Home Sweet Home

Have I mentioned how wonderful my husband is?  I have missed him so very much and he welcomed us home in grand style.

He and Luke built an pergola onto the back of the house...and furnished it with a new patio set, a new grill, and a potting bench for me.  It's so beautiful and I am so thankful to have it...

 

 And then, this morning he sent me on my way for a  6 hour complete spa day...massage, facial, mani/pedi, waxing, hair....now I feel human again.

This will be my last post of the blog of my Costa Rican adventures....it's been an amazing and memorable time of my life...but I am so glad to be back to my regular amazing life :-)  Pura Vida.

Going Home!

Today is the day when we leave Costa Rica....it is a bittersweet feeling and I have to admit that I have a bit of an emptiness in my heart.  I never realized how much this country and its people have grown to mean to me along the way.  I complained a lot, and missed my family a lot, but I have honestly loved every minute of being here.

Our driver will be here in just a few minutes so I wanted to take a second to post before we leave....You'll hear from me when I get "state side."

I love you all!

Notes for the future

I found a great company who will take your blog and turn it into a hardbound book.  I plan to do that with this blog when I get home.  You might want to skip this post because it's just information for my future trips to Costa Rica.

House:
Victoria Schwartz
Hummingbird Bed and Breakfast
house phone (506) 2289-2732
lizamorning@gmail.com

Driver:
Carlos Rojas
ecogreentrans@gmail.com
cell phone (506) 8811-6436

Family:
Rafa (Paco's nephew)
Rafael.ViquezArce@bsci.com
cell phone (506) 8811-9746

William Arce (Paco's brother)
cell (506) 8821-0013
house (506) 2289-3741
Aparta de Postal
173
San Rafael, Escazu
Plaza Colonial
war_55@hotmail.com
warce@ccss.sa.cr

Microimaging/Micropigmentation
Wendy Pena Sandi
(506) 6042-6853
Can do eyebrows, eyeliner, lipliner, and others...each service is $100

Grecia and Sarchi

Today I went to Sarchi to purchase my two main souvenirs of my trip.  I've been wanting the traditional Costa Rican rocking chairs that I've seen around.  They are extremely comfortable and I thought they'd be the perfect purchase to remind me of my trip here. Sarchi is a town known for it's furniture.  It's where the traditional oxcarts are made and hand painted.  I wanted to purchase two of the awesome rocking chairs (who wants to rock alone, right?) and to have them shipped back to the U.S.

On the way to Sarchi we passed through Grecia and saw this amazing church, Iglesia de la Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes (Our Lady of Mercy), made entirely of pieces of red sheet metal. It has been a landmark in Grecia for many years and any directions given in this community always start with, "From the red church...."

 

Our guide (Layne's Costa Rican cousin, Rafa) told us that this church houses the oldest organ in Central America.  It was a beautiful church and after researching it, I found that the red sheet metal and  ironwork was shipped to Costa Rica from Belgium.  To me, it does have an European "flair" to it.

Once we arrived in Sarchi, Rafa went into the store to negotiate the price of the chairs for me.  We didn't want the store to see a gringa coming and think they could overcharge.  He was able to work it out and I was so excited to be able to buy my chairs AND have them shipped to Atlanta AND still stay about $50 under budget.  I am super excited to have these and cannot wait for them to arrive at my home so I can start using them.  Now I just to figure out where I'll put them.

After our purchase, we ate lunch at a really great restaurant.  The family has been so good to us...it was going to cost me $80 to hire someone to drive us to Sarchi and back, but having family in the area really helped out.  They offered to take us and we had an amazing day with them.  The conversation was always so easy and we laughed a lot. 

