I was very happy when one night Nitzi called me to go out with her and ¨her children¨. If there is anything I miss is my friends and family. Luckily, I had met James, Amy and Sophia at work, so I had some friends I already went out with, but it is always nice to know more people and being able to hang out with whoever you want. So simply being called to go out with a new group made me feel happy I could do something other than watching "Bailando por un Sueño" if I decided to stay in San Jose.
I met Caroline. She has moved to Costa Rica and plans on starting her own business. We are trying to talk her into adding a hookah bar into the Jazz Club she wants to have. I swear I will make the trip back to San Jose for the grand opening. I have gotten to like Caroline a lot, because not only does she make me laugh, but I feel I can trust her a lot. It is very easy to talk to her! Also, when I met her I thought she was studying abroad here, turns out she has a daughter a few years older than me. You can only imagine how great she looks.
Cintia is from Argentina, a fellow South-American. I love hearing her talk because it reminds me a lot of an Argentinian friend I used to play with when I was little. I knew Cintia was doing research, but not that it was for her PHD! She goes to USC and is traveling to Ecuador and Peru after leaving Costa Rica. I would love to follow her footsteps, and travel, travel,travel...Oh and did I mention she studies the same thing I do?
Rico is from the Bronx. I have hang out with him a few times, but I still feel like I don't know him. I mean, I know he loves partying and having a good time, but behind that there is a lot more. I would really like to find out though, he seems like a great kid.
Daniel (read with Spanish accent), teaches English to Ticos, and I can see he actually enjoys doing that. He is from Texas, a bit quiet sometimes, but I think he is the type that would stand up for anything and or anyone he cared for.
And Peter is Russian but has lived in Canada for about 8 years (which is basically my story- minus the Russian and the Canada part). This guy plays Russian songs in the guitar and its beautiful...You may be asking yourself, how can it be beautiful if you don't know Russian? I asked him to explain the songs before singing them, and once the Russian begins, one just follows along. It's kind of like feeling exactly what's going on in an opera... do you know what I mean?
Anyways, Peter is a great guy to go out and have fun with and he makes an excellent dance partner too.
I hope I get to hang out with them throughtout my stay here, because they are a great bunch.
10/08/2008
Volcan POAS!
Sophia and I decided to take the 2 hour bus ride to the Poas Volcano, and eat about a kilo of mamon chinos (costa rican delicious fruit) on the way.
We had hours to explore the Park and to see the fabulous volcano. We got there, snapped a couple of pictures, and a minute later the clouds covered it completely. So we decided to move away from all the tourists, and find ¨the lake¨everyone had been talking about.
Saw the path...and I want to turn around. It takes 4ominutes to get to this lake, and it is quite a hike. We can only see stairs, and the path seems to be getting narrower and a lot steeper. Sophia and I last 3 minutes and seriously consider turning around. Right then, I hear people walking down. When I realize they were in their sixties I was determined to get to this lake. Not only that, but the bus was also picking us up in 3 hrs. Plenty of time to kill.
WOW. That walk was hard...but also WOW. What a view!!!!
I have never been able to look at a landscape and feel so at peace, so carefree, so happy to be somewhere.
It was an amazing experience.
The walk back to the bus wasn't as bad, but still very tiring. We got there too early, so we decided to get some postcards (that I have yet to send), and sat in rocking chairs drinking coffee.
As always, I fell asleep in the bus and we were back in San Jose as I was opening my eyes.
We had hours to explore the Park and to see the fabulous volcano. We got there, snapped a couple of pictures, and a minute later the clouds covered it completely. So we decided to move away from all the tourists, and find ¨the lake¨everyone had been talking about.
Saw the path...and I want to turn around. It takes 4ominutes to get to this lake, and it is quite a hike. We can only see stairs, and the path seems to be getting narrower and a lot steeper. Sophia and I last 3 minutes and seriously consider turning around. Right then, I hear people walking down. When I realize they were in their sixties I was determined to get to this lake. Not only that, but the bus was also picking us up in 3 hrs. Plenty of time to kill.
