I'll just go ahead and bulletpoint this for you

Ok... so you'd think I'd have time to write a real blog post every once in while, and I probably do, but I guess I'll never be a blogger and make millions. Anyways, I'm going to sum up my life in bulletpoints, because they're easy and a lot more reader friendly.

-Due to having an extremely small school we lost a teacher, which means that there was no more time for my English Classes or my Chicas Poderosas group, but just this past week I found out that the teacher was able to come back, so hopefully I'll get that all worked out

-I'm now taking care of a gringo's house at the outer edges of town. This means privacy and more independence. Its already great. Too bad its just til Sept.

-I climbed up to the top of Chirripo, which is the highest mountain in Costa Rica. It took me 6 hours to get the base camp and getting lost and going to a different mountain peak before I reach the very tippy top of Chirripo. It was a lot of fun and I'm glad I did it, my feet on the other hand, hate me.

-At my new house, there is a "stray" kitten. It hangs out and meows about, only to run away when I get close. I've named it Spooky, we'll see if it decides to call me mommy or decides life in the wild is preferrable to a non-cat lover.

Thats all I can remember for now. I'll keep trying hard to keep the updates, well you know, updated.

Picture Post....

So here are a few pictures because I'm too lazy to write anything else. And I haven't gotten to the internet in about 2 weeks so I'm super busy downloading music and you know getting stuff for work. Oh yeah, and I have an impossible amount of errands to run before I leave town. So, a few updates. My parents came and visited me for a week. The last three pictures are of them. My town had a tourno, or a party, and I served fried chicken all day. And I went to an outdoor concert that a friend of mine had, not in my town. Maybe I'll write more later, or you'll have to wait until I come home, cause at this rate, I suck at keeping up a blog.

Still Pretty Hard to Find

Just wanted to inform you all that I got a new cell phone. This means when I come down from my site and stay within an area that has a signal, you can find me or at least get a hold of me. This also means if I get lost I don't have to go on a pay phone scavenger hunt. Overall, it was a good decision, I hope at least after I work out all the bugs...

A little sentimental

The last post was a little sentimental for my personal taste. I guess we can crack it up to me not having seen my closest friends and family for the past 10 months or so. Anyways, I did mean it all, but it probably won't happen again for another 10 months. But like my mom said, sometimes you should get a little sentimental, maybe she's right.

Holidaytime

The holidays are for families. They are days when you get together with all the people you can and share stories, food, and gifts. Along with the cheer and joy, there is stress and tension. But always there is family. About 8 years ago, I lost one of the most important people in my life, my dad. His death left a huge gap in my life, and my holidays. No longer would he plop our traditional lobsters in the pot of boiling water, no longer would I wake up at 4 in the morning to try, unsuccessfully, to wake up both my parents 2 hours earlier then they would like, and no longer would I be able to share my holiday cheer and hope with him. 8 years ago I would never believe that I would slowly fill up that hole left by him with more people to love and love me.

Over the years, I have come across more people who have added themselves to my family. My high school girlfriends, who no matter the distance or time between us, can pick up where we left, gather missing stories up over dinner, and laugh at ourselves, each other, and well the unfortunate (or perhaps fortunate) souls that we have had the pleasure of spending time with. They have been a support that I can’t imagine not being in my life, no matter what happens. They keep me sane, silly, grounded, and dreaming. Liz, Leila, Evelyn, and Calli are what people hope to find in a lifetime, and perhaps what makes us so amazing is our differences. From pop culture obsessed, country music dancing, and hipster mocking lovers we make sure to let everyone know they aren’t free from being ridiculous in their passions, and not immune from loving ridicule.

College brought along 2 other women into my life. Kate and Laura are two people who brought out new things about me and through boyfriends and long nights we still know how to have a good time and the meaning of good friends. College is one of the first times in most people’s lives that takes them away from their families, forcing them to create a new one with friends who don’t share giant noses, unmanageable hair, distinct accents, or strange last names. These two women came from close to home and across the ocean. Never would I have guessed that our first meeting, where first impressions were wrong, that they would be people I would never not want to meet. Along with Kate and Laura, I also have a whole host of friends that came into my life, some have gone onto bigger, better things, some have stayed in contact, and some fade in and out in my life. All have made impacts on me in their own ways and I can never forget.

A year ago I wasn’t even thinking about the people I would now include within my ever growing family. Danielle, Leslie, Kathryn, and all the RCD 19ers that I shared 3 months with and now every so often a weekend or whole week, remembering long nights, long days, and successes and challenges (both in our sites and our lives). They have become my support, some of the only people that understand what I am experiencing and for months the people who give me a dose of home. I also can’t forget about the people that have added themselves to my life from the other projects, namely Adrienne and Nicole. Adrienne happened to end up, lucky or unlucky for her, next to me. She is definitely one of the people I don’t mind walking back up my hill to go see. Nicole has been one of the people that has added joy and excitement to my life. I know I can rely on her to always be there, just like she can rely on me.
Moreover, I have had a huge add-on of family members, I now I have 2 more fathers, Rodrigo and Sigifredo, 2 new mothers, Emilce and Lisbeth, 3 more brothers Mauricio, Fabian, and Felipe, 3 more sisters Cynthia, Catalina, and Paulina, and now a new sister-in-law Josline. These people have feed me, cleaned my clothes, entertained me, taken me out, taught me, put up with my sometimes atrocious Spanish, and most importantly loved me and listened to me. They have understood when I was lonely or missing home, they have understood when I needed my privacy or control over my meals, they have understood that I come from a different culture and a different world, but opened themselves and their lives up to a new daughter, sister, and friend. I also can’t forget all the aunts, uncles, cousins, grandmothers, and all the other people in my community that have opened their homes, their cupboards, and their hearts to me and my mission to save the world. We have laughed, shared stories and fears, and taught each other invaluable lessons on life and love. I owe so much to you all, and I have so much more to share with you and learn from you.

