just another step

Miami

2010-04-28T04:04:00.000-07:00

I am currently sitting in an air conditioned hotel room on a busy strip in Miami. Where am I? It's hard to believe that yesterday morning I woke up in San Jose, Costa Rica, and the morning before in Havana, Cuba. The morning before on a beautiful beach in Veradero, Cuba.

But one thing I can say:

I love my life.

I have had a wonderful semester. It really all came together at the end with the Cuba trip. I absolutely, positively loved Cuba. Most fantastic place I have ever been. The people, culture, foods, and political system there were different from any other place I have been. The impact of the USA there is also devastating... something that still continues today. More on this later.

But as for the next day and a half, I will be in Miami debriefing the trip with the whole group. Last night after we flew in, my friends and I went to a Cuban cafe across the street from the hotel and were thrilled to still be speaking Spanish in the USA. Our waitress was from Nicaragua and spoke perfect English, but let us talk to her in Spanish for our sakes. :-) It is great to be back in the US, but still in Spanish speaking land. Apparently, they call Miami the capital of Latin America. So I am not too far from a place I have grown to love.

Anyway. I am so excited to come home tomorrow. I have never been this excited to come home in my life. I can't wait to run into the arms of friends and family and really feel like I am home.

Beloved family and friends, thanks for being part of this journey with me. At times I didn't think I would come out of it alive, so thank you for bearing with me! :-)

TOMORROW!!!

2010-04-15T12:50:00.000-07:00

TOMORROW TOMORROW TOMORROW I AM GOING TO CUBA! At 6:15 am I will say goodbye to my San Jose family and fly to Cuba. I honestly think that one of the things that makes me most excited about this trip is the fact that it is nearly impossible for Americans to go. I feel like I am sneaking into this forbidden communist territory, defying the US embargo. (I am actually not doing this... I do have a visa to go. But not without months of work from our professors with the US government.)

Anyway. A few things that are really interesting from our orientation today.

1. We are staying with host families the whole times, but in groups. We will only be at our homes during the evenings. But this is the first time EVER that there are host families, so it is a huge honor!

2. We can not eat with our families- we have all of our meals outside of the home, because it is not economically possible. Each family is given the amount of food that they themselves need, so they do not have enough for a guest.

3. We can not use any of the family's soap or toilet paper. Toilet paper is a luxary. (One time there was a shortage of toilet paper on the island, and people were using newspapers and other things as substitutes.)

4. Hence, we are bringing all of that with us. And a huge bag of gifts/necessities for the family, which includes toilet paper, toothpaste, soap, and other very basic things that are difficult to obtain on the island.

5. There are two currencies in Cuba. One of citizens and one for foreigners.

6. Even though Cuba is 90 miles from Miami, we can not fly back to the US. Instead, we must fly 2 or so hours back to Costa Rica, stay in a hostel for one night, and the next day fly 2 and a half hours to Miami. There are no flights to and from Cuba from the US.

7. One day we have a discussion with Fidel Castro about communism. JUST KIDDING. But we will get to talk to some really interesting people who have been involved in the revolution as well as Cuba's affairs in Angola.

Well that's all I know! When I come back from the other side, I will let you all know how it went!

Just some quick photos

2010-04-15T05:49:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to quickly show you all where I have been living the past month. Really beautiful town in the mountains of Cartago. I honestly felt like I was living in Switzerland or something.

I am alive!

2010-04-13T20:28:00.001-07:00

Hello friends!

I am back in San Jose after a wonderful month in San Cristobal! I will be sure to post pictures and stories very soon. Currently I am recovering from a horrible sinus infection and also working on a little five page paper due tomorrow! Love homework.

Today was a very affirming day...I felt very competent and independent going throughout the day. I took two buses and a taxi back from the farm and was able to ask people on the street for directions and information about the buses. Then, I took a taxi alone to the doctor and was able to explain my symptoms and buy all the medications I needed at a pharmacy. It was really nice to be able to confidently maneuver my way through the country.

I feel like I "home" in San Jose. It was so great to see my mom and be back in my room again. I have missed this place and really feel like I am one step closer to being home. My mom made pancakes for me for dinner (actually that was the appetizer... I ate my usual massive portion of rice and lentils and salad afterwards!)

I hope that you all are well! I miss you all very much and can't wait to be home in a few weeks. But there is still another adventure to be had: in a few days I will head off to Cuba! After several months of working with the US government to acquire permission to go, we are all cleared and will be in Havana in just a few nights. I think Cuba really will be one of the most unusual places I have ever traveled to. :-) So excited.

Love you all! More later!

Off to the farm

2010-03-15T16:33:00.000-07:00

So tomorrow morning, at 5 am, I will leave my comfy home in San Jose and head off to San Cristobal, Costa Rica, where I will live and farm with a family for ONE MONTH! Part of me feels completely ready to go- I am excited to invest myself in the work there, get to know a new area and new family, and learn more Spanish and more about life in Costa Rica.

At the same time, I feel completely unprepared. First of all, the last few weeks have really worn me down... a combination of family parties, outings with friends, lots of papers and assignments, and just preparation for this trip has really exhausted me. I have a cough and a slight cold, and am wondering how the heck I am going to wake up, EARLY, every day and head off to farm. I really pray that God just gives me the strength to fully invest myself there and enjoy all the work ahead.

Tomorrow morning this is the plan: take a taxi at 5 am with one other girl to San Jose. At 5:45 am, I will board a bus that goes to Cartago. We should arrive within an hour, and then at 7:00 am, I will board a second bus to San Cristobal Norte. From there, I will meet my new mom and head off to my new home. Even though that other student lives in the same town as me, I do not think we will be spending much time together. It's possible none at all.

Another thing: I will have no internet at my house there. So I will be minimally in contact during the next month.

But you will all be in my thoughts and prayers... everyday, as i wake up early to go pick tomatoes and onions and who knows what! Love you guys!

Lately

2010-03-12T19:16:00.001-08:00

So this was my last week in San Jose! It is really sad.... Today we finished our language class and had our graduation. That class has been every day, for 3 hours, for the past 6 weeks. It was really beautiful to take classes in a garden and get to know the different Spanish professors. I actually had a ton of fun in class with the three other girls in my class and a new professor each week. Probably two of favorite parts of Spanish class were the walks there and the 30 minute break during class. (The academic part of it was fun too... of course.) Everyday, a group of between 5-10 of us would walk to the class together. It was 45 minutes each way... and some days, VERY HOT. But in between stopping for ice cream/gatorade/cinnamon rolls, discussing our faiths, dreams, awkward cultural exchanges, and hundreds of other topics, and some days getting some very interesting comments or cat calls from Costa Rican men, I became very close to the other students. Also, everyday during class, we had a 30 minute break, where everyone would drink delicious Costa Rican coffee, buy sweet bread or cake, and sit out in the garden and chat. It was so relaxing and beautiful, and a good chance to see everyone at once. I'll really miss that.

Here are some pics from the last day. Brady lady, Anthony/Wally/Antwone/Antonio and I took a photo shoot just for you. It was pretty hilarious. Hope you enjoy the pics. :-)

This is my last weekend with my family in San Jose. On Tuesday morning, I will leave to go and live on a farm for one month. I have no idea what my life will be like there. It is also possible that I will not have my computer and not be able to update frequently about my life. I return on April 13th, and am home here for three days, before (hopefully... fingers crossed...) I HEAD OFF TO CUBA! More details on that when it gets closer, but it sounds like it is going to be fascinating. There is another group of students going this Monday from our program, and their orientation for the trip was so interesting. I think Cuba will be one of the most unusual places I will ever go.

Anyway. So the rest of this weekend is R & R (I have actually come down with a cold due to all the business of the past week...) and a few family parties again!

Keep me in your prayers. I am very nervous about this whole month in the farm thing. I will not see the other students the whole time and just feel a little insecure about this whole thing. I KNOW it will be great... for many people it is the most powerful part of the program. So I'm sure it will be fabulous and incredible and everything. Just keep me in your prayers!

Love you guys!

A Note about Language

2010-03-07T10:30:00.000-08:00

It is so fascinating to think about how a different language offers a whole new perspective. A different language is not just a word by word translation- it is an entirely new way of thinking as well. I think about this when my brother and his wife communicate- there are probably some things that make more sense to say in English, and others to say in Spanish. And depending on which language you use, it communicates something entirely differently.

The other day in class we were telling my teacher that we all had procrastination issues. She didn't understand procrastination, so we looked it up in our dictionary, only to find that there is no noun for procrastination in Spanish! The verb procrastinate is translated as "dejar para mas tarde-" to leave for much later. That doesn't really communicate the connotation we associate with procrastination. In English, and in American culture, we are very familiar with the concept and flaw of procrastination. We need to be efficient and productive and get things done, and thus view procrastination as a weakness or flaw. However, in Spanish, there really is no word for it. Maybe I am overanalyzing that, but I'm curious as to whether it has some cultural explantation. In Latin culture, time is viewed much differently than in American culture. It is not strange or rude to arrive late to something (with some exceptions) since people here are more relaxed about time.

