Final Post

Today marks 2 months since I have returned to the US after living in Costa Rica for the past 27 months. Proof that I am still adjusting from the slow pace of rural CR: it has taken me this long to compose my final post. Where to begin? The last few months in site were hectic, finishing up projects, savoring every last moment of my 'vida tica,' and saying goodbye to people in a town who had taken me in as another member for the past 2 years. Needless to say, a lot of soccer playing and coffee were involved.

In terms of projects, I am genuinely satisfied and happy with how everything culminated. The book drive was a huge success, thanks to the generous support of family and friends (including the Osborn Hill School in Fairfield, CT, who are pen pals with the kids in CR). The kids, parents, and teachers were super excited about the tremendous expansion of the library in the elementary school. Here are some happy kids:

Another big accomplishment was the regional Art for Peace Conference that I co-coordinated with a fellow PCV friend, Becca. Over 40 kids from 4 towns had a blast presenting plays, poems, and dances they prepared, as well as participating in various interactive workshops. The evaluations from the kids were overwhelmingly positive, making Becca and I feel that our hard work paid off.

the volunteers who brought kids to the conference

having fun making stress relief balls with corn starch and balloons (a bit messier than we imagined)

the kids working in groups to dream up and draw their ideal town

first ice-breaker of the morning: get in a tight circle and sit on each others' laps-- took a few tries but they got it, with lots of laughter along the way!

One of the big projects in town, the government funding to build concrete ditches for the steepest hills in town (with the hope of paving them in the future), was approved and currently underway. I look forward to seeing pictures of the final product, but feel really good about the fact that the local development association now has the knowledge of one successful project design and implementation and will hopefully apply for another grant in the future to address local needs.

On a more personal note, in terms of saying my goodbyes, it really didn't seem possible that after all this time, I was actually leaving my town, for good. I visited home twice throughout the 27 months and it kind of felt like I would just be coming back in a little bit. Similar to when I first arrived, there were a lot of questions I answered many times (When are you coming back? What are you going to do in the US? How about you just stay here?). However this time around, it was with friends and my familia tica (host family) and it was hard not having a firm answer as to when I will come back to see them again. What I do know, having moved around so much growing up, is that you keep in touch with who you want to keep in touch with and I have already been able to do that via phone/email/letters with my tico friends, which has been wonderful.

I feel really proud to have finished my Peace Corps service, having had the opportunity to do my small part to make the world a better place (though the very idea of how to go about doing this evolved tremendously during this time). This is a personal goal that I will continue to develop. In addition, it has been an incredible opportunity to gain valuable experience in a (relatively!) short period of time. I would 100% recommend Peace Corps to someone considering it and would welcome sharing my experience with anyone who is interested in joining.

As I close this chapter of my life, I would like to wrap up by saying how much I appreciated everyone's support while I was away. I know I never could have done it without the emails, calls, and visits, as well as the messages from everyone who read my blog. Now that I am back in the US, I look forward to sharing my story with everyone as I begin the next chapter of my life, finding a job and moving to NYC. And instead of connecting through my blog, this time it will be in person!

Lots of love and "pura vida,"

Tes

Sentor Visit

I actually wrote this post a few months ago but hadn`t finished it until a few days ago, so here it is!

This past Saturday morning, I found myself in one of the nicest hotels in San Jose having breakfast with the senator of Connecticut, Chris Dodd. Talk about a cool opportunity! Earlier this earlier week, I received an email that Senator Dodd, along with Senator Corker from Tennessee, would be in Costa Rica as part of a tour of Central America and were interested in meeting Peace Corps Volunteers in the country. And so, with my fellow Connecticut PCV friend from West Hartford, Victoria, as well as a few other volunteers and PC/CR US citizen staff members, we enjoyed a delightful brunch with the senators. We learned that Senator Dodd served in the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic in the 60’s, so we were swapping stories. It was fascinating to hear about his Peace Corps experience from “back in the day” when one was not permitted to visit home during the 2 years nor had the luxury of keeping in touch with fellow volunteers via cell phones. Times have certainly changed! But I would like to write about something that really struck me from our conversation. Something that I think can be considered a universal Peace Corps ‘truth.’

