The Pick Up

It seems like I’m been on a roller coaster emotions, thoughts, businesses and more lately. Maybe it’s just because I’m a girl (the whole estrogen thing) but I’m guessing that’s not it. Mostly I’m just struggling with knowing where God wants to take me and how He wants me to look at and appreciate the whole around me. Its hard, I must admit. I miss the conveniences of my life in the States and often wish I didn’t have to ‘deal’ with things like busses and exchanging money and putting on my ‘don’t mess with me, even though I’m a white female’ face.

But I have to remember this: frustration is good. Finding comfort and satisfaction in frustration isn’t.


Last weekend I went to the beach and it was just what I needed. I saw monkeys and crabs. I made a sand igloo to remember how much I miss home…or not J I played soccer on the beach and I danced the night away to Calypso. I went to a banana plantation and saw, well duh, bananas. I talked and laughed and journaled and laughed some more.

Funny things:

A 40 year old guy tried to pick me up on the bus the other night. I thought he was going to follow me home. Amazing how I seem to get myself in odd situations like that. The offer was tempting being that he was old(er), not so attractive, living with his parents and ‘drank away his sorrows’ on the weekend. But he said he wanted to buy a Harley so that was a plus.

My friend with little feet fell in a TINY water filled whole why walking on the sidewalk. For once I was glad I have slightly larger feet.

I wasn’t a minority today. I went to a coffee shop and a TON of white people came in. It was odd. Heather and I started talking in Spanish and I think deep down it was because I didn’t want them to understand. Heartless…just heartless.

A glimse...something more profound.

It’s easy to believe things are true or false…blank and white. The things we’ve been told or taught from the time we were kids have just always been ‘truth’—no questions asked, or at least no questions that were challenging enough to make a difference. But now I’m faced with information that contradicts what I’ve always thought was true—things about the government, interpreting scripture and my North American lens through which I view everything. And I’m stuck. I’ve come to realize that the gray area between the black and white is much larger than I thought. The hard part is being okay with the gray area, yet not being okay with staying there.

I clearly look at life through a white, North American, female, protestant Christian, middle class lens. But what does that mean? When I see the tin, stained with graffiti that lines the side of houses, or when I dread holding the grimy handrail while I’m packed in like cattle on the bus, what do others see—think—feel. How does the indigenous, Latino American, Catholic, lower-class male view life through his lens? And will I ever get a glimpse?

Bus, dancing and indecent exposure

So finding landmarks for my bus stops was a brilliant idea. But when you only find landmarks when you’re sitting down and on the right side of the bus, its hard to find your stop when…for example, you have to stand the whole ride and the windows are fogged over and wet because of the rain. Yes, that was my first experience on the bus by myself.

I came here hoping to learn how to dance and what not, because that Latinas can pretty much tear up the dance floor like none other. Being that I hadn’t been to dance class and I had no idea about the Merengue…I was pretty much scared to death when I found out that my little sister was going to have around 40 thirteen year-olds at her birthday party…all dancing. After thinking about this for a while I figured…I’m the 22 year-old gringa, I’m not going to fit in no matter what I do. So I had two options: 1. Dance and be that sweet gringa with the best dance skills ever, or 2. Look ridiculous because I can’t dance. Either way, it didn’t matter. So I challenged the ‘wanna-be thug’ to a dance off. Needless to say, despite the break dance moves and the Eminem attitude….the ‘worm’ still takes them all. And that’s what I did; brushed off my shoulders and did the ‘worm’ and definitely impressed all the guys.

Funny Things:

The man in the park who makes funny faces *(I’m not laughing because he’s homeless, only because he makes really funny faces to get money)

Spanish voice-overs on Nick Jr. The kids all sounds like they’re 35.

The Tico on the bus jamming out to Vanilla Ice

My friend Laura who dances like Elaine from Seinfeld…only worse

How all the women have matching shoes, clothes and jewelry (to the T) but then have bright pink ‘Hello Kitty’ bags or something like that, that totally don’t match.

My Tica friend, when slightly boracha, speaks better English than when sober.

**(This really isn’t that funny, just odd) Indecent exposure really isn’t looked down upon. I went to a big festival and well lets just say that the men’s line to the bathroom was non-exist. A wall, bushes or the back of a bus were sufficient.

Pura Vida...Que Tuanis

It’s hard to believe that I am actually in Costa Rica…with los ticos (costa ricans). Needless to say, I’ve am slightly overwhelmed, but the Spanish part is going great. My host family is absolutamente in credible. Wow. But as far as culture goes, I have a lot to learn. After a crash course in ‘street language’ from my sisters, I feel a little be better about Costa Ricans lingo…such ‘pura vida’ or ‘que tuanis’. However, knowing how and when to use those words is the hard part. But I stay stupid things all the time…so why not try to add a ‘pura vida’ comment in the wrong place and add to the list of stupid comments. I’m sure it will happen regardless of my efforts.

So today, as I was walking around San Jose, I felt like all the people were singing to themselves “there she is just walking done the street, ‘looking blanca(white) and nerviosa.’” (With an obvious change in the words). Simply said, I am white and I often look lost. One day I’ll look like a Tico…but who knows when.

Ps. I saw Barney and Mickey Mouse in the plaza today. It made me laugh. I also ran down an up escalator. That made me laugh too. But not the security guard.

Things I’ve learned already:

1. Public bus systems are not tourist busses. Looking around at all the new things and people isn’t a ‘social norm’. I need to put on my game face when I ride the bus…which I guess is supposed to look like I’m going to funeral-muy serio.

2. Reggueton really is a huge part of culture. And so are telenovelas (soap operas). One or the other or both are always on at the house.

3. I think clocks are just for decoration. I’ve seen 4 or 5 clocks that aren’t working or say the wrong time. It’s confusing for me because I never know what time it is…but maybe that’s ok.

4. The whole ‘being late’ stereotype? Haven’t seen that yet. But I have seen carpet…IN MY ROOM!!!

5. POP’S ice cream is still amazing.

6. Pigeons eat corn…weird.

Answers...anyone?

So I was thinking tonight about some random questions that I'd like answers to.

1. Can narcoleptics testify in court? What if they fall asleep while they are testifying? If they are the only witness they would have to testify, but are they really dependable being that they can just randomly go to sleep?

2. If you have sweaty feet and they smell bad all the time, could you tatoo the bottom of your feet to stop the sweat glands? Same with the armpits?

that's all for the night.

One week and counting

I leave in a week...some random thoughts:

Things I'll miss:

Throwing snowballs at people
Soft toilet paper
Talking about picking Tulips
P&W
My car
Steak night...meat in general
Carpet
English

Things I wont miss:

Scaping my car windows
Caf food
The lovely Iowa aroma
Chapel
Monsma's Puns
Pranks...getting my clothes put inside-out
The cold and the snow...then the rain and mush