Hola todos,
So this e-mail is to let you all know that I have not infact died or dropped off the face of the earth. On monday I am leaving for Nicaragua and I will return March 17th more or less. While in Nicaragua I will spend the first two days in managua listening to guest speakers and living with all the lasp students. Then for 1 week i will be living in rural nicaragua. I don't know exactly what that entails but i do know that electricity will be limited or none : ) and running water is not a guarantee : ) and my toilet might be a hole in the groud : ) Woo Hoo! Go big or go home right? : ) The last two days in nicaragua i am back with the whole group for some more charlas and to check out a little market town. After these two weeks I am planning a little trip because we have a week long spring break. The temporary plans are to go to volcan arenal (a volcano) for a couple of days and then take a boat ride to monteverde a cloud forest for another couple of days. This would be my first trip so i'm pretty excited even though I'm sure I will be exhausted from Nicaragua : ) So if you dont hear from me till the 18th or so no worries I'm just out exploring the world. : )
Pura Vida
KT
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
the Ragamuffin Gospel
So I’m Reading this book by Brennan Manning called “The Ragamuffin Gospel” excellent book I highly recommend it but I just came across some quotes that I wanted to share with whoever is reading this blog : )
“By and large, our world has lost its sense of wonder. We have grown up. We no longer catch our breath at the sight of a rainbow or the scent of a rose, as we once did. We have grown bigger and everything else smaller, less impressive. We get blasé and worldly-wise and sophisticated. We no longer run our fingers through water, no longer shout at the stars or make faces at the moon. Water is H2O, the stars have been classified, and the moon is not made of green cheese. Thanks to satellite TV and jet planes, we can visit places once accessible only to a Columbus, a Balboa, and other daring explorers….We get so preoccupied with ourselves, the words we speak the plans and projects we conceive, that we become immune to the glory of creation. We barely notice the cloud passing over the moon or the dewdrops clinging to the rose petals. The ice on the pond comes and goes. The wild blackberries ripen and wither. The blackbird nests outside our bedroom window, but we don’t see her. We avoid the cold and the heat. We refrigerate ourselves in summer and entomb ourselves in plastic in winter. We rake up every leaf as fast as it falls. We are so accustomed to buying prepackaged meats and fish and fowl in supermarkets, we never think and blink about the bounty of God’s creation. We grow complacent and lead practical lives. We miss the experience of awe, reverence, and wonder.”
This quote is actually quoted in the book and is by someone named Erma Bombeck who wrote a column entitled “If I had my life to live over again”
“I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded. I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains. I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn’t show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime. When my child kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, “Later. Now get washed up for dinner.” There would have been more I loves yous, more I’m sorrys, but mostly given another shot at life, I would seize every minute, look at it and really see it, live it, and never give it back.”
Just some food for thought. Love you all.
Carpe Diem.
KT
“By and large, our world has lost its sense of wonder. We have grown up. We no longer catch our breath at the sight of a rainbow or the scent of a rose, as we once did. We have grown bigger and everything else smaller, less impressive. We get blasé and worldly-wise and sophisticated. We no longer run our fingers through water, no longer shout at the stars or make faces at the moon. Water is H2O, the stars have been classified, and the moon is not made of green cheese. Thanks to satellite TV and jet planes, we can visit places once accessible only to a Columbus, a Balboa, and other daring explorers….We get so preoccupied with ourselves, the words we speak the plans and projects we conceive, that we become immune to the glory of creation. We barely notice the cloud passing over the moon or the dewdrops clinging to the rose petals. The ice on the pond comes and goes. The wild blackberries ripen and wither. The blackbird nests outside our bedroom window, but we don’t see her. We avoid the cold and the heat. We refrigerate ourselves in summer and entomb ourselves in plastic in winter. We rake up every leaf as fast as it falls. We are so accustomed to buying prepackaged meats and fish and fowl in supermarkets, we never think and blink about the bounty of God’s creation. We grow complacent and lead practical lives. We miss the experience of awe, reverence, and wonder.”
