La despedida

Yesterday was my last day taking the Vargas Arayas bus to the ACM building. At school a Cuban band came and all my friends and I shook our hips one last time together in Costa Rica. Que fiesta! It was a great way to spend the last hours together and forget about the goodbyes that had to come.

Last night my host mother showed me three albums full of pictures of the past students she has hosted, 50 in total! Each student has a page with their picture and a note to the family, and now I make 51. Although it seems like the family could tire of having students in the house, they never do. As my host mother and I flipped through the pages of the book, she remembered a story about each student and I realized how special each experience is for her. It is going to be difficult to leave my tico family, they really have become my family here. But I know that someday I will return to Costa Rica and tell them about all my new experiences and how my time in Costa Rica opened up so many new opportunities and adventures for me; that is as long as the climate shock tomorrow doesn’t turn me into an icicle in Minnesnowta and prevent me from leaving my native land.

La Ultima Fiesta en Taramindo

The most surreal weekend I have ever had. We had a four day weekend and so five girls and I decided to travel to the beach to soak up some rays and convince our families and friends upon our return … Continue reading →

Mamcita in Costa Rica!

After waiting for five hours at the airport for the arrival of my mom, I realized I have truly adopted the “pura vida” lifestyle. As I watched the flight information monitors display an increasingly later arrival time and finally no arrival time, I felt absolutely no stress. In the US lack of information would have caused me complete frustration. However, I used my time in the Costa Rican airport to practice my Spanish. By the time my mom finally arrived five hours later from Nicaragua, rather than Miami, I knew everyone in that airport on a personal level.  I like to believe that I am now almost always “tranquila” (relaxed) here.

Well, my mom did arrive and we had a exciting and relaxing girls’ weekend. I showed her my school and she got to meet all of my friends. My mom also got to meet my host mother and siblings. What an experience! My lively and animated Costa Rican mother spoke to my real mom as if they spoke the same language. I was the interpreter, enabling my real mother to understand what this wild Costa Rican was saying. I got a good laugh out of the experience.

We also went to the hot springs near the volcano Arenal and slipped away into an entranced state in the hot waters. It was the perfect weekend with my mamacita!

Producing 500 bars of soap and feeding 42 Ticos: Un milagro

The shampoo and soap business continues to keep me busy! On Tuesday I went to the lab with Faynier and the other women and we worked HARD. “¡Muy duro!”, as the ticos would say. We had just entered the building when Faynier received a call from a man with an order for 500 bars of soap. The women had planned to produce a new aloe-vera lotion this day, and had not planned for this large order of soap.

Because there was so much work to be done, my duties were upgraded. I helped the women create the new lotion. I got to mix the chemicals, oil, and plants and ensure the reaction took place properly. I felt like a chemist in the lab. It was quite exciting and the final product was riquìsimo! My skin will smell delicious and feel silky smooth for many days.

I also got to help make honey and goat milk soap and soap made from herbs. The women are becoming more confident in my skills to produce and unfortunately I am done helping them in the lab! ¡Què làstima! I wish I could have more time here to help them. We did succeed in producing the 500 bars of soap though, so I feel like I have contributed to their efforts.

Yesterday a group of 42 adult students taking a class on medicinal plants at the University of Costa Rica visited the Association. The preparation for this event was mainly focused on preparing enough delicious food for the guests. Costa Ricans are always thinking about food, so it was imperative we were properly prepared. We arrived at the Association at 7:00 to make the soup, meatballs, tortillas, salad, rice, and beans. The guests arrived promptly at 10:30; ravishing for their cafecito after the long journey up the mountain. We hurriedly prepared the coffee, natural tea, and tortillas with sour-cream. (In Costa Rica it is a sin to eat a tortilla without sour-cream.)

