way better than the first so we walked past the first and were so happy when we found the second. Gorgeous. Completely and totally amazing. We took turns watching the stuff we brought on the beach and swimming. That was perfect because I was able to come out, dry off, and dump on more sunscreen. I didn't burn because of this system. We spent the whole day on the beach. I was able to eat my refried beans, hot sauce, and tortillas on the beach for lunch. Heavenly. It was so hot but it was cloudy so it wasn't too bad. We stayed until the park closed and then walked to find dinner. We sat at a place on the second level that over looked the public beach. We were able to eat hamburgers, drink pina coladas, and watch the hooligans below. What a life I have here. After taking a bus back to our hostel, we showered in the dorm shower and moved our things to the other room because someone had already reserved the wonderfully air conditioned room. We were now in the hottest room I have ever stayed in. We played cards in the community lounge. I learned how to play uker and how other people play 31. After, we struggled to sleep. Needless to say, clothing was way too much, as was the sheet so we all slept in some variation of bathing suit or what not. We had the doors closed but the windows fogged up due to the heat. We decided to for go locking the door and finally opened it up and put the fan in front as a form of security. 3 hours of sleep at the most for this little traveler.
The next day, two of our friends caught an earlier bus because of some serious sunburns. The four of us that were left went to the public beach after a quick bus ride. It was still so pretty. We stayed there until about noon. The water was clean and beautiful. The beach was perfect. I really enjoyed swimming there. My friend and I went to the local market and bought some tank tops. We then came back to the hostel and packed up and took showers. We rode in taxi to the next town over to catch the bus back to San Jose. After being unsuccessful at changing our tickets to an earlier time, we waited and played uker at the station for a few hours. We then hopped the bus and rode back to San Jose, which for some reason was uncharacteristically cold for this time of year. It was about 60 degrees. It felt like 40. It also felt amazing.
I was really excited to come home to San Jose. As much as I always enjoy the beach, it is wonderful to come home to a clean, dry, sand-free environment. My has never felt so comfortable before. Regardless, I had a great weekend, hot sauce and all.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Soy la hija de mi madre
Every conversation that I have with Mamatica usually follows the same format when she is helping me plan something. It starts with me asking about it and her telling me all about it and then usually telling me what she would suggest doing instead. When I tell her that is too hard to do, she tells me "No, no para ti. Tu puedes hablar espanol muy bien" (No, not for you. You speak Spanish really well). When I talk to my friend Manuel, it is the same. I'll mess something up and he'll correct me. I'll make a joke that I don't speak Spanish and he will tell me that is a lie because how else would we be friends if I didn't speak Spanish well enough. While I know for a fact that they are overlooking the mounds of mistakes that I am make when I speak, they do have a good point. Communicating with someone in their own language is more than just speaking words.
Speaking a language with someone is the best way to make a connection. Its the way that I can not just translate what someone is specifically saying but also the context behind it. Like when I am talking to Manuel and I can tell the change in subject and tone when he switches between calling me Tu or calling me Usted. Like when I can tell the deeper meaning behind "He became a doctor", or "Se hizo medico", that implies that he worked very hard to get there. Like when I can tell a little bit more of the culture from a simple saying such as, "I forgot".
I guess what I want to say is that I love this language and how it lets me connect with the people here I have met. I love talking and getting to know everyone. I love seeing their shock when they learn that I speak the language and am more than willing to chat. While I still mess up a lot, or don't always understand, or make up words, I love talking. Yes, soy la hija de mi madre.
Speaking a language with someone is the best way to make a connection. Its the way that I can not just translate what someone is specifically saying but also the context behind it. Like when I am talking to Manuel and I can tell the change in subject and tone when he switches between calling me Tu or calling me Usted. Like when I can tell the deeper meaning behind "He became a doctor", or "Se hizo medico", that implies that he worked very hard to get there. Like when I can tell a little bit more of the culture from a simple saying such as, "I forgot".
I guess what I want to say is that I love this language and how it lets me connect with the people here I have met. I love talking and getting to know everyone. I love seeing their shock when they learn that I speak the language and am more than willing to chat. While I still mess up a lot, or don't always understand, or make up words, I love talking. Yes, soy la hija de mi madre.
Cambias
Tomorrow I will finish my second block of Spanish class. I am almost halfway done. Although I cannot believe it, I think that it is fitting to take a look at how I've changed.
1. I only eat 2 meals a day. I'm usually stuffed from breakfast and only starting to even think about food a couple of hours before dinner. The most I eat for lunch is guacamole or a tomato.
2. I wake up at 6 almost everyday.Yes, the girl that doesn't function before 9 is now up and showered by 7 am.
3. I can live out of a pocket for a day and night, a backpack for a weekend, a duffel bag for a week, and one suitcase for 2 months. I'm getting really good at only having what I need.
4. I can think, dream, function, and even joke in Spanish.
5. I have become extremely flexible. I run on "Tico Time", or the idea that everything will eventually happen so why worry or stress or try and get it done right at this moment. I've stopped worrying about always being on time, which is huge for me.
6. I have become completely spoiled. I have a huge bed here, a TV in my room, dogs that are allowed to be in my room, laundry washed and my room cleaned every week, food prepared in the mornings and at night, and basically no stress whatsoever. This is the life.
These are all some rather important changes for me. While I'm not quite sure if all of my changes have been for the best, especially becoming more spoiled, I do know that the majority of them are. I just hope that the ones that are good become habits, or should I say, espero que las cambias sean permanentes.
1. I only eat 2 meals a day. I'm usually stuffed from breakfast and only starting to even think about food a couple of hours before dinner. The most I eat for lunch is guacamole or a tomato.
2. I wake up at 6 almost everyday.Yes, the girl that doesn't function before 9 is now up and showered by 7 am.
3. I can live out of a pocket for a day and night, a backpack for a weekend, a duffel bag for a week, and one suitcase for 2 months. I'm getting really good at only having what I need.
4. I can think, dream, function, and even joke in Spanish.
5. I have become extremely flexible. I run on "Tico Time", or the idea that everything will eventually happen so why worry or stress or try and get it done right at this moment. I've stopped worrying about always being on time, which is huge for me.
6. I have become completely spoiled. I have a huge bed here, a TV in my room, dogs that are allowed to be in my room, laundry washed and my room cleaned every week, food prepared in the mornings and at night, and basically no stress whatsoever. This is the life.
These are all some rather important changes for me. While I'm not quite sure if all of my changes have been for the best, especially becoming more spoiled, I do know that the majority of them are. I just hope that the ones that are good become habits, or should I say, espero que las cambias sean permanentes.
Tortugero: Gracias a Diosito
This weekend was probably about the funniest weekend I have had so far. I hope you find it just as funny. I´ll try and do it justice.
My friends Brittany, Shelby, Devon, and I went to Tortugero, which is on the Caribbean coast north towards Nicaragua. We hopped into a cab from school to the Gran Caribe bus station at about 4:30 on Friday. We spent the whole time speaking in English. The cab driver said nothing because my experiences have shown me that they normally speak very limited English. We didn´t say anything bad, gracias a dios, because he turned to us after about 10 minutes and says in pretty good English, ¨We´re about 2 blocks away¨. We died laughing because it was the last thing we were expecting. We then hopped onto a bus that took us to Cariari, which is about 2 hours away from San Jose.
