The Graduation Dance

My first family invited me to come to my brother’s graduation dance. It is the Costa Rica version of Prom, except the parents and families are invited. And because the classes are a lot smaller and it is only for those who will graduate, the party is a lot more intimate. I had a great time being with my family and dancing with my brother’s friends. These are few pictures….the best part. (1. My sister & my mom dressed to the nines. 2.After Marco saw this picture, he said about himself in all seriousness “I look hot.” Hahahaha…. 3. This is to show you what a Costa Rican prom might look like.)

It was a great week-end just being with my family, my puppies, my friends, and relaxing. I feel like I am in college and when there are breaks, I go home. And this is my home where my friends and family are happy, but not surprised to see me. And life is normal here with or without me. Eventually, the vacation ends and I have to leave home and go back to work.

P.S. ALSO! My family took me to the Costa Rican version of WAL-MART. It’s actually owned by WAL-MART and I didn’t know it existed. And I know that I am not suppose to like Wal-Mart, but I was SO happy to see John Frieda shampoo & conditioner, Dove body wash, Betty Crocker cake mix, Pillsbury icing, books, dvds with American tv shows, etc . that I started talking really excitedly in ENGLISH!! And my family cracked up…

The Days are Flying

The days are flying by. I cannot believe that I have been in my new site for almost a month now. My schedule is also currently PACKED through Christmas. I am so excited about all the projects that are taking shape here in my site.

I am receiving training on how to create a “School for Parents” to teach them alternatives to hitting their children as punishment, how to set limits, apply correct discipline, and maintain authority. I am excited because the training is solid and when I think it is perfect for my community.

I have a group of girls who are ready to start “Chicas Poderosas” (Strong Girls). In this club, we will clearly do fun things like make t-shirts, have bake sales, paint our nails and play games; BUT we will also learn about character, values, respect, as well as anti-drug, stay in school, and don’t talk to boys :).

The Development Association is working towards having a Community Center, paving the roads (desperately needed!), and instituting trash pick-up and recycling programs. I would really like to help with these desires as well as help with finishing the half-built basketball court.

I am also working with the church that is practically in my front yard. They really have a heart for the community and already have a project going to provide food for those who can’t afford to eat. They also have a great group of children, young adults, and adults who really care about and want to be active in the community.

I actually love the Costa Rican pace. I do not feel pressure to MAKE these projects take form IN A MONTH or have RESULTS tomorrow. I am following the lead of the community in hopes that the projects will form naturally as a result of the needs of the community and therefore be long lasting. I am spending a lot of time getting acquainted, meeting people, and gaining acceptance from the community. And I am loving it.

I am learning to say “No.” I am learning to set boundaries and limits. I am learning to be comfortable with being WEIRD. I am learning to be comfortable with being LAUGHED AT and TALKED ABOUT. I am developing a tough skin about personal appearance because if I have acne (which I do here A LOT), EVERY SINGLE person asks “WHATS THAT?” I am learning more than I could write here…and I suppose I will only continue to learn more and more.

(Side Note: Peace Corps Medical Officers visited me yesterday and it was so exciting to have people from the United States in my house and people who wanted to know all about my experience! And the most exciting part was that they brought my BIKE! I rode it in to town today. And it’s so exciting!)

Three Reasons Why This Has Been A Great Week

1. The Holiday: Monday was a holiday and my brother was in town. So, he took me to a river. And just to be doing something in nature, with someone my own age was like a gift from God. And furthermore, he is really patient with my Spanish and use to foreigners…so life is less frustrating with him.

2. The Soccer Game: My kids at the school were in a play-off game to go to the National Tournament and I got to go and cheer them on! They are really good players and I really enjoy watching them play! Afterwards, we got to take the kids to the pool to celebrate! (I LOVE THE POOL!)

3. The Birthday Party: One of my other kids turned 11 on Thursday. It’s a tradition here to throw eggs at the birthday girl/boy. So…at 4:30, we ALL met in the plaza and threw 25 eggs at the birthday girl. Throwing eggs is a BEAUTIFUL tradition and I plan to bring it back to the United States. Watch out Birthday Girls/Boys.