Most importantly, perhaps, my mom after losing my father decided to love someone else. This brought more members into my family. I have a step-dad now, Bill. He has brought joy into my mom’s life, which is the best gift you could have given me. I have 2 new step-sisters, and even though I don’t skype them as much as my host mom would like me to, they are apart of my family and I do love them as I love members of my family. I also have a sabrina and a step(?)-brother-in-law and a wonderful new aunt. All these people have added new dimensions to my life and I wouldn’t change a thing that would make them not be apart of my life.

Happy Holidays all, whether it is Christmas, Hanukah, just the News Years, and of course all the December birthdays (including mine) that probably got passed over in the past. I love each and every one of you. Be safe, have fun, and a remember to love everyone you meet.

Minnesota vs. Costa Rica

Riding down the Interamerica after a long weekend in San Jose always feels so good. Maybe it’s the plush seating in the Musoc buses or perhaps the cool, foggy road that curves just enough to rock you to sleep, but I know that it’s because that bus ride means I’m going home. But Costa Rica and Minnesota are worlds away, you might say. And what about the fact that no one understands that Christmas is not Christmas unless it looks like a Thomas Kinkade painting (especially if it’s the puzzle your grandma has mounted on her wall), or that while Costa Rica is beautiful nothing can compare to the North Woods on an early summer morning. Loons and roosters definitely don’t compare when it comes to which you want to wake you up. Minnesota and Costa Rica do seem like polar opposites, but you dig down deeper and they are eerily similar.
In Minnesota, there are snow days. Every winter morning after a storm, the first thing you do is turn the T.V. on just to see if school is closed or at least 2 hours delayed. Here in Costa Rica they have “meeting” days, where the teacher has a meeting somewhere about something to go to, meaning no classes. In my small town, most of the men are farmers and own plots of land up and down the mountains. I see similar issues surrounding the lack of jobs and money in the family farm as you see in rural Minnesota. Kids grow up and want bigger things; they attend college to get jobs in the city. What will happen to these farms as the generations change is all too familiar to the changing social landscape of Middle-of-Nowhere, Minnesota.
Home is also where you feel comfortable being yourself. I remember Dahlia’s sessions on indirect cultural. When they say yes they mean no. I get this, when I say I’ll think about it, it probably means I think it’s a lame idea and I just don’t want to tell you so. Ahorita is probably my favorite word; since you could often hear me say “In a little bit” or “after awhile” back home in Minnesota. Costa Ricans and Minnesotans have an undeniable connection when it comes to trying to beat around the bush. I still question whether people actually want me to come to their house or are just saying it to be nice, because an invitation is just polite in Minnesota and telling them you’d love to but you are busy is the appropriate response.
In Minnesota, saying hello is obligatory, even to complete strangers. This is practically parallel to Costa Rica. The only difference is how to say hello. O f course there is hola vs. hello or hi, but out in the campo (Costa Rica or Minnesota) you’ve got to shorten that up. Here in Costa Rica it’s typically the grunt, I believe contrived from people’s parece over saying adios. Head nods or finger waves are typical in rural Minnesota; this I believe is due to people’s laziness of not wanting to wave their whole hand. The kid racing down the hill on his bike in rural Costa Rica and the passing truck on a lonely Minnesota county road will all feel obligated to acknowledge you even if as soon as you respond they are too far away to hear. Saying hi, in both Costa Rica and Minnesota, might mean you have to stop by and start up some small talk, usually about the weather, never about politics or religion. You might get offered something refreshing to drink and there’s a difference between outside shoes and inside shoes.
Potlucks and turnos are basically the same thing. They are an excuse to get out of the house and eat. Although turnos usually have the food made on site, whereas the potluck everyone brings their crockpot with some sort of cassorole(who know that anyone could love a crockpot more than a Minnesotan). Minnesotans love Spam and Costa Ricans love Mortadala, but in the end it’s all hoofs and ears anyways. Replace rice for potatoes, both plates are at least half of either. We both love boiled vegetables, with lots of salt, and tal vez some crazy sauce on it (cheese sauce for my broccoli or salsa de tomatios, it’s a tough decision at this point).
No matter how much I miss Minnesota, there is so much here that makes me feel as if I’d never left. In fact, I’m surprised I haven’t found people with plastic covered furniture here. The weather is reminiscent of spring time in Minnesota, with sunsets casting soft pinks, purples, and yellows across the green fields. You can breathe the air and walk alone at night. People watch out for you, and yes they even know all your business. Everyone has a nephew, grandson, or friend you just have to meet, and most importantly hugs are always appropriate hellos and goodbyes.

Picking Coffee

So I will never complain about an expensive cup of coffee again, nor should you. This last Wednesday I went out with my father and sister to pick coffee. I fell into some holes, hit myself with numerous branches, and ended up with an ankle full of gnat bites. All for a total of 250 colones (about 50 cents) worth of coffee. This was about 7lbs of raw coffee. I was out there for only an hour and a half, but I think as a regular coffee drinker and as someone who has worked in various coffee shops its important to know what exactly goes into that delicious latte or mocha that you are drinking or serving. Coffee season goes from late October until December. I'm not sure if I'll be going back out into the field, but I'll sure apperciate my cafecitos in the tarde a whole lot more.

In other news, I'm on the HIV/AIDS safer sex practices committee (we're shortening it to the safe sex committee). December 1st is World AIDS day, and I am going to be making 500ish red ribbons for the volunteers to wear and hand out in their communities. I'm also going to be working on more talleres for the PCVs at AVC (All Volunteer Conference) and for school presentations. Wish me suerte!