Feliz Cumpleanos

This past weekend I visited another volunteer in her site in Guanacaste. A friend from my region went with me and we took 6 buses and traveled for 14 hours to get from our homes to hers. And then two days later we did it again.

Good news though, I appreciate bus travel (which is pretty lucky). It’s like living in Seattle and liking the rain. Being on a bus is the best kind of being out of control. I can’t make the bus get there any faster or slower and there is nothing productive to do. I have all the freedom to sit, to watch, to observe, to sleep or to fantasize. It is often uncomfortable- too hot, too squished, too sweaty, too close to my neighbor and my knees almost always jam themselves into the seatback in front of me. But all that considered I am generally happy to be traveling by bus. In the same way that Peace Corps is giving me the gift of time –time to think, to explore, to discover, to reflect, and to dream. Bus travel gives me the gift of time to very concretely think about where I was and where I am going- and the progress I am making on my journey.

In Guanacaste we spent the weekend at my friend’s house. We spent the first day in her town exploring, watching her baile tipico group, going to a fubtol game at the cancha, chilling on her front porch, making pizza in a clay oven, climbing to the top of her water town and watching the sunset. On day two we went into a larger city and celebrated the Annexation of Guanacaste and my birthday. There was a bull running event, dancing at night and wonderful street food. A spectacular birthday.

On the trip home I ended up with a bus fiasco of my very own. The only bus to my site leaves Guatuso at 4:30pm. But the earliest bus to Guatuso was scheduled to arrive at 4:40pm. Which is ten minutes too late, and means that I would have another 24 hours to wait for the next bus. And since the friend I usually stay with was out of town I had myself a dilemma. Then I discovered the benefit of living in a town that only has one bus a day. Yes, I said benefit. I am friends with the bus driver, so I gave him a call and asked if the bus (and all the people on the bus) could wait 10 minutes for the gringa. Turns out the bus driver wasn’t driving that day, but he said he would call his friend (who was driving the bus) and ask. He called me back a few minutes later with the glorious news that the bus (and all the people on the bus) would wait for me! Que dicha! It’s a pretty good feeling when you need a favor, know who to ask, and they are willing to do the favor for you. Another step on the road from outsider to community member.

Since I have limited thank you writing abilities this year I will write blog ‘shout outs’ in an attempt to express my birthday gratitude. Thanks to Mom and Dad for the card and presents – they are perfect and exactly what I wanted. Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for the chocolate, bookmark and the birthday card, the chocolate is in the freezer, the bookmark is happily living in one of my new birthday books and the card made me smile and think of you.

Sending loves and gratitude for another year completed and a new one begun.

Chelsea

The Animals in my Life

Tonight I have so many zancudo bites on my body that I am quite certain (that if possible) I am in grave danger of dying of itching. It feels as though every cell in my body is screaming “SCRATCH ME!” and the cruelest part of the story, is that I put on DEET bug repellent (which I am sure is irreversibly harming my insides) before I left the house. And that I used up my entire (tiny ass) tube of hydrocortisone 20 minutes ago. All I have left are these stupid little individual packs of cream which are so hard to open that I get frustrated, give up and just scratch my stupid bites.

And now for a brief aside: Just now, as I sat peacefully on my bed typing this and cursing my hands for their uncontrollable scratching, a large hairy spider crawled dangerously close to me on my bed. Startled alert I hopped, only to witness the spider jumping too. Well shit, the cockroaches fly and the spiders can jump, this just ain’t fair. Especially since he is ON MY BED! My net can’t protect me from things inside; it only further serves to trap them with mas proximity to my ever vulnerable skin. Don’t worry about me though. Because I am alive now, typing this blog post, and that poor spider met his match when he encountered the bottom on my muddy flip-flop. And if you remember correctly said spider was on my bed, which means there is now muddy flip flop on my bed. Bummer, but mud doesn’t bite, and mud doesn’t itch, and mud doesn’t scar. So tonight I can honestly say: I’m glad to sleep with a little mud on my sheets.

Ajla: Perhaps the saying shouldn’t be “Don’t let the bed bugs bite” but instead “Kill all the bugs in your bed, before you go to sleep.” Just saying, if we are being practical and such.

Back to the theme previously established, the damn mosquitoes. Really not much else to say, expect that they are supremely bothersome and I loathe them with every cell of my itching being.

