Que Rico!

This past week in Costa Rica has been Semana Santa (Holy Week). In the states, Easter Sunday is the most important day, but here in CR kids are on vacation from school the entire week and many people take off work (we unfortauntely only got off Thursday and Friday, but it has been a really nice break!). So basically the last four days I have been eating a TON and also meetings lots of people—a great combination! A ver (let’s see)… my Semana Santa luncheon calendar:

Thursday-- Lunch at one of my host Mom’s sisters in a neighboring town about 5 km. away. It’s really cool because the sister and her husband live on kind of a little compound with one of their daughters and her family living in the house right behind them and other family members living nearby. All the food was amazing and the atmosphere reminded me of the big family dinners (ie Thanksgiving) that my family has. The cousins were all playing outside while the women were cooking and then all the adults ate together. It was a multi-hour lunch and then when everyone went to misa (mass) I ended up staying behind with one of the uncles who was watching after his 3 year old son (who is one of the cutest little boys I have ever met, ever!) and we just hung out and were talking for around 3 hours—another really awesome conversation all about cultural difference/life in the states and Costa Rica/ family/ etc etc. It was very nice!

Friday-- Lunch at another of my host Mom’s sisters, who lives up the street from me. This was a lot more informal, just being my host mom, host aunt, her sister, husband and 3 sons. It’s so interesting to see how family dynamics work here; the sister made all the food and then my host mom and I helped with the final food preparation, set the table, helped serve the food, and then cleared everything away. The men didn’t do anything. Although I haven’t experienced any super-machista men yet (some other PC volunteers definitely have, including fathers/grandfathers in their families, which I can imagine would make for a tough situation), it is interesting to note that women are indubitably the keeper of the household in every house that I have been in thus far and men do not really take part in household duties.

Saturday- - Last week at the dance class, we met this adorable girl who was there with her mom, aunt, and baby sister. The whole family was super nice and Jenny and I were talking with them and they were asking us what we were doing during Semana Santa and when we told them we were staying here, they were like, “Oh, well then you should come over for lunch one day!” I really love how friendly and inclusive Ticos are! So on Saturday we went with the dance teacher and his friend to their house for lunch. We met the grandma who was really sweet and ended up staying for 4 hours, having cafecito, playing Super Banco (the CR equivalent of Monopoly). It was interesting because after we were there a while and had already eaten, the grandma told us that she was really nervous when her daughters told her that two gringas were coming to eat, because she thought that we wouldn’t like any of the food she served. When she served the rice and beans, she had them separate and said that she knew we didn’t like them, so that’s why it was separate. We definitely broke the stereotype of the picky-eater gringo (which I didn’t know existed) by eating (and loving!) everything she made. It is even a small gesture like this that demonstrates what we do in PC in terms of PC being a forum for cultural exchange. Just the fact that we were able to dispel the idea that all Americans only like certain kind of food for this abuelita is an accomplishment. Even today I was talking to a family friend’s daughter and I was saying how much I enjoy the food here and she said, “Well yea, of course, because you guys only eat fast food in the US, right?” I was like, “Um, I don’t eat fast food, ever.” So yet again, another example of dispelling the fact that all Americans eat fast food all the time.

Sunday- - Yesterday my host mom was talking about how our giras (trips) to visit other current PC volunteers start next week and so she wanted to have the other volunteers over for lunch. Luckily everyone was free and then we also invited her sobrina (niece) and husband, who is the President of the Association of Development of our town (he’s super busy all the time and we had been wanting to meet him, so it worked out perfectly for him to come). We spent the entire morning cooking—I’m getting better and better and my host mom was so cute, saying that I made everything and she just helped (although I was sure to set the record straight that I’m learning poco a poco but I’m more like her helper, haha) but I am getting really good at tortillas, learning the whole process. We made arroz con pollo (chicken and rice) and all sorts of other yummy CR food. Then, for dessert I made pancakes with the pancake mix I’d brought from the states. All in all it was a major success, especially the pancakes because my PC friends were happy to have American food and my host mom’s family loved them, too! It was also really good to meet with the Association President because he told us a lot about these associations and how they work (we will be working with them in our communities in the next 2 years, too). He also gave us ideas for possible projects we can work on in the remaining time that we are here, such as having an environmental awareness day in which we would go around picking up trash (people just through it on the side of the road—it makes me so sad!) and raising awareness about environmental causes.

Oh! So the reason for this post title “Que Rico” is because that is the phrase that EVERYONE uses ALL the time when eating. Que rico basically means “how rich,” but since we don’t say that in English I guess it’s more like, “how delicious.” But it’s funny because they literally say it to describe any kind of food. So basically whenever there is a lull in conversation, someone chimes in with “Que rico… la ensalada, la sopa, lo que sea!” It is the ultimate compliment and I’ve noticed that when I say that something is “super rico” it will be reiterated that I thought so, so I very consciously say it a lot, to make sure that it is apparent how much I appreciate everything!

And on this lovely food note, I’m off!
Ciao ciao!
Mil besos!
Tes/Tesa/Tessy/Tesandra (yes, I go by/answer to all of these names down here in costa rica!)

PS The reason that I posted 2 posts at once is that I haven't had internet access since I had written the first post, so now you get to read both at the same time =)