Dearest readers,
I've finally finished my video project documenting my time here in Boruca. It's set to 'Love' by Sugarland, which has been one of my songs of the year. I had it on my mp3 player when I flew to Central America, and I plan to listen to it on my way out, too.
Here's the video:
Enjoy!
R
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Life is Good, and I Have Photographic Proof!
Dear everyone,
Happy October!
The leaves are not turning, the winter is not coming, the wind does not promise snow anytime soon. But the Costa Rican rains have arrived in force, lulling me to sleep, sometimes pulling me awake, drowning out lessons, seeping into houses and classrooms and supposedly sealed shoes, and leaving the roads and paths an oozingly fertile mess of mud and grass and gravel. As I write this, in fact, curled up under a blanket with my belly full of tea and fresh pineapple, the rain is roaring down on the roof above me.
Life is good, and for many reasons.
My after-school girls' group has become the thing I'm most proud of from all of my time here in Costa Rica. It's for 4th, 5th, and 6th grade girls, once a week after school (though I might make it twice a week if they want to.) I lead them in physical games, brain games, and activities designed to make them think about themselves, their agency, and their futures. Last week, for example, I had them draw a person and then all the characteristics they like about themselves--first, on the inside of the figure, everything they like about their personalities and hearts, and then, on the outside, all of the things they like about their bodies (an activity i learned in austria, actually). Then, we did a 'group juggling' activity in a circle with beanbags, and afterwards we made an obstacle course out of the classroom using chairs, desks,and string and the girls had to help each other across it in pairs (one blindfolded but still able to speak, the other able to see but not speak.) Another time, we wrote stories together as a group and read them aloud. Here are some pictures of the girls reading the stories aloud and cracking up:
... moral of the story, with my girls' group I feel like I'm truly helping these kids. I'm giving them not only something productive and fun to do after school, but helping them hone skills like working in a team and being kind or at least a bit more positive to themselves (hopefully!) ... so many of them spend so much time in front of TVs when they're not in school, and I think we all benefit from being together in a relaxed, fun, cooperative environment. Plus, this is a very patriarchial society, so it's important for young women to have a place they can feel safe to be themselves. ....it's worth noting that some of my male students have since started asking me when we can have an all boys' group!...but as I am not a boy, that would be a bit more difficult.
I recently videotaped myself teaching one of my first-grade classes as homework for the TEFL certificate I'm completing. I loved the results and wanted to share some stills with all of you so that you can imagine what my classroom is like down here in Central America. Here's circle time:
(we're singing 'one little, two little,three little airplanes')
...then, practicing the body parts with the hokey pokey (you put your HEAD in, you put your HEAD out...):
The next picture cracks me up. After circle time, we move to the corner and do the date and the weather. In this picture, I've just asked 'who wants to write...' to see who wants to help me with the day, month, and number of the day on the chalkboard. The kids LOVE to write on the board, as you can tell by all the hands that shot into the air!
Here's a more 'classic' picture of me at the blackboard:
aaand last but not least, a picture of us playing a movement game to practice the shapes they've been learning (I LOVE this picture!)
....soooo there you have it! In closing, I'd like to share with you a status update that I posted to my facebook page recently:
I love my students. I love my classroom. I love that it is recess and there are second graders and fifth graders playing with magnets and tangrams and reading books and eating and singing along to the music I've put on in the background. I love my colored chalk. I love the past tense. I love the present tense. I love the present. I love my life
:)
besitos!
Raquelita
Happy October!
The leaves are not turning, the winter is not coming, the wind does not promise snow anytime soon. But the Costa Rican rains have arrived in force, lulling me to sleep, sometimes pulling me awake, drowning out lessons, seeping into houses and classrooms and supposedly sealed shoes, and leaving the roads and paths an oozingly fertile mess of mud and grass and gravel. As I write this, in fact, curled up under a blanket with my belly full of tea and fresh pineapple, the rain is roaring down on the roof above me.
Life is good, and for many reasons.
My after-school girls' group has become the thing I'm most proud of from all of my time here in Costa Rica. It's for 4th, 5th, and 6th grade girls, once a week after school (though I might make it twice a week if they want to.) I lead them in physical games, brain games, and activities designed to make them think about themselves, their agency, and their futures. Last week, for example, I had them draw a person and then all the characteristics they like about themselves--first, on the inside of the figure, everything they like about their personalities and hearts, and then, on the outside, all of the things they like about their bodies (an activity i learned in austria, actually). Then, we did a 'group juggling' activity in a circle with beanbags, and afterwards we made an obstacle course out of the classroom using chairs, desks,and string and the girls had to help each other across it in pairs (one blindfolded but still able to speak, the other able to see but not speak.) Another time, we wrote stories together as a group and read them aloud. Here are some pictures of the girls reading the stories aloud and cracking up:
... moral of the story, with my girls' group I feel like I'm truly helping these kids. I'm giving them not only something productive and fun to do after school, but helping them hone skills like working in a team and being kind or at least a bit more positive to themselves (hopefully!) ... so many of them spend so much time in front of TVs when they're not in school, and I think we all benefit from being together in a relaxed, fun, cooperative environment. Plus, this is a very patriarchial society, so it's important for young women to have a place they can feel safe to be themselves. ....it's worth noting that some of my male students have since started asking me when we can have an all boys' group!...but as I am not a boy, that would be a bit more difficult.