This quote is actually quoted in the book and is by someone named Erma Bombeck who wrote a column entitled “If I had my life to live over again”
“I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded. I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains. I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn’t show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime. When my child kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, “Later. Now get washed up for dinner.” There would have been more I loves yous, more I’m sorrys, but mostly given another shot at life, I would seize every minute, look at it and really see it, live it, and never give it back.”
Just some food for thought. Love you all.
Carpe Diem.
KT
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Good times.
So last night was one of those really really good nights where unexpected events lead to bonding with the host family. : ) my mom and i walked over to her friends house last night who is consequently the mother of another lasp student. Their family has been going through a rough time so we went to check on them and bring them bread. My mom and i walked about a half hour to get to the house and the night was absolutely beautiful. One of those perfect summer nights back in illinois where dad whips out the grill...mmm mouth is watering. Anyway so we talked the entire walk about CR and Nicaragua and schools and good last names all sorts of fun stuff : ). Then we got to the house and met a girl my age named estepanie she was incredibly sweet and my mom and her talked for about an hour and i understood most of it : ) woo hoo. Then my moms friend got home with the rest of the gang. There ended up being 9 of us in the house by the end of the night. But we all just sat around and talked and i listened and i even cracked a joke and my mom laughed. After another 2 hours of chatting they drove us home b/c it was dark out and when i got home i chatted more with my mom and sister. Now when i say chatted i do not mean that i am in anyway fluent but with smiles and nods and poorly structured sentences i can communicate. Basically it has been pretty quiet around the house lately and it was really good to chat and laugh and hang out with people. : ) Plus the house was like a little UN. The family we went to visit is ecuadorian my mom and one of the girls husbands are costa rican, there was a nicaraguan visiting, and then me and kate to represent the northern part of the continent. The family was amazing very gracious and loving and welcoming. Basically the night just made me really happy and its one of those nights that will make leaving this host home difficult. I only have about 10 more days with them because we start traveling monday and i will have 3 more host families by the end of the semester. Just wanted to share my happiness with u all. And remind u never to take communication for granted! b/c let me tell u it stinks when you want to talk and cant : )
pura vida
KT
pura vida
KT
Monday, February 23, 2009
seven buses and a priest from new york
So usually when I talk about my adventures they are over a several day span but today was one big adventure. So I have this seven to ten page research paper to write in Spanish. It is due Tuesday morning at 8am. As of 12pm Monday I was one very important interview short of being able to finish my paper. My topic is catholic and evangelical relations here in CR…very interesting stuff. So naturally I wanted to interview a priest and a pastor. My advisor wanted to hook me up with some big wigs in the catholic church. I was slightly intimidated but told her to go for it. Well Friday night I got an email from her that her connection fell through and I was going to need to find my own priest. She recommended the catholic church of san pedro which is close to the university so they like kids like me. So class finished at 12 today and I decided to first check the catholic church by my house so I didn’t have to go all the way into san jose. So I hopped on bus number two for the day (number one got me to class in the first place) I got to guadelupe during lunch break so I wondered around and walked to a book store then to mas por menos a grocery store and bought myself some cheekys (some yummy Costa Rican cookies) I got back to the church in guadelupe just as they were reopening. Went in and told my story in Spanish to the nice lady at the front desk. She said sorry the priests are napping right now (she actually said resting but napping immediately translated into my mind and I think it makes the story a little more entertaining) so she says would you like to make an appointment for tomorrow morning at 9am…as you may recall the paper is due at 8am. I said thank you very much but I’ll try another church. So I hopped on bus number 3 to head into san jose. Got into san jose at about 2pm and quickly found a mcdonalds b/c my bladder was about to burst. From there I decided to kill a little more time just in case the san pedro priests were still napping. So I went into another book store and browsed a bit. A Time magazine in English here costs 5 bucks! Naturally I didn’t buy it. So I figured I had killed enough time that I could go see the priests. I hopped on bus number 4 to get to san pedro. Well all the priests in costa rica must have been at the same convention or something b/c the priests at san pedro were out until confession at 3:30 and I was not entirely sure if it would be appropriate to conduct an interview during confession. So feeling surprisingly upbeat (probably because the weather is absolutely gorgeous!) I headed over to the American outlet mall to buy a calling card so I could call my advisor and find out what I should do. I found the card finally after browsing another book store…not sure what my book store fascination was today but it was fun. So I took the card to the pay phone and dialed my advisors number…turns out its her home number. So I decide to call the secretary at LASP there were two numbers for her so I called the second one…it was her cell phone. So I called her again on the LASP phone so she could put me through to my advisor. My advisor says…sorry go home and finish your paper I’m out of ideas. Well that was not exactly what I was hoping for but I was still shockingly upbeat. So I hopped on bus number 5 to head back into san jose. All the while completely calm, enjoying the scenery and eating cheekys (the cheekys may have had something to do with my happy mood as well) By the time I got into san jose I had decided that I would go back to the catholic church in guadelupe and make the appointment for tomorrow morning b/c I figured the 5% lower late grade would be higher than my paper if I didn’t have both points of view in it. So feeling confident and surprisingly non-chalant about my 5%late grade I hopped on bus number 6 to go back to guadelupe. Hopped off the bus and walked back in to try to explain why I was back and wanted to make an appointment for tomorrow morning. The lady said something I didn’t understand and then said something I did…”he speaks English” Turns out there was an off duty priest from new York who is in costa rica to learn Spanish and if I was willing to wait 15 minutes he was willing to impart his knowledge…in English to me : ) I gladly took a seat. We chatted for about 20 minutes…his English was excellent…we commiserated over not knowing Spanish…and he casually tried to figure out why a catholically raised girl was at a Nazarene university. So I finished up that interview we both said adios…just to say we practiced our Spanish a little and then I hopped happily onto bus number seven singing to myself…outloud. : ) Got on the bus and sat down next to a guy about my age he proceeded to freak out as he tried to figure out why a gringo was sitting on his bus (he didn’t actually say anything but I’ve gotten pretty good at mindreading lately) so exited bus number seven skipped home singing in English the entire way and finished my paper. Thus ends the overly long story about 7 buses and a priest from new York. Hope u enjoyed this page and a half single spaced story about nothing overly exciting.
Pura Vida Y’all!
KT
Ps. Just realized the other day that for the first time since 3rd grade the ppl I’m with don’t call me KT…it’s a little weird! : )
Pura Vida Y’all!
KT
Ps. Just realized the other day that for the first time since 3rd grade the ppl I’m with don’t call me KT…it’s a little weird! : )
Monday, February 16, 2009
Journies!
