tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37802970723088971212024-03-13T11:07:25.132-07:00Peace Corps Costa Rica According to KristenRural Community Development in Costa Rica March 2009- May 2011, Teaching English as a Foreign Language Volunteer Leader June 2011- December 2012Kristen Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230756398426010899noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780297072308897121.post-74491682224568546522012-08-31T16:09:00.000-07:002012-08-31T16:23:05.525-07:00Life has a way of messing up your plans. How rude, seriously. About 4 and a half weeks ago I was playing futbol cinco (indoor soccer) with my normal weekly group of guys. We’re made up of Ticos, Americans and a myriad of European dudes. I had come to truly love my weekly matches with these guys. Always competitive, aggressive, and super fun. That’s what soccer is all about to me. Near the end of the hour I was going full on for a header to goal. If I made this goal it would take us out of the tie and potentially win the game. Expecting the force and passion I always bring to the field, the goalie came out to block me and that’s when the agonizing pain blurs my memory. Basically I was slide-tackled unintentionally, the force of the blow impacting the outside of my knee and bending it inward, tearing my ACL severely. I knew it was serious immediately. I could not put any weight on my leg and my knee swelled right away. Despite words of wisdom from my fellow players telling me to shake it off and grab a beer, I called the Peace Corps medical duty phone and was advised to go to the ER. The goalie, feeling badly about the whole thing, drove me to the ER with my roommate Anna where I was poked and prodded, given an MRI, and wheeled around Clinica Biblica (quite fun, but be careful letting Anna drive a wheelchair!). The weeks that followed included a litany of appointments, procedures, policies and paperwork. And now it is official that I will be medically separated from the Peace Corps- ending my service early- to my home of record to undergo surgery and subsequent treatment.
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As I complete my chapter on Peace Corps Costa Rica, a whole lot of brilliant new people open to the first page of theirs. I had the honor of attending the swear-in ceremony for Tico 24. It was the third swear in ceremony I have attended, including my own in May, 2009 and that of my pollitos, Tico 23, earlier this year. As I witnessed the familiar giddiness and anticipation on the bright faces of the newest volunteer group of PCCR, I reflected on my own service of the past 3 years. My two years as an RCD volunteer in the beautiful mountain community of Quebrada Grande, Guanacaste and the past year as the TEFL PCVL in San Jose. For all intents and purposes, I have completed my commitment and my work as a Peace Corps volunteer here. And I know that on my originally scheduled COS date in December I would have faced a torrent of emotions and feelings of loss the same as I am now.<br />
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But all this doesn't make me feel any more ready.
The abruptness and lack of finality in my work pains me almost as much as not being able to say goodbye properly to so many people. I had a lot of plans packed into these last few months in Costa Rica, but I guess Dios no quiere. I can't imagine living anywhere other than Costa Rica. I can't fathom life without piropos, tropical down pours, kumbya, and gallo pinto. But I suppose these were things I would have had to face eventually anyway.
So, on August 28th, 2012, I hit the PCCR gong to signify the end of my service, and received my completion of service certificate.
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I recently went through my blogs and read the first couple I wrote regarding my Peace Corps experience. I wrote them in January and February 2009 as I anxiously awaited my departure for staging in DC on March 10th and Costa Rica on March 10th. My excitement and trepidation pours from the words, as does my organized, planner, type-A personality. That was back when I was even more type-A, not yet having had the three years experience in flexibility. In one of these blogs I made a list entitled, “Things I will miss while I am in Central America.” They included all my New Mexico favorites, family, friends, sports teams, gym, technology, etc.<br />
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So now I’d like to make a tribute to Costa Rica and all the things I will miss dearly about the place that truly became my home.<br />
1. Futbol<br />
a. Futbol Cinco<br />
b. Futbol Cancha Grande<br />
c. The way in which futbol is practically a religion in CR<br />
2. Palm trees and tropical flowers<br />
3. White sand beaches and sunsets<br />
4. Cheering for Liga, booing Saprissa<br />
5. My host family in Quebrada Grande, La Familia Rojas Carranza and my second mothers Isabel and Carmen<br />
6. Combate<br />
7. Novelas<br />
8. Gallo pinto<br />
9. Hikes in the jungle and camping on the beach<br />
10. Tico culture<br />
a. Respect and care for family and the elderly<br />
b. Patience, Pura Vida, and Tico time<br />
c. Quality time being valued over commercialism and excessive gift-giving<br />
11. Fellow PCVs<br />
12. PCCR office staff<br />
13. CR Holidays and rituals such as the Dia de Los Angeles pilgrimage to Cartago<br />
14. Living abroad and experiencing something new everyday<br />
15. Speaking and improving my Spanish<br />
16. Living in Apartamentos America with my awesome roomies Dina, then Anna, and neighbor Amber<br />
17. The TEFL team<br />
18. Working and living for the United States Peace Corps, an organization I truly love and believe in<br />
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Back in the States I await surgery and physical therapy while living with my mom in Oklahoma City. This is not the end to my Peace Corps service I pictured or planned. But it’s the one that happened and the one I will embrace out of necessity, while remembering and cherishing my time, accomplishments and experience in Peace Corps Costa Rica.<br />
Phone: 505-270-2724<br />
Address until January:
4717 NW 57th St.
Oklahoma City, OK 73122
Kristen Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230756398426010899noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780297072308897121.post-89577009087764313772012-06-23T14:47:00.001-07:002012-06-23T14:53:40.716-07:00Travels and more travelsIt’s been ages since my last blog. It’s a mix of being busy and being lazy I suppose. Things have slowed down a bit now that the new group of volunteers- Tico 23 TEFL- have completed training, sworn in as official volunteers, and are in their 2-year sites. It was an amazing experience to go through with them as their volunteer leader. I enjoy volunteer support and I have truly enjoyed getting to know each of my “pollitos.”
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Now that they are in their sites I am available to them remotely through email and phone. I try to stay up to date as much as possible on how their new lives are going. It’s a huge change for them, and the first 6 months in country (three in training, and first three in site) are both challenging and important. But these kiddos are all amazing people with an incredibly diverse list of skills and assets they have brought to Costa Rica. They are spread throughout the country now, sharing their energy and talents with Costa Ricans in the banana country of Limon, the high mountains of Los Santos, the heat of the deep southern region, and the dry beaches of Guanacaste. I had the good fortune of being able to travel with staff to the majority of these locations and aid in identifying host families for these volunteers while also seeing the diversity of each site and region. I can now honestly say that I know more and have seen more in the country of Costa Rica than in my own USA.
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Prior to the arrival of Tico 23 I took advantage of a group trip to National Park Corcovado in the very southern peninsula of Osa. It was a backpacking experience of a lifetime. A large chunk of the Osa Peninsula is protected through and through to preserve the lush, natural rain forest. It is simply full of plants and animals that are normally sought out in vain by a typical tourist in Costa Rica. My favorite take-away was the Toucan I saw at eye-level. It seemed like it was pulled right off the Fruit Loops box! The hike was strenuous too though. The heat and humidity are intense and it takes a good 6 hours to get to the camp in the middle of the park where the most wildlife can be seen. Part of the hike out is on the beach too, which was beautiful and challenging. Overall, it was an experience I’ll never forget.
In May I took a quick trip home to watch my quasi-brother Greg Arias graduate with a chemical engineering degree from New Mexico Tech. The kid is a genius and has worked hard. I wouldn’t have missed that moment for the world. I took advantage of the time in the USA to visit the parents, both sets of grandparents, the godparents, and a couple aunts. I spent time in both New Mexico and Colorado and was able to meet up with a beloved high school friend, Ashley Dunn to reminisce about the high school years that now seem so long ago. Soon after the trip, my godparents Charlie and Barb along with their two sons Greg and Jeremiah joined my in Costa Rica for a week-long trip. I rushed them around but was able to show them my city life in San Jose as well as the life I led before in the mountains of Guanacaste. I had a blast hosting them.
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Last week I took a trip to Isla Chira with my good friend and neighbor Amber Featherstone. It’s a small island on the inner side of the Nicoyan Peninsula and I’ve actually been there before since it’s not too far from where I lived in Guanacaste. The fun part of the trip was visiting my Tico 23 buddy Whitney Martinez. Her site assignment is two schools on Isla Chira. It was amazing to visit her and see how happy and successful she is in her new home and place of work.
Next week I fly off to Colombia with good friend and roommate Dina Navar. This will be her week-long going away party because she heads off to the USA for good in July. I am sad to see her go, but know she is ready to move on. RCD Tico 20 volunteer Anna Baker will move in with me and be my new roomie until I leave in December. I look forward to fun times with her.
I’ve had some ups and downs in personal life and have found it difficult to stay positive at times. I’ve realized I’m very intense… in everything really. I am passionate and sensitive, and when I fall (be it in love or simply flat on my face), I fall hard. I take things too personally and I don’t let things go that I should. And I become disappointed at any rejection, even if it’s not intended as a rejection. But as usual, the beautiful and talented Alanis Morissette describes my feelings far better than I can articulate:
Song title: "So Unsexy".
Oh these little rejections how they add up quickly,
One small sideways look and I feel so ungood,
Somewhere along the way I think I gave you the power to make,
Me feel the way I thought only my father could.
Oh these little rejections how they seem so real to me,
One forgotten birthday I'm all but cooked,
How these little abandonments seem to sting so easily,
I'm 13 again am I 13 for good?
I can feel so unsexy for someone so beautiful,
So unloved for someone so fine,
I can feel so boring for someone so interesting,
So ignorant for someone of sound mind.
Oh these little protections how they fail to serve me,
One forgotten phone call and I'm deflated,
Oh these little defenses how they fail to comfort me,
Your hand pulling away and I'm devastated.
When will you stop leaving baby?
When will I stop deserting baby?
When will I start staying with myself?
Oh these little projections how they keep springing from me,
I jump my ship as I take it personally,
Oh these little rejections how they disappear quickly,
The moment I decide not to abandon me.Kristen Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230756398426010899noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780297072308897121.post-87311089286484988562012-01-29T15:05:00.000-08:002012-02-06T18:16:46.407-08:00Still Struttin' in the City<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgneJ8buf10Z65Ix9FTJUqVXh4Hc3Y-2yTg3zGLSgtnBLCwl3Wqahb8hhqdeE4PBtI87LKdEK5cMqKWGqdX_-TqCvDS-ib7yEDdPtlv4xnloJwNDKeZ2KJQrwOS56GMHcwFCxu1RYk01g8/s1600/IMG_0193.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgneJ8buf10Z65Ix9FTJUqVXh4Hc3Y-2yTg3zGLSgtnBLCwl3Wqahb8hhqdeE4PBtI87LKdEK5cMqKWGqdX_-TqCvDS-ib7yEDdPtlv4xnloJwNDKeZ2KJQrwOS56GMHcwFCxu1RYk01g8/s320/IMG_0193.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706211845066337650" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFhX3ddCzdkJSZSKrUCPb3p5NgVHSVgGeFqnhOJVOruIyHyh4gtu6Hs9_6EV6iT5WMAUNdpTaryeW9eD4LJh4IOVSMlq-nwaBpjwicRaDijdZrE3CkiYuOmaM6wxyahtqn5_wBT_vKeLE/s1600/IMG_0709.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFhX3ddCzdkJSZSKrUCPb3p5NgVHSVgGeFqnhOJVOruIyHyh4gtu6Hs9_6EV6iT5WMAUNdpTaryeW9eD4LJh4IOVSMlq-nwaBpjwicRaDijdZrE3CkiYuOmaM6wxyahtqn5_wBT_vKeLE/s320/IMG_0709.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703195708302993234" /></a><br />I closed out 2011 with a wonderful visit to my old Rural Community Development site, Quebrada Grande, Guanacaste. The two week trip was filled with birthdays, Christmas parties, and a new year’s hike to the beach with fellow volunteers. A community member turned 80 years old while I was there and the entire town came together for music, dancing, singing and general celebration. It was also wonderful to see how well Austin, the new Peace Corps volunteer in Quebrada is doing. He loves the town and the community loves him as well. He just moved out of the host family stay and is now renting his own home in town. At the end of my two week stay I headed down the mountain to Playa San Miguel, my favorite beach in Costa Rica with a group of about 10 volunteers from Austin’s group (Tico 22 that arrived in March of 2011). We kicked off the New Year with a giant bonfire on the beach and a rocket firecracker. It was great for me to get to know a different group of volunteers. <br /><br />Since my last blog entry my life has mainly revolved around work. I did conquer Chirripo, the highest mountain in Costa Rica with some fellow volunteers. We did it over Thanksgiving, drinking wine out of a box and eating sliced pre-packaged turkey to celebrate the holiday. The trip was just as brutal as expected and we hiked much of the mountain (both up and down) in the rain. But it was a truly memorable experience.<br /><br />As for work, I keep very busy. So many projects and support for current volunteers, and so much coordination and planning in preparation for the new group of 22 TEFL volunteers due to arrive in February. I am so excited for their arrival. Our project team is super busy planning the trainings and most importantly locating the sites in which these future volunteers will work. Locations we have identified are spread throughout the country, from border to border and coast to coast. I have the amazing opportunity to join my program manager on three of the site visit trips in the coming months. One of these trips delves into the indigenous reserve of Talamanca where we have a few sites for some very determined and committed future volunteers. I am so excited to see parts of the country I have never seen while representing Peace Corps and informing local communities of the TEFL project and its purpose. <br /><br />I love working with volunteers as a support system, resource, and listening ear. I love working on a project team with two of the most fun and down to earth guys I know; one Costa Rican, one American. I love working in a bilingual office and improving my Spanish skills every day. I love working for the Peace Corps and truly believing in its goals and its work in Costa Rican communities. And with this passion in mind I have decided to stay in Costa Rica an extra six months beyond my originally extended close of service date in June of 2011. My program manager asked me to apply for the extension as there will be no TEFL volunteer available to take over the leadership position until December of 2012, the date when the current TEFL volunteers complete their two years of service. So if the application is approved, I will remain in Costa Rica until next December and continue my work with the TEFL project of Peace Corps Costa Rica. I again feel the excitement of the opportunity to stay longer in Latin America. More travel opportunities, more time to perfect my Spanish, and more time to narrow down my next steps. <br /><br />I also continue my work with the counterpart organization Costa Rica Multilingue. Working with this foundation and the amazing people who form it has been an incredible experience. I have been the guest at many events, met incredible people and been a key player in the planning of many projects and activities. In April we are planning a 5/10k race to benefit the foundation and express a social campaign message of the importance of multilinguism in education. <br /><br />I have also joined a women’s club here. It is called the Women’s Professional Network, a facet of the Women’s Club of Costa Rica. The club is very active in education in Costa Rica and is formed by a variety of incredible women from all over the world now living in Costa Rica. I am on the planning committee for an upcoming event in April at which we will host guest speaker Gloria Feldt, a feminist and women’s rights activist from the US. She is a pretty big deal and I am excited to be a part of the project. <br /><br />Next week I embark on one of the final top sites of Costa Rica on my list to see; Corcovado National Park on the Osa Peninsula. It is said to have an incredible abundance of wildlife and is one of the most well-protected national parks in the world. You must hike in at one side of the park and then trek through the jungle and beaches to the other side. It takes a couple days to complete the journey. Unlike the freezing cold of Chirripo Mountain, Corcovado is sure to hot and humid. <br />My new official close of Peace Corps service date is December 21st, 2012, which also happens to be my 27th birthday and quite possibly the end of the world according to the Mayan calendar. So, we’ll see what happens!Kristen Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230756398426010899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780297072308897121.post-52051537821361455522011-10-28T12:46:00.000-07:002011-10-28T13:32:58.373-07:00Life in San Jose, Costa Rica<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhmDgDPczzZGnnd0iIf9w9CPICk7JOD8ZePGqdhn8r_i9GIyrCmfNgmP5VYUxINbHgBlLTt0l-kZadm_VOmhVLNN7koOgkFD2uXcI7P28VJM-Qo_jc-pW3rurR94mYwLR1hqJw-6xL61k/s1600/bungee.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhmDgDPczzZGnnd0iIf9w9CPICk7JOD8ZePGqdhn8r_i9GIyrCmfNgmP5VYUxINbHgBlLTt0l-kZadm_VOmhVLNN7koOgkFD2uXcI7P28VJM-Qo_jc-pW3rurR94mYwLR1hqJw-6xL61k/s400/bungee.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668643730323505778" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFrAzIZnH9jdlk8g5fKL8iya5OYbBxADV8It0ETuKksMZXLb8J4vmzNtWrt4ctDUbChlA_NfqleEirtc08QMdmJ3ofr4tGmhwncSfV7J89EqlcXmPb-i42QTMrofQUyZM0NUqPtOXOnc4/s1600/corre.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 180px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFrAzIZnH9jdlk8g5fKL8iya5OYbBxADV8It0ETuKksMZXLb8J4vmzNtWrt4ctDUbChlA_NfqleEirtc08QMdmJ3ofr4tGmhwncSfV7J89EqlcXmPb-i42QTMrofQUyZM0NUqPtOXOnc4/s320/corre.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668633998898933090" /></a><br />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. <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.”<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.<br />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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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. <br />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.Kristen Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230756398426010899noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780297072308897121.post-52003881323047004142011-09-13T18:38:00.000-07:002011-10-28T12:53:23.305-07:00Happy 50th Anniversary Peace Corps!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnqrnkABft2Otyco1LH1sAGmyXpS90IgByfpONImYCtMi26WhWpTyqIzWR03Lqhd_s_fYU5VRZFkIKrUw2wQxf8sh-fV6ShmsxaP_0Q3lCA70eceoFcW79vVvsa6vs5Wh7jG-fPkexs-Q/s1600/kennedy.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnqrnkABft2Otyco1LH1sAGmyXpS90IgByfpONImYCtMi26WhWpTyqIzWR03Lqhd_s_fYU5VRZFkIKrUw2wQxf8sh-fV6ShmsxaP_0Q3lCA70eceoFcW79vVvsa6vs5Wh7jG-fPkexs-Q/s320/kennedy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668633536961555682" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-po0TKKfuVLMhYogMiEAeeNMuD8k2MfjwulTaRcwCl5JtQt0kO1fByFOXLAd2EeOWMPjjPFP19X-NScvr8uqHdu5YUqkedTz72ogeBQq9oH5iqHi0NvCDemCRirkgfeZdhjO9ANsdHI/s1600/IMG_9099.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-po0TKKfuVLMhYogMiEAeeNMuD8k2MfjwulTaRcwCl5JtQt0kO1fByFOXLAd2EeOWMPjjPFP19X-NScvr8uqHdu5YUqkedTz72ogeBQq9oH5iqHi0NvCDemCRirkgfeZdhjO9ANsdHI/s320/IMG_9099.