I recently videotaped myself teaching one of my first-grade classes as homework for the TEFL certificate I'm completing. I loved the results and wanted to share some stills with all of you so that you can imagine what my classroom is like down here in Central America. Here's circle time:
...then, practicing the body parts with the hokey pokey (you put your HEAD in, you put your HEAD out...):
The next picture cracks me up. After circle time, we move to the corner and do the date and the weather. In this picture, I've just asked 'who wants to write...' to see who wants to help me with the day, month, and number of the day on the chalkboard. The kids LOVE to write on the board, as you can tell by all the hands that shot into the air!
Here's a more 'classic' picture of me at the blackboard:
aaand last but not least, a picture of us playing a movement game to practice the shapes they've been learning (I LOVE this picture!)
....soooo there you have it! In closing, I'd like to share with you a status update that I posted to my facebook page recently:
I love my students. I love my classroom. I love that it is recess and there are second graders and fifth graders playing with magnets and tangrams and reading books and eating and singing along to the music I've put on in the background. I love my colored chalk. I love the past tense. I love the present tense. I love the present. I love my life
:)
besitos!
Raquelita
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
A Post-Birthday Ramble (and Photos!)
Hola a todos! (Hi, everyone!)
This is my first blog entry as a newly-minted 25-year-old. I spent my birthday on busses, travelling 7 hours to return from San Jose to Boruca. ...not ideal, I admit, but the awesome part was stepping off the bus in Boruca and into the arms of Kelly, with my second family all waiting for me on their porch with cheers and hugs and ice-cream and a surprise birthday dinner planned for me. They called into the local radio station to do a shout-out to me and we all danced around the kitchen together, and I was truly, exhaustedly happy. Here's me, about to blow out my birthday candle, surrounded by those I love here in Boruca:
.
..so, yeah, that was pretty awesome.
Emotionally, I feel like my time in Costa Rica can be seen as an inverted bell curve. I felt pretty good for the first few months, had a low mid-year (around July) where I was pretty depressed and since then my mood has steadily been improving. I'm trying not to kick myself for the times I've spent not able to appreciate this gorgeous country, and instead focus on soaking up as much of the experience as I can before I leave in January. ...it's hard sometimes, though, even though I'd prefer to leave on a high note instead of a low note. Sometimes the little voice in my head keeps whispering 'but look at all the things you COULD HAVE done! look at all the things you could accomplish if you stayed longer! look look look....'
...so, I'm trying to LIVE as much as I can for these last 3.5 months. To that end, I've started an after-school girls group for the 4th, 5th, and 6th grade ladies, I now make it a point to go out every single day and visit with Ticos (be it my 'second family' or someone else), I'm playing guitar more again, I'm reading more and more, and I'm actively trying to use the more complex Spanish grammatical structures that I still struggle with.
I love it when a parent pulls me aside and says that she's astounded at how much her daughter has learned this year. I love it when kids hang back after lessons just to spend time in my classroom. I love when students want to borrow books, want to translate songs, just want to run up and hug me. I love it when they invite me to their homes and bring me fruit and flowers and decorated cards with I LOVE YOU TEACHER written in their beautiful, scrawly handwriting. I love it, I love it, I love it, and I am so filled with love that I feel like I will burst:
(those are Ariel, Kianny, and Alina, three of my adorable students.)
... in other news, Costa Rican Independence Day was the 15th of September, and wow, Ticos really know how to be patriotic. We spent all week in school having assemblies where we learned about the country, sang patriotic songs, and hung up red, white, and blue decorations. Then, on the 14th (independence eve!), there were country-wide torch runs (carrying the 'light of freedom') and we also held one from Bella Vista (where my friend Drew works) down the mountain to Boruca (it's about a half-hour walk, or a 10 or 15-minute run.) That was followed by yet another assembly and various dancing presentations for the entire pueblo which lasted almost all afternoon. Then, at sundown, everyone gathered together in the center of town with faroles (decorated lanterns) for a nighttime parade. It was awesome! I unfortunately came down with a patriotic cold and missed out on the daytime parade on the 15th, but I still had a great time in the days leading up to it. If you want to see all of my photos from the Independence celebrations, here's a link to the album ... and here are a few highlights:
a group of my students, carrying the 'torch of freedom' down the mountain:
...the torch arriving at the center of town:
... some of my 6th graders perform a traditional dance:
... two of my 2nd graders pull me in for a picture:
...aaand last but not least, some of the lanterns before the nighttime parade:
ANYway, I've probably blabbed your ears off enough for one evening. I hope that you've all enjoyed the photos and my update... I very much appreciate any and all comments, emails, and positive vibes you can send towards Costa Rica, as always. We all benefit from them, down here :)
Besitos!
Raquelita
This is my first blog entry as a newly-minted 25-year-old. I spent my birthday on busses, travelling 7 hours to return from San Jose to Boruca. ...not ideal, I admit, but the awesome part was stepping off the bus in Boruca and into the arms of Kelly, with my second family all waiting for me on their porch with cheers and hugs and ice-cream and a surprise birthday dinner planned for me. They called into the local radio station to do a shout-out to me and we all danced around the kitchen together, and I was truly, exhaustedly happy. Here's me, about to blow out my birthday candle, surrounded by those I love here in Boruca:
..so, yeah, that was pretty awesome.
