This week is going to be awesome! My head is also going to explode. Since I am starting level 2, I received a verb book. It had many verbs that a person uses to not sound like a 5 year old. I'm excited but it's going to take a lot of studying. There are three of us in the class (Makeba, Michael, and me) and we love to laugh with the teacher. It's nice to have fun, it makes the day go so much faster.
Yesterday there was a parade of cars with statues of some of the major saints and the sprinkling of holy water. It was fun to be a part of that environment. When I post pictures, I'll explain more.
That's honestly it except for the fact I can't believe there are only 2 weeks left!!! :O Hasta luego.
lunes, 1 de agosto de 2011
sábado, 30 de julio de 2011
VOLCANO!
This week flew by! It is most likely since we only had 4 days of school. My teacher was told we needed to finish the level one book by the end of the week so we learned about 3-4 things a day when we usually only cover one thing at a time in depth. I am very thankful I learned the basics about the topics before because now I remember how to use the verb conjugations/ words properly. This means LEVEL TWO!!! is next week. I'm excited :D I am going to miss my teacher though. She was very fun to listen to and did crazy (almost scandalous) examples. She said I spoke pretty well too so that made me happy.
On Friday Jenna and I decided that we should go to a Volcano this weekend, so we went to Volcan Poas today. We took two buses (instead of a taxi which would have cost us $65) to get there which was a total of about $7.00. Not bad at all. :) When we got there the weather was perfect! It was cool with a breeze and there was sunshine. (I laughed this morning when I saw the weather was such because yesterday we said a tiny prayer that it would be so. We figured it's CR during the rainy season and that it wouldn't happen. God proved once again to be in control.) We were a little out of breath because of the high altitude, it was pathetic sometimes- for me at least. Go fit Jenna! We walked a ways to see the crater and all we saw a wall of fog. We could see a tiny bit down but it was like the earth stopped. It was eerie. Thankfully there was a lagoon a little farther up. It's an extinct crater and now it had beautiful trees and plants leading down to the water. In order to get there, we had to huff and puff our way up the trail. A lady was like "You're almost there!!!" That was very reassuring. Definitely worth all the work. On our way back home, our bus had to stop because something started burning- not sure what, but we were all ok. Thankfully God took care of us and had a bus stop only 20 feet up the hill that went to Alajuela- where we needed to go. Jenna and I ran on and got back safely with no more problems. We also had lots of fun entertaining ourselves speaking in accents... yep. Now we know we are ready to conquer that week of traveling!
So far for that week we are planning to go to Monteverde (West from here) so I can go on the zip line and so we can possibly horseback ride. Then we'll head to Volcan Arenal and then to some beaches! We need to ask the person in charge of traveling which beaches are the best on Monday. I can't believe that's only a week away. And home only 2! wow.
See you in a couple weeks! :)
Oh, random thought- you know how some people add an "o" to everything to make it sound like it's Spanish? We'll we're the ones with the "volcano" and it's only "volcan" here. ha.
On Friday Jenna and I decided that we should go to a Volcano this weekend, so we went to Volcan Poas today. We took two buses (instead of a taxi which would have cost us $65) to get there which was a total of about $7.00. Not bad at all. :) When we got there the weather was perfect! It was cool with a breeze and there was sunshine. (I laughed this morning when I saw the weather was such because yesterday we said a tiny prayer that it would be so. We figured it's CR during the rainy season and that it wouldn't happen. God proved once again to be in control.) We were a little out of breath because of the high altitude, it was pathetic sometimes- for me at least. Go fit Jenna! We walked a ways to see the crater and all we saw a wall of fog. We could see a tiny bit down but it was like the earth stopped. It was eerie. Thankfully there was a lagoon a little farther up. It's an extinct crater and now it had beautiful trees and plants leading down to the water. In order to get there, we had to huff and puff our way up the trail. A lady was like "You're almost there!!!" That was very reassuring. Definitely worth all the work. On our way back home, our bus had to stop because something started burning- not sure what, but we were all ok. Thankfully God took care of us and had a bus stop only 20 feet up the hill that went to Alajuela- where we needed to go. Jenna and I ran on and got back safely with no more problems. We also had lots of fun entertaining ourselves speaking in accents... yep. Now we know we are ready to conquer that week of traveling!
So far for that week we are planning to go to Monteverde (West from here) so I can go on the zip line and so we can possibly horseback ride. Then we'll head to Volcan Arenal and then to some beaches! We need to ask the person in charge of traveling which beaches are the best on Monday. I can't believe that's only a week away. And home only 2! wow.
See you in a couple weeks! :)
Oh, random thought- you know how some people add an "o" to everything to make it sound like it's Spanish? We'll we're the ones with the "volcano" and it's only "volcan" here. ha.
miércoles, 27 de julio de 2011
NOM
Hola.
Well, Monday was pretty uneventful but that's ok. I talked a little with Juliana ("cousin") and mi abuela tica and looked through some old photos. Quite fun.
Tuesday was very fun. I really like my teacher this week. She's probably in her late 50s and a spit-fire. She's always checking that her hair is in place. Very fun. I'm excited because I feel like I can talk pretty easily in class. It's fun. :)
Since Jenna's boy and his mom were still here we went down town Heredia and ate in the market. I don't know what the place was called but their food was delicious. I had a "torta arreglada" it's a hamburger with tortillas and then some lettuce, tomato, and dressings. We walked around looking at all the nasty smelling, raw meat and interesting foods. There are some nice souvenirs there too. When it comes to buying food, it's very different here. After that adventure we decided to meet again for drinks that night. We met at the bar behind my house. It was quite fun. We probably looked crazy, the 5 of us laughing, speaking English. Yeah... Also, Makeba and I might have saved Imperial beer labels for souvenirs too... maybe. :)
When I went back to the house, it was cockroach invasion. It was gross. I thought I killed one- it disappeared when I came back to clean it up. Evil things. Ronald killed two for me in my room, there were two in the bathroom when I went to take a shower, and then one in the laundry area. I was paranoid for the rest of the night. I have no idea what happened. Bleh.
