"How do you like your gallo pinto cooked?"

“How do you like your gallo pinto cooked?”

I like my gallo pinto (traditional breakfast food that consists of rice and beans with some special juices and spices) with a fried egg on top and fried plantains on the side.

I thought the above question would be perfect to ask to the teenagers at Proyecto Jovenes as an ice-breaker. I had a college professor who asked the class how they liked their potatoes cooked and I thought that was so clever. So, why not try the question out with gallo pinto?

Although we did not use that as an ice-breaker, I thought it was humorous. I am getting acquainted with the teenagers that are a part of Proyecto Jovenes. Every Tuesday night, I teach an English class with a couple of my friends. The teenagers are noisy and like to make jokes. Their English is very good and when I speak in Spanish and make mistakes, they are quick to help me!

As I reflect on working with the teenagers last Tuesday, I am even more excited for the week ahead. Tomorrow, our ISEP group leaves for Altamira, which is a rural community located in the province of Puntarenas. Our group will work with AsoProLa (Asociacion de Productores La Amistad) to promote development and to protect the natural resources of the local national part (La Amistad International Park).

 I am looking forward to living with a host family, taking a typical Costa Rican food cooking class, participating in typical dance lessons, and playing soccer with the local children. Our group will be working every day for about seven hours and then have the nights to be with our host families and immerse ourselves in the community. We will not have wifi, so I will have plenty of time to read my books for class and spend time with the locals. I am looking forward to being disconnected from the rest of the world and being fully present during the trip.

Technically, the trip is a service learning trip. I am intrigued and excited about the possibilities and adventures of the week ahead. I am also celebrating the end of my first exam week with this trip (although one professor gave us our exam to do at home, but it is super long so I still have to work hard to finish the exam!).

I look forward to blogging and reflecting on our service learning trip once we return. I am also looking forward to celebrating Easter with my host family in Heredia. We return Saturday afternoon and I am planning on participating in one of the processions outside of our house Saturday night.

My tica friend, Priscilla. She studies with me an extra 2-4 hours/week and helps me understand our super difficult textbook. These are our faces after we found out the exam was "take-home" and that we did not have class. Priscilla has been my lifesaver!

Nicole, my tica friend, Language Exchange Partner, dictionary for the textbooks I do not understand, and one of the students from UNA who helped our group get adjusted to life here. Nicole is also going with us on the service learning trip. Nicole and I went to Castillo Country Club with her grandparents to swim in the pool on Tuesday after class.

Her grandparents packed a picnic for us. I have never eaten beans as good as the ones her grandmother made for our sandwiches.

Nicole's Grandparents

The view from Castillo Country Club (everyday, I am still amazed about how we literally LIVE IN THE CLOUDS).

Volcan Poas Cures All!

Today, I went to Volcan Poas (Poas Volcano) with two friends. After a week of tears and stress, today was perfect. My trip to Volcan Poas reminded me why I am here, that everything will work out, and allowed me to forget about all of my worries and troubles that I experienced last week. Do not worry, nothing horrible has happened! I just experienced the normal "I have been here almost two months and am struggling a little bit" conversations with myself! Volcan Poas gave me time to reflect, relax, and enjoy the beauty of the Earth, of Costa Rica, and of my time here. 

While the volcano was covered in clouds all day (what a bummer), we still managed to hike around a gorgeous lake and pose for pictures with the lake, or lagoon. The hike was a little bit strenuous, but it felt great! Today was one of my favorite days thus far :)

The Lake, or Lagoon

The Volcano Covered in Clouds

Leaves in the "Cloud Forest" that indigenous people used for writing letters and important documents.

The Lake or Lagoon

Una Buena Vista de Valle Central (A Pretty View of the Central Valley)

Drew

Olivia

Tranquilla, Pura Vida!

Today, my alarm did not go off. Today, I took a taxi to school after my mom and I frantically ran around the house at 7:55am when class started at 8:00am.  Today, my professor greeted me by saying "Tranquilla, tranquilla, esta bien" as I walked into class twenty minutes late (thank goodness my group presented second!).  Sunday, I woke up after what I thought was a long night of sleep. Sunday, Costa Rica did not have a time change but my Samsung Galaxy S5 did have a time change. Saturday, my friends and I were lost in the rain outside of a fabulous mall. Saturday, I stopped a few buses in the middle of the street before we found the correct one. Saturday, the bus driver let us on the bus in the middle of the street (I assume because we looked like desperate gringos who were not prepared for the rain). Saturday, I almost fell a few different times as I stood in the aisle of the bus and my friends just laughed hysterically! Friday, my dad and brother-in-law gave me directions to the mall. I needed 45 minutes of directions and explanations before I understood. But on Saturday, I got us to the mall without any issues (just not home!).  "Tranquilla, Cait, Tranquilla!"

Sunday, I went to church with my host dad. My family goes to the Catholic Church that is across the street from our house. I witnessed eight baptisms at the beginning of the service and the water part at the end of the service. Catholic baptisms in Costa Rica are very different than Presbyterian baptisms in the United States. Yet, they are so similar. I enjoyed Mass very much because the Priest on Sunday talked much slower than the Priest on Ash Wednesday. I understood some of what was being said and I also followed along in the bulletin. The bulletin was on fancy paper and I believe each person paid a few cents for their bulletin. I am going to try to start going to church here on a regular basis, but I miss FPC Troy very much! Tranquilla!

