So Long.....

Since I last blogged! The problem is that I have been so busy with work that I don't have time to blog and when I get home I am to tired to type....
Ok- let's see. I promised you all some news on what I am doing at work. The original line that I was hired to work for is starting an off shoot motorcycle company that will be sold in the US. I have been working on designs, samples and prototypes. Satisefying design criteria, pattern work, making flats, choosing fabrics and sewing samples. The work is very rewarding and fulfilling. I am a valued part of the team and there is so much to learn!
Other than work, I have a cleaning lady who does my heavier laundry such as jeans and sweatshirts. The weather hasn't really changed since I've been here. maybe a little less rain.... hard to believe it is December. On a weekend trip to Santa Teresa a couple weekends ago I had my purse stolen. Thank God I have been prepared for this for awhile so I only lost a credit card and an expired licsense, a yearly calendar and an mp3 player. JuanCa on the other hand had two cameras, a phone and the keys to his car stolen. That was an adventure!

I was in Florida for Thanksgiving. Grandma and GreatGrandma were supposed to rendevous in Miami but GGma had a fever and Gma didn't want to risk it. Matt and Sabrina came to the airport and got me a rental so I could spend the holiday with the Gmas. Gma had done some shopping but apparently the store was out of stuffing. Luckily Walmart was open so we could get the ingredients for stuffing. Turkey day was celebrated with the Gmas and a neighbor who didn't have any family near by. I had brought back a bottle of rum so we enjoyed that as pre-dinner drinks. I would like to say that GGma practically ate more than I did. 96 and she can still drink me under the table. Saturday evening I headed down to Miami to spend some time with Matt and the family. After visiting with Matt the fam came home. Sabrina is such a love bug! She read Curious George to me and we slept on the futon in the living room.
I left early in the morning to catch my flight home.

While I was gone Juan was in a car accident. The pictures of the car are pretty brutal...
He's letting me take a picture of him every morning so we can have a flip book of his face healing.

As it turns out I will be spending Christmas alone. Monumental as it is my first one without family.

cont....

A guy stopped to help JuanCa but said he wanted $100. Mario finally came back with some help however by that time a whole Swedish family was walking by and offered to help us push the car. With me driving and about 8 people pushing we were able to back up the car and get to some dry land. We took a break while it started raining. Huddled under the lifted trunk of the bus we ate sandwiches made from tune, beans, turkey ham and white bread. Correction: Mario and Nathan ate that. Juan went swimming and I ate beans, turkey and bread. We finally drove out to the beach where the river ran into the ocean. On the way we stopped at a place that sold fresh water showers for 300 colones. We each took a shower. We had to wait for about another hour and half. During which time we fetched some food and more beer. Juan and I ate a nearby restaurant while Nathan slept in the van and Mario entertained himself. Finally ready to cross the river JuanCa got in the drivers seat. Did I mention? We had to push again. Juan took off so as not to get stuck again only to crash into the other side of the river. As we were crossing the river on foot to catch up I lost one of my flip flops.
By the time we got to the other side the car was stuck again. We spent another 3o minutes and the help of a couple locals. Nevermind that I pointed out a better was to get onto hard sand- boys will be boys.
Mario had been trying to convince everyone to drive back to Liberia and go to a party. No one really wanted to but no one really had a better plan.
Once we got there we found out that Mario couldn't reach the guy whose party it was. After driving around for awhile Mario stated that he wanted McDonald's. If there was one thing we learned on this trip it was that you have to feed Mario...
While he was gorging on quarter pounders I suggested that we drive to Puntarenas where Nathan had friends with whom we could stay with. I offered to drive and about 5 minutes after leaving everyone was asleep. Nathan with earphones blaring death metal. We arrives in the port safe and crashed almost immediately.
The next day was spent hanging out on the beach and drinking. Dinner was at a nice Italian place that was owned by another of Nathan's friends. We headed home sunburnt, full and tired.
The end.

I promise I will catch you all up on work stuff soon.

Weekend part 2

We then loaded up the cooler with beer and ice. We had to drive on the beach and cross a small river/ creek that was flowing into the ocean to reach the beach we were looking for. Conchal. A shell beach with all the tropical vacation amenities except bathrooms. We spent most of the day enjoying the sunshine and teasing one another. There was even a game of truth an truth. That's right- no dares there. Nathan surmised they would start out so out of control that there would be nowhere to go.
As the sun began to set we thought about heading out. Unfortunately, asd we had been warned the tide was coming in. In a rush to make it over the river which we then had to ctoss much further up the line, we got stuck in the sand. The tide was coming in and we couldn't dig ourselves out. Mario went to get help. Not one person who walked by offered to help. Fearing that it was because Nathan and I were gringos we decided to grab a couple beers and walk up the beach leaving JuanCa to lure people in to help.

My life as a vacation.

I know- It has been forever....
Let's see, where did I leave off? Oh- Thursday night's bbq for Uvolunteer went well. I went to the dorm and had shish kabobs. Visited with Meaw and her husband Nat. He started the program and since it started with 3 countries one could choose from to volunteer in they have expanded to 11. And as it turns out they may be interested in my company making some tshirts for them..
Friday was a waste at work. We were all excited about the weekend trip and hardly anything got done. As a last minute addition Nathan invited Mario to come along. I wasn't excited about that as Mario can't seem to be assholey enough. He goes out of his way. JuanCa has confirmed that this is true. We were set to leave at 6- after work- but didn't make it out until 7 as we had to wait for Mario to get his weed delivered.
We arrived in Liberia at 11:30 and picked up a friend of Juan's. Rebecca.
We then went to a bar where we dared each other to do things like pick up chicks. They said it would be too easy for me to pick up a guy as I can play the gringa card. My mission was to get and keep this one guy's gay cowboy hat. Luckily he left before I could attempt it. In the meantime the guys were checking out these two girls dancing on each other. There were the two hot ones, the cute one and the one, because she wasn't hot and was large the Tico boys decided was lesbian. Nathan and I weren't so sure. The entertainment only increased when the larger one stared dancing with Nathan. He was so eager to not be next to her that he tripped over a chair to get away and then hoping she would think we were together he ran over to me. She came up to me saying she had been spanking him because it was his birthday. So funny.
We dropped Rebecca off and headed to the beach about an hour away. After driving down what must be the bumpiest road in the whole country we arrived at a somewhat secluded beach with a restaurant that was closed because it was 4 in the morning. I must add that the boys- being boys spent the whole trip making gay jokes about each other, making creepy groaning sounds and cracking jokes about Dalai- the pattern maker. Apparently he's a perv who terrifies everyone with his alcoholism and twisted sexuality. He's always been nice around me so what do I know?
We slept in the micro. About 4 hours later I woke up to take a walk on the beach with JuanCa. We then headed out for some breakfast. Actually only Mario ate. At the restaurant we spotted what may be the ugliest dog ever.
More to come about the weekend but I have to chip away at writing it because there is so much to share.

Oh November...

I am horrified to announce that I heard not one but two Christmas songs on the radio yesterday. The decorations are starting to go up on people's houses. And I thought the day after Turkey day was premature....
Speaking of- I have recently been informed that I will spending that day in Miami. Slight change in plans.Is it hurricane season?
Last night I had a dinner with one of the volunteer coordinators. She is from Thailand but she lived in Germany. She speaks German, Thai, English and Spanish. Plus- she has agreed to teach me native Thai cooking. Seriously? Does life get better than that?
A couple of her current volunteers showed up so we chatted with them for awhile. They were all so young! 19-20ish. They were freaked out by her account of the "girlie boys" in Thailand. She claims that 60% of the men there are "girlie boys" many of which have "boobies" and all. Apparently it is not uncommon for tourists to occasionally one without knowing it until later.
Anyway- she invited me to the three year anniversary bbq tonight.
In a somewhat related vein: I have decided that I have probably drunk more in the last two months than I did in the previous 6. Oi!
Also- I am seriously looking into learning belly dancing. It is high time I embraced my hips and put them to use.
or ballroom.
Halloween is not really celebrated here. I did go out though. And in a tradition I think more people should take on, I met a birthday boy who bought me a drink.

Daylight Savings Time

I have it on good authority that some of my readers are opposed to the idea of daylight savings. I have never felt too strongly about it. I should say, it never bothered me when we were falling back. The thing is that not everyone does it and now people are doing it at different times. Come to find out that Arizona doesn't. How messed up is it that suddenly you have to calculate everything differently? The conclusion to this rant is that there is now a two hour difference to the west coast. East coasters, we are now only an hour apart. Arizona- we're cool.
I am trying to get Lizzie to give an account of her visit soon. We'll see.