The ride was so funny. We spent time making jokes and trying not to get car sick. I´m afraid that we were the loudest gringas on the bus. Typical gringas. On the bus, Shelby did us the favor of spilling our situation. She talked to a guy that would pick us up at the bus station and take us to our hotel. Yes, that should sound very shady. He even called us on the phone a couple of times and I could not understand one word that he said. I´ve learned that accents from the Caribbe are impossible for me, in English or in Spanish. So, we started laughing about how scary this was. Gracias a dios we had the assurance that a friend of Shelby had done this exact trip before so we knew that at least she didn´t die. We arrived and, as you would expect, my phone rang. Our plan was that if we saw him and he didn´t look safe, we would hop the next bus back home. Well, I answered and he saw me through the bus windows. No running away now. I might have said a couple of words. Oops, but it was funny.
His name was Roberto and he had with him his little daughter of 5 years. The joke was that he was bringing her so that we would trust him into our inevitable doom. We taxied to our hostel ($5 a night) and it seemed decent, until Shelby and I got to talking. We asked ourselves why Roberto would travel away from his home to help us when he wasn´t getting paid very much. Then we thought about our hostel and how cheap it was. And then we asked ourselves, ¨What´s the catch?¨ And that was the motto of the weekend. The catch? Our hostel was a little freaky. Funny, but freaky. Shelby´s sheets even said ¨Shelton Hospital¨ on them. So gosh darn funny.
Roberto looked me up and down once and decided that I liked to party. I have no idea how but he pointed to the building that shared our parking lot and told us that was the bar to go to. Then, he asked me if I smoked. I was confused and said "What?" which to him sounded like "Yes." So I had a nice lecture about not smoking while I was with him. Even funnier. And since it was National Margarita Day in the States, my friends and I decided to go listen to some music. Although it was the worst margarita I have ever had, we had so much fun just listening to music and hanging out. I even made friends with the cook and he would dance and then laugh from where he was when I saw him.
The next day, we got up and left by 6:30 to catch a ferry to Tortugero. Get this, on the ferry, this strangely dressed guy who had a camera crew with him and was videoing the ferry. I decided to sit in the front to have more leg room. He was struggling with his suitcase so I offered help. Then, suddenly they were filming more of the boat, including me. One of the men, who actually turned out to be the owner of our hotel, came up to take a photo of them filming. I asked him who he was and he said he is a really famous man from a television show named "El Galan". Un galan is a word in Spanish that refers to a womanizer who has a ton of women. It roughly translates to a "player". So, what his show is about is the different areas in Costa Rica but as he travels, he talks to women and flirts and everything. Turns out I was the girlfriend for the boat ride. They filmed us talking and everything. His character on the show is actually really creepy in all honesty. As a person, though, he is really nice. They joked with me the whole time when the camera wasn't rolling. My friends were sitting behind me just laughing at it all. They kept saying that there was going to be a catch. Well, they filmed him singing to me and I had to ask him to not sing again. Definitely an awesome workout in Spanish. He even gave me his card if I ever visit where he is from, which I am for sure planning on doing. The catch, though? When we arrived on the island, there was a huge group there to greet El Galan. Well, I was his girlfriend for the time, so he pulled me with him to listen to the music that the people played to welcome him. People were yelling at him asking how he got a girlfriend so tall and beautiful. They also asked when we were going to the hotel together. My friends were waiting on me and I knew I had to leave so we shot the final scene and I left. Keep in mind that this is a tiny island and I am pretty sure that about half of the island came out to welcome El Galan. So now a ton of people on the island knew of me.
I went to the hotel Icaco to meet up with my friends who had to leave before I was done being famous. After checking in and getting settled in our room, we left for a canoe tour of the canals. We were with a pair that was so cute. The wife was from Spain and the husband was from Germany. Our canoe driver rowed us all around the canals to see the different wild life. It was so cool. We saw Caiman and birds and different lizards. There were even four different species of monos. It really did feel like something out of Jurassic Park. After three hours of joking around and telling stories in the canoe, we returned to our hostel. In front of the hostel, there was a gazebo that had about five different hammocks in it. That was our place for the entire day. I'm pretty sure that we spent more time there than in our beds. Well, right when we got back from the tour, we were chilling in the hammocks. A lady who worked at the hotel told me that she saw me on TV that day. Then she proceeded to ask me if I was the galan's girlfriend and when I was going to see him. Yeah, that was just the start. Later that day, when I was walking around the island and in the national park, people asked me if I was the galan's girlfriend. We found the catch: I will be forever known as the galan's girlfriend. Shelby, Devon, and I went for a walk in the National Park. We had to rent boots because they said they were necessary. I beg to differ but it was only $1. In the park, we could walk a path and see different animals, most of which were very small.
That night, after a much needed shower, we went out for dinner. This was a big deal because for every other meal, I had been eating pb&j on corn tortillas. The best mix between American and Costa Rican. We went to a restaurant and I had amazing pollo con coco. It was so good. El Galan even came in and ate with his friends behind us. He is a really nice guy.
After, we went to a bar that had music pounding out the front door. The back side overlooked the water. It would have been amazing if we didn't have different locals creeping on us the whole time. For some weird reason, I got really sick. I had to leave the bar and use a bathroom in the restaurant across the street. My friends came over to meet me there and it began to pour down water. That was the first time we had experienced Costa Rican rain. It never lets up. So we ran for ten minutes back to our hotel. Back at the hotel, we played some cards and I tried not to be sick again.
The next day, we got up and went to breakfast really early. We just couldn't sleep very well. After, we went on a walk on the beach and packed up to go home. We hopped a ferry and then a bus back to San Jose. I sat next to a man that was very sweet and told me about his kids and his job in Costa Rica. I was so happy to come home to a beautiful dinner from Mamatica and a warm bed with clean sheets. The only problem was that I still was not feeling well.
Which brings me to the catch of the weekend: Roberto told us we could drink the water. We actually can't. I was super sick because of the water I drank at the restaurant. Stomach cramps and all. Good thing Mamatica is always ready with tea that takes care of any stomach ailment. Get this: She told me she knew I was sick because I ate less. Thanks Mamatica.
Overall, the weekend was so funny. What I learned from it was that we were so lucky. Actually, it was so strong that there was no way it could have been luck. God was taking care of us. We made every bus, even when they left oddly early, and we were never in danger. This was a wonderful weekend, gracias a diosito.
My friends Brittany, Shelby, Devon, and I went to Tortugero, which is on the Caribbean coast north towards Nicaragua. We hopped into a cab from school to the Gran Caribe bus station at about 4:30 on Friday. We spent the whole time speaking in English. The cab driver said nothing because my experiences have shown me that they normally speak very limited English. We didn´t say anything bad, gracias a dios, because he turned to us after about 10 minutes and says in pretty good English, ¨We´re about 2 blocks away¨. We died laughing because it was the last thing we were expecting. We then hopped onto a bus that took us to Cariari, which is about 2 hours away from San Jose.
