A Tico haircut, and a beautiful day in San Jose

So... Marco (my host brother, the smooth Tico pilot) and I ran some errands on Friday.  While we were in Alajuela I had him show me where he gets his hair done.  The place was incredible.  It’s a barber shop the size of a soccer goal, run by one old barber who exudes a sense of experience and authenticity.  There was a sign (made of paper) stating the price per haircut.  Fourteen hundred Colones.  The conversion is 515 Colones to the dollar; that’s less than three dollars! 

I simply sat down and told the barber that I wanted to be Puro Tico, or as they say here in Costa Rica, “Mas Tico que Galla Pinto.”  Roughly translated, that means more Costa Rican than beans and rice.   I ended up getting a nice clean haircut, with some volume left on the top to gel like a Latino.  And it worked.  I’ve had multiple Ticos ask me directions already.

I’ve attached some pictures of me hanging around the house with my host family.  One of the photos is of Marco, Marta (my mom-away-from-mom), and Tami, an extremely annoying and prissy house dog that we’re watching for the next few days.

Today (Saturday) was the most beautiful day so far in San Jose.  It was sunny, breezy, and just the perfect day to sightsee.  Our little group explored San Jose together, and then went on a tour of the national museum of Costa Rica.  Only three of us decided to take advantage of this optional experienced offered through the Center For Teacher Development (CTFD), making the experience very personal. 

I found the diverse ethnic origin of Costa Rica fascinating, as well as Las Esferas (the spheres).  These giant balls made of volcanic rock really stand out against nature.  While a sphere is a very organic shape, there is nothing natural about a chiseled volcanic ball sitting in a field.  Many anthropologists have attempted to explain these forms.  Some claim that they were likely used to mark property boundaries, others claim that they’re astrological interpretations.  The more extreme explanations of these balls suggest extraterrestrial influence.  Feel free to check out more about these balls [HERE].

Tonight was pretty calm.  I visited a new friend down the street and talked health care and language learning.  Surprisingly, I’m exhausted.  That seems to be a regular thing for me; I’m becoming an old soul.  I rarely stay up long enough to eat dinner.  I’m happy though.  At least I will be when I find a volunteer position in the community…

Pura Vida,

Z

The Buses Aren't So Bad

After that last post I took a nice cold shower and passed out with my legs tingling from an exhausting first day of classes.  This morning I attacked my commute with the kind of focus I usually reserve for academic testing, and it helped a great deal.  Here is my commute:

(1) from the corner in right next to my house to the bus center in ALAJUELA:

(by BUS: 5 minutes, 50 cents)

walking: 15 Minutes

(2) from the bust station in ALAJUELA to the stop in front of the SUBWAY on the SAN JOSE DIRECTO:

30 minutes, 90 cents

(3) walk from SUBWAY to PARQUE LA AUXILIADORA: 4 minutes

wait at 

(4) 0-10 minute wait at LA AUXILIADORA for the BUS to MULTIPLAZA

(5) BUS to MULTIPLAZA: 15 minutes, 60 cents

My morning commute, done alone, was an hour and twenty minutes, and cost around $1.50.  Not terrible.  Moreover, I was exponentially more comfortable with the trip.  I should be able to read or listen to music on the morning trip in just a few days.

I am still a bit worried about doing the trip backwards, but I went over the names of the buses and the routes with my host father Marcos this morning over a hearty American breakfast (Raisin Bran with a delicious sliced banana).  The traffic is also worse in the evening, but I imagine without all the mistakes I made yesterday (at least four), I should be able to make it home in under an hour and forty-five minutes.  That is, if I haul out of here immediately after class.

In other good news, my cell phone chip will be waiting for me when I get back to the house!  I will not be so alone when commuting.  And with that, class is starting...

Pura Vida,

Z

(This is a photo I found online that surprisingly resembles most of the buses through San Jose.  There are a couple of old school buses servicing some of the more distant and poorer outlying areas, but a majority of the buses are red/white/blue/gray manual transmission touring buses like the one in the photo.)

