"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!

Things I Have Learned During My Time in Costa Rica: Part 1

Things I have learned during my time in CR:

     1) The orange button by the wheelchair accessible seat on the bus is not the same as the red button on the poles. The orange button does not stop the bus; it sets off an alarm throughout the entire bus!

    2) “Que chevre”, a phrase meaning “that’s cool” in Colombia, is not a phrase used here. Instead, ticos say “tuanis.”

    3) Just because a car has a red light does not mean you can walk in front of them.

    4) If a person get his by a car (or a moto), it is not the car’s fault. Watch out!

    5) Sometimes, water bottles fall across the floor of the bus. It is okay to accidentally fall into a man and on the ground while picking up the water bottle and keys that were dropped during the process.

      6) The Ash Wednesday service at a Catholic church in Heredia, Costa Rica is not that different from Ash Wednesday service at First Presbyterian Church in Troy, Ohio.

      7) The cable to make the bus stop does not always work.

      8) When you take the same bus every day, you get to know the bus driver. And sometimes, when the cable does not work and he knows you need to get off, he stops the bus in a random place so you are not too far away from your school!

      9) The students in my classes here are the friendliest students ever…I hope that Queens’ students treat international students with the same level of care and concern as the students here treat me (I am sure we do!)

   10) Non-Profit Organization in Spanish is “una organizacion sin fines de lucro.”

   11)  A meal is not complete without rice and beans.

   12) There is a difference between juice and a refresco…juices are thicker. Here, most people only have refrescos.

   13) Reading in Spanish is not as hard as I thought it would be, especially when I have a friend who goes over what I have read with me to make sure I understand everything!

   14) “Caitlin Culp” is very difficult for professors to say. I am now “Cait” or “Catlin Colp.”

   15) Every time you join a new gym, they perform an evaluation on you that consists of everybody measurement possible, questions about health, and a workout plan. At UNA, the students from the exercise science school perform these duties.

   16) Now this one I already knew...87 degrees is hot, but I would much rather be in 87 degree weather than 0 degree weather.

Part 2 of Things I Have Learned While Living in Costa Rica will debut in a couple of weeks….until then, if you would like to become pen pals, my address is below!

Caitlin Culp

ISEP Apartado Postal: 86

3000 Universidad Nacional

Heredia, Costa Rica

America Central

Cafe Naranjo Coffee Plantation

Oscar, UNA student who has helped us since Day 1.

View from Naranjo.

Representing JBIP, Queens University of Charlotte

We had a painting lesson!

Actually, I painted this piece.

The top is how it was supposed to look, the bottom is how mine turned out...UNIQUE!

Last weekend at Manuel Antonio.

Meagan from Nebraska.

We love the Explanada, the meeting place at UNA.

Just reppin' Queens!

I LOVE COSTA RICA, CAN'T YOU TELL?

Cafe Naranjo Coffee Plantation

Soy Una Tica (Posiblemente)

Soy Una Tica (Posiblemente)

Yesterday, I did a lot: I took the bus to school, walked up a very long hill to the gym, was told I needed to pay first, so I walked all the way back down the hill and across campus and down the street, paid for my gym membership, did homework in the library, went to the gym and conversed with the woman working, signed up for a personal training session, exchanged money at the bank, ran some errands downtown, and came home on the bus. Yesterday was the first day that I felt like I could be on my own and be totally fine (all day, every day). I got off the bus at the MusManni and felt like I was home.

I feel like I can take on Heredia, sola; in part, because I survived my first week of classes. After making many changes, I went to three of my four classes last week. This week I will attend all four of my classes. I am enrolled in Morphology, Basics of Phonetics and Morphology, Feminist Thinking of Indigenous People, focused on indigenous people of Costa Rica, and a Learning Spanish and Costa Rican culture class. I also signed up for a tutoring program with a professor, in which I will learn more grammar and have homework assignments that will add to my knowledge of the Spanish language and support what I am practicing in each of my classes.

Today, I enjoyed eating lunch (that my Mami tica packed for me) outside in the main quadrant of campus. I am not sure if there is entertainment every day, but yesterday and today there was live music and some talent show type events going on during the lunch hour. I am enjoying being a member of the gym on campus. The gym is super small, but I feel revived after I work out. I never realized how much working out did for my body and my mind. Also, the gym has trained staff members that give new members of the gym a tutorial of how to use each machine. I have my tutorial on Friday, but today one of the men working there helped me with my technique. I am grateful to have a place to work out, although walking home today is going to be difficult because I am so sore!

There have been some issues with scheduling classes and the university being on the same page as ISEP and ISEP being on the same page as my family in the States, my family tica, and me. However, everything has finally worked out. I am getting into a routine and I belong here! My friends and family in Ohio and North Carolina are experiencing freezing cold weather and lots of snow. I am experiencing super hot days, no air conditioning, and sometimes forgetting sunscreen and dealing with the aftermath of that (although I am pretty tan now!), but I would not trade this time for anything. Have fun in the snow, my friends...I am thinking of you with a smile on my face! I will try to send some sun and warm weather your ways!

Manuel Antonio...a group of girls from ISEP went to this beach this weekend. We had a four hour bus ride and stayed at a hostel.

Learning to dance with my friend's tico cousin

Sunset on the beach with my ladies

Sunset

My new hat (it is perfect because it covers my face, neck, and ears!)

 

I tried to snorkel.

But the water was not clear, so I just swam.

Our hostel had a pool that was nice to shower in!

Claire's birthday celebration....we ran into Kenneth, who is one of the students from UNA that helped us schedule our classes.

Sometimes we like to play doctor after I get home from classes.

 My Papi tico loves to take photos.

