It's early. About 6:45 a.m. and I'm at a crossroad. I'm sitting here in the common area in the upstairs staring at piece of dog poo apparently left last night by one of 4 dogs in the house. I'm not sure if I should take care of it myself or let someone else stumble upon it... nevermind, Meggie just picked it up and disposed of it. My big morning decision had been decided. Time for work...
:: ::
Meggie just reminded me, be on the lookout for my Merengue 101 and 102 videos to hit the shelves in the near future. After my crash course from Gerry this morning on how to teach Merengue and Salsa to the kids, I feel extremely qualified. Soon to be released is a Salsa 101 video also.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
10k Walkathon
Well my new homestay is approximately 5 kilometers from school these days. That adds up to about a 30 minute walk to get to work. It's downhill on the way there and uphill the whole way back. Granted, I live with a woman who works there and can get a ride, but I went in late today so another chaperone and I walked together. Regardless, I got in my exercise in for the day because I walked back too. 10k walkathon today.
Anyway, work today was so hectic. It was nonstop chaos for 8 hours. We had 6 six different groups in and out all day; testing, touring, coordinating, playing games. It was crazy. I helped as much as I could and when I could, but wow, it was exhausting. I also met with the group leader for my new group that arrives tomorrow. He seems really laid back and is pretty funny. We should have a good time together, I hope!
Anyway, Meggie and I are headed to the mall tonight for a little bit. I'll hopefully write more later!
Besitos,
Jessica Lynn
::Things learned from shopping tonight::
1. I found my favorite store: it carries lime green and hot pink clothes
2. Costa Rican swimsuits were not made for this American body. Hello Brazilian cut bottoms, See ya later Jessica.
3. You can never go wrong with an ice cream run even if it's your only purchase for the day (still keeping up the vacation tradition).
Anyway, work today was so hectic. It was nonstop chaos for 8 hours. We had 6 six different groups in and out all day; testing, touring, coordinating, playing games. It was crazy. I helped as much as I could and when I could, but wow, it was exhausting. I also met with the group leader for my new group that arrives tomorrow. He seems really laid back and is pretty funny. We should have a good time together, I hope!
Anyway, Meggie and I are headed to the mall tonight for a little bit. I'll hopefully write more later!
Besitos,
Jessica Lynn
::Things learned from shopping tonight::
1. I found my favorite store: it carries lime green and hot pink clothes
2. Costa Rican swimsuits were not made for this American body. Hello Brazilian cut bottoms, See ya later Jessica.
3. You can never go wrong with an ice cream run even if it's your only purchase for the day (still keeping up the vacation tradition).
Sunday, June 28, 2009
US Men's Soccer and UD Men's Bball
Today, I was watching the US Soccer team play Brazil and I couldn't help but note the similiarities between the US Soccer team and my very own Dayton Flyers.
The US Soccer team, although not a world powerhouse, can usually manage to hold it's own against the big teams, much like UD. Both are becoming more reputable in big league play. Both can play with the best as long as they brought their A-game (which isn't necessarily every game). Both have their moments when they will crush a big powerhouse and other times when they are being crushed. Finally, the biggest point of similiarity is how UD and the US are first-half teams. They will put up their best game and be charging toward a big victory, and then halftime rolls around and you're never sure which team is going to emerge from the locker room--either one that is going to give up all they gained, or fight to the death to keep their lead. Unfortunately today, the US chose the former. Bummer : ( Regardless, I love my Flyers and I'm beginning to love US soccer.
So I went for a 'run' today. I use quotations because the word run is relative. My knee is still really bothering me so I opted for 2 minutes on, 1 minute off for 20 minutes. This seemed to work out well enough and I'm hopeful that if I'm patient with it, I'll gain enough strength to really start running again. Patience... easier said than done.
All right, it's dinner time here shortly! I have the day off tomorrow which I am really excited about!
Chao pescado!
Jessica Lynn
The US Soccer team, although not a world powerhouse, can usually manage to hold it's own against the big teams, much like UD. Both are becoming more reputable in big league play. Both can play with the best as long as they brought their A-game (which isn't necessarily every game). Both have their moments when they will crush a big powerhouse and other times when they are being crushed. Finally, the biggest point of similiarity is how UD and the US are first-half teams. They will put up their best game and be charging toward a big victory, and then halftime rolls around and you're never sure which team is going to emerge from the locker room--either one that is going to give up all they gained, or fight to the death to keep their lead. Unfortunately today, the US chose the former. Bummer : ( Regardless, I love my Flyers and I'm beginning to love US soccer.
So I went for a 'run' today. I use quotations because the word run is relative. My knee is still really bothering me so I opted for 2 minutes on, 1 minute off for 20 minutes. This seemed to work out well enough and I'm hopeful that if I'm patient with it, I'll gain enough strength to really start running again. Patience... easier said than done.
All right, it's dinner time here shortly! I have the day off tomorrow which I am really excited about!
Chao pescado!
Jessica Lynn
Flip! Flip! Flip!
Yesterday I promised to write more on the snorkel cruise that I took on Thursday with the group. But first let me mention that I know why mass is held so early in the morning around here. Yesterday, I was lamenting at how I missed evening masses at UD because I had to get up early today and go to mass at 8 a.m. instead of 6 p.m. like I’m accustomed to. However, upon arriving at Church already breaking a sweat because of the heat, I understood why masses couldn’t be held any later in the day. It would be too hot!
Anyway, Thursday was the group snorkel cruise in Tamarindo. Tamarindo is about 40 minutes from Flamingo and has been given the nickname ‘Tama-gringo’ because of all the ‘gringos’ that go there to surf and vacation. It does have great surfing though. At 1:30, the ponga (dingy) came ashore and took the group out to the Marlin del Rey catamaran that would be our vessel taking us to the snorkel point. The catamaran was probably 50 feet in length and had a covered bar area. The front had mesh nets that people could lie on and watch the sea traveling below them. It was a very nice boat. The crew had an open bar and plenty of snacks, fruit, and roasted chicken for all. The boys found it particularly daring to order a Piña Colada (sans alcohol). They took great pride in saying they were drinking a piña colada too.
Once we arrived at the snorkel point, the crew passed out fins, snorkel masks and noodles (as a makeshift floatation device) and the kids dove in. Again, because the tide was so dangerous it was too difficult to get near any really good snorkel spots so most of the people on board just dove off the side of the boat or relaxed in the water with a can of Imperial in hand. They also didn’t have enough snorkeling gear for all 50 people on board so I just hung out in the water and enjoyed swimming around in the blue waters. After a while, the boys began jumping off the side of the boat and one boy in particular was able to convince half the group into trying front flips…including me.
Thankfully, the sides of the catamaran sit about 8 feet above water and I had already dove off them once when the boys pushed me in earlier. I was also thankful that I had somewhat of an idea of what I was doing. So, giving into the peer pressure I did a front flip off the side with the other boys. However…upon resurfacing and getting back on the boat, the boys remembered that back flips were actually my specialty and it would be much cooler to do a back flip off of the boat because no one else could do one. There was no backing down either once the group of boys started chanting wildly “FLIP! FLIP! FLIP! FLIP!” Naturally, this caused enough of a ruckus on the boat to bring the whole crew out front and half of the other snorkel enthusiasts to watch the display. After nearly slipping off the side of the boat at first because one of the boys bumped me, I backed out on to the edge of the boat and a little flair threw my back tuck and landed gracefully in the way (thank goodness). As I returned to the boat, I was greeted by applause and the boys once again chanting ‘FLIP! FLIP!’ So I did one more for the people and called it day…
So after my small display, we pulled anchor and began the voyage back to the marina. The kids woofed down some more food and we began to watch the sun fall into the ocean. First however, I received a text message from my boss informing me that Michael Jackson had died. Well this caused more of an uproar than my back flip. News spread like wild fire on the boat and I had 50 people asking me if I was sure and what the details were… Eventually, I got in touch with my boss and figured out the details and was able to report back to the boat what had happened. Shortly thereafter Billy Jean was blaring on deck and my boys were dancing a tribute dance to the late Michael Jackson.