WOW. That walk was hard...but also WOW. What a view!!!!
I have never been able to look at a landscape and feel so at peace, so carefree, so happy to be somewhere.
It was an amazing experience.
The walk back to the bus wasn't as bad, but still very tiring. We got there too early, so we decided to get some postcards (that I have yet to send), and sat in rocking chairs drinking coffee.
As always, I fell asleep in the bus and we were back in San Jose as I was opening my eyes.
9/26/2008
ALIARSE!
One week in Costa Rica and a couple of work days under my belt. I am not a tica yet, nor do I know what I am actually doing at work. I met Laura, one of the 4 people working for ALIARSE, including myself. We had a little chat and she asked me to read a few books, internet articles, and to know what Private-Public Alliances were all about by the end of the week. I did my homework, but still trying to define what PPAs are might be one of the hardest things. See, ALIARSE is only one year old and the 3 people I am working with are so new at this as well, that they are having some trouble figuring things out. It is awesome though, we are all learning together. I also got to meet Clemens, he is Austrian and working for ALIARSE with funds from the German government. Yes, his euros go a long way in this country. I am dying to find out why Aitor and himself picked Costa Rica of all places in need of development.
There have been some alliances formed already in Costa Rica. For example there was a lack of engineers in Costa Rica because of hard admissions at universities, not many trained professors, lack of equipment. So when Intel came to CR and found out there weren´t enough engineers to hire, they set up a program to give equipment, and train professors, and help universities. In exchange, the universities had to make admissions a bit easier, hire more professors. This way, Costa Rica gets more engineers and Intel has the choice to hire more people if needed.
Pretty good deal to me.
My job is to find the alliances that have been formed so far, and find out the processes they had to go through. We need to be able to identify PPA, and need to make questions and lists because some can be tricky. How do we know if it is an alliance or just a simple nice donation from a big coorporation? Once I find the alliances that have already been in place, I will be able to interview people from coorporations, ngos and public institutions. ALIARSE is making me business cards and my own email account so that I am a bit more legit and not just a college student.
I got Sophia to help me now! She is a study abroad student, but since she is fluent in Spanish and doesn´t need to take the required Spanish class, she is working with me a couple of days a week and using it as her independent study. It has been about a week of working together and I have already gotten to like her a lot.
I am loving work, especially knowing that I am helping start something that could be so valuable for Costa Rica´s development. It will be very interesting to see how things turn out. Who knows maybe because of these alliances in a few years Costa Rica´s economy will boom!
I know I am not the only one of my friends doing something like this now. Hopefully, in the future, we can all see how our work changed the world, one country at a time.
I know... I am very idealistic.
There have been some alliances formed already in Costa Rica. For example there was a lack of engineers in Costa Rica because of hard admissions at universities, not many trained professors, lack of equipment. So when Intel came to CR and found out there weren´t enough engineers to hire, they set up a program to give equipment, and train professors, and help universities. In exchange, the universities had to make admissions a bit easier, hire more professors. This way, Costa Rica gets more engineers and Intel has the choice to hire more people if needed.
Pretty good deal to me.
My job is to find the alliances that have been formed so far, and find out the processes they had to go through. We need to be able to identify PPA, and need to make questions and lists because some can be tricky. How do we know if it is an alliance or just a simple nice donation from a big coorporation? Once I find the alliances that have already been in place, I will be able to interview people from coorporations, ngos and public institutions. ALIARSE is making me business cards and my own email account so that I am a bit more legit and not just a college student.
I got Sophia to help me now! She is a study abroad student, but since she is fluent in Spanish and doesn´t need to take the required Spanish class, she is working with me a couple of days a week and using it as her independent study. It has been about a week of working together and I have already gotten to like her a lot.
I am loving work, especially knowing that I am helping start something that could be so valuable for Costa Rica´s development. It will be very interesting to see how things turn out. Who knows maybe because of these alliances in a few years Costa Rica´s economy will boom!
I know I am not the only one of my friends doing something like this now. Hopefully, in the future, we can all see how our work changed the world, one country at a time.
