How can I feel both these things at the same time?
Monday, July 29, 2013
I like words.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/kevintang/20-useful-foreign-words-illustrated-with-gifs
How can I feel both these things at the same time?
How can I feel both these things at the same time?
I need to remember this right now
"And
when I think about it, I guess it's true that people always arrive at
the right moment at the place where someone awaits them."
- Paulo Coelho, The Pilgrimage
- Paulo Coelho, The Pilgrimage
Sunday, July 28, 2013
YEAH!!!!!!
I am suuuuuuper proud of my Spanish skills right now.
I have been applying to a lot of jobs on craigslist in the past two weeks - some reply, some don't, and apparently.... some just decide to call you.
This morning, I had just woken up when my phone rang. I answered in Spanish since I did not know the number.
"Halo? Si, quien es?" That is when the test began.
The woman on the phone did not speak much English and after once sentence from her after I asked if she spoke English - I realized we would have a better shot at communicating in Spanish. She was interested in hiring me to work at a Waldorf Kinder in the Nicoya Peninsula. I guess she couldn't read my resume I had sent because it was in English... so she just noticed the Montessori part and got excited. When I told her I didn't have experience with the super young children, she was no longer interested in hiring me.... but I was just so proud that I had participated in an interview in Spanish, I did not mind at all.
I couldn't believe that I had just talked about the similarities in the developmental stages between kinder and adolescents and that it seemed to be fluid enough for us to have a real life business conversation. She was so nice and told me that if I ever wanted to visit, I could and that maybe next year the school would grow more and I could teach older kids. Who knows what I'll be doing next year - but it was still a nice thing for her to say.
I got off the phone and could not believe what I had just done. I would have had just as hard a time having that random conversation in English after just waking up and talking on the phone in Spanish is really difficult. This is when I realized that my Spanish has reached a whole new level - at least for today :]
I have been applying to a lot of jobs on craigslist in the past two weeks - some reply, some don't, and apparently.... some just decide to call you.
This morning, I had just woken up when my phone rang. I answered in Spanish since I did not know the number.
"Halo? Si, quien es?" That is when the test began.
The woman on the phone did not speak much English and after once sentence from her after I asked if she spoke English - I realized we would have a better shot at communicating in Spanish. She was interested in hiring me to work at a Waldorf Kinder in the Nicoya Peninsula. I guess she couldn't read my resume I had sent because it was in English... so she just noticed the Montessori part and got excited. When I told her I didn't have experience with the super young children, she was no longer interested in hiring me.... but I was just so proud that I had participated in an interview in Spanish, I did not mind at all.
I couldn't believe that I had just talked about the similarities in the developmental stages between kinder and adolescents and that it seemed to be fluid enough for us to have a real life business conversation. She was so nice and told me that if I ever wanted to visit, I could and that maybe next year the school would grow more and I could teach older kids. Who knows what I'll be doing next year - but it was still a nice thing for her to say.
I got off the phone and could not believe what I had just done. I would have had just as hard a time having that random conversation in English after just waking up and talking on the phone in Spanish is really difficult. This is when I realized that my Spanish has reached a whole new level - at least for today :]
Saturday, July 27, 2013
The MOST RIDICULOUS Job Interview Ever
Ok, knock on wood... but I definitely just went to the most ridiculous job interview I have ever been to... and I would dare to say the most ridiculous one I might ever go to.
First of all, the lady that I had been emailing with - who is the owner of this private elementary/HS here in CR (and she is not Costa Rican) - decided just from me sending my resume... that I had already accepted the job. Mind you, she said we'd talk about what grade I would teach...etc when I came. Well, she had decided that I was to teach 4th grade everything... 7th grade English once a week... and somewhere in there: drama. When she started talking to me she was acting like she was giving me an orientation and saying things like "you have 8 kids in this class and here are the books... just make sure you do a few pages a day and give homework or whatever. You don't have to plan anything... just do the books with them. If they fail their parents will be mad and blame us so let them do retests...." I actually had to stop her and say, "Wait. What position are you looking to hire me for?" She seemed surprised that she would have to explain that.