The ride was so funny. We spent time making jokes and trying not to get car sick. I´m afraid that we were the loudest gringas on the bus. Typical gringas. On the bus, Shelby did us the favor of spilling our situation. She talked to a guy that would pick us up at the bus station and take us to our hotel. Yes, that should sound very shady. He even called us on the phone a couple of times and I could not understand one word that he said. I´ve learned that accents from the Caribbe are impossible for me, in English or in Spanish. So, we started laughing about how scary this was. Gracias a dios we had the assurance that a friend of Shelby had done this exact trip before so we knew that at least she didn´t die. We arrived and, as you would expect, my phone rang. Our plan was that if we saw him and he didn´t look safe, we would hop the next bus back home. Well, I answered and he saw me through the bus windows. No running away now. I might have said a couple of words. Oops, but it was funny.
His name was Roberto and he had with him his little daughter of 5 years. The joke was that he was bringing her so that we would trust him into our inevitable doom. We taxied to our hostel ($5 a night) and it seemed decent, until Shelby and I got to talking. We asked ourselves why Roberto would travel away from his home to help us when he wasn´t getting paid very much. Then we thought about our hostel and how cheap it was. And then we asked ourselves, ¨What´s the catch?¨ And that was the motto of the weekend. The catch? Our hostel was a little freaky. Funny, but freaky. Shelby´s sheets even said ¨Shelton Hospital¨ on them. So gosh darn funny.
Roberto looked me up and down once and decided that I liked to party. I have no idea how but he pointed to the building that shared our parking lot and told us that was the bar to go to. Then, he asked me if I smoked. I was confused and said "What?" which to him sounded like "Yes." So I had a nice lecture about not smoking while I was with him. Even funnier. And since it was National Margarita Day in the States, my friends and I decided to go listen to some music. Although it was the worst margarita I have ever had, we had so much fun just listening to music and hanging out. I even made friends with the cook and he would dance and then laugh from where he was when I saw him.
The next day, we got up and left by 6:30 to catch a ferry to Tortugero. Get this, on the ferry, this strangely dressed guy who had a camera crew with him and was videoing the ferry. I decided to sit in the front to have more leg room. He was struggling with his suitcase so I offered help. Then, suddenly they were filming more of the boat, including me. One of the men, who actually turned out to be the owner of our hotel, came up to take a photo of them filming. I asked him who he was and he said he is a really famous man from a television show named "El Galan". Un galan is a word in Spanish that refers to a womanizer who has a ton of women. It roughly translates to a "player". So, what his show is about is the different areas in Costa Rica but as he travels, he talks to women and flirts and everything. Turns out I was the girlfriend for the boat ride. They filmed us talking and everything. His character on the show is actually really creepy in all honesty. As a person, though, he is really nice. They joked with me the whole time when the camera wasn't rolling. My friends were sitting behind me just laughing at it all. They kept saying that there was going to be a catch. Well, they filmed him singing to me and I had to ask him to not sing again. Definitely an awesome workout in Spanish. He even gave me his card if I ever visit where he is from, which I am for sure planning on doing. The catch, though? When we arrived on the island, there was a huge group there to greet El Galan. Well, I was his girlfriend for the time, so he pulled me with him to listen to the music that the people played to welcome him. People were yelling at him asking how he got a girlfriend so tall and beautiful. They also asked when we were going to the hotel together. My friends were waiting on me and I knew I had to leave so we shot the final scene and I left. Keep in mind that this is a tiny island and I am pretty sure that about half of the island came out to welcome El Galan. So now a ton of people on the island knew of me.
I went to the hotel Icaco to meet up with my friends who had to leave before I was done being famous. After checking in and getting settled in our room, we left for a canoe tour of the canals. We were with a pair that was so cute. The wife was from Spain and the husband was from Germany. Our canoe driver rowed us all around the canals to see the different wild life. It was so cool. We saw Caiman and birds and different lizards. There were even four different species of monos. It really did feel like something out of Jurassic Park. After three hours of joking around and telling stories in the canoe, we returned to our hostel. In front of the hostel, there was a gazebo that had about five different hammocks in it. That was our place for the entire day. I'm pretty sure that we spent more time there than in our beds. Well, right when we got back from the tour, we were chilling in the hammocks. A lady who worked at the hotel told me that she saw me on TV that day. Then she proceeded to ask me if I was the galan's girlfriend and when I was going to see him. Yeah, that was just the start. Later that day, when I was walking around the island and in the national park, people asked me if I was the galan's girlfriend. We found the catch: I will be forever known as the galan's girlfriend. Shelby, Devon, and I went for a walk in the National Park. We had to rent boots because they said they were necessary. I beg to differ but it was only $1. In the park, we could walk a path and see different animals, most of which were very small.
That night, after a much needed shower, we went out for dinner. This was a big deal because for every other meal, I had been eating pb&j on corn tortillas. The best mix between American and Costa Rican. We went to a restaurant and I had amazing pollo con coco. It was so good. El Galan even came in and ate with his friends behind us. He is a really nice guy.
After, we went to a bar that had music pounding out the front door. The back side overlooked the water. It would have been amazing if we didn't have different locals creeping on us the whole time. For some weird reason, I got really sick. I had to leave the bar and use a bathroom in the restaurant across the street. My friends came over to meet me there and it began to pour down water. That was the first time we had experienced Costa Rican rain. It never lets up. So we ran for ten minutes back to our hotel. Back at the hotel, we played some cards and I tried not to be sick again.
The next day, we got up and went to breakfast really early. We just couldn't sleep very well. After, we went on a walk on the beach and packed up to go home. We hopped a ferry and then a bus back to San Jose. I sat next to a man that was very sweet and told me about his kids and his job in Costa Rica. I was so happy to come home to a beautiful dinner from Mamatica and a warm bed with clean sheets. The only problem was that I still was not feeling well.
Which brings me to the catch of the weekend: Roberto told us we could drink the water. We actually can't. I was super sick because of the water I drank at the restaurant. Stomach cramps and all. Good thing Mamatica is always ready with tea that takes care of any stomach ailment. Get this: She told me she knew I was sick because I ate less. Thanks Mamatica.
Overall, the weekend was so funny. What I learned from it was that we were so lucky. Actually, it was so strong that there was no way it could have been luck. God was taking care of us. We made every bus, even when they left oddly early, and we were never in danger. This was a wonderful weekend, gracias a diosito.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Mi Vida Doble
People ask me all the time if I'm homesick. We talk about it all the time, especially when the topic of foods that we miss from home comes up. In all honesty, I ususally don't know what to say.
Last night, I went to dinner with the Poyners, the grandparents of my best friend, members of my second family. They were passing through San Jose before they went off to enjoy my little country. We went to Fogo Brazil, a "restaurante de fresas". It was an amazing time. They even brought me peanut butter because it is outrageously expensive here. At one point, they asked me if I was homesick and without blinking an eye, I replied, "No." The shock at the table shocked me a little bit. It´s true, though, I'm not homesick.
