I can't believe it's been 2 weeks now! This week has flown by so fast, so I'm glad I have one more weekend here to do some traveling and another week with the kids. We've been having a little more consistency in actually doing some lessons. Even though not all of the kids want to participate in learning - a lot just want to play or color - I feel like this week has been a lot more productive in actually learning some English, even if it is only 3 or 4 kids at a time.
Yesterday and today I was going over some basic phrases in English (like, how are you?, how old are you? where are you from?, and how to answer those questions) and also the alphabet and doing some games to help them remember the letters. It's been really fun, and the time goes by so quickly when we're there. Some of the kids started asking me about my family today, so I was answering their questions, and then I remembered that I had brought some pictures with me, so I told them I would bring them on Tuesday (we have Monday off again). They seemed really excited to see the pictures.
Tonight I have to pack for our one night trip to Arenal. We (myself and the other girls I am going with) are getting picked up at our host homes super early in the morning and taken to the bus station to get our tickets. Apparently you can't buy those tickets ahead of time, but if for some reason we can't get on that bus, there is another bus that leaves a little later. Once we get there (it's a four hour bus ride), we'll be staying at a hostel for the night. The hostel we want to stay at has a really good view of the volcano. We'll probably find something to do in the afternoon, and then I'm hoping to do a night tour of the volcano and hot springs so we can see the lava glowing in the dark! Then we'll come back at some point on Sunday.
This was the last week for a lot of the volunteers that I've been working with since I got here. Some came when I did and some had already been here for a few weeks, but it's kind of sad to see them leave, as they have become my friends and familiar faces here. :) There are still a handful of us that will be working together next week too. And we should be getting some new volunteers next week, so now it will be my turn to "show them the ropes". :)
Today's my last day of Spanish lessons. I'm really glad I decided to take those. I feel like my conversation has improved a lot more because of the class than if I had just tried to figure it out on my own here. And I think I will be a better Spanish teacher because of it too.
Thanks again for all of your prayers. They are very appreciated and felt! Can't wait to share about Arenal when I get back!
Friday, July 16, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Pictures!
One of many Chatholic Cathedrals - this one is by where I wait to get on 1 of the 6 busses I take each day.
Reminded me of the umbrella man in Pioneer Square.
Inside one of the massive markets.
Inside Manuel Antonio - it was so amazingly beautiful!!!
One of MANY monkeys we saw at Manuel Antonio.
The public beach at Manuel Antonio.
Course 1 of 2 of our $3 breakfast! So here are a few pictures from my trip so far. There are a few more on my facebook page. When I have more time and a better connection, I will upload more, so probably when I get home. :)
The weather here has been pretty mild lately - lots of rain which is kind of disappointing. I have even worn jeans the last couple of days. Either it really is cool here or I have just adjusted to 80 degree weather and 80% humidity. Not sure which. :)
Looks like I am going to Arenal this weekend. I'll get to see an active volcano and hopefully some hot springs too. I'll try and post some more pictures next week after that trip.
It's crazy to think that my trip is half over. I'm really glad I came for three weeks. Two would have felt to rushed, but I think I'll be ready to leave when it's time. Working with the kids has been going well, although I'd still like to see a little more structure to what we do. But that's hard to do with so many kids of so many ages and skill levels coming and going day to do - we never know who we're going to see. Today, there was only about half the amount of kids that have been coming, and only boys. Weird.
