Welcome to the Jungle

It's more like welcome to the "Jungle Lite" or the "Hypothetical Jungle" seeing as how I actually went to a mini zoo near some waterfalls, and not to an actual wild, untamed jungle. I think the title of my blog is more apt when you think about how this was my first week of school in another country...being taught in another language...yeah...welcome to the jungle indeed.

So, as part of my program we get to go on a few "giras" (field trips), and the first one was this past Friday to Poas Volcano and to La Paz Waterfall Garden. I was super crunk to go to the volcano. In my mind I was going to see hot, molten lava streaming down the side of the volcano, and I was going to feel the power and ferocity of Mother Nature!.....not quite, though. Actually, it just turned into a really long hike up a steep incline to see...dunh dunh dunhhhhh....absolutely nothing. Lol, it was really foggy that day, and combined with the sulfur coming off of the volcano, I could see absolutely nothing when we reached the top. So, I saw a volcano...I guess? Anywho, after we tromped back down that very steep incline, we ventured to La Paz Waterfall Garden. Now this place was AMAZING. Seriously, if you are going to Costa Rica anytime soon, go there! It's a beautiful place with gorgeous scenery, great food, and a mini zoo filled with native (exotic!) animals.

So, we started out by eating because we had worked up an appetite with our morning volcano exercises, and let me just say that I love Costa Rican food. I read so many blogs before I came here stating how the food here is really boring and on the bland side...false. The food here is so flavorful and fresh, and there are soooo many different kinds of fruit, I love it! My current obsession is the sweet fried plaintains, ay dios mio. I have had plaintains before, but the ones here are the truth. So, since it was a buffet (and normally I don't like buffets, but this was different), I ate like a pig and I am not ashamed to say it. Then, it was onward for adventures.

Fun facts that I learned?
1.) Jaguars have super huge heads. I don't think I've ever seen a jaguar close up. I'm talking that this bad boy was literally a foot from me on the other side of the glass, and he was an impressive monster. Jaguars look kind of like leopards that have been hitting the gym or something. Huge.
2.) Ocelots are the most darling, evilest things I have ever seen. My camera was out of memory (I left my memory card in the States because I am a dummy!), so I don't have a picture of him :( But, he was so tiny, like a little bit bigger than a house cat. He was curled up asleep inside of a little box in his sanctuary and I guess we disturbed him because he opened up his little black eyes, flicked his tail in warning, and then went back to sleep. I loves him. I needs him. I wants an ocelot. I know my boyfriend is reading this, so I repeat, " I NEEDS an ocelot!"
3.) Hummingbirds mate while flying. Not much else to say about that other than that takes talent.

4.) Fruit Loops do not do justice to the Tucan. They are such interesting birds and so dramatically colored!
5.) Waterfalls are spectacular in person. I kinda knew this already, but it is worth repeating.

I absolutely loved this place. I don't think I've ever seen anything so beautiful. However, I was paranoid the entire time because I felt that mosquitoes would naturally flock to a place like this because of the water, and I am terribly afraid of Dengue! They warned us about tropical diseases our first week in orientation, so now every time one of us gets a bite we are like, "OMG do you think it could be Dengue?!" It's a terrible thing to live in fear of mosquitoes, but no worries I am still Dengue free.

You will have to hear about my first week of school another day (Welcome to the Jungle Part 2 or something) because this girl is tired. I leave you with some pictures as always. But first, the story of the young mono (monkey).

 

The young mono inspects the food that a human has just given him. He is puzzled and asks the question, "What is this??"

 

 

The young mono howls in agony and screams, "Noooooo! They know that I only eat bananas!"

 

 

The young mono tears the food in half in frustration, vowing to punch the insolent human that would give him the wrong fruit!

 

 

Alas, the young mono becomes disillusioned with mankind, and turns his back on society..forever. The end.

 

Forgive my silliness, but the monkey pictures just looked like they needed an unnecessarily dramatic story with them :) Now, more pictures.

 

So this is me being awesome with a Tucan on my arm..EEEK!

 



 

And a different Tucan looking oh so pretty 

 

 

One of the many varieties of poisonous ranas (frogs) in Costa Rica. So beautiful (in a weird, frog way), but don't touch!

 

This was just a random duck in the path. He was so darling until you got close to him, and then he would charge at you in attack mode!

 

 Teehee! Doesn't he look so indignant at being photographed??

 

 

Me in front of one of the two waterfalls we saw that day. Le sigh, so beautiful.

