So here I am, teaching English in China.
It's pretty awesome.
I love it.
29 November 2007
01 May 2007
29 April 2007
22 April 2007
gallo pinto please
I'm in San Jose, yet again...
Today I'm going to visit my Tico family (the ones I lived with during LASP). I'm nervous and excited to see them. Let's hope I have some Spanish in me today. Lots of memories are already coming back.
The other day Kristen and I had dinner with Trevor and Laura (LASP faculty). Those two are golden... so real. I wish we could have spent more time with them. It was such a strange feeling being in the empty LASP building. I don't know what to think about it. These days I'm having a lot of thoughts and feelings I don't understand. Kristen has really challenged me... she is a critical thinker and lives out her convictions. She's an amazing person and I've learned a lot from her. I'm going to have to figure out what to do with all of that when I get back. Less than a week...
Life on the farm was the same as when we left it... except there are 3 new baby goats and there's a bat in our cabin. Eso es la vida. I also found a lizard that had been trapped in a bowl in our cabin. I set him free. I love it there. I love the people. I am looking forward to coming home though. I can't wait to see my friends and family... and my Sha Sha.
Time is almost up here in this little internet cafe. So I'm off for the Dulce Nombre and Mall Don Pancho.
Much love love love.
Today I'm going to visit my Tico family (the ones I lived with during LASP). I'm nervous and excited to see them. Let's hope I have some Spanish in me today. Lots of memories are already coming back.
The other day Kristen and I had dinner with Trevor and Laura (LASP faculty). Those two are golden... so real. I wish we could have spent more time with them. It was such a strange feeling being in the empty LASP building. I don't know what to think about it. These days I'm having a lot of thoughts and feelings I don't understand. Kristen has really challenged me... she is a critical thinker and lives out her convictions. She's an amazing person and I've learned a lot from her. I'm going to have to figure out what to do with all of that when I get back. Less than a week...
Life on the farm was the same as when we left it... except there are 3 new baby goats and there's a bat in our cabin. Eso es la vida. I also found a lizard that had been trapped in a bowl in our cabin. I set him free. I love it there. I love the people. I am looking forward to coming home though. I can't wait to see my friends and family... and my Sha Sha.
Time is almost up here in this little internet cafe. So I'm off for the Dulce Nombre and Mall Don Pancho.
Much love love love.
19 April 2007
guess who's back, back again...
I'm back in Costa Rica after a week in a hot little island I like to call Cuba.
Wow. What to say in such a short time. Cuba is so different from anywhere I've been... they have beer vending machines! Ok, a lot more than that, but pretty cool, huh? I still don't know what to think about it or what to say. I will tell you what we did there, mas o menos.
We spent about 3 days on self guided walking tours of Havana (which I must say Kristen and I are really good at), getting to know the city. We went to museums, the capitol (which is now a museum), a ¨ballet¨ with sweet dancing, a caberet show at the national hotel, went to a ¨rock¨ show of a guy named David Blanco where I danced with a Venezulan, several cool plazas and parks (including one with a statue of John Lennon - ¨You may say that I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.¨ So true John.), a few restaraunt-music clubs, several houses i.e. of Simon Bolivar, Jose Marti, Guayasamin, etc., restaraunts in people's houses, and so much more.
Two of the days we went to different beaches. Incredible. I've never seen such clear amazingly blue water. So perfect. It was great. And Kristen and I have the burns to prove it. Oh man. I love the ocean. And we took public transportation buses to the beaches... holy cow... there were probably about 100 plus people on one of the buses. It was seriously so packed that people were basically hanging out of the bus and crowded on the steps. I'm sure I can muster up some pretty ridiculous renditions when I get back if anyone is interested. Definitely a cross cultural exchange. It was fun though.
The other day we went on a bus tour outside of the city. It was cool to drive around and see some of the countryside and mountains. We went in some caves and on a little boat in a subterranean river, saw a huge mural on the side of a mountain, went to a tobacco plantation and a cigar factory, and then had a typical Cuban lunch including sweet live music. Good day.
Man... Cuba is so interesting. So much history. And the people. Wow. I don't even know what to say about the people. We got a lot of attention to say the least. We had several offers for boyfriends among other things. And if we went for about 3 minutes without anyone making kissing or hissing noises at us we began to think something was wrong.
