Saturday, May 31, 2008
Bolinchas
If there's one thing I really hate, it's the sound of marbles knocking together, bouncing off a wooden desk and rolling across a concrete floor.
Friday, May 30, 2008
How many days
A lot has happened since I last wrote. Where to start? How about last Thursday when I was standing on the side of the highway waiting to flag down a bus to take me to San Jose for a mid-year meeting when something stung me on the arm. It was raining, I'd forgotten my umberella, I had a terrible cough and cold, and my arm was hurting like crazy. Good thing I already had an appointment with the doctor the next morning.
After a full physical exam and an X-ray of my lungs, dear Dr. Longworth determined I had bronchitis and an infection from the sting in my arm. So, I started taking antibiotics and carried on with the mid-service meeting. It rained all weekend, and I still wasn't feeling great, but hanging out with people like me helped a lot.
Dr. Longworth wanted to see me again Monday morning to make sure I was recovering well. With doctor's orders to skip school, I didn't hesitate to go along with other volunteers to my first ever soccer game. In Costa Rica, there is a rival between two teams - Saprissa and La Liga - and every family has a favorite. My family is for Saprissa, so naturally, I am too. I bought a jersey.
Of course, it was still pouring, so we bought parkas to wear over our new jerseys and headed out in a cab toward Saprissa stadium. Along the way, we stopped in a little bar for a bathroom break and beer. The only female in the room was sitting at the center of the bar in a red dress. She liked our Saprissa jerseys and welcomed us on in. Before we left, we bought her a tequila shot just in case we'd be back.
And we were. But not until we had danced and stomped and yelled and sang our hearts out with the rest of Costa Rica. It was so much fun, but the rain was getting old. My friend and I headed for the lady in red. Shortly after, two more of our friends appeared, and we continued the celebration until Saprissa scored a goal and won the game.
Dr. Longworth was pleased with my progress on Sunday and didn't chide me too much for standing and screaming in the rain. I made it back to Potrero Grande by late Monday afternoon and crashed as soon as I stepped into my bedroom. I fell asleep to the sound of rain hitting the roof and woke up to the same. I felt nauseated and exhausted. My room was so comfortable and cool, and the sound of the rain was so nice. I didn't go to school but instead slept and read a book all day.
It was just what I needed. When I woke up Tuesday, it was still rainy and cool, and I felt great. Finally, I was well. But it just kept on raining. On Tuesday night, the electricity went out just after I turned out my light. Any other night without a fan, I would have drowned in a pool of my own salty sweat, but that night was cool and comfy. It rained all day Wednesday, too, which is when I finally figured out we were in a tropical depression. It was wonderful.
Elections were held at the school Thursday, and it was chaos all day long. The pouring rain didn't stop the kids from playing soccer or wrestling or chasing each other through mud puddles. Everyone's school uniforms were soaked. I've never seen the kids so happy. There were no classes most of the day so that the two "political parties" could spread propoganda (candy and yarn bracelets) throughout the school.
They voted this morning (Friday), and my group won.
Yesterday afternoon (Thursday), my host family took a field trip to look at the river. I was starting to realize all the rain was getting dangerous. While I was rejoicing over the break from the heat, people in other parts of Costa Rica were losing their homes. The bedroom of one of my fellow volunteers got hit by a landslide.
Today the skies are sunny and blue, and I'm back to sweating like a pig. Still, it feels good to be well, safe and dry.
I have pictures to share, too, but I left them in my hotel room. Hopefully I'll be able to get them up before I catch the bus in the morning.
After a full physical exam and an X-ray of my lungs, dear Dr. Longworth determined I had bronchitis and an infection from the sting in my arm. So, I started taking antibiotics and carried on with the mid-service meeting. It rained all weekend, and I still wasn't feeling great, but hanging out with people like me helped a lot.
Dr. Longworth wanted to see me again Monday morning to make sure I was recovering well. With doctor's orders to skip school, I didn't hesitate to go along with other volunteers to my first ever soccer game. In Costa Rica, there is a rival between two teams - Saprissa and La Liga - and every family has a favorite. My family is for Saprissa, so naturally, I am too. I bought a jersey.
Of course, it was still pouring, so we bought parkas to wear over our new jerseys and headed out in a cab toward Saprissa stadium. Along the way, we stopped in a little bar for a bathroom break and beer. The only female in the room was sitting at the center of the bar in a red dress. She liked our Saprissa jerseys and welcomed us on in. Before we left, we bought her a tequila shot just in case we'd be back.
And we were. But not until we had danced and stomped and yelled and sang our hearts out with the rest of Costa Rica. It was so much fun, but the rain was getting old. My friend and I headed for the lady in red. Shortly after, two more of our friends appeared, and we continued the celebration until Saprissa scored a goal and won the game.
Dr. Longworth was pleased with my progress on Sunday and didn't chide me too much for standing and screaming in the rain. I made it back to Potrero Grande by late Monday afternoon and crashed as soon as I stepped into my bedroom. I fell asleep to the sound of rain hitting the roof and woke up to the same. I felt nauseated and exhausted. My room was so comfortable and cool, and the sound of the rain was so nice. I didn't go to school but instead slept and read a book all day.