For a more lighthearted topic I will share with you the comings and goings of my furried (pretty sure furry is the correct term, but I like furried) friends Salt and Sugar. I have definitely learned a few things about cats in Costa Rica. First- they are much cleaner than dogs, they are more productive at chasing chickens and eating bugs but they are much more disliked by the Ticos. Keeping this in mind, you will understand how odd it is that I hold, pet and allow Salt in my room. But, to their dismay I love these two baby animals. And they probably understand me better than most Ticos, because they react the same where I speak English or Spanish.

They are both only children and have combined in their lack of siblingness to form a bond that is slightly unnatural but nevertheless endearing. They wrestle, share food and generally cohort juntos. Today after their baths Sugar was trying to lick Salt clean. Pretty darn cute. And Sugar follows me everywhere (unfortunately Salt doesn’t leave the house, probably for the best, because I think he would get eaten), which I love and the locals are getting used to. Last week when I visited houses Sugar attempted to enter each house conmigo. This is highly unacceptable as Costa Rican dogs live outside, are dirty and used mostly as security alarm systems. But in my charming gringa fashion (with the assistance of the neighborhood kids who adore Sugar) I think that I am helping ease everyone into accepting Sugar’s presence, indoors and out. Plus I bathe him, so he doesn’t smell or have fleas.

Another aside: There are June bugs dropping from Lord knows where (an invisible whole in my ceiling) onto my computer and scaring me half to death. They are large, rather stocky bugs with hard shells that make a very loud, sometimes shocking, KLAT when falling. Come on Costa Rica, enough bugs for one night already. I’ve got two years here, save your scare tactics for another day.

The next two weeks are pretty travel filled, so the posts will be sparse for un ratito. Perdonme. And wish me luck as I maneuver a few new bus routes. Here’s hoping.

Muchisimas Gracias to those who have sent mail, photos, and chocolate. You make me smile more than you know! Y Mamma y Pops hope you had fun on your trip.

Loves of the enduring kind,

Chelsea

PS. Two (newly discovered) downsides of hot, wet weather. Gum melts and envelopes seal themselves.

Flooding

This has been a great week in my life as a PCV. I finally feel like a community member. From our Western Perspective I have ‘accomplished’ very little since I have arrived, but I am realizing that I have created relationships and become a miembro de la comunidad – and that is significant and meaningful. For me, the work I have completed so far is worth more than a years worth of 9am-5pm weekdays of paperwork and conventional ‘productivity’.

Its difficult to explain, but I’ll try. Structure and schedule are familiar. They provide comfort and help me feel in control and useful. During my first weeks I physically craved the familiarity of to-do lists. It was a slow process to accept my new pace and style of life. Cada dia that I woke up and felt like I had no reason to get out of bed (because my planner was empty for that day), but that I still got up and ate breakfast and chatted with my host family and played futbol with the kids – that was productivity. Por lo menos I spoke Spanish all day, and I get practice points for that!

Now when I leave the house I know the names of everyone I run into on the way. And people know my name. They are interested in what I am doing. I am getting invited to meetings (without having to beg). This is all earth-shatteringly important. I am learning how to change my perspective to see the value in relationship building. I will not be able to create cambios sostenibles in my community unless I really know who lives here, what their lives are like, what are their values, how do they make decisions, what are their priorities and in what ways are they open to change. There is value to spending days visiting houses just to see the spaces in which people live their lives. There is value in playing futbol with the jovenes during a downpour, while everyone slips, slides and laughs. There is value in my existence here.

How did I come upon this…

Wednesday: Went with my female cousins to visit houses in their community (one of my satellite communities). The mud road to through their community is 6km from the center of my town to the center of their town. There are houses all along the road. It was down pouring all day long. I went barefoot because my sandals kept getting suction/stuck in the mud. We laughed for a good majority of the day and I think they said “Cuidado Chelsea” three million times, and believe it or not I never fell. That night we watched one of my American movies with subtitles in my bedroom.

