La Gran Esperanza Real

<--my second class

While there are many things to like about Costa Rica, there are definitely two things that top my list during my stay here: my dance class, and my volunteer work.

Since the beginning of my time in Heredia I have volunteering at an elementary-middle school in my barrio, Mercedes-Norte. The full school name's a mouth-full "La Gran Esperanza Internacional Escuela Japonés", but everyone just calls it Escuela Japonés. It's a private school, and it's a bit intense. In addition to the normal subjects the kids also learn English, French, and Japanese. I didn't take a language until I was 13, and even then I only had Spanish. Can you imagine learning all of those?? It makes me think of how behind the US is in terms of encouraging the acquirement of a foreign language at an early age. While like the US there is a pretty big difference between public and private schools, even my 11-year old brother is learning English and I have friends that are volunteering teaching English at public schools to elementary school kids! This isn't even an option at a lot of public schools in the US.

<--the amazing prof I work with

My time volunteering is spent in two separate 2 hour classes; the first one is with 11-year-olds and the second with 7-year-olds. The first class is science in English, so they've been studying neanderthals (and all the other predecessors to today's humans) and we just finished learning about the first civilization and how it developed. We usually just go through the book, I have them read and translate, or sometimes I translate. Where I'm mostly helpful is in the pronunciation of words. This class makes me really glad English is my first language and Spanish my second; I can't imagine having to learn English as a second language: the pronunciation is so random sometimes.

My elementary school kids mostly just learn vocabulary like move, fly, crawl or the names of insects. Though the past two classes I have been teaching them "Under the Sea" from the Little Mermaid. It's a pretty hard song for the kids, but they requested it from me. It really is the cutest thing to hear, even if it does mean I will forever have the lyrics to that song imprinted on my memory.

One of the things I've found most interesting about my volunteer work, is the words they choose to teach the kids. Sometimes they're really good (like move, fly, etc...), but then sometimes they learn things like colony, and I wonder why 7-year-olds need to know that word...

The kids are great, the faculty is so nice and fun, and I just wish I could replace a couple of my classes with my volunteer work; it would make some of my time here less stressful!

When you think about it, as long as the school's name may be, the youth really is the real "Gran Esperanza"

Paradise found

After my fun little adventure in Puerto Viejo, I didn't really take any other weekend trips out of Heredia but spent most of my free time with my family or on short trips, such as to San Jose. However by the time last weeks' weekend rolled around I was getting a little Heredia claustrophobic and seriously needing a get-away; that being said I decided to join some IFSA friends in a trip to Uvita.

Since my first hostel experience was the "lovely" Rockin' J's, I have to say I was a bit apprehensive upon our arrival at the Toucan. However, this worry was short-lived as it was an amazing hostel; clean, hot water, and coffee all day = hostel paradise.

We spent most of that Friday traveling (6-hour bus ride) so we weren't up for much once we got there. Luckily there was a waterfall within a 15-20 minute walking distance, so after putting our stuff down we went to go check it out. Right as we start to head down the stairs to reach the waterfall we hear this loud noise that seriously sounded like something out of a horror film. It was more than just a little creepy. Thankfully the experience got better; down at the bottom there was a waterfall that led to a bunch of different pools as it went down the side of the mountain. They were fun to swim in, though at some points it was less swimming and more the force of the water pushing you in certain directions :P On the way back I was glad we were in swimsuits because like Costa Rican weather at this time of the year it poured our whole walk back. This made us very happy for the free coffee at the Toucan.

Saturday we took a tour, the beginning of which was whale and dolphin watching. I had done whale watching on Cape Cod before so for me this wasn't all too exciting, especially as it was just how I remembered, really slow with not much to see. The dolphin watching was really fun though; at one point there was a whole school right next to our boat!

After this we swung by some caves that the ocean had carved out which were really pretty and then headed to a shallow area for some snorkeling. I had never done snorkeling before, but have decided that's definitely a new love of mine. I didn't see much coral, but there were some really cool fish and I finally got to feel like I was really in Central America.

