Me with Ale and Dakota. Don't you just love the artwork in the background?
Jess Lowman and Emily enjoying their meal
Mmmmm flan :)Friday, July 30, 2010
Cafe Mundo
Me with Ale and Dakota. Don't you just love the artwork in the background? Jess Lowman and Emily enjoying their meal Mmmmm flan :)
Cooking Class
My prof showing other girls how to make pineapple empanadas.
I was so excited that we got to help a bit :)
You have to use the appropriate technique...which is difficult (for some of us cooking challenged people) to learn in a foreign language. Lol
Proof that I did something in this class. Dakota and I diced potatoes for the picadillo.
When my host mom makes picadillo, it's just like chopped, cooked veggies. But in class, it was like an awesome variation of hamburger helper (which I much prefered). Sadly, cooking classes are done :( I can't wait to try out my new recipes at home, though!!Museo de Oro
These pics coincide w/ the post regarding Thurs 7/22
The Gold Museum has things other than just gold... In fact, it has everything regarding the Precolombian History up to present history, regarding the native people and way of life. So they have artifacts that coincide with all aspects of life - for instance, these lovely ceramics that Katie Vannah White Zapel is showing off.
The Gold Museum has things other than just gold... In fact, it has everything regarding the Precolombian History up to present history, regarding the native people and way of life. So they have artifacts that coincide with all aspects of life - for instance, these lovely ceramics that Katie Vannah White Zapel is showing off.
This little woman represents power. So I appreciated that. Though I'm not sure I'd want someone to make a replica of me in this form...
We were so excited to find something in the museum that we could TOUCH! This is an example of their goldwork, though I'm assuming it's a replica.
I'm a big fan of dioramas - can't you tell? This scene made me think of Night at the Musuem. Anyone read the book? Do you recommend it?? Or should I just stick w/ the movie?
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Volunteering...
On Mondays, we volunteer at a day care thath is run by a/the Church (big surprise, there, right??). We found out about it because there was a sign to volunteer here at the U, but it was for "save the planet/hug trees" kind of stuff. They decided that they weren't going to have one fo those programs this summer, but instead, Luis - who does everything, literally; he's the tour guide/planner/director/go to man if you have questions. Anyway, Luis also started an outreach program through his church with 4 other men who work at Veritas. They recruit and send volunteers to like 10 different places to help out w/ various things. For example, there's a men's shelter, a youth/teenager's shelter, the daycare, a place for women, a drug rehab place, etc... So a group of us AIFS girls decided to sign up.
Anyway, we go on Mondays to volunteer. The first visit was a bit tough to swallow for me. It was somewhat ovewhelming. I mean, things could have been so much worse...but they were def not up to "American standards" of hygiene and cleanliness. I'm not sure if you want details or not...
But the 2nd trip was much better. I really enjoyed myself. Which is unusual because I was with children. We took pictures, colored, played games. And then I met up with one of the girls I had been w/ the 1st day - that was the best part. She was so excited that I remembered her name and she came over and hugged me and laid her head on me. It was so sweet. Pictures to follow. Now, back to clase! :/
Anyway, we go on Mondays to volunteer. The first visit was a bit tough to swallow for me. It was somewhat ovewhelming. I mean, things could have been so much worse...but they were def not up to "American standards" of hygiene and cleanliness. I'm not sure if you want details or not...
But the 2nd trip was much better. I really enjoyed myself. Which is unusual because I was with children. We took pictures, colored, played games. And then I met up with one of the girls I had been w/ the 1st day - that was the best part. She was so excited that I remembered her name and she came over and hugged me and laid her head on me. It was so sweet. Pictures to follow. Now, back to clase! :/
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
This past weekend
Well, on Saturday, we (7 ppl from my AIFS group) went to Isla Tortuga - Turtle Island, where I thought we were going to see turtles. Silly me, there aren't any turtles to be found. In fact, the island got it's name because it is SHAPED LIKE a turtle. Which is also very cool. It took us a 2 hour bus ride followed by a 2 hour boat ride (we left at 6 am) to get there to spend 5 hours on the island and then another 2 1/2 hour boat ride and 2 1/2 hour bus ride home. So it was a LOOOONNNNNGGG day, to say the least. But it was VERY VERY fun! The bus was nice and comfy, so I napped. And the boat was good because we sat outside, so I didn't get sick. I looked like a moron because I had to protect myself from the sun via any means possible (I still got a little burnt on the top of my legs...), but the ride was enjoyable. O, and we had to combat a fleet of wasps - which wasn't so fun. Emily was our resident "bee killer" so she kept us safe. I really think she managed to kill a whole hive one wasp at a time. We took a video of the craziness and carnage. I'm sure it'll be quite hilarious to watch!