We were telling the senator that when considering one’s lasting impact achieved throughout service, while infrastructure projects serve as physical testaments to our service abroad, that has not been the “take away” from our experiences here. The take away comes from something completely intangible but, perhaps for that very reason, all the more powerful: the relationships formed with members of our communities. The senator told us he was delighted to hear us say this, as that has been the case in his experience; all these years later, he has kept in touch with several members from his village, including one who ended up living in the US. Out in the field, one sometimes feels like she can be doing more, instead of celebrating all that has been accomplished, specifically in terms of personal relationships. However I think this realization becomes more clear towards the end of service, which is a time of reflection and answering the questions, “what have I been doing all this time?” and, “was it worth it?”

It is hard sometimes, being in the thick of it, to step back and think about this in a big picture comprehensive manner, but in doing so, I have come to realize that the relationships I have made during this time will be one of my lasting ‘legacies’ as well as what will stay with me long after I leave Costa Rica. In answer to those questions: What have I been doing all this time? At the most basic level: living and working side by side with people who have a different culture, language, and religion, than myself and becoming a part of this community. Has it been worth it? As I constantly have said, this time is best described as a roller-coaster… but isn’t that life in general? There have been low times when I have wondered what I was doing here away from everyone I love for 2 years, but overall it has been an amazing learning experience in so many ways. In the end, more than any project I have been involved with during the past 2 years, I am confident that pretty much every member of my town will remember me fondly as ‘la gringa’ who, among other things, was always out running, loved working with kids, didn’t like ‘typical’ American fast food and always drank water instead of the sugary drinks they have here, and looked more tica than some of the ticas in town. Likewise, I will think back on my time here and remember the kindness and generosity that so many families showed me, this gringa who came out of nowhere to work on ‘community development’ in their little town and became another member of it. That is the beauty of Peace Corps: for the stranger to become a friend--- someone to laugh with, cook with, dance with, run with, chat with, work with, and all the other 1,001 things we do in our day-to-day life. So yes, it has been worth it.

I am really happy to be posting the long awaited pictures of the playground today! The company came March 17th to install it and the kids of my town-- as well as a few teens and adults, which may or may not include yours truly-- have been delighted, playing on it ever since. All during the installation the neighborhood kids were there watching and helping out where they could. One of my chica´s poderosas´s said, `Tesa, who would´ve thought that here we´d ever have a playground!` It was so sweet. Every time I pass the soccer field there is always a bunch of kids playing, and many times there are little kids with their parents, which was one of the goals of the project: encourage families to spend time togethere in an active way, as well as develop friendships between familias in town. I believe it has been quite successful on that account and am excited to plan an inauguration with the development association to take place in the coming weeks.

On another note, I have been blown away by the response of family and friends in support of the book drive for the elementary school. It means so much to me-- and I know it will mean a lot to the kids of my town who will benefit tremendously. I am looking forward to going to San Jose this coming week with the school principal and a parent of one of the students to pick out the books. The children and I plan to write thank you notes to each of you, but for now I want to say muchisimas gracias to everyone for your generous donations.

Time is flying by as I´m finishing up my time here. I will be flying home to the US on May 15th-- almost a month away. It is really bittersweet-- everyone here is constantly saying how they can´t believe I´m leaving and I think part of me doesn´t believe it either. I´ve been here for 2 years and have truly acclimatized to life in the country. On the other hand, I have my family and friends to get back to and I´m anxiously eager to begin ´anew´ after my two-year hiatus. I believe the key, which I try to do with every experience in my life, is take it day by day and appreciate the moments each day brings, because very soon it will all seem like a distant memory. Here´s to `carpe diem.`

Pura Vida,

Tes

Unbelievably, my time here in Costa Rica is winding down. I have a little over 3 months until I complete my 27 months as a Peace Corps Volunteer. At the beginning, 27 months seemed an impossibly long time and though it does seem like it has been a long time since I’ve lived stateside, time has simultaneously crept up on me. As with the end of any adventure, it is quite a bittersweet feeling, although it really doesn’t seem to be sinking in yet. However I don’t think I go through a single extended conversation with a person in my town where that person doesn’t bring it up, saying how much he or she is going to miss me and how much I am going to miss things here (the people, living in nature, and of course yummy Tico food). They then proceed to tell me that the simple solution to this is me getting a boyfriend so that I stay here instead of heading back to the US. My response to this is, “Nunca se sabe” (you never know), but in truth, besides the uncertainly of what I will be doing career-wise upon my return to the US, I think I will be ready to re-adjust to a life that involves living within driving distance of family and friends. But I still have a few more months and I know they are going to fly by with lots of activity, so I am quite consciously enjoying every minute. Here’s an idea of some of the things I’ll be involved in:

-As my Mom wrote in an email to many of you a few months back, a friend of mine on the development association and I wrote a grant to CRUSA, a non-profit organization that works to encourage collaborations between Costa Rica and the US in development projects and specifically accepts applications from Costa Rican towns that are working with Peace Corps Volunteers. Our grant addresses a necessity that has been defined by numerous community members: a playground. In December we received the news that the project was approved and just this past week, we transferred the money to the company that will come to build the playground, which should be in a few weeks. We’re hoping to plan a celebratory party soon after—pictures to come!

