Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Pura vida? Pura vida.


Last weekend, Río Conejo had a festival to honor their patron saint, San José. Coincidentally, this was also our first weekend in Río Conejo. It started with “bombas” on Thursday night- (luckily I was not alone when these went off, or else I would have questioned whether or not Costa Rica was really a neutral country). Saturday night I asked my family to accompany me to the center of town just below us for karaoke, which is a favorite past time of just about everyone I have met since I arrived a week ago last Sunday. There were many families present, kids hanging out in groups on the bridge (Kennebunkers- envision the bridge rats), cars parked in the street, music, food, drinks- amazing energy! I saw lots of family too- cousins, aunts, and was introduced to friends of cousins, friends of aunts. One aunt sung a song that I am determined to learn so that I can sing karaoke during Semana Santa. (I practiced last night on our machine and have the refrain down perfectamente!) Yesterday, I went to mass with my mamá and other family and took the opportunity to socialize with community members. After, there was dancing, bake sales, chicharrones, and bingo. Qué dicha!

At the turno (fiesta de puebla), we met a couple who invited our class to come to their house to make bizcocho (tortilla con queso) and have cafecito one day this week. We went today and ended up spending the entire afternoon with them- we learned how to make tortillas, set off fireworks in the driveway, played the guitar, found the national flower of Costa Rica, ate the national flower of El Salvador straight from the tree, picked lemons, drank coffee, learned that girls are goats in tico speak, and listened to Don Checho tell jokes. My point in relaying this is that the people we have met just in the last week have been so friendly, open, honest, and generous. It is really a beautiful thing. Just another example- yesterday, my friends from Jerico came to Río Conejo to disfrutarse de los festivities. Unfortunately, since we did not know they were coming (this is not to be misunderstood as nostalgia for my cell phone), we were not there to greet them. My host mother however, quick to pick out the gatitos machitos (gatitos for blue eyes, machitos for fair skin), swooped them up, bought them arroz con leche, and invited them up to our house for empanadas and cafecito. Qué amable es mi mamá!

One more ejemplo de como amable es la gente tica- since my language class is so small, we are able to take mini field trips, whether to visit with a mamá of one of my classmates, or with the directora of the school, or the cooks at the soda (similar to a diner, but smaller), or the owner of the abastecedor (similar to a bodega in New York). This morning, we set off en parejas to visit two señoras to engage them in an informal interview about common illnesses and treatments. One of the questions we were instructed to ask translates to: what medical conditions do you have? While I posed the question as politely as possible, I still expected a slap across the face. Nope, instead, I learned about her high blood pressure and also that there is a service covered by social security that sends representatives door to door once or twice a year to check vital signs, give flu vaccines, and deliver medicines.

I have been laughing a lot since I arrived in Río Conejo. These events themselves would be enough to make me chuckle at home in the States but, when I tag on “in Costa Rica,” I lose it. Try these and see if you get where I’m coming from:
- I was sitting in the backseat of the school principal’s car eating chips with ketchup and mayonnaise… in Costa Rica.
- I bathed with a bucket of cold water and a cup in a shower… in Costa Rica. (This was a one time occurrence. No le preocupe.)
- I applied aloe vera, which I obtained from a plant, which I picked from a garden, which belongs to a couple, whom I met at a turno, which took place in my neighborhood… in Costa Rica.

Paso a paso, long live spiders!


My dad will appreciate the fact that after twenty three years, I am finally learning to live peacefully with spiders. At home, I would not turn out the light until I knew I could sleep safely without swallowing a spider, mosquito, or moth. Anyway, I figure that if I was able to quit my job, give up my apartment, say goodbye to my loved ones, and move in with a stranger in a foreign country, I can let a spider explore my new digs.

After working tirelessly to finish painting my room and the bathroom in anticipation of my arrival, my mamá moved onto the kitchen this afternoon. She chose a color that, when paired with the pink that will soon coat the outside of our house, will look like the green chunks in peppermint ice cream from Big Daddy’s in Wells, Maine (Mac and Mom’s favorite!) Painting was fun- I went across the street to get my compañera de clase, Ashley, and the three of us painted the back hallway that connects my room to the rest of the house. I had a pinch me moment stepping outside of myself for a second and observing the three of us painting together, making small talk in Spanish, and listening to the radio. Additionally, it was awesome to be painting outside at 9pm- not too hot, not too cold, just a light breeze.

