Easter

Easter Sunday came and went and there was much rejoicing, for Christ is risen!

I spent Thursday through Sunday of the past week visiting the rural community of Longo Mai for a second time, staying with the same host family as my previous visit.

On Thursday afternoon after I arrived there was a foot-washing service at the Catholic church which I attended with my compañeros.  On Friday morning there was a procession that included stops for each station of the cross.  That same afternoon there was another church service.  Then, Saturday at 5am was a special Rosary service-type thing, which I did not attend.  And in the evening on Saturday was a long service that included candle-lighting which I also chose not to go to.  On Sunday morning I went to church and heard the sermon regarding Jesus' resurrection.

In many of the evenings, I, along with two of my companions, Emily and Megan, had our own Bible studies.  We read the customary Easter-time passages on the usual days and then discussed the differences in the crucifixion story as told in the different gospels.  These discussions were insightful and challenging.  I'm very thankful I was able to have such enlightening and deep Bible studies with my friends on the trip.

Now, beyond a religious celebration, Costa Ricans do not really seem to celebrate.  For one thing, all schools and most work places have all of Semana Santa (Holy week) off.  That means it's a massive vacation time where most people go to a beach or a resort and stay there until the last possible second.  Therefore, the holiday seems to get lost as most people are not at home to celebrate, although many go to visit relatives.

At the house I was at we had a few special foods that are reserved for Easter time, but that was about it.  One thing we had was arroz con leche, which is rice pudding.  It was incredibly delicious and we ate it with coconut sprinkled on top.  My host mother in Longo Mai also made crescent cookie-like things with some jam-like substance inside, which were also delicious.  She also baked some sweet rolls and a carrot cake.  I'm not sure that all of those pastries are specific for Easter time, but I know the rice pudding was.

When I wasn't attending church services and eating incredibly well I was relaxing, sleeping, or exploring the community.  We spent several afternoons on the porch reading and writing while the rain storm passed through.  It was nice to just sit, think, and relax without any real plan and thus no stress.  I did go to the river a few times, although I only got in the water twice.  The current was surprisingly strong and there were plenty of rocks to climb as well, so that was quite exciting!

Per usual I have more I could say, but I'm a tiny bit limited on time right now.  I will try to post at least one more entry before I come home...which is sneaking up. :)

~Nola

"Quédense quietos, reconozcan que yo soy Dios.  ¡Yo seré exaltado entre las naciones!  ¡Yo seré enaltecido en la tierra!" -Salmos 46:10

A Wandering Soul?

I realize I haven't posted in weeks now, so here I am, dropping some random thoughts.

Recently, while I was browsing on Facebook, I came across this quote, posted by a friend of mine:

"You will never be completely at home again, because part of your heart will always be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place."

That particular quote hit home hard.  This past weekend our group visited a rural community in the middle of nowhere, Costa Rica.  It reminded me of home and thus I felt instantly comfortable there.  I had little trouble sleeping because it was so quiet compared to the city.  If I looked up at the sky the stars were brilliantly shining and I was breathing country air, just like at home.  The family I stayed with was very welcoming and comfortable as well.

Then, when I returned to San José, my room felt a little odd to me, but then the familiarity settled back in.  I began to think about how at home I felt in the rural community and yet how I have a home in the capital city.

Around that time is when  I saw the quote posted on Facebook and began to wonder if that's true or not because now, not only do I have several homes in the United States (my own home, my university home, and my best friend's house), but I also have several here in Costa Rica.  I have spent sufficient time in both countries to meet, know, and love the people I've encountered.

So will the quote become part of my life?  Will I return to my home country and never feel comfortable there?  Will part of me always be longing to return to Costa Rica?  Although I realize these questions are in part a normal process of traveling as I have, in some ways I may indeed leave part of myself behind.

I'm confident that some day I will find a place to settle more permanently and will make that place my home, but I keep wondering if sometimes I will be overwhelmed with longing for the people left behind and how I will deal with that.  It's intriguing because I hadn't really thought of that.  However, I am sure that all will be well in the end.  It's truly a blessing to belong in so many places even if it's all at the same time.

Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous!  Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

~Nola

Spring Break

I'm now about a week and a half into spring break here.  There was nothing spectacular planned for the vacation time, so the other Valpo students and I decided to visit a beach in Quepos called Manuel Antonio.  (This was last week.)

On Tuesday morning we woke up early and went to the bus station.  We had to take a bus to the bus station, ironically.  From there it was a 3 hour trip and it became hotter and more humid as we went.  We had some confusion about where exactly to get off the bus, so we ended up having to backtrack by taking a local bus once we arrived in order to meet our guide.  That is, one of the other student's host mother's best friend's son met us to show us the house we would stay at, which was really quite a nice place.