Instead of asking me any normal questions like about my teaching experience or philosophy she just told me about writing my bio for the parents and how we have to make the parents happy because they are paying a lot of money. "You can't use any Spanish in the classroom because the parents are paying a lot of money." "We don't accept kids with ADD or any learning challenges because they take up too much time and the parents pay a lot."
The answers to any of my questions seemed like they were made up on the spot. For example, when I asked about the pay she said $850/month (which I don't understand if the parents are paying so much). I asked her if there was room for a raise and she thought for a moment and said, "hmmm... well, if they like you we can give you $900 or if you do drama with them we can raise it a little." When I asked if that would happen at a specific time or not she said, "whenever they say that they like you." When I asked her how many teachers she had, she replied - "um.... like 10 or 15." Are you serious, you don't even know how many teachers you have? School starts in ONE WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When I told her that I would prefer to teach HS because I love adolescents, she stopped to think for a moment. Then she seemed distressed and said she would have to think. After about 10 seconds she said sure.... and I could sometimes teach the elementary too. Did she not have a HS teacher either? Was there no schedule or organization to this school? My head almost exploded. I am pretty sure that the public schools here are more organized than this. Also, when I tried to tell her about my previous teaching experience she just interrupted me and moved on.
Finally, I extracted myself from this meeting by saying that I had concerns about how soon school was starting and that I didn't have a place to live or anything. This place is in the middle of nowhere in this industrial district outside of the "rich part of Costa Rica." She started with a guilt trip complaining, "well, I guess they won't have theatre this year." Yep. There is no way I will ever be going back to that place. You couldn't get me to teach there if you tripled the salary.
*Please don't take this story as a snapshot of Costa Rican schools.... they have to be better than this. I just don't understand how this place exists.
I didn't even explain, yet, the process that was getting to this interview. I got on a bus in Barva at 8:30 to go to Heredia. When we got close to Heredia, I asked a guy on the bus where to catch the one to San Jose. I always try to find a guide on the bus who will help me make it to the next connection :] Then, as the bus was pulling away... I jumped on. In San Jose, I waited 40 min for the bus to the small rural place outside of Escazu. We went all through Escazu until I was the last person on the bus. I had told the driver where I was intending to go and from what I understood - he said he would take me there. He randomly stopped and started talking to this young guy out of the door to the bus. He told me that he would show me where to go. I got off and confirmed with the guy that he knew where he was going. He said bye to his girlfriend and began walking me down the freeway. His girlfriend told me not to be afraid. I wasn't, but I guess that was nice of her. Well, it turned out that he walked me 1km in the wrong direction... to the local neighborhood school. At that point, the lady was calling me because I was late. It was already 11:00. She told me to walk 2 km in the other direction to find the school. Many people are willing to be guides and act like they know exactly where you are going - even when you say something like "1 km North" of the landmark where you are. Well, at least they want to be helpful. Sometimes I wish they would just say they didn't know.
First of all, the lady that I had been emailing with - who is the owner of this private elementary/HS here in CR (and she is not Costa Rican) - decided just from me sending my resume... that I had already accepted the job. Mind you, she said we'd talk about what grade I would teach...etc when I came. Well, she had decided that I was to teach 4th grade everything... 7th grade English once a week... and somewhere in there: drama. When she started talking to me she was acting like she was giving me an orientation and saying things like "you have 8 kids in this class and here are the books... just make sure you do a few pages a day and give homework or whatever. You don't have to plan anything... just do the books with them. If they fail their parents will be mad and blame us so let them do retests...." I actually had to stop her and say, "Wait. What position are you looking to hire me for?" She seemed surprised that she would have to explain that.
Instead of asking me any normal questions like about my teaching experience or philosophy she just told me about writing my bio for the parents and how we have to make the parents happy because they are paying a lot of money. "You can't use any Spanish in the classroom because the parents are paying a lot of money." "We don't accept kids with ADD or any learning challenges because they take up too much time and the parents pay a lot."
