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!!!