All in all, the snorkel cruise (although lacking in snorkeling) was a blast. The sunset was beautiful and the kids had a great time. We returned to the marina just as the sun was setting and took the ponga back to shore. It was a fantastic day.
All right, I’m going to go for a run while it’s still cool. I have a meeting tonight at 6 but most of the day off until then! Whoo!
Amor,
Jessica
Anyway, Thursday was the group snorkel cruise in Tamarindo. Tamarindo is about 40 minutes from Flamingo and has been given the nickname ‘Tama-gringo’ because of all the ‘gringos’ that go there to surf and vacation. It does have great surfing though. At 1:30, the ponga (dingy) came ashore and took the group out to the Marlin del Rey catamaran that would be our vessel taking us to the snorkel point. The catamaran was probably 50 feet in length and had a covered bar area. The front had mesh nets that people could lie on and watch the sea traveling below them. It was a very nice boat. The crew had an open bar and plenty of snacks, fruit, and roasted chicken for all. The boys found it particularly daring to order a Piña Colada (sans alcohol). They took great pride in saying they were drinking a piña colada too.
Once we arrived at the snorkel point, the crew passed out fins, snorkel masks and noodles (as a makeshift floatation device) and the kids dove in. Again, because the tide was so dangerous it was too difficult to get near any really good snorkel spots so most of the people on board just dove off the side of the boat or relaxed in the water with a can of Imperial in hand. They also didn’t have enough snorkeling gear for all 50 people on board so I just hung out in the water and enjoyed swimming around in the blue waters. After a while, the boys began jumping off the side of the boat and one boy in particular was able to convince half the group into trying front flips…including me.
Thankfully, the sides of the catamaran sit about 8 feet above water and I had already dove off them once when the boys pushed me in earlier. I was also thankful that I had somewhat of an idea of what I was doing. So, giving into the peer pressure I did a front flip off the side with the other boys. However…upon resurfacing and getting back on the boat, the boys remembered that back flips were actually my specialty and it would be much cooler to do a back flip off of the boat because no one else could do one. There was no backing down either once the group of boys started chanting wildly “FLIP! FLIP! FLIP! FLIP!” Naturally, this caused enough of a ruckus on the boat to bring the whole crew out front and half of the other snorkel enthusiasts to watch the display. After nearly slipping off the side of the boat at first because one of the boys bumped me, I backed out on to the edge of the boat and a little flair threw my back tuck and landed gracefully in the way (thank goodness). As I returned to the boat, I was greeted by applause and the boys once again chanting ‘FLIP! FLIP!’ So I did one more for the people and called it day…
So after my small display, we pulled anchor and began the voyage back to the marina. The kids woofed down some more food and we began to watch the sun fall into the ocean. First however, I received a text message from my boss informing me that Michael Jackson had died. Well this caused more of an uproar than my back flip. News spread like wild fire on the boat and I had 50 people asking me if I was sure and what the details were… Eventually, I got in touch with my boss and figured out the details and was able to report back to the boat what had happened. Shortly thereafter Billy Jean was blaring on deck and my boys were dancing a tribute dance to the late Michael Jackson.
All in all, the snorkel cruise (although lacking in snorkeling) was a blast. The sunset was beautiful and the kids had a great time. We returned to the marina just as the sun was setting and took the ponga back to shore. It was a fantastic day.
All right, I’m going to go for a run while it’s still cool. I have a meeting tonight at 6 but most of the day off until then! Whoo!
Amor,
Jessica
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Fuego!
I'm in Heredia now, safe and sound. It's been a long week and I'm headed to bed. I'll write more tomorrow about the snorkel cruise I went on earlier this week. Buenas noches... :
::this part was written earlier today::
I’m in the techo alto (high roof) van right now headed away from the beach back to Heredia for a few days. My next group is a arriving on Tuesday! This week is the peak time for groups in CPI. I saw the schedule yesterday and it looks very hectic. Tonight, Meggie and I are staying with Mayi, the homestays coordinator at CPI Heredia. Apparently she’s having a fiesta tonight too!
Last night was the groups last night in Costa Rica before heading home today. After their class finished at noon, I showed them a slideshow that I had put together and then gave them their certificates of completion for their Spanish courses. From there we headed to a little town of Brasilito for lunch at El Mordizco. We then walked down to Playa Conchal. This beach is made entirely of shells and has white sands further down and crystal clear blue waters. The kids played all afternoon in the water, which involved them being pummeled by wave after wave. The hurricane in Mexico is still affecting the waters down here and even the usually tranquil Playa Conchal waters were very agitated.
As we left Playa Conchal, we had to walk about a kilometer back to Brasilito to be picked up. The walk is nice because it’s entirely along Playa Brasilito (Brasilito Beach). However, it’s important to note that upon approaching Playa Brasilito, there was no beach to walk on. Typically, you have a good 30 meters of beach to walk down, but yesterday there was nothing. In fact, we would wait until the waves would recede enough to go sprinting across part of the beach to avoid getting wet. This was to no avail though because I’m pint sized and too short to avoid any size wave. My previously drive suit and shorts began to get wet after the first 20 meters of the walk. Finally, with about 50 meters to go, I came across a deep ravine that needed to be crossed. Two Tico men enjoyed watching me for 5 minutes try to figure out where the narrowest part of the channel was only to find there was no such place. Eventually, the younger Tico came across and helped me cross so I wouldn’t fall with all of my gear in tow. (Going to the beach with a group of young’ns involves taking a lot more than just your towel and suit...). I was grateful for his help because after stepping into the channel, the water came up to my waist.
Regardless, we all made it out alive and were eventually on our way to El Castillo for dinner. Dinner was great and the students enjoyed the food and desserts. From the dinner we then headed to a fogata (bonfire) on the beach. Gerry, one of the other chaperones had spent the entire morning chopping wood and scouting out the perfect place for the fire. Now, typically when someone says campfire on the beach, it means a small flame that won’t call attention to its self and is entirely under control. Well this fire was certainly under control, but was by no means a quaint little flame. I turned the corner on the beach to where to fogata was supposed to be and was astounded to see an 8 foot flame stretching toward the sky and 8 feet of limbs fueling the fire. Again, I stress that it was under control, because by that description it seems impossible, but the only danger we had was that the tide was coming in too close and threatening the life of our fire.
The kids hung out around the fire for a while roasting marshmallows, and the word ‘roasting’ is a relative term because the fire was so hot that you stood a better chance of just quickly lighting the marshmallow on fire and roasting it that way. Nonetheless, the kids loved it and consumed endless amounts of marshmallows. We finished off the night by asking the kids to share something they learned in class and we got a nice mix of songs and skits. It was a great way to wrap up the week!
Today, I woke up, packed my bags and took the kids to the airport in Liberia. I headed back to Flamingo for a couple of hours before getting on the techo alto and beginning the 5 hour journey back to Heredia.
My computer battery is about to die and I’m in desperate need of a nap. This week has wiped me out! Time to recoup. I’ll write more later.
Amor y abrazos,
Jessica Lynn
::this part was written earlier today::
I’m in the techo alto (high roof) van right now headed away from the beach back to Heredia for a few days. My next group is a arriving on Tuesday! This week is the peak time for groups in CPI. I saw the schedule yesterday and it looks very hectic. Tonight, Meggie and I are staying with Mayi, the homestays coordinator at CPI Heredia. Apparently she’s having a fiesta tonight too!
Last night was the groups last night in Costa Rica before heading home today. After their class finished at noon, I showed them a slideshow that I had put together and then gave them their certificates of completion for their Spanish courses. From there we headed to a little town of Brasilito for lunch at El Mordizco. We then walked down to Playa Conchal. This beach is made entirely of shells and has white sands further down and crystal clear blue waters. The kids played all afternoon in the water, which involved them being pummeled by wave after wave. The hurricane in Mexico is still affecting the waters down here and even the usually tranquil Playa Conchal waters were very agitated.