We learned a lot of interesting things about Luke and Layne's heritage through these conversations.  We learned that their Great-Grandfather, Rodrigo, was a terrible alcoholic.  Once he realized what he was doing to himself, he started Alcoholics Anonymous in Costa Rica.  Wait...what?  Yes, that's what we learned.  That Rodrigo was one of the first to get AA going here in Costa Rica.  Kudos to him! We wished we would have been able to meet him, but he lives a couple of hours away and we didn't plan to travel that far today.  I am very frustrated that we didn't have this information sooner because it would have been amazing to take Luke and Layne to meet their Great-Grandfather who is still alive and well in Puntarenas, Costa Rica, although he has suffered a leg amputation and is in a wheelchair.  Which brings me to my next point...I spent several months in a wheel chair when I broke my leg.  I cannot even imagine what life in a wheel chair must be like for someone in a developing country.  The sidewalks, when there are any, are completely uneven with holes and obstacles all over the place.  Lupe (Luke and Layne's grandfather's sister) sells real estate, but also has a degree in architecture AND in political science.  She also has the desire to build residences for the elderly here in Costa Rica and has already drawn up architectural plans.  We talked a lot about this project, and I hope to be able to help them with it in the future.

After lunch, they took us to their house in Escazu where we met more family members!  It really, really saddened me that we were just meeting them and seeing their home, which was only about 1500 meters east of ours.  They were so awesome!  We have lots of contact information and really hope to build these relationships over the coming years so that Luke and Layne will have more family in their lives than they already do.  Here's a picture of Luke and Layne's second cousin, Rafa; their Uncle William (their grandfather's brother); Layne; their Aunt Lupe, and their second cousin Patricia in front of the family's house in Escazu.

This next picture shows Layne with his Uncle William, Uncle William's wife (I feel so terrible because I forgot her name), and his second cousin Carolina.  (Fun Fact:  Uncle William, his wife, his daughter, AND his son are all dentists.  Can you believe it?)

So, it was a fantastic day for us here in Costa Rica...I learned so much about the family's history...about my son's bloodlines and heritage...and I made so many new friends!  I really wish this had occurred earlier in the semester, but since it didn't....I guess that means we have to come back to Costa Rica really soon!

Goodbyes

Today was my last day student teaching.  I have a few more days in Costa Rica, but today was the last one spent with my students and at my school.  I woke up this morning really energized because I am excited about going home, but I was a little sad, too, about leaving the people I've built good relationships with.

On the bus on the way to school, I overheard a few of the other student teachers talking about the parties they were going to have today.  They said they'd overheard a few students talking and it was supposed to be a surprise, but they knew about it anyway.  I was a little taken aback because I hadn't heard my students doing anything of the such.  If my class was going to do something like that, I guess it was possible that they kept it a secret, but not likely.  I love surprises, but it's very rare when one actually occurs that I didn't know about.  It just seems that some little detail gets overlooked and I'm able to figure it out before the surprise.  I decided that I would know for sure once I made it to my classroom.  If they were going to have a party, I was sure to see some cookies or a kid with a cake or something. When I got to the class, it was business as usual, no signs of any goodies or love, and I was saddened that my class had opted not to do a party.

My morning was very slow...the students took a test and I worked on my laptop filling out job applications.  The more I worked on applications, the sadder I got.  I mean, why did I mean so little to them?  I put my heart and soul into this classroom and to be discounted as if my time here didn't matter at all really hurt.  One or two students mentioned in passing...you won't be here anymore?  Oh, that's right...today's your last day.  They were so nonchalant about it.

I've told you before that the students are gone from 10:15 - 12:00 every day.  They leave for Spanish at 10:15, they have recess from 11:00 - 11:30, and then lunch from 11:30 - 12:00.  Today, when the students left to go to Spanish....I actually cried a little.  I had to wipe the tears before anyone came back into the classroom and "caught" me being weak.  I literally told myself out loud to "get it together, Trina"...I started telling myself that these people don't matter...that I'll never see them again...that if they didn't like me or my teaching, I'd get over it.  Then, I blew my nose and decided to just try to have the best rest of the day that I could.

I had emailed the principal a few days ago asking if he'd be willing to write me a recommendation letter.  I hadn't heard back from him so I asked my CT what that might mean.  Either he thinks I'm terrible and doesn't want to write a recommendation for me or he's swamped and just hasn't been able to respond to my email.  Of course, at this point I'm thinking that I'm just a terrible teacher and he doesn't want to write a letter for me, but my CT told me he's been really busy, and that I should just not worry about getting one from him.