Journies…2-8-2009 to 2-14-2009
Sunday Febrero 8, 2009: I went to Cartago more specifically Tobosi on Sunday to go to some museums and to play some soccer. : ) First stop was a tiny museum in a guys house that had a lot of indigenous artifacts. Next stop soccer field! It was an Astroturf field about the size of a typical indoor field back in the states. There were two games an all girls game and a co-ed game both played against local cartagans. I wanted to play in the co-ed game but I was recruited to the all girls game first…we kinda got slaughtered 6-2 he he but it was fun. I played goalie for a bit and they only scored on me once. Then it was time for the co-ed game and they changed their minds and said we couldn’t play in both games b/c there were people who hadn’t played yet. I was bummed but had accepted it when…one of the cartogans who had played with us during our practice a few weeks before asked me if I wanted to play for the locals! So me and two other girls played with the locals and we won 9-8 against our classmates. I had a goal and an assist and it was amazingly fun. Then we had lunch and finally went up a mountain like hill and went to an indigenous museum and took some amazing pics…on facebook if you want to see them.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009: Field trip to an organic farm. It was so incredibly cool! It was run by two guys and the guy we met was so enthusiastic about the farm it was catching. He grows shade grown coffee and vegetables and fruits which ps are all delicious…I know for a fact. :) He was really passionate about the organic part of his farming. He views sustainable development as his way of making sure there is a world for his children to enjoy. All of his fertilizer is natural and he creates it at his house. He explained how organic farming is a much slower process than mass chemical farming and he makes much less money and food than the larger farmers but he said in 10 years those larger farmers of today are going to come to him and say how can we switch to organic b/c our land has no more nutrients. It makes a ton of sense and if you’re looking for ways to go green buying organic or planting your own garden is an excellent way to start. :) It was really amazing to meet someone who was truly passionate about his work and didn’t put earning money ahead of spending time with his family and protecting the environment.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009: 8:30pm National futbol stadium in San Jose! Went to go see the world cup qualifying match between Costa Rica and Honduras. It was awesome. About 20 of us students went to the game but there were 6 of us in the north section behind the goal. We were four rows up from the field and had great seats. Costa Rica won 2-0 and everybody was incredibly into the game. For the first time when I walked down the street with other gringos we got honks and cheers because we were wearing Costa Rican jerseys and not just because we are gringos. It was refreshing. The game was very exciting but I didn’t get home till midnight (which I realize is not that late but here I am asleep by 10 most nights so it felt really late. :) It was an awesome experience and I hope you are all following the USA qualifying games back in the states (just in case u missed it the USA beat mexico 2-0 the same night of the costa Rican game)
Thursday, February 12, 2009: Went to the US embassy to Costa Rica to hear the other side of the story. It was strange being on US soil in Costa Rica. Our embassy aka embajada is by far the largest embassy in Costa Rica as I imagine the US embassies around the world and quite spectacular. It was really interesting to hear the US perspective because our focus here is to listen to the Costa Rican point of view and to view things critically. It was easy to listen to the talk with a cynical ear but I tried my best to keep an open mind. To sum things up in a nut shell the United States really does want to develop smaller countries but their focus is always to look out for the interests of the USA. Which I suppose is completely logical you would expect any country to look out for its best interests. The problem comes when you try to put small countries like Costa Rica and the United States in the same category. The GDP of one large city in the states is probably bigger than the GDP of Costa Rica. When the big guy is looking out for his interests it is more likely than not going to come at the expense of the little guy and these expenses are noticeable because the country is smaller and weaker. It was fascinating to hear the embassy workers talk about their lives and jobs. And the field trip gave everyone a lot to think about.
Friday, February 13, 2009: hmm writing the date I just realized that it is Friday the thirteenth and I have not heard a single person say anything about it here. Hmm funny. Anywho this morning we gave up our sleep in morning (not by choice) to go into the LASP at 8am for a camino esperitual (spiritual walk) we didn’t know what we were doing and I for one thought it was a literal walk. However it ended up being a time where we sat in a huge awkward circle and poured our souls out to each other. We were all really uncomfortable with the idea of sharing where we are at and questions we have in front of 40 of our peers but it ended up being really incredible. It is amazing the things people have come through to come to where they are today. In our group of roughly 40 we have probably over 20 from divorced homes, we have a cancer survivor, cult survivors, people who have lived in poverty, people who struggle with depression and now here we all are university students who are giving up 4 months of comfort to find out what the world really holds for them. It was a very humbling experience and it made me extremely grateful for everyone who loves and supports me back home. So if you’re reading this…I’m guessing you care about me at least somewhat and I just want to say that I love you! Also a shout out to the parental…who better be reading this…thanks for being such a good example of Love! Miss you bunches.