CTFD—Center For Teacher Development

It’s 7:30PM and I just got back from my first day of class at the Center For Teacher Development.  What an experience.  Everything here is so new, foreign, confusing, and unaccommodating.  The school, however, is very nice.  Since it was the cheapest program I found anywhere, I expected it to be terrible.  Incredibly, it's as nice as I could have imagined.  Furthermore, the other participants I spoke to had nothing but wonderful things to say about schooling, employment, and "life support" from the school.

Marcela is a wonderful, Wake Forest educated, over obliging, and very amiable mother of three.  The school that she runs is a recent outgrowth of La Escuela Tecnica, created due to a demand for TESOL certified teachers.  My instructor is also delightful.  She has a masters in language (not sure which focus, specifically, though I believe something to do with language acquisition).  The two were both present at the start and end of classes.

We started at 9AM and finished at 4PM, with a one hour break for lunch.  My other classmates (that I’ve met so far) are Sam, a UVA grad who has been teaching English in Costa Rica for nearly a year, and Allison, a woman who moved here three weeks ago (I believe) to follow a Tico boyfriend and to embrace and observe the social and political statements of Costa Rica.  Allison has a masters in Teaching communication to students with special needs (if I remember correctly).  She worked for a number of years in the Prince Georges County school system, of all places.

Though the security and reception at the HSBC building (where the CFTD office is) are completely useless (none of them knew where the CTFD office was, or showed any signs of life when I asked them about a TESOL school, one tried to hail me a cab), the building is beautiful inside.  Classes are engaging, practical, and well-run.  The instructors are qualified, the building and classroom are both very nice, and there is even snacks and coffee available via intercom.  Very classy.

Now for the horrors of my day:

My classmates and instructor proceeded to scare the hell out of me about everything in San Jose: pick pockets, thieves on the raised walkways, robberies at knifepoint, grand schemes to get you alone, violence for a cell phone, etc.  All of this before I head back home alone, on a two hour commute, half of which was in the dark.  I got lost.

The single, worst thing about San Jose is transportation.  It takes about an hour and a half to get to school, and two hours to get home.  I am scared to nap, read, or do nearly anything because I may miss my stop.  The traffic is horrible.  Every street looks identical in the surrounding area.  It’s dangerous to ask for directions because you’re demonstrating that you are 1) A gringo 2) Lost, and 3) Stupid.

I wish I had photos to show you of the buses, the sketchy alleyways, the guys who look like dirty pirates, and the total lack of order on the road ways.  I was too busy concentrating on not getting mugged to pull out my sweet camera that was in my backpack with my laptop and wallet.

Don't get me wrong, there are a ton of nice, clean, well-lit places in Costa Rica and around San Jose.  Moreover most gringos and wealthy ticos can entirely avoid the bad areas.  Still, many parts of San Jose are worse than Baltimore.

There are no street addresses or road names in Costa Rica.  I’m serious.  You have to buy something like a P.O. box to receive mail.  How a modern country has managed without road names is beyond me.  There are addresses on some of the houses in our neighborhood here, but they are simply decorative; I’m going to lose my mind.

Hopefully I will get my daily commute time down to under four hours, and I will get comfortable enough to read while on the bus.  I’ve started reading Mount Misery, the discovering of an elixir by the main character of House of God.  I’m so engaged, I may just read for a few minutes before passing out tonight.  Also, I should be able to read on my way in to class tomorrow; the first bus ride (approx. 45 minutes) is to the central interchange in San Jose, so I can’t miss my stop.  Maybe after the first week or two I’ll be able to read on my way home.

12 frantic hours in San Jose and I’m sufficiently exhausted.  I plan to write a more complete evaluation of my TESOL course with CFTD once I complete my licensing.  I also plan on doing some research on the bus system/urban planning/postal system of Costa Rica when I’m not already so disappointed by the region.  My Kingdom for one capable civil engineer!

Pura Vida, though the return trip today was scary (even for an egoist like me with tons of travel experience),

Z

The Extended Family—Visiting Tia Flori

My Saturday night was fairly calm, as I was exhausted and asked to get home somewhat early.  There was a game to be watched (the local Costa Rican Team of Alajuela was premiering their team and playing their season-opener).  We did, however, drop in on Tia Flori and her wonderful little family before heading home for the night.

