*This is a prayer I wrote one night in Costa Rica. Seeing so much poverty, suffering, and oppression in the world, and realizing that being a North American automatically made me a rich, powerful oppressor in the world, praying became very difficult. I wrote this to get away from thanking God for my "blessings," asking for more stuff, and focusing on my small, selfish world. I tried to write a prayer that pleads on behalf of people who are really in need like people without food and children fighting without choice, and pleads on my behalf as a rich, powerful world citizen to open my heart to the injustice and inequality in the world.
Tonight I pray for child soldiers,
for people sleeping on empty stomachs,
for people without opportunity, without hope, without a future.
I pray for those oppressed by the desires of a few powerful people.
Send people to bring justice.
Send peace into the hearts of soldiers
and into the hearts of politicians who declare wars.
Send hope to those with nothing else.
Open the eyes of North American Christians with wealth and power.
Open our eyes to the injustice in the world.
Close our hearts to our desires and our lusts to obtain more.
Protect your disciples who are creating justice in the world, for they are few.
In my life, open my eyes to the suffering around me.
Give me strength to act justly and bring justice.
Give me discipline to seek the truth and not simply believe everything I hear.
Give me nothing more than what I need to survive today.
Stretch me.
Challenge me.
I pray that I will not be comfortable with my life as it is now.
Forgive me for not acting justly, for being ignorant and comfortable.
Forgive me for trying to be perfect.
I have sins. Forgive me and teach me to forgive others as freely as You do.
Take my life, my wealth, all that I have, for it is Yours.
I have been an oppressor in the world for a long time without knowing, but that is no excuse. Now, I change sides because You are the God of the oppressed.
You defend the downtrodden,
feed the hungry,
give a voice to the worthless.
I want to join Your side.
Use me to defend the oppressed,
bring food and water to destitute people,
and be a voice for those who have lost theirs.
I don't know the way and am fighting against corporate giants and transnational companies, who steal the lives of people in order to lavish the luxurious lives of the few.
Show me the way.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Faces: A Poem
For my final creative presentation, I wrote a poem in Spanish that was a composition of my experiences. I translated it to English, and although I like it better in Spanish, I want to share it and thus share some of my experiences and new thoughts. Here goes.
I could tell stories of bubbling volcanoes,
of beaches as beautiful as deserted islands,
of rain forests full of monkeys and exotic birds.
But how would you see me?
Would you see me as the same girl who said good-bye 3 months ago?
I am not that girl. I'm a different person.
The volcanoes, the beaches, the rain forests didn't change me.
The faces of the people, that's what changed me.
The face of my Nicaraguan father
working in a pineapple field
for food each day
for his family
for his one-room shack.
Living for today, hoping for a better tomorrow.
He doesn't ask for more.
Don't pity him. Don't just give him money.
Which is better: a life of wealth, loneliness, and sadness
or a life of poverty, love, and happiness?
Learn from him. Give his kids the same opportunities that your kids have.
The face of a prostitute
working with a man between her legs
without value
without love
only thinking about her 5 kids
She doesn't ask for more.
Don't scorn her. Don't tell her she has other options.
Which is worse: sex or hunger?
Value her. Give her other options. Give her hope.
The face of a gay minister
knowing his difference since age 6
wanting to change himself
wanting to change his life
All he asks for is acceptance.
Don't judge him. Don't preach to him.
Which is worse: a gay man who's alive or a dead man?
Listen to his story. Accept him.
The face of a student in the back of the class
writing notes off the board
not knowing what they read
not knowing the alphabet
or one single letter.
All he asks for is a little attention.
Don't just give him the answers. Don't ignore him.
Which is better: an illiterate 3rd grader or a literate 2nd grader?
Be patient. Help him. Teach him.
The face of an 8 year old child
watching the Marines capture her dad
watching the Marines beat her mom
for nationalistic ideas in a country that isn't her own
in a country that's an illegitimate child of the United States.
All she asks is to see her father again.
Don't send the American military. Don't justify war.
Which is worse: democracy at the cost of the wealthy
or socialism at the cost of thousands of lives?
Leave her country. Give her peace. Return her father.
And now, you may see me as radical, liberal, maybe even lost.
All I ask is that you see my face.
Which is worse: knowledge in silence or passion with a voice?
Listen to me. Continue loving me. Look at my face.
*Basically, what I tried to convey in the poem was the ease at making judgments, build walls, and name sins when stories are generalized. When we get to know people, their stories become personal and we discover that some things aren't as clear as black and white. War. Poverty. Homosexuality. Prostitution. It's easy to draw lines and hate, but God calls us above that. God calls us to love and accept all. When we see people's faces behind the statistics, we care a whole lot more about what the statistics talk about.
I could tell stories of bubbling volcanoes,
of beaches as beautiful as deserted islands,
of rain forests full of monkeys and exotic birds.
But how would you see me?
Would you see me as the same girl who said good-bye 3 months ago?
I am not that girl. I'm a different person.
The volcanoes, the beaches, the rain forests didn't change me.
The faces of the people, that's what changed me.
The face of my Nicaraguan father
working in a pineapple field
for food each day
for his family
for his one-room shack.
Living for today, hoping for a better tomorrow.
He doesn't ask for more.
Don't pity him. Don't just give him money.
Which is better: a life of wealth, loneliness, and sadness
or a life of poverty, love, and happiness?
Learn from him. Give his kids the same opportunities that your kids have.
The face of a prostitute
working with a man between her legs
without value
without love
only thinking about her 5 kids
She doesn't ask for more.
Don't scorn her. Don't tell her she has other options.
Which is worse: sex or hunger?
Value her. Give her other options. Give her hope.
The face of a gay minister
knowing his difference since age 6
wanting to change himself
wanting to change his life
All he asks for is acceptance.
Don't judge him. Don't preach to him.
Which is worse: a gay man who's alive or a dead man?
Listen to his story. Accept him.
The face of a student in the back of the class
writing notes off the board
not knowing what they read
not knowing the alphabet
or one single letter.
All he asks for is a little attention.
Don't just give him the answers. Don't ignore him.
Which is better: an illiterate 3rd grader or a literate 2nd grader?
Be patient. Help him. Teach him.
The face of an 8 year old child
watching the Marines capture her dad
watching the Marines beat her mom
for nationalistic ideas in a country that isn't her own
in a country that's an illegitimate child of the United States.
All she asks is to see her father again.
Don't send the American military. Don't justify war.
Which is worse: democracy at the cost of the wealthy
or socialism at the cost of thousands of lives?
Leave her country. Give her peace. Return her father.
And now, you may see me as radical, liberal, maybe even lost.
All I ask is that you see my face.
Which is worse: knowledge in silence or passion with a voice?
Listen to me. Continue loving me. Look at my face.
*Basically, what I tried to convey in the poem was the ease at making judgments, build walls, and name sins when stories are generalized. When we get to know people, their stories become personal and we discover that some things aren't as clear as black and white. War. Poverty. Homosexuality. Prostitution. It's easy to draw lines and hate, but God calls us above that. God calls us to love and accept all. When we see people's faces behind the statistics, we care a whole lot more about what the statistics talk about.
Panama
Well, I now write this looking back on what happened almost a month ago. It's hard to believe I'm back in the States and that my life in Central America seems like ages ago. I'll catch you up on the rest of my experience in the Latin America Studies Program.
We said good-bye to San Jose December 3 as we flew to Panama City in the morning. We spent the night in a hotel, leaving most of our baggage behind, and leaving the next day for another early morning flight. This time we each had one small backpack and boarded one small jet plane that only fit 20 people. That day was my birthday, and what a birthday it was! Definitely the most unique birthday yet. We woke up at 4:30 to make it to the airport, and they sang to me on the bus, the earliest I've ever been sung to. That was really the only official birthday thing that happened. I didn't tell anyone on the island it was my birthday; I didn't want any special treatment on my birthday because we were already getting special treatment just by visiting them. But what a birthday it was. The plane ride was breath-taking. We took off around sunrise and rode along as the morning colors spanned the horizon. Since the plane was little, we stayed low to the ground and could see all the landscape of Panama. Panama contains the second highest amount of rain forest, second to the Amazon. We flew from the Pacific side to the Caribbean side where the Kunas' land is. They own a stretch of land along the coast and several hundred islands off the coast. It was a beautiful birthday just to experience such new, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.
We landed at the "airport" which consisted of a small shack, a runway surrounded by land and forest, and a port of canoes. We loaded up our backpacks on a canoe and thus began the journey. Our group was split into 2 islands. We arrived to our island first, and we met our families right away. My dad spoke Spanish thankfully; the majority of people only speak Kuna, their native dialect. He walked me to our "house" which consisted of 5 huts: sleeping hut, bread-making hut, cooking hut, shower/bathing hut, and the "bathroom" hut located above the ocean. My family included my dad and mom, both age 28; 3 brothers, ages 2, 4, 5; and grandmother. There were lots of neighbors and other family members who came by to meet the American. It was a long day since it began so early, but such a wonderful day adjusting to everyday life on the islands with the Kunas.
The island was very small. It took a minute to walk the width and 10 minutes to walk the length. Between 1000 and 2000 people live on the island. Life is very laid back and simple. The men go fishing for food and go to the mainland where they cultivate platanos, coconuts, and other fruits and vegetables. Women cook, take care of children, and make molas, their native stitching made into shirts. Recently, tourists have fallen in love with molas, and the making of molas provides a significant income for the Kunas. Money is used on the island, but only to exchange goods. Everyone has what they need on the island because they use what the land gives without exploitation. A beautiful existence. The government of Panama works with the Kuna government to give them their own authority while still being part of Panama. It was great to see that old customs of native peoples still exist in the world.
The people treated us so well on the island. They took us on special trips to another deserted island to swim and their farms on the mainland. We worshiped with them 2 nights and even got to sit in on a governmental meeting. They caught and cooked a lobster and crab dinner for us. Their diet is mainly rice, fish, and platanos. We even got to help prepare, aka slaughter, fish. Not my favorite part. Most of the days were spent relaxing in hammocks, just being with the families. I loved experiencing such unique lifestyle and customs.
It's difficult to describe my experience because it is so different from our own lifestyles. The biggest adjustment was not doing much of anything and just being. They take care of their immediate needs: food, clothing, shelter; but, there is not a rush and push for new and better, always wanting more, like here in the States. Even here when we get together to hang out, we're always doing something whether we watch a movie, play sports, play games, etc. Their lifestyle consists of sitting, being, and conversing with one another. I loved the simplicity.
We left the islands after 5 nights there. We returned to Panama City and explored historical sites such as the Panama Canal. From Panama we flew to Miami to reunite with the whole group for a re-entry workshop. And December 13, I finally reunited with my family in Memphis, as well as with four friends who made a surprise visit.
So now it's almost been 2 weeks since my time in Latin America. It has been difficult to adjust between cultures and between the extremes I've experienced within the past 4 months. I'm still figuring out a lot of things in my life, especially what to do after graduation. Only time will tell as no answers come easy or without processing. All I can say now is that the past 4 months changed me, changed my life, but only God knows what those changes will produce.Vamos a ver.
We said good-bye to San Jose December 3 as we flew to Panama City in the morning. We spent the night in a hotel, leaving most of our baggage behind, and leaving the next day for another early morning flight. This time we each had one small backpack and boarded one small jet plane that only fit 20 people. That day was my birthday, and what a birthday it was! Definitely the most unique birthday yet. We woke up at 4:30 to make it to the airport, and they sang to me on the bus, the earliest I've ever been sung to. That was really the only official birthday thing that happened. I didn't tell anyone on the island it was my birthday; I didn't want any special treatment on my birthday because we were already getting special treatment just by visiting them. But what a birthday it was. The plane ride was breath-taking. We took off around sunrise and rode along as the morning colors spanned the horizon. Since the plane was little, we stayed low to the ground and could see all the landscape of Panama. Panama contains the second highest amount of rain forest, second to the Amazon. We flew from the Pacific side to the Caribbean side where the Kunas' land is. They own a stretch of land along the coast and several hundred islands off the coast. It was a beautiful birthday just to experience such new, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.
We landed at the "airport" which consisted of a small shack, a runway surrounded by land and forest, and a port of canoes. We loaded up our backpacks on a canoe and thus began the journey. Our group was split into 2 islands. We arrived to our island first, and we met our families right away. My dad spoke Spanish thankfully; the majority of people only speak Kuna, their native dialect. He walked me to our "house" which consisted of 5 huts: sleeping hut, bread-making hut, cooking hut, shower/bathing hut, and the "bathroom" hut located above the ocean. My family included my dad and mom, both age 28; 3 brothers, ages 2, 4, 5; and grandmother. There were lots of neighbors and other family members who came by to meet the American. It was a long day since it began so early, but such a wonderful day adjusting to everyday life on the islands with the Kunas.
The island was very small. It took a minute to walk the width and 10 minutes to walk the length. Between 1000 and 2000 people live on the island. Life is very laid back and simple. The men go fishing for food and go to the mainland where they cultivate platanos, coconuts, and other fruits and vegetables. Women cook, take care of children, and make molas, their native stitching made into shirts. Recently, tourists have fallen in love with molas, and the making of molas provides a significant income for the Kunas. Money is used on the island, but only to exchange goods. Everyone has what they need on the island because they use what the land gives without exploitation. A beautiful existence. The government of Panama works with the Kuna government to give them their own authority while still being part of Panama. It was great to see that old customs of native peoples still exist in the world.
The people treated us so well on the island. They took us on special trips to another deserted island to swim and their farms on the mainland. We worshiped with them 2 nights and even got to sit in on a governmental meeting. They caught and cooked a lobster and crab dinner for us. Their diet is mainly rice, fish, and platanos. We even got to help prepare, aka slaughter, fish. Not my favorite part. Most of the days were spent relaxing in hammocks, just being with the families. I loved experiencing such unique lifestyle and customs.
It's difficult to describe my experience because it is so different from our own lifestyles. The biggest adjustment was not doing much of anything and just being. They take care of their immediate needs: food, clothing, shelter; but, there is not a rush and push for new and better, always wanting more, like here in the States. Even here when we get together to hang out, we're always doing something whether we watch a movie, play sports, play games, etc. Their lifestyle consists of sitting, being, and conversing with one another. I loved the simplicity.
We left the islands after 5 nights there. We returned to Panama City and explored historical sites such as the Panama Canal. From Panama we flew to Miami to reunite with the whole group for a re-entry workshop. And December 13, I finally reunited with my family in Memphis, as well as with four friends who made a surprise visit.
So now it's almost been 2 weeks since my time in Latin America. It has been difficult to adjust between cultures and between the extremes I've experienced within the past 4 months. I'm still figuring out a lot of things in my life, especially what to do after graduation. Only time will tell as no answers come easy or without processing. All I can say now is that the past 4 months changed me, changed my life, but only God knows what those changes will produce.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Coming to an end...