On a cleaner note- Today, I'm going to the mall with others here at CPI and we're going to go see I Want to Kill My Boss. I'm excited! It's going to be funny. Stupid, yes, but funny. And caramel popcorn!!!
Other than that, things are typical, fun, and time is flying by. For more updates stay tuned.
:P
Well, Monday was pretty uneventful but that's ok. I talked a little with Juliana ("cousin") and mi abuela tica and looked through some old photos. Quite fun.
Tuesday was very fun. I really like my teacher this week. She's probably in her late 50s and a spit-fire. She's always checking that her hair is in place. Very fun. I'm excited because I feel like I can talk pretty easily in class. It's fun. :)
Since Jenna's boy and his mom were still here we went down town Heredia and ate in the market. I don't know what the place was called but their food was delicious. I had a "torta arreglada" it's a hamburger with tortillas and then some lettuce, tomato, and dressings. We walked around looking at all the nasty smelling, raw meat and interesting foods. There are some nice souvenirs there too. When it comes to buying food, it's very different here. After that adventure we decided to meet again for drinks that night. We met at the bar behind my house. It was quite fun. We probably looked crazy, the 5 of us laughing, speaking English. Yeah... Also, Makeba and I might have saved Imperial beer labels for souvenirs too... maybe. :)
When I went back to the house, it was cockroach invasion. It was gross. I thought I killed one- it disappeared when I came back to clean it up. Evil things. Ronald killed two for me in my room, there were two in the bathroom when I went to take a shower, and then one in the laundry area. I was paranoid for the rest of the night. I have no idea what happened. Bleh.
On a cleaner note- Today, I'm going to the mall with others here at CPI and we're going to go see I Want to Kill My Boss. I'm excited! It's going to be funny. Stupid, yes, but funny. And caramel popcorn!!!
Other than that, things are typical, fun, and time is flying by. For more updates stay tuned.
:P
domingo, 24 de julio de 2011
Weekend fun!
This week has gone by quickly!!!
Makeba and I started it off by going to Musumanni (a bakery) and got dessert before we ventured to GUGO and had some lunch. She had a burger and I had a pizza. The pizza was made of tortillas, ham, salsa like sauce, and a little cheese. Delicious way to start off the weekend. :)
Yesterday was one of my aunt's birthday so we had coffee, sandwiches, and cake. The majority of the family packed into the kitchen here. It was fun. I miss having family get togethers. The cousins even act like we do. Anyways, I'm glad they try to make me feel a part of the family. :)
Today Rosario, some other families, and I went to the Basilica of Costa Rica today out in Cartago. It was beautiful and mountains were all around. Unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera- but you should look it up and see its beauty! It was interesting though, there was the church and then across the street, a lottery station. There were people selling tickets everywhere. One sales dude yelled AHHHHHHHH LOTTERYYYY!!!!!!!!! About scared the crap out of me. We also went to go see the miracle water of the Virgin de los Angeles. Then paid about .40 cents each just to go to the bathroom. Ridiculous. Whatever. At least the weather behaved!
Tomorrow I get school off for the Annextion of Guanacaste. Friday we had the cultural activity. There was a group of young children that came to dance for us. I have pictures! :) It was beautiful to watch. The girls' wore the colorful skirts with the poofy tops and the boys wore all black and held onto colored handkerchiefs. Inbetween dances we did our BOMBA!'s They were funny and some of them were pretty dirty... I was a little shocked. People made them funny though so we had a great time. Only 2 more weeks of school. I can't believe it.
I need to call Makeba for plans for tomorrow a trip to the mall may be in order. :)
That's all for now. Life here is fun. I just wish I could talk more without fumbling over my words. I hope you all have a wonderful rest of the weekend!
Side note- never have fanta down here- it tastes like medicine.
Makeba and I started it off by going to Musumanni (a bakery) and got dessert before we ventured to GUGO and had some lunch. She had a burger and I had a pizza. The pizza was made of tortillas, ham, salsa like sauce, and a little cheese. Delicious way to start off the weekend. :)
Yesterday was one of my aunt's birthday so we had coffee, sandwiches, and cake. The majority of the family packed into the kitchen here. It was fun. I miss having family get togethers. The cousins even act like we do. Anyways, I'm glad they try to make me feel a part of the family. :)
Today Rosario, some other families, and I went to the Basilica of Costa Rica today out in Cartago. It was beautiful and mountains were all around. Unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera- but you should look it up and see its beauty! It was interesting though, there was the church and then across the street, a lottery station. There were people selling tickets everywhere. One sales dude yelled AHHHHHHHH LOTTERYYYY!!!!!!!!! About scared the crap out of me. We also went to go see the miracle water of the Virgin de los Angeles. Then paid about .40 cents each just to go to the bathroom. Ridiculous. Whatever. At least the weather behaved!
Tomorrow I get school off for the Annextion of Guanacaste. Friday we had the cultural activity. There was a group of young children that came to dance for us. I have pictures! :) It was beautiful to watch. The girls' wore the colorful skirts with the poofy tops and the boys wore all black and held onto colored handkerchiefs. Inbetween dances we did our BOMBA!'s They were funny and some of them were pretty dirty... I was a little shocked. People made them funny though so we had a great time. Only 2 more weeks of school. I can't believe it.
