This week, like many weeks thus far in my Peace Corps experience, has had a couple ups and downs. On Monday, I went to San Jose for two very different reasons. The first was to attend a photo exhibition/contest put on by the Peace Corps that displayed photos of life in Costa Rica by current Peace Corps Volunteers. If I’m not mistaken, 4 Tico 22’s had made it into the top 25 and had photos on display. The other reason I made my way to San Jose was that another Tico 22, this time an RCD volunteer was going home for good. This time, it was a medical separation.
When I got to San Jose, I checked into a hostel favored by volunteers and found that many others were already there. As I waited for the kids from my group to get in, I took the time to get to know some of the senior volunteers. I also took a fat nap. Seriously, the beds were so comfy, especially in comparison to my current bed that those 4 hours flew by like nothing. It was amazing. It turns out that even though I don’t get the opportunity to sleep much since coming in country, I still love it! Just thinking about how wonderful that nap was makes me sleepy.
Finally, some of the RCD kids trickled in and hang out time started. We went to the mall for a bit to eat ice cream and shop around a bit. I went into the bookstore to find a present for my host-sister, Anita, because her birthday is coming up in October. There wasn’t much of a selection, but I picked out “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” Well actually, it’s “Charlie y la Factura de Chocolate.” I never read it, but I liked the movies. Maybe if I ever get through Harry Potter in Spanish, I’ll be able to borrow it one day. Anyway, I figure a book would be a good gift because they don’t seem to have any and I really think that she’ll like it. I also decided to get the book early because I’ve tried browsing the bookstore in my site and the selection is really sad. Seriously, I think that there’s like 30 to choose from total.
We made it back to the hostel and hung out a bit before deciding that we should go out for some drinks. It was Katie’s birthday so it seemed only right. Plus, Tina, the one being medically separated, wanted to get out. We took a Canadian girl who is staying at the hostel that Tina made friends with on her last stay at the hostel. She is currently studying the health and school systems of the country. From what she said plus our own experiences with the systems in the country, it just seems so bleak. It’s so hard to see how the system can change after being in so deep. I guess that’s why Peace Corps still exists in Costa Rica. After having one drink at a bar, we decided to go to the grocery store and bring back stuff and hang out the hotel. Not only is it more comfortable, but way cheaper. We basically killed a box of Cheez-its, a bag of Archer Farms chips (Thanks Cheryl), a thing of chocolate, and a bag of popcorn. It was kind of amazing. I’m pretty sure that we still went to bed before 12. Yes, even with the nap, I was still extremely tired.
The next day was the exhibit and some of my CYF friends finally made it into town along with a few other RCD’s. I went out to lunch with a few of them at a really good veggie place not far from the hostel or the place where the exhibit was being held. Melissa even managed to talk her way into getting a 15% Peace Corps discount.
We finally made it to the exhibit and there were surprisingly a lot of people there. Not only was it full of current volunteers and staff, but there were many RPCV’s (Returned Peace Corps Volunteers) as well. It was quite a fancy event. It was actually kind of weird seeing everyone looking so cleaned up. This is probably because it is pretty rare to have an occasion to look sharp when you’re serving in the Peace Corps. After checking out the photos for a bit, we were all herded into an auditorium where there was a little ceremony in which the winners were chosen. It was kind of cool because they really emphasized the importance of volunteers and had all the PCV’s stand for recognition. It was nice. I mean since swearing-in, I feel like our work and sacrifices don’t get credited very often. It always feels good to get a good public pat-on-the-back.
The contest recognized the top 5 photos, which happened to be more exciting than I thought it would be. Three of those winners were Tico 22’s, which after the month we’ve been having, it was refreshing to see good things happening to our group. Seeing my friend, Allen, win was definitely the most exciting part. Most of us knew that he would take it, but it was just so amazing actually seeing it happen. He totally deserved it. Not only is he super talented, but he is also one of the nicest people I know. He is also the kind of guy that prefers to stay in the background and shies away from the spotlight. To see him get recognition and be the center of attention for a day was something else. The kid was so stoked too. You couldn’t help but be happy for him.
That night we celebrated by making some top ramen for dinner and having drinks at the hostel with the other volunteers. Nothing particularly exciting happened, but it was definitely a night that just makes you feel good when you look back. I guess the only downer was that it was Tina’s last night. Even so, the general mood was pretty good. It was confirmed that all my Celtic blood must be in my liver. It actually surprised me considering that I stay away from all forms of alcohol in site and figured my tolerance would be a lot lower. Guess not!
So after crashing out, I woke up the next morning realizing that Tina had not woken us up like she told us she would to say goodbye and had already left. I have talked to her since, but it is still kind of weird to know that another one is gone. Every time someone leaves, it naturally makes me reflect about how I would feel if it were I. All I know is that I’m not ready to go home. I have experienced very miserable times. I battle with mosquitoes, mold, fungus, and sweat every single day. Yet if someone told me that I had to pack my bags and wouldn’t be able to come back, I think it would just be devastating. It’s actually quite weird. I long for home and all the comforts, and yet the thought of being forced to go back for good is horrible. Don’t get me wrong. I can’t wait for Christmas to come around so that I can go back and see everyone, but I’m not done here. I kind of love my dysfunctional community and I would hate to leave it before my time.
Anyway, after saying goodbye to the rest of the volunteers, I had lunch with Allen and Maitreya before going back to site. While I was waiting for my bus, I ended up having a conversation with this guy from Florida who was here for the craziest reason. It turns out he comes to Costa Rica often to surf and the last time he was here, he brought his 15-year-old daughter and one of his friends who has a hotel here had attempted to rape her. He was on his way to beat the crap out of the guy and then go around town and ruin his reputation. It was really a crazy story. I’m not sure if it’s true, but it is quite believable. Things like that happen. Who knows. This might enforce my general hesitation to engage in conversation with other gringos.
So, I made it back to site and things have gone on as usual. I introduced a new song in my English music project. It was pretty exciting. Kids are coming up to me telling me that they’ve downloaded the last song onto their phones. It’s just satisfying to know that even if the messages aren’t getting through, I do hope they are, at the very least I am making connections with these kids. Plus, it’s just cool to see them be excited for something related to school. My next project is to work with Asociación de Desarollo to activate another committee that specializes in kids. If we can launch that, we may be able to use some of those funds to build the playground that the parents have been requesting. Today, a kid from the high school came to my house looking for me wanting help with her English. I was kind of surprised that someone found me looking for assistance. It was kind of exciting. I then found out that there are lot of kids who are struggling with English and might be interested in help, but are too embarrassed to seek me out. Well, I’ll start with the girl tomorrow and if there is a legit interest, I might just have to start an English Club. That just might be the step I need to get to know the high school kids in order to launch other projects. Oh, the life of a volunteer. There’s always more work to do if you just look.
Well, that’s all for this week. I’ve decided to add some pictures of my new house as requested by my mother. Until next time.
My new house.
My room.
Our family room/dining room/kitchen.
The chicken coop.
Our outdoor stove.
I'm glad to see you're doing well Carlia. Can't wait to see you in December! -Francesca
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