A Year in Review

My year in numbers:

Swim Suits: 4

Dresses worn through: 5

Times the river peaked: 3

Times I have been called “Teacher”:  Tens of Thousands

Students taught: 60

Grades Taught: 7

Songs learned in class (by kids): 11

Chapters covered: 12

Hours in Classroom: 1035

Trips to America Made: 3

Trips to San Jose: 15

Trips to Manuel Antonio: 11

Beaches visited: 7

iPod’s stolen: 2

Books Read: 27 (Best- Then We Came To The End by Joshua Ferris)

River Rafting trips: 1

Spanish learned: Bastante

Besitos received: 1000’s

Shoes worn through: 4

Mosquitoes killed: 100+

Soccer Games Played: 5

Soccer games won: 2

Farthest walk: To Cajon and back (6 miles)

Greatest Photo Op: Scarlet Macaws on the Highway or Toucans outside of my classroom. 

Phone cards used: 40

Number of crying fits in El Vergel: 2

Number of Crying fits in Costa Rica: 6

Number of meals that included Rice and Beans: 600

Recipe’s learned: 3

Inappropriate Propositions received: 64

Visitors Received: 4

Blogs Written:

Most expensive beer: $3.00

Number of times I wore Pants instead of dresses to school: 16

Favorite Person From the Year:  Kristi Girdharry of course

Greatest Achievement: My Relationship with my Second Graders or just how much my 1^st graders have learned.

Favorite Novella:  La Hija Del Mariachi

Most Watched DVD:  Arrested Development Seasons 1&2

Favorite afternoon Snack: Diquis Sandwich and a Strawberry Smoothie

Best Place to Dance:  Barba Roja, Manuel Antonio

Best Weekend Trip: Manuel Antonio

Best Place to watch for Gringos:  Tortilla Flats, Dominical

Best Place to Relax: Puerto Jimenez

Favorite Snack at the Pulperia: Plantain Chips with Chili, Lime and Salt

Best Ceviche and Patacones:  Puerto Jimenez

Anthem:  I Was Just Thinking by Teitur, Split Screen Sadness by John Mayer, More Adventurous by Rilo Kiley or Dimelo by Enrique Iglesias

Jars of Peanut Butter eaten: 5

Boxes of Cheez-its consumed: 9

Most Costa Rican Moment: Going to a Barbeque on the beach with the other teachers and coming home with a plastic bag full of uncooked pork; which I later ate for dinner, with Rice and Beans. 

Favorite Travel Partner: Mikki Jean Burzon

 

So that’s it.  That’s my year in review.  It’s been sweet.  Thanks for reading and for keeping me in mind.  I’ll be blogging from Chile starting in February, which may or may not be more interesting than the past year. 

I’m anxious about going back to the states.  The adjustment will be strange no doubt.  My biggest challenge is going to be describing the past year in 100 words or less.  If given the chance to repeat this year, I wouldn’t even consider it, however, with that said, I think it’s important to say that I wouldn’t trade the experiences I have had here for anything.  2008 has been an unusual year for me.  It’s almost as if it doesn’t exist.  You see, I was so separated from the rest of America, that I only had bits and pieces of the year.  No Awards shows, no Top 40 songs, no Olympics and only a blip to represent the election, whereas in the States, it was the ONLY news.  2007 seemed jam-packed with the Marathon, Graduation, moves, trips around the world and my friends. This year seems as if it was a figment of my imagination: a couple of trips to the beach, more rice and beans than I care to see in a lifetime and a few hours in the classroom.  That’s it, and it isn’t much, but it’s the most unusual year of my life to be sure.

Thanks for Reading.  Stay tuned in 2009 for more tales of Fast Times and Rad Adventures from Santiago, Chile.  Love Always.  

Radford

I'm makin a list, checkin it twice.

Today is November 18, 2008.  I am ready to come home.  I have had it up to here with Costa Rican food.  Today for lunch I had rice and beans and hard-boiled egg.  I had to come home for a snack of Special K just to get me through the day.  On the other hand, I am done teaching.  I have given the vast majority of my exams and the kids are running free—so to speak.  Today my first grade class got cancelled, which is always a relief.  I was supposed to make up an exam for my fourth graders, but I kind of forgot.  And by kind of, I mean I just didn’t want to.  Luckily, I only have 27 days left.  I don’t know how that happened exactly.  My kids think that it’s terrible that I am going home so soon, but I think that by February, they will have forgotten all about me.  I am not entirely sure that I have been a positive influence on them, but I don’t know that it is going to last. 

Last night there was an earthquake!  I didn’t even realize that Costa Rica was susceptible to earth quakes, but last night I woke up at midnight to my bed shaking—well it was more rolling but, you know the feeling.  It was apparently a 6.2!  My host sister Melissa says that the epicenter was in Panama but I don’t really believe her.  She just talks a lot. I don’t think that there is a lot of validity to it, but you know, she's only nine.  No aftershocks to speak of.  During the earthquake, I thought about getting up to hide under something, but then decided against it and just covered up my head. 

I read One Mississippi this weekend.  It was tragic.  But it was also humorous and smart.  I really didn’t see the ending coming.  There was a paragraph towards the end that is actually haunting me.  Every time I think about it I get chills.  It’s strange, when I finish a really good book, I often feel the need to hug it, as if I’m hugging the characters inside instead of just a bunch of bound pages.  It’s weird, I get that, but I can’t help it.  You know how Holden Caufield said that there are certain authors who you read and then feel like you know?  That even after you finish the book you wish you could call up the author?  I don’t get that way about authors, but I certainly get attached to the characters. 

My list of things to do when I get home is getting longer.

1. Meet Me in St. Louis with Katie Perkins (also baking cookies)
2. In-N-Out
3. South Coast with Alison
4. See the Christmas Lights in Naples
5. Really Decent Mexican Food—Chips and Guacamole, fajitas, tacos, who cares, so long as there’s flavor. 
6. Pick up Reid at the Airport
7. See Adam’s dorm room
8. Seven Grand
9. CELL PHONE
10. Taix for French Food
11. Cobras and Matadors
12. Them Terribles concert
13. Gossip Girls Marathon (as well as all other Television I have missed this year.)

So friends and family, the countdown is underway and I am taking requests of things to bring back to the Estados Unidos.  Much Love. Pura Vida.

Parent Teacher Conference

You may not believe the following story, but I swear that it all happened this afternoon. 

As so often happens, I was informed, on Wednesday, that there was a meeting with the parents of the school after classes finished.  I was supposed to go to town to make copies of exams, but I just assumed that the meeting would end after an hour or two and I would go to town later.  I didn’t have anything to contribute, but in case the parents had questions about grades or exams, I wanted to be able to answer them. 