As we left Playa Conchal, we had to walk about a kilometer back to Brasilito to be picked up. The walk is nice because it’s entirely along Playa Brasilito (Brasilito Beach). However, it’s important to note that upon approaching Playa Brasilito, there was no beach to walk on. Typically, you have a good 30 meters of beach to walk down, but yesterday there was nothing. In fact, we would wait until the waves would recede enough to go sprinting across part of the beach to avoid getting wet. This was to no avail though because I’m pint sized and too short to avoid any size wave. My previously drive suit and shorts began to get wet after the first 20 meters of the walk. Finally, with about 50 meters to go, I came across a deep ravine that needed to be crossed. Two Tico men enjoyed watching me for 5 minutes try to figure out where the narrowest part of the channel was only to find there was no such place. Eventually, the younger Tico came across and helped me cross so I wouldn’t fall with all of my gear in tow. (Going to the beach with a group of young’ns involves taking a lot more than just your towel and suit...). I was grateful for his help because after stepping into the channel, the water came up to my waist.
Regardless, we all made it out alive and were eventually on our way to El Castillo for dinner. Dinner was great and the students enjoyed the food and desserts. From the dinner we then headed to a fogata (bonfire) on the beach. Gerry, one of the other chaperones had spent the entire morning chopping wood and scouting out the perfect place for the fire. Now, typically when someone says campfire on the beach, it means a small flame that won’t call attention to its self and is entirely under control. Well this fire was certainly under control, but was by no means a quaint little flame. I turned the corner on the beach to where to fogata was supposed to be and was astounded to see an 8 foot flame stretching toward the sky and 8 feet of limbs fueling the fire. Again, I stress that it was under control, because by that description it seems impossible, but the only danger we had was that the tide was coming in too close and threatening the life of our fire.
The kids hung out around the fire for a while roasting marshmallows, and the word ‘roasting’ is a relative term because the fire was so hot that you stood a better chance of just quickly lighting the marshmallow on fire and roasting it that way. Nonetheless, the kids loved it and consumed endless amounts of marshmallows. We finished off the night by asking the kids to share something they learned in class and we got a nice mix of songs and skits. It was a great way to wrap up the week!
Today, I woke up, packed my bags and took the kids to the airport in Liberia. I headed back to Flamingo for a couple of hours before getting on the techo alto and beginning the 5 hour journey back to Heredia.
My computer battery is about to die and I’m in desperate need of a nap. This week has wiped me out! Time to recoup. I’ll write more later.
Amor y abrazos,
Jessica Lynn
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Casualties of War
These waves are not for the faint of heart.
Well, let me first tell you that the beach is not nearly as relaxing when you have 20 people under your supervision and you have no idea what their swimming capabilities are. This week has been one of my most stressful lifeguarding experiences ever…and I’m not even trained as an ocean lifeguard. Secondly, let me stress the effects that a hurricane in Mexico has on the tide in Costa Rica. The waves at Flamingo Beach are unlike any I’ve seen here before and the tide sometimes comes in all the way to the road. My point? These 2 factors equal doom.
Day one on the beach was Monday and after we had eaten a picnic lunch that I had prepared at the school, I corralled the troops and we headed to the beach. Upon first arriving, I was shocked. The entire beach had been absorbed by the ocean; there was no dry sand anywhere to place our belongings. I finally found an elevated area that seemed to suffice…for a while. Even that spot was eventually overtaken by water. For those of you unfamiliar with Costa Rican beaches, because Costa Rica is in a tropical climate, there is a lot of growth around the beach; hence there are trees along the beach. It’s not like the wide open beaches we are used to at home. Add to this all of the debris in the water from elevated water levels and you can imagine my elevated stress levels. Someone later informed me that I was in complete ‘Mom Mode’ when the kids were in the water. You would be too it your pint-sized group was getting rocked by 7 foot waves.
Anyway, not 10 minutes into the swim, I hear someone yelling for me and that they need help immediately. Someone was hurt and couldn’t get out of the water. I had been back with the belongings and when I ran out to see what happened, I saw one of my boys holding his eye, screaming, laying in the water/sand and unable to get up out of the sand to safety. As I ran toward him, three boys came to his aid and with my help, we lifted him up to dry land. I still hadn’t seen his eye that was covered. Given his cries for help and trashing about in the water, I assumed his eye was gone and that I would be spending the afternoon in the hospital. You can imagine my relief when he removed his hand and I found only a long scratch below his left eye with minimal amounts of blood. Whew… no hospital today. Thankfully, one of the fathers in our group is an emergency room surgeon so he took over from there. The boy recovered nicely by mid afternoon. What had occurred was that the tide had pulled him all the way into shore and into the trees. It was a tough experience for him, so I understand the terror that was involved with this experience.
Shortly thereafter we decided this part of the beach was too dangerous and half of the group didn’t want to be there anymore either. So we divided up and some students went to a beach resort pool and the other part stayed with me and we headed off in search of better beach space. A little further down we found a suitable area and for the rest of the afternoon seven brave young men spent 3 hours being tackled by the waves. They came out with cuts and scratches and not a care in the world. This was a great group of guys to keep at the beach with. Finally, just when my heart rate had returned to normal, I looked up in time to see one of my kids on a boogie board face plant into the sand as a wave overtook him. Uh oh. I was immediately on high alert and watched as he surfaced holding his nose. I started heading his way and calm as could be he removed his hand revealing a bloody nose. He kind of shrugged and said ‘I’ve got a bloody nose.’ Thankfully his mom was there and she’s a nurse. We stopped the bleeding and although he was sidelined for a while, I was extremely impressed at how well he handled the situation. He was a pretty tough kid. It made my life a little easier too.
So in total, Monday produced 2 casualties of war and extreme levels of stress on my part…not a bad day on the beach.
Tuesday…we took a day off from the beach.
Tuesday was a cultural immersion day for the students in two typical Costa Rican towns. It was my job to take them around to the towns and explain the history and different aspects of the towns. Thank goodness for Google… So we started the day off eating lunch and waiting for the rain to stop. Afterward I took them on a tour of the Santa Cruz parque principal. There are 4 statues there, and while I won’t bore you with details now, I now know more about the 4 statues than you could ever want to know. As my Dad once told me ‘if you can’t win them with intelligence, baffle them with your bull----.’ I was amazing even myself that day. I had all sorts of random facts about this town for the students. I was told that for only being in Costa Rica twice, I was ‘really informative.’ Success!
Anyway, the day finished off in Guaitil which is a Costa Rican town that specializes in making one of a kind pottery and ceramics. We even got a demonstration done for us. The kids loved it. Success…
Today was another beach day, much less eventful than Monday. The kids were still tossed and tumbled by the waves but no casualties to speak of, unless you count my wounded toe that was torn up by a sunken cinder block. No pasa nada.
Anyway, it’s Ladies Night at Las Brisas Bar! Wahoo. Just kidding. I don’t think I can make it that far. I am pooped. It might be a good night to watch Horton Hears a Who.
Buenas noches. Me hace faltan a todos.
Abrazo,
Jessica Lynn
Well, let me first tell you that the beach is not nearly as relaxing when you have 20 people under your supervision and you have no idea what their swimming capabilities are. This week has been one of my most stressful lifeguarding experiences ever…and I’m not even trained as an ocean lifeguard. Secondly, let me stress the effects that a hurricane in Mexico has on the tide in Costa Rica. The waves at Flamingo Beach are unlike any I’ve seen here before and the tide sometimes comes in all the way to the road. My point? These 2 factors equal doom.
Day one on the beach was Monday and after we had eaten a picnic lunch that I had prepared at the school, I corralled the troops and we headed to the beach. Upon first arriving, I was shocked. The entire beach had been absorbed by the ocean; there was no dry sand anywhere to place our belongings. I finally found an elevated area that seemed to suffice…for a while. Even that spot was eventually overtaken by water. For those of you unfamiliar with Costa Rican beaches, because Costa Rica is in a tropical climate, there is a lot of growth around the beach; hence there are trees along the beach. It’s not like the wide open beaches we are used to at home. Add to this all of the debris in the water from elevated water levels and you can imagine my elevated stress levels. Someone later informed me that I was in complete ‘Mom Mode’ when the kids were in the water. You would be too it your pint-sized group was getting rocked by 7 foot waves.