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652028942361436530" /></a><br />I am now fully integrated into city life once again. I have joined a gym down the street from my apartment and I’ve found a local women’s indoor soccer team that plays once or twice a week at a really nice indoor facility in a suburb of San Jose. Office life is great too. I truly appreciate a bit of a routine and enjoy my position as a volunteer leader. I try to stay in touch with the 20 TEFL volunteers to help them with anything they need in their sites, offer them support and resources, and act as a messenger between them and the office when necessary. We are also working diligently to plan for the next incoming group of volunteers which will take place in February. We will receive 20 new TEFL volunteers and we must not only find the sites in which they will work but also plan their 3 month pre-service training. I enjoy working on site development and narrowing down the goals and objectives of the TEFL project in Peace Corps Costa Rica. It is strange to think that there are 20 idealistic and excited people awaiting a letter of invitation to Peace Corps Costa Rica just as I did almost 3 years ago. It was in December of 2008 when I finally (or at least I felt like it was finally) received a formal invitation to be a rural community development volunteer in Costa Rica starting in March of 2009. And now here I am on the other side, feeling rushed to welcome 20 new members of our Peace Corps community. <br /><br />My other work consists of my counterpart organization Costa Rica Multilingue, located in the President’s House in another area of San Jose. My major work with them involves expanding a grassroots project called Community Conversations. The idea of this initiative is to match native speakers of English (or other foreign languages) who live in Costa Rica, with local Costa Ricans who wish to improve their basic or intermediate level English through conversations. So basically I have been trying to do a lot of networking and media exposure for the project in order to connect people to form these groups. I have given presentations to several ex pat groups in attempts to find volunteers to participate in the project and it is moving along well. At CR Multilingue I also do translating work and fundraising research as the organization is non-profit even though it is governmental. <br /><br />I spent a month in the USA in June and July and enjoyed an amazing family reunion and Fourth of July party. I was able to catch up with friends and family in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Rye, Colorado and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. I actually drove from New Mexico to Oklahoma, and had a blast although it took some getting used to after two years not being behind the wheel. I also played a whole lot of tennis! It came back fast after a couple rusty hitting sessions, but I still have the knack and the passion. Hopefully it will come back again after my year long extension. <br />In mid-July I said farewell to North America and began my new life in the capital city of Costa Rica. Dina and I quickly made routines for ourselves and found we live very well together. We do all our fresh food and produce shopping every Saturday morning at the local farmer’s market where every fruit imaginable can be found. I go to the gym in early AM during the week and have discovered my new favorite workout (not including sports of course); Spinning. I am even considering buying the little clip bike shoes. I borrowed a friend’s mountain bike one weekend and went for a nice ride as well. <br /><br />With the full work load I haven’t had many opportunities to take advantage of the easy transportation for travel from San Jose. But I was able to sign up with Dina and some other PC friends for a US Embassy trip to Tortuguero National Park. This was a National Geographic paradise. The boat tours revealed a wide variety of animal life, including many beautiful birds. And of course, we saw the turtles. We went during nesting season and were able to see the giant sea turtles laying eggs on the beach. They heave themselves up the sand, dig a giant hole and drop around 75 eggs in the hole before filling it with sand. Then they pull themselves back down into the water and never look back. It’s a very fend for yourself life for turtles. The experience was surreal. I stood within feet of the mother turtle as she went about her business with no care about my presence at all. <br /><br />I also took a weekend in early September to go back to the place I called home for two years. Quebrada Grande hadn’t changed much from when I left, but I also saw a great impact from Austin’s work there now. He has developed and expanded the computer center to the point where nearly all the community kids have been adding me as friends on Facebook. And he has picked up right where I left off in teaching English in the school and to community members. After visiting with many community members during my visit I think it’s safe to say they are all very happy with their new Peace Corps volunteer. <br /><br />It was of course bittersweet to me as there were things I miss. I took a few of my favorite hikes and enjoyed the calm quiet air and the views of the ocean from the mountain tops. I strolled from house to house where I was offered local coffee and was given all the gossip updates. And my dog (who I guess is no longer mine) greeted me as if I had never left and followed me around the entire weekend up until I boarded the 4:45am bus to come back to San Jose on Monday. I do indeed miss having an animal companion, but city life in an apartment just isn’t conducive. <br />This month and year marks the 50thanniversary of Peace Corps around the world. Washington DC will be alive with Peace Corps returned volunteers, advocates and supporters starting Sept. 20th. And here in Costa Rica we will be hosting a photo exhibit and party entitled “Costa Rica through the Eyes of Volunteers” where winning photos from volunteers will be displayed. <br /><br />I am definitely proud to be a Peace Corps volunteer and I am proud of this organization’s work throughout the world. I will keep you all updated on my city Peace Corps life. But so far, so good!Kristen Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230756398426010899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780297072308897121.post-59475687664349476322011-06-02T19:53:00.000-07:002011-06-02T20:19:44.219-07:00Starting my new Peace Corps era<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWqyVDd9JQfgvTbhqVFfkPIMCyymRpiADRBrTdlu-7H4KASRrx4gNutmLV1E8hBj2GhOLGYz2Iy657kcFPsHs7E-7lNQnUGBuA7xtP18PfE2SlS2O8zI3PHuV_N0E3VPFLEdsojtrgOFo/s1600/IMG_7795.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWqyVDd9JQfgvTbhqVFfkPIMCyymRpiADRBrTdlu-7H4KASRrx4gNutmLV1E8hBj2GhOLGYz2Iy657kcFPsHs7E-7lNQnUGBuA7xtP18PfE2SlS2O8zI3PHuV_N0E3VPFLEdsojtrgOFo/s320/IMG_7795.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613822120633832690" /></a><br />Here it is June already and as most of my friends and family know, I have received the job as Peace Corps Volunteer Leader in San Jose for the Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) project. It is a year extension during which I will assist the TEFL program staff, office tasks and administration, and most importantly, the volunteers in Peace Corps Costa Rica. Currently I am in training with 4 other peers who represent the projects Rural Community Development (Dina, also my roommate), Community Economic Development (Theresa), Children, Youth and Family (Morgan) and Environmental Initiative (Kyle). We are all settling into our new lives in the city with relative ease. Those of us who have come from drastically rural sites have embraced the hot water and lack of bugs and mud. But I know I will also miss the small town feel of Quebrada Grande and its community members. I’ve traded in my easy going tranquilo lifestyle for the world of office work and a 9-5 desk job. But the work is still rewarding and interesting. Twenty-five percent of my time will be dedicated to an outside organization such as an NGO or other non-profit that shares goals with my project. Each volunteer must foster a relationship with such an organization and dedicate time to working with them and for them. My organization is called Costa Rica Multilingue (http://www.crmultilingue.org/) , an organization that strives to create a higher level of English fluency in Costa Rican citizens in order to create job opportunities. The Peace Corps TEFL project is completely in line with the goals of this organization and this is why they will become my counterpart work. I will also assist with trainings and volunteer support issues when necessary. The current TEFL group is about to reach their mid service point, which will indicate a necessary training, and then a new TEFL group (Tico 23) will arrive in February.<br /> <br />I have moved into a 2 bedroom apartment with fellow PCVL Dina that is located only yards away from the Peace Corps office building. Living in San Jose is both more costly and dangerous than living in the rural areas of Costa Rica, but I feel mine and Dina’s setup is the best it could be and I’m loving the ease of constant internet and sidewalks. <br /><br />In my last months of service as an RCD volunteer in Quebrada, I packed as much in as I could. I finished the 3 month long boys youth group entitled Chicos Poderosos and we took a hike up to Los Pinos with a picnic to celebrate. I participated in a sex education youth day in Santa Cruz with fellow Guanacaste Peace Corps volunteers. We each brought 4-6 youth from our communities and with funding from the US grant money PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDs Relief) were able to give a full day of sex education sessions with a variety of formats and information. <br /><br />I participated in a large community fundraiser for the new Catholic Church in Quebrada. We held a Cabalgata, to horse show at which lots of delicious food was served while the cowboys of the area rode up on horseback to compete horse techniques and aesthetics. I wore cowboy boots and a western checkered shirt that was the “uniform” for the girls helping. <br /><br />The following weekend Priscilla and I went to the National Voces Valerosas young women’s conference in San Jose. Priscilla won a position in the VV magazine for a collage she made representing women in the work world of rural Costa Rica. <br />We then held the second annual Kids Soccer Camp. This year we won funding from a Kids to Kids Grant and were able to hold the event free to all kids in the community while also giving each an event t-shirt. The male youth again volunteered to be the leaders of the soccer sessions, teaching kids soccer techniques and participating in the games and activities. We also ended with the famous water balloon fight which inevitably gets out of hand but is far too popular to cancel. <br />In early April my sister came to visit and we spent a few days down on my favorite beach, San Miguel, which was nearly void of people. It was quiet and peaceful and more than once we had the entire beach to ourselves. I bid farewell to the American owners of the bar/restaurant, telling them that my visits would no longer be frequent. But I am sure I will return there as it has become one of my favorite places.<br /><br />Near the end of April was the Volunteer Action Committee (VAC) dinner- a very famous yearly event that falls during the time where there are the most volunteers in country. It was held right before Tico 19 volunteers began to pack their bags and fly out, and during the pre-service training of the newest group in Costa Rica, Tico 22. The VAC “dinner” always ends up turning into a wild dance party as there are so many people coupled with loud music and some delicious beverages. And for we Tico 19ers, it was our last hoorah before the majority went back to the real world of the USA. Some volunteers are extending for up to a year in their current sites, while a few of us moved to San Jose for the leadership positions. But it was definitely the last time we were all together as our unified group, and it was full of emotion. The RCD tico 19ers (17 of us) went out for a special goodbye dinner as some volunteers left in late April, and the rest left throughout the month of May. We listened to each other’s future plans consisting of immediately starting grad school, starting a new job, or just heading home and moving in with the parents until something exciting comes along. Those of us taking the PCVL positions still must say goodbye the way of life of the previous 2 years as a change from a rural environment to the hustle and bustle of the city and its busy work life is a large change even if it doesn’t consist of moving out of the country of Costa Rica. We RCD 19ers each filmed a short video clip in which we said goodbye to our peers and then our group techy Penelope made a slide show of pics from our two years of service that ended with the video clips of each. We all watched it together the night of the dinner. Tears were shed and about a million hugs were shared. <br /><br />In my last few days in site I took the long hiking trip over the mountain to the beach just because I had wanted to do it for so long. I also went to southern Costa Rica where I met up with fellow volunteer Jessica Robinson to explore San Gerardo de Rivas and the Cloud Bridge National Reserve at the base of Chirripo, the tallest mountain in Costa Rica. I completed my English classes and youth groups, and began saying farewell to my community members. I requested a replacement volunteer and Austin Slaughter of Austin Texas came to visit in early May as a possible volunteer for the site. He instantly loved it just as I did two years ago and I was instantly confident he was the perfect volunteer to continue in my place. He started on May 16th and quickly became very active with the community Association and shared with me many feasible and wonderful project ideas he has for Quebrada in his two years of service. We overlapped for about 15 days before I finally took the final leap and moved the remainder of my things out of Quebrada and to San Jose on May 30th, leaving my dog (who I will miss as much as many community members!) with Maikol and his family who agreed to adopt him.<br /><br />Before I left I was given three going away parties by different groups of people of the community. First there was the community association who had a little afternoon barbecue and presented me with a small and thoughtful plaque of recognition. Then the ladies and girls of both Quebrada and the neighboring town of Quebrada hosted a soccer game in my honor and offered me a toast over a whole lot of food they brought. And finally, the male youth of the community (who I probably feel the closest due to our almost daily contact playing soccer in the plaza and hanging out at the pulperia) told me their goodbye’s at a bar in the neighboring town of Los Angeles over lots of music and lots of beer. I danced the night away and took millions of pictures so as to never forget these once shy and quiet guys who somehow became my best friends. <br /><br />Peace Corps has been a long journey that really isn’t quite over yet. But I’ve known for a while that it is time for a change and saying goodbye is always the hardest part of starting something new and exciting.<br /><br />MY NEW OFFICIAL MAILING ADDRESS<br /><br />PCVL Kristen Woodruff<br />Cuerpo de Paz<br />Apartado Postal 1266- 1000<br />1000 San Jose, Costa RicaKristen Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230756398426010899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780297072308897121.post-85039064844803642682011-02-12T11:43:00.000-08:002011-02-17T10:15:18.788-08:00Second year coming to a close<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBp3IY8a1Xx-w4bS4ahsobLe1z2TcjjU5OQpzHcBdURkzbOxh2For8SpykiZq_cFghl3LjDgNqr9YH5GTtFe4Q7NcJlbH9iXuyjhKH0JKdqu6MEERAabEavEN1rSfnzjJVckHsYO3KKgM/s1600/Kristen%2527s+Travels-+Panama+Border.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBp3IY8a1Xx-w4bS4ahsobLe1z2TcjjU5OQpzHcBdURkzbOxh2For8SpykiZq_cFghl3LjDgNqr9YH5GTtFe4Q7NcJlbH9iXuyjhKH0JKdqu6MEERAabEavEN1rSfnzjJVckHsYO3KKgM/s200/Kristen%2527s+Travels-+Panama+Border.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574722827570487122" /></a><br />I realize I have basically failed at being a good blogster. It has been months since my last post. No excuse other than laziness really and perhaps a busy schedule. But here it is, February of 2011, only a few months away from my close of service date- May 30th is the official last day of work for my Tico 19 group. All the clichés are true about time. It feels now like it truly flew by even as I remember times that it felt like time stood still and I wasn’t getting anywhere. I think the work of Peace Corps is the only job about which one can say they are both bored and busy at the same time. It’s a strange state of mind, and an oxymoron really, but I’ve lived it first had. <br />Since writing last I have had visitors and taken a few trips of my own. In October I traveled to Panama with fellow volunteer and friend Jessica Robinson. We explored Panama City, Bocas del Toro, and the San Blas Islands. In January I met my mom in Nicaragua and we packed into public buses to make our way to the Jinotega Highlands, the capital of Managua, the artisan town of Masaya, and the architecturally grand city of Granada.<br />In November Aunt Cheri, Aunt Lauri and Cousin Suzanne flew down with new shiny passports to experience my life here in rural Costa Rica. They stayed nearly three weeks and we spent significant time down on the beach as well as hiking the trails and swimming in the river of my site. <br />The travels and visitors began as the rainy season faded away. During the months of April through October, travel is not ideal as frequent downpours make roads impassable and dangerous. During this time I continued English classes to several groups. One group finished their course in December, winning a certificate of completion. My children’s classes continue and the other organized course is due to finish right before I leave. The kids school year just began and thus second year English has begun as well. <br />We hosted a 3 day drug education course for which a Costa Rica police official stayed in our town and gave presentations to the youth of the community. The children followed along with a workbook and graduated with a certificate in the end. <br />In April of 2010 we hosted a kid’s soccer day camp that was a total success. All kids came to the soccer field for a day of soccer technique training and fun with volunteer help from community youth and parents. We will be hosting the second annual kid’s soccer day camp in late March of this year and this time, we were able to get funding for t-shirts. <br />I completed Chicas Poderosas (the girls youth group) early last year and began the young women’s group entitled Voces Valerosas. This group was comprised of similar themes regarding self-esteem, health, drug and sex education, etc. The end of this course also included a competition of the works of the young women during the course. I sent in several homeworks from my participants and one of them won a spot in the soon to be published Voces Valerosas Magazine. She and I will travel to San Jose for the young women’s conference in March which will be comprised of all winning women throughout the country and their respective Peace Corps volunteers. <br />I flew home in December for a cold and slightly snowy Christmas at the home of Aunt Julie in Omaha, Nebraska. It was very nice to see the grandparents, parents, cousins, and aunt and uncle for a traditional family Christmas and delicious food!<br />The coming of the end of the year also brought the anniversary of my birth 25 long years ago. I now carry around with me a quarter of a century worth of experience on this planet. I guess that is supposed to make me an adult. ;-)<br />Right now the future is quite uncertain. I only have plans in place until May 30th. I should soon find out if I have a third year extension job in the Peace Corps office in San Jose that would begin in July of 2011 and span until June of 2012. The position is Peace Corps Volunteer Leader and involves living and working in the capital city. Several volunteers are applying, so we will just have to wait and see. Whatever happens, my next step is sure to be an exciting one.<br /><br />a recent poem:<br /><br /><em>Untitled</em><br /><br />In my dreams I make love to a future<br /><br />To a faceless perfection that holds me tight,<br />Defends my plight,<br />Gives me intelligent insight<br /><br />That patiently accepts my passion and fire,<br />Listens with a smile as a scream my desire<br /><br />Who calms my fear and anger,<br />Tells me everything will be okay,<br />And touches me in a manner<br />That my body simply turns to clay<br /><br />Who sweats like me in the spirit of competition,<br />But can end the day with an intelligent conversation<br /><br />About religion, politics, the existence of our species,<br />Knowing when a black and white answer is simply too difficult to seize<br /><br />In my future I make love to a dream<br /><br />Because perfection is not a real possibilityKristen Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230756398426010899noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780297072308897121.post-80213121743440554892010-09-18T16:38:00.000-07:002010-09-27T16:32:56.817-07:00Still Raining<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtTbdInf8FTxVYEPefszdmaiYvDNYM1weZTZCA06j7atBOWcohgilLL5CaVz9F_3z_UX1QPRQAlRgWk8oR1-dLGjlbCdeA6pa1boa3TBYeWejL-EFSTHGXzHiApjl5kFDZYjpIICp2ZbU/s1600/IMG_5924.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtTbdInf8FTxVYEPefszdmaiYvDNYM1weZTZCA06j7atBOWcohgilLL5CaVz9F_3z_UX1QPRQAlRgWk8oR1-dLGjlbCdeA6pa1boa3TBYeWejL-EFSTHGXzHiApjl5kFDZYjpIICp2ZbU/s320/IMG_5924.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521740346487474642" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYRqhaSvGoR-1u1wJcUb6yrcwEPgsfWkGgJvtDE0RpW1QKs20qxQv2wMUpXbdQ-IAuZJr0EkvYp-E1I4XX0Fyn3Xc0Z_H5PtiREwSzpZ0jKjykoDws88VVlyTZYkYKJ1lfcB1UwsfK7nE/s1600/IMG_5475.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYRqhaSvGoR-1u1wJcUb6yrcwEPgsfWkGgJvtDE0RpW1QKs20qxQv2wMUpXbdQ-IAuZJr0EkvYp-E1I4XX0Fyn3Xc0Z_H5PtiREwSzpZ0jKjykoDws88VVlyTZYkYKJ1lfcB1UwsfK7nE/s320/IMG_5475.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521740220160939714" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm6b-g177qcCLWRsAp6h3jiG9m__EyuBFcY9GfWw2JRKH_q8sE9NxnjF1wh4lRJblJrWgX7o6pL-R1OwUy6KkvpNayefTXcZ_ft2UKF686kEh-F7mIMH7DwfeetFEA45qwseqxE6ZNfJk/s1600/IMG_5342.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm6b-g177qcCLWRsAp6h3jiG9m__EyuBFcY9GfWw2JRKH_q8sE9NxnjF1wh4lRJblJrWgX7o6pL-R1OwUy6KkvpNayefTXcZ_ft2UKF686kEh-F7mIMH7DwfeetFEA45qwseqxE6ZNfJk/s320/IMG_5342.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521739909358617794" /></a><br />Everyday holds a potential downpour, usually in the afternoon. But some days I even wake to water droplets drilling down on my tin roof. Everything is green and lush, and muddy. Vehicles slide all over on the now mud roads, and with our steep hills, that makes for a dangerous combination. This has mainly meant that I have not left my site much in the last few months. The rain is very disabling in terms of transportation, activities and events. We have hardly even been able to play soccer and the soccer field is now watery and overgrown. <br />I have cabin fever for sure. Saving up for my Panama trip coupled with the constant rain has left me house-bound with my now totally scratched up from overuse aerobics dvd and my dog for company. I still continue the basic activities that make up my work. Four English courses are in full swing. My advanced adult class will have their final test in December, followed by a party to conclude the course. The English for rural tourism class progresses nicely. It is made up of mainly older women from the Women´s Association. The beginner´s youth class we started in July is a real kick. I have a lot of teenage guys in this course who get pretty rowdy but keep things interesting. And as always my kids class twice a week continues. We celebrated the Day of Children on the 9th of September by having a movie day with popcorn and ice cream at my house. I will be losing one sixth grader to the high school when this school year ends in December. But I will also gain two new first graders. <br />The beginning of July held the famous week-long Semana Cultural event. I was raffled on to team blue, just like last year. Due to the rain this year´s week-long mini Olympics-type event was not quite as rewarding as last year. Most of the sports just became some modification of mud wrestling. But we all persevered anyway, playing our guts out in volleyball, soccer, basketball, relay races, dodge ball and more. And the more artistic participants competed in singing, drawing and dancing. After holding a first place lead all week, my team took some hard hits on the last day in the competitions of tortilla-making, tug-o-war, and wood chopping and ended with a 3rd place finish. During this week I also had the pleasure of hosting a new volunteer transfer. Ronel Perry was a volunteer for a year in Paraguay and transferred here the beginning of July. He spent 5 days with me for a shadow experience before heading off to an indigenous site southeast of San Jose. Unfortunately or fortunately depending how you look at it, Ronel was not really able to see any of the work I do because he came during the two week Costa Rican school holiday and during Semana Cultural. Basically this means he was able to experience a bunch of partying and sports rather than my daily life as a volunteer here. But Ronel said he enjoyed the stay and even enjoyed competing on a team in the week-long event.