Almost immediately after dropping our luggage off at the house we walked to the nearby grocery store to stock up.  We had crackers, tuna, PB, bread, bananas, a cantaloupe, a watermelon, and eggs.  Thus, we were set for breakfasts and lunches at the beach.  We agreed ahead of time to purchase dinner outside of the home.

With just enough time to get to the beach for an hour or so before sunset, we lathered ourselves in sunscreen and set out for the beach.  It took about 30 minutes by local bus to get to the free beach from where we were staying.  Interestingly, but perhaps not surprisingly, a majority of the other bus passengers were North Americans or Europeans, usually of a more mature age, who were vacationing there.

  

The second day we spent nearly the entire day just relaxing on the beach and playing in the Pacific.  We also realized just how much of a touristy place it is because we discovered that if we spoke in Spanish to the various vendors they lowered their prices quite drastically.  Sneaky sneaky, right?

But anyway, the time at the beach was a much needed and very enjoyable day, although several group members got fried by the strong sun.  My shoulders burned a little bit, but not very much.  I am slowly tanning here...and I'm just as surprised as you. :)
 
Finally, on Thursday morning after breakfast we said goodbye to the beach and headed back on the bus.  Even though we didn't stay very long at Manuel Antonio it was definitely worthwhile as we have some great memories from spending time together there.

Thursday (tomorrow!) I head to Nicaragua for a week and a half.  Prayers are always appreciated.

 

Photo credit goes to Emily Knippenberg, who remembered her camera on the beach.

El concierto + el fin de semana

Friday was the first day of Spring Break for us lucky duckies.  We had our final presentations about our final research papers and then after class we had nothing!  Woohoo!

A few of my classmates and I accompanied Heidi to a free concert in the Multiplaza, a large mall near to our homes.  Apparently the minister of culture here in Costa Rica set it up to promote the arts.  There were three pop/rock bands present, Editus, Gandhi, and Marfiel (I think), combined with the National Symphony, which made for some really awesome music.  And immediately afterwards there were fireworks too!!  Then we decided to stop inside the mall for ice-cream before heading back to Heidi's for a movie night.  It was a wonderful way to start off our Spring Break.

In other news, on Saturday evening I went to church with my host family for a carry-in.  There was a bonfire to roast marshmallows and many games, as well as dinner.  Some of the games included: a sack race, a hula hoop toss, something with a balloon, and several others.  It was fun to watch the various church members interact and I appreciated the chance to participate in the activities and get to know some of the people, although I do admit I felt a bit out of place there.  Perhaps that will change with time as I become more involved with the youth group.

Sunday morning I attended church with my host family.  The sermon was about the parable of the talents and, consequently, how to manage money.  Later I accompanied my host mother and father to the grocery store and that's really about it.

Plans are falling into place for the Valpo Spring Break trip to Costa Rica/Nicaragua, so I'm becoming quite excited for that to happen.  I'll be acting as an interpreter for them while they're in San José, but after that I go my own way with other plans to visit Nicaragua.

Much love,
~Nola

Field Trip!

Man oh man, we had quite the field trip this past weekend.  Early Friday morning (around 7 or 7:30am) we were picked up from our host homes and made our way to an organic farm for a tour.

Pineapple plant!! For real, they're not grown on trees...

 

There was a little bridge to cross before we actually made it to the farm, and our tour guide (one of the men who operates the farm) explained that before the bridge was built they had a pulley system to transport all the building materials for the house and equipment for the farm.  Furthermore, he said the bridge is pretty much in need of constant repair.  Personally, I felt very safe crossing it (I was more scared of the spider webs on it), but several members of our group freaked out a little.

Anyway, after our mini tour of the organic farm and a tasty lunch, we continued our field trip to the province of Limón.  In class the week before we learned about Afro-Costa Ricans and that a majority of them live in Limón because many migrated from other Caribbean countries to work on the banana plantations once upon a time.  We took a tour of the city (which reminded me quite a bit of New Orleans) and afterwards found our hostel.

The next morning we visited a reserve for indigenous people in Talamanca.  They grow cocoa, so we learned about the chocolate forming process and got to participate in it.

We also took a walk through the woods learning which plants form dyes and which are edible.  We even had the chance to practice our hunting skills with original weapons of the tribe.  Only two of our group of 9 actually hit the target though.