A few minutes later, she left the classroom for a few minutes and then returned.  She said that she ran into the principal down the hall and that he asked if I'd come talk to him at 10:55.  I was scared, but hopeful at the same time.  I went to his office where he asked me a lot of questions about my intentions as a teacher, but he was very kind in saying that he'd be glad to write a recommendation letter for me.  That really cheered me up and put me in a joking mood.  On the way back to class I decided I'd tell my CT that he said I was a terrible teacher and that there was no way he'd write a recommendation for me.  I smiled to myself thinking about kidding with her.

As I rounded the corner to our class, I saw a few kids that I knew.  It was recess and they were hanging around as usual.  These students aren't in my class, but I know them from seeing them around so I talked with them and gave high fives...feeling much better than I was feeling just an hour before.  Our classroom is one that is usually overrun with students during recess.  They like to come in and out of the room, so I've built relationships with students from other classes, too.  It was a nice moment.

I opened the door to our classroom and the first thing I saw was our class carpet all bundled up. Since it's recess, and students come in and out of our room, the first thing I thought was, "what are these crazy kids doing under this dirty rug?"  No sooner did the thought complete in my mind did ALL of the other students jump out from behind desks and shout,"SURPRISE!!!!"

Can I tell you I was completely surprised.  Not only did I not have a clue that they'd planned anything, but I'd had my feelings hurt thinking that they didn't care about me.  I didn't even see the students hiding behind the desks.  I was completely shocked!  I don't know when they planned it, how I never heard about it, or how they were able to keep it such a secret, but I was truly surprised this time.  The kids were so loving and kind...they hugged me, told me they'd miss me, and even gave me a gift.  Here's the poster they made for me...

One of the moms made cupcakes and there were chips, juice, and brownies to snack on (AFTER they had eaten their lunch) while we watched the rest of the movie Frozen (they had started it before spring break).

The very best part of the day, however, occurred at the very end.  I was waiting for the other student teachers and two of my students were leaving for the day.  They hugged me again and said they were going to miss me.  They said I had been really nice and that they'd learned a lot from me.  I asked, "did you really?" because I truly wanted to know if I had impacted their learning.  One of the students was very serious when she replied with YES!  She said they'd worked on figurative language in her Spanish class, and even though Spanish is her native language, she never really understood what it was.  Then, she said when I began the unit on figurative language in English class, she was "like, ohhhh, THAT'S what it is!" (her words) and that she truly understood what figurative language is and how someone might use it in their writing. 

And that, my friends, is the best gift a teacher of any kind could ever receive.  Goodbyes are hard, but knowing that my efforts have reached even one child is what makes this all worth while.  These people DO matter to me very much...and I hope that I will one day see some of them again...and to be honest, I'm not sure if I would actually get over it if they didn't like me or my teaching.  I hope and pray that I've reached others, but knowing that I've reached even one makes me smile and feel accomplished at the end of the day.  I'm truly going to miss these little guys.

Easter

Today is kindof lonely for me.  It's the first day in the past 20 years that I didn't do an Easter basket for my boys.  That makes me very sad and I find myself wishing very strongly that I was with my family today. While in the store on our last grocery run of this trip (Wal-Mart), I thought about buying Layne some Easter goodies, but I could not find one, and I mean NOT ONE piece of evidence that it was Easter.  There were no baskets, no chocolate bunnies, no egg dye kits....and very few people.  I mentioned in a previous post about Semana Santa (Holy Week) and how serious the event is taken here.  Even though I am sad and lonely today, I realize that being with family is what I miss most about this holiday...not the candy or the Easter baskets.  I really like that Costa Rica doesn't turn every holiday into a commercial circus, but rather focuses on the true meaning of this holiday.  I hope to continue that when I return to the U.S., but I can't make any promises about staying away from chocolate.