Anyway, not 10 minutes into the swim, I hear someone yelling for me and that they need help immediately. Someone was hurt and couldn’t get out of the water. I had been back with the belongings and when I ran out to see what happened, I saw one of my boys holding his eye, screaming, laying in the water/sand and unable to get up out of the sand to safety. As I ran toward him, three boys came to his aid and with my help, we lifted him up to dry land. I still hadn’t seen his eye that was covered. Given his cries for help and trashing about in the water, I assumed his eye was gone and that I would be spending the afternoon in the hospital. You can imagine my relief when he removed his hand and I found only a long scratch below his left eye with minimal amounts of blood. Whew… no hospital today. Thankfully, one of the fathers in our group is an emergency room surgeon so he took over from there. The boy recovered nicely by mid afternoon. What had occurred was that the tide had pulled him all the way into shore and into the trees. It was a tough experience for him, so I understand the terror that was involved with this experience.
Shortly thereafter we decided this part of the beach was too dangerous and half of the group didn’t want to be there anymore either. So we divided up and some students went to a beach resort pool and the other part stayed with me and we headed off in search of better beach space. A little further down we found a suitable area and for the rest of the afternoon seven brave young men spent 3 hours being tackled by the waves. They came out with cuts and scratches and not a care in the world. This was a great group of guys to keep at the beach with. Finally, just when my heart rate had returned to normal, I looked up in time to see one of my kids on a boogie board face plant into the sand as a wave overtook him. Uh oh. I was immediately on high alert and watched as he surfaced holding his nose. I started heading his way and calm as could be he removed his hand revealing a bloody nose. He kind of shrugged and said ‘I’ve got a bloody nose.’ Thankfully his mom was there and she’s a nurse. We stopped the bleeding and although he was sidelined for a while, I was extremely impressed at how well he handled the situation. He was a pretty tough kid. It made my life a little easier too.
So in total, Monday produced 2 casualties of war and extreme levels of stress on my part…not a bad day on the beach.
Tuesday…we took a day off from the beach.
Tuesday was a cultural immersion day for the students in two typical Costa Rican towns. It was my job to take them around to the towns and explain the history and different aspects of the towns. Thank goodness for Google… So we started the day off eating lunch and waiting for the rain to stop. Afterward I took them on a tour of the Santa Cruz parque principal. There are 4 statues there, and while I won’t bore you with details now, I now know more about the 4 statues than you could ever want to know. As my Dad once told me ‘if you can’t win them with intelligence, baffle them with your bull----.’ I was amazing even myself that day. I had all sorts of random facts about this town for the students. I was told that for only being in Costa Rica twice, I was ‘really informative.’ Success!
Anyway, the day finished off in Guaitil which is a Costa Rican town that specializes in making one of a kind pottery and ceramics. We even got a demonstration done for us. The kids loved it. Success…
Today was another beach day, much less eventful than Monday. The kids were still tossed and tumbled by the waves but no casualties to speak of, unless you count my wounded toe that was torn up by a sunken cinder block. No pasa nada.
Anyway, it’s Ladies Night at Las Brisas Bar! Wahoo. Just kidding. I don’t think I can make it that far. I am pooped. It might be a good night to watch Horton Hears a Who.
Buenas noches. Me hace faltan a todos.
Abrazo,
Jessica Lynn
Monday, June 22, 2009
I'm at the beach!
Hey all!
I'm at the beach finally. It's great to finally get settle in and hang out with the friends I've made along the way. Meggie and I are staying together in Guanacaste Lodge and last night right before we fell asleep Meggie said, "It's good to have you back, Jess." I feel the same Meggie. It's good to be back.
All right, I have to work. And by work I mean take the kids to the beach. : ) Good thing I'm a trained lifeguard.
More to come later!
Chao Pescado!
I'm at the beach finally. It's great to finally get settle in and hang out with the friends I've made along the way. Meggie and I are staying together in Guanacaste Lodge and last night right before we fell asleep Meggie said, "It's good to have you back, Jess." I feel the same Meggie. It's good to be back.
All right, I have to work. And by work I mean take the kids to the beach. : ) Good thing I'm a trained lifeguard.
More to come later!
Chao Pescado!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Wii play. Do you?
It’s raining cats and dogs again right now, but I’m safe and sound inside just hanging out and enjoying my day off. I got up early this morning and saw my group off before the weekend. They are hiking at Rincon de la Vieja which I went to last year. I’ll be meeting up with them in Flamingo tomorrow. I am jealous that they are going surfing tomorrow though…
So after my 6 a.m. wake up call, I got a call from my boss wanting to know if I wanted to come over and play with her youngest son while her and her husband ran out to take care of some errands. I gladly obliged! I love her kids! She has 3 sons but today it was just the youngest. The oldest actually comes along with me and my groups and helps me out. He’s great to have around and does really well with the kids!
Anyway, the youngest is 5 and a bundle of energy. We started out at 9 a.m. and headed to the pool in their neighborhood. We played every game imaginable for about in hour in the pool and he’s quite the little water bug. From there we grabbed some strawberries and mango as a snack and played Wii Fit for a while. (He was preoccupied for a good hour making sure I got my own Mii person set up on the Wii). From there we headed out to the park and played “Sharks” on the equipment. It was a game he invented that involved me chasing him around the entire playground for an hour. I also had to show him my ‘trick’ again. My ‘trick’ is a back tuck, but that’s how I made friends with him the first time I met him I think. So I did my ‘trick’ (as he calls it) and then he did one for me! It was a great somersault. : ) I think we get along so well because he is always climbing things and rolling around, and I only aide him by letting him climb all over me and then helping him do more flips and rolls. He’s like a little monkey.
I finished up at their house around 4 and I’ve just been back at my home stay hanging out. I packed up everything for my transfer to the beach tomorrow and rearranged my suitcase and backpack to make them more functional. I’m pretty sure dinner is on the way shortly.
I have a very busy upcoming week and it looks as though it will be pretty hectic, but it’s the beach so…pura vida. I’ll be living with Meggie in Flamingo and I’m really looking forward to that. Now if only Maria could join us…
Anyway, I’m not going to make it to church tomorrow, so I’m going to get out my Bible for a while. I will talk to you all soon. Nos vemos pronto!
Amor,
Jessica Lynn
So after my 6 a.m. wake up call, I got a call from my boss wanting to know if I wanted to come over and play with her youngest son while her and her husband ran out to take care of some errands. I gladly obliged! I love her kids! She has 3 sons but today it was just the youngest. The oldest actually comes along with me and my groups and helps me out. He’s great to have around and does really well with the kids!
Anyway, the youngest is 5 and a bundle of energy. We started out at 9 a.m. and headed to the pool in their neighborhood. We played every game imaginable for about in hour in the pool and he’s quite the little water bug. From there we grabbed some strawberries and mango as a snack and played Wii Fit for a while. (He was preoccupied for a good hour making sure I got my own Mii person set up on the Wii). From there we headed out to the park and played “Sharks” on the equipment. It was a game he invented that involved me chasing him around the entire playground for an hour. I also had to show him my ‘trick’ again. My ‘trick’ is a back tuck, but that’s how I made friends with him the first time I met him I think. So I did my ‘trick’ (as he calls it) and then he did one for me! It was a great somersault. : ) I think we get along so well because he is always climbing things and rolling around, and I only aide him by letting him climb all over me and then helping him do more flips and rolls. He’s like a little monkey.
I finished up at their house around 4 and I’ve just been back at my home stay hanging out. I packed up everything for my transfer to the beach tomorrow and rearranged my suitcase and backpack to make them more functional. I’m pretty sure dinner is on the way shortly.