Emotionally, I feel like my time in Costa Rica can be seen as an inverted bell curve. I felt pretty good for the first few months, had a low mid-year (around July) where I was pretty depressed and since then my mood has steadily been improving. I'm trying not to kick myself for the times I've spent not able to appreciate this gorgeous country, and instead focus on soaking up as much of the experience as I can before I leave in January. ...it's hard sometimes, though, even though I'd prefer to leave on a high note instead of a low note. Sometimes the little voice in my head keeps whispering 'but look at all the things you COULD HAVE done! look at all the things you could accomplish if you stayed longer! look look look....'
...so, I'm trying to LIVE as much as I can for these last 3.5 months. To that end, I've started an after-school girls group for the 4th, 5th, and 6th grade ladies, I now make it a point to go out every single day and visit with Ticos (be it my 'second family' or someone else), I'm playing guitar more again, I'm reading more and more, and I'm actively trying to use the more complex Spanish grammatical structures that I still struggle with.
I love it when a parent pulls me aside and says that she's astounded at how much her daughter has learned this year. I love it when kids hang back after lessons just to spend time in my classroom. I love when students want to borrow books, want to translate songs, just want to run up and hug me. I love it when they invite me to their homes and bring me fruit and flowers and decorated cards with I LOVE YOU TEACHER written in their beautiful, scrawly handwriting. I love it, I love it, I love it, and I am so filled with love that I feel like I will burst:
(those are Ariel, Kianny, and Alina, three of my adorable students.)
... in other news, Costa Rican Independence Day was the 15th of September, and wow, Ticos really know how to be patriotic. We spent all week in school having assemblies where we learned about the country, sang patriotic songs, and hung up red, white, and blue decorations. Then, on the 14th (independence eve!), there were country-wide torch runs (carrying the 'light of freedom') and we also held one from Bella Vista (where my friend Drew works) down the mountain to Boruca (it's about a half-hour walk, or a 10 or 15-minute run.) That was followed by yet another assembly and various dancing presentations for the entire pueblo which lasted almost all afternoon. Then, at sundown, everyone gathered together in the center of town with faroles (decorated lanterns) for a nighttime parade. It was awesome! I unfortunately came down with a patriotic cold and missed out on the daytime parade on the 15th, but I still had a great time in the days leading up to it. If you want to see all of my photos from the Independence celebrations, here's a link to the album ... and here are a few highlights:
a group of my students, carrying the 'torch of freedom' down the mountain:
...aaand last but not least, some of the lanterns before the nighttime parade:
ANYway, I've probably blabbed your ears off enough for one evening. I hope that you've all enjoyed the photos and my update... I very much appreciate any and all comments, emails, and positive vibes you can send towards Costa Rica, as always. We all benefit from them, down here :)
Besitos!
Raquelita
Friday, August 31, 2012
Seasonal Musings
Dearest blog of mine,
Thus August, my 7th Central American month, draws to an end .
August (and most of my life down here) can well be summed up in this picture:
(...that's me, 'working' between classes as some of my first graders keep me company.)
August, which has not traditionally been one of my best months in the Northern Hemisphere, blossomed its way into being one of my absolute favorite months in Costa Rica so far. This August has been, for me, a month of reading novels, writing lyrics, diving into teaching the past tense to eager students at school, and spending time with my favorite family in Boruca:
(that's Glen, one of my 4th graders, Sira, the school's cook, and Aris, her baby daughter. I love them dearly.)
...and now this August, one of the best I can ever remember from my 25 years on this planet, is ending and it is time to face a September that promises to be far different from any I have ever known.
For there will be no fall to be had for me this year, a fact which has been one of the harder things for me to accept about my decision to come volunteer in Boruca for such a significant chunk of time. Autumn has always been my time, when I feel most creative, most connected to nature, most cozy, most content, and it has been a challenge for me for the past 7 months--my single biggest challenge-- to essentially live in permanent summer, which had generally been my least favorite season. Costa Rica is a land without a clear changing of seasons, a country of perpetual greenery, of an endless stream of flowering, growing, sprouting stuff, a place of dry heat, and wet heat, and sunny heat, and muddy heat.
I'll admit, though, my feelings towards the seasons have shifted somewhat thanks to being immersed into a life that revolves so intimately around the sun. In fact, I am truly proud of the ability I've found in myself not only to adapt to the constant companionship of the sun but also to learn to enjoy it. One of the things I am most thankful about from this year is my newly-learned love of solar heat and energy, not just for its comfort but also for its skill at drying things, helping clean things, and its calming effect on children, animals, and my own occasionally chaotic mind.
.... that being said, as I'll be away from my favorite time of the year this fall, I ask a favor of all of you: once autumn does indeed settle into the North American continent, please put on your favorite sweater, curl up in a blanket with a cup of hot tea or chocolate, and read a book for me while it's chilly outside. Take a few extra seconds to revel in the beautiful gray melancholy because I will not be around to love it with you, and know that I'll be doing the same, in exchange, by trying extra to enjoy the unrelenting heat down here in Costa Rica.