A Little More Insight Into My Life

After some thought, the reasons why life is harder here:

1. Here, I am an adult. There, I was a child. Here, I work. There, I spent my days studying, learning, and hanging out with other volunteers and my high school siblings & their friends.
2. Here, it is HOT and humid. There, it was warm, but fresh. Let’s be honest when you are uncomfortably hot and sweating, smaller problems seem bigger.
3. Here, I am like a movie star with NO privacy and nowhere to hide from the masses of people who want to talk to me. There, I was one of many volunteers and so masses of people didn’t hunt me down to ask for English help. (That happens here.)
4. Here, there is no tension breaker. There, I had tons of tension breakers.
For example: At the moment when I could not handle Spanish ANYMORE, my pcbff would come over and we would laugh. OR when I was feeling lonely, my brother and ALL his friends would suddenly be there dancing around the house. AND every day I looked forward to sharing coffee and a cookie with my family and neighbors, because that was their tradition. Here the family is not as much a part of the community and I miss adolescent siblings and other peace corps volunteers…so there are no tension breakers. (makes a huge difference!)

Also, it’s the little things every day that effect life:

1. To have privacy, I can’t just go home. I have to lock myself in my room, shut the curtains, and turn up the music very loudly.

a. If I leave the door open -- People come in and make themselves comfortable. OR better yet, people gather in the doorway to STARE at me.
b. If I leave the curtains open -- People sit outside my window and stare at me. (NOT KIDDING or EXAGERATING) Also, people from the community know I am home because they can see into my window and so they all stop to talk to me.
c. If I do not turn on music -- People will try to talk to me through my window or over the walls.

2. My brother happens to be in town! Just the fact that there is someone in the house my age that kind of understands what it is like to be this age and living here makes life better.

3. I come home to eat lunch. 25 people interrupt me to ask me to give their children English classes. When I am not available (because already I am very busy during the weeks), they want me to give lessons at 9pm at night or on Saturday and Sunday. While it is in my job description to work on the week-ends as this is appropriate for working with kids, it is NOT in my JOB description to work from 7am-10pm Sunday-Saturday. Then when I have to say NO, I FEEL SO GUILTY.

4. My cousin, the medical doctor, is 26 and lives here during the week! She is GREAT! And she understands how this hard for me. And she lets me vent to her! She is always happy to see me and I am always happy to see her and she is my FRIEND! So I always look forward to when she comes home from work. (Unfortunately, she spends the week-ends in the capital city.)

(the picture is of my cousin, me, my sister & my brother-in-law...one night before we went into "the city" to eat fried chicken....oh my life!)

My New House

OK – so for those of you who are really interested…I’ll take you on a tour of my house. First, refer below to DENGUE to see the front of my house. That is the OUTER gate that protects us from thieves. You walk over the concrete bridge and enter the front yard. When standing in the front yard, if you look straight ahead, you see the main house and the main front porch. The main front porch is the first photo.

Also from the front yard if you turn right, you see the side porch which is the second photo. My room has a window out to that side porch. The next photo is the hall that leads to my room, my cousin’s room (where currently the extra family is living), the grandparents’ room, our shared bathroom, and finally, the backyard. All the rooms are on the right side of the hall and the left side of the hall is the main house with the den, the kitchen, and where everyone else lives.

So as you walk down that hall, if you turn into your first room, you will see the NEXT picture. This is my bedroom looking in from the hall. Please note how the walls do not go up to the ceiling. The walls just sort of end at about 7 ft. This is my bedroom when sitting on my bed and looking out toward the hall. OK 1st – do not be fooled by the television. It doesn’t work. (And for those of you who know me, this is like the worst possible thing to have in my bedroom. Junk is my biggest enemy and having this big space taker upper to stare at me everyday…. I just want to throw it away so bad. :) Second, please note the wires and cords that adorn my room and you can also see how the wall just stops before it hits the ceiling. :) This is my window and my wall decoration that consists of pictures of you guys. (Note that the window looks out onto the hammock. Also however, do not be fooled by the hammock. It’s broken. I’m strongly considering buying a new hammock…maybe I could order one of those Pottery Barn Hammocks. Hahahaha…and corrupt Costa Rica. :) This picture is to show you my mosquito net. That dark green thing that is tucked behind my headboard gets unraveled and tied to the other wall to make a giant cube around my bed. And unlike in the United States, my mosquito net is not for decoration…without it at night, I wake up looking like I have chicken pox. Every night I tie it up and every morning I take it down. I love my mosquito net.

So that’s a tour of my house for now. I know I am lucky. I know that I have more than so many Peace Corps volunteers. And my heart goes out to them, because it’s hard. And it’s hot. And I appreciate the little things.