I have a very busy upcoming week and it looks as though it will be pretty hectic, but it’s the beach so…pura vida. I’ll be living with Meggie in Flamingo and I’m really looking forward to that. Now if only Maria could join us…
Anyway, I’m not going to make it to church tomorrow, so I’m going to get out my Bible for a while. I will talk to you all soon. Nos vemos pronto!
Amor,
Jessica Lynn
Friday, June 19, 2009
In the Middle of a Monsoon
It has now rained in 2 completely different directions. It's a monsoon outside.
We can now add a 3rd direction and lightning to the mix.
There's a short break in the rain. I'm making a run for it!
Chao pescado.
:: :: :: ::
Good news, in case anyone was concerned for my safety, I made it home without drowning. I had to build a small raft to get there and it was treacherous navigating my way down the streets with all of the potholes, but in the end I arrived safe and sound despite the aquacero (downpour). I won’t let the Costa Rica rains get the best of me!
I made it to the gym tonight which was a welcomed relief to the week and a great way to release some endorphins and stress. I think I’m going to be sore tomorrow.
I took the group to Café Britt today and for those of you coffee lovers (and non coffee lovers) it’s one of the best tours I’ve been on down here. The people at Café Britt somehow managed to make the history of coffee really amusing and interesting. The kids even enjoyed it! Anyway, Café Britt is the number one exported coffee in Costa Rica and by far the most expensive. However, it’s also gourmet coffee and some of the best tasting. Café Britt also makes really good chocolate covered almonds… As a side note, Costa Rican coffee in general is number one in the world right now. Oh, and the lighter the roast, the higher the caffeine. The longer you roast coffee, the more caffeine it loses. Para que sepa...(just for you to know).
All right, it’s a Friday night and I have no where to go. I’m thinking about heading up the street to hang out with a couple other chaperones and call it a night. I’m going to be up early tomorrow to see my group off for the weekend. I have the day off tomorrow and then I’ll be meeting up with them in Flamingo. I’m looking forward to relaxing tomorrow. Chaos ensues on Sunday. : )
I have now been here a total of 3 weeks. Time is moving quickly and before I know it I’ll be home and starting my first real job. I’m taking it one day at a time down here because that’s the only way you can take it. It’ll be high anxiety come August and the realization sets in that I am about to be in charge of the education of nearly 100 students…but until then, Pura Vida.
I’m headed out for the evening. Have a wonderful night and weekend. Los extraño mucho.
Chao pescado,
Jessica Lynn
We can now add a 3rd direction and lightning to the mix.
There's a short break in the rain. I'm making a run for it!
Chao pescado.
:: :: :: ::
Good news, in case anyone was concerned for my safety, I made it home without drowning. I had to build a small raft to get there and it was treacherous navigating my way down the streets with all of the potholes, but in the end I arrived safe and sound despite the aquacero (downpour). I won’t let the Costa Rica rains get the best of me!
I made it to the gym tonight which was a welcomed relief to the week and a great way to release some endorphins and stress. I think I’m going to be sore tomorrow.
I took the group to Café Britt today and for those of you coffee lovers (and non coffee lovers) it’s one of the best tours I’ve been on down here. The people at Café Britt somehow managed to make the history of coffee really amusing and interesting. The kids even enjoyed it! Anyway, Café Britt is the number one exported coffee in Costa Rica and by far the most expensive. However, it’s also gourmet coffee and some of the best tasting. Café Britt also makes really good chocolate covered almonds… As a side note, Costa Rican coffee in general is number one in the world right now. Oh, and the lighter the roast, the higher the caffeine. The longer you roast coffee, the more caffeine it loses. Para que sepa...(just for you to know).
All right, it’s a Friday night and I have no where to go. I’m thinking about heading up the street to hang out with a couple other chaperones and call it a night. I’m going to be up early tomorrow to see my group off for the weekend. I have the day off tomorrow and then I’ll be meeting up with them in Flamingo. I’m looking forward to relaxing tomorrow. Chaos ensues on Sunday. : )
I have now been here a total of 3 weeks. Time is moving quickly and before I know it I’ll be home and starting my first real job. I’m taking it one day at a time down here because that’s the only way you can take it. It’ll be high anxiety come August and the realization sets in that I am about to be in charge of the education of nearly 100 students…but until then, Pura Vida.
I’m headed out for the evening. Have a wonderful night and weekend. Los extraño mucho.
Chao pescado,
Jessica Lynn
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Say Guanabana 10 Times Fast
¡Buenas tardes a todos!
Today was a pretty stressful day in the office. I was training a new worker (my former Tico Brother) and while he is a great worker, it’s tough to train someone and still accomplish everything on your own list. I was put in charge yesterday for the rest of the week and wow, was it exhausting. I really enjoyed the challenge though and was extremely appreciative that after such a short time I was trusted with so much responsibility. It reassured me that I am doing some good things at CPI!
My group today started off with Spanish class and then Latin cooking class where they made some decent Arroz con Pollo (chicken with rice). A teacher then made Guanabana refresco for the group. It is phenomenal. If I should ever get my hands on some Guanabana back in Ohio (or anywhere in the U.S. for that matter) I’m making everyone Gaunabana en leche. It’s a really refreshing and natural made fruit juice. It went over big with the kids too!
We then headed to the Cariari Mall to watch the movie Up! It’s a really cute movie and the kids entertained themselves with nachos, popcorn and the arcade beforehand. Boys will be boys…
I just arrived back at my homestay about an hour ago to eat with my family and relax for a little bit. Tomorrow afternoon the group is going to Café Britt and I’m looking forward to that tour. I have never gone before and I’ve heard it’s a really fun tour and trip. The kids then have the afternoon off and so do I! I follow up with a day off on Saturday too before transferring to Flamingo for a week. I’m looking forward to the beach…
I’m going to take a moment now to explain where I am while I have the chance. At this moment I am in San Joaquin de Flores which is a quiet town 10 minutes outside of the capital of San Jose. The town holds maybe 8,000 residents and has a MegaSuper (sort of like a small version of Wal-Mart) and a few bars and pizza joints. There is a Catholic Church and plaza where there is always a soccer game going on with men or young kids. I live within 4 minutes of the school if I’m walking, which I always do. People walk everywhere around here, which is great! I usually tell people that I’m in the capital because it’s an easy point of reference, but I’m actually closer to Heredia which is a slightly bigger town with a university in it. It’s about a 7 minute cab ride from San Joaquin and has a younger crowd and nightlife because of the university.
The CPI Heredia campus is where I spend most of my time right now. CPI has two other campuses: Monteverde (in the Monteverde Cloud Forest) and in Flamingo (on the Pacific Coast). I travel between all of these campuses on a weekly basis and usually stay in one place for about a week or so before moving on. Next week, I will be in Flamingo on the beach… whoo!
All right, I am going to watch some soccer highlights and head to bed. I got to talk to Mom and Kristen tonight on skype which was eventful. : )
Amor y besitos,
Jessica Lynn
Today was a pretty stressful day in the office. I was training a new worker (my former Tico Brother) and while he is a great worker, it’s tough to train someone and still accomplish everything on your own list. I was put in charge yesterday for the rest of the week and wow, was it exhausting. I really enjoyed the challenge though and was extremely appreciative that after such a short time I was trusted with so much responsibility. It reassured me that I am doing some good things at CPI!
My group today started off with Spanish class and then Latin cooking class where they made some decent Arroz con Pollo (chicken with rice). A teacher then made Guanabana refresco for the group. It is phenomenal. If I should ever get my hands on some Guanabana back in Ohio (or anywhere in the U.S. for that matter) I’m making everyone Gaunabana en leche. It’s a really refreshing and natural made fruit juice. It went over big with the kids too!