My Spanish improves every day. I catch myself when I use the wrong conjugation of a verb. I study extra every day to ensure that when I leave “yo puedo hablar espanol con fluidez.” People that met me when I arrived constantly tell me that my Spanish has improved so much. I am excited to see what the next three months hold! Life here is treating me very well J If anyone wants to help me, text me in Spanish and insist that I only respond in Spanish! Pura Vida!

Last Friday at the Zumba event with my host sister's friends

My host sister is on the far right, she is the mom of the little girl in some of my photos

Our group at Plaza Lincoln (the mall)

Grandfather

Grandfather

Grandfather, thank you for the support and encouragement. Thank you for the love you shared with grandmother for over 50 years. Thank you for instilling the value of education in your children. Thank you for passing on drama in our blood, even if being a drama queen is sometimes silly. Thank you for encouraging me to be a Queen at Queens. Thank you for the silly game we used to play while you “slept” in your favorite yellow chair. Thanks for smacking the same banana and toast with peanut butter every morning and then washing it down with orange juice. Thank you for encouraging me to write (or telling me I needed to write) so that one day when I was old, I could look back and remember everything exciting and challenging that happened during my life; to be more like Grandmother. Thank you for marrying Grandmother, having my dad, encouraging him to be a minister and to marry my mom, and for loving your grandchildren so very much. And thank you for rubbing our backs and singing us to sleep every night we were with you (Noelle, Rachel, and me).

3 years ago when Grandfather died suddenly, my world was turned upside down. I thought I might not survive. I questioned everything. Why? How? Now? But he did not get to try out his new route to Ohio via Charlotte?

Now, I still do not know why it happened. But, God always has a plan. The last two years, I have spent this day with Grandmother. We celebrated Grandfather’s life and looked through a crazy amount of photos. We cried on each other’s shoulders and laughed as we watched home videos. I am longing to be with Grandmother today.

I know that no matter where I am in the world, I am with Grandfather. I am only an email, a phone call, or a text away from Grandmother. I know that when I look in the sky of Costa Rica tonight, I am looking at the same moon Grandmother is looking at. I am watching the stars which show me Grandfather is watching down on me, even in Costa Rica.

Grandfather, you changed me. You influenced me. When I am struggling to write in Spanish or when I just need a break, I know you are supporting me. I know you are encouraging me from heaven. And I know your wife, one of the most wonderful women in the world, is always there when I need or want her. I love you, Grandfather. Three years ago tonight was the worst night of my life. Now I am reminiscing, crying, and missing you. But, I know how proud you are of me. I know you are with me. And I know that God continues to have a plan. And that is enough.

Last Week's Firsts

Last Week's Firsts 

Last week was full of firsts for my time in Costa Rica. I had my first group project. I gave my first presentation in front of only ticos. I felt a tiny bit homesick. I felt frustrated with my Spanish writing and grammar abilities. I got my fingerprints taken. I gained a pet in my bedroom! I went to a Zumba event with over 500 people. I went to a reggae concert, which doubled as attending my first student organized event at UNA. I went for two long runs, both at the hottest time of day.

Let me begin with a funny first that occurred this week. After a long morning of walking around San Jose and then getting my fingerprints taken for my Visa, the only thing I needed was a cold shower and a nap. As I woke up from my refreshing nap, I spotted a gecko (lizard, whatever you want to call it,) on the wall of my bedroom. I have not felt any fear in Costa Rica until the gecko was in my room! Because it disappeared when I looked away for one second (I was standing on my bed in my nightgown freaking out), I am still not sure if it is living in my bed or my dresser, but as my host sister told me “that is not significant at all, geckos are your friends!” Alas, I have (or had, I am not sure yet) a new pet that I am quite afraid of. And as I told my host sister, “I don’t like animals or bugs, I prefer humans!”

My biggest firsts of the week were feeling a tiny bit homesick and feeling frustrated with my Spanish writing and grammar abilities. The homesickness feeling occurred because of my rough day which was caused by feeling like I do not know very much. Classes are hard. I never really understand what professors say and if I do, I only partly understand them.  Normally, I just make a joke about the situation and work harder and move on. But, when I am learning new grammar and cannot even remember basic grammar off the top of my head for practices, I begin to be frustrated. I talk to people all day long and they always understand me and I usually understand them. Now, it is just a matter of not becoming frustrated. I spent all day Saturday translating for practice and working on new verbs.

On the plus side, my struggles have led to me making many new friends. My first group project and group presentation went well. After I read the material alone, one chica from my group sat down with me and went over every part to make sure that I understood everything. I even began our presentation with a joke for the class! Each class, I have special people sit by me that help me understand what is going on.  They've turned into friends that also invite me home, which is by the beach, with them for the weekend!

The frustration and stress of my week came to an end when I went to a huge Zumba event, which doubled as a fundraiser for a high school. The event was over two hours of Zumba with over 500 people. We all wore glow sticks and there were disco balls. Some people painted their entire bodies, but we decided to opt out of that part of the event! My host sister and her friends were so sweet to me. My friends and I went out to what we call “Times Square, Heredia” last night and today I went to a local festival with my host dad. We walked there using a route he walks a few times a week and a route he thinks will be perfect for my weekly runs. The festival was a benefit for cancer, I believe it would be the equivalent to Relay for Life events. We showed up just in time for a "Beatles Special," so it was fun to hear some of my favorite CISV songs being played and hearing them sung with a tico accent.

I am excited about what adventures this week will hold. I plan to do extra work for the next few weeks to get all of my Spanish verbs straightened out. I will continue to talk to anyone and everyone that I encounter, so no worries about me speaking the language :)

Thanks for keeping in touch!