I read this book recently called the Big Book of Bright Ideas. These little girls write down all the important life lessons they learn so they can remember them later. I would be well advised to do something like that, and even though I probably won´t I did learn a lesson last night that is worth sharing. Mostly because it´s pretty funny. Life lesson #659 is:
If you are invited to a high school graduation party in Costa Rica, go; even if getting there takes two taxis, some walking in the rain and questions about whether the road will wash out. You will be wet when you get there, but you´ll probably end up having so much fun you´ll kick off those wet shoes and lead a group of high school teachers in the Macarena.
That was my Friday night.
To be honest, I didn´t really want to go to the party. I expected a whole bunch of speeches, a bunch of high school kids and having to sit at the grown-up table, which frankly is really boring. As it turns out though, it was the most fun I´ve had in a while. I laughed and danced with the students and teachers I see everyday and I could see clearly for the first time since I´ve been here... these people are my friends, I´m one of them now. It was a really cool realization, especially because this week marks one year of me being in Costa Rica. Seeing that in the course of a year I´ve made friends and become part of a community shows me that no matter what´s going on with my work here I´m forming relationships, and that´s what it´s really all about anyway.
10/08/2011
9/16/2011
Do you believe in magic?
I have to write this down before I forget. Before tomorrow when something happens and I convince myself that this moment never existed. Before the feeling that I’m getting nowhere with my job comes creeping back. Before the students again inform the teacher via Facebook chat that they have collectively decided not to attend class. (I’m not kidding about that. Last Wednesday when my Peace Corps project manager was here I was supposed to have class, but got a message that the previous scenario had just played itself out over the internet.) Regardless, I just have to share this because it was, in a word, magical.
Ok, so magical is a strong word, but it gets at how something can be just right and at the same time totally out of one's control. Imagine one moment in your job that everything just clicks and you know you’re in the right place, at the right time, doing just what you’re supposed to be doing and things “work” in a way you could have never forced no matter how hard you tried. Place that moment in a Costa Rican high school classroom, 9:30am, September 14, 2011.
My job when working with classes is to “co-teach”, something that has proved very difficult. Generally, the class is either just handed to me, and the teacher leaves the room, or I spend the entire class sitting in a back corner piping in only when asked about pronunciation. Neither of those are effective co-teaching models. Effective co-teaching moments have been few and far between, and I often worry that I’m not making much of an impact with the co-teaching strategy. I’m probably going to keep feeling this for the duration of my time here, because co-teaching is innately challenging practice. Getting two teachers working well together takes a lot of time and commitment on both teachers’ parts, and those are two things that aren’t exactly abundant here. Despite this, I now have at least one moment to go back to and remind me that all is not lost.
It happened when a group of ninth grade students were working on a lesson about the use of future tense in English. I presented the technical grammar stuff, the students worked on a written practice and then we had planned a charades-type activity for communicative practice. I had come up with the activity and presented it to a group the day before, but had to leave before actually seeing how it turned out. I left the teacher with it and didn’t have terribly high expectations for its success. The reason I felt this way was because what I, and many contemporary educators, call “communicative activities/practices” are what many others call “games”. They are many times regarded as having no place in school and when I use them in classes here I often get a response akin to, “Yea, the students liked it, but I don’t think they really learned anything.” I understand it’s hard to change ideas about how to educate, and it makes it really hard for me when teachers just plain don’t “believe in” what I’m trying to sell. The moral of the story, I hoped charades would go well but doubted it. When we got to that point in the class, I went to the teacher and asked, with some trepidation, bracing myself to think quick and invent a new practice, “Should we do the charades thing? I don’t know if it’s a good idea. Did it work yesterday? Did they get it?” Instead of what I expected, I got, “Yea. Let’s do it. Yesterday it went great, I even added another part to the activity so more students participated and there was more practice.” I didn’t believe my ears. Not only did they do the activity, he improved the activity, made it his own, and now he was the one endorsing it. Since things we’re going so well, I decided to test my luck and suggested he lead the practice because he was so successful with it the day before. He agreed, got up and jumped right in. And that was the moment. Right there. We were real co-teachers. It wasn’t “my” lesson in “his” class; it was “our” activity. We had worked together, improved on each other's ideas and executed our work seamlessly. That, was magic.
While he started explaining and organizing the students, I took a moment to reflect. I sat down and looked around. ‘That just happened,’ I thought, ‘it’s really working.’ My job is to work with teachers to help them improve their English teaching strategies, and that is exactly what happened there. I wonder every time I step foot in the school if what I’m doing there really matters. It depends on the day how I feel about it, but this day, in that moment, I knew that inspiring one teacher to creatively use charades to teach the future tense in English is something to be proud of.
9/08/2011
I knew it
I live in t-shirts and shorts here. Like I mentioned before, I can count on one hand the number of times I've recently worn pants in my town. Jeans, long-sleeves and jackets come in handy in San Jose and when I travel, but usually I just glance at them hanging in the closet and chuckle. There is one particular item that always makes me laugh when looking at it, and that is my North Face down vest. I know you're probably asking why I brought it in the first place, and while that's a legitimate question, I had, and have, a very good reason. The reason has absolutely nothing to do with the cold, though the vest came in handy for that during my 3 months in training in a mountain community. The real reason I though, is in case I miss home. It's a security blanket of sorts. Laugh if you will, say I'm too old, but really, it's true.
Growing up in Boise and living a few years in Spokane I spent months cocooned in my down vest. It makes me feel warm (obviously), but more than that it makes me feel safe. Zipping the fleece lined puffer up to my chin and snuggling up makes me think of northwest winters, of skiing, of a fire in the fireplace, and of home. While I was packing to come here I looked at that vest and thought just that. My plan was, 'If I'm there and I really, really miss home I'll put it on, zip it up tight, snuggle my chin in, close my eyes and imagine I'm home.' I did consider the possible heat factor, but the cost-benefit ratio favored the snuggly goose-down outerwear garment, and in it went.
A day hadn't really come that I needed my security blanket vest, although I've had some times that I've felt homesick nothing had yet warranted The Vest. That was, until Tuesday. There's not a lot worse than being sick when you live alone and far from friends and family, and add being in a foreign country and you've got what I'd call a bad deal.
On Tuesday I came down with some kind of stomach virus. It was really terrible. My stomach and head hurt, I had a fever, moving made me nauseous. It was all round no good. As I lay in bed Tuesday night I tried to figure out how to make myself feel better. I tried crackers and club soda, ibuprofen, you know the regular stuff, and I was feeling okay as long as I just didn't move. What I really wanted was to be at home with my parents so they could bring me soup and tea, and I wouldn't have to be alone in Costa Rica attempting not to move. As much as I wished it, this was not an option. Enter here: The Vest. I looked up from my bed at my clothes hanging there and saw what was as close to a solution as I was gonna get. I missed home, I wanted to be snuggled on a couch in Boise, Idaho, I needed something, and there it was. It may have been too warm for down and I may have had a fever, but I got the vest down anyway. I snuggled into it, got comfy in bed, got some crackers and gatorade, and I was set.
They vest worked like a charm. I still wasn't cured of my flu, but I felt a lot better with just that little reminder of home. I was still alone, I still spent all day in bed, but I closed my eyes and I was home. I knew it would come in handy.
Growing up in Boise and living a few years in Spokane I spent months cocooned in my down vest. It makes me feel warm (obviously), but more than that it makes me feel safe. Zipping the fleece lined puffer up to my chin and snuggling up makes me think of northwest winters, of skiing, of a fire in the fireplace, and of home. While I was packing to come here I looked at that vest and thought just that. My plan was, 'If I'm there and I really, really miss home I'll put it on, zip it up tight, snuggle my chin in, close my eyes and imagine I'm home.' I did consider the possible heat factor, but the cost-benefit ratio favored the snuggly goose-down outerwear garment, and in it went.
A day hadn't really come that I needed my security blanket vest, although I've had some times that I've felt homesick nothing had yet warranted The Vest. That was, until Tuesday. There's not a lot worse than being sick when you live alone and far from friends and family, and add being in a foreign country and you've got what I'd call a bad deal.
On Tuesday I came down with some kind of stomach virus. It was really terrible. My stomach and head hurt, I had a fever, moving made me nauseous. It was all round no good. As I lay in bed Tuesday night I tried to figure out how to make myself feel better. I tried crackers and club soda, ibuprofen, you know the regular stuff, and I was feeling okay as long as I just didn't move. What I really wanted was to be at home with my parents so they could bring me soup and tea, and I wouldn't have to be alone in Costa Rica attempting not to move. As much as I wished it, this was not an option. Enter here: The Vest. I looked up from my bed at my clothes hanging there and saw what was as close to a solution as I was gonna get. I missed home, I wanted to be snuggled on a couch in Boise, Idaho, I needed something, and there it was. It may have been too warm for down and I may have had a fever, but I got the vest down anyway. I snuggled into it, got comfy in bed, got some crackers and gatorade, and I was set.
They vest worked like a charm. I still wasn't cured of my flu, but I felt a lot better with just that little reminder of home. I was still alone, I still spent all day in bed, but I closed my eyes and I was home. I knew it would come in handy.
8/30/2011
Who needs work anyway
Because of the extraordinary amounts of testing we have at the high school I haven't been teaching for over two weeks. It's not for a lack to trying to do my job, but for technical difficulties. I went to school everyday, but I just ended up talking with teachers about plans and activities we're going to start...after exams. So, I've been hanging out at home cooking, reading and drinking excessive amounts of coffee. The results have been some delicious biscuits, a new garbanzo bean curry recipe and a few dog-eared paperbacks. I can't say I mind just takin' it easy, but after a while I began to wonder when we were going to get back to having English class. Turns out the answer is today. You'd think I'd dread going back to work, but I'm actually really glad to be doing something productive after so many days of just hangin'.
Part of the reason I have so much down time is just the nature of being a Peace Corps volunteer. Things move slow. I have to get people organized, and once I do we have to schedule our work around other things that are going on. In the school that's testing, teacher trainings, staff meetings, holidays, science fairs, assemblies and the like. In the community there are the challenges of holidays, work schedules, meeting space avaliability and more. When it all comes together just right so a project or class can work, it's wonderful; it just usually takes a lot of time to get there.