 

 

 

These are Sombrillas Pobres (poor man's umbrella). I am so fascinated by them, you literally can fit under them if it rains!

 

This is a distant view of the first waterfall. Doesn't it look so unreal and exotic??

 

A close up view of the first waterfall. Loves!

Billie Jean is Not My Lover

In every culture, I feel safe in saying that there comes a time when a little girl is declared a woman and there is some kind of celebration. I'm not sure why it doesn't seem to be the same for men, maybe they are declared men at birth? Men are silly, so perhaps. Anywho, back to women. In the  United States we have the "Sweet Sixteen" party where you celebrate with family and/or friends, and wah lah you become a woman. In Latin American cultures, it is similar but it occurs a year earlier and it seems to be a little bit more of a big deal. The birthday and the party are referred to as a "quince" (which means 15), and it can either be a large affair, a small party, or the girl can opt to travel (did not know this before last night). My little sister, Raquel, had opted for the latter, and had actually just returned from Italy when I arrived last week. However, her cousin, Sofia, chose to have a small party, and I was in attendance last night.

I felt semi-uncomfortable upon arrival to the party because I was thinking about how uninvited guests are thought of in America, and I was like man this girl is going to be like "who is this gringa at my party?!" But, Latinos are a much more welcoming lot, and I was greeted with the usual kiss on the cheek. I'm still getting used to the kiss on the cheek. I'm such an "ahhhh don't touch me" kinda gal, but I'm sure my tica mom would frown at me, so I'm working on it. Another thing I'm getting used to, speaking of ticos, is a little something called "Tico time", which is a lot like our "CP time" in the States. People just kind of arrive whenever. Last night the party was supposed to start at 6, but we started eating at 8 and there were still people rolling in at 10. I'm always late (Lord and everyone on Earth knows), and I feel like living in this culture is going to make it worse. So, be prepared when I get back guys, I am going to be super late for everything, and all I am going to say in response to your angry face is "Pura Vida!". "Pura Vida" translates to "pure life", but it is much more than that here. It is a very common saying and a required way of life. What it really means is that you should enjoy life to the fullest and not be stressed by anything. So next time you are late to work, just throw up your hands and say "Pura Vida!" in response to your boss's incessant questioning about why you are late. It will work. Promise.

I digress. The party. So, all is going along swimmingly. I was attempting to make minimal conversation in my pigeon Spanish, when Sofia's dad (Tio Eduardo) busts out his karaoke system. Ticos love some karaoke. Everyone is pumped and singing along, when all of a sudden one of my cousins, Helga (pronounced ell-gah), started saying how she wanted to hear me sing a song in English. About 30 pairs of eyes turned to me in excitement with an emphatic, "Si!! Amanda en Ingles!!". I tried to say no and talk about how I am a very poor singer, but Ticos are persistent. Helga, I could see her conspiring against me, looked up quickly and said "Michael Jackson. Si si, Michael Jackson!!". She had decided my fate. Now, normally I am down for karaoke, but usually this occurs after a few drinks, and there was not a drop in sight last night. So, there I was microphone in hand when the familiar chords of Michael Jackson's Billie Jean start playing, and I was just like what the heck "When in Rome...". Now the funniest part of all this is that none of the Ticos knew the words until the chorus, and in that moment I realized how similar people are despite differences in culture. I could be listening to a song in the US and not know a single word until the chorus, but when that chorus does come I am rocking out! It is cool to see the little ways in which people can relate. Just know that in a little town in Costa Rica last night, a room full of people were singing the chorus to "Billie Jean" at the top of their lungs, and it was pretty awesome. Afterwards, they got carried away and asked me to do Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You". Yep...Whitney Houston....I straight butchered that with my terrible vocals, but I think my tico family was just pleased that I participated and put myself out there. That's kind of the thing here, though. All of the people I have met have just wanted to share their culture, which I can't blame them because it is awesome, and they are pleased with your interest and sincerity. I am glad I got to go to Sofia's quince. It was definitely a good peek into the Tico culture, and I felt like a member of the family as I was butchering bygone hits of the US. Another good night in the books in Costa Rica :)

Although I was at the party for a long time, I forgot my camera, so here are some random, completely unrelated pictures for your enjoyment.

 

These people are serious about their cannabis! lol these are everywhere.

 

 

 

This is the view from my front door. See the mountains in the distance?!

 

 

This is my house. My bedroom is on the opposite side.

 

 

 

Juice has become my new obsession since being here. This particular one is made with oranges, carrots and pineapples. Mmmmm!

 

 

 

This is the view from my window. I am intrigued by this red house.