<br />We´ve started our volleyball league, but the rain often cancels the events. Still, we´ve gotten out a few times on the field and played some intense games. I like to see this sport bring together a real mix of people. We have all ages, both male and female. <br />On the 4th of September we held the inauguration of the new community youth group and their first project; a youth garden. The day went spectacularly. Every youth age 10 to 25 was invited to participate in raffles, ice breakers and lunch, and to sign up to be a part of the new community youth group. I was personally nervous for this inauguration because I really wanted to push the idea that a commitment of time and effort was necessary to be a part of this group. But I also did not want to scare them away from joining. We did some just for fun team games, but I also led some serious team building activities. We did the Bridge of Change activity in which we planned the real backbone of the group. This activity forces group members to pinpoint major group goals, the challenges faced in achieving these goals, the way to overcome challenges, and the strengths we as group members have to succeed in our goals. As small groups they came up with their personal favorites for these categories and we then narrowed it down to the ones that represent the group as a whole. A whole slew of discussions ensued regarding Tico culture. Laziness, hora Tica, non-committal, lack of motivation, and more made up a lengthy list of challenges. Then there was discussion on how to overcome these attributes that are especially used to describe youth. It was agreed that without punctuality, commitment, motivation, and a general sense of responsibility, we would never even get close to achieving the many goals we had listed which range anywhere from maintenance of the soccer field to anti-drug activities. If you don´t show up, nothing happens. <br /> In the conclusion of the event I challenged each participant to commit to being a member of the group and sign up. Eighteen out of nineteen youth signed up, committing to attend once per month meetings and be active in at least one project for the group. <br />As for future plans, English classes will continue to the end of my service in May, 2011. When the Wednesday night course ends I plan to take on the boys of the community and host Chicos Poderosos from January to March. The girls liked their girls group so much, I think the boys got jealous. The new community youth group will hold once per month meetings and hopefully begin implementing projects and event in the community. I plan to really push the youth to take over leadership positions rather than depending on me to organize everything. I am also helping a new committee of mothers that has begun planning a Christmas party for children in December. We have already held one bingo and raffle and plan to do more in October and November to have funds for a grand Christmas party. I also plan to host the second annual kids soccer camp in March of 2011. The kids were very happy with last year´s event and would like a repeat. <br />I´m going to Panama for two weeks in October with fellow volunteer Jessica Robinson of Colorado Springs, Colorado. And then I look forward to Aunt Cheri, Aunti Lauri and Cousin Susanne visiting for a few weeks in November-including the Thanksgiving holiday. I will spend December, the Christmas season, and my birthday here in my site with a palm Christmas tree, lights, other decorations, and the traditional Navidad fireworks. In January I look forward to a trip to Nicaragua with my mom. <br />As for now, I will continue awaiting the dry season and try to be thankful for this rain.Kristen Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230756398426010899noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780297072308897121.post-1025853043753629752010-08-18T09:18:00.000-07:002010-08-18T09:20:31.111-07:00Yes America, Change Can Be Made Without BombsI recently took a trip State-side to my home turf of New Mexico for a family reunion. Albuquerque, New Mexico is no metropolis and its little airport with only a few international flights to a few tourist attractions in Mexico is testament to this. Thus a passenger attempting to fly from Costa Rica to Albuquerque must make a connecting flight; the most plausible is the hub of the southwest- Houston. <br />Flying out of Liberia, Guanacaste and into Houston was relatively painless. I followed the herd of freshly bronzed American citizens returning from their week or two on the beach in some sunny country south of the American border. Many carried a few kids in tow, equally tanned and enrobed in brightly colored Hawaiian-type attire and often accessorized with “local” or native-looking jewelry that was probably made in China. When my turn finally came to step up to a window, I smiled brightly and handed over my passport. The immigration officer did not return my enthusiasm, glancing at my passport and then staring at me slightly over the allotted amount of time to not be considered creepy. But I guess whatever he saw was acceptable and he waved me through with hardly a question asked. From there it was cake transferring from Houston to Albuquerque and exiting the plane into surprisingly hot and dry desert air. My skin instantly missed Costa Rica. But I was home sweet home and despite my fears of having a mini reverse culture shock, at the end of my stay I was ready to come “home” to Costa Rica.<br />This is when my travel experience got interesting. No, don´t get too excited, I wasn’t frisked, interrogated, or tortured. More accurately I was given a new idea to chew on, debate, and broadcast. It happened in Houston; Don´t mess with Texas right? I made my easy hour and half trip from Albuquerque to Houston and then had a substantial layover of four hours in the giant beast of Houston International. Within an hour and half of flight departure I settled into a black leatherback chair in front of my American Airlines gate and filled myself in on the latest fashion, makeup, exercise and sex tips Cosmo had to offer (once an addiction, always an addiction). Shortly, all passengers of my flight were called up to the gate desk for a passport check of some sort. I shuffled my way into line behind about 20 or so others destined for Liberia, Costa Rica, my attention completely absorbed by Cosmo´s Confession stories. I only slightly remember overhearing the attendants at the front desk cheerily asking passengers for their passports and acquiring as to when they would be returning home. These were normal questions for normal vacationers, so I thought nothing of it. My turn came though and bright-eyed, big-haired Texan American Airlines attendant smiled widely at me, the American flag pin on her lapel sparkling as much as her brilliantly white teeth when she asked me in her Texas drawl, “ And when will you be comin´ home from your vacation in Costa Rica darlin´?” as she scanned my passport. I stumbled slightly over my words having thought she had already seen the giant paper stuck onto the front of my passport that clearly stated “Peace Corps Volunteer”. “Um, well, I´m a Peace Corps volunteer.” She stared at me blankly, the Texas smile never budging from her well-painted features. I began mentally preparing my speech to delve into the motto, purpose and work of a PC volunteer and the reason I wouldn´t have a return flight to the US scheduled. “So when´s your trip home honey?” she asked again, beginning to sound impatient. This time I was prepared and I filled her in on the three minute Peace Corps in a nut shell overview. By this time the smile had faded and she scanned my passport more intently as I showed her where Peace Corps volunteer was printed in a back page. She swiftly turned with the passport to a colleague a few steps behind her and I watched them begin vigorously whispering over the document, eyebrows furrowed and lips pursed. Then in one motion they both swung toward me with large, fake customer service-type smiles plastered on their faces. “Mam you have to have a return reservation for an international flight,” boomed the deep, manly voice of the new American Airlines representative. By this time I was getting impatient and heard the impatient sighs of my fellow passengers waiting in the line behind me. “Look, I won´t have a flight back to the States until at least June of 2011. I am a Peace Corps volunteer in a rural community in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. I have a visa to live in Costa Rica for two years during my service. The documentation is right here in front of you.” They both held pensive expressions, maybe trying to decide if I was some sort of international terrorist. Finally the man said, “We´ve never had a Peace Corps volunteer before.” I seriously doubted that, but whatever. “Oh,” I said, trying to conjure some more patience and a friendly attitude, “well we are volunteers for two years in another country that has specifically requested the presence of American volunteers for development help. There are volunteers in many countries around the world working to help organize, motivate and sustain the people and projects in their communities. I am working in a small Costa Rican village teaching English, hosting youth groups, motivating women´s activism, and working with community groups to fund infrastructural projects. My close of service date is in June of 2011.” I closed my statement with a satisfied smile, proud of my little speech and hoping they could see the sincerity in my words and expression. Their reaction was neither disbelief nor comprehension. Even more disappointing than non-acceptance, they both looked at me as if I was a cute little girl, with a bunch of imaginary friends and idealistic fantasies. “Well isn´t that nice dear,” the woman said as both their expressions softened and they looked down at me from their boosted position behind the desk. The man pulled my airline ticket out from the passport and gave it a scribble, verifying that I had been checked and approved. They handed me back the documents and I walked slowly back to the waiting area. Although I was happy to not be holding up the line anymore, or to be in some interrogation room, I was left with a bitter taste in my mouth.<br />About half an hour later boarding time was nearly upon us and I heard the microphone crackle to life as Big Hair Texan cheerily welcomed all passengers of American Airlines Flight such and such to begin boarding for Liberia, Costa Rica. She then proceeded with, “I would first like to invite all active US military to priority board. We would like to thank you for serving our country, defending our nation and volunteering to make America a safer, better place. Please step forward to priority board.” I may have lost some of the exact words of the statement, but assure you the sentiment and message has not been exaggerated. After a few minutes no military persons approached the desk, forcing Big Hair to begin first class boarding. I sat in my leatherback American Airlines seat waiting for my normal coach seating assignment to be called and feeling profoundly amused, but in a satirical way. I had spent a good ten minutes talking to this woman and her colleague about Peace Corps, what it is, how I am a current volunteer, and how what I do represents America, serves America, and aspired to betterment. And yet, it seems to me these people, and surely many more, look at Peace Corps as something unnecessary, something that makes no difference at all, something that´s maybe even ridiculous and wasteful, especially while we are at war (oh I´m sorry, “conflict” or whatever they call it now). Don´t get me wrong, I support our fricking troops. My heart goes out to those fighting for what they´ve been commanded to fight for, sometimes losing their lives in the process. This does not by any means signify my support of war, but you better believe I support those who risk their lives to fight for the idea of America, however they see it. <br />What is sad to me is that so many Americans have decided that violence, weapons and bombs are the only way to get things done, and so we put that type of action above anything else. We see any other type of volunteerism, action, and movement as wasteful, inefficient, and idealistic. Where did this sentiment come from? This idea that change is made with bullets and bombs, and anything else is just a waste? I know I don´t have a tough life here in Quebrada Grande, Guanacaste. I´m spoiled rotten in jungle paradise and won´t deny it to anyone. But there are PC volunteers out there- even in other parts of Costa Rica- who have given up a lot to follow a dream of making change one small step at a time. Some PC volunteers in the world have no running water or electricity. Some live hours away from clinics. Some have limited or no transportation out of where the live. Some live in below-poverty conditions. Some have only limited communication with family and friends. We all made the choice to serve our country, leave our homes, our families, the familiar comforts of life. We did it for personal reasons and we did it because we believe we can make a difference. We may not be dodging bullets, and for some, maybe that´s what it takes to earn respect as a servant of your country. But I don´t think so. <br />I am disappointed in the desk attendants at American Airlines in Houston Texas and in others who, even after being educated about what Peace Corps is, don´t respect it as something worthy of recognition. I am disappointed that more people can´t see that change through violence and destruction is usually not change at all. I am disappointed that some people can´t see Peace Corps as anything more than idealism, wasted time and a liberal political agenda. I am disappointed PC volunteers are often not treated with the respect we deserve as people who have made the choice to volunteer 2 years of our lives to the challenge of changing our world through non-violent means. I can vouch first hand, as can so many other volunteers I´m sure, that our work throughout the world proves that change can be made without bullets, conflict and violence; even if it is just through one person, group, or community at a time.Kristen Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230756398426010899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780297072308897121.post-80131908101845788402010-07-03T07:20:00.000-07:002010-07-03T07:26:04.154-07:00Here comes the Rain<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsuNU6MzI8DFbpm_gGUMs-IsfgIssTSu6JWPPo2eAwAOfwVYfjeTCfQSxZqv3ulrOAFEbQafPuU6PyI3HLIgiBaY8TN6EGvX98PwRwQJFEg6wRxF3BocKfykAQNH4weGS-HfwYhNVvO6k/s1600/IMG_5125.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsuNU6MzI8DFbpm_gGUMs-IsfgIssTSu6JWPPo2eAwAOfwVYfjeTCfQSxZqv3ulrOAFEbQafPuU6PyI3HLIgiBaY8TN6EGvX98PwRwQJFEg6wRxF3BocKfykAQNH4weGS-HfwYhNVvO6k/s320/IMG_5125.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489686144344623890" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCr5ajJ07gR-JjSs4WKQ8O-lCgctihfShws1A_LWMbg6VYFNo7Mqe7W2X0FWtNsZc_sI3kP8jI0d-sbCnSAWB5NX5qtTp7Pad-HQ2ULAoIl9tgYkVXJx_G-65nt-NnrACBzyu4FJQ35o/s1600/IMG_4835.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCr5ajJ07gR-JjSs4WKQ8O-lCgctihfShws1A_LWMbg6VYFNo7Mqe7W2X0FWtNsZc_sI3kP8jI0d-sbCnSAWB5NX5qtTp7Pad-HQ2ULAoIl9tgYkVXJx_G-65nt-NnrACBzyu4FJQ35o/s320/IMG_4835.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489685680903250610" /></a><br />When I arrived in my site one year ago everyone here told me it was a very dry winter and I basked in hot sun and outdoor activities. This year is a stark contrast with the now heavy daily rains, thick cloud cover and constant dampness. But the rain is a blessing for the farmers as crops flourish and everything turns a deep green.<br />Before the rains were in full force I was able to hold a kids soccer camp in April. Nearly all the kids of the community signed up to participate in a day of soccer techniques and pointers from some of the best soccer players in our town. They taught them how to use the head and chest, control passes, shoot on goal, and be goalie. The day was interspersed with other games, races, and activities, along with a healthy lunch and snacks. A fellow Guanacaste volunteer Kathryn came to help me run the event and it was a total success.<br />The annual VAC dinner took place in April as well. It was a dinner party that bid farewell to Tico 18, greetings to Tico 20, and keep up the good work to Tico 19. We danced the night a way to a local Costa Rican band that sings American songs. There was even Alanis! I remember clearly this dinner the year before when I was the newbie, shuffling around uncertainly amongst a crowd of people who obviously knew each other well and had been through a lot together. Now I was the confident one, ready to welcome the new faces into a totally different way of life. <br />The end of May brought a new neighbor to me. Community Economic Development Tico 20 volunteer Elena will be serving for the next two years in Los Angeles, only an hour walk away. She is incredibly artistic, with a talent for art and photography and I´m very happy to have a fellow PCV nearby!<br />English classes continue at full force. I will soon have four different courses going. I continue to teach in the school to the kids two days a week and my adult group is nearly done with the level one book. I will soon start another adult beginner class with a different book and program. Also I will be teaching an English for tourism course to the women´s group. <br />Women´s soccer is also progressing in my site. We are working to get new uniforms and we have hosted several games in our town. Some of us also recently participated in Poppy Futbol in Los Angeles and placed third in the most recent tournament. <br />I went home for a week in May for a family reunion n Colorado. It was great to see all the family in one place after being away over a year. We camped in the mountains in Rye and my only culture shock adjustment was in the airport trying to remember to use dollars instead of colones and rejoicing in the fact that toilet paper can be flushed down the toilets.<br />I came back just in time for Peace Corps mid service training at which we had parasite tests, dentist appointments, and extra training to get us motivated for our second year of service. I gave a presentation to my peers about working with women and sports in the community. Before heading back to our sites some of us went rafting at the Pacuare River in Turrialba. It was the same river I rafted with Mom, Mark and Jamie in 2006 when we were here. The rapids were amazing. One of the boats in our group flipped, but everyone in it said it was a rush, and no one was hurt. <br />For Father´s day we held an activity in the school for the kids to give presentations and play games with their dad´s. We played some fun ice breakers and the dads watched poetry, plays, and songs presented by their kids. <br />I have plans to visit Panama with my fellow PCV Jessica in October and then I look forward to some family visitors in November and December, along with a trip to Nicaragua with my mom. Time is flying by and I feel like there is still so much I want to do in terms of both personal travel and work projects. In the grand scheme of things, two years is just a little blip on the screen.Kristen Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230756398426010899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780297072308897121.post-9898981760905661852010-03-29T11:40:00.000-07:002010-04-07T10:15:39.383-07:00Still Sizzling in Costa Rica<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdLwdzbHl4cIoJbfrzHWvAjT3mwIWJm1RJbX70OteBcP2m8aCDzUIkuHINY3EiIysKaARlTo4ZCdefDWksTzIVrX-_L5W1NImWeLeM3PdhSn77s6dkPJ-r9av1wrrLqYWBq3IkVyuoYr8/s1600/tati.bmp"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdLwdzbHl4cIoJbfrzHWvAjT3mwIWJm1RJbX70OteBcP2m8aCDzUIkuHINY3EiIysKaARlTo4ZCdefDWksTzIVrX-_L5W1NImWeLeM3PdhSn77s6dkPJ-r9av1wrrLqYWBq3IkVyuoYr8/s320/tati.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457445297674972034" /></a><br />Even though I´m in Costa Rica, I still feel the intensity and miss the excitement of football in February. I am not alone I found, and a sizeable group of Peace Corps volunteers decided to meet in San Jose on Superbowl Sunday for a little flag football in central park followed by watching the game and eating giant American style burgers and fries at one of the few “American” bar and restaurants in Costa Rica. It was a blast. Here we were, a group of about 20 gringos in the middle of rows and rows of soccer fields where curious Tico bystanders stopped their soccer dribbling to stare at this weird sport where you touch the ball with your hands. We had little orange cones set up as the end zones and were strapped up with belts and flags; devices I´m sure are rarely seen here. We played for a good 2 and a half hours, occasionally having to stop and kick a runaway soccer ball out of our small patch of land. Then we headed to the bar and I joined the group of New Orleans fans hoot and holler for the Saint´s while enjoying for the first time in nearly ayear real tomato ketchup instead of the sugary tomato paste Ticos use. <br />One weekend I made my way to Malpais, the somewhat famous tip of the Nicoyan Peninsula. It only took about two hours from my site and was worth the trip. Although tourism has nearly overtaken the shores with hoards of foreigners and expensive restaurants, there is some local artisan work and the beaches are gorgeous. <br />So we have a computer center in our town now, but it is not open yet and it does not have Internet. We do not have Internet yet for the same reason I have no phone; the ridiculous and sad excuse for the phone and internet company here called ICE. They are inefficient, disorganized, slow, and full of bureaucracy. So, we continue to wait for them to decide to install Internet to our computer center which is now equipped with 6 nice new machines. But when we do have it, I already have requests for classes on how to do basic word processing and Internet searches. <br />One Sunday I was invited to play softball with the sort of American club of retired gringos who live down on the beaches in their fancy beach retirement homes. I was the only female who played and the only person under the age of 45, but I had blast and played fairly well for never having really practiced the sport. I´m not too bad at catching balls in the outfield. Again I participated in a “strange Gringo sport” that was viewed by surrounding Ticos with mild mocking curiosity.<br />A fellow volunteer who lives not far from me in distance came to give a course on beekeeping to my community. We were at a Peace Corps meeting when I got to know him. He was in Paraguay for two years for Peace Corps already and he decided to do an extension transfer here to work with rural agriculture development. The course was excellent due to his immense knowledge on beekeeping as well as due to it being very hands-on with a demonstration of how to make a smoker, smoke the bees out of their hives and into a bee box, and then care for the combs in preparation for honey production. We made cardboard “beehives” for a more realistic demonstration, he used volunteers from the audience, and then answered every question with patience and a true knowledge of the topic. He also passed out copies of a well written packet (from Peace Corps Paraguay) detailing all instructions of the process and including pictures. Even I understand way more about beekeeping than I ever thought possible. Many women from the women´s association attended, but in addition, a lot of local farmers attended who are simply interested in adding this possibly lucrative and sustainable project to their personal land. Two days after Michael left I was informed that two of the attendees had already constructed a beebox , found the location of bees on their property and were preparing to extract them using the techniques they learned from Michael’s talk.<br />One weekend in March I had the pleasure of hosting Ms. Meredith Burgess, a Tico 20 RCD Peace Corps trainee. They arrived the first week of March, and just like me and my Tico 19 group did a year ago, they are making their way through the three month Peace Corps training. One of the parts of the training is visiting a current volunteer in his or her site to see firsthand what the work is all about. Meredith and I had a blast watching some local soccer games, visiting the beach below, meeting some community members, and running a session of my Chicas Poderosas youth group. She seemed to enjoy the experience and I hope it gives her some extra strength to get through the stress of training.