Tico Family Vacation

So we just wrapped up Semana Santa (Holy Week) down here in CR which if you are Tico means you will do one of three things:
1. Go to the beach. It’s a week where virtually the whole family has off so many pack their book bags hop a bus and hit the beach.
2. If you are a legit hard core Catholic you will be going to mass every day and participating in processions (like parades but somber) while you carry an image of Jesus or Mary or your favorite saint around town.
3. And option number three if you don’t want to leave town but youre not Catholic you will stay home and watch the hundreds of poorly made biblical movies that the good old US of A has made with blond haired blue eyed Jesuses that are dubbed over into Spanish.
Leading up to this Semana Santa the family was talking about going to the beach but in true tico form they had made zero plans which I assumed would result in us spending semana santa in form number 3. (this form was the way I spent smenana santa here during my study abroad…and I was dreading it) Option number 2 is obviously not for us seeing as how we are hard core evangelicals and not hard core Catholics. So this is how semana santa went down for the Bejarano Chacon Gremar family…
Palm Sunday: went to church as normal. Church was anything but normal. Started off the pastor telling us about his one week missions trip to Peru. Then he told us how God had placed on his heart that we should have communion (we do it once every couple of months) and so he was going to buy unleavened bread like during the feast of the Passover but then he decided that we would do communion different. How? We would spend 30 minutes hugging each other. Well as soon as my host dad Randall heard that he was like a kid in a candy store (he LOVES giving hugs…ie. he picked up my real dad to hug him when my family got here at Christmas time) I on the other hand thought well crap should I hide in the bathroom or just go outside and relax. (Hugging strangers is not one of my favorite pastimes) So I got my familial hugs, those were nice, and then China and Randall took off to give there hugs to everyone else. And I stood there very very awkwardly. Went to the bathroom, came back…hugging still going on. Pulled out my journal and started to write so I at least wouldn’t make any accidental eye contact. Had 3 or 4 women take pity on me and come give me hugs and then mercifully we wrapped “communion” up for the day. The oddities continued, however, as we decided that instead of normal worship we would sing medlies of worship songs from the 70s 80s 90s and 2000s. Well I can’t lie that was actually highly entertaining to hear the shift in Spanish worship songs from before I was born to when I became a Spanish language lover. And to wrap up the oddities we were given cake…really really delicious cake from Spoon. Why? Don’t know. Nobody said. But when it comes to free cake I rarely ask questions. And that my friends was Palm Sunday. Jesus’s triumphal procession was not mentioned, actually Jesus was hardly mentioned. Later that day I translated the word Easter for Mama china and she said that was today right…nope. Today was palm Sunday, Easter is next week. (Much of this painfully obvious neglect of a crucial story in the Christian faith is because the Evangelicals are sooooo concerned with not being associated with the Catholics in any way shape or form that they often over do it on avoiding things that might be considered Catholic.)
Monday was normal. I slept all day b/c I had the Pajama party the night before and was exhausted)
Tuesday I went to lunch with the other gringos and learned that I would not indeed be subjected to the Biblical movies but that we were going to go to the Beach. I was excited but also super nervous because I kept hearing names of extended family members mentioned and I got the picture that the entire week would be spent hanging out with Ticos I don’t know.
Wednesday we hopped a bus at 7:30am to Orotina where Mama China has family (months ago we had gone to visit this family for a weekend…and it was painfully boring so this added to my dread) We hung out and watched movies on TV (they have cable) then mercifully at 3pm we caught a bus to Mata Limon a little Beach town where we were going to be staying and where Mama China has more family. We got there and saw a good sized house, actually bigger than ours here in Lomas, but it was really dirty and super hot. The pool we had been told about was about 5 ft by 10 ft and about 3 ft deep had no water in it. I was immediately skeptical. There were 3 bedrooms in the house same as there are here in Lomas but instead of divvying up the bedrooms like a normal American family would the rents decided the best option would be to put all the mattresses together on the floor in the main room. Day 1 was shaping up to be odd but not awful.

Thursday we filled up the little pool and played in it for a few hours. I read a book. Wrote some post cards. And in general relaxed. And then at 3pm we headed to the beach we figured it would be better to go when the sun was setting and not at its hottest. The waves were strong and I ended up looking after Emily most of the time but it was a lot of fun. Only chatted with extended family once.
Friday was almost identical to Thursday except that I didn’t get in the little pool this day but continued reading my book. 3pm went to the beach. Then for dinner we grilled meat. Lots and lots of meat.