After we had subdued the guests with cafecito Faynier and the other women gave tours of the farm. The guests frantically picked aloe-vera plants and flowers to buy and take with them as souvenirs. On the tour I learned the women had planted sugar cane on the farm. One of the women whipped out her machete and hacked a long cane down for all of us to eat. You chomp on the cane with your teeth and then suck the sugar juice out. It was delicious! I think I taste a new wild food here every day. I guess that is the way it should be, seeing as Ticos are always thinking about food! In fact, I would have to say that filling the bellies of 42 Ticos yesterday was quite the miracle! ¡Fue un milagro!

 

 

 

Road Trip to San Carlos

I have now traveled around the entire province of Alejuela. On Sunday morning my family surprised me with a road trip to San Carols, a city two hours north of San Luis. They told me they were taking me to “conocer” the volcano Arenal. In Spanish “conocer” means to be familiar with and to know a certain place or person. So when they told me I was going to “conocer” the volcano, I assumed we were actually going to the volcano.

We started our journey at 9:30. Our first stop along the way was in a city called Sarchì; the home of the largest carretera in the world. A carretera is a cart that was used in the 1800s to haul the first coffee crops in Costa Rica. They were elaborately painted with colorful designs, like the larger than life size one I took a picture of on Sunday.

We then proceed through a town called Naranjo; the center of furniture making in Costa Rica. The town in very small, but there are at least 75 stores that sell hand-made furniture. I can´t even imagine the tough business competition there!

At this point we were at the top of a mountain and proceeded down a narrow, curvy road. As we swerved around the path we were surrounded by protected forests and biological reserves covered with clouds and fog. It was gorgeous. When we reached the bottom,  just soon enough before the curvy road affected my stomach, we stopped for lunch at a restaurant owned by a group of women who make typical Costa Rican cuisine. Their warm, homemade tortillas with picadillo de yuca were heavenly!

We then made our way to Pital de San Carlos to greet my sister who is living here for her rural stay. However, unfortunately she was not there. However I did get to “conocer” her house and town. It is unbearably hot here and I became grateful for the cool, fall like weather of San Luis.

At this point we were very close to the Volcano Arenal, and I thought we were going there next. However, we turned in the opposite direction of the volcano. My family simply pointed to the volcano in the distance, which looked like any other mountain, and said, “Now you know the Volcano Arenal.” I laughed and had to agree with them because I did see the volcano.

Our final stop was at the house of an aunt and uncle. The house is tucked away amongst orange trees, coconut trees, plantain trees, guava plants, yuca plants, papaya trees, and sweet lemon trees. We all indulged in the rica and fresca comida (rich and fresh food)! Faynier asked me if I wanted to live in Costa Rica for the rest of my life. I told her if every day was as tranquila as this day, then yes! But not to worry friends and family back home, I do plan on returning to Minnesota in December.

Keeping busy producing and selling shampoo!

I have been extremely busy here producing and selling shampoo. On Tuesday I went to the factory with Faynier and had a lot of shampoo, soap, and gel to produce because there was a big order we had to deliver on Wednesday. I got to put the labels on the bottles that day. Woot Woot! I also got to enjoy the heavenly aromas of the soap being made. It smelled like a sweet, fresh dessert and made me want to eat it! I told Faynier this and she said she would not cure my illness if I ate the soap. I guess I will have to stick to using the soap in the shower.

On Wednesday we delivered the products to macrobiotic stores, which are health stores that sell all natural products. Victor, my host father, drove Faynier and me around. We went to a place called Atenas to sell to two stores. This city was about 30 minutes from San Luis, but the climate was extremely different. It was hot, sunny, and humid. It was a nice change from the cool autumn weather in San Luis. The drive was curvy and narrow and Victor was worried I would be scared. But I told him I had driven down the Colorado Mountains in snow and ice and blizzard conditions, so I was fearless. Then we returned to Grecia Central to sell to two more macrobiotic stores. We made bank on Wednesday. Faynier was in a very chipper from all the money she collected!

