Advertisement
Published: January 5th 2010
The first thing I noticed when I stepped out of the airport in San Jose was the air. Even at 9:00 at night the air was warm. It felt like Florida. La Universidad de Veritas had arranged for someone to be there to pick me up and I was driven to my home stay with three other students. One was from Pennsylvania, another from Colorado, and a third from SCHENECTADY, NY. (She was more than a little surprised when I told her that was my mother’s hometown.) Our driver only spoke Spanish. I was so tired I didn’t understand anything he said except when he pointed out a transvestite on a street corner, but even that was a little confusing.
I was the last student to be dropped off but my host family was waiting with a warm welcome. They introduced themselves as Mami y Kiki. They’re real names, though, are Sonia and Enrique. They have been hosting exchange students for eight years now so “Mami” was able to answer most of my questions before I even asked them, including the big one: “DO YOU HAVE WIRELESS INTERNET?” Which, (gracias a Dios) she does.
In the morning I met Laura. She’s a student from Alabama and she is staying in the second spare bedroom in our house. Her plane landed much earlier than mine and she had already gone to bed by the time I got in the night before. We realized today that we have the same academic schedule so we’re able to walk to and from the university together. I’m glad I have someone to travel with. It’s always better to travel in packs.
The mantra for our orientation was, “Costa Rica is a safe country----for intelligent people.” Most of the advice we received sounded suspiciously like what Uncle Jim has been telling me for years. As it turns out, common sense is as important in Central America as it is in the States.
Our host mother showed us the way to the school on the first morning and any of you who have gotten lost with me before (Joline, I am thinking particularly of our infamous trip to Boston) won’t be surprised to learn that I had to ask this morning if she would accompany me to school just “una vez mas”. (one more time) Today Laura and I walked home by ourselves and after some fumbling with the key in the front gate (every house in Costa Rica, even the ones in the safest parts of the country, are surrounded by metal railings) we made it inside.
The most ironic occurrence of the trip so far revealed itself last night. After hours and hours of warnings about the importance of being aware of my surroundings and watching for pick-pocketers I realized when I was getting ready for bed that I still had a glass from the university cafeteria in my purse. Little did the orientation directors know that they had a little klepto “gringa” on their hands. I laughed when I saw it and returned it this morning.
My classes are going to be intense because my semester is short. I learned today that I qualified for the Spanish elective courses. This was great news but it also means that I will be in class speaking Spanish for 6-8 hours 4 days a week, and for 4 hours on Friday mornings.
I’ve resolved to work as hard as I can during the week because I’d like to reserve my weekends here for as many adventures as possible. Our program has already planned one excursion for each weekend in the month of January. This weekend we’re visiting an active Volcano. We’ll swim in natural hot springs that are heated by the Volcano and then we’re riding horse-back to a waterfall.
The word of the day is probar which means: to test, to prove, or to try. It’s an appropriate word I think because I feel like it’s why I’m here right now; I’m here to try new things, to test old assumptions, and to prove to myself that I can do this. For now, that’s my focus: “probando cosas nuevas” (trying new things).
Pura Vida!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.089s; Tpl: 0.01s; cc: 12; qc: 57; dbt: 0.0448s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
Pepe Gallagher
non-member comment
very nice!
I like your blog, and I am SO jealous that I am not in San Jose!!! It all sounds wonderful...keep up the good attitude! I love you! dad