I know... I am very idealistic.
Some things I have learned!
It is Monday September 15th, and I have already figured out some things:
Costa Rican´s - Ticos or Ticas
Soda - a small restaurant where you get lunch
Casado - Costan Rica´s main dish: consists of pinto beans, rice, plantains, salad and meat. Ticos have created dishes with different names, but also using pinto beans and rice.
Pulperia - small convenience store
Pura Vida - Costa Rican´s main phrase. Literally use in every sense: How are you? Good, Thank you, Go on....etc. I am still trying to figure this one out, and have yet to say it.
-It is ok to eat beans and rice for breakfast, as long as it is accompanied with coffee.
-It rains EVERY DAY and people will think you are crazy if you do not own an umbrella.
-All Ticos are friendly and very nonconfrontational.
-Ticas are experts at walking with 5 inch heels and wear very very short skirts.
-I need to learn more landmarks...for sure.
Costa Rican´s - Ticos or Ticas
Soda - a small restaurant where you get lunch
Casado - Costan Rica´s main dish: consists of pinto beans, rice, plantains, salad and meat. Ticos have created dishes with different names, but also using pinto beans and rice.
Pulperia - small convenience store
Pura Vida - Costa Rican´s main phrase. Literally use in every sense: How are you? Good, Thank you, Go on....etc. I am still trying to figure this one out, and have yet to say it.
-It is ok to eat beans and rice for breakfast, as long as it is accompanied with coffee.
-It rains EVERY DAY and people will think you are crazy if you do not own an umbrella.
-All Ticos are friendly and very nonconfrontational.
-Ticas are experts at walking with 5 inch heels and wear very very short skirts.
-I need to learn more landmarks...for sure.
MONTEFUMA!
So the real name is Montezuma, but the locals call it Montefuma because of the amount of m-j consumed on this 2 block beach town and of course, the amount of hippies promoting it. A very clever name indeed.
Friday morning at 6am, Jim, Amy and myself took a cab to the Coca Cola bus station. There, we met with 5 other girls studying abroad here through CIDH. 8 of use ready to travel for many hours ahead, How exciting! (note sarcasm). Our 4hr bus ride took us to Puntarenas, where we had a 2hr layover. We then embarked on another adventure. A 1hr long ferry ride to this little town called Paquera, where we got on the same bus we had been on before and traveled for another hour to get to Cobano. We were supposed to switch to a smaller bus there, but we missed it so we took a cab to Montezuma. At this point the colones have really thrown me off because I have to think twice about spending money. What??? A cab to Montezuma for 4000 colones, are you out of your mind?? Oh wait, there is 5 of us, you are driving us for about 6 miles, and we also don´t have to tip you...yes, I guess 8 dollars will do.
We got to Montezuma and found Hotel Lucy. We each pai 7$ for the night, this obviously includes very cold showers, sweating profusely, and getting eaten alive by mosquitos and possibly other insects. The group quickly separates into two and barely hangs out again the rest of the weekend. Sad, but I knew it would happen.
It was all about beach that Friday and I was exhausted afterwards, and in bed by 8pm. The next morning we decide to check out the Montezuma waterfalls. We walked through the river, and strategically tried landing on rocks as to avoid getting wet. There was one point where we all gave up and were literally walking in the river. After about 30 mins we made it to the main waterfall and took a swim. There was a local diving into the water with a stick and coming back up with shrimp. He said he did that almost every day, and that it was his lunch. I wanted to start a cheer for him. Too bad that was never my thing in highschool.
We then proceeded to hike up some mountains and through the rainforest, and get bruises and scratches along the way. Finally, we made it to the other 2 waterfalls, where we swam and jumped off the cliff for a while and ended up eating lunch there. It was a nice, very relaxing time. I had never seen anything so peaceful.
That night, we all went to this reggae live music concert at a small hostel down the street. The group, me, myself, and my new found love: Rum and Coke in a can, for only 800 colones... $1.60ish! The area where this band was playing was open, so we were basically on the beach. Imagine reggae playing, hippies dancing happily, the sound of the waves,
the moon shining, and me trying to take it all in, with my Cuba Libre in hand.