<br />In sad news a fellow volunteer in my group, Georgina Garcia (my only fellow New Mexican in Peace Corps Costa Rica), has been forced to medically separate from the Peace Corps due to ongoing digestive issues. She will be the fifth Tico 19 volunteer to early terminate, and one of four that have left due to medical reasons. I am reminded how thankful I am for my health and the stomach of steal my mom passed down to me. <br />The time finally came for Tatiana´s wedding. After being postponed from February, my 21 year –old neighbor and friend tied the knot to her boyfriend of a year. I was the equivalent of the maid of honor and witnessed the stress and bridezillaness of the final hours of singleness. We cleaned and decorated the salon and the church of Coyote, the town below where the ceremony was held. And on the day of, I accompanied her to the salon for hair, makeup, nails and the dressing. Everything as usual was running behind, and I was the one who hastily pulled on the gloves, placed the earrings and necklace, etc. In the end, despite some disorganization, it was beautiful. The red, gold and white color theme was excellent, the ceremony was beautiful, and the dance and party afterward was a blast. She has now moved down to Coyote to live with her new husband where it is 15 degrees hotter, but only about ten minutes to the beach. I will definitely be visiting.Kristen Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230756398426010899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780297072308897121.post-12057085890530573102010-02-01T09:17:00.001-08:002010-02-05T07:53:41.447-08:00Guanacaste; the cowboy frontier<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqyiexupD3jYH1E_Gum8tjb0ke0nt8qlFCtFHx5CIF3QcWoaTtJEDVrz47UzLCWkWLE02VD8haM97HkELRK055ImGm8wn9lBGt30ee4g4qNYLk28SZTsRXHON-GYCb4DZX5reR0pQrcM8/s1600-h/family.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqyiexupD3jYH1E_Gum8tjb0ke0nt8qlFCtFHx5CIF3QcWoaTtJEDVrz47UzLCWkWLE02VD8haM97HkELRK055ImGm8wn9lBGt30ee4g4qNYLk28SZTsRXHON-GYCb4DZX5reR0pQrcM8/s320/family.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433326622018461714" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAmQTNabZ6ozPhQuzjYHD5N571vexgyRnYW8GBsK6FsF0rsjUL1B-xHU2CXfrSFxBfCsqzYUXC8HLLXxtArWqc5dtfBCUm5gKrS-lUQImv2pGCmu6pVvskhDOBV03RGSVaKrxYhbO5trc/s1600-h/kids.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAmQTNabZ6ozPhQuzjYHD5N571vexgyRnYW8GBsK6FsF0rsjUL1B-xHU2CXfrSFxBfCsqzYUXC8HLLXxtArWqc5dtfBCUm5gKrS-lUQImv2pGCmu6pVvskhDOBV03RGSVaKrxYhbO5trc/s320/kids.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433326129946241730" /></a><br />The Rains have gone and we are gradually drying into a dusty, hot and browning jungle. Maybe that sounds unpleasant for you, but to me it reminds me more of home every day; The Southwest with its rustic adobe desert laid out over a palette of browns and reds and oranges. I miss it sometimes and I swear I will forever call it home. But here is beautiful too. As leaves dry and fall to the ground in big heaps I am reminded of autumn in Colorado growing up. The only difference is it continues to heat up instead of cool down. This time of year here is called summer or the dry season while April through November is termed winter or the rainy season. Sounds simple, but I assure you the bustling wilderness that envelops every village and town keeps living here anything but boring and simple. <br />Projects are also bustling to life. I continue to teach weekly adult English classes, a course that is demanding and time-consuming for both teacher and students but offers a certificate of completion with the name of the well-known teaching institution Centro Cultural. I began with 19 students and am down to 15, but this is actually a better percentage of maintenance than many volunteers have. At the beginning of January I began a girls youth group called Chicas Poderosas. We meet weekly to discuss themes like self-esteem, nutrition and health, relationships, decision-making, and future goals. I have ten girls who are special and unique each in their own way and I truly enjoy the discussions and activities with them. The kids will begin school again in a couple weeks and I will start my English classes in corroboration with their classes. I will gain three little boys to first grade and lose three girls to the high school. That will be quite a change. In terms of infrastructure projects, we have three going in the town. First, the decades old church was flattened right after Christmas in December in preparation for the construction of a new, more modern building. Plans have been drawn up and we are beginning to collect funding to get the construction started. Next, Quebrada Grande will soon be home to a computer center… with Internet!!!! At least this is the hope. The town Association solicited for computers from an organization of the government and we will be receiving 6 machines shortly. The only catch is that we, the townspeople are in charge of assuring a secure location for the computers. We were able to get materials donated and we began the construction last week of the very simple building that is in front of the school. I organized a chart of work times for all the able-bodies workers of the community to donate work time to help complete the building rapidly. We should be done by the end of this week. And then I will begin giving basic (and I mean basic!) computer classes to both kids and adults in the community. The third project that I am in the works of planning is a new kitchen/ cantina and bathroom for the town soccer field. The one we have is extremely old, dilapidated, and in my opinion, unsanitary for cooking and selling food. The restroom too is incredibly uninviting. The Association has given my approval to move forward in writing the proposal to search for funding. I hope to have this completed by the end of the year. One more project I just got started on involves photography. It’s called Dog Meets World, (www.dogmeetsworld.org) a non-profit organization that was founded in 2008 to promote, educate and sustain appreciation of the fact that many people in the world do not have access to personal photographs. A previous volunteer in my area (Anna Meyers, Tico 12) came back to visit for a week in January. She brought with her this project which includes a totally sweet little digital printer with all the pieces (paper, ink, etc.) The idea is to educate kids about the process of the making of a photo while giving them their own personal photo as their property. To Americans, a photo of ourselves is incredibly easy to come by. We probably have thousands spanning throughout our lifetimes. But here in rural Costa Rica it is very rare to have more than one or two personal photos and even then, the kids themselves don’t really have ownership of them. This non-profit project is just getting started but it has already spanned across the world as world travelers bring along the compact printer with them on their trips abroad. Peace Corps Costa Rica is Dog Meets World’s first initiation of the project in cooperation with Peace Corps. The founder hopes to expand this and have printers circulating Peace Corps countries as volunteers initiate the project. I implemented the project first during my girls youth group and it went over fabulously. My second run will be when school starts this month and I can include all the community children. <br />In personal news I am the happy renter of my own home where I cook my own meals completely free of rice and beans. I now grow cilantro and oregano in my back yard garden and I am hoping to plant some veggies for the future. I am learning to cook a lot from scratch actually. I like to make my own tomato sauce, stirfries, and a bunch of different baked goods. I found a place to buy whole wheat flour in Nandayure and I make whole wheat pancakes. Totally delicious. The locals find it incredible I survive without rice and beans, and I just shrug attempt for the millionth time to explain that I need variety and especially vegetables to be happy and healthy. I have now gone two months and one day without consuming rice or beans, and honestly I still have no desire for the Tico traditional dish. One thing I have completely conformed to is the coffee tradition. I get free, fresh organic coffee from my neighbor’s farm and make it every morning and every afternoon for cafecito. I also always receive a bunch of fruits and sometimes vegetables from town members. Although I am not a big squash fan, it is good in a soup with garlic, cilantro and beef. As you can see, I have begun to enjoy the art of cooking, and experimenting, which go hand in hand. Without a TV, a car, a million commitments, I’ve discovered the goodness in slowing down and enjoying cooking and eating good food. But this certainly doesn’t mean I don’t miss New Mexican food, especially Frontier. <br />December and January are big party times here due to the rains stopping, Christmas, and the end of the coffee harvesting. I went to my first bull riding event and watched as insane men swung around erratically atop angry and lethal torros, a custom of the cowboy frontier of Costa Rica, Guanacaste. It was very exciting to see in real life. Thankfully and surprisingly, no one died. These fiestas also include bailes-dances where we shake our booties to meringue, kumbya and reggae. My parents and grandparents came for a week in December and my mom gave the kumbya a try with a local guy. I have pictures to prove she enjoyed it. <br />I recently took a trip to the Island of Chira off the east coast of the Nicoyan Peninsula. A Tica friend of mine has family there, so she and I along with two other friends rented bikes (the most logical and popular method of transportation there) and pedaled around the island. It was hot, tropical and everything you’d want from an island. I want to go back and spend the night in some woodsy cabins there that are run by the island’s women’s association. They are very organized and as their husbands continue with the centuries old tradition of fishing, the women have turned to local arts and crafts as they ignite the sparks of rural tourism. Gabriella, Nuri, Marjorie and I enjoyed very much our weekend trip and decided to start a little tradition of monthly outings for us girls. At the end of February we head for Playa Samara where Marjorie’s parents live to enjoy the beach and ride the horse’s her parents own. I am so thankful to finally have some girl friends here. <br />The first week of March (just around the corner) Tico 20 will arrive- the next bright-eyed and bushy-tailed group of Peace Corps volunteers to serve here in Costa Rica. I will host a volunteer for a site visit in April during their training and I am also a mentor to an incoming volunteer. I have already begun exchanging e-mails with her (a new and useful facet of the peer mentoring program PC initiated). How amazing to think this means I have been in this country for nearly a year. Wow. In some ways it has drug on tremendously. In others, I don’t know how it swept by so fast. Either way, I am doing well and have not yet lost the idealism and motivations that fueled my coming in the first place.Kristen Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230756398426010899noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780297072308897121.post-88288651701551846912009-11-30T08:36:00.001-08:002009-11-30T08:41:17.913-08:00If it’s December, Where’s the Snow?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEholfOiK3MfZgPo8zeTra-cEfsIeDO760cQ4dTtpu60Scs6NcizLlLV_efIAJ8wzyYeO-RPxq0mvTbCX_rXMlhu8YC_jR0dkjZHx-OdZ7MFXcfQNJKvvmCVNqWnMUJdHngpFjPlykK3bXI/s1600/15457_575259388527_11600518_33374111_8339116_n.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEholfOiK3MfZgPo8zeTra-cEfsIeDO760cQ4dTtpu60Scs6NcizLlLV_efIAJ8wzyYeO-RPxq0mvTbCX_rXMlhu8YC_jR0dkjZHx-OdZ7MFXcfQNJKvvmCVNqWnMUJdHngpFjPlykK3bXI/s320/15457_575259388527_11600518_33374111_8339116_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409937669811269042" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFfGx7i7QQyCTqdz0AE82dK14SHyEKcZla3nii104Rwror0Z8nmkNS-78OwugyGmAwxazbOKf0TDQKFWiA8rCdBg0hO6ZfjW1hZR7q2fz5Pq6oH0e5cFk2zWqwyrDNN-mv_08eiMUrl8/s1600/15457_575259628047_11600518_33374158_1230165_n.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFfGx7i7QQyCTqdz0AE82dK14SHyEKcZla3nii104Rwror0Z8nmkNS-78OwugyGmAwxazbOKf0TDQKFWiA8rCdBg0hO6ZfjW1hZR7q2fz5Pq6oH0e5cFk2zWqwyrDNN-mv_08eiMUrl8/s320/15457_575259628047_11600518_33374158_1230165_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409937595539813954" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNb7jTO43zt3x6IYfQtZ_j9q1RdBGHLr0-raReCOTq5K3Db4IT8IQkv7dE9HXeoAEKS6r2_2eNqsxduY0YTy4ATaNMJDX-l6MLuFk4CQlvpAbFhat9rMrNSSmmC5FicJyTQDrOZuteHZY/s1600/IMG_2892.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNb7jTO43zt3x6IYfQtZ_j9q1RdBGHLr0-raReCOTq5K3Db4IT8IQkv7dE9HXeoAEKS6r2_2eNqsxduY0YTy4ATaNMJDX-l6MLuFk4CQlvpAbFhat9rMrNSSmmC5FicJyTQDrOZuteHZY/s320/IMG_2892.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409936651891492626" /></a><br />Okay so I am seriously slacking on the blog writing. Here it is Nov. 31st and I haven’t written since the beginning of October. I blame it on my lack of Internet access. Once every one or two weeks to the Internet café is quite a change from my previous lifestyle in which my gmail box was constantly open on the computer giving me a nice little alert noise when one e-mail came in. Well, those times have changed. When I get to the Internet I have a pre-written list that has been compiled over the previous week or two. This list can sometimes be quite extensive. It includes e-mails to specific friends and family, research over a certain project, picture posting of a recent adventure, etc. etc. I have actually been able to keep pictures reasonably up to date on Facebook, so hopefully all of my avid fans have been satisfied with pictorial news. <br />The big news is this: I move into my own rented house tomorrow, Dec. 1st. Woohoo! Finally my dog will have a place I can care for her without worrying she’s dirtying something up. Finally I will be able to decide if I want to eat giant piles of rice and beans at every meal of the day. Finally I will be able to enter my home and my room after 9pm without fear of waking anyone. Ahh, it’s like I’m 17 again, finally leaving the nest and going out on my own. Except this has been doubly hard because, oh yeah, I already did all that; college dorms, house with friends, apartment solo. But here there are 30-something’s living with mom and dad still. It’s partially culture and it’s partially economics. But anyway, my house is in the center of town, therefore safe with many neighbors. It is semi-furnished with beds in each of the three bedrooms, a couch, a couple chairs, a fridge, and the owner says he will soon be putting in a little washing machine for me. It’s a pretty large house, especially for one person, but I have decided this is a positive for when I start my girls youth group. We can have our meetings in the house and do baking activities, etc. I’m in the process of buying a few kitchen supplies like a mini oven, a blender, and a microwave. <br />English teaching is definitely my biggest project in terms of work. Once per week I teach a 3 hour adult English class. I have 19 students ranging from age 15 to 65. The class has a wide variety of levels as well, but I am very happy with the Centro Cultural program I’m using. It caters to every level in my opinion. Some students definitely catch on quicker than others, but there is a lot of group and partner work as well as games. We finished up semester two for the kiddos in the primary schools. I’m extremely happy with their progress. The only thing that saddens me is that I will be losing 3 of the students to the high school this coming February. The school year here ends in December and starts in February. I will be gaining three new students for first grade- three little hyper-active boys. This scares me a bit. I’ll admit I prefer teaching to the older students as they don’t have as much ADD. But I will just have to adjust, be creative, and do more interactive things with the younger ones. <br />My parents and grandparents are coming on December 9th for a visit. I am super excited and have already made a bunch of plans to incorporate them into community activities. We will have a fiesta for the kids English class where Grammie is going to bake Christmas recipes with us. Also my adult English class will practice their English with the group for conversational practice. There also happens to be our yearly town dance during the time of the visit. I can’t wait to see my grandparents dance kumbya. <br />I’ve taken several beach trips that are always a total blast. I now know the area quite well and the 4 or 5 beaches within a few minutes of each other in car. I went ocean fishing for the first time. My favorite part was finding the bait. Basically Ticos use this pipe thing that they make out of plastic tubes and they stick it into the sand where you see the little air bubbles. Then pull out the inner tube of the device really fast to create intense suction and the little alacran del mar pops out. Alacran del mar is ”scorpion of the sea.” But don’t worry they aren’t poisonous or anything like real scorpions. So you catch a bunch of those guys and stick them in a bucket, and when you have enough you thread one onto the hook of the fishing line. You walk out into the ocean about waist-height and lasso the fishing line into the water. Trying to get the line to real out was the hardest part for me. But I did it. So, I stood there for about three hours, didn’t catch anything, and got stung by a jellyfish. The group caught 4 fish, no thanks to me. But I did get my picture with one to put on Facebook for pride’s sake. I also went river shrimping one evening in Quebrada. You go when it’s dark and shine a pretty high-powered flashlight into the water. The shrimps’s eyes glow and they are temporarily blinded. This is when you have to stab them with this pitchfork thing. They are super fast so you have to get them when they are blinded. I got one of those dudes all by myself!<br />Early in November Peace Corps Costa Rica volunteers had a mandatory retreat up in the mountains. It was camping-style in tents and it was cold. But the three day event was a blast. I think it’s always good to go re-center yourself with fellow gringos who understand your culture, background, etc. We all shared stories of triumphs, disappointments, and failures in our communities. And it was a relief to hear many of my own concerns voiced by others. I must say though, I almost did not make it to the event due to rain and transportation issues. The road out of my town partially washed out and the one and only bus that leaves my site was cancelled. Long story short I used my extremely well-tuned survivor skills and excellent Peace Corps training to get myself to San Jose and then finally to the retreat site. I won’t even tell you the variety of transportation methods used. <br />My final topic for this blog is baby showers. Wow I feel like I have been to a million baby showers in the last couple months. Okay, so it was only three, but these things are serious here. Women are serious about their baby showers. And I guess I proved myself worthy because I was asked to help in the latest one (the third one). This is quite an honor. These baby showers go like this: It is planned secretly as to surprise the mother to be. Everyone gets to the house at a certain time a crouches within. Then it’s usually the poor husband who brings the woman home from errands, a trip, etc and leads her into the house to be shocked into premature labor by a group of 20 to 30 women who jump out and scream “sopresa!” Okay, so I have not yet witnessed the premature labor part, but it’s only a matter of time. So then the mother to be sits in a chair specially placed and prepared for her next to the table of gifts. She leads baby shower bingo, baby shower scavenger hunts, baby shower word scramble games, etc. while the hosts of the party take turns bringing out plates of little snacks and drinks for everyone. I was one of these servers in the last one. Oh, and of course I am always the photographer. This is a new addition to baby showers since I have come. There is also an interesting tradition of this milky vodka drink. It reminds me a white Russian but hardly has any alcohol and I’m not sure of all the ingredients actually. Someone gives a toast and we all drink it down with good wishes for the mother to be. <br />Life has a funny way of working out. Since being here, three community members have died (all elderly). And now we are waiting for the third baby to be born (due date is mid-December). So, thanks to nature I don’t have to change the population statistics in my community diagnostic-- just a little change to the ages. So I have been to three funerals, three baby showers, a wedding, and a first communion. And the fun only continues.Kristen Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230756398426010899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780297072308897121.post-9148319525568555312009-10-16T09:45:00.000-07:002009-10-16T09:49:22.777-07:00So maybe it´s not so easy...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKe9FvzsQY1kMn6QKQFQhTCX6VovVbXCLsF0-RocslPJjlgy3cj0Tii0JFy0G00Q0obMALbBy4KqiAzgAHPLqx2hZUjvYJTwIgFCMm8q_i8XON_9hvTpWZtEPinPIdY0ZvgUuIDQFGvBQ/s1600-h/IMG_2183.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKe9FvzsQY1kMn6QKQFQhTCX6VovVbXCLsF0-RocslPJjlgy3cj0Tii0JFy0G00Q0obMALbBy4KqiAzgAHPLqx2hZUjvYJTwIgFCMm8q_i8XON_9hvTpWZtEPinPIdY0ZvgUuIDQFGvBQ/s320/IMG_2183.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393240777700926274" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKbcIVFjG3YDCaqnXShhd_q6oVZqiFUcu032q0qHH6thMSNRg3WPYpJ6rH4Cvd0uL-ebetY8CrB8eQwson1blEU5mCdoiBba2wMf9R99TVTJ3yYPdV_zL1WC2IEvU6I_acNmoYtQoNZbY/s1600-h/IMG_1811.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKbcIVFjG3YDCaqnXShhd_q6oVZqiFUcu032q0qHH6thMSNRg3WPYpJ6rH4Cvd0uL-ebetY8CrB8eQwson1blEU5mCdoiBba2wMf9R99TVTJ3yYPdV_zL1WC2IEvU6I_acNmoYtQoNZbY/s320/IMG_1811.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393240426072641170" /></a><br />So here's the basic update:<br />My womens soccer team got new uniforms. They are pink with our names on the back and totally cute. The only thing is that I am “Kristel” instead of “Kristen.” But hey, it's close enough for me and easier to pronounce in Spanish. I head down the mountain most weekends to travel with them to surrounding villages for games and it's a blast. Although it is far less organized than my soccer teams in the States, the pure zest for competition is the same, and my undeniable desire to win is most definitely respected among Ticos. <br /><br />September 15th was Costa Rica Independence Day. The school children of each village pass a torch from one school to another representing the passing of liberation of the Central American countries. I did the hike with the kids in the early morning hours when the school kids of Los Angeles passed the flame to us. In the evening of this celebrated day was the march of the faroles. They are basically like New Mexican luminarias, but far more extravagant and they are made to be carried. People design all kinds of different shapes with amazing drawings, cutouts, and designs. Then they all march through the village with the candles within each farole lighting the way singing Costa Rican songs.<br /><br />The women's group held a party for the Day of the Elderly on October 7th. We invited all the elderly members of the community for a luncheon, had a raffle to give away prizes and also nominated a “king” and “queen” to wear crowns and represent the group. It was wonderful to get some of the older members of the community out of their homes for some fun. <br /><br />And now for the personal update:<br />The initial vacation feel has faded rapidly these last couple months. Everyone knows you can't be loved by everyone, but unfortunately I feel my job description pressures me to fulfill this lofty goal. I feel plowed over by cultural norms that I just can't adapt to, expectations that I just can't meet, and a feeling of helplessness in that I'm simply not the savior that seems to be expected. Where did this idea that Peace Corps volunteers are some kind of experts come from? We are twenty-something recent college grads with liberal arts degrees and a zest for life. We are experts in all-night study sessions, last minute thesis-writing, and multi-tasking. I don't know anything about orchids, coffee farming, paper machete art and a host of other things that are a way of life here both in work and hobbies.