My New Norm; what I've grown accustomed to (and what I haven't)

     It's hard to decide what to write about as our time here narrows down to the last 3 months. You've seen and heard a lot about what we do for work here.   But since many of the highlights of June, didn't take place in Costa Rica, I thought I'd write about other things.
     First an update on our whereabouts.  I am back in San Marcos, Francis is still in Washington, DC.  He is being very well taken care of by the Peace Corps Medical Office, feeling good, getting examined from head to toe and leery of anything involving needles, but managing well.  He is making the most of his time while near so many wonderful monuments, museums and family.  Francis grew up in Baltimore and has been spending some time with cousins as well as a 99 year old uncle.  I got to enjoy much of this during my 8 day stay in DC, in addition to a visit from Emilee and longtime friend, Eileen.  They both came to DC for a weekend and we had a marvelous time together.  I got spoiled and wish I could have stayed!  That kind of sums up where I'm at mentally right now, but as always, practicing being in the here and now.  We're hoping and expecting that Francis will return here within the next 2 weeks, más o menos.

Francis and Emilee at the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery, where Francis has a great uncle buried.

Eileen and I at the Crab Cakes Bar

Sunset over the Potomac

      This week is the beginning of a 2 week vacation for all schools in CR; they call it "quince dias".  So while I spent the beginning and end of June working in the school and liceo, I am going to spend 4 days this week with my PCV group, Tico 28, at La Playa Santa Teresa and then the following week at our COS (Close of Service) Conference.  We will have about 2 months of service to go after that.

     Being back in the states for the week gave me another taste of life after Peace Corps.  It didn't feel like as much of a culture shock going as much as it did coming back here again.  It has given me much food for thought about differences in cultures and how I've adapted to things here.

Let's start with what I appreciate about Costa Rica that's different from the states:
   
     We live in a small town here.  I have grown so accustomed to living here, I forget it's such a small town. When the boys from Asheville were here, some were talking about how neat it was that the kids could walk to school, whereas in the states, they have to drive everywhere they go. The last time I climbed up to the cross and looked down at the town, it was such a great feeling to realize that we walked all the way up there from our house!  And going the other direction we can walk into town.  Case in point: in the States; we tend to drive everywhere we go, but we don't always have to.  Francis and I have put on a lot of miles walking around town, and now when someone offers us a ride, we usually decline, because we've grown so accustomed to walking that we prefer it.  Here's to hoping we continue walking a lot and don't hop in our car for a quick trip to the store.  I really do like small town living, so I guess I'll have to figure out a way to make Ft. Collins feel small again.

Hiking with other PCVs : Francis, Rachel, Nicky and Donny.

     When talking to my brother the other day on the phone, he asked about the rooster he heard crowing in the background.  I have grown so accustomed to it, I hadn't even noticed.  But I do notice it at 4 am when it wakes me up every morning.  As I've mentioned before, we live on a fairly busy street, and I am especially aware of the big trucks that have to downshift and grind their way up the hill.  But for now, it's quieter since coffee picking season is over.  It's amazing how we all adapt to the sounds around us.

 There's a church down the street whose visitors sing without accompanying music, and not exactly on key.  I can't say that I missed them when I was in DC.  On the other hand, no matter where I am, I tend to gravitate to quiet places, trails through the trees or along rivers or streams.  I will miss the many chirping birds that I hear every morning, but not the barking dogs outside my door.  The heavy rains certainly make memorable sounds on a tin roof, but it's the rain itself that is something you have to learn to live with whether you like it or not.  Like the changing seasons of Colorado, the rainy season here makes one appreciate the dryness of "summer".

Francis was well versed in the use of umbrellas when he arrived to DC.

     The plentitude of insects has been something that I have not adapted to well.  I've gotten used to catching spiders, cockroaches, roly polies and such, and tossing them out the door, but I'm not comfortable with crawling into bed or walking around barefoot for fear of meetings with unseen insects. Ticos are accustomed to having little gnats flying around their food in the kitchen, and for that reason, I don't keep food out. Traditionally, Ticos tend to keep food sitting out on the stove, in the microwave or toaster oven.  I keep a tube of rice at the bottom of our front door; not to keep the cold out, but to keep the insects out.  The joke's probably only on me, because with all of the spaces between the ceiling and the walls, there's plenty of other places for them to enter, but it makes me feel better anyway.

I've been told this "colorful" spider, which I found racing across our floor recently,  is probably toxic.   Any arachnoid scientists out there who can identify this?  It was only about the size of a nickel.

    I've grown accustomed to living in a small space.  It's so easy to sweep the entire apartment every morning (takes 5 minutes) and to reach for pots, pans and the sink while cooking.  I can open the refrigerator and get out some nuts or chocolate from my cozy little living room throne (mi trono)!  It's my desk, meditation spot, tv chair and sewing seat!  Sounds good huh?  Well, it's a little different story when Francis and I are BOTH here.  And it's a little challenging to entertain, though we have had 3 for dinner, seated on every chair in the house!  I'm sure it will only make me appreciate our spacious home when we leave and maybe on cleaning days too!  In the words of Ticos, who always use "ito, or isimo" on the ends of words to emphasize the smallness or grandness of things; we have un apartamento pequenito.