Sure enough, the meeting didn’t start until 40 minutes after it was supposed to.  Everything was going along well until a certain mother, snapped at my host mom.  She argued that her son was being treated unfairly and that it was somehow the fault of my director, who coincidentally does not ever teach him.  The woman only moved down here a few months ago and her youngest son got kicked out his first week for fighting.  I don’t think that she’s a particularly good role model for any of her children, but I don’t see them at home, so I can’t really say. 

A lot more accusations started to circle the room.  Voices rose and people started taking sides.  Then, before I knew it, my host mom was choking back the tears.  I was pretty upset, but my Spanish still isn’t good enough to debate the way I would like.  Luckily, some of the mothers in the community came to her aid and made it clear to this “new” mother, that my host Mom goes above and beyond the call of duty for these kids. 

It was at this point, my host mom invited all of the parents present to come and teach for a day. To see what she deals with and to see how little respect the children have for all of the teachers at the school.  I chimed in and said that the kids have no respect for  each other, no respect for us and no respect for animals.  This brought up a sensitive issue because one day some of the kids had found a birds nest with two baby birds and had run around with the babies and the nest, sending the mother bird and the babies into a frenzy. 

Then after we got off of that subject, a little girl named Patricia, who should still be in elementary school but isn’t, was accused of doing stealing paper and calling one of the kindergartener’s dads a cranky old man.  Both the cranky old man, Patricia and Patricia’s mother were there, which led to another yelling match. 

Suddenly, from the corner, came a crash and my student’s VERY pregnant mother went into a seizure.  I was sure that she was going into labor except that she was shaking.  (The woman has looked ready to pop since August, to be perfectly honest: every time I see her still pregnant I’m surprised.)  Her 3^rd grade daughter started crying in the corner while the woman’s sister and Mother-in-law (both parents at the school) tried to bring her back.  The seizure stopped but she was still unconscious.  However, the most amazing thing is that, after the seizure stopped, the meeting carried on as if nothing was happening in the corner.

If it was up to me, I would have send someone to call for an ambulance immediately, but as we remember, there is no cell phone service and the phones haven’t been installed yet.  So after the woman had been unconscious for about 15 minutes, it was finally decided that she needed to be taken to a hospital.  Of course, no one had a car and we couldn’t call an ambulance, so 3 of the town fathers had to carry her up to the highway, where they had to flag a truck to take the woman into town.  She is still in the hospital, but I am under the impression that she is okay now. 

I had to remind myself that I was in a Parents meeting in Costa Rica as opposed to an episode of the Jerry Springer show.  It was a scary and unforgettable afternoon, but I’m very glad it’s over.  The parents seemed concerned that I was leaving before graduation and several have invited me over for birthdays, special dinners, coffee and most surprisingly, whiskey.  I can’t believe I’ll be home in a month. 

I went to Buenos Aires (a city just north of me) on Tuesday and ran into Mikki Jean on the bus.  We spent most of the afternoon making copies, sending mail and waiting in lines.  It was a pretty splendid afternoon.  She inspired me to make Rice Krispies treats with my family and we have decided to have a barbeque with our families before we go. 

The Rice Krispies treats were a huge hit.  I am going to make them again in a couple of days.  I think I’ll make macaroni and cheese next, but I kind of want to make Tacos.  I feel like that would be a fun thing for my family.  They always ask me what typical American food is and I never have a real answer for them.  That’s as close to real Californian food as one will get. 

In other news, I have confirmed for the World Teach Chile Program next year.  It seems like the right thing for me to do.  I can’t think of anything else I’d rather do.  It’s only a 9-month program, so I won’t leave until some time in March.  I’m probably going to be placed in Santiago because that’s where most of the other volunteers are.  To the best of my understanding, I’ll probably lead a couple of the orientation meetings for the group, which should be an interesting experience, considering I’ve been teaching to Children and will now have to teach a group of my peers.  (Yikes.)

I’m very afraid of the cold, but I’m sure I’ll adapt somehow.  Luckily, mail and phones both work in Chile.  Now that’s my idea of a developing nation.  All this really means for you is that we have to cram in our time together. 

If you didn’t come to see me in Costa Rica, you are going to be highly pressured to visit me in Chile.  Sure, it’s not the jungle, but I’m sure we’ll find something worthwhile to keep ourselves entertained.   That’s all for now.  See you in a month.  

Flaming Liberals and Eternal Hope

On Happiness

Today, my hope has been renewed.  I am proud to be an American.  Today, I believe that change will come.  Today, I believe that anything is possible.  Today, I believe that Americans care about the Constitution and their rights as citizens.  I know that it’s naïve to put such faith into a politician, but don’t rain on my parade just yet. 

Last night, as I sat in my living room alone watching CNN, I was less anxious than I had been four years ago.  I knew that even if McCain were elected, he couldn’t possibly be as awful as Bush.  I watched the Electoral votes tally up as polling sites closed across the nation and found myself hoping against hope that it would happen; that Barack Obama would win. As the clock ticked down to 10 PM, I waited for the America map to turn Blue.

I remember being in Germany when I was 16 and going out to lunch with some other kids in my group.  Somehow, the conversation turned to politics and whether or not America would ever have a president of a so-called minority.  One kid, named Axel from Chicago, turned to me and said, “There will be a gay president and a woman before there is a black president.  Sorry.”  He wasn’t particularly apologetic, but I thought that he was right.  It was a matter of fact.  It’s not as if there were any particularly strong Black candidates.  I didn’t want to agree with him but I did.  I accepted it as true.  But then, last night, to my great surprise and joy, Barack Obama proved me wrong. 

And I wept. 

I was glad that my host family had all gone to bed, because they couldn’t have known how important it was.  It’s not just that he’s a half-rican.  It’s not just that his father was Kenyan and that he in turn was the son of immigrants at a time when it is so important that our country was established as a haven for immigrants.  It’s more.  It’s the civil rights movement.  It’s been the uniting of my generation.  It’s the fact that we can do anything and that odds don’t matter anymore. 

I am astonished that Barack Obama was able to win Virginia and Ohio.  I am amazed by the campaign that started so long ago, I struggle to remember a time before hand.  I believe that America is back on the upswing.  I know that the stock market opened down this morning, but that in the long run, we can rebuild and regain some of our former standing in the rest of the world.  It’s almost enough to convince me to move back to America, but I can do more help abroad than I can at home. 

So, there you have it.  Remember Remember the fourth of November and change the world as you can.  I'm sure that some day I'll vote republican, but today, I am young, optimistic and ecstatic to be a liberal and possibly self-righteous American citizen.  

 

A Note on Fairies, The glittery kind.

I’m a little confused as to how Disney decided to make an entire movie about Tinkerbell.  Tinkerbell has always been one of my least favorite characters, if not the absolute bottom of the list and now, there is a major motion picture dedicated to her, story.  Do we not remember how horrible Tink was to Wendy?  I specifically remember being six years old and thinking to myself, “Why does Peter Pan hang out with Tink?  She’s mean and jealous, he should know better.”  Apparently, we all should. 