Dengue

I would say it’s highly possible that you have never heard of this mosquito transmitted virus called Dengue. BUT in my region of the world, Dengue is highly feared. The one good thing about Dengue is that it’s NOT Malaria. It only lasts 7-10 days and is marked by high fever, vomiting, and feeling horrible! Luckily, I have not gotten dengue, but many a Peace Corps Volunteer has.

To prevent the spread of Dengue, the commonly have their towns fumigated. Men in dark jumpsuits carrying big leaf blowers enter all houses, schools, and businesses to spray this white powder and smoke all over everything. Then when you reenter the home or business, there are dead mosquitoes everywhere. It is quite the experience. It looks like the whole TOWN is on fire. The first time I was in the main city and I saw the “smoke” everywhere I wondered why everyone looked so calm.

The pictures above show my house being fumigated. This is one of those things about the culture that is really confusing to me. The family covered the dishes and spoons with dishtowels to protect them from the fumigation, but I asked about the curtains, our clothes, and our beds, but apparently it is perfectly SAFE to sleep in fumigated sheets and wear fumigated clothing. I am trying to accept it.

My Life is So Weird

I haven’t posted on the blog since I have moved to my new home and I think the reason is because I have no idea even where to begin. I talk to Jenna (pcbff) on the phone at least every other day and during our brief but packed conversations we repeatedly say, “My life is so weird.”

My House: I’ll spare you of all the REALLY WEIRD details for now…and just start out with the fact that, currently, there is an entire EXTRA family living in my house. OK. By whole extra family I mean – mom & dad, two kids (2 yrs & 6 yrs), three aunts (16 yrs, 18 yrs, & 20 yrs), a grandma, and one of the aunt’s children (8 yrs). So that’s NINE, count ‘em NINE, extra people who are living in my house. You may be wondering, where exactly do these NINE people sleep? Well, I’ll tell you. THEY ALL SLEEP IN THE ROOM RIGHT NEXT TO MINE. These nine people are in addition to the SEVEN people who ALREADY live in the house. So SIXTEEN PEOPLE TOTAL who eat, sleep, and bathe in my house. But let’s not stop there, let’s also mention my sister and her husband who at the house during all daylight hours, my 33 year old brother who is also at the house whenever he’s not working, my mom’s ex-husband who eats all meals with us, and finally my 22 yr old brother who lives at the house one week out of every month. Grand total: 21. I live in a circus. And I didn’t EVEN mention the animals. :)

My Work: I love my work. I am partnered with a wonderful school that has active teachers who truly desire the best for the children of the community. I have quickly introduced myself to the kids of the school and THEY ALL KNOW ME. This may sound like a plus, but let’s imagine living WITH 450 kids who all WANT to know you. Let’s imagine that from 8 am to 8 pm there are kids pacing in front of your house waiting for you to come outside so they can ask you to play soccer, or visit their house, or come to church or….anything. It’s awesome. And what I wanted. Let me just say: Be careful what you wish for. Don’t get me wrong. I love my kids. More than anything I want to give them good things, but there is only ONE of me. You might say I am VERY overwhelmed.

My Family: They are good people. They have good hearts and they want good things for me. But it’s a hard relationship. I feel that they respect my work and that they respect me as an adult, but maybe because I can’t speak Spanish well it also means that: I don’t know how to peel fruit correctly, or operate a cell phone, or walk to town, or take the bus, or ride a bike, or take a shower, or purchase my own food. The word NO is not really respected. And it is very hard to explain why I do and do NOT do certain things. It’s like I speak and the words come out and they don’t listen. And I know it’s not my Spanish because other Spanish speakers understand.

Needless to say…I have finally become frustrated. :) I retreated to old family for two days and a night. It was beautiful. I hugged my four year old boyfriend. I watched my brother play in a soccer game. My brother’s friends had a pajama party for me. My mom made me tres leches. Some of my cousins even visited. It was like old times. And I might have cried when I had leave again.

But here I am. In this wonderful, beautiful, crazy life I’ve chosen. My life is so weird.

The Chicken Story

One morning when I woke up, my mom here smiled at me and said, "We´re going to make chicken soup for lunch.¨" I smiled back and said, "Oh how wonderful!"

The next thing I knew, my grandma was in the backyard chasing chickens. When she caught the right one, she killed it. Yes, my 86 year old grandma killed a chicken. Then my mom de-feathered the chicken and cleaned.

My grandma then cooked it outside over a fire. And, true to their word, we had chicken soup for lunch.

This is my life. Please refer to pictures.