La Fortuna

Lizzie and Merrill came in on Saturday. I was late picking them up because of the bus. Luckily they waited. We took a bus to Alejuela and then caught one to San Ramon. A taxi ride later we were at my apt. We dropped off their stuff and then took a walk to the centro. We found a soda restaurant where they could sample some typical Tico fare. After being harassed by a couple bums, Lizzie and I went to the Super to get some snacks and drink makings for the housewarming. We got home just before the party was set to begin. While there was a whirl of excitement, we then had some down time as no one showed up for an hour. Just as Lizzie and I were getting ready to play some cards and Merrill had decided to lay down for a nap, Nathan, Dalai and JuanCa showed up. Thus began the housewarming. Lizzie wanted us to make mojitos so we were busy in the kitchen stirring, grinding and testing. Sonia and Negro showed up a little bit later. The evening progressed smoothly. Several cocktails and beers later the party slowed. Lizzie and Mer were already retired to their room. The boys wanted to go out so after a quick costume change we reunited to continue the party. As it turned out everyone was tired and decided to go home.
Sunday morning after an egg scramble breakfast we packed out things and headed out for the bus station. The ride to la Fortuna took about 2:45. We found our hostel without much ado and for the second time since I have been here, I fell in love. I am such a sucker for baby kittens. We found ourselves a soda for a snack and walked around. Pretty much everything was closed because it was Sunday. Merrill found himself a soccer game in a Mexican restaurant and Lizzie and I took a walk. We returned with a pack of cards. We then found another soda for dinner. Yes- we ate a lot.
After taking my first truly hot shower in two months- since leaving the states- we went to bed.
The next morning we awoke to breakfast at our fav soda and walked around to find the best deal on tickets to Baldi Resort. A beautiful park resort just under the volcano Arenal that boasted 20 hot spring pools. We tried them all out only to return to our favorite. The one with a swim up bar. 3 $10 cocktails each later, it was time to head out to catch our bus back home.
I hope to post some photos as Mer took tons. Unfortunately he didn'y bring his cord so you will have to wait until he gets home.
ALSO- for those of you who plan to visit: I now have a new rule. Not only must you bring a contribution to the apt, but you must write a blog entry to share your experience with my other readers. you may all look forward to Lizzie and Mer's. The headed out for Montezuma this morning so look for that come Thursday.

Visitors!!!

I am so excited to announce I will be having my first guests arrive this Saturday. I have such amazing things planned. I would tell you all about it but I want it to hold some surprise for them.
I received some fabric from Stephanie on Friday. Yesterday I came to the shop and made some curtains. By Saturday I will have all my curtains and duvet cover made. I will only be missing a dust skirt but I have to find the fabric first.
Awesomely simple weekend. Not much to report. Some pineapples, sweeping and plant buying.
I have commissioned a custom wooden curtain to be made for me from a guy in the city. Crazy pricey but I justify it by realizing I will have it for the rest of my life. I am soooo excited to pick it up!
Saturday will also be the date of my housewarming party. What to make, what to make. Nothing that requires an oven- obviously.
The pic is of a fruit called zapote Columbiano. As you can see it looks squash. Smells like mango and tastes like a combo of the two. Very sweet but a bit earthy. Also- it has large seeds and gets fibers stuck in your teeth like mango.

Pics anyone?

From my dining room to the kitchen, from balcony door into dining/ living room, view from the balcony to the centro- night and day.

Mmmmm.... fresh laundry!

So, it has been over 3 weeks since I had clean jeans. While I am perfectly happy to wash most of my clothes by hand, I hate the idea of trying to wash the jeans. More specifically, to wring them out. Towels are challenge enough. I haven't even attempted the jeans. As a result I have been wearing a lot more skirts than ever before in my life. That's right. Bare legs. Ehw.
Today is a happy day because I have broken down and decided it is totally worth paying someone to do my laundry. Granted, this woman has no idea that I am gringa. Sonia says the laundry lady wouldn't do them if she knew. Not exactly sure what that is about but so long as my laundry comes home clean. 5 pairs of jeans, 2 sheets and an old duvet cover that is close to being up-cycled into curtains for my bedroom. Oh, you can't imagine the excitement. The small things seem a lot more momentous when life in simple.
On that note: I have been told that I even sound Relaxed, Calm and Zen. I am happy to report I feel all those things. I love shopping for lilies for my kitchen, walking to work and eating plantains.
A few things would round out my peaceful life. A set of dishes, a large mixing bowl and a bit more enthusiasm for mopping. As a good Tica in training I am expected to mop my balcony regularly. I suppose it would be nice to have a clean floor...
I had my second motorcycle ride today. Because it is a beautiful, sunny morning I think I may have a new hobby.
I know, dangerous.

New week begins...

Items of note: When walking at night look out for cockroaches running across the sidewalk. Especially if you are wearing flip flops.

It is not unusual to wear bright yellow pants.

Almost everything closes at 1pm on Sundays.

Packages and envelopes have no standard arrival time. It may take a week, it may take two, it may take more. Do not let this keep you from sending me treats.

Occasionally the water may be turned off. Note to self: Do not put soap on your hands unless you have checked that you have water.

It seems that the incredibly juicy chicken Teo and I had in Puerto Viejo was not a fluke. Apparently that is normal. Chickens may be happier here than back home...

The concert was great. I was surprised how many of the songs I knew and really liked. Got home at 2am because Raquel -a friend of Marcos and JuanCa- insisted we have an after party at a bar in downtown. Arrived late at work on Friday.
Uneventful weekend. Food, batido at Aroma's, went out with JuanCa and Mario. Didn't feel like drinking so I went home early.

Monday, called "Day of dicovery of the Americas" was off but for lack of anything better to do a couple of us took a field trip to San Jose to pick up some jeans from the washers. That is a whole other can of worms.

voila!

Perfect

I have just accomplished one of the greatest fashion feats of my life! I have almost flawless black nails... All by myself. Of course, having used Latin nail polish it may permanently dye my nails...
A small price to pay for a cutting edge, rocker cool look at the concert tomorrow.
On a related note, Costa Rica may perfect for me. Back home in the States I have never been good at being rebellious. Here, I am. Everyone at work was shocked and horrified that I would paint my nails black. Audie said, and I quote, "I thought you were a nice girl, not a Goth." Woot! Rebel me.

FYI

It should be known that here in CR people walking by you on the street, instead of greeting you with a friendly "hello (or hola)", say "adios." Wigged me out for awhile. I would walk away thinking, "Are they glad they don't have to see me for much longer?"
Apparently you can say either.

Hello and good morning

Oh Monday- you always come so soon.
Let's see: last week I put together mood boards and came up with designs for the Spring/Summer 10 line. Our color and design inspiration is amusement parks and the circus. I am eager to see what JuanCa comes up with for graphics. Of course this is not to be taken literally. There will not be any circus tents adorning the front of out t-shirts.
Friday culminated in an Asian noodle dish, beer and cards. JuanCa and I made a night of it. For those of you who saw it, the Lily Allen that was posted on FB was there only because she is on Juan's top 15. (He refuses to only have a top 5)
Saturday I -wait for it- didn't go to the market. I may have permanently damaged my relationship with the pineapple guy. I think he has grown accustomed to seeing my rediculously white, smiling face around 11am on Saturdays.
Instead I went into town and visited the hardware store, bought a bath mat and a plant. I looked hilarious, I'm sure, walking home in the pouring rain with two meter and a half long rods, 2 striped bags, a purse and an arm full of plant.-Quick note on the bags: Most shopping bags are pink and white stripes.
Hurray for me!!! I finally worked up the courage to ask my landlady of the lavender hair if I could use her washing machine. She reluctantly agreed. I was ushered the the back of the house and instructed to choose what I wanted to wash first. Here's the thing about laundry. They don't have a laundry mat. And you have to babysit your laundry every step of the way. Beginning with manually adding water to the tub, adding your soap and then the clothes. 15 minutes later you drain the tub and fill again with water to rinse. 10 minutes later you drain again and move the clothes to the spinner. 15 minutes later you can take them out and hang them to dry. I however, had to wait between washing and rinsing while she decided to clean out the machine with a toothbrush, only to decide that the machine wasn't working and i would have to rinse by hand. in the meantime I am due at the bus stop to meet Juan and I have yet to take a shower.
JuanCa and I took a trip to San Jose to get tickets for Depeche Mode. Because we were close I insisted we walk through the tunnel of Gatos de Platos. Which some of you might remember seeing pictures of.
After walking around lost for 45 minutes we arrived at his friends shop. From there we walked to a nearby super market that was selling the tickets. Before arriving there I was accosted by an young guy claiming he was starving. He was hanging out near the souvenir market preying on tourists. Claiming to be a Canadian named Emily I grilled him on his situation. I believe he was trying to score some drug money. He followed us around for 5 blocks preaching that Jesus was looking after him and that he believed in God etc. I was unmoved as he spoke almost perfect English and looked very clean and fed.
We headed home and arrived in San Ramon around 7ish. Not having eaten all day I bade JuanCa farewell an headed home. not before stopping to buy a pizza and cookies. I made friends with the pizza guy. He owned the shop and had lived in LA for 14 years.
I know this will sound disgusting but I salted my pizza. I am not sure how a pizza could ever need salting but it did. Perhaps it was all the tomatoes on the Margarita pizza or the bland sauce. Either way it was a horrifying experience. One should never have to salt their junk food.
Sunday I decided to have brunch in town. I went to the small Aromas and ordered the arroz con pollo and a cafe con leche.
I went back to the hardware store to get some more things I needed and ended up chatting with Frankie, the hardware store guy. I spent about an hour in the super market looking at what they had to offer. A lot of that time was spent trying to find whole bean coffee. I have struck a deal with Moo. He will give me a partially dressed painting of myself- that I have been trying to get for years- in exchange for Costa Rican coffee. I am anxiously awaiting the trade.
Talked on the phone, took a run to the shop to get some stuff I needed and started constructing my lamp shade. Pictures to follow soon. Of the lampshade and the apt.
Made my first batch of homemade wax. Tried it out. Decided it would be a several day process as I am squeamish.
Dinner was vegetable flavored rice and fried plantains.
Off to bed. Sleep.
This morning is gorgeous and sunny. We'll see how the weather changes by this evening.