Oh and one of Kristen's friends who was a volunteer at the finca and then has been living and traveling all over was in Cuba already and she came with us for about 3 days on our adventures. She's from Norway and so we talked in Spanish. It was funny to see her get frustrated with everyone assuming she spoke English. She's pretty cool... and has a mohawk. So that drew even more attention. But it was fun.
What a trip. What an experience. What a country.
Wow. What to say in such a short time. Cuba is so different from anywhere I've been... they have beer vending machines! Ok, a lot more than that, but pretty cool, huh? I still don't know what to think about it or what to say. I will tell you what we did there, mas o menos.
We spent about 3 days on self guided walking tours of Havana (which I must say Kristen and I are really good at), getting to know the city. We went to museums, the capitol (which is now a museum), a ¨ballet¨ with sweet dancing, a caberet show at the national hotel, went to a ¨rock¨ show of a guy named David Blanco where I danced with a Venezulan, several cool plazas and parks (including one with a statue of John Lennon - ¨You may say that I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.¨ So true John.), a few restaraunt-music clubs, several houses i.e. of Simon Bolivar, Jose Marti, Guayasamin, etc., restaraunts in people's houses, and so much more.
Two of the days we went to different beaches. Incredible. I've never seen such clear amazingly blue water. So perfect. It was great. And Kristen and I have the burns to prove it. Oh man. I love the ocean. And we took public transportation buses to the beaches... holy cow... there were probably about 100 plus people on one of the buses. It was seriously so packed that people were basically hanging out of the bus and crowded on the steps. I'm sure I can muster up some pretty ridiculous renditions when I get back if anyone is interested. Definitely a cross cultural exchange. It was fun though.
The other day we went on a bus tour outside of the city. It was cool to drive around and see some of the countryside and mountains. We went in some caves and on a little boat in a subterranean river, saw a huge mural on the side of a mountain, went to a tobacco plantation and a cigar factory, and then had a typical Cuban lunch including sweet live music. Good day.
Man... Cuba is so interesting. So much history. And the people. Wow. I don't even know what to say about the people. We got a lot of attention to say the least. We had several offers for boyfriends among other things. And if we went for about 3 minutes without anyone making kissing or hissing noises at us we began to think something was wrong.
Oh and one of Kristen's friends who was a volunteer at the finca and then has been living and traveling all over was in Cuba already and she came with us for about 3 days on our adventures. She's from Norway and so we talked in Spanish. It was funny to see her get frustrated with everyone assuming she spoke English. She's pretty cool... and has a mohawk. So that drew even more attention. But it was fun.
What a trip. What an experience. What a country.
11 April 2007
Viva la revolucion!
Well I don't have much time. We're at an internet cafe in San Jose and the hour is almost up. We're going to a Fire Festival tonight with Alan and staying with him family tonight. They live close to the airport. And them tomorrow... we're flying to Cuba!!!!
Let's see... this week I planted lots of vegetables and feel really good about it. Helped Kristen and Mari clean out the geese pen. Held a snake in my hands. Was chosen to be the mother of the sick baby goat, who Kristen named Dylan... as in Bob. Um... I can't think of anything else because the thought of going to Cuba overwhelms me and I can't concentrate on anything else for too long.
Oh... I posted some pictures on my flickr site... so just scroll down and click on the pic of my foot from my first entry and it will take you to the site.
Ok... Kristen just informed me we have four minutes. Gotta go. I won't be in touch while in Cuba, but will let you know how it went next week.
Love love love.
Let's see... this week I planted lots of vegetables and feel really good about it. Helped Kristen and Mari clean out the geese pen. Held a snake in my hands. Was chosen to be the mother of the sick baby goat, who Kristen named Dylan... as in Bob. Um... I can't think of anything else because the thought of going to Cuba overwhelms me and I can't concentrate on anything else for too long.
Oh... I posted some pictures on my flickr site... so just scroll down and click on the pic of my foot from my first entry and it will take you to the site.
Ok... Kristen just informed me we have four minutes. Gotta go. I won't be in touch while in Cuba, but will let you know how it went next week.
Love love love.
09 April 2007
Holy Week Vacation.
