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.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
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.
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.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
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.
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.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
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.
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.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
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!
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!
Friday, September 11, 2009
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.
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, September 5, 2009
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
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
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
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.
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.
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