The answers to any of my questions seemed like they were made up on the spot. For example, when I asked about the pay she said $850/month (which I don't understand if the parents are paying so much). I asked her if there was room for a raise and she thought for a moment and said, "hmmm... well, if they like you we can give you $900 or if you do drama with them we can raise it a little." When I asked if that would happen at a specific time or not she said, "whenever they say that they like you." When I asked her how many teachers she had, she replied - "um.... like 10 or 15." Are you serious, you don't even know how many teachers you have? School starts in ONE WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When I told her that I would prefer to teach HS because I love adolescents, she stopped to think for a moment. Then she seemed distressed and said she would have to think. After about 10 seconds she said sure.... and I could sometimes teach the elementary too. Did she not have a HS teacher either? Was there no schedule or organization to this school? My head almost exploded. I am pretty sure that the public schools here are more organized than this. Also, when I tried to tell her about my previous teaching experience she just interrupted me and moved on.
Finally, I extracted myself from this meeting by saying that I had concerns about how soon school was starting and that I didn't have a place to live or anything. This place is in the middle of nowhere in this industrial district outside of the "rich part of Costa Rica." She started with a guilt trip complaining, "well, I guess they won't have theatre this year." Yep. There is no way I will ever be going back to that place. You couldn't get me to teach there if you tripled the salary.
*Please don't take this story as a snapshot of Costa Rican schools.... they have to be better than this. I just don't understand how this place exists.
I didn't even explain, yet, the process that was getting to this interview. I got on a bus in Barva at 8:30 to go to Heredia. When we got close to Heredia, I asked a guy on the bus where to catch the one to San Jose. I always try to find a guide on the bus who will help me make it to the next connection :] Then, as the bus was pulling away... I jumped on. In San Jose, I waited 40 min for the bus to the small rural place outside of Escazu. We went all through Escazu until I was the last person on the bus. I had told the driver where I was intending to go and from what I understood - he said he would take me there. He randomly stopped and started talking to this young guy out of the door to the bus. He told me that he would show me where to go. I got off and confirmed with the guy that he knew where he was going. He said bye to his girlfriend and began walking me down the freeway. His girlfriend told me not to be afraid. I wasn't, but I guess that was nice of her. Well, it turned out that he walked me 1km in the wrong direction... to the local neighborhood school. At that point, the lady was calling me because I was late. It was already 11:00. She told me to walk 2 km in the other direction to find the school. Many people are willing to be guides and act like they know exactly where you are going - even when you say something like "1 km North" of the landmark where you are. Well, at least they want to be helpful. Sometimes I wish they would just say they didn't know.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
totally random...
So this is totally random, but I can check in what countries people are viewing my blog... and it has been checked thirty something times by people or a person in Russia. I think that is so cool! Is someone I don't know that interested in what I am doing? If you are reading this and you are in Russia, I would love to hear from you :] The internet is such a funny place.
More writing to come this weekend... I have been super busy teaching and doing hw and applying for jobs the past several days.
I must say - rain on a tin roof is a lot louder than it is on a different kind of roof.
More writing to come this weekend... I have been super busy teaching and doing hw and applying for jobs the past several days.
I must say - rain on a tin roof is a lot louder than it is on a different kind of roof.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
San Jose - the Epic Journey
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| Teatro Nacional |
 |
| I found it!!!! Even if it was totally by accident when trying to find the bus home. I mean, hey... we only got lost like 12 times, missed Heredia, and took a taxi back to Barva - as not to end up back in San Jose. The whole process took from 2:30-7:30. |
 | |
| My new favorite fruit - water apple (manzania de agua) |
Monday, July 22, 2013
Adjusting
I am definitely still adjusting to living here and have been having many rough days, but I am so grateful for the immense amount of support I feel from at home in Tucson and the growing support network I am creating here. Now, not every single face in town is new and I sometimes run into people I've seen before or even know. Also, I've made a few friends just by taking risks and talking to people. I am proud of that. I always think... when life is over - would I rather have been courageous and talked to this person or played it safe and just sat there or walked away? It seems the first option is more fun at least :]
Today, I taught my 3rd English class to the teenagers and as crazy as teenagers are - I really love working with them. I just don't know if I would be as happy teaching Adults. People say it is easier, but there is a special magic that happens when I interact with HS age kids. I feel like I can really connect with them, even if it is with the little English that we are communicating with. It is like I feel at home inside. Maybe I will be able to find a job working in a school... or at least volunteering with one if I can't get paid to teach there.