Well, I have a bit of homework to finish before my class. Thanks so much for your comments, both here and on facebook. It makes my day to read them! :)
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Getting More Familiar
Now that I’m a week in, I’m starting to feel a lot more comfortable with life in San Pedro. And even as I type that, a car alarm starts going off down the street. Oh man. Well, at any rate, I feel like I am getting way better at navigating my way around based on landmarks, and I am understanding how the bus systems work which helps with my nerves when I’m out…I’m not as afraid of getting lost anymore. Yay! :)
The catchphrase of Costa Rica is “pura vida”, which literally means, “pure life”. Here it can be used as a greeting or salutation or just about anytime you want. It's kind of like "Hakuna Matata." When we were at a restaurant in Manuel Antonio, we had been waiting for our checks for about 30 minutes, and so when one of us asked the waiter for “las cuentas” he said, “Ah, sí, sí. Pura vida!” This kind of coincides with their mindset of time. “Tico time” means that if you say you’ll be somewhere and then you get there even up to 30 minutes late, no worries. I read and have observed that most official offices and places keep a stricter schedule, but because there is so much public transportation, it’s nearly impossible to keep a regular bus schedule. Especially because you can flag down a bus wherever you want, or ask to get off just about anywhere too. So you always have to add a little buffer time when traveling, because we still have to arrive places on time, as much as possible.
But, they do not seem very "pura vida" when it comes to driving. The driving here is crazy. And I know everyone always says that so it feels really cliché to say, but it’s true. Everyone is on the offense – there is no defensive driving here. Everyone passes everyone else – taxis, cars, busses. If the car in front of you is not moving as fast as you’d like, you pass them. Even if it means driving on the other side of the road, you pass them. Signals are used occasionally. And pedestrians do NOT get the right of way. Vehicles will literally run you down if you’re in the way. Even so, you can cross wherever you want in the street. I just recommend waiting for there to be no oncoming traffic.
On our way home from Manuel Antonio, you would have thought that our bus driver had just finished watching the movie The Italian Job because he drove our bus like it was a mini cooper. We passed every single car, bike, motorcycle, and other bus that was in front of us. Oh, and it was pouring down rain for at least half of the four hour journey. Jennifer and my seats were in the front of the bus (literally, seats 1 and 2), and although Jennifer was glad for her motion sickness, I would have rather have been further back unable to see with such clarity the insanity of his driving. However, his one redeeming quality was that he made a stop on the side of the rode where two young girls got on, each with part of what was I believe his dinner. They each gave him a kiss on the cheek, and not 30 seconds later, we were off again. So I think part of his urgent driving was in part due to his desire to get home to be with his family. At least it seemed like he had a reason to live. :)
Yesterday, the volulnteers at my project didn't have to go to work because the pastor was doing an evangelistic project, which meant I had the day "off"! It was so nice to just have a down day - the only thing I had scheduled was my Spanish class from 4-6. So Jennifer and I met up in the morning and walked around San Jose. We went inside a couple different Catholic churches, inside the National Theater (well, the lobby), and went to a couple different markets. The first one we went to feels like you're walking into the Expo Center or Costco, but there are stands and shops packed inside and stuff for sale from floor to ceiling. This market had everything from really touristy stuff to piggy banks (not sure what those were about, but they were everywhere), home and kitchen items, coffee beans and chocolate covered anything, meat markets, herbs and spices, hammocks, places to eat, pet stores - anything and everything! We stopped at a coffee stand where the man was bagging coffee beans. Jennifer asked for a cup of coffee, and then we started asking about the chocolate covered coffee beans and such. He pulled out like 6 different samples for us - chocolate covered macadamia nuts, pasion fruit (so good!), guava, coffee beans, etc. And then when Jennifer went to pay, he said it was free! He was so nice! And the coffee was AMAZING! We definitely plan on going back there later to actually purchase from him.
Next we went to the artisan market. This one was not as large, and was more covered in tarps than actual walls. There was a lot more typical touristy type stuff, but a HUGE selection of jewelry, most of it being hand made. Lots of funky whistle things and bags and more hammocks. I'm excited to go back there next week to pick up a few things before coming home.
Today was a good day at Carpio. I played animal charades with a couple boys to teach them animal names in English, then I made them act out animals for me to guess. They were super shy about acting them out...it was funny. Then I played "letter" bingo with a few other kids and made them repeat the English letters after me. They really enjoyed that, as we played it to "blackout" three times in a row. The time goes by really fast there. We are only there 1 1/2-2 hours each day, but because it takes 1 1/2 hours to get there, it ends up being about a 5 hour day. By the time I get back, I'm really tired. I think the fact that my diet consists of so many carbohydrates (rice and beans for almost every meal) and not a lot of other food groups is maybe contributing to my tiredness. Or maybe it's just the fact that I'm constantly trying to take in and process what's going on around me. :)
OK, well I will try and get some pictures up now. Hope it works!