Saturday, Feb. 14, 2009: Valentine’s day!!! And I’m going to a wedding. My cousin Vanessa is marrying another LASP student’s brother so I’m about to be related to one of my classmates I’m just not really sure how yet. Luckily there are several other LASP students who go to my church so I won’t be the only one there who has no idea what to do…Back from the wedding. It was really different in parts and very similar in other parts. There wasn’t really a wedding party and the grooms parents walked him down the aisle. My 20 year old sister and her boyfriend were ring bearers. There was no dance at the reception but the bride and groom did dance once while we were all still in the church. The professional photographer they used was actually the brother of the groom and consequently another LASP student with no photography experience but a nice camera The vows were pretty similar to vows in the USA and instead of saying I do they said yes I accept. The decorations were balloons my favorite of which said I love you in English :) Another fun part was when my tican mom literally dragged me (she likes to grab my arm and pull me sometimes…not my favorite thing in the world) around to every table to introduce me to my ‘relatives’ it was entertaining and only slightly more awkward than meeting relatives you didn’t know you had in the states. Over all it was a very beautiful service and I am glad I can check that off of my list of things to do before I die…go to a Costa Rican wedding. Check.
amor y pura vida
kt
Sunday Febrero 8, 2009: I went to Cartago more specifically Tobosi on Sunday to go to some museums and to play some soccer. : ) First stop was a tiny museum in a guys house that had a lot of indigenous artifacts. Next stop soccer field! It was an Astroturf field about the size of a typical indoor field back in the states. There were two games an all girls game and a co-ed game both played against local cartagans. I wanted to play in the co-ed game but I was recruited to the all girls game first…we kinda got slaughtered 6-2 he he but it was fun. I played goalie for a bit and they only scored on me once. Then it was time for the co-ed game and they changed their minds and said we couldn’t play in both games b/c there were people who hadn’t played yet. I was bummed but had accepted it when…one of the cartogans who had played with us during our practice a few weeks before asked me if I wanted to play for the locals! So me and two other girls played with the locals and we won 9-8 against our classmates. I had a goal and an assist and it was amazingly fun. Then we had lunch and finally went up a mountain like hill and went to an indigenous museum and took some amazing pics…on facebook if you want to see them.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009: Field trip to an organic farm. It was so incredibly cool! It was run by two guys and the guy we met was so enthusiastic about the farm it was catching. He grows shade grown coffee and vegetables and fruits which ps are all delicious…I know for a fact. :) He was really passionate about the organic part of his farming. He views sustainable development as his way of making sure there is a world for his children to enjoy. All of his fertilizer is natural and he creates it at his house. He explained how organic farming is a much slower process than mass chemical farming and he makes much less money and food than the larger farmers but he said in 10 years those larger farmers of today are going to come to him and say how can we switch to organic b/c our land has no more nutrients. It makes a ton of sense and if you’re looking for ways to go green buying organic or planting your own garden is an excellent way to start. :) It was really amazing to meet someone who was truly passionate about his work and didn’t put earning money ahead of spending time with his family and protecting the environment.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009: 8:30pm National futbol stadium in San Jose! Went to go see the world cup qualifying match between Costa Rica and Honduras. It was awesome. About 20 of us students went to the game but there were 6 of us in the north section behind the goal. We were four rows up from the field and had great seats. Costa Rica won 2-0 and everybody was incredibly into the game. For the first time when I walked down the street with other gringos we got honks and cheers because we were wearing Costa Rican jerseys and not just because we are gringos. It was refreshing. The game was very exciting but I didn’t get home till midnight (which I realize is not that late but here I am asleep by 10 most nights so it felt really late. :) It was an awesome experience and I hope you are all following the USA qualifying games back in the states (just in case u missed it the USA beat mexico 2-0 the same night of the costa Rican game)
Thursday, February 12, 2009: Went to the US embassy to Costa Rica to hear the other side of the story. It was strange being on US soil in Costa Rica. Our embassy aka embajada is by far the largest embassy in Costa Rica as I imagine the US embassies around the world and quite spectacular. It was really interesting to hear the US perspective because our focus here is to listen to the Costa Rican point of view and to view things critically. It was easy to listen to the talk with a cynical ear but I tried my best to keep an open mind. To sum things up in a nut shell the United States really does want to develop smaller countries but their focus is always to look out for the interests of the USA. Which I suppose is completely logical you would expect any country to look out for its best interests. The problem comes when you try to put small countries like Costa Rica and the United States in the same category. The GDP of one large city in the states is probably bigger than the GDP of Costa Rica. When the big guy is looking out for his interests it is more likely than not going to come at the expense of the little guy and these expenses are noticeable because the country is smaller and weaker. It was fascinating to hear the embassy workers talk about their lives and jobs. And the field trip gave everyone a lot to think about.