How is it possible to celebrate such a mean little fairy?  The girls here are going bananas and are offering me bribes in exchange for copies of the new Tinkerbell movie.  I have told them that they are out of luck.  My real question is this:  How is it possible that adults, could want to be a part of a project that glorifies a mean, selfish and inconsiderate fairy, who has already been in two movies and is the face of the magical world of Disney?  I just don’t get it. 

I also find it very interesting that Michael Bay, the director of The Day After Tomorrow, also directed Transformers.  One film exaggerates the dangers of global warming, while the other had a million dollars of prototype cars and trucks: none of which, were hybrids.  

To the US and back in a New York Minute

Yes, it’s true, I went to the United States last weekend.  If we were not in contact, I apologize profusely, but I didn’t have a phone and so I was limited in my communication.  It’s not that I didn’t want to talk to you, it’s that I ran out of time. 

I arrived on Thursday at midnight and passed through JFK without any trouble.  Then I hailed a Taxi and headed to my new home away from home on Bleecker Street.  Which is really just Chris Anderson’s apartment.  He met me on the street, took me up into his new Studio and I unloaded my things.  I had assumed that I would be too tired to think at 1 AM, but I found that I was strangely recharged at the sight of my dear friend.  He sensed my eagerness to explore the city and took me out.  We went for a drink and I helped myself to a Jameson and Cranberry, which I had been craving for some time now.  (A girl can only take so much cheap Costa Rican Beer.)  We went dancing and stayed out much too late, but what good is sleep in Manhattan?

The next day was spent roaming New York.  Coffee for breakfast, a leisurely stroll around the city and a detour for a haircut.  Then to Balthazaar for lunch and out to JFK airport to pick up the one and only Nancy Jane Lathan at the airport. 

Mama Lathan and I made the drive up to Gun Wavin’ New Haven in about 2 hours, where we met Auntie Carolyn, Reid and his roommate Sean.  We spent another couple of hours trying to decide what we wanted to eat for dinner, at which point we were all ready to kill each other.  Luckily, Reid kept his cool and suggested his favorite local pizza place, which shut us up quickly.  Nothing can dilute a Lathan fight like a good meal. 

After dinner, I went back to Reid’s dorm, which is muy tuanis (very cool).  I have to admit, I was a little jealous that his room is bigger than mine was Senior year.  Some kids get all the luck.  Reid and I stayed in and I tried to catch up on episodes of The Office.  (The Office coincidentally is back to its Season 2 glory if I may say so.  I was a particular fan of the part filmed on my old Pardee Tower floor in Episode one.)  The next morning I tried to catch up on Heroes, but ran out of time as I had to hurry to breakfast and the Yale-Penn game.

I bundled up in long pants, a turtleneck, a sweater and a scarf, which was a welcome change to the constant heat and humidity that has been my life these past 10 months.  Unfortunately Reid was injured and so couldn’t play or suit up.  The game was not as exciting as I would have hoped and unfortunately, the Bulldogs lost, but I was still glad to have been able to see a game for the season.  Uncle David, Cousin Ben, Auntie Carolyn and some of my Mom’s oldest and dearest friends made it out for the game.  It was a pretty great reunion, even if it wasn’t quite the outcome we had hoped for. 

That evening we all went to dinner and my Aunt Carolyn decided to help me drive the Rental car back to the airport.  I got up at 4:30 the next morning to go the airport, however when I got there at five, I couldn’t do automatic check-in.  So I got into another line to check my reservation.  At which point the woman checking me in (a gray haired woman with a bitter voice, bad attitude, outdated wardrobe and mean eyes) told me that My reservation didn’t exist and that I wasn’t booked for the day.  So I hightailed to a payphone and called my Mom who pulled up my reservation on her iPhone only to realize that we had booked the flight for the 23^rd of November instead of the 26^th of October. 

Oops. 

So I changed my flight for the next morning and headed back to the Hotel.  Then Mom and Auntie Carolyn drove me into the city where I spent the rest of the day with Chris.  We brunched and wandered and lived the dream.  I was a little overwhelmed by the end of the day because I hadn’t seen that many people in who knows how long, but I still had a great time.  I felt a little bit lost without a cell phone, but now that I am back on the reservation I realize it probably wouldn’t have been good for me to get used to it.  We went out to Indian Food for dinner in Hell’s Kitchen and then headed back early because I had to leave at 330 in the morning. 

So, a car came to get me at 3:30, I slept on the way to the airport, and then on the plane and then in the next plane and the next taxi and finally on the bus.  I arrived in El Vergel at 8 pm to find that my host family had cleaned my room and done all of my laundry.  SWEET!

  Tuesday Morning I had to tell all of my kids where I had gone for the weekend and why I had missed Monday classes, which was actually a little bit uncomfortable, because they already think that I have more money than god.  My fourth graders are working on writing and I brought back a bunch of magazines so that they could describe the pictures, which I think they enjoyed.  My first graders are learning the body which is fun to watch because they all go around singing “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” all day.  My third graders are still a nightmare, but at least it’s almost over.  Melissa, my host sister, made me an amazing Halloween card this week complete with pumpkins and a cut out vampire.  She also spelled Halloween “jalowin” which is phonetic in Costa Rica I suppose.  Maybe next year’s volunteer will have time to teach them spelling. 

I submitted my absentee ballot and have dreamt about the election for the last 5 nights in a row, which is simultaneously concerning and sad.  I can’t wait until it’s over, just so that I can sleep again, one way or another.  Unfortunately, I’ve had to watch Fox News, because that’s the only channel that we get that is covering the election non-stop.  It makes me angry more than anything else, but it’s still better than nothing I guess. 

My host mom bough me a new pair of earrings yesterday that matches the Necklace they bought me in the Spring.  My host brother Pablo has promised to teach me how to make my favorite food (Patacones).  Yesterday my host brother Quito (1^st grade) put together a whole sentence on his own.  Well it was basically a sentence.  He asked me, how to say ‘laying’ and then             I told him and he said, “Entonces hay un Chicken laying eggs.”  I jumped for joy, well it was more of a leap, but still, I was airborne.  I know it doesn’t seem like a big deal considering that he has had English with me for a year, but it really shows progress and I was extremely proud of him. 

I finally got a couple of care packages that had been sent to me ages ago. I would like to send a big shout out to the one and only Lindsay Dencker, who sent me an incredible supply of “fall” goodies like pumpkin lip gloss, Pilgrim hats, leaf decorations and spooky music for Halloween.  I have decided to make Halloween a 4-5 class celebration, just because.  I am considering having a haunted house on Friday.  Maybe I’ll make the kids bob for apples.  I also can’t wait to do some of the Thanksgiving activities that I have planned.  Making pilgrim and Indian caps, decorating turkeys and building cornucopias.  Oh what fun. I was also delighted to get a big package from my Mom, complete with flashcards, paper plates and other excellent teaching supplies.  I can’t believe it’s November. 