The catchphrase of Costa Rica is “pura vida”, which literally means, “pure life”. Here it can be used as a greeting or salutation or just about anytime you want. It's kind of like "Hakuna Matata." When we were at a restaurant in Manuel Antonio, we had been waiting for our checks for about 30 minutes, and so when one of us asked the waiter for “las cuentas” he said, “Ah, sí, sí. Pura vida!” This kind of coincides with their mindset of time. “Tico time” means that if you say you’ll be somewhere and then you get there even up to 30 minutes late, no worries. I read and have observed that most official offices and places keep a stricter schedule, but because there is so much public transportation, it’s nearly impossible to keep a regular bus schedule. Especially because you can flag down a bus wherever you want, or ask to get off just about anywhere too. So you always have to add a little buffer time when traveling, because we still have to arrive places on time, as much as possible.
But, they do not seem very "pura vida" when it comes to driving. The driving here is crazy. And I know everyone always says that so it feels really cliché to say, but it’s true. Everyone is on the offense – there is no defensive driving here. Everyone passes everyone else – taxis, cars, busses. If the car in front of you is not moving as fast as you’d like, you pass them. Even if it means driving on the other side of the road, you pass them. Signals are used occasionally. And pedestrians do NOT get the right of way. Vehicles will literally run you down if you’re in the way. Even so, you can cross wherever you want in the street. I just recommend waiting for there to be no oncoming traffic.
On our way home from Manuel Antonio, you would have thought that our bus driver had just finished watching the movie The Italian Job because he drove our bus like it was a mini cooper. We passed every single car, bike, motorcycle, and other bus that was in front of us. Oh, and it was pouring down rain for at least half of the four hour journey. Jennifer and my seats were in the front of the bus (literally, seats 1 and 2), and although Jennifer was glad for her motion sickness, I would have rather have been further back unable to see with such clarity the insanity of his driving. However, his one redeeming quality was that he made a stop on the side of the rode where two young girls got on, each with part of what was I believe his dinner. They each gave him a kiss on the cheek, and not 30 seconds later, we were off again. So I think part of his urgent driving was in part due to his desire to get home to be with his family. At least it seemed like he had a reason to live. :)
Yesterday, the volulnteers at my project didn't have to go to work because the pastor was doing an evangelistic project, which meant I had the day "off"! It was so nice to just have a down day - the only thing I had scheduled was my Spanish class from 4-6. So Jennifer and I met up in the morning and walked around San Jose. We went inside a couple different Catholic churches, inside the National Theater (well, the lobby), and went to a couple different markets. The first one we went to feels like you're walking into the Expo Center or Costco, but there are stands and shops packed inside and stuff for sale from floor to ceiling. This market had everything from really touristy stuff to piggy banks (not sure what those were about, but they were everywhere), home and kitchen items, coffee beans and chocolate covered anything, meat markets, herbs and spices, hammocks, places to eat, pet stores - anything and everything! We stopped at a coffee stand where the man was bagging coffee beans. Jennifer asked for a cup of coffee, and then we started asking about the chocolate covered coffee beans and such. He pulled out like 6 different samples for us - chocolate covered macadamia nuts, pasion fruit (so good!), guava, coffee beans, etc. And then when Jennifer went to pay, he said it was free! He was so nice! And the coffee was AMAZING! We definitely plan on going back there later to actually purchase from him.
Next we went to the artisan market. This one was not as large, and was more covered in tarps than actual walls. There was a lot more typical touristy type stuff, but a HUGE selection of jewelry, most of it being hand made. Lots of funky whistle things and bags and more hammocks. I'm excited to go back there next week to pick up a few things before coming home.