-Last year, one of my most fulfilling projects was the play a group of elementary school students wrote, practiced, and performed at the annual Arte por La Paz conference in San Jose. I was really hoping to have the event before leaving this year and luckily met a really cool Tico 19 (the group that came in February of last year) volunteer, Becca, who wanted to help organize the event, so we will be co-coordinating the event which consists of the volunteers who live closest to San Jose bringing kids from their school who will perform plays, dance routines, poetry, and exhibit their art projects that all relate to peace. We will be having it at an amazing space at the University of Costa Rica, which will be wonderful to simultaneously expose the kids to the university setting and show them that if they keep studying, they too can go to college one day! I think it’s going to be a really fantastic day, and the planning of it is a good culminatory project as I’m realizing how many connections with different people and organizations I have made during this time.

-In addressing another community-defined need, I’m coordinating a book drive fundraiser to start a little library in the elementary school. I sent out an email detailing this project and am really excited at the prospect of working with my friend in the community and the school teachers to set up various programs to utilize the books (reading buddies, having the parents come and read, etc.). If you did not receive the email and are interested in supporting this project, please email me or leave a message on the blog and I will gladly send you the email with the information =)

-I am also looking forward to continuing the Voces Valerosas workshops that I conducted with the English teacher in the high school last December, as well as Chicas Poderosas in the elementary school. Also, I will be co-teaching a conversational English class with my friend from Canada, Sandy, who has a house on the next mountain over and recently returned to Costa Rica after spending the year in Canada.

Certianly, lots to do! I am absolutely happiest here when I am busy and know that the next few months will fly by with these various projects… and before I know it, I’ll be back in Connecticut looking for a job that will complement all that I have done here--- ojalá!

Ok, hope all is well with everyone!
Pura Vida,
Tes

Nicaragua Pictures

A few pictures from what was one of the best trips I have ever taken:

almost all of the buildings in the colonial cities (hotels, restaurants, etc) had these little indoor gardens that I absolutely adoredthis is the side of the volcano that we sand-boarded down

Kelsey and I gearing up to board down the mountain, a slightly terrifying prospect once we reached the top and saw what awaited

a view from the top

delicious street food

in front of an old church in Leòn, one of the beautiful colonial towns of Nicaragua

relaxing on the dock in one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to, the Laguna del Apoyo sunrise at the laguna

Hanukkah

A little Hanukkah party with some friends, complete with dreidel, lighting of the menorah, and homemade latkes!

Chicas

In December, the chicas poderosas and I took a trip to the closest city where we met with a motivational speaker and visited the public library. making Christmas cards in the library

a cute little play the librarian had the chicas perform

the chicas and the speaker (the same woman who has done several wonderful personal development workshops with the women`s group in the town next door)

the first communion, featuring a few of the chicas-- aren`t their dresses adorable?!

As another year comes to a close, I am reminded of lyrics from my favorite Broadway play, Rent: “How do you measure a year?” In the case of the past year of my life, it is quite a question. I remember writing a blog post at the beginning of the year, slightly scared of the prospect of being in Costa Rica for the entire duration of 2009 and here it is, December already. Time really does fly by. So how can I measure 2009, spent living in a small agricultural town in Costa Rica working to promote community development? Here are a few…

In all of the things I have learned:
* milk a cow
* make tortillas and other yummy Tico food, as well as embracing cooking in general and learning to make all kinds things from apple sauce to pie crusts (things easily found in a US supermarket, but not here)
* various arts and crafts including cloth painting (decorating pillowcases, dish towels, etc.) embroidery, and making cards out of dried flowers
* create and maintain a garden
* identify banana trees, coffee bushes, pineapple plants, and countless other things that before I had only seen in supermarkets. I now know the rigorous process that enables so many things (corn, beans, rice, fruits, and vegetables) to arrive on my plate. And may I say that the pleasure taken in eating those things is considerably increased with that knowledge, as well as of the hard work that goes into getting it there.
* the joy of company: staying the afternoon at someone’s house enjoying the sheer state of being with others, drinking cafecito, telling stories, and being in no rush to do anything else
* conversely, yet equally important, the joy of solitude: going back to the states seeing everyone ever-connected with their iphones is jarring in comparison to the rural lifestyle and I have relished the opportunity to live alone with few distractions and the company of good books