I need to call Makeba for plans for tomorrow a trip to the mall may be in order. :)
That's all for now. Life here is fun. I just wish I could talk more without fumbling over my words. I hope you all have a wonderful rest of the weekend!
Side note- never have fanta down here- it tastes like medicine.
jueves, 21 de julio de 2011
A Thursday Afternoon
To be honest, I'm blogging because I'm bored but I really don't have much to say. I don't know where my family is which is very unusual. Oh well.
This week continues to go well. I love walking back and forth to school. There was a rainbow this morning and the mountains were in clear view. I really need to take pictures but I don't want to look like a complete tourist. Tomorrow for school we're having a little cultural celebration for the Annexation of Guanacaste (a province of Costa Rica). There will be singing and reading done by the students, dancing, and music of xylophones. I'm excited!
Jenna is off with her love today so I walked to school alone- very strange. We have pretty entertaining chats. Her boyfriend, Tom, and his mom came down for some vacation time too. They're off to white water raft today.
Makeba and I walked to town today so she could get mula and then we had ice cream. Freakin delicious! :) I had Neapolitan and she had caramel. Nom. I missed ice cream. We have talked about many times now how we cannot wait to go back to bug-less homes. We're tired of seeing them everywhere. There was a cockroach trying to get under my soap last night. Really? Out of all places, you had to be in my soap... stupid bugs. They're in food, in walls, under your feet. Ick. They need an Orkin bomb down here. I think there are birds living in the attic too. They're on my side though- They eat bugs.
Two main things that I have been taught here is to be thankful for life and to be super careful when walking in the road. There are deaths everyday and yesterday morning 4 high school kids were hit by a car and died. Another was injured. It's very tragic and sad. Please pray for the family and friends of those teens.
On a happier note, since the schools have started again my tias have been coming over for an afternoon snack. It's nice to talk to them and listen to them pick on Daniel (the cousin that's been over a few times now too). I will definitely miss seeing and spending time with all my new friends/family down here!
I don't have anything planned this weekend so maybe I'll go on a walk and get some Pizza Hut :D I don't know...
Until next time- Chao.
This week continues to go well. I love walking back and forth to school. There was a rainbow this morning and the mountains were in clear view. I really need to take pictures but I don't want to look like a complete tourist. Tomorrow for school we're having a little cultural celebration for the Annexation of Guanacaste (a province of Costa Rica). There will be singing and reading done by the students, dancing, and music of xylophones. I'm excited!
Jenna is off with her love today so I walked to school alone- very strange. We have pretty entertaining chats. Her boyfriend, Tom, and his mom came down for some vacation time too. They're off to white water raft today.
Makeba and I walked to town today so she could get mula and then we had ice cream. Freakin delicious! :) I had Neapolitan and she had caramel. Nom. I missed ice cream. We have talked about many times now how we cannot wait to go back to bug-less homes. We're tired of seeing them everywhere. There was a cockroach trying to get under my soap last night. Really? Out of all places, you had to be in my soap... stupid bugs. They're in food, in walls, under your feet. Ick. They need an Orkin bomb down here. I think there are birds living in the attic too. They're on my side though- They eat bugs.
Two main things that I have been taught here is to be thankful for life and to be super careful when walking in the road. There are deaths everyday and yesterday morning 4 high school kids were hit by a car and died. Another was injured. It's very tragic and sad. Please pray for the family and friends of those teens.
On a happier note, since the schools have started again my tias have been coming over for an afternoon snack. It's nice to talk to them and listen to them pick on Daniel (the cousin that's been over a few times now too). I will definitely miss seeing and spending time with all my new friends/family down here!
I don't have anything planned this weekend so maybe I'll go on a walk and get some Pizza Hut :D I don't know...
Until next time- Chao.
martes, 19 de julio de 2011
It's the 19th already...
Tuesday of week number 3
My teacher this week is very kind and speaks slowly. She’s also extremely patient. There are two new students in the class- both are older women and it’s their first week here. Needless to say, they were put in the wrong class. They don’t know all the stuff we have reviewed in the past two weeks. My teacher knows this so I don’t understand why she doesn’t say something to the placement lady. Makeba has moved up because she was bored out of her mind and now I’m kinda stuck. I could switch if I want, but right now, I am looking forward to what we will eventually learn. On the other hand, the school is swarming with people. It’s great for the school! Just hard to maneuver through the halls and find a quiet place to sit. Recently it’s been extremely sunny which is wonderful! I love it! Beautiful tan, here I come.
I have been reading the newspaper in my down time to help me expand my vocabulary. There are a lot of deaths out there- call me sheltered but I rather not hear about all these horrible things. I try to look for interesting things like stuff on schools and on children. The other day I found an article about children’s bad dreams. Pretty entertaining. I guess you could say I learned how to help prevent nightmares for my children…
Today I read an article about Machu Picchu and who founded it. It was interesting to read about what he had to do- it was back in the early 1900s. It’s exciting when you only have to look up a few words. J Oh! And Ronald is speaking a faster rate and I can still understand. J I’m soooo happy!!! Now, I just need to speak without having a freak out moment. I still have 4 more days of this week to accomplish that goal.