After our tour the boat dropped us off and a great spot on the beach. By the far the best beach that I have been to in Costa Rica. Even better than Playa Hermosa, which was also gorgeous. However this one was like looking at a 3D postcard: blue skies all day, soft sand, crystal-clear warm water... just absolutely perfect. We stayed there all day so that we could see the sunset. I stayed in the water pretty much the entire time because honestly, at that beach it was near impossible for me to leave it :)

The only downside to that weekend was the worst sunburn that I think I have ever gotten. The walk back to the hostel was absolutely painful. However, I had so much fun I would definitely recommend it to anyone, though sun-screen application every half an hour is definitely a must.

Drink of the Gods

Now what could be better in Costa Rica than experiencing the country's rich history in chocolate? I'm sure there are better things you could do, but let's just say that this is at the top of the list. Our abroad program IFSA sponsored a trip to cocoa plantation located in Tirimbina Rainforest in Sarapiqui. Now I don't know about you, but for me the word plantation has a certain connotation that is associated with organization and man-made. However, while accessible, the cocoa plantation that we visited was anything but. To get to it we first had to cross a 300 meter-long suspension bridge. This was unfortunate for a girl in our group who is terrified of bridges, although even I started to freak out a little when someone started shaking the bridge.


At the beginning of the presentation we learned that historically the indigenous population made a chocolate drink that was considered to be "the drink of the gods" (Theobroma) and they would drink it before fighting. In addition to the main ingredients of chocolate and sugar, the drink also consisted of flour, and small amounts of vanilla, nutmeg, and of course both black and chile pepper. We got our own little samples of the drink, which was delicious ;)

Then they poured the chocolate into molds and gave us some pre-done ones. Soo tasty! We got to taste both the milk and the dark chocolate, and the dark was definitely my favorite. After the yummy taste-fest they showed us the actual chocolate fruit on a tree and we ended our day with some great casados; these are a typical Costa Rican dish eated mostly for lunch. They consist of some kind of meat, rice and beans, plátanos, and a salad of some sort.

Besides the steps that I left out, there were many for for the other uses of cocoa. So here is the diagram our guide showed us for those of you who are curious. Which knowing my friends and family are probably all of you :)

At First Glance

Now when you hear about Latin American countries, one of the first things you learn is how important family and personal relationships are. Now I don't have any personal experience in the rest of Latin America, but from what I've seen this is definitely true about Costa Rica. Here the emphasis is on the relationship, and they value preserving this, sometimes over being honest. The emphasis on this and some geological differences result in many visits to the house by family and friends.

I recently had a Tica in one of my classes approach me about a survey she had for her class about cultural differences. One of the questions referenced what I saw as cultural differences between the U.S. and Costa Rica and these visits were one of the first things I thought of. Due to distance and an emphasis on individualism, visits such as these in the U.S. are reserved more for special occasions and holidays.

One of the things that surprised me when she was interviewing me, was how accurate her views of the U.S. were solely based on films. For instance, we discussed how many kids in the U.S. have jobs to save up their money, to buy cars or other things that they might want. Here, those with jobs are the adults and summer and after-school jobs just are not common.

You always here about culture shock when you first get to a new country. They make it sound like you're going to get a knocked over the head with culture. Honestly though, I feel as if it were less of a culture shock and more of a gradual cultural awareness. When I first got here I was more surprised as to how similar it was that I didn't really notice the differences. However, as I settled in I began to notice subtle differences between the U.S. and Costa Rica, like the emphasis on maintaining relationships, or tico time, even if I am still learning how to adjust myself to them.

Culture "Shock"

<--restaurante Bread & Chocolate in Puerto Viejo

I've commented on a lot of the cultural differences between the U.S. and Costa Rica, but failed to say anything about one of the biggest, the food. This part of the country's culture affects me in particular because I am insulin-resistant. This condition means I have a pre-disposition to develop diabetes.