My arm's not long enough to see it all, but you get the idea!

    Seeing all the green around me is a site I have become accustomed to, and continue to appreciate every time I look outside!  There are blooming orchids, bromeliads and many other flowering plants right outside our door.  I so enjoy having fresh fruits and vegetables like bananas, lemons, papaya, mango, zuchini and tomatoes available to us year round!  

Freshly cut from Vilma's banana trees out back.

     I've become accustomed to eating much more simply and with less variety than we have in the states.  Besides savings for the budget, it makes shopping simpler as well, since there's not so much variety to choose from.  Americans tend to spend much more time on both shopping for and preparing extravagant foods than Ticos.  I think it's a product of both our economic level as well as our consumerism culture.  Maybe it's also a small town vs. big town difference that I'll have to pay more attention to.
   

Carmen cooking beans on the wood stove (estufa de leña).  Ticos LOVE their frijoles y arroz!

     While all Costa Ricans haven't embraced keeping the environment clean (like picking up trash), they have embraced the 2 new R's in the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle practice; and that's Repair and Refuse (to buy new).  Costa Ricans are very good at using things until they fall apart and repairing them when they do. In addition, they use recycled materials a lot more for many household items and demonstrate a lot of creativity in doing so!

Holding up the water pipes for the washing machine w/ an inventive cord system of Vilma's!

    Again, it's probably a matter of economics, but since we've lived here, and don't have any extravagant needs, we've also practiced repairing things much more than we have in the past.  In the states, our practice is to throw it away and buy a new one.  Of course, the former is better for the environment and I hope to spend more time getting creative in the process!

I may have chosen a little longer lasting solution to this broken trash basket for the long term, but duct tape and cardboard  work just fine for the short term!

     Something else I've become accustomed to, but not something I've enjoyed, is the frequent feeling of not knowing what's going on, due to the language barrier.  This is referred to as "Arroz con mango",  a saying used when a situation is confusing.  My auditory processor has slowed down enough so that it makes it quite difficult to understand what people are saying much of the time.  This has caused us to stop short of knowing what's going on many occasions over our entire stay here. We've both become quite used to that feeling, but it's always been an uncomfortable feeling.    While one of the reasons I joined PC was to learn Spanish, it's been a challenge much greater than I ever thought it would be (like the Ticos say about learning English: "cuesta mucho" (literally, it costs a lot).  And while I plan to continue my studies of the language,  I look forward to having a little more than a clue about what's going on around me and being able to interact on a deeper level when I return.

At least Yuey and I understand each other.

     It could be that it's not just a language issue causing the confusion as I mentioned above,  but a greater cultural misunderstanding or difference.  For example, a quality in many Ticos that, I've learned to accept but not embrace quite yet is the "pura vida" attitude, which serves Ticos very well in many ways, maybe the most important ways. They are a very tolerant people, patient and forgiving. This is probably the opposite of many Americans, with our highly demanding and efficiency minded workplace expectations.  This creeps into our personal, family and everyday lives and leaves us stressed and sick.  Those values have been so engrained in me, that it's been hard to adapt and accept what I see as inefficiencies in the systems where I work here.  It's worth the thought though,  that maybe this "Pura Vida" is saving Costa Ricans from a lot of misery.  Maybe it's something the US could adopt from Costa Rica, that would improve our society.  If we could trade a bit of efficiency or productivity for more tolerance, patience and forgiveness, it might be worth it!

     Costa Rica is one of the highest rated "developing" countries, according to where PCVs are placed. There are many similarities of culture to that of the US.  Many Ticos whom I've met, want so much to travel to if not live in the states.  Their tv shows and  movies are Spanish dubbed US shows.  Walmart is prevalent all over CR (though it's called Pali in the smaller towns, like ours).  Clothes are very western and stores called "Ropa Americana" (with used clothes from the states and Canada) are everywhere.  The US has influenced CR and other countries all over the world in many practices, so the differences aren't always so striking.  But Ticos have a LOT of pride in their country and this is very evident at their many festivals and parades, with old fashioned oxcarts pulling agricultural products, school and municipal bands playing national anthems and folkloric dancers wearing beautiful traditional costumes.

Tico Folkloric Pride

Tico Diversity Pride: Peace Corps led the Diversity Parade last week!

I hope that as you celebrate the 4th of July, you appreciate the rich cultural influences that make the US the beautifully rich, diverse country that it is, that makes it so wonderful.   Happy 4th!

I was invited to lunch w/ friends Carmen and Diego, so I made my traditional 4th of July Jello, to meet PC Goal #2: share the US culture with those from your host country!