Vacation Time

So, some of you might have noticed that I've been on the internet at strange times and well a lot more this week. Thats because I'm vacationing down in Uvita. Uvita is beautiful. It is small and quiet, but has an amazing beach. I know, I know, you're all thinking wait Costa Rica isn't vacation enough?! Well my life here has been pretty amazing, its true, but every job has it stressful moments and slowly but surely my life is getting filled to the brim with stuff to do. 2 different English classes, Monday-Thursday, my Association meetings and the upcoming general assembly (which we still haven't planned for, but I mean plans never actually work down here anyways), I just got news that I'm on the HIV/AIDS safe sex committee which means more meetings and a chance to get out to new communities and show off all my Spanish skills, and of course there's coffee season. Coffee season means, that after my fingers heal from shelling corn all day, I'll be going out into the field (with my machete for the snakes, of course), and helping my father or one of my other family members pick coffee. I can't wait... it will also make going home for Christmas all the sweeter.

A Little Update

Just a little update on my life here in Costa Rica. I've officially started my Adult English classes, which means I'm teaching English 4 days a week now. The class has about 19 students in it, from intermediate speakers to people who have never really been exposed to English at all. This poses challenges such as how to keep one group engaged while not going too fast for the others, and trying to give each student the necessary one on one time that they all deserve. I know all this will come with time as I get more accustom to my students and to the lessons.

I've also gone on a few adventures. I had my first Tico camping experience here. S'mores made with Chiky's (my favorite chocolate on the bottom cookie, kinda like the Kebler cookie with the hole in the middle) were delicious and the pollo asado, grilled chicken, that we made.

There will be more on this when I get a chance to come back to the internet, but for now I wish you all the best, and can't wait to see you Christmas (did I mention that you can see my pretty face during Navidad?) Well Pura Vida!

Starry Skies

Last night I looked up at the sky and literally saw thousands of stars. It was the most beautiful thing in the world. I really do live in a paradise where every night I get put to sleep by the river thats in my backyard, wake up to sunshine, and nap during the afternoon showers.

Of Moths and Mold

There are two things in Costa Rica that will sneak up on you when you least expect them: moths and mold. Moths I've known for quite some time now. Every night they find the nearest light and flutter around in a mad craze. These moths come in all different sizes, shapes, and colors. I've seen one as big as a bat (I know you'd love that one mom), and ones as small as my thumbnail. Either way they are very pesky when you are trying to work on your computer late at night (around 9 pm these days). I've also noticed they have a habit of eating clothes. We were all told throughout training that our mother's vigorous washing of our clothes would ruin them, but for me that couldn't be farther from the truth. Already I have small holes in 2 shirts, I'm just waiting for more.

All my friends have been talking about the mold that seems get on everything they own. I hadn't seen any of it, and thought my place high in the mountains prevent that kind of stuff from appearing on me. No such luck. After I had gotten back from a long meeting in San Jose, I was getting ready for the day. I looked around my "closet" only to see my belts (which I rarely if ever wear) with a thick coat of mold growing on them. I took them to my mom and she just shook her head and plopped them in some soapy water. Hopefully they will be the first and last things to mold.

Of course there are always the ants, who also eat everything, including the moths that eventually die (I'm guessing from overeating). They have eaten my watercolors, gotten into my body wash bottle, and I've also found them swarming my dirty laundry bag (no it hadn't been sitting out for weeks). They have formed a nice little procession across a ledge in my bedroom. Day and night, they truly are the hardest working animals on this planet.

Making Dulce

Here's a video of the sugar cane juice bubbling away to make all sorts of delicious dulce. In fact, enough to put you in a dulce coma....

Because I still refuse to be a tourist

Here are some pictures of my family (my sister, brother, and mother), and a picture of the kinder that I "teach" at.

I'm Lazy or Really Busy

Its been about a month since my last post, and that was just about missing paint, so I will give you all another update. I'm still teaching the kiddies in the primary school. They are overall pretty amazing kids, and I really am falling in love with all of them. I will start teaching the adults in September and having my first real meeting this Wednesday about the class. I am also trying to put in an aqueduct system for my school, and possibly for my community (as I always say: Vamos a ver!). Life has been fairly tranquilo, although as always busy. I saw my first real poisonous snake, it was dead so don't worry about my life being in danger, and my family still refuses to tell me what will happen if the big black spiders bite me (all I can get out of them is they aren't dangerous because I can kill them with my shoe). I'm continuing on my rice and bean diet and failed at convincing my sister that Italian seasoning tastes really good in spaghetti because spaghetti is, well, Italian. I will be baking cookies this weekend too. And for all the women in my life: Happy Mother's Day from Costa Rica. I can't give you all a call and tell you that you are amazing people who have taught me so much and will continue to teach me and be amazing support. I love you all so much!