Thursday: Visited houses in my town with a female high school student from my English class. I like that when I ask my students favors they rarely say no. By the end of the afternoon we had a possy of 6 kids following us to each of the houses. It was wonderful! After English I played soccer with the kids in my community in the rain slipping and sliding in huge mud puddles. I did fall, slipped and landed flat on my back, and it was hilarious! That night I had dinner at a community member’s house and she helped me edit my diagnostic of the community (which I have to write in English). I stayed over their talking with her and her husband until 9 o’clock and it was really enjoyable.

Friday: Walked to the bus stop at 4:30 to catch the bus to my nearest biggest city.  One of the dogs in my family followed me the whole way there. When I got to the bus stop I knew everyone’s name at the bus stop and we all chatted casually until the bus arrived (small potatoes in the states, hugely valuable when you are integrating into a new community and speaking a foreign language). Then I spent the day hanging with Biiftu and running errands. Ended up crashing at her place because I couldn’t get a ride from the bus stop and we made spaghetti for her family along with a wonderful banana dessert invention.
Saturday: Stumbled upon my counterpart in town and he offered to give me a ride home. Gladly took the ride and it turned out that the road is pretty intensely flooded. At one point in time a man was walking on the side of the road and his legs were fully immersed! At other points I could look out the windows in all directions and only see water. If you have never seen flooding it is a breath taking site. Got home safe and sound. Then that afternoon I went to a quincinera of a community member. There was food, dancing and ceremony. It was lots of fun and I had people to chat with (mostly children, but a few of the girls from the women’s soccer team).
Sunday: Walked 6km in the morning to a neighboring community that was having a feria. Spent the morning helping out in the kitchen and then in the cantina for the afternoon. I also played soccer with the womens team, but unfortunately we lost in penalties. The event was to raise money for food for the elementary school, which hasn’t been able to provide lunch for the kids in a while. There were lots of people there and everyone thought it was a huge success, expect for the rain in the afternoon. Ended up walking home in the dark with a group of 20 people (all the people who attended the feria from my town). Cars can’t drive on that road after a good rain because its too muddy and they get stuck. I had my recently purchased rubber boots, which making walking in mud much easier (even though I have a huge blister now). But the downside (besides that I had already been on my feet all day) was that it was dark and all the kids kept trying to scare me with stories of tigers and other animals that eat people. All in all, quite an adventure.

            That’s all for now, because now I have to get back to work. There are diagnostics to get done, soccer to play and English class to teach.

Love you all lots,

Chelsea

P.S. T minus ONE WEEK to my BDay J

Settling in...

Its been a while since I have posted. The days have started passing quickly. Sometimes they are pretty full, but it seems as though even the empty days have picked up some speed. And I caught myself telling a friend that I feel settled here- I was surprised by my own words.

 I will start at the beginning and then go from there.

Weekend of July 4^th- Spent the weekend with my host family from training and it was wonderfully comfortable. I have given my training community the name ‘The Land of Love and Happiness.’ (Like Winnie the Pooh’s The Land of Milk and Honey) My host family was very happy to see me and I felt at home for the entire weekend. I also visited the houses of my tias and of some other volunteers old host families and was warmly received everywhere. Even the 2 taxi drivers stopped when they drove by to say ‘hi’ and ask how long I was staying for. It was lovely – and did I mention I was cold! Which is such a miraculous feeling and I had almost completely forgotten the sensation, all I have to say is it was glorious, riquisimo.

Weekdays following July 4^th – Spent two nights in San Jose with fellow volunteers. We ate food that made us ill in quantities that were unhealthy. We played cards and shared stories and watched movies. More than anything we passed the entire time with people who understand the journey that we are going through. That in and of itself was reassuring. We also got to pretend that for two days we had vidas personales, which I am sorry to report we do not. That’s part of the deal when you sign up for a ‘job’ that includes the hours 24/7. Also attended a celebration in a ritzy part of town that had fireworks to celebrate the fourth for all the expats and it was a strange sentiment, feeling proud of my country in the midst of fellow volunteers who have given two years of our lives to serve others.