I went to dancing class today! Unfortunately, I play the role of the male better (Matt, I really don’t know if this will cause a problem. JK!). Jenna was my dancing partner. We danced Salsa, Marangue, and Swing- Costa Rica swing. [lol- my abuela tica just went EEEEEEEE because Paraguay made a goal. I love it. (Remember- she’s 82)] I think we would have won the competition if there was one. We were very serious about it. Ha. It’s an excellent cardio work out. A lot a jumping, spinning, and overall fun.
Tomorrow is the cooking class! If anyone would like a Costa Rican meal when I am back- talk to me. :)
Good night!
domingo, 17 de julio de 2011
Saturday
Yesterday was pretty fun. We actually didn't go to San Jose (I seriously thought I heard that though) and we went somewhere in the mountains. It was an all day excursion. We took a coach bus with many of Ronald's coworkers and friends, along with their families. It was about a 2 hour ride and we ended up at a veteran's club. Along the way there were small waterfalls, some rivers, and beautiful landscape all around. The veteran's club was also beautiful (despite the rain). There were trees and flowers every where you looked (especially up the mountain) and a small stream at one end of the club.
On the way there we stopped in the canopy and saw some people on the zip line. It looked awesome. Rosario asked me if I wanted to do it (with a kinda frightened tone) and I said, some day! :) She just laughed and patted me on the arm. I have to be honest though- just thinking about it made me nervous.
While we were there, some people swam, others talked, some drank. It was a good time. There was one man that had little bottles of mixed drinks- strong mixed drinks. He was giving shots to anyone that wanted one. Rosario did it so I was like what the heck... I choked. It was like fire. Delicious! but like fire. They all laughed at me and Ronald was saying something like small drinks small sips! Didn't really listen... Lets just say I refused any more offers until the next concoction he had (which was like vanilla cinnamon- much better). In the late afternoon, there was also a soccer game. Many of the men that went were on a soccer team. They played against the veteran's club soccer team. I'm not sure who won (because half the time I was playing pool with my new 10 year old friend) but it was a good game. (Oh and as far as who won the pool matches, it was one-one. He was good/ I was really bad. They have different rules and really short, light pool sticks.)
We did not return until around 8:30. I had hot chocolate and some bread for dinner. Rosario makes the best hot chocolate in the world. I don't know how. I have to ask because it's better than ANY hot chocolate I have ever drank.
Today is more laid back. We went to church and now I'm doing hw/ blogging/ listening to the English songs played in the bar/ watching a partido (futbol game). Yes, that's laid back.
I can't believe tomorrow is already the third Monday! Can't wait to see what the teaching is like.
Pura Vida :)
On the way there we stopped in the canopy and saw some people on the zip line. It looked awesome. Rosario asked me if I wanted to do it (with a kinda frightened tone) and I said, some day! :) She just laughed and patted me on the arm. I have to be honest though- just thinking about it made me nervous.
While we were there, some people swam, others talked, some drank. It was a good time. There was one man that had little bottles of mixed drinks- strong mixed drinks. He was giving shots to anyone that wanted one. Rosario did it so I was like what the heck... I choked. It was like fire. Delicious! but like fire. They all laughed at me and Ronald was saying something like small drinks small sips! Didn't really listen... Lets just say I refused any more offers until the next concoction he had (which was like vanilla cinnamon- much better). In the late afternoon, there was also a soccer game. Many of the men that went were on a soccer team. They played against the veteran's club soccer team. I'm not sure who won (because half the time I was playing pool with my new 10 year old friend) but it was a good game. (Oh and as far as who won the pool matches, it was one-one. He was good/ I was really bad. They have different rules and really short, light pool sticks.)
We did not return until around 8:30. I had hot chocolate and some bread for dinner. Rosario makes the best hot chocolate in the world. I don't know how. I have to ask because it's better than ANY hot chocolate I have ever drank.
Today is more laid back. We went to church and now I'm doing hw/ blogging/ listening to the English songs played in the bar/ watching a partido (futbol game). Yes, that's laid back.
I can't believe tomorrow is already the third Monday! Can't wait to see what the teaching is like.
Pura Vida :)
viernes, 15 de julio de 2011
Fin de la semana
Yay! Week number two complete.
Today in class was very difficult. And I'm glad to say so. The lessons we had give me something to practice and review often. Next week I get another new teacher. My friends are off to San Manuel Antonio for the beach and some good times. Tomorrow I get to go to San Jose with my family! I'm very excited and don't really know what to expect.
Last night there was a funeral and so all my tias were over and we talked for a little bit. I also met another cousin. He's a chemistry professor. It seems like 75% of this family are teachers. Provides for good conversations though. It was so exciting- last night when they were talking I could actually understand!!! I realize that I try to speak as fast as them and that's why I stumble over my words so much. These next weeks will be fun!
No more classes with Normandale! I turned in my last assignments last night. Hopefully she'll give me a decent grade. Final classes of college here I come!
I'm off to get some colones now, I'll have a post of San Jose tomorrow!
Pura Vida!
Today in class was very difficult. And I'm glad to say so. The lessons we had give me something to practice and review often. Next week I get another new teacher. My friends are off to San Manuel Antonio for the beach and some good times. Tomorrow I get to go to San Jose with my family! I'm very excited and don't really know what to expect.
Last night there was a funeral and so all my tias were over and we talked for a little bit. I also met another cousin. He's a chemistry professor. It seems like 75% of this family are teachers. Provides for good conversations though. It was so exciting- last night when they were talking I could actually understand!!! I realize that I try to speak as fast as them and that's why I stumble over my words so much. These next weeks will be fun!
No more classes with Normandale! I turned in my last assignments last night. Hopefully she'll give me a decent grade. Final classes of college here I come!