In countless meetings, classes, and workshops on a wide variety of topics including:
* community assessment and prioritization of necessities
* project design and development, particularly letter and grant writing skills
* English with children and adults
* environmental education
* women’s personal development
* girls’ self-esteem/group dynamics
* arts & crafts and sports
* business computer skills
* theater productions

In the amount of English my students have learned:
When my last visitor, Jess, came to my town, I was pleasantly surprised with how much they were able to interact with her and understand what she was saying. We’ve come a long way and have all learned a lot (I certainly know more about English grammar than I ever did before teaching!).

In how I have grown as an individual:
* Learning the value of patience and utilizing it when it comes to things that may take a little longer than I would hope
* Acceptance in understanding that even the highest amount of patience may not bring certain things to fruition. And the fact that that’s o.k .
* Understanding the importance, as well as difficulty, of being a self-starter. I came to my town with the very loose and open job of “rural community developer” and have created a role for myself based on the needs of the community. I imagine that the lessons and skills I have learned in going through this quite challenging process will serve me well in the future.
* Having a considerably increased global understanding of the world, allowing me to see things (books, the news) from a different perspective.

In the love and support of friends and family from home:
From moving around so much growing up, I have always known that upon moving, you always make the effort to stay in touch with those who you want to stay in touch with. Living in a place with limited internet and expensive phone access has made keeping in touch a bit more difficult than say, when I went off to college. However it would be impossible to fully express my appreciation of family and friends alike who have continually made the effort to keep in touch during this time. Whether it be by writing an email, ending a card, or coming down here to visit, it means more to me than you know.

In the case of Rent, the answer to the question “how do you measure a year?” is a simple one: in love. So I thank you for sharing your support, enthusiasm, and love with me during these two years.

Happy Holidays and may 2010 bring health, happiness and a hearty dose of adventure to you all.

Love,
Tes

PS Very special wishes to my Mom on her birthday today. I look forward to celebrating with her, along with my aunts, uncles, cousins, and brother, who are coming down to CR this Wednesday!

As usual, time is flying by and I don’t know where to begin. I think I’ll spice things up and divide it into sections:

Costa Rica’s Up and Coming Neighbor

When I last wrote, I was about to venture off to the neighboring Nicaragua with some fellow Peace Corps volunteers. After one week in Nicaragua, I officially consider myself this under-visited country’s biggest fan. Everyone always talks about Costa Rica as the hot tropical destination spot, but I would highly recommend adding Nicaragua to the itinerary, which has a “road less traveled” authentic feel (though I imagine that, as with Costa Rica, this will change rapidly). Highlights included sand-boarding down the side of an active volcano, kayaking in a crystal clear lagoon formed by a (currently non-active) volcano, and exploring the charming colonial city of Leon. In addition, the people were incredibly warm and friendly, the food was delicious, and the countryside was stunning with volcano after volcano (part of the “Ring of Fire”) whose views could be appreciated on the drives from city to city, as well as atop the volcano where we went sand-boarding and the cathedral in Leon.

Thanksgiving by Candlelight

What a difference a year makes. This time last year I had recently come back from my first visit to the US since joining PC and was struggling with settling back in and finding my place in my community. Now that my town truly feels like home, who better to celebrate Thanksgiving than with my host family? I invited them to come over for a little Thanksgiving dinner. Little did I know what an adventure it would turn out to be. This year the Costa Rican rainy season has reversed March’s slogan of “in like a lion, out like a lamb;” while it has been unseasonably dry this year, there have been quite a few torrential downpours in the past month and that afternoon was a prime example. Around 3PM the electricity popped off and I naively thought it would pop right back on. As it gets dark here around 5.30, I ended up making my uniquely American dinner (olive oil with rosemary and bread as an appetizer, followed by salad, mashed potatoes, green beans, and (homemade!) fish sticks, with s’mores for dessert) all by candlelight, which was truly no easy feat. Though I was a bit frantic, it went very well and I think my host family enjoyed the meal as well as celebrating a tradition that they know is very special to me. While it is comforting knowing that this time next year I will be spending Thanksgiving with my family, as I had done every year for the first 23 years of my life, I know this was a Thanksgiving I will not soon forget and I am tremendously thankful for my host family who has truly been my surrogate family in my town.