Tia Flori is a wonderful woman, and her house is beautifully open and earthy.  They have a pair of parakeets (called paraqeets de amor), a beautiful porch table complete with chairs and umbrella in their den, and translucent roofing that lets you hear and feel the weather outside.  Thanks to the perfect, albeit damp, climate of Costa Rica the house doesn’t need to be insulated.  So much so that when I arrived there was a baby bird that had fallen through a layering in the roofing and was chirping from the floor.

Tia Flori has three children, two sons and a daughter.  I was fortunate enough to meet her daughter Karla, her daughter-in-law Sharon, and her granddaughter (Sharon’s daughter) Tamara.  When we arrived Karla and Tamara were tending to the baby bird that had fallen into their den.  They had a small birdcage and a bowl of water for the poor thing.  It was precious.

Tamara was absolutely adorable, but nullified everything I’ve heard about learning Spanish from children.  She’s at the beautiful age where fiction and reality blend seamlessly.  She was telling me about who was invited to her birthday party, and aside from me and the other people in the room it was mostly animals… “los gatos, los caballos, los pajaros.”  If I didn’t know better I could have been very confused.  She also told me she was turning five, and held up three fingers.  I guess the Tamara would rather be turning five; fingers don’t lie.

Tia Flori served us Coffee con leche, a delicious cake, unos pastelitos, and enchiladas.  Everything was warm, and the coffee was hot.  I really enjoyed joking around with the family.

Rebekah, Marco’s sister (and mine by adoption), taught me some elementary language jokes.  It was through Rebekah that Marcela found my host family.  Marcela is her English teacher at work.  She and her husband Richard have been charming, and have the most beautiful home.  It was wonderful to have them at Tia Floras as well.

One of the jokes that Rebekah taught me:

Q: “How do you say queque en Español.”  (Dad: queque means cake in Spanish)

A: “WhatWhat.” (Dad: que is Spanish for what)

And with that I'm off to pack a bag and prepare for tomorrow.  It's my first day of TESOL class, and I'm hoping to impress my profesora Marcela.

Pura Vida,

-Z

Waving Flag

Just got back from my morning walk (with my host father Marcos) and brief exercises in the park across the street, and felt a huge desire to listen to this song:

WAVING FLAG--English and Spanish Version

David Bisbal—Waving Flag

(featuring K'naan)

ohhh ohhh ohhh ohhh (x2)
Give me freedom
Give me fire
Give me reason
Take me higher
See the champions
Take the field now
You define us
Make us feel proud
En las calles muchas manos
levantadas, celebrando
una fiesta sin descanso
los paises como hermanos
Canta y une tu voz
grita fuerte que te escuche el sol
el partido ya va a comenzar
todos juntos vamos a ganar
Unidos!
Seremos grandes,
seremos fuertes
somos un pueblo
bandera de libertad
que viene y que va 
que viene y que va
que viene y que... 
When I get older
I will be stronger
they’ll call me freedom
just like a waving flag
so wave your flag
Now wave your flag
Now wave your flag 
Now wave your flag (x4)
ohhh ohhh ohhh ohhh (x2)
Danos vida
danos fuego
que nos lleve a lo alto
campeones o vencidos
pero unidos a intentarlo
In the streets
our heads out lifting
as we lose our inhibitions
celebration is around us
every nation all around us
Singing forever young
singing songs underneath the sun
let’s rejoice to the beautiful game
and together at the end of day
We all sing:
Seremos grandes,
seremos fuertes
somos un pueblo
bandera de libertad
que viene y que va 
que viene y que va 
que viene y que va 
que viene y que...
When I get older
I will be stronger
they’ll call me freedom
just like a wavin flag
so wave your flag 
Now wave your flag 
Now wave your flag
Now wave your flag (x4)
ohhh ohhh ohhh ohhh (x2)
¡Unidos!
Seremos grandes,
seremos fuertes
somos un pueblo
bandera de libertad

When I get older
I will be stronger
they’ll call me freedom
just like a waving flag
so wave your flag
Now wave your flag
Now wave your flag
*Now wave your flag (x4)
ohhh ohhh ohhh ohhh (x2)
And everybody
will be singing…
ohhh ohhh ohhh ohhh
And we all will be singing...