 Then, in the afternoon, we took a trip to Puerto Viejo, which is a small tourist town.  We wandered around looking at the shops and spent a little time walking along the beach, although it was a rather small and dirty beach.

Sunday morning we were up bright and early to visit Cahuita National Park.  We really just spent the morning on the beach there, playing in the large waves.  I can now proudly state that I have been to 2 oceans, the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic, in that order.  Woohoo!!

This is the beautiful sand castle we built after a few hours in the ocean.  After lunch at a rather overpriced restaurant near Cahuita we returned to San José.  The return trip was about 4.5 hours and we were all quite exhausted.

There is much more to say and many more pictures, but I'm rather short on time at the moment.  Perhaps I'll find time to blog again soon.

Much love,
~Nola

La importancia de familia

Warm greetings! (Did you get that pun? )

I decided the other day that I really should mention something about the importance of family here. 

First, family here in Costa Rica is everything.  You take care of your family members, immediate and extended, even if you have little to no resources to share.  That's something I've learned firsthand from my host family.  Although money is sometimes a little tight here, they still give what little they have to help out a family member in need, whether it's a medical expense that needs paid or something equally important.

Secondly, it is quite common for children to live with their parents well into their 30s or even 40s.  Not only is it common, but it's often expected.  Many have their own established careers and separate social lives, but they still return to their parents' homes each night.  Why is this? 

Well, from what I've gathered, it's partially due to the cost of housing, and partially due to familial relations.  Parents take care of their children and vice-versa.  There is no reason for children to move out of the house (if they aren't married) because they are cared for in their home and housing is expensive here.  Furthermore, Costa Rica is a small country, so children can't move far from their parents anyway.

Thirdly, during school vacations, for example, it is very common for kids to visit relatives and stay for awhile.  For example, just this past week 2 cousins of my host siblings were visiting our family.  They were here for just over a week and we had a lot of fun.  I played hide-and-seek, freeze tag, various jump rope games, and hopscotch.  I also attended a makeshift drawing class, where a 9 year old cousin taught me to draw a manga girl.  She also drew a picture of me, which is posted below.

While there are some broken families here, many single parents, for example, still retain the support of family.  It seems as though very few people have to "go it alone" so to speak.  Already I've visited distantly related cousins, aunts, and uncles.  Sometimes a family supports ex-wives/husbands and their children.  It's really quite fascinating that there is so much support of even distantly related people.

Family is incredibly important here, and I've been integrated into my host family like I was born part of it, which has certainly been a blessing.  I feel very blessed that I can say that I have a family that extends from the US to South Africa and now to Costa Rica as well.

~Nola

Up in the Mountains

This past weekend we went on a mini retreat up to the mountains of Talamanca.  The lodge we stayed at was very quaint, as you can probably imagine from the picture.

After a fantastic lunch on Saturday we went on an adventure to see a waterfall hidden in the mountains and afterwards we watched a movie produced in Costa Rica, "El Regreso."

By the way, we got to the foresty mountain area surrounding the waterfall by horse.  I can't say I've had extensive experience with horses before, but now I understand why you have a sore bum after horseback riding.  However, it was completely worth the "dolor."  We also had to keep the horses in two different groups because the two groups did not get along.

On Sunday morning several people in our group got up early to go bird watching, but I was not one of them.  After they returned though, we had a massive and incredibly delicious breakfast and then set up our own church service outside.  We reflected on how God is working through us here in a foreign country.  The blessings are incredible every single day.

Gracias a Dios,
~Nola

La semana pasada, muy brevemente (brief overview of last week)

I realize I haven't made time recently to update my blog, so I'll just give a quick overview of what went on last week to catch up a bit.

We visited a "Peace Center" and learned a bit about the election process here in Costa Rica.  We also briefly stopped by the National Museum to read more about the history of the politics.  Presidential elections are in February here and there are 13 candidates, only 5 of which I am told stand a chance.

Oh yeah, and we took a trip to the Supreme Court of Costa Rica, where we actually got to enter the room in which all the magistrates meet every Monday to discuss court happenings.  That was pretty sweet.

Here's a picture:

On Saturday I went to downtown San José with my host mother and brother to purchase a bag for school since the one I brought ripped irreparably.  The marketplace was very crowded and there were many street vendors, some of which were illegally selling merchandise.

After that escapade, we decided upon return to the house to watch a movie.  Yep, we watched a few episodes of Mr. Bean.  You don't even need to know Spanish (or English, or any other language) to understand it and laugh.

Finally, Saturday night we went to the grocery store, which was sort of like a cross between Kroger and the Wal-mart food section.