But, starting to day it seem we are back at it. I went this morning to settle all the details for my next session of adult classes, I'm actually teaching some lessons at the school, and we have the next trimester schedule set. In addition I'm working on a committee for the regional English Day event and I'm working with a teacher in my school on what is my biggest project yet. It is a community service/cultural exchange project where the students will work all year on community service projects and next July will go to Boise to share their experience with an organization there and do homestays with American high school students. That's definitely the project I'm currently most excited about.
Glad to be back to work and I'll keep you updated about whether my students and I will make it stateside next year!
Part of the reason I have so much down time is just the nature of being a Peace Corps volunteer. Things move slow. I have to get people organized, and once I do we have to schedule our work around other things that are going on. In the school that's testing, teacher trainings, staff meetings, holidays, science fairs, assemblies and the like. In the community there are the challenges of holidays, work schedules, meeting space avaliability and more. When it all comes together just right so a project or class can work, it's wonderful; it just usually takes a lot of time to get there.
But, starting to day it seem we are back at it. I went this morning to settle all the details for my next session of adult classes, I'm actually teaching some lessons at the school, and we have the next trimester schedule set. In addition I'm working on a committee for the regional English Day event and I'm working with a teacher in my school on what is my biggest project yet. It is a community service/cultural exchange project where the students will work all year on community service projects and next July will go to Boise to share their experience with an organization there and do homestays with American high school students. That's definitely the project I'm currently most excited about.
Glad to be back to work and I'll keep you updated about whether my students and I will make it stateside next year!
8/23/2011
I like to move it, move it
It has been a while since I wrote on my blog and all kinds of things have happened lately, so if nothing else I have lots to tell! The quick rundown is that I went out of town, moved, went out of town again, started to get settled and now... I’m moving again.
What happened first is that I moved out of my host family and into an apartment. It’s an okay, but not great, place, and I was short on time for moving in so I decided to go ahead and move in. Here rent is generally month-to-month, so I was only committed to a month. I had decided that I’d keep my eyes open for other places, and it just so happens I went out for a run on Saturday and saw a sign announcing an apartment for rent. I called the number and by evening I was all set to move in on September 1st. It’s a much nicer place than where I am now for the same price. It was really too good to turn down. It’s also going to be much quieter than where I am now, as it’s an apartment completely separate from a house and here I share a wall with the landlords. Having walls that don’t go all the way up may be Costa Rican normal, but getting used to it is tough…thank goodness I don’t have to.
That’s the big thing that’s been going on here. Besides that, like I said, I was out of town; the first time in Turrialba with my host brothers for a fifteenth birthday party, or what they call a Quinceañera. In many Latin American countries, including Costa Rica, quinceañeras are a really big deal. It’s similar to an American Sweet 16. If you think some Americans go all out for their daughters’ Sweet 16s you should see how Latin Americans do quinceañeras. This event included a mass, a catered dinner and reception for about a hundred and fifty people. It was basically like a wedding, and I’m sure it cost about as much. In wedding fashion, the girl had 15 bridesmaids/groomsmen type young people in matching dresses and shirts made special for the occasion. That’s right, 15 pairs of teenagers accompanying her in the mass and into the reception! She wore a long prom type gown and was presented in front of mass and again honored at the reception. It was a very interesting cultural experience, I’ve heard about the big quinceañeras, but I had never been to one quite as big. I think one of the most interesting parts of it for me was that she has a twin brother who was also turning fifteen, but there was only one mention of him the whole evening and I couldn’t quite figure out which one he was. Poor guy!
The day after the party my host brother participated in a performance with his traditional dance group. They are a traveling group who perform in our town, surrounding towns and anywhere they are invited, like this quinceañera. They do folklore dances that tell stories about the history of Costa Rica, and they have really cool costumes. Here are some photos of the performance:
The second time I was out of town was for a little beach trip with two fellow volunteers. We spent three days at Manuel Antonio Beach enjoying the sun (kind of) and surf. It actually wasn’t really sunny. In the mornings it was, but each day in the afternoon about 3 it started pouring. We had heard of this thing called the rainy season, but it’s not something we actually know, because where we’re living it’s hardly raining at all. The girls I was with both live in the Upala area close to the Nicaraguan border where it is really hot and dry, and where I live it’s a little cooler, but not much, so we were kind of surprised to see that the tales we hear about daily downpours in rainy season are actually true. It was no matter though, we just got up and to the beach early, enjoyed the sun that there was and headed in about 3:30 to relax, read and rest up. Our few days there were really nice and I followed them with a visit with my training host family.
The couple I stayed with during training is Daysi and Gabelo. They are really wonderful older people and they were really happy that I came back to visit. Though, they did let me know it had been 8 months since I had been there and encouraged me to visit again, but a little sooner this time. It was wonderful to see them, and I didn’t realize before I went but I happened to be visiting on Mother’s Day weekend. In Costa Rica Mother’s Day is a national holiday celebrated every year on August 15th. This year it fell on Monday, but it seemed that people spent the entire weekend celebrating. It delighted Daysi that I came that weekend, and I’m just lucky it fell that way. I was at their house Saturday and Sunday, and did nothing but eat the whole time. After going back to visit I can see that it’s no wonder I gained wait during those first three months, the way Daysi cooks. She made me a snack when I got there at 3, a half a chicken for dinner at 6, then Sunday I had breakfast at 8 and again at 10, lunch at 12 and coffee and a snack at 2:30. Eating every 2 hours seems reasonable, right? All the food was delicious, and for Sunday lunch the whole family was there to celebrate Mother’s Day. It was really nice weekend, and I’m going to try to make it to visit them again soon. I’ll just make sure not to eat much before I go!
In closing, here’s one more picture of my friends Hannah and Julia walking across the Nicaraguan border on our trip in July. We had to get off the bus on the Costa Rican side and catch another on the Nicaraguan side, something I wouldn’t recommend unless you speak good Spanish or at least know how to say: “What am I paying for? Are you ripping my off because I’m a gringo?!”, with some attitude.8/05/2011
Just another Saturday...
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| Pozo Azul Waterfall in La Virgin de Sarapiqui |
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| My friends, and fellow volunteers, Rebecca (Left) and Sarah |
Also, some of my friends jump off the waterfall, but I'm not that brave. Yet. I tell myself I'm gonna do it before I leave...maybe I just need a pep talk from my dare-devil of a brother.
8/03/2011
What a Great Day!
Yesterday was just a great day all around. In terms of accomplishing "work" tasks, it was entirely a wash, but... that's not to say other good things didn't come of the day.
Yesterday was a holiday from school because it was the Day of the Virgin of Los Angeles, who is the patron virgin of Costa Rica. This day is not only a national holiday, but it's also the day that thousands of Costa Rican people participate in a pilgrimage. People walk from their towns all over the country to the cathedral in Cartago to visit the virgin. People started gearing up for the event last week, preparing packs and walking shoes and some setting out over a week in advance to arrive on Aug. 2 in Cartago. This year, I didn't participate in the pilgrimage, but I'm thinking about it for next year. It's a really interesting cultural tradition.
Instead of walking various days to visit a cathedral, I stayed home, slept in, baked cookies and found a new apartment. Yep, that's right, I'm moving! I've been talking about moving with my host mom, and we've both been talking to people to see what's available in town. Yesterday I looked at two places and one of them is gonna work out just perfect. It's a little one bedroom apartment, and there isn't much to it, but nonetheless, I'll have my own space. As much as I love my host family, they are wonderful, I'm excited to have a place of my own.
So that's the big news. Apart from that my trip to the grocery store yesterday was also great because I found out they now sell Pepperidge Farm cookies. Milanos... mmm. Great new item, even if I'm likely the only one who will buy them. I was also able to buy semi-sweet chocolate chips; a rarity around here, sometimes there are no chocolate chips at all. And finally, I found everything I needed to make homemade Girl Scout cookies. How is that not a great thing?
I found a recipe for homemade Tagalongs, which are the chocolate ones filled with peanut butter. I tried to explain to people here about the Girl Scouts and how we buy boxes and boxes of cookies, but I don't think they understood. They have Girl Scouts here, but they don't sell cookies. The cookies were pretty close to the original and they turned out delicious, if I do say so myself. The recipe for the cookies is in the recipes section of the blog if you want to give it a try.
Yesterday was a holiday from school because it was the Day of the Virgin of Los Angeles, who is the patron virgin of Costa Rica. This day is not only a national holiday, but it's also the day that thousands of Costa Rican people participate in a pilgrimage. People walk from their towns all over the country to the cathedral in Cartago to visit the virgin. People started gearing up for the event last week, preparing packs and walking shoes and some setting out over a week in advance to arrive on Aug. 2 in Cartago. This year, I didn't participate in the pilgrimage, but I'm thinking about it for next year. It's a really interesting cultural tradition.
Instead of walking various days to visit a cathedral, I stayed home, slept in, baked cookies and found a new apartment. Yep, that's right, I'm moving! I've been talking about moving with my host mom, and we've both been talking to people to see what's available in town. Yesterday I looked at two places and one of them is gonna work out just perfect. It's a little one bedroom apartment, and there isn't much to it, but nonetheless, I'll have my own space. As much as I love my host family, they are wonderful, I'm excited to have a place of my own.
So that's the big news. Apart from that my trip to the grocery store yesterday was also great because I found out they now sell Pepperidge Farm cookies. Milanos... mmm. Great new item, even if I'm likely the only one who will buy them. I was also able to buy semi-sweet chocolate chips; a rarity around here, sometimes there are no chocolate chips at all. And finally, I found everything I needed to make homemade Girl Scout cookies. How is that not a great thing?
I found a recipe for homemade Tagalongs, which are the chocolate ones filled with peanut butter. I tried to explain to people here about the Girl Scouts and how we buy boxes and boxes of cookies, but I don't think they understood. They have Girl Scouts here, but they don't sell cookies. The cookies were pretty close to the original and they turned out delicious, if I do say so myself. The recipe for the cookies is in the recipes section of the blog if you want to give it a try.
7/31/2011
There's a National Lasagne Day?
Last Friday was National Lasagna Day in the United States. You didn't know that? Well, it was.
This day is not something I usually recognize, because for one, how the heck am I supposed to make decorations for Lasagna Day? Secondly, I didn't actually know that it existed until last Friday when I was browsing the "Runner's World" website and this important morsel of information appeared in one of the articles. The only reason I'm mentioning this at all is because after I thought about how delicious lasagna was I couldn't get it off my mind and I proceeded to spend at least an hour paroozing lasagna recipes...then some cake recipes...then some soup recipes...and so on.