This island is a huge tourist destination, but it's still relatively untouched. There was 1 tourist shop, 1 restaurant, and 1 set of bathrooms - all owned by the tour company who took us there. Other than that, it's natural. I LOVED IT!! Anybody want to help me buy an island retreat? Lol. But it was just so peaceful and beautiful. We wanted to go snorkeling, but the timing didn't work out; I didn't really feel let down, tho, because the water wasn't all that clear. But it was a nice beach with lots of coral, rocks, and shells to be found. And the water was "persuasive" - our word of the day because it wasn't aggressive, but it wasn't still either. It was rather enjoyable and relaxing. We went kayaking, too. So, my 1st kayaking experience was IN THE OCEAN IN COSTA RICA. Not too shabby. I kept up w/ the other girls, tho, so I was proud even tho I discovered that I truly have no upper body strength (or coordination - thank you soccer). I def want to try kayaking again at home (preferably not in the ocean).
Sunday, we once again rose at an un-Godly hour (if the sun's not up, I shouldn't be either) to go to the beach. O, la playa, the things I do for you. We took an 1 1/2 bus ride to Jaco (pronounced "Ha-co") and then spent the day being fried. Literally. It was HOT HOT HOT. My FEET are sunburnt. The rest of me is fine. But my feet and legs, not so good... It was fun tho becuase this beach reminded us of Jersey (2 girls are from Jersey, and that's where I always go to the beach). The beach was a bit gritty and rocky and the ocean/waves were very aggressive. There was no wading. There was being pummeled, however. Who knew we could find a bit of home in CR?
It turned out to be a very hot, sunny, sandy, salty, and wonderful weekend. Yay for independent traveling!
This island is a huge tourist destination, but it's still relatively untouched. There was 1 tourist shop, 1 restaurant, and 1 set of bathrooms - all owned by the tour company who took us there. Other than that, it's natural. I LOVED IT!! Anybody want to help me buy an island retreat? Lol. But it was just so peaceful and beautiful. We wanted to go snorkeling, but the timing didn't work out; I didn't really feel let down, tho, because the water wasn't all that clear. But it was a nice beach with lots of coral, rocks, and shells to be found. And the water was "persuasive" - our word of the day because it wasn't aggressive, but it wasn't still either. It was rather enjoyable and relaxing. We went kayaking, too. So, my 1st kayaking experience was IN THE OCEAN IN COSTA RICA. Not too shabby. I kept up w/ the other girls, tho, so I was proud even tho I discovered that I truly have no upper body strength (or coordination - thank you soccer). I def want to try kayaking again at home (preferably not in the ocean).
Sunday, we once again rose at an un-Godly hour (if the sun's not up, I shouldn't be either) to go to the beach. O, la playa, the things I do for you. We took an 1 1/2 bus ride to Jaco (pronounced "Ha-co") and then spent the day being fried. Literally. It was HOT HOT HOT. My FEET are sunburnt. The rest of me is fine. But my feet and legs, not so good... It was fun tho becuase this beach reminded us of Jersey (2 girls are from Jersey, and that's where I always go to the beach). The beach was a bit gritty and rocky and the ocean/waves were very aggressive. There was no wading. There was being pummeled, however. Who knew we could find a bit of home in CR?
It turned out to be a very hot, sunny, sandy, salty, and wonderful weekend. Yay for independent traveling!