We then headed to the Cariari Mall to watch the movie Up! It’s a really cute movie and the kids entertained themselves with nachos, popcorn and the arcade beforehand. Boys will be boys…
I just arrived back at my homestay about an hour ago to eat with my family and relax for a little bit. Tomorrow afternoon the group is going to Café Britt and I’m looking forward to that tour. I have never gone before and I’ve heard it’s a really fun tour and trip. The kids then have the afternoon off and so do I! I follow up with a day off on Saturday too before transferring to Flamingo for a week. I’m looking forward to the beach…
I’m going to take a moment now to explain where I am while I have the chance. At this moment I am in San Joaquin de Flores which is a quiet town 10 minutes outside of the capital of San Jose. The town holds maybe 8,000 residents and has a MegaSuper (sort of like a small version of Wal-Mart) and a few bars and pizza joints. There is a Catholic Church and plaza where there is always a soccer game going on with men or young kids. I live within 4 minutes of the school if I’m walking, which I always do. People walk everywhere around here, which is great! I usually tell people that I’m in the capital because it’s an easy point of reference, but I’m actually closer to Heredia which is a slightly bigger town with a university in it. It’s about a 7 minute cab ride from San Joaquin and has a younger crowd and nightlife because of the university.
The CPI Heredia campus is where I spend most of my time right now. CPI has two other campuses: Monteverde (in the Monteverde Cloud Forest) and in Flamingo (on the Pacific Coast). I travel between all of these campuses on a weekly basis and usually stay in one place for about a week or so before moving on. Next week, I will be in Flamingo on the beach… whoo!
All right, I am going to watch some soccer highlights and head to bed. I got to talk to Mom and Kristen tonight on skype which was eventful. : )
Amor y besitos,
Jessica Lynn
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Feliz Cumpleaños Papi!
Feliz Cumpleaños Papi!
It was Dad’s birthday tonight and when I called home through Skype, I was less than overjoyed to see my family decked out in Xavier gear on the other end of the video. I leave for 3 weeks and this is what happens? When I get back, I plan on things being different. Goooooooooooo Dayton Flyers! FUXU. : ) Sorry Hermana Osa, but Xavier? Really? Just kidding. I couldn’t be happier or more proud of my younger sister (I can’t say little sister these days, she’s bigger than me). But seriously, the Xavier shirts have to go. : )
On the phone tonight however, when I mentioned that I could relate to the dog in my last blog, my grandma thoughtfully informed me I should take ExLax. I think I’ll just lay off the rice and beans for a while…
It was great talking/seeing the family tonight though. I always look forward to those moments. It makes me feel closer to home. I’m not homesick, but it’s always good to hear from them and my friends back home. I also called John tonight and got to talk to him. I wonder if he ever got all the rubberized synthetic field turf out of his shorts yet… A handful and a half can take a while to clean out. We talked about him and Kristen attempting a triathlon coming up. I’ll put bets on Buddy. He also told me that coming up in a few weeks the family is going to Centerhill Lake for vacation. Boy, am I going to miss that vacation. I’m holding out for a short end of summer trip to Lake Cumberland when I get back though. I think my life will be in peril if I don’t make it to a lake to ski/wakeboard this summer. My thoughts of summer always include the lake. Some of our favorite family memories always include the lake. I hope you’re reading this carefully Dad : )
Today we took the kids to La Carpio which is an impoverished town outside of the capital that is populated mainly by Nicaraguan immigrants. It reminds me a lot of what I saw in Comas, Peru. There is a lot of hope but little to eat. There is much love but little to survive on. Days go by when mothers can not feed their children. Housing is limited to where you can place slats of tin and wood to form a house. From what I understand the town is much further developed than in the past and legislation is moving along so that the immigrants can own the land, but life is still very tough. A bad day in the U.S. is when child’s Nintendo breaks. A good day in La Carpio means the person survived to make it to the next day.
These days are always the hardest for me at work. I go and I see that there is so much need and that our lives were meant for so much more, but that we rarely give of ourselves to others. It’s hard for me to watch some people come in and leave completely unchanged by what they have witnessed. I understand that most are here on vacation but all we ask for is 4 hours of selfless giving and sometimes even that is asking the impossible. It truly breaks my heart and I feel it in the deepest recesses of my soul the pain that come with living like this and that I have remained so stagnant in trying to make a difference. I don’t know how to make that difference just yet, but I trust God to show me the way. Even the very smallest effort makes a difference. I want to be that difference.
Today, however, was different. My group today was wonderful. They went into the kindergartens and read to the students and sang head, shoulders, knees and toes with them. I was so proud of these young students. At times, I felt as though they understood it more than adults sometimes do.
In some ways, this trip is much more than I could have ever imagined. I didn’t know I was going to be doing service down here, so that part is incredible to me. The next group I have is a service group. I am truly looking forward to that.
Anyway, this is long and I am getting hungry. Go figure : ) I love you. Take care.
Dios les bendiga,
Jessica Lynn
It was Dad’s birthday tonight and when I called home through Skype, I was less than overjoyed to see my family decked out in Xavier gear on the other end of the video. I leave for 3 weeks and this is what happens? When I get back, I plan on things being different. Goooooooooooo Dayton Flyers! FUXU. : ) Sorry Hermana Osa, but Xavier? Really? Just kidding. I couldn’t be happier or more proud of my younger sister (I can’t say little sister these days, she’s bigger than me). But seriously, the Xavier shirts have to go. : )
On the phone tonight however, when I mentioned that I could relate to the dog in my last blog, my grandma thoughtfully informed me I should take ExLax. I think I’ll just lay off the rice and beans for a while…
It was great talking/seeing the family tonight though. I always look forward to those moments. It makes me feel closer to home. I’m not homesick, but it’s always good to hear from them and my friends back home. I also called John tonight and got to talk to him. I wonder if he ever got all the rubberized synthetic field turf out of his shorts yet… A handful and a half can take a while to clean out. We talked about him and Kristen attempting a triathlon coming up. I’ll put bets on Buddy. He also told me that coming up in a few weeks the family is going to Centerhill Lake for vacation. Boy, am I going to miss that vacation. I’m holding out for a short end of summer trip to Lake Cumberland when I get back though. I think my life will be in peril if I don’t make it to a lake to ski/wakeboard this summer. My thoughts of summer always include the lake. Some of our favorite family memories always include the lake. I hope you’re reading this carefully Dad : )
Today we took the kids to La Carpio which is an impoverished town outside of the capital that is populated mainly by Nicaraguan immigrants. It reminds me a lot of what I saw in Comas, Peru. There is a lot of hope but little to eat. There is much love but little to survive on. Days go by when mothers can not feed their children. Housing is limited to where you can place slats of tin and wood to form a house. From what I understand the town is much further developed than in the past and legislation is moving along so that the immigrants can own the land, but life is still very tough. A bad day in the U.S. is when child’s Nintendo breaks. A good day in La Carpio means the person survived to make it to the next day.
These days are always the hardest for me at work. I go and I see that there is so much need and that our lives were meant for so much more, but that we rarely give of ourselves to others. It’s hard for me to watch some people come in and leave completely unchanged by what they have witnessed. I understand that most are here on vacation but all we ask for is 4 hours of selfless giving and sometimes even that is asking the impossible. It truly breaks my heart and I feel it in the deepest recesses of my soul the pain that come with living like this and that I have remained so stagnant in trying to make a difference. I don’t know how to make that difference just yet, but I trust God to show me the way. Even the very smallest effort makes a difference. I want to be that difference.
Today, however, was different. My group today was wonderful. They went into the kindergartens and read to the students and sang head, shoulders, knees and toes with them. I was so proud of these young students. At times, I felt as though they understood it more than adults sometimes do.
In some ways, this trip is much more than I could have ever imagined. I didn’t know I was going to be doing service down here, so that part is incredible to me. The next group I have is a service group. I am truly looking forward to that.
Anyway, this is long and I am getting hungry. Go figure : ) I love you. Take care.
Dios les bendiga,
Jessica Lynn
Monday, June 15, 2009
After Hours in the Office
I'll add more later but... it's after hours in the office and karaoke night just set in. : )
This is a great place to work.
So today I witnessed a dog trying drop the kids off unsuccessfully for 7 minutes. I concluded that maybe he'd had too many carbs in his diet too...
This is a great place to work.