I had no idea food blogging was such a popular thing. I knew about recipe sites on line and a few food blogs, the good 'ol Food Network site and stuff like that; but I had no idea how many people were out there cooking and blogging AND taking mouth-watering photos. It's fascinating, really, how many of them exist.
If you like cooking, baking, or even just eating, you really should take a look at these. Get ready for your mouth to water:
Food Buzz
Food Gawker
This day is not something I usually recognize, because for one, how the heck am I supposed to make decorations for Lasagna Day? Secondly, I didn't actually know that it existed until last Friday when I was browsing the "Runner's World" website and this important morsel of information appeared in one of the articles. The only reason I'm mentioning this at all is because after I thought about how delicious lasagna was I couldn't get it off my mind and I proceeded to spend at least an hour paroozing lasagna recipes...then some cake recipes...then some soup recipes...and so on.
I had no idea food blogging was such a popular thing. I knew about recipe sites on line and a few food blogs, the good 'ol Food Network site and stuff like that; but I had no idea how many people were out there cooking and blogging AND taking mouth-watering photos. It's fascinating, really, how many of them exist.
If you like cooking, baking, or even just eating, you really should take a look at these. Get ready for your mouth to water:
Food Buzz
Food Gawker
7/26/2011
1, 2, 3
First, due to several unfortunate misunderstandings and a poorly designed website my friends and I were not able to participate in the North Face race this past weekend. It was a bummer. Especially becuase I've been training for a few months, but... it's going to be fine because I signed up for the Tamarindo Beach Marathon on Sept. 17. I didn't want to waste all that training I had done, and hopefully I can rope a couple friends into coming to the beach. The race is Saturday morning at 5am (!) which means we would have the whole rest of the weekend to relax, doesn't sound too bad to me.
Second, things are really picking up around here. I'm teaching in my school, as always, but in addition to English I am doing a business program, gender equality talks, study skills seminars and teacher trainings. Whew! I'll admit I was really bored over my two week break, but I don't think Mr. Boredom with be back around anytime soon.
Third, I'm convinced it will never cool down around here. Rainy season has apparently started, but it is still warm. It doesn't appear to rain any more or any less, and I can still count on one hand the number of times I have recently worn pants... that count occupies only 3 fingers. Which leaves us at 75+ sunny degrees everyday, tropical sun and lots of humidity. I learned my lesson about assuming I could wear A: pants or B: Running tights when it's cloudy outside. The answer is: Don't do it! Just because the sky is darker doesn't mean it is cooler. The temperature might be less but the humidity is way higher. I know that this is really nothing to complain about, and this isn't a complaint, but I do dream about being cold. How do I feel about Idaho in winter? All I can say is...yes.
Second, things are really picking up around here. I'm teaching in my school, as always, but in addition to English I am doing a business program, gender equality talks, study skills seminars and teacher trainings. Whew! I'll admit I was really bored over my two week break, but I don't think Mr. Boredom with be back around anytime soon.
Third, I'm convinced it will never cool down around here. Rainy season has apparently started, but it is still warm. It doesn't appear to rain any more or any less, and I can still count on one hand the number of times I have recently worn pants... that count occupies only 3 fingers. Which leaves us at 75+ sunny degrees everyday, tropical sun and lots of humidity. I learned my lesson about assuming I could wear A: pants or B: Running tights when it's cloudy outside. The answer is: Don't do it! Just because the sky is darker doesn't mean it is cooler. The temperature might be less but the humidity is way higher. I know that this is really nothing to complain about, and this isn't a complaint, but I do dream about being cold. How do I feel about Idaho in winter? All I can say is...yes.
7/18/2011
Smorgasbord
- I have been feeling terribly homesick lately. I think it's easing up, especially since school is back in as of today and I really do have a bunch going on in the next couple weeks, but even still this is the longest I've ever gone without seeing family or friends and it's hard. So... if you ever feel like e-mailing, calling, sending a card... none of that could ever hurt, and I promise I'll write back!
- I've been combating my homesickness by cooking. I cook quite a bit anyway, but I took it to new heights this weekend. I made veggie casserole, southwestern burritos, granola and caramel-filled chocolate cookies. On Saturday, I went to the store in morning and spent the entire rest of the day cooking. Everything turned out, and I have all kinds of stuff to eat now. I did give the most of the cookies away though; love to make them, would love to eat all of them, but that's not really a great idea. My veggie casserole recipe strangely grew to three casseroles as I chopped, and chopped, and chopped veggies. Therapeutic, but that was actually the point I started to wonder about my mental stability: as I looked around a disaster of a kitchen with enough food and dessert for at least 15 people. Oh well, I decided, a taste of home is always good for the soul.
- I came down with a no-good flu when I got back from Nicaragua and spent 3 days doing absolutely nothing, going only from my bed, to the couch, to the kitchen and back. I'm all better now, but I had time to watch many a rerun of Friends and begin a new obsession with allrecipes.com and joyofbaking.com...great sites, you should check them out.
- I'm considering retiring when I get back to the U.S. and just becoming a cook/baker. Man, I think I would love to spend all my time cooking. I spend hours looking at recipes, and if I do say so myself, I'm not too bad at preparing them. I even made marshmallows today. Who knew you could do that? You can, it's very simple and they are delicious, way better than store-bought. I found out you can also very easily make ketchup. I'm gonna give it a try, as I'm not a big fan of the ketchup here, it tastes quite different.
- My host family returned this Saturday night from a trip to New York. I'm glad to have them back and I honestly missed them. It's really ironic to me that they went on vacation in my country while I was here in theirs. They did invite me, which was even more ironic, but I didn't have a lot of interest in going to New York instead of say, Nicaragua or Panama. So, they made it back, with a whole bunch of new clothes, electronics, perfumes, jewelry, shoes and everything else. It's really common here that people who have the means travel to the U.S. just to shop, go relatively often because what they like (i.e.-latest fashions, newest electronics, etc.) is usually about half the price there. This was my host family's first time there and I was really interested to see what they thought of the U.S. I wondered what they would say about the distinct differences between here and there. It turns out that they really haven't had a lot to say about it. They said it was nice...they liked it...the houses and buildings were big...the ocean was really cold...and really that was about it. I'll keep my ears open, but I'm just surprised they didn't have much to say. I think it also has a lot to do with how much information exchange there is between the U.S. and here, through internet and T.V. so most of the things weren't that novel because they'd been seeing them for years in movies and on the internet.
- My host mom, Sandra, brought me a t-shirt, a nail polish and a pair of undies from the U.S. While it was weird getting souvenir gifts from my home country, underwear nonetheless, I have never been more excited about such gifts. First of all, my other undies are getting lots of holes in them because the little ants and other bugs eat my clothes. Second of all, the quality of nail polish here is not even close to that of nail polish there, unless you buy expensive imported stuff. Third, I have a favorite green v-neck t-shirt that also is getting holes in it and now I have a great new green v-neck hole-free replacement. Sandra is really thoughtful, and though I thanked her I don't know if she'll ever understand that these little things really meant a lot to me.
7/15/2011
The birds and the...
Haha, you thought I was going to say bees. The correct answer is butterflies. I went looking for pictures because wanted to share pictures of a few of my favorite local birds and butterflies. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I went to search Google for the pictures, I realized when I got to doing it that you can't just type in "blue butterfly Costa Rica" and get the right one, or "black bird with red". Then I thought I could just glance at a list of common Costa Rican birds... turns our there are 893 species of birds on the list. So, since I really do have all the time in the world (since it's school vacation) to look for them I clicked around and found them. I don't think the pictures really do them justice, as they are much brighter in person, but it gives you an idea anyway.
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| Red winged Blackbird- Apparently native to Cuba, not sure how it made it here |
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| Blue Morpho Butterfly |
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| Urania Butterfly |
Take the best and leave the rest
After a great trip to Niacragua with two wonderful volunteer friends, I made it safely back to Costa Rica...although I brought home a souvenir flu.
The week we spent away was fun, relaxing and much needed. After almost 10 months here it was really nice to have a vacation. We go away for weekends here and there and we have Peace Corps events, but to really being on vacation not thinking about work or the Peace Corps was refreshing. There is a tendency among Peace Corps volunteers to only talk about the Peace Corps. You live and breath the experience every minute of every day, since it's your life and your work, and it's such a rich and consuming experience that it's hard to remember sometimes there is more to you and your life. While it's helpful to be able to share the experiences with others who are going through the same, it gets tiring to only think, live and talk about that. Which is exactly why our vacation was so nice. In addition to seeing the sights in Nicaragua, we were able to really enjoy each other's company; laugh and reminisce about travel, college, the U.S., our friends and families, and remember who we are outside of this experience.
This trip fell at an significant time in our Peace Corps service, and getting away got me really thinking about things. I've been in my town for almost 8 months and in Costa Rica for about 10 months. That's the better part of a year, and even though it's a long time, I'm still going to be here for another 17 months. When I look back, I know it will all look short and feel like it flew by, but when you're in the thick of it, looking 17 more months in the eye really gets you thinking. After finishing up one semester of school I started taking a critical look at what I'm really doing here. If I'm going to be here 17 more months I really need to have a clear picture of what I'm doing and why. Without a focus it's hard to justify my work and living and refute the argument that I could be more useful somewhere else.
I've been really careful about expressing doubts or concerns about my work as a volunteer on my blog. I don't want anyone to get the idea that I don't like what I'm doing, or to come to the wrong conclusions about the work or the Peace Corps as an organization. That being said, please take anything I say for what it is: personal feelings and opinions about my job and life in the Peace Corps. I feel that now, after a fair bit of time here, I can more fairly express many of the thoughts/doubts/frustrations that I've had about my work since I arrived here.
My position here is defined as a "Teaching English as a Foreign Language Volunteer". I am working to improve English skills and English teaching skills in the school and community in which I work, and furthermore work on any projects that will improve quality of life and development standards in my community. So, what I'm trying to say is that I'm here to teach English and I can do other stuff if I want. I came in to the Peace Corps very dubious of being an English teaching volunteer. Everyone is entitled to how they feel about volunteers teaching English abroad, but I feel that there is an element of imperialism inherent in a rich country sending volunteers to a poorer country and saying: "I'm here to make your lives better, I will teach you my language." I know that's not an accurate description of how Peace Corps works, but I maintain that it's a point that should be considered. I also had many doubts about the development situation in Costa Rica. When I can cross the border into Nicaragua and see visible poverty, I question if I'm really being best used helping "develop" my Costa Rican town where virtually everyone has their basic needs met, and then some.