Today, I taught my 3rd English class to the teenagers and as crazy as teenagers are - I really love working with them. I just don't know if I would be as happy teaching Adults. People say it is easier, but there is a special magic that happens when I interact with HS age kids. I feel like I can really connect with them, even if it is with the little English that we are communicating with. It is like I feel at home inside. Maybe I will be able to find a job working in a school... or at least volunteering with one if I can't get paid to teach there.
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Friday, July 19, 2013
Surrender and Sushi
What a day. Right before teaching my first group class, we had a lesson on getting jobs here in CR. The lesson pretty much consisted of:
Step 1: Look at the list of language schools.
Step 2: Go to those schools... even though that requires riding many buses and doing so at night.
Step 3: Talk to the people at those schools and ask if they want to hire you. (You could just email them... but they probably won't respond).
Step 4: Find a new place to live.
I have to find a new place to live in the next two weeks!!!! I thought I could stay at my place for more time, but I guess new students are coming and I have to move out.
I think this is definitely the most unsure process I have ever been a part of. This is very scary for me. The interesting thing, though, is that when I take a step back and look at the situation - there is not much I can control (if anything). I can simply make choices when they come up and move forward, trusting that either it will all work out eventually or I'll go home (or somewhere else) with an experience full of lots of learning.
So.... my plan is to keep being open, make connections, talk to people.... and hopefully the universe will help me encounter what I need. Keep sending me good thoughts. They are much appreciated.
What does sushi have to do with this story? Well, after school I headed over to my friend's house and we went to her friend's house to make sushi!!!! This was my first time making sushi ever... who would have thought it would have been in Costa Rica? It was muy rico :] (even though it did still have rice in it). I just can't seem to get away from that grain. Asi es la vida aqui.
I know what tomorrow will hold.... resume, cover letter, and mapping out a plan for the job search.
Step 1: Look at the list of language schools.
Step 2: Go to those schools... even though that requires riding many buses and doing so at night.
Step 3: Talk to the people at those schools and ask if they want to hire you. (You could just email them... but they probably won't respond).
Step 4: Find a new place to live.
I have to find a new place to live in the next two weeks!!!! I thought I could stay at my place for more time, but I guess new students are coming and I have to move out.
I think this is definitely the most unsure process I have ever been a part of. This is very scary for me. The interesting thing, though, is that when I take a step back and look at the situation - there is not much I can control (if anything). I can simply make choices when they come up and move forward, trusting that either it will all work out eventually or I'll go home (or somewhere else) with an experience full of lots of learning.
So.... my plan is to keep being open, make connections, talk to people.... and hopefully the universe will help me encounter what I need. Keep sending me good thoughts. They are much appreciated.
What does sushi have to do with this story? Well, after school I headed over to my friend's house and we went to her friend's house to make sushi!!!! This was my first time making sushi ever... who would have thought it would have been in Costa Rica? It was muy rico :] (even though it did still have rice in it). I just can't seem to get away from that grain. Asi es la vida aqui.
I know what tomorrow will hold.... resume, cover letter, and mapping out a plan for the job search.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
First Class Teaching English as a Second Language
Today I had my first student, a 20 year old Tica. She was so cute. It just felt so natural because it was a private conversation class. All I had to do was get her to talk and correct errors she made. It was great. Afterwards, I invited her to go get a batido... so we went and hung out. It was like the class never ended. :) fun fun.
Que Importa?