Another pinch me moment from today- I came back from class today pretty tired after having spent seven hours in a dark, cool classroom learning about leadership, development, and how to organize a successful meeting. I stopped first at my host mother’s Bazar Yulian to say hello and to buy a carpeta. There I chatted with another granddaughter and daughter and explained that I would soon have to plan and give English classes and would love their input on the lesson plan. After, I sat down with another grandson and went through my pictures, explaining the presence of the huge boot in front of the LL Bean store and the oso grandísimo in front of FAO Schwarz. The door that separates the kitchen from the back porch and bathroom was open as usual and in ran my friend (and primo). My host mother was thrilled to see him again and invited him to come in for a cafecito. Why was it a pinch me moment? First, I am thrilled to have met such great PCV friends in such a short time. Also, I love that our door is always open to family and friends (as is the case with other hosts). For example, my class of six visited a classmate’s house uninvited yesterday to inquire about their family’s traditions around meals and cooking. The day before, we arrived as a class at my tía’s house after a long, hot walk and were greeted with a refresco.

One more thing, unrelated, to help you get in my zapatos- our sessions today, while they were long and dull at times, addressed themes that are of tremendous interest to me. We touched on teaching English as a Second Language, sustainability, and culture/gender roles. I kicked myself a bit afterward, remembering how exhausted, frustrated, and annoyed I felt in response to the somewhat disjointed discussions. The reality is that I am extremely fortunate to be here, not only because I am among friends, in a beautiful country, speaking Spanish, and serving in the Peace Corps, but because I have the opportunity to get hands on experience working in any number of fields. Qué dicha decimos los ticos.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Menos que six degrees of separation


Where to begin- first, I am safe and sound. I made it through my goodbyes, staging in D.C., and the retreat in Tres Ríos. During the week long retreat I made some great friends from Colorado, Oregon, Missouri, and New York and discovered that Tico 19 is made up of incredibly strong individuals. Also, I had the pleasure of meeting a fellow Mainer, the U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica, who is from South Portland and, of course, knows my Aunt. He was unassuming and warm with a good sense of humor- I could picture him coming into Bradbury Brothers’ Market in Cape Porpoise, Maine on Sunday morning to pick up his New York Times and cup of Green Mountain Coffee.

Tonight I am writing from Río Conejo, where I will live with mi mamá tica y mi papá tico for the next three months during pre-service training. They have six children and fifteen grandchildren, the majority of whom live closeby and visit throughout the day. My mamá is muy amable and told me when I first arrived that she would be my mother, since I left so much behind in the States. Me gusta mucha la comida costaricense! In particular, I love gallo pinto (rice and beans) and plátanos por supuesto. There is also a refresco that tastes to me like drinkable vanilla pudding. Before dinner, I worked with mi mamá, her husband, and her granddaughter to complete their family tree. After, I watched a telenovela with mis padres ticos that is called “El Último Matrimonio Feliz” (the last happy marriage).

My town is semi-rural and mi mamá knows the majority of the community members. It has a church, school, fútbol field, bar, café, and gas station, to name a few amenities. I live atop a steep hill close to a bazar (similar to a 5 & dime store), which my host mother operates, and have a seven minute walk to language class, which we have three days a week. The temperature is comfortable in the morning. I passed only a few people waiting for the bus before I arrived at 8am to wait for our teacher. There are five of us in the class, as we were divided into four groups per project based on our language abilities. We get together with our project members on Wednesday and with all of Tico 19 in San José on Friday. My project is Rural Community Development, which means that we will work with a government organization that oversees and supports the work of local associations that concentrate on activities that contribute to the development of the country, i.e. education, water projects.