Chicas Poderosas, Teen Version

PC volunteers are constantly creating manuals for various projects. In this respect, we truly are our greatest resources. These manuals are great guides for activities (examples include Chicas Poderosas and Arte por la Paz). Recently a group of volunteers came out with a new manual called “Voces Volerosas” (Valuable Voices), with the goal of developing adolescent girls’ abilities to analyze and reflect upon their experiences, express themselves through writing and art, while at the same time expanding consciousness on a variety of subjects as they relate to girls and women (ex: leadership, body image, human rights). I was hesitant to start this in my high school as working there has many challenges, but I talked to the English teacher about co-facilitating the workshops with me and with her on board, I decided to give it a try. We had our first workshop this past Wednesday and it was a real success! We had the girls lie on the floor and listen to music while envisioning themselves in 5 years; where they will be, what they will be doing, how will they get there. Then they traced each other’s bodies onto newsprint and filled them in with pictures and words outlining their future selves.. Very PC-y and very out of the box, as far as education here goes and I was delighted to see that the girls took it seriously and seemed to really enjoy it. It is powerful knowing that they don’t ordinarily have a forum to contemplate or express their future and the first step towards a bright future is identifying a goal and then taking the steps to achieve it and I believe that today was a positive step forward in defining those goals and critically thinking of how to reach them. Hopefully the next workshops will be as successful!

Ok, that’s all for now! I hope everyone had a very wonderful Thanksgiving with plenty of turkey and pumpkin pie =)

As I’ve said before, the Peace Corps experience is best explained when metaphorically compared to a roller-coaster ride. The strange thing is that, perhaps a result of being a very much “live in the moment/ take each day as it comes” lifestyle, many times those high and low periods are distinguished in hindsight, upon reflection. And so it is that, delightfully, I recently made the realization that I believe I am currently at one of the highest points of my service. Everything just feels right. Perhaps for the first time, I feel like I am really embodying Jane Goodall’s quote, “a certain peace comes from doing what you feel you should be doing.” I know I have been working on a variety of projects over the past 1.5+ year in my town, but it has taken up to this point to make me feel comfortable with, and proud of, what I have done.

Upon beginning Peace Corps, there is the stereotypical “I’m going to save the world” mentality that is slowly dampened when reality sets in of the difficulties one faces in trying to “save the world.¨ I don’t mean this in a negative way, it is much more of a reflection of the learning curve that comes with the territory of development work. I strongly believe that having a first-hand understanding of the reality of the developing world is extremely valuable and will serve me well if I choose to continue with development work in the future. What I mean to say is that there comes a time when one chooses (though I don’t think it’s as conscious as choosing, as much as it is inevitable) to embrace what one is able to do, while also accepting the limitations, a concept that surely extends far beyond the PC realm.

The main idea here is that, just as I had heard from countless PCV’s, it is not until your second year in PC that you feel confident in what you are doing. And let me tell you, it feels nice! It seems like everything has come together, both work-wise and personally. Living on my own has been wonderful in terms of creating my own schedule, and having people over both for pleasure and for work purposes (the chicas poderosas came over the other day when they didn’t have school and I’ve been working away with a friend on a grant application for a play ground). I feel very lucky to have maintained my close relationship with my host family. They welcome me once or twice a week for lunch or cafecito (and I had them over the other day for crepes!). I have also been spending more time in the town next door which has been quite open to collaborate on various projects, currently including teaching English in the elementary school and teaching business-focused computer skills to a small business in the town.

My latest news is that I’m off to Nicaragua with a group of PCV’s next week. I am really excited to explore one of Costa Rica’s neighboring countries. We`re going to two colonial cities, Granada and Leon, as well as an island in the middle of the Lake of Nicaragua called Ometepe which sounds really cool--- I will report back after!

Ciao,Tes

More pictures!

I am on a picture-posting roll! Here are some from the past few months:

CR Independence Day assembly

A few chicas poderosas in traditional Costa Rican campesino clothingChicas making healthy cookies (recipe from my neighbor, Terry Walters`, cook book!)

The final product-- yum!

My Mom doing the ¨human knot¨ activity when she came to visit

Creativity Day Plays (in English!)

Isn´t her mask adorable?!