Saturday was identical to Friday except for the fact that my stomach was a bit upset because I had eaten about a million mangos the first 3 days (the grew all over the trees in Mata Limon so we harvested a ton one day) still read my book although I had finished the first and was on to the second. Finished writing my post cards. And then at 4pm we went to the beach.


Easter Sunday (except I don’t think anyone in my family knew it was Easter Sunday) we took a bus from Mata Limon to Puntarenas. From there we took a bus from Puntarenas to San Jose. And From San Jose we took a bus to Lomas. Walked in the door at 2pm…at 2:05 pm I was asleep on my bed. It is now 5:20 and I’m writing this blog. Strange easter? Yes. There was no bunny, no colored eggs, no chocolate or jelly beans and no mention of Jesus. But in the grand scheme of things its probably no more odd than spending Christmas with my real family on a beach in CR. Or celebrating thanksgiving the 5th of December and singing Christmas songs in Spanish. This year has been filled with oddities but it has been an excellent time as well. And I know that in 19 days!!! When I am home I will miss it. So for now I will continue to embrace the strange things that come my way while I simultaneously count down the days till I get home to “normal” life.
Pura Vida
KT

Still having my eyes opened...

So last night we had a piyamada…a PJ party at the Refuge in Carpio. It was for the girls from the institute where I teach math as well as for the girls from the Saturday program (youth group basically) that I sometimes help out with. Well to be perfectly honest I was dreading it the whole week. I pictured 30 plus girls screaming and ignoring the leaders, which often happens at youth group. Well as usual I was wrong (and I believe God is trying to get me to wake up and not be such a crab about activities out of my comfort zone). The pj party ended up being a lot of fun and what I would consider a huge success. It was also an eye opener for me. You would think that after 7 months (to the day) of being here I would not be having so many aha! Moments but well apparently I’m still learning.
So eye opener #1 was this:
We watched the movie Precious. Definitely not G rated. Filled with swear words I more or less hadn’t heard in 7 months (we only had it in English with Spanish sub titles…great for me, rough on the girls) and with incredibly tough to deal with situations. It’s a story based on the real life stories of girls in Harlem who have suffered verbal, physical, and sexual abuse. Who have been told their whole lives they are worthless and dumb and will never amount to anything. Girls who have been kicked out of traditional schools and have been labeled doomed. Well the girl in this story…despite set backs that would make most people shut down and be unreachable…keeps pressing on. She gets in an alternative school and gets more or less a hold on her life and on the lives of her 2 kids who are products of rape. Like I said it’s not an easy movie to watch. And afterwards we asked the girls if the movie exaggerated or not…they said no. it was realistic. And that is what opened my eyes yet again. Praise the lord not all of the girls at youth group have that sort of home situation but one girl there has a daughter who is a product of rape. Others if not physical abuse certainly feel verbal abuse in their homes. Many of my math students came to the first day of class saying they couldn’t do anything, they were awful at math, etc. And not all of that comes from failing out of public school here or dropping out for one reason or another. Much of it comes from teachers, parents, classmates saying you will never amount to anything…and then they believe it.