I was talking to my friend Amanda from EIU yesterday also. She hit the nail on the head when she called it "My Double Life". I had no idea how to explain in until she said it. Yes, I miss people from home. I love them and I'm so excited for them to see what I´m doing. That is why I keep my facebook and this blog current. But I also have an awesome life here. I have friends and even what feels like a family here. It's a little like my life back home is on pause. When I talk to people, I know I'll see them someday and so it is just a waiting game until then. Meanwhile, I am having the time of my life. I go out, hang out with different people, travel, and sometimes even go to class. I'm living a double life for sure.
That's why, when I saw the Poyners getting out of the cab at the restaurant, I had to do a double take. They were the first people from home I have hugged in about 2 months. I honestly had a hard time believing that they were here. We had an awesome dinner. We told stories and talked about home. They even watched as the waiter gave me his number. You would think that it would make me homesick, but it did just the opposite. It gave me a glimpse into home that made me happy and made me appreciate that my time here won't last for long. So, until I come home, I guess you can just call me 007 because I'm living una vida doble.
Last night, I went to dinner with the Poyners, the grandparents of my best friend, members of my second family. They were passing through San Jose before they went off to enjoy my little country. We went to Fogo Brazil, a "restaurante de fresas". It was an amazing time. They even brought me peanut butter because it is outrageously expensive here. At one point, they asked me if I was homesick and without blinking an eye, I replied, "No." The shock at the table shocked me a little bit. It´s true, though, I'm not homesick.
I was talking to my friend Amanda from EIU yesterday also. She hit the nail on the head when she called it "My Double Life". I had no idea how to explain in until she said it. Yes, I miss people from home. I love them and I'm so excited for them to see what I´m doing. That is why I keep my facebook and this blog current. But I also have an awesome life here. I have friends and even what feels like a family here. It's a little like my life back home is on pause. When I talk to people, I know I'll see them someday and so it is just a waiting game until then. Meanwhile, I am having the time of my life. I go out, hang out with different people, travel, and sometimes even go to class. I'm living a double life for sure.
That's why, when I saw the Poyners getting out of the cab at the restaurant, I had to do a double take. They were the first people from home I have hugged in about 2 months. I honestly had a hard time believing that they were here. We had an awesome dinner. We told stories and talked about home. They even watched as the waiter gave me his number. You would think that it would make me homesick, but it did just the opposite. It gave me a glimpse into home that made me happy and made me appreciate that my time here won't last for long. So, until I come home, I guess you can just call me 007 because I'm living una vida doble.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Una Pausa
This weekend was my break, or pausa. Every weekend, I have been traveling and I was so ready to take a break and not ride in a bus for hours. It was just as great as I thought it would be. Thursday was El Dia de Amor y Amistad, or as known in the states, Valentine's Day. Here, according to my mamatica, the day isn't like it is in the states. Friendship is a much bigger emphasis here. So much so, that one of the tico design classes made my class breakfast when we arrived. It was really cool. Then, my teacher even gave us candy during class. After school, my friends, Shelby and Devon, and I went to walmart for the first time. It was so strange. Everything was the same, even the smell. The only difference was that the prices were in colones and not in dollars. A good little taste of home, but I don't think that I will be going back anytime soon. After, we took a quick taxi and then walked home. I then left and took a walk with my tico friend, Manuel. Since it was the day of Amistad, I brought him an orgami flower that my papatico made. He surprised me with a peluche, or Teddy bear, and my absolute favorite chocolate. He is a pretty good friend of mine. It is awesome practicing my Spanish with him. After our walk, I went home and my roommate and I gave a rose to Mamatica for being so awesome. Then, I went out with my hermanatica, Lorna. We bar hopped and had a blast. I was able to hang out and understand her friends without problem. We ended up at a park for a little while and then went home.
On Friday, my teacher took us on a field trip after a little bit of class time. We went to the barber shop and talked with the barber. This man was so cute. It was really fun talking with him in Spanish. He told us about his time working and how the world has changed. After class, I went with a bunch of my friends downtown San Jose. We ended up mainly at the Artisan Market where there are just a ton of tents all connected where you can buy really cheap things. I was able to barter for the things I bought. It was so much fun. I think that bartering is my new favorite thing to do. I bought a hand painted cross, a rosary bracelet, and a pair of earrings. I have plans to go back and buy a hammock and backpack and maybe everything else that they have there. I walked back with my friend Josh and then took a much needed nap. I went out that night with my hermanatica again after quick dinner and chat with my mamatica.
Saturday, all of my friends went for a hike up in the mountains that surround the city. I decided to sit out because I was exhausted and they were leaving at about 9. Never the less, I woke up unbelievably early because that is what my body is used to. So, I got up and I ate a delicious breakfast made by mamatica. After a quick walk and some time in the park, I just chilled at the house until Manuel got off work. We met up and then went to a fair of typical Costarican food at the Antigua Aduana building. We had chocolate covered strawberries, coffee, aloe juice, wine, and finished with graniza (sno-cones). After, we walked to the Parque Nacional and spent some time together just hanging out. After, we taxied it up back home. I had been planning all day to go out with my friends that night to a bar, but after the plans fell through, I ended up just chilling at home watching Harry Potter 1. Yes, I found out that my familia tica has all of the HP movies except one. And they're in Spanish. Is this real life?!
Sunday, I was able to sleep in a little bit. I went to mass at the local church. It was different because after every reading, not just during the homily, the priest came down and talked with the people as the children came and got a sucker from him. I loved watching all of the little kids walk up and get candy and then run back to their pews. So cute. After, my hermana tica and her friend and I went to Chepe Joven 2013. It was a huge techno music concert in the streets of San Jose. We spent about 3 hours just hanging out in the streets watching all of the people and dancing to music. I know that I go to a really artsy school here because I saw so many of my classmates at the festival having the time of their lives. After, I watched the Saprissa and Liga futbol game at my house because they are two of the huge teams down here. Liga won, much to the dismay of my friend, who is a Saprissista. that night, my friends Taylor, Shelby, Katie, and I went to Ingravito at Teatro 1887. It was kind of a modern dance mixed with some acrobatics on ribbons and live music. I enjoyed it, even if I didn't necessarily always understand the different parts of it. After taking a taxi home, I spent the night working on making my summer and fall schedule for classes. Nothing is weirder than thinking and planning about when I come home while I am still out of the country. Nevertheless, it has to be done.
After this weekend, I feel wonderfully rested. I don't think that I would want to do this every weekend because, while it is fun to just hang out at home, I do enjoy traveling and seeing more than just San Jose. I really did need this pausa though, especially since I have almost every other weekend booked until my spring break in March.
On Friday, my teacher took us on a field trip after a little bit of class time. We went to the barber shop and talked with the barber. This man was so cute. It was really fun talking with him in Spanish. He told us about his time working and how the world has changed. After class, I went with a bunch of my friends downtown San Jose. We ended up mainly at the Artisan Market where there are just a ton of tents all connected where you can buy really cheap things. I was able to barter for the things I bought. It was so much fun. I think that bartering is my new favorite thing to do. I bought a hand painted cross, a rosary bracelet, and a pair of earrings. I have plans to go back and buy a hammock and backpack and maybe everything else that they have there. I walked back with my friend Josh and then took a much needed nap. I went out that night with my hermanatica again after quick dinner and chat with my mamatica.