It was just what I needed. When I woke up Tuesday, it was still rainy and cool, and I felt great. Finally, I was well. But it just kept on raining. On Tuesday night, the electricity went out just after I turned out my light. Any other night without a fan, I would have drowned in a pool of my own salty sweat, but that night was cool and comfy. It rained all day Wednesday, too, which is when I finally figured out we were in a tropical depression. It was wonderful.
Elections were held at the school Thursday, and it was chaos all day long. The pouring rain didn't stop the kids from playing soccer or wrestling or chasing each other through mud puddles. Everyone's school uniforms were soaked. I've never seen the kids so happy. There were no classes most of the day so that the two "political parties" could spread propoganda (candy and yarn bracelets) throughout the school.
They voted this morning (Friday), and my group won.
Yesterday afternoon (Thursday), my host family took a field trip to look at the river. I was starting to realize all the rain was getting dangerous. While I was rejoicing over the break from the heat, people in other parts of Costa Rica were losing their homes. The bedroom of one of my fellow volunteers got hit by a landslide.
Today the skies are sunny and blue, and I'm back to sweating like a pig. Still, it feels good to be well, safe and dry.
I have pictures to share, too, but I left them in my hotel room. Hopefully I'll be able to get them up before I catch the bus in the morning.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Chop and plant
Here are pictures of the small logging field (and accompanying reforestation plot) from which workers like to yell oh-so-flattering remarks at me. My favorite: "I lub you babay!"
Mangos!
Ah, the smell of rotting fruit.
These pictures are of the sidewalk that runs between the school and the soccer field. It's a shame all of those delicious mangos are just rotting on the ground, but there are just so many of them. The students use a wheel barrow, sacks and cardboard boxes to pick up as many as they can during recess. Obviously they missed a spot.
These pictures are of the sidewalk that runs between the school and the soccer field. It's a shame all of those delicious mangos are just rotting on the ground, but there are just so many of them. The students use a wheel barrow, sacks and cardboard boxes to pick up as many as they can during recess. Obviously they missed a spot.
Curious cows
One morning I was out walking with my camera, and these cows all ran to the fence to watch me pass by, no doubt wondering what that crazy gringa was up to now.
Ugh
I am notoriously horrible when I am sick. I whine and cry and convince myself and everyone around me that I am near death. So it's been a little frustrating that my host mom hardly blinks an eye when I tell her of my recent ongoing illness. She's just not giving me the sympathy I seek.
To be fair, she did soak rice in water all morning yesterday, then blended the rice and its water in a blender and served it to me piping hot in a mug for lunch. And it sort of worked. I haven't puked since.
I had really hoped my time in Costa Rica wouldn't be marred by illness. But for the last couple of months, I've been tired and pukey and coughy and sniffly. I even had swollen lips and a rash one day, I think as a result of the parasite medicine - which obviously didn't work. Yesterday I skipped out on my weekly trip to Buenos Aires. I just didn't feel like getting out of bed.
I moped around the house, nauseated and coughing, wishing I could curl up on a real couch and watch television in English. Instead, I lay on my bed reading old Arkansas Democrat-Gazettes and New York Times Magazines.
I had planned to make the six-hour trip to the doctor today, but this morning, I felt better and decided to come to Buenos Aires to check e-mail instead. I'm still a little achy, but the cough is better, and I haven't been nauseated since before the rice shake. I have to go to San Jose next weekend anyway, so I want to wait until then to go to the doctor.
In the meantime, I've read some very interesting stories, such as this one about how cell phones have an "economizing effect" in developing areas. I always find it strange to see so many people in my rural town carrying fancy cell phones.
The other day, I saw one of my students take a break from cutting his lawn with a machete to answer the cell phone stuffed in his pocket. I for one would rather have weed whacker than a cell phone, but according to the New York Times Magazine article,
poor families are investing a significant amount of money monile telecommunications. As a family’s income grows their spending on technology increases faster than spending in any other category, including health, education and housing.
During my interview for this position, the former volunteer conducting the interview told me she had been disappointed to learn that her host family in Costa Rica had a cell phone.
"I thought I was moving to a developing country, and my host dad had a cell phone, and that was 10 years ago," she said, still incredulous.
Costa Rica is indeed mostly developed now, but in remote towns like mine, the site of a cell phone on the hip of a man on horseback leading a herd of cows down the road creates a stark contrast, one that is apparently seen around the world and for good reason.
So there you have it. Not only am I whiny and difficult when sick, I'm boring, too. I think I'll get us all out of this misery and go back home and go to bed. Adios.
To be fair, she did soak rice in water all morning yesterday, then blended the rice and its water in a blender and served it to me piping hot in a mug for lunch. And it sort of worked. I haven't puked since.
I had really hoped my time in Costa Rica wouldn't be marred by illness. But for the last couple of months, I've been tired and pukey and coughy and sniffly. I even had swollen lips and a rash one day, I think as a result of the parasite medicine - which obviously didn't work. Yesterday I skipped out on my weekly trip to Buenos Aires. I just didn't feel like getting out of bed.
