This time I write from the comfortable little house of my host sister, Paula. Her two yappy dogs, Tomas and Pancho, are happily licking my ankles. The last few days have been a total blur. To try and catch up, I will use the photos on my camera to remember what has happened.
After we spent time in the internet cafe in Cartago, we all went to the SuperMercado to buy things we need and to experience what it´s like to shop in a big town instead of the modest and friendly pulperias of La Flor. There wasn´t much of a difference except you had to check all of your belongings at the front desk before you shopped. I really hate carrying my passport around. It makes me so nervous! My friend Molly and I decided to thank the patient, nice and all around incredible staff of the finca by making a chocolate cake for everyone. We bought everything we needed with the best of our spanglish. (I couldn´t remember the word for oil (acete) and I tried describing it by saying, when you mix it with water, it goes on top... I am obviously an Ezekiel.) After we bought everything we needed, we all went to the bus station to hitch a ride back to La Flor. The bus was over two hours late. This is the cultural pace of Costa Rica affectionately known as La Hora Tica. We ended up having to take a cab, but the ride was so beautiful up the mountains with all the stars and city lights, that I´m glad we did. Fast Car by Tracy Chapman came on the radio and we all sang along, crawling up the rubble to la finca.
In the end, the queque turned out beautifully, and after our closing play during cultural talent night in the common room, we brought it out with sparklers and little sugar roses.
The most fun I´ve had here in my time so far has been the day we rented the local soccer field, and about 20 of the kids and instructors played soccer for hours. It had been so long since I had played an actual game, and I was amazed at both how naturally the muscle memory came back to me, and the amount of pain I felt the next morning. We only stopped because a cloud descended upon the field, and you could hardly see anyone.
For the one of the evening activities we watched La Ciudad del Silencio which was a movie about the negative social consequences of TLC or CAFTA on Mexico and Central America. The film was startling and upsetting and we discussed it in class for over two hours. Although troubling, it felt good to become more informed about the politics in Central America and especially Costa Rica. On a lighter note, the next night we learned the hypnotizing Brazilian form of dance-fighting called Capuera. It was one of the most beautiful art forms I have ever witnessed. Last night, one of our instructors named Alan and his girlfriend taught us more advanced Meringue and gave us a Fire-Poi show. I took some photos that I´m very excited about.
This morning I had to pack my bags and leave the farm at around 1 which was very sad for me. I feel that somehow I want to become a farmer there for a year. The people were so in tune with nature, so interesting and so light-hearted. They offered me a volunteer job outside of Cartago if I was interested. It was difficult to say goodbye to my new friends, as a few of us piled in the jeep taxi to go to the AFS office in San Jose. We stayed up very late on our last night together, sharing languages, music and smoke rings. I was dreading the lonely 8 hour bus ride ahead of me, but to my surprise my host sister, Paula was waiting for me at the office! She is really nice, beautiful and fluent in English. She is a Civil Engineer who specializes in columns and posts. She went to work at 2 and will be there until 5 while I anxiously await meeting my host father and our ride to Ciudad Neily tomorrow morning.
I wonder if things will stop feeling so charmed, because it´s almost disconcerting how everything is working out so magically.
Hast Luego,
Elaine
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