I just had an hour long discussion with my host family about how the only thing you can control in life is yourself. When someone else upsets you... you don´t need to be upset. "no es vale la pena" and "que importa" and "pura vida" were the most common phrases of the conversation. I wonder if this is a culture wide attitude...
These are, of course, things I had heard many times before... but it was fun discussing them in a different language. I think I have reached a new level of fluency if I can have phylosophical debates in Spanish and make such good points that my host dad decides that I won. Haha. He was insisting that there are no true friends in the world and if you have no money, you have no friends. I argued that maybe that was true for the masses... but a person can have a few true solid friends that stick with him or her through anything. I know I do. My host mom agreed and he decided we won :)
These are, of course, things I had heard many times before... but it was fun discussing them in a different language. I think I have reached a new level of fluency if I can have phylosophical debates in Spanish and make such good points that my host dad decides that I won. Haha. He was insisting that there are no true friends in the world and if you have no money, you have no friends. I argued that maybe that was true for the masses... but a person can have a few true solid friends that stick with him or her through anything. I know I do. My host mom agreed and he decided we won :)
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Even Amazing Things Can Feel Really Difficult
I wanted to make sure to share how challenging living abroad can feel. Sometimes, I just feel like I am free falling for a very long time... never really landing anywhere. It is like I took that leap of faith and am still in mid leap. Sometimes I am fine, and other times it is all just too much. The cars, the noises, the people, the smells, the Spanish.... the unknown future. It is like sensory overload and I just want to curl up and hide. I know, of course, on a logical level that these sensations will pass and I will love it here - but in the moment it is super hard and super lonely.
Today was one of those days where I just couldn't handle any more input. I went home early from school because my stomach was hurting all afternoon. When I got home I just called my parents and cried. Talking with them made me feel better and then right as the sun was setting, I went out for a walk. As you can see, Barva was GORGEOUS!!!! I was so thankful to be here and to be experiencing all of this beauty. I mean, here I am.... in Central America... living the life I have dreamed of since I started college. Even if it is hard, that is something to be proud of.
Also - when I got home, I had told my host mom that my stomach hurt - so she made soup to make me feel better. She said it was the soup she made when people were sick. I felt loved :]
Today was one of those days where I just couldn't handle any more input. I went home early from school because my stomach was hurting all afternoon. When I got home I just called my parents and cried. Talking with them made me feel better and then right as the sun was setting, I went out for a walk. As you can see, Barva was GORGEOUS!!!! I was so thankful to be here and to be experiencing all of this beauty. I mean, here I am.... in Central America... living the life I have dreamed of since I started college. Even if it is hard, that is something to be proud of.
Also - when I got home, I had told my host mom that my stomach hurt - so she made soup to make me feel better. She said it was the soup she made when people were sick. I felt loved :]
Barva is Beautiful
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| La Iglesia |
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| Mi Escuela |
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| La Calle |
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| El Parque Central de Barva |
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| El La Escuela |
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| Los Perros Estan Esperando |
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| Mis Amigos |
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| Mi Clase de Ingles |
Monday, July 15, 2013
Zumba!!!!!!!!! Gracias a Dios!
Tonight, in Barva, I had the random urge to leave my house for a walk after dinner (something I had not felt comfortable doing before as it gets dark at 5:30). As I was walking, I came across a gym and could see a class of zumba through the window on the 3rd floor. I got up the courage, went up to the desk, and asked if I could go up. The guy said I could go see the class... which means I joined it of course!!! I had never been sooo happy to do zumba.
The funniest part of the whole story is that half way through the class... a girl turned around and waved to me. It was a girl who I just met at the English school today. She will be my first student on Wednesday! Now I´m also less nervous to teach my first class because I already know the student :) Maybe I´ll even have a new friend.
The funniest part of the whole story is that half way through the class... a girl turned around and waved to me. It was a girl who I just met at the English school today. She will be my first student on Wednesday! Now I´m also less nervous to teach my first class because I already know the student :) Maybe I´ll even have a new friend.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Things That Take Time to Become Accustomed To...