That being said, I have to watch my diet which can be a bit of challenge in Costa Rica. Here they eat a lot of carbohydrates. A portion of white rice is pretty much guaranteed with every meal. White bread and fruit juice are also pretty common, being present at least 2/3 of daily meals. It isn't like I have to avoid carbs, but I do have to limit them, and some are worse for me than others. Ironically, the ones that are the worst for me are those that are most common in the Costa Rican diet: white bread & rice and fruit juice.

Because I kept getting sick in the beginning, at first I was just happy that I could keep food down. Now that I've been here for about 2 months, I've gotten better at managing my diet needs and still managing to eat healthy proportions. For me the key is eliminating unnecessary carbs, like fruit juices. I try to drink water at every meal, even if Costa Ricans find water at breakfast odd. Now that I think about it, most Americans probably do too...While it would be pretty near impossible to eliminate bread and rice from my meals, I try to balance the two, either eating bread or rice at each meal.

Finally, one of the best ways to prevent diabetes in my condition is to exercise. A couple of weeks ago I signed up for a Baile Popular class at the university. I've been learning salsa, swing (which are both different here), merengue, bolero, etc... The class is so much fun and I get quite a workout. This is especially true when we dance swing; in the Costa Rican style you bounce throughout the entire dance, switching from one foot to another.

In addition to this class, I've started going running with one of the girls in the program about 3-4 days a week. While I have never been a big fan of running (I much prefer swimming), the company and the scenery here make it bearable. There is nothing like Central American beauty to make you almost forget that you're tired.

Murphy's Law

<--Puerto Viejo (sunny the day we left)

I feel like this past weekend ended up being a pretty good example of Murphy's Law.

For my first non-IFSA sponsored trip out of Heredia I went with a bunch of the girls in the program to Puerto Viejo de Talmanaca in Limón (Limón providence). I'd been missing the beaches ever since Liberia, so I jumped at the opportunity to soak up some Central American sun: it's common knowledge that Central American sun is different than North American sun. After all, it's not like there is only one sun which the entire world happens to revolve around, that'd just be weird.

After about 5 hours in total on two different buses we arrived, just a little bit tired and hungry; most of us hadn't eaten since 4am that morning and we arrived about 10:30-11. As we were in line to buy our bus tickets home, I proceeded to realize that I had left my wallet on the bus... Now I didn't really have that much money in it, but my credit and debit cards were in it so that was a bit of a problem :/ We talked to the bus people and found out that they had found my wallet, but that it was on it's way to Limón (the city). After dropping our bags off at our hostel, Rockin J's, and eating lunch, I took a 1.5 hour bus ride up to Limón where I then took a taxi to the bus station. I got my wallet and then had to take another 1.5 hour bus ride back to Puerto Viejo. Now this wouldn't have been too bad. After all I got to see more of Costa Rica, even if most of it was by bus or taxi; it was still just a small adventure. Also, it rained most of the day so it wasn't like I missed out on the beach.

However, I had about half an hour left of the bus ride left from Limón to Puerto Viejo after my "little" adventure, when fate decided to extend it into a big one. We were driving back and I saw this really dark cloud of smoke rising up ahead of us. It turned out to be from a car that had gone off the road and crashed in the sidebrush. I was wondering why we couldn't just pass by it; after all, it was way off the road and there didn't seem to be anything leftover on the actual road. Nevertheless, apparently the car was still smoking and they were afraid that the fire would reach the engine and the car would explode. Fun, right? So because of this we waited about 40+ minutes for the firefighters to arrive and put out the fire.

Now you would think that a delay of 40+ minutes wouldn't be that bad, especially not for someone used to city or Michigan summer traffic. And it wouldn't be, if it hadn't been for the fact that the 40 extra minutes brought us back after dark. Without the stop I would have gotten back with enough daylight to walk back to my hostel. However, in Costa Rica and ESPECIALLY in the providence of Limón (where I was) you DON'T walk alone at night.