<br /><br />I try to stay positive; both about the project possibilities here as well as about my own self worth. I know I'm a good organizer. That's part of the reason I am a rural community development volunteer. But wow is it hard to organize here. I planned a meeting Peace Corps calls a FODA in which an assessment of challenges, problems, positives, and hopes for the community are established through a host of different exercises with community members. I walked to every single house in my 156 person community to hand deliver invitations and give a little overview of what it would be about. Out of the 156 people, 21 showed up in total, 13 of which showed up on time, and 3 of which showed up in the last 15 minutes of the hour-long meeting. This is only one example of this community's atmosphere for organizing. <br /><br />I know I'm idealistic. I mean, I think idealism is pretty much a feature of Peace Corps volunteers. If one follows pure logic, it is far too easy to slip into the pit of cynicism. But I guess I had this idea of what it would be to enter into a community who asked for me, went through all the paperwork and phone calls to receive an outsider to come in with new ideas and passions. This idea included people being passionate about events and activities that I planned, advertised, and specifically invited them to. It doesn't matter that during training we were told numerous times that everything is harder than that, that this culture is passive and non-active, and that everything takes longer to accomplish.<br /><br />It's like this strange middle region of existence. I feel the pressure to accomplish things to show that I am useful and that I was sent here for a reason. At the same time I feel like I am unable to accomplish anything because I am a foreigner in this place, new to the laws, the customs, the norms and I therefore am simply unaware of how to motivate organization. It's as if all my education, my experiences, everything written in my resume and all my deeply thought out theories on life are void in this rural jungle village. <br /><br />Patience is key I realize. Both with myself, this place, and specific community members. I have been in my site for almost 5 months. In the grand scheme of things this is only a blip on the time line and I can't expect myself to have established the confidence and relationships necessary to make huge changes so quickly.Kristen Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230756398426010899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780297072308897121.post-59953445884658396132009-10-16T09:44:00.000-07:002009-10-16T09:45:31.748-07:00The Meaning of WorkThe Meaning of Work<br /><br />I think it is well known that being Peace Corps volunteers is a very different type of work. It's a far cry from a 9 to 5 office job in front of a computer. Even back in the PC interview stages I was asked how I would deal with such a different work environment in which I must make my deadlines, projects, goals, even work hours instead of these things being delegated by a boss or office rules. I admitted it would be a different way of life compared to my agenda, list-making, schedule obsessed daily routine back in Albuquerque, New Mexico where I went from being an avid university student to a paralegal in a law office. Yes, it will be challenging I remember saying. And here I am waking up to daily chicken screeches wandering if a scheduled meeting will actually take place later in the afternoon and hoping that girls mejenga I've been planning for weeks will actually have more than 4 people in attendance. That's life in my rural Costa Rican town of 156 people. Not only is there a totally different attitude about scheduled group events, but there are just not that many people. I've begun to get this through my thick skull and shrug it off when things don't pan out according to plan. <br /><br />But here's the thing about work I really want to emphasize; here in rural Costa Rica work is physical labor. Period. Work for men is agricultural; planting cultivating, growing, chopping and clearing plant-life, using machetes, shovels, bare hands and raw muscle. For women it's scrubbing, mopping, sweeping, raking, washing, using amazing arm strength and a seemingly unlimited reserve of energy. After watching my host mother beat the crap out of clothes in the pila on a daily basis, I'm pretty sure she could take me in an arm wrestling competition. <br /><br />I certainly respect this physical labor that signifies my community and probably many other rural Costa Rican communities. The problem that I have met is their lack of respect, and more importantly lack of knowledge when it comes to labor or work that is not physical. What about intellectual labor? Planning, organizing, writing, calculating, and even just thinking. I appreciate a good physical job where it is totally unnecessary to engage the brain and your body goes into robot mode as you allow your muscles to engage in a continuous pattern. And I definitely take every opportunity to participate in physical labor when the community needs me. But I also consider myself an intellectual. I like to read, I like to write, I like to learn and challenge myself with new ideas. It seems it shouldn't be an issue to continue with that facet of my personality in a new place, but I have met with some challenges. <br /><br />After a super long and unproductive meeting about a new aqueduct system one day, my counterpart asked if I had a minute to talk. Sure, I said in my chipper PCV voice that I use to hide my discouragement about seemingly impossible projects like a new aqueduct system. After a nervous sigh he told me that several members of the community had approached him with complaints about me. These complaints in general were that I am a vaga volunteer, lazy, I don't like to work, and I generally just sit in my room listening to music. Wow, that was a bombshell. I was totally taken aback with surprise. There was absolutely no one in the community I could think of that I did not have at least a friendly relationship with. And I couldn't imagine anyone saying these things about me to my local counterpart. This is a whole other topic of course; the indirect culture of Ticos in which they give you one incredibly supportive and friendly face and then rear a totally different one to others on the chisme train. I mean, come on, if you think I'm not doing crap, approach me an tell me what you think this community needs, what you want to see change, what projects are important to you. I'm not Jesus, but I will always give a listening ear and always see if there is anything I can do. But no, instead I have be slapped in the face with these shocking words spoken from the mouth of my poor counterpart who tell me he's sorry and that he doesn't agree, and that he thinks I'm doing a great job teaching English, organizing mejengas, aerobics, attending all the committee meetings, etc etc. And in my heart I know I'm doing the best I can, but it doesn't soften the sting of resentment and that lurking feeling of unwarranted betrayal. <br /><br />After much thought on this topic as well as discussion with other community members, volunteers, and friends and family back home, I have realized that differing conceptions of meaning of work is the culprit to this misunderstanding. They see me in my room, on my computer, a book in my lap, or a pen and paper in front me, and they think I'm just hanging out, passing some down town before the “real work”. And yes, I have my music on a lot, I certainly won't lie about that, but I also don't feel like defending my personal choice to “work” while listening to music. You know what I'm doing while I'm on my computer? Organizing English class lesson plans. You know what I am reading in that book on my lap? Possible funding options for your new and ridiculously expensive aqueduct. But the perception is different. The majority of my community did not attend school past the 6th grade and their lives are defined by physical labor. When they don't see sweat dripping off my brow or some tool in my hand, the significance is that I am lazy. They don't realize how much time and brain power is necessary to accomplish the non-physical goals of this community that they themselves have articulated to me. <br /><br />Hopefully as time passes I can prove the benefits of this type work through real accomplishments and projects, or simply by introducing to people the beauty of newly acquired knowledge. And in doing this, I hope to better my personal image here as a Peace Corps volunteer.Kristen Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230756398426010899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780297072308897121.post-60120774908336913022009-09-10T09:00:00.000-07:002009-09-10T09:03:49.635-07:00Siga Pa'lante! (Keep it going!)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJgKZuIlYDAV65WbfDVfQutKPdo3-J42AKN4GQ95V0sKt5r0POWU1o5SEm0RmBW9fy7m0D6mEj20sfeyLOiVOfS18Hofzqbjd8hHZA5yTE7bwgvSbmwGea6b0jGN-p0oGudeNT680Dbo/s1600-h/IMG_1590.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJgKZuIlYDAV65WbfDVfQutKPdo3-J42AKN4GQ95V0sKt5r0POWU1o5SEm0RmBW9fy7m0D6mEj20sfeyLOiVOfS18Hofzqbjd8hHZA5yTE7bwgvSbmwGea6b0jGN-p0oGudeNT680Dbo/s320/IMG_1590.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379870042668896082" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlHZ74LPhevvwpm6cbxM_fKYq9ix84aOBBmRmrPasOIgLQnxLTmm0S_N9Vapk9xOYtxgc4tvE1jqeOz4SWHtCnImqf99DZJp4PKRzgolSSPZwSI0GZuSip_glOf9R4Qf7r1znvqYhbOYY/s1600-h/IMG_1383.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlHZ74LPhevvwpm6cbxM_fKYq9ix84aOBBmRmrPasOIgLQnxLTmm0S_N9Vapk9xOYtxgc4tvE1jqeOz4SWHtCnImqf99DZJp4PKRzgolSSPZwSI0GZuSip_glOf9R4Qf7r1znvqYhbOYY/s320/IMG_1383.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379869719411826978" /></a><br />August was jam-packed with events in my little town of Quebrada Grande. (It's really not that “grande”... :-) The month was kicked off by a beautiful local wedding that took place here in the small Catholic church. Helen and Evelio tied the knot on August 8th and I volunteered to be photographer for the ceremony and dance that followed in the salon. It was a very fun experience to note the different customs in weddings here. The mass and ceremony in the church was a traditional Catholic service with the pair sitting in fancily decorated chairs in front of the altar. The dance and party that followed took place in the town's salon comunal that was decorated in the color theme of light green and white. A DJ played a wide selection of music that mainly revolved around Costa Rica's kumbya, salsa, and marengue. In weddings here the first few dances are specifically for wedding guests to literally pay the bride and groom for a dance. People approach the newlyweds and pin money onto the the dress or shirt of the newlywed to “pay” for a dance. This is a way of gift-giving to help the new couple start their life together. After taking a plethora of photos I participated thoroughly in the dancing. <br /><br />Costa Rica Mother's Day took place in August and my English class made cards in English and a big poster to post in the Church during the mass. They all traced their hands onto the poster and wrote a message to their mother's. At the end of August my class completed semester one of English. They had an exam that covered the basics of what we had learned in the previous 3 months. I am very pleased with their progress. To celebrate, we had a movie day. I brought my computer and we watched Hollywood Chihuahua in Spanish and ate palomitas (popcorn). Semester 2 starts this month and will end in December for the holiday vacation. I will then lose three students to the colegio in Los Angeles, but gain 2 new first graders.<br /><br />The encampamento of men's soccer has started. Every year a few of the surrounding communities (Quebrada Grande, San Bosco, Por Venir and Los Angeles) participate in a 3-4 month soccer competition. It's sort of a tournament amongst the teams that lasts for the duration. Every Sunday three games are played in one of the communities. They are all fairly close so the trek isn't too tough. There is a raffle to determine which teams play each other on any given day and points are tallied depending on the final score. In December there will be a winning team and probably a prize. I have truly enjoyed these Sunday games because I've gotten to know other communities, I love watching soccer, and I am able to help with run the festivities when games take place in Quebrada. <br /><br />As for my own soccer interests, I have recently been asked to join a women's team out of Juan de Leon, which is located down the mountain near Coyote. It's a little far, but there unfortunately is no real organized team up here in the Los Angles/ Quebrada area. I am working to organize that myself, but the population of women interested is just not big enough here at this point. So, I said yes of course to the team and participated in my first game with the ladies last weekend. It was a blast and I have now realized there are many women's teams down the mountain and further south into Puntarenas that are talented and competitive. <br /><br />I attended an all-day meeting in Juan de Leon one day with Quebrada's Comite de Acueducto. It was a meeting of many surrounding communities to learn about possible opportunities to obtain a new water system for each respective town. This project by far will be the most trying almost completely due to the incredibly high cost. But Quebrada is in desperate need of a newer system. We suffer from frequent water outages and the constant fear of unhealthy and dirty water. <br /><br />I finally concluded my diagnostic report on my community to present to both Peace Corps and the people of Quebrada Grande. Forty-some pages of text, graphs, and statistics all in Spanish took a lot of time and effort. I feel that it has been worth it to get this information into an organized format both for my own benefit and for the community see their home in a tangible way. I will be presenting the information to the community this month at a meeting a will host.<br /><br />Work continues in the Vivero de Orquideas in which we work weekly to ensure the growth of beautiful natural Costa Rican flowers in hopes to sell to tourists in the future. Also, we have made great progress in the trail blazing for rural tourism. I enjoy the walks up through the jungle myself on occasion and we recently added flowers along the sides of the trails in many parts. These and the howler monkeys make for a great Costa Rican jungle ambiance. <br /><br />I attended a week-long retreat and meeting for Peace Corps last week in San Jose. It was a wonderful time to catch up with fellow volunteers, share all our similar and differing stories, and receive more training on a wealth of different things. I was very glad to receive training on a few new different types of funding opportunities that may be utilized for projects in my community. We also spent a day at Centro Cultural, a facet of the Costa Rican Ministry of Education where we learned of a possible program for adult English classes that includes a strict schedule and books. This might very well be a better organized method for me to teach English to the adults in my community. <br /><br />I am continuing with weekly soccer for girls on Tuesdays. Also, some of the leaders of the community started a group for the elderly of the community in which every Wednesday there will be charlas on health, art classes, or games to offer events for the elderly of the community. Dia de Adulto Mayor or Day of the Elderly is in October and we are planning a fiesta with bingos, games, and music. <br /><br />And still in planning phases for the future is the weekend sports camp, an environmental day/ community trash clean-up activity, and a drug prevention activity for the youth of the community. These projects and others have come to my attention as beneficial for the community in my three and half months here in site and I feel community members are very energetic for new things. <br /><br />On a personal note I am absolutely loving my jungle paradise. Daily hikes with my canine companion Shakira, strong new friendships, and of course soccer, keep me energized to help work for all the goals I think this community wants to accomplish.Kristen Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230756398426010899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780297072308897121.post-9014970788530872292009-07-17T07:33:00.000-07:002009-07-17T08:10:09.495-07:00si se puede<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpGQivV5c1FtNYsG16gUmjgMUNYvoNB1hO3uczopg93MJDTVwOYZMODpWy_VraHJYe0HIZUQgVjj-8R83UAKEUVPRjRQOtkituDlAwU-BD1TClxJAxyxJNL1WiHBasI93IG4xtX3vFiAE/s1600-h/IMG_1251.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpGQivV5c1FtNYsG16gUmjgMUNYvoNB1hO3uczopg93MJDTVwOYZMODpWy_VraHJYe0HIZUQgVjj-8R83UAKEUVPRjRQOtkituDlAwU-BD1TClxJAxyxJNL1WiHBasI93IG4xtX3vFiAE/s320/IMG_1251.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359446439033656194" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFJdFiDihDmNSZVK7j77KUlVuSQ-Mi4bGFaJtWKlrCBwWhdzoLXiONqKnMZWcU3ki-Cc8heefq0TKuboWqxdglXopumdjm5-ngGRoHOyBweRsQ9LCqib_PIW7DUu7tv1YtIK4JBlahTEI/s1600-h/IMG_1156.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFJdFiDihDmNSZVK7j77KUlVuSQ-Mi4bGFaJtWKlrCBwWhdzoLXiONqKnMZWcU3ki-Cc8heefq0TKuboWqxdglXopumdjm5-ngGRoHOyBweRsQ9LCqib_PIW7DUu7tv1YtIK4JBlahTEI/s320/IMG_1156.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359445493482156722" /></a><br />The school year in Costa Rica is February through the first week or two of December with a 2-3 week vacation in July. The adults too take somewhat of a vacation during this time. During this July vacation period my satellite town of Los Angeles hosts a Semana Cultural every year. This year marks the 22nd year of the event, and the popularity is through the roof. I was raffled onto a team when I first arrived in Quebrada, not really knowing what that entailed. Well I soon found out the event is a highly energized, competitive week-long competition among community members divided among 8 teams. The teams are relatively fair considering it is done by raffle. I was raffled on to the blue team, which we named “Blue's Brothers.” The popular thing to do was to have a team name in English. The black team even named their team the “Obama's.” I found that pretty awesome. The week consisted of a very diverse variety of competitions; sports including volleyball, basketball, field soccer, court soccer, a running race, long jump, high jump, sack races, relays, penalty kicks and bike races. Others included performance competitions like dance, singing and painting and board games like chess. Then there were the goofy things like tortilla-making contest (men only), hot dog eating contest and wood chopping contest. Ending the week was a concert by a really good local band, fireworks, and a dance.<br /><br />I can only tell you this was one of the most entertaining and fun week's of my life. My competitive spirit was most definitely ignited. I participated in nearly all the sporting events. I got second in the women's run and my team won the women's soccer, volleyball, soccer penalty kicks, and basketball free throws. We also took second in basketball. All the sports are divided into girls and guys competitions except the volleyball. I can honestly say it was the women on our team that carried us to a second overall finish. We were so close to first and actually we were in first place for much of the week, but then our guys lost in soccer, and took a pretty bad defeat in both tortilla making and hot dog eating. There was no way I was participating in hot dog eating, although they asked me, since I am “the Gringa” and gringos are supposed to love hot dogs. Right. I was asked to referee in several events as well. I reffed basketball which was scary because of how competitive and physical people were getting. I also was one of the refs in both tortilla making and hot dog eating. I never want to be that close to someone shoving wieners down their throat ever again. One guy had to walk away to puke. Nasty. One day was a type of obstacle course relay race that included climbing up this dirt hill, slithering under a plastic sheet, swimming through a mud bath thing, and a bunch of other stuff. I was the part of the relay that included a sprint down a hill and through a kind of mud hole that led to the basketball court for a free throw. It happened to pour rain on this day.... and I mean really pour. So you can imagine what we all looked like after climbing up sheer mud hills, etc. It looked as if we had been mud wrestling all day. And after this event was court soccer, so we all just jumped onto the court to play in our soaking wet muddy apparel. The court was full of mud puddles, but it was totally worth it when we won. I had mud ball marks on my face, chest, legs, everywhere. I got home and my host mom made me come in through the back door straight to the shower. Great fun. The women's race was a 2k. Doesn't sound like much I know, but shorter distances are actually more challenging for me than long one's, and the part that made this one super challenging was the fact that there is not flat place here. It was a run up a huge dirt hill and back down to the finish line at the field below. Sprinting back down the hill was scarier than anything else. But I did not fall to my death as I had pictured in my head prior to starting, and I sprinted through the finish line to secure second place at something like 12 minutes. It was a really tough run, but in that moment the sheer pleasure of team spirit, support, and the adrenaline of competition swept over me. This was unlike anything I had experienced before. Members of my team ran with me at different points. A guy on my team rode a motorcycle next to me with water. People lined the sides of the road and three of my teammates ran through the finish line with me, all the while urging me on, “vamos vamos, si se puede!”