The trip continues to wind down quickly. This is the last week of actual class. I have a test tomorrow and a paper and creative presentation due Friday. Tonight I'm going to another soccer game which I'm way excited about to get my mind off the projects. Monday we leave for Panama. My group does anyway, another group goes to Guatemala and another to Cuba. We fly out in the morning and spend the night in Panama City. Tuesday we leave early to go to some islands off Panama where the Kunas live which are an indigenous group of people. We have to go there on little boats and then we'll just be living with the people for 5 nights, 6 days. I'll turn 22 on the island so that should be a different birthday experience. We'll be roughing it again. No electricity, fish and rice for the meals, sleeping in hammocks, etc. I am really excited! We'll return to Panama City for 2 more nights to hang out in the city and see the Panama Canal. Then we'll fly to Miami for re-entry culture shock and return home December 13!!! I can't wait to see everyone and catch up with you all. It'll be here before we know it!
Thursday, November 15, 2007
4 More Weeks
Today marks officially 4 more weeks to my return home. It's hard to believe how fast the time has flown. I am ready to see family and friends and eat some home cooked American food again, but I will also miss my life here. I'm trying to take advantage of it since there's not much left!
My life has been busier than I thought these last 2 weeks. Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays I go to an elementary school and work with first and second graders, but they are like 8 and 9 year olds. It is a lot of fun (especially since we always play soccer during the breaks in the halls) but a LOT of work. I am working with kids who need extra attention and have fallen behind in math and reading. The class has over 30 students so it is impossible for the teacher to give the appropriate attention. It is sad to see how the kids through the neglect of the attention they need to understand have lost a little of their sense of worth. They just think they can't do it and have accustomed themselves to cheating or just getting it wrong. I never really thought of schools have "marginalized" groups, but it is clear to see that every classroom does. I have gained a whole new respect for teachers. Through education classes at Lipscomb, I've worked and taught in classrooms before, but for short periods of time, like an hour. After spending 7 to 4 in the classroom 3 days a week, I don't see how the teachers do it! I am pooped! Especially last Thursday when Steven and I were the substitutes in the afternoon for a sick teacher. Wow. That's all I can say. What a challenge.
Tuesdays and Thursdays we have grammar class in small groups of 6 or 7 and process groups to discuss our readings. We are studying different marginalized groups like prostitutes, squatters, etc. We also go to different organizations to hear their stories. Last week we went to an organization called Jesus para la Cuidad. They offer classes and activities mainly for adolescents to try to change typical habits that come with poverty like violence, abuse, drugs, etc., and to offer hope and opportunity to people who don't receive any. Today we went to an organization that works with women who are looking to leave the sex industry. Costa Rica is huge in prostitution, human trafficking, sex tourism, child prostitution, everything. We heard 3 different stories of women who are healing for years of living a street lifestyle. Their wounds are deep and it was amazing to hear their lives which stand in dark contrast to my comfortable one. They entered prostitution to make money for their families at the age of 11 or 12. One mom gave the girl an outfit and told her to do it because the family needed money. I am enjoying reading and hearing stories different from my own that represent many groups of people who live without a voice, live with opportunity and hope, live trying to survive today with little hope of a better tomorrow, people who are burdened by the social systems that stand. I don't know how, but I want to represent these people and work to change the systems that stand. Our benevelance may help in the short term, but there are deep, socital changes that are needed to truly help these people and give their lives value.
So that's what I've been up to. We're going to Teatro Nacional tonight to see a production, not even really sure of what we're seeing. Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving! Think about me as we have class that morning and are trying to piece together a Thanksgiving meal for the afternoon. I sure will miss Grandma's feast and the time with family. Love and peace to all.
My life has been busier than I thought these last 2 weeks. Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays I go to an elementary school and work with first and second graders, but they are like 8 and 9 year olds. It is a lot of fun (especially since we always play soccer during the breaks in the halls) but a LOT of work. I am working with kids who need extra attention and have fallen behind in math and reading. The class has over 30 students so it is impossible for the teacher to give the appropriate attention. It is sad to see how the kids through the neglect of the attention they need to understand have lost a little of their sense of worth. They just think they can't do it and have accustomed themselves to cheating or just getting it wrong. I never really thought of schools have "marginalized" groups, but it is clear to see that every classroom does. I have gained a whole new respect for teachers. Through education classes at Lipscomb, I've worked and taught in classrooms before, but for short periods of time, like an hour. After spending 7 to 4 in the classroom 3 days a week, I don't see how the teachers do it! I am pooped! Especially last Thursday when Steven and I were the substitutes in the afternoon for a sick teacher. Wow. That's all I can say. What a challenge.
Tuesdays and Thursdays we have grammar class in small groups of 6 or 7 and process groups to discuss our readings. We are studying different marginalized groups like prostitutes, squatters, etc. We also go to different organizations to hear their stories. Last week we went to an organization called Jesus para la Cuidad. They offer classes and activities mainly for adolescents to try to change typical habits that come with poverty like violence, abuse, drugs, etc., and to offer hope and opportunity to people who don't receive any. Today we went to an organization that works with women who are looking to leave the sex industry. Costa Rica is huge in prostitution, human trafficking, sex tourism, child prostitution, everything. We heard 3 different stories of women who are healing for years of living a street lifestyle. Their wounds are deep and it was amazing to hear their lives which stand in dark contrast to my comfortable one. They entered prostitution to make money for their families at the age of 11 or 12. One mom gave the girl an outfit and told her to do it because the family needed money. I am enjoying reading and hearing stories different from my own that represent many groups of people who live without a voice, live with opportunity and hope, live trying to survive today with little hope of a better tomorrow, people who are burdened by the social systems that stand. I don't know how, but I want to represent these people and work to change the systems that stand. Our benevelance may help in the short term, but there are deep, socital changes that are needed to truly help these people and give their lives value.
So that's what I've been up to. We're going to Teatro Nacional tonight to see a production, not even really sure of what we're seeing. Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving! Think about me as we have class that morning and are trying to piece together a Thanksgiving meal for the afternoon. I sure will miss Grandma's feast and the time with family. Love and peace to all.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Fall Break
So last Wednesday was the last day of our regular core seminar. We ended with group presentations and I found out today that my group got an A. Also found out I got an 85 on my paper so I was pretty pleased. After class, Jessie, Caroline, Rachel, and I hopped on a bus and headed to La Fortuna, which is a city about 4 hours north that is home to the most active volcano (Volcán Arenal) in Costa Rica. We stayed at a hostel that had a swimming pool which we thoroughly enjoyed during the day when it was blazing hot. Crazy for November, normal for Costa Rica.
Thursday we just hung out at the pool and then it rained so we just played cards and ate peanut butter and banana sandwiches, our lunch for the whole weekend. Later that afternoon other students from our group arrived. We went to the hot springs that night which were so relaxing and fun.
Friday we hiked to a waterfall and played around in the cold water there. Absolutely gorgeous. That afternoon we took a cab to the Observatory lodge which is closest to the volcano. We saw it up close and personal and could even hear the rocks spewing out of the top and watch them tumbling down the mountain. We never saw lava because at night we weren't close enough.
Saturday I hiked about a 2 hour straight incline to Cerro Chato, a lake-filled volcanic crater where I could also see the volcano. Absolutely beautiful. That night we went to a nice restaurant. Sunday we checked out of the hostel and headed back home to San Jose. It was a very nice and relaxing break from our school work.
Today has begun a new schedule. Tuesdays and Thursdays I have language and literature classes and we also go to hear different speakers. We are specifically discussing different marginalized groups like the poor, women, etc. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays I am going to be helping at an elementary school. Not sure of all the details, but I will be working with 1-3 graders who have learning disabilities. I think I'll be working with about 4 students in areas of reading and math. Kinda nervous but excited to get into the schools here, too.
So that's what's new in my life. I don't have much time to write or I would elaborate. I realized this weekend how much Costa Rica has changed me. For one, I cannot sleep past 8 am (which is very unusual for me) and I am ready to go to bed at 10 pm. Also, I noticed myself noticing things that previously would not have bothered me. For instance, we went to this one waterfall at a hotel and I noticed signs of deforrestation and it made me so mad. Before this experience, I knew nothing of the fact! Just some thoughts to tell...later!
Thursday we just hung out at the pool and then it rained so we just played cards and ate peanut butter and banana sandwiches, our lunch for the whole weekend. Later that afternoon other students from our group arrived. We went to the hot springs that night which were so relaxing and fun.
Friday we hiked to a waterfall and played around in the cold water there. Absolutely gorgeous. That afternoon we took a cab to the Observatory lodge which is closest to the volcano. We saw it up close and personal and could even hear the rocks spewing out of the top and watch them tumbling down the mountain. We never saw lava because at night we weren't close enough.
Saturday I hiked about a 2 hour straight incline to Cerro Chato, a lake-filled volcanic crater where I could also see the volcano. Absolutely beautiful. That night we went to a nice restaurant. Sunday we checked out of the hostel and headed back home to San Jose. It was a very nice and relaxing break from our school work.
Today has begun a new schedule. Tuesdays and Thursdays I have language and literature classes and we also go to hear different speakers. We are specifically discussing different marginalized groups like the poor, women, etc. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays I am going to be helping at an elementary school. Not sure of all the details, but I will be working with 1-3 graders who have learning disabilities. I think I'll be working with about 4 students in areas of reading and math. Kinda nervous but excited to get into the schools here, too.
So that's what's new in my life. I don't have much time to write or I would elaborate. I realized this weekend how much Costa Rica has changed me. For one, I cannot sleep past 8 am (which is very unusual for me) and I am ready to go to bed at 10 pm. Also, I noticed myself noticing things that previously would not have bothered me. For instance, we went to this one waterfall at a hotel and I noticed signs of deforrestation and it made me so mad. Before this experience, I knew nothing of the fact! Just some thoughts to tell...later!
Monday, October 29, 2007
2 months later
As of yesterday I've been here for 2 monthes. I didn't even notice because I was working on my big research paper. The topic was agribusiness in Costa Rica and I specifically choose to discuss sustainable development. Very interesting. I actually enjoyed doing all the research. I think it's the most time I've ever put into a paper. It was in Spanish and 10 pages long. I am very proud and would post it for all to see, but you wouldn't be able to read it most likely. So I'll just tell you a little. It was a very interesting topic because as North American consumers it is very easy to buy without thinking of the process behind how it gets to us. There are so many problems with the "export-or-die" approach in commodity driven countries like Costa Rica. Because of the high demands for big profits that usually just go to transnational companies, usually foreign which means the money doesn't stay in Costa Rica, there are innumerable problems. Problems with health from pesticide abuse, problems with deforrestation that blows the equilibrium of lots of things, problems with low wages long hours and poor working conditions, problems with poverty, and all to bring the pineapples, coffee, bananas, and whatever else safely to a grocery store near you. I proposed solutions like organic agriculture, fair trade, and land reform, which are all really good, but can't happen unless people and government have a desire to change. And that's the problem. We get too comfortable enjoying what we have that we forget that everyone doesn't enjoy the life we live. And it's not that we should spread our lifestyles to them, but maybe we should pay a little more attention, care more for lives, do something in the name of justice to prevent thousands of people dying from pesticides or hunger or at early ages from working 11 hours each day. That's the latest I'm dealing with. What happened to blissful ignorance when I knew nothing of all these issues? Now I know, and I can no longer be the same person. I have to change the way I live, the way I act, but what does this look like? How can I make a difference that will bring justice to workers? How can I live to make a difference in anything? And so my story goes...
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Nicaraguan adventure
Wow. How do I even begin to describe the past 2 weeks of my life? I fell in love with Nicaragua after only 10 days. I fell in love with the history, the land, and most of all the people. Words do not give justice to everything I have seen, felt, experienced, but I will try.
I guess the adventure really begin about 3 weeks ago as we prepared for the trip and began learning the history of Nicaragua. US and Nicaragua have very intertwined relations, but I never learned any of these relations until this experience. We learned about Marine occupation in Nicaragua for a number of years, trying to bring peace, but in reality they brought more murder, rape, poverty, and destruction. Nicaragua's national hero is a man named Sandino who fought against US enforcement in Nicaragua. He started a guerilla movement that eventually removed Marine presence from Nicaragua. The Marines left the National Guard, a US trained military, with its commander, Somoza in charge. Feeling threatened despite peace treaties, Somoza had Sandino executed along with many of his followers. Thus began the long reign of the Somoza family, 3 men in about 50 years, full of corruption and tyranny. Ironically enough, the US supported Somoza. One example of an attrocity that he did was steal 80% of the earthquake relief funds that poured into Nicaragua after the earthquake of 1972. A group inspired by Sandino began uprisings calling themselves Sandinistas and took power in the 1980s. They brought ideals of socialism including giving land back to the farmers, programs to feed the poor, increased levels of literacy, but this of course looked like communism to the US who began training a military (the Contras) in Honduras and Costa Rica and enforced a trade embargo on Nicaragua. The Contras began invading and fighting, weakening Sandinista power and eventually the Sandinista president agreed to a peaceful election and turned the presidency over. Elections now peacefully take place with the latest in 2007 once again electing Sandinista president Daniel Ortega who was in power in the 80s. This history of war and earthquakes and hurricanes have left Nicaraguans in a struggle of poverty, political corruption, unemployment, and a deep gap between rich and poor.
The real adventure begin Monday, October 8, at 6 a.m. as our group departed San Jose en route to Managua, Nicaragua. After a long bus ride, we arrived to our little hotel type living arrangement at 4 p.m. We got dinner at a typical Nicaraguan restaurant which is at the home of a Nicaraguan woman. Very tasty gallo pinto (rice and beans), fried platanos, fried chicken, and even a little spaghetti. That night we had a special speaker who was a missionary kid. He grew up in such places as the Bronx, Nicaragua, and Honduras, so you can imagine the shock he felt when he attended a small Christian university in the States for 4 years. He definitely gave us a shock an awe speech that challenged the way we thought about our faith and how we live it out. It was a good predecessor for our upcoming experiences.
Tuesday, October 9, we got to go to the National Assembly in Nicaragua and hear a congressman and even sit in on an assembly. That afternoon we went to a local church that had murals depicting the Nicaraguan history on the walls. It told the tales of local heros from the neighborhood who fought for justice and often died as martyrs. They are beautiful works of art, but are currently controversial and are being debated as whether to paint over them or not. They would be a lost treasure. We went again for a traditional Nicaraguan dinner and returned to pass the night at the hotel playing games, having some pretty deep conversations, etc.