So today I witnessed a dog trying drop the kids off unsuccessfully for 7 minutes. I concluded that maybe he'd had too many carbs in his diet too...
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Mango Grenades
I love this picture...I finally figured out how to upload some of the pictures I take.Hola Todos,
Estoy en Heredia esta semana hasta sabado, entonces voy para Guanacaste y Flamingo. Bueno, if you want to see pictures, take look at my facebook. I haven't figured out if I can upload pictures here yet!
I’m hanging out in my host family’s house right now. They have really good wireless and it is Sunday evening which means everyone is relaxing and lying around. I need this. My group is really laid back which is fantastic, but the kids have sooooo much energy. I turned my back for 30 seconds today and when I turned around 3 of the boys had climbed all the way to the top of a Mango tree and were throwing ‘Mango Grenades’ at the other members of the group. While highly amusing, it was a potential danger to the students and surrounding fountains…
Anyway, this morning started out nicely, the rain last night had cleared away all of the cloud so we had a crystal clear view of Arenal volcano (or as John so eloquently put it, A-Renal volcano). The kids went on a canopy tour. I didn’t participate because I’m going in Monteverde in a couple of weeks and Monteverde has the best zip-lining in the country. (It’s like skiing on the waters in Cumberland and deciding that St. Mary’s is no longer good enough to even tube on : ) ). Anyway, we followed that with a drive back to San Jose, lunch and an hour long tour of the capital. We drove past the president’s house which is in the middle of a neighborhood and only has one civil cop that sits in a booth at the house. Every morning, the president goes outside for a run and then stands at his gate and greets people. There is no “White House” for the president to stay in here and no secret service. It was truly amazing.
My day finished with dinner with my host family and relaxing. I have a full week ahead with tours with my group and such, but I am looking forward to it! Now, if you’ll let me digress for a moment…
Today, while driving I took special note of the drivers and traffic in Costa Rica. While this was not the first time I noticed how the driving works here, I was particularly amused and wanted to share a few things. First of all, I’m convinced that every time you get in a car and dare to ease your way onto the roadways, you are putting your life on the line. What is particularly amusing is that parents who send young children down here forbid them to bungee jump out of fear that they might die. Might I suggest then, that parents not let their children get in a car or bus instead. The child stands a better chance bungee jumping!
Anyway, road rules here function more like guidelines (which you are free to change at any time). It seems that it is your prerogative to decide which signs you do or do not wish to abide by. There’s a no passing zone and a car approaching in the other lane but the car in front is too slow? Never mind them, I’ll drive down the middle and the cars on either side will move. It’s true, cars do this all time. Stops signs mean you pause…maybe. Horns are used constantly as a friendly greeting or when you are unhappy with someone else’s maneuver (probably one that prevented you from making a similar maneuver), thus horns are honking constantly. Of course, added to the madness is the fact that at many points along the way the drivers are also dodging potholes and mud holes which just adds to the chaos. So, added to the fact that you are passing someone illegally, you are now weaving wildly down the road to avoid major damage to the car. It’s a like a scene of a cartoon.
Needless to say, I’ve had my fair share of close encounters and there are plenty more to come. Because pedestrians absolutely do NOT have the right of way, drivers find it particularly amusing to come as close to you as possible if you are seemingly in their way. We nearly ran a cyclist off the edge of a mountain today. So is life in the bosque... : ) Me encanta.
All right, it’s nearly time for bed. Have a wonderful week!
Dios les bendiga,
Jessica Lynn
Estoy en Heredia esta semana hasta sabado, entonces voy para Guanacaste y Flamingo. Bueno, if you want to see pictures, take look at my facebook. I haven't figured out if I can upload pictures here yet!
I’m hanging out in my host family’s house right now. They have really good wireless and it is Sunday evening which means everyone is relaxing and lying around. I need this. My group is really laid back which is fantastic, but the kids have sooooo much energy. I turned my back for 30 seconds today and when I turned around 3 of the boys had climbed all the way to the top of a Mango tree and were throwing ‘Mango Grenades’ at the other members of the group. While highly amusing, it was a potential danger to the students and surrounding fountains…
Anyway, this morning started out nicely, the rain last night had cleared away all of the cloud so we had a crystal clear view of Arenal volcano (or as John so eloquently put it, A-Renal volcano). The kids went on a canopy tour. I didn’t participate because I’m going in Monteverde in a couple of weeks and Monteverde has the best zip-lining in the country. (It’s like skiing on the waters in Cumberland and deciding that St. Mary’s is no longer good enough to even tube on : ) ). Anyway, we followed that with a drive back to San Jose, lunch and an hour long tour of the capital. We drove past the president’s house which is in the middle of a neighborhood and only has one civil cop that sits in a booth at the house. Every morning, the president goes outside for a run and then stands at his gate and greets people. There is no “White House” for the president to stay in here and no secret service. It was truly amazing.
My day finished with dinner with my host family and relaxing. I have a full week ahead with tours with my group and such, but I am looking forward to it! Now, if you’ll let me digress for a moment…
Today, while driving I took special note of the drivers and traffic in Costa Rica. While this was not the first time I noticed how the driving works here, I was particularly amused and wanted to share a few things. First of all, I’m convinced that every time you get in a car and dare to ease your way onto the roadways, you are putting your life on the line. What is particularly amusing is that parents who send young children down here forbid them to bungee jump out of fear that they might die. Might I suggest then, that parents not let their children get in a car or bus instead. The child stands a better chance bungee jumping!
Anyway, road rules here function more like guidelines (which you are free to change at any time). It seems that it is your prerogative to decide which signs you do or do not wish to abide by. There’s a no passing zone and a car approaching in the other lane but the car in front is too slow? Never mind them, I’ll drive down the middle and the cars on either side will move. It’s true, cars do this all time. Stops signs mean you pause…maybe. Horns are used constantly as a friendly greeting or when you are unhappy with someone else’s maneuver (probably one that prevented you from making a similar maneuver), thus horns are honking constantly. Of course, added to the madness is the fact that at many points along the way the drivers are also dodging potholes and mud holes which just adds to the chaos. So, added to the fact that you are passing someone illegally, you are now weaving wildly down the road to avoid major damage to the car. It’s a like a scene of a cartoon.
Needless to say, I’ve had my fair share of close encounters and there are plenty more to come. Because pedestrians absolutely do NOT have the right of way, drivers find it particularly amusing to come as close to you as possible if you are seemingly in their way. We nearly ran a cyclist off the edge of a mountain today. So is life in the bosque... : ) Me encanta.
All right, it’s nearly time for bed. Have a wonderful week!
Dios les bendiga,
Jessica Lynn
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Lava! Lava! Lava!
Buenas tardes!
Tonight I'm at volcano Arenal and enjoying my down time. Last night, I received a new group of all boys (and a few moms/teachers). They range from 6th to 8th grade mostly. Their plane was supposed to land at 7:15 in San Jose but due to problems with hydraulic fluid back in Dallas, the plane didn't land until 11:42. We left the airport at 1:00 a.m. with a 2 1/2 hour drive ahead of us. We arrived at the base of the volcano at 3:34 a.m. Needless to say, the original 8:00 a.m. wake up call was postponed. Gracias a Dios...
Anyway, today, me and the guide Selma were awaken at 5:20 by people talking on cell phones outside of our room. Thankfully we fell back asleep until 8:30. We all had breakfast (beans and rice, naturally) and headed off to Arenal Lake. The lake is beautiful and landlocked. It's used a lot of hydro-electricity...but I saw a Malibu ski boat making a run. It was like coming home. Anyway, after the lake, we headed to Finca Don Juan. It's a farm where they try to show that we can live off of the things we grow naturally on our own. It's a simple 2 acre farm where they grow tons of different fruits, vegetables and sugarcane. It was fun for the kids to try some of the foods and eat the sugarcane before sitting down to an organic lunch. Rice and beans...