. This is the kind of thing I live for. The entire week transpired in this way; with passionate enthusiasm, support, encouragement, and the creation of unbreakable bonds. On the final night, fireworks were bursting into life in the darkening sky above when my team was called onto the stage to receive our medals. We charged the stage and began jumping up and down together chanting “azules, azules, azules” (blues, blues blues). I can't even explain the beauty of it, how much it meant to me to be a part of this team, this community, this family. <br /><br />The dance was later that night, and everyone returned home to beautify in their flashiest attire. I embarked on learning the steps to meringue, salsa, kumbya, and raggaetone. After several different partners who assured me “si se puede” (yes you can), I gained some confidence and actually felt like I was fitting in on the dance floor. I bought a kumbya and salsa CD of the band as well. I really am growing to love the music genres here. They are very high energy. <br /><br />On another weekend I traveled with my host mom to Tamarindo to visit her daughter and granddaughter who live there. I spent much of my time lazing on the beautiful beach that is walking distance from Gentry's house. I absolutely fell in love with 5 year old Yamilla (Betty's granddaughter). She ran on the beach with me and we found shells and drew our names in the sand. I also attended a motocross to watch Gentry's husband fly over dirt hills on his suped up moto. It was very entertaining. I was also able to see Playa Conchal, Playa Ventana, and Playa Grande, which are all in Tamarindo's general area. I swear beaches will never get old for me. I love swimming in the ocean, lying on the beach, running on the beach, sitting and watching the sunset/sunrise/waves. Although it is four bus rides to Tamarindo from my site, it goes relatively quickly and is relatively cheap. So I definitely plan to visit again. <br /><br />English classes in my primary schools are in full swing. When vacation is over the kids will soon have a little quiz over the alphabet and some vocab. They take this very seriously and I was impressed with their interest in the syllabus I made for semester one. I have two groups of adults for Saturday English classes; level one and level two. Everyone seems pretty energized for some English every week. But my favorite thing is passing time chatting with community members on their porches in the afternoons. This is the thing to do here. And it is this time when I see the people who really want to learn English. They ask me to correct pronunciation, to tell them a certain vocabulary word. And of course I am learning new things every day. Every day is a lesson in Spanish, in Tico culture, and in life. Sure, I embarrass myself often out of sheer naivety, but I think that's part of the experience, and it shows I am willing to put myself out there, and that yes, I can do this. “Si se puede.”Kristen Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230756398426010899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780297072308897121.post-86743245224993539232009-06-12T14:31:00.000-07:002009-06-12T14:57:00.283-07:00Hogar Dulce Hogar (Home Sweet Home)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2AozbgQcuw-LkOVqANPcHdHIX9dqeucQVkUhrW1BTCTw19LjGSUlJE3CwwzuNalr6VK631n_jS6nYWf74tTAIDJjP1O1b2DaZXgrQzxNWcmY2R5LdA5Kf-4Ypn4NeC3-EQnIMe05CaS8/s1600-h/IMG_0747.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2AozbgQcuw-LkOVqANPcHdHIX9dqeucQVkUhrW1BTCTw19LjGSUlJE3CwwzuNalr6VK631n_jS6nYWf74tTAIDJjP1O1b2DaZXgrQzxNWcmY2R5LdA5Kf-4Ypn4NeC3-EQnIMe05CaS8/s320/IMG_0747.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346563268059838466" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjieKoi1k5Ot2RfFhvYMkCj9qY88OuUFjJ6pgMZ2IgiCxl57Q7GErxvEOF6J1aWkDSkzEXsuYQxA_M4r41eT9iWgeartBwl7UhEtnPmJCoWOnRebBQu5rOIwf8nP-tsvhNxfRf4WJG7fZ4/s1600-h/IMG_1029.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjieKoi1k5Ot2RfFhvYMkCj9qY88OuUFjJ6pgMZ2IgiCxl57Q7GErxvEOF6J1aWkDSkzEXsuYQxA_M4r41eT9iWgeartBwl7UhEtnPmJCoWOnRebBQu5rOIwf8nP-tsvhNxfRf4WJG7fZ4/s320/IMG_1029.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346558428661593906" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix2Ze9ph6uxmkI8nPkECRPF8EppKHKtXmNp0_CIq5jReBS52ynWRdljuLFltnTgpeToeSbo5o236arcJ1v500k3_otQ_uJi9_q1zC3X4LHZhNFgTtoWdNVcTO3dXarU-0FdY3pQx2ovZY/s1600-h/IMG_0955.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix2Ze9ph6uxmkI8nPkECRPF8EppKHKtXmNp0_CIq5jReBS52ynWRdljuLFltnTgpeToeSbo5o236arcJ1v500k3_otQ_uJi9_q1zC3X4LHZhNFgTtoWdNVcTO3dXarU-0FdY3pQx2ovZY/s320/IMG_0955.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346558044083862674" /></a><br />I have officially begun Peace Corps service as a Peace Corps volunteer. Tico 19 swore in as volunteers on Friday, May 29th on the beautiful sprawling lawn of the US Ambassador's house in the suburbs of San Jose. We all donned our finest clothes (for most of us, the only nice clothes we brought), and prepared to make one of the biggest commitments of our lives. The ceremony included speeches from important people within the Peace Corps and Costa Rican government, as well as some volunteers. Most significantly though was when we raised our right hands in the air and repeated the strong words of commitment that officially made us volunteers. The Ambassador read us the words and we repeated each line with heads high and proud, promising to uphold the commitment of Peace Corps and the United States as we serve the next two years of our lives in Costa Rica. <br /><br />Shortly after this day I said heartfelt goodbyes to the family that hosted me for the three months of training in Jerico, San Jose. We exchanged contact information and gave teary-eyed embraces. Then I set off to my new home in Guanacaste. Again I took the 7am bus out of San Jose and approximately 4 hours later I arrived in Nandayure, one of the larger towns of the Nicoyan Peninsula. I had a two hour wait until the bus to Quebrada Grande departed, so I explored my new hub town, identifying the location of the bank, post office, a hardware store, and what can best be described as an office supplies store. Although this town is an hour and a half bus ride from my site and can only be reached two days per week, it is where I will have to take care of most of my shopping, mail, and banking. At 1pm I loaded onto the “microbus” with my bulging luggage and rattled and bounced my way to Quebrada Grande up and through the mountainous jungle of southern Nicoya. The distance is hardly anything when you look at a map, but you must consider the winding mountain roads and the fact that all the roads are dirt and rock and full of giant holes for which the bus often comes to a complete stop in order to bypass. After and hour and half and a few other stops, the bus halted in front of the Quebrada Grande pulperia and I hauled my bags off and entered my new “Hogar Dulce Hogar.” Many habitants of the small village recognized me from my site visit a couple weeks before, but not surprisingly, I was an object of curiosity, especially as I struggled to lug my giant pink suitcase up the steep rocky hill to my house. But I knew I was definitely home when I unlocked the outside door to my room and stepped in. Betty had put a soccer blanket on my bed after she discovered my love of the sport. She had also posted on the wall the pictures of family and friends I had brought and left when I first visited. <br /><br />After unpacking and pretty much settling in, a new and strange feeling came upon me; I am here basically as my own boss, with my own schedule to make and my own goals to set and reach. The strange mix of instant freedom and my type A active personality jolted me for a time. It was an especially new feeling after three months of very intense training that included a packed schedule nearly every day of the week. It was also a big change to be alone in a sense. No more group projects of training, sessions in classes with my other trainees. Here I am, the sole representative of Peace Corps in this small place. Yet, after the initial shock, only excitement, enthusiasm, and ideas for my work here filled my mind, and now my biggest challenge is simply to not move ahead too quickly and actively in my projects. <br /><br />But here's what has already begun to take shape: Starting the week of Monday June 1st I will be teaching English classes in the primary schools in Quebrada Grande and San Bosco. My site has a slightly interesting geography as San Bosco is a tiny village about a mile away (over another small mountain) houses a primary school as does Quebrada Grande. And strangely, the majority of students attending the San Bosco school commute from their homes here in Quebrada Grande. Therefore, I have 8 students at the San Bosco school and 6 at the Quebrada school ranging from 1st -6th grade. I will therefore be teaching two days per week at each school; Mondays and Wednesdays in Quebrada and Tuesdays and Thursdays in San Bosco from 1-2PM. I hope to occasionally plan activities that will bring the children of both schools together for field trips or other special events. The kids at both schools are very enthusiastic about starting English classes. I never remember being as excited about any class when I was their age. But I have had several of the kids approach me in town, eyes bright and questioning, and ask when I'm starting. It goes to reveal the life in the Costa Rican countryside a little bit more. There just aren't that many activities available to kids out here, and traveling to bigger places is expensive. <br /><br />This leads to my next project. I have begun a girls soccer team that meets to practice and play every Tuesday and Thursday. I feel this project is important on many levels. First of all, womens sports are pretty much non-existent here. Boys play soccer every chance they get and there is a soccer field in every town, no matter how small. As much as life revolves around soccer here, it is starkly obvious that it is an activity of men. Of course, girls are big fans of the sport, and cheer vigorously along with the men when watching the games on television (very much like American football, wouldn't you say?). Yet, there is no organization for women and girls in terms of the sport. In addition, a girls soccer team promotes girls self-esteem as they realize they too have the ability to be an athlete, lead a healthy lifestyle, and organize themselves for something fun. So, at 3:30 (or 4... this is “Tico Time”) every Tuesday and Thursday, a little group of young women and girls forms behind me as I trot down the the long dirt road carrying my soccer ball to the soccer field in the valley below. If we can get enough people and become organized enough, I may even try to contact other small communities in the area to see if a game can be scheduled. <br /><br />My next project is a facet of the incredibly organized Asociacion de Mujeres (Women's Association) here in Quebrada. The group already meets twice per week to care for the green house of orchids they sell to tourists when the season is right. Many of the women mentioned to me that they truly enjoy getting out of the house for the orchid care-taking both for the fresh air and bit of exercise as well as for the socialization. After some discussion with various ladies, I have scheduled a women's aerobics and walking group for Wednesday afternoons. (I have found that afternoons are the time to schedule events in this farming town.) The Rancho is a perfect place for aerobics. It's a nice flat new tile floor with a bamboo leaf roof and no walls- which is perfect in the tropical climate. It's something right out of a vacation movie scene and the community is very proud of the recent addition. The Women's Association raised the money to fund it. So I have begun sharing my experience of my last few years of attending cardio boxing, yoga, aerobics, step, and other exercise classes for about a half hour in the Rancho as a warm-up to a hike around the beautiful community. There is never a lack of caminatas (hikes) here as all the roads weave through jungle terrain and take you to some beautiful destination like the view of the coast from the top of one of the mountains, or a gorgeous little waterfall in the river below. <br /><br />I also attend the meetings of the Junta (community organization) that consists of a president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and two vocals. This is where the serious business comes up, and I only hope I can be of as much help as I know these community leaders hope I can be. Right now they are very much in need of a new aqueduct system for the town. The water currently shuts off randomly as the system is verging on 20 years old and is inconsistent and unreliable. The community is also in need of a new floor and lighting system in the salon comunal (central meeting hall). Currently there really is no floor, it's simply dirt. Also, the EBAIS is very inadequate for the population size. An EBAIS is a doctor's office provided by the country as part of the health care system. In small rural communities a doctor visits once or twice per month and he or she and an assistant use the facility to see patients. All the files of patients are also stored in this building. The one day I saw the doctor visit proved the need for a new facility. People lined up out the door waiting to be seen in the small office and the assistant was frantically working the books to get people seen. Obviously, it is not only the building that is to blame for the the situation, even though there is an obvious need for structural improvement. Socialized health care, like privatized health care has it's very negative aspects. Finally, the junta is very determined to open a computer center here in the town. There is a Costa Rican government organization that provides computers, computer equipment and set up all for free for those communities that officially ask for it and meet certain requirements. While I have been here I met with two men from the organization who came to inspect the community and determine if we are eligible. The surprise to me was that I am part of the requirements. First, a community must display the need for the technology, second, it must have a place to house the computers that is temperature-controlled, and third there must be someone in the community capable of teaching the other members how to use the computers. I am that someone it turns out, though I have always considered myself technologically-challenged, and I expressed very thoroughly my limited knowledge of the extensiveness of computers. Yet, after speaking to the representatives, they seemed very happy with the fact that I know basic programs such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Windows in general. I guess my expertise comes from being part of my computer-saavy generation, even if I rank low on the totem pole compared to my peers at home. The only barrier of the junta in moving forward with this project is the location. There is a house in mind that is for sale and would be perfect for a computer center as well as offices for the association. Buying it is the next step. And there's a theme here; All of the aforementioned projects of the junta require money that just doesn't exist right now both in the community and the country in general. There are many organizations in Costa Rica that exist to support community development, but the junta president informed me they have sent proposals several times and been denied, as I'm sure many communities have been. They are hoping not only that I can help them “find” the money, but that I can also be influential in approaching organizations that would grant the funding. So yes, I feel a bit pressured, but I also know the community members and the junta members are aware of my purpose here, which is very much separate from finances and funding. <br /><br />Finally, it would not be a hogar dulce hogar without me adopting a kitten. The cat of a couple in town had kittens a few months ago and they offered me one after seeing me ooh and ahh over the cute little things. His name is Mani (with a long 'a' meaning 'peanut' in Spanish). I love him very much and he has provided some companionship as someone to speak English to. My only slight disappointment in this situation are the rules regarding animals here. It's partially cultural, and it's partially just that this is the country, but animals are simply not allowed in the house, and the treatment of dogs and cats is very disciplinarian and physical, which has been difficult for me. I would love to cuddle with Mani in bed, but that is totally out of the question and he is forced to sleep outside in the dirt with the dogs. So he's dirty and has more chance for diseases and bugs in my opinion, which is part of the reason people don't let animals indoors here in the first place. Anyway, after years of having house cats, it's definitely an adjustment for me, but at least I have a mascota (pet). Speaking of animals, one day I was sitting in the living room with Betty watching Walker Texas Ranger in Spanish (a new favorite pastime for us), and the door to both my room and the front door were open, as most doors into homes are here in this climate. Also for clarification, most homes here are built with a room that is not actually in the house. It shares one wall with the house, but has its own outdoor entrance next to the front door, giving the impression of two front doors. My room is this outdoor room in our house and as I was sitting on the couch with Betty, I happen to glance out the door to the patio area and right then a long brown snake, probably three or four feet long, slithered silently into the my room through the open door. It happened so quickly I thought I imagined it and didn't react. But when I got up and walked out to look, there it was, under my bed, slithering around. And I'm ashamed to say I screamed like an absolute girl. At the last minute I attempted to muffle it, but it still came out at a high pitch shriek and of course Betty came running asking me what was wrong. And I forgot the word in Spanish for snake in my hysteria so I just kept kind of pointing a shrieking. And then I remembered the word- serpiente- duh. And Betty looked and also got a little freaked out by its size. We called across the street to the neighbor and he came over with his machete, reached under the bed and chopped off its head. Lovely. Then he pulled it out and deposited it in the open jungle. A few of the neighbors had come out of their homes to see what I was yelling about, but when they saw the long brown snake dangling from the machete, they just laughed at me in a friendly way. The sad part is, everyone told me this type of snake- a sabanera (I don't know what this translates to, but sabana is sheet)- is not a poisonous snake and just eats rat and rodents, which is actually good. So, I was sad we hadn't tried to get him out alive, but I also had no intention of trying to do anything. Ah, Peace Corps adventures. <br /><br />This first three months of service is supposed to be the most challenging simply due to cultural integration, project start-up, and a general adjustment. I'm sure there will be bad moments and bad days, especially when I find myself missing family, friends, and activities I became so accustomed to at home. But I also feel the beginnings of a new and wonderful home here in my jungle paradise.Kristen Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230756398426010899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780297072308897121.post-86085804056392560852009-05-21T15:57:00.000-07:002009-05-29T14:47:34.565-07:00Quebrada Grande<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBSV73edHxKjRE89s8E1G2gBRYDWmEoielDx9YSbrPxUdGx6rMZoxbvR9m25VklPJZ7M50zNrwjri06ZBFStDi9jP1tOvOYdVf7g9r9SAJ5Tm9qJIeO5hTfjjSoGwtrEQlSrrCZQf1XmA/s1600-h/IMG_0821.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBSV73edHxKjRE89s8E1G2gBRYDWmEoielDx9YSbrPxUdGx6rMZoxbvR9m25VklPJZ7M50zNrwjri06ZBFStDi9jP1tOvOYdVf7g9r9SAJ5Tm9qJIeO5hTfjjSoGwtrEQlSrrCZQf1XmA/s320/IMG_0821.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341365361849686130" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHqWAPDz8GxNAOg5k4PmvD1Od91keHSKGcqhQ7nOH2w1MEMGtZj7DjdEasyPR0FywfQ0cy7vjnNRl-6MJg4hAbY_NknVBw2zolV5yNQshmFNXPxFlp-qwiq-pCQTyOevnsJCxa4NFU3X0/s1600-h/IMG_0810.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHqWAPDz8GxNAOg5k4PmvD1Od91keHSKGcqhQ7nOH2w1MEMGtZj7DjdEasyPR0FywfQ0cy7vjnNRl-6MJg4hAbY_NknVBw2zolV5yNQshmFNXPxFlp-qwiq-pCQTyOevnsJCxa4NFU3X0/s320/IMG_0810.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341364575236503858" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzSIYNAjqDPtagtGK4bYkVJ1pcJ_HXatigyayU3T09PXHmOH_YlZNg_ngMDjjU9UBrO6mmsmDFCivoS3tJ8aAXlwI12V18F6Wyy1DBVI22Bb4D_V2CohQ_hiSbxHsbXlr9YCcB9EGnoo/s1600-h/IMG_0772.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzSIYNAjqDPtagtGK4bYkVJ1pcJ_HXatigyayU3T09PXHmOH_YlZNg_ngMDjjU9UBrO6mmsmDFCivoS3tJ8aAXlwI12V18F6Wyy1DBVI22Bb4D_V2CohQ_hiSbxHsbXlr9YCcB9EGnoo/s320/IMG_0772.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341364005967008258" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf0h7pdhmvKL4DmkUNzBmW4n7rOhUfwfMG6W-KFEe1ygPzLcEFzUaOaMf2bBUKBdDqhfq8IGDMOa9XhwUtoQDI6gAZbqlD4pxAShFQgDkRLUREX8OMcTt1TnHB9_DPsRghhX-5w-bhPqI/s1600-h/IMG_0706.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf0h7pdhmvKL4DmkUNzBmW4n7rOhUfwfMG6W-KFEe1ygPzLcEFzUaOaMf2bBUKBdDqhfq8IGDMOa9XhwUtoQDI6gAZbqlD4pxAShFQgDkRLUREX8OMcTt1TnHB9_DPsRghhX-5w-bhPqI/s320/IMG_0706.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341361042181109586" /></a><br />In a fancy private country club in Alajuela on Friday May 8th, each member of Tico 19 finally learned their fate in terms of site location. You can imagine how much sleep any of us received the night before wondering where we would be living for the next two years of our lives. That morning the bus ride to San Jose felt longer than any other before it as we wound our way down the curving mountain road to the valley capital city. And the wait was prolonged even more when we loaded onto another bus to go to the wealthy suburb of Alajuela. I entered the place and felt like I was back in the States. People walking out with their tennis bags wearing Nike shirts and wrist bands, the glimmer of sweat on their brow from a workout. A giant pool lay in the center of the club, lined with sparkling tile. I felt like I was about to play in the Taos Open Tourney, but had forgotten my rackets. After a hurried breakfast served up in the dining area, we were herded to an outdoor area where a giant map of Costa Rica hung dauntingly in front of us. Tension and giddiness flooded the space as toes tapped impatiently and hushed whispers were shared between faces bright with anticipation. My fellow Jerico trainee Jessica happened to turn 24 on this day, and so she was given the honors of being the first to learn her site location. The staff blindfolded her, placed the marker on the map, then spun her around a few times. Then it was our job as the crowd to audibly lead her roaming hands to the correct point. After much feeling around she found it and discovered her site near Buenos Aires in southern Costa Rica. The pattern continued with several volunteers from each group being spun around in a similar game-like fashion, but soon the staff simply called each person up with a brief description of the site and then placed the marker on the map. We all screamed and cheered as each person made the discovery. I soon found that RCD volunteers were being called up in alphabetical order, so I waited with patience along with Danielle who has a 'W' last name as well. Together we were the conclusion of the session. I heard Moises FINALLY say, “and this next site is one where I see myself taking future vacations.” This was my introduction to my site in Guanacaste, and as I heard my name I rose with a giant smile on my face and a lightness to my step to see up close the marker he had just placed on the map. The site is two small communities; Quebrada Grande and San Bosco which are about 1.5km apart. The site is south of the larger town of Nandayure, or Carmona as it is sometimes called and is located in southern Guanacaste on the Nicoyan Peninsula. My site is about an hour and half ride south of Nandayure through rough mountain terrain. Many may not realize just how mountainous Guanacaste is throughout its center. It is known for its fine beaches of course, but its mountains too are something to admire. <br /><br />A short week after learning our site location, we traveled with an assigned counterpart to the location for the final site visit of training. My counterpart's name is Oscar and he is the president of the ADI (the development group that exists in every community). It is important to have these counterparts as a sort of local boss- someone to turn to for help when needed and someone to work with on projects. I am very fortunate to have a very friendly counterpart who seems incredibly enthusiastic about me being in his community. After a day of meetings with the whole group- all volunteers of RCD, CYF, and CED and their counterparts- with Peace Corps, we each set off with our respective counterparts to our various destinations. And believe me, they did vary significantly. Daniel is as far south as you can get without being in Panama. He is in an indigenous reserve. Ashley is close to the southern border of the country, in a small farming community close to Nicaragua. And then I represent the farthest west in my southern point of the Nicoyan Peninsula in Guanacaste. There are volunteers scattered all over in between this in the Zona Norte, Zona Sur and Central San Jose region. My closest neighboring volunteer is from Tico 17 (meaning he will be leaving in September). He's in the town of Los Angeles about 30 minutes north of me. It is a larger town as he is a CED volunteer. Then Penelope, a Tico 19er is a little further north in Monte Romo. I wouldn't say I'm incredibly secluded like some. For example, Daniel must take a canoe for part of his journey. Yet, I am the furthest south on the peninsula and I only have a bus to my community two days per week; Monday and Friday at 5am with a return trip at 1pm from Nandayure.