The next day, a few of us went to a town called Cabo Blanco to go to the beach and see the Reserve Park. Turns out they charged about 10$ to go in and it took about 2 hrs of walking to get to the beach and 2 hrs back. We didn´t go because there was no way for us to make the bus home. Instead we headed to Cahuita to try to find a beach, and ran into some local fisherman. We began talking to them, and they offered us some free fish if we helped them unload their daily catch. I got down and dirty and helped the boys we were with, and we ended up getting some fresh tuna. When we got to Montezuma we stop by the store to get some aluminum foil, spices, and beer. We got to the beach, and wrapped the fish in palm tree leaves and foil. We dug a hole, covered it in sand, made a fire, and cooked it like that for about 30 mins. Needless to say, after waiting for that long, drinking beer, and soaking in the sun, that fish was the tastiest thing I had ever had. I know it seems very hippie and hunter-gatherer alike...but when in Montefuma?
Friday morning at 6am, Jim, Amy and myself took a cab to the Coca Cola bus station. There, we met with 5 other girls studying abroad here through CIDH. 8 of use ready to travel for many hours ahead, How exciting! (note sarcasm). Our 4hr bus ride took us to Puntarenas, where we had a 2hr layover. We then embarked on another adventure. A 1hr long ferry ride to this little town called Paquera, where we got on the same bus we had been on before and traveled for another hour to get to Cobano. We were supposed to switch to a smaller bus there, but we missed it so we took a cab to Montezuma. At this point the colones have really thrown me off because I have to think twice about spending money. What??? A cab to Montezuma for 4000 colones, are you out of your mind?? Oh wait, there is 5 of us, you are driving us for about 6 miles, and we also don´t have to tip you...yes, I guess 8 dollars will do.
We got to Montezuma and found Hotel Lucy. We each pai 7$ for the night, this obviously includes very cold showers, sweating profusely, and getting eaten alive by mosquitos and possibly other insects. The group quickly separates into two and barely hangs out again the rest of the weekend. Sad, but I knew it would happen.
It was all about beach that Friday and I was exhausted afterwards, and in bed by 8pm. The next morning we decide to check out the Montezuma waterfalls. We walked through the river, and strategically tried landing on rocks as to avoid getting wet. There was one point where we all gave up and were literally walking in the river. After about 30 mins we made it to the main waterfall and took a swim. There was a local diving into the water with a stick and coming back up with shrimp. He said he did that almost every day, and that it was his lunch. I wanted to start a cheer for him. Too bad that was never my thing in highschool.
We then proceeded to hike up some mountains and through the rainforest, and get bruises and scratches along the way. Finally, we made it to the other 2 waterfalls, where we swam and jumped off the cliff for a while and ended up eating lunch there. It was a nice, very relaxing time. I had never seen anything so peaceful.
That night, we all went to this reggae live music concert at a small hostel down the street. The group, me, myself, and my new found love: Rum and Coke in a can, for only 800 colones... $1.60ish! The area where this band was playing was open, so we were basically on the beach. Imagine reggae playing, hippies dancing happily, the sound of the waves,
the moon shining, and me trying to take it all in, with my Cuba Libre in hand.
The next day, a few of us went to a town called Cabo Blanco to go to the beach and see the Reserve Park. Turns out they charged about 10$ to go in and it took about 2 hrs of walking to get to the beach and 2 hrs back. We didn´t go because there was no way for us to make the bus home. Instead we headed to Cahuita to try to find a beach, and ran into some local fisherman. We began talking to them, and they offered us some free fish if we helped them unload their daily catch. I got down and dirty and helped the boys we were with, and we ended up getting some fresh tuna. When we got to Montezuma we stop by the store to get some aluminum foil, spices, and beer. We got to the beach, and wrapped the fish in palm tree leaves and foil. We dug a hole, covered it in sand, made a fire, and cooked it like that for about 30 mins. Needless to say, after waiting for that long, drinking beer, and soaking in the sun, that fish was the tastiest thing I had ever had. I know it seems very hippie and hunter-gatherer alike...but when in Montefuma?