Saturday, all of my friends went for a hike up in the mountains that surround the city. I decided to sit out because I was exhausted and they were leaving at about 9. Never the less, I woke up unbelievably early because that is what my body is used to. So, I got up and I ate a delicious breakfast made by mamatica. After a quick walk and some time in the park, I just chilled at the house until Manuel got off work. We met up and then went to a fair of typical Costarican food at the Antigua Aduana building. We had chocolate covered strawberries, coffee, aloe juice, wine, and finished with graniza (sno-cones). After, we walked to the Parque Nacional and spent some time together just hanging out. After, we taxied it up back home. I had been planning all day to go out with my friends that night to a bar, but after the plans fell through, I ended up just chilling at home watching Harry Potter 1. Yes, I found out that my familia tica has all of the HP movies except one. And they're in Spanish. Is this real life?!
Sunday, I was able to sleep in a little bit. I went to mass at the local church. It was different because after every reading, not just during the homily, the priest came down and talked with the people as the children came and got a sucker from him. I loved watching all of the little kids walk up and get candy and then run back to their pews. So cute. After, my hermana tica and her friend and I went to Chepe Joven 2013. It was a huge techno music concert in the streets of San Jose. We spent about 3 hours just hanging out in the streets watching all of the people and dancing to music. I know that I go to a really artsy school here because I saw so many of my classmates at the festival having the time of their lives. After, I watched the Saprissa and Liga futbol game at my house because they are two of the huge teams down here. Liga won, much to the dismay of my friend, who is a Saprissista. that night, my friends Taylor, Shelby, Katie, and I went to Ingravito at Teatro 1887. It was kind of a modern dance mixed with some acrobatics on ribbons and live music. I enjoyed it, even if I didn't necessarily always understand the different parts of it. After taking a taxi home, I spent the night working on making my summer and fall schedule for classes. Nothing is weirder than thinking and planning about when I come home while I am still out of the country. Nevertheless, it has to be done.
After this weekend, I feel wonderfully rested. I don't think that I would want to do this every weekend because, while it is fun to just hang out at home, I do enjoy traveling and seeing more than just San Jose. I really did need this pausa though, especially since I have almost every other weekend booked until my spring break in March.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Mi Hogar
I'm catholic, and if there is one thing that Catholics are proud of, it is that the church is universal. Aka, I can go to a mass literally anywhere and it will be the exact same. I really didn't think that was a big thing. But then, when I went to church for the first time here with my papatico, I realized that was the first time I knew exactly what to do at every moment. Keep in mind that I had been here for over two weeks. Sure, I really didn't know how to translate everything, but I knew when to stand, sit, kneel, and walk. It wasn't like going to the store where I had no idea where the caja, or register, was. It wasn't like when I try and take a taxi somewhere only to realize I have no idea how to say where I want to go. Or when I couldn't figure out the shower heater and had to take a very cold shower. No, going to mass is like going home, or to mi hogar. I felt the same thing when I first went off to college. Church was the one thing that I always knew was the same no matter my location. Sure, it makes me a little sad sometimes, just like when you look at pictures from the beach and you suddenly miss the beach, but I always feel closer after going. It makes me think of my friends and family that are hearing the same readings. Especially when the cura, or priest, says something that normally would make me laugh when I´m in the states, such as " It is truly right and just", which is even funnier in Spanish if you cared to know. I guess what I am trying to say is that I´m glad my faith translates down here. I´m glad that I can always to go a catholic church and feel welcomed. I´m glad that I´ve realized that I can always have a hogar no matter where I am.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Un fin de semana de Odisea
This was the weekend of odysseys, both by my teacher, by Homer, and by "Oso". Odisea 1: On Friday, mi profesora de conversacion took my class of four on a walk around downtown San Jose. We started by going to the Aduana Antigua, which is a large, old building that was converted into a museum. Oddly enough, when we went, it didn't have any expositions. Instead, there was a huge, bilingual job fair. Companies like Amazon, Bimbo, and St. Jude's Medical Group had booths that filled the long room. We went around and talked to different people and companies to practice our Spanish. The thing was that this bilingual fair had companies that were only really interested in people who could speak English, so every person we talked with wanted to speak English with us. It was weird to think that the language that comes naturally to me is the language that everyone else is trying to learn while I am trying to learn their language. After the job fair, we walked downtown and learned about the different sites and even had some coffee time. I had Tamarindo juice. (Never again.) It was a really good walk with my teacher. She is really sweet and super helpful when it comes to helping us with our Spanish. My favorite part is that she likes to just let us talk and tells us that everything in this course is a suggestion; we are only here to talk.
Odisea 2: After walking downtown with my class, my friend told me about a matinee of Homer's The Odyssey playing at the National Theater. All of my friends had different things going on so I was just planning on going alone. When I came home really quickly to change and figure out how to walk over, I told my mamatica my plans. She immediately replied that she would love to go but that she was going to talk to papatico over skype since he is currently in Spain. Then she told me to ask one of the twins to come with me. In all honesty, I was shocked (and so happy) when Lorna said she would come. We took the bus downtown and paid 2 mil to get in. The National Theater was smaller than I expected, about the same size as the House of Blues in Chicago. The play was so cute. The used huge puppets instead of actors and lights with shadows on a big screen. I really enjoyed it, especially when something funny happened and the children laughed. Lorna and I spent the time together swapping stories and telling jokes. She is really cool. After the play, and after a much needed nap, I went out with some friends. The night was short lived, though, because I needed sleep for the next day.
Odisea 3: On Saturday, I got up at about 5:30 am. My roommate and I walked to school by 6:20 am. We took a bus to el Rio Pacua where we stuffed our faces with a buffet breakfast. Why? Because we would be rafting for the next 5 hours. We grouped off and met our leaders. My friends Shelby, Josh, Devon, Kim, and I were going to be under the watch of Manuel and Oso. Yes, one of our leaders was named "Bear". They were awesome. We, however, were not. Our first round of rapids, we ended up stuck on a rock. Well, we weren't only stuck, we were literally horizontal on the side of the rock with literally no where to go but either the water or up on the rock. So, we climbed the rock and waited for our guides to pull the raft off the rock so we could hop in on the other side. That was only the start. We were stuck on rocks rather often. We had to jump around in the raft or move so that we could jiggle ourselves free. I'm sure that sounds really boring, but it was really fun. Our guides were so funny. They both spoke English, but when they learned that we could handle the Spanish, we joked around in Spanish. Our one guide, Oso, was hysterical. He would impersonate our laughs which, for him, translated into a witch cackle. It was so funny to hear it come out of a grown man's mouth. Our other guide, Manuel, was really sweet. The best part seemed to be when a person jumped into the water to swim and then had to be pulled back into the boat. What you do is grab the person's life jacket at the shoulders and pull as hard as you can. When it happens, your face usually ends up in the body of someone else or you end up falling back into the water also. So, unbelievably funny. Another funny moment was when Oso realized after our lunch of burritos on land, that I was worried about burning. He pulled up a paddle of dried clay. He then mixed it with water and told me that it was "bloqueador" or sunblock. Definitely did not plan on smearing it on my face or body. After doing his face, he did me the favor to do it to me too. What a sweetheart. I then asked if we could swim later so I could wash it all off. Thankfully he said yes. So, after about ten minutes of my face looking like Peeta's in The Hunger Games, I saw people swimming ahead of us. I asked if I could jump in and he said to wait. Then, he told us that we would play a game. We all had to sit on one side of the boat and hold on to the paddle he held in his hand. He said that if we don't hold on tight, we'll fall. The boat began to tip, and while he held onto the other side of the boat, he pushed us with the paddle into the water. I pretended to be mad and came up from the water yelling at him in Spanish. He decided after that that we were friends. So we joked the rest of the trip in Spanish. After changing, we took the bus back to San Jose. We played Catchphrase in both English and Spanish with some ticos we met on the bus. I really enjoyed this trip.