<br /><br />My new host family consists of Betty and Memo; a couple in their fifties with two daughters aged 21 and 26. Both are recently married and moved out to other bigger towns in Costa Rica. Betty says I fit right in as the “middle daughter” now. My room shares a wall with the main house, but has its own outdoor entrance and lock. We have three dogs, a parrot, and a whole bunch of chickens. All of these animals are friendly and talkative so to speak. The family owns several parcels of land as most do in the community. They farm coffee and oranges and are mainly self-sufficient with gardens and natural plants and animals for food. On the first night I arrived, my new dad and a neighbor slaughtered a pig and barbecued up the meat for all kinds of delicious dishes. I spent much of the time cooking with my new mom as she is an amazing cook and cooks very healthily as well. She uses veggies in every meal and doesn't use a lot of oil. She also loves to teach me all these recipes. We made mango bread at one point and it was amazing. Kind of like banana bread, but heavier and with mangoes obviously. That was another part of the trip that is unforgettable; the mangoes. There are mango trees everywhere and so many mangoes are simply falling off the trees, ripe and ready to eat. But there are not enough people, monkeys, and insects combined to eat them all. So, many just lay there rotting in piles. I am warned this will only last for another month or so while mangoes are in season. I of course pick up as many ripe ones as I see to take back to the house and eat. Betty and I hiked a lot and we would often whip out our pocket knives and slice up a mango as a snack on the go. I feel very fortunate to have been placed with this family. Betty has a very like personality to mine; social, active, and opinionated, while Memo is quiet, sweet and easy-going. I felt right at home very quickly and didn't hesitate to begin setting up my room. I left many of my things there since I will be back in just over a week after the final touches of training and of course the ceremony to swear in as an official volunteer. <br /><br />As for my site, the community seems very welcoming to me in general. They had a little introductory meeting at which I introduced myself to the junta (community group) and listened to some community members speak about their positions in the organization. We also discussed some projects the community has in mind. In general, the women's association of the community is very organized. They even have a fairly extravagant orchid garden they work hard to maintain. They then sell these orchids to tourists when the season is right. The group would like to do more projects like this that can bring extra income and they are especially interested in projects concerning the environment such as a recycling program. As for youth, I am surprised to find very few children in the community. Only 6 kids attend the local school ranging from 2nd-6th grade. The colegio (7th-12th grade) is located in Los Angeles and brings the first exposure to English classes. So, there is definitely a need for English classes, and after meeting with the teacher of the school, I know they will be scheduled easily into the students' schedule. I also will have classes in the other smaller community of San Bosco. They have even a smaller school, but there is also an interest in English classes there. Adults too in both communities would like to take classes once a week or so. I was surprised at how many community members approached me on their wish to learn the language. It has a lot to do with how quickly tourism has picked up in the last few years and how many Americans now come through the town. In fact, over half the land in and around the community is owned by Americans. Most of them are never there, and many of them have fancy big houses which remain vacant much of the time. This can be looked at positively or negatively. Positively, the need for maintenance of these properties creates jobs and brings in extra economic stimulations when these people come into the country. On the other hand, the gap between rich and poor in our world is more starkly seen and a community with so many empty houses never bodes well. Either way, knowledge of English is a coveted skill and I hope I can be a good teacher. <br /><br />Overall, my site is absolutely perfect. The climate is warm to hot and humid. There are beautiful views and hikes everywhere. I am living in the jungle, the mountains, a river valley, and I am a short 45 minute car ride away from Playa Cayote- a beautiful local beach that is not yet fully touristy. From many of the mountain tops you can see the ocean in all it´s wonderful expanse. The grueling steep uphill hikes are worth every step when you reach the top and can look over the mountains below and the sprawling coastline. Pictures cannot do this justice, but you can count on me becoming quiet the photographer in this beautiful landscape. I will also need to invest in some rain boots and some crocs (or rip off crocs) for the rainy season which is September through November. I´ve been told it can get pretty nasty with washed out roads and such with all the rain. Sometimes buses can´t even get in and out. That probably won´t be a high point as I enjoy being outdoors and rain dampens (haha) the mood for that. But there is rain throughout the country and I am quite content with my site assignment. On May 30th this will be my permanent home after two bus rides totaling at about 6 hours from San Jose. I am eager to begin this exciting new chapter.Kristen Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230756398426010899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780297072308897121.post-80154563140572514632009-05-04T15:28:00.000-07:002009-05-04T15:37:22.637-07:00Home is where the Ticos are<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX4krGz4HzeEBK0dHZQgCxSL9Rg1DxiLnAZqevgjmSp7-g-KQ41S5e23NxdpO_r193db7SImxNCyhPAlAvtH3OfPTJRZcC1VjiHztH_JqtmmdSBzT630YtJW6Dtnzhhk1MUhW17KurKIU/s1600-h/1+de+mayo+040.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX4krGz4HzeEBK0dHZQgCxSL9Rg1DxiLnAZqevgjmSp7-g-KQ41S5e23NxdpO_r193db7SImxNCyhPAlAvtH3OfPTJRZcC1VjiHztH_JqtmmdSBzT630YtJW6Dtnzhhk1MUhW17KurKIU/s320/1+de+mayo+040.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332101484867599698" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTy8kZLBoSh9JCmssMKlLUJlPYDI9FjQ4nTuFMuAWgnV4Qozgg_DrYfLLS_EXgz42OjnYDAVPXweZ5ua2jx1Fg8fTf_D4sHayV-hY5MwBBk5rfgDzI_uoh7GtVu-lJSX1q9xicGF0g6Xg/s1600-h/1+de+mayo+121.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTy8kZLBoSh9JCmssMKlLUJlPYDI9FjQ4nTuFMuAWgnV4Qozgg_DrYfLLS_EXgz42OjnYDAVPXweZ5ua2jx1Fg8fTf_D4sHayV-hY5MwBBk5rfgDzI_uoh7GtVu-lJSX1q9xicGF0g6Xg/s400/1+de+mayo+121.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332100735524383714" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_v8uiakvB4cboO2xTGJU1rH0p9nsNkLSrGuAmBet7g93OEgGBaF2ZcNd8xi81iRU30mhewvEIm6HiQ-uz-mdrDcjGeQUVYkOTVObxZcfpE7EVxgqxa5SGAY-kOQecEYp76F8w35R7C4s/s1600-h/1+de+mayo+084.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_v8uiakvB4cboO2xTGJU1rH0p9nsNkLSrGuAmBet7g93OEgGBaF2ZcNd8xi81iRU30mhewvEIm6HiQ-uz-mdrDcjGeQUVYkOTVObxZcfpE7EVxgqxa5SGAY-kOQecEYp76F8w35R7C4s/s320/1+de+mayo+084.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332100091692823730" /></a><br />After four bus rides totaling out at about 6 hours, my group of 9 RCD trainees arrived in Cristo Rey, CR. This community is probably too small to Google Map, but if you look up Los Chiles, CR and let your finger move to the southeast into that empty pixeled area you'll have an idea of where I was for the last week for site visit number 2. <br /><br />This is a small farming community only about a 20 minute drive from the Nicaraguan border. The roads are red clay mud rolling over grassy hills and overlooking open fields that slope into a thick forested jungle marsh surrounding a slowly snaking river. There are cows everywhere and locals trot around on horses as a primary means of transportation. The majority of houses are government-issued cookie-cutter boxes with the same plaster walls and heavy tin roofs. Those who didn't qualify for the houses (mainly because they are Nicaraguan and not Costa Rican citizens) live in wooden shacks strewn together with nails and boards. <br /><br />Despite the poverty, the people are some of the most friendly and happy I have ever met. Kelsey (the volunteer my group visited there) walked us through the community and we were welcomed with smiles and kisses on the cheek. We each lived with different families in the town and I was placed with a family consisting of a young couple and their three small boys along with their niece and her son. They also had a Futbolin (fuseball table) that brought hoards of neighborhood kids over to play. <br /><br />Each day was a mix of Spanish classes, exploration, mini project planning, and teaching English in the local school. As a group we visited a different family for lunch everyday so as to experience a different home. I taught an hour long English lesson to 3rd and 4th graders, teaching them command words and playing several intense rounds of Simon Says. The project we carried out in site was a Peace vs. Violence charla (informational talk and activity) with 4th-6th graders. We split them up into small groups and each of the 9 of us facilitated a group. We then spoke to them (yes, in Spanish!) about different types of violence, how to deal with anger and sadness, and why peace is important. They were to draw pictures of what they thought of as peace and violence in their lives and we then placed all the pictures on a poster to make a Peace vs. Violence mural. It is astounding to see the depth of some of these students considering how little experience they've had outside their small community. I was in awe of their passion, creativity, and desire to learn.<br /><br />We also attended a Cristo Rey ADI meeting. This is the community association that exists in Costa Rican communities but may or may not be active depending on the community. We witnessed Kelsey actively participate as the community board members discussed the building of a playground at the school, what the sports committee is doing, who will take over the officer positions for the next year, and much more. It took place in the town Salon Comunal made of rickety old boards slapped together on top of the natural dirt floor. It also acted as a bit of a sauna and some of the ladies took advantage of this by selling bags of flavored ice for 100 colones each (less that a quarter). The meeting progressed with some arguing, some applause, some cries of agreement and happiness as any meeting does. Kelsey even stood up to speak about how she has worked to get funding for the school playground. It should be built in the next few months. This is exactly what we are training to do; to be a working part of a community, leading them to improvement, facilitating their success. Seeing the tangible work of Peace Corps reminded me again of why I want to be a volunteer.<br /><br />One evening I played soccer with the local kids on their red dirt (or clay depending on the rain) concha de futbol. They play barefoot, so I did too. I sprinted around with them, kicking the ball and dribbling rapidly toward my goal. My feet were callused and stained a semi-permanent pinkish color. They were surprised at this gringa's ability to actually play soccer. And they were all amazing of course. Everyone in Costa Rica can play soccer. It permeates all levels of socioeconomic status and ignites passion and competition in every age. The day I returned to Jerico, my womens team had a game and I again donned my number 8 uniform, Adidas shoes and shin guards, and trotted out onto a lush green field illuminated beneath bright, expensive lights. I was struck by the stark contrast of what I now see as a fairly wealthy San Jose suburb (Jerico) and the life of the campo (countryside) where I will most likely spend my next two years of life. I was also struck by the similarities. The same fiery will to play, the same goals (literally), and the same teamwork, friendship and laughter. This sport I love so much will be a wonderful tool.<br /><br />One day we offered our time and our muscles to help haul water pipes and tubing to a house being built in town. Mano de obra, or manual labor, is a good way to show strength of character and pride in the community. Two hours later our muscles were burning and our clothes were covered in the community's famous red dirt, but we had moved hundreds of pipes and brick boxes into the shell of the new house. We then laughed and chatted and had caffeicito and arroz con leche with the local workers. <br /><br />I woke early in the mornings to run before the extreme heat and humidity fully took effect. One morning took me to the host home of Leslie, a fellow trainee, as the family was milking cows. I of course had to try. Milking a cow is not as easy as it looks. Not only is a surprising amount of firm strength and pressure necessary to expel the milk, but the process is filled with challenges like dodging the feces when the cow decides to relieve itself during the milking. It is a common occurrence to be completely splattered. I was able to avoid that thankfully, but one of our Spanish instructors was not so lucky. We watched the processes of storing the milk for later sale as well as the making of cheese from the milk. These two products are the big income of the farms in this community. The Costa Rican cheese is very unique. It's called squeaky cheese and looks like a white sheet of rubber. When ground up I think it kind of tastes like parmesan, but it's definitely a unique taste. This farm house with it's many animals was also the place where we all had the opportunity to ride horses. I rode a large brown stallion and it was incredible. I felt some sort of connection with the animal and we even got up to a gallop at one point. It was comfortable and freeing and fun. <br /><br />Nearly every night there was a downpour- I mean a real downpour. It woke me up without fail as it pounded down onto the tin roof as if wanting my undivided attention as it soaked and saturated the land. And this is dry season. You can tell it's dry season because during the day it only rains maybe once if at all. But I became accustomed to the nightly rage of water. This water fed the red dirt and often created the clay that cakes onto shoes in the most extraordinary fashion. When I look at this clay I of course think of the French Open, Rafael Nadal, or where I could build a red clay tennis court here....<br /><br />I drank the juice out of a coconut- a pipa. All natural pipa juice is a common refresco here they have with meals. I also drank sugar cane juice or agua dulce. We crushed the sugar cane in a metal appliance that looked about a hundred years old and watched as the branches flattened and emitted the sweet sugary liquid into the attached bucket. <br /><br />One night I returned to my family home to find a chacharra had flown into the house. This is the giant harmless insect that buzzes loudly through the night. It's hard shell is supported by long and detailed wings. My host brothers were a mix of fear, curiosity and excitement. The littlest baby boy (age 1 ½ ) loved it from a distance, but when we brought it close, he screamed in fear. The other boys enjoyed catching it and throwing it at me. This a is a fun game, as the bug almost always begins flying in the opposite direction from which it was thrown. It's sticky legs attach instantly to whatever it lands on first and with the large group of us in the room, it often stuck onto a person, creating all kinds of fun. The 5 year old brother's name is Christian and they call him Chris, which also happens to be what I am called in Costa Rica since the 'ten' at the end of Kristen is a difficult consonant in Spanish. He and I took to each other very early as we shared a name and a love of pineapple. He is shy, but drew me lots of pictures. On the last day, my family gave me a letter they had written telling me how much they enjoyed my visit and inviting me to come back again. Christian had painstakingly written a very detailed signature he had been practicing throughout the week. He even ran out and gave me a hug at the last minute before the bus arrived to take us away. <br /><br />Reina is the niece that lives in the house with her baby. She is 15 and has only been through the 4th grade. One night she brought out a children's text book on learning English and asked if I would listen to her read in English. I was nearly brought to tears throughout the next two hours as we worked through pronunciation, vocabulary and other basics of the English language. English is incredibly difficult and yet so incredibly important to know in our world. Reina is Nicaraguan and has not had educational opportunities. Because she is not Costa Rican, she cannot attend the formal school here. But her passion to learn is so much stronger than I would have expected. I made correction after correction and each time she furrowed her brow in concentration and fixed her mistake. I am happy to report that Kelsey is working to open an non-traditional colegio (high school) for ANY adults and teens who want to learn. Kelsey will teach the English and hopes to find others willing to instruct other subjects. <br /><br />On the final day of the week-long visit we took a trip into the jungle. We watched as the locals fished in the river using nets and a log with holes in it. There were no fishing poles in sight. They led us deep into a thick forested area where the majority of us received anywhere from 10-100 mosquito bites. Luckily, I was on the lower end of that spectrum since I had haphazardly sprayed on some repellente before the trip. It was here we saw the group of about 10 howler monkeys swinging in the thickness. I had heard their deep hoots throughout the night but hadn't seen them until now. They looked at us for a second, then lost interest instantly and continued their play high in the tree tops. We watched for a long time in awe of this natural siting. After much walking and a few more attempts at fishing in certain areas of the river, we came to the natural piscina (swimming pool). For girls, the American idea of a bathing suit is not really appropriate in this area. So we had our bathing suits under shorts and t-shirts and leaped into the river water. The bottom was all mud and as we climbed out to jump in again, our feet sank at least two feet into the soft malleable floor. Soon the locals led us around one more bend surrounding the natural pool and we were introduced to a gigantic tree with long, thick vines. One by one we ran with the vine and let it swing us far over the water below before letting go and plunging deep into the river. I must have done it twenty or more times and my arms ached from climbing out of the river and up the rock and mud wall below the tree.<br /><br />We hoofed it back to the farm house muddy and soaked, but smiling from ear to ear and laughing loudly. When we got back we were surprised with a barbecue in our honor. They had slaughtered a cow and grilled it up for us along with arroz con pollo (a celebratory food). They also served up fruit like cantaloupe and pineapple that they grow right there on the farm. All the food we ate that night was naturally grown right there with no added chemicals. It was delicious and amazing and so much fun. <br /><br />The next morning bright and early we climbed onto the first bus in the series of buses on our journey back to our training communities. We all felt pangs of sadness at leaving this magical place. We also all felt pangs of jealousy at Kelsey having this site. We each loved it for all of its aspects and on the ride home we chatted about how we hoped to get a site very much like it. <br /><br />As I thought over the week on the ride home I left the bus window open and let the fresh Costa Rican air bathe my face and my lungs in the endorphins of my heightened happiness. I thought to myself, this country is magical, this country is now my home.Kristen Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230756398426010899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780297072308897121.post-87716046700699607322009-04-11T14:11:00.000-07:002009-04-14T16:19:02.607-07:00Semana Santa<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9tdIJ17oeW5bWg9UvM8dsUjCSCJFrhGYdeHv4USxr0wxwAa0R2vRMBCDrOII80LwXt57hWRyoHo0u6ubzbUyl_L0gmi0YVXFR9g_Bwsz0fstZFtiJhriyI5m4KL9VEbWTqC9WR3n2Pmc/s1600-h/bus+group+2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9tdIJ17oeW5bWg9UvM8dsUjCSCJFrhGYdeHv4USxr0wxwAa0R2vRMBCDrOII80LwXt57hWRyoHo0u6ubzbUyl_L0gmi0YVXFR9g_Bwsz0fstZFtiJhriyI5m4KL9VEbWTqC9WR3n2Pmc/s320/bus+group+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324690594461021090" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildDZKcAmn2UQ8EdG7dVnYLeBM6sY9u3zjbz4M-SNuhDqXkhPAt09xti6Q85azStFo2iyYxdXrhqd1b5qLTE8R3DAsA_PLAvJo323m84cWQsvCY9kgTaTrHJU3QX0DUYq624_dvrnt1uw/s1600-h/bus+group+1.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildDZKcAmn2UQ8EdG7dVnYLeBM6sY9u3zjbz4M-SNuhDqXkhPAt09xti6Q85azStFo2iyYxdXrhqd1b5qLTE8R3DAsA_PLAvJo323m84cWQsvCY9kgTaTrHJU3QX0DUYq624_dvrnt1uw/s320/bus+group+1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324690532039343522" /></a><br />I love my long walks and hikes throughout the mountainous wilderness of Jerico, Costa Rica during training. And during Semana Santa the Peace Corps gave us Thursday and Friday off in addition to the weekend for descansado (rest), or in my case, finally time for long hikes and runs. Well Thursday I began with this in mind. I took a nice long run around town, pushing myself up a few hills and finishing with a mild jog around the soccer field a few times. Then at about mid-morning my Tica twin sisters and Tico cousin Roberto said they were going on a hike to the “arbol con waco” or “tree with hole.” I had heard much about this local gem from my family and others, so of course I was on board. It was a pretty rigorous uphill hike over one of the mountains. Some of it was on a windy dirt road and when it got too steep, there were paved sections. Then we broke off of the road and into a thick forested area and onto a narrow path that shot steeply downhill on the other side of the mountain. <br /> <br />It was on this steep, narrow and rocky path that I rolled my ankle terribly. The spot was only a few meters from the magnificent tree and I could hear the laughter and mingling of the many visitors. As my left ankle rolled out onto the outer side of my foot in a small crevice of the path, I nearly fell to my knees in agony. I was able to remain upright, balancing on my right side and leaning heavily onto a tree, but I was hit with a strange and foreign sensation. It is best described as a very strong head rush. My vision clouded and darkened, and it sounded as if I were in a wind tunnel. The sounds of voices and wind and birds became faint and distant. I felt dizzy. One of the twins later told me my lips went totally white and I was wavering in balance. I think this must be what it feels like right before you pass out. Luckily, I didn't experience the full effect.