Gay Parade!

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To be honest, I missed the afternoon part of it because I was on a family outing until 4:30p. And I was so tired after that I took a nap for one hour. Most of my friends went to check it out around 2p. By the time I got up, everyone I knew went...and some people warned that it's not too good to go by myself, since men are such creepers here, and I don't want them bothering me, nor do I want my camera stolen. So I stayed by my window to take some shots. I was wistfully looking out the window when a phone call came. It was Greg, my neighbor, and he wanted to go hang out with the people in the parade. So.. lucky for all of us, I was able to go check it out! There are like 5 big trucks with big speakers bumping loud music. Supposedly, during Carnaval, there will be around 50 big trucks. So it was like a mini-Carnaval celebrating gay-ness.
It was mostly American Pop music being played but remixed to dance mixes with the bass bump-bump-bumping. Everyone was dancing! Most were drunk. There were drag queens and people making out everywhere. And people taking a whiz on the buildings. There were even a few families with children around 8 to 10 years old. I felt more or less safe. It was right in front of my building!! It started out at the street next to ours, but by the end of the night, the party came to us. So me and Greg were just hanging out. I tried to take pics, but my camera was running out of batteries. It was supposed to end at 8p, and the music stopped playing just before 9p. We have school tomorrow. But it is a commercial holiday tomorrow so all the shops are closed, including my host mom's lingerie shop. But I really don't study that much here. Like maybe 60% of what I do back home. Maybe less. haha.
Ok, so I'll just talk a little but about my family outing. We went to a friend's beach house so we can eat land-crabs and rice with chicken. It was pretty chill. It's the same family that I had crab with last time. My family definitely keeps in touch and hang out with their friends often.
Another update is that I will be participating in my final undergraduate study abroad program this spring semester! It's Monteverde Tropical Biology Program in Costa Rica. This, unlike my previous experiences, will be pertinent to my biology degree. I will be taking courses that count towards my degree so I can graduate for real! haha. I was worried I couldn't get in, since I have been to two program before, but there were only 4 applicants from UCB! That is definitely a contributing factor for my school let me go. YAY!

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Photos

The parade!
Ok, the next pic is a close up. It was on the parallel street next to mine

Close-up
The people are on the street between the trees and the long military police building

This is at night..
I'm trying to take some good pics with my camera on low batt. And it's so dark

Right downstairs
The trucks drove around the block over and over again and I tried to catch pics of it.

Blurry pic
but you get the picture

In front of the Hotel
People just following the music walking through the streets

The bright light
is the truck

Comments

[beck]

wow, costa rica, cool!