Buenas noches...
Oh farm life has been great. Last week was semana santa (holy week) and it was a pretty big deal down here in Catholic Costa Rica. It was kinda like summer vacation at the farm. The workers were on leave if you will so it was just us kids (which includes - Alan and Mauro who both live on the farm - they are Ticos and both in their mid-twenties, Kristen obviously, Parker - a volunteer from Vermont who is 22, and myself) on the farm, left to fend for ourselves (and besides for feeding the animals and cooking, we didn't have to work). It was ok... we watched a lot of tv. Parker and I cooked breakfast by ourselves two of the days. We decided we were going to start a cooking show 'Two Gringos in a Tico Kitchen'. The kitchen where we do most of the cooking and eat our meals is outside and I love it. I also love cooking and thinking 'hmm... I need some tomatoes... or salad... or herbs for tea' and then going out and picking them. It's great.
On Good Friday, Kristen and I went with Maribel (who works on the farm and lives nearby in La Flor) to her sister's house to help her niece get ready. Her niece was Mary Magdeline in the Catholic procession that does the 14 stations of the cross. So we interacted with the family for a bit... they put in some incredibly gorey and digusting movies such as See No Evil and Ghost Ship and had us watch them because they were in English. Yuck. But there were lots of little kids there to play with, coffee to drink, and intercultural exchanges to be had. The procession was an experience... tons of people, costumes, etc. It was cool to see. After the procession, we went back to Mari's sister's house and ate dinner and watched The Passion of the Christ 1.5 times, and then did a little religious and regular kareoke in Spanish, which I will say that I rocked. (Sorry for my run on sentences.) Later that night we all hopped in the back of a pick up truck and headed back to the farm. All in a day's work.
This morning I worked 'in the field' with Kristen. It was so great to be out in the sun, sweating and working with her. Mom and Dad, you'll be glad to know that my profession is not hoe-ing. I'm no good at it. We had to clear a parcel to get it ready to plant and had to use hoes. Kristen pretty much rocks at it. After the break Alan had me pour some organic insecticide on the corn so the bugs wouldn't eat it. Then we picked some fruits and vegetables for the kitchen. There are so many different kinds of foods that I've never seen before and are so strange and good. I like it.
Kristen and I are in San Jose right now. We had to run a bunch of errands. It's so strange to be back here. To remember being here and see familar places. It's sort of an out of body experience or something. I'm not sure yet. We ran into Parker. He had left this morning for San Jose and he's off to Monte Verde tomorrow. But we just randomly crossed paths downtown which was so weird. So he came with us on some of our errands and then we got pizza. So good.
Anyway... I'm not sure what else to write about... oh wait... maybe some of you might be interested to know that Kristen and I are leaving on Thursday for CUBA! That's right. For a week. I'm so stoked. It's going to be awesome.
Alright then. I hope you all are well.
Much love.
Kat
Oh farm life has been great. Last week was semana santa (holy week) and it was a pretty big deal down here in Catholic Costa Rica. It was kinda like summer vacation at the farm. The workers were on leave if you will so it was just us kids (which includes - Alan and Mauro who both live on the farm - they are Ticos and both in their mid-twenties, Kristen obviously, Parker - a volunteer from Vermont who is 22, and myself) on the farm, left to fend for ourselves (and besides for feeding the animals and cooking, we didn't have to work). It was ok... we watched a lot of tv. Parker and I cooked breakfast by ourselves two of the days. We decided we were going to start a cooking show 'Two Gringos in a Tico Kitchen'. The kitchen where we do most of the cooking and eat our meals is outside and I love it. I also love cooking and thinking 'hmm... I need some tomatoes... or salad... or herbs for tea' and then going out and picking them. It's great.
On Good Friday, Kristen and I went with Maribel (who works on the farm and lives nearby in La Flor) to her sister's house to help her niece get ready. Her niece was Mary Magdeline in the Catholic procession that does the 14 stations of the cross. So we interacted with the family for a bit... they put in some incredibly gorey and digusting movies such as See No Evil and Ghost Ship and had us watch them because they were in English. Yuck. But there were lots of little kids there to play with, coffee to drink, and intercultural exchanges to be had. The procession was an experience... tons of people, costumes, etc. It was cool to see. After the procession, we went back to Mari's sister's house and ate dinner and watched The Passion of the Christ 1.5 times, and then did a little religious and regular kareoke in Spanish, which I will say that I rocked. (Sorry for my run on sentences.) Later that night we all hopped in the back of a pick up truck and headed back to the farm. All in a day's work.