And so the new week begins

I know, I know. I keep going on and on about the apt...
I sleep so well at home. I wake up so much more refreshed. I have even started to dream again. Maybe it's the stress of not having a usual bed but it affects your dreaming.
Saturday was lazy and relaxed. I went to the market and as I was walking by I decided to look up at a wall I had participated in aesthetically defacing a week before. I noticed someone standing up there working on the wall. After buying what felt like 100 kilos of veggies walked by the wall. I could tell from the art that the guy was creating that he was the same artist that had inspired JuanCa and I in the first place. He has 4 pieces in town- that I have seen. They are quite well done though I could tell they were done with a brush and a spray can. I asked him about his work and found out that decorating the walls is actually not illegal. I thought it was kinda cool meeting a local, underground celebrity.
Had some coconut flan and cafe con leche at Aromas.
Saturday night JuanCa came over and I made Borsh. Thought he would be interested in trying some Russian food. When it comes to eating international food, the Ticos have very limited options. Chinese, Italian and American fast food.
We played golf and drank Pilsen. The went out to a video bar and chillaxed.
Sunday was all about taking a mini road trip into the hills to "steal" some plants from the wilderness for my porch. Got a nice little palm and a fern.

Made mac and cheese last night and watched Duplicity thanks to Teo.

Note to self: I made the rule of closing the windows at night for a reason. Bugs like light. Now I have a giant, black moth in my bedroom.

Officially 1 month in CR!

It took a month but I finally have a real, honest to goodness apt! Gas stove top and all. I can't begin to truly share how exciting it is to have a place to call home. There are still things to add and re-arrange but overall it is home.
Since I have been walking to work in the morning, the weather has been somewhat overcast and damp. This morning when I woke up not only had I enjoyed an good nights sleep but it was sunny and clear. I think fate has a sense of humor. You know how when you take a long road trip and the sun beats down on your driving (left) arm and you think, "I'm never gonna be even now."
I now have that in reverse. Walking to work the sun bathes my right arm and there is no way to avoid it.
Not much planned for this weekend. Market as usual. Oh- wait. I'm gonna be cooking real food. Maybe a pedicure. Take a lukewarm shower. I am even considering going to Puntarenas. Just for something to do. Not that I have anything to do when I get there.... Ok, maybe not.

1st night in new apt.....

I found and yesterday moved into my new apt. It is a 2 br, 1 bath place above the landlords house. She is a granny with lovely,lavender hair. I will try and take some pics this weekend so you can see the place. It's pretty cute. The shower, while not actually hot water was not so cold that I couldn't stand under it. It was more of a refreshing cool. I do not have a hotplate yet so I am reduced to cooking with a microwave for now. Before you protest- Dad- know that I am lucky to have anything that heats up food right now.
My bedroom is next to a main road and the sun rises at 5am. I will be making some curtains as soon as I can turn my current twin sheets into a duvet and then turn the duvet into curtains. This is all hinged on getting my new sheets.
I do not have a washing machine which means I hand washed some clothes last night. Not a huge deal but the wringing out leaves something to be desired. Needless to say my clothes were not dry this morning.
One thing I am really starting to appreciate here is a simplicity in life. Hand washing my laundry doesn't seem like a hassle because I have time to do it. I find that I brush and floss more carefully. I am sure I will even grow to love the -what seems to be- daily ritual of sweeping and mopping the floor. I take pleasure in walking where I need to go. It seems so right to hang the clothes to dry. -Clothes don't shrink.
Back to the apt. The guest room has no windows. This is completely normal here. In fact- I feel lucky to have found an apt where even one of the rooms has a window.
There are so many things I want to do here. I want to buy hanging plants and a
hammock. I want curtains on every window. I want to get a bead door made of all the different colored woods that grow here.
For those of you planning on visiting. I have a rule: If you are going to sleep in the guest room you must bring something to make it cozy.
Good plan.

BDay Celebration

Picked up from the shop by Juan Carlos and his older brother. Then picked up a friend of theirs. Carolina. No clue what kind of car it was but it was very square and small. We picked Mario up at a bus stop in San Jose and went to a bar. Imagine a bar that has a feel of the Albatross in Berkeley. Juan Carlos had made me promise that after 2 drinks I was only allowed to speak in Spanish- I changed the rule to only having to speak Spanish to him.
We then walked to another bar that had dancing and 80's music. On the way there were tons of young people just sitting on the curb drinking beer. Think frat party atmosphere. The music was funny cause while it sounded 80's, there were many songs I had never heard. Mario had so many shots of tequila we lost count. Juan Carlos taunted me by suggesting that I wouldn't dance with all the guys who were moshing to The Ramones. HAha! In his face! I jumped around with them and made a whole crew of friends in the process.
Oh wait- there was another bar in there somewhere. I made friends there also....
Anyway- the night continued on but I can't divulge what happened next as I don't want to shock or horrify anyone. I will say that I got home at the crack of dawn which is 5am here. Awesome fun.

Market Day!

Today we celebrate Mario's 28th Birthday!
Audi has taken a special interest in me. I have several theories on why. They are as follows:
Practice speaking English
Getting in good with the new employee.
He is just retarded friendly
He is hoping I will fall for his 19 y/o son and be his new daughter-in-law.

I know the last one sounds crazy but hear me out. He met his wife and got married at 17. She was 32 and had 3 kids already- the oldest of which was a mere 4 years younger than Audi.
And maybe it's just parental pride but he is always talking about how accomplished his son is.
Actually- I was going to tell Audi I thought his son was cute and an excellent English speaker but I didn't want that to be confused with anything weird.

So I went marketing today with Audi as his wife is in the states and he graciously offered for me to use his washing machine. He took me to all his preferred vendors. I got some cheese- queso tierno, potatoes, tomatoes, etc
The most exciting thing I wanted to share with you all are all the new fruits I tried. Most of them we have never had in markets in the US.
Anona- labeled in the US as cherimoya is a dusty green/ brown with textural scales. About the size of a fist, it's middle is white and breaks into small sections. Sweet with dark brown seeds I have no idea how to describe the flavor.
The next fruit isn't native to CR so Audi couldn't remember the name. From the outside it looks like a large, yellow fingerling potato. You tear it apart to find what looks like large, apricot colored pomegranate seeds. Instead of having a crisp outside they are pretty gelatinous. Here's the kicker- they taste like sweet,fresh Christmas trees. True story.
Tomate de arbol- yep, tree tomatoes. A rusty red/ orange color, they are shaped a bit like a roma tomato. Inside they have seeds like tomatoes. Skins are thick and are very bitter.
That's all for now!

Another Trip To San Jose

We left yesterday morning after the ritual coffee time at 9:30. In a good mood- or high on a coffee buzz- we headed out in the screeching company vehicle. We had been driving only 15 minutes before we realized we had forgotten a bag of denim we needed. We turned around only to call the shop and have one of the guys take the motorcycle and meet us in Naranjo. While we waited, Audi tried to convince me to eat some of his cashews believing that that would be something new for me. Some 15 minutes later we were on the road again. The main purpose of the trip was to go to the malls and see what other brands are selling and see what people are wearing here.
Our first stop was a house where a man runs his business sewing denim. We were there to drop off samples and fabric for the new samples on some motorcycle jeans. He wanted to give me a tour but we had arrived at their lunch break. That tour has been re-scheduled for our next trip.
The malls were next on our list. In San Pedro- the neighborhood I lived in while taking Spanish classes- we stopped for lunch. Audi wanted me to choose where we ate. Although it was clear that he was hoping I would choose McDonald's, Taco Bell, Quizno's or Burger King, I opted for a nice, traditional Tico meal.
We ended our trip in Escazu- the wealthy, somewhat expat community. They had so many American stores, you might not know you were in another country. And yes, everything costs just as much.
One of the greatest adventures of the day was discovering that our headlight weren't working. We pulled over at a gas station and Juan Carlos whipped out his pocket knife to unscrew the plastic covering the steering column. About 10 minutes, a horrible snapping sound and one knife tip later, we pried it off. It was some kind of wire connection issue.
We got home at about 10pm. Longing for a shower, I took a quick rinse in the freezing cold water and called it a night.