I'm off to get some colones now, I'll have a post of San Jose tomorrow!
Pura Vida!
miércoles, 13 de julio de 2011
Rainy days
For a few days it seemed like it wasn't going to rain but now it's decided to be pretty constant. It's better than snow and it brings cool weather so I'm ok with it. :)
Since Monday nothing much has happened. It's been pretty laid back here. Besides hearing Matt has enlisted in the Air Force!!! :) Congrats.
I'm trying to study as much as possible. It's kinda crazy how much information a brain can hold... I feel like mine should explode soon. Remembering it in the long run is what I need to work on. Jenna, Makeba and I are missing the American life today. We had burgers for lunch and we are going to the mall tonight to shop/ window shop in my case. Things are more expensive here. Now all I need is some chocolate and Diet Coke and I'll be one happy Hannah!
It's really exciting to finally be able to recognize the words when people speak quickly. Now I'll I have to do is practice comprehending it without freaking out trying to comprehend it. I can listen to my family talk to each other fine but when they look to me and ask me something, I freak out and have to ask them to repeat. It's a problem. By next week it's a goal to concur this fear. At least I'm understanding things though!!!
There will be more interesting updates later this week, I promise :)
Since Monday nothing much has happened. It's been pretty laid back here. Besides hearing Matt has enlisted in the Air Force!!! :) Congrats.
I'm trying to study as much as possible. It's kinda crazy how much information a brain can hold... I feel like mine should explode soon. Remembering it in the long run is what I need to work on. Jenna, Makeba and I are missing the American life today. We had burgers for lunch and we are going to the mall tonight to shop/ window shop in my case. Things are more expensive here. Now all I need is some chocolate and Diet Coke and I'll be one happy Hannah!
It's really exciting to finally be able to recognize the words when people speak quickly. Now I'll I have to do is practice comprehending it without freaking out trying to comprehend it. I can listen to my family talk to each other fine but when they look to me and ask me something, I freak out and have to ask them to repeat. It's a problem. By next week it's a goal to concur this fear. At least I'm understanding things though!!!
There will be more interesting updates later this week, I promise :)
lunes, 11 de julio de 2011
Ooopps...
Sorry it's been awhile.
I don't even remember which day is which so here's an overall of what I remember:
Last week there was a shooting about 2 blocks from here. BIG SHOCK to everyone. It was not a robbery. It was in a shoe store and three woman died- the owner, her daughter, and a coworker. The neighbors heard nothing because they had silencers. Also, one of them had 3 shots to the head so these men that came were professionals/experienced and had money. It was very tragic and the street was filled with family and friends that came for the funeral. It was a real eye opener as we walked right by the caskets being carried on the way home. Please do not worry because this type of thing happens once every several years. The police are out all the time and the people that committed the crime are most likely far far away. Prayers for the people here are much needed though.
My primo tico/ "cousin" (that spoke English) and I had a very long talk about it and we talked about many deep things- too deep for someone like me after a long day. :P So I resorted to English. We talked about the horrible drivers here, the need for good teachers, morals, and other things. Oh, and how he does digital design stuff. We started talking about macs and iPads. He said- and I agree- that I'm going to get schooled by my students when I bring my iPad in as a tool for a lesson... :P I saw him wearing a green lantern shirt the other day so there's a nerd that I can relate to here! :D I'm very excited.
One night at dinner I talked with my family about how I want to teach Spanish and Ronald was like well it's good we don't speak English so it forces you to practice! Yes, very true, but sometimes I need a break. My brain turns to mush.
I have killed many bugs now!!! I'm very thankful for the lady that gave me the chocolate bar because I left the wrapper on my shelf as I was reading on my bed and all of the sudden I hear something in it. >:) I jumped on that cockroach about 10 times just to make sure it was dead. And due to the wrapper- I didn't have to touch it. Awesome.
The other day I killed like 5 flies for entertainment. Quite fun actually. Revenge for them being themselves.
Last Friday was my last day of classes with Haysel as my teacher. I'm going to truly miss her. We played a memory game with the opposite cards that we had. They were very intense games. As in I had an adrenaline rush intense. I won both times. During the games we talked about how a bunch of us from CPI were going to a club that night and I said I wasn't looking forward to going- Haysel was like you need to bring these. When someone comes to ask you to dance you can just say, "I'm busy." It was hilarious.
As for the club- it's called RUMBA. Apparently here it's a requirement to bring a dance partner- completely different from the US. Groups of people rarely danced- it was all Salsa, Merengue, etc. for partners. It was a very boring 4 hours. I babysat purses while the others danced. I'm never going again unless I have Matt >:)
Jenna, Makeba, and I went on a tour of Cafe Britt on Saturday. It was a 2 hour tour in Spanish and English. It's nice to be understand both if you zone out for one... the hosts were quite the comedians though. I learned several things like about the different flavors. There's a blend they have that changed flavor over time after brewed because the area it's produced in changed climate all the time. I learned something about how over extracting coffee was bad for you too- too much info to type so I suggest just looking it up :)
No karaoke this week- only bingo with Rosario! along with several very nice, older ladies, and a few young couples. You won money too. I won two or three times but all the money went to our playing fund. It was a hoot.
The owner of whose place we were at had a really old Dodge Charger or some type of sporty Dodge- very nice. :)
OK. Well here goes the second week of school. The teacher seems very nice but nothing compared to Haysel. :( Oh well! I will study hard and continue to have fun!
Miss you all! :) Thanks for reading my very detailed entry!