This morning I worked 'in the field' with Kristen. It was so great to be out in the sun, sweating and working with her. Mom and Dad, you'll be glad to know that my profession is not hoe-ing. I'm no good at it. We had to clear a parcel to get it ready to plant and had to use hoes. Kristen pretty much rocks at it. After the break Alan had me pour some organic insecticide on the corn so the bugs wouldn't eat it. Then we picked some fruits and vegetables for the kitchen. There are so many different kinds of foods that I've never seen before and are so strange and good. I like it.
Kristen and I are in San Jose right now. We had to run a bunch of errands. It's so strange to be back here. To remember being here and see familar places. It's sort of an out of body experience or something. I'm not sure yet. We ran into Parker. He had left this morning for San Jose and he's off to Monte Verde tomorrow. But we just randomly crossed paths downtown which was so weird. So he came with us on some of our errands and then we got pizza. So good.
Anyway... I'm not sure what else to write about... oh wait... maybe some of you might be interested to know that Kristen and I are leaving on Thursday for CUBA! That's right. For a week. I'm so stoked. It's going to be awesome.
Alright then. I hope you all are well.
Much love.
Kat
03 April 2007
turn around, bright eyes...
Well hello there my fellow gringos.
Kristen and I are using the internet, cooking up some traveling goodness... more details when we're set in our plans.
This morning was an adventure. I went after breakfast with Rafa (and older Tico that works on the farm) to cut grass for the goats. We drove in an old truck with 'Toyota' spray painted on the back, up and down these crazy, winding, moutain dirt roads. It was beautiful though and I liked the wind blowing in my face. We took the load of grass back in time for the break and then after that we left again with Vinny to get 'estrella' which means star but is just a different kind of grass.
So there I was, sitting in a pick up truck between two Ticos, driving through the mountains, listening to music on the radio such as Michael Jackson, Will Smith and Total Eclipse of the Heart. So good. While we were cutting and loading the grass, a guy named Juan who works at the farm sometimes was there too. He called me and Rafa over to his truck and pulls out this tiny bottle of Bailey's. What? So he offers me some and so many things are running through my mind but the one that wins is Trevor talking about 'confianza'... so I took a sip (don't worry Mom, I was the first to drink out of it, so no germs... besides, I shovel animal poop all the time, etc.). It was the funniest thing to me at the time, to look around where I was and what I was doing and then having this guy give us shots of Baileys. Then he gave us these fruits that looked like brain when you peeled them and was what I would imagine to be the illegitimate child of an orange, corn and polmagranite. It was good and sour.
Anyway... we headed back to the farm for a quick lunch and then Kristen and I took off (smelly selves and all) for the bus and are now in Paraiso. Tonight we're having a dance party at the finca and I'm pretty stoked about it. Vinny is going to teach me Cumbia dancing too which I'm also excited about.
There are always volunteers coming and going from all over. It's interesting to meet such travelers. I don't know what more to say about this, but I just thought I should mention it.
The Spanish thing gets frustrating at times. Sometimes I feel like I'm understanding a lot and have a little confidence, but then I realize that when I talk to people who are accustomed to non-Spanish speakers, they know how to 'dumb it down'... so anyway... slow and steady wins the race, right? I did have a great talk with Mari yesterday while working in the garden, picking worms out of the corn and killing them and putting a fence around a tomato patch. We talked about politics, love and feelings which I think are three of the hardest topics to cover in a language you can't speak, but she was patient and helpful. It's been really awesome to get to know a Tica on a personal level. I'm glad we're friends. Oh I also got to wash the back end and underside of a baby goat yesterday... Kristen said 'You always get all the good jobs.'
So that's that.
I hope you are all well. I appreciate the messages, comments and emails.
Con mucho amor,
La Gatita
Kristen and I are using the internet, cooking up some traveling goodness... more details when we're set in our plans.