Wednesday, October 10, we took a bus to a city trash dump in Managua. 2000 people, including children and families, call this place home, working to collect recicables to turn in for money. We drove in on our bus and immediately were swamped with a rank smell that is normal for a trash dump, but more rank was the reality we saw of men searching through the trash for plastic and such, women cooking or washing or doing chores in their shacks, and children running around playing, chasing each other, because even though it was a dump, it was their home as well. We stayed on the bus and drove around a little bit, very uncomfortable starring into the lives of people, us with our comfortable lives and endless matieral possessions. We invited a man onto the bus to talk with us. He told us his story of moving to Managua in search of better work than he had in a poor mountain village. What he found was this dump where he did make more money than he had in his previous home. The thing that struct me the most was how happy and content he seemed despite his circumstances. There was a school and church here and a rich community of people. I was amazed when he said they all shared what they had and didn't fight over the collectibles. These people are struggling to survive and make a living, but there isn't competition between them. Only love. We rode away in the quietest bus I have ever ridden that held 50 students. To make the experience even more impactful, we drove to the big mall for the rich people next. We split up into groups to get a snack and spend an hour in discussing what we had experienced. We were disgusted to be hit so hard with the extreme instances of money and power versus poverty. What a day.
That night we had a brief orientation about our home stays for the next 6 days. The plan was to leave the next morning in groups of 4 or 5 to different communities throughout Nicaragua to live with families for the next 6 days. We had no idea what to expect and were all anxious about our accomodations and the upcoming days that we had no control over.
My experience took a quick turn for the worse during the night. I woke up at 3 a.m. feeling horrible and began having diarrhea and throwing up. I had done it 8-10 times by 9 when we were supposed to depart with our groups to our communities. I wanted to tough it out and go, but right before the groups left, I got sick again and knew I couldn't make it. So everyone left, and I stayed at the hotel, spending the next 5 hours either in the bed or in the bathroom. I took medicine and drank water but couln't keep anything down. I started having simultaneous out both ends experience which was no fun at all. My legs started cramping up due to lack of electrolytes. Finally around 3 Trevor and Laura, group leaders of LASP, returned from dropping students off at their destinations and made the decision to take me to the emergency room. Here in Latin America it's easiest to just go to the ER because it is much cheaper than the states and there is a bigger risk of bacteria, parasites, and amoebes.
So I made it to the super nice private hospital and went right in to my own room. I think there might have been one other patient there at the time. It was very clean and quiet and the doctors and nurses took very good care of me. They needed a stool sample but go figure after spending the day having dierrhea, nothing came out. So they took blood tests and hooked up the IV and I fell asleep for a couple of hours. Laura patiently sat at the side the whole time, my little guardian angel. I still can't believe how great she is to spend that time with me even though she didn't have to. It meant a lot. So finally I tried and got a stool sample. With the blood tests they thought it was bacteria, but luckily I gave the stool sample because it showed not only bacteria, but parasites and amoebes also. I hit the jackpot. Apparently the parasites and amoebes were from Costa Rica and had been encrusted on the intestine lying dormant until the bacteria from Nicaragua flared up all 3. So they began to give some antibiotics through the IV, and it hurt really bad. My veins felt like they were about to explode. When the doctor left, I noticed my arm was red, told Laura, she got the doctor, and sure enough I was having an allergic reaction to the antibiotic. So they stopped it and took it out and the rash cleared up in minutes. The doctor gave a prescription for 3 medicines so we went and got them and headed back to the hotel around 9. I feel asleep after one last round in the bathroom.
The next morning I slept in and felt so much better, just very weak. I was able to eat crackers and drink water and hold it down. Trevor and Laura had business to take care of so I rested more until 2 when we headed out to my homestay in El Eden. El Eden is probably only like 15 miles outside the city but it took 45 minutes to get there. When we got off the main road, it took us 30 minutes to get to El Eden on a dirt road, but not like dirt roads in the states. These roads are a little bigger than one car and have lots of holes and hills and the dirt is darker than the dry dust we think of as dirt roads. So 15 miles outside the city lies a whole different world. The houses are shacks in our minds, the land stretches for miles without any sign of development, and people either walk or ride horses. Trevor and Laura dropped me off at my home for the next 5 days. I met my family, a dad of 40 years, mom of 26 years, sister of 10 years, and 2 year old brother. The house reminded me a lot of the houses we build in Baja, Mexico. It was the size of a normal living room in the States. A large corner was divided with a curtain that contained the bedroom, or 2 beds. The other section was where we sat during the day and talked, ate dinner, had guests, everything. It consisted of a cot, 2 rocking chairs, and a side table that was usually used as another chair. They did have a TV and DVD player. The kitchen consisted of a hallway and they only had a stove and a shelf for their few dishes. Outside was the outhouse (I had to bring my own role of toliet paper) and a sink to wash clothes, dishes, and my brother, and a enclosed area to take showers. The water came from a spicket in the front yard.
So this would be my home for the next 5 days. My family took me to the church down the road where I met other church members and the 3 other students from my group who were also staying with families in El Eden. There were tons of kids and the girls had taught them some hand games and the kids taught us some Spanish ones. I returned with my family and the pastor and passed the evening talking with them and getting to know them. Dinner was the typical meal for the next few days: gallo pinto (rice mixed with beans), fried platanos, and the nastiest cheese I've even had in my life. Luckily I didn't have my appetite back fully so I ate what I could and gave the rest to my dad. He gladly took it and told me he eats anything now because when we was fighting the war against the Contras, they only ate once a day and had scarce portions. They had told us Nicaraguans might be more closed and harder to get to know, so I was surprised that so quickly he was sharing personal information. He had lived for 2 and a half years in the mountains fighting. He told me some stories and showed his battle scar that looked more like a machete wound than a bullet wound. I found out my mom was married when she was only 15 years old, which is pretty common in Nicaragua. I couldn't believe it and tried to imagine my life had that happened to me. The contrasts in our lives were evident but they were so interested to get to know me and show me their life that it was obvious that the differences didn't matter.
Around 8 when I was really tired as I was still getting energy back, they asked if I wanted to go to bed and I immediately said yes. So we went to bed. I got the nice bed with the mosquito net to share with my sister, my mom and brother slept in the other bed that was basically wood covered with a few blankets, and my dad slept on the cot in the other room. That experience I think will always stay with me because it perfectly portrays the simplicity of life there. Going to bed is usually for me a 20 minute process of changing clothes, brushing teeth, washing my face, going to the bathroom, saying goodnight, etc. There when we went to bed, we went straight to bed, laid down, turned off the light, and slept. I slept in the same clothes I was wearing with dirty feet and dirty teeth and praying that I wouldn't need to use the outhouse in the middle of the night. I smiled at the simplicity of the situation and slept with excited for the rest of my adventure here.
The day began around 5 for my brother and parents, but my sister and I usually slept till 6 or 7. I had fresh pineapple for breakfast because my dad works in a pineapple field. We prepared for our adventure of the day: going with the other families to a nearby nature reserve to see the waterfall that provides the town with water. We met at the church at 9 and piled into the bed of the truck that had benches and iron railings around the edge. 30 people fit back there, some sitting, some standing, some kids being held. That would be unheard of in the States but here it was normal. No one had a car or any type of transportation other than a bike. Personal space wasn't an issue as people live in close contact all day, every day. So we headed down the bumpy dirt roads laughing, talking, and singing. We finally arrived at the park as it began to rain and we began our hike to the waterfall. My sister held my hand and stuck to my side. She was only 10 but she was my protector and saved me several times from falling. We played around the waterfall, took pictures, ate fruit, and a couple of hours later headed back to town again stuffed into the bed of the truck, but all very happily bumping along.
When we got back, the kids went to play soccer with the ball I brought as a gift for my family. This is when I knew I felt better because I was able to play and it felt great. I love playing soccer in Central America because everyone knows how to play. I played in my skirt since all the girls and women wear skirts every day. That night we went to church. They go to church 5 nights a week, not on Friday and Monday. We sang several songs and the pastor gave a talk. I love the singing because it's the kind where everyone belts it out at the top of their lungs and pitch or tone do not matter. It lasted about an hour and a half and everyone headed home for dinner. More gallo pinto, platanos, cheese, and good conversation. Then it was off to bed for another busy day.
Sunday, we spent the whole day at the church. The men and us Americans worked on digging a ramp and putting down cement blocks and concrete. The women brought food and drinks and snacks and sat around talking and the kids played games. We didn't have an offical church service because the whole day was spent working. So that night we all went to the home where Steven, one of the students, stayed. The home was built on a finca, or farm, and it was absolutely beautiful. The family didn't own the farm, but the owner gave them free reign to all the guayaba (a fruit here) they wanted. We sat around outside, talking and laughing, with the kids running around playing for the whole night. They cooked beef for us along with gallo pinto and platanos. The meat was really, really good but it was really hard to take a bite of because the type of meat it was. So we sat around like gnawing on our food and laughing that this would never happen in the states. But that was life there. Life revolved around people, doing everything together, and sharing the little they had. It was beautiful. Time seemed to stand still because it didn't matter. We left a few hours later to walk home under an endless stretch of stars without light to hide their beauty.
I found out Sunday that my younger brother had been sick for a week with dierrhea. I offered to take him to the doctor and pay for the medicine so on Monday morning the whole family set of for Burgoña, the next town, to go to the clinic. It was about a 20 minute walk on a footpath that wound through cornfields, farmland, with the mountains in the background. It was beautiful because it was natural. There weren't telephone poles or electricity rods or hotels or big houses or anything. Just land and land in every direction. I think it was the most beautiful place I've been, and this was just their home, their backyard. Amazing. It didn't take long at the clinic. They tested my brother and I bought the medicine and we went to Managua in search of one kind that they didn't have. We took a bus into the city and it was weird because I felt like the Beverly Hillbillies going to California. El Eden seems so far removed from city life and the rest of the world, but in reality they are just a 30 minute bus ride away. They didn't stick out either because they are typical Nicaraguans. We went to the market and bought all kinds of vegetables and fruit and got the other medicine.
We headed back to El Eden around 2 for a late lunch at Steven's house. They had prepared a special lunch of fried chicken and one of the girls had made a piñata. They even hired a photographer to take pictures of us. This is just one example of how we were treated like royalty while we were there. They didn't have much but they gave us so much hospitality, the best of everything. Their love was absolutely incredible. I had never felt so much love in my life and by people who I only knew for a few days. I realized a lot about contentment. These people have so little but are probably more happy than the richest people in the world. They give importance to the things that really matter in life, like people, friendships, God. Work is not the most important. Time is not the most important. Money is definitely not the most important. Work and money bring the few things they need like food and water. Life was beautiful. So we passed the afternoon and evening there and returned home. In Nicaragua power is turned off in every town for a few hours every day. The times rotate every week and this week the hours were 7 to 10 p.m. So we returned before the power went off and then ate and talked by candlelight when it did go out.
Tuesday was a special day. All the families and kids again loaded up in the back of the truck and went to the zoo for the day. It was a small zoo, but lots of fun looking at the different animals with all the kids. We were able to buy ice cream and snacks for the kids and adults, a special treat. We had picnic lunches and my mom had made spaghetti because I told her it was one of my favorites. I felt so special because they eat spaghetti but not very often. When we returned we went to the house of one of the ladies from church. She and her husband look older than they are and have 5 kids in a house the size of my family's. They are very poor, but they opened up their home and she cooked cornbread for us. That night was a special service at the church for our departure. We sang and the pastor talked. Me and the 2 other girl students (Steven was sick) sang a song in English and a couple in Spanish. Several of the girls prepared a lyrical dance type thing for us to a Christian song. They gave us gifts, prayed over us, and each came by to tell us bye. A couple of the girls were sobbing, weeping over us. It was very moving as it showed their deep love for us after such a short amount of time. The next day we packed up and headed out around 10.
My time there now seems like years ago. Their lifestyle stood in stark contrast to my life. I must admit it was hard at times because they were so interested in knowing about my life in the states. They asked if I had my own car, what my house looked like, and were amazed at all the material blessings. I cringed on the inside as I talked about my life. I felt embarrassed of all my wealth, and even more for all the times I have wanted more. More clothes. Better stuff. More, more, more. I was scared that they would ask for money as they saw me as a walking dollar sign. The more time I spent with them, I realized they were simply curious about my lifestyle, like I was about them, and they wanted to know about the states because to them it is a dream world. I tried to explain to them how special what they have is. That was the beautiful thing: they weren't envious of what I had. Sure, they would enjoy having the opportunity for better education or more clothes, but they were perfectly content. They understood how blessed they were spiritually, and that was what mattered. They were poor in wealth,but rich in spirit and in relationships with each other.
Our group returned together to talk about our experiences. We spent a couple of more days in Nicaragua, going to the market and such. We returned to San Jose last night around 7. It is hard to be back in my normal atmosphere because I realize like never before how spoiled I am. While in El Eden I took 2 baths, consisting of filling up buckets of water, my mom heating them up for me, and using the buckets to pour water on myself. I brushed my teeth once a day and wore the same outfit 3 days in a row. I ate the same food every meal of rice, beans, platanos, and cheese. I must admit that I was excited to return to a hot shower, variety in food (and Lucky Charms for breakfast this morning!), clean clothes, a comfortable house and bed without roosters crowing or walking through the house. But I now struggle as I live this life. I now struggle to make sense of my normal routines and things I'm used to. Is it okay that I buy new clothes and souvenirs as my family in Nicaragua wears the same ratty clothes every day? Is it okay to worry about how I look and what I wear after spending 5 days never looking in the mirror or caring if my clothes matched? How do I help them? Do they need more? Do I need less? What do I do with this?
Obviously I don't know the answers to these questions. All I know is that my experience in Nicaragua is going to stay with me forever and hopefully will impact the way I live. I can't even express all the emotions and thoughts swimming around my brain. Let's just put it this way: I have a very different world view. One of the weirdest things I struggle with is our idea of short term missions or missions in general. In the states we see ourselves as the ones who have everything and set out to give others what they need. This is an upside down world. The people I lived with are the people that we see as in need. World Vision is stationed there and works a lot with the school. World Vision is one of those organizations that sends out pictures of little kids and asks you to support them. My sister, the little kids at church, they are the faces on those pictures. My sister has someone in the states who supports her. So yes there are needs like this to be met. But these people who have so little, also are rich in so many areas. I am more convinced that they have more than we do, and we should be the ones learning from them, instead of simply trying to dump our materialism and standard of living on other people. I realize how blessed I am and how many opportunities I have that other people simply do not have. I also realize how much I lack in love, in relationships, in living with people instead of by the clock or by the schedule. I realize that my life has been a crazy busy mess but I have little to show in contrast with the community of El Eden who have a beautiful example of love and community despite their poverty.
So this has been an attempt to describe my Nicaraguan experience. Get used to hearing about it, because I have a feeling that it is going to stay with me for a long time. I will continue to struggle with this contrast in life for a long time. And hopefully I will be changed forever in a good way, once I figure out what to do with this.