I don't even remember which day is which so here's an overall of what I remember:
Last week there was a shooting about 2 blocks from here. BIG SHOCK to everyone. It was not a robbery. It was in a shoe store and three woman died- the owner, her daughter, and a coworker. The neighbors heard nothing because they had silencers. Also, one of them had 3 shots to the head so these men that came were professionals/experienced and had money. It was very tragic and the street was filled with family and friends that came for the funeral. It was a real eye opener as we walked right by the caskets being carried on the way home. Please do not worry because this type of thing happens once every several years. The police are out all the time and the people that committed the crime are most likely far far away. Prayers for the people here are much needed though.
My primo tico/ "cousin" (that spoke English) and I had a very long talk about it and we talked about many deep things- too deep for someone like me after a long day. :P So I resorted to English. We talked about the horrible drivers here, the need for good teachers, morals, and other things. Oh, and how he does digital design stuff. We started talking about macs and iPads. He said- and I agree- that I'm going to get schooled by my students when I bring my iPad in as a tool for a lesson... :P I saw him wearing a green lantern shirt the other day so there's a nerd that I can relate to here! :D I'm very excited.
One night at dinner I talked with my family about how I want to teach Spanish and Ronald was like well it's good we don't speak English so it forces you to practice! Yes, very true, but sometimes I need a break. My brain turns to mush.
I have killed many bugs now!!! I'm very thankful for the lady that gave me the chocolate bar because I left the wrapper on my shelf as I was reading on my bed and all of the sudden I hear something in it. >:) I jumped on that cockroach about 10 times just to make sure it was dead. And due to the wrapper- I didn't have to touch it. Awesome.
The other day I killed like 5 flies for entertainment. Quite fun actually. Revenge for them being themselves.
Last Friday was my last day of classes with Haysel as my teacher. I'm going to truly miss her. We played a memory game with the opposite cards that we had. They were very intense games. As in I had an adrenaline rush intense. I won both times. During the games we talked about how a bunch of us from CPI were going to a club that night and I said I wasn't looking forward to going- Haysel was like you need to bring these. When someone comes to ask you to dance you can just say, "I'm busy." It was hilarious.
As for the club- it's called RUMBA. Apparently here it's a requirement to bring a dance partner- completely different from the US. Groups of people rarely danced- it was all Salsa, Merengue, etc. for partners. It was a very boring 4 hours. I babysat purses while the others danced. I'm never going again unless I have Matt >:)
Jenna, Makeba, and I went on a tour of Cafe Britt on Saturday. It was a 2 hour tour in Spanish and English. It's nice to be understand both if you zone out for one... the hosts were quite the comedians though. I learned several things like about the different flavors. There's a blend they have that changed flavor over time after brewed because the area it's produced in changed climate all the time. I learned something about how over extracting coffee was bad for you too- too much info to type so I suggest just looking it up :)
No karaoke this week- only bingo with Rosario! along with several very nice, older ladies, and a few young couples. You won money too. I won two or three times but all the money went to our playing fund. It was a hoot.
The owner of whose place we were at had a really old Dodge Charger or some type of sporty Dodge- very nice. :)
OK. Well here goes the second week of school. The teacher seems very nice but nothing compared to Haysel. :( Oh well! I will study hard and continue to have fun!
Miss you all! :) Thanks for reading my very detailed entry!
jueves, 7 de julio de 2011
First week of classes is almost done.
Transformers is amazing and funny even if there are subtitles on the bottom :) I felt pretty proud of myself as I understood what was popping up. There are so many verbs and phrases I wouldn't have known before. We bought some pop-corn dulces which is like caramel corn- AMAZING!!! AMC should invest in something like that. They'd make a fortune! I also finally had some Coca-cola light- not diet. It doesn't really taste diet either. Unless it's all in my mind. Rush hour here trying to get to San Jose is about as bad as a main highway in the US. Down town is pretty run down. The houses have a lot more aluminum and looks a lot worse than the houses in Heredia. The mall there is nice, there were several other tourists there too. I had Subway (I have never wanted a sub so bad in my life) and the woman there spoke English. I was like yes! but then I was told in class today some people want to practice their English; all I have to say is I will practice my Spanish with you while you practice your English with me. So next time...
There is a cucaracha that is trying to befriend me. I saw him yesterday morning crawling up my wall and then when I got back from the movie, he was waiting right behind my door. I need a way to kill him. Any suggestions??
Today is a slow day, I don't have any plans, just to do my stupid paper for that English class online and chilling with my new friends. And this weekend- ideas are making their way into definite plans...
My family- I will talk to you tonight! :D
There is a cucaracha that is trying to befriend me. I saw him yesterday morning crawling up my wall and then when I got back from the movie, he was waiting right behind my door. I need a way to kill him. Any suggestions??
Today is a slow day, I don't have any plans, just to do my stupid paper for that English class online and chilling with my new friends. And this weekend- ideas are making their way into definite plans...
My family- I will talk to you tonight! :D
miércoles, 6 de julio de 2011
Wednesday
Hello again!
I LOVE SCHOOL!!! Is that bad to say? I am learning so much and I cant wait to see what the next 4 weeks are like.
On the walking tour we went to the city of Heredia and started out in a market. We tried different fruits like Mamon chino (amazingly tasty and I want to buy some!!! Karen- we may have a huge supply at the apartment if I find them in the US), mangas, Nances(disgusting never try one. sour nasty little things), Manzanas de agua (apples of water), and a few other yummy fruits. It was quite a fun experience. We also went to a church that was built in the 1700s. It was very large and had beautiful paintings, statues, and the altar and such was very nice. We also went to the Casa de Cultura (House of Culture) and saw a very young girl paint an amazing picture of a boat on the water. There were other adults there and her artwork was just as good. Amazing. I should have taken my camera along but no. :( One nice thing I realized along the way is the sales people are not in your face asking if you want to buy this and that. It was a peaceful tour. Our tour guide, Chris, was 19 and quite the comedian. He learned English at CPI and actually perfers to use English.
