-There are apparently no buses that go to or leave my town except for student buses.
-I will be living with the mother of my counterpart. My counterpart is probably 60 or 70 years old.
-My site has been described as very campesino, even the pulpe. I have no idea how a pulpe can be campesino. (Campesino means farmlandesqe and pulpe is like a corner store)
-Rustic is the favorite way for my program manager to describe my new home.
Aside. THERE ARE FIREFLIES IN COSTA RICA! I couldn't be happier.
But I am extremely hopeful and excited. My counterpart (my partner in crime in the community) is a wonderful man and I think we are going to make a great team. Some of the things he wants for his community include a salon communal (communal meetings space) and a plaza (because the current plaza is a mess). I am excited to get to know the community and according to my counterpart they are excited about meeting me!
That's all for now. Loves
Friday, April 29, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Guao...Spanish for Wow
Times is flying by. So here is whats new:
-I now know my site!! I am going to be living in the North middle of the country! Yay!
-I saw another tarantula outside of my aunts house - bummer
-I had four days of vacation and went on two hikes. One to see a large black bridge and scale an small mountain rock wall. One to climb 200 feet up a giant tree with a hollowed out middle. Super cool.
-I am going to visit my new site this weekend ALONE!
-I am still learning Spanish, but I am understanding more than before, good news!
-I am super attached to my host family here, and leaving is going to be super tough
-I recieved my first package from my MOMMA! And now I have a new dress to wear! Best news of the month. Well besides my site, which was pretty stellar news.
-I lost my USB port. Big bummer
-Celebrated Easter by going on a hike and then eating a normal dinner of rice and beans with my family.
-I am going to have wireless tomorrow and Friday. If you are online in the evenings I will skype you!
Ok folks, that is all for now. Hopefully more to come soon.
Sending loves! And requests for any last packages/mails before the address change!!
Chelsea
-I now know my site!! I am going to be living in the North middle of the country! Yay!
-I saw another tarantula outside of my aunts house - bummer
-I had four days of vacation and went on two hikes. One to see a large black bridge and scale an small mountain rock wall. One to climb 200 feet up a giant tree with a hollowed out middle. Super cool.
-I am going to visit my new site this weekend ALONE!
-I am still learning Spanish, but I am understanding more than before, good news!
-I am super attached to my host family here, and leaving is going to be super tough
-I recieved my first package from my MOMMA! And now I have a new dress to wear! Best news of the month. Well besides my site, which was pretty stellar news.
-I lost my USB port. Big bummer
-Celebrated Easter by going on a hike and then eating a normal dinner of rice and beans with my family.
-I am going to have wireless tomorrow and Friday. If you are online in the evenings I will skype you!
Ok folks, that is all for now. Hopefully more to come soon.
Sending loves! And requests for any last packages/mails before the address change!!
Chelsea
Monday, April 18, 2011
Photos!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?fbid=604803831435&id=32404648&aid=2112092&l=72080ac2b4
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?fbid=604801126855&id=32404648&aid=2112090&l=5a91ee3e20
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?fbid=604801126855&id=32404648&aid=2112090&l=5a91ee3e20
Sunday, April 17, 2011
And there it was man, gone
Monday begins week 7. I am shocked that I have been in the country that long and that training will be over so soon. A week from Monday I learn where my new site will be for the next two years, I am super excited for that day!! Right now I am in the city and just went out with some volunteers last night. It was the first normal young person activity I have participated in in weeks and it felt wonderful to let loose. I head home this afternoon and then have a 4 day weekend for Semana Santa. Now for some updates on what has happened in the past weeks...
I left last Saturday with a group of 8 peers for Tech Week. That meant that we were going to visit a volunteer who is living in her site and she was going to teach us the ways of the volunteer. We stayed with host families and practiced giving different kinds of sessions (forming a vision, english, hydroponics, or the importance of education). We met with local government groups and learned more about the structure of local government. We did an environmental day with the highschool and led a trash pickup. And like always we attended more classes. Some of the non-work related highlights include:
-a 6 hour layover at a Costa Rican mall on the 12 hour bus trip there
-a fist sized rhinoceros beetle that the family I was living with had caught, and one night decided to attach to the back of a toad for a whole new kind of PBR
-a river that is bluer than the sky, which I got to swim in three times
-two amazing hikes and a national park
-a week living in the campo with a much slower pace of life
-two successful interviews with my training and program manager
-I got to know some of my other volunteers who don't live in my community
-and more and more Spanish practice!
Another important life update: I cut all of my hair off! After the two visits I have had to the campo I realized that hair maintenance is low on my priority list. My hair hasn't stayed down for an entire day the whole time I have been in Costa Rica, and it just hasn't looked all that super stellar. So I cut it all off. I now have a super short but super cute pixie cut and I am in love with it!