I have also been thinking about ways we describe ourselves, our feelings, and our current states of mind. In English, we pretty much just say "I am..." I am Hannah. I am from New Jersey. I am a student. I am her sister. I am tall. I am hungry. I am tired. I am nervous. I am jealous. Etc. However, in Spanish, there are three categories in which those statements fall under. There is one, the verb "ser," which describes permanent things. Your name, your nationality, your physical characteristics, your occupation, and your relationships to others is in this category. Then there is another verb, "estar," which describes temporary emotional and physical states. I am sick, I am tired, I am frustrated, and others like that would fall under this category. The third one is my favorite. The verb "tener," meaning to have or hold, is used in certain expressions. For instance, rather than saying "I am jealous," you would say "I have jealousy." Rather than "I am afraid," it is "I have fear." Rather than "I am 20 years old," I would say "I have 20 years." It is interesting to think about jealousy, fear, and age not as something you are, but as something which you hold, temporarily. It is not a permanent characteristic, but rather something that you are holding within you.

I just think that is so fascinating! Sorry to bore you with a language lesson, but if you dissect the way we say things in English, it reveals a lot about ourselves and our culture. And the way we say things is unique to our language and the way in which we view the world.

Hope you all are enjoying this Sunday morning. :-) Miss you.

Gringos, Chinos, y Ticos

2010-03-06T10:50:00.000-08:00

Last night, my brother and his wife came in from the United States. My two older sisters, their spouses, my nephew, and my other sister's boyfriend came over. All together there were 12 of us and it was a night with lots of laughter and reunioning after a three month absence. When we sat down to eat hamburgers (my brother's favorite...) my father made a comment about the gringos, chinos, and ticos (local word for Costa Ricans) sitting down together as a family. I just loved that. It really is so neat that we can be from different backgrounds (my dad was born in China and immigrated here as a child, my brother's wife I are from the States, and the rest of my family is born and raised here...) but we can sit down and enjoy each other company and share a meal. Plus just the fact that all of our paths are here right now in Costa Rica is really beautiful.

I love watching my brother and his wife interact. She is from San Diego originally (mom and Bot... yet another reminder of this place that is so amazing and wonderful and that I must visit!!!) and studied here five years ago with my program. She lived with another family but met my brother and they kept in touch when she went home. After many years of visiting back and forth, my brother studying in the US, and lots of writing, emailing, and skyping, THEY ARE MARRIED! By now they are both bi-lingual (in the beginning they were not...) and they speak both languages to each other. It's really cool. I always wonder how they pick which one to use. Obviously around my family and around me they speak mostly in Spanish, and I only talk to them in Spanish as well. (It is so tempting to speak English to Laura, but I only speak in Spanish.) But they have a fun dynamic and Laura really fits in well with them family. She chases Diego around and teases my other siblings in a fun and comfortable way.

Anyway, this week is FIESTA FIESTA! Today we are having a family BBQ with my immediate family and tomorrow the entire family- chinos and ticos- are coming over. It's going to be CRAZY! But I'm excited about it.

Much love to everyone. Thanks for your prayers and thoughts during this time. It's been a weird week of emotions and events but I am loving it and learning so much.

LOVE YOU!

TEMBLOR

2010-03-05T21:38:00.000-08:00

Tonight I felt the stronger temblor yet in Costa Rica. Since I have been here, I have felt three tremors (not an earthquake, but a definite shaking of the earth...) including tonight's. The other ones were fairly weak and actually kind of fun. Each time my family got a kick out of it and laughed and joked about it. This time however, it was much stronger and actually pretty scary. The world has seen some of the craziest weather patterns and natural disasters this year- I think that that made my family even more alert when the temblor started.

Basically we were all just sitting in the family room talking after a very exciting night. (My brother and his wife from the USA are here- I love them! The whole family came over my house tonight and we celebrated their arrival and my sister's birthday.) Anyway, all of the sudden there is a very stronger tremor. It was much stronger than before and there was even a clattering noise outside in the street. My mom ran underneath the door frame and started praying out loud to God. All I heard was "Dios, Dios..." Then my dad, who is very quiet and reserved, put his hands in the air and started saying a prayer and call out to God as well. My brother ran over to comfort my mom, and then it ended. My mom looked like she was going to burst into tears, and was very shaken up about it for probably 10 minutes. She kept saying how scared she was that it would be like Chile's earthquake last week.

A few minutes later we watched the news and they said that it was measured 3.5. That is relatively weak comparatively, but strong enough to definitely feel it and get a scare.

My Crazy Tica Spring Break

2010-03-05T18:19:00.001-08:00

Right after Nicaragua ended, we had a four day spring break. I travelled about an hour and a half south of San Jose with a few friends to an area called Los Santos. Our professor connected us to a very small company that is committed to providing tours in a environmentally and culturally sensitive way. This guy, Jonathan, created this company to show tourists and students the beautiful area of Los Santos while also involving local farmers, restaurants, and people in the process. It is less focused on making a profit and more focused on involving the community and educating people about the culture and environment of Costa Rica.

The trip was CRAZY! The first day we did a bunch of canopy type stuff... I jumped out of a 90 foot tree on a Tarzan type swing and even got to climb up another 90 foot tree on the inside. It was crazy. Here are some pics are that day.

Probably the most fun part of that entire day was the ride home from dinner. Basically, in order to get out of the mountains and rainforest, we had to drive on these crazy bumpy roads. We had about an hour drive at the end of the day to get to our hostel. We are all in this 15 passenger van driving in the dark on these narrow mountain roads. All of the sudden the car was unable to go any further- the tires were spinning and we had no traction. The roads were pretty wet from rain earlier in the day, and the car simply would not go any further. Apparently we had about a km until we got out of the national park.

Our tour guides told us to hop out and start pushing the car. We were all laughing so hard at the situation but nevertheless tried to push this van up the mountain. It would not budge, so the driver backed the car down the mountain about 100 feet (meanwhile there is a sheer dropoff just behind us...) and told us to all get in the back of the car and just jump. This caused us to laugh even harder, but we did as our tour guides told us. Another failed attempt to move the car anywhere.

We decided to take another route, which was just as bumpy and crazy. At one point we heard this horrible noise coming from the bottom of the car- we looked out the back and saw that we lost a spare tire! The drivers stopped and went chasing after this tire as once again, the silly gringos tried to hold in their laughter at the hilarity of the situation. Luckily our guides had the best sense of humor and found the whole thing completely comedic as well.

After a one hour ride turned into three hours, we arrived at our hostel, only the find out that the lady who owns the hostel was not there! Ah! So we went down the road to a pretty nice hotel and I had my first hot shower and good night's sleep in a while. Sigh. Bliss.

The next day we followed a man with a machete through the rainforest the get to this hidden waterfall. It was so gorgeous. Not many people know about this waterfall... we went with a local who knew about it, but he refuses to tell huge tours companies about it so that the beauty of this place will not be ruined by tourists and cars and paths. So beautiful though.

I tell people I spent my spring jumping out of trees, pushing a fifteen passenger van up a mountain, and following a man with a machete through the rainforest.

And that's not far from the truth. In fact, it is the truth.

Emotions

2010-03-04T17:59:00.000-08:00

The past week or so has been the most up and down week of the semester for me. I don't know why... maybe it is just a weird transitional point in the semester. We are almost done with life in San Jose, and will soon split up for the remainder of the time to live and work in different areas. There are moments of everyday where I feel like I am on Cloud Nine, and feel like I could live here forever. But then there are other moments where I feel so discouraged and upset, and don't think I'll make it until the end of the semester.

It has been a weird week. One of the students who was a good friend of mine had to go home because of some family and personal issues. It was really really sad to see her go last night. But anyway. I am still learning and experiencing a lot of new things.

This weekend should be fun and crazy... my brother and his American wife are coming tomorrow from the US. It is also my sister and mom's birthdays this weekend, so we are having fiestas on Saturday and Sunday! Sunday will be the WHOLE extended family, which is slightly overwhelming to me, but I know it will be fun too. :-)

Love you guys and miss you a lot. Thanks for keeping up with my blog and encouraging me along the way. It has been quite the journey... this entire year. One which I could not complete without such a supportive group of friends and family at home.

LOVE YOU!

Nicaragua: Granada

2010-03-01T16:19:00.000-08:00

So the final few days in Nicaragua were spent in the beautiful colonial city of Granada. It is the oldest city in the Americas, dating back to the 1500s. It is gorgeous and has recently gone through a lot of renovation. We had a lot of down time just to relax after the busy week and catch up with each other. I had the greatest pancakes and smoothies of my life. And pizza too. I know... pizza is not authentic Nicaraguan food. But I can tell you that some of the greatest pizza I have ever had in my life has been in foreign places. Not exactly sure why, but that has been the case.

On the last day, we had a surprise carriage ride and boat tour of Lake Nicaragua. There are tons of islands in Lake Nicaragua, many of which are owned by rich families from Nicaragua or even the US. It boat tour was so beautiful. We even had some monkeys jump onto our boat, which was very entertaining.

P.S. Westmont kids: Antonio, aka Anthony/Wally is in that final pic. But that up just for you guys. :-)

Mi Familia en Nicaragua

2010-03-01T06:51:00.000-08:00

So the most valuable part of the Nicaraguan trip is the home stay experience. I was VERY NERVOUS about this part. Basically what happens is everyone gets broken up into groups of 4-5 and sent off to cities or towns all over the country. For those five days, you are invited to "just be." Not to really do anything, but just to be with your family and experience the NIcaraguan reality more intimately.

I had heard from some former LASP students that this was the loneliest part of the trip for them. I knew it would involve a lot of down time and just hours to sit with the family. I was super nervous and really dreading it.