All of this can sound very critical, of the Peace Corps, of English teaching, of what so many volunteers are doing in Costa Rica. Like I said earlier, don't take this as criticism of the Peace Corps, I am not in any way saying the work being done with my project is not important or good, because it is certainly both of those things. This really is about my work, and whether my job and I match up. My questions are, "Are my skills and experience being best used here?" and "Does the work I'm doing here match my motivations, interests and goals?" These are important questions and there is certainly an argument that crosses my mind now and then, that says I should have thought about this before I committed to this job, but you never know anything until you're in it and that's all I can really say to that. As far as answering those questions, I may not ever have concrete answers, but what I've determined so far is: A: My experience and knowledge is being well used, I'm trained in teaching, I'm a native English speaker and I have language teaching experience. The fit is pretty good on that front. Any job I ever have is going to draw on a certain set of my experiences, and it's up to me which direction I take. B: My motivations and goals are very much aligned with what I'm doing here. I want to help those who don't have as much as I do, and I need more experience doing this so I can continue to be more effective at it as I move into a career. So, what's the problem then?
The "problem", or better put the crux of this whole thing, is that I'm not passionate about teaching English. I've come to the conclusion that that's it, plain and simple. It's not that I don't like teaching, or being a volunteer, or working in Costa Rica, it's just that teaching English doesn't excite me. It's an important thing and necessary thing in Costa Rica, but I believe that if someone is going to be a teacher, of anything, they need to be passionate about teaching and what they teach. I'm passionate about education and teaching, but not about English as a second language. I know there are teachers out there that are passionate about it, and I feel they are more fit for this than I am, but at this point what should I do?
That's actually not even really a question. I know what I should do, I should keep doing what I'm doing. I care about the people I teach, even the teenagers who give me lots of eye-rolls and dirty looks. I really do believe that education, of any type, is important and opens doors, and I know that me being willing to be here and share what I know with people here is valuable. Plus, if I don't do it who else will? There aren't really people tearing down the door to improve the English situation in the country. I might not be thrilled to be teaching English, but how often is it that people are thrilled by every aspect of their job? I can and will do what I'm here to do, I'm just glad I pinpointed part of why I question this whole thing.
The week we spent away was fun, relaxing and much needed. After almost 10 months here it was really nice to have a vacation. We go away for weekends here and there and we have Peace Corps events, but to really being on vacation not thinking about work or the Peace Corps was refreshing. There is a tendency among Peace Corps volunteers to only talk about the Peace Corps. You live and breath the experience every minute of every day, since it's your life and your work, and it's such a rich and consuming experience that it's hard to remember sometimes there is more to you and your life. While it's helpful to be able to share the experiences with others who are going through the same, it gets tiring to only think, live and talk about that. Which is exactly why our vacation was so nice. In addition to seeing the sights in Nicaragua, we were able to really enjoy each other's company; laugh and reminisce about travel, college, the U.S., our friends and families, and remember who we are outside of this experience.
This trip fell at an significant time in our Peace Corps service, and getting away got me really thinking about things. I've been in my town for almost 8 months and in Costa Rica for about 10 months. That's the better part of a year, and even though it's a long time, I'm still going to be here for another 17 months. When I look back, I know it will all look short and feel like it flew by, but when you're in the thick of it, looking 17 more months in the eye really gets you thinking. After finishing up one semester of school I started taking a critical look at what I'm really doing here. If I'm going to be here 17 more months I really need to have a clear picture of what I'm doing and why. Without a focus it's hard to justify my work and living and refute the argument that I could be more useful somewhere else.
I've been really careful about expressing doubts or concerns about my work as a volunteer on my blog. I don't want anyone to get the idea that I don't like what I'm doing, or to come to the wrong conclusions about the work or the Peace Corps as an organization. That being said, please take anything I say for what it is: personal feelings and opinions about my job and life in the Peace Corps. I feel that now, after a fair bit of time here, I can more fairly express many of the thoughts/doubts/frustrations that I've had about my work since I arrived here.
My position here is defined as a "Teaching English as a Foreign Language Volunteer". I am working to improve English skills and English teaching skills in the school and community in which I work, and furthermore work on any projects that will improve quality of life and development standards in my community. So, what I'm trying to say is that I'm here to teach English and I can do other stuff if I want. I came in to the Peace Corps very dubious of being an English teaching volunteer. Everyone is entitled to how they feel about volunteers teaching English abroad, but I feel that there is an element of imperialism inherent in a rich country sending volunteers to a poorer country and saying: "I'm here to make your lives better, I will teach you my language." I know that's not an accurate description of how Peace Corps works, but I maintain that it's a point that should be considered. I also had many doubts about the development situation in Costa Rica. When I can cross the border into Nicaragua and see visible poverty, I question if I'm really being best used helping "develop" my Costa Rican town where virtually everyone has their basic needs met, and then some.
All of this can sound very critical, of the Peace Corps, of English teaching, of what so many volunteers are doing in Costa Rica. Like I said earlier, don't take this as criticism of the Peace Corps, I am not in any way saying the work being done with my project is not important or good, because it is certainly both of those things. This really is about my work, and whether my job and I match up. My questions are, "Are my skills and experience being best used here?" and "Does the work I'm doing here match my motivations, interests and goals?" These are important questions and there is certainly an argument that crosses my mind now and then, that says I should have thought about this before I committed to this job, but you never know anything until you're in it and that's all I can really say to that. As far as answering those questions, I may not ever have concrete answers, but what I've determined so far is: A: My experience and knowledge is being well used, I'm trained in teaching, I'm a native English speaker and I have language teaching experience. The fit is pretty good on that front. Any job I ever have is going to draw on a certain set of my experiences, and it's up to me which direction I take. B: My motivations and goals are very much aligned with what I'm doing here. I want to help those who don't have as much as I do, and I need more experience doing this so I can continue to be more effective at it as I move into a career. So, what's the problem then?
The "problem", or better put the crux of this whole thing, is that I'm not passionate about teaching English. I've come to the conclusion that that's it, plain and simple. It's not that I don't like teaching, or being a volunteer, or working in Costa Rica, it's just that teaching English doesn't excite me. It's an important thing and necessary thing in Costa Rica, but I believe that if someone is going to be a teacher, of anything, they need to be passionate about teaching and what they teach. I'm passionate about education and teaching, but not about English as a second language. I know there are teachers out there that are passionate about it, and I feel they are more fit for this than I am, but at this point what should I do?
That's actually not even really a question. I know what I should do, I should keep doing what I'm doing. I care about the people I teach, even the teenagers who give me lots of eye-rolls and dirty looks. I really do believe that education, of any type, is important and opens doors, and I know that me being willing to be here and share what I know with people here is valuable. Plus, if I don't do it who else will? There aren't really people tearing down the door to improve the English situation in the country. I might not be thrilled to be teaching English, but how often is it that people are thrilled by every aspect of their job? I can and will do what I'm here to do, I'm just glad I pinpointed part of why I question this whole thing.
7/03/2011
And we're off!
You know how the days right before a vacation either fly or drag by? Well, these last few days have been of the dragging variety. But the day has finally come, I'm off tomorrow for a trip to Nicaragua! I'm pretty excited and feeling like I can use the vacation. School is out for two weeks for mid-year vacation, so this is a perfect time for a trip. I'm going with two other volunteers for 5 days to 4 different cities. We're starting our trip in San Jose for a 4th of July celebration and then we'll spend the rest of the week traveling coming back for summer camps two of us are putting on the next week. Look for pictures soon.
As for goings on around here, there wasn't much happening because at school there were mid-semester exams and everyone was just counting down the minutes until vacation. This past week my host dad celebrated his birthday, so our project one day was his cake. I didn't have to go to school and neither did my 15 year old host brother so we worked together to make this car cake. It turned out really cool, and though it's about all we have to show for our week, it was way more fun than school!
As for goings on around here, there wasn't much happening because at school there were mid-semester exams and everyone was just counting down the minutes until vacation. This past week my host dad celebrated his birthday, so our project one day was his cake. I didn't have to go to school and neither did my 15 year old host brother so we worked together to make this car cake. It turned out really cool, and though it's about all we have to show for our week, it was way more fun than school!
6/27/2011
Life is a marathon
My long runs are one of my favorite and least favorite parts of the week. I love them because I always see cool stuff. I loath them because...I mean...come on, who wants to run for 3+ hours? You get sore, you get tired.
In all honesty, I am a person who actually does want to go out and run for hours, but the thought of it before I'm actually out there scares me. I have this idea that if I run too far, it's going to be too hard. I make up all kinds of worries that make me not want to go out. I worry that I won't make it. I worry that it will hurt too bad. I worry that I'll have to walk, which I feel like is defeat. I worry that I'll hit a mental "wall" and start crying. I worry that despite packing two liters of water and food I won't have anything to drink or eat. I worry I'll get hurt. I worry about things I have entirely made up in my head. The truth is I just psych myself out.
Somehow despite all of this I still manage to go out there and "just do it", as Nike would say. And wouldn't you know, that I made it. I did it. I completed what I started out to do. I did it yesterday, the week before, last month, last year, the first time I ran a marathon, the first time I pulled a 2k race in crew, the first time I scored a goal in rec soccer, the first time I rode a bike. The point is everything I've ever thought too hard, hasn't been. I've found myself these last few weeks coming home from my runs asking myself, "So, which part was so hard and scary?" The answer is that this part didn't exist. It was made up in my head, in reality what I did was tough, but no tougher than anything I'd done before.