Today was a good day at Carpio. I played animal charades with a couple boys to teach them animal names in English, then I made them act out animals for me to guess. They were super shy about acting them out...it was funny. Then I played "letter" bingo with a few other kids and made them repeat the English letters after me. They really enjoyed that, as we played it to "blackout" three times in a row. The time goes by really fast there. We are only there 1 1/2-2 hours each day, but because it takes 1 1/2 hours to get there, it ends up being about a 5 hour day. By the time I get back, I'm really tired. I think the fact that my diet consists of so many carbohydrates (rice and beans for almost every meal) and not a lot of other food groups is maybe contributing to my tiredness. Or maybe it's just the fact that I'm constantly trying to take in and process what's going on around me. :)
OK, well I will try and get some pictures up now. Hope it works!
Pictures on Facebook
Hey everyone!
I only had a few minutes this morning, but I was able to load a few of my pictures to facebook. When I have more time, I will post some here. I'll try and post again this afternoon when I have a little more time.
Chao!
I only had a few minutes this morning, but I was able to load a few of my pictures to facebook. When I have more time, I will post some here. I'll try and post again this afternoon when I have a little more time.
Chao!
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Kleptomaniac Monkeys
Oh my word! Today was so amazing! Pictures will be coming as soon as I get back and can hook up my camera to my laptop. But let me back up a little...
OK, so yesterday, we had to leave our project in Carpio early so that we would be able to get back in time to be picked up for our four hour bus ride to Manuel Antonio. We were cutting it kind of close, so some ouf us were literally running from our bus stops to make it in time, but all 7 of us made it. The ride here was cool, as we got to see some amazing green countryside and forests. We got to our hostel where we're staying for $10 a night. It's literally across the street from the public beach and 50 meters from the National Park Entrance. And free internet and computers for guests! Woohoo! We pretty much went straight to bed last night as it had been a long and full day of working and traveling.
This morning, we had breakfast at our hostel, first was a plate of 4 kinds of fruit and a pancake, and the second course was 2 pieces of bread, rice and beans, and scrambled eggs. And it cost roughly less than $3.
Then we set off for the National Park in Manuel Antonio. It was super hot, more humid and sunny than it's been in the city, so as we were standing in line to buy our ticket into the park, we were already dripping with sweat. My friend Jennifer, who I work with at Carpio and have become pals with here, met up with 3 other girls who also work at Carpio, and started our treck through the rain forest. We had read in our guide books that this park is great for seeing sloths and monkeys and different kinds of animals and such, so I was really hoping to see some. We hiked for a mile or so and along the way, saw this cool white bird in the creek (no idea what it was, but it was cool...trust me:) ), and then either a 2 or 3 toed sloth (I didn't have time to count), and then a little later, a monkey high up in the tree. People can hire guides to take them through the park and point out the wildlife to them, but we kind of worked the system and just jumped from guide to guide. As we would see a crowd ahead looking at something in the jungle, we would come up and join them. It worked well for us. :)
Eventually, we got to the main beach, which already had quite a few people on it. We decided to walk a trail that lead to a place called Cathedral Point that had some amazing views of the ocean. We didn't realize at the time how long it was (1.4 km, so about 2 miles?), or how steep it was going to be, but I'm so glad we did the hike anyway. The views were amazing, and it was so fun to trek through a real rain forest! :) And there were definitely moments when I felt like I was on the LOST island, keeping my eye out for the smoke monster. Fortunately, he made no appearances. :)
But before we even began that hike, as we were walking on the trail that led behind the beach towards the big loop, we started to see more and more monkeys. They are capuchin (sp?) monkeys, like Marcel, the one Ross had on FRIENDS. :) They were all over climbing in the trees, and the would come down and actually steal food and stuff that people had sitting out! It was so crazy! About 3 different times today I heard and saw someone yelling at a monkey that had just ran off or was about to run off with their stuff. So funny (mainly because it wasn't me) :)
Our long hike brought us back to where we started, which we were all thankful for, so we found a spot to lay our stuff down and took a dip in the ocean. Because it was blue sky, the water was super blue, and it felt like bath water! So amazing! Again, as we were laying on the beach, I was totally expecting Sawyer to walk up to me and call me "red" or Hurley to ask me if I wanted to play ping pong. It was so so beautiful! I can't wait to show pictures!