Gracias, mis amigos.
Raquelita
Thus August, my 7th Central American month, draws to an end .
August (and most of my life down here) can well be summed up in this picture:
August, which has not traditionally been one of my best months in the Northern Hemisphere, blossomed its way into being one of my absolute favorite months in Costa Rica so far. This August has been, for me, a month of reading novels, writing lyrics, diving into teaching the past tense to eager students at school, and spending time with my favorite family in Boruca:
(that's Glen, one of my 4th graders, Sira, the school's cook, and Aris, her baby daughter. I love them dearly.)
...and now this August, one of the best I can ever remember from my 25 years on this planet, is ending and it is time to face a September that promises to be far different from any I have ever known.
For there will be no fall to be had for me this year, a fact which has been one of the harder things for me to accept about my decision to come volunteer in Boruca for such a significant chunk of time. Autumn has always been my time, when I feel most creative, most connected to nature, most cozy, most content, and it has been a challenge for me for the past 7 months--my single biggest challenge-- to essentially live in permanent summer, which had generally been my least favorite season. Costa Rica is a land without a clear changing of seasons, a country of perpetual greenery, of an endless stream of flowering, growing, sprouting stuff, a place of dry heat, and wet heat, and sunny heat, and muddy heat.
I'll admit, though, my feelings towards the seasons have shifted somewhat thanks to being immersed into a life that revolves so intimately around the sun. In fact, I am truly proud of the ability I've found in myself not only to adapt to the constant companionship of the sun but also to learn to enjoy it. One of the things I am most thankful about from this year is my newly-learned love of solar heat and energy, not just for its comfort but also for its skill at drying things, helping clean things, and its calming effect on children, animals, and my own occasionally chaotic mind.
.... that being said, as I'll be away from my favorite time of the year this fall, I ask a favor of all of you: once autumn does indeed settle into the North American continent, please put on your favorite sweater, curl up in a blanket with a cup of hot tea or chocolate, and read a book for me while it's chilly outside. Take a few extra seconds to revel in the beautiful gray melancholy because I will not be around to love it with you, and know that I'll be doing the same, in exchange, by trying extra to enjoy the unrelenting heat down here in Costa Rica.
Gracias, mis amigos.
Raquelita
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Water, Water Everywhere... Except Where It's Supposed To Be
Dearest faithful readers of mine!
This entry will address one of the most important things in everyone's lives: WATER. Ohhh, water, you sweet, wonderful, wet, life-giving thing... I have never known to appreciate you as I have this year!
Let's break down the discussion into three sections, discussing, in rising importance, the existence of and access to:
1) Warm Water,
2) Clean Water,
and
3) ANY Water.
Here goes.
1) We'll start with the least crucial of the three, Warm Water.
For me and probably all of you reading this, access to heated water is such an accepted part of life that you may have never had to take a cold shower except at, say, church camp. Or hosing off at the pool, or something like that. In the United States and most of Europe, most houses simply come with a mechanism for heating water, and that's that. Whether you live in a balmy climate or a freezing one, you've got acces.
Here, in rural Costa Rica, the situation is different. Here, warm water is a luxury. Warm water is like dessert. Warm water is one of the best things about traveling the 6plus hours to San Jose. Warm water is most definitely not to be taken for granted, and I'm first to admit that I'd never known how much I would miss it when I got here.
In Boruca, there is no warm water from the taps. There is no water cooker, mixrowave, or functional stove in the house.
As there is no warm water, my showers here in Boruca usually last 5 minutes or less. The water is cold and comes from a tube that opens over your head-- that's it. I'm lucky because there's high water pressure, which a lot of people don't have.
But there's lots of good to be had from cold showering:
-Cold showering is good for circulation and your pores.
-Cold showering conserves energy and water, which is excellent for the environment.
-Cold showering always gives me a sense of accomplishment, especially if it's cold and rainy outside and I have to choose between stepping under that chilly stream or going to bed dirty.
So it's not like I'm suffering, truly, for lack of warm water. It's just that I have a newfound appreciation for it that I didn't have before, and one that I don't think I'm likely to lose.
(Note: if you've never tried takinga cold shower and want to understand, here's what you do: next time you want to shower, turn the water all the way to cold. Wait a few seconds, then try to force yourself to step under it. Try it! It's fun, I promise. ;D)
Moving on...
2) Clean water.
When we arrived in Costa Rica, we were told to check out the water situation at our sites when we moved in to make sure it was safe. Boruca, being a relatively large indigenous territory (the entire territory has 2,000 people and central Boruca, where I live, has about 700), has safe water. Or so I thought!
The reality of it is that after a big rainstorm (which is a more and more frequent occurrence as the rainy season bears down upon us), some of the water isn't safe. Sometiems there are backups in the pipes, or silt that gets in. Sometimes a tap that was offering potable water one day offers water the next day that will make you sick.
And how do I know this? Becuase I've been there, done that. I've drunk water of weird colors, water with stuff floating in it, water with dead bugs fished out of it. I've been so sick at 3am that I wondered if cholera had made a return to Costa Rica (luckily, it hadn't.) Of course, this kind of thing is a rare, rare thing... but now that I've experienced what it's like to drink dirty water, it's made me all the more thankful for the clean stuff.
