Too Much…

Yesterday afternoon, I was incredibly frustrated and tired of this adventure. Here are some of the reasons:
I miss my family
I’m tired of being hot
I’m tired of fixing my hair only to get in a cab with the windows down (because they don’t use the a/c)
I’m tired of struggling to communicate
I’m tired of taxi drivers who don’t have the right change
I don’t like that I can’t flush toilet paper because the septic system will clog (there’s a trashcan in the bathroom; I’ll let you piece it together from there)
I’m very tired of worrying about the future

I guess I was feeling a little bit homesick (a lot is more like it) and forgot for a minute that I’m choosing this adventure. It wasn’t cast upon me as a punishment. Of course, a good night of sleep helped as did the water aerobics class this morning. How can I possibly be unhappy when this is what I see during my class:








And as a side note, it was freaking cold this morning in the air and even more so in the water. Someone heard my complaint about being hot and decided to take pity on me. However, I froze my butt off for the first 10 minutes in the pool. After that though, it was wonderful.

There is a Spanish expression that I need to keep in mind…Toda va a salir bien – Everything will turn out all right. See, I am learning!

My Favorite Student

I’ve been working with Gaston for 5 weeks now but it hardly feels like work. He is already fluent in English so we spend most of the time talking, working on his pronunciation and learning new idioms and expressions. It’s amazing how many expressions we take for granted in the English language. Anyway, we have a good time and the time flies quickly. By the way, right now, Gaston is my only student so the title of this post is supposed to ironic.

Hot Enough For You?

My aunt wants to know how I’m handling life without air conditioning. Today is probably not the day to ask me because this afternoon, I was very tired of being hot. During the day, if there is a breeze and depending on where in the house I am, it’s okay. At night, I have fans in my bedroom and the windows open. I am very comfortable at night and sometimes am a little chilled. However, I'm frustrated with the taxi cabs. Instead of using the air conditioning in the car, the windows are down. Not a good thing when you're trying to have a good hair day! And, it's still not cool enough in the cars!

Tonight, I went to dinner at a Lebanese restaurant with Julia. It was very interesting. We ordered a variety/sampler dinner for two. Most of it was very good and I enjoyed trying something new. We also ordered a dish that is basically raw meat with some spices. You pour a little bit of olive oil over it and put it on a piece of raw onion and top it with a mixture that resembles pico de gallo in look, but not in taste. That’s it. I tried it and the flavor was ok but I couldn’t get past the thought “I’m eating raw meat.”

Pura Vida!

From Wikipedia...

Pura Vida (POO-rah VEE-dah), used by Costa Ricans since 1956, literally translated means "Pure Life." Contextually, it means "Full of Life" "Purified life", "This is living!", "Going great!" It is used as a greeting, a farewell, and to express satisfaction.

The phrase has become widely known in the USA and Europe. Some foreigners view the phrase as an expression of a leisurely lifestyle, of disregard for time and wanton friendliness. However, Costa Ricans use the phrase to express a philosophy of strong community, perseverance, good spirits, enjoying life slowly, celebrating good fortune, whether small or large.

PURA VIDA also means "I am doing alright", "I'm doing perfect", and it all began when in Limon the citizens started to say " Too I Neece", "tuuaniss" To Nice!

Expats who adopt the expression properly get a big smile in return. It is an acknowledgment of the Costa Rican attitude towards life.

Life in a Tico Family

My aunt emailed me today and asked why I hadn't posted in two days. So, I guess I need to be more conscientious about my posting! Just a couple of quick sound bites tonight...

I'm really enjoying where I am living. So far, it's the perfect mix of family time, Spanish "lessons", and privacy. Alejandro and I spent some time yesterday afternoon putting together a couple of puzzles. He's a cutie! Of course, I can't understand most of what he says...I have problems understanding Rhett (my nephew) sometimes and he speaks English. So Spanish from an almost 6 year old is very difficult! Also, as part of my rent, I am included in breakfast and dinner meals. I've had several wonderful "typical" meals and have asked Eugenia to teach me how to make a couple of the more popular dishes so I can share with my family and friends when I get home. Since no one here speaks English (just a few words here and there), it's all Spanish all the time. At this rate, I'll be fluent in 2 months!