Tomorrow night we leave to head back to San Pedro. And then Monday I get off because the pastor told us volunteers not to come, as he is going to be doing an evangelistic project. I'm so excited to have most of the day to just relax and maybe do some shopping in the big market in San Jose.
We are hoping to find a place where we can watch the World Cup Finals tomorrow afternoon. I'm super excited to watch the final game in a country where futbol is such a big deal. The other day as we were walking through the pedestrian street in San Jose (basically a massive market with stores, but no cars can drive through), there was this huge crowd of people outside one of the stores, and I coudln't figure out what was going on. But as we got closer, I could see it was an electronics store, and the World Cup game was on the TVs in the window, and people were so crowded around to watch that there were almost cutting off all traffic. So crazy.
Anyway, today has been great! I'm so thankful for such a fun day and getting to be in Paradise for a little while. I'm probably going to head to bed soon - we aren't very good night owls here, but I'm OK with that. :) Love you all!
OK, so yesterday, we had to leave our project in Carpio early so that we would be able to get back in time to be picked up for our four hour bus ride to Manuel Antonio. We were cutting it kind of close, so some ouf us were literally running from our bus stops to make it in time, but all 7 of us made it. The ride here was cool, as we got to see some amazing green countryside and forests. We got to our hostel where we're staying for $10 a night. It's literally across the street from the public beach and 50 meters from the National Park Entrance. And free internet and computers for guests! Woohoo! We pretty much went straight to bed last night as it had been a long and full day of working and traveling.
This morning, we had breakfast at our hostel, first was a plate of 4 kinds of fruit and a pancake, and the second course was 2 pieces of bread, rice and beans, and scrambled eggs. And it cost roughly less than $3.
Then we set off for the National Park in Manuel Antonio. It was super hot, more humid and sunny than it's been in the city, so as we were standing in line to buy our ticket into the park, we were already dripping with sweat. My friend Jennifer, who I work with at Carpio and have become pals with here, met up with 3 other girls who also work at Carpio, and started our treck through the rain forest. We had read in our guide books that this park is great for seeing sloths and monkeys and different kinds of animals and such, so I was really hoping to see some. We hiked for a mile or so and along the way, saw this cool white bird in the creek (no idea what it was, but it was cool...trust me:) ), and then either a 2 or 3 toed sloth (I didn't have time to count), and then a little later, a monkey high up in the tree. People can hire guides to take them through the park and point out the wildlife to them, but we kind of worked the system and just jumped from guide to guide. As we would see a crowd ahead looking at something in the jungle, we would come up and join them. It worked well for us. :)
Eventually, we got to the main beach, which already had quite a few people on it. We decided to walk a trail that lead to a place called Cathedral Point that had some amazing views of the ocean. We didn't realize at the time how long it was (1.4 km, so about 2 miles?), or how steep it was going to be, but I'm so glad we did the hike anyway. The views were amazing, and it was so fun to trek through a real rain forest! :) And there were definitely moments when I felt like I was on the LOST island, keeping my eye out for the smoke monster. Fortunately, he made no appearances. :)
But before we even began that hike, as we were walking on the trail that led behind the beach towards the big loop, we started to see more and more monkeys. They are capuchin (sp?) monkeys, like Marcel, the one Ross had on FRIENDS. :) They were all over climbing in the trees, and the would come down and actually steal food and stuff that people had sitting out! It was so crazy! About 3 different times today I heard and saw someone yelling at a monkey that had just ran off or was about to run off with their stuff. So funny (mainly because it wasn't me) :)
Our long hike brought us back to where we started, which we were all thankful for, so we found a spot to lay our stuff down and took a dip in the ocean. Because it was blue sky, the water was super blue, and it felt like bath water! So amazing! Again, as we were laying on the beach, I was totally expecting Sawyer to walk up to me and call me "red" or Hurley to ask me if I wanted to play ping pong. It was so so beautiful! I can't wait to show pictures!