I guess the adventure really begin about 3 weeks ago as we prepared for the trip and began learning the history of Nicaragua. US and Nicaragua have very intertwined relations, but I never learned any of these relations until this experience. We learned about Marine occupation in Nicaragua for a number of years, trying to bring peace, but in reality they brought more murder, rape, poverty, and destruction. Nicaragua's national hero is a man named Sandino who fought against US enforcement in Nicaragua. He started a guerilla movement that eventually removed Marine presence from Nicaragua. The Marines left the National Guard, a US trained military, with its commander, Somoza in charge. Feeling threatened despite peace treaties, Somoza had Sandino executed along with many of his followers. Thus began the long reign of the Somoza family, 3 men in about 50 years, full of corruption and tyranny. Ironically enough, the US supported Somoza. One example of an attrocity that he did was steal 80% of the earthquake relief funds that poured into Nicaragua after the earthquake of 1972. A group inspired by Sandino began uprisings calling themselves Sandinistas and took power in the 1980s. They brought ideals of socialism including giving land back to the farmers, programs to feed the poor, increased levels of literacy, but this of course looked like communism to the US who began training a military (the Contras) in Honduras and Costa Rica and enforced a trade embargo on Nicaragua. The Contras began invading and fighting, weakening Sandinista power and eventually the Sandinista president agreed to a peaceful election and turned the presidency over. Elections now peacefully take place with the latest in 2007 once again electing Sandinista president Daniel Ortega who was in power in the 80s. This history of war and earthquakes and hurricanes have left Nicaraguans in a struggle of poverty, political corruption, unemployment, and a deep gap between rich and poor.
The real adventure begin Monday, October 8, at 6 a.m. as our group departed San Jose en route to Managua, Nicaragua. After a long bus ride, we arrived to our little hotel type living arrangement at 4 p.m. We got dinner at a typical Nicaraguan restaurant which is at the home of a Nicaraguan woman. Very tasty gallo pinto (rice and beans), fried platanos, fried chicken, and even a little spaghetti. That night we had a special speaker who was a missionary kid. He grew up in such places as the Bronx, Nicaragua, and Honduras, so you can imagine the shock he felt when he attended a small Christian university in the States for 4 years. He definitely gave us a shock an awe speech that challenged the way we thought about our faith and how we live it out. It was a good predecessor for our upcoming experiences.
Tuesday, October 9, we got to go to the National Assembly in Nicaragua and hear a congressman and even sit in on an assembly. That afternoon we went to a local church that had murals depicting the Nicaraguan history on the walls. It told the tales of local heros from the neighborhood who fought for justice and often died as martyrs. They are beautiful works of art, but are currently controversial and are being debated as whether to paint over them or not. They would be a lost treasure. We went again for a traditional Nicaraguan dinner and returned to pass the night at the hotel playing games, having some pretty deep conversations, etc.
Wednesday, October 10, we took a bus to a city trash dump in Managua. 2000 people, including children and families, call this place home, working to collect recicables to turn in for money. We drove in on our bus and immediately were swamped with a rank smell that is normal for a trash dump, but more rank was the reality we saw of men searching through the trash for plastic and such, women cooking or washing or doing chores in their shacks, and children running around playing, chasing each other, because even though it was a dump, it was their home as well. We stayed on the bus and drove around a little bit, very uncomfortable starring into the lives of people, us with our comfortable lives and endless matieral possessions. We invited a man onto the bus to talk with us. He told us his story of moving to Managua in search of better work than he had in a poor mountain village. What he found was this dump where he did make more money than he had in his previous home. The thing that struct me the most was how happy and content he seemed despite his circumstances. There was a school and church here and a rich community of people. I was amazed when he said they all shared what they had and didn't fight over the collectibles. These people are struggling to survive and make a living, but there isn't competition between them. Only love. We rode away in the quietest bus I have ever ridden that held 50 students. To make the experience even more impactful, we drove to the big mall for the rich people next. We split up into groups to get a snack and spend an hour in discussing what we had experienced. We were disgusted to be hit so hard with the extreme instances of money and power versus poverty. What a day.
That night we had a brief orientation about our home stays for the next 6 days. The plan was to leave the next morning in groups of 4 or 5 to different communities throughout Nicaragua to live with families for the next 6 days. We had no idea what to expect and were all anxious about our accomodations and the upcoming days that we had no control over.
My experience took a quick turn for the worse during the night. I woke up at 3 a.m. feeling horrible and began having diarrhea and throwing up. I had done it 8-10 times by 9 when we were supposed to depart with our groups to our communities. I wanted to tough it out and go, but right before the groups left, I got sick again and knew I couldn't make it. So everyone left, and I stayed at the hotel, spending the next 5 hours either in the bed or in the bathroom. I took medicine and drank water but couln't keep anything down. I started having simultaneous out both ends experience which was no fun at all. My legs started cramping up due to lack of electrolytes. Finally around 3 Trevor and Laura, group leaders of LASP, returned from dropping students off at their destinations and made the decision to take me to the emergency room. Here in Latin America it's easiest to just go to the ER because it is much cheaper than the states and there is a bigger risk of bacteria, parasites, and amoebes.
So I made it to the super nice private hospital and went right in to my own room. I think there might have been one other patient there at the time. It was very clean and quiet and the doctors and nurses took very good care of me. They needed a stool sample but go figure after spending the day having dierrhea, nothing came out. So they took blood tests and hooked up the IV and I fell asleep for a couple of hours. Laura patiently sat at the side the whole time, my little guardian angel. I still can't believe how great she is to spend that time with me even though she didn't have to. It meant a lot. So finally I tried and got a stool sample. With the blood tests they thought it was bacteria, but luckily I gave the stool sample because it showed not only bacteria, but parasites and amoebes also. I hit the jackpot. Apparently the parasites and amoebes were from Costa Rica and had been encrusted on the intestine lying dormant until the bacteria from Nicaragua flared up all 3. So they began to give some antibiotics through the IV, and it hurt really bad. My veins felt like they were about to explode. When the doctor left, I noticed my arm was red, told Laura, she got the doctor, and sure enough I was having an allergic reaction to the antibiotic. So they stopped it and took it out and the rash cleared up in minutes. The doctor gave a prescription for 3 medicines so we went and got them and headed back to the hotel around 9. I feel asleep after one last round in the bathroom.
The next morning I slept in and felt so much better, just very weak. I was able to eat crackers and drink water and hold it down. Trevor and Laura had business to take care of so I rested more until 2 when we headed out to my homestay in El Eden. El Eden is probably only like 15 miles outside the city but it took 45 minutes to get there. When we got off the main road, it took us 30 minutes to get to El Eden on a dirt road, but not like dirt roads in the states. These roads are a little bigger than one car and have lots of holes and hills and the dirt is darker than the dry dust we think of as dirt roads. So 15 miles outside the city lies a whole different world. The houses are shacks in our minds, the land stretches for miles without any sign of development, and people either walk or ride horses. Trevor and Laura dropped me off at my home for the next 5 days. I met my family, a dad of 40 years, mom of 26 years, sister of 10 years, and 2 year old brother. The house reminded me a lot of the houses we build in Baja, Mexico. It was the size of a normal living room in the States. A large corner was divided with a curtain that contained the bedroom, or 2 beds. The other section was where we sat during the day and talked, ate dinner, had guests, everything. It consisted of a cot, 2 rocking chairs, and a side table that was usually used as another chair. They did have a TV and DVD player. The kitchen consisted of a hallway and they only had a stove and a shelf for their few dishes. Outside was the outhouse (I had to bring my own role of toliet paper) and a sink to wash clothes, dishes, and my brother, and a enclosed area to take showers. The water came from a spicket in the front yard.
So this would be my home for the next 5 days. My family took me to the church down the road where I met other church members and the 3 other students from my group who were also staying with families in El Eden. There were tons of kids and the girls had taught them some hand games and the kids taught us some Spanish ones. I returned with my family and the pastor and passed the evening talking with them and getting to know them. Dinner was the typical meal for the next few days: gallo pinto (rice mixed with beans), fried platanos, and the nastiest cheese I've even had in my life. Luckily I didn't have my appetite back fully so I ate what I could and gave the rest to my dad. He gladly took it and told me he eats anything now because when we was fighting the war against the Contras, they only ate once a day and had scarce portions. They had told us Nicaraguans might be more closed and harder to get to know, so I was surprised that so quickly he was sharing personal information. He had lived for 2 and a half years in the mountains fighting. He told me some stories and showed his battle scar that looked more like a machete wound than a bullet wound. I found out my mom was married when she was only 15 years old, which is pretty common in Nicaragua. I couldn't believe it and tried to imagine my life had that happened to me. The contrasts in our lives were evident but they were so interested to get to know me and show me their life that it was obvious that the differences didn't matter.
Around 8 when I was really tired as I was still getting energy back, they asked if I wanted to go to bed and I immediately said yes. So we went to bed. I got the nice bed with the mosquito net to share with my sister, my mom and brother slept in the other bed that was basically wood covered with a few blankets, and my dad slept on the cot in the other room. That experience I think will always stay with me because it perfectly portrays the simplicity of life there. Going to bed is usually for me a 20 minute process of changing clothes, brushing teeth, washing my face, going to the bathroom, saying goodnight, etc. There when we went to bed, we went straight to bed, laid down, turned off the light, and slept. I slept in the same clothes I was wearing with dirty feet and dirty teeth and praying that I wouldn't need to use the outhouse in the middle of the night. I smiled at the simplicity of the situation and slept with excited for the rest of my adventure here.
The day began around 5 for my brother and parents, but my sister and I usually slept till 6 or 7. I had fresh pineapple for breakfast because my dad works in a pineapple field. We prepared for our adventure of the day: going with the other families to a nearby nature reserve to see the waterfall that provides the town with water. We met at the church at 9 and piled into the bed of the truck that had benches and iron railings around the edge. 30 people fit back there, some sitting, some standing, some kids being held. That would be unheard of in the States but here it was normal. No one had a car or any type of transportation other than a bike. Personal space wasn't an issue as people live in close contact all day, every day. So we headed down the bumpy dirt roads laughing, talking, and singing. We finally arrived at the park as it began to rain and we began our hike to the waterfall. My sister held my hand and stuck to my side. She was only 10 but she was my protector and saved me several times from falling. We played around the waterfall, took pictures, ate fruit, and a couple of hours later headed back to town again stuffed into the bed of the truck, but all very happily bumping along.
When we got back, the kids went to play soccer with the ball I brought as a gift for my family. This is when I knew I felt better because I was able to play and it felt great. I love playing soccer in Central America because everyone knows how to play. I played in my skirt since all the girls and women wear skirts every day. That night we went to church. They go to church 5 nights a week, not on Friday and Monday. We sang several songs and the pastor gave a talk. I love the singing because it's the kind where everyone belts it out at the top of their lungs and pitch or tone do not matter. It lasted about an hour and a half and everyone headed home for dinner. More gallo pinto, platanos, cheese, and good conversation. Then it was off to bed for another busy day.
Sunday, we spent the whole day at the church. The men and us Americans worked on digging a ramp and putting down cement blocks and concrete. The women brought food and drinks and snacks and sat around talking and the kids played games. We didn't have an offical church service because the whole day was spent working. So that night we all went to the home where Steven, one of the students, stayed. The home was built on a finca, or farm, and it was absolutely beautiful. The family didn't own the farm, but the owner gave them free reign to all the guayaba (a fruit here) they wanted. We sat around outside, talking and laughing, with the kids running around playing for the whole night. They cooked beef for us along with gallo pinto and platanos. The meat was really, really good but it was really hard to take a bite of because the type of meat it was. So we sat around like gnawing on our food and laughing that this would never happen in the states. But that was life there. Life revolved around people, doing everything together, and sharing the little they had. It was beautiful. Time seemed to stand still because it didn't matter. We left a few hours later to walk home under an endless stretch of stars without light to hide their beauty.
I found out Sunday that my younger brother had been sick for a week with dierrhea. I offered to take him to the doctor and pay for the medicine so on Monday morning the whole family set of for Burgoña, the next town, to go to the clinic. It was about a 20 minute walk on a footpath that wound through cornfields, farmland, with the mountains in the background. It was beautiful because it was natural. There weren't telephone poles or electricity rods or hotels or big houses or anything. Just land and land in every direction. I think it was the most beautiful place I've been, and this was just their home, their backyard. Amazing. It didn't take long at the clinic. They tested my brother and I bought the medicine and we went to Managua in search of one kind that they didn't have. We took a bus into the city and it was weird because I felt like the Beverly Hillbillies going to California. El Eden seems so far removed from city life and the rest of the world, but in reality they are just a 30 minute bus ride away. They didn't stick out either because they are typical Nicaraguans. We went to the market and bought all kinds of vegetables and fruit and got the other medicine.
We headed back to El Eden around 2 for a late lunch at Steven's house. They had prepared a special lunch of fried chicken and one of the girls had made a piñata. They even hired a photographer to take pictures of us. This is just one example of how we were treated like royalty while we were there. They didn't have much but they gave us so much hospitality, the best of everything. Their love was absolutely incredible. I had never felt so much love in my life and by people who I only knew for a few days. I realized a lot about contentment. These people have so little but are probably more happy than the richest people in the world. They give importance to the things that really matter in life, like people, friendships, God. Work is not the most important. Time is not the most important. Money is definitely not the most important. Work and money bring the few things they need like food and water. Life was beautiful. So we passed the afternoon and evening there and returned home. In Nicaragua power is turned off in every town for a few hours every day. The times rotate every week and this week the hours were 7 to 10 p.m. So we returned before the power went off and then ate and talked by candlelight when it did go out.
Tuesday was a special day. All the families and kids again loaded up in the back of the truck and went to the zoo for the day. It was a small zoo, but lots of fun looking at the different animals with all the kids. We were able to buy ice cream and snacks for the kids and adults, a special treat. We had picnic lunches and my mom had made spaghetti because I told her it was one of my favorites. I felt so special because they eat spaghetti but not very often. When we returned we went to the house of one of the ladies from church. She and her husband look older than they are and have 5 kids in a house the size of my family's. They are very poor, but they opened up their home and she cooked cornbread for us. That night was a special service at the church for our departure. We sang and the pastor talked. Me and the 2 other girl students (Steven was sick) sang a song in English and a couple in Spanish. Several of the girls prepared a lyrical dance type thing for us to a Christian song. They gave us gifts, prayed over us, and each came by to tell us bye. A couple of the girls were sobbing, weeping over us. It was very moving as it showed their deep love for us after such a short amount of time. The next day we packed up and headed out around 10.
My time there now seems like years ago. Their lifestyle stood in stark contrast to my life. I must admit it was hard at times because they were so interested in knowing about my life in the states. They asked if I had my own car, what my house looked like, and were amazed at all the material blessings. I cringed on the inside as I talked about my life. I felt embarrassed of all my wealth, and even more for all the times I have wanted more. More clothes. Better stuff. More, more, more. I was scared that they would ask for money as they saw me as a walking dollar sign. The more time I spent with them, I realized they were simply curious about my lifestyle, like I was about them, and they wanted to know about the states because to them it is a dream world. I tried to explain to them how special what they have is. That was the beautiful thing: they weren't envious of what I had. Sure, they would enjoy having the opportunity for better education or more clothes, but they were perfectly content. They understood how blessed they were spiritually, and that was what mattered. They were poor in wealth,but rich in spirit and in relationships with each other.