So, yeah, count your blessings... and make sure one of them is clean water!
On to the last point...
3) ANY water at all.
One of the great paradoxes about life here in Boruca has been that sometimes, for hours on end, the water gets turned off.... often while rain is pouring down outside (thus the title of this entry: 'Water, Water Everywhere... Except Where It's Supposed To Be'.)
And when I say 'sometimes', I mean 'every day, for months on end.' For weeks, we woke up without water, lunched without water, and spent the afternoon wondering when we'd have water. Each day when I went for a jog I had to wonder if I'd be able to shower when I got back home (and if you don't have water, chances are that NONE of the neighbors have it either, so that's not an option.) More than once I hiked up the mountain to the home of the only family that had a direct pipe from a water source just to be able to dump a few buckets over my head.
When you're living like that, it changes you. You horde water. You fill up bottles and bottles and cups at night so that you can brush your teeth in the morning. You wash your clothes in a flurry of activity whenever the water comes back on, even if only for a few minutes. You fill up buckets so that you can fake a shower even if a real one isn't available. You learn to ignore the dead fruit flies and drink the water anyway because there is no other viable option. You bond with your family and your neighbors and your kids at school over who has water and who doesn't. You carry water across the street, you rejoice when you can cook, you watch the hours and wait and wait for that telltale liquid rush in the background of all the sounds of the world that means one thing: life can go on.
Because that's what it comes down to: Water is life. El agua es vida. As long as there is water, even only half of the time, this community can continue to flourish here in the middle of the mountains so far from the rest of the world.
... this year has changed me in many ways, big and small. I've eaten rambutans and pejibayes, somehow become a dog person, and learned Costa Rican slang. But one of the biggest changes of all has been the development of a true, deep thankfulness for the wonder and power that is Water.
That's all for tonight, folks.
Abrazos desde Boruca!
Raquelita
This entry will address one of the most important things in everyone's lives: WATER. Ohhh, water, you sweet, wonderful, wet, life-giving thing... I have never known to appreciate you as I have this year!
Let's break down the discussion into three sections, discussing, in rising importance, the existence of and access to:
1) Warm Water,
2) Clean Water,
and
3) ANY Water.
Here goes.
1) We'll start with the least crucial of the three, Warm Water.
For me and probably all of you reading this, access to heated water is such an accepted part of life that you may have never had to take a cold shower except at, say, church camp. Or hosing off at the pool, or something like that. In the United States and most of Europe, most houses simply come with a mechanism for heating water, and that's that. Whether you live in a balmy climate or a freezing one, you've got acces.
Here, in rural Costa Rica, the situation is different. Here, warm water is a luxury. Warm water is like dessert. Warm water is one of the best things about traveling the 6plus hours to San Jose. Warm water is most definitely not to be taken for granted, and I'm first to admit that I'd never known how much I would miss it when I got here.
In Boruca, there is no warm water from the taps. There is no water cooker, mixrowave, or functional stove in the house.
As there is no warm water, my showers here in Boruca usually last 5 minutes or less. The water is cold and comes from a tube that opens over your head-- that's it. I'm lucky because there's high water pressure, which a lot of people don't have.
But there's lots of good to be had from cold showering:
-Cold showering is good for circulation and your pores.
-Cold showering conserves energy and water, which is excellent for the environment.
-Cold showering always gives me a sense of accomplishment, especially if it's cold and rainy outside and I have to choose between stepping under that chilly stream or going to bed dirty.
So it's not like I'm suffering, truly, for lack of warm water. It's just that I have a newfound appreciation for it that I didn't have before, and one that I don't think I'm likely to lose.
(Note: if you've never tried takinga cold shower and want to understand, here's what you do: next time you want to shower, turn the water all the way to cold. Wait a few seconds, then try to force yourself to step under it. Try it! It's fun, I promise. ;D)
Moving on...
2) Clean water.
When we arrived in Costa Rica, we were told to check out the water situation at our sites when we moved in to make sure it was safe. Boruca, being a relatively large indigenous territory (the entire territory has 2,000 people and central Boruca, where I live, has about 700), has safe water. Or so I thought!
The reality of it is that after a big rainstorm (which is a more and more frequent occurrence as the rainy season bears down upon us), some of the water isn't safe. Sometiems there are backups in the pipes, or silt that gets in. Sometimes a tap that was offering potable water one day offers water the next day that will make you sick.
And how do I know this? Becuase I've been there, done that. I've drunk water of weird colors, water with stuff floating in it, water with dead bugs fished out of it. I've been so sick at 3am that I wondered if cholera had made a return to Costa Rica (luckily, it hadn't.) Of course, this kind of thing is a rare, rare thing... but now that I've experienced what it's like to drink dirty water, it's made me all the more thankful for the clean stuff.
So, yeah, count your blessings... and make sure one of them is clean water!
On to the last point...
3) ANY water at all.
One of the great paradoxes about life here in Boruca has been that sometimes, for hours on end, the water gets turned off.... often while rain is pouring down outside (thus the title of this entry: 'Water, Water Everywhere... Except Where It's Supposed To Be'.)