Which leads to eye opener #2:
Math at the institute was not exactly a cake walk. The girls had no self confidence. Which made many of them lash out at anyone around…easy target? The gringa who doesn’t understand slang and swear words so she can’t punish them. Sometimes the disrespect was overwhelming, even though I didn’t understand word for word I am not oblivious enough to not realize when I am being ridiculed. So it was a tough 5 months with a mobility rate that would rival the worst public school in the states. My class started with 5 students, at its peak it had 10, in the end I had 3 students only 1 of which was there from the beginning. I often asked myself why on earth the girls even bothered to come to class when some refused to come to the board (b/c of embarrassment), when others missed 2 out of 4 days of class each week, when they rarely did their homework unless I bribed them with cookies the next day, and when one would intentionally miss any day we had a quiz because of her intense test anxiety. To me it was a challenge at best and a frustrating thorn in my flesh at worst. And then we had this pj party. The girls had just finished testing that day and they all brought their tests to be graded so they wouldn’t have to wait for results. I graded them and confirmed what I already knew…none of them passed. A blow to my ego? Sure, but not surprising. But that wasn’t the eye opener either. This was my last time to be together with all the girls at the institute and so they said their goodbyes to me. And as they were saying it two of my math girls teared up. One was a girl who literally never did a homework assignment and in the end didn’t even take the test, she rarely talked, and would cover her paper every time I went to look at her class work. The other was the side kick of the ring leader who was constantly making fun of me. A bright girl but with low self esteem and with problems with alcohol. They made life rough. And now I am leaving and they tear up and express their appreciation for all I did for them.
God is at work here. Despite me. He is at work. In my life and in the lives of my students. And so with a zero percent pass rate in my first high school class taught in Spanish I am opening my eyes and celebrating how far we have come in five months.
1. That’s the number of times Lesbia came to the board to work a math problem during the months she was in my class. That day you couldn’t have erased the smile off my face if you tried. She came to the board. God has installed at least a tiny bit of confidence in her. Also at the piyamada she participated in a group game. Grudgingly and half heartedly but she did it! She got a 43% on her final exam, I like to think that perhaps she has 43% more confidence than when she entered my class. And just to clarify that is all God’s doing. Goodness knows I wanted to give up many times but God was at work.
2. Yendry. Always bright but easily led astray and struggling with alcohol. She would constantly help the other girls on their problems when they didn’t understand. I thanked her and told her she might make a good teacher some day. She got a 34% on the exam. I am praying that this number directly translates into her feeling of self worth…that she thinks 34% more highly of herself than when she did when she walked into my classroom. Again God’s doing.
3. Jessica. The mom in the group. And a darn good one at that. She is 19 and has an adorable 2 year old daughter named Brianna. At home they ask her why are you studying? That’s pointless. You should be at home or working. She defies them and keeps coming. She is incredibly bright but missed half of the semester before she enrolled at the institute. She is fighting against the pressure at home and told me today she plans to continue working at the institute. She is going to keep struggling, keep studying, and hopefully create a better future for her daughter. She scored a 49% on the test. Highest grade in the class. And though disappointed she said okay that’s better than I did the first time…I’ll take the class again, pass, and keep going. God is painting a bright future for her.




4. Judith. Lesbia’s silent side kick. She was one I often wondered why on earth she came to class. She didn’t take the exam because she knew she wouldn’t pass but by the end of the class she was answering questions out loud and didn’t shut down when she got it wrong. She is becoming less afraid to fail. And she was one who teared up when we said goodbye. God is at work here. Despite me.

26 days left and God is still opening my eyes to my real purpose here. Not to teach math, not to “win souls for Christ” –since God is the only one who can win a soul anyway--. I was sent here to have my eyes opened. And to learn how to love the difficult ones. And though more stressful in the end it is far more rewarding to know that if nothing else the girls had someone to believe in them and love on them…not perfectly but the best I know how.
My prayer? That my eyes will never again be shut but that I will rejoice in the struggles since they are what mold me into the person God has desired me to be since the beginning.
God is at work here.
Amen.
KT

Accordians, Banjos, and Sunny Downpours.

Well the last hour and a half have been highly entertaining. Riding home on my Carpio bus, minding my own business I watched through the window as two girls about my age with an accordian (and no i dont know how to spell that particular word and this computer doesnt have english spell check...so just go with me if it is wrong...and if it is right...yea!) anywho...a girl with an accordian and her friend with a banjo get on the bus. That was entertaining in itself but then one announced that they were going to play for us. They actually sounded shockingly good for two girls on two odd instruments on a bus. And then they started to sing. We will just leave it at...they probably should have just played the instruments. But it was highly entertaining if not entirely pleasing to the ear. Plus, in case you have forgotten, buses dont just stop for musical guests they keep right on driving which means that both girls more or less fell a few times but they were good natured about it and everyone on the bus had a good laugh. The best part...when they solicited money at the end they said that they would also accept smiles...i chose to give the later of the two options.
Then I got off bus number 1. and started my short walk to bus number two. which is about the time it started downpouring. Ticos were running everywhere, who was the only one with an umbrella? The gringa. I win (although if i´m being honest i never would have had it if my host mom didnt ask me every morning if i have it.) So i crowded on to the bus, sweating b-c the windows are closed b-c of the rain. And i notice that it is sunny. not just a tiny bit but full on sunshine. And then the downpour gets harder. And the sun perhaps a bit brighter. And thus despite my over heating and the nasty glances from the man i accidently got wet with my umbrella, I thouroughly enjoyed the weather contradiction before my eyes.
And so...I am happy.