From the farm, we headed into the town called La Fortuna. The students were given some time to walk around and Selma and I walked in the park and she pointed out different kinds of plants and landmarks. We finished up in La Fortuna and took a short rest at the hotel before heading to the Baldi Hot Springs. I didn't swim, but the students loved it! Selma, the bus driver and I sat down for a cocktail instead. : ) A Banano Loco is the way to go... After swimming and eating at the hot springs, we headed to the Lava Point to watch Arenal erupt. It was a really clear night and not raining too much. It was beautiful. I don't think I could ever tire watching such a natural beauty. Obviously, it can be very destructive, but against the night sky it really is beautiful.
Tomorrow we are headed back to San Jose and San Joaquin to spend the week. We are taking the students to a Canopy Tour tomorrow. I won't be going on it though...I'm holding out for Monteverde (it's the best in Costa Rica). We then headed to San Jose to the PreColumbian Museum that I visited last year. It's a small but unique museum with a great Aztec Gold display. The day will finish with the kids taking placement tests and acclimating to their homestays.
It's finally time to call it a day. I'm exhausted and sure to sleep well tonight. I hope all is well and that Renegade rocked the tent this weekend. Love you all and miss you!
Abrazos y besitos,
Jessica
Tonight I'm at volcano Arenal and enjoying my down time. Last night, I received a new group of all boys (and a few moms/teachers). They range from 6th to 8th grade mostly. Their plane was supposed to land at 7:15 in San Jose but due to problems with hydraulic fluid back in Dallas, the plane didn't land until 11:42. We left the airport at 1:00 a.m. with a 2 1/2 hour drive ahead of us. We arrived at the base of the volcano at 3:34 a.m. Needless to say, the original 8:00 a.m. wake up call was postponed. Gracias a Dios...
Anyway, today, me and the guide Selma were awaken at 5:20 by people talking on cell phones outside of our room. Thankfully we fell back asleep until 8:30. We all had breakfast (beans and rice, naturally) and headed off to Arenal Lake. The lake is beautiful and landlocked. It's used a lot of hydro-electricity...but I saw a Malibu ski boat making a run. It was like coming home. Anyway, after the lake, we headed to Finca Don Juan. It's a farm where they try to show that we can live off of the things we grow naturally on our own. It's a simple 2 acre farm where they grow tons of different fruits, vegetables and sugarcane. It was fun for the kids to try some of the foods and eat the sugarcane before sitting down to an organic lunch. Rice and beans...
From the farm, we headed into the town called La Fortuna. The students were given some time to walk around and Selma and I walked in the park and she pointed out different kinds of plants and landmarks. We finished up in La Fortuna and took a short rest at the hotel before heading to the Baldi Hot Springs. I didn't swim, but the students loved it! Selma, the bus driver and I sat down for a cocktail instead. : ) A Banano Loco is the way to go... After swimming and eating at the hot springs, we headed to the Lava Point to watch Arenal erupt. It was a really clear night and not raining too much. It was beautiful. I don't think I could ever tire watching such a natural beauty. Obviously, it can be very destructive, but against the night sky it really is beautiful.
Tomorrow we are headed back to San Jose and San Joaquin to spend the week. We are taking the students to a Canopy Tour tomorrow. I won't be going on it though...I'm holding out for Monteverde (it's the best in Costa Rica). We then headed to San Jose to the PreColumbian Museum that I visited last year. It's a small but unique museum with a great Aztec Gold display. The day will finish with the kids taking placement tests and acclimating to their homestays.
It's finally time to call it a day. I'm exhausted and sure to sleep well tonight. I hope all is well and that Renegade rocked the tent this weekend. Love you all and miss you!
Abrazos y besitos,
Jessica
Friday, June 12, 2009
First Weeks in Costa Rica
Hola Amigos,
I'm going to try this out and see how it works. It's tough to keep updates going, but I would like to think that this will work. Disfruta...
I've been in Costa Rica since May 30th and I'll be returning the U.S. on August 8th. I am working for a language school called Centro Panamerica de Idiomas or CPI. I am a chaperone for groups that come to Costa Rica and want to learn Spanish and travel around the country. While the kids are in class I do small tasks like confirming reservations and making reservations for their trip. I am the person that ensures their trip goes as smoothly as possible. I am also the "Fill in the Blanks" person. So when a kid asks, "Where are we going?" I can respond "White Water Rafting." We have a wide range of ages here. Last week I had a group of students from Franklin, Texas with their moms (FT!). Tonight, I am getting a group from Missouri who are mostly middle schoolers and a few parents. So for the next 2 weeks, I will travel with the group, get them to class, and go on all of their excursions with them. I'm getting paid to go rappelling and lay on the beach. Que vida dura... : )
Anyway, this past week was my 'training week' with the other chaperones from the U.S. Three of us are from UD. Gerry, a veteran chaperone, took us around to the different campuses and familiarized us with the personal and local hot spots. It involved a lot of driving and couple of days on the beach. Not bad. We also got hooked up with a snorkel cruise and got to see some cool fish and dolphins. It was my first time snorkeling so I had a blast. We met some great people on the boat from England and Germany and the U.S. We hung out with them later that night at a bar called Las Brisas. While staying in the apartments at the beach, we made friends from some students from Texas State. They are all in their last years or grad school. We watched the NBA finals and just hung out. They are really nice people and fun to chill out with.
Tonight, I am going to the airport to pick up my group from Missouri and we are headed to Arenal Volcano and a Thermal Hot Springs. I am really excited. Some of the Texas State people from Flamingo may be going, so it will be fun to meet up with them if possible. Groups really keep me busy, but that's what I'm here for. I'm learning quickly how to be extremely flexible and work to meet everyone's needs...especially those undergoing intense culture shock.
Well, I need to get back to 'work.' I've had the morning off to just relax and take it easy before my group arrives. I will write again when I can.
To those going to Poultry Days this weekend, have fun and eat lots of chicken. I'll be enjoying my beans and rice or weiners and huevos,
Love,
Jessica
I'm going to try this out and see how it works. It's tough to keep updates going, but I would like to think that this will work. Disfruta...
I've been in Costa Rica since May 30th and I'll be returning the U.S. on August 8th. I am working for a language school called Centro Panamerica de Idiomas or CPI. I am a chaperone for groups that come to Costa Rica and want to learn Spanish and travel around the country. While the kids are in class I do small tasks like confirming reservations and making reservations for their trip. I am the person that ensures their trip goes as smoothly as possible. I am also the "Fill in the Blanks" person. So when a kid asks, "Where are we going?" I can respond "White Water Rafting." We have a wide range of ages here. Last week I had a group of students from Franklin, Texas with their moms (FT!). Tonight, I am getting a group from Missouri who are mostly middle schoolers and a few parents. So for the next 2 weeks, I will travel with the group, get them to class, and go on all of their excursions with them. I'm getting paid to go rappelling and lay on the beach. Que vida dura... : )
Anyway, this past week was my 'training week' with the other chaperones from the U.S. Three of us are from UD. Gerry, a veteran chaperone, took us around to the different campuses and familiarized us with the personal and local hot spots. It involved a lot of driving and couple of days on the beach. Not bad. We also got hooked up with a snorkel cruise and got to see some cool fish and dolphins. It was my first time snorkeling so I had a blast. We met some great people on the boat from England and Germany and the U.S. We hung out with them later that night at a bar called Las Brisas. While staying in the apartments at the beach, we made friends from some students from Texas State. They are all in their last years or grad school. We watched the NBA finals and just hung out. They are really nice people and fun to chill out with.
Tonight, I am going to the airport to pick up my group from Missouri and we are headed to Arenal Volcano and a Thermal Hot Springs. I am really excited. Some of the Texas State people from Flamingo may be going, so it will be fun to meet up with them if possible. Groups really keep me busy, but that's what I'm here for. I'm learning quickly how to be extremely flexible and work to meet everyone's needs...especially those undergoing intense culture shock.
Well, I need to get back to 'work.' I've had the morning off to just relax and take it easy before my group arrives. I will write again when I can.
To those going to Poultry Days this weekend, have fun and eat lots of chicken. I'll be enjoying my beans and rice or weiners and huevos,
Love,
Jessica
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