Thats all for now, I am sure that I skipped over tons of stuff, but I think I hit the important parts. Sending loves
Chelsea
I left last Saturday with a group of 8 peers for Tech Week. That meant that we were going to visit a volunteer who is living in her site and she was going to teach us the ways of the volunteer. We stayed with host families and practiced giving different kinds of sessions (forming a vision, english, hydroponics, or the importance of education). We met with local government groups and learned more about the structure of local government. We did an environmental day with the highschool and led a trash pickup. And like always we attended more classes. Some of the non-work related highlights include:
-a 6 hour layover at a Costa Rican mall on the 12 hour bus trip there
-a fist sized rhinoceros beetle that the family I was living with had caught, and one night decided to attach to the back of a toad for a whole new kind of PBR
-a river that is bluer than the sky, which I got to swim in three times
-two amazing hikes and a national park
-a week living in the campo with a much slower pace of life
-two successful interviews with my training and program manager
-I got to know some of my other volunteers who don't live in my community
-and more and more Spanish practice!
Another important life update: I cut all of my hair off! After the two visits I have had to the campo I realized that hair maintenance is low on my priority list. My hair hasn't stayed down for an entire day the whole time I have been in Costa Rica, and it just hasn't looked all that super stellar. So I cut it all off. I now have a super short but super cute pixie cut and I am in love with it!
Thats all for now, I am sure that I skipped over tons of stuff, but I think I hit the important parts. Sending loves
Chelsea
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Here is to the sunshine..
Training has become a juggling act. I need to balance Spanish homework, training homework, social PC events, rest and spending time with my family. It has been difficult this past couple weeks to successfully perform any one of these responsibilities. I feel as though I am failing in every category because I am spread so thin. The good news is tomorrow is a new day.
But there have definitely been some really great moments too. In Spanish I had a test this week to compare my skills now to when I arrived. I advanced two levels – and I only need one more level to qualify to swear-in. We had a successful karaoke party on Sunday, an awesome hike in the mountains and a fun birthday party yesterday for a fellow trainee. This past weekend I spent Saturday with my Tico family and we went into the city and ran errands together. It definitely helps me feel like less of an outsider when I am out in public with my family. Especially when my little sister holds my hand – which she loves to do while we walk around the farmers market! Super cute.
This is the halfway point, 5 weeks down 5 to go. I know that training is going to fly by – and part of me is ready to be done with the insane schedule and overwhelming commitments. But on the other hand I have become some comfortable with my family, my community, my Spanish classes and my friends here, that it is going to be really rough to pick up and move somewhere else. Definitely going to be bittersweet.
And to close I want to say thank you to my Mom, Dad, Jordan and Lindsey for the mail! It always makes my day when they are passing out mail and I get letters or cards. And a shout-out to Michelle who got engaged this week, I am so happy for you Michelle, wish I was there to share in the celebration.
Loves,
Chelsea
Monday, April 4, 2011
The roosters must go to bed really really early.
Today is Monday. I am amazed at how long the weeks are during training. Every day is jam packed full. Spanish is progressing, although still the source of my biggest bouts of frustration. I am enjoying spending time with the other trainees, this weekend we went on an awesome hike to find a tree growing inside of a tree and had a kareoke party. Tonight we are going to a Corre de Torros, which should be fun. Mostly we find way to entertain ourselves with limited resources and end of having a great time.
I am also enjoying spending time with my family. I have a lot of classes and some days I leave at 530am and dont get home until 830pm, but other days I have an hour or so just to hang around the house and entice my family into helping me practice my Spanish. They should win awards for their patience in langugae learning.
Next week there is another trip, this time for 6 days. We go in groups and visit existing volunteers to learn more technical skills. I am excited to see some of the work we have been talking so much about, but I cant believe that we are going to be gone for 6 days! That is such a long time.
All in all life is good. Training definitely has an exhausting pace to it, but I am learning a ton and am super grateful to have this time to get to know the other volunteers. I would like to ask for a few more emails or snail mail from people back in the states. I know that I wont have regular internet or mail access after I move to my site, but right now I get to check my email once a week and I get my mail delievered once a week, so we should all take advantage of that system! And I want to hear whats happening back home.
Sending love to all,
Chelsea
I am also enjoying spending time with my family. I have a lot of classes and some days I leave at 530am and dont get home until 830pm, but other days I have an hour or so just to hang around the house and entice my family into helping me practice my Spanish. They should win awards for their patience in langugae learning.
Next week there is another trip, this time for 6 days. We go in groups and visit existing volunteers to learn more technical skills. I am excited to see some of the work we have been talking so much about, but I cant believe that we are going to be gone for 6 days! That is such a long time.
All in all life is good. Training definitely has an exhausting pace to it, but I am learning a ton and am super grateful to have this time to get to know the other volunteers. I would like to ask for a few more emails or snail mail from people back in the states. I know that I wont have regular internet or mail access after I move to my site, but right now I get to check my email once a week and I get my mail delievered once a week, so we should all take advantage of that system! And I want to hear whats happening back home.
Sending love to all,
Chelsea
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