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.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
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.
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