Eugenia and I went to water aerobics this morning. The class meets on Monday, Wedneday and Friday mornings at 8 a.m. Aside from having to actually set an alarm clock, something I haven't done much while here, I enjoyed the morning. At one point during the class, I was looking at all the trees around the pool and the gorgeous blue sky, with the sun shining on me, and I started thinking about being back in an office working. That thought was followed by...hell no! Why would I want that when I can be HERE?? I didn't have my camera this morning but plan to take pictures on Wednesday and will post photos of the pool and scenery.

My friend Beth will be here on Friday for nine nights and I have lots planned for us. So, next week, I should have lots to post about. Who knows...maybe I'll ask her to "guest" post as well!

Is Anybody Out There?

If you are reading my blog, either regularly or just happen to be passing through, please leave me a comment and tell me you were here. I want to know who my audience is! Let me know what questions you have about what’s happening with me in Costa Rica and feel free to share your thoughts.

Casa Dulce Casa (Home Sweet Home)

I’m pretty much settled into my new home. Eugenia, who isn’t that much older than me, is the mother in the household and she has been wonderful - explaining everything slowly so I understand and making me feel very welcome. Also in the house are her husband, Alberto; her son Jimmy, who is 20 years old; and Alejandro, who will be 6 in August. Alejandro and I are going to have lots of fun together. In any language, in any country, boys will be boys and he reminds me a lot of Rhett.

I moved in yesterday morning and in one day used more Spanish than I had in the month previous. I’ve set a few benchmarks for myself and will celebrate when I no longer need to carry my English/Spanish dictionary with me everywhere (including the dinner table) and when I can understand Alejandro. By the time I went to bed last night, I was mentally exhausted and my ears hurt from listening so hard to understand :D

I got a haircut today. Always scary when you change hairdressers, more so in a different language. I practiced beforehand what I wanted to be sure and get across – it is very important that my hair covers my neck. Thankfully, I managed that and the woman who cut my hair did a good job. We talked for a little bit and she is interested in taking some English classes with me. I’m thinking about putting an ad on Craigslist.com offering English classes. The school I’m working for doesn’t have any more clients in my area, but I may be able to pick up some hours with other students.

It's A Small World...After All

So it's Thursday night about 8:15 and I just got back to the guesthouse from dinner. When I was here in April, I met a guy named Lorenzo who was staying at the guesthouse as well. Lorenzo lives in New Orleans, probably 20 minutes from me. Tonight, I went to dinner with Chris, a crazy boy from Terrytown. We both graduated in 1991 and lived probably 10 minutes from each other. Chris is roaming Central America, looking for the perfect spot to build/buy a campground. He's unhappy with the U.S. and wears a hat that says "Follow Me Out."

"Super Agent 86"...or "Get Smart"

Last night, Karina, Ronald and I went to see a movie after I finished teaching. This has become a habit of ours over the last few weeks. We saw "Super Agent 86," which is the translated title of "Get Smart." This was the first time we'd seen a movie that was translated into Spanish. All the others were in English with Spanish subtitles. Although I was only able to understand somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 of the dialogue, I was still able to pretty much follow the movie. I need to improve my understanding of spoken Spanish so movies and tv shows in Spanish help a lot. I also have watched tv in English with Spanish subtitles which is helpful. Anyway, the point is that many times, the Spanish translation is nothing like the English, especially of movie titles. For example:
Get Smart = Super Agent 86
Made of Honor = I Want to Steal the Bride
The Happening = The End of Times

Just a quick hit about the theaters here...they serve caramel corn at the snack bar! Yum!

Moving On...

Unfortunately, my living situation did not work out. The gist is that I got caught in the middle of some miscommunication between Robin and Karina involving money and friendship. So two days ago, I landed on the doorstep of Fountains Guest House, the place I stayed when I was here in April. Luckily, I was able to find a great new place to live and will move in tomorrow. I'll be renting a room with a Tico family, sharing the house with the parents and two sons, ages 20 and 6. Alejandro, the six-year old looks exactly like Maggie's nephew, T-Kirk. Anyway, I move in tomorrow and will share more details about the family in the next few days. No one in the house speaks English, so I'll definitely be using my Spanish more than I have in the last month!