<br /> <br />Strangely, I didn't have the urge to cry out or release tears of pain, it was simply nauseating. After regaining composure I was able to limp my way to the grand gift of nature. It was the most enormous tree I have ever seen, with giant protruding roots making up its trunk. People were climbing through its interior as the roots left a “hole” at its base. Others climbed high into the branches of the magnificent work. I obviously did not partake in this climbing expedition, but I sat, resting my incredibly swollen ankle and gazed up into its high reaches. Now was the going back part. Roberto fashioned me a handy walking stick and we began the trek back to Jerico and the house. Although going down was much easier on the lungs, it was actually more difficult on the ankle and I proceeded to tread very slowly, often shuffling sideways like you would do on skis if you were trying to make sure you didn't slide straight down the mountain. The others were very patient with me. I think they were nervous after seeing me turn ghostly white and nearly pass out. I felt so foolish and stupid. Here I was, in good shape, wearing my hiking boots, and I roll my dumb ankle. The others were in converse sneakers with no tread on the bottoms and they gallivanted easily down to the tree. I suppose you could say they know the terrain better, but I honestly think it was just a freak accident. And sometimes that just happens. It is a super bummer though, as it kicked off my four days of freedom as a gimp. Wonderful. So much for soccer and running this week.<br /> <br />We attended mass and other church festivities from Thursday through Sunday in celebration of Semana Santa, Good Friday and Easter (or here, “Resurrecion”). I also went to mass last Sunday, Palm Sunday and was fascinated by the ritual of it. The mass began outdoors and we were all given palms. We then processed into the church following the children as they gave a sort of skit. It was interesting to note the similarities and differences from my experiences of Palm Sunday in the States. I folded my palm into a cross as my friends and I used to do at St. Francis Cabrini, and everyone was fascinated by the idea. The twins wanted me to teach them how to do it. Semana Santa also brings out some unique types of food. I have been served a variety of meals this week that include a type of fruit called chiverre. It is sweet and has a strange, stringy texture, but when broiled (and my Tica mother broiled it for 24 hours), it becomes soft and delicious, especially when baked inside a pastry. The other favorite of mine that has been dished out this week is arroz con leche. It is amazing and has the texture of oatmeal. It is made with several types of milk and then boiled on the stove. It has totally become my comfort food. My Tica mother thinks it's strange I want it for breakfast... it is mainly just a dessert here. <br /> <br />Last weekend was a blast. About 15 of the RCDers took a trip to Jaco Beach, about three hours west of Jerico. On a map it looks like it should take about 40 minutes to get there, but you have to go through the mountains on the dilapidated narrow roads of Costa Rica. So we left at 5:30am to travel by bus to the popular and touristy Playa Jaco. I visited this beach in the summer of 2006 when I was staying in Flamingo, so it was very familiar. We spent the entire day battling some super strong waves, tanning in the soft sand, and playing beach soccer with my newly purchased soccer ball. (I figured this would be a good investment for my stay in Costa Rica). Check out my pics of the day on Facebook:<br /><br />Peace Corps Orientation Retreat:<br />http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2082426&id=11600518&l=38ca3ad338<br /><br />PC Training thus far in Jerico, CR:<br />http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2083400&id=11600518&l=7763d9f759<br /><br />RCD Jaco Beach Trip:<br />http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2083827&id=11600518&l=a181a13954<br /><br />PCV Visit: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2083481&id=11600518&l=0778e909fd<br /> <br />We are steadily approaching the midway point of training. Only 48 more days before swearing in as a true Peace Corps volunteer!Kristen Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230756398426010899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780297072308897121.post-61993360103880249112009-04-04T14:52:00.000-07:002009-04-14T16:11:22.261-07:00Mas o Menos Tico<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuAdUZspU1ag1MixzJ7N7KCMVFYWNkWNfJwNj5f2HqQbI8dXjiyU6ppbsnvg1kPUE4XyD1iz3vu5q-f9TQV2BMrx0NLEm8Jy7coeL3PeuLz7eLvpyjLGSCLomBShSoCHTT6OwYNTAmAL8/s1600-h/lindsay.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuAdUZspU1ag1MixzJ7N7KCMVFYWNkWNfJwNj5f2HqQbI8dXjiyU6ppbsnvg1kPUE4XyD1iz3vu5q-f9TQV2BMrx0NLEm8Jy7coeL3PeuLz7eLvpyjLGSCLomBShSoCHTT6OwYNTAmAL8/s320/lindsay.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324688496539399842" /></a><br />I have recently returned from the PC Site visit where I “shadowed” the lovely Lindsay Webb. She's from Phoenix, Arizona and has been here two years. She'll be heading back home this month after the completion of her service. The site visit rocked. It was in Guanacaste near the beach and we were able to visit Playa Samura one day. I basically stayed with Lindsay for few days to observe her work and ask questions. I saw monkeys, helped her paint a world map on the elementary school and picked her brain for all the juicy Peace Corps details. Pictures of the trip should be on Facebook soon.<br /><br />Lindsay taught English, was active in the community association, taught aerobics to a womens group, and much more. It was wonderful to see all the opportunities and possibilities. And let me tell you, this site was rural. Twenty minute drive in either direction along dusty, rocky mountain roads to the nearest town where there is Internet and phone. It was an extremely humid version of driving in the old blazer along the back 40 of Grammie and Grandpa's ranch. The other difference is that there is a beach about 30 minutes away. But, you have to cross a river to get to the beach, and that is really only possible in the dry season (which is now). Lindsay had a scare one time when she was trying to cross the river when it was too high. She thought she was going to be swept away because the current suddenly picked up, but luckily a local helped pull her across. The site is called San Pedro de Nandayure, near Carmona in Guanacaste. It is incredibly small- only a few hundred people. And a stark contrast of poverty near to summer beach houses of wealthy Westerners hangs in the humid air. The community loves Lindsay and I was awed by the experience in a very positive way.<br /><br />The other trainees brought back similar stories of awesome visits in all kinds of places throughout rural Costa Rica. We compared and contrasted the experiences, projects, and general outcome of the trip. I for one have been revitalized to make it through the rest of training.<br /><br />Next week is Semana Santa (Holy Week) in which we will be given a four day weekend (hallelujah... literally). I plan to partake in all the town's festivities which include a hike, a party (with a bunch of food according to my host sisters), a candlelight vigil, and some other interesting cultural things. <br /><br />Soon after is the famous “VAC Dinner” (Volunteer Action Committee) on April 18th in San Jose at which all the Costa Rica PC volunteers come together to mingle and meet. It is supposed to be mountains of fun and we will all stay in a hotel in San Jose. <br /><br />After that we will be officially half way through training. Yahoo. <br /><br />In other amazing news, I somehow got myself onto a womens soccer team here in Jerico. (Found out there are no co-ed teams here... it's just not really culturally acceptable). I simply met a girl who was visiting the house one day (everyone is friends or family with everyone else here) and when she found out I played, she asked me to play that night with some other girls. After showing up, being decked out from head to toe in a uniform that included specific socks, shorts and a jersey that all say #8, I trotted out onto the field with 21 other highly competitive female players aging from 18-thirty-something. Wow... I have never been the weakest player on a soccer field, but the humbling experience only made me hungry for more. I was asked to join the team despite what I considered a pretty poor performance (it was raining and I was sliding everywhere in my indoor soccer shoes on the slick grass of the outdoor field). They even travel to other small towns to play. I hope that's feasible for me, and that Peace Corps allows it. The players all speak only Spanish, so I better learn all the soccer vocab quick.<br /><br />So for now I'm back at the home base; Jerico. I've grown fond of it actually... even when it gets cold and wet and windy. Because now I have soccer, and I've also grown to love the many winding mountain roads and beautiful views. And we go into the city of San Jose every Friday which offers a nice change. Here are some things I jotted down on one of my walks through my mountain town when the mood felt right:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">My Favorite Place</span></span><br /><br />This is my favorite place<br />An overlook onto a great river valley,<br />Steep, jagged mountainsides compressed on either side.<br /><br />Green, green, and more lush green<br />Sometimes you can see for miles south, <br />Deeper into the valley where the mountains fade into plains.<br /><br />But today my favorite place is in a cloud<br /><br />Everything damp and dewy from a recent downpour.<br />The air brisk and wet, <br />The grasses dance a slow dance in a moist breeze<br />Esta muy obscuro hoy.<br />The fog grows thicker and closer <br />I can see its movement as it makes love to the mountainside,<br />Caressing softly and slowly, quieting the busy life that chirps and hums and sings,<br />Readying for the night.<br />So thick, the fog brings early darkness, so calm, <br />Tranquilo.<br /><br />This is my favorite place. <br /><br /><em><span style="font-weight:bold;">My first Costa Rican soccer game<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span></em><br /><br />Green and lush and mountainous<br />Cool breezes rush along winding valley roads.<br /><br />When it rains, we're in a cloud, thick and cool and wet.<br />The power goes out and we wait for la luz.<br />Calm, dark silence hovers.<br /><br />A Tico calls out a shrill whoop, echoing in the darkness.<br />A response comes wailing back from across the plaza,<br />A secret language, sounds of life.<br /><br />The pulperia thrives; quiet chatter and commerce and caffeicito glowing under dim candlelight.<br />Motorcycles buzz loudly by, <br />Cutting through the country silence, overpowering the chatter momentarily. <br /><br />Not rain or wind or extreme heat or cold <br />Can keep the jugadores de futbol home.<br />We wait and cheer as the flickers of light appear.<br />And out we trot onto the cancha,<br />the hum of excitement reverberating in the air.Kristen Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230756398426010899noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780297072308897121.post-83144237801562175532009-03-19T18:31:00.000-07:002009-04-14T16:09:00.565-07:00The Birth of Tico 19!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhymJ-tSFe_6oBbTITM1ZiNWglP2NAdZbQJbqYqvEQ504_sNaw5H-DOy4szMWjmF0alNgh2VoCQuTs7DwuZlGhtAImLQ89WiwVJSEmm4wtp4ilMpAWQOz5cFKCjtPIN-NsUXFKHcV8Gal4/s1600-h/rcd.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhymJ-tSFe_6oBbTITM1ZiNWglP2NAdZbQJbqYqvEQ504_sNaw5H-DOy4szMWjmF0alNgh2VoCQuTs7DwuZlGhtAImLQ89WiwVJSEmm4wtp4ilMpAWQOz5cFKCjtPIN-NsUXFKHcV8Gal4/s320/rcd.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324687999240966002" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7WHrSthZ-VmG6O6A10WqAb0bjAnHjOfAxCUrKA-4A72pxDYFSTPh5iOoI9SA2nDUMd7U2LG7WCq5adyIdgNXHOZo9fcQDEqXDNfo32mS99YYed_0GaSJwUM3SXijXWrhWrheCSblll5g/s1600-h/big+group.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7WHrSthZ-VmG6O6A10WqAb0bjAnHjOfAxCUrKA-4A72pxDYFSTPh5iOoI9SA2nDUMd7U2LG7WCq5adyIdgNXHOZo9fcQDEqXDNfo32mS99YYed_0GaSJwUM3SXijXWrhWrheCSblll5g/s320/big+group.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324687807645093410" /></a><br />Hola from Costa Rica! I have finally begun the adventure of a lifetime, and it is definitely an adventure thus far. Staging was a rapid fire four hour orientation in a Holiday Inn in Washington DC at which the 52 Costa Rica Peace Corps trainees finally met in person and received PC passports and many other important papers and forms. After a sleepless night and a departure from DC at 1AM, the group embarked on a four day retreat that felt like a mini summer camp at a gorgeous retreat center in the mountains near San Jose. It was different than summer camp however in that the days were long and full of intense learning sessions. By the time we let out for free time is was dark and the beautiful green soccer field remained untouched, much to my dismay. We played once on the very first day... the day that started at 1am eastern time, 11pm of the previous night in Costa Rica time. Who needs sleep when you have 51 other excited, nervous and energetic peers? For the four days the surface information of Peace Corps, the language exam, and Costa Rican culture was poured into our heads for 8 hours straight each day. Then came placement in communities and host families based on language ability, project program (RCD for me), and availability of host families. I am in Jerico, a very small mountain community south of San Jose. I live with an incredibly nice family. I have a Tica mom, twin Tica sisters (age 15), and a 19 year old Tico brother. My house is one in a sort of bundle of houses that all belong in the family. My Tica mother has seven sisters and three brothers. At least five of the sisters live in Jerico, and three live yards away as neighbors. It's a very tight knit family and I love how close they are and how much excitement is always happening. Every morning I wake to the smell of homemade tortillas and brewing cafe (coffee). I am also fed a host of delicious fruits daily as we have several fruit trees in our yard. I love the mango, the pineapple, and pretty much all the fruits that I am not spoiled with back home. The town is wonderful except for how cold it gets. We were told it is the coldest training community, and at night we get down into the 50's, so I really don't go out. I wish I had more clothing to support the climate, and I asked my host mother if I should have some sent to me. She doesn't think it's worth it considering it will begin to warm up significantly in April and I will only be here for the next 11 weeks. May 29th is the day we swear in as true PC volunteers (if we pass all the exams based on language and technical training) and May 30th we travel to the future sites at which the next two years of our lives will be spent. <br /><br />Training is tough, and from what I've heard from current and past volunteers, the entire 11 weeks remains that way. It is supposed to be hard. It's supposed to challenge each person on every front. It is simply intense, and some people will inevitably leave the program. I heard several stories of last year's group and the 5 or so people who left for various reasons. Perhaps it's simply not right for some and there is no way of knowing that until later, I only hope I not only have the strength to make the commitment and follow through with it, but also that the entire process is the right thing for me. I am nearing the end of the first week of training and have experienced many challenges already. The language barrier is often the root of the difficulty. In English it is a challenging task to explain to people why we are here, what the Peace Corps represents, and the deeper reasons behind choosing to serve. I must do this is Spanish; a language I speak at the elementary level. In addition to this, we are given many challenging “assignments” which push us to leave our comfort zone, make fools of ourselves, and really reevaluate our personal choices. I feel I have had very little time to breathe in this process thus far. I hope it slows down a bit so I can catch up and possibly enjoy the training experience if possible. I want to get the most out of it, but my head and my heart are becoming full and tired already. It is fortunate that 52 people are going through the same experience. We all formed a fairly strong bond in the short retreat and it continues growing now even though we are spread into different communities. The RCDers (17 people) meet up every Wednesday for technical training and we are all also in somewhat of a cluster of communities that can be connected easily by bus. The 17 of us have become closer and more open with each other as we learn what community development means and what skills we each possess to aide in this grand task. Fridays all 52 volunteers meet in San Jose as Tico 19 to receive more general training. So each week (more or less) will contain the following: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: Spanish class in Jerico all day; Wednesday: RCD Technical Training in Jerico all day; Friday: San Jose all of Tico 19 Training all day. Within this schedule are several “field trips” to observe current volunteers, etc. The last trip before the swearing in ceremony is to the site we will have been assigned. These sites will be determined after a series of interviews that take place throughout training. During these interviews we are able to voice our preferences in terms of site locations. So far I know I will ask for a warmer site. <br /><br />Unfortunately here in Jerico there is no Internet Cafe and I am very limited in how often I can travel out of site. I may not check e-mail, etc. very often but on trips to San Jose I will try. Also, international calls are far more expensive than I thought ($6 for 20 mins or less!), so that will not be something I plan on unless it is necessary. I will hopefully be able to write, and I plan to receive mail at the Peace Corps headquarters in San Jose. <br /><br /><br /><br />MY OFFICIAL MAILING ADDRESS<br /><br />PCT Kristen Woodruff<br />Cuerpo de Paz<br />Apartado Postal 1266- 1000<br />1000 San Jose, Costa Rica<br /><br />Love to all!Kristen Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230756398426010899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780297072308897121.post-30569108050581757182009-02-20T13:38:00.000-08:002009-02-20T15:06:29.957-08:00Only Days AwayLogistics have begun to fall into place. I now know that Washington DC will be the location of my staging event. On March 10th at 6AM I will fly out of the Albuquerque Sunport, make a stop in Dallas, and arrive in the capital city at 1:05PM. After checking into the Holiday Inn Georgetown I will join my fellow Costa Rica volunteers for a brief training regarding safety, logistics, and personal commitment to PC from 3 to 7PM.<br /><br />Then, continuing with the early bird pattern we will depart the Washington Raegan Airport at 6AM for Costa Rica with a layover in Miami. My favorite part of the itinerary for the morning of March 11th, 2009 is the bold <span style="font-weight: bold;">"1:30AM Checkout of Hotel."</span> Yes, this is not a typo. 1:30AM has been nominated as the start of our day, probably because that's the window of time necessary to organize a sizeable group for departure via air. If the rest of the Costa Rica clan is anything like myself, the adrenaline rush of the experience will replace the need, and perhaps even the ability to sleep that night anyway. This will be a splendid way to get to know my colleagues. I can picture it now... we will be rushing around frantically lugging the personal items which are to sustain us for two years; crowding around each other in a herd of excited explorers preparing to take on our planet's problems; nervously laughing and chatting; making last-minute phone calls to loved ones in the wee hours of the morning; having the constant feeling of forgetting something important. Ah, travel.<br /><br />Now to copy one of my fellow CR volunteers, Rebecca (since copying is the highest form of flattery),<br /><br />A few things I will miss while in Central America:<br /><br />1) My tennis team(s) and tournaments<br />2) My soccer teams(s) and tournaments<br />3) The Sandia Mountains<br />4) Satellite Coffee (Although I am sure I will not have trouble finding coffee in Costa Rica)<br />5) Comida de Nuevo Mexico (chile verde y rojo)<br />6) My 60-something pairs of shoes<br />7) 93.3FM<br />8) The monthly arrival of Tennis Magazine and Fitness Magazine<br />9) Deep and thoughtful conversations about the existence of god, the meaning of life, and our country's political situation with my nerdy friends<br />10) My mom<br /> a. venting to my mom<br /> b. crying to my mom<br /> c. calling my mom randomly<br /> d. traveling/partying with my mom<br />11) The friends and family who give me so much in every way<br />12) My cell phone... although it's probably good to break with my addiction to it<br />13) Sports and Wellness, specifically Cardio Boxing class with CJ<br /><br />I'm sure there's more, but that's good for now. Eighteen days until departure.... wow.Kristen Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230756398426010899noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780297072308897121.post-50484302019159559022009-01-08T13:48:00.000-08:002009-01-09T08:30:43.969-08:00And so it begins...It's only January now, but I live in a state of energized excitement and slight trepidation as I wait for March 9th, 2009. This is the day I will fly to a two day staging at a yet to be determined US city. Following this sure to be hectic event I will fly to Costa Rica with a group of other Peace Corps volunteers to embark on a 27 month excursion of volunteerism, learning, and challenges.<br /><br />This is simply my introductory blog in which I wish to introduce myself and my reasons for blogging. I hope for it to be a resource for myself and others regarding my life as a Peace Corps volunteer in rural Costa Rica. Through my research and reading I have learned that my project may limit my access to technology such as Internet, so my blogging may be sparse at times, but hopefully well worth the wait.<br /><br />As a first entry topic for this blog, I would like to say that I was disappointed when I first received my assignment for Peace Corps. My reason? I have spent a significant amount of time in Costa Rica... traveling to three different regions within the country and exploring much of its attractions. From the very first interview with PC, I was honest about my preference to not be assigned in Costa Rica due to the fact that it is the only country in the Central and South American region to which I have traveled. I said I would be happy with any other location. When the final phone call came in December to make sure I was prepared to commit to Peace Corps, I was asked again about location preference and again I stated I would rather not be assigned to Costa Rica considering my previous experience there. And yet, when the Fed-Ex package came the next day, the assignment booklet clearly stated Costa Rica as my assigned location. I couldn't believe it. I was completely shocked and quite honestly, I was irritated.<br /><br />After the initial fuming, I calmed down and the thought entered my mind that I was placed in Costa Rica partially due to my previous experience there. Perhaps it would be beneficial. I also gained more confidence in the assignment as I read about the many parts of Costa Rica that are not wealthy from tourism and need significant help in promoting the economy, education, and local stability.<br /><br />Overall, I've decided to be thankful and positive about this placement. I need to learn to be flexible and accept not having complete control. I will be doing the type of work I had hoped for, and I know that Costa Rica is a beautiful country with much to offer. I only hope I can offer its people something in return.Kristen Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230756398426010899noreply@blogger.com3