The kids love doing bunny ears

Little Red Riding Hood cast

¨What a big mouth you have¨
¨To eat you!!!¨

Little red, the grandmother, and the wood cutter enjoying the food that little red brought in her basket

The 3 bears, goldilocks, and ¨friend¨

Goldilocks and ¨friend¨ (because goldilocks would have had way to many lines to memorize if it was just her and the 3 bears)

Mi Casa!

Pictures of my home for the next 8 months:



view from the front door. this is the 'sala' aka main living room area, which is also the perfect spot for my English class

the kitchen. that red sink and bucket is my laundry area

kitchen table with cool log chairs, as well as space to hang clothes to dry during the rainy season

where the magic that is my cooking takes place. this is the first time I made tortillas all by myself... the final product-- yum!my bed with lots of pictures of family and friends surrounding it

all of the clothing I have in CR is in this picturemy adorable 13 year old neighbor
playing uno in the sala--- a typical Sunday afternoon with my neighbors

Noticias!

A time in my PC service that I was not certain was going to come has officially arrived. PC requires a certain amount of time spent with a host family when one first gets to site for integration reasons. When I first got here, PC/CR had a somewhat extensive 1-year minimum, which has recently been shortened to 6 months. Especially in rural CR, it does not take long to assimilate and adapt--- and perhaps more importantly, for town members to adapt to you--- so this modification makes sense. However in my town of 300 people, empty houses are not common. When I arrived last year, there was a little cluster about 500 meters down the hill that continues down to my host family’s house with 3 empty houses, but they had since been occupied up until a few weeks ago, when I found out that 2 were vacant. I contacted my PC boss who came to approve it and moved in a few weeks ago. The house is fantastic--- 2 bedrooms, nice living room/dining room area, and a large kitchen—the kitchen is typical campo style where it’s not entirely enclosed, but rather enclosed with a fence material, making it more airy and spacious.

As I have mentioned in my blog, I have been incredibly lucky to have a host family who took me in and made me truly feel like another member of their family. I am beyond indebted to them for their kindness, opening their home to me and treating me like a daughter/sister. While I believe this is the right move for me at this point in my PC service, it is comforting to know that they live right down the road. They have already had me over multiple time sand I look forward to having them to my house (though my cooking cannot compare to my host mom’s!).

I believe that overall this change will be very positive, however all new experiences present their challenges and so here I have outlined the advantages and disadvantages of living solita in the campo of Costa Rica:

PROS
-having the opportunity to try my hand at cooking my own food
-getting to know my new people in the town; my new neighbors include a bunch of really sweet kids who constantly keep me busy, asking to do origami and practice yoga, among other activities
-making my own schedule
-embracing my inner Miss Fix-It
-being able to invite people over and play hostess, as opposed to always being the guest during the past year

CONS
- washing laundry by hand (and then worrying about clothes getting wet while they are hanging out to dry)
-no fridge (yet!), so no cheese, milk, or refrigerating leftovers (of which there are lots when only cooking for one person)
-dealing with scary tropical bugs (and what I believe was a bat in my bedroom my 2nd night here) by myself— my broom comes in quite handy for this so I can keep a considerable distance from them

This is the first time that I have ever lived alone, so it is quite an experience growing accustomed to all that living alone entails while being in a foreign country. I believe this will change my dynamic in town for the remaining months. Living with a host family kept me busy as there is always something to be done on the farm. Living on my own, I have the flexibility to make my own schedule and involve myself in more activities in the elementary and high schools. Another pro is the fact that my “commute” to the elementary school is now only 5 minutes, cutting out 15 minutes of steep hills. In that vein, I went this morning to the town next door, where I have done some work with the women’s group and approached the teacher about teaching English once a week. The school consists of 5 kids in all different grades and just one teacher, who does not speak English. Two of the kids are the ones who had approached me about teaching English over the winter vacation and I know they are really dedicated and excited. I also talked to the women’s group president about helping with some business computer classes (we’ll see how that goes—I need to brush up on my Excel!). At the elementary school in my town, my director skills, honed with arte por la paz a few months back, are again being put to the test--- and this time in English! In September there is a creativity day in the school and the principal asked me to do a play in English. In collaboration with the English teacher, we are going to put on “Goldilocks and the 3 Bears.” It should be quite the challenge, but I think it will be great!

So as my Mom says, “it’s all good!” And even better knowing I’ll be back in the US for a trip to visit family and friends September 10-21—can’t wait to see everyone!