Tomorrow night we leave to head back to San Pedro. And then Monday I get off because the pastor told us volunteers not to come, as he is going to be doing an evangelistic project. I'm so excited to have most of the day to just relax and maybe do some shopping in the big market in San Jose.
We are hoping to find a place where we can watch the World Cup Finals tomorrow afternoon. I'm super excited to watch the final game in a country where futbol is such a big deal. The other day as we were walking through the pedestrian street in San Jose (basically a massive market with stores, but no cars can drive through), there was this huge crowd of people outside one of the stores, and I coudln't figure out what was going on. But as we got closer, I could see it was an electronics store, and the World Cup game was on the TVs in the window, and people were so crowded around to watch that there were almost cutting off all traffic. So crazy.
Anyway, today has been great! I'm so thankful for such a fun day and getting to be in Paradise for a little while. I'm probably going to head to bed soon - we aren't very good night owls here, but I'm OK with that. :) Love you all!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Colors and Vowels
Hola todos!
Just finished my Spanish class a few minutes ago and thought I would give an update as I probably won't be logging in until Monday. I am going to be going to Manuel Antonio this weekend with a bunch of other volunteers. Manuel Antonio is a beach and national park on the pacific coast, and while I'm very excited for the adventure and experience, I am also ready for some down time, and this will probably not be that. But I know if I just hung around the house all weekend, I would hate myself for that, so I guess I will rest later. :)
I haven't been taking many pictures yet (hence the lack of pics posted here), but I will probably start taking more pictures as I get more comfortable with my routine (or lack there of). But as I ride busses to and fro throughout the day, I am constantly amazed at how colorful the buildings are, how crowded together buildings are, and I feel like there is constantly a flow of vowels surrounding me as people talk on the bus. Also, my host mother so generously cooks these amazing, hot meals for me and the other girls every day...I told her today that I was sorry I haven't been eating all of my breakfast (rice and beans, eggs, sausage, fruit, and bread), because I'm not that hungry in the mornings...I'm used to a bowl of cereal or yogurt 6 days a week. But she was so gracious and told me not to worry about it and relax. Last night as we were all eating dinner, she told us that while we are here, we are her daughters and she hopes that we will remember her and want to come back to Costa Rica. She is so wonderful!
Yesterday in Carpio, we arrived an hour earlier than normal so that we could help prepare and serve a comedor or soup kitchen for the children. This consisted of building a campfire in the road, and cooking black beans, white rice, and frying something ham-ish looking. They also made up some drink - I think they called it fresa. While some of the volunteers cooked, the rest of us played with the kids who were there. Then we loaded the rice in a cooler and the beans and "ham" in some other plastic containers and walked a good quarter mile into the "bad" part of the area down by the river. It was sprinkling, so the road was pretty muddy and slippery and steep. As we made our way down, the pastor, don Felipe, went on ahead to tell the children to come if they wanted food. Soon a line of 40+ kids from ages 2-15 were lined up the hill, holding their plate or bowl and cup (if they had one).
It's hard to take it all in - I know in my head that these are the conditions that these kids live in, but at the same time, it's hard to believe that this is life for these kids. This is their normal. I have a hard time wrapping my head around that.
Today we met the kids at a huge park, called a sabana, which means it's a wide open space. Some of the volunteers that have been working in Carpio for a few weeks arranged for Maximo Nivel (the organization I'm working for right now) to pay for about 30 or so kids to ride the bus to and from the park and for their lunch. So we played soccer and frisbee and jump rope for a while and then served them lunch. Lunch was a sandwhich with a slice or two of balogne and maybe cheese? and a package of four small cookies and some soda. We played for another couple hours after lunch.
