The wonderous adventures of...

Mark....

Time to update everyone on my progress here in Liberia....

(again there will be massive typos and english probs...i type in a hurry)....

I will start by recapping this past week. Well basically i get up and not do anything. Are you jealous yet? But I am starting to get my self involved in the "community" a little more. I found out after stumbling through several conversations with people where they play football in the town. Turns out there are severl locations, however, there is one indoor soccer place a block from where I live. Its a cool place that has turf and is about 40 yards in legnth..maybe a bit larger. ANyways its covered with a roof and has lights but no air conditioner. Its hot as hell! Well I stopped by on Sunday afternoon hoping to find a pick up game for soccer which I did. I played with some "kids" and had a blast. They told me they play pickup on the weekends. I was kinda bored so i also decided to show up on Monday and try to see if they were playing. Turns out there are league games on Monday. Well, after watching one game I was hoping to hop on a team and play. Also turns out that one of the teams after me needed a player b/c they had no subs. So they let me play (in a jersey that does not fit...little gut stickin out and all!) But i kicked ass. No other way to say it. I scored like 6 goals. The team needed it b/c we were getting our buttts kicked. Apparently they like me enough that they invited me back to play again on Monday at 8pm. Pick up games are interesting here though. I do not think in their leauge they really keep up with the score. They had referrees and stuff but i didnt see that peopel were keeping up with the score. However, everyone played as good sports and it did not get out of hand with the fouling. I think Central Americans teams shold be forced to play on turf alot more since no one is willing to fake a foul on that kind of surface. Perhaps Italy and Mexico should have to play on a astro turf in the future. But that is another story. It was fun though. I think i lost about 20 llbs in the heat of that building though. I wish i could take pictures of me playing but I can't be/c i am afraid to bring my digital camerica there while i am playing. I bring my small cheap bag put a 1000 colones in it to pay to play and that is it. I am going to try and post pictures of the building though later.

In other news..

I interviewed at the University Centro. It is a university based out of San Jose whose main focus right now is languages, i.e., english. He liekd my resume and said that he would have to fax it to San Jose but that he saw no problems of me being accepted. It would pay part-time about 200 dolalrs a month (100,000 colones) and i would work about 20 hours a week. I would be teaching advance conversation courses apparently since I do not know much spanish. But he said he would call me on Thursday to inform me. It would be cool to only work 20 hours a week and tha twould keep me free. Plus it is only like 2 blocks from where I am staying. One of the workers here said he taought there but did not like the people who ran it. He said they are a bit unorganized and didn not know how to work with predominatly english speaking teachers. So he says its more about money to them there. However, i really dont care. I hope it goes well. If it works out it works out. If not whoatver. Plus it would force me to learn a little spanish to communicate with the students. I will keep everyone updated on that.

I also would liek to add that the ticos put salt on their watermelon! I was like what? awesome! My own girfriend had not heard of that and she lived in AL! haha. But if you for some reason do not do this you are missing out. A Watermelon slice cost about 20 cents if that.

What else...oh it seems that men treat women pretty bad here. I think that men treating women bad is universal but its seems worse here in some ways. Let me give you an example..lets say that a hot girl is walking down the sidewalk..guys will littlerally have no qualms about stareing directly at her..the will whistle, honk, and say things i don not htink are nice. I can tell the women do not like it most of the time. Not that does not happen in the states, its just not so blantant and upfront. We have conquered the glance, or the quick "i am not looking, but i am looking pose." That is all out the window here. YOu can basically start jumping up and down around here and screaming things. haha! Just interesting. I feel bad for some of the women here. I wonder if "the bird" is a universal signal? b/c that is what i would do if i was a girl.

I have also made new little "kid friend." His real name is Felipe but I think they call him Danni. (Danny). He is a bit annoying to be honest with you. He is fascinated by my computer and stares over my shoulder as i mess with it. A major pet peive but its hard to tell hte kids no. He went to the soccer stadium with me also and well tries to go everywhere with me. I having a hard time shakng him. Its a balance. I finally figured out how to say "leave me alone" nicely..or "i need my privacy." but its cool. Sweet kid. A pic coming soon.