 

 

 

This is from a recreation park we went to the other day. I love how many of the walls here in Heredia are painted. I dig the wall art.

 

 

 

Some of the scenery from the recreation park.

 

 

 

And still more scenery....

 

 

 

 This is a view from my school. I've never lived this close to mountains before!

 

 

 

I know I know...more mountains. Don't judge me lol I can't help it. I like them!

 

 

 

Ahhhh cerveza. A few of us had to get a bucket of beers after a long day of orientation. Imperial, the beer of Costa Rica!

 

 

 

Another funky colored bush.

 



 

Makin' My Way Downtown

Forgive me, yes, all of the titles of my posts are going to reference movies or songs. Pop culture references make me feel clever...humor me.
 
Today was filled with unforced exploration (unlike yesterday...), and I managed to see quite a bit of the city. I am completely enthralled with this place. As I told my best friend, it is beautiful, dirty, bright, and ominous all at the same time. The best way to describe it is that Heredia has character, and it is unabashedly itself. As mentioned in my last post, the houses and buildings are brightly colored, but they are surrounded by barbed wire and gates (hence why I said ominous). Even my host family's beautiful house has a huge gate around it. The streets are dirty and in some places the sidewalks are broken to bits. However, there is natural beauty everywhere, from the mountains in the distance to the exotic purple bushes (see the pic below) outside of my school. The negative aspects that I referenced do not detract from the city, they merely add another layer of intrigue to the surroundings. Intrigue is a great word, and I feel the need to share a few of the things that have interested or excited me in the short time I have been here.
 
First, they sell liquor in the grocery store. Forgive me, but that is freaking ridiculous. I even had to tell my tica (Costa Rican) family in my poor, broken Spanish how amazing it was for me to see a bottle of liquor in the grocery store next to like cookies and sodas. And the best, most amazing part?? It is amazingly cheap! A bottle of Bacardi was $10.....I swear to gawd. I did not want to look like a lush, so I didn't buy a bottle (I was with my whole tica family), but I stared longingly.
 
Second, Costa Ricans can't seem to settle on the exact spelling that they wish to use for the word "vanilla". I saw a few places yesterday where it was spelled "vainilla" and then in others "vanilla", but the confusion with the word was really driven home today when I went to the super market with my family. In the freezer section, there is a brand of ice cream called "Dos Pinos", and it had vanilla spelled both of the ways that I mentioned earlier. It was as if they were saying, "One of these spellings is right, so we are going to have half of our pints say "vainilla" and the other half say "vanilla"". I'm not sure why, but this occupied my brain for about 5 minutes at the grocery store. Make up your mind, Costa Rica!!
 
Third, gender roles are very pronounced in this country. I have always heard of the Spanish/Latin male machismo, but I guess I never thought about the feminine side of this. The women here wear high heels to the grocery store. I mentioned at the beginning of this post how sidewalks are broken throughout the city, but these women are the truth. Seriously, I could not do heels and super tight jeans with those conditions and with the heat. For women, it is all about outlining whatever shape you have. It doesn't matter if you are heavy, thin, or curvy, you are going to wear tight jeans, a tight or tucked in shirt, long hair (unless you are old), and the ever present heels. I feel like a great big frump monster lol because I have burnt skin (from yesterday), short hair, and loose clothing. The men here do not dress in any noticeable or extravagant way, but cologne is very popular. I'm talking like you can smell that stuff about 10 feet away.
 
Fourth, the cost of living is just all over the place. A bottle of Bacardi is only $10, but a small bottle of  cheap shampoo is $6. As my boyfriend and I would say, "Priorities!".  Enough said.

There are many more things that intrigue me about this place, but these were randomly the first four that came to my tired brain. Did I mention that the sun comes up at 5AM here? I'm exhausted! I will leave you with a variety of pictures from my day. Ciao!

Oh, and quickly I must share an embarrassing moment of the day. I was so proud of myself for knowing how to get to school today by myself because I knew which bus to take and where to get off. I got on the bus, paid the driver, and promptly stepped in vomit. Yes, that is how my morning began. Now, you can look at pictures.

 

This was a view from the third floor of one of the buildings at my university. And yes those are trees growing inside the building. Love it

 

 

This is a random statue outside of the university. I like her and her passing out knowledge ways.

 

This is a full view of the statue and her counterparts. I'm not sure what's going on here because she is passing out books, and they are looking at buildings. But, whatever, I dig it.

 

 

This is the purple bush I referenced earlier. I love it! No flowers, just purple leaves.

