Diay! Part 1

Now that I am settled in my permanent site in Ortega, I can give you a good summary of the past few weeks, as well as fill you in on the details of my new home and new "schedule." Site assignment day was just about a month ago. We gathered around a map nervously as the PC staff had their fun with us, blindfolding the first few people, pinning their site on the map, and instructing the rest of us to direct them to it. To my surprise, there were lots of smiles, screams, and shouts, and very few tears. The previous three months of training had felt pretend and we were anxious to make a home in Costa Rica. Next came counterpart day, when we met our future work partners in San Jose for a brief training. For the most part, the counterparts for my program, rural community development, are leaders in the development association in the community. The purpose of this visit was to travel accompanied to our sites and meet our host families, the school director, staff at the health clinic, attend a meeting of the development association, kick around the soccer ball at the plaza, etc.- really to confirm our commitment to the PC. Leave now or forever hold your peace... On this visit I made a point to wave to everyone, introduce myself when possible, introduce my project when possible and, most importantly, RECORD NAMES!

We then returned to our training communities to say goodbye to our families, friends, and neighbors- realizing quickly that they were not "goodbyes" but "see you soons." (Remember the name of my going away party in New York? Same idea. Out of sight, never out of mind.) It was such a beautiful thing to see host mothers estimating (correctly!) the sizes of their respective volunteers, having bought new shorts, blouses, jeans, and sandals as tokens of their great affection. We sent ourselves off with a going away party for our families, which was planned and catered exclusively by us, despite heightened emotions, un monton de mandatos, lingering assignments, and empty suitcases. Swearing in was certainly a reality check- as I mentioned earlier, training felt at times like summer camp, thanks entirely to the friendships we made with tico 19ers, language facilitators, PCV staff, and community members. When we pulled in front of the Ambassador's residence, when I saw the tent and chairs, the Costa Rican flag next to the American flag, the PC logo behind the podium, I recalled the months of medical exams, reading and revising essays, visits to the PC office, pros and cons lists, phone interviews and, finally, packing lists. When we sang the Costa Rican national anthem, followed by the national anthem of the United States of America, when our classmates gave their address, when we took our oath of office, I was overwhelmed with emotion- I felt proud to be an American, I felt fortunate to have been selected as a PCV, I felt regret that my family was not present at the ceremony, and I felt happy that my grandpa was.

But "where the hell are you," you are surely asking. Ortega is located in the province of Guanacaste, which is known for its folklore, beaches, traditions, parties, dances, food, and heat. My site has about 1,000 people, an elementary school of about 200 students, a cemetery, a health clinic, a nutrition center, several bars and pulperias, a soccer field, a Catholic and an Evangelist church, a meeting hall, a policeman, a bullfight ring, and two tourism businesses. In addition, my town has a sports committee, an arts and crafts group, a children's rights group, a development association, a women's and men's soccer team, a health committee, a women's group, an alcoholics anonymous group, and a school board. They are known for a tradition called "la largateada", which is over 100 years old. "El largato" is a crocodile, so "la largateada" translates to something like "the pursuit of the crocodile." On Friday of Holy Week, town members travel to the river and capture a crocodile, which is brought back to town and kept in a cage for the duration of Holy Week, when it is released in the river unharmed. Last year, I was told that 6,000 people came to Ortega for la largateada- rural tourism is a major industry for Ortega and surrounding communities due to crocodile-infested wetlands and local arts and crafts. The town is accustomed to seeing tourists "like myself"; although, I have made it very clear to all that I am not a tourist, nor do I plan to live the lifestyle of one. I want to become a member of the community, I want to be respected as an equal, I want to learn local dances, eat local food, participate in events such as soccer games, baptisms, birthday parties, etc., and understand and appreciate work. On that note, I am pleased to report that in my first week in Ortega I have milked a cow with both hands, made pasteles filled with arroz con pollo, learned to make a traditional beverage, attended a memorial service, attended mass, picked mangoes, ridden a horse, played in a band, danced at a dance, attended a soccer game, witnessed a primary, learned a card game, and attended student council elections. While we are advised to take it easy for the first three months of our service, concentrating our efforts on our community analysis, I have revived a daily aerobics class for women and agreed to teach a twice weekly English class.