Friday, February 13, 2009: hmm writing the date I just realized that it is Friday the thirteenth and I have not heard a single person say anything about it here. Hmm funny. Anywho this morning we gave up our sleep in morning (not by choice) to go into the LASP at 8am for a camino esperitual (spiritual walk) we didn’t know what we were doing and I for one thought it was a literal walk. However it ended up being a time where we sat in a huge awkward circle and poured our souls out to each other. We were all really uncomfortable with the idea of sharing where we are at and questions we have in front of 40 of our peers but it ended up being really incredible. It is amazing the things people have come through to come to where they are today. In our group of roughly 40 we have probably over 20 from divorced homes, we have a cancer survivor, cult survivors, people who have lived in poverty, people who struggle with depression and now here we all are university students who are giving up 4 months of comfort to find out what the world really holds for them. It was a very humbling experience and it made me extremely grateful for everyone who loves and supports me back home. So if you’re reading this…I’m guessing you care about me at least somewhat and I just want to say that I love you! Also a shout out to the parental…who better be reading this…thanks for being such a good example of Love! Miss you bunches.
Saturday, Feb. 14, 2009: Valentine’s day!!! And I’m going to a wedding. My cousin Vanessa is marrying another LASP student’s brother so I’m about to be related to one of my classmates I’m just not really sure how yet. Luckily there are several other LASP students who go to my church so I won’t be the only one there who has no idea what to do…Back from the wedding. It was really different in parts and very similar in other parts. There wasn’t really a wedding party and the grooms parents walked him down the aisle. My 20 year old sister and her boyfriend were ring bearers. There was no dance at the reception but the bride and groom did dance once while we were all still in the church. The professional photographer they used was actually the brother of the groom and consequently another LASP student with no photography experience but a nice camera The vows were pretty similar to vows in the USA and instead of saying I do they said yes I accept. The decorations were balloons my favorite of which said I love you in English :) Another fun part was when my tican mom literally dragged me (she likes to grab my arm and pull me sometimes…not my favorite thing in the world) around to every table to introduce me to my ‘relatives’ it was entertaining and only slightly more awkward than meeting relatives you didn’t know you had in the states. Over all it was a very beautiful service and I am glad I can check that off of my list of things to do before I die…go to a Costa Rican wedding. Check.
amor y pura vida
kt
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Limon, Costa Rica
If you woud have told me on Thursday that I would be able to cross off half of my list-of-things-to-do-before-i-die in one weekend i would have told u good joke. But indeed this weekend was absolutely filled to the brim with random new things.