The night before the home stay, our professor invited the pastor/bishop who is in charge of all these Brethren of Christ churches to come speak to our group. The pastor expressed how happy all the churches would be to receive us and that we could really expect anything. Our professor added that we might be asked to preach, sing in front of the church, or really anything. Oh boy. Super nervous.

I ended up going to a small town called "Santo Domingo" about thirty minutes outside of Managua. My professor told me that the town was very beautiful and that the church was also very warm and welcoming- they were the only church in our group that had a female pastor.

The next morning was crazy. We woke up early and one by one the pastors began to arrive to take the students to their respective towns. Some people would be traveling almost five hours north to towns along the Honduran border. Others would be going to small fishing villages along the Pacific. Really people could expect to go anywhere. My pastor arrived and we were gone in about five minutes. We were allowed to take several items, like medicine, mosquito nets, soap, and water. I grabbed a one gallon of water, but at the last minute decided to leave it behind and risk it. Our prof had said that some of the towns would be totally fine in terms of water. I decided to risk it.

Of course, I am immediately regretting this decision and panicking that I would not be able to drink water for a week. So that was my first fear: not being able to drink water for a week.

I arrived to the town and was dropped off at my new home. I met my mother, who is a widow of the last sixteen years with two older sons. Her sons are 21 and 24 live at the home, but go to university during the day. Her home was actually quite comfortable- we had running water, indoor plumbing, electricity, and an indoor kitchen. I soon found out that the water was completely fine to drink.

The next five days were great. Everyday I woke up and helped my mom with household chores for about three hours. We swept, mopped, cleaned clothes, watered the garden, cooked lunch, and other things. We normally worked in silence, since it is really hard for me to multitask and speak Spanish, but I definitely felt very close to my mom. Nicaraguans do not express their affection like Costa Ricans do, so she never hugged me or anything, but she would tell me how glad she was to have me there, since she is alone almost all the time during the day.

The other students lived closeby, and one of them was actually my cousin, since her mom was my mom's sister. We would visit frequently and attend church together every other night. One day, the pastor took all the students to this volcano nearby and another beautiful town. I really felt so lucky to be where I was- I was with wonderful people and was very well taken care of.

The food was spectacular- best food I have had since being in Latin America. My mom grew plantains and avocados in the backyard, so we had those at almost every meal. I also had freshly squeezed orange juice or other fruit juices. The only thing hard to eat was the cheese... but other than that, I ate very well. Very little... it was a huge difference from CR, where I seriously eat 3 or 4 times more than I normally would. And past the point of full. There, I had really small portions, and some nights I was still a little hungry, but it was perfect.

I spent my free time during the day asking my mom and brothers about their lives in Nicaragua. That part was really cool- I felt very competent with my Spanish and able to talk about politics, issues of employment, education, and safety within the country, the Somozan dynasty, the civil war, the United States, and so many other topics. I also got close to my brothers and got to hear a little about Nicaraguan youth.

One thing I also wanted to say: before we went to Granada to meet up with all the groups, I was feeling a little guilty that my experience in Nicaragua had been so easy. Some students really were roughing it for the week and were living in much lower living standards than I was. The point of the trip was not to rough it or to live in poverty- the point was to create relations with Nicaraguans. And I definitely became very close to my mom and siblings. And the day before I left, my mom thanked me for being her companion for the week, since she is often alone. Again, because Nicaraguans are not super affectionate and lovey dovey, she just said it very matter of factly, but it meant a lot to both of us. I miss her a lot and hope one day I can go back and visit her.

Here are some pics. Thank you so much for your prayers. Really, the week was wonderful. Could not have gone better. I feel so lucky and blessed.

our baby kitty

2010-02-28T08:50:00.000-08:00

We have some sad news in my house: our beloved kitty, Luna, has gone missing! My parents think that yesterday when they left the house and no one else was here she must have followed them outside and been in the garage. They didn't notice her, and it's possible she either escaped or someone came by and beckoned her to come out. :-( My sister just made a bunch of flyers but our dear dear kitty is missing!

Nicaragua: Managua

2010-02-28T06:24:00.000-08:00

I don't even know where to begin... my trip to Nicaragua couldn't have been more perfect. God really blessed me with an incredible family there and fascinating insight into a new part of the world.

We spent the first few days in Managua, learning more about the political and historical background of this country. Probably my favorite part of Managua were all the graffiti for Daniel Ortega and the FSLN. Daniel Ortega is the current president of the country, and is part of the Sandinista (FSLN) party. The FSLN overthrew the Somoza dynasty in 1979, fought against a US backed army during the 1980s, and after fifteen years of right wing presidents, Daniel Ortega became president again. He does not enjoy support from the US, but rather enjoys support from Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. Recently Ortega has changed the Constituional law that presidents can only serve two nonconsecutive terms and plans to run again in 2011.

Anyway... I read an article that talked about how Ortega sent the Sandinista Youth out into Managua to graffiti pro-Ortega/FSLN messages. They are EVERYWHERE. This was my favorite.

We also got to visit this village of people who have serious health defects because of a chemical called Nemagon. It is very controversial, because in the 1980s ish, US fruit companies like Dole and Chichita, had workers in Nicaragua and other countries use this pesticide on bananas and other crops. The chemical, which was known to cause serious health problems, was banned in the United States, but not abroad. So even though these fruit companies knew that the chemical was hazardous, they still had these foreign workers use them. The workers were oblivious and unaware of the effects, until years later when they started noticing many health problems. They put it together and realized that they were tricked by US companies. As many of 7000 Nicaraguans have been affected, and over 2500 people have died. Many of the survivors are sterile or have serious diseases, like skin cancer. It is so devastating.

For the last 17 years this group of workers has been trying to lobby to the fruit companies to give them some type of health support or housing. They have heard nothing back from these companies. They were also working with a US lawyer, who ended up taking their money but not helping them at all. They have all moved from the north of Nicaragua to Managua, and have a camp set up across the street from the corporate buildings to protest.

Much more happened in Managua... it was a pretty intense introduction to Nicaraguan reality and issues. More later on my home stay and Granada.

Alive!

2010-02-26T03:53:00.001-08:00

Hello friends!

I am back in San Jose after an amazing week and a half in Nicaragua. I am actually off again for two days to a rainforest area south of here for some canopying and waterfall hiking and such. But wanted to say thank you all for your prayers and thoughts during the Nicaragua trip. It honestly went perfectly- I couldn't have lucked out more with my family or experience there. I was totally healthy the whole time- ironically healthier than I have been in Costa Rica- and had a great family, beautiful town, interesting insights into American and Latin culture, and the chance to meet the former president's son in law, Antonio LaCayo, who is a pretty high up figure and may run for Nicaraguan president next year!

More updates later. And pictures. But wanted to say Hi and I love you all!

The Framework I Needed

2010-02-14T16:14:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to quickly comment how studying and living in Costa Rica has given me such a hunger and excitement for knowledge. I can't explain it, but I am just loving learning and really pressing into the issues and topics around me.

I want to really understand international politics and economics, and how the United States affects those.

I want to master the Spanish language.

I want to learn about different cultures and get a glimpse of the world through others' eyes.

I want to see what Christianity looks like around the globe, and broaden my own perspective of God, His people, and His plan for the world.

There are so many things I want to learn... I really could just spend a lifetime reading, questioning, and experiencing all these different issues.

I think I really needed to come to Costa Rica to get a framework for all of these issues. Now, when I go back to school, so much of what I study and learn will make sense, because I can apply it to this context. Does that make sense? When I read about neoliberalism, it will not just be a term to me: it will be something which drastically changed the Costa Rican economy and welfare of the people here. When I read about American intervention abroad, I will view it more critically, because I know how much our actions affected the NIcaraguan people and country. When I see a Latin American immigrant in the United States, or hear about immigration, I will understand just a little bit more where they are coming from, and what type of political/economic structure and system they may be fleeing from.

I can't explain it, but I just feel so excited and happy to be back at Gordon next year. The first two years of college were weird for me- I just had a hard time seeing the point of sitting in a classroom and learning about lots of subjects. I didn't always see the relevance or long term point of things. However, being here has completely changed all that. Next year, when I take Developmental Economics, Theories of International Affairs, Global Political Economy, New Testament, and lots of other classes, I will be committed to them because of what I have seen and experienced here.

:-)

Hiper Mas

2010-02-14T16:03:00.001-08:00

Almost every week I go to Hiper Mas, which is the Walmart of Latin America. Literally. It is owned or sponsored by Walmart. It feels so out of place here in Costa Rica. I went there today with two friends to buy some last minute things for Nicaragua, and we all remarked that we felt strangely comforted by this Walmart type store in Costa Rica. Comforted, yet also somewhat disturbed by that comfort. High ceilings, bright lights, rows and rows of cheap, Hannah Montana and Jonas Brothers merchandise, dozens of cashiers, nail saloon places, tons of families and people scurrying around... why is there a strange comfort to that? I would much prefer to go to the farmacia or ferria around the corner. I would much prefer (and my family prefers as well) to buy their fruit from the outside market (ferria) each Saturday, when organic farmers from the San Jose area come to sell their weeks work.