Okay then, that’s all from this end.  I have no travel plans for this fin de semana and am looking forward to some time at home reading and planning my life for the next year.  I would like to take this opportunity to let you know that there are only 44 days left until my return to America and that you had better start revving your engines, because it’s going to be epic.  Thanks for reading, stay tuned for More Radventures, same rad time, same rad channel.  

Danger ZONA!!!

Dear Friends-

Crisis Mode.  It’s October.  It’s my favorite time of year.  Halloween, the presidential election, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas are all right around the corner and I am in the labyrinth/jungle that is the Zona Sur.  This means I am missing out on pumpkin pie, costume parties, football season, scarves, corduroys, fall shoes and Christmas music.  I need your help.  If you love me, make me a care package. Include mixed CD’s of your favorite new groups or Christmas music, Annie’s Macaroni and Cheese, newspaper clippings, old copies of the economist, fun size candy bars or lollipops (not chocolate), pictures of yourself or postcards from your current location and anything else you deem necessary or just want to donate to Escuela El Vergel in order to get it out of your house.

 

Radford Lathan

Maestra De Ingles

Escuela El Vergel

El Vergel, Palmar

Osa, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

 

Alright, now that that’s done, some information on my life.  I came to a startling realization yesterday, the most rewarding thing that I have done in my life this far is not teaching or any kind of volunteering.  It was the LA Marathon, which leads me to believe that I am not nearly as generous of a person as I previously thought.  It only benefited me and I’ve never felt so good about life or myself.  As such, I am trying to pick up running again.  It has been extremely difficult with all of the rain these past few months and I am sure that it’s not going to get better, but I am making a point of going out for walks or jogs every afternoon that it doesn’t rain.  (Besides, I have to work off the rice ring that has surrounded my middle.)

      I went to Portrero Grande last weekend to visit my friend Jen Turner.  It’s very close to me geographically speaking, but the buses and waiting time make it a long trip to get to her.  (Getting back only takes about an hour but getting there can take about three.)  She had a baile (dance) in her town and invited me to come and help her tear up the dance floor.  It was a lot of fun.  Unfortunately, I seemed to attract the town drunks and crazies and spent a good portion of the evening turning down eccentric and intoxicated Costa Ricans.  Her host family was very nice and let me stay in one of the cabinas that they normally rent out, for the evening.  It was swell.  It was definitely the best twin bed I have slept on since my arrival in Costa Rica. 

      Classes are going relatively well.  4^th grade is still excellent.  They had an exam on the rainforest today.  It was adorable.  They had to tell me the layers of the rainforest and endangered species and things that we can do to prevent deforestation.  I also broke the news to my 1^st graders that paper comes from trees.  It pretty much blew their minds.  Some of them are still trying to recover.  (I jest.)  3^rd grade went well today, most likely because only two of them showed up.  There have been workers at my school remodeling the Cafeteria for a couple of months.  This past weekend they made me a couple of extra desks so that there are enough desks for all of my students in my classroom.  They also closed the gaping hole in the back of my classroom so that chickens and children can no longer enter at their leisure.

Cynthia, the kindergarten teacher has asked that I start tutoring her in English.  I agreed, but haven’t actually had a session yet.  I am excited to work with her.  It will be good to work with someone who has already gone through puberty.  The only problem is that her younger brother also wants English lessons, but I don’t want to give them to him because he kind of gives me the creeps.  But then again, so do most Costa Rican men.   

  Right, well, that’s all from this end.  I trust you are all staying out of trouble north of the border.  I haven’t made any students cry yet this week, so that’s an improvement and I haven’t told anyone that their work is trash, so I guess I’m not such a bad teacher after all.  Then again . . . It’s only Wednesday. 

Bad Teacher. . .

I made one of my Sixth Graders cry on Monday. 

I know, BAD TEACHER.  But he did kind of deserve it.  Also, I would like to point out that this is not an 11-year old sixth grader.  He’s fourteen.  And he calls me Radford instead of Teacher, which believe it or not, is kind of disrespectful.  It would be like calling your teacher “Jane” instead of Mrs. Smith.  Plus he’s really unhygenic and always says inappropriate things so I already have a chip on my shoulder about him. 

You see, we are studying World Cultures right now and each of my sixth graders was supposed to make a poster board illustrating information about their Country.  They had 5 weeks to complete the project.  Now, this particular student drew (out of the hat) Panama, which I didn’t think would be particularly difficult as we are 3 hours from the border and there is a lot of interaction between the two countries.  However, last Wednesday, he asked me if he could change his country for Mexico.  I told him that he could. 

So, Monday comes and he doesn’t want to present.  I tell him that he doesn’t have a choice because he is being graded as if this were an exam.  I tell him that he doesn’t need to worry because everyone is being graded the same and that he just needs to do his best.  So he tells me, “Okay Teacher, but I don’t want to use my poster, I’ll just tell you the information.”  Then I tell him, “No, that defeats the purpose I have to see the poster.”  And I take it off of his desk.  Much to my surprise, there is no information on Mexico or Panama on the poster.  Rather, he has taken it upon himself to present on COSTA RICA.  Which I did not assign for obvious reasons, and which we had already done in class as an example.  I asked him, “What was your country?”  “Mexico.”  “Why didn’t you do that?”  “Because, Teacher.”  At which point I snapped.  So I may or may not have told him that his poster was basura (trash) and that I wouldn’t grade it.  So I turned to ask if anyone else wanted to go and he left the room in a hurry.  I assume that there were tears considering his haste, but I didn’t actually see them. 

Then later that afternoon, his very pregnant mother came to talk to me about what had happened and to ask why he hadn’t done the project.  It was awkward.  So today he came in during recess and remade his poster (Costa Rica again) and presented the information to me. 

I don’t think I’m going to miss him next year. 

I think that I used to be a good person, but my patience has been spent and I’m sick of bending over backwards for kids who don’t care.  In other news, you probably won’t be hearing from me much over the few weeks.  It rained all day today and the weather is probably going to continue until the end of October.  As such, my afternoon trips to Palmar are going to be limited.  La lluvia me dar pereza.  (The rain makes me lazy.)  I am getting lonely again and am pretty sure that another bout of loneliness is about to hit the Zona Sur, but am not making any preparations to prevent it.  I’m pretty sick of Costa Rica and I am ready to be somewhere else.  I feel as if I’ve seen it all and am having a tough time of motivating myself to do any kind of travel or exploration.

Three of my students left school this week.  They all moved.  No notice, just didn’t come to school on Monday and then their Mom came to say that they were moving to San Jose the next weekend.  I’m sad that I didn’t get to say good bye, but to be honest, all three had a tendency to cause troubles in my classes.  Still, they were the cute trouble makers, who were always nice outside of class.  Ah well, maybe they’ll do better in San Jose. 