I talked to the pastor for a little while and he was telling me about Carpio. Basically all of the people there are Nicaraguan refugees. And Nicaraguans are discriminated against by Costa Ricans...kind of how Mexicans are unfortuantely often thought of in the United States - that they bring their problems with them and they pull down our safety and way of living, etc. I asked why they were refugees, and he said that there is even more poverty in Nicaragua than in Costa Rica and a lot of crime and fighting, so that's why they come to Costa Rica - because even though the conditions are poor, they're better than in Nicaragua. It was a very interesting conversation.
After we were done at the park, we had to walk the 30+ kids back to a bus stop that I'm pretty sure was about 2 miles away. Some of the girls asked me on the way if my feet or shoes were hurting...I said no, but when I asked them, they said yes. :( I don't think they necessarily wear shoes that fit. Plus, they had all dressed up for this - they were all in their "best" clothes. Anyway, we were quite a sight walking down the street.
Well, I think I'm going to head back home now. I need to pack for the weekend, and I don't want my "mother" to worry about me. It's been raining at least once every day for an hour or so, and I think it will be a wet walk home. But thank you, Anna, for letting me borrow your rain jacket, and Linsea, for your umbrella! :) A couple nights ago, I let a guy I was riding the bus home with borrow my umbrella since he didn't have anything, and my pants were completely soaked through by the time I got home. It's way different than Portland rain.
I really appreciate your prayers for me. I have my highs and lows throughout the day...some moments I am loving the adventure, and others I want nothing more than to be back at home with what's comfortable and familiar. But God is faithful and always with me and promises to be what I need. I know I can rest in that.
Love you all!
Alisa
Just finished my Spanish class a few minutes ago and thought I would give an update as I probably won't be logging in until Monday. I am going to be going to Manuel Antonio this weekend with a bunch of other volunteers. Manuel Antonio is a beach and national park on the pacific coast, and while I'm very excited for the adventure and experience, I am also ready for some down time, and this will probably not be that. But I know if I just hung around the house all weekend, I would hate myself for that, so I guess I will rest later. :)
I haven't been taking many pictures yet (hence the lack of pics posted here), but I will probably start taking more pictures as I get more comfortable with my routine (or lack there of). But as I ride busses to and fro throughout the day, I am constantly amazed at how colorful the buildings are, how crowded together buildings are, and I feel like there is constantly a flow of vowels surrounding me as people talk on the bus. Also, my host mother so generously cooks these amazing, hot meals for me and the other girls every day...I told her today that I was sorry I haven't been eating all of my breakfast (rice and beans, eggs, sausage, fruit, and bread), because I'm not that hungry in the mornings...I'm used to a bowl of cereal or yogurt 6 days a week. But she was so gracious and told me not to worry about it and relax. Last night as we were all eating dinner, she told us that while we are here, we are her daughters and she hopes that we will remember her and want to come back to Costa Rica. She is so wonderful!
Yesterday in Carpio, we arrived an hour earlier than normal so that we could help prepare and serve a comedor or soup kitchen for the children. This consisted of building a campfire in the road, and cooking black beans, white rice, and frying something ham-ish looking. They also made up some drink - I think they called it fresa. While some of the volunteers cooked, the rest of us played with the kids who were there. Then we loaded the rice in a cooler and the beans and "ham" in some other plastic containers and walked a good quarter mile into the "bad" part of the area down by the river. It was sprinkling, so the road was pretty muddy and slippery and steep. As we made our way down, the pastor, don Felipe, went on ahead to tell the children to come if they wanted food. Soon a line of 40+ kids from ages 2-15 were lined up the hill, holding their plate or bowl and cup (if they had one).
It's hard to take it all in - I know in my head that these are the conditions that these kids live in, but at the same time, it's hard to believe that this is life for these kids. This is their normal. I have a hard time wrapping my head around that.
Today we met the kids at a huge park, called a sabana, which means it's a wide open space. Some of the volunteers that have been working in Carpio for a few weeks arranged for Maximo Nivel (the organization I'm working for right now) to pay for about 30 or so kids to ride the bus to and from the park and for their lunch. So we played soccer and frisbee and jump rope for a while and then served them lunch. Lunch was a sandwhich with a slice or two of balogne and maybe cheese? and a package of four small cookies and some soda. We played for another couple hours after lunch.
