Alexis and Susie

We are currently on summer vacations for all the public schools in Costa Rica. Their summer vacations are two weeks. I was lucky enough to have two visitors from the United States during this time. One is a friend from high-school and college, Alexis and the other was her mom, Susie! They had planned a trip to travel around Costa Rica and let me know that they would like to get to know REAL Costa Ricans (which I highly recommend). I found a family for them to stay with in my town and they fit right in.

In the mornings, we did a 2 hour Enlgish Art Camp for the girls and in the afternoons we began drawing a map of the world (which is way more complicated that you would ever think!). Alexis and Susie had tons of energy and wanted to do everything possible in the three days they were here and I forgot what the American work ethic is like. I was absolutely exhausted every night and I am not sure how they had so much energy after traveling around Costa Rica for the 10 days prior.

In addition to the mini-camp and the mural painting, we went on a bike ride to the see the Banana and Pineapple plantations, we visiting my cousins house to see all the flor and fauna, they made Limon Merenge Pie and crepe paper flowers with their family, and more! They bonded with the kids and with their family and I know the trip was a success because before they left, they cried.

I Got Sick

It’s not that interesting and I definitely do not have pictures of it, BUT I just want to vent for a little while. I clearly got a virus. From where, from who, who knows? But on Saturday, July 5th, I woke up with a fever of 102 (which is PRETTY miserable!). I don’t ever remember having a fever of 102. I had a steady fever or 102 for two days straight. I took lots of Tylenol and I was constantly “bathing” myself in ice water. I didn’t feel like doing anything (except crying), not even watching tv. My whole body ACHED, my head ached, my stomach ached, the thought of food or drink made me feel sick to my stomach….I pretty much just sat. On the third day, the worst of the stomach part kicked in. By the fourth day, I FELT better, but let’s just say the stomach issues didn’t clear up for a FEW more days.

Ok, I don’t think you need to know the details of my every sickness, but the point is that when one is sick, one needs people to say “Are you ok? Can I get you anything?” One needs empathy and quietness. Now, I HATE being sick and I work really hard not to whine and I don’t need that much sympathy….

But my WONDERFUL family (they really are wonderful, I love them.), while I was still with fever and headaches began to diagnose all my problems. “It’s because you always drink cold water after you exercise.” “It’s because you ate lots of beans.” “It’s because you’re ‘impachado’.” (Impachado is their word for really bad stomach ache.) “It’s because…”
If I had had more energy, I would have screamed. But instead, I just laid there and let them tell me how it was allmy fault that I was so sick and how I do all these bad things like drink cold water and eat beans. Clearly BOTH would cause a 3-day fever of 102 degrees. Clearly.
Unfortunately, my poor little baby that lives in the house…..got my VIRUS yesterday. He had a fever of 102 and was very lethargic. They took him to the emergency room and they told the mom that it was just a virus. And now the poor child has started to have the stomach problems. And while I feel VERY bad to have given my virus to the baby because I love him with all my heart, I COULD NOT HELP BUT SAY “Funny how eating too many beans and drinking cold water is CONTAGIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!” As the mom continues to tell me about all the baby’s symptoms, I always respond with “I COMPLETELY understand.” I feel bad, but vengeance is mine.

DISCLAIMER: My family is awesome. Everything that I am writing about them on this blog, they know. I read it to them translated in Spanish. And I also could not survive in my community without them. They support and love me and although they gave me a hard time when I was sick, they also prepared the ice water, and soup and bought me gingerale and crackers and they would have taken me to the hospital if I would have let them. They are the best Costa Rican family ever!

The Fourth Of July

It’s my second 4th of July outside of the United States of America and I definitely miss the pool parties and the Forsyth Country Club fireworks…and the North Carolina summers. I love that it’s light outside until 9:00 at night….

But anyways, I still tried to bring a little United States to Costa Rica. I had a disc of patriotic music, red, white and blue headbands; and my brother Cristian bought us some “fireworks.” So no worries, we celebrated INDEPENCE DAY!

Axel

This is the 1 and a half year old who lives in my house. Everyone says he’s tremendous! I think he is just normal, but he’s definitely not allowed in my room! Here are a few pictures of him!

The Queen of Chicas Poderosas

My beautiful girls in my girls club are working hard to raise money to take a trip to the amusement park in Costa Rica. With all of my heart, I want to take these girls to the amusement part! I think, just like the majority of these girls have never been in a library, out to eat at a restaurant, stayed in a hotel, etc; the majority have never been to an amusement park, much less on ANY field trip with friends.

We did the amazing fundraiser of selling doughnuts, but it was a lot of work for Kim, the leader of the Chicas Poderosas. I asked around for fundraising ideas and my sister, Gaudy, suggested a “CORONATION.” The idea is that all the girls who want to be the QUEEN of the Chicas Poderosas have to compete by asking people in the community to support them with “votes.” And by votes, I mean MONEY. They had to make cans with their pictures and signs saying “HELP me be the QUEEN of the Chicas Poderosas.” Then we would have a huge presentation crowning the winner the QUEEN.