This morning was an adventure. I went after breakfast with Rafa (and older Tico that works on the farm) to cut grass for the goats. We drove in an old truck with 'Toyota' spray painted on the back, up and down these crazy, winding, moutain dirt roads. It was beautiful though and I liked the wind blowing in my face. We took the load of grass back in time for the break and then after that we left again with Vinny to get 'estrella' which means star but is just a different kind of grass.
So there I was, sitting in a pick up truck between two Ticos, driving through the mountains, listening to music on the radio such as Michael Jackson, Will Smith and Total Eclipse of the Heart. So good. While we were cutting and loading the grass, a guy named Juan who works at the farm sometimes was there too. He called me and Rafa over to his truck and pulls out this tiny bottle of Bailey's. What? So he offers me some and so many things are running through my mind but the one that wins is Trevor talking about 'confianza'... so I took a sip (don't worry Mom, I was the first to drink out of it, so no germs... besides, I shovel animal poop all the time, etc.). It was the funniest thing to me at the time, to look around where I was and what I was doing and then having this guy give us shots of Baileys. Then he gave us these fruits that looked like brain when you peeled them and was what I would imagine to be the illegitimate child of an orange, corn and polmagranite. It was good and sour.
Anyway... we headed back to the farm for a quick lunch and then Kristen and I took off (smelly selves and all) for the bus and are now in Paraiso. Tonight we're having a dance party at the finca and I'm pretty stoked about it. Vinny is going to teach me Cumbia dancing too which I'm also excited about.
There are always volunteers coming and going from all over. It's interesting to meet such travelers. I don't know what more to say about this, but I just thought I should mention it.
The Spanish thing gets frustrating at times. Sometimes I feel like I'm understanding a lot and have a little confidence, but then I realize that when I talk to people who are accustomed to non-Spanish speakers, they know how to 'dumb it down'... so anyway... slow and steady wins the race, right? I did have a great talk with Mari yesterday while working in the garden, picking worms out of the corn and killing them and putting a fence around a tomato patch. We talked about politics, love and feelings which I think are three of the hardest topics to cover in a language you can't speak, but she was patient and helpful. It's been really awesome to get to know a Tica on a personal level. I'm glad we're friends. Oh I also got to wash the back end and underside of a baby goat yesterday... Kristen said 'You always get all the good jobs.'
So that's that.
I hope you are all well. I appreciate the messages, comments and emails.
Con mucho amor,
La Gatita
31 March 2007
la vida en la finca de la flor...
Hello loves.
Oh what to say with such little time and keyboard with a sticky spacebar...
I'm still doing great. I love the finca. I love the people. I love the animals.
Let's see... my days usually look like this:
Wake up at 5:35, put on the same dirty clothes I worked in the day before. Make the 7 minute trek up a short but STEEP hill (I moved and no longer stay with Kristen, but it's good and really beautiful where I'm living), help Eugenia with breakfast. I usually make the fruit salad cutting up pineapple, mango, papaya, and bananas that I pick fresh off the bunch.
We eat at 7am. Then we split up and work on various projects, different ones everyday. Some of those different jobs including cleaning out the animals pens, weeding with machetes (yes, they let me have one!), cleaning the kitchen and 'big house', walking the horses into their pen in the forest, shoveling wheelbarrels full of animal crap and making compost piles, etc.
We have a break at 9:30 then work again until lunch at noon. After lunch we sit around and chat, read, talk someone into going to the store to buy ice cream or cookies to eat with our coffee.
At around 3:30 I water flowers and vegetables in the garden. Then shower. Then dinner at 6. Then reading, hanging out, watching tv, etc.
Then I usually go to bed between 8:30-9:30.
Eso es la vida.
Yesterday I took a Spanish class in the afternoon with Vinny, one of the workers there. I think I will take a few more. Lord knows I need the practice. After our class and after I showered, Vinny then gave me a dance lesson in SALSA! (We had danced before when everyone went out one night.) It was so fun. We danced for an hour and then another gringo volunteer came in and so we taught him how to dance too. It was funny because he was a lot taller than Vinny so it was really different. So great.
It's so peaceful here. Everywhere you look there is a breathtaking view. So many times throughout the day I just stop and look around me and smile... I can't believe I'm here. I don't think I would want to be anywhere else right now.
