We're still riding high after our vacation with 'the fam', but boy have we been busy! We jumped back into work, which included training students who were participating in the County Spelling Bee.
This year they added a new category, called Impromptu Speech, where the students got 1 minute to talk about a subject from a short list that they prepared ideas from. Only one gets to represent the school in the Impromptu Speech competition and one from the Spelling Bee competition. We'll start coaching after school again next week for the Regional English Festival next month. It's a lot of fun working with the kids in this area. These are the kids from the school in San Marcos where we work. Some of them are better spellers than some Estadosunidenses that I know!
Shortly after the English Festival, we spent 5 days in San Jose in our Mid Service Training(MST), which is the 1/2 way mark for our service. It's really hard to believe we only have 1 year left, but a month ago I was saying 'I don't know if I can do this for 1 more year'! I had been feeling stuck in my negativity, frustrations and expectations about the school system here, feeling like that is what is actually failing the kids. But one can't really make a difference with a negative attitude, and there's plenty to be done, even if it isn't at the level where I think it would make the biggest difference(I have a hard time settling for small changes). And that whole sustainability piece that the Peace Corps wants; that was seeming very out of reach. But MST really helped me change my perspective, through exercises of reflection, talking with PC staff, other PCVs, as well as sharing our own stories and activities with TICO 30, who are currently in training. It turns out, I guess I actually am making a difference, though the sustainability part is fairly debatable. I continue to question whether Youth Development is a need in Costa Rica, though it does seem to vary from region to region. Our group also made recommendations to the Country Director of PC, during MST, about some changes we'd recommend for the Youth Development Project that could make it more effective and possibly impact more change from the top down. There's probably a syndrome that's been identified for PCVs who fall into the trap of judging and labeling the host country and feeling like they have the solutions to the problems. If so, I definitely have symptoms of that syndrome, though I work on acceptance and just enjoying the process. It's a lot more fun and healthier that way too!
We're moving into our 2nd year in a completely different place, than we were in when we came to San Marcos 1 year ago. We can understand and speak the language better (key word: better), we know a lot of people and they ask us where we've been if they haven't seen us for a couple of weeks. We have learned a lot from the projects that we've done; and understand the process of project design and management better. The keys are identifying what the people here want and facilitating them through the process (that's how you get to sustainability). These are the really tough lessons of Peace Corps, that like most things in life, have to be experienced the hard way in order to learn.
This was our final activity during MST; we had to "cross over the symbolic wall" of 1st year, into 2nd year, by helping each other. Luckily we have some really strong, young backs in our group!  |
| We all made it to the other side! |
Our Mentor Guias carry out a team building activity with their 7th grade Aprendices. These Guias are demonstrating some great leadership skills, but other groups have no students showing up(we have 5 groups), so we are always in the process of evaluation and change. They also tutor in academic subjects during their weekly time together. We teach weekly classes to the Mentors, demonstrating, role playing and participating in activities they can use during their Mentor groups.
 |
| Lola and Pablo |
After returning from Montezuma, we arrived on the eve of the Independence Day celebrations of Costa Rica. Ticos are very proud people as demonstrated by their many celebrations of their traditions, like dancing and singing national songs.
These are examples of the lanterns the children parade around with on Sept. 14th, paying homage to the women of Antigua, Guatemala, who surrounded the capital where the Presidents of all the Central American countries were meeting, in 1821, to discuss their liberation from Spain. And then, on Sept.15, Independence Day is celebrated with parades involving the local schools.
The students with the highest marks get to carry the flags in the parade. Mileidy and Sofia, also flagbearers, are 2 of our Mentor Guias. (They make us proud!)
Marielis is one of 3 kids in a family with special needs that we know from the school and our work at the CENCINAI. 
When these kids passed by in the parade, I felt just like I have when watching and waving to my own kids and their friends at local parades! They are playing the lira and drums.
Dancing, acting, singing and speeches by Community members and School principals, took the place of classes the rest of the week. The students loved it! This is where my own American values are hard to separate from the expectations I place on the country of Costa Rica to improve the educational system!
I learned an important lesson these past few months, but one that I seem to have to learn over and over throughout my life. Our attitude and perspective can really impact our behavior. Sometimes it helps to talk to other people about their perspective in order to get a new take on something that is difficult to change. It helped me a lot and now I feel I can move into this 2nd year with a more positive attitude, a lot happier and that my effort will make a difference.
 |
| Sunset at Montezuma |
One more thing to share: PCVs in Costa Rica publish a quarterly magazine. Francis and I were interviewed in this issue and played a version of the "Newlywed Game"(let's see who can guess the other's response)! You might find our responses entertaining. see pg. 36 of La Cadena: (it's the Aug. 2015 edition)
https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B33NT_1ViLFnbFJrNWtkOTdsRm8&usp=sharing_eid&tid=0B33NT_1ViLFnRmRkR3VCRmhnMlk
