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 6th grader Christian yesterday, during which we picked up a couple of 1st and 2nd 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 20th of December, so the latest I will be arriving home, in all likelihood, will be the 21st. 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.
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