Anyway, to set the scene a bit, as I lay in bed I close my eyes and imagine that I am camping in a tent under the stars. I hear a constant hum that sounds like crickets chirping. The nights are cool, the sun is strong, the roads are narrow, coffee plants abound, and todo es pura vida como dicen los ticos. Sitting in front of the house this afternoon writing to my grandmother and sister, I felt content. My host mother welcomed my friends from class for a cafecito this afternoon and it felt comfortab le. My friend was afraid that his host mother would wonder where he was and worry. This is how we think, I think, in the States- always anticipating. But then, my host mother showed us a short cut to travel between our houses and walked with us, introducing us to her siblings and grandchildren along the way. He was in good hands of course, those of his tía- of course we are primos. Everyone seems to be related in some way. It is almost as if life in Río Conejo is a secret they share. I share it now too.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

life throws you curves, but you learn to swerve


i am leaving for costa rica in two days, but my thoughts are elsewhere today. my grandfather passed away suddenly on friday night shortly after leaving my house and, strangely, my going away party. i saw this curve coming, but it looked like it was at least a few miles ahead... he was so alive on friday- the life of the party in a way. parked comfortably in the den, (a term my grandparents always used), he had a glass of red wine at his side, lipstick marks on his cheeks, and what looked almost like a receiving line. he had been asking my uncle for days when i was coming home, and this was the first time we had seen each other since the last time, which was only two weeks earlier. for the first few minutes he was at my house, i stood proudly at his side just as usual; he squeezed my hand and rubbed my back while he caught his breath, recovering from the short trek up the front path.

my grandpa was a celebrity to me, to most. he lived like one too- adventure stories from life in new york city, montreal, chicago, even costa rica. sometimes you couldn't get the juicy details, as his speech had been jumbled for the last few years, but you could tell by the grin on his face and the laugh that followed that he was recalling wild and crazy memories from his youth.

regretably, i will miss the funeral mass on tuesday, as i fly out a few hours earlier for staging in d.c. my sister will share a joint reflection, as we were the eldest grandchildren, but my heart is beginning to hurt anticipating the distance that will soon separate me from my family, and in their time of need. my grandpa, on the other hand, will travel with me to costa rica to share in my adventures- a blessing in disguise, as i was anxious about saying goodbye to him in ill health. if funerals are supposed to be celebrations of life, it is fitting that i will board a plane on wednesday destined for costa rica, a country whose motto is "pura vida", "pure life."


Thursday, March 5, 2009

Bienvenidos!


welcome to my blog and the first of hopefully many posts from a currently unknown location in costa rica. those of you who know me will be surprised to see me "blogging", but hold your surprise until i begin uploading photos and other dodads. two avisos: 1) do not expect me to include capital letters in my posts. 2) expect to see a lot of spanglish. (maybe if you're lucky the spanish words will pop up on the "word of the day" on my homepage!)

so how am i doing/feeling, with less than a week before departure...

remarkably okay considering i have quit my job, filed for "economic hardship" with citibank in order to defer my student loan payments, cut my hair to second grade levels, moved home, identified a power of attorney, named my mother as my beneficiary in the event that i do not return from costa rica (ay dios mio!), and bid farewell to my partners in crime in new york city. a close friend and rpcv (returned peace corps volunteer) likened the pre-departure experience to being on death row...

finding almost 30 fellow tico 19ers on facebook has really put my mind at ease. (cheating? maybe, considering such social networking sites did not exist in the 60's when the pc began.) through this group, i was able to meet two vols in the city and was reassured that when our group of 52 meets in dc on tuesday, we will bond instantly due to the fact that we have all left family, friends, and simple comforts for 27 months of the unknown. there is even a group of west coasters who are trying to get together on monday to see dc before staging. this openness to meeting new people and embarking on new experiences is what life is all about, if you ask me (which you are, because you are reading my blog!)...

one last comment before i bid farewell to the kennebunk free library and head to borealis breads for an olive roll and homeade soup (treating every meal like my last- see previous comment about death row mentality). i am trying to get myself in a go state of mind before departing for cr- trying to rid my head of words like help and fix and educate; trying to remind myself that i am a student, not a teacher, when it comes to all things costa rica.