Hola mis hermosos amigos
y familia! As my fourth post I am eager for ya’ll to hear about what has been
happening during my time in this glorious country! The Wi-Fi struggle has been
real, so my recent posts connect to the past couple of weeks I’ve been here.
Friday, May 22nd and the weekend is finally
here! It’s also the last day in Heredia. Que triste! Today, our group traveled
to La Carpio, which is the poorest area in Costa Rica. When we arrived, we went
to the Humanitarian Foundation to do social service work. Gale, the coordinator
and director of the organization, welcomed us to the foundation’s
establishment. She has been working with this foundation for 20 years, and speaks
Spanish fluently. Before breaking off into groups, we all sat down to listen to
Federico, a 16 year old boy who lives in La Carpio and works all day to support
himself and his brothers. Gale asked him questions about his life, while we
silently listened. The dismal embarrassment and sorrow on his face was painful
to see. One particular condition of Federico’s life that vastly concerned me
was the fact that he is not provided with the opportunity to pursue any form of
education. When Gale questioned him upon this, he said there’s no time or
resources available, but if there were, he would choose to participate in
school. Gale also asked him, “what does your day consist of?” Federico quietly
responded, saying that he works from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm and earns no more than
$3-$6 a day at the local dump where most, if not all of the city’s waste is
discarded. He can barely afford food and has no protective shoes for this kind of
labor on a daily basis. Although it was tough to hear Federico’s story, I have
developed a greater understanding of the kinds of circumstances and routines
that these individuals deal with. My hope
from observing this conversation is that education in La Carpio will greatly progress
and reach these children, so that, they are given a chance to have an effective
education. For the next two hours, we split into two groups, one group worked
in the day care with the kids, while I worked with the rest, cleaning and
setting up the outdoor library. We sorted books, dusted off shelves, and
arranged an “activities” area for the student’s recess time. While cleaning, I
realized that these kids have sufficient resources, and some even in English.
They can be well-educated and they can be successful, but it takes
dedication, fortitude and active teaching. As I went on to play with the kids,
I started a game of tic-tac-toe with a little boy named Romano. Although the
language barrier was still prevalent, we were able to communicate through both
action and expression. He beat me three times in tic-tac-toe! I also watched him
do a word-search puzzle, and he looked for English words like, ignition,
accelerate and automobile. I was surprised that he was able to recognize these
words, but more importantly, I really valued his capability to learn through
this game/activity. Towards lunch time, we walked back to the main building,
where the women of the foundation had prepared a lovely meal for us. Pasta, arroz,
pintos, ensalada, sandia y limonada. The meal was wonderful and the women were
so friendly and hospitable to our group. Today’s experience at La Carpio has
broadened my perception on how both poverty and immigration are serious issues in
Costa Rica, especially in this area. More so that, inhabitants of this region, including
Federico, face extreme injustice(s) and cultural aggression in their life. What
I have taken away is gratitude and appreciation for the individuals that strive
to make a difference for these people. I thank Gale, who is one of those
people. For myself, I want to continue to spread education, and to motivate
others. Becoming an ELL/ESL teacher will help me to encourage and guide
individuals to be the best they can be, despite the barriers. There is always hope and there’s always that one person
who can and will make an impactful difference in the lives of others. That
person will be me, I have no doubt.
Saturday May 23rd,
we were off to Manuel Antonio, a.k.a, the beach! Saying goodbye to my Mama Tica
was sad, especially when she started to cry, yet, I told her I would come back
to visit within the next couple of years! It was so awesome to stay with her
for the past week. She was thoughtful, hospitable, genuine and an amazing cook-
I will miss her! Our group left Heredia around 6:30 for Manuel Antonio- a four
hour drive. we left for an adventure hike in Manuel Antonio National Park. Javier,
our excellent guide, led us through the park, where we saw howler monkeys
flying from tree to tree, sloths hanging from branches and other wild animals
in the forest. Of course, the most anticipated part, and my all time favorite
was when we got to the beach. Even though it was crowded with Americans, the
fresh water and serenity of the pacific felt incredible after a long, sweaty hike. Also, I met another student
from Minnesota, about 22 years old, who had never seen a single beach in his
life. How incredible must it have been for him? Hahaha! As we made the trek
back to downtown Manuel Antonio, we had lunch at this cool place called “El
Sol.” So hungry, I devoured my delicious vegetarian casada, with platanos, yucca,
salad and rice and beans and downed the tasty papaya juice. Once lunch was over
we arrived to the hotel “Los Mimos,” which had a really nice outdoor pool and an
open restaurant on the deck. Dinner was wonderful, I ate an entire plate full
of vegetarian pasta and watched the Heredia vs. Alaguela futbol game with the
girls. Until tomorrow,
Pura Vida Mae!
Hoy es Domingo, May 24th! I got up for a
nice relaxing run downtown to Manuel Antonio and the view was absolutely
amazing. At Los Mimos hotel, we had a nice breakfast and then got ready to
spend some relaxation time at the public beach. Swimming in the huge waves felt
like home. Tess from my group and I also climbed the massive rocks in the water,
luckily we didn’t fall! Despues, I did some shopping in the souvenir markets.
The small downtown area reminded me so much of Wilmington. There were small
surf shops, heladerias and friendly people in a peaceful atmosphere. Before
leaving, I tried to pick some coconuts from a tree but they wouldn’t budge…either
that or I am just too dang small to reach them! On our way out, we saw a mama
monkey carrying a baby monkey on her back. She sprinted across the cable lines
and swung from the trees, it was so cool! With a bumpy bus ride, we eventually
got to Monteverde after five hours, but the drive was totally worth it. Steering
up the mountains, we saw the most beautiful sunset- with the Punta Arenas lake
in the background and the ridged hills extending for miles. I was at a loss for
words. I pulled out my camera and kept clicking… but the pictures don’t do it
justice. As we got to the town’s clinical dental office, our host families were
waiting for us. I stepped out of the bus and Melissa, from my family, warmly
greeted me with a hug. She helped with my luggage and led me to my new home for
the next two weeks. There, I met my mama Tica, named Xenia. She too, was also
very welcoming and kind. As I finished unpacking my things, I sat down at the
kitchen table. I explored the home, which was filled with family pictures and
memories. I turned my head and a giant plate of food was right in front of me.
Fresh sautéed fish, salad, vegetables and gallo pinto. It was delectably
satisfying! Later that night, I met Christian, the son who is 19. He was really
timid, but listened to the small conversations I had with my mama Tica. Hence,
I met my papa Tico, Gerardo. He was also super friendly and genuine. What is
most interesting, is that La familia Hernandez lives right next to my mama
Tica’s side of the family. Her parents, various siblings and cousins are all 40
feet away. The dynamic is way different than in the United States. Members of
the family stay close to home and seldom move away from the main location. I
know this new living situation will be a challenge, but I am excited for what
will come next and for new experiences to commence!
Hasta la próxima,
PURA VIDA!
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