So here I was back in Puerto Viejo, alone, at night, and freaking out just a little bit because of it. I walked about a block or so back to the bus station where I was kind of hoping maybe my friends would have a couple of people waiting (though I knew it was a long shot). No one was there and the bus station was closed. However, there were some payphones across the street. I had my phone card number memorized so I called Sarah L. (who is the only friend who's number I also have memorized). I knew I needed a taxi but the taxi numbers are different depending on you location, and I definitely didn't know the one for Puerto Viejo. She spoke with her older sister who gave me the Costa Rican information number (113), which I'm definitely going to remember for the future. When I called it though, the woman told me there wasn't a number for taxis in Puerto Viejo.

I called Sarah back and her sister gave me a taxi number that she had found. Unlike the 3-digit number I knew I wasn't going to be able to count on my memory for this one and I didn't have a pen. However, it had rained that day so I wrote the number down in the mud in front of me. After calling that number twice and only getting a busy signal I called her back again. By this point I was beginning to get just a bit nervous. Her sister told me to go first to the Soda (kind of like a small pharmacy minus the drugs) nearby first and ask for a taxi number.

So I got the number for apparently the only taxi rojo driver in Puerto Viejo -There are other taxi services, but they are private. Taxi rojo are public and generally much safer- By this point my phone card was giving me issues; while I definitely had plenty of minutes left, it said that it wasn't working and that I'd have to try again later. Well it wasn't like I could wait, so the lady at the Soda was very nice and called the guy for me. After a 5+ minute drive for 1,000 colones (approx. $2) I finally made it safely back to Rockin' J's.

Moral of the story, don't leave your wallet on a bus.

Reflection

<-- view from my house

It's hard to believe that I've already been in Costa Rica for over a month. I've been keeping pretty busy as is evident by my lack of blog posts, but I'm working on getting on top of things here. It doesn't help that I'm just as easily distracted here as I am in the U.S.

Seeing as how I've been here for awhile I've come to adjust to a lot of the cultural differences from the states. For one, dogs are everywhere here. Now I know you're probably thinking that dogs are everywhere in the states too, but it's really not the same. For one, here they're always wandering through the streets by themselves. There are no such things as leash laws, and people don't pick up after their dogs so you sometimes have to watch where you step. They also go places they wouldn't be allowed in the states. There are these certain dogs that are always wandering through the cafeteria at my university here. When we first got here, all of us thought wtf? There are dogs in the cafeteria? Now, it's just part of the daily life at UNA (Universidad Nacional Autónoma).

So while I enjoy my classes here, they can get a bit boring. This isn't because the subjects themselves are boring, but because the classes are so long. Here every class is a block class. So while you only have the class once a week, each time you meet it's for 2.5 - 3 hours. Luckily most everyone here, including the professors, are on tico time, so the classes usually start anywhere from 15-30 minutes late. However, that's still only a dent in a 3 hour class...

While I have adjusted a lot to the country, some things, like mutant ants, I don't think I'll ever quite get used to. I swear the ants here are on some kind of acid. They are either ridiculuously huge, or incredibly smart. I once put a coffee mug down and an hour later they were swarming it!

So because of classes and such I haven't really gotten out to see much of Costa Rica since orientation, although last Friday I went on the IFSA trip to Cerro Dantas, a forest animal reserve near Heredia. While I definitely enjoyed myself, I don't think I've been that muddy or tired in awhile, we walked for 5+ hours up and down hills. Also, the boots I borrowed had absolutely no traction so needless to say I fell alot...

Now, I don't know who in the U.S. told me that Costa Ricans have an easy Spanish accent to understand, but they don't. Maybe they meant easier than Argentinian accents? Because that I could understand. For the first couple of weeks I got here I had to watch people's mouths when they spoke (discreetly of course). It was particularly hard when I was talking to people for the first time. Now I'm getting better at understanding the accent, which of course I'm extactic about. I've really started to fall in love with Latin America and thinking that perhaps I did choose the right major after all :)

¡Hasta luego!