I moped around the house, nauseated and coughing, wishing I could curl up on a real couch and watch television in English. Instead, I lay on my bed reading old Arkansas Democrat-Gazettes and New York Times Magazines.
I had planned to make the six-hour trip to the doctor today, but this morning, I felt better and decided to come to Buenos Aires to check e-mail instead. I'm still a little achy, but the cough is better, and I haven't been nauseated since before the rice shake. I have to go to San Jose next weekend anyway, so I want to wait until then to go to the doctor.
In the meantime, I've read some very interesting stories, such as this one about how cell phones have an "economizing effect" in developing areas. I always find it strange to see so many people in my rural town carrying fancy cell phones.
The other day, I saw one of my students take a break from cutting his lawn with a machete to answer the cell phone stuffed in his pocket. I for one would rather have weed whacker than a cell phone, but according to the New York Times Magazine article,
poor families are investing a significant amount of money monile telecommunications. As a family’s income grows their spending on technology increases faster than spending in any other category, including health, education and housing.
During my interview for this position, the former volunteer conducting the interview told me she had been disappointed to learn that her host family in Costa Rica had a cell phone.
"I thought I was moving to a developing country, and my host dad had a cell phone, and that was 10 years ago," she said, still incredulous.
Costa Rica is indeed mostly developed now, but in remote towns like mine, the site of a cell phone on the hip of a man on horseback leading a herd of cows down the road creates a stark contrast, one that is apparently seen around the world and for good reason.
Robert Jensen, an economics professor at Harvard University, tracked fishermen off the coast of Kerala in southern India, finding that when they invested in cell phones and started using them to call around to prospective buyers before they’d even got their catch to shore, their profits went up by an average of 8 percent while consumer prices in the local marketplace went down by 4 percent. A 2005 London Business School study extrapolated the effect even further, concluding that for every additional 10 mobile phones per 100 people, a country’s G.D.P. rises 0.5 percent.
So there you have it. Not only am I whiny and difficult when sick, I'm boring, too. I think I'll get us all out of this misery and go back home and go to bed. Adios.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Pura vida
I checked into a hotel, dropped off my backpack and wandered around until I found a nice park and a decent-looking restaurant. As soon as I sat down, I realized I had found the gringo hangout. Almost immediately, an old man from California sat down at my table. He's some sort of healer, and to prove it, he drew a picture of a damaged cell on a napkin. I listened politely while my hamburger got cold. He didn't want to go into his exact cure for cancer right then and there, though, because he feared I wouldn't understand the nuances of the biology involved. Fair enough.
After he left, another gringo with an orange hat, orange polo shirt and orange backpack showed up at my table. He had just flown into to Costa Rica the day before and was on a two-fold mission - to buy cheap land and find the love of his life. After telling me how much he had to pay for a hooker the night before, he offered to buy me a beer, which I promptly refused. Luckily, the first gringo came back and changed the tone of the conversation. Turns out, he works in real estate in addition to curing cancer, so he and the sleazy guy shuffled off to talk land prices.
Just about then, one of my fellow volunteers showed up. We exchanged hugs and talked about our plans for our weekend. She was heading to the beach, and I said I might go to there too today. But I don't think I will. I am enjoying being alone and independent. Last night I watched a movie in English in my hotel. This morning I slept late and woke up slowly with the help of the television. I had forgotten how relaxing it is to stay in bed and watch TV.
I don't know what I'll do today. Maybe I will go to the beach. Or maybe I'll go to the Post Office. Or maybe I'll shop some more. Ah, it's so nice to have options. I'll be sure to let you know what I decide.
In the meantime, I've added some photos to the blog. Scroll on down.
One time I wrote that I was eager to see how my host family would relax at the beach.
In about an hour, though, I have to begin my six-hour bus rided back to the dirty south. I'll spend two days preparing for school, then on Sunday, I plan to go to the beach with my host family. Afterwards, I'll give a full report on how Ticos rest. I've yet to see that happen in my home and am looking forward to it. I half expect to see my host mom sweeping sand off the beach.
Well, I've been meaning to show you this picture, but I keep forgetting. It's of my host sister sweeping sand off the beach.
But my host mom did get some rest. She covered her face with a newspaper and leaned back on a log for about 20 minutes.
In about an hour, though, I have to begin my six-hour bus rided back to the dirty south. I'll spend two days preparing for school, then on Sunday, I plan to go to the beach with my host family. Afterwards, I'll give a full report on how Ticos rest. I've yet to see that happen in my home and am looking forward to it. I half expect to see my host mom sweeping sand off the beach.
Well, I've been meaning to show you this picture, but I keep forgetting. It's of my host sister sweeping sand off the beach.
But my host mom did get some rest. She covered her face with a newspaper and leaned back on a log for about 20 minutes.
Thank God for avocados
Just when I thought I couldn't choke down another plate of rice and beans, avocados began to fall from the sky -- or rather, from the avocado tree in the back yard. I love avocados. Then again, I used to love rice and beans, too.
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