Oh around a certain time on TV there is a kids program that helps spanish children learn english. its been a big help. I think there is somethign similar in America. There is a little monkey a girl and some other characters. The girl carries a blue backpack that has "special holding powers." Anyone know the name? haha.

Coming up the whole next week in Liberia is a huge week long fiesta. The last three nights of July are the biggest. The celebreation is for the annexation of the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica (the region i am) from Nicaragua. I am sure you guys will be celebrating it too. Anyways there are rodeos, horse parades, concerts, food, expos, etc. So i am excited about that. i have a friend Maria who is suppose to be coming that week for the fiesta. I hope to have alot of cool pictures from that weekend.

Oh I almost forgot. My friends i made Suljelmis and Maribel decided to pick me up one more to go with them to "sale paintings." They sale those "mexican looking pictures" (sorry for the crude anology but i dont know how to explain them) that u see at alot of mexican restaurantes. Apprantly they have clients around costa rica and near by cities. First, they just rolled up and asked if i wanted to go. So of course, sincei have nothing to do i was like. I am game. So i got in and man i wish i had not have got in. SHe drives this big van and drives it like an animal. I will never make fun of drivers in the states anymore. Our driving is tame compared to theirs. Backing up..we went to the next twon about 30 mintues away and drove through the neighborhoods and watched her stop at clients, collect bills, and sale paintings. It was interesting. I was thinking, wow there has to be a more efficent way. Well, i think she expects me since i am american to pay for alot of stuff. For this trip she brought along her two little brothers (see pic). Anyways, i asked her to stop a store b/c i was thristy. So i get out and she was like, "can u pay for the kids something?" I said no. I pay only for me. She comes in the store trying to get me to pay for them something. I was like no. Apparently she got a little mad. Next we get to Puntarenas which is a city on the bay umm about 2 hours from Liberia. Orginally we had only planned to go to another city close by. She changed the plans and well i wasnt happy about it b/c i didn want to be in a car for 5 horus of the day. But anyways. i didnt say anything. Well we arrive there (see pics) and she mad ea few stops to sale paintings. Next it was lunch. Well i could see that she was wanting me to pay for lunch of everyone all 4 of them plus me. I decided to play dumb and walk around the beach and stall as they were getting their food. They were trying to signal me to come back. So i get there and she is like can u pay. I was like no. I said u can pay i cant pay for all i have to save my money. She didnt like that. And well it didnt stop there. We go get gas. She wants me to pay. I am like no i am not paying i didnt ask to go. U just stopped by and I went. Its on you. I tried to be nice about it. But anyways. I thought it was funny. Just kidna rubbed me wrong. maybe culture differences. But i had to draw the line b/c the other day i payed for drinks and for the gas to the beach (which i didnt mind b/c i had ask for the ride and if they wanted to go and its saved me money). Anywyas. Just interesting. Well I thought i was going to litterally die. SHe was passing people on the two lane road. We almost didnt make a pass once with a truck comign the other way. I swear, i was litterally about to die one time. I prayed several times on that trip. It gets better..near the end of the trip a huge rock or something flew off another rock truck and struck our window and it shattered the window almost completly on the passager side. The rock came through the windo party and then fell off. The window was cracked all the way across. I wish i had takena picture. I had glass on me and i was in the backseat. Everyone was ok though the kids up front had some small glass pieces on them. needless to say we made it back. I thought seriously about going up to the catholic church in the town center and talk to a priest b/c it scared me! haha. Anyways. Note to self--i am probably not going to ride with her again or hang out with them much. I sense tension. Maribel is really nice though i just dont liek Suljelmis. For a map of my journey copy and paste this url;
http://www.travelblog.org/gmaps/map_1C3.html
Anyways onto other things...

What else...well i am not sure there is much else to say around here. At the end of the month i will be moving to a bigger room since I am stayin ghere for a month. They also give me a reduce discoutn on food now that i am staying and i can wash my clothes for free. I have met a few more people and so its nice b/c it keeps me from getting too lonely. It gets a bit lonely around here sometimes even though i am doing something i want to do. Its nice to have a real convo everynow and then. Feel free to leave me messages! I am very glad i decided to stay here in Liberia and not jump around so much. Liberia is a nice litlte small town and safe. Plus there is not as many americans here. however more americans (gringos) are coming.

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