I have been told, and strongly agree, that running is a metaphor for life; all sport is, really. The metaphor became really clear when I set my running experience up against my Peace Corps experience. Take the following situations:
When you're running a marathon you're nervous. You have doubts. There are many unknowns. You're try to be as ready as you can, but you usually still feel like a little more preparation would make you feel better. There's usually a moment you feel like scrapping the whole thing. And then the gun sounds, a rush of adrenaline sweeps over you and you're off. One foot in front of the other and you're on your way. All the sudden you're halfway done, and it's not that bad. You're 5 miles from the end, it's hard, but not impossible. You think you will never make it to Mile 22. Then you're 2 miles from the finish. Who would give up here? That's crazy. You can do it. You concentrate, and you do. You're done. You're tired, you're sore. It was a struggle, no doubt, maybe you even cried (like I have a couple times), you may have even walked a bit (which is NOT defeat), but you made it. And now you're sitting there wondering what ever make you think you couldn't do it.
I liken this to my Peace Corps experience. I'm here. I worry that I'm not prepared enough, that I can't don't my job well, that I won't make an impact. I'm moving step by step. One day, one week at a time. I finish one project and it's ... successful, (it's like a few miles). My other projects are going along, (I'm moving along on the course). I don't think anyone will show up, but they do (I didn't think I could make 2 more miles but I did). I don't think anyone will learn anything, but I have an adult English class saying "Holy Cow!", that's something (I get a feel-good rush where I thought I'd be exhausted). It gets hard, I get frustrated, sometimes I don't know what to do or where to go next (I hit a "wall" and cry, maybe walk a little bit). But, I'm doing it. However slowly, however uniquely I'm doing my best to do something good.
I know two years will pass and I'll look back and ask myself, "So, which part was so hard and scary?", and there won't be one. There will only be the ups and downs that make any good thing worth it.
*Addendum: This was written while in a particularly good mood. Please remind me to go back and read it when I'm upset.
In all honesty, I am a person who actually does want to go out and run for hours, but the thought of it before I'm actually out there scares me. I have this idea that if I run too far, it's going to be too hard. I make up all kinds of worries that make me not want to go out. I worry that I won't make it. I worry that it will hurt too bad. I worry that I'll have to walk, which I feel like is defeat. I worry that I'll hit a mental "wall" and start crying. I worry that despite packing two liters of water and food I won't have anything to drink or eat. I worry I'll get hurt. I worry about things I have entirely made up in my head. The truth is I just psych myself out.
Somehow despite all of this I still manage to go out there and "just do it", as Nike would say. And wouldn't you know, that I made it. I did it. I completed what I started out to do. I did it yesterday, the week before, last month, last year, the first time I ran a marathon, the first time I pulled a 2k race in crew, the first time I scored a goal in rec soccer, the first time I rode a bike. The point is everything I've ever thought too hard, hasn't been. I've found myself these last few weeks coming home from my runs asking myself, "So, which part was so hard and scary?" The answer is that this part didn't exist. It was made up in my head, in reality what I did was tough, but no tougher than anything I'd done before.
I have been told, and strongly agree, that running is a metaphor for life; all sport is, really. The metaphor became really clear when I set my running experience up against my Peace Corps experience. Take the following situations:
When you're running a marathon you're nervous. You have doubts. There are many unknowns. You're try to be as ready as you can, but you usually still feel like a little more preparation would make you feel better. There's usually a moment you feel like scrapping the whole thing. And then the gun sounds, a rush of adrenaline sweeps over you and you're off. One foot in front of the other and you're on your way. All the sudden you're halfway done, and it's not that bad. You're 5 miles from the end, it's hard, but not impossible. You think you will never make it to Mile 22. Then you're 2 miles from the finish. Who would give up here? That's crazy. You can do it. You concentrate, and you do. You're done. You're tired, you're sore. It was a struggle, no doubt, maybe you even cried (like I have a couple times), you may have even walked a bit (which is NOT defeat), but you made it. And now you're sitting there wondering what ever make you think you couldn't do it.
I liken this to my Peace Corps experience. I'm here. I worry that I'm not prepared enough, that I can't don't my job well, that I won't make an impact. I'm moving step by step. One day, one week at a time. I finish one project and it's ... successful, (it's like a few miles). My other projects are going along, (I'm moving along on the course). I don't think anyone will show up, but they do (I didn't think I could make 2 more miles but I did). I don't think anyone will learn anything, but I have an adult English class saying "Holy Cow!", that's something (I get a feel-good rush where I thought I'd be exhausted). It gets hard, I get frustrated, sometimes I don't know what to do or where to go next (I hit a "wall" and cry, maybe walk a little bit). But, I'm doing it. However slowly, however uniquely I'm doing my best to do something good.
I know two years will pass and I'll look back and ask myself, "So, which part was so hard and scary?", and there won't be one. There will only be the ups and downs that make any good thing worth it.
*Addendum: This was written while in a particularly good mood. Please remind me to go back and read it when I'm upset.
6/20/2011
North Face 40k
On July 24th I'm going to be running in this event with a few friends. I'm gonna do the 40k, a couple guys are doing the 20k and a couple girls are doing the 10k. I'm pretty excited about it, though it looks kinda tough it should be fun.
Check out the website: http://www.costaricarace.com/challenge_irazu_ingles_trail
Check out the website: http://www.costaricarace.com/challenge_irazu_ingles_trail
Some things are a little different
Many of the things I share on my blog are surprisingly normal and quite unremarkable . I got to thinking about my life here and realized that in so many ways it is like my life in the United States. I am able to keep up my exercise/hobbies of running and biking, I eat pretty normal foods, I go to work, I hang out with my (host) family. The more I thought about it, though, I realized it only feels normal because I'm used to it. After my 9 months here there are many things that don't strike me as different anymore. I realized if any of my friends or family members from the U.S. were here these things would be confusing, baffling, uncomfortable or just plain weird. I started making a mental list of difference I found, and here it is:
You eat rice and beans at breakfast lunch and dinner. (I personally don't because I choose to buy my own breakfast food: granola and yogurt; for dinner I usually eat eggs, salad or fruit.)
The big meal of the day is lunch. Many people, especially in rural communities go home and eat with their families.
A hamburger or steak is a completely normal, acceptable breakfast.
Cookies, cakes, sweetbreads, cinnamon rolls and all other pastries are called bread. Bread is also called bread. Any of the above are acceptable for breakfast or to eat during coffee hour. Sugar cookies decorated with colored frosting for breakfast? Sounds weird, but it's "bread".
You don't refrigerate eggs.
The oven isn't used a lot. Many houses don't even have ovens. For those who do have one, it is primarily used to store things (food, pots and pans). Check inside before firing it up, I learned from experience.
Mayonaise is by far the most popular condiment. It is used on everything. Vegetables, salad, sandwiches, even fish.
Ketchup is the second favorite condiment. Often used in combination with mayo it also goes on everything. Ketchup here tastes different than American ketchup.
Salt is used a lot to season food, but no one uses black pepper.
Most people eat their meals with a large spoon, not a fork.
Almost all yogurt is liquid. Except for Yoplait brand all yogurt comes in bottles and is drinkable.
Coffee in the afternoon is a cultural tradition. "Cafecito", as it's called, is usually between 3 and 4 pm.
Potato chips are often eaten with re-fried beans.
When you drink soda or beer you are given a glass with ice and you just poor about a half a glass at a time. This is so it doesn't get warm. If you just drink it from the bottle it gets warm really fast.
Many homes don't have a hot shower. Those that do have an electric showerhead that heats the water.
You always throw your toilet paper into the trash can, not the toilet. The sewer system can't handle paper.
It is common to shower 2 or more times a day. Mostly becuase you get so darn sweaty. You also should not skip a shower after working out, very much against cultural norms.
People brush their teeth at least 3 times a day. Teachers and students at school all carry toothbrushes with them for after lunch.
It is common to have walls that are made out of cinder block or part of a wall that consists only of lattice; a house with walls that are "open" is not uncommon at all.
Floors are either cement or tile in most houses. I have not seen a single house with carpet or wood. (I think wood would warp.)
Electricity is considered the most expensive utility.
High school, which is 7th to 12th grade, starts at 7am and goes until 4:30
Elementary students (1st-6th) go to school either in the morning or the afternoon, alternating every week. They go either 7 to 12:30 or 12:30 to 5.
There are no school sports teams or musical groups. The only exception is if your school has a marching band.
There are gates in front of the school and a guard who has to let you in.
The school is not one big building, but many with outdoor hallways.
There are dogs who live on or around the school grounds and wander around all day, sometimes coming into the classrooms.
The most common form of transportation is the bus. The buses that run outside of the bigger cities are, depending on your location, old school buses, old charter buses, old city buses or if your lucky a new version of any of the above.
The going rate for the bus is about $1.50 for every hour of travel.
A person can get a driver's license at age 18.
The legal drinking age is 18.
Roosters and hens are literally all over the place. In the country or in town.
Supermarkets carry a few fruits and vegetables, most people buy them at shops and stands that specialize in fruits or vegetables.
Women almost always have a pedicure on their toes. Fancily painted with flowers and other designs.
Women wear high heels a lot, even if there are no paved roads where they are.
Soccer is the one any only sport anyone cares about.
People here use umbrellas whenever it's raining, not raincoats. The only people who have raincoats are men who ride motorcycles, for riding in the rain.
Motorcycles here often carry 2 to 4 grown men. It is also acceptable to carry babies and small children on motorcycles. They usually sit in front of the driver, or the mom holds the baby on the back.
So, that's quite a list. I'll keep noting them. It's kind of funny to think about what I don't even notice anymore.
Food/Kitchen Stuff
You eat rice and beans at breakfast lunch and dinner. (I personally don't because I choose to buy my own breakfast food: granola and yogurt; for dinner I usually eat eggs, salad or fruit.)
The big meal of the day is lunch. Many people, especially in rural communities go home and eat with their families.
A hamburger or steak is a completely normal, acceptable breakfast.
Cookies, cakes, sweetbreads, cinnamon rolls and all other pastries are called bread. Bread is also called bread. Any of the above are acceptable for breakfast or to eat during coffee hour. Sugar cookies decorated with colored frosting for breakfast? Sounds weird, but it's "bread".
You don't refrigerate eggs.
The oven isn't used a lot. Many houses don't even have ovens. For those who do have one, it is primarily used to store things (food, pots and pans). Check inside before firing it up, I learned from experience.
Mayonaise is by far the most popular condiment. It is used on everything. Vegetables, salad, sandwiches, even fish.
Ketchup is the second favorite condiment. Often used in combination with mayo it also goes on everything. Ketchup here tastes different than American ketchup.
Salt is used a lot to season food, but no one uses black pepper.
Most people eat their meals with a large spoon, not a fork.