And when I say 'sometimes', I mean 'every day, for months on end.' For weeks, we woke up without water, lunched without water, and spent the afternoon wondering when we'd have water. Each day when I went for a jog I had to wonder if I'd be able to shower when I got back home (and if you don't have water, chances are that NONE of the neighbors have it either, so that's not an option.) More than once I hiked up the mountain to the home of the only family that had a direct pipe from a water source just to be able to dump a few buckets over my head.
When you're living like that, it changes you. You horde water. You fill up bottles and bottles and cups at night so that you can brush your teeth in the morning. You wash your clothes in a flurry of activity whenever the water comes back on, even if only for a few minutes. You fill up buckets so that you can fake a shower even if a real one isn't available. You learn to ignore the dead fruit flies and drink the water anyway because there is no other viable option. You bond with your family and your neighbors and your kids at school over who has water and who doesn't. You carry water across the street, you rejoice when you can cook, you watch the hours and wait and wait for that telltale liquid rush in the background of all the sounds of the world that means one thing: life can go on.
Because that's what it comes down to: Water is life. El agua es vida. As long as there is water, even only half of the time, this community can continue to flourish here in the middle of the mountains so far from the rest of the world.
... this year has changed me in many ways, big and small. I've eaten rambutans and pejibayes, somehow become a dog person, and learned Costa Rican slang. But one of the biggest changes of all has been the development of a true, deep thankfulness for the wonder and power that is Water.
That's all for tonight, folks.
Abrazos desde Boruca!
Raquelita
Monday, July 30, 2012
The Concept of Home
I'm officially more than halfway through my year with Worldteach in Costa Rica. As of right now, I have a plane ticket back to the States at the beginning of January (I say 'as of right now' because, as should surprise no one, I'm not certain what I'm up to next in my life-- where I'll be, what I'll be doing, what language I'll be speaking, any of that.) I know that I will not be doing Worldteach again next year (for those of you who have asked), but other than that, I am not sure of much.
So. Let's see. What has been going on in my Costa Rican life?
Finally, slowly but surely, my relationship with my host family has warmed up a bit. I have no expectations of love or friendship, but there's a comfortable camaraderie between us now. I talk to my host mother Yaneth about my life and friendships and relationship, chat in Spanish, English, and Brunka with my host father Oscar (who I also sing with sometimes), banter with my little sister Nashaly in English (which she's learning rapidly) and Spanish, and have become pals with Carlos, the other boarder in the house.
Though there's no deep connection with those I live with, I've developed a true friendship with another family here in town, who as I mentioned in an earlier entry I now call 'mi segunda familia' (my second family.) I go over there pretty much every day-- sometimes several times a day-- and talk to them, play with the baby, snack with them, or just hang out together in the hammocks under their rancho. These are the people I feel closest to in Boruca-- Marisol, Juan, Damaris, Margarita, Sira, and the children. They know more of me and my heart than anyone else here in the indigenous territory (with the exception of Kelly, the awesome Peace Corps volunteer.) I am blessed to have them and know them.
I was sick a few weeks ago and had to stay in San Jose going to appointments (don't worry, I feel better now-- the sickness itself was a sidenote and isn't the point of this story.) The cool part of all of that medical adventure was that I got to explore the city by myself for a few days and discover corners of it to love. Of course, we're not supposed to do that... wandering about San Jose by ourselves. There's a high level of crime, and a lone gringa is a pretty typical target. Maybe I was lucky, maybe I was smart about it, who knows-- but I didn't get mugged, and I loved getting to know the city some more. I found a beautiful hole-in-the-wall used book store where I've now gone to trade books, and some thrift stores I've since revisited, and a park full of young people and musicians and greenery where I feel at peace. I finally have a(n albeit imperfect) map of the city in my brain and can use the bus system without getting completely lost. When I think about how scared I was to take a train from Germany to Austria a few years ago, and compare it to the independence I feel now, it makes me laugh. I have grown and learned so much-- and I have so much farther to go!
I wonder sometimes about how the people from my village will remember me... what they will say about me when I'm gone, what they will have learned from me, what the kids will think when they have fleeting memories of me as adults. I'm not the first gringa they've seen, the first tall gringa, the first tattoo'd gringa. I'm not their first Teacher. So what impression am I leaving? I hope that they remember my love of music, my laughter, my alternativeness, my interest in their language. I hope that they remember how to sign 'I love you'.
...on a slightly random note: here's one of my favorite pictures I've taken here this year. This wonderful elderly woman's name is Nicha and she lives on the side of a mountain here in Boruca in a hut on a farm. Her family is also one of the ones I've bonded with most. She's a natural model:
....so why is this entry titled 'The Concept of Home'? I'm not entirely sure, to be honest. So let's see where this thought process leads me...!
Boruca is, in a way, my home. DC is, in a way, my home. Germany and Austria are two of my heart-homes.
But I have moved too much to have one place that is mine. The one true home I feel in my brain is love, the love that I feel for those most important to me, and that home is strewn across miles and miles and continents and oceans, sent out by internet and phone and letter across the distance.
These past seven months have shown me that travel and saying goodbye doesn't get easier. They've shown me that I will not be able to continue like this much longer. They've shown me that I need to have a place, some kind of center, some kind of focus. The more I move, the more I will love, the more I will learn, the more I will ache for tranquility. I have conflicting needs within my soul-- the need to keep in motion and the need to stay, the need to be free and the need to belong, the need to love and the need to leave.
