Friday, October 28, 2011

Life in San Jose, Costa Rica



I loved my site in Quebrada Grande de Nandayure as an RCD volunteer, but that didn’t stop me from whining about sliding down the mud roads in winter, having a pulperia as the only public business within miles, no hot water, a general lack of social activity, a (maybe) twice a week 5am bus out, and probably much more.

I yearned for the city life… sidewalks and gym memberships, multi-cultural cuisine and a reliable, constant bus service, hot water and a real washing machine. I knew by mid-service training I wanted to live in a capital city while remaining in a foreign country. I wanted the hustle and bustle, the routine, the full schedule. And here I am now, basking in the luxuries of the city since June of this year, living the city life and the office life as a PCVL, and truly enjoying the aforementioned perks. Yet, despite all my whining in those final months in the campo, and all the energy I exuded in excitement to be exactly where I am now, I miss Quebrada Grande more than ever.

Sure, now I have internet 24-7 and a slew of restaurants to choose from on any given night. There are dance clubs and theater productions, races and more. But what importance do these things have when you’re an outsider, never quite able to get in? More so here than in a small community, one is not given the chance to disprove the stereotypes attached to gringas. Every day I see new faces and I try to greet with the friendliness that worked so well for me in the campo. But I am mainly met with surprise and distrust, and there is never the time nor the opportunity to prove I am a normal human being with a healthy respect and knowledge of Tico culture, not some rich foreigner here on tour or retired.

I hate to sound too depressed and negative. The truth is I still need more time to adjust to the cultural shock of campo to city. I am reminded of my PST more than two years ago when Delia and Maru spoke to us in depth about cultural adjustment. The honeymoon phase, the crisis phase, the recovery phase, the adjustment phase, and then the repetition of it all in some ways. And it occurred to me that I never really experienced that in my site… at least not to a large extent. I definitely had a lot to get used to in a rural farming town of 152 people who have low education levels, practice Catholicism strongly, and live within the machismo that defines Guanacaste in many ways. But after only a month or so in Quebrada Grande the long, silent stares full of curiosity and consternation were replaced by friendly greetings and invitations to cafecitos and baby showers. Of course, this didn’t happen with every single person and it didn’t happen overnight. It took work to visit homes, attend groups and meetings (both formal and informal), put on a solidly happy face every day and walk around getting to know people for real in those first few months. But once that was established, the adjustment and acceptance I felt came easily. And the last year and a half of service were pretty much smooth sailing, especially in terms of friendships and social acceptance. So I didn’t much think about the training with the little chart of culture shock and “feelings”… until now.

Now, instead of long cafecitos on quiet porches chatting about the recent gossip and news, I read Facebook updates and click ‘like’ to the status of friends. Instead of strolling up to wide open homes and calling out hoopay, I briskly stride past endless iron gates and closed doors, my ears and eyes alert to any possibly approaching thieves. Instead of chilling out at a neighbor’s to watch the game or sing karaoke until late at night, I try to be home before dark and lock behind me the two iron gates and heavy wooden door that protect my apartment.

I feel lonelier among thousands than I did among little more than a hundred. But I am not alone in this according to the American Sociological Review: “Loneliness frequently occurs in heavily populated cities where people feel utterly alone and cut off, even when surrounded by millions of other people, experiencing a loss of identifiable community in an anonymous crowd. It is unclear whether loneliness is a condition aggravated by high population density itself, or simply part of the human condition brought on by this social setting. While loneliness also occurs in societies with much smaller populations, the sheer number of people that one comes into contact with daily in a city, even if only briefly, may raise barriers to actually interacting more deeply with them, and thereby increase the feeling of being cut off and alone. Quantity of contact does not translate into quality of contact.”

Add this to the transition from an intimate community setting where we have been trained as PCVs to become a part of the social network of the community, mixing work, personal, social and free time all into one. And add another sucker punch for being a giant macha gringa in a Latino city society. It’s amazing how having a small community of people know you personally makes you forget your physical differences. Here in the Chepe I am strikingly aware of the physical differences that separate me from Ticos. It is pointed out to me every day.

But in the end I know this is what I signed up for. I was naïve to not consider these factors and expect an easy transition. It may not be the reverse culture shock of going back to the States, but it is still a shockingly new experience that will take time for adjustment and acceptance.

The contrast and recognition also leads me to cherish more the time I had in Quebrada Grande. I can’t go back and extend there a third year there… that might make Austin a little upset. But I can learn from the experience to treasure the positives of my current state, no matter where I am. I’m working on that right now.
I’m also continuing to play soccer on a women 5v5 team about once a week. And I spend a lot of time at the gym. It has become a bit a social scene for me as I no longer have the pulperia or town meeting hall I had back in Quebrada.

During the month of October I signed up for four different 10k cancer awareness races. I enjoyed the experience and the unity of the events. I plan to take part in more charity runs in the upcoming months. I also took a leap of faith- literally- and went bungee jumping with a group of volunteers after a recent training. It was quite possibly the scariest and most thrilling thing I have ever done.

I really enjoy my job as the PCVL of the TEFL project. The people I work with are amazing and I truly enjoy being a resource and liaison for volunteers in the field. In February we will receive a group of 20 new TEFL volunteers and impart on the 3 month journey of PST. It will be crazy busy, but very rewarding.
I plan to spend my 26th birthday and Christmas in Quebrada Grande. The weather will be perfect for beach trips, river swims and mountain hikes. I am also excitedly awaiting a visit form my mom in November. This time she’ll get to see my city life.

2 comments:

  1. Hola!! I'm CostaRican and I liked your post...it's true, I love several little places outside San Jose, where I live. But we have some spots here in the city that you can enjoy as well...hope that with time you get to know them well :D Bienvenida!

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is a wonderful article, Given so much info in it, These type of articles keeps the users interest in the website, and keep on sharing more ... good luck. lexus dealer san jose

    ReplyDelete