Almost all yogurt is liquid. Except for Yoplait brand all yogurt comes in bottles and is drinkable.
Coffee in the afternoon is a cultural tradition. "Cafecito", as it's called, is usually between 3 and 4 pm.
Potato chips are often eaten with re-fried beans.
When you drink soda or beer you are given a glass with ice and you just poor about a half a glass at a time. This is so it doesn't get warm. If you just drink it from the bottle it gets warm really fast.
Around the house
Many homes don't have a hot shower. Those that do have an electric showerhead that heats the water.
You always throw your toilet paper into the trash can, not the toilet. The sewer system can't handle paper.
It is common to shower 2 or more times a day. Mostly becuase you get so darn sweaty. You also should not skip a shower after working out, very much against cultural norms.
People brush their teeth at least 3 times a day. Teachers and students at school all carry toothbrushes with them for after lunch.
It is common to have walls that are made out of cinder block or part of a wall that consists only of lattice; a house with walls that are "open" is not uncommon at all.
Floors are either cement or tile in most houses. I have not seen a single house with carpet or wood. (I think wood would warp.)
Electricity is considered the most expensive utility.
Around town
High school, which is 7th to 12th grade, starts at 7am and goes until 4:30
Elementary students (1st-6th) go to school either in the morning or the afternoon, alternating every week. They go either 7 to 12:30 or 12:30 to 5.
There are no school sports teams or musical groups. The only exception is if your school has a marching band.
There are gates in front of the school and a guard who has to let you in.
The school is not one big building, but many with outdoor hallways.
There are dogs who live on or around the school grounds and wander around all day, sometimes coming into the classrooms.
The most common form of transportation is the bus. The buses that run outside of the bigger cities are, depending on your location, old school buses, old charter buses, old city buses or if your lucky a new version of any of the above.
The going rate for the bus is about $1.50 for every hour of travel.
A person can get a driver's license at age 18.
The legal drinking age is 18.
Roosters and hens are literally all over the place. In the country or in town.
Supermarkets carry a few fruits and vegetables, most people buy them at shops and stands that specialize in fruits or vegetables.
Women almost always have a pedicure on their toes. Fancily painted with flowers and other designs.
Women wear high heels a lot, even if there are no paved roads where they are.
Soccer is the one any only sport anyone cares about.
People here use umbrellas whenever it's raining, not raincoats. The only people who have raincoats are men who ride motorcycles, for riding in the rain.
Motorcycles here often carry 2 to 4 grown men. It is also acceptable to carry babies and small children on motorcycles. They usually sit in front of the driver, or the mom holds the baby on the back.
So, that's quite a list. I'll keep noting them. It's kind of funny to think about what I don't even notice anymore.
6/12/2011
I'm totally fine...most of the time
I have to be honest with you about this last week. It was really hard. The first few days of this past week were probably some of the hardest days I've had since I've been here. Of course there was the challenging adjustment period at first that was difficult just becuase of the nature of it, but once I got past that I felt like I was kind of getting the hang of this whole thing, however unpredictable, up and down, and crazy it can be. That's what I thought...until last Sunday. I'm not really sure what got me feeling down, but on the day that marked 8 months of me being here I started feeling homesick, missing my friends, not wanting to be here, not knowing what I was doing or why.
It all really started with my iPod. It sounds ridiculous, my iPod started being all crazy and it made me sad. What a silly story. But really though, last Sunday morning I woke up early all ready to put some podcasts on my iPod and head out for a long run in my frog shoes, and the iPod wouldn't cooperate. I decided when it started working I'd take off. It didn't start working, it says it needs to be restored on a different computer or something, who knows..., but the longer I waited, little by little my mood fell, and within a few hours I had decided I just plain didn't want to do anything. I didn't want to run, I didn't want to call a friend to cheer me up, I didn't want to do some yoga, I didn't want more coffee. I just plain wasn't happy about anything.
I decided I was gonna shake it off though. 'I'm smarter than this feeling,' I thought, 'I know what's going on and I am not going to let this happen. I'm gonna get out there, run, and when I come back I'll feel all better.' And off I went. It was a spectacular run. I went up, and up, and up the hills just by my town. The high I got the cooler it got, the greener it got, the friendlier the people got and the fresher the air was. My 6 miles up took me just to the top of a psuedo-mountain, being from the West anything that's not the Rockies or the Sawtooths isn't really a mountain, and I could see everything. I was surrounded by Cyprus trees, I was all alone and very proud of how far I'd some. 'See,' I thought, 'you can do it. Some fresh air, a few, getting out of the house. You're ok.' I ran back down in my "duck not sure how to use her feet" fashion but arrived home to... the same sad feeling.
I thought I'd kicked it, usually the endorphins do the job, but not today. So I showered and decided I knew the trick. I was going to go to the 'big' city about an hour from me, where there's a movie theater and see a movie. Perfect. I got my things and headed to the bus stop. I bus had passed earlier than usual. Tried for the next one. Turns out that one doesn't run Sundays. Next one then. Well, it was 30 minutes late. I was too late to catch the movie. Things like this, that could infuriate me, really don't phase me anymore so I just headed back to the house. I watched a movie on TV with my family and told myself that at least I tried, and tried to tune into the big part of me actively working against my sadness.
That night my family went out for dinner, my little sister told me I looked nice, which is big coming from a little girl who always says, "Looks like you're all ready except for doing your hair." I respond, "Nope, already did it. Ready to go." She assesses me and says, "Ooooh. Ok. You mean...oh... right." So that was nice, but either way I sat through dinner not saying much and just couldn't quite kick the little sadness monster in my head.
Monday rolled around and more of the same. I went to school even thought I didn't want too. Did my work. Came home, did some yoga. Congratulated myself on actively working to feel better, but the endorphin high lasted only about 5 minutes.
Tuesday the story hadn't changed. I didn't want to go to school, but I did. After school I strapped on the running shoes on and climbed another hill. Looked around. Took a few deep breaths. Thanked the powers that be for my health and the opportunity to be where I am, and told myself if my life wasn't something to be happy about, I didn't know what was. Came down. Then sun set. Things were alright...I guess.
Wednesday, I had only a few plans, a couple meetings with teachers then my English conversation group. Teacher meetings were good, except that I was told that we don't have time for my "games" in classes. Conversation group was fine, except that it was non-existent. It consisted of me sitting with a newspaper and a cup of coffee watching the high school students I hold the group for, walk past the front door of the meeting spot and on to play video games or whatever else they do. So really it was a disheartening day. I know this is all part of the experience. I can plan the best lessons, work hard to organize things and care with all my heart about what I'm doing, but that doesn't mean the people here get it or value these things like I do. Such is life, but that does me especially no good as the little sadness monster settles into his new home in my head.
And so it went, into Thursday, then to Friday. Almost at the point of despair, or at least a few tears, enter stage life: The saving grace of all of this. Friday I went to San Jose. Finally, a breath of fresh air. I headed into town early in the morning because that afternoon I had a lunch date with a young lawyer with whom I have been in contact because of an event at which her firm had invited me to speak. I met her downtown and had a delicious vegetarian sandwich on a lovely patio at a fancy hotel with a live piano player. I'll tell you, that was just what I needed. I followed this with a good cup of coffee, a great conversation with my Peace Corps "boss", a game of indoor soccer with some volunteers and Peace Corps staff, a Greek gyro and a Wendy's frosty. Things turned around my friends. The rest of the weekend I spent in San Jose, because of the said event with the law firm, and took in, with relief, the change of scenery.
As much as I feel at home in my rural town, with my family, in my school. There is a lot to be said for familiarity. Speaking English. Eating delicious food that has no rice or beans. Talking about ideas that are bigger than the weather.
More than anything, I learned this week that when I feel this way I just need a little charge for my batteries, a little movin' and shakin'. Fortunately I got just that. I'll tell you all about the thing I was doing in San Jose later this week when I get the pictures, because that was pretty cool, too.
It all really started with my iPod. It sounds ridiculous, my iPod started being all crazy and it made me sad. What a silly story. But really though, last Sunday morning I woke up early all ready to put some podcasts on my iPod and head out for a long run in my frog shoes, and the iPod wouldn't cooperate. I decided when it started working I'd take off. It didn't start working, it says it needs to be restored on a different computer or something, who knows..., but the longer I waited, little by little my mood fell, and within a few hours I had decided I just plain didn't want to do anything. I didn't want to run, I didn't want to call a friend to cheer me up, I didn't want to do some yoga, I didn't want more coffee. I just plain wasn't happy about anything.
I decided I was gonna shake it off though. 'I'm smarter than this feeling,' I thought, 'I know what's going on and I am not going to let this happen. I'm gonna get out there, run, and when I come back I'll feel all better.' And off I went. It was a spectacular run. I went up, and up, and up the hills just by my town. The high I got the cooler it got, the greener it got, the friendlier the people got and the fresher the air was. My 6 miles up took me just to the top of a psuedo-mountain, being from the West anything that's not the Rockies or the Sawtooths isn't really a mountain, and I could see everything. I was surrounded by Cyprus trees, I was all alone and very proud of how far I'd some. 'See,' I thought, 'you can do it. Some fresh air, a few, getting out of the house. You're ok.' I ran back down in my "duck not sure how to use her feet" fashion but arrived home to... the same sad feeling.
I thought I'd kicked it, usually the endorphins do the job, but not today. So I showered and decided I knew the trick. I was going to go to the 'big' city about an hour from me, where there's a movie theater and see a movie. Perfect. I got my things and headed to the bus stop. I bus had passed earlier than usual. Tried for the next one. Turns out that one doesn't run Sundays. Next one then. Well, it was 30 minutes late. I was too late to catch the movie. Things like this, that could infuriate me, really don't phase me anymore so I just headed back to the house. I watched a movie on TV with my family and told myself that at least I tried, and tried to tune into the big part of me actively working against my sadness.
That night my family went out for dinner, my little sister told me I looked nice, which is big coming from a little girl who always says, "Looks like you're all ready except for doing your hair." I respond, "Nope, already did it. Ready to go." She assesses me and says, "Ooooh. Ok. You mean...oh... right." So that was nice, but either way I sat through dinner not saying much and just couldn't quite kick the little sadness monster in my head.