Pura Vida,Tes

Some Stories and Quotes

In my journal, I often find myself documenting vignettes--- seemingly small but personally significant experiences. I decided to share a couple of them here, with the hope that they may illuminate a bit more what life is like here:

In the pulperia by the soccer field, the main town hang out, one of the ways to pass the time (besides the usual chatting among neighbors) is by playing one of the coin slot machines where you put in 15 cents or so and then play some mindless game. I in no way endorse this activity, which I believe is tantamount to throwing one’s money away. As I explain to anyone that will listen: I would rather spend my money on something concrete, like food, than gamble it away on the off chance of winning. Regardless, one day one of the kids whose family owns the pulperia (I’ve talked about this family before—they have 8 kids who are all really great-- one of my favorite families in town) was playing and won the equivalent of a couple dollars. Needless to say, he was ecstatic (that much money can go a long way in a pulperia with tons of 5¢ and 10¢ candies). Immediately after the change spouted out of the machine, he proceeded to ask everyone in the store, which was a few of his brothers and sisters as well as myself, what we wanted from the pulperia, because he was going to treat us. I was overwhelmed by the fact that his immediate reaction was not to get something big for himself, but instead literally “share the wealth.” At first I felt uncomfortable asking for something, but I quickly realized it was a matter of pride on his part; he was really happy to be able to do this. I can honestly say I will never forget the innate generosity that was revealed on that day.

I can’t remember if I’ve mentioned the fact that Ticos are really into their gardens. Con razón, as the tropical flowers that bloom all over the place are absolutely beautiful, but it always cracks me up that if there is ever a lull in conversation when I am visiting someone, bringing up flowers is a fool-proof conversation starter. However one day I had the realization that this whole flower business has much more significance than meets the eye. I was visiting the daughter of my old friend, Flora, when the subject of flowers came up. This is a woman who grew up with 15 siblings, who has worked hard her entire life raising 3 kids, picking coffee year after year to try to get a bit ahead. She explained to me that tending to her garden is something that, despite the trials and tribulations of life, makes her truly happy. She can see a concrete cause and effect in the care and patience that goes into tending the flowers and the beauty that results from this hard work. It is a point of pride and the epitome of a “labor of love” caring for flowers. Many women in my town have to put up with a lot of “stuff” (i.e. lack of respect and appreciation on the part of husbands and children for tireless efforts cooking, cleaning, and general up- keep of the household, issues such as alcoholism and abuse, all of which comes under the umbrella of the machista culture that dominates Latin America. I want to be clear that while these issues are not seen in every family, they are some examples of the issues facing women in rural Costa Rica and, I venture to say, world-wide). None the less, I had never thought about it before that for them, caring for their flowers is a joyful time-out from life that provides an aesthetically pleasing outcome, (which, in turn, provides fodder for conversation when people come to visit!).

I have also kept meaningful quotes from books, magazines, and newspaper articles that I have read during the past year and a 1/2. Here are some I’d like to share with you all:

“It might have been tempting to remember Guineau as an experience, the last hoorah of my youth, but it never has been and never will be. It’s a place, like any other, with people who cannot be captured in a single photo. Time can’t be stopped. We are, all of us, constantly moving forward, along roads full of potholes and curves and red dust so thick we can’t always see exactly where we’re headed.”
-Annie Mascorro, PCV Guineau ‘00-‘02

“Writing and reading decrease our sense of isolation. They deepen and widen and expand our sense of life-- they feed the soul. When writers make us shake our heads with the exactness of their prose and their truths and even make us laugh about ourselves or life, our buoyance is restored. We are given a shot at dancing with, or at least clapping along with, the absurdity of life, instead of being squashed by it over and over again. It’s like singing on a boat during a terrible storm at sea. You can’t stop the raging storm, but singing can change the hearts and spirits of the people who are together on that ship.”
-Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird

“Maybe this is what we get in life, a few great loves: loves that return us to ourselves when we need it most. And maybe some of those loves aren’t people, but places—real and adopted homes—that fill us up with light and energy and hope at moments when we feel especially tired or lost. That is the beauty of love in all its forms. We don’t know when or how it is going to save us.”
-Laura Dave, Modern Love 1.20.08

“When it comes to life, we spin our own yarn, and where we end up is really, in fact, where we always intended to be.”
-Julia Glass, Three June

“You can’t solve all the problems of the world, but each day you can do something. A certain peace comes from doing what you feel you should be doing.”
-Jane Goodall

I believe I am long overdue for a blog update, so here I am, updating! So, what’s new? Vamos a ver…