Today we all came into a town called Paraiso for a sort of fair for organic farming. We have a table set up in the park with some produce, organic fertilizer we make at the farm, brochures, etc. There are a lot of hippie-ish Ticos with drums and all sorts of other musical instruments. It's great. There's a concert later and then a bunch of campesinos are coming back to the farm with us to stay for the night. That should be fun.
Anyway... I feel like there is so much to say, but at the same time, not much to say. Life is good. Love is good.
Tranquila.
Oh what to say with such little time and keyboard with a sticky spacebar...
I'm still doing great. I love the finca. I love the people. I love the animals.
Let's see... my days usually look like this:
Wake up at 5:35, put on the same dirty clothes I worked in the day before. Make the 7 minute trek up a short but STEEP hill (I moved and no longer stay with Kristen, but it's good and really beautiful where I'm living), help Eugenia with breakfast. I usually make the fruit salad cutting up pineapple, mango, papaya, and bananas that I pick fresh off the bunch.
We eat at 7am. Then we split up and work on various projects, different ones everyday. Some of those different jobs including cleaning out the animals pens, weeding with machetes (yes, they let me have one!), cleaning the kitchen and 'big house', walking the horses into their pen in the forest, shoveling wheelbarrels full of animal crap and making compost piles, etc.
We have a break at 9:30 then work again until lunch at noon. After lunch we sit around and chat, read, talk someone into going to the store to buy ice cream or cookies to eat with our coffee.
At around 3:30 I water flowers and vegetables in the garden. Then shower. Then dinner at 6. Then reading, hanging out, watching tv, etc.
Then I usually go to bed between 8:30-9:30.
Eso es la vida.
Yesterday I took a Spanish class in the afternoon with Vinny, one of the workers there. I think I will take a few more. Lord knows I need the practice. After our class and after I showered, Vinny then gave me a dance lesson in SALSA! (We had danced before when everyone went out one night.) It was so fun. We danced for an hour and then another gringo volunteer came in and so we taught him how to dance too. It was funny because he was a lot taller than Vinny so it was really different. So great.
It's so peaceful here. Everywhere you look there is a breathtaking view. So many times throughout the day I just stop and look around me and smile... I can't believe I'm here. I don't think I would want to be anywhere else right now.
Today we all came into a town called Paraiso for a sort of fair for organic farming. We have a table set up in the park with some produce, organic fertilizer we make at the farm, brochures, etc. There are a lot of hippie-ish Ticos with drums and all sorts of other musical instruments. It's great. There's a concert later and then a bunch of campesinos are coming back to the farm with us to stay for the night. That should be fun.
Anyway... I feel like there is so much to say, but at the same time, not much to say. Life is good. Love is good.
Tranquila.
24 March 2007
adventuras de la finca...
Hello my loves.
I am here. In Costa Rica. And it is amazing. My first flight was late so I missed my connecting flight to CR and had to stay overnight in Newark. Yuck. The airline put me up in a Howard Johnson hotel with some food vouchers, but I just wanted to get here. Anyway... there was a little confusion in getting ahold of Kristen and whatnot, but it worked out fine. I ended up traveling solo from the airport to the finca (with directions from Kristen) and it felt kinda like I was on the Amazing Race... mainly because I had my big hiking pack on my back and didn't really know exactly what I was doing. Anyway, I got there fine, but it took all day (and three buses). I had to walk to down the driveway of the finca in complete darkness until I saw the lights of the outside dining area and was greeted by several dogs and then Kristen. So good.
My first day was great. I helped Rafa fix a gate for the horses stable, feed the cows, plant things in the garden, take the horses down into the woods to graze, water flowers and plants, etc. Yesterday I helped Maribel clean out the goat pens and we also fed and collected eggs from the chickens which is very dangerous (I have a battle wound on my hand to prove it... ok it's just a scratch), Juanita and I hung up some gourd decorations and then we hauled goat poop into the place where they use worms to make organic fertilizer (I got baptized by a goat aka got peed on while we were underneath the pens shoveling the poop... Kristen said, Welcome to the farm), I watered the plants again, etc. There are also dogs and cats that can be found hanging out all over which I love. They are sweet.