Monday rolled around and more of the same. I went to school even thought I didn't want too. Did my work. Came home, did some yoga. Congratulated myself on actively working to feel better, but the endorphin high lasted only about 5 minutes.
Tuesday the story hadn't changed. I didn't want to go to school, but I did. After school I strapped on the running shoes on and climbed another hill. Looked around. Took a few deep breaths. Thanked the powers that be for my health and the opportunity to be where I am, and told myself if my life wasn't something to be happy about, I didn't know what was. Came down. Then sun set. Things were alright...I guess.
Wednesday, I had only a few plans, a couple meetings with teachers then my English conversation group. Teacher meetings were good, except that I was told that we don't have time for my "games" in classes. Conversation group was fine, except that it was non-existent. It consisted of me sitting with a newspaper and a cup of coffee watching the high school students I hold the group for, walk past the front door of the meeting spot and on to play video games or whatever else they do. So really it was a disheartening day. I know this is all part of the experience. I can plan the best lessons, work hard to organize things and care with all my heart about what I'm doing, but that doesn't mean the people here get it or value these things like I do. Such is life, but that does me especially no good as the little sadness monster settles into his new home in my head.
And so it went, into Thursday, then to Friday. Almost at the point of despair, or at least a few tears, enter stage life: The saving grace of all of this. Friday I went to San Jose. Finally, a breath of fresh air. I headed into town early in the morning because that afternoon I had a lunch date with a young lawyer with whom I have been in contact because of an event at which her firm had invited me to speak. I met her downtown and had a delicious vegetarian sandwich on a lovely patio at a fancy hotel with a live piano player. I'll tell you, that was just what I needed. I followed this with a good cup of coffee, a great conversation with my Peace Corps "boss", a game of indoor soccer with some volunteers and Peace Corps staff, a Greek gyro and a Wendy's frosty. Things turned around my friends. The rest of the weekend I spent in San Jose, because of the said event with the law firm, and took in, with relief, the change of scenery.
As much as I feel at home in my rural town, with my family, in my school. There is a lot to be said for familiarity. Speaking English. Eating delicious food that has no rice or beans. Talking about ideas that are bigger than the weather.
More than anything, I learned this week that when I feel this way I just need a little charge for my batteries, a little movin' and shakin'. Fortunately I got just that. I'll tell you all about the thing I was doing in San Jose later this week when I get the pictures, because that was pretty cool, too.
6/07/2011
Coco and the Amphibian Feet
I wish this post was actually a really great piece of short fiction, alas it is not. I'm sorry, because it's really is a great title. What it's really about though, is the cake that I made this weekend and my new shoes. Not nearly as cool as a scaly river creature from the warm, deep tropical rivers of Costa Rica and the mysterious tracks he's leaving all over the place... hahaha.
So, Coco was the name of the dog cake my little sister and I made on Saturday. For Easter I got a care package from home filled with Easter candy (yum!) and cake decorating stuff. I was really excited about this and told Camila we could make a cake in the form of anything we wanted. She LOVES dogs, so naturally we made a dog that looked just like one of the 6+ little critters that live in our yard. As if we needed another one. It was cute though, and it tasted pretty good. Orange pound cake with chocolate frosting.
The amphibian feet are not those of a real amphibian, but my feet. I don't think I qualify as an amphibian despite the fact that I love water. There is really no relation at all between my new shoes and amphibians, but since the first time I saw the Vibram Fivefinger Shoes I thought they looked like dinosaur/frog/lizard/monster feet. While the colors and styles have been updated (they were originally only available in army green, black and brown) they still look like monster feet. No question about it. I ordered the shoes because my running shoes we're about done and I really wanted to give the "barefoot" running thing a try. So far, I like them. The feeling of running almost barefoot is really freeing, although I feel like I am forgetting something when I step out for a run. It's a weird naked feeling at first, but after a little getting used to, it's cool. I've been out a few times in them and feel like I've mastered going up hills in them, but going down I still feel like a duck who doesn't quite know how to use her flipper feet.
So, Coco was the name of the dog cake my little sister and I made on Saturday. For Easter I got a care package from home filled with Easter candy (yum!) and cake decorating stuff. I was really excited about this and told Camila we could make a cake in the form of anything we wanted. She LOVES dogs, so naturally we made a dog that looked just like one of the 6+ little critters that live in our yard. As if we needed another one. It was cute though, and it tasted pretty good. Orange pound cake with chocolate frosting.
The amphibian feet are not those of a real amphibian, but my feet. I don't think I qualify as an amphibian despite the fact that I love water. There is really no relation at all between my new shoes and amphibians, but since the first time I saw the Vibram Fivefinger Shoes I thought they looked like dinosaur/frog/lizard/monster feet. While the colors and styles have been updated (they were originally only available in army green, black and brown) they still look like monster feet. No question about it. I ordered the shoes because my running shoes we're about done and I really wanted to give the "barefoot" running thing a try. So far, I like them. The feeling of running almost barefoot is really freeing, although I feel like I am forgetting something when I step out for a run. It's a weird naked feeling at first, but after a little getting used to, it's cool. I've been out a few times in them and feel like I've mastered going up hills in them, but going down I still feel like a duck who doesn't quite know how to use her flipper feet.
1st week of June Pictures
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| An traditionally painted oxen cart. My town claims to be the birthplace of the cart, I'm not clear on whether that's just in Costa Rica or the world. |
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| The dog cake my little sister, Camila, and I made. His name was Coco, sadly he has been laid to rest in our stomachs. |
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| Saturday morning sunrise, coffee and a magazine on the front porch. Wonderful. |
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| Five finger shoes, a.k.a. amphibian feet |
5/30/2011
Bike Ride for Boredom
My friend Julia and I had been looking forward, if anxiously, to this weekend for a couple months. This weekend was our big 120k ride from my town to hers. She came down on the bus, with her bike, to stay the night on Friday and early Saturday we took off for her house where I spent Saturday night. We've been training for about 2 months to make sure we were ready for it, and turns out... we were! We did it! I was fun, if long, and we're already planning another bike ride during out winter break.
We called our ride the Bike Ride for Boredom 2011 because a few people asked us, "What kind of ride is it?", "How many people are there?", "Is it benefitting a cause? Like AIDS?". The answer these questions is: There are only three people. It benefits no cause. We are doing it because we think it will be fun. Since this explanation is hard for some people to understand, i.e.- 'Who on earth would ride 120k to Upala where it's hotter than blazes just for fun?!?'. Well, we would, mostly because we have a lot of time on our hands. Better than sitting around all the time, we figured, we could spend our time riding bikes. Cool, but why? So we created an event, a goal. From this was born our event:
We called our ride the Bike Ride for Boredom 2011 because a few people asked us, "What kind of ride is it?", "How many people are there?", "Is it benefitting a cause? Like AIDS?". The answer these questions is: There are only three people. It benefits no cause. We are doing it because we think it will be fun. Since this explanation is hard for some people to understand, i.e.- 'Who on earth would ride 120k to Upala where it's hotter than blazes just for fun?!?'. Well, we would, mostly because we have a lot of time on our hands. Better than sitting around all the time, we figured, we could spend our time riding bikes. Cool, but why? So we created an event, a goal. From this was born our event:
Bike Ride for Boredom-
Serving the recreational and exercise needs of Peace Corps volunteers,
Curing boredom with every pedal stroke.
Bike Ride for Boredom- Photos
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| We carried our sign with us for commemorative photos |
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| 5:45am- We're off! Trying to look really bored. That is the name of the ride, after all. |
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| Smooth sailing through the lowlands south of Agua Zarcas |
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| Almost to Muelle, Stage 2 |
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| About 50k in we met up with another volunteer, Alex. |
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| A spectacular view of Arenal Volcano |
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| A little river where I stopped for water. |
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| 16k to lunch and 55k to the end. We were gonna make it! |
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| Cresting a hill about half way through. |
5/26/2011
5/24/2011
Stream of Conciousness Post (with bullet points to aid understanding)
- I made granola bars today. As a devotee of Quaker Chewy bars I was very pleased to see they turned out almost the same. When I have Chewy bars in the house I limit myself to one a day, I now have have an entire batch sitting here and a recipe...this could create an out of control situation.
- Biking and running this past week I have encountered 3 dead dogs, 7 dead frogs, 1 dead snake, 1 dead marmot-looking thing and 1 dead baby monkey. Bad week for the animals, good week for the vultures (which we have a ton of).
- My host Aunt, also our neighbor, has 2 chihuahua dogs who just had puppies. One of them had to have a C-section. My aunt and a friend asked me one afternoon if I wanted to go for a ride with them, just for something to do, but forgot to mention the fact that we were actually taking the dog to the vet. We arrived at said "vet", who I'm sure is a trained vet, but his "clinic" is a little room on the back of the house next to the horse stalls. Typical around here. I spent the afternoon watching the dog have surgery. I'm shocked I didn't pass out, seeing as I don't care at all for blood, but it was really interesting. She had two puppies. Only one survived. The whole thing only cost $60. Which, apparently, is neither cheap nor expensive for this type of procedure.
- I've started teaching adult English classes in my town on Monday and Tuesday nights. I waited to start them until I felt like I was well settled and known enough in the town and I'm glad I did. People, mostly, now know who I am and why I'm here and the classes are going well so far.
- This Sunday I went with one of they guys from my English class, and his female cousin, on a "hike". I put hike in quotations because it was mostly a: bush-whacking, log-crawling, stream and marsh crossing adventure. Hike does not appropriately describe it. The most interesting, infuriating and ironic part of the whole situation is that this adventure took place about 100 yards from a well maintained road. Why did we go the hard way? You ask. Well, I believe it was more about my companion being able to show off his machete skills. I repeatedly suggested we walk on the road, but my words were wasted, as that clearly was not an option in his mind. When we got to the top of the hill we were climbing we had a little picnic, on a cement pillar. There was much commenting on how beautiful it was to be in the unobstructed nature there at the top of the hill, but no one except me seemed to notice the whole way up we followed canals and piping that bring water to the town . Concrete and pipes are a really beautiful part of the natural landscape, if you ask me.
- Last Sunday we all went over to the "Fiestas" in Marsella, the town next to ours. There was food, fair type stands and snacks, a ferris wheel, dancing and handi-craft exhibits. I learned some interesting things:
- Ferris wheels are called Chicago wheels in Spanish
- "Shoshuy" means Chop Suey in Spanish
- On fair rides, like the aforementioned Chicago wheel, it is acceptable to assemble them with bent nails where screws should be. I didn't notice this until I was about 30 or so feet in the air. Not going on one of those again.