There was a coffee shop in Hiper Mas, and I bought two lattes. (Brady lady, I wish you were here with me so that we could coffee shop hop every day...) One of my friends went to buy lunch, and had trouble finding a seat. This one woman, who was sitting with her son, invited my friend to eat with her and they engaged in conversation about Costa Rica and our experiences so far. I came over at the tail end of the conversation, and was able to interact with this woman and her son, and tell them about some things in Costa Rica that I really appreciate and enjoy. I love the openness of strangers.

I found a book in Hiper Mas, in Spanish, about the repressed lives of homosexuals. After having lived in San Francisco and interacted a little bit with the homosexual community, I am very interested to learn more and allow myself to be stretched and challenged by the questions. The book is a little above my reading level, but I bought it for a good challenge. It isn't too long, and I think I will be able to understand it with the help of my handy Spanish dictionary. (My new best friend in Costa Rica.) Being in the book aisle made me want to learn and master Spanish! I can't wait until I am able to read books written by Latin American and Spanish authors and poets. So many people here have a very poetic and beautiful way of speaking. I can't wait until I can really understand and interact with them.

Last minute preparations for Nica

2010-02-13T13:43:00.000-08:00

Weather Today in Nicaragua: 91 degrees F, feeling like 100 degrees.

The next two weeks look about the same.

Nicaragua: Here I come.

final exams and other things

2010-02-12T18:55:00.000-08:00

I have been in Costa Rica one month from today! It is so crazy to think about boarding the plane in Miami a month ago from today, not knowing anyone, never having met my Costa Rican family, and arriving on a rainy, but warm night. That was a month ago. In some ways it feels like yesterday... I can't believe that I am almost a third of the way through my program. But at the same time it feels like years since I have been in the United States. I forget about certain things that seem and feel so normal at home, but that I have not experienced here. Hearing English all the time, walking around outside after dark, driving on highways, seeing SNOW and having snow days!, eating cereal for breakfast, lots of things. It's not that I need those things. I definitely do not miss snow and cold weather. But that all seems so far away and so long ago that those things were part of my daily routine. Time is weird: I feel like I have been here forever, but then at the same time I feel like time is flying by and escaping from me.

So today my first class ended- it was an extremely compressed class, but demanding in terms of time and work. It was 8 hours a week, plus a weekend trip to Limon, plus two papers. But... today we had the final exam, and it was actually the most interesting final exam I have ever had. We were in groups of 6-8 people, and given instructions to confront one of Costa Rica's problems and solve it with certain resources. Each group was given $500 of real money and two and half hours to come up with an action plan. At first I thought that the money was theoretical, but we actually did have five crisp five one hundred dollar bills! Pretty cool. My group decided that we wanted to create a means for people to grow their own food, organically and sustainably, like we saw on this farm last week. We contacted the farmer, and he is amenable to giving classes to poorer families in his church. We are going to subsidize the classes with the money we were given, and hopefully connect some of those families to him so they can learn about how they can grow some of their own food with limited land and resources.

I am actually getting excited about Nicaragua. I kind of like how so much of it is completely ambiguous. I am getting in a bus Monday morning, and will drive 10-12 hours in Nicaragua. From there, the details are pretty fuzzy. Later that week I will drive out (hopefully into the country) with a pastor and two other students and be placed with a family. I have no idea what each day will hold, but I am excited to see what God shows me and teaches me through all of this.

I miss you all. I really do. You will be in my thoughts and prayer while I journey around Nicaragua!

Overstimulated

2010-02-11T16:31:00.000-08:00

I am coming to the end of a very, very long week and feel beyond exhausted. More tired than I have felt in a long time. It's a combination of having very little sleep the past four nights, plus the feeling of just overstimulation. Being here definitely keeps me on my toes: when I go out into the streets, I have to be aware of my surroundings, keep an eye on my bag, and try to ignore all the cars and people that comment or honk at the gringo girl walking down the street. When I am in class, I am also very engaged, listening to controversial speakers and ideas, or speaking in Spanish. At home, I am either with my host family, talking, and more often listening. There is so much around me to be stimulated by: new sounds, a new language, new ideas, new cultural customs, and new relationships. Another thing is, I do not really get alone time here, which normally I just take for granted. I am never alone here. Maybe my five minute walk in the morning to LASP, but other than that I am always with people and having to be completely engaged. I miss just time to be alone and think. I feel a little overwhelmed, especially thinking about the next step of this journey: Nicaragua.

Language

2010-02-10T21:26:00.000-08:00

So I just wanted to make a few comments about my experience so far being immersed in a Spanish speaking country and desperately trying to learn the language.

1. It has given me such an appreciation for people who immigrate to the United States and are not able to speak the language. I can not imagine. Thinking of that makes me so motivated to really learn Spanish, so that one day when I am a nurse somewhere, I can communicate with Latino patients who feel overwhelmed and out of place in the US.

2. I think the Spanish is definitely coming along, but there are days when I wake up and honestly feel like a five year old. No, younger than that. Three year old. I feel like I am at the same speaking level of my four year old cousin, except that I am trapped in a twenty year old body. The most frustrating feeling in the world is wanting so badly to understand, but being physically unable to do so. There are times when I feel like I have a blanket over my mind, and there is this disconnect between hearing and understanding. I understand more than if I were hearing Chinese, but there are so many details and things that I am not getting. Frustrating.

3. Our family has a new cat. This has completely changed my perspective of speaking to animals. My family is always talking to the cat, and telling it things that even I do not understand. They will say, "No Luna, you can't sit on the chair, you must sit and the ground... Are you hungry? You just ate an hour ago! Luna, where are you? Come out from under there! That is dirty- don't eat it!" And I just smile to myself because I can barely understand what they are saying, and of course this poor cat has no idea! She is more lost than I am in this world of foreign words and sounds. What is also funny is that I feel weird talking to the cat in English. But I could just make up jibberish and it would be all the same to this cat. Spanish. English. Jibberish. No difference at all.

4. Probably one of my proudest moments so far on the trip has been explaining my symptoms to the doctor at the clinic in Spanish. The times when I have really needed to use my Spanish, in real life situations, has been so rewarding to me. I can't wait to continue that, and hopefully in the future, be able to use Spanish with my patients wherever I work as a nurse.

distraction

2010-02-09T21:38:00.000-08:00

I need a distraction from my paper. And I just spent the last half hour looking up random statistics on random cities and countries in the world. For instance, did you know that San Marino, CA has the world's safest roads, or that South Korea has the World's Best Airport (Jae!), or that Overland Park, KS (this one is for you, Lace) is ranked 3rd for least stressed people? Anyway. Enough of that.

So, I will tell you about what I will be doing next week! I just found all this out today. (Everything here is very last minute, and intentionally so. We never really know what is going on until right before it happens, which is partially to keep us in the moment, but partially because that is the way things operate in Latin America...) On Monday, our entire group will travel to Managua, Nicaragua. It is about a 10-12 hour bus ride to get there! Woohoo! Luckily we will be on a private bus that our program uses. We will spend three days in Managua learning about US-Nicaragua relations and seeing some famous sites. Then, we will all be split up and will go to all different areas of the country! There were two choices: urban area or small town. The only details they gave were that the urban homes would likely have indoor plumbing and the small towns would not. I checked off small town, and surprisingly, almost everyone in the group did! We have all been living in the city here, and I think most people want a change. Plus, the small town feels like a more realistic Nicaraguan experience.

Then we will split into groups of 3-5 and go with a pastor to some area of the country. Each person will live with their own host family, but there will be a few other students in the area who likely go to the same church. That is somewhat reassuring to me. And for that week, we will pretty much just "be," as our professor told us. I am a little nervous about that, especially since this guy I know who went last year told me that Nicaragua was the only part of the trip that he really cried from loneliness and isolation. Ah. And I am very prone to that, and very prone to crying when I feel like that, so I am a little nervous that that will happen. Who knows? It could be the greatest week of my life. But I know that it will be difficult. It will definitely be a different standard of living than San Jose, and also, I know that people almost universally get sick there. But I also know that it will be an incredible experience and one that I probably won't have again. So I need to embrace it for all it is, and know that it will show me a new side of life and the world that I have not seen before.

So that is next week, and then when we get back, we have spring break! It is so hard to believe that already four weeks has gone by.

Ok. It's after midnight now. I should get back to my paper! Missing you all down here in Costa Rica!

taking a step back

2010-02-09T18:15:00.000-08:00

Do you ever have those moments where you just step back and look at where you are, and are just in disbelief at the current scene of you life? I remember once in India I was in a rural village at nighttime, watching people perform rituals to the Hindu gods, and I just paused for a second to ask myself, "Am I really here? Out of everywhere I could possibly be in the world, what are the chances that I am here?" It is the coolest feeling just to step back for a moment and realize how bizarre and amazing it is that you are in the exact place you are just happening to cross paths with some people who you probably never in your life would have been able to. I can't explain the feeling, and it really could happen anywhere- not just in a foreign country- but it is just so surreal.

Well, I had one of those moments today.