Yesterday I learned some basic steps of Salsa, Merengue, and one other cultural type of dancing. Yes, I danced, but Im sure it was a hilarious sight. (Matt- dont be surprised if I force you to do a few steps with me) Mis amigas (Jenna y Makeba) y yo will be going to the class for the rest of the time here so hopefully we will be experts of basic steps by the time the end is here!
Today we are going to the movies to watch Transformers in English with Spanish subtitles. (YESSSS!!!!) It is kinda cheating- but since I have seen it before I will be watching the subs.
I feel better about speaking and understanding what my family is saying but its still hard. I feel silly when family friends come up to the gate and start yapping away... ¿No entiende español? ... NOPE! so I try to communicate... :P
OOOHH. and I have scene 2 cucarachas so far. eww. One crawled up my wall this morning into the ceiling. I was like k, good. Now stay there! There are other bugs all the time but they are about the size of the dot of this ! Doesnt bother me. The good thing is that mi familia has two medium size dogs so I still get my puppy fix (Matt- tell Nova and Sadie I miss big dogs like them :) )
Family and friend I miss you all very much!!! Please facebook me :) Oh and I will try to get pictures up at some point.
¡Tiene un buen dia! Hasta Luega.
I LOVE SCHOOL!!! Is that bad to say? I am learning so much and I cant wait to see what the next 4 weeks are like.
On the walking tour we went to the city of Heredia and started out in a market. We tried different fruits like Mamon chino (amazingly tasty and I want to buy some!!! Karen- we may have a huge supply at the apartment if I find them in the US), mangas, Nances(disgusting never try one. sour nasty little things), Manzanas de agua (apples of water), and a few other yummy fruits. It was quite a fun experience. We also went to a church that was built in the 1700s. It was very large and had beautiful paintings, statues, and the altar and such was very nice. We also went to the Casa de Cultura (House of Culture) and saw a very young girl paint an amazing picture of a boat on the water. There were other adults there and her artwork was just as good. Amazing. I should have taken my camera along but no. :( One nice thing I realized along the way is the sales people are not in your face asking if you want to buy this and that. It was a peaceful tour. Our tour guide, Chris, was 19 and quite the comedian. He learned English at CPI and actually perfers to use English.
Yesterday I learned some basic steps of Salsa, Merengue, and one other cultural type of dancing. Yes, I danced, but Im sure it was a hilarious sight. (Matt- dont be surprised if I force you to do a few steps with me) Mis amigas (Jenna y Makeba) y yo will be going to the class for the rest of the time here so hopefully we will be experts of basic steps by the time the end is here!
Today we are going to the movies to watch Transformers in English with Spanish subtitles. (YESSSS!!!!) It is kinda cheating- but since I have seen it before I will be watching the subs.
I feel better about speaking and understanding what my family is saying but its still hard. I feel silly when family friends come up to the gate and start yapping away... ¿No entiende español? ... NOPE! so I try to communicate... :P
OOOHH. and I have scene 2 cucarachas so far. eww. One crawled up my wall this morning into the ceiling. I was like k, good. Now stay there! There are other bugs all the time but they are about the size of the dot of this ! Doesnt bother me. The good thing is that mi familia has two medium size dogs so I still get my puppy fix (Matt- tell Nova and Sadie I miss big dogs like them :) )
Family and friend I miss you all very much!!! Please facebook me :) Oh and I will try to get pictures up at some point.
¡Tiene un buen dia! Hasta Luega.
lunes, 4 de julio de 2011
Pura Vida!
Hola!
Well three days have already passed, which is crazy. I'll start on my adventure trying to arrive here. (In advance, I'm sorry if things are very choppy or don't make sense. There's is so much to say and my brain is fried from trying to communicate)
Friday Emma took me to the airport at 6:00am so I could fly to Chicago. That flight was super smooth. Come Chicago- a completely different story. My flight to Dallas was cancelled. Apparently American Airlines called my house at 7am saying my flight was cancelled. Thanks AA. But I was able to catch the 10am flight so all was good. There was a lady from TX that adopted me on the plane with her other 18 co-workers :) she gave me some crackers and chocolate and reassured me I'd be fine during my time here. Yay friendly Texans!
The arrival here was also smooth, I traded some money at the airport (which I should have done at a bank instead :/) and was escorted a la casa de mi familia. The ride there was quiet frightening- he drove in the middle of the road while people flashed and honked. I'm safe though! Oh, and there are no street signs- they get around my landmarks and approximated measurements. It's quite an experience trying to get around.
Mi familia tica is very nice and patient with me! Mi mama tica (Rosario) is 82 and sews for a living. Her son, Ronald (about 49) lives with her- he's an accountant. He does most of the translating from quick, complicated Spanish, to Spanish words for little kids in a very slow speed. :) I have met many people including the majority of Rosario's family. It's very family oriented and everyone is kind and welcoming- I love it!
The food here is amazing! It's very simple but very fresh and delicious. There's lots of fruit (papayas, guavas, and other familiar fruits), rice, chicken (sometimes hot dogs and bologna- rarely other meats), and dulces (little sweets). I haven't had chocolate or ice cream but that's ok! :) There's beans at least 1 meal a day. I'll need to eat FiberOne for a long time when I get back...