We then returned to San Luis to rest after all of our sales work. However, on the way up the mountain it began to pour and the windows would not roll up. I was sitting in the back seat in the middle holding cardboard up to block the rain out. Well, obviously this did not work very well, 1. because I don´t have very long arms to stretch across the width of the car, and 2. because cardboard gets quite flimsy when wet. So, using my problem solving skills my intelligent father taught me, I opened my umbrella and held it against the open window. Faynier and Victor got a kick out of this and laughed very hard. I explained to them who Rube Goldberg the inventor was, and that I was using my problem solving techniques like him.

Yesterday we went back to the factory to work some more. This time my duties were expanded. I got to go to “el campo”, the field, and gather the plants and herbs needed to produce a cream for cuticles. The women own 1.5 hectares of land which they have transformed from a coffee plantation to their organic farm. It is lush with the plants and herbs they grow to produce their products. The women also grow guava, avocado, orange, lemon, red berry, and jocote trees on the land. Yesterday I got to indulge in fresh red guava right off the tree. It was pura vida! The women have created an oasis amongst the numerous coffee plantations in San Luis. They continue to impress me every day with the business they have created.

 

¡Hay sol en Grecia!

The weather here in Grecia has greatly improved! For the past three days I have seen the sun! I don´t think I will need my winter coat any more. ¡Gracias a Dìos!

The improved weather also has meant that we can travel more places. Yesterday my host sister Jenny and I went to Grecia Central, which is the big city at the bottom of the mountain. She showed me the church which is an important landmark in Grecia. It is a  metal building and was built in 1897. Jenny said it attracts many American tourists.

We also visited Jenny´s grandparents, “los abuelitos.” The grandfather owns a farm in San Carlos de Pital and grows bananas, oranges, and tilapia. He is very well read and we talked for a long while about how the politics and social structure of Costa Rica have changed over the past 50-70 years. He said there has been a lot of progress made with respect to improving access to water and electricity in rural communities, but the current government has begun implementing policies that harm small local farmers, like himself. I had read about this before coming to San Luis, but to hear it first hand made me understand the politics of Costa Rica better.

I had a very different conversation with la abuelita. I love this woman! She is a larger woman, with crossed-eyes, and a booming voice. She is constantly talking, even if no one is listening. With her, I talked about all the different ways to prepare a vegetable called Chiote, which they grow in abundance in San Luis and Grecia. This green vegetable grows on trees and is a cross between a potato, squash, and zucchini. Once I told her I liked chiote, la abuelita went on for at least a half hour about all the various ways to prepare this “rica verdura!” Today we are going back to her house to celebrate two birthdays. I cannot wait to talk more with this character!

My family continues to call me Estìp. The other night my host dad told me I share the name of a talented Colombian soccer player named, Esteve. I told him the best athletes were named this. I then told him that in English, my name does not sound very similar to Esteve or Estìp, but I was growing fond of my newly christened name. Hopefully I won´t become too accustomed to this name because is two weeks I will return to San Josè where I am called Aasti. But, that is not for a while and we will wait to see what new adventures await Estìp in San Luis!

San Luis de Grecia

I have arrived safely to San Luis de Grecia! Grecia central is located about an hour north of San Jose and San Luis is about thirty minutes north of Grecia Central, way up in the mountains. It is a town of about 2,000 people and the primary economy is coffee. From my window I can see coffee plantations that seem to go on forever. Well, when it is not rainy and foggy I can see the plantations. It rains here every day and all day and is only about 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Who knew I would need my down coat in Costa Rica?

My family is very energetic and loving. I live with my host mother Faynier, host dad Victor, their 28 year old son Jeffrey, their 30 year old son Cristian, their 32 year old daughter Jenny and her 1 year old daughter Lucia. The house is full, but not crowded. Everyone is always laughing and Victor is always making some joke about how he is so talented because he is a farmer, carpenter, and takes care of a Gringa (meaning me!).

Life in small town Costa Rica is much different than San Jose. There is no time schedule and everything is tranquila here (that means calm). People get up at about 7 or 7:30, have a leisurely breakfast and then go to work, which usually means walking up the street to work at the local pulperia (a convenience store) or work on projects in the house. People seem to take life less seriously here and there is a lot less stress. The pace of life feels very similar to that of Grey Eagle or Big Birch Lake in small town Minnesota.