I am happy to report that, due to letters and meetings that were written and attended by development association members and myself, the Municipality sent machinery to my town to fix the roads for the first in longer than anyone can remember. As I have mentioned before, improving the quality of the roads here is the number one priority identified by town members. This past weekend, they used various equipment to level out the road and then brought in multiple truckloads of rocks and earth in order to leave the roads, as they would said here, “bien chineados” (very pretty). Needless to say, it is a huge improvement from before and I am hoping it will make a big difference in terms of being more easily transitable as the worst part of the rainy season rapidly approaches. This collaboration between the development association and the Municipality is a bigger deal than it might sound. For any project with the Municipality to come to fruition, a tireless set of requisites must be completed. It has certainly been a learning process, but what we have learned will be useful in years to come. Before this year, the development association was not aware of the procedure for being part of the municipality’s budget to fix the road. Now we are well aware and have already written a letter to the appropriate people to be included for next year, too. In other road-improving news, we have also submitted a proposal to make some cement drainage ditches (wow, I do not know what to call these things in English) in some of the steepest parts of the road so the water doesn’t run through the road. I will keep you posted, but as for now, every time I go running, any person I past will comment something to the effect of, “Isn’t it so nice to go running on this nice road, now?” And I happily answer, “Yes, it is!”

In the school, the basketball and volleyball nets were just put in this week, thanks to the grant from Kids to Kids. Now, when the kids get back from vacation (they have a 2 week winter break, kind of like our Christmas break, as the seasons are reversed here), they will learn how to play as part of the gym class they receive. Actually, that return to school, which should have been today, will not be for a little while. In Costa Rica, there is apparently a swine flu outbreak and so last week, the Ministry of Education declared that, in accordance to a decree by the Ministry of Health, elementary and high school will have an additional week (and possibly more) of vacation because 30% of kids are asthmatic and asthmatic people have a higher risk of catching the swine flu. What I fail to understand is why this is suddenly becoming a problem and why these same people have not been at risk from the beginning of this whole swine flu epidemic, but it’s hard to tell…

Ok, enough of my rant on Costa Rican institutions. So during this vacation, I have been reverting to my role of camp counselor, organizing arts and crafts activities, as well as games and yoga in the soccer field. When I’m brainstorming activities to do with the kids, I go back to my elementary school days and reminisce about what I liked to do. Therefore I have been making lanyard keychains, doing origami, and playing freeze tag and red light green light (remember?!). Any favorite childhood games that come to mind, feel free to pass them along, because I am always looking for something new to do!

In the last month, I received some very special visitors: my Mom, followed by Genie and Rus. My Mom’s visit was a perfect combination of relaxing at the beach and a beautiful hot springs that we had actually been to a few years ago on our visit to Costa Rica, as well as a few days in my town. It was an eye-opening realization how much things have changed since her last visit, which was in August of 2008. Last year, everything was new and exciting and now, at least for me, everything is more status quo. This is just my life and it’s not quite so new and exciting anymore. I think that has a lot to do with where I am at this point in my PC service--- over a year in site. Regardless, my students were really happy to practice English with her during the English class and my Mom also got to meet my chicas. And it was wonderful to spend time just with my Mom catching up on, well everything! Then the next week I went to the beach for a day with Genie and Rus and then we ventured out to my town in a rental car on a very little-transited road that is in less than ideal driving condition, especially now due to the rainy season. But they made it and enjoyed a typical cafecito at my house and also attended an English class. I know I’ve said this before, but it bares repeating: it means so much to me when people come visit my town because it really is impossible to get an idea of what it is like without seeing it firsthand. On the note of visiting, I have some exciting news: I officially have tickets to come to the US on September 10th. I will be spending a weekend in Baltimore and then the week in CT. Even if I can’t see everyone, it will be nice to at least have easier communication access for a little while! I am counting down the days to see everyone, especially to celebrate Rosh Hashanah with my family--- I can’t wait!

And on that note, I’m off to bed!
Pura Vida,
Tes

Pictures!

Ok, let`s see here. Here are some pictures from the past few months...

my lovely home-made birthday cake from the surprise English class party
my whole English class at the party
party-goers eating cake. please notice the Mambo #5 video in the background.

the girls and I
the guys and I

the arte por la paz kids in all their t-shirt, nametag, and peace tattoo glory

peace!

my kids up on stage--- the boy with the P and cape is "peace man"

this is my new little puppy Coco who is definitely tico-- he loves mango!
Coco otra vez, isn't he adorable?!