Saturday

Yesterday I took a trip with the menfolk to San Jose. It seems that none of our usual stores like the most recent collection. The plan is to find new fabric and do some redesigning. We drove all over the city. By city I mean the outlying neighborhoods. They were more .....rustic than some of the places I have been to. We left at 10am and between the distance we had to travel to visit 3 different fabric suppliers and traffic we didn't make it back until 7pm. We did stop for lunch at a Chinese restaurant which I am glad to report was much better than last time. I had arroz cantonese which is just fried rice. I figure that is always a safe bet. Friday night and nothing to do. I ate a mango for dinner and took my shower- which has improved since I started boiling hot water and pouring it into a bucket.
I got up a bit later today as I was not feeling well. Perhaps the fried rice???
The farmer's market is on fridays and saturdays. I walked all over town in the humid warmth with my back pack collecting things I need for the week.
2 pineapples (about the size of one back in the States) .90
3 medium potatoes and an onion .75
watch battery replaced 1.80
shampoo, soap, 2 kilos of oatmeal, a brick of dried cane juice and a stick of butter
12.oo
milkshake and a savory pastry 3.00
1 medium sized papaya, a cucumber and 2 mangos 1.25
Not having to use money from my savings: Priceless
My big adventure for tomorrow is finding a place to wash my clothes.
PS. camel toe is far too common here

Apt. Hunting

Sonia has been taking me around to look at apartments. I saw the most adorable place but it was a tiny bit outside of my price range and the owner wanted an immediate decision. I have my eye on a couple places but I have no idea how to decide. Hot water in the shower is a must -as I am sure all of you who want to visit must agree. I have managed to figure a way to get hot water in a bucket and combine cold shower with warm sponge bath. It'll do for now.
On the work front I am at a roadblock of sorts. That being that my boss is not here and I have no idea where to begin. No one can tell me when our next collection is due to come out. Details, details. In the mean time I spend a lot of time online and on my computer. Not unlike my last full time job.
Two days ago I ran into the husband of one of my former students who was also a director for the volunteer program. Then yesterday one of my students spotted me from across the street. Not that I don't stand out.
There is a pattern to the weather. Sunny in the morning, rainy just after 12 or 1 and then a warm, damp evening that gradually cools a bit.
Yesterday I reconnected with Mario. We met in the park and then took a bus to the San Juan neighborhood where a friend of Mario's continued working on his tatoo. I then walked back to downtown and up to the shop. One hour later, sticky from all the humidity, I realized that there would be no problem getting rid of any excess weight I had put on while unemployed.
Today is an unknown. Other than study design words in Spanish, I have no plans. I think we may have looked at all the apartments that fit the bill.

Monday, monday

Last night I stayed in the workroom. I insisted to Sonia that I had to not only so I could have internet access but also I wouldn't be making her and Negro sleep on the floor. I had a nutritious dinner of chili lime plantain chips, vanilla creme sandwich cookies and Canada dry ginger ale. They have a full bed here and a shower in the bathroom. Yes- cold water. I'm gonna have to get used to it, huh? Apparently Nathan was living here for about a month before he left. His plan is to ride his bike down here. Sounds crazy to me as it is rainy season and that is not a nice way to ride I am told.
The Magic Jack works, for those of you who had your doubts. I can be reached- when my internet is on- at 415.932.8060
I am 1 hour ahead of the west coast and 2 hours behind the East.
I will keep you updated on the apt. situation.

And so it begins again...

My flights to get here, although long, were uneventful. I arrived late at 6am local time. It took awhile to get all my luggage and get through customs. Sonia – the business/ office manager- came to pick me up with her husband, Negro. We drove to her house in Naranjo –formerly known as the town that has the coffee tour.
We then went to the shop in San Ramon and I met all my future co-workers. I was shown the most recent collection and new samples for the motorcycle line. For those of you who have been bugging me for the name of the line: Hidden ID.
I was informed that I was just in time for Costa Rica’s fashion week. The plan was that we all attend if I were up to it. Having napped for a couple hours, I felt ready to go. The plan was that Sonia, Negro and I would go downtown and grab lunch at the festival and then head back to the house to change and get ready for the runway shows. One plate of bbq later we were on the way to the house. Everyone showered- Yes, they only have cold water in the house- and got dressed up.
The rest of the crew arrived in the mini bus to pick us up and we were off to San Jose: A place known as Bethel which translates to Bethlehem.
Held in a large open space above a parking garage and near a mall we walked around looking at the booths they had set up. Many of them were clothing lines but they also had candle companies and food booths. After receiving a pamphlet on 2 minute lipo from a roaming spokes model, we found ourselves some seats.
Each line used the same models so there were large gaps between the shows. Definitely not American clothing. After a couple hours I wanted to sleep. Of course I knew we still had an hour + drive back to Naranjo where it had been decided that I would stay
night. We left after the fashion shows had commenced just as the drag show was starting. Even though it was late everyone wanted to get some food. Not being hungry and feeling a bit cracked out and queasy, I stayed in the car and did my best not to cry. For those of you who read the blog before, you know that I get emotional when I need sleep…
We started to drive back to San Ramon where we dropped everyone off and then switched cars before driving to Naranjo. There Negro and Sonia insisted that I sleep in their bed while they set up a mattress on the floor of their room as there was nowhere else. I probably would have insisted I sleep on the floor more fervently had I not been so tired.
The weather is warm but there is a lot more rain and humidity than there was on my last visit. My hair is a-curl.
Sonia assures me that we will look for a place for me on Monday. In the mean time I am reacquainting myself with the language and very different living conditions. (IE: cold water showers, windows without screens etc.)
I have no doubt I will feel more settled when I have my place. Meanwhile it all feels surreal and twilight zoney.
I am not sure how long the blogging will last. I will try and keep you all posted on all the changes…
S

Last Blog.

I am writing to you from an hostel in Alajuela.
I picked Tim up at the airport on Tuesday. His plane was about a half hour late due to turbulance which he enjoyed tremendously! We caught a bus to downtown San Jose and found a taxi to take us to the Caribe Terminal. There I grabbed some arroz con pollo and a couple empenadas to hold us over til our arrival in Puerto Viejo. We had a 4.5 hour bus trip there. Tim was pretty cracked out on the all the travel. To make matters worse we had, as Tim put it, The Hills cast sitting behind us the whole trip. For those of you not familiar with the show it is a "reality" series about girls who grew up in SoCal and spend their lives debating what to wear, who to date and a sundrie list of other vapid things. A show I adore for it's retardedness. So annoying when they are talking at full volume about how smart and worldly they are. I can't begin to explain how painful that made the trip. I am sure upon arrival
that Tim will try and do it justice.
I had made a reservation in Puerto Viejo so we wouldn't be wandering around tired. We checked in and dropped our bags on the floor determined that our first dinner would be delicious. Oh, it was. We had shrimp cocktail, amazing ceviche, a coconut shrimp rice that was amazing and a pitcher full of Sangria. Yeah! All of this about 30ft from the ocean's edge- Although we couldn't see it.
Exhausted from the long trip we went to bed early.
The next morning we had breakfast. I insisted Tim have the Pinto. I had a large plate of fresh, tropical fruit. We walked around and explored the town. The weather was warm, mildly muggy and overcast. Not exactly sunning in the sand weather. Originally I had thought that Tim would like to do some surfing but looking at the surf he wasn't so sure. The water there is called Salsa Brava. Literally translating to Brave Sauce. A bit crazy and unruley.
Then it was on to find some ice cream. That took quite a bit of time, surprisingly. We had huge servings of ice cream, mine with fresh fruit and Tim's with cake and rum. We snacked through lunch on yuca chips and beer while walking along the beach. Did a bit of touristy shopping and waited to find some really great place to have dinner. I knew I wanted typical Carribean Costa Rican food as that was one of the reasons I had wanted to come to that side of the country. Rice and Beans was all everyone talked about. It was what you'd expect but with coconut milk and a lot more flavor. We ended up at a soda. Tim having already tried the three Costa Rican beers chose his favorite while I had a pineapple batido. I ordered the fried chicken with rice and beans but, because of a waiter's error, got the most flavorful, amazing chicken I have ever had. Rice and beans makes up for having annoying girls on the bus in my mind. Tim may not agree but I love food. His dish was somewhat uneventful. Rice and shrimp. But I have always been better at ordering. It rained pretty hard during dinner. My first real Costa Rican rain.
The next morning I let Tim sleep in as he had a bad night. At 9.30 I woke him up because we wanted to leave on the 11 bus. Otherwise we would have to wait til 4. We had breakfast at Bread and Chocolate. They made their own breads and chocolate. We rushed out of the restaurant to get to the ATM so we could catch the bus on time.
5 hours later we arrived in San Jose. I wanted to get the the local artisan market so I could get some souvenieres. Tim was miserable walking around San Jose with his backpack. We got a cab to our bus stop and caught a bus just in time. The 20Kilmeter trip took about an hour. We arrived in Alajuela at night. Tim was not happy. I found the hostel I was thinking we would stay at very easily and while proud of my directional skills, Tim was not happy when we found they did not have any rooms available. We walked around the corned and got some beds in a dorm style room. Started we walked around looking for a soda. The first thing we came to was a chinese restaurant and while it looked sketchy, I knew Tim would kill me if we kept walking. Note to self- follw your gut. We got what has to be the worst food, not only of the trip, but maybe ever. I ordered chicken with potatoes in curry sauce. I got a mound of french fries with chunks of freezer burn chicken that was covered in a yellowish gravy looking sauce that was completely gelatinous and tasted of weird Asian guy. We happened to have ordered three dishes we were so hungry. Thank God they were the small portions. The second dish was a chow mein that also had gelatinous goo with stale won ton crisps and weird Asian guy flavor. For those of you who don't understand that= It is a smell you often encounter in some Asia homes. I don't mean to be mean but it's true. The third was a shrimp rice that was a pretty standard fried rice other than it was overly salty. I paid the $12 and we got the f out of there. Two of the dished were pretty much untouched. I headed for the nearest market and bought more yuca chips and cookies. We sat in the park and listened to an orchestra play for awhile before calling it a night and heading off to bed.
That brings me to right now. We are headed to San Ramon where Tim will be shown my old haunts. I am thinking we may go to Las Musas. A small waterpark that has a huge waterfall as a back drop. We leave tomorrow morning so this wil most likely be my last blog in Costa Rica. It's been fun!!!

Morning!!!