It's been a good seven months, an important seven months, and a very difficult seven months. It's been seven months of sun, rain, rice and beans, bugs, lesson plans, cold showers, chickens, dogs, loneliness, love, and friendship. I am older, tanner, multilingualer, and more patient. I have written poetry in Spanish, longed for German, revelled in English relief and connected through music.
I've lived. You've lived. Life has gone on.
... I think that I will only truly be able to comprehend this year and its significance in retrospect--if ever-- this is one of those times in my life where I'm feeling myself growing and changing so intensely that it's hard to stop and try to capture it into words.
But I guess that's the point of a blog, right?
So here I am, writing. And here you are, reading.
And thank you for that.
Besos!
Raquel
PS apparently when I speak in Spanish, I have a German accent. My brain likes this.
So. Let's see. What has been going on in my Costa Rican life?
Finally, slowly but surely, my relationship with my host family has warmed up a bit. I have no expectations of love or friendship, but there's a comfortable camaraderie between us now. I talk to my host mother Yaneth about my life and friendships and relationship, chat in Spanish, English, and Brunka with my host father Oscar (who I also sing with sometimes), banter with my little sister Nashaly in English (which she's learning rapidly) and Spanish, and have become pals with Carlos, the other boarder in the house.
Though there's no deep connection with those I live with, I've developed a true friendship with another family here in town, who as I mentioned in an earlier entry I now call 'mi segunda familia' (my second family.) I go over there pretty much every day-- sometimes several times a day-- and talk to them, play with the baby, snack with them, or just hang out together in the hammocks under their rancho. These are the people I feel closest to in Boruca-- Marisol, Juan, Damaris, Margarita, Sira, and the children. They know more of me and my heart than anyone else here in the indigenous territory (with the exception of Kelly, the awesome Peace Corps volunteer.) I am blessed to have them and know them.
I was sick a few weeks ago and had to stay in San Jose going to appointments (don't worry, I feel better now-- the sickness itself was a sidenote and isn't the point of this story.) The cool part of all of that medical adventure was that I got to explore the city by myself for a few days and discover corners of it to love. Of course, we're not supposed to do that... wandering about San Jose by ourselves. There's a high level of crime, and a lone gringa is a pretty typical target. Maybe I was lucky, maybe I was smart about it, who knows-- but I didn't get mugged, and I loved getting to know the city some more. I found a beautiful hole-in-the-wall used book store where I've now gone to trade books, and some thrift stores I've since revisited, and a park full of young people and musicians and greenery where I feel at peace. I finally have a(n albeit imperfect) map of the city in my brain and can use the bus system without getting completely lost. When I think about how scared I was to take a train from Germany to Austria a few years ago, and compare it to the independence I feel now, it makes me laugh. I have grown and learned so much-- and I have so much farther to go!
I wonder sometimes about how the people from my village will remember me... what they will say about me when I'm gone, what they will have learned from me, what the kids will think when they have fleeting memories of me as adults. I'm not the first gringa they've seen, the first tall gringa, the first tattoo'd gringa. I'm not their first Teacher. So what impression am I leaving? I hope that they remember my love of music, my laughter, my alternativeness, my interest in their language. I hope that they remember how to sign 'I love you'.
...on a slightly random note: here's one of my favorite pictures I've taken here this year. This wonderful elderly woman's name is Nicha and she lives on the side of a mountain here in Boruca in a hut on a farm. Her family is also one of the ones I've bonded with most. She's a natural model:
....so why is this entry titled 'The Concept of Home'? I'm not entirely sure, to be honest. So let's see where this thought process leads me...!
Boruca is, in a way, my home. DC is, in a way, my home. Germany and Austria are two of my heart-homes.
But I have moved too much to have one place that is mine. The one true home I feel in my brain is love, the love that I feel for those most important to me, and that home is strewn across miles and miles and continents and oceans, sent out by internet and phone and letter across the distance.
These past seven months have shown me that travel and saying goodbye doesn't get easier. They've shown me that I will not be able to continue like this much longer. They've shown me that I need to have a place, some kind of center, some kind of focus. The more I move, the more I will love, the more I will learn, the more I will ache for tranquility. I have conflicting needs within my soul-- the need to keep in motion and the need to stay, the need to be free and the need to belong, the need to love and the need to leave.
It's been a good seven months, an important seven months, and a very difficult seven months. It's been seven months of sun, rain, rice and beans, bugs, lesson plans, cold showers, chickens, dogs, loneliness, love, and friendship. I am older, tanner, multilingualer, and more patient. I have written poetry in Spanish, longed for German, revelled in English relief and connected through music.
I've lived. You've lived. Life has gone on.
... I think that I will only truly be able to comprehend this year and its significance in retrospect--if ever-- this is one of those times in my life where I'm feeling myself growing and changing so intensely that it's hard to stop and try to capture it into words.
But I guess that's the point of a blog, right?
So here I am, writing. And here you are, reading.
And thank you for that.
Besos!
Raquel
PS apparently when I speak in Spanish, I have a German accent. My brain likes this.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Of Parents and Primates
Dearest readers!