Attempted to travel home – Failed. Left San Jose at 7:30am. Arrived at bus station at 2:15pm. The bus leaves at 4:30pm. I know this because there is one bus that leaves my site every weekday and one that returns. It leaves at 5:30am and returns at 4:30pm. I have memorized this schedule and am certain beyond a doubt that when I arrive at the bus station that the bus will leave at 4:30pm. My friend the taxi driver greets me upon arrival at the bus station and the following scene ensues:

Taxi Driver: “Your bus just left, what are you doing?”
Me: “My bus left? No. My bus leaves at 4:30pm. Estoy segura.”
Taxi Driver: “No, your bus left at 2:00pm”
(keep in mind that I am learning Spanish and the different between leaves and left can be tricky)
Me: “LEFT? The bus LEFT at 2:00pm? No es posible, why would the bus leave at 2:00pm?”
Taxi Driver: “I don’t know, but the bus left at 2:00pm”
Me: **laugther**

So turns out that the bus left at 2:00pm. I called the bus driver and he confirmed that the bus schedule changes for the two weeks of school break. Who knew? Not I. So I slept at a fellow volunteers house and took the next bus that left the next day at 2:00pm. (That’s right, miss a bus in Costa Rica, wait 24 hours for the next bus) I arrived at the bus station the next day at 1:15pm just in case. *Sidenote: The bus left that next day at 2pm, but then spent 2 hours sitting outside the mechanic 4 blocks down the road getting all the tires changed. *

This past weekend – A fellow volunteer visited my site and stayed with me for the weekend. It was wonderful! I felt really proud of my site as I was showing it to her, and I was able to see through her eyes all of the progress that I have made through my hard work. Very productive and positive.

Life in site – The mosquitoes are voracious (I relish the big words I know in English because I don’t know any in Spanish) and my stomach looks like I have chicken pox, because I usually don’t put repellent on my stomach and they are eating through my clothes. I counted earlier today I have 32 red dots on my stomach. Very sickly looking. Started putting repellent on my stomach today, guess I learned that lesson the hard way.

Got caught in a lightning and thunder tormenta today walking back from the bus stop. Was drenched, but infinitely more content walking home soaked in rainwater than sweat, no complaints here. Although was thoroughly chastised by Costa Ricans for walking outside in the storm, I pointed out I had no other options, they pointed out how dangerous walking with a metal stick (umbrella) is in a lightning storm. Tou che (I acknowledge that this is spelled incorrectly).

Continuing to enjoy playing futbol with the kids and my English classes are going well. I like having the time set aside every week to interact more personally with community members. Besides that, I am continuing to work on my diagnostic and adjusting to new challenges Costa Rica throws my way.

Do you know how to clean your house in Costa Rica? I do. You use a hose. Its infinitely more fun that vacuuming. My aunt, cousin and I cleaned the house on Friday and here is the secret. You build your house with the lowest wood slat a few inches off the ground. This is not so that the toads can enter. (Speaking of, I chased my first toad out of the house yesterday!) This is not so that the rats can enter. (Speaking of, when I got back from San Jose there is a new kitty that lives in my house. Looks like a baby Izzy and I gave him the name Salt. He is supposed to eat the rats, but the dogs keep trying to eat him. Riddle me this, why don’t the dogs eat the rats?) You build the house this way so that when you are cleaning the mud has somewhere to escape too. You see, you spray the floor, put down soap, scrub with broom, and then squirt dirty water out of the house under the lowest wood slat. Genius. Just goes to show, there really is a rhyme and a reason.

Sugar is alive and growing rapidisimo. He continues to provide me heaps of entertainment and joy. He still pees in the house, not so great. But he also follows me outside of the house, very pleasing. He also now sleeps on top of my shoes, which live under my hanging clothes. There are only a few inches between the bottom of my dresses and my shoes, and that is his new favorite spot to hang out. Super cute.

Did you know that things grow mold in tropical heat? What sort of things you ask? Well sandals, leather jewelry straps and wood rings so far. Pretty interesting huh? I will let you know when I figure out how to effectively combat said mold.

Thanks to those who have sent mail, I have started a mail wall, where I cut out/choose pieces of mail that are sent to me and tape them to the walls. I have pictures taped to two walls already and now I have various items taped to a third wall. Please continue sending mail, it makes me happy.

Birthday SHOUT outs!
Jenna Bo Benna, Happy 26^th Birthday. Sorry I wasn’t there. But I’m sure it was wonderful because you are wonderful.
Grandma Hewitt its your birthday today (while I am typing this) hope you are having a beautiful day, love you and miss you a lot!
And reminder that my Birthday will be happening in T-minus 13 days for those wanting to send letters and emails J

Loves and Smiles,

Chelsea