Fuimos a La Playa....Jaco!

Fuimos a La Playa

4:40am – I woke up at my house to a few messages from my friends that I was meeting.

4:45am – I received and sent multiple messages to my friends, each of us letting each other know when we were leaving the house.

5:00am – My dad and I walked down the street to my friend’s house.

5:10am – She and I boarded the bus that we take to Universidad Nacional (UNA, our university).

5:15am – We deliberated whether or not to get off at our normal bus stop. We decided to take the bus to the stop after our normal one and hope it took us to the correct place.

5:25am – We pulled the cable and got off the bus at a random street that we did not know. We walked one block and much to our surprise, arrived at the bus stop where we were meeting everyone to go to San Jose.

5:30am – Only three of the seven of us had arrived at the bus stop for the bus to San Jose.

5:40am – My friend called the others because my phone did not have any minutes left (in Costa Rica, you add minutes to your phone by purchasing a card at any type of store).

5:45am – All six of us were waiting at the bus stop to meet our last friend who was on the bus that was going to pick us up and take us to San Jose.

6:00am – We receive a text from our friend telling us to “get on the bus,” but there was no bus in front of us.

6:01am – Six gringos stood in the street waving our hands at our friend and the driver of her bus as the bus driver laughed at us and waved back.

6:02am -- We missed our bus to San Jose. We talked to our friend on the phone and she told us we were on the wrong side of the corner so the driver would not stop.

6:03am – We asked many different people about where we should be waiting and we walked up and down the street. We stalked every bus that passed us, but we did not know which one would take us where we needed to go.

6:06am – We board a random bus that just said “San Jose” on it.

6:07am – One of my friends sat next to a nice man who spoke English. He had traveled to Texas before and said that he needs lots of helping understanding things and people helped him, so he would help us.

6:10am -- The man pulled the cable and got off of the bus with us. He told two taxis where to drive us.

6:16am – We arrived at the Coca-Cola Bus Station.

6:17am – We saw our friend walking down the street with a woman that walked her all the way to the bus station from the stop where her bus stopped (we were supposed to be with her on that bus and all walk to the bus station together).

6:25am -- We each treated ourselves to some sort of pastry (or hamburger, in Drew’s case, for breakfast).

6:30am – We gathered ourselves and made sure we were ready to go.

6:45am – Six of us boarded the bus to a beach called Jaco. One of my friends did not purchase her ticket ahead of time, so she waited for the 8:00am bus instead of the 7:00am bus.

7:00am – We wrapped our backpacks around ourselves, yet in our laps, because bus thefts are common.

7:15am – Most of us fell asleep and continued to sleep until we were about thirty minutes from the beach.

9:12am – We arrived at the bus stop at the beach! We walked to a store, I bought minutes for my phone, and one of my friends bought sunscreen and a towel.

9:30am – We found a spot on the beach and lathered each other up with sunscreen. We proceeded to take many pictures.

9:45am – We ran into the water and had fun playing in the HUGE waves.

10:15am – We returned to our towels, backpacks, and to a man in a truck with his baby…blasting his American music. One of my friends asked him to please turn it down. He agreed to turn it down.

10:30am – Our other friend arrived and we could not hear each other speaking. The man had not turned his music down. We searched for another spot on the beach.

10:55am – We moved to a spot under a palm tree closer to the cute shops and restaurants and away from the loud music.

The day consisted of playing in the water, walking around the beach town, searching for the cheapest food, tanning in the sun, and then sleeping in the shade because the sun was SUPER STRONG.

We took a long walk on the beach, took some last photos, and then I changed out of my bathing suit on the beach! We walked to our bus stop and my friends struggled to find a bathroom before we left for San Jose.

5:45pm – We boarded the bus back to San Jose.

6:30pm -- Some of us slept and others of us fanned ourselves (we were so hot, but the locals were not) and laughed and talked the entire way home.

8:10pm – We arrived at the bus station in San Jose.

8:15pm – We found our way to other bus station where we would take the bus to Heredia (we almost got run over by a moto, but luckily I yelled “wait, a moto!” so everyone ran across the street).

8:20pm – After asking a few people which bus we should take, we boarded the bus to Heredia.

8:40pm – We arrived at UNA and separated in different directions to make our ways home.

8:50pm – Two of my friends walked with me to our bus and we took the bus to each of our homes.

9:00pm -- My host dad met me at the bus stop and we walked home.

9:10pm – Instead of showering (I have never felt so dirty), I ate dinner and talked with my parents.

Wow…what a day! I have not laughed as hard as I did yesterday in a very long time. I am so proud of myself and of my friends for not losing anyone or anything! We traveled for the first time, in another country, all by ourselves. And the trip almost ran smoothly! Now we know what bus to take, where it will pick us up, and how to purchase the tickets online beforehand. I’m thrilled just thinking about the adventures that the rest of this semester will hold!

Now, onto our first day of classes tomorrow :)

Muchos Fotos

Disclaimer: These photos are not in chronological order. Lo siento!

My Mami watering her beautiful garden.

My Papi showing me one of the many plants in the yard.

Exploring the rainforest.

Trying out a workout machine at the local park.

In the Central Park of Barva (we live between Heredia and Barva)

 

My Mami and me in the Central Park of Heredia.

Ready for our banana lesson.

Banana time at a Dole farm.

Going bananas!

Excited for bananas.

Banana plants are banana herbs, NOT trees.

Inside the packaging center.

We each earned a shot of banana liquer.

And then we went on a chocolate tour!

Cocoa beans over time.

Making chocolate.

The festival we went to today was at this museum, which is a part of my university and is walking distance from my house....very neat!

A traditional game played at festivals in Costa Rica.

Traditional CR game.