The food is amazing. Always some sort of salad with mysterious vegetables or lots of mysterious fruit. When I say mysterious, I mean that I don't know what they are because we don't have them at home. It's very good though. Of course, beans and rice which I like here even though I don't ever choose to eat in the US. Lots of veggies, eggs, etc. A lot of things that are hard to describe and very different. For instance, last night we had these scramble eggs with grean beens cooked into them. I don't know... good food though and always a lot, but it's not like when I lived with a Costa Rican family where you HAVE to eat a ton (bufett style). We eat in an outdoor pavilion around a big table and it's so wonderful. I love it. The ladies that come in to cook are really sweet and I like to help them cook.
I love the people. The other volunteers are great (there's one from Grand Rapids, one New Jersey and two from Quebec). The people that work there are also amazing. So cool. It's so tranquilo. And we're up in the mountains so everywhere you look is a spectacular view. I've been staying in Kristen cabin and there's a back porch balcony with a hammock. We're surrounded by trees enough that there's privacy, but there is still a beautiful view.
It's so good to be here with Kristen. So good to see her. It's really cool though because I don't feel like I'm just her friend, but I'm starting to feel like a part of the farm. Her Spanish is so good. We speak Spanish most of the time when we're around other people and English when it's just her and I. There is so much I need to learn.
This weekend we're going to another town that has a national park... maybe do some hiking... swim by the waterfall... vamos a ver (we'll see). It's so good to live in a Pura Vida culture and travel light and live so simply. I'm loving it all to say the least. I feel really happy.
Anyway... off we go... Paz afuera.
(By the way, I'm sure you all care to know that we are both wearing our adventure pants... look out Costa Rica!)
PS- Kristen says: Rock it and roll it.
I am here. In Costa Rica. And it is amazing. My first flight was late so I missed my connecting flight to CR and had to stay overnight in Newark. Yuck. The airline put me up in a Howard Johnson hotel with some food vouchers, but I just wanted to get here. Anyway... there was a little confusion in getting ahold of Kristen and whatnot, but it worked out fine. I ended up traveling solo from the airport to the finca (with directions from Kristen) and it felt kinda like I was on the Amazing Race... mainly because I had my big hiking pack on my back and didn't really know exactly what I was doing. Anyway, I got there fine, but it took all day (and three buses). I had to walk to down the driveway of the finca in complete darkness until I saw the lights of the outside dining area and was greeted by several dogs and then Kristen. So good.
My first day was great. I helped Rafa fix a gate for the horses stable, feed the cows, plant things in the garden, take the horses down into the woods to graze, water flowers and plants, etc. Yesterday I helped Maribel clean out the goat pens and we also fed and collected eggs from the chickens which is very dangerous (I have a battle wound on my hand to prove it... ok it's just a scratch), Juanita and I hung up some gourd decorations and then we hauled goat poop into the place where they use worms to make organic fertilizer (I got baptized by a goat aka got peed on while we were underneath the pens shoveling the poop... Kristen said, Welcome to the farm), I watered the plants again, etc. There are also dogs and cats that can be found hanging out all over which I love. They are sweet.
The food is amazing. Always some sort of salad with mysterious vegetables or lots of mysterious fruit. When I say mysterious, I mean that I don't know what they are because we don't have them at home. It's very good though. Of course, beans and rice which I like here even though I don't ever choose to eat in the US. Lots of veggies, eggs, etc. A lot of things that are hard to describe and very different. For instance, last night we had these scramble eggs with grean beens cooked into them. I don't know... good food though and always a lot, but it's not like when I lived with a Costa Rican family where you HAVE to eat a ton (bufett style). We eat in an outdoor pavilion around a big table and it's so wonderful. I love it. The ladies that come in to cook are really sweet and I like to help them cook.
I love the people. The other volunteers are great (there's one from Grand Rapids, one New Jersey and two from Quebec). The people that work there are also amazing. So cool. It's so tranquilo. And we're up in the mountains so everywhere you look is a spectacular view. I've been staying in Kristen cabin and there's a back porch balcony with a hammock. We're surrounded by trees enough that there's privacy, but there is still a beautiful view.