My landlady shared a site with me (http://costarica.com/culture/semana-santa/) that really goes into the culture here surrounding the holiday....I thought I'd share the article with you.....It says....

"For Costa Ricans, religious celebrations are very important, none more so than Semana Santa or Holy Week, that celebrates the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Most locals either get together with their families to participate in religious celebrations, or head out to the beaches for a vacation.
For many Costa Ricans, Semana Santa is a time for reflection and worship with family. The Catholic Church in each town organizes traditional masses and processions which take place on Holy Wednesday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday.  Each procession is a dramatic reenactment of Jesus’ journey through Jerusalem to his crucifixion and resurrection.

The participants dress up and act like armies of Roman soldiers and others who took part in Jesus’ journey toward death.  Some of the common characters seen in these parades are angels, Mary Magdalene, Saint Joseph and the Virgin Mary, the apostles and, of course, Jesus.  The actors perform as a promise that they have lived their last year free of sin, following all of the church’s teachings.  The procession is a very serious event, and spectators line the streets to mourn and pray.

At family gatherings special meals are prepared.  During Holy Week, the tradition is to eat seafood, complying with the Catholic practice of not eating meat on Fridays during Lent.  Delicious dishes  such as rice and shrimp, ceviche and fried fish are prepared.  Various desserts such as empanadas, pudding and jelly are all made from chiverre, a big squash that looks like a watermelon and is in season during this time. The flesh is cooked with brown sugar blocks.

Most Costa Ricans that are not at home celebrating religious traditions pack up and drive to the beach. The beach towns become overcrowded, and hotels are completely booked months in advance.  Travelers on roads leading to the coast can sit in traffic for hours.  However, San Jose and other metropolitan areas become deserted as all government institutions, schools and banks close down from Thursday to Sunday, or for the entire week in some cases.

During Holy Week, a Dry Law is in place, meaning that at midnight on Wednesday all bars and liquor stores close.  Catholics are not supposed to drink during the mourning of Jesus, not until he has resurrected on Sunday.  While the majority of the population is Catholic, many stock up on liquor and beer for the upcoming weekend.  At the beach it is possible to find a clandestine bar open, but no alcohol can be officially served anywhere in the city.

A stealthy drink or two aside, many locals hold strongly to religious traditions, and superstitions are alive and well.  Many don’t swim in the ocean on Holy Thursday or Friday.  People say you can drown because God is angry.  Some of the more superstitious believe you will become a fish if you get in the water on Holy Friday.  It is also thought that the earth gets hot, causing more earthquakes during this time.  On the positive side, it is widely agreed upon that the best sunsets of the year happen during Holy Week.

Whether at home with family, or on vacation at the beach, Costa Ricans share a great respect and passion for the celebration of Easter and Semana Santa."

Semana Santa

This is Holy Week in Costa Rica, the week before Easter, and it's pretty quiet around here.  I'd been warned not to travel during this week as it is when everyone else in the country travels.  So, Layne and I have been hanging around the house catching up on some much needed sleep.

I thought I'd take this opportunity to fill you in on some other random things...

Bus rides
I've mentioned in previous posts that the driving here is crazy.  I would never, in a million years, attempt to drive in this country.  This past weekend, when we were on our way back from Manuel Antonio, our seats just happened to be the front seats in the bus.  Well, when we arrived in San Jose and the bus had to make a lot of turns, we literally almost hit a child.  It was so scary!  There was a family crossing the street and the bus was making a turn.  The driver didn't even slow down to make the turn until he had to slam on his brakes from almost hitting the child.  We couldn't even see the child anymore and wondered if he'd been hit.  We watched as the parents grabbed the child and yanked him out from under the front bumper of the bus.  It was really traumatic.