I know it has been a long time and you are starving for my dull accounts of Costa Rica but I have been very busy.
Thursday night I went out with Mario and two of his friends. One Tico and the other American- Juan Carlos and Nathan. We hung out at Nathan and Juan Carlos' for a bit and then we all walked downtown where they bought some rum that we could smuggle into the club. We then took a cab to NightFever- the local discoteque. (SP?) After paying 1000 col we entered into a club that looked like the clubs in the early 90's that you see sometimes in movies. Flashing lights, etc. Being the only girl in the groupl I felt obligated to dance with all the guys. Such a lady. Except, I must admit that I was dressed like a bit of a ho. I figured if not in Costa Rica where everyone dresses like this all the time, then where???
As the evening progressed, everyone became more inebriated until it got the point where while dancing, Mario dropped me after trying to dip me. Little known fact: I am much heavier than I look. Ususally I hold my own weight but after a couple cocktails I seem to have neglected to do that. Needless to say, I ended up on the floor laughing. So funny.
Before anyone worries that I was drunk I would like to assuage your fears by stating that I had a trip to take the next morning and I was determined not to have a hangover on the long bus ride.
The next morning I got up at 7 as ususal, had my breakfast and headed out the door. I tok the bus to Puntarenas and then had to wait for what was suposed to be 3.5 hours but turned out to be 5. In the meantime I found a soda and got what has to be one of the best things I have eaten on this trip. Patacones y frijoles. (Plantain fried in a round pancake shape and beans.) So amazing and only 1000 col- less than $2.
The ride to Quepos took about 4.25 hours. I was supposed to only be a 3.5 hour ride but there was construction on one of the roads and in case you don't know this about Costa Rica, the bus times depend on how many stops they need to make along the way. I had boked a hostel bed online but I didn't fuly understand where it was. I got to Quepos, which I had been told was dangerous, at 8pm. The bu to take me to MAnuel Antonio was at 9:30. I went to a local branch of the Manni Anni bakery and got some savory pasteries. I had asked a woman about how far it was to Manuel Antonio and she had told me it was 1.5 hours. I was sooooo confused as I had thought that it was 15-20 minutes away. Getting on the bus I had no idea where I would be getting off. I knew that if worst came to worse I would just have to take a cab to the hostel. This whole scenario was so reminiscent of the adventure in Venice. I knew I just needed to trust that everything would be ok. Driving from Quepos I kept my eye out the window and as luck would have it I happened to be on the right side to see my hostel as we drove by. I got off the bus and walked down to reception. As I was chcking in the guy at the front desk got a call for a Sara. Knowing there was no way it could be me I didn't give it a second thought until he asked my last name. It was Adrian. One of the guys I had spent last weekend with in Alajuela. He and his father were in Quepos and wantd to know if I wanted to meet them for breakfast at their hotel. I was shown the 26 person dorm full of bunk beds and was introduced to my first giant grasshoppers. Huge.
The next morning I woke up and drank some coffee and ate some bread with guava jam on it before walking to Adrian's hotel 15 minutes away. We ate huge platefuls of watermelon, pineapple, and papaya while drinking passionfruit juice.
They decided they wanted to accompany me on the mangrove/ monkey tour that was offered by the hostel. We were picked up on the way and joined an aloof Belgian, a crazy shirtless Canadian and 5 other Americans. Plus the tour guide. We climbed into a tour boat- the kind with a roof that you see in the movies- and were off. On the trip I got to feed a monkey!!! Don't worry, it was tour guide approved. I had tiny little monley claws pry banana out of my fingers!
That night- Saturday- I had the most expensive meal I have had on the hole trip. $20.00.
That night I had my first spider nightmare of the trip. Sleeping on the second bunk I woke up to ¨see¨ a spider climbing up the wall. Terrified I jumped out of bed. I am sure that that could have been in some candid camera show. It was really more like a tiger spring cause I landed ready to run.
Sunday morning we headed to Manuel Antonio. I have been told that it is supposed to be the number 6 most beautiful beach in the world. No clue who that is according to but it was amazing. You hike in for a .5 hour and arrive at a gorgeous- if overly touristy- beach that has racoons and white face monkeys in abundance. Th water was amazing and warm and there wasn't any waves to crash into my ear. On the walk there we encountered a white tailed deer who wasn't afraid of people and came up to me and not only let me pet it but also trated me as a salt lick. I see deer all the time of course back home but I ask you this: Have you ever felt deer tongue??? Cause I have, twice on this visit.
We stayed at th beach for awhile before it was time to head back to Quepos for my bus back to San Ramon.
I didn't have time to change out of my wet bathing suit so I had to travel the first two hours on the bus in a wet suit. Boo. I got home around 8pm.
A new volunteer had arrived at the house. As a favor Doña Yolanda had said I could stay here for Sunday and Monday night. I had a little bed made up for me in the tv room. Molly- the new volunteer - is an 18 y/o from Vermont who came to Costa Rica for 6 months before and therefore speaks much better Spanish than I do. We had lots to talk about and we decided to go into town after work on Monday so I could show her around.
My last day went well. A group of the students wanted to know if I was going to party. Of course!!! I showed Molly around and we bought some mangos. Mango count: 4

I invited her along to my farewell party. It took awhile to get going but it was fun. I am so much more comfortabe with speaking Spanish after a couple drinks!! One of my sweetest students brought me a shot glass with some candy in it and the cutest card thanking me for helping her. I wish I could smuggle her back to the states in my bag.

I am finishing up here and then I am headed to the airport to pick up Tato. Hasta.

Just thinking...

A few things over and thought I would share...

One: To foreigners,¨Lady in Red¨ will never go out of style.

2: I know people like hearing about the food but it has gotten to a point where it's all about repeat mixing and matching. For example, lunch today was mac and cheese, beans, rice, fried plantain and salad.

3: It may not come as a surprise that Tang is a favorite here but who would have thunk Canada Dry Ginger Ale???

4: Blackberry is a highly coveted, novelty flavor here. I haven't seen any bushes which explains why it is so special but think about this for a minute. The berries are pretty green so for flavor they just add a lot of sugar. Super sweet mystery berry. That explains why I couldn't place the flavor for my first week here.

It looks like I will be going to Manuel Antonio this weekend. I have heard nothing but good things about it. A nice little beach trip. Solo.
However..... Not for long. Tato is flying out to join me on Tuesday. Just in time to miss the grand send off party that my students are throwing.

Not to jinx myself but....

I have encountered a surprisingly small number of terrifying bugs. Here's what I have learned: They come out at night and I am not allowed to be outside after dark without an escort so I have very few problems. However, when walking down the sidewalks at night you may notice cockroaches scurrying across your path. The only evidence of their existance is seeing them flattened on the walk the next morning.

I take it as a good sign that my students don't want me to leave. One of them even suggested that I ditch Tim (Sorry, Tato...) and get a nice Tico boyfriend. Apparently I will be very happy and learn Spanish much more quickly. The idea is that I can do my deign work here and continue teaching them all English. Of course when I tell them how much I can make for my design work back home they realize that working in Costa Rica doesn´t pay very well. In trying to coax me to stay they keep asking me if I like any of the Tico boys here...

Does that make you want to visit, Tato?

I had class at the U today. The teacher wasn't expecting me and as it was the first day of class there was a lot of confusion. I think I may be doing full days this week. Give them some bang for my buck.

Undecided as to what I am going to do this next week. So many places to go.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

From Costa Rica!
I am in Alajuela this weekend. I met up with some family of a family friend. Dondero's nephew and his father in fact. I took the bus to the San Jose airport and then another bus to Alajuela Friday morning. We went out for some breakfast and then headed out to a zoo. It's more like a re-hab and set fre for hurt animals and birds. We then went further into the boonies and had lunch in the middle of nowhere at a restaurant called Fiesta de Maiz- Corn Party- for those of you who don't speak Spanish. We ate corn in many dishes and forms before leaving. On the way I stopped at an avocado stand where I was outrageously overcharged for being Gringa. We took a bus back to the hostel where we are staying. - Oh, wait! I didn't mention my accomodations for the weekend. A nice little hostel in dt Alajuela. Mango Verde. I am sleeping on a top bunk above Adrian's father, Richard.
An ice cream and a brief internet session later we dropped Richard off at the hostel and walked around until we relized that almost eveywhere was closed and decided that beer and some french fries at the Chinese restaurant were our best bet. We talked for awhile and returned to the hostel where I took my first hot shower in almost 2 weeks.
This morning we went to breakfast early and got ready to be picked up for the rum tour.- My idea.
We had our own mini van on the way to San Jose - where the tour was. Actually I think it was technically in San Pedro, where I spent my first week. The is no possible way I can acurately describe this tour and do it justice. You cannot even imagine but I will do my best:
First off, I knew this was going to be a treat when I called in for information and heard that they had a re-enactment of sorts.
The mini van arrived and another woman got into the car claiming to be another tourist. Adrian politely asked her where she was from and was sneakily ignored. I knew something was up when I saw her way-to-stereotypical tourist outfit. No one wears matching khaki pants and a vest. Yeah, and that camera around her neck was from the 70's.
We were greeted with a tray of coffee liquor in small shot glasses and barely had tme to drink it before our van, which had been driving up to the entrance, was stopped by two men dressed as pirates. Yes, pirates. They were talking about the great treasure of Costa Rica, which I immediately assumed had to be rum as that was why we were there, but I skip ahead.
I will summarize by saying that it was a cast of 4 who kept changing costumes. Richard, Adrian and I were the only three guests and the story involved some singng and dancing. In this story we learned about how rum is made, what their secrets are at Ron Centenarios Rum House and we were served several shots of rum. All of wich were delicious.
It would have been horrifyingly embarassing had I not expected this. (As much as one can in this situation.)
After the tour we declined the ride all the way back to Alajuela in favor of checking out the national museum. After which we went to a restaurant that caters to older deep sea fishing gringos. I ate a club sand and what appeared to be tempura french fries.
We then took a cab to an amusement park but felt so sick from the crazy ride that we couldn't stomach riding any rollercoasters.
That's brings me to this internat cafe.
I will try and elaborate on some thoughts I have to share with you. Maybe tomorrow.