It's so good to be here with Kristen. So good to see her. It's really cool though because I don't feel like I'm just her friend, but I'm starting to feel like a part of the farm. Her Spanish is so good. We speak Spanish most of the time when we're around other people and English when it's just her and I. There is so much I need to learn.
This weekend we're going to another town that has a national park... maybe do some hiking... swim by the waterfall... vamos a ver (we'll see). It's so good to live in a Pura Vida culture and travel light and live so simply. I'm loving it all to say the least. I feel really happy.
Anyway... off we go... Paz afuera.
(By the way, I'm sure you all care to know that we are both wearing our adventure pants... look out Costa Rica!)
PS- Kristen says: Rock it and roll it.
19 March 2007
If I leave here tomorrow, will you still remember me? ~Free Bird (Skynyrd)
My amazing parents just left. They came up this weekend to help move me out of the duplex. I stood in the window and watched them drive away... It reminded me of when they came to move me in just six months ago. I watched them drive away then too. It was sort of an epiphany for me - for years it was them standing on the porch of our house waving goodbye and me driving away. But for that moment, we had switched places and that introduced a whole new array of emotions. I felt those emotions again today. Tomorrow I'm leaving yet again... still just wandering. The wonderful life of a vagabond. :) The pages just keep turning...
As usual, I have only been thinking about going and not about leaving. I want to acknowledge the leaving... Living in this house with Lauren and Amanda has been amazing. They are two wonderful girls and I'm so glad I had to opportunity to live with them. Although this semester has been somewhat of a rollercoaster in many ways, it's also been a great learning experience. Clay has been an amazing friend and I'm sad to leave him. Quillen too. (With the exception of the couple weeks when I get back from Costa Rica until SAU graduation) I don't know if I will ever live in Michigan again. I don't know if I'll ever live close to these friends again. Hmm.
Why can't we get all the people together in the world
that we really like and then just stay together?
I guess that wouldn't work.
Someone would leave. Someone always leaves.
Then we would have to say good-bye.
I hate good-byes.
I know what I need. I need more hellos.
~Charles M. Schulz
All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go...
As usual, I have only been thinking about going and not about leaving. I want to acknowledge the leaving... Living in this house with Lauren and Amanda has been amazing. They are two wonderful girls and I'm so glad I had to opportunity to live with them. Although this semester has been somewhat of a rollercoaster in many ways, it's also been a great learning experience. Clay has been an amazing friend and I'm sad to leave him. Quillen too. (With the exception of the couple weeks when I get back from Costa Rica until SAU graduation) I don't know if I will ever live in Michigan again. I don't know if I'll ever live close to these friends again. Hmm.
that we really like and then just stay together?
I guess that wouldn't work.
Someone would leave. Someone always leaves.
Then we would have to say good-bye.
I hate good-byes.
I know what I need. I need more hellos.
~Charles M. Schulz
All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go...
17 March 2007
Kris10.
We made some final plans/arrangements
(which for me and her means saying we'll pretty much just wing it).
We travel so well together.
Oh man. I'm so excited to see her.
And work on the finca (farm).
And learn Spanish. And travel.
And go on sweet adventures...
in our sweet adventure pants.
And not be in the United States.
14 March 2007
"I became the sky."
I'm testing out this blog thing before I'm off on my next adventure. So what better way to test it than to write about another test...
I'm still such a kid.
Yesterday (exactly one week before I leave for Costa Rica), I tested out my new adventure pants and adventure shoes. It was SO beautiful outside so I went on a long walk in the woods. I thought a lot about life, climbed trees, took pictures, listened to music, smiled at the sun... I sat in one tree and read a short book by Kurt Vonnegut... I need to read more of his books. I dig his writing style.
Anyway, it was a very calming, much needed experience. It was quiet. It was peaceful.
... I'm ready to go.
I'm still such a kid.
Yesterday (exactly one week before I leave for Costa Rica), I tested out my new adventure pants and adventure shoes. It was SO beautiful outside so I went on a long walk in the woods. I thought a lot about life, climbed trees, took pictures, listened to music, smiled at the sun... I sat in one tree and read a short book by Kurt Vonnegut... I need to read more of his books. I dig his writing style.
Anyway, it was a very calming, much needed experience. It was quiet. It was peaceful.
... I'm ready to go.
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