Our group returned together to talk about our experiences. We spent a couple of more days in Nicaragua, going to the market and such. We returned to San Jose last night around 7. It is hard to be back in my normal atmosphere because I realize like never before how spoiled I am. While in El Eden I took 2 baths, consisting of filling up buckets of water, my mom heating them up for me, and using the buckets to pour water on myself. I brushed my teeth once a day and wore the same outfit 3 days in a row. I ate the same food every meal of rice, beans, platanos, and cheese. I must admit that I was excited to return to a hot shower, variety in food (and Lucky Charms for breakfast this morning!), clean clothes, a comfortable house and bed without roosters crowing or walking through the house. But I now struggle as I live this life. I now struggle to make sense of my normal routines and things I'm used to. Is it okay that I buy new clothes and souvenirs as my family in Nicaragua wears the same ratty clothes every day? Is it okay to worry about how I look and what I wear after spending 5 days never looking in the mirror or caring if my clothes matched? How do I help them? Do they need more? Do I need less? What do I do with this?
Obviously I don't know the answers to these questions. All I know is that my experience in Nicaragua is going to stay with me forever and hopefully will impact the way I live. I can't even express all the emotions and thoughts swimming around my brain. Let's just put it this way: I have a very different world view. One of the weirdest things I struggle with is our idea of short term missions or missions in general. In the states we see ourselves as the ones who have everything and set out to give others what they need. This is an upside down world. The people I lived with are the people that we see as in need. World Vision is stationed there and works a lot with the school. World Vision is one of those organizations that sends out pictures of little kids and asks you to support them. My sister, the little kids at church, they are the faces on those pictures. My sister has someone in the states who supports her. So yes there are needs like this to be met. But these people who have so little, also are rich in so many areas. I am more convinced that they have more than we do, and we should be the ones learning from them, instead of simply trying to dump our materialism and standard of living on other people. I realize how blessed I am and how many opportunities I have that other people simply do not have. I also realize how much I lack in love, in relationships, in living with people instead of by the clock or by the schedule. I realize that my life has been a crazy busy mess but I have little to show in contrast with the community of El Eden who have a beautiful example of love and community despite their poverty.
So this has been an attempt to describe my Nicaraguan experience. Get used to hearing about it, because I have a feeling that it is going to stay with me for a long time. I will continue to struggle with this contrast in life for a long time. And hopefully I will be changed forever in a good way, once I figure out what to do with this.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Thursday, October 4
I cried a little today. I guess that's a weird thing to start out with, but I don't like to cry and don't do it often. It's not because of homesickness or any sort of personal problem. Last night I read a chapter of Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne (not required texts, just reading on my own). He talked about his visit to Iraq and spending time with Christians there during the war. It really hit home hearing stories about being bombed all the time and the suffering that's going on. I think for the first time in my life, war was real to me. It wasn't something that was far off to people I don't know about. Well it was, but it touched my heart and I just couldn't quit thinking about people going through such struggles while I lay in my comfortable bed, in my own room, with warm clothes and plenty of food. Today, it hit home again. Our speaker was a Nicaraguan woman who works at the Costa Rican emabassy. She told the story of the Nicaraguan national guard (trained by US Marines) who came into her home in the middle of the night as a child, beat her dad and her mom, and took her dad away. My mind is racing with all these thoughts and just wondering, how was I born into such a lucky home in such a blessed place? Hearing all these stories of war, personal stories, I just don't undestand the reason why it's so easy and so common to pick up weapons against each other. We fight in the name of God, in the name of defending our country, but what are we really defending? This world is a messed up, cruel place, and I can't believe that I have become so comfortable in it. That being said, I am getting thrown out of my comfort zone in 4 days when we leave for Nicaragua. I found out today that I'm staying in a little village, I forget the name, with 3 other LASPers. It is a rural, conservative town, where I will probably wear skirts everyday, use the bathroom outside, and maybe even bathe in a river. I guess this is a little random and I don't know if it makes sense, but I just needed to get some thoughts out. So there you have it. I won't have internet access for 2 weeks in Nicaragua so I'll have a lot to catch you up on. Until then...
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Tuesday, October 2
Be impressed. This is my second entry in a 4 day span. I came to use the internet for research for my paper and decided to update my blog as well.
Saturday we (Caroline, Rachel, Amie, Allie, Becky) spent some time exploring San Jose and then went to the MultiPlaza to shop. We ate at a western type restaurant, but I was disappointed because they didn't have pulled pork sandwiches. Still good though. I didn't buy anything, but enjoyed looking around.
Sunday after church a group of like 15 students went to a soccer game between Saprissa and La Liga. They are big rivals so it was crazy. There were tons of policemen there, some even on horses, with pads and helmets; they looked like SWAT guys, crazy. They had to separate the fans from each other going into the game to avoid fights. The atmosphere was so fun as I felt right at home in the midst of so many futbol lovers. Watching the goalies warm up made me miss playing. It was an intense game because of the rivalry. There were lots of cards and it was rough. Before the teams came out and during the game, fans threw toliet paper on the field. Going through the air it would unravel of course and make a big mess. Just a normal occurance though. Fans had drums and were constantly jumping around and chanting their cheers. We weren't in the craziest sections, but of course there was still passion. The game ended 0-0 which made exiting the stadium easier since no one won, there weren't any fights. It was definitely one of my favorite experiences here and I hope to go back.
The game was in the afternoon and I got home around 7 and had to start homework since I hadn't done any before. I had to write a paper about interviews with Nicaraguans and perceptions of Costa Ricans toward Nicaraguans. There are thousands of Nicaraguans who come here to find better work. It kinda reminds me of the Mexican immigration back home and all the prejudices that exist toward Mexicans. I also had to read and study for a test.
Monday we had class in the morning and a missionary spoke, John Stam. He was very lively and quirky and a lot of fun. Oh and I forgot to mention that morning when I took a skirt out of my closet to put on, a lizard fell on my foot! It's the only animal, insect anything I've seen in the house, but now I always shake out my clothes before I put them on. This is the last week of ILE so that's a good feeling. I'm ready for a change.
This morning I played soccer with a few students which was really good to play again because it's been awhile. There were just 7 of us so we just played 4 v. 3 but it was fun. I think we're playing again Friday.
I found a churro place downtown. A churro is like a doughnut tube filled with caramel or chocolate or some cream. They have them in Brazil so I was very excited to find them here. My favorite thing here though is the fresh fruit. The pineapple is amazing and there's all kinds of little fruit stands that have a round slice of pineapple in a bag. Soooo good!
The biggest news is that we are leaving for a 2 week trip to Nicaragua on Monday. Now that we have kinda gotten comfortable with things here, we gotta get uncomfortable again. We leave at 6:15 am for a 8-11 hour bus ride. We spend a few days in Managua but the majority of our time is spent with families-communities around Nicaragua for 6 days. They told us to bring all kinds of medicines so I'm kinda nervous. Nicaragua is a poorer country so it is going to be a different experience. I am excited overall but a little sad about leaving my comfort zone here. It will be a good experience though to see that Costa Rica is unique in Latin America and most other countries are dealing with a lot more problems. I don't know if I'll have internet or anything so I'm just going into it expecting to have no outside contact.
That's all for now. Thanks for reading about my life!
Saturday we (Caroline, Rachel, Amie, Allie, Becky) spent some time exploring San Jose and then went to the MultiPlaza to shop. We ate at a western type restaurant, but I was disappointed because they didn't have pulled pork sandwiches. Still good though. I didn't buy anything, but enjoyed looking around.
Sunday after church a group of like 15 students went to a soccer game between Saprissa and La Liga. They are big rivals so it was crazy. There were tons of policemen there, some even on horses, with pads and helmets; they looked like SWAT guys, crazy. They had to separate the fans from each other going into the game to avoid fights. The atmosphere was so fun as I felt right at home in the midst of so many futbol lovers. Watching the goalies warm up made me miss playing. It was an intense game because of the rivalry. There were lots of cards and it was rough. Before the teams came out and during the game, fans threw toliet paper on the field. Going through the air it would unravel of course and make a big mess. Just a normal occurance though. Fans had drums and were constantly jumping around and chanting their cheers. We weren't in the craziest sections, but of course there was still passion. The game ended 0-0 which made exiting the stadium easier since no one won, there weren't any fights. It was definitely one of my favorite experiences here and I hope to go back.
The game was in the afternoon and I got home around 7 and had to start homework since I hadn't done any before. I had to write a paper about interviews with Nicaraguans and perceptions of Costa Ricans toward Nicaraguans. There are thousands of Nicaraguans who come here to find better work. It kinda reminds me of the Mexican immigration back home and all the prejudices that exist toward Mexicans. I also had to read and study for a test.
Monday we had class in the morning and a missionary spoke, John Stam. He was very lively and quirky and a lot of fun. Oh and I forgot to mention that morning when I took a skirt out of my closet to put on, a lizard fell on my foot! It's the only animal, insect anything I've seen in the house, but now I always shake out my clothes before I put them on. This is the last week of ILE so that's a good feeling. I'm ready for a change.
This morning I played soccer with a few students which was really good to play again because it's been awhile. There were just 7 of us so we just played 4 v. 3 but it was fun. I think we're playing again Friday.
I found a churro place downtown. A churro is like a doughnut tube filled with caramel or chocolate or some cream. They have them in Brazil so I was very excited to find them here. My favorite thing here though is the fresh fruit. The pineapple is amazing and there's all kinds of little fruit stands that have a round slice of pineapple in a bag. Soooo good!
The biggest news is that we are leaving for a 2 week trip to Nicaragua on Monday. Now that we have kinda gotten comfortable with things here, we gotta get uncomfortable again. We leave at 6:15 am for a 8-11 hour bus ride. We spend a few days in Managua but the majority of our time is spent with families-communities around Nicaragua for 6 days. They told us to bring all kinds of medicines so I'm kinda nervous. Nicaragua is a poorer country so it is going to be a different experience. I am excited overall but a little sad about leaving my comfort zone here. It will be a good experience though to see that Costa Rica is unique in Latin America and most other countries are dealing with a lot more problems. I don't know if I'll have internet or anything so I'm just going into it expecting to have no outside contact.
That's all for now. Thanks for reading about my life!
Saturday, September 29, 2007
September 29
Wow, it´s been a while! Sorry I don´t write much and I'll apologize in advance for the length. Since I don't have a computer, I don't come to the cafes much to use it. I guess I've gotten used to not having access to a computer and cell phone constantly; I actually kinda like it, but of course I miss talking with my family and friends so much.
Last week was pretty uneventful except that I had a cold. Just a sore throat, runny nose, and lack of energy. That didn't keep me from doing anything though. Friday (21st) was probably the worst of the cold as I got really hoarse and almost lost my voice. Caroline, Rachel, Jessie, and I went to a mall after school. It was really nice and we really enjoyed looking around. We ate dinner at an Italian place and went to see Hairspray (the movie). So good! I loved it. It was in English with Spanish subtitles so we were able to fully enjoy it and read along with the subtitles.
Saturday, the 22nd, I went bungee jumping! I left around 8 a.m. with 4 other girls from LASP: Kylie, Amie, Ally, and Rachel (but not the one from LU). We rode a bus for about 45 minutes and ended up at Tropical Bungee. It was in the middle of a forrest so it was beautiful. We jumped off a bridge that ran over a creek. I volunteered to be the brave soul to go first in the group. As you know, I'm very adventurous and love the rush, but wow, when I was standing up on that bridge, it's a pretty intense feeling. You have a thing around the waist like you do during rock climbing, but the main hold is on the feet. So I'm standing on a little ledge looking down to the creek, rocks, and trees as the guide counts down, practically feeling nothing on my body to protect me, and knowing I have to jump! Of course I didn't hesitate because I love to take risks, so down I fell. I kinda lost my breath half the way down because you just don't feel anything attactched to you. Then you spring back up and get the closest experience to flying that you're ever going to get. So amazing. I have a video of it and of course there's pictures on facebook.
The rest of the night I just stayed home to rest up and relax. Sunday I went to church with my mom and her sisters and friends. Caroline and Jessie came too. We ate at a chinese restaurant afterward. I was a little nervous because I don't like chinese much anyway and chinese in Costa Rica? I got fried rice with shrimp and it was really good. Tasted like Pei Wei. Hung out with my moms family that afternoon, did some homework, and got ready for another busy week.
The biggest project of the week was a group project about TLC or CAFTA. My group was me, Rachel and Adam from LU, and 2 other girls, Jen and Sara. This was a 2 week assignment which consisted of interviewing people about their opinions, reading articles about it, going to hear speakers, etc. We had to come up with our position on it and what we thought best represented the needs of the marginalized. We said no, that it was better to not ratify TLC. We wrote a paper (in Spanish, thankfully Adam is from Venezuela) and had to do a 1-2 minute presentation in front of the class on Wednesday. Ours was the bomb! We did a full-fledged musical including singing and dancing. Songs inclueded country song She Said Yes (changed to we say yes), High School Musical song Stick to the Status Quo, Look Down from Les Miserables, Money Money Money, and the grand finale Seize the Day from the Newsies. We only did a little from each but it was amazing. Rachel's putting it on youtube.com so I'll let you know where you can find it.
Wednesday we also had a Biblical Reflection due. The theme this time was poverty. We were given several scriptures and a couple of articles to read to prompt our thinking. The title was The Poor You'll Always Have with You, because this is a famous verse when it comes to the poor, but the sad thing is many people use this as an excuse to not do much about poverty. Through the readings I realized how important our relationship to the marginalized is as Christians. I realized how much of a core value it is but how deeply understressed it is in the church. There were countless verses of people coming before God with sacrifice and praise but Him saying, this is meaningless because you aren't participating in justice in the world! One of the articles talked about how Jesus said you'll always have the poor because as Christians they should always be around us. In churches today there is an obvious distance from the poor. We want to help but prefer to do it at a distance (speaking generally of course). Such an eye opener and now I continue to struggle with what this means in my life and what to do with this. Two verses that got me the most are Isaiah 58:2 specifically but continuing throughout the chapter and Amos 5:21-24. I encourage you to read it, but prepare to feel a little uncomfortable.
Thursday we had praise and worship after class and then a group went to a mexican restaurant to celebrate Becky's birthday. Got a little lost on the way home as I was walking thinking I knew where I was going, but I just got a taxi and arrived safely back to the house. It was only like 7:15, not very late, so don't worry about me roaming around at night by myself!
Friday morning, yesterday, I went to the University of Costa Rica with Rose to interview someone for our big end of term papers/projects. We interviewed a guy named Andres who had spoken to our class. He is only 22 but is a city councilman for the district of Cartago. It was very interesting to talk with him and hear his prospective as a politician. It was also very cool to see a young person in such a powerful position striving to make a difference. His party is kinda known as the radical, young party. They advocate environmental issues and are very focused on the future and changing things, which is very refreshing compared to the usual older politicians stuck in their ways so to say.