1. There is a dog symphony that plays each night. I wish I could do my impression of it here... it really has gotten very accurate. There is a big dog that lives in the back yard that has the deepest yowl. It participates with the yippy dogs in the neighborhood and they all play their parts.
2. Getting anywhere is made up of a series of unknown steps ... so much so that each bus you board that goes in the right direction feels like a big accomplishment. A trip consists of this: Stand on the road. Speak to closest random person without i-phones in their ears. "Usted sabe cual bus va a (insert town here)?" You then get a variety of answers, all helpful, but only some correct. You see, nobody wants to not know; they'd rather say something than say they don't know. This really makes me use the rule of 3. If I ask 3 people and two say the same thing... I know what to do.
3. People never have the right of way. Cars always do.
4. I had forgotten that sometimes someone boards the bus and begins his "infomercial" for whatever he is selling. I mean, hey, captive audience - right? He then walks down the aisle and people actually buy the product, even if it is a Rosary.
5. Houses are not built to keep sound in any one room. In fact, there are holes in the walls in which one can and does hear every conversation everywhere.
6. Communicating in Spanish is very tiring. Even though I am getting really good at it, after a long day of traveling it can be a little too much.
7. It is very exciting to the workers in the hostel you are staying in when they get the lights in your room to work! Yay, accomplishments!
I am sure I will add to this list a lot, but this is all I can think of right now. Living in another country can be really trying and hard. It is always an adventure, though.
2. Getting anywhere is made up of a series of unknown steps ... so much so that each bus you board that goes in the right direction feels like a big accomplishment. A trip consists of this: Stand on the road. Speak to closest random person without i-phones in their ears. "Usted sabe cual bus va a (insert town here)?" You then get a variety of answers, all helpful, but only some correct. You see, nobody wants to not know; they'd rather say something than say they don't know. This really makes me use the rule of 3. If I ask 3 people and two say the same thing... I know what to do.
3. People never have the right of way. Cars always do.
4. I had forgotten that sometimes someone boards the bus and begins his "infomercial" for whatever he is selling. I mean, hey, captive audience - right? He then walks down the aisle and people actually buy the product, even if it is a Rosary.
5. Houses are not built to keep sound in any one room. In fact, there are holes in the walls in which one can and does hear every conversation everywhere.
6. Communicating in Spanish is very tiring. Even though I am getting really good at it, after a long day of traveling it can be a little too much.
7. It is very exciting to the workers in the hostel you are staying in when they get the lights in your room to work! Yay, accomplishments!
I am sure I will add to this list a lot, but this is all I can think of right now. Living in another country can be really trying and hard. It is always an adventure, though.
Seeing Old Friends and the Beach
I just got back from Quepos, and it was so great to see my friends from last summer. As soon as I got there, I went straight to the Spanish school to see my favorite teachers and gardener :) It made me happy that they told me that my Spanish has gotten really good.
Actually, that is not true that I went straight to the school. First, my friends and I stopped at Dos Locos in Quepos to eat lunch. I had just ordered a batido (my favorite smoothy thing - papaya con leche) when I hear someone shreeking and lunging at me through the open window where we were sitting. My friend Cynthia lunged through the window to hug me and knocked over the drink, spilling it everywhere. I´m not even kidding when I say everywhere. It was all over me and my stuff. I didn´t mind, though. It was the best greating I could have asked for and definitely made for a good story.
Actually, that is not true that I went straight to the school. First, my friends and I stopped at Dos Locos in Quepos to eat lunch. I had just ordered a batido (my favorite smoothy thing - papaya con leche) when I hear someone shreeking and lunging at me through the open window where we were sitting. My friend Cynthia lunged through the window to hug me and knocked over the drink, spilling it everywhere. I´m not even kidding when I say everywhere. It was all over me and my stuff. I didn´t mind, though. It was the best greating I could have asked for and definitely made for a good story.
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| Key y yo |
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Getting Lost as a Way of Llife
I think that part of living in a new country is getting lost.... a lot! One wouldn´t imagine how odd it is to get on a bus and not know exactly where you are supposed to get off. Mostly, I can rely on the people around me to answer my questions... but other times that doesn´t work out so well.