Que Tuanis? from Costa Rica.

A slangish phrase I learned from some students. ¨Whats Cool?¨ The appropriate response, BTW, is ¨Pura Vida.¨ Which is like the Hawaiian ¨Aloha.¨

So just a few things:
(If I've already mentioned them, forgive me the repeat)

Where ever you go there is a slight scent of smoke- sometimes more than slight- because people burn their trash in their backyards.

I had mac and cheese last night for dinner.

Xenia- one of my students- explained the clothing thing. The sizes are definitely an issue, especialy with larger people, because if you wear lose clothing, you must be fat. I am trying to rock my (now very loose due to a lack of drier shrink) clothing. Just cause you don't wear everything skin tight doesn't mean you are round.

Conversely I have an impulse to wear wicked tight clothing here 'cause I have a feeling it would be one of the few places I wouldn't feel self-concious about my love handles.

I have a following of neighborhood kids. That's right- the kids here like me. I hold the all important English language currency that they all covet.

Josh has started a blog. So funny cause he feels bogged down at the prospect of putting in any details. I told him that was kinda the point.

I tried to go fabric shopping for a cotton, print knit. I was thinking maybe I would make myself a dress. I should have looked up the words I would need in advance. Needless to say that wasn't a very sucessful trip. Mainly because they don't have printed cotton knits here.

This weekend I am meeting up with the Dondero's nephew and his father in Alajuela. I am thinking a rum tour is in order...

I now have the longest nails I have ever sported. I feel like a lady.

Last night we celebrated Josh's last night yesterday even though technically tonight is his last night. There was an important soccer game on so that was the soundtrack of the night. Along with the other patrons of the bar yelling excitedly after CR scored 2 goals.


Well- Perhaps more this weekend. I am not traveling to some remote beach so chances of internet are much greater.

Montezuma

Though we didn't have much time to plan Josh and I left for Montezuma at 8am on Friday. We waited at the bus stop where the bus left at 9:30. We entertained ourselves by watching the firemen- who have uniforms similar to firemen in the States, not the actual fire fighting kind-
de-weld an huge Gollo sign. (Apparently a major furniture chain.) The wind had been so bad that there were pieces of tree everywhere.
We left on time and took the now somewhat familiar trip to Puntarenas. From there we shared a taxi with a couple of Argentinian girls- one of which had one of her backpacks stolen on the ride from San Ramon- to the ferry boat. The boat was large. It held about 30 cars and a couple hundred people. The ride was about an hour and a half. Upon our arrival in Paquera we got on a bus that took us to Montezuma. On the ride we met a young couple who was from Sonoma. The girl had just got in the same day and said she had been in Mill Valley the day before. Small world!
Montezuma is beautiful! A total tourist spot I think there was more English spoken there than Spanish. People from Canada, France, Germany and the States. We looked at a couple hotels that were mentioned in Josh's Frommer's Guide and settled on a nice hotel where we chose between hot water or air conditioning. Josh wanted a/c so we went with that. We then headed out for a stoll along the beach. Perfect weather! Beautiful beach, hot sun, cool breeze.
Our second order of business was to ge some food as we hadn't really eaten lunch.
Third order of business was to book a reservation on the local waterfall canopy tour. That proved to be a bit more difficult than anticipated. We wanted to take the morning trip so we could head out that afternoon to stay a night in Malpais. That wasn't possible so we decided upon the 3pm trip to the zipline and that we were going to stay a second night in Montezuma.

We walked til we came upon a spot where people had made over 20 rock towers and there was a waterfall that poured into the ocean. We walked up along the stream for a bit and took some pics.
When we got back we decided to take a shower- not together- and grab a quick bite. One refreshing shower and a slice of pizza later we bought a six pack of beers and lounged in a couple of the hotels hammocks that looked over a park. We just hung - get it?- around until we could hear some noises coming from town. We walked down to the happening bar and watched a couple show off their dance moves. We had another beer and then headed back to our room for some R and R.
We woke up to get some breakfast- yogurt and fruit and a passionfruit batido for me, and gathered our beach gear. I swear to you that I put sunscreen but let me warn you: Never underestimate the power of the sun here. I have the most unusual and mind boggling sun burns you have ever seen. We played in water- in my case as much as I can without getting my ear wet- and enjoyed the exfoliating properties of sand whipping about your body when the wind picks up.
Lunch was a pesto ckicken salad sandwich. So novel to be eating pesto in Costa Rica. We changed into our canopy clothing and took in quick nap. MMmmmmmm A/C.
We met up with the other people who were going to be in our zipline group at the shuttle and arrived at the main site relatively quickly. There were 8 lines I think. After the first 5 you arrive at a big waterfall which everyone jumped into- Except me. Pobrecita!
We then took the last three. It was awesome! I got some great views looking out to the ocean and a couple amazing shots to of the falls. Thanks Josh. Did I mention I love zip lining?
Side note: So I convinced Josh he should blog about his expereince and the other day when we were at the net cafe he turns to me and says,¨So I guess I have to mention you in this story I'm writing. Which means I have to go back to the beginning and explain who you are.¨ Thanks.
We got back and liked the idea of making some dinner in the hotels kitchen. We though pasta would be cheap. He picked out the sauce and I- trying to not be in control all the time- let him. When we got back to the hotel and started cooking I realzed he had just bought a can of chopped tomatoes. I told him the problem and his response was that we could just eat them on the pasta anyway. Oh hell, no!
I went back to the store- conveniently a 2 minute walk away- and bought a stick of margerine, an onion and some garlic. (No mom, they didn't have butter and I wasn't about to buy a whole
bottle of olive oil.) It was better than plain tomatoes.
I had an ice cream for dessert. Similar to a drumstick.
We just walked on the beach for a bit until I realized there were hermit crabs everywhere and I didn't want to step on one. Bed time.
The next morning we woke up early to eat some breakfast- Gallo Pinto and a mango batido for
me- before we had to catch the bus to the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve. Unfortunately since we weren't going to be back before 11- checkout time- we had to bring our fully loaded backpacks. And since that was an activity we had not originally planned I wore my Crocs flip flops on our 3.5 hour hike. That's right, people. I said hike. The plan was to see animals but all we saw were some butterflies, a couple monkeys and some birds and lizards. The hike was to a beach that was beautiful. Even if I couldn't enjoy a swin when we got there.
Note: I am really feeling the loss of not being able to be submerged in water here.
Visiting a forest in Costa Rica is like visiting a city in another country. Of course it is different but the fundamnetals are the same. It was like I was walking through a forest in the Pacific Northwest or in New England. The plants and tree and even the wildlife were different but there was a overall similarity. Of course I am biased but I'll take the cascades over any other forest.
The hike smelled of fresh, damp hay. There were some minous noises that I was told were monkeys. They sounded more like a really loud, throaty stomach growl.
The trip back was long and involved being sticky from the hike while waiting for buses and ferrys and not having much cash on us and thus not eating a lot. We got home last night at 9:15.
I am in pain from my sunburns and I took a sizeable nap after class today.
Note: where is a chop on an animals? I think I had pork chops for lunch.....

Things...

Just keep getting better! That's right, I had 4 -count them 4- students today. I went home to lunch to head out a bit later for a coffee tour in a near by town. They don't use pesticides and it was amazing. SO beautiful. The past two days have been crazy windy. Apparently the roof over the display coffe cart blew off today damaging the main building. It was so beautiful though. There was a huge rainbow that seemed to touch the top of the town. I would have taken a pic but the camera isn't working and I have yet to but a disposible. The tour had a group of American teenagers here volunteering. It was very informative and I now claim to be an expert- Practically.

I had some amazing coffee and got to try several different coffee liquoures. Yum. Those of you lucky enough to live near me shall be treated to a sample.

I came home to no power. Everyone was sitting in the dark in the living room. I popped in for dinner and left again with Josh to find an internet cafe. And here we are.
We were planning to go to the Caribbean this weekend but it raining and I am told, flooded. A good opportunity to practice going with the flow, Josh and I will now be traveling to Montezuma and a couple nearby beaches.
I will do my best to keep you updated during this trip but may not be able to....
¡Hasta luego!

Windy but fresh!

Only one person showed up to my class yesterday. Technically it was meant to be the advanced class so we just spent the time talking. We finished early and decided to call it a day. That left me free at 10:45.
Lunch was served- arroz con pollo, black beans and a cabbage salad.
At 1 pm I had my class with Rosita. I continue to feel challenged by my not knowing what to teach her. This is why I didn't want to work with children! However it gives me an opportunity to rise above this feeling of frustration and do the best I can. I'm just glad they aren´t paying for this.
I spent the afternoon walking around town. Mailed out a couple postcards, got a slice of macadamia cake and stumbled across a farm store that had several trays of yellow, baby chicks. Soooo cute.
And while I know this is not so exciting for you all, I got some hairties and wore my hair back for the first time since getting it cut short.
Upon my return to the house I chatted with Jose and Yolanda a bit before dinner was served. More arroz con pollo and some homemade chips and guacamole.
I then ran over to Josh´s and we walked into downtown to find an internet cafe for him to use. Going out with him at night is exciting because it's the only time I can go out at night. He is my escort. To protect me from what could escalate from catcalls.