Odisea 4: I came home after the rapids exhausted. Completely and totally exhausted. My roommate and I sat down to eat dinner and talk with our Mamatica. She asked us how was the trip and everything, just like every other time when I come home from an excursion. Then, she started asking me about Semana Santa, our spring break. For people who are here for more than 90 days, which I am, you have to either pay to spend more time in the country or leave the country for 3 days. There is pressure to leave the country and make the plans now because my time is up around the time of Semana Santa and Semana Santa is crazy for traveling. Well, I had just literally just watch all of my plans for going to Panama during that time completely fall apart. So, needless to say, I was a little "hecha lena" or fed up with everything. This was really the first time that I felt completely overwhelmed and there was no hiding it from Mamatica. So, when she asked what happened, I just told her about everything that was bothering me. Then, we had an awesome heart to heart that made everything better. She helped me make plans and told me that she would always help me. Seriously, this woman is great. She is so sweet and warm. After everything, she even told me to go to bed and sleep in. She must know me really well.
Odisea 5: The next day, I did nothing productive. I got up at 10 am, later than any other morning that I have woken up here. It was incredible. I got up and had breakfast. Then I sat around and hung out with my familia tica. After a shower, I went to the Plaza del Este, a mall that is a quick bus ride away, with my mamatica y hermanatica, Lorna. We went to watch Gaviota, the Spanish band that is all about love songs. We sat behind the stage and drank Capucinos frios (Cold Cappuccinos). Then, when we finished, we walked around to the front and watched them play. They were a little bit more modern than crooners, but the lyrics were pretty similar. It was a good time. After that, we went to have "comida basura" which literally translate to trash food, aka McDonald's. I forgot what grease felt like. Overall, a really good weekend for sure. It was less crazy than normal, but the break was awesome.
Odisea 2: After walking downtown with my class, my friend told me about a matinee of Homer's The Odyssey playing at the National Theater. All of my friends had different things going on so I was just planning on going alone. When I came home really quickly to change and figure out how to walk over, I told my mamatica my plans. She immediately replied that she would love to go but that she was going to talk to papatico over skype since he is currently in Spain. Then she told me to ask one of the twins to come with me. In all honesty, I was shocked (and so happy) when Lorna said she would come. We took the bus downtown and paid 2 mil to get in. The National Theater was smaller than I expected, about the same size as the House of Blues in Chicago. The play was so cute. The used huge puppets instead of actors and lights with shadows on a big screen. I really enjoyed it, especially when something funny happened and the children laughed. Lorna and I spent the time together swapping stories and telling jokes. She is really cool. After the play, and after a much needed nap, I went out with some friends. The night was short lived, though, because I needed sleep for the next day.
Odisea 3: On Saturday, I got up at about 5:30 am. My roommate and I walked to school by 6:20 am. We took a bus to el Rio Pacua where we stuffed our faces with a buffet breakfast. Why? Because we would be rafting for the next 5 hours. We grouped off and met our leaders. My friends Shelby, Josh, Devon, Kim, and I were going to be under the watch of Manuel and Oso. Yes, one of our leaders was named "Bear". They were awesome. We, however, were not. Our first round of rapids, we ended up stuck on a rock. Well, we weren't only stuck, we were literally horizontal on the side of the rock with literally no where to go but either the water or up on the rock. So, we climbed the rock and waited for our guides to pull the raft off the rock so we could hop in on the other side. That was only the start. We were stuck on rocks rather often. We had to jump around in the raft or move so that we could jiggle ourselves free. I'm sure that sounds really boring, but it was really fun. Our guides were so funny. They both spoke English, but when they learned that we could handle the Spanish, we joked around in Spanish. Our one guide, Oso, was hysterical. He would impersonate our laughs which, for him, translated into a witch cackle. It was so funny to hear it come out of a grown man's mouth. Our other guide, Manuel, was really sweet. The best part seemed to be when a person jumped into the water to swim and then had to be pulled back into the boat. What you do is grab the person's life jacket at the shoulders and pull as hard as you can. When it happens, your face usually ends up in the body of someone else or you end up falling back into the water also. So, unbelievably funny. Another funny moment was when Oso realized after our lunch of burritos on land, that I was worried about burning. He pulled up a paddle of dried clay. He then mixed it with water and told me that it was "bloqueador" or sunblock. Definitely did not plan on smearing it on my face or body. After doing his face, he did me the favor to do it to me too. What a sweetheart. I then asked if we could swim later so I could wash it all off. Thankfully he said yes. So, after about ten minutes of my face looking like Peeta's in The Hunger Games, I saw people swimming ahead of us. I asked if I could jump in and he said to wait. Then, he told us that we would play a game. We all had to sit on one side of the boat and hold on to the paddle he held in his hand. He said that if we don't hold on tight, we'll fall. The boat began to tip, and while he held onto the other side of the boat, he pushed us with the paddle into the water. I pretended to be mad and came up from the water yelling at him in Spanish. He decided after that that we were friends. So we joked the rest of the trip in Spanish. After changing, we took the bus back to San Jose. We played Catchphrase in both English and Spanish with some ticos we met on the bus. I really enjoyed this trip.
Odisea 4: I came home after the rapids exhausted. Completely and totally exhausted. My roommate and I sat down to eat dinner and talk with our Mamatica. She asked us how was the trip and everything, just like every other time when I come home from an excursion. Then, she started asking me about Semana Santa, our spring break. For people who are here for more than 90 days, which I am, you have to either pay to spend more time in the country or leave the country for 3 days. There is pressure to leave the country and make the plans now because my time is up around the time of Semana Santa and Semana Santa is crazy for traveling. Well, I had just literally just watch all of my plans for going to Panama during that time completely fall apart. So, needless to say, I was a little "hecha lena" or fed up with everything. This was really the first time that I felt completely overwhelmed and there was no hiding it from Mamatica. So, when she asked what happened, I just told her about everything that was bothering me. Then, we had an awesome heart to heart that made everything better. She helped me make plans and told me that she would always help me. Seriously, this woman is great. She is so sweet and warm. After everything, she even told me to go to bed and sleep in. She must know me really well.