Sunday I attended church with my family and I recognized another song, although it was of course in Spanish.  Other than that, it was a quiet weekend.

Stay tuned...

~Nola

P.S. - I am lucky enough to have a whiteboard in my room on which I write a Bible verse each week.  Just to share, the verse this week was: Psalmos 94: 18-19 "Cuando yo decía: Mi pie resbala, Tu misericordia, oh Jehová, me sustentaba.  En la multitud de mis pensamientos dentro de mí, Tus consolaciones alegraban mi alma." (Psalms 94:18-19).

*If you have suggestions for a weekly Bible verse, please either comment on this blog post or email me.  Gracias. :)

Just like a Tourist

Yesterday, our first Saturday here in Costa Rica, the Valpo group met up bright and early for a tour of the National Monument.  Thus, we loaded up a van and took a trip to Guayabo de Turrialba, which is an archaeological site.

Once there, we decided to take the tour in Spanish even though they offered to do it in English.  What would you have done? ;)

The first photo here is a mini re-creation of how the village would have likely looked, while the second illustrates what is actually present - only the raised bases of the homes, which are actually taller than you think.

After touring Guayabo, we visited the Iglesia de San José de Orosi, which is the oldest church in Costa Rica still used for worship.  A larger, more modern church is under construction next door.

The final stop was the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles, which is dedicated to the "Lady of Angels."  She has a very unique back-story, in case any readers have a taste for the unusual.

We made a quick coffee stop between church visits, briefly watched a soccer match, and finally worked our way back into San José.

This is a photo of the garden outside the Iglesia de San José de Orosi.  ¡Qué lindo!

This weekend trip was the first time I truly felt like a tourist, whipping out my camera at every place we stopped and several times in the van too.  However, it was completely worth the while because being a tourist meant learning more about how the history shaped modern culture, and thus how to better understand life here.

There are more weekend adventures to come...beware! :)

The Fun Begins

This first week has been exciting, exhausting, awkward, and fun.

On Monday bright and early I began an intensive Spanish class at the University of Costa Rica.  It will last for 4 weeks and is 90 hours of class time, 4.5 hours/day.  After class our group grabs lunch at one of the many vendors along the walk to the bus stop.

The food is delicious, as you can see.  Lunch is the biggest meal of the day here, which is a change.

Monday was also my 21st birthday, which was celebrated twice here, quite unexpectedly.  Heidi, the director of the Valpo program, had bought a cake to share (and gave me a glass of wine since it was my 21st) and after I walked home with my host mom I was surprised with another cake.  I also received many messages from people back home, which was nice.

My host family consists of Maribel (Mari) and her husband Leo, and three children.  I haven't met the two eldest children, both daughters, because they are on summer vacation at the moment and went somewhere with an aunt.  However, I did meet three dogs, a fish, and three other students from the United States that are staying with the family.  I am not allowed to speak English to them, which I suppose is better in the long haul.

The week has been full of challenges, like trying to figure out the bus system, staying awake during long hours of class, and, of course, using Spanish for everything.  Changing currency also blew my mind - I am still struggling to wrap my mind around how that works.

Traffic here is different in one particularly important way: cars don't stop for pedestrians.  It does make crossing a street more interesting though, much like Frogger.

Even though I find myself completely exhausted at the end of each day, there are small victories that elate me.  For example, today for the very first time I walked home from the Praxis Center alone.  The walk is about 25 minutes and at one point I had to run to avoid being hit by a bus, but overall it was a triumph.

Another victory was visiting my family's church for prayer and a Bible study and understanding nearly everything that was happening.  I find that it's easier to understand people the longer I am around them, so meeting everyone at the church was a bit overwhelming, but it went well.

I have so many more memories to share, but alas, it is nearly 9:30pm and I'm worn out.  I suspect I may get more sleep here than I ever do at Valpo. ;)

Hasta la próxima semana,
~Nola

Pre-departure Post

It's the night before the night I leave for Costa Rica.  The meteorologists are calling for a snow storm in the Chicago area tomorrow night, which may be inhibiting to our drive up to the airport early Sunday morning (around 2am), but perhaps they're in the wrong this time.  One can hope.

Many people have shared their own stories of travel abroad with me trying to prepare me for the best and the worst situations I might encounter while abroad.  What they didn't tell me is how nerve-wracking the pre-departure days are.  I alternate between extreme excitement and anxiousness, but everything is falling into place.  It better be, as I'm leaving in a little over a day. :)

Creating this blog was one of the last things on my lengthy to-do list, so I'm pleased to announce that my family and friends now have a quick and easy way to follow my adventures.

Blessings,

~Nola