Tonight I went to visit my friend outside of Barva and she told me to ask the bus driver to let me off at "la urbanizacion Doña Elena" I asked a lady at the bus stop what urbanizacion meant and she laughed like... isn`t that such an easy word!? Then she explained in Spanish that it is a housing development. Good thing I`m good at getting definitions of words I don´t understand in Spanish using other Spanish words! Thanks, Key!
Anyways, so I made it there ok because I had noticed when we rode the bus together that the stop was after a blue gate - always make sure to look for landmarks. It was super fun spending time with her and her mom. We ate and laughed and practiced my "todo bien, pura vida mae" so that I would sound more tica.
We walked back to the bus stop together and she assured me that all buses went through Barva. I expected, however, that I would see the park that is my landmark. This is where I got on the bus. The park never came, however, and there I was already out of town!!!! Luckilly, I had gotten lost in this part of "out of town" a few days ago... so I knew about where I was (practicing getting lost for later is very important). I quickly got off the bus and started trecking back in the direction I knew to be town. It was already 9pm and there started to be nobody around. I trodded forward, hoping my sense of direction was good. Finally I ran into two guys who pointed me in the direction of the park. When I saw it and turned to my house, they were even nice enough to yell - "muchacha! a la izquierda!" I told them that I lived the other direction and went home. Ending up in my room felt like such a victory.
Tonight I went to visit my friend outside of Barva and she told me to ask the bus driver to let me off at "la urbanizacion Doña Elena" I asked a lady at the bus stop what urbanizacion meant and she laughed like... isn`t that such an easy word!? Then she explained in Spanish that it is a housing development. Good thing I`m good at getting definitions of words I don´t understand in Spanish using other Spanish words! Thanks, Key!
Anyways, so I made it there ok because I had noticed when we rode the bus together that the stop was after a blue gate - always make sure to look for landmarks. It was super fun spending time with her and her mom. We ate and laughed and practiced my "todo bien, pura vida mae" so that I would sound more tica.
We walked back to the bus stop together and she assured me that all buses went through Barva. I expected, however, that I would see the park that is my landmark. This is where I got on the bus. The park never came, however, and there I was already out of town!!!! Luckilly, I had gotten lost in this part of "out of town" a few days ago... so I knew about where I was (practicing getting lost for later is very important). I quickly got off the bus and started trecking back in the direction I knew to be town. It was already 9pm and there started to be nobody around. I trodded forward, hoping my sense of direction was good. Finally I ran into two guys who pointed me in the direction of the park. When I saw it and turned to my house, they were even nice enough to yell - "muchacha! a la izquierda!" I told them that I lived the other direction and went home. Ending up in my room felt like such a victory.
Monday, July 8, 2013
First Day of Class
Yayyyy!!!!!!!! I have a purpose again! I am so excited to learn the puzzle that is teaching English as a second language. I feel like I barely know anything about our language - even though I taught middle school for 4 years. For example: I had no idea when you ad "er" to the end of a word or add more to the beginning. Why is it happier and not more happy? Why more beautiful and not beautifuller? This is just the beginning... and there are rules behind this madness... English is not as random as I thought.
We were observing our teachers teach lessons to beginning students and they were learning how to describe physical characteristics.
Funniest mistakes of the day:
She has curly eyes.
He is short hair.
I have long eyes.
Who knew hair and eyes were so easy to interchange :) :) I love it.
We were observing our teachers teach lessons to beginning students and they were learning how to describe physical characteristics.
Funniest mistakes of the day:
She has curly eyes.
He is short hair.
I have long eyes.
Who knew hair and eyes were so easy to interchange :) :) I love it.
Sunday, July 7, 2013
The second day - better than the first (including the french toast)
Today was so much better than yesterday. Today, my friend`s sister and her husband came and picked me up for breakfast. We did not eat arroz y frijoles! We ate french toast - yay!!!!! Then we took the bus from her house back to mine so I would know how to get around more. I´m still pretty confused since none of the streets here have names and they all look the same to me, but I´m sure I´ll figure it out somehow. Poco a poco as they say here (little by little).