My first graders learned “May I see” today and spent the rest of the period asking to see things around the room.  We didn’t get a lot done, but at least they’ll remember how to ask for things nicely.  I had to send a note home with one of my 4^th graders too.  I’ve been putting it off for about 4 months now, but it was finally time.  Surprisingly, 3^rd grade went exceptionally well.  This was probably because we spent the majority of the class coloring and not actually learning English.  Oh well, if I’ve learned anything this year its to pick your battles and 3^rd grade is not a battle that I am going to win.   

I’m ready for October. 

  

News Delay

This just in: Tom Brady out for the season, David Foster Wallace Commits Suicide, My boss comes to visit, Orange ipods and letters from possible stalkers.  Ewwww.

Hello out there.  How are things in the land of plenty?  Costa Rica is the rich coast indeed and I can’t wait to get back to America.  3 months and ten days, but who is counting.  Based on my internet lurkings I have discovered several important facts as of late.  The first of which is that Tom Brady is injured and out for the season.  What will this mean for the Fighting Radtastics, my fantasy football team?  Not much in all likelihood as I still have Eli Manning.  The second thing that I have learned is that there are now ORANGE iPod Nano’s, which may actually be the greatest thing since rice and beans.  Our Southern California Trojans are fighting on as always and to the best of my understanding demoralized Ohio State last weekend. 

However in regards to Central America it has been a busy week.  We spent last week gearing up for Independence Day (September 15) and have had school assemblies every day for the last seven days in preparation.  Last Tuesday was International Children’s Day and so we played outside all day.  There was a lot of running around and there were a lot of kids begging me to carry them around.  I gave away pens, pencils and coloring books as a means of buying popularity. The day before I had the pleasure of teaching with the one and only Reginald Wilmont Lathan. 

Yes, Papa Lathan and I had a key time over the weekend.  He arrived on Friday night and I met him at the airport.  We went out to dinner near our hotel and planned the rest of our weekend.  On Saturday Morning we drove down to Manuel Antonio.  I got us a little bit lost on the journey, but considering there are no street names, I feel like I did okay.  We went out to lunch at Agua Azul, a restaurant with spectacular views and mean bacon cheese fries.  Dad was delighted to see that they were also showing the Notre Dame-San Diego State game.  Kristi came to join us for drinks and we all decided to go out dancing that evening after dinner.  We also (shh don’t tell mom) gambled at the black jack table at the Casino across the street.  It was lame and we lost all of our money, but I think we all learned out lesson.  After blackjack we went dancing at Barba Roja in order to dance the night away and tear up the dance floor.  It was exactly as glorious as you would expect. 

Sunday we did some beaching and swimming by the pool before we packed up the car and headed south to Dominical.  The 44km dirt road is a lot easier in a car than it is in a bus.  We stopped for lunch in Uvita, but it was thoroughly uninspiring.  As we approached my site my Dad was in near disbelief.  As the jungle intensified around us, he told me that I could come home because it was “too lonely out here.”  We spent an hour or so with my host family before heading back to Palmar and our air-conditioned room for the night. 

Class on Monday was a great success and everyone wants to know when he is coming back.  I think that my students wish they had gotten any other member of my family to be their teacher for the year.  I got two new students on Monday, who just moved from San Jose.  Luckily they have both had English before and so have been catching on quickly to all of the material. 

The rest of last week flew by.  I got a love note written in English from a local which was thoroughly creepy and sounded a lot like a love song on a pop station.  We had assemblies every day to celebrate Costa Rica’s independence from Spain.  I had a bout of Stomach Flu.  It didn’t rain for three full days.  Mikki-Jean came to visit me for the first time, which was exciting for me but as it’s Costa Rica, we didn’t do anything worth writing home about.  Sunday night the school hosted a march that was part of the Independence day celebrations.  Everyone makes a little cardboard house and puts a candle inside of it and marches along the highway to signify the new of freedom and independence.  Or at least that’s how it was explained to me.  Monday morning I went to Palmar to watch the parade of bands and small children celebrating their independence.  (Coincidentally, I also had my first Costa Rican Snow Cone and might I say, I would not recommend it.)

Tuesday my classes are going to be audited by Leilani; who is my boss from San Jose.  She gets to sit in on my best class (4^th) my worst class (3^rd) and my in between class (1^st).  I’ll let you know how that goes.  Once again, thank you for reading.  Keep living the dream.  See you in three months and a few days.  Fight on!

Just another Tico-venture

It would be an understatement to say that I love my fourth graders.  They are amazing.  They are sweet, sassy and incredibly smart.  The 4 girls make up for the occasional laziness of my two boys.  Thursday was no exception.  I was hardly looking forward to class since it was the end of the day and I had already taught 1^st and 6^th grade, including a new student in each.  However, my fourth graders (who are learning about the rainforest and its preservation) helped re-energize me and turn my day into “one of the good ones.” 

Together we made a giant poster of the rainforest including each of the four layers and the animals that dwell in them.  They asked me why I had to leave at the end of the year, which I appreciated.  I told them that it was just time for me to find a new job and they told me that I didn’t need a new job.  Then I joked with them that they might not even remember me a few years down the line and Daniella (one of my smartest students) insisted that she never forgets anything, so that was impossible. 

After we finished our poster we watched 10 minutes of Harry Potter.  Costa Rican children aren’t really encouraged to let their imaginations run wild, a point I discovered when Harry Potter escaped his muggle relatives in a flying car and my students said, “A flying car! What a lie!”  I did my best to assure them that it’s magic and we can’t understand how it works, but that it is possible.  What’s next?  No Santa Claus?

I went on another Bike ride with my 6^th grader Christian today, who, coincidentally, I caught cheating on his last exam.  My 5^th and 6^th graders all cheat on almost every exam; I just don’t always catch them with hard evidence.  He had a worksheet poorly hidden in his desk.  We rode a few kilometers down the Pan-American passing a number of “new” waterfalls that have popped up since the rain started to intensify.  I feel desperately out of shape, but any exercise is better than none, or so I have heard. 

This past weekend, I had my in-service meeting in San Jose with the other WT volunteers.  It was pretty good.  Our meetings lasted about half of the day and we covered a lot of our questions and concerns for the end of the year.  We went out dancing on Friday night and to see Wanted at the movies on Saturday night.  I also joined a fantasy football league, which I am not proud of, but it will serve to pass the next 3 months and 17 days or whatever it is. 

On Sunday I tried to catch a 10:30 bus home only to find out that it was actually a 10:00 bus and that all of the buses were booked until 2:30.  Rather than sit in the bus station for four hours, I ventured over to the hospital/doctors office a few blocks from the bus terminal and went to the pharmacy for some over the counter-prescription meds.  Following that riveting experience, I ate lunch in the Hospital Cafeteria and then headed back to the Bus Station.  Mikki Jean and I lucked out and had seats next to each other on the bus despite not having bought our tickets together.  The ride back was uneventful, except for the remnants of landslides that we passed on our way into San Isidro.