I love it.  Can’t get enough of it.  The song captures so much of the emotion of the World Cup felt throughout the world.  I especially like this version (with Spanish) because I can understand the lyrics.  I might just sing this song at Karaoke when I go with my host family.

Thanks to www.sweetlyrics.com for these lyrics.  It is a great resource for lyrics of international songs.

200,000 Colones--That, my friends, is gangster

With the help of my host father Marcos, I went to the mall and exchanged some cash.  My original goal was to open a bank account with one of the more common banks in Costa Rica.  It seems my options are Banco Nacional, Banco de Costa Rica, and Scotiabank.  Sorry to disappoint everyone back home, but Scotiabank seems to be the best run, fairest, and most accessible.

While the teller was very helpful and very social at Scotiabank, he was not able to open an account for me (a foreigner) without a recommendation from a bank in the US and a letter from my educational institution or employer.  A note to foreigners who want to spend time in Latin America: FIGHT FOR A REFERENCE.  My bank in the US (Wachovia) shied from giving me a reference due to potential liability.  Try contacting the International Banking Sector of your US bank, a printed email will suffice.

I plan on returning to Scotiabank with these two reference letters and my certified check after I start classes this week.  In the meantime I was able to exchange enough money to survive, and my host family preferred to be reimbursed in US dollars.  Curious.

The buy-sell differential at the bank was very good (They bought US dollars for 508 colones, and sold US dollars at 520).  It is always best to avoid money exchange stands like the ones you'll find at most airports.  I've attached photos below of some coins from my change purse.  I've also attached a photo of me holding some colones (and an American with US dollars for comparison).

(HEADS)

(TAILS)

(DOLLARS)

(COLONES)

And with that, I'm going to focus on the soccer match on TV before I pass out.  The local team, se llama Liga (the actual name is Liga Deportiva de Alajuela, or something like that, but the people here just call the team Liga), is currently up one goal in the first half, and it's promising to be a good game.  I've put a photo (and a link: Liga Deportiva Alajuela) to the right for anyone interested in the team.  Goodnight to all.  It's been such a long day, I hope to write about some of the things I did... tomorrow.


Pura Vida (and yes, the locals do actually use the phrase ...all the time),

Z

 Oh... our team just scored again.  It's a good night.

Homestay Gifts—Gift idea for Costa Rican host families and others in Latin America

If you’re like most tourists or new students, you’re likely going to struggle to come up with something that will both be representative of your home and also appreciated by your host family.  What inspired me to write this post is the simple fact that Americans are terrible at this.  My mom suggested I bring tea to my host family.  Can you imagine bringing coffee or tea to Costa Rica!  That’s like bringing bottled sand to Hawaii to give to the locals as a kind gesture.  Other terrible ideas: t-shirts, baseball hats, board games, things that are expensive in the USA, and things that you wouldn’t want.  If it’s something you wouldn’t want, why would they?  I’ve seen (and myself brought) so many bad gifts that I’ve decided to do a blog entry on the topic.  Here are some suggestions.

Good Gift Ideas are things that represent your locale, but are also highly useful.  A snow globe of your city is not useful!  A South Park action figure is not useful.  What is your host going to do with a golf club cover from your home course?  Think.  What about some soft sheets with an interesting pattern?  In my opinion the sheets in Latin America are terrible.  Any bedding could be a great gift.  A bottle or two of local wine or liquor is a universal gift.  Be careful about bringing food from the US.  For the most part the same things can be bought in the destination country for less.  Also, steer clear of your local produce and meats.  These things can make passing through customs at the airport a miserable experience, and you may well lose your gift in the process.

My Suggestions:

-ELECTRONICS.  Due to taxes, limited supply and selection, and a technology-hostile climate, electronics much more expensive and harder to come by in most of Latin America.  I brought a discount MP3 player and a 2GB USB jump drive to give to my host family.  To give it a personal touch, I opened up the package, charged the device, and pre-loaded it with a few hundred of my most-played American songs.  Stereos, MP3 players, food preparation devices (like a blender or a George Foreman grill), computer accessories, and anything else in your price-range with a fairly broad application would do quite well.  If nothing else, your host family can sell it for more than you paid for it once you leave.