Today my beginning class grew from 2 to 3. Good class though. I came away feeling like I had helped. Perhaps it was because they said they thought I was much better than there other teacher and asked if I wanted to stay and teach them. They promised to pay me in dollars.
As last time they suggested helping me with my Spanish but one of the girls then proceeded to explain that helado was ice cream and helado de chocolate was chocolate ice cream. Very sweet of her. She then had me read from a book and said she was impressed with my accent. Score for me!!! I explained I had experienced native speakers yelling things at my class since the 5th grade and the accent was still ringing in my ears.

Following the theme of being pleased with myself- apparently the theme of the day- I forgot to tell you a story. On the trip to Tarcoles, Mario was showing me all the native plants and animals and he pointed out the clay breasted robin. He said,¨You may ask why this is the national bird of Costa Rica and I wil tell you. It has a beautiful song.¨To which I replied, ¨Does it sing - Pura Vida-?¨
See- sometime I am funny to people other than Aria.....

New week, new job.

As of yesterday I have started teaching classes on my own. As mentioned, the class was divided into two groups and I met with the beginning class yesterday. Only three people showed up but one of them was too advanced for the class and was therefore bored. Plus the other two students used him as a crutch by having him translate everything for them. He left after a short while which was for the best.
Towards the end of the class they insisted on helping me with my Spanish. I hope that becomes a regular practice.
I came ¨home¨ to lunch and then went over to Doña Nedia's (where Josh is living) to help a local Chinese girl with her English. She is very precocious. She speaks Chinese and Spanish and is going to a bilingual Spanish/ English school. Her mother asked me how much I wanted to be paid and I told her I would be happy to do it for free. Later two things occured to me: One, how much would it be reasonable to charge if I wanted to- (Apparently 1000. colones/hr - $1.80) and second, maybe I should have charged 1 pineapple a week. Teaching Rosita English is challenging because she speaks pretty well although it is mostly spanglish as she fills in words she doesn't know in English with Spanish words. But she doesn´t understand when we conjugate and I say ¨we¨.
Random tidbit: Everyone´s clothing is very tight. However, upon doing a bit of shopping I realize it is because they stock mostly small sizes and if you see something you like, they usually only have it in one size so you have to squeeze in the best you can. I have now purchased two pairs of white panties- the be worn under my white linen pants- and while one was a size large and the other extra large they are both impossibly small. You would think they were intended for children. Or- the alternative- I have a gargantuan posterior. Ok- that´s the problem.

I thought it would be nice to make something for the family. Maybe a batch of chocolate chip cookies. Or not. I have looked in every big market and nobody has chocolate chips. And the greater concern, which also answers another question I had about why everyone eats margarine here, I had to search every nook and cranny in the market for butter. Tons of margarine but hardly any butter. An soooo much more expensive. I swear one store didn't even have any at all.

Yesterday after my class with Rosita I hung around the house and waited for Mario to call. When he called we decided to meet up and go for a walk. We looked in yet another store for chocolate chips and coming up without them he bought an ice cream and I bought some butter cookies. We then walked through town and up to what would be considered either a stoner's hangout or submarine races. It was a large cement block on top of a hill. We climbed on top and just talked while enjoying the windy view. It took me three tries to get up onto the block. I only mention this because on the way down it was a lot further than I anticipated and I fell back a bit. Mario, being a gentleman and not appreciating how hefty I am, tried to help steady me but ending up getting an accidental elbow to the groin. I was mortified. He had to take a couple minutes to recover during which I apoligized profusely. Most embarrassing moment to date.

I am thinking that Josh and I may travel to Limon this weekend. It is the south Carribean side of the country and I have been told that it has a completely different vibe. Their rice and beans dishes have coconut milk and more intense flavors. Josh really wants to go white water rafting so we are going to try and fit that in as this is his last weekend here unless he extends his trip. Next weekend I have plans to meet up with a guy who I met when I was 12 or 13 and whose family I still kinda keep in touch with.

I wish you could all come visit cause I would buy you all a dessert. They are so inexpensive I could afford to!!!

Catch up.

A picture of downtown San Ramon for you all to enjoy.

It's been awhile and I have a lot to write. Forgive me if I repeat anything. It is really hard to view my blog and review what I have already written.

OK- So on Thursday when I was walking to class a random girl walked up next to me and asked- in Spanish- if I would tell her a couple words in English. I agreed to and these are the words she wanted: Sleep- the stuff in your eyes when you wake up in the morning or grañas, Dead and false nails or as I told her, Acrylics. She then had me write them on her palm and walked off. I would have thought she was somehow robbing me because the transaction was so strange.

Random thought: Either I am losing a lot of weight or the fact that they hang dry eveything is going to be a serious problem cause I count on my clothes shrinking with every dry cycle. I wil come back looking emaciated but it's not me, my clothes are growing!

On Wednesday we had another food presentation: Lemon Pie- you know, the American kind. All I can say is this- there is a reason the Costa Ricans are not known for baking. The crust had an odd flavor I can't put into words, the filling was good but they topped it with merengue but didn´t bake it. They called it chantilly cream but it was more like sugared, whipped egg whites. Needless to say I didn´t eat the top part.

Random thought 2: My Ipod is occassionally genious. I has a knack for knowing excatly what I would like/need to hear when I leave it on shuffle. I have little highs that come from hearing my music while walking along the street to clas and admiring all the tropical plants.

OK- my trip: As you know I left on Thursday. I had just packed eveything and was about to sit down to lunch when I thought to call Mario and see when we were going to met up. He said we needed to catch the bus to Puntarenas that left in 15 minutes. I told Doña Yoanda and she packed my lunch to go. A cab was caled and we just made the bus. Needless to say we had to stand the whole way and we were stuck next to this American guy who has traveled all over the world but now lives in Jaco. He was really odd. Talking about the energy of a place and how crappy every place in Costa Rica was but how it was the best he'd found. Our layover in Putarenas was easy. We ate lunch and Mario identified the plants and trees for me. Not only are there banana and mango trees everywhere but there are also lots of almond trees and papaya trees.

The ride to Tarcoles was about 45 minutes. The weather there was humid and hot. We got off and walked up to the hotel that Mario does freelance tours for. We then got a ride into town and he found me a hotel to stay in. Though he had originaly thought I could get a room for 20., I paid 35. for the first night. It was pretty nice. It had a pool and was ocean side. We then went to a bar about half a block away and had a couple beers. Imperial is the Costa Rican brand. He then took off for the hotel and I grabbed some crackers and a bottle of water for dinner.

I took a cold shower- I am getting used to them- adn changed into some light clothing. Mario cled around 8:45 to see if I wanted to met up with some of his friends around 10. I told him I would most likely be asleep but I would meet up with them if I were stil awake. I fell asleep watching Private Practice around 9:15.

The next morning I had gallo pinto and a fried egg for breakfast before a cab was calefd to bring me up to the hotel. There we met up and waitd for his first tour of the day. Zip lining. A woman and her 11 year old son took the tour. There were 7 lines and I did one of them upside down. I was laughing like crazy the whole way until I realized bugs were very nearly missing my mouth. We returned to the hotel hot and sticky. There was a short break during which we had some iced tea and then went on the second tour which was a canopy tour. That was about a 2 hour walk with an older couple from CT. On that hike Mario pointed out birds, insects - he refrained from encouraging a tarantula to come out of her house on my account- as well as trees and plants. I saw a wild cashew, a vanilla orchid and some other cool things like a cocoa plant and a noni tree. Upon our return the couple from CT., John and Grace bought us a beverage and we chatted for awhile until Mario had to go out on another zipline. I stayed behind and continued chatting with John and Grace. Mario took a shower and we headed down to Tarcoles to check me into another hotel that was cheaper and had air conditioning. It was cheaper alright. Nasty, dirty ick. The bathroom had a window that was more like a hole in the was with decorative bricks cemented into it and a rubber car mat as the shower rug. The whole place smeled musty and damp and the air conditioning was pathetic. Mario promised that by my return for bed there would be penguins walking around the room. He went to an nearby bar while I took another cold shower.

We went to a friend's restaurant for dinner and I was pretty hungry cause I hadn't eaten any lunch. The pizza was good. For being made in Central America. They found it very odd that I just wanted mushrooms on mine. What is a pizza without ham? Another beer and then we walked to a liquor store so he could get more beer and we could hang out on the beach. The stars were amazing and we pointed out constellations until his friends arrived with Mary J. I didn't partake but I am assured it was very good sh"!. We then just sat around and talked about music until I decided that I had surpressed complaining about being cold for so long that I was about to burst. I had to go inside and I was dreading going into a penguin room as I only had a nanky (sp?) sheet to cover myself with. I guess it's lucky that the AC didn't work. It was hot in that room! I climbed into bed and put in my earphones trying to not think about how grimy thr roomwas and what kind of bugs were lurking in the corners. The bed was hard and I didn't sleep well but it was an experience.

I woke up early the next morning and forced myself to go back to sleep. My whole body was soar but I realized it was from the ab workout I got on the zipline. It still hurts. I had a mango I brought along for breakfast and headed out. I walked to the main rode and caught a cab back to the hotel. There I found Mario and was given the keys to his room. The day was spend reading and lounging around the hotel. The property has a river running through it and some beautiful landscaping. We left around 2:30 and got back to San Ramon around 5:30.