The city is so beautiful with the green mountains and clouds hovering over them, always teasing with the promise of the rainstorm of the day.
After walking around and buying some things like ice cream, we walked to her inlaws`house for lunch. It was soooo good. I never thought I would be so happy to eat chicken and salad after a day of every meal being arroz y frijoles. My friend´s inlaws also taught me a lot of sayings in spanish and refused to speak to me in english even though they speak it well. I am happy that people are willing to let me learn spanish, even though it might be easier for them to just switch to english. That means a lot to me.
I am so thankful for having a friend here :) It means more than anything else.
Tomorrow, I start my class and finally get to meet the other students in the program. I am really looking forward to that. I hope I remember how to get to the school!
The city is so beautiful with the green mountains and clouds hovering over them, always teasing with the promise of the rainstorm of the day.
After walking around and buying some things like ice cream, we walked to her inlaws`house for lunch. It was soooo good. I never thought I would be so happy to eat chicken and salad after a day of every meal being arroz y frijoles. My friend´s inlaws also taught me a lot of sayings in spanish and refused to speak to me in english even though they speak it well. I am happy that people are willing to let me learn spanish, even though it might be easier for them to just switch to english. That means a lot to me.
I am so thankful for having a friend here :) It means more than anything else.
Tomorrow, I start my class and finally get to meet the other students in the program. I am really looking forward to that. I hope I remember how to get to the school!
Saturday, July 6, 2013
I'm here...
Here I am in Barva de Heredia, CR. I have to admit that it feels very daunting right now to start a "normal life" from scratch in a totally new part of the world where I don´t know anyone. I walk down the streets and every single face and sight is new. It is excilerating (sp?)* and very uncomfortable. I sit here, in my new room, trying to feel at home, two bags as my only posessions. I am trying to not think about all the activities and friends that I left behind in Tucson and be totally present here, ready for whatever this journey may bring. Even so, thoughts keep popping up in my head - why did I come here? What am I doing? Do I want to stay? Will I even like it? Am I strong enough for this? Will it be worth it?
I think it will feel better once I get into the routine of going to school on Monday. Then I will make friends and have a purpose. Right now I´m just trying to adjust and get some rest. I am sooooo tired from the GRE packing, moving, and selling my car - all in the past two weeks. It has been a total whirlwind.
*Many of you know that spelling is not one of my strengths and this computer only has spellcheck in Spanish. Sorry if there are errors. I would look up how to spell them, but I can only google in Spanish as well.... oh, the little things in life that usually seem so easy like googling a word or figuring how to log out of your gmail account.
Thinking you are moving to a place semi-permenantly feels way different than traveling there with a determined end date. This is a lot scarier for sure; this surprises me because I thought that knowing how to communicate in the language and already being familiar with Costa Rican culture would make it a lot easier. I guess it is harder on a different level. I´ll try to appreciate this time of feeling so vulnerable and seeing the great unknown ahead.... Afterall, it won´t stay this way for long.
I think it will feel better once I get into the routine of going to school on Monday. Then I will make friends and have a purpose. Right now I´m just trying to adjust and get some rest. I am sooooo tired from the GRE packing, moving, and selling my car - all in the past two weeks. It has been a total whirlwind.
*Many of you know that spelling is not one of my strengths and this computer only has spellcheck in Spanish. Sorry if there are errors. I would look up how to spell them, but I can only google in Spanish as well.... oh, the little things in life that usually seem so easy like googling a word or figuring how to log out of your gmail account.
Thinking you are moving to a place semi-permenantly feels way different than traveling there with a determined end date. This is a lot scarier for sure; this surprises me because I thought that knowing how to communicate in the language and already being familiar with Costa Rican culture would make it a lot easier. I guess it is harder on a different level. I´ll try to appreciate this time of feeling so vulnerable and seeing the great unknown ahead.... Afterall, it won´t stay this way for long.
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