I enjoyed being back in the college atmosphere for just a bit. I didn't realize how much I missed it until I was surrounded by so many people my age, so many fun shops and coffecitas, etc. I feel like there is just so much energy, so much idealogy, such a pivotal time as everyone is kinda seeking their own way to change the world. Latin American univeristies have more of this feel I feel like than North American because it is more uncommon to go to the university and people seem more focused, opposed to the typial party scene in the states. While there I bought some earrings and got this street vender to make me a ring ($1 baby!). 2 students approached Rose and I and asked if they could interview us for an English class. We gladly agreed, eager to return the favor since usually it is us who is asking to interview. We have projects all the time where we have to walk up to people on the street and engage them in conversation. It was fun to be on the other side.
Friday night we had Camino Espiritual, Spiritual Journey at LASP office. We all sat in a big circle, including all the profesors, and each had 3 minutes to tell about their spiritual journey. Luckily I was about halfway around so I had about an hour to think about what to say. I wasn't excited about this because it seemed so random and kinda awkward, but at the end of the night, after 4 hours of this, it was so cool to see how many walls are broken down and how much better you understand people after hearing a measely 3 minutes of their life. A teacher commented that just imagine in life if you took this time to get to know people, how differently you would view people and understand them. A good challenge. A common theme throughout the night was frustration with the church and how it often seems to be anything but a reflection of Christ. Through this frustration and hearing so many stories of struggles and basically how messed up the world is and how much it sucks, I definitely saw hope. Here is a group of 51 students all having around 20-22 years of age and with these frustrations some how holding on the faith. I saw the power in the room as I looked at 51 young people all desperate to follow God and make a difference in this world. A powerful, powerful night.
Currently I sit here on Saturday morning in downtown San Jose in an internet cafe. I'm about to meet up with friends for a Day o Fun! in the city. Tomorrow after church we're going to a soccer game which I am sooo excited about. It's crazy because it is really just flying by. One more week of ILE classes and then we're off to Nicaragua for 2 weeks. A week and a half of classes at LASP, Fall Break, a month of Advanced Language and Lit, a week and a half in Panama and then back to the states! So crazy! So if you're missing me a lot, just keep that in mind. It'll be here before we know it. So now let's just try to live in the moment and soak it up-I know I will! Love!
Last week was pretty uneventful except that I had a cold. Just a sore throat, runny nose, and lack of energy. That didn't keep me from doing anything though. Friday (21st) was probably the worst of the cold as I got really hoarse and almost lost my voice. Caroline, Rachel, Jessie, and I went to a mall after school. It was really nice and we really enjoyed looking around. We ate dinner at an Italian place and went to see Hairspray (the movie). So good! I loved it. It was in English with Spanish subtitles so we were able to fully enjoy it and read along with the subtitles.
Saturday, the 22nd, I went bungee jumping! I left around 8 a.m. with 4 other girls from LASP: Kylie, Amie, Ally, and Rachel (but not the one from LU). We rode a bus for about 45 minutes and ended up at Tropical Bungee. It was in the middle of a forrest so it was beautiful. We jumped off a bridge that ran over a creek. I volunteered to be the brave soul to go first in the group. As you know, I'm very adventurous and love the rush, but wow, when I was standing up on that bridge, it's a pretty intense feeling. You have a thing around the waist like you do during rock climbing, but the main hold is on the feet. So I'm standing on a little ledge looking down to the creek, rocks, and trees as the guide counts down, practically feeling nothing on my body to protect me, and knowing I have to jump! Of course I didn't hesitate because I love to take risks, so down I fell. I kinda lost my breath half the way down because you just don't feel anything attactched to you. Then you spring back up and get the closest experience to flying that you're ever going to get. So amazing. I have a video of it and of course there's pictures on facebook.
The rest of the night I just stayed home to rest up and relax. Sunday I went to church with my mom and her sisters and friends. Caroline and Jessie came too. We ate at a chinese restaurant afterward. I was a little nervous because I don't like chinese much anyway and chinese in Costa Rica? I got fried rice with shrimp and it was really good. Tasted like Pei Wei. Hung out with my moms family that afternoon, did some homework, and got ready for another busy week.
The biggest project of the week was a group project about TLC or CAFTA. My group was me, Rachel and Adam from LU, and 2 other girls, Jen and Sara. This was a 2 week assignment which consisted of interviewing people about their opinions, reading articles about it, going to hear speakers, etc. We had to come up with our position on it and what we thought best represented the needs of the marginalized. We said no, that it was better to not ratify TLC. We wrote a paper (in Spanish, thankfully Adam is from Venezuela) and had to do a 1-2 minute presentation in front of the class on Wednesday. Ours was the bomb! We did a full-fledged musical including singing and dancing. Songs inclueded country song She Said Yes (changed to we say yes), High School Musical song Stick to the Status Quo, Look Down from Les Miserables, Money Money Money, and the grand finale Seize the Day from the Newsies. We only did a little from each but it was amazing. Rachel's putting it on youtube.com so I'll let you know where you can find it.
Wednesday we also had a Biblical Reflection due. The theme this time was poverty. We were given several scriptures and a couple of articles to read to prompt our thinking. The title was The Poor You'll Always Have with You, because this is a famous verse when it comes to the poor, but the sad thing is many people use this as an excuse to not do much about poverty. Through the readings I realized how important our relationship to the marginalized is as Christians. I realized how much of a core value it is but how deeply understressed it is in the church. There were countless verses of people coming before God with sacrifice and praise but Him saying, this is meaningless because you aren't participating in justice in the world! One of the articles talked about how Jesus said you'll always have the poor because as Christians they should always be around us. In churches today there is an obvious distance from the poor. We want to help but prefer to do it at a distance (speaking generally of course). Such an eye opener and now I continue to struggle with what this means in my life and what to do with this. Two verses that got me the most are Isaiah 58:2 specifically but continuing throughout the chapter and Amos 5:21-24. I encourage you to read it, but prepare to feel a little uncomfortable.
Thursday we had praise and worship after class and then a group went to a mexican restaurant to celebrate Becky's birthday. Got a little lost on the way home as I was walking thinking I knew where I was going, but I just got a taxi and arrived safely back to the house. It was only like 7:15, not very late, so don't worry about me roaming around at night by myself!
Friday morning, yesterday, I went to the University of Costa Rica with Rose to interview someone for our big end of term papers/projects. We interviewed a guy named Andres who had spoken to our class. He is only 22 but is a city councilman for the district of Cartago. It was very interesting to talk with him and hear his prospective as a politician. It was also very cool to see a young person in such a powerful position striving to make a difference. His party is kinda known as the radical, young party. They advocate environmental issues and are very focused on the future and changing things, which is very refreshing compared to the usual older politicians stuck in their ways so to say.
I enjoyed being back in the college atmosphere for just a bit. I didn't realize how much I missed it until I was surrounded by so many people my age, so many fun shops and coffecitas, etc. I feel like there is just so much energy, so much idealogy, such a pivotal time as everyone is kinda seeking their own way to change the world. Latin American univeristies have more of this feel I feel like than North American because it is more uncommon to go to the university and people seem more focused, opposed to the typial party scene in the states. While there I bought some earrings and got this street vender to make me a ring ($1 baby!). 2 students approached Rose and I and asked if they could interview us for an English class. We gladly agreed, eager to return the favor since usually it is us who is asking to interview. We have projects all the time where we have to walk up to people on the street and engage them in conversation. It was fun to be on the other side.
Friday night we had Camino Espiritual, Spiritual Journey at LASP office. We all sat in a big circle, including all the profesors, and each had 3 minutes to tell about their spiritual journey. Luckily I was about halfway around so I had about an hour to think about what to say. I wasn't excited about this because it seemed so random and kinda awkward, but at the end of the night, after 4 hours of this, it was so cool to see how many walls are broken down and how much better you understand people after hearing a measely 3 minutes of their life. A teacher commented that just imagine in life if you took this time to get to know people, how differently you would view people and understand them. A good challenge. A common theme throughout the night was frustration with the church and how it often seems to be anything but a reflection of Christ. Through this frustration and hearing so many stories of struggles and basically how messed up the world is and how much it sucks, I definitely saw hope. Here is a group of 51 students all having around 20-22 years of age and with these frustrations some how holding on the faith. I saw the power in the room as I looked at 51 young people all desperate to follow God and make a difference in this world. A powerful, powerful night.
Currently I sit here on Saturday morning in downtown San Jose in an internet cafe. I'm about to meet up with friends for a Day o Fun! in the city. Tomorrow after church we're going to a soccer game which I am sooo excited about. It's crazy because it is really just flying by. One more week of ILE classes and then we're off to Nicaragua for 2 weeks. A week and a half of classes at LASP, Fall Break, a month of Advanced Language and Lit, a week and a half in Panama and then back to the states! So crazy! So if you're missing me a lot, just keep that in mind. It'll be here before we know it. So now let's just try to live in the moment and soak it up-I know I will! Love!
Monday, September 17, 2007
Monday, September 17
Hello again. I'd liked to begin this blog by saying that I am so excited because I found Guarana in Costa Rica! It's not Antarctica but it'll do. Now back to an exciting update from CR...
Friday morning the whole group (51 students + about 10 staff members) traveled to Puerto Limon. We left around 9 in the morning and stopped within 30 minutes at a coffee plantation. Coffee is very important in the history of CR because it caused an economic boom that boasted the country's wealth and separated it from other Latinamerican countries. The country actually shared coffee wealth pretty evenly, with small upper and lower classes and a big middle class, but slowly the rich are getting richer and poor, poorer like so many other countries.
Traveling from San Jose is always an adventure, because the city sits in the valleys so to go anywhere else you have to travel through the mountains. Not so much fun in a bus, but luckily we had air conditioning. The next stop was for lunch which consisted of rice and beans (can you believe it) and other stuff. Later we stopped at a banana plantation, another importance in CR's history. It was interesting to watch the process. They told us that they grow bananas differently based on where they are going. For example, the US requires first class bananas and won't accept lower quality. Second quality bananas go to other countries or local vendors. The lowest quality bananas are used for baby food, flavoring, etc. The people usually work 6 days a week, 8-11 hours a day, for only $14-16. These jobs are often sought out though because work is few for many who will take anything they can get. The workers usually get out 2000 boxes a day. The ones we saw being boxed up would make it to Limon in a few days and to the states or wherever else in a week. So next time you eat a Del Monte banana, think of me because I could have possibly seen the banana being processed.
We got to Puerto Limon around 4 and checked into the hotel. I roomed with a girl named Rose and really enjoyed getting to know her better. That night we went around in groups and interviewed people about their thoughts on TLC or CAFTA (free trade agreement with the states). I went with Adam and Rachel, 2 fellow Lipscombers. Adam is from Venezuela so I really enjoyed being in his group. After talking with people we ate, walked around the city, and hung out some at the pier by the Pacific ocean. I really like the city of Limon. It is historically important for many reasons. It was the first place Columbus landed in Costa Rica. It is the main port of CR and 80% of the nation's wealth passes through. Sadly enough, the money usually does not return. Limon has the lowest educational rates along with high poverty and high unemployment. It has a strong Caribbean influence as many residents have roots back to Jamaica. Most people here speak Spanish and English, and the diversity here is unlike the rest of the country.
Saturday morning we had a couple of convocations. First was with Joycelyn Sawyer, a former teacher, representative to the National Assembly (CR's legislation), and ambassador to Jamaica. It was interesting to hear her perspective on the difficulty of working for the government and trying to create social change, especially to benefit the province of Limon. It was only in 1950 when Afro-costariccenses were given citizenship and allowed to freely travel and live outside of Limon. Many were brought to work on the railroad construction or in coffee and banana plantations. CR as a nation does not recognize their importance in the country, as is seen in the lack of assistence. She taught us that even though politics are usually corrupt, you have to work through it in order to create social change.
From there we traveled to an indigenous reserve for the Bri-Bri people. Gloria Mayorga talked to us about her people and the hardships they face trying to preserve their land, language, and culture. The government often takes their land away for tourist reasons or the land they have is often polluted or suffering the effects of globalization. It makes me happy that people still cling to their culture like that instead of conforming to the norm. Without indigenous groups, we would lose so much history, conservation, ecological help and a voice of how to live in harmony with God's creation.
Then we went to a beach, Playa Cahuita. It was a little cloudy but fun to relax and spend a day together on the beach. That night we had a private dinner at a restaurant and even had an afro-carribbean band play. We all really enjoyed the music and experiencing the culture. When we got back, our whole group of students decided to walk down to the pier. What a sight for everyone hanging out in the street to see a group of 50 americans. We probably looked like we were coming to take over the city.
In the morning we split into 3 groups and went to different churches. My group went to an anglican-episcopal church. It was interesting to note differences in traditions, but still sing a lot of the same songs and still worship God together. The service was in English, which was nice, but it was weird to hear and speak so much English! We hung out and had lunch with people from the church. They were so nice and I really enjoyed talking with them. It is sad because they know how little the government cares for them even though they need help the most. We returned that night and I talked with my mom about a lot of issues with Limon. It was interesting to see her perspective, which I think reflects many ticans' perspective of Limon. They think Limon's problems are because the drugs and crime and poverty. >Kind of like, it's their own fault. I feel like that's the easy road to take with poverty. They did it to themselves. But is that really the whole story? Do not issues like lower education, fewer jobs, and little funding play a role? How easy is it to blame them when maybe we should instead let ourselves feel some of the pain for a minute, for just a minute to picture ourselves in their shoes, and maybe, just maybe, feel the need to help them because maybe after all the blame does not belong to them alone.
I really enjoyed the city, the culture, the people, and mainly just feeling for the city of Limon. With TLC, the best answer seems to be no because it prevents bigger businesses and companies from coming in and taking advantage of CR's wealth. However, many people in Limon simply say, the rich will always be richer and the poor will always get poorer; we simply need jobs and any money. A different perspective for sure. Our latest project is working in groups to develop our position with TLC and turn in a paper and a presentation. The workload is not letting up, but I enjoy everything that I learn. I also borrowed The Irresstible Revolution from a friend Amy and am so excited to get to read that. It's getting late (7:15 haha) so I better head home and do some work so I can be bed before 11 and up by 6. I know reading this you're thinking, that's not Bethany at all, but it has become me in this culture. Everything is about an hour earlier. I slept till 8 today which is the most I've slept in since being here. Pura vida. (I don't know if I've mentioned that before but it means pure life and is the slogan here in CR. It can be used in any way possible. Try it sometime and think of me :)
Friday morning the whole group (51 students + about 10 staff members) traveled to Puerto Limon. We left around 9 in the morning and stopped within 30 minutes at a coffee plantation. Coffee is very important in the history of CR because it caused an economic boom that boasted the country's wealth and separated it from other Latinamerican countries. The country actually shared coffee wealth pretty evenly, with small upper and lower classes and a big middle class, but slowly the rich are getting richer and poor, poorer like so many other countries.