I am sorry that I don´t have any pictures for you. The camera is not happy and therefor is not working. Too bad too cause I had some great views and a photo war was arranged with Josh this weekend.

More to come.

No Promises

I am leaving for Jaco in the late morning. Maybe noonish. Ally was gonna spend the weekend with me but she has decided to go back home to Canada. Long story.
I will be traveling down with Mario- the student who needs very little help with english. He´s a tour guide and plans to take me zip lining and on a canopy tour. Not sure when I will have a chance to write again.... Have a good weekend!

Cont.

The view just two blocks from my current home. Just take the first ledt and then go down the street about 1 bock to the house. Taken yesterday evening.

You want pictures? I'll show you pictures.

Gatos con Platos- On the way to Simon Bolivar Zoo in San Jose.

I´m not sure if you can see it in this picture but there are plates tiled into this mural. One of my favorites!!!

Finicky internet!!!

Driving me crazy beacuse it is so hard to view my post as they are viewed by you all. Near impossible to see any comments. Not that there have been that many. Are my posts becoming dull?
Originally Ally and I were planning a trip to Montezuma this weekend but one of the students- One that speaks english very well (Mario)- is working near Jaco Beach in a hotel as a tour guide this weekend and he said he could get us a hookup!!! Ziplines here I come. He promised to hide all spiders and he is a wealth of knowledge in terms of what to see in the area. He works doing freelance tours. I told him to get a website and I would direct everyone I know to come down. I now have to talk Ally into going. If she doesnt want to I may go down with Mario and hang with her another weekend.
As I write, Doña Yolanda is making me a mango batido. - Fruit blended with water (or milk) and a little sugar.
Class was good today. The students have become a lot more comfortable with me. There were two new recipes tried out today. The first was a chicken salad with strawberries which was delicious and the second was for these God-awful biscuits that were as dense as .... I don´t even know.
I hid them in my purse and was planning on giving them to some dogs...
Although now that I think about it- Poor dogs. They may not recover.
As instructed by Tim, I have been taking pictures to share with you all. I need to set aside time to post them.
The showers that suddenly turn cold continue.
My Spanish learning curve has almost flatlined as I am no longer taking classes. Just practicing at home. The students learning new words gives me an opportunity to learn them in Spanish.
Tomorrow I have our first -How´s your volunteer project going/ home stay- meeting with Fio.
Until tomorrow.

Blogging Saves.

First I must apoligize for the shower post. I am told that it came across as being miserable here and I am not. It was a pathetic moment and I was tired. I would like to go on by saying that having blogging as an outlet has allowed me to appreciate challenging situations with a sense of humor. For example: This morning when we arrived at the university where I am teaching, I had to use the bathroom. Ready to leave the stall, I tried to unlock the door. No luck. I tried again and turned the lock several times. Trying one direction and then another. I thought to call Fio, the coordiantor who had taken me to my first day of class but realized there was little she could do from the outside. Knowing that I could write about my great escape that involved climbing up and over the toilet and into another stall made me crack up. Thank you readers!
The trip to Puntarenas was great. Josh and I caught the 11:30 bus and arrived an hour and a half later. It cost about $1.50. They have a great transportation system here. We could feel the weather getting warmer as we descended. We had platos casados (married plates -they have beans, rice, some sort of salad and a meat - at a soda. We then laid on the beach for a couple hours and took dips in the amazingly warm water. I can't describe the sense of freedom I felt driving into Puntarenas while listening to Offspring. Shut up, I like Offspring.
The most exciting thing I can say about the days is that I'm sure I got a sign from God. While Josh and I were in the water I noticed a single guy loking at our belongings. I was prepared to run out of the water and hunt him down if necessary. He left but came back with a friend. I didn't really notice until a big waved tried to wash me away and I had to get out to protect my ear. They were definitely shady.
The return trip was uneventful with the exception of an obnoxious family who had an uncle who kept singing songs really loud. Really off key.
This morning I woke up to a prepared breakfast waiting for me. Pinto Gallo. Yum. Fio came to pick me up and we met up with the wife of one of the UVolunteer people. She was in the class and she brought along another student for the walk.
After the bathroom incident I arrived in the classroom to stares and whispering. I was obviously the American Gringa. Ole!
The program is for free for all students and had the goal of placing them al in jobs. A trade school of sorts. They range from 18- 35 with most of them being about 22. They are all very interested and eager as they have chosen to be there. It is exactly what I wanted to be doing.
I spoke a bit about what it is like in California. While they may all be on the same level in terms of grammar, they are definitely some stand out students when it come to speaking in class. Like many classes, it has all the stereotypes. The quiet group of girls that all stick together, the flirty girl who gets attention by breaking boys pencils, the rambunctious boys who like to be the center of attention, the smarty boy who talks as much as possible and all the people who get by saying th minimum.
The topics today were fast food and tipping.
Everyone had to write a sentance about fast food. Almost everyone said,¨I think fast food is delicious but it is not very healthy.¨
The 'culture' of tipping freaked them out. Their book outlined what the standard percentages are. They were overwhelmed when they read that a haircut cost $30.00. When I asked thm how much they paid the answer was $2-6. I am sure they all think I must be a milionaire as I told them that my last haircut cost $60.00 not including tip.
I need help coming up with a menu to cook for my host family when I leave. Do I have any sort of specialty?

Dead Animals:2 Mangos: 2

Today I am going to take my first beach trip. Josh and I are heading of to Puntarenas. I am told it about an hour away. We are both eager to get some warm weather as it has been windy here. I should double check the weather before I leave...
Also- I need to remind myself to take a picture of the breakfast that is made for me each morning. I live like a quee in the morning. Tomorrow is my first day of school and I am sure I will have a lot to report.
Happy Sunday!

New Count- Dead animals lying in th street:2

So much to share I'm not sure where to begin...
I am living in a quiet neighborhood in San Ramon. The ride here was about an hour. Josh lives about 3 houses down from me across the street. I am destined to have hous envy as when we were in San Jose he lived with the larger group and had built in friends. Now he lives with an adorable older lady who is so small and cute she is almost pocket sized and very easy to talk to.
I, on the other hand, has a single woman with a dog and no friend and now I have a large family. 4 kids -although one has moved out. I share a bathroom with at least two others.
Make that three as another person just walked into the bathroom.

My arrival was akward. You know that generic scene usd in teen movies when the boy go to the girl's house to pick her up and the parents detain him in the livingroom and ask him questions? Imagine that but me in the livingroom, very akward silences and a language barrier.
The UVolunteer coordinator, Fio, called us to go to Palmares. The party town of Costa Rica. They are having their celebration of the year which is second only to Octoberfest- or so I was told. Everyone in the program (including the employees of UVolunteer and the volunteers) met at the mall and went to Palmares to watch the bullfights. Really it was more like rodeo, people running from the bulls and an excuse for everyone to drink beer. I almost died of boredom afer the first half hour. It was cold and uneventful. Oh well.
This morning I had my first official Gallo pinto. Beans and rice. The national dish of Costa Rica. Or Nicaragua depending on who you talk to. Also eggs, toast, orange juice and coffee.
Josh and I took a cab to downtown where we met up with Fio, Nadar- a jew traveling though Central America, and Ally- a Canadian who has been living in England for the past year who is here to volunteer in a orphanage.
This morning we had a meeting to get a tour of the town and learn more about the culture and what our job placement will be like.
Josh planned on going to a volcano with Nati and Evelyn next weekend but I have decided not to go as I am positive that Nati is not very fond of me and I don't want to be obsessing about it the whole time.
Instead I think Ally and I may plan a trip to the beach as I have yet to experience wearing a tank top and being warm enough. They also have a coffee tour nearby. So that will be a fun outing...
It's crazy walking around a town knowing that by the end of the month you will be very familiar with where eveything is. It's a cute town and a lot more friendly than the big city.
In the past two days I have thought of so many things to share with you al but they seem to be escaping me right now. Oh wait, the confession.

I must confess that I had my first mini breakdown last night. It was about 10 and I was a bit hungry. Doña Yolanda offered to make me some food but I figured it was best if I didn't eat right before bed. I just wanted to take a shower and go to sleep. The shower head looked VERY promising. When I turned on the water my jaw dropped open there was so much water. Hurray for a heavy shower!!!' I know, very American.
But it was not getting warm. I noticed a small button to push that said hot. OK. I can do this. mind you, it was late. I am standing there, naked in the shower and the water was, at best, luke warm. I started sniffeling. Why did God hate me? What did I do to deserve such punishment? -You can tell I haven't changed that much....
Finally I try and just turn thw water down to more of a dribble. Slowly the water got warmer. OK- this is better... Until suddenly the water switches to cold. I had used up all the hot water with the flow being too heavy and now it was gone and I was left rinsing my hair in freezing cold water. No more sniveling. I was full on crying. Oh how I missed hot showers. That got me thinking. If I could be anywhere back home taking a shower who's house would I be at? Well. Al you all have sucky showers so I then bcame even more depressed cause I couldn't even come up with a perfect alternative shower. I had to settle on the shower in my old aparatment. Which I gave up.......
Enough about showrs. I am boring you to tears.

Last thought for now: I swear there is more gravity here. I feel heavy. Even lying in bed I feel very heavy. Maybe it's all that muscle I am gaining by walking everywhere.