9/25/2008
The office! minus the ¨that´s what she said¨ line
I went to check out my office and to meet my bosses on Thursday September 11th. I didn´t want to be there for long, since I had intended for Monday to be my first day of work. I made it to the office after taking two buses and walking in the wrong direction for quite some time.
This is sort of confusing but CIDH (Center for International Humanitarian Development), is the organization in charge of promoting study abroad programs and studies in Costa Rica. The Director of this program, Dr. Jorge Novalski, helped create Aliarse, my organization. They are both in the same building and everyone in one way or another works for Costa Rica´s development, which I find fascinating.
I met Jim and Amy, both Fullbright scholars staying in Costa Rica for 10 months and researching cooperative and fair trade. They were awfully nice from the beginning and invited me to go away with them for the long weekend. Apparently, that Monday was Independence Day!
I also met Bernie and Doña Elisa, both in charge of helping accomodate foreign students and planning events for them while in San Jose.
And the person I really wanted to meet, Aitor, the Executive Director of Aliarse. A Very nice Spanish guy trying to find ways to help with Costa Rica´s development. I have never met a person that spoke that fast. He arrived to the office by ways of his bicycle and gave me a very sweaty welcome hug. Luckily he told me I didn´t have to go to the office that Friday so that I could go away with Amy and Jim for the weekend. What a nice guy!
I have also decided to stay with this new family. Something tells me they will be great :)
This is sort of confusing but CIDH (Center for International Humanitarian Development), is the organization in charge of promoting study abroad programs and studies in Costa Rica. The Director of this program, Dr. Jorge Novalski, helped create Aliarse, my organization. They are both in the same building and everyone in one way or another works for Costa Rica´s development, which I find fascinating.
I met Jim and Amy, both Fullbright scholars staying in Costa Rica for 10 months and researching cooperative and fair trade. They were awfully nice from the beginning and invited me to go away with them for the long weekend. Apparently, that Monday was Independence Day!
I also met Bernie and Doña Elisa, both in charge of helping accomodate foreign students and planning events for them while in San Jose.
And the person I really wanted to meet, Aitor, the Executive Director of Aliarse. A Very nice Spanish guy trying to find ways to help with Costa Rica´s development. I have never met a person that spoke that fast. He arrived to the office by ways of his bicycle and gave me a very sweaty welcome hug. Luckily he told me I didn´t have to go to the office that Friday so that I could go away with Amy and Jim for the weekend. What a nice guy!
I have also decided to stay with this new family. Something tells me they will be great :)
East, West, North, South?? I need a compass!
I give up. I don´t know where the North is! And I know where the sun sets, but it is already set by the time I leave work. So I supposed that doesn´t really help, Now does it?
Although Costa Rica is the most developed country in Central America, they have managed to get by without numbered houses and street names. Can you imagine trying to find the only white house with 3 floors, South East of the Park, and 150 meters west of the Church? It was one of the hardest things I´ve done.
People from Costa, especially cab drivers, know every landmark in the city. Ask them to drop you off in front of the KFC, or Ken-toh-kee, and you will be there in no time. But my absolute favorite is when the directions include an old landmark that everyone knows it existed except for foreigners. So if you have to find the¨the old laundromat¨ you´d never find it because it is now a restaurant.
Better luck next time!
Although Costa Rica is the most developed country in Central America, they have managed to get by without numbered houses and street names. Can you imagine trying to find the only white house with 3 floors, South East of the Park, and 150 meters west of the Church? It was one of the hardest things I´ve done.
People from Costa, especially cab drivers, know every landmark in the city. Ask them to drop you off in front of the KFC, or Ken-toh-kee, and you will be there in no time. But my absolute favorite is when the directions include an old landmark that everyone knows it existed except for foreigners. So if you have to find the¨the old laundromat¨ you´d never find it because it is now a restaurant.
Better luck next time!
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