I was hoping that the girls would work really hard to raise money, asking the community, the businesses and anyone who might be willing to donate. I went into town with the girls one day to teach them how to ask the businesses if they could put a can in the business and how to ask the people in the streets for money (Who can say no to a 10 year old girl asking you to help her be princess? Seriously.) The rest was up to the girls…..and well….let’s just say, we didn’t raise all that much money, but we did have a lot of fun at the Coronation. The girls prepared dances and presentations. They decorated. I prepared an amazing snack of chocolate chip cookies and prepared the stage and the show. The girls were hilarious.

We raised almost no money, but the girls had a good time and now we have a QUEEN of the Chicas Poderosas.

The Fair

The fair came to my town and we went to the rodeo, we rode some rides, bought some cotton candy, honestly, the most interesting thing to say about it, is that Christians in Costa Rica don’t dance. They are not allowed to dance. It is probably from the devil. Well, I may LOVE to dance. And I may have broken all rules and said “I AM CHRISTIAN AND I DANCE.”
Just as I side note, I break lots of Christian rules here. For example, I play cards and read Harry Potter. (du, du, du) Luckily, I’m not one to worry about breaking rules. I got over the “What will the neighbors think mentality?” in the United States, and although they talk about the neighbors much more in my Costa Rican town, you just gotta let them talk. I can’t live my life based on the opinions of other people.

It sounds funny, but I always remember the fable of the Father, the son, and the donkey.

The Father, his son and the donkey are on trip to town to sell goods. The donkey is carrying the goods on his back, and the Father and the son are walking alongside the donkey talking. As they pass through the first town, the people begin to talk and gossip, “What a horrible Father making that poor boy walk all the way into town. He is so small. He’s got to be exhausted.” So the Father puts his son the donkey and they continue on their way. As they pass through the second town, the people begin to talk and gossip, “What a lazy, ungrateful son riding on the donkey and making his poor father walk all the way to town. The son is so much younger and the Father’s got to be exhausted.” So the Father gets on the donkey with the son and they continue on their way. As they pass through the third town, the people begin to talk and gossip, “That poor donkey carrying those goods, the son and his father. That is horrible. That donkey must be exhausted.” So the Father and the son get off the donkey and the Father and son carry the goods and they continue on their way. As the Father, the son and they arrive in the final town of their destination, the people begin to talk and gossip, “How stupid that Father and son carrying those goods when they have a perfectly good donkey to carry them.”

I HONESTLY see this in action daily. I am constantly defending the victim. I ALWAYS play “devils advocate” just so that whoever is talking MIGHT think about another point of view instead of always thinking the worst of their victim. The good thing is that I have totally accepted that everyone in my town has an opinion about everything I do (which they are totally entitled to) and that I will not live by their opinions. I know WHO I am and I know RIGHT from WRONG. And I AM A CHRISTIAN AND I DANCE.

DiBianca Wedding Land

Seeing as there has been a huge demand for the blog and I had no idea where to start, I’ll start with my trip to the United States. Although, I had sufficiently brought ally my projects to a temporary close and was ready to travel, going to the United States for 11 days was pretty much a headache. There were about 100 things I wanted to do, see, eat, buy as well as 100 people that I would have loved to have hugged, called, and spent quality time with. Unfourtuneatly in 11 days it was impossible. So I spent a good deal of my time feeling guilty and stressed out. I found myself longing to come back to Costa Rica, not because I was tired of the U.S., but because I couldn’t handle ALL the responsibilities and demands put on me in such a short time. It would be a good personal Peace Corps rule to NOT return to the US in your two years and let the people that REALLY love you, just come to you. (Or if you do go home, don’t tell people, just hang out with your family!)

There was a shinning star, though. The reason I went home was to attend the DiBianca-Ferrin Wedding. And seeing as the (previously) Miss. Amy DiBianca is a pretty important person my life, I may or may not have been committed to various wedding activities. When they begun, I was still pretty stressed out thinking about all the other “responsibilities” I had in the U.S. (with only FOUR more days to complete them all!)…so I made a decision to commit myself to the wedding process. For me that meant, I didn’t answer or make any phone calls that didn’t directly relate to the DiBianca-Ferrin wedding (the only exceptions were my mom & dad). And you know? It totally worked. I super enjoyed my trip to the United States of America, mainly the joining of Mr. & Mrs. Michael Ferrin.

I would like to say that I learned my lesson and will not be returning to the United States until September 2009, BUT some people just can’t wait to get married. For the first time, published on the worldwide web, the DiBianca-Frye Wedding will be attended by this Peace Corps Volunteer, but I’m not telling you when……