As you know I am writing (or I need to start tonight!) a paper on US relations with Nicaragua. This has been such a fascinating topic to explore, especially since I feel like it is one of America's best kept secrets. Our relationship with Nicaragua, especially during the Cold War, is extremely controversial. Just a quick history lesson (and I need to prep for my 7-10 page paper due in less than 36 hours which I have yet to start!): skip this part if you just want my cool story of the day. From 1936-1979, the Somoza family oppressively ruled Nicaragua. Unfortunately, they had the support of the US during most of this time. They controlled almost all of the major industries in Nicaragua, and were worth about 1 billion dollars at the peak of their power. While they were not democratic per se in the way that we view democracy as being linked with human rights, they were not communist, thus enjoying our support. After the success of the Cuban revolution, a Marxist group called the Sandinistas formed in Nicaragua. They overthrew the government in 1979 (after several years of horrific retaliation by the Somozas and by the military which they controlled. During this retaliation, the National Guard (controlled by Somoza) ruthlessly bombed villages, killed innocent people, and tortured and killed those who challenged their authority.) However, in 1979, the Sandinistas overthrew the Somoza government and declared themselves leaders of the country. They were idealistic and hopeful that they could bring about the Nicaragua that had been taken from them for many years. Unfortunately, as often happens, the Sandinistas were very disorganized, inexperienced, ideologically diverse from one another, and thus unable to bring about many of the changes that they hoped for their country. There were intense food shortages after redistribution/government control of farmland, among other issues.

Anyway. The most important part of the story is this. The US funded a counter-revolutionary group called the Contras to go into Nicaragua and initiate a civil war. These contras were Nicaraguans who had fled the country (many of them had been in Somoza's National Guard) and wanted to fight against the Marxist government. The US secretly funded these contras, since Congress forbade support via the Boland Amendment. Even though the contras had no chance of winning against the Sandinistas, the hope was that the conflict would eventually require intervention by the US, which would allow us to install a pro-US/democracy leader. Over the course of 8 years, this war cost the US $350 million dollars, and cost Nicaragua $15 billion dollars and 30,000 lives. However, the US supported and funded this war in the name of democracy and the elimination of Marxism in the Western Hemisphere.

Ok. So that wasn't brief. Sorry! But that got me all fired up to write my paper.

So... my professor put me in touch with a Sandinista who lives right down the road from me. She is almost always a host mother for LASP, but this semester does not have a student. Two other students and I had the chance to go over to her house tonight and speak with her about her experience growing up in Nicaragua. She was somewhat emotional while speaking about her past there, and even about the situation today. Her father was imprisoned by the Somozas and tortured. They would go and visit him every 3 months and see him stripped naked and bleeding from tortures and beatings. As you can imagine, it had a huge effect on her sister and her, as they were only 5-6 years old. I am a little bit unclear about how she worked with the Sandinistas (all of this was in Spanish, so I only comprehended some... but I will get details tomorrow from the other two students.) However, she spoke a lot about the tragedy of the Somozas taking so much for themselves and the few in their family, and leaving the millions of Nicaraguans completely poor and helpless. She also spoke about the war on ideologies- the Sandinistas were communist, yet they were also people who wanted to bring about change to their country. It was a wonderful opportunity, she emphasized, yet in many ways it was stolen from them by the US who launched a war via the contras at the beginning of Sandinista rule. Some Sandinistas believe that the Marxist government could have prospered had it been left alone; some are not as hopeful. She also spoke about the situation today, where many Nicaraguans emigrate to Costa Rica in order to find jobs and make a better life. However, they are discriminated against here and very much looked down upon by Costa Ricans. (Much in the same way that many Americans look down on immigrants in the US...)

**There are many many other things she said. Some of which I got, and many of which I didn't, but one thing that just completely struck me the whole time was her openness and hospitality to a group of American, AMERICAN, students. Students from a country that supported an oppressive dictator and funded the war that killed many of her friends and fellow country men. A war where she fought on the other side of the US and democracy. It was just amazing for me to take a step back and see what was happening: this beautiful woman, welcoming us into her home, giving us tea and cake, and sharing, tearfully, the story of her country and her people.

Out of all the places I could have been this afternoon for two hours. Wow. That is all I have to say.

Election Day!

2010-02-08T08:10:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the Costa Rican presidential elections, and it would have been worth coming here just to see how enthusiastic and passionate this country is about democracy and about voting. Seriously. I already wrote about how before the elections, I would see tons of cars and flags and rallies going on in the parks and streets. Well, yesterday was all of that taken to a whole new level.

Yesterday I woke up and my family just had such a gorgeous breakfast together. Papaya, cantalope, watermellon, hot dogs, ham sandwiches, COFFEE, and freshly squeezed orange juice (this is one of my favorite things about Costa Rica... a few times a week my mom gives me freshly squeezed orange juice.... just the juice from about eight oranges or so. most delicious thing in the world. If I don't have that, sometimes I have a strawberry and milk smoothie or a papaya milkshake. Mmmmmmm.) My mom prayed for the elections, and that God would guide the voters and the future president. This is another thing I really appreciate about my family and just about the culture in general. People really trust God with decisions like these.

After breakfast, my two older sisters came over to the house with their husbands and my one nephew. Some of them were wearing the colors of their preferred candidate and national party. Everyone in my family was voting for Otton Solis.

We got into two cars and drove across town to the polls. It was crazy! As we got closer and closer to the polls, there were more and more cars and demonstrators. It was all very peaceful and good natured though. Whenever we would see people with Otton's flag or colors, we would honk the horn loudly and cheer and wave out the window. It was crazy!

We went to vote, which is all done by written ballot. I tried to go in with my mom to vote, but they forced me to leave. :-( But I still got to see the setup. All the people who live in my town voted at one school. Outside of the school there were tons of tables set up for each candidate. I read in the paper that 300,000 volunteers gave their time around the country yesterday for the election. That number seems fairly large, but that is what I read in the paper.

Anyway. After we voted we came home and decided to walk downtown to see all the cars and people there. This was probably the craziest part of the whole day. We went to el Parque de Guadelupe, and there were hundreds of people standing along the road waving flags at all the cars and buses on the busy street. It was a fiesta!

Some people wore masks, including one of Ronald Reagan!

Another thing I loved: my older sister and her husband brought their dog, Argus, with them on the walk, and he sported the colors for Otton. Tons of kids and people on the streets got a huge kick out of that, and came over to socialize and show their support for Otton as well.

After finishing our walk, we went to my older sister Beij-Hiu's house, and ate lots of bread, fried plantains with refried beans and guacamole (also the greatest food in the world... panacotes as they are called- basically a smashed plantain fried twice.) We also took part in the great American tradition of watching the Superbowl. Woohoo. I am way more clueless about the NFL than my Costa Rican family. Haha.

When we came home, we tuned into the results, and at about 8:30pm, it was announced that Laura Chinchilla won the election with about 46%. Otto and Otton both took about 20-25%, and the other four candidates split the rest. My family was disappointed in the results, but it is kind of cool that Costa Rica has their first female president! And I got to be here while it all happened!

Elections

2010-02-06T19:47:00.000-08:00

One really unique thing that is happening during my semester are the elections in Costa Rica! It is so exciting to be here during the campaign process and on election day, which is tomorrow.

Right now there are four main candidates for president, including one woman- Laura Chinchilla, who is the current vice president for President Oscar Arias. She is predicted to win the election tomorrow, and become Costa Rica's first woman president. (It is amazing to me that the US has never had a female president while many countries around the world have.) There are definitely some Laura fanatics in the country, but many people who feel that she will just be a puppet of the current administration. My family supports Otton Solis, who will probably take 3rd place tomorrow.

One thing that is really cool is how passionate the country gets about the elections. For the last few weeks, I have seen tons of cars waving flags for their political party out the window. There are also lots of demonstrations on the streets and in the parks for different candidates. Today, when my mom, sister and I drove home from the movies, there were cars everywhere waving flags, and people on the street and in other cars honking and cheering out the window. It was pretty much a constant stream of honking and cheering on the way home today. In the US, you see a lot of people with signs in their windows and yards, which doesn't happen here. But the car thing and passion on the street is a new thing.

It is also encouraging because voter turnout is fairly high here and people are always talking and debating about politics. I come from a family that takes the civic responsibility to vote very seriously. (Since I have turned 18, I have voted in every single local, state, and national election there is... including elections for town council, school board, town mayor, etc. I probably would have missed the local elections had it not been for my parents who arrange for absentee ballots to arrive in my mail at Gordon. Which I appreciate, Dad! :-)) Anyway, it is refreshing to be in a place where people take the future of their country seriously.

I am excited about tomorrow. My mom said that it is a fiesta all day long. When I asked if I could come with them to vote, my mom was like, "Well, OF COURSE you are coming! You must! It is the most exciting and beautiful day!" Haha. I didn't even have to ask- they assumed that of course I would come with them to vote and take part in the democratic traditions that this country proudly upholds.

Tacos Chinos

2010-02-06T16:58:00.001-08:00

Every once in a while, my parents make "tacos chinos"- Chinese tacos. My father is Chinese and every once in a while our Costa Rican food has a little bit of Chinese influence. Case in point: when we had spaghetti the other night, all of us had spaghetti with meat sauce and parmesan, except for my dad, who had plain spaghetti with soy sauce.

My family started talking about the tacos chinos a few days in advance. They said that it took a lot of time and preparation, but that it was very delicious. I didn't really know what they meant, and thought we would just make tacos with some different ingredients. However, we ended up making homemade spring rolls! They were so wonderful, and the process was a great family bonding activity as well.

Basically, it takes about three hours to make. And we made 50 of them! First my dad prepared the dough, and then spread a very very thin layer on a frying pan.

He made dozens of very thin, almost pancake type, tortillas. Then, my mom, sister, and I placed inside some chopped cabbage, carrots, and pork. They showed me how to roll it up very tight and seal it with some pasty dough.