Odisea 5: The next day, I did nothing productive. I got up at 10 am, later than any other morning that I have woken up here. It was incredible. I got up and had breakfast. Then I sat around and hung out with my familia tica. After a shower, I went to the Plaza del Este, a mall that is a quick bus ride away, with my mamatica y hermanatica, Lorna. We went to watch Gaviota, the Spanish band that is all about love songs. We sat behind the stage and drank Capucinos frios (Cold Cappuccinos). Then, when we finished, we walked around to the front and watched them play. They were a little bit more modern than crooners, but the lyrics were pretty similar. It was a good time. After that, we went to have "comida basura" which literally translate to trash food, aka McDonald's. I forgot what grease felt like. Overall, a really good weekend for sure. It was less crazy than normal, but the break was awesome.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Anderson
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Arenal y Monteverde: Arco Iris
When I'm at a loss for words, the best place to start is the beginning. You'll understand in a few paragraphs. So let's begin:
On Friday I had my final in my Spanish class. Then, my friend Brittany and I went out for a lunch date before leaving for Arenal. To put it mildy, I laughed for about four hours before getting on the bus. Brittany is reading over my shoulder and complaining that I am not doing justice to our little date time. Better, Britt? At 1pm (1:30 in reality) our group left Veritas, my school. Our group was much smaller this time because this was not one of the prepaid trips so we didn't have all of the normal people. We drove for a good chunk of time that included some choice singing of Taylor Swift thanks to my friend Michelle. After throwing our stuff down in the hotel that we had in La Fortuna, the town that surrounds Arenal Volcano, which is a huge, active volcano, we left for the Baldi Hot Springs which is a large, gorgeous resort that had different pools of hot springs that you could chill out in. Pun intended. We spent the evening living the high life. There were even two water slides. The laws of physics were well demonstrated when I shot out of the faster of the two faster than any of my friends. After everything, we ate like kings at a buffet that overlooked the entire area. We drove back to our hotel and a few friends and I sat out by the pool and stargazed. Needless to say, there are definitely more than I've ever seen in the crazy metropolis of Batavia, Il. It was a great night to say the least.
Saturday morning, after eating a breakfast "tipico", We drove to La Catarata de la Fortuna, or a waterfall in la Fortuna. We walked across a bridge to a look out point where we saw an enormous waterfall from afar. It looked like something straight out of a postcard. Or the Lion King for that matter. We walked about 300 steps down to the base of the waterfall. The base was a large basin where the water then flowed into a little river that was splattered with large rockes every few feet. After a round of pictures and abotu 10 minutes of just standing in awe of the waterfall, I decided to follow my friends and climb on into the basin. It was cold but completely worth it. The current was so strong. It pushed you away from the waterfall and into the shore of rocks. In all honestly, words cannot even describe how cool it was to swim under a huge waterfall. It was majestic and humbling. After, I spent some time climbing around on the rocks that were in the stream further down and then braved the 300 steps back up to the top. I was exhausted but so happy that I had the opportunity to see such a beautiful site.
After, we drove in our bus to Monteverde. Once again, words do not even describe it. We drove away from the volcano and were able to see it in the background. Then, we hopped onto a boat that took us across a lake. It was so pretty. The volcano was behind us and we were surrounded by different hills and fields. The lake was quiet and serene. Amazing. Then, to top it all off, we too a bus ride into Monteverde. We went up hills and were able to see different rolling hills in the distance. It was gorgeous. I would love to live there. The nature is beautiful. There is so much green it almost hurts your eyes. There is a wonderful breeze and sprinkles throughout the day. To add to the magical effect, we literally followed an arco iris (rainbow) from the road. It was the brightest rainbow I had ever seen. We were even able to see the purple stripe that is usually so elusive. Every person on our bus ride was in awe. Then, get this. we followed it until it ended right in front of our hotel. Yes, my hotel was literally at the end of a rainbow. If it weren't so cheesy, I would make a comment about the location of our hotel being a pot of gold. Too bad it is way too cheesy for me. But, in reality, it was incredible. The area is gorgeous. The temperature is perfect with a light jacket. If I could live anywhere, I would have a hard time not choosing Monteverde. After a quick dinner at a local place, we spent the night hanging out in our hotel room taking crazy pictures and laughing until we cried. Yes, everyone cried from laughing, not just me.
The next morning, we got up at about 6 am. Normally, I would complain because I am the complete opposite of a morning person, but we were going zip lining, a dream that I have held since I was a tot. I have been trying to go since I was young and begged my parents on basically every trip that we took. My father's response every time? "Not on my watch." Sorry, Dad. We drove up for what felt like forever. My nerves started to go nuts. They only got worse when the workers put the equipment on me. It was straps that went around each leg and hugged my hips. That was all that would be holding me up as I flew across the canopy.
We started off with some simple zip lines. So unbelievable cool. Seriously. After the first two simple ones, we went up to the more complicated ones. There really are not words to describe how cool it was. I was flying above the forest. Sometime while we were waiting in line to be hooked up to the next line, we would see the next couple of lines as someone would just randomly go flying across the sky. It was both terrifying and fascinating to think that I would soon be up that high. The two larges lines were partner lines. First I went with my friend Shelby and we fly. Then Brittany and I went and almost died a little because we were going so fast. At the very end of the course, there was the tarzan swing. It is exactly what you are thinking. Get hooked up to a swing and jump off of the platform. You free fall for alittle while and then swing. I was so scared but it was incredible. There really is no adrenaline rush like it.
The weekend was great. I loved it. This was definitely my favorite weekend of all. The nature was incredible and the adventures were even better. To make it even better, after coming home on Sunday I was able to go to mass and then watch the Superbowl with a dog under each hand. Thank God I'm not a commercial watcher because the commercials here were not the same. I really don't have any words to tell you all how much I loved this weekend. It really was the pot of gold at the end of the arco iris.
On Friday I had my final in my Spanish class. Then, my friend Brittany and I went out for a lunch date before leaving for Arenal. To put it mildy, I laughed for about four hours before getting on the bus. Brittany is reading over my shoulder and complaining that I am not doing justice to our little date time. Better, Britt? At 1pm (1:30 in reality) our group left Veritas, my school. Our group was much smaller this time because this was not one of the prepaid trips so we didn't have all of the normal people. We drove for a good chunk of time that included some choice singing of Taylor Swift thanks to my friend Michelle. After throwing our stuff down in the hotel that we had in La Fortuna, the town that surrounds Arenal Volcano, which is a huge, active volcano, we left for the Baldi Hot Springs which is a large, gorgeous resort that had different pools of hot springs that you could chill out in. Pun intended. We spent the evening living the high life. There were even two water slides. The laws of physics were well demonstrated when I shot out of the faster of the two faster than any of my friends. After everything, we ate like kings at a buffet that overlooked the entire area. We drove back to our hotel and a few friends and I sat out by the pool and stargazed. Needless to say, there are definitely more than I've ever seen in the crazy metropolis of Batavia, Il. It was a great night to say the least.
Saturday morning, after eating a breakfast "tipico", We drove to La Catarata de la Fortuna, or a waterfall in la Fortuna. We walked across a bridge to a look out point where we saw an enormous waterfall from afar. It looked like something straight out of a postcard. Or the Lion King for that matter. We walked about 300 steps down to the base of the waterfall. The base was a large basin where the water then flowed into a little river that was splattered with large rockes every few feet. After a round of pictures and abotu 10 minutes of just standing in awe of the waterfall, I decided to follow my friends and climb on into the basin. It was cold but completely worth it. The current was so strong. It pushed you away from the waterfall and into the shore of rocks. In all honestly, words cannot even describe how cool it was to swim under a huge waterfall. It was majestic and humbling. After, I spent some time climbing around on the rocks that were in the stream further down and then braved the 300 steps back up to the top. I was exhausted but so happy that I had the opportunity to see such a beautiful site.
