All things growing

I've heard from many people about their excitement for spring and the new flowers that are blooming, so I thought I'd share what's blooming here and hope to hear more from you about what's blooming where you live.  It seems so strange to me to hear people talking about spring; because we missed winter all together and I'm thinking: 'wait, how can it be spring already?'

There are a number of trees around here without any leaves, but they have these humungous blooms!  These trees w/ the orange blooms are known as Poró gigante.  There are hillsides filled with them; they remind me of the clusters of aspens in the mountains of Colorado!

This is an orchid blooming in our yard.

There are hibiscus everywhere, in many different colors!

This 'Communion' plant is blooming at our house and around town!

There's always some kind of interesting fruit that's in season as well.  Recently we tried this granadilla, it’s got a hard but thin husk that you peel, then suck out the gooey fruit w/ crunchy black seeds.  It grows on a vine right outside our door! 

 This is a 'tree tomato or Tomate Palo.  You bite off the bitter top and suck out the sweet fruit.

And of course, there's my favorite, the mango, which have been on sale recently for 3 lb/$1; you don’t have to twist my arm to get me to eat them!  Some people like eating them green with salt, but I think there's nothing better than a ‘just ripe’ mango!  

    Speaking of eating... I've been thinking about the Costa Rican custom of only using a spoon to eat with.  For some reason I'm having trouble switching over, especially when it comes to eating a salad.  So I frequently find myself mixing my salad in with my plate of rice and beans and vegetables, that way it all goes on the spoon easier.  Don't bother with putting a fork at the plate of a Tico though, they won't be using it!

In a previous blog, I wrote about the drink called “Aqua Dulce” that you make from molasses and water with a squeeze of lemon.  Well, our neighbors had an event this month that we attended, called a Trapichada, which is where they make the ‘tapa de caña’, the block of pure brown raw sugar, starting with cutting down the sugarcane.

This machine squeezes out the juice while the oxen turn it around and around.

Then they cook it in a huge cauldron over a fire and then pour it into molds when it's boiled down and just the right temperature.  We talked to the ‘trapidoro’, the guy who’s in charge of this whole process, and 88 yr. old Emilio has been doing this his whole life.  We were lucky to be gifted with a block of this candy into which they had added seeds and raisins!  This stuff is REALLY good, and now I know where I can stock up whenever our supply runs low!

Here’s what else is growing at our house.  Jewey, the Pug, had 4 pups 3 weeks ago, so we get the pleasure of watching them grow too! 

We named this one Francisco Jr.: note the resemblance!

(hint: blanco barbita)

Speaking of watching things grow:  last weekend we helped out the high school administration (principal, teachers, cooks; everybody was in on this act); in preparing food for their booth at the nearby pueblo’s coffee fair.  It’s a fundraiser they participate in every year and we were told they are going to buy a siren for security at the front gate, an electric gate (right now a very petite security guard has to haul a very large metal sliding gate open and closed every time someone wants to go in or out of the school.  They also hope to remodel the library.  
We got involved in every step of the process of making tamales and watched that pile of tamales grow over 2 days of preparation! I turned down an offer to help make Sopa de Mondongo (cow tripe)as well as tasting it.  Normally, I will try anything, but for some reason, intestines have always been difficult for me to stomach. 

 We helped out at the fair too, but got volunteered to wash and dry dishes!  I guess that was better than a peer PCV who had to walk in the parade w/ a huge Grandpa Smurf mask on!  We also enjoyed the beautiful traditional dances and costumes from all over Central and South America, which not only performed at the fair, but the day before in the gymnasio at the high school!

Francis and I have been carrying out our lesson plans and finally I can say I think I can get my point across in Spanish, by just winging it.  I do like to make sure I'm familiar with the vocabulary though, just in case there’s something new.  Definitely learning new vocab every day, and like Vilma says, it usually takes about 16 times to say something new for it to really stick.  I was part of a role play to demonstrate how to use the Negotiation Steps that we’re teaching to 6 different groups of 4^th and 5^th graders.  One of the steps is to generate ideas, or in this case, solutions to the problem; in Spanish this is referred to as “lluvia de ideas” (equivalent of brainstorm).  Another term I had to learn was how they say; “to flip a coin” (in the case of random decision making).  They say: “tirar una moneda en aire” (to throw the coin in the air) or “escudo o corona” (shield or crown; in the case of the Costa Rican coins). 

Another custom that I really enjoy seeing in the schools, is the kids’ and teachers’ habit of brushing their teeth after lunch.  I don’t know how that tradition got started, but it’s very common for people to be standing around the outdoor ‘pilas’ brushing their teeth after lunch!  I think it might be worthwhile to investigate the origin of that good habit, in order to try and replicate it for instilling other good habits! 

In 2 days, Francis and I will have our first visitors from the US.  Tom and Sheri are coming to visit us and we'll vacation together before they go off and work on building a house in the southern part of Costa Rica with Habitat for Humanity.  We surely look forward to spending time together as we explore the northeastern shores of CR,(Tortuguero Parque Nacional) where none of us have ventured before.  We'll see what's growing in that part of the country, besides turtles and we'll be thinking of all of you and will miss seeing you at our traditional Easter Brunch.

So enjoy the spring and all things that grow.  I look forward to hearing from you very soon! Love to you all!!