Then, my dad fried them all, and after my older sister and her husband arrived, we all feasted on tacos chinos at 10 pm (after having a huge spaghetti dinner!)

I never really cared much for spring rolls, but I definitely have a huge appreciation now for the work and time they require! And they actually were very delicious.

My family!!!

2010-02-04T20:59:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures of my family. You can see my parents, my older sister Biej-Cheng, her son Diego, and the newest addition to our family: Luna! A little kitten. Luna has only been in the house for a few days, but we all love her. She is so tiny and just sleeps all day long, but she is so cute and hilarious. I need to post pictures of my other sisters later. But you can see my wonderful parents and sister and nephew. One thing that is neat is how close the families are here. My nephew comes over the house every single morning, and sometimes in the afternoon as well. My two older sisters, who are both married and in their 30s, come over the house as well almost every day. Diego, my nephew, has so many parent figures in his life with his grandparents and aunts and uncle who are all very involved. Anyway. Just a side note. :-)

More Updates on My Life

2010-02-04T20:34:00.000-08:00

So I never gave many details about my weekend in Limon, but it really was a wonderful weekend. On Friday we stopped at coffee, pineapple, and banana plantations. Those were so interesting. Most of the food they grow is exported to countries like the US, and it is controversial whether farmers should be using so much land just for exports, as opposed to using the land for the people here. We arrived in Limon, which is the most important port in Costa Rica. However, even though most of the country's trade happens at that port, and so much money and wealth passes through there, the area is actually very underdeveloped. It is on the Caribbean side, and has a Jamaican/Caribbean influence. The center of Limon itself is very rundown and underdeveloped.

My favorite part of the weekend was Friday night: in groups of three or so, we had to go around Limon and interview different people about their perspectives of poverty and discrimination in Costa Rica. We were supposed to get a wide range of people, including men, women, indigenous, black, old, young, etc. It was so fascinating. I went around with two friends, one who speaks Spanish fairly fluently and the other who speaks very minimally. The three of us had a great time and were able to pull our brains together to fully understand everything that we were hearing. It was exciting to speak Spanish to people in the streets and have conversations with them about things that matter. And I was actually able to ask questions and understand a portion of what I was hearing.

The first person my group talked with was a man named Rudolpho who was homeless and missing one leg. It was so sad, because he said that he has been trying to get a new leg for a while but has had little success with the government or other health agencies. We had a great chat with him and got an interesting perspective on the lack of faith that some Costa Ricans have in the government. We also got to talk with an indigenous man, a Nicaraguan, some young women who were anti-indigenous, and some other individuals as well.

The next day we met with an indigenous woman in this beautiful rainforest area. She spoke about her life and about the plight of the indigenous people to keep their land and protect their resources. It was sad because she spoke about how sometimes the government will come in and take part of the land that should be theirs, and in return give them a less desirable piece of land. For a while the iguanas, which they use for food and religious ceremonies, were being killed by outsiders. The indigenous had a hard time standing up for themselves against these outsiders who would come in and kill their plants, animals, and other resources. Luckily they have set up conservation efforts and have the support of different non-profit groups now.

That night, after a nice day at the beach, we had a typical Limonese dinner. It was rice and beans, which is the typical dish in Costa Rica, with coconut! So delicious! We also had a live Calypso band playing. It was a private event, so only our group, and we danced and ate the night away. It was a really nice way to bond with the group and get to know people better.

Other things going on: Today I visited an organic farm, which was probably one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. I felt like I was either in Napa, CA or Tuscany. We drove an hour from our school and drove up into the mountains to this house and farm that was pretty secluded. This one man grows tons of fruits and vegetables and other herbs on this huge organic farm. It is so beautiful and so sustainable. He uses most of the food for his family, but is able to sell some of it as well. He was such a fascinating person. Just very in touch with God and the earth and a natural life. I appreciated his approach: he did not condemn traditional agricultural practices (even though he is against their environmental practices,) but humbly showed us the way that he has chosen to live his life on his farm. Afterwards we had fresh strawberry juice (one of the best things I have ever tasted...) coffee from his farm, homemade banana bread, papaya, and watermelon. So good.

In a little over a month I will leave San Jose and spend an entire month, BY MYSELF! on a farm somewhere in the country. I was really nervous about it, but today made me really excited. I have no idea what I will be doing, but I am excited to be outside everyday, working with a Costa Rican family on their farm.

Another story from my week: yesterday I woke up very sick. This has never really happened to me before, but when I opened my eyes the room was spinning. I was so dizzy and could barely get out of bed. I didn't know what was wrong with me, so I told my host parents that I didn't feel well and that I had nausea and dizziness and chills and all that. I threw up a few times, and my mom took me to the doctor. They ran a blood test and didn't find anything unusual. They did give me three kinds of medicines, including a 1 liter bottle of intense electrolytes. I drank the whole thing in one day. The more I think about it, I think I was soooo dehydrated. I walk about 6 miles everyday to class and back in the hot sun, and also have had some stomach problems that have caused me to lose a lot of liquids in the past week. So, needless to say, I am glad that I realized that before it got even worse!

Oh, but the one highlight from the whole visit to the doctor was the fact that I was able to explain in Spanish my problems to the doctor. Because my mom does not speak English, and the doctor said she did, but really only knew a few words like "pregnant" (no... no estoy embarazada (pregnant)) and "pain." So this was a real life situation where I was able to utilize my Spanish!

I am much better now. And yes. I will start drinking more water.

Hope you all are well! I have some other pictures and stories to post later this week!

Weekend in Limon

2010-02-02T08:36:00.000-08:00

These are just some pictures from my wonderful weekend on the eastern coast of Costa Rica in Limon. I will post more later... And Brady lady, I took that picture with Wally for you. The guy in the picture with me is from Westmont College, and knows many of my friends from there from last semester. We instantly bonded over the 22 mutual friends we have from Westmont! That church was a beautiful Catholic church in the center of Limon- from the outside it is just this huge gray concrete block, but on the inside it is rather beautiful.

Black Market Taxi Ride

2010-01-26T20:47:00.000-08:00

So... I have to report my experience with the black market of Costa Rica.

Today, three of my friends and I needed to catch a cab on the way to our language class. It is about a 15 minute drive and usually costs 2500 colones, or about $4. We walked out to the curb, and immediately see a red cab driving up the hill. What luck! Normally we have to wait a good 5 minutes to find an empty cab, but this one pulled right over and asked if we needed a taxi. I noticed that the yellow triangle on the side of the cab that has an identification number was covered up with black duct tape. This seemed kind of weird to me, but I figured there must have been a hole or crack in the car which required duct tape. Naivety, I know.

So we get in and tell the guy where we are going. At first he seems somewhat confused, but then says he knows where it is. I also noticed that the meter (la maria) was hard to read and seemed broken. I asked him to reset it, and he did to the normal amount.

We then begin the craziest taxi ride I have been on yet in San Jose. Swerving around curves, slamming on his breaks, and also talking a hundred miles a minute about everything. I felt kind of nervous and uncomfortable, but he kept looking back at me (while driving!) and tried to get me to talk more to him. The driver spoke English and was way more chatty and sociable than any of the other drivers I have met. Halfway through the ride, he said, "Oh, you need the Indoor Club! It's that way!" And completely shifted his route. (I had noticed that the route seemed different than usual...)

By this point I am feeling a little weird about this whole thing, and figured he was ripping us off. It still didn't occur to me that he was a fake cab driver though. We finally ask him to let us off before our final destination, and he charged us 3000 colones (1000+ what it should have been, but nonetheless only a few US dollars thankfully.)

When we got out and discussed our observations, one girl said that she noticed that he took down the little taxi light on top of the cab when we got in. Everything made sense then, and we laughed about the fact that a phony taxi driver had just taken advantage of a bunch of stupid gringos. I'm sure it made this guy's day that we fell for his trick, but it also made for a good story the rest of the day.

First pics from Costa Rica

2010-01-25T16:10:00.000-08:00

These first three photos are the place I have Spanish class every day. The other two are the LASP office up the street from my house. I definitely do not mind class or studying when it is done in such a beautiful garden! :-)

Smiling in Costa Rica

2010-01-24T20:59:00.000-08:00

Today my mom (Costa Rican mom) said something that would make my semester worth it if it ended today.

I went with her to see her mother today a little south of San Jose. I love my mom and love spending time with her. I am definitely closest to her in the family. Anyway. We are standing at the bus stop downtown, and she just kind of says nonchalantly, "Hannah, estoy muy contenta con usted." -Hannah, I am very happy with you. And I wasn't sure what she meant, so I said wishfully, "Con mi espanol?" Haha. What a joke. No, not my Spanish. But even better, "Con su persona"- with your person. Wow. That meant so much to me. I told her again how happy I was to be living with her family, and that I have the best family out of all the other host students. It really has been such a blessing to me.

Haha, and the funny thing is, when I first picked my host family (we drew our families out of a hat...), I was very nervous about it because I thought that my host sister was a boy! Haha. Because my dad is Chinese, all the kids have Chinese names. So all it said was Chuck- 25, Beiy-Sim-20, and Diego- 2. And I felt like I would probably feel awkward and out of place in a house with three boys. Well, as it turns out, I have one sister who lives with us, and Diego- my host nephew- is the cutest kid in the world and I love when he comes over every day. And an older brother, Chuck, who is married to a former LASP student from Seattle! So I totally scored the best family in San Jose.