So, that’s all for now.  Papa Lathan arrives tomorrow and we are headed to the beach for a day or so.  Then it’s back to El Vergel for classes on Monday and he flies home on Tuesday.  You know it’s a Lathan vacation when . . . 

I Fell In Love With The Pipa Man

News Flash, this just in: I love the OSA Peninsula.  

I have been in Costa Rica for 8 months. I have seen beaches, I have seen “cities” small towns and rivers.  I have headed North, East and West, up mountains and down into valleys, but I have been missing out because the Osa Peninsula has got it going on. 

A few weeks ago, I decided that it was time for me to schedule a trip down to Puerto Jimenez for a few days.  I had been putting it off for some time now because from everything that I had heard, the bus ride was unbearable and there wasn’t very much to do except for hiking and surfing.  Since I don’t normally do either of those things, I wasn’t chomping at the bit to go.  I figured that it would at least be worth it to visit my friend Erin Rodell, the lone world teacher on the Osa. I am her closest volunteer and am technically also in the province of the Osa, but not on the peninsula itself. 

Class was cancelled for us on Monday so on Saturday morning, I hailed a bus from my site directly to Puerto Jimenez.  The trip took a little over three hours.  (Considering that I regularly spend more than 6 hours on buses to get to a designated location, I thought this was stupendous.)  Erin got on the bus with me in her site, a town called Sandalo, a few miles away from Puerto Jimenez.  That afternoon I met a peace corps volunteer (Raquel) and another local English teacher (Ana).  Ana invited me to spend the night at her house so that I wouldn’t have to get a cabina. 

We rented beach cruisers and biked to the beach for a couple of hours that afternoon.  We played in the ocean and watched local surfers as we gossiped and compared teaching notes.  As the sun started to set, we got back on our bikes and headed to Ana’s house, passing Scarlet Macaws and giant iguanas on the lonesome dirt road.  We took showers and then decided to go out to dinner for patacones (fried green plantains) and Ceviche, which I had not yet tried.  It was delicious and I can’t believe that I waited so long to try it. 

That night we went to a bar and met up with a slew of ex-pats, retired Brits and Belgians who were more than happy to exchange tales of living in Costa Rica and supply us with drinks as the night wore on.  Ana made the acquaintance of a Tico tour guide who became enamored with her almost instantly.  We shook him off and returned to her house by midnight. 

The next morning Erin and I went to a local Soda (restaurant) for a very typical breakfast of scrambled eggs with hot dog, coffee and of course, gallopinto (rice and beans).  Ana went to a friend’s farm for the day, so Erin and I had free use of the apartment and her extra bikes.  We took the bikes back down to the beach and on our way ran into a local vendor who is endearingly referred to as “The Pipa Man.” 

 

As we rode past, the following conversation took place:

Pipa Man: Buenas Mi Reina (Good morning my queen)

Erin: Adios (Goodbye and Hello in Tico Spanish)

Me: Como Esta? (How are you?)

Pipa Man: Enamorado!!! (In love!) 

He instantly became my favorite person of the day.  He may still be. 

We spent the next few hours at the beach reading, swimming and sunning.  When we just couldn’t take it anymore we headed into a nearby restaurant for Pina Coladas and lunch in the shade.  After lunch we went home for quick showers and then biked to Raquel’s house for a cafecito of coffee and crackers.  We stayed there until about 5 and then took the bus to Erin’s actual site. 

I helped her teach class on Monday, which was a lot of fun.  Teaching is a lot easier with a partner.  And when your class isn’t 80 minutes long.  I helped her with 1^st, 4^th 5^th and 6^th grade.  I was extremely impressed with her older students because they were able to speak well and ask great questions in English.  It’s a school that has had volunteers for 7 years, but considering my 6^th graders can’t even remember how to ask for a drink of water, I was impressed. After classes, I got back on the bus and headed to El Vergel, it was then that my exhaustion caught up with me and I napped on my backpack for the majority of the 3-hour ride home. 

So that’s it for the Pura Vida this weekend.  I have meetings in San Jose on Friday, with all of the other World Teach Volunteers, which should be exciting, mainly because that means I also get to take off classes on Thursday for travel time.  I will email out my hotel information for Saturday night in case you feel the urge to give me a phone call.  Later days all. 

 

Teacher Carolina  

Super Trooper

            The Costa Rican Education system is flawed as are all school systems.  Granted, Costa Rica boasts a literacy rate higher than that of the United States and has a great system to keep even the poorest kids in the country in school, (free breakfast and lunch every day).  I’m glad to have had the opportunity to teach, but working with kids who barely speak their native language while trying to teach them a second is just unreasonable.  Every time my kindergarten or first grade class gets cancelled my heart leaps.

Today was one such occasion.  All of my classes except for my 30 minute session with Kindergarten were cancelled today.  This meant I got to skip out on my normal 80 minute session with my 10 madding 6 year olds.  I was able to take advantage of the morning by heading into town and making a couple of important phone calls and sending some emails.  It’s not productivity by American standards, but it works down here.  I finally found a place in Palmar to buy popsicle sticks, which was a major victory considering that I have been looking unsuccessfully since my return to Costa Rica.

            I have learned a lot about Costa Rican Education this year, like the fact that students only have 4 main subjects: Spanish, Science, Civics and Math.  (English is new to the agenda and Brunka the native arts and language class is technically an elective.  They don’t have PE, but recess generally serves as such and can last for over an hour.  Furthermore, kids don’t learn to read by learning the alphabet here.  They learn by phonics, which is fine except for the fact that lots of them can’t spell and most of them have never read a book for leisure.  The English that we are allowed to teach is limited to vocabulary, which would be fine if the students could read and write. As it stands however, we are generally forced to rely on my elementary skills as an artist for pictures of everything.  You haven’t lived until you’ve “written” an exam without using any words in English or Spanish.  

            Even so, I grow to love my school more and more every day.  My Director and I have been brainstorming different ways to build a new classroom for the English Teachers in the future.  The other schools with Volunteers in my area have really nicer classrooms than I do and one of them is getting a new room before the end of the year.  This inspired my host mom/Director and myself to spring into action.  (Expect monetary solicitations in your inboxes soon.  You have been warned.)     

             

            I have been working on arrangements to visit the OSA Peninsula this weekend.  Despite the fact that I have been here for 8 months, I have yet to venture South.  I am ready for the most biologically dense place on earth: or as ready as you can be for Jumanji.