Yesterday, Faynier took me to the top of the mountain to her shampoo factory. She belongs to a group of women who create organic shampoo and soap from the plants they grow in their garden. I got to help make the shampoo and package the products. I was putting a label on some bottles that said the shampoo was for dogs and an excellent way to remove odors from their fur. When I ran out of labels, I asked Faynier if there were any more. She handed me some new ones that described the product as an excellent way to cleanse the scalp. We placed these labels on the same bottles as the dog shampoo bottles. These women really know how to market!

I also have a new name here in San Luis, Estìp. They told me my name was too hard to pronounce and they would give me a new one. So they added a “p” to the end of my name. I am still learning to respond to this name.

Today I am going to visit a neighbor to learn about the history of the town and later this week we are going to Grecia Central to sell the shampoo products. I should learn a lot.

Remember, la vida debe ser tranquila (live should be tranquil and calm)

Manuel Antonio Beach

Last weekend eight girls and I took a stomach-churning four hour bus ride to a beach on the Caribbean side of the country called Manuel Antonio Beach. We stayed in a hostile called Serena Vista. I was expecting to be roughing it all weekend, but I was very wrong. The hostile had an incredible view of the ocean and rain forest. The rooms were very nice and all of us slept in bunk beds in the one big room.

On Saturday we took a tour of the national park. We saw the infamous monkeys who are known for being conniving thieves. You have to watch your  belongings because these monkeys will unzip your backpack and steal your fruit! Luckily we avoided any theft. The tour ended at a white sands private beach where we all went swimming and soaked up some rays.

On Saturday night we checked out the local culture. We went into the main town called Quepos to dance to some reggaton and salsa music. I still need to perfect my moves, but lucky for me we have dance lessons today at school!

On Sunday we all unwilling left our weekend paradise and returned to San Jose. At school on Monday we learned more details about our rural home stay. I will be going to San Luis de Grecia which is in the province of Alejuela. I will be staying with a woman who belongs to an organization of women that grows organic plants and makes their own shampoos and soap. During this time I will learn about the culture of their group and the surrounding community and write an ethnography about it when I return to San Jose.

I am unsure of what to expect during my time in “el campo” (that’s the Costa Rican term used to refer to rural communities). I know the pace of life is slower and San Luis is a coffee economy. Hopefully that means I will have plenty of time to read, drink some scrumptious coffee, and say “Que linda y rica es mi vida!”, typical Costa Rican expressions meaning “how wonderful and rich is my life!” I guess I’ll find out!

Pura Vida

Pura Vida!

A mi me encanta Costa Rica! I love Costa Rica! My host family is wonderful.  I have a nine year old sister named Valeria who is always showing me her new dance moves or introducing me to her “best friend”, a new one every day. My 13 year old brother Carlos Daniel is quite the jokster. Yesterday he tried to convince me that Costa Rica has a hurricane season and that our family loves eating bugs in a delicious desert called ‘arroz con leche.’ My father works in sales and has traveled a lot for business. He has gone to the US a few times and likes to say English phrases. Every morning he asks me with a gigantic smile on his face ‘wats up?’  in a think Costa Rican accent. It makes me laugh every time and is a great way to start the day. My mother is a wonderful women. She is a stay at home mother and keeps my laundry perfectly crisp and my stomach content with rice and beans and plantains. She also thinks Kari and I look exactly alike. Kari will walk into our house to visit and she thinks it is me! That is, she thinks it is Aasti. That’s my name here. I have grown to appreciate this name and my tica family.

Here are some highlights so far:

• Traveling to Jaco beach and swimming in gigantic waves!
• Holding a sloth in the rain forest.
• Visiting a cocoa plantation and gorging myself with heavenly dark chocolate treats!
• Walking through the rain forest at night.
• taking a salsa and merengue dance class from a famous tico dance instructor here in Costa Rica. I still need to practice to perfect the swaying of my hips.

Pura Vida! (That’s a Costa Rican phrase meaning Pure Life!)