I talked to the pastor for a little while and he was telling me about Carpio. Basically all of the people there are Nicaraguan refugees. And Nicaraguans are discriminated against by Costa Ricans...kind of how Mexicans are unfortuantely often thought of in the United States - that they bring their problems with them and they pull down our safety and way of living, etc. I asked why they were refugees, and he said that there is even more poverty in Nicaragua than in Costa Rica and a lot of crime and fighting, so that's why they come to Costa Rica - because even though the conditions are poor, they're better than in Nicaragua. It was a very interesting conversation.
After we were done at the park, we had to walk the 30+ kids back to a bus stop that I'm pretty sure was about 2 miles away. Some of the girls asked me on the way if my feet or shoes were hurting...I said no, but when I asked them, they said yes. :( I don't think they necessarily wear shoes that fit. Plus, they had all dressed up for this - they were all in their "best" clothes. Anyway, we were quite a sight walking down the street.
Well, I think I'm going to head back home now. I need to pack for the weekend, and I don't want my "mother" to worry about me. It's been raining at least once every day for an hour or so, and I think it will be a wet walk home. But thank you, Anna, for letting me borrow your rain jacket, and Linsea, for your umbrella! :) A couple nights ago, I let a guy I was riding the bus home with borrow my umbrella since he didn't have anything, and my pants were completely soaked through by the time I got home. It's way different than Portland rain.
I really appreciate your prayers for me. I have my highs and lows throughout the day...some moments I am loving the adventure, and others I want nothing more than to be back at home with what's comfortable and familiar. But God is faithful and always with me and promises to be what I need. I know I can rest in that.
Love you all!
Alisa
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Carpio
This morning, i went with 7 other new volunteers to my project. Each day we will be going to Carpio, which is a really poor slum area, and working with kids who live there...playing and teaching some English. Carpio is one of those places you see on TV where houses are packed together made out of scrap metal and scrap whatever, divided by dirt/rocky alleys with clouded water running down wherever, and garbage and stray dogs and people everywhere. We have to take 2 different busses to get there - one for about 5 minutes and then we walk for about 10 minuts. Then we take a 40 or so minute bus ride to our project where we are met and taken to the church building where they meet. And when I say church building, I mean a room about the size of my apartment living/dining space with metal roofing, concrete floors, and cheap woooded sides. Each day we will be there from about 10:00 or so until noon.
There were a bunch of kids there today. this week was the start of their 2 week vacation from school, so while it was cool that there were so many kids, there are also a lot who aren't really interested in "school" since it is their break, which i don't really blame them. So we are going to have to be extra creative and come up with some good games and activities that will keep them entertained while they learn. the only english they know is what they have been taught from volunteers, so i am getting to use my spanish a lot too. one kid was telling me that i have freckles (pecadillos, i think), and that they were "feo", which means ugly. Thanks, kid. haha...i didn't take it too personally. :)
tomorrow, and every wednesday, we will be helping out with a soup kitchen so we have to be there an hour early. because of how long it takes to get places, that makes for an early morning for me.
OK, that's all for now...I need to collect my thoughts before i start my spanish class.
There were a bunch of kids there today. this week was the start of their 2 week vacation from school, so while it was cool that there were so many kids, there are also a lot who aren't really interested in "school" since it is their break, which i don't really blame them. So we are going to have to be extra creative and come up with some good games and activities that will keep them entertained while they learn. the only english they know is what they have been taught from volunteers, so i am getting to use my spanish a lot too. one kid was telling me that i have freckles (pecadillos, i think), and that they were "feo", which means ugly. Thanks, kid. haha...i didn't take it too personally. :)
tomorrow, and every wednesday, we will be helping out with a soup kitchen so we have to be there an hour early. because of how long it takes to get places, that makes for an early morning for me.
OK, that's all for now...I need to collect my thoughts before i start my spanish class.
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