After, we drove in our bus to Monteverde. Once again, words do not even describe it. We drove away from the volcano and were able to see it in the background. Then, we hopped onto a boat that took us across a lake. It was so pretty. The volcano was behind us and we were surrounded by different hills and fields. The lake was quiet and serene. Amazing. Then, to top it all off, we too a bus ride into Monteverde. We went up hills and were able to see different rolling hills in the distance. It was gorgeous. I would love to live there. The nature is beautiful. There is so much green it almost hurts your eyes. There is a wonderful breeze and sprinkles throughout the day. To add to the magical effect, we literally followed an arco iris (rainbow) from the road. It was the brightest rainbow I had ever seen. We were even able to see the purple stripe that is usually so elusive. Every person on our bus ride was in awe. Then, get this. we followed it until it ended right in front of our hotel. Yes, my hotel was literally at the end of a rainbow. If it weren't so cheesy, I would make a comment about the location of our hotel being a pot of gold. Too bad it is way too cheesy for me. But, in reality, it was incredible. The area is gorgeous. The temperature is perfect with a light jacket. If I could live anywhere, I would have a hard time not choosing Monteverde. After a quick dinner at a local place, we spent the night hanging out in our hotel room taking crazy pictures and laughing until we cried. Yes, everyone cried from laughing, not just me.
The next morning, we got up at about 6 am. Normally, I would complain because I am the complete opposite of a morning person, but we were going zip lining, a dream that I have held since I was a tot. I have been trying to go since I was young and begged my parents on basically every trip that we took. My father's response every time? "Not on my watch." Sorry, Dad. We drove up for what felt like forever. My nerves started to go nuts. They only got worse when the workers put the equipment on me. It was straps that went around each leg and hugged my hips. That was all that would be holding me up as I flew across the canopy.
We started off with some simple zip lines. So unbelievable cool. Seriously. After the first two simple ones, we went up to the more complicated ones. There really are not words to describe how cool it was. I was flying above the forest. Sometime while we were waiting in line to be hooked up to the next line, we would see the next couple of lines as someone would just randomly go flying across the sky. It was both terrifying and fascinating to think that I would soon be up that high. The two larges lines were partner lines. First I went with my friend Shelby and we fly. Then Brittany and I went and almost died a little because we were going so fast. At the very end of the course, there was the tarzan swing. It is exactly what you are thinking. Get hooked up to a swing and jump off of the platform. You free fall for alittle while and then swing. I was so scared but it was incredible. There really is no adrenaline rush like it.
The weekend was great. I loved it. This was definitely my favorite weekend of all. The nature was incredible and the adventures were even better. To make it even better, after coming home on Sunday I was able to go to mass and then watch the Superbowl with a dog under each hand. Thank God I'm not a commercial watcher because the commercials here were not the same. I really don't have any words to tell you all how much I loved this weekend. It really was the pot of gold at the end of the arco iris.
Friday, February 1, 2013
La Vida Simple
It´s easy to tell you all that I love it here. The hard part is to explain why. I have been here a month already. I honestly cannot believe it. I just took the final to my first class and have officially finished that class. I really am enjoying myself here, and I´m not sure I can attribute it to just one factor.
Maybe it is the fact that I get to speak the language that I love. I´m a language person. I love to translate and understand the different ways to say different things. My favorite part of the day isn´t when I check my facebook that is in English or talk to people who speak English. My favorite part is when I can sit down and talk with my familia tica or a friend that only speak Spanish. I love shocking people when I suddenly bust out in a language that they assume I can´t understand due to my pale skin and red hair.
Maybe it is the fact that I have met some amazing people down here. My friends down here from the states are by far amazing. My familia tica cracks me up because now we are past the awkward stage of getting to know each other and can now joke around and tell stories. I just found a local bar where they only speak Spanish and made best friends with two of the owners who are more than happy to joke around. I pass by different people everywhere I go and am able to smile and converse. Honestly, the people have made this past month for me.
Maybe it is the fact that here my life is simple. Back in the states, there is something wrong if I am not doing something from the moment I wake up to the moment I place my head on my pillow. I am an expert at being overworked and exhausted from classes, work, clubs, ministries, and whatever else I pile onto my plate. That is just how I have always been. Here, though, I get up everyday and sit down for breakfast with my companera de casa and my mamatica. I go to class in the morning and then have the afternoons free. I sometimes to go the orphanage to volunteer or to various bible studies or dance classes. I meet up with friends, go to the park, or just sit and soak in the culture here. My only real commitment is dinner at 7 with my companera de casa. Weekends are free too for excursions or day trips. I don´t have any long standing obligations here. I´m not in charge of anything or anyone. If I decide that I just want to watch El extrano mundo de Jack (Nightmare before Christmas) in Spanish, ningún problema. Even though sometimes I do really miss those days where I feel accomplished because I did 15 different things in a matter of hours, having a break is amazing.
While I may not be able to put my finger on one reason that I like being here, I do know one thing: I am a ok with just going with it and living la vida simple.
Maybe it is the fact that I get to speak the language that I love. I´m a language person. I love to translate and understand the different ways to say different things. My favorite part of the day isn´t when I check my facebook that is in English or talk to people who speak English. My favorite part is when I can sit down and talk with my familia tica or a friend that only speak Spanish. I love shocking people when I suddenly bust out in a language that they assume I can´t understand due to my pale skin and red hair.
Maybe it is the fact that I have met some amazing people down here. My friends down here from the states are by far amazing. My familia tica cracks me up because now we are past the awkward stage of getting to know each other and can now joke around and tell stories. I just found a local bar where they only speak Spanish and made best friends with two of the owners who are more than happy to joke around. I pass by different people everywhere I go and am able to smile and converse. Honestly, the people have made this past month for me.
Maybe it is the fact that here my life is simple. Back in the states, there is something wrong if I am not doing something from the moment I wake up to the moment I place my head on my pillow. I am an expert at being overworked and exhausted from classes, work, clubs, ministries, and whatever else I pile onto my plate. That is just how I have always been. Here, though, I get up everyday and sit down for breakfast with my companera de casa and my mamatica. I go to class in the morning and then have the afternoons free. I sometimes to go the orphanage to volunteer or to various bible studies or dance classes. I meet up with friends, go to the park, or just sit and soak in the culture here. My only real commitment is dinner at 7 with my companera de casa. Weekends are free too for excursions or day trips. I don´t have any long standing obligations here. I´m not in charge of anything or anyone. If I decide that I just want to watch El extrano mundo de Jack (Nightmare before Christmas) in Spanish, ningún problema. Even though sometimes I do really miss those days where I feel accomplished because I did 15 different things in a matter of hours, having a break is amazing.
While I may not be able to put my finger on one reason that I like being here, I do know one thing: I am a ok with just going with it and living la vida simple.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)