This entry marks the beginning of the second week of Quincedias (fifteen days), a two-week break from school here in Costa Rica. The break has been a much-needed one for me so far...I mean, I love my job and students and all, but I was definitely feeling a bit burned out in the days leading up to this vacation. Not only that, I was also counting down the days until I got to see my parents again... and time does NOT fly when you are anxiously anticipating something! :)
My parents arrived on the first of July and stayed for the past week. We got to travel together and catch up, and it was absolutely wonderful to see them.
The Sunday that they arrived, we spent most of the afternoon driving from the airport to their hotel, eating dinner, and stuff like that. Nothing exotic to report for those first few hours together, but here's a picture of me and Mom shortly after seeing each other again for the first time in 6 months:
On Monday, Alex joined us for a trip to the volcano Poas, which is located an hour or two outside of San Jose. It was a rainy and cloudy day, but the weather gods decided to calm down for a bit and let us see the awesome crater up close:
aaaaaaaaaand here's a picture of me, Dad, Mom, and Alex at Poas (you'll have to take my word for it...the cloud cover was pretty dense):
Monday night, the three of us left the capitol and drove through the mountains to Buenos Aires, the closest 'big town' to Boruca,where I live. We stopped along the way to take pictures of the gorgeous sunset:
Tuesday Morning, we wandered around Buenos Aires and then drove into Boruca (a feat only made possible by the 4WD SUV my parents had rented!)... in Boruca we visited the waterfalls and my classroom and had lunch with my favorite family:
(we're eating rice, beans, heart of palm, smoked meat, plantains, and a salad of green bananas and tomato-- delicious!)
Wednesday, we drove first to one of my favorite beaches, Uvita:
...and then to Manuel Antonio, where we would stay for the next two nights.
Thursday morning we took a tour of the national park at Manuel Antonio,which is home to a vast array of plants, animals, and insects. If you want to see all the photos, click on this link and scroll to the bottom. But here are some highlights...
1) tree crab!
2) monkey!
3) giant zebra grasshopper!
4) wild iguana!
aaand we found these three strange animals on the beach:
After a relaxing afternoon Thursday, we drove back up to San Jose on Friday and said our goodbyes.
...It was a whirlwind week, and it was fantastic to get to see them and hug them and talk to them face to face. I really lucked out in the parent department, and I miss my mom and dad tons when I can't see them.
When I asked them what they thought of Costa Rica, they kept commenting on how GREEN it is here... plants and plants and plants everywhere! They also loved the food and enjoyed listening to me babble in Spanish with the various people we met along the way. In short, they had a great time.
ANYway... that's all for now; I'm relaxing and trying to force myself to plan lessons for when school gears up again next week. Life goes on...!
Love,
Raquelita
This entry marks the beginning of the second week of Quincedias (fifteen days), a two-week break from school here in Costa Rica. The break has been a much-needed one for me so far...I mean, I love my job and students and all, but I was definitely feeling a bit burned out in the days leading up to this vacation. Not only that, I was also counting down the days until I got to see my parents again... and time does NOT fly when you are anxiously anticipating something! :)
My parents arrived on the first of July and stayed for the past week. We got to travel together and catch up, and it was absolutely wonderful to see them.
The Sunday that they arrived, we spent most of the afternoon driving from the airport to their hotel, eating dinner, and stuff like that. Nothing exotic to report for those first few hours together, but here's a picture of me and Mom shortly after seeing each other again for the first time in 6 months:
On Monday, Alex joined us for a trip to the volcano Poas, which is located an hour or two outside of San Jose. It was a rainy and cloudy day, but the weather gods decided to calm down for a bit and let us see the awesome crater up close:
aaaaaaaaaand here's a picture of me, Dad, Mom, and Alex at Poas (you'll have to take my word for it...the cloud cover was pretty dense):
Monday night, the three of us left the capitol and drove through the mountains to Buenos Aires, the closest 'big town' to Boruca,where I live. We stopped along the way to take pictures of the gorgeous sunset:
Tuesday Morning, we wandered around Buenos Aires and then drove into Boruca (a feat only made possible by the 4WD SUV my parents had rented!)... in Boruca we visited the waterfalls and my classroom and had lunch with my favorite family:
Wednesday, we drove first to one of my favorite beaches, Uvita:
...and then to Manuel Antonio, where we would stay for the next two nights.
Thursday morning we took a tour of the national park at Manuel Antonio,which is home to a vast array of plants, animals, and insects. If you want to see all the photos, click on this link and scroll to the bottom. But here are some highlights...
1) tree crab!
2) monkey!
4) wild iguana!
aaand we found these three strange animals on the beach:
...It was a whirlwind week, and it was fantastic to get to see them and hug them and talk to them face to face. I really lucked out in the parent department, and I miss my mom and dad tons when I can't see them.
When I asked them what they thought of Costa Rica, they kept commenting on how GREEN it is here... plants and plants and plants everywhere! They also loved the food and enjoyed listening to me babble in Spanish with the various people we met along the way. In short, they had a great time.
ANYway... that's all for now; I'm relaxing and trying to force myself to plan lessons for when school gears up again next week. Life goes on...!
Love,
Raquelita
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