Friday, July 23, 2010
Thurs. 7/22 (and a bit of today, too)
OMG, yesterday was such a good day. I mean, I didn't get to go into the forest to plant trees, but it was still splendid. I love being busy here in CR! We actually had class class in the morning - which was such a bummer after 2 days of field trips. Then, Emily (a classmate who is also in AIFS - I think I write about her a lot) worked on our presentation for today that was about our visit to the Gold Museum [the field trip on Tues] (it went quite well, in case you were wondering. It was the first time I've ever had to do a legitimate presentation in Spanish. The purpose was to learn about CR culture firsthand and then share w/ our class. It's what we've been talking about all day - culture, that is - so I've been a happy camper. I think I've been dominating the conversation. This is definitely my forte - much more than volunteering w/ little kids, which is what some girls from my group are doing on Mon afternoons. It's awesome, tho, because I can share my Ecuador Experiences with my classmates and use this [plus what I've learned in my classes - it makes me the "go to girl" whenever anyone in our program has a question about anything here in CR, really] to better relate to what my prof is teaching. So I love it. I mean, I chose to study this at home because I enjoy it). But anyway, back to YESTERDAY first...
Afterwards, we had our cooking class. Not sure if I explained, so really quickly: we don't actually get to cook, but we sit there and this woman teaches us how to cook (in Spanish, of course), and we get the recipe (also in Spanish), and then we get to eat it at the end. So I'm sure you can tell what my fav part of this class is...But we made pineapple empanadas! Yummmmm. I had like 4 of them...Whoops! I'm def going to have to walk a ton w/ Stryder when I get home!!! But it was neat because you use the same "dough" to make any kind of empanada (fruit, meat, cheese), so I feel empowered. Lol. I am for sure having a CR cooking fest when I get home. Y'all are invited (you can come help me cook, too). ;)
Then, Ale and I went exploring again. Thursdays are our days to explore because I don't get out of cooking until 3 and many things close at 4, so we just pick an area and wander to see what's open and interesting. This time, Jess Lowman (we have 3 Jessica's on the trip) went with us, too. (She's from Ohio, so she understands/knows a lot about our area). We went to the cultural centers (Mexico, North America, and England), which turned out to be like mini consulates that teach English as private tutors. It was interesting. We went into a couple stores to see what they were like.
Then, a bunch of people from my class and AIFS went out to dinner at Cafe Mundo. I think I mentioned that place before. That was really fun to get a bunch of us together for a "nice" dinner of our choosing. I don't really even do that at home...
After dinner, we went to Castro's a discoteca/salsa club/bar. We DANCED AND DANCED AND DANCED and had a fabulous time. It was the first time we've gone out in CR that I didnt want to go home. We just had that much fun. AND I danced with a Tico boy!!! Sorry Doug. 2 guys came over and asked some classmates to dance, but the 1 girl didn't want to, so the 1st guy asked another girl and the 2nd guy just grabbed my hand and started dancing. I mean, it's dancing, so I didn't object. The order of events was quite funny to me, though. After not asking me to dance, his only question was, "Are you a student at Veritas?" (This whole convo was in Spanish, but it's just easier for those of you who wouldn't understand). Then, a minute or 2 later, when he realized that I actually COULD dance, he started trying slightly more complex moves and asked, "Would you rather dance salsa or merengue?" I told him that it didn't matter since I didn't really know how to do either. He said it was fine and I was doing alright. Then, another minute or 2 later, he finally asked, "What's your name?" but didn't offer his. It was Jorge, btw. Which I found hilarious because that's waht I usually name everything (good thing Ernesto was unique). But we danced for maybe 7 minutes (1 song, but it was a long, discoteca dance-y song). I had a blast! In Ecuador, the only local I ever danced with was my host brother, so this was for sure a very exciting experience for me.