Traveling from San Jose is always an adventure, because the city sits in the valleys so to go anywhere else you have to travel through the mountains. Not so much fun in a bus, but luckily we had air conditioning. The next stop was for lunch which consisted of rice and beans (can you believe it) and other stuff. Later we stopped at a banana plantation, another importance in CR's history. It was interesting to watch the process. They told us that they grow bananas differently based on where they are going. For example, the US requires first class bananas and won't accept lower quality. Second quality bananas go to other countries or local vendors. The lowest quality bananas are used for baby food, flavoring, etc. The people usually work 6 days a week, 8-11 hours a day, for only $14-16. These jobs are often sought out though because work is few for many who will take anything they can get. The workers usually get out 2000 boxes a day. The ones we saw being boxed up would make it to Limon in a few days and to the states or wherever else in a week. So next time you eat a Del Monte banana, think of me because I could have possibly seen the banana being processed.
We got to Puerto Limon around 4 and checked into the hotel. I roomed with a girl named Rose and really enjoyed getting to know her better. That night we went around in groups and interviewed people about their thoughts on TLC or CAFTA (free trade agreement with the states). I went with Adam and Rachel, 2 fellow Lipscombers. Adam is from Venezuela so I really enjoyed being in his group. After talking with people we ate, walked around the city, and hung out some at the pier by the Pacific ocean. I really like the city of Limon. It is historically important for many reasons. It was the first place Columbus landed in Costa Rica. It is the main port of CR and 80% of the nation's wealth passes through. Sadly enough, the money usually does not return. Limon has the lowest educational rates along with high poverty and high unemployment. It has a strong Caribbean influence as many residents have roots back to Jamaica. Most people here speak Spanish and English, and the diversity here is unlike the rest of the country.
Saturday morning we had a couple of convocations. First was with Joycelyn Sawyer, a former teacher, representative to the National Assembly (CR's legislation), and ambassador to Jamaica. It was interesting to hear her perspective on the difficulty of working for the government and trying to create social change, especially to benefit the province of Limon. It was only in 1950 when Afro-costariccenses were given citizenship and allowed to freely travel and live outside of Limon. Many were brought to work on the railroad construction or in coffee and banana plantations. CR as a nation does not recognize their importance in the country, as is seen in the lack of assistence. She taught us that even though politics are usually corrupt, you have to work through it in order to create social change.
From there we traveled to an indigenous reserve for the Bri-Bri people. Gloria Mayorga talked to us about her people and the hardships they face trying to preserve their land, language, and culture. The government often takes their land away for tourist reasons or the land they have is often polluted or suffering the effects of globalization. It makes me happy that people still cling to their culture like that instead of conforming to the norm. Without indigenous groups, we would lose so much history, conservation, ecological help and a voice of how to live in harmony with God's creation.
Then we went to a beach, Playa Cahuita. It was a little cloudy but fun to relax and spend a day together on the beach. That night we had a private dinner at a restaurant and even had an afro-carribbean band play. We all really enjoyed the music and experiencing the culture. When we got back, our whole group of students decided to walk down to the pier. What a sight for everyone hanging out in the street to see a group of 50 americans. We probably looked like we were coming to take over the city.
In the morning we split into 3 groups and went to different churches. My group went to an anglican-episcopal church. It was interesting to note differences in traditions, but still sing a lot of the same songs and still worship God together. The service was in English, which was nice, but it was weird to hear and speak so much English! We hung out and had lunch with people from the church. They were so nice and I really enjoyed talking with them. It is sad because they know how little the government cares for them even though they need help the most. We returned that night and I talked with my mom about a lot of issues with Limon. It was interesting to see her perspective, which I think reflects many ticans' perspective of Limon. They think Limon's problems are because the drugs and crime and poverty. >Kind of like, it's their own fault. I feel like that's the easy road to take with poverty. They did it to themselves. But is that really the whole story? Do not issues like lower education, fewer jobs, and little funding play a role? How easy is it to blame them when maybe we should instead let ourselves feel some of the pain for a minute, for just a minute to picture ourselves in their shoes, and maybe, just maybe, feel the need to help them because maybe after all the blame does not belong to them alone.
I really enjoyed the city, the culture, the people, and mainly just feeling for the city of Limon. With TLC, the best answer seems to be no because it prevents bigger businesses and companies from coming in and taking advantage of CR's wealth. However, many people in Limon simply say, the rich will always be richer and the poor will always get poorer; we simply need jobs and any money. A different perspective for sure. Our latest project is working in groups to develop our position with TLC and turn in a paper and a presentation. The workload is not letting up, but I enjoy everything that I learn. I also borrowed The Irresstible Revolution from a friend Amy and am so excited to get to read that. It's getting late (7:15 haha) so I better head home and do some work so I can be bed before 11 and up by 6. I know reading this you're thinking, that's not Bethany at all, but it has become me in this culture. Everything is about an hour earlier. I slept till 8 today which is the most I've slept in since being here. Pura vida. (I don't know if I've mentioned that before but it means pure life and is the slogan here in CR. It can be used in any way possible. Try it sometime and think of me :)
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Thursday, September 13
This week has been pretty normal. Nothing too exciting, just settling into the routine of things here. Monday and Wednesday morning we had Latin American Studies class, and we had grammar and conversation every afternoon. I had my first grammar test Monday and my first conversation test is today. I realized that I haven't really described the city of San Jose. It's big and pretty dirty. The city itself isn't pretty but it's surrounded by gorgeous mountains. Everywhere we have class and usually go is pretty safe. I realized this last weekend when we left from the Coca Cola terminal which is in a different part of town. Sketchy! I'm thankful we travel through safe districts and not that one.
Monday morning President Rodrigo Carazo spoke to us. That's right an actual president of Costa Rica (1978-1982) came to our class. He was a really nice old man. It's interesting because they told us that he's not a very popular president to the people because during his time the economy dropped and many people weren't able to buy things they were used to buying. He kept many hospitals and schools from being closed, but no one knows this about him. They only know they lacked getting what they wanted. So that was neat to hear from an actual president.
My brain is so overwhelmed with new information. It's really neat to not only study language and history and what not, but to be a part of it and see it as I learn about it. For instance I had been reading about large plantation owners, the rich ones who employ the lowly poor farmers. Driving to Manuel Antonio last week I saw several farmers out in the field with their old-school hand tools. Very cool to experience it as well as learn it.
We've had to do lots of readings that give very different perspectives of things than my North American perspective. One of the things I wanted from this experience was to gain a new worldview; well, that is already being developed. I'm not a political person at all and have never been able to keep up with things. Here they are challenging us to learn all this history and perspectives. They told us that you need to be informed in order to make a difference in the world. I am learning that there is a lot that goes on that I am blind and deaf too, but that I should be standing up and fighting for. Just a warning that I will probably have a lot of different thoughts and perspectives when I return to the states. And I'm saying this after only 2 weeks! There is a joke that our teachers at LASP are brainwashing us to hate America. This is not true at all, but they are opening our eyes to what we're doing and how it is affecting the rest of the world. It's so cool to see things from a different perspective and realize how something that can seem so crazy from one perspective can suddenly make sense in another. I'm sure I'm not making sense right now, but all that to say that I am developing a Latin American perspective on things and I feel like I've learned more during my 2 weeks here than in the past 3 years of college! I love it.
Two specific examples that demonstrate. We've talked a lot about Christopher Columbus and the discovery of America. We often celebrate it, but in reality the conquistadors killed and took over the land and lives of thousands of people, destroying cultures and people groups. Not only did it hurt people then, but it continues to hurt the lives of many Latin Americans. They are free of foreign governments, but they often continued to be ruled by trade and transnational corporations. We've also been discussing the high cost of low prices. I am a bargain shopper as everyone knows, and I love my deals. I have never questioned how the prices are so low. How can things come from another country but only cost a dollar? The answer is cheap labor and poor living conditions. Ouch. It's a lot of things like this that are being presented to us and continue to swim around in my head. What am I going to do with this new wealth of knowledge? Am I going to continue to contribute or fight against the problem? I will continue to struggle through issues like that and many more throughout the semester, so if you're jealous of me going to the beach and volcanoes and such, remember I am doing a lot of work too.
That's all for now. I'll have to update after the weekend because we're going to Limon as a group. It's on the Carribean coast and is known for its poverty and racial diversity. We'll get some time on the beach, but it's of course an educational trip. Gotta love those. Until next time....
Monday morning President Rodrigo Carazo spoke to us. That's right an actual president of Costa Rica (1978-1982) came to our class. He was a really nice old man. It's interesting because they told us that he's not a very popular president to the people because during his time the economy dropped and many people weren't able to buy things they were used to buying. He kept many hospitals and schools from being closed, but no one knows this about him. They only know they lacked getting what they wanted. So that was neat to hear from an actual president.
My brain is so overwhelmed with new information. It's really neat to not only study language and history and what not, but to be a part of it and see it as I learn about it. For instance I had been reading about large plantation owners, the rich ones who employ the lowly poor farmers. Driving to Manuel Antonio last week I saw several farmers out in the field with their old-school hand tools. Very cool to experience it as well as learn it.
We've had to do lots of readings that give very different perspectives of things than my North American perspective. One of the things I wanted from this experience was to gain a new worldview; well, that is already being developed. I'm not a political person at all and have never been able to keep up with things. Here they are challenging us to learn all this history and perspectives. They told us that you need to be informed in order to make a difference in the world. I am learning that there is a lot that goes on that I am blind and deaf too, but that I should be standing up and fighting for. Just a warning that I will probably have a lot of different thoughts and perspectives when I return to the states. And I'm saying this after only 2 weeks! There is a joke that our teachers at LASP are brainwashing us to hate America. This is not true at all, but they are opening our eyes to what we're doing and how it is affecting the rest of the world. It's so cool to see things from a different perspective and realize how something that can seem so crazy from one perspective can suddenly make sense in another. I'm sure I'm not making sense right now, but all that to say that I am developing a Latin American perspective on things and I feel like I've learned more during my 2 weeks here than in the past 3 years of college! I love it.
Two specific examples that demonstrate. We've talked a lot about Christopher Columbus and the discovery of America. We often celebrate it, but in reality the conquistadors killed and took over the land and lives of thousands of people, destroying cultures and people groups. Not only did it hurt people then, but it continues to hurt the lives of many Latin Americans. They are free of foreign governments, but they often continued to be ruled by trade and transnational corporations. We've also been discussing the high cost of low prices. I am a bargain shopper as everyone knows, and I love my deals. I have never questioned how the prices are so low. How can things come from another country but only cost a dollar? The answer is cheap labor and poor living conditions. Ouch. It's a lot of things like this that are being presented to us and continue to swim around in my head. What am I going to do with this new wealth of knowledge? Am I going to continue to contribute or fight against the problem? I will continue to struggle through issues like that and many more throughout the semester, so if you're jealous of me going to the beach and volcanoes and such, remember I am doing a lot of work too.
That's all for now. I'll have to update after the weekend because we're going to Limon as a group. It's on the Carribean coast and is known for its poverty and racial diversity. We'll get some time on the beach, but it's of course an educational trip. Gotta love those. Until next time....
Saturday, September 8, 2007
September 1-8
Well, it´s been over a week so I apologize and say in advance that this may be a long one. So here´s what I´ve been up to....
Friday we had orientation the whole day at the LASP office. It was a bit overwhelming getting the syllabus and realizing, oh yeah, I am here to study. For my Advanced Language and Literature concentration I have to complete all written work in Spanish, including the 7-10 page research paper due at the end of October(ahh!!!). My basic schedule is Latin American Studies class 2 days a week from 8-12, ILE grammar and conversation class M-F 1-4, and the other times usually consist of getting around town and studying.
Last week was spent hanging out with my family and just doing whatever they did. Friday night I went with Fabiola to basically a high school dance. It was pretty fun, but I went home a little early and hung out with mom watching her favorite telenovela, or soap opera. Saturday morning we went to the equivalent of a farmer´s market except much bigger. It was a lot of fun especially learning all the new words for new fruits and veggies I saw. Bananas and carrots were like a foot long. It was a fun little day. That night I went with Fabiola and Vanessa and friends to a Spanish rock concert at the school. It was fun and I felt a little at home since I think of rock music as American.
Sunday I went with mom to church at Oasis de Esperanza (Oasis of Hope). It was such a neat experience. They sang several contemporary Christian songs in Spanish so it was easy for me to sing along. It´s a really big church, full of enthusiasm and passion. I really liked it and the coolest part is worshipping God in a new language. I always feel that my vocabulary is too small to praise God, and it´s cool to have another language´s vocabulary to use. After church I went with my mom and 2 of her sisters to the mall and window shopped. That night we just hung out and did homework. LOTS OF HOMEWORK!
Monday was the first day of riding the bus by myself. I was a little late, but I didn´t get lost so I was very proud of myself. I woke up around 6:30, left at 7:30, classes started at 8 and ended at 12, took a cab to ILE, ate lunch, had classes till 4, took a bus to San Jose, took a bus to Moravia my neighborhood, and arrived home around 6. What a full day! Homework, dinner, shower, and bedtime around 10-1030. I know it´s early but I am so tired by the end of the day! The sun comes up bright and early through my windows at 5:30 so I usually wake up then anyways.
Tuesday I didn´t have class at LASP so I just went to San Jose for a while then on to classes. Wednesday we had class at LASP and had a speaker who talked about TLC (or CAFTA in English) the Free Trade Agreement in the states. It´s a big deal that´s being voted on in October, so I´ll be here to witness a historical moment for Costa Rica. It´s really interesting. Basically the US is trying to impose its neoliberal policies on Costa Rica which tend to make the rich richer and poor poorer. It´s debateable, but the statistics back that view. This is in contrast with Costa Rica´s socialist government which historically has had pretty equal population. It´s a fight to hold on to old ways, or step into the new way many governments tend to be moving. This is just one of the many interesting topics that will be dealt with this semester. I´m not a very political person (really I´ve never paid attention) but here they are really throwing stuff out there and making you think about it. It´ll be an interesting semester, but I like the challenge and new viewpoints.
Wednesday and Thursday were pretty normal. Friday everyone was talking about weekend plans. We all want to take advantage of being in Costa Rica! Jessie, Caroline, Rachel, and I bought bus tickets for Saturday morning at shady Coca Cola terminal. Glad we don´t go to that part of town much. Caroline spent the night and we were up at 5 Saturday. A taxi picked us up at 6, we went and got Rachel and Jessie, made it to the terminal, and got on the bus headed for Quepas on the Pacific coast. It was a $4, 4 hour busride that took us to the beach! Manuel Antonio is a natural park like 10 minutes from Quepas. We spent the day there swimming and hiking. It was absolutely beautiful! We saw monkeys, huge lizards (like 2 foot), and other wildlife just hanging out. The park was everything you think of when you think of Costa Rica. Now we are at a hostel overlooking the beach and trees and beauty. We´re taking an early bus back to San Jose tomorrow to go to church and do homework. So here´s the rundown: $4 bus, $7 park ticket, $12 night at hostel, which equals a $25 weekend getaway to the beach! Priceless.