Costa Rica is beautiful! When they say rainy season, they do not exaggerate. We have a beautiful, cool, sunny mornings! But come early afternoon. Sometimes it can seem like a monsoon. (Makes time for lovely siestas) The city of Heredia is very safe and you can drink the water with no problems. It's quite lovely!
I went to church with my family on Saturday night. Their sanctuary is beautiful and the church filled it entirely! :) You don't get a bulletin and there is a lot of signing- which I love. The church is kitty-corner (?) to their house. There's a soccer field across the street, and a school on the other side of the church. In the distance is a beautiful view of the mountains. I love sitting outside and watching people play soccer and looking up at the mountains. It's wonderful. I'll post pictures a different day.
Sunday was good because Jenna and I finally met up! After a mis-communication of where to meet :) we walked around together, caught up, and soaked up some sun (maybe too much). There's so much more exploring to do! We're going to take a walking tour of Heredia with a group.
Oh, and I did karaoke. Why? Because someone asked me- Porque no? :P Gr. So Ronald, el amigo (I don't know his name), and I walked to the bar behind the house. (Don't worry- I didn't drink!) I sang Lady Gaga's Bad Romance and everyone was cheering- very fun. El amigo that pressured me to sing had to sing a song too. Lot's of fun. Ronald was like estoy enfermo (I'm sick) *cough, cough* it was funny. :) We'll see if it happens again!
Ok, last day! Today was my first day of school. I'm in level 1 (which is perfectly fine- there are about 3 levels) and there are two other girls in the class. My teacher is very good, correcting us as we go, not letting any mistake slide. It's excellent practice! Any one who wants to learn/ perfect their spanish- COME HERE!!! CPI Costa Rica!!! I have hw tonight and the funny thing is I'm super excited to do it! haha.
That's all for today. It'll be shorter from now on. :) Email me if you want- hshockey1@gmail.com and I'll answer questions.
Miss you all! Adios!
Well three days have already passed, which is crazy. I'll start on my adventure trying to arrive here. (In advance, I'm sorry if things are very choppy or don't make sense. There's is so much to say and my brain is fried from trying to communicate)
Friday Emma took me to the airport at 6:00am so I could fly to Chicago. That flight was super smooth. Come Chicago- a completely different story. My flight to Dallas was cancelled. Apparently American Airlines called my house at 7am saying my flight was cancelled. Thanks AA. But I was able to catch the 10am flight so all was good. There was a lady from TX that adopted me on the plane with her other 18 co-workers :) she gave me some crackers and chocolate and reassured me I'd be fine during my time here. Yay friendly Texans!
The arrival here was also smooth, I traded some money at the airport (which I should have done at a bank instead :/) and was escorted a la casa de mi familia. The ride there was quiet frightening- he drove in the middle of the road while people flashed and honked. I'm safe though! Oh, and there are no street signs- they get around my landmarks and approximated measurements. It's quite an experience trying to get around.
Mi familia tica is very nice and patient with me! Mi mama tica (Rosario) is 82 and sews for a living. Her son, Ronald (about 49) lives with her- he's an accountant. He does most of the translating from quick, complicated Spanish, to Spanish words for little kids in a very slow speed. :) I have met many people including the majority of Rosario's family. It's very family oriented and everyone is kind and welcoming- I love it!
The food here is amazing! It's very simple but very fresh and delicious. There's lots of fruit (papayas, guavas, and other familiar fruits), rice, chicken (sometimes hot dogs and bologna- rarely other meats), and dulces (little sweets). I haven't had chocolate or ice cream but that's ok! :) There's beans at least 1 meal a day. I'll need to eat FiberOne for a long time when I get back...
Costa Rica is beautiful! When they say rainy season, they do not exaggerate. We have a beautiful, cool, sunny mornings! But come early afternoon. Sometimes it can seem like a monsoon. (Makes time for lovely siestas) The city of Heredia is very safe and you can drink the water with no problems. It's quite lovely!
I went to church with my family on Saturday night. Their sanctuary is beautiful and the church filled it entirely! :) You don't get a bulletin and there is a lot of signing- which I love. The church is kitty-corner (?) to their house. There's a soccer field across the street, and a school on the other side of the church. In the distance is a beautiful view of the mountains. I love sitting outside and watching people play soccer and looking up at the mountains. It's wonderful. I'll post pictures a different day.
Sunday was good because Jenna and I finally met up! After a mis-communication of where to meet :) we walked around together, caught up, and soaked up some sun (maybe too much). There's so much more exploring to do! We're going to take a walking tour of Heredia with a group.
Oh, and I did karaoke. Why? Because someone asked me- Porque no? :P Gr. So Ronald, el amigo (I don't know his name), and I walked to the bar behind the house. (Don't worry- I didn't drink!) I sang Lady Gaga's Bad Romance and everyone was cheering- very fun. El amigo that pressured me to sing had to sing a song too. Lot's of fun. Ronald was like estoy enfermo (I'm sick) *cough, cough* it was funny. :) We'll see if it happens again!
Ok, last day! Today was my first day of school. I'm in level 1 (which is perfectly fine- there are about 3 levels) and there are two other girls in the class. My teacher is very good, correcting us as we go, not letting any mistake slide. It's excellent practice! Any one who wants to learn/ perfect their spanish- COME HERE!!! CPI Costa Rica!!! I have hw tonight and the funny thing is I'm super excited to do it! haha.
That's all for today. It'll be shorter from now on. :) Email me if you want- hshockey1@gmail.com and I'll answer questions.
Miss you all! Adios!
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