On Friday morning we went to LASP (one of our schools here) for a charla (chat with a native costa Rican) this particular chat was given by a native of limon province in costa rica. Limon is unique because it is where 24% of the black population in Costa Rica lives. He talked about poverty, racism, inequality, and the role president obama could have in changing these things. It was very interesting. Then we loaded up the two 24 passenger vans and an SUV and headed out to Limon for the weekend. On the way we stopped at a coffee plantation…(pics of all this are on facebook…I cant remember how to get pictures onto my blog at the moment). We learned about the dangers of pesticides and monocultures and how you can eat the berry around a coffee bean but it is a natural laxative and leaves a funny taste in your mouth. Then we piled back in the vans and drove to a pineapple plantation….quick survey…who thinks pineapples grow on trees? Wrong. no worries I didn’t know either. After the pineapple plantation we drove for about an hour. We drove past the coolest thing I have ever seen with my own two eyes. We drove past El Rio Sucio (the dirty river) and el Rio azul(the blue river) they run literally side by side and then after a certain point combine and form one river. It was amazing. Then we got to the chaquita banana plantation…first stop was the sorting, stickering, and shipping part of the process. Then we drove to the actual plantation where we got to see the bags of pesticides that surround our delicious fruit. Not going to take the time to explain everything here but if your contemplating buying organic fruit, do it. After the banana plantation we had lunch then drove for another hour or so. Saw waterfalls and trees and giant leaves called los sombrillos de pobres. Poor mens’ umbrellas. …sorry to interrupt myself but my next door neighbor is listening to “its been a hard days night and ive been working like a dog…” and I am cracking up : ) anywho the scenery was awesome. When we got to limon we checked into hotel Miami…which was shockingly nice. Then we got into a group of four and set out to find some strangers to interview. After 3 awkward Spanish/Jamaican English interviews we headed to a typical costa Rican joint for dinner…Pizza Hut!!! we were all craving home and we weren’t sure when we would get another chance to eat American food without offending our host families so we went for it…and it was amazing! Then we went to mas o menos…the sort of mini walmart here and bought bread and jelly and apples for breakfast(yes that’s right…I eat jelly now…go fig.) Then we walked around for a bit but it was getting dark and we were getting a disproportionate amount of catcalls so we figured it would be best to head back to the hotel. Saturday morning we got up and drove for about an hour to a native peoples reservation. Did you know that costa rica and the USA are the only two nations who have put their native people groups onto reservations? Guess where CR got the idea. So we listened to a bri bri woman talk about her life and the work her people do on an iguana farm. It was fascinating especially when she talked about the way missionaries have come in and in an attempt to change her faith have ended up changing her culture. Lots to think about with this charla. Then to let our brains rest a bit we went to the beach. Ate pineapple and watermelon and some more traditional food pic-nic style. Then we headed back to the hotel. For dinner we had a traditional Jamaican Costa Rican meal of rice and beans flavored with coco, platanos, chicken, and a salad with I have no idea what inside of it. Then the real fun began. There was a live band at this little place we rented out and where there is music there is bound to be dancing. I tried the wall flower thing for a bit and it was going well until our intern sean decided to make the wall flowers join in the fiesta. Luckily I wasn’t the only first timer and they patiently taught me. I figure it only took about a half hour to learn one salsa step which I preceded to do for the rest of the night. I had a shockingly good time getting pulled out of my comfort zone and into a truly awkward situation. Then we headed over to TCBY for a bit if late night ice cream. Sunday morning I was put on the catholic church group so off to church we went. Oddest mass I have ever been to. The priest only spoke Spanish. The congregation spoke English but with a heavy Jamaican influence. I understood very little but could still follow to an extent due to my superb background knowledge of the catholic church. The music was fun but downright strange. The lyrics were the same as catholic churches in the states but it was as though we gave them the lyrics and not the notes. Not a single song followed the traditional rhythm, beat, or tune. It was fascinating but fun. Then we loaded up the vans and headed home. Got dropped off in Guadalupe and walked about a half hour to get home wearing my skirt from church and my running shoes…looked entertaining but my flip flops were giving me blisters Over all this weekend was amazing and eye opening and downright fun. But now I am back in the real world and my family is gone so I should get some homework done. Love you all.