Anyway. Other things from my week. As a stream of consciousness, this is what my week looked like.

I had a colony of ants living on my bedroom floor for several days. They also decided to inhabit my MacBook. Yes. They were living in my computer. Every time I opened my laptop several of them would be crawling across the keys and OUT OF the keys. I would just kill them, but after a few days of wondering where they were coming from, I searched under my desk and found the little colony. I debated for a few days telling my mom, but when I did, she pulled out a handy bottle of ant killing spray, and within an hour they were all gone. Today a few more crawled out of my computer, but hopefully this will end soon. :-)

I was lighting a candle the other day, and because I am incompetent at using matches, it took me a few tries to light the match. I was doing it too gently. By the time I lit the match, it collapsed in two and the lit part fell on my leg. So I have a nice little red welt/streak on my leg now.

I think I am getting better at hearing and comprehending Spanish. I really hope so. That is my biggest prayer right now. I just want to know Spanish so badly. Every day when I am here I am just dying more and more to fully comprehend it. I read the paper in the mornings in Spanish and look up words I don't know, I read my Spanish Bible, watch TV with my family, watched the presidental candidates debate tonight on TV ! (the election is in February!) obviously talk all day long with my family... I hope hope hope all of this is slowly building up in my mind. But there are days when I wake up and feel like I have regressed. Other people report the same thing, so it must be normal. Even one of the Spanish profs here said that you get worse before you get better. Definitely experiencing that some days.

Eating: I eat so much. The food is great. That is really a blessing- my host mom cooks delicious food and I really like the food here. Of course, I eat way more carbs than any person should, but its great. Today for breakfast I had a papaya smoothie (I have either papaya or pineapple or watermelon everyday for breakfast) and some homemade (made by yours truly) limeade for dinner. For lunch I ate several kinds of bread and for dinner rice, beans, and pasta. So I am definitely eating and enjoying everything!

The other day we were talking about things we missed- one thing that I didn't realize I miss is being able to just walk outside so easily and just really trust (or hope to trust) the people on the street. Here, once I am in my house at 6 pm, I really don't leave. Also, everything here is behind gates. I feel a little imprisoned. Both of my schools here and my house are both behind a tall fence with a lock. It is kind of sad. Whenever you see kids or dogs playing in their yards, they are separated from you by a high metal fence. Security isn't the greatest here... they tell us not to take pictures or bring our cameras with us because they will probably be stolen or at least highlight the fact that we are Americans and probably have cash or money on us. So I haven't taken any pictures yet. :-( So I definitely miss being able to walk outside freely and not live so fenced in. Also, I miss being able to walk down the street without getting tons of "piropos-" that is the Spanish word for cat-calls. I am not trying to sound snobby or cocky, because every single woman here gets a fair share of them. You will just be walking and guys will honk or yell out their windows anything. It isn't flattering at all. Blah.

Other things... um, I am reading this fascinating book on Nicaraguan history called "Blood of Brothers." I am writing a paper right now about US-Nicaragua relations. Very very interesting. The book is written by an American journalist, but he definitely criticizes the US's actions throughout time in Nicaragua. There are some things we did here that are embarrassing to read about, especially since some of the things happened in the past few decades. For instance, the fact that the US supported the Somoza dynasty which was completely oppressing and later on even brutalizing the people... however, the Somoza family was anti-communist, which was appealing to the US during the Cold War. So I'm learning a lot about Latin American history and politics. However, it is making me love my major, which is a blessing, because I frequently feel out of place within my major.

Well, that is my week in a nutshell! I will try and take some pictures of my family and the place where I have language classes. But I am doing very well. Missing you all, and hoping that life is treating you well. Love you very much!

first week

2010-01-21T19:07:00.001-08:00

The past week has flown by! It's hard to believe that I have already been with my host family for over a week now.

This week we started classes. Every afternoon for 3 or 3.5 hours we have language class- that has probably been my favorite thing so far. The place we take classes at is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. My class has four other students in it, and we meet in a small "classroom" in the garden. When I look around me, I can't believe that I am learning Spanish, in Costa Rica, in this gorgeous garden. (I will have to add some pictures later.) The Spanish classes are going well- it's very conversational, and I am hoping that after six weeks I will be much more comfortable with the language.

Every Tuesday and Thursday morning I go to the LASP (Latin American Studies Program) office and have class there. Each day we have someone come in and give us a lecture about something new. Today we had this man who grew up in the dumps of El Salvador. He had the most beautiful way of talking about his life and what he has learned overtime. (He is now a painter/security guard in Costa Rica- I actually bought one of his paintings! So beautiful.) However, he did not take an angry approach towards poverty and inequality. He emphasized that it is not a fight between the rich and poor, or between governments and the poor, or other actors. He rather talked about the importance of creating relationships and hearing others' stories. He feels that in those relationships Christ can become recognized and whole again. He also said that the most important thing one can do is learn how to feel in this world. Also, knowledge and wisdom are more important than any material wealth. He said that the only difference between an educated wealthy man and an educated poor man are a few material possessions. He didn't sugarcoat what he said, and he said that not all who grew up in the slums have the perspective he does, but he was a joy to meet and listen to.

One thing that has been difficult to learn about are the ways that the United States really damaged Latin America. I have to learn more about it, but we are hearing a lot about the dictatorships that the US propped up during the Cold War and the ways in which the US really hurt Latin America. I am reading a book for one of my classes called "Blood for Brothers," and it is all about Nicaragua during the 1970s and 80s. Also, regarding American influence, one girl today in my small group talked about how her host sister desperately wants to be an American. This girl (and many others in CR) does all she can to embrace and live out the culture that she sees on TV and in Hollywood. She wants white skin and blond hair and blue eyes and American music and food, etc. It is really sad that some cultures have been hidden or pushed aside by American culture- a culture that those of us who live in America frequently hate! (Sex, Hollywood, consumerism, obsession about being thin and beautiful, etc.)

Ready for this weekend. The days really tire me out here! Even just listening to Spanish all day makes me really tired.

I hope you are all well! I will write more later. :-) Much love.

cultural faux pas #1

2010-01-16T21:21:00.000-08:00

My life is awkward.

Gagggg. I think I committed a cultural faux pas tonight, and I don't know what to do about it! I feel nauseous thinking about it.

Ok- so this is what happened. I went with my mom to a baby shower- it was basically a family reunion with 30 or so family members. It went until about 11 pm, and was a combination of very fun/very overwhelming. Of course, 80 % of the time I did not really know what was going on- however, I participated as much as I could and actually had a good time. We played musical chairs, musical hats, lots of games... there was lots of screaming (in a good way) and laughing and craziness. They are very expressive in their culture and very affectionate/loud/excited about different things. Most of the time I just sat there and smiled, and when I could, participated. It was slightly overwhelming, especially towards the end, since I really can not understand much Spanish, and sometimes there would be several people at once trying to explain or tell me something. One thing that was really nice- the uncle whose house we were at came over to me and said, in English, "I would like to show you my garden." I went with him outside and he showed me all the plants and things in his garden. It really was beautiful and I expressed that as much as I could.

So, at the end of the night, it came time for us to leave and say goodbye to everyone... meaning 30 or so people. By this point I was starting to feel very exhausted (spending 4+ hours in a setting with complete strangers who speak another language can be really tiring!) I know basically none of them, but knew that I should still walk around and hug and kiss people goodbye. I am still a little bit unclear if the whole hugging and kissing thing is necessary between men and women. Between women it is totally normal, but I don't know about between women and men. A kiss on the cheek this is, but still. So I started walking around and most of the women immediately offer a hug and kiss. Some of the men offered a hug and kiss, and I did not feel too uncomfortable with it. HOWEVER, there was this one cousin or something who was probably 30 years old. Earlier during the night I caught him staring at me during dinner, and talking with his buddies at the same time. I felt somewhat uncomfortable with this, and did not want to give off any wrong impressions. So when I walked around to say goodbye, he said "Chao," but did not initiate a hug. I said "Chao" as well, smiled, and continued on my way. Immediately, he walked over to his mom or aunt, and I think... I think, told her that I didn't kiss him, and I think she said something across the room about me not kissing the cousin. She asked if I thought he was ugly! By this point it seemed to be too late to do anything... I was following my mom out the door and was not even really sure what was going on.

AHHHH. I don't know what to do. I didn't want to initiate a hug/kiss with him just in case that was inappropriate, but I think not doing it was a lot worse. I am already a very non-touch person, especially when it comes to men, but here that is different. I thought following his lead and not hugging would be ok, but apparently it wasn't.

Well. That was my night. I feel like a jerky, culturally insensitive, and a snobby American. HELP!

Love you all. :-)

la siesta

2010-01-16T13:11:00.001-08:00

Hello!

So we finished orientation week, and have a relaxing weekend with our families. Yesterday I got some of the details that were intentionally vague before about the program and what exactly I will be doing. Wow... this semester is going to be intense but hopefully really rewarding. After a month here, where we take language classes everyday and listen to speakers, we go to Nicaragua for about 10 days. No clue what goes on there. After that, we have spring break for four days, and then we break up into our concentrations. I am on the Latin American studies track, which means that for two weeks or so I will have regular class with 15 or so other students, and will then go for ONE MONTH by myself to a rural area of Costa Rica and live with a family. No gringos, no professors... just me and a family. I will either work on a farm or at an orphanage or some type of place like that. I am a little nervous about this month alone... I am mostly afraid that the rural area and too much alone/down time will make me feel lonely and homesick. But I know that it will be a good time just to press into the culture and learn more about rural life in Costa Rica. Then we come back, go to Cuba (hopefully, if the US sends the visas, which is not a definite...) and then come back home.