-Nice, mass-produced, somewhat personalized fabrics.  While certain areas of Latin America are known for their cloth artisanry, the bed sheets are still best used for exfoliation.  Try to cater your gift to the socioeconomic status of your hosts.  If you’re staying with an indigenous or low-income family, you may be best off bringing a fine, workable fabric.  My host family in Otovalo, Ecuador would have preferred a bolt of fine cloth to a full-sized bed set from WalMart.  If you’re staying with a somewhat well to do suburban or urban family, you’re better off bringing Mets-themed bed sheets and pillow cases.

-Sports equipment for your nation’s sports.  A cricket bat would be a nice gift from a visitor from India, as would a soccer jersey from an Ecuadorian.  I would recommend bringing a basketball or a football as a gift, especially if you’re going to be staying with anyone young.  These things are useful, represent your heritage, and universally understood.  It’s a shame that the three sports I enjoy playing the least are basketball, football, and baseball.  I must have been born in the wrong country.

-Creature-comforts from your locale.  Try and be more creative than getting some locally-made soaps.  Consider fine nail polish (though I don’t know much about the subject), face or body creams, that bizarre-shaped-lumbar-back-support-pillow-from-your-car-that-you-swear-by-and-can’t-live-without.  Be creative, be smart.

I’m sure you’ll have no trouble finding a gift that your hosts will appreciate, will use, and will be a little more appreciative of your home and lifestyle.  Just make sure to follow these rules:

1.         Find something useful
2.         Make sure it isn’t readily available (and potentially cheaper or of a higher quality) where you’re headed.
3.     Pick something universal (so someone of most any age, gender, and background can appreciate the gift)
4.      Find a way to connect it to your home (a local sports team, industry, fashion, popular culture).
5.     Make sure it’s something you’d appreciate

Just be smart and put some thought into the gift.  You will be relying on the kindness and good spirits of these hosts for much of your experience abroad.

Pura Vida,

Z

My Host Family

After more than 24 hours travel and a brief stop in Nicaragua, I have finally arrived at my new home in San Jose, Costa Rica.  The place, the people, and the neighborhood is perfect.  I am still taking everything in, but I'll do my best to share everything I've experienced so far.

The Family:

   It seems that I will be seeing the most of Marta, a wonderful and loving catholic woman.  She is the mother of the house, a wonderful cook, and so accommodating and loving that I already feel (and am being implored to consider myself) like family.  She is not employed outside the house, and has assured me that I am welcome to do anything and everything she does--like Piglet and Pooh.

  The father, Marcus, works in the airport (customs I believe), and is equally as warm.  He reminds me of a young version of my grandpa Irwin in his diction and inflection-filled means of communication.  He left for work shortly after I arrived, but stayed long enough to enjoy breakfast with me and the rest of the family.

   Marco (please appreciate the similarity in names) is a thirty year old son, and the last person living here in the house with me.  He is a pilot for Spirit Airlines.  He's fit, intelligent, and his lifestyle parallels mine in the United States.  He keeps his laptop by his bed, rocks a blackberry of the sorts, and appreciates the finer things in life.  He's invited me to play some pick-up soccer with him and his friends (they play two nights a week) when he's not staying over in another country.  We've had quite a few laughs together.  I already consider us friends.

Rebekah, the daughter, works in the hotel industry in Costa Rica.  She recently married, and now lives a kilometer down the road with her husband Richard.  I plan to write about them when I see their home.  They are wonderful as well.

There is also a fairly regular maid, Lidieth, who is a part of the family.  I imagine I'll get a photo of her up here soon enough.


The Home:

The house has a beautiful atrium (or rather, a peristylium) full of flowers, plants, and a babbling fountain.  It brings sound, color, and balance into the entire home.  I love it.  Though it's only been a day (and I've admittedly slept a majority of it), I can tell that this will be a great experience.

I've also added photos of the family pets.  The kitten is just about the only cat I've ever enjoyed.  I actually like that it looks like a rat.  The dogs are polar opposites.  One is a very friendly and somewhat goofy stray named Lucas (I fell in love immediately).  The other dog is mean as spit, aqui se llama griñon.

And with that, I'm off to have a quick dinner with Señor Marcus.  Friends and family in the US, know that I'm doing well.

Saludos, or rather Pura Vida,

-Z