In other news. I had my last math class today. We have been studying super hard the last 3 weeks because it finally dawned on my students that they were in my class to prepare for a test...go figure. Will they pass? Perhaps with God´s blessing. If not...then I have prepared them as best i can...for the next teacher who will teach seventh grade math.

Starting Monday I am on vacation because of semana santa (holy week) which is an entire week without work which i am looking forward to. After that 3 more weeks of english classes and extra side gigs. Throw in my Birthday and then I´m back in the U S of A.

So final random thought to this highly random blog. Probably shouldnt send me any more mail here if you were thinking about doing so. Between semana santa and the insanely slow rate at which mail is picked up by our offices I will probably be seeing you in person before it even gets here. (but thanks for the thoughts they are greatly appreciated...and now when i get home you can be like...oh man i was so going to send you a huge box of chocolates but then i read your blog and realized it was too late...and so well I ate your chocolates :)

Anywho! see u soon. to those who are finishing up high school (shout out to the little sis Becca!) and college enjoy your last few days! and congradulations!
pura vida
kt

Everybody loves math...Especially word problems...

Since I know the title of this blog is completely true and not sarcastic at all. And in honor of the fact that I’m currently a high school math teacher here are some little word problems for you all…

1. One day a gringa went to live in Costa Rica. She went to learn Spanish and another culture and to learn to love people completely different, and yet very much the same, as herself. This gringa loves her family very much and decided that 8 months was a sufficient amount of time to accomplish her non-established goals and not go crazy from lack of familial contact. There are approximately 4 weeks in each month. With 7 days in each week how many days did she sign up for? Please do work in the space provided below. Circle your answer and show all work. Worth 2 points.




2. The aforementioned gringa has now spent 6.5 months of her 8 month trip to Costa Rica. Continuing the assumption that there are 4 weeks per month and knowing that there are 7 days in a week how many days does she have left? Please do work below. Circle answer. Worth 2 points.




3. Or to put it another way this gringa has the following number of days left in CR: 7x7 – (-10 +18) =
*Remember order of operations and pay attention to negative signs.
Show all work. Worth 2 points.



4. What is the difference between the answer in number 2 and number 3? How can you account for the difference? Remember to write in complete sentences. You will not be counted off for spelling…because I can’t spell worth anything either.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Answer Key: 1. 224 days
2. 42 days
3. 41 days
4. 1 day. Because #2 is an approximate and #3 is exact. (and no, don’t ever start a sentence with the word because.)

Anywho…assuming you have made it this far and have not harbored any hate towards me for posting a blog filled with math problems I did all that just to say WOW there is not much time left here.
My time here has been amazing and I am very much looking forward to the next 6 weeks which will include the end of our math semester, Semana Santa (which is not as it sounds a week dedicated to Santa Clause…bummer I know) actually Holy week for all you non Spanish speakers out there…however being in a Catholic nation we do holy week up right…meaning no work what so ever. Eating a ton of canned tuna and hopefully not canned sardines. And watching more poorly made Biblically based movies than I ever cared to know existed. After semana santa I will just have English and tutoring to wrap up my time here. Add hopefully two delicious Mama China (my host mom) cakes for my host sister’s birthday and mine (May 3…just in case you forgot) and then I’ll be leaving on a Jet Plane.
Has this been the hardest 6.5 months of my life? Sometimes. Sometimes it has been the easiest. Have I gotten better at Spanish? Speaking yes…however if I were to currently try to diagram a Spanish sentence for you…I’m pretty sure I couldn’t…which is a sure sign I’m getting more fluent since I’m the same with English…I speak English real good but cant figure out the grammar fer nothin. Have a learned another culture? Only a tiny part of it, I probably am about a 3 year old level as far as understanding the culture. Has my first foray into the real world (the world outside of public schools and private Christian university bubbles) been a success…depends who you ask. but I have learned a ton and thus in my book has been a definite success.
Best part of it all? Still 6 weeks left. Only God knows what He can teach me in that amount of time.
So until may 14th, know that I am missing you all but not as much as before…:) because I know I will see you all soon!
Pura Vida
KT