TV News
I haven't watched TV very much since I've been here, but I'll catch it from time to time if I'm in a restaurant or a waiting area somewhere.  The other day I saw a report of a motorcyclist who had been hit and killed during an accident.  On the news was the scene of the accident and the dead motorcyclist just lying in the street.  I was caught off guard and realized how much the U.S. media shields us from images like that.  I can't think of a time when a real live news report in the U.S. showed pictures of the dead body at the scene.  It was kindof like a train wreck when I saw it here...I knew I shouldn't look, but I couldn't tear my eyes away.

Scams
Layne has had his fill of people "scamming" us here.  I have to say that I don't think it's happened as much as I anticipated it happening, but there have been a few occasions when a taxi driver takes advantage of us.  In Costa Rica, it is the law for every taxi driver to have a meter in his car.  They all start at the same rate and you can watch it increase as the driver takes you to your destination.  There have been a couple of times when we got into a taxi that did not have a meter.  I've always asked BEFORE he starts driving...where is the meter?  On a couple of occasions I've been told that he didn't have a meter, but that the charge was a set amount per kilometer.  Because I knew about how far we were from our destination, I could quickly do the math in my head and know how much would be fair.  Last week, though, when we were coming back from Manuel Antonio, we had to grab a cab from the bus station to our house.  Before we got into the cab, I asked where his meter was.  I was told that it was in the car. Hmmm...I was suspicious, but we got in anyway.  As he started driving, I again asked for the meter and that's when the driver told me it was a "rate per kilometer."  I secured the amount with him and put the issue to rest.  About 5 minutes later (this is how Layne does things...he thinks about them for a few minutes before speaking) Layne says to the driver, "No Meter...No Scam!"  I was sitting in the back seat (Layne was in the front) and the driver (who didn't speak English) asked, "Que?"  Again, Layne said, "No Meter...No Scam!".....I just laughed at him...and assured him that I'd already talked with the driver about the rate.  Layne was just mad.  He said he's sick of people trying to take advantage of us...poor guy.

Uniformity
I love things to be even.  I like routine, I like to be on time, and I like to see parallel lines.  Well, here in Costa Rica, those things are very difficult to find.  I was looking at a stairway the other day and I noticed that the entire set of stairs was all messed up.  It was made of many different types of materials, the railings (when there were any) were at all different heights and angles, and the steps themselves had no rhyme or reason to the various heights.  For my mathematical mind this is a nightmare.  I very much like how things in the U.S. are built to code.  There are standards and specifications that have to be met and I miss that very much.

Noise
Before I came here I read about how Costa Ricans view people from the United States as loud and rude.  I was determined not to fit that stereotype so I have kept my head down and remained very timid while here.  However, one day my friends and I went to the mall where we had a few drinks at Chili's, talked about our lives, and laughed a lot.  As we were heading to the exit of the mall, we were still just cutting up and laughing when a lady sitting on a nearby bench shhhh'd us!  We couldn't believe it.  We were really just minding our own business, but were a group of girls laughing like people do in the mall.  I was a little embarrassed that she shhhh'd us, but I was a little ticked off about it, too.  Who is she to tell us we can't laugh and joke in the mall, of all places?  Grrrr.

A desensitized Layne
One day, when we were at Jaco Beach, I saw a pair of red parrots flying.  It was exciting to me and I pointed them out to Layne.  He shrugged it off as no big deal.  I couldn't believe he did that and I told him that I thought it was so surreal to actually see parrots flying in the wild.  He complimented me when he told me that he supposed, due to the number of things I've exposed him to in his life, that he just isn't surprised by things anymore.  That made me feel good because I always worked hard to share this beautiful world with my boys.  I guess by exposing them to so many things, they are not shocked when they see something as unusual as parrots flying in the wild (I'm still blown away by them, though!).

Laly's
There is a local place that we go to eat from time to time called Laly's.  It's just a little restaurant, but we like the typical food there and have visited it more than any other restaurant here in Escazu.  When my sister was here last week, I mentioned to Layne (in front of my sister) that we should take her to Laly's.  She asked, "What's Laly's?"....and Layne replied with, "it's where you go to get your adverbs."   For those of you who ever watched Schoolhouse Rock, I hope you laughed as much as I did at that! He's too funny!