As you can see, it was a very full, but very fun day. Yay!!! :)
Afterwards, we had our cooking class. Not sure if I explained, so really quickly: we don't actually get to cook, but we sit there and this woman teaches us how to cook (in Spanish, of course), and we get the recipe (also in Spanish), and then we get to eat it at the end. So I'm sure you can tell what my fav part of this class is...But we made pineapple empanadas! Yummmmm. I had like 4 of them...Whoops! I'm def going to have to walk a ton w/ Stryder when I get home!!! But it was neat because you use the same "dough" to make any kind of empanada (fruit, meat, cheese), so I feel empowered. Lol. I am for sure having a CR cooking fest when I get home. Y'all are invited (you can come help me cook, too). ;)
Then, Ale and I went exploring again. Thursdays are our days to explore because I don't get out of cooking until 3 and many things close at 4, so we just pick an area and wander to see what's open and interesting. This time, Jess Lowman (we have 3 Jessica's on the trip) went with us, too. (She's from Ohio, so she understands/knows a lot about our area). We went to the cultural centers (Mexico, North America, and England), which turned out to be like mini consulates that teach English as private tutors. It was interesting. We went into a couple stores to see what they were like.
Then, a bunch of people from my class and AIFS went out to dinner at Cafe Mundo. I think I mentioned that place before. That was really fun to get a bunch of us together for a "nice" dinner of our choosing. I don't really even do that at home...
After dinner, we went to Castro's a discoteca/salsa club/bar. We DANCED AND DANCED AND DANCED and had a fabulous time. It was the first time we've gone out in CR that I didnt want to go home. We just had that much fun. AND I danced with a Tico boy!!! Sorry Doug. 2 guys came over and asked some classmates to dance, but the 1 girl didn't want to, so the 1st guy asked another girl and the 2nd guy just grabbed my hand and started dancing. I mean, it's dancing, so I didn't object. The order of events was quite funny to me, though. After not asking me to dance, his only question was, "Are you a student at Veritas?" (This whole convo was in Spanish, but it's just easier for those of you who wouldn't understand). Then, a minute or 2 later, when he realized that I actually COULD dance, he started trying slightly more complex moves and asked, "Would you rather dance salsa or merengue?" I told him that it didn't matter since I didn't really know how to do either. He said it was fine and I was doing alright. Then, another minute or 2 later, he finally asked, "What's your name?" but didn't offer his. It was Jorge, btw. Which I found hilarious because that's waht I usually name everything (good thing Ernesto was unique). But we danced for maybe 7 minutes (1 song, but it was a long, discoteca dance-y song). I had a blast! In Ecuador, the only local I ever danced with was my host brother, so this was for sure a very exciting experience for me.
As you can see, it was a very full, but very fun day. Yay!!! :)
Pics from Tues & Wed
In Los Juncos Cloud Forest, helping to reforest this secondary forest. How exciting!
Me under a "poor man's umbrella" (sombrilla pobre) plant. That is their name in Spanish! Love it. And yes, they are actually that big.
Emily planting Leila right next to Ernesto
Taking care of my little Ernesto. He's going to grow tall and strong and straight and be bilingual and make his momma proud.
Here's my little fellow before I put him in the earth to grow. I spoke in English and Spanish to him so he'll be big and strong (moms talk to their babies in the womb so they'll grow well, and he's my baby, so...)
This is the crazy hippie lady at the raggae night. She supposedly has a facebook page (which I have yet to search for/ find) titled, "la doñita que baile en los conciertos"/the woman who dances at the concerts. Absolutely crazy...
Me under a "poor man's umbrella" (sombrilla pobre) plant. That is their name in Spanish! Love it. And yes, they are actually that big.
Emily planting Leila right next to Ernesto
Taking care of my little Ernesto. He's going to grow tall and strong and straight and be bilingual and make his momma proud. 
Here's my little fellow before I put him in the earth to grow. I spoke in English and Spanish to him so he'll be big and strong (moms talk to their babies in the womb so they'll grow well, and he's my baby, so...)
This is the crazy hippie lady at the raggae night. She supposedly has a facebook page (which I have yet to search for/ find) titled, "la doñita que baile en los conciertos"/the woman who dances at the concerts. Absolutely crazy...Good week, tho!
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