 

 

This is a castle around the corner from my family's house. Yes, a castle. Where this very European structure came from, I don't know. But, methinks that they must have liked Beauty and the Beast or something.

 

The castle again, minus the gate. There were people out working on the yard, I thought I was going to get in trouble for taking the picture!

 

 

 

And because I really think it looks like the castle in Beauty and the Beast, I had to use this effect on my camera to make it look this way. Don't judge!

 

 

I just like the juxtaposition between nature and the building here.

 

 

This is painted onto the side of a high school. I think the person is saying they "suffered in silence. Education to the extent of your abilities"...?? If you are reading this, and you know Spanish, correct me.

 

I am super crunk about this watch. It was only $4!! lol I just think it is interesting because it says "Bicycle" and then has the picture of a bicycle. Idk weird thinks interest me. I had to get a watch because I don't have a phone to know what time it is. I feel lost in the world when I don't know the time!

 

 

This is 500 colones (the money here is the Colon), and this is worth roughly $1.

 

 

Here are several different denominations of coins, ranging from 500 colones to 10 colones. I like that they look like dubloons (spelled right?). Pirate money!!

 

 

And this is 10,000 colones, which is roughly $20. I do believe that the picture on the money is of a sloth. Gross.

Lost in Translation...literally.

Let me start this off by saying that I have already learned some ugly truths about myself despite the fact that I only left my home two days ago. First, I am a great big baby who is used to being catered to. I've been told this before, but I never believed these people (i.e. pretty much every person close to me) until I found myself crying in an airport. Second, I know far less Spanish than my conceited brain believes it possesses, which was made terribly evident when everyone and their flipping mother knew more Spanish than myself today at orientation. Awesome. Third, I DO NOT have an innate sense of direction. Utterly false. My burnt skin can attest to the fact that I was lost for about half an hour because I just "knew" how to get home.

Now that I have regaled you with how I enjoy lying to myself, I will get to the actual interesting part, which is how my program is going thus far! After a grueling (yes, necessary to say and not at all dramatic) 24-hour period filled with airports, airplanes, and delays (*cough* Dallas/Ft Worth International *cough*), I managed to make it here to Heredia, Costa Rica. My family is really sweet, but I do believe there were expecting a gringa with better language abilities. However, we seem to be getting along okay, aided by the fact that the youngest daughter (mi tica Hermana, which means my Costa Rican sister) decided to bust out some English on me today. I could have kissed her feet. Weird, but seriously I could have. I spent all morning being spoken to in Spanish, which is very overwhelming when you are not used to hearing it, and all of a sudden people are actually expecting me to understand and respond?? Woah..woah..woah. And, even the other students insisted on speaking in Spanish only. I felt that I was in an incompetent and inadequate bubble. So, when my sister blessed me with some English words today, it put my world slightly back on its axis.

I know that these next four months will improve my Spanish immensely, but this first day was a struggle because my ineptness was brought to light and shoved down my throat. But, on a positive note, I now know what kind of work I need to put in to build my language skills, and being lost today afforded me the opportunity to see a lot (emphasis on a lot) of Heredia. It is truly a beautiful and interesting place. All of the buildings are brightly colored and there are exotic flowers and trees throughout the city. Beyond the city you can see vast mountains. It is just amazing. I've also discovered that papaya is pretty amazing. My family here likes to make homemade juice, and I'm down with that. The one today consisted of bananas, pineapples, and papayas. Pretty much the bee's knees. This has kind of made up for the fact that I have not seen a Diet Dr, Pepper since leaving Texas yesterday. Maybe this will allow me to finally overcome my awful soda addiction?

I will be going though orientation for the rest of the week, and I'm sure there will be some more frustration on my end, but I am interested to see how this trip changes me and my perspective on life.

This blog has no real purpose. I won't be instructing you on anything. It will mainly be a place where I come to vent, talk about things I find interesting in Costa Rica, and just keep a record of this awesome experience for myself. But, I will leave you with some pictures and two interesting facts....First, Costa Ricans eat rice for breakfast. I had rice and watermelon for breakfast today. True Story. Second, Costa Ricans like Splenda...and yes I was super crunk to see something I recognized in their kitchen.

 

This picture is for you baby, I told you there was garden in the house. Lol. 

 

 

 

This is just a random pic I took while walking with my sister today (that is her ahead of me). I just thought the clouds were beautiful and I am fascinated by the architecture here.

 

 

This is a fountain (obviously) in the central park in Heredia. I love the brightness of the building in the background.