            I have no class Monday or Friday of next week due to an In-Service meeting, so I will once again be teaching a 3 day week, I would be excited except for the fact that I keep missing the classes that I actually enjoy.  I have taken great strides with my second graders as of late.  I’m not sure if it’s the material or if we are actually bonding, but they are excited for class and well behaved when they need to be.  It’s like I’m a real teacher instead of just “la ticher” for a change.    

            I received my first package in the mail on Friday, which was wonderful and have been surviving on a diet of PB&J’s for the last 3 days.  All in all, Life is good.  That’s about all from this end.  Sorry nothing exciting has happened.  T-minus 3 months and 29 days.

The Pura Vida Comes Free

Today, my school received a volleyball and a net.  Of course, none of my students has ever really played volleyball before, but it still led to an afternoon of great fun.  Watching my host mom/director toss the ball back and forth with the slew of students on  the court.  The net was strewn between two mango trees and the court was covered in weeds, but that couldn’t stop us.  I tried to teach the kids how to set, but it seemed to be a pretty difficult task considering they have never played a game that you have to use your hands for.  So much for hand eye coordination in Central America.

            Escuela El Vergel has recently received some kind of grant and now the entire comedor (cafeteria) is being redone.  This has cut into my time with Yerly the school cook, who is as nice to me as anyone else in town if not nicer.  (Who would have thought that I would develop a relationship with someone that involved food.)  She is now cooking in the vacant house next to the school.  The remodel is said to include ceramic tables and an oven, I’ll believe it when I see it. 

We are taking our meals outside, but it proves to be challenging when it rains, which, in case you had forgotten, is every day.  Luckily we haven’t had a particularly difficult rainy season this year.  It’s been raining every day, but it usually doesn’t start until the late afternoon or evening. 

I spent last weekend in San Jose applying for jobs and downloading music on iTunes.  I went to see Batman again, which was even more incredible the second time around.  Someone in that movie is getting an Oscar.  Probably Heath Ledger, but it’s not undeserved.  I ate fast food, went window shopping and hung around my hotel room.  On Saturday night I spent some time with my Directors and on Sunday afternoon I came back to El Vergel.  It was actually a very nice and relaxing weekend.  I finished Then We Came To The End  which was incredible and started A Billion Bootstraps, which is unintentionally inspirational.  I even received some phone calls in my Hotel room, which was a first for Costa Rica.  Yay Skype. 

Tomorrow is Mother’s Day and is a National Holiday, which I fully support.  I have spent the better part of this week helping my students make Mother’s Day cards and cutting up sheets of colored paper into flowers, hearts and clouds.  Even though there is no school tomorrow, I am going to attempt to stay in the area for the weekend to spend some quality time with my host family.   There is a baile (dance) in Rey Curre this weekend.  (That is the town with the nearest volunteer, Mikki.)  I’m not sure whether or not I’ll go but I think that some other world Teachers are going to make an appearance so I am going to do my best to at least find a ride to and fro.

I went on a walk/run with my 6^th grader Christian yesterday, during which we picked up a couple of 1^st and 2^nd graders who decided to race us on their bikes.  It was pretty adorable.  It threatened to rain the whole time we were walking but didn’t really start until we had gotten home; that was lucky. 

  My days have been pretty much filled with reading and Arrested Development DVD’s.  It’s been extremely satisfying.  I am just about ready to begin the Final Countdown for my return to the States.  I have 4 months and some change left here.  Graduation is supposed to be on the 20^th of December, so the latest I will be arriving home, in all likelihood, will be the 21^st.  I am trying to get my TEFL certificate in December through a program in Manuel Antonio, but I am not sure if it is going to work out.  If I can’t do it there, I might end up coming home and then trying to get it done in Chile or Argentina or something like that.  What a challenging life I lead huh?

I did miss Reid’s birthday this week, which is mildly tragic, especially since it’s the big 2-1 but I am sure to make it up to him as soon as I am able.  I’d better start planning immediately, just in case.  I would like to take this opportunity to remind all of you who have not yet visited that you should book your tickets immediately.  I’ll be home before you know it and who would miss an opportunity to go to Costa Rica?

That’s all for now.  Enjoy the Olympics, I’m unable to watch anything but the highlights to my great disappointment, but that’s still pretty exciting.  Have fun out there and don’t forget to be the change.  

dana-na-na-na-na-na BATMAN!

So, today I had one of those genuinely surreal moments that reassures me that I live in Costa Rica.  I was in the middle of my second class of the day, when Maicol, my 13 year old second grader burst into my classroom holding a dead bat.  I’m not sure where he found it or what he was planning to do with it, but he managed to torment several of my students with vampiric glee. 

In other news anyone who has not yet sent me a letter or care package should feel free to load up on Hannah Montana and High School Musical memorabilia in the dollar aisle at target and then send it to me.  The few baubles that I purchased back in the states have been a major hit.  Same old address: English Teacher, El Vergel School, Near Palmar, in Osa, Puntarenas, Costa Rica.  The crap that America is able to export to the rest of the world never ceases to amaze me. 

Also, I have finally been paid! Yes, it’s true that I have been volunteering in a “developing nation” for the benefit of mankind, but theoretically, every month, the government is supposed to deposit $100 into my account.  It might not seem like much but it is enough to travel for a weekend or buy copies for about a month.  The government missed my last 6 payments and so, yesterday deposited $600 into my account, which should keep me going for the next couple of months, which is good since I somehow left my bank card at home. 

I’m off for some sun and surf in Dominical this weekend.  Costa Rica is celebrating the annexation of Guanacaste and I am celebrating no Monday classes.  Keep it real friends.  I’ll be watching.

Always Close Your Suitcase (And other lessons from Costa Rica)

            Before I was supposed to head home for Winter Break (better known as the beginning of July in Costa Rica) I made a disappointing discovery in the depths of my suitcase.  You see, my sturdy roller suitcase had become home to a family of cockroaches sometime between March and Late June.  They seemed very happy there, but they gave me the creeps.  Other bugs have never bothered me but for some reason this creepy-crawly creature capable of surviving a nuclear fall out on a diet of twinkies and roasted humans left me uneasy.  I have been assured that they won’t hurt me, but it’s more the fact that they exist in my own personal space. 

            After a lot of thorough cleaning (and enough Raid to destroy a colony) I have returned to my (sparkling) room without fear of creepy crawlers.  My return to the Orchard comes with tremendous news.  What’s that you say? How could I possibly have good news considering that I live on an impenetrable Indian Reservation without any communication with the outside world?  Well, I’ll tell you: El Vergel now has Cell phone service.  That’s right, in the three weeks that I returned to America we somehow got cell phone service.  Not everywhere, I have to stand outside near the newly constructed houses in order to get a signal, but I am told that it does in fact work.  I am pretty excited to try it out.  I’m not going to lie, cell phone towers may be the greatest thing since Rice and Beans. 