Wow. Anyway, this morning I went with my mom into town and went to a huge market outside to buy lots of fruits and vegetables. It was beautiful- tons of colors and people and smells and everything. We are now taking a siesta, and later I am off to a baby shower for my host cousin!

Lots of love.

Hannah

exhausted but happy after long day!

2010-01-14T20:23:00.001-08:00

Hello!

Today I woke up in my new home at 6:15 and got ready for a long but exciting day in San Jose, Costa Rica. First of all, I am living with the best family I could possibly ask for. They have a daughter who is 20 years old. The father is Chinese and the mother is Costa Rican. They have three older children, one of whom is marrying a former student on the program! Five years ago, this girl came to Costa Rica with my program to study- she spoke no Spanish, but met Chuck, my host brother. (She lived with another family but met him through friends of her host siblings.) They fell in love and are getting married this March! I really hope I am here for the wedding. Of course, my host sister now wants to get me a Costa Rican boyfriend- a Tiko, as they say. This makes me nervous. :-P

In the house I have my own room. The house is located within walking distance to our school, and about 20-30 minutes bus ride to San Jose. For the first month, I will be going to a language school- that is about 30 minutes outside of San Jose, so I will commute for about an hour each day to go there. Luckily there are other students who live in my area. It is crazy though relying on public transportation and my minimal knowledge of Spanish and the city. It is one thing to do that in San Francisco, but another thing to do it here! I am excited though- today my mom (my Costa Rican mom, but I call her Mama!) took me on the bus to San Jose. I think I know (I hope I know!) how to get there, and once I am there where to go, etc.

Today our group went on a walking tour of San Jose. I was brought back to the second day of my semester in San Francisco when we went on a walking tour of that city. Those two tours could not be more different, yet remind me of each other. We had to find things that will need during our semester- the ATM, bank, post office, pharmacy, phones, etc. We met one of our professors for coffee, and also had interviews with our Spanish instructors at the language school. I can not wait to start the intensive Spanish training on Monday- first of all, the location of the language school is absolutely beautiful. It is in this beautiful building with stone floors and a beautiful garden in the center. Also, the teachers are very nice and the classes only have four or five students in them. I think the classes are 4 hours a day for the first month! Woohoo!

A funny thing that happened today- the three people in my group were eating ice cream in the Cultural Plaza and this guy approached us. I expected this, since we completely stand out as Americans, and it would not be uncommon for men to do this. However, this man just wanted to talk about culture and politics and Obama and many different things. The funniest part of the whole encounter though was his comment that I do not look like an American- I look like a Tika (a Costa Rican!) The two girls with me had blond hair and blue eyes, which may have seemed more American to him, but he told me that I did not seem American. He kept asking whether my parents were gringos... am I sure they are gringos? There must be a mistake! Or maybe "el lechero"- the milkman- is my true papa and lives in Latin America! Ah! So funny. (Sorry Mom and Dad... yes. He did say that.) However, I think my lack of much Spanish ability made it clear that no, I am not a Tika... I am indeed an American.

I really really love living with a family. That was my biggest fear, but it has been so wonderful so far. I do not feel awkward around them at all, even though they have to repeat everything they say a few times to me. I help my mom with preparing the dinner and cleaning up afterwards, and tonight my sister, mom, and I played a card game together. Imagine explaining the rules of a card game in broken Spanish to a silly gringo. Yes. That is what happened. But in the end we could play the game without much difficulty. I also have a host nephew... he is 3 years old, and the cutest boy in the world. His name is Diego, and he comes over to the house everyday while his parents go to work. Diego and I speak at almost the same level. :-) My host sister is amazing- quiet but so kind and patient. It is funny to me that I actually feel less alone and more comfortable when I am with my host family than the other Americans- I do not know why, but so far when I am with the other American students, I feel pretty out of place and homesick. But when I am with my family I feel like I could live here forever. This is a good thing, because the program really emphasizes relationships with the family above the other students.

Well, I love you all and miss you. I hope that you are doing well. Also, please pray for Haiti and my dear friend Keziah. She is a missionary nurse there... she survived the earthquake, and is now helping hundreds of people in need. Pray for strength and assistance for her- she is running on little sleep and few supplies. Please pray for her and Haiti- that is a situation and place very close to my heart.

Hola de San Jose!

2010-01-13T16:03:00.000-08:00

Hello friends!

I am finally in San Jose with my host family- I have a sister who is 20 years old and two parents. All is going very well so far- I have unpacked all of my things in my room and have had some broken conversations in Spanish with my host family. They are very patient and gracious, which is a huge blessing since they have to repeat almost everything they say to me! But I think I will really enjoy living with them. I am already going to a baby shower this weekend with my mom, and going with them to their Catholic church as well.

Last night we stayed at a retreat center in San Jose and got to know the other members of the group. There are 33 people here altogether from all over the US. No one else is from Gordon- in fact, most of them had never even heard of Gordon! Most of them go to school in the South or Midwest.

This whole week is orientation, so tomorrow we are going around San Jose in small groups finding various things and getting acquainted with the city. Then we have a language placement type thing, and more time with our families!

One of my fears right now is feeling lonely, which is inevitable, pretty much anytime throughout your life, but feels like it could be especially difficult here. Pray that I stay strong during those times when it is tempting and easy just to cry, because I can totally see that happening! Haha. Even when I am on vacation in a foreign place there are times when I just want to break down because I feel out of my comfort zone. Anyway.

Westmont friends- I met Anthony! It is funny reminiscing about everyone from Westmont that we mutually know. :-)

Ok- I love you all! My prayers and thoughts are with you.

Today!

2010-01-12T03:17:00.000-08:00

It is 6:20 in the morning, and I am heading to the airport in 10 minutes? I can't believe it. Of course I barely slept last night... there were so many last minute thing to do, and then once I got into bed, I was wide awake. So I probably slept for four hours max.

I can't believe that tonight I will be arriving in San Jose, meeting lots of other anxious but excited students, and beginning the first night of our journey. I want to enjoy every minute of it, even though right now I am very tired, and very worried about the little details.

Say a prayer for me!

Much love,
Hannah

Blooming

2010-01-10T15:37:00.000-08:00

A quick word about my blog title- last year, my roomie was the RA on our floor, and the theme was "bloom where you are planted." I just love that idea... it really encouraged me to "be here now," as they say on La Vida, and embrace the moment at hand. That is one of my goals in Costa Rica, and for the rest of my life- to really embrace the moment I am in at that very time. Whenever something ends, like a semester or a summer at Chop Point or a great trip, I always regret not having relished every moment. I think back on the times that I was frustrated or negative, and wish that I had realized that I would remember that time, and those moments, for the rest of my life. Do you know what I mean? So when I was in San Francisco, I really made it a point to pause in my day and just say to myself, "I am loving this moment that I am in right now... I am not thinking about the past or feeling anxious about the future- I am simply living in the moment I am in right now." And it really did help me to live in the moment. And... when the semester ended, I knew that I really did try to live each moment along the way. So while it is so sad for things to end (I still really miss San Francisco and the people I met there...) I know that I embraced the time I had.

That being said, I know that God is bringing me to Costa Rica for a reason. And I will "bloom where I am planted..." I will bloom in Costa Rica. Make my roots there, and really delight in everything God has to offer there.

Anyway... things are coming along. I spent four hours shopping this afternoon, and think I have everything I could possibly need. And I have started saying my goodbyes... :-( But in 48 hours, I will be landing in San Jose, Costa Rica, ready to begin the next chapter of my life!

Kansas City

2010-01-08T15:17:00.001-08:00

So I am in sitting in the Kansas City airport, looking out on a very snowy runway, wondering how I am all of the sudden at the end of my break, and about the begin the next chapter of my life. But first... my week in Kansas City!

Well, one of the sweetest girls I know happens to live in Kansas City, MO. I never thought before I started college that Kansas City would be on my destination list. But... this is my second trip here, and I absolutely love it. Pretty much I went during the coldest and snowiest week. At night, the wind chill was around -15, and during the day it reached a warm 9 degrees. :-) But that's ok, because Lacy and I spent the week sleeping in, chatting all day long, drinking coffee, making banana pancakes, watching movies, and even managed to squeeze in a trip to a yoga class and the movies one night. So it was a wonderful week in Kansas City and a perfect way to end my break and get ready for next semester.

Right now, I am most worried about living with a host family and not knowing enough Spanish. I really, really desire to learn Spanish, and will invest as much as I can into learning it, but I guess I am worried about that awkward stage where you are still a toddler when it comes to speaking.

I am also always apprehensive about transitioning. I have done a lot of transitioning in the past few years, and while it does keep things new and fresh and exciting, it also comes with sadness of leaving an old place and old friends behind. So I miss San Francisco, Gordon, Chop Point, and all the wonderful people I have met there, but I know that this next chapter of my life has just as much in store. :-)

2010-01-07T11:29:00.001-08:00

:-)