Costa Rica is such a cool country because you have mountains, beach, rainforest, volcanoes, everything! I love it. San Jose is a pretty dirty city but it is surrounded by mountains which make it beautiful. Homework has started to sink in and take its toll, but I still love this experience. The weather here is crazy. Sunny in the morning, rainy in the afternoon-night, 7 days a week. Although it didn´t rain at the beach today, Praise God! I´m getting used to the routine here and making my way around town. I love being immersed in the language and it is so comforting to have Caroline, Rachel, and Jessie to share this experience with.
I´m trying to think of a funny story to tell because I have laughed so much, but most of the stories are had to be there. We did have a scary experience on the bus this morning. We crossed 2 bridges where we had maybe 6 inches on either side of the bus. It wasn´t a concrete bridge either; it was like boards across and the bus shaked over every one. They weren´t very high off ground, but the crocidiles in the water did not make us feel any safer. At least we lived to tell about it and look forward to crossing them again in the morning on the way back! Pray for us.
Well, guess I better get back to my sunset on the Pacific ocean...love!
Friday we had orientation the whole day at the LASP office. It was a bit overwhelming getting the syllabus and realizing, oh yeah, I am here to study. For my Advanced Language and Literature concentration I have to complete all written work in Spanish, including the 7-10 page research paper due at the end of October(ahh!!!). My basic schedule is Latin American Studies class 2 days a week from 8-12, ILE grammar and conversation class M-F 1-4, and the other times usually consist of getting around town and studying.
Last week was spent hanging out with my family and just doing whatever they did. Friday night I went with Fabiola to basically a high school dance. It was pretty fun, but I went home a little early and hung out with mom watching her favorite telenovela, or soap opera. Saturday morning we went to the equivalent of a farmer´s market except much bigger. It was a lot of fun especially learning all the new words for new fruits and veggies I saw. Bananas and carrots were like a foot long. It was a fun little day. That night I went with Fabiola and Vanessa and friends to a Spanish rock concert at the school. It was fun and I felt a little at home since I think of rock music as American.
Sunday I went with mom to church at Oasis de Esperanza (Oasis of Hope). It was such a neat experience. They sang several contemporary Christian songs in Spanish so it was easy for me to sing along. It´s a really big church, full of enthusiasm and passion. I really liked it and the coolest part is worshipping God in a new language. I always feel that my vocabulary is too small to praise God, and it´s cool to have another language´s vocabulary to use. After church I went with my mom and 2 of her sisters to the mall and window shopped. That night we just hung out and did homework. LOTS OF HOMEWORK!
Monday was the first day of riding the bus by myself. I was a little late, but I didn´t get lost so I was very proud of myself. I woke up around 6:30, left at 7:30, classes started at 8 and ended at 12, took a cab to ILE, ate lunch, had classes till 4, took a bus to San Jose, took a bus to Moravia my neighborhood, and arrived home around 6. What a full day! Homework, dinner, shower, and bedtime around 10-1030. I know it´s early but I am so tired by the end of the day! The sun comes up bright and early through my windows at 5:30 so I usually wake up then anyways.
Tuesday I didn´t have class at LASP so I just went to San Jose for a while then on to classes. Wednesday we had class at LASP and had a speaker who talked about TLC (or CAFTA in English) the Free Trade Agreement in the states. It´s a big deal that´s being voted on in October, so I´ll be here to witness a historical moment for Costa Rica. It´s really interesting. Basically the US is trying to impose its neoliberal policies on Costa Rica which tend to make the rich richer and poor poorer. It´s debateable, but the statistics back that view. This is in contrast with Costa Rica´s socialist government which historically has had pretty equal population. It´s a fight to hold on to old ways, or step into the new way many governments tend to be moving. This is just one of the many interesting topics that will be dealt with this semester. I´m not a very political person (really I´ve never paid attention) but here they are really throwing stuff out there and making you think about it. It´ll be an interesting semester, but I like the challenge and new viewpoints.
Wednesday and Thursday were pretty normal. Friday everyone was talking about weekend plans. We all want to take advantage of being in Costa Rica! Jessie, Caroline, Rachel, and I bought bus tickets for Saturday morning at shady Coca Cola terminal. Glad we don´t go to that part of town much. Caroline spent the night and we were up at 5 Saturday. A taxi picked us up at 6, we went and got Rachel and Jessie, made it to the terminal, and got on the bus headed for Quepas on the Pacific coast. It was a $4, 4 hour busride that took us to the beach! Manuel Antonio is a natural park like 10 minutes from Quepas. We spent the day there swimming and hiking. It was absolutely beautiful! We saw monkeys, huge lizards (like 2 foot), and other wildlife just hanging out. The park was everything you think of when you think of Costa Rica. Now we are at a hostel overlooking the beach and trees and beauty. We´re taking an early bus back to San Jose tomorrow to go to church and do homework. So here´s the rundown: $4 bus, $7 park ticket, $12 night at hostel, which equals a $25 weekend getaway to the beach! Priceless.
Costa Rica is such a cool country because you have mountains, beach, rainforest, volcanoes, everything! I love it. San Jose is a pretty dirty city but it is surrounded by mountains which make it beautiful. Homework has started to sink in and take its toll, but I still love this experience. The weather here is crazy. Sunny in the morning, rainy in the afternoon-night, 7 days a week. Although it didn´t rain at the beach today, Praise God! I´m getting used to the routine here and making my way around town. I love being immersed in the language and it is so comforting to have Caroline, Rachel, and Jessie to share this experience with.
I´m trying to think of a funny story to tell because I have laughed so much, but most of the stories are had to be there. We did have a scary experience on the bus this morning. We crossed 2 bridges where we had maybe 6 inches on either side of the bus. It wasn´t a concrete bridge either; it was like boards across and the bus shaked over every one. They weren´t very high off ground, but the crocidiles in the water did not make us feel any safer. At least we lived to tell about it and look forward to crossing them again in the morning on the way back! Pray for us.
Well, guess I better get back to my sunset on the Pacific ocean...love!
Thursday, August 30, 2007
¡Estoy aquì! 8.30.07
If you don´t know, that means I´m here! I arrived in Costa Rica on Tuesday night and am currently at an internet cafè planning to catch you up on my life during the past few days. Here goes...
Tuesday morning began in West Palm Beach as my time visiting Luke came to an end. It was such a good experience to hang out, laugh A LOT, and meet his friends down there. That afternoon he drove me to Miami Airport and had to drop me off curbside because of the traffic. When I walked inside, it seemed like mere chaos as I was looking for one LASP representative. Luckily all us students had to put orange luggage tags on our bags which led me to a group of girls who led me to the LASP rep. I checked in, made it to the gate, and sat around for an hour or so meeting and talking with other LASP students. Our flight was supposed to leave at 7. We boarded at 6:15 and sat on the plane for 2 hours due to technical problems. After 2 hours, they finally got us a new plane, we switched gates, got a snack, and were off to San Jose.
We arrived to a retreat center where we all spent the night. I stayed in a room with Caroline Bumpus, Rachel Jones, and Jessie Strange. It has been so nice to have them here with me to go through this together and have each other as a comfort zone. Wednesday morning we began orientation after breakfast at 8. They gave us some information that we would need during the first few days, but mind you, they left a lot for us to figure out on our own. This program is very much experiential learning so they don´t just give a bunch of generalizations to comfort us.
Before lunch we drew our families. That is literally how in depth the process was to pick families. I drew a small family consisting of a mother and her 2 daughters, Vanessa and Fabiola. At 3 the families came and picked us up and off we were into the real world of San Jose. My mother is so sweet, constantly giving me hugs and encouragement. Vanessa is my age, 21, and Fabiola is 16. They are very fun and sweet, and I´m excited to have them to hang out with and show me around town. Their house is 2 stories. The downstairs consists of the kitchen, study room, dinning room, and sitting room. Upstairs contains 4 bedrooms, a bathroom, and a living room. I have my own room, which is very nice since many share bedrooms with siblings in this program. Their accomadations are very modern: warm water in the shower, refrigerator, microwave, oven, TV, car, cell phones, and American products like Nestle chocolate milk mix.
Of course there was the normal awkwardness upon meeting. There is so much unknown about each other, but yet you are family right away. We communicate, but I struggle with fishing for words and having to ask them to repeat stuff a lot. They are very patient and understanding and helpful. The girls speak English (although they are not supposed to around me), they do help me with words. I am so excited because I can already tell that I am going to be learning so much on a daily basis.
I spent the night unpacking, going on a walk with the mom, going to the store with Fabiola, dropping a friend off at her house, eating dinner, and journaling. I went to bed around 9:30 because wake up was at 4:15 this morning!!!! That´s right I got up at 4:15. I had to get ready, make my bed, eat breatfast, help make my lunch, and wash dishes. Mi madre and I left for the bus stop at 6. We got to the city by 6:35 where we met everyone at Teatro Nacional at 7. Today we had placement interviews, a health talk, and the rest of the day is being spent in small groups getting to know the city through a scavenger hunt type thing.
Well, that´s what I´ve been up to and now for funny stories. The funniest thing that has happened to me so far is what I´ve been eating. Yesterday I had beans and rice at every meal (and yes that includes breakfast). Lucky for me I love beans and rice. And you´ll never guess what I had this morning for breakfast: scrambled eggs, rice and beans, a piece of cheese, orange juice, coffee, and A HOT DOG! Haha, not the bun, just the weiner. Surprisingly the hardest thing to get down was the cheese. It just tastes kind of slimy and gross.
Well I must go because my hour is up. Love and miss you, mis familia y amigos!
Tuesday morning began in West Palm Beach as my time visiting Luke came to an end. It was such a good experience to hang out, laugh A LOT, and meet his friends down there. That afternoon he drove me to Miami Airport and had to drop me off curbside because of the traffic. When I walked inside, it seemed like mere chaos as I was looking for one LASP representative. Luckily all us students had to put orange luggage tags on our bags which led me to a group of girls who led me to the LASP rep. I checked in, made it to the gate, and sat around for an hour or so meeting and talking with other LASP students. Our flight was supposed to leave at 7. We boarded at 6:15 and sat on the plane for 2 hours due to technical problems. After 2 hours, they finally got us a new plane, we switched gates, got a snack, and were off to San Jose.
We arrived to a retreat center where we all spent the night. I stayed in a room with Caroline Bumpus, Rachel Jones, and Jessie Strange. It has been so nice to have them here with me to go through this together and have each other as a comfort zone. Wednesday morning we began orientation after breakfast at 8. They gave us some information that we would need during the first few days, but mind you, they left a lot for us to figure out on our own. This program is very much experiential learning so they don´t just give a bunch of generalizations to comfort us.
Before lunch we drew our families. That is literally how in depth the process was to pick families. I drew a small family consisting of a mother and her 2 daughters, Vanessa and Fabiola. At 3 the families came and picked us up and off we were into the real world of San Jose. My mother is so sweet, constantly giving me hugs and encouragement. Vanessa is my age, 21, and Fabiola is 16. They are very fun and sweet, and I´m excited to have them to hang out with and show me around town. Their house is 2 stories. The downstairs consists of the kitchen, study room, dinning room, and sitting room. Upstairs contains 4 bedrooms, a bathroom, and a living room. I have my own room, which is very nice since many share bedrooms with siblings in this program. Their accomadations are very modern: warm water in the shower, refrigerator, microwave, oven, TV, car, cell phones, and American products like Nestle chocolate milk mix.
Of course there was the normal awkwardness upon meeting. There is so much unknown about each other, but yet you are family right away. We communicate, but I struggle with fishing for words and having to ask them to repeat stuff a lot. They are very patient and understanding and helpful. The girls speak English (although they are not supposed to around me), they do help me with words. I am so excited because I can already tell that I am going to be learning so much on a daily basis.
I spent the night unpacking, going on a walk with the mom, going to the store with Fabiola, dropping a friend off at her house, eating dinner, and journaling. I went to bed around 9:30 because wake up was at 4:15 this morning!!!! That´s right I got up at 4:15. I had to get ready, make my bed, eat breatfast, help make my lunch, and wash dishes. Mi madre and I left for the bus stop at 6. We got to the city by 6:35 where we met everyone at Teatro Nacional at 7. Today we had placement interviews, a health talk, and the rest of the day is being spent in small groups getting to know the city through a scavenger hunt type thing.
Well, that´s what I´ve been up to and now for funny stories. The funniest thing that has happened to me so far is what I´ve been eating. Yesterday I had beans and rice at every meal (and yes that includes breakfast). Lucky for me I love beans and rice. And you´ll never guess what I had this morning for breakfast: scrambled eggs, rice and beans, a piece of cheese, orange juice, coffee, and A HOT DOG! Haha, not the bun, just the weiner. Surprisingly the hardest thing to get down was the cheese. It just tastes kind of slimy and gross.
Well I must go because my hour is up. Love and miss you, mis familia y amigos!
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Introduction from the States
Welcome and thank you for visiting my site!
As you may know, I leave on August 24 for West Palm Beach to visit my brother Luke for a few days. On August 28 Luke will drive me to Miami where I will meet up with the other 53 students from across the country who are a part of the Latin American Studies Program through CCCU (Council for Christian Colleges and Universities). 6 of these students are fellow Lipscomb students, 3 are good friends. Our journey begins in Miami as we meet each other and leave behind the comforts of home for the next 3 months.
From August 28 until December 11, I will be living in Latin America (Costa Rica for the majority of the time); studying the culture, language, and history; and transforming my North American perspective to that of a Latin American. My goal with this site is to be able to journal about what I'm doing, experiencing, and feeling for family and friends to be able to read. Hopefully I'll add pictures, too. This will be my main way of communication for the next months. I wish I were able to send personal emails, but I know time won't allow for such. I'd appreciate any prayers offered up in my name during my time away. Know that I will be thinking and praying for you as well. Be sure to keep me updated on your life as I'm away.
I still have another week at home and in Nashville and Memphis, so I hope to see you at least long enough to say good-bye. Thanks for your love, prayers, and support!
As you may know, I leave on August 24 for West Palm Beach to visit my brother Luke for a few days. On August 28 Luke will drive me to Miami where I will meet up with the other 53 students from across the country who are a part of the Latin American Studies Program through CCCU (Council for Christian Colleges and Universities). 6 of these students are fellow Lipscomb students, 3 are good friends. Our journey begins in Miami as we meet each other and leave behind the comforts of home for the next 3 months.
From August 28 until December 11, I will be living in Latin America (Costa Rica for the majority of the time); studying the culture, language, and history; and transforming my North American perspective to that of a Latin American. My goal with this site is to be able to journal about what I'm doing, experiencing, and feeling for family and friends to be able to read. Hopefully I'll add pictures, too. This will be my main way of communication for the next months. I wish I were able to send personal emails, but I know time won't allow for such. I'd appreciate any prayers offered up in my name during my time away. Know that I will be thinking and praying for you as well. Be sure to keep me updated on your life as I'm away.
I still have another week at home and in Nashville and Memphis, so I hope to see you at least long enough to say good-bye. Thanks for your love, prayers, and support!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)