            I had come back from break essentially committed to not suggesting that El Vergel be a World Teach site for next year, but this changes everything.  I am ready for the next 5 months.  Being able to receive an occasional phone call is going to make a huge difference in my quality of life.  I am back to the Rice and Beans diet but I had eggs for breakfast and had a slice of watermelon today that was pretty great. 

             Yes, all in all I am a pretty happy camper.  I finally have a camera and will be taking pictures soon to send all of you so that you can have a better idea of what life is actually like in the Orchard.  There isn’t a lot too it.  It’s basically just a lot of vegetation, a muddy river, an occasional toucan and some small children with matching uniforms. 

I finished yet another book today: Island of the Sequined Love Nun by Christopher Moore.  Strangely enough, the book involves an escapade at the airport in Palmar, a mere 5 miles from my current site.  What are the odds right?  Christopher Moore is a comic genius and I suggest that if you want to be entertained by a modern novelist, you go and pick up one of his books. 

I have about 15 more books to read and 100 DVD’s to watch over the next couple of months.  I am sure that it will be enough to keep me entertained.  I am either going to read The Great Santini by Pat Conroy or Then We Came to The End by Jonathan Ferris next.  Any suggestions?  I am going to try to read 25 books this year, 14 down, 11 to go. 

            Teaching is as ever, exhausting, but I still can’t picture myself doing anything else.  The minute I walked out of my door today I was accosted by a pair or kindergarteners in pigtails and matching blue dresses who were so happy to see me, it made the whole rest of the day seem like a cake walk. 

            It was definitely tough to leave after living in the lap of luxury for a couple of weeks, but it was a lot easier getting on the plane this time than it was in January.  Suggestion: Don’t move to Costa Rica after living in Montectio for any period of time.  If you are coming from Minneapolis or Chicago, its paradise, if you are coming from paradise, it’s a . . . challenge.  I had my fill of movies while I was home, which I have decided is the singular activity that I miss the most about living in civilization.  I found immense satisfaction in those giant bags of popcorn and slushees the size of a small child. 

            Alright then, no more news to speak of.  I will send news again once I have successfully attempted to use cell phones in Vergel.  Go out there and Be The Change people.  I know you’ve got it in you.  Now, make me proud.  

it´s the final countdown.

We are a mere 7 days from my return to america. But who´s counting. School is going relatively well. I had a great amount of success today by teaching my 4th graders a song about fast food restaurants. Completely unrelated to community (which is what we are studying) but they´re just little kids, they deserve to have fun more than anyone. I also had a crier in 1st grade because i snapped at her (Abigail), but she got over it. She cries all the time.
My host mom was mildly upset when i told her i had to leave 3 days early for vacations but it´s not really my fault. I explained my situation as best as i could (and lied where necessary) so i think that it´s alright. In all fairness, i do need to get home before the holiday because my phone and my computer are both out of commission and getting home on a three day weekend does me no good.
I have been reading up a storm in the last week. (My computer crashed and so I haven´t had much else to do.) As such, I read the follwing:
Harry Potter and the Sorcers Stone (Even more brilliant now that the series is over.)
Water For Elephants (Which exceeded all of my expectations and made me want to research the circus during the glory days and take a trip to the ringling brothers museum)
Arcadia by Tom Stoppard (One of the best plays i have ever read.)
Everyone Worth Knowing (Chick-Lit, but thoroughly entertaining chick lit nonetheless.)

I am still working on Emma, but am struggling through it because I want to maim each and every one of the self important characters in the book. Great story, too much detail. But let´s be honest, I´m no literary crtitic and for good reason. I can´t wait to pick up some more things at home. Let me know if you read anything glorious lately. I was challenged to a 50 book-year and I am hoping that I am up to the task. TICO´s are amazed by how much I read and my host dad keeps asking me why it´s good to read. (Part of me dies on the inside every time he does this.)
I am going to try for a beach weekend, so keep your fingers crossed for me that all of my exams go well and that i get a vacation before my vacation.


I know how you feel
No secrets to reveal
Nobody knows me at all
Very Late at night
and in the morning light
Nobody knows me at all
The Weepies- nobody knows me at all (great song, not nearly as sad as it sounds)

Tales of a former social chair

I have had something of an Epiphany. The reason that I am so unhappy here, the reason that I hate Costa Rica is because, for the first time in my life, no one likes me. I realize that there isn’t a wide variety of people for me to be friends with as is, but still, going from the Social Chair of USC to the “Ticher” in El Vergel was not a healthy switch.
Everyone tolerates me, but no one goes out of his way to say, “hello”. This coupled with the fact that I have such limited connection to the world I left has led to a case of minor depression. I should have gone to Chile, worked in a City so that I could have had people to talk to and a phone to talk on. So far my only symptoms have been general gloominess and an increased need for naps. I am seriously unsatisfied with the year thus far. My students are ungrateful and greedy, which I cannot understand since they don’t have anything to be greedy over. I do know that they stole the jump ropes that I bought.
Class is starting to improve. My first graders still throw tantrum’s every day, but I have gotten better at keeping them from walking out of class. We are doing a section on animals right now and they are having a lot of fun. I am thinking I can probably keep it going for a couple more weeks. We did farm and domestic animals last week. We all made masks and several of them found reasons to cry over their having to use the “big” scissors. This coming week we are covering animals that live in Costa Rica. Should be fun. 2nd through 5th grades are making houses out of cardboard boxes. Several students couldn’t find any boxes, despite my giving them 3 weeks of warning about it. Others have been skipping class just because they don’t feel like making houses. It’s a little bit frustrating, but the good projects are worth all of the other trouble.
My 6th graders are still brilliant but Lazy. Now every time they ask me if they can watch movies/leave early/play Uno, I take away five minutes of their Friday Free-Time. Their vocabularies are improving as is their grammar, but they, for the most part, refuse to speak. The problem with teaching as a volunteer, is that it’s incredibly hard to care when no one else does. My lack of motivation is stunning and my “energy” has hit rock bottom.
On the upside, I have done a ton of worksheets this weekend for next week’s lectures. I never work this far ahead. I also cleaned out my bedroom and classroom. I’ve started taking bike rides and walks with my 6th grader Christian. He is one of my smarter students and says, “Oh Teacher” about 47 times a day. I make him speak English on our rides, so at least he’s getting practice.
I struggle more and more every day not to hold my placement against my bosses. I really don’t know what they were thinking putting me here. Granted, I don’t know that there is another particular site that would have fit me more, but this is just absurd. At least I’m going home soon. I will get the re-charge that I need for the last 5 months. So, that’s my life. I hate Costa Rica. I am excited to come home. See you in T-minus 18 days. Thanks for all of the emails.
If any of you would like to send me a care package/birthday card but are wary because of the mail in Costa Rica, you can send it to my house in Santa Barbara.

761 Hot Springs Rd
Santa Barbara, CA
93108

PS. Shout out to Katie Perkins: I watched My Boys on TV this morning. Sheer genius. Thank god for satellite television.