Pictures!
After deciding to take daily photos, I promptly misplaced the camera. Don't worry though, after a week it was found hiding in the couch. I knew it couldn't have just walked out of here on it's own!
Sunday, May 22
Back from a run
Monday, May 23
Our coffee maker broke, so we got a new one. We call him Mr. Coffee.
Tuesday, May 24
The lovely Lora, our parrot. She sleeps right here outside my window. She awakes every morning about 5:30 or 6 and greets the world with the two words she knows: "Hola" and "Lora". After about 15 repetitions of "Hola Loriiiiiita" I'm awake, and usually not happy about it.
Sunday, May 22
Back from a run
Our coffee maker broke, so we got a new one. We call him Mr. Coffee.
The lovely Lora, our parrot. She sleeps right here outside my window. She awakes every morning about 5:30 or 6 and greets the world with the two words she knows: "Hola" and "Lora". After about 15 repetitions of "Hola Loriiiiiita" I'm awake, and usually not happy about it.
5/16/2011
Something good in the news
This last weekend I was listening to PRI's "The World" report and heard a story that made me smile. I wanted to share it with you becuase not only does it relate to my work here, but it gives us a little bit of hope in what continues to be a tumultuous situation in Afghanistan.
The report was about the U.S. Marine mission in Afghanistan. While there is usually not a lot good to be said about what is going on there, this story is quite an exception. The U.S. Marines in Afghanistan are using what they call FETs or Female Engagement Teams as part of their civic mission to rebuild the country. These teams consist of 2 to 3 women who go into towns and villages and talk with the people, find out what the community needs and help them create it. Since the teams are small and are made up of women they are looked at differently than other American forces. As females, they can gain access to the women of the country, which is something pretty much no one else can do since the women are very much confined to the home, and carefully protected by their male family members. The women are a huge part of the society, but often overlooked in all the policy-making, law creation and government rebuilding that is going on. Going into the homes of Afghan people is really the only way to get in touch with these women, see what life is really like and what the people truly want and need.
The project they highlighted in the broadcast was that of two women Marines who worked together with a community to open a school. The idea was that the school would be open to both boys and girls. On the first day a few students arrived, both boys and girls, but the grils went home at mid-day because of pressure from community members and fears of the families. While that doesn't sound like a great success story, it actually really is. These women Marines were able to, in cooperation with a community, open a school and invite young boys and girls in. This town previously had no school, and had these Marines not been there it is unlikely any school that would have been built. Any school that was built, would almost certainly not have welcome girls. The girls may not be attending school right now, but other students are and the project raised awareness and got people thinking about girls' education.
The fact that the US Marines are taking this approach in their initiative to rebuild Afghanistan makes me really happy. I have a really hard time with the idea that the US has so many troops, spends so much money and uses so much force in foreign lands, so to hear that there is an effort to work WITH Afghan people to help them rebuild is really inspiring. I think it's fantastic that women soldiers are connecting with women civilians and listening to their ideas for development. Rebuilding a society is impossible if the people of that society are not intimately involved in the process. Development of any kind is impossible without that kind of partnership. I hope that these type of missions continue and expand, and it sounds like the Marines might think there's something to the idea of a Peace Corps...cooperative grassroots development makes countries more stable and creates, therefore, a safer, more peaceful world.
The report was about the U.S. Marine mission in Afghanistan. While there is usually not a lot good to be said about what is going on there, this story is quite an exception. The U.S. Marines in Afghanistan are using what they call FETs or Female Engagement Teams as part of their civic mission to rebuild the country. These teams consist of 2 to 3 women who go into towns and villages and talk with the people, find out what the community needs and help them create it. Since the teams are small and are made up of women they are looked at differently than other American forces. As females, they can gain access to the women of the country, which is something pretty much no one else can do since the women are very much confined to the home, and carefully protected by their male family members. The women are a huge part of the society, but often overlooked in all the policy-making, law creation and government rebuilding that is going on. Going into the homes of Afghan people is really the only way to get in touch with these women, see what life is really like and what the people truly want and need.
The project they highlighted in the broadcast was that of two women Marines who worked together with a community to open a school. The idea was that the school would be open to both boys and girls. On the first day a few students arrived, both boys and girls, but the grils went home at mid-day because of pressure from community members and fears of the families. While that doesn't sound like a great success story, it actually really is. These women Marines were able to, in cooperation with a community, open a school and invite young boys and girls in. This town previously had no school, and had these Marines not been there it is unlikely any school that would have been built. Any school that was built, would almost certainly not have welcome girls. The girls may not be attending school right now, but other students are and the project raised awareness and got people thinking about girls' education.
The fact that the US Marines are taking this approach in their initiative to rebuild Afghanistan makes me really happy. I have a really hard time with the idea that the US has so many troops, spends so much money and uses so much force in foreign lands, so to hear that there is an effort to work WITH Afghan people to help them rebuild is really inspiring. I think it's fantastic that women soldiers are connecting with women civilians and listening to their ideas for development. Rebuilding a society is impossible if the people of that society are not intimately involved in the process. Development of any kind is impossible without that kind of partnership. I hope that these type of missions continue and expand, and it sounds like the Marines might think there's something to the idea of a Peace Corps...cooperative grassroots development makes countries more stable and creates, therefore, a safer, more peaceful world.
5/15/2011
This weekend in pictures
Friday, May 13
First time my host family had ever had rice crispy treats.
Saturday, May 14
View from the top of San Miguel on the first leg of a 50 mile bike ride.
Sunday, May 15
Sunday evenings at the house, fried chicken and a movie.
First time my host family had ever had rice crispy treats.
Saturday, May 14
View from the top of San Miguel on the first leg of a 50 mile bike ride.
Sunday, May 15
Sunday evenings at the house, fried chicken and a movie.
5/13/2011
Pictures!
Today is the first day of a little project called: "Picture of the Day". I'm not very good a taking pictures, and even less good and sharing pictures. So...I'm going to start carrying around my camera and taking at least one picture each day of something I'm doing, seeing as my amazing writing skills can only go so far in conveying what I'm doing and seeing here...enjoy :)
Thursday, May 12-
Teaching in the computer lab with Freddy (a teacher at my high school)
Thursday, May 12-
Teaching in the computer lab with Freddy (a teacher at my high school)
5/03/2011
Just look around
I was riding the bus home from San José yesterday morning and, despite being very tired since I got up at 4:30am to catch the bus, I found myself looking out the window and thinking about just how beautiful the scenery is. I do that a lot actually. Almost every time I take the bus I spend the majority of the time gazing out the window in wonder. The sky is so beautiful, the colors change, the clouds are always different, sometimes you see the mountains, sometimes the mountains are covered in mist, it's so green, there are always flowers and plants I've never noticed of seen before.
It's important to note here that I take the same bus A LOT. There's one main road trough my town and you can go east or west, those are your only choices. Riding the bus that much in only two directions you'd think that you'd get tired of the scenery. I guess some people would, but I don't. How could you get tired of seeing a new little waterfall between a bunch of vines, discovering a beautiful little creek you've never seen, seeing huge red parrots swooping through the sky? I don't know that I'll ever get bored of it.
In the same way my bus only goes east or west, I only have 3 or 4 roads to run and bike on, and I certainly don't get tired of those. Pineapple fields, cute baby cows, goats who look like the might at any moment decide to chase me, frogs, butterflies, palm trees, pine trees, babbling streams, seeing all the way to Nicaragua on a clear day, a faint distant view of a volcano, jogging 10 minutes from my house to a bridge that sits 100 feet above a lush ravine and class IV rapids... and my absolute favorite little kids and grandmas and grandpas on the porch who smile and say "Adios".
I heard two very interesting comments from gringo travelers this week about Costa Rica. The first was, "All Costa Rica has are beaches and volcanoes and rain forests. That's it." 'Hmm.' I thought when hearing this, 'Sounds pretty boring to me.' The next thing I heard was, "Yeah, I've been traveling around the country for about 3 weeks and it's getting kind of boring." Just like the first comment, I thought, 'Yea, really boring. I don't find anything interesting about miles of white sand beaches or volcanoes that spew red lava all night long' I don't really know what these people were getting at. Maybe they were missing their friends and family and were tired of traveling. I don't know, but what I do know is that it's really a shame that a person can't enjoy the beauty of what's out there, especially in a place like this, and I can't help but wonder what it is that they think when they're sitting there looking out the window of their little apartment in Detroit, or wherever it is they're from.
It's important to note here that I take the same bus A LOT. There's one main road trough my town and you can go east or west, those are your only choices. Riding the bus that much in only two directions you'd think that you'd get tired of the scenery. I guess some people would, but I don't. How could you get tired of seeing a new little waterfall between a bunch of vines, discovering a beautiful little creek you've never seen, seeing huge red parrots swooping through the sky? I don't know that I'll ever get bored of it.
In the same way my bus only goes east or west, I only have 3 or 4 roads to run and bike on, and I certainly don't get tired of those. Pineapple fields, cute baby cows, goats who look like the might at any moment decide to chase me, frogs, butterflies, palm trees, pine trees, babbling streams, seeing all the way to Nicaragua on a clear day, a faint distant view of a volcano, jogging 10 minutes from my house to a bridge that sits 100 feet above a lush ravine and class IV rapids... and my absolute favorite little kids and grandmas and grandpas on the porch who smile and say "Adios".
I heard two very interesting comments from gringo travelers this week about Costa Rica. The first was, "All Costa Rica has are beaches and volcanoes and rain forests. That's it." 'Hmm.' I thought when hearing this, 'Sounds pretty boring to me.' The next thing I heard was, "Yeah, I've been traveling around the country for about 3 weeks and it's getting kind of boring." Just like the first comment, I thought, 'Yea, really boring. I don't find anything interesting about miles of white sand beaches or volcanoes that spew red lava all night long' I don't really know what these people were getting at. Maybe they were missing their friends and family and were tired of traveling. I don't know, but what I do know is that it's really a shame that a person can't enjoy the beauty of what's out there, especially in a place like this, and I can't help but wonder what it is that they think when they're sitting there looking out the window of their little apartment in Detroit, or wherever it is they're from.
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