Pura Vida
KT
On Friday morning we went to LASP (one of our schools here) for a charla (chat with a native costa Rican) this particular chat was given by a native of limon province in costa rica. Limon is unique because it is where 24% of the black population in Costa Rica lives. He talked about poverty, racism, inequality, and the role president obama could have in changing these things. It was very interesting. Then we loaded up the two 24 passenger vans and an SUV and headed out to Limon for the weekend. On the way we stopped at a coffee plantation…(pics of all this are on facebook…I cant remember how to get pictures onto my blog at the moment). We learned about the dangers of pesticides and monocultures and how you can eat the berry around a coffee bean but it is a natural laxative and leaves a funny taste in your mouth. Then we piled back in the vans and drove to a pineapple plantation….quick survey…who thinks pineapples grow on trees? Wrong. no worries I didn’t know either. After the pineapple plantation we drove for about an hour. We drove past the coolest thing I have ever seen with my own two eyes. We drove past El Rio Sucio (the dirty river) and el Rio azul(the blue river) they run literally side by side and then after a certain point combine and form one river. It was amazing. Then we got to the chaquita banana plantation…first stop was the sorting, stickering, and shipping part of the process. Then we drove to the actual plantation where we got to see the bags of pesticides that surround our delicious fruit. Not going to take the time to explain everything here but if your contemplating buying organic fruit, do it. After the banana plantation we had lunch then drove for another hour or so. Saw waterfalls and trees and giant leaves called los sombrillos de pobres. Poor mens’ umbrellas. …sorry to interrupt myself but my next door neighbor is listening to “its been a hard days night and ive been working like a dog…” and I am cracking up : ) anywho the scenery was awesome. When we got to limon we checked into hotel Miami…which was shockingly nice. Then we got into a group of four and set out to find some strangers to interview. After 3 awkward Spanish/Jamaican English interviews we headed to a typical costa Rican joint for dinner…Pizza Hut!!! we were all craving home and we weren’t sure when we would get another chance to eat American food without offending our host families so we went for it…and it was amazing! Then we went to mas o menos…the sort of mini walmart here and bought bread and jelly and apples for breakfast(yes that’s right…I eat jelly now…go fig.) Then we walked around for a bit but it was getting dark and we were getting a disproportionate amount of catcalls so we figured it would be best to head back to the hotel. Saturday morning we got up and drove for about an hour to a native peoples reservation. Did you know that costa rica and the USA are the only two nations who have put their native people groups onto reservations? Guess where CR got the idea. So we listened to a bri bri woman talk about her life and the work her people do on an iguana farm. It was fascinating especially when she talked about the way missionaries have come in and in an attempt to change her faith have ended up changing her culture. Lots to think about with this charla. Then to let our brains rest a bit we went to the beach. Ate pineapple and watermelon and some more traditional food pic-nic style. Then we headed back to the hotel. For dinner we had a traditional Jamaican Costa Rican meal of rice and beans flavored with coco, platanos, chicken, and a salad with I have no idea what inside of it. Then the real fun began. There was a live band at this little place we rented out and where there is music there is bound to be dancing. I tried the wall flower thing for a bit and it was going well until our intern sean decided to make the wall flowers join in the fiesta. Luckily I wasn’t the only first timer and they patiently taught me. I figure it only took about a half hour to learn one salsa step which I preceded to do for the rest of the night. I had a shockingly good time getting pulled out of my comfort zone and into a truly awkward situation. Then we headed over to TCBY for a bit if late night ice cream. Sunday morning I was put on the catholic church group so off to church we went. Oddest mass I have ever been to. The priest only spoke Spanish. The congregation spoke English but with a heavy Jamaican influence. I understood very little but could still follow to an extent due to my superb background knowledge of the catholic church. The music was fun but downright strange. The lyrics were the same as catholic churches in the states but it was as though we gave them the lyrics and not the notes. Not a single song followed the traditional rhythm, beat, or tune. It was fascinating but fun. Then we loaded up the vans and headed home. Got dropped off in Guadalupe and walked about a half hour to get home wearing my skirt from church and my running shoes…looked entertaining but my flip flops were giving me blisters Over all this weekend was amazing and eye opening and downright fun. But now I am back in the real world and my family is gone so I should get some homework done. Love you all.
Pura Vida
KT
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