Things I Will Miss and Things I Am Looking Forward To

            So this is my last blog post from Costa Rica.  Sad.  Very sad.  I have grown so much here.  I have experienced a lot her.  I have made a lot of new friends here, both from the States and from Costa Rica.  I am sad to leave but also happy to come home.  I am a tornado of different emotions, being pulled in various directions.  I couldn’t sleep last night.  I was too busy thinking of people I would have to leave tomorrow, people I have grown to love.  Well, this chapter is ending and the next one is beginning – life after graduation.  To conclude this post, I want to leave you all with the things I will miss most about Costa Rica while also telling you what I am looking forward to when I return to the States.

Things I will miss:

·         Running around Parque de la Paz every morning

·         Playing futbol with the kids at the school I volunteered at

·         My host family (Juan Carlos, Gleys and Jose Andres)

·         Playing futbol on the PS3 with Jose even though I usually would lose

·         Having family dinners with my host family

·         Talking with my host family

·         As you can tell, I will miss my host family

·         Eating ice cream with Sofy

·         Buying $0.07 bananas

·         Having fresh, delicious fruit everyday

·         Going to the beach

·         Meeting new people

·         Making ‘boats’ with Sofy

·         Not having a lot of commitments to burden me

·         Being able to build relationships

·         Walking everywhere

·         Getting coffee with Laura

·         Speaking Spanish

·         Scaring Josh, my roommate, with Jose, my host brother

·         Warm weather

·         Eating eggs at every meal

·         Living in another culture

·         Only having to pay $2.00 to buy a movie ticket

·         …There are so many more things that I will miss.  But most of all, I will miss the relationships I have built with my host family, tico friends, and fellow students. 

On a happier, less melancholy note, here is a list of things I am looking forward to:

·         My pillows

·         My dogs and cats

·         Of course, my mother, father, brother, and sister

·         Baby carrots

·         Less expensive apples

·         Singing while driving in my car

·         Mowing the lawn

·         Running in the park by church

·         Going to my church

·         Eating General Tso’s with the folks

·         Making snowballs

·         Eating snowballs

·         Hugging MJ

·         Graduating

·         Finding a job

·         Getting my own apartment and moving out (even though I will miss my home)

·         Seeing my grandparents and aunts/uncles

·         Playing Bananagrams

·         Talking with my sister

·         Dollar bills

·         Riding home from the airport with my dad (maybe my mom too)

·         Street addresses

·         Making money instead of just spending it

·         And finally, making giant salads with my mom

·         … There’s more, but these are currently at the forefront of my mind.

Family Road Trips and Amusement Parks

I think it’s time for another picture post.  This time, you get double the pictures for half the cost!  Meaning, I’m going to share two events with you in one blog post.  Crazy thinking, I know.  The first set of picture you will see details the journey my roommate and I had with our host family to an area in Cartago that had been hit with a bad earthquake a few years ago.  My host parents went to talk to a family who needed help and we (Jose, Josh, and myself) decided to tag along.  What started out to be a simple journey turned into an adventure along a river and a friendly pickup game of soccer.  The second thing this picture post will detail is my trip yesterday with Laura to the Costa Rican amusement park, el parque de Diversiones.  We encountered more than just rides at the park.  Enjoy with your eyes!  Let me what you think by commenting below.

Myself, Jose, and Josh along for the ride.

A view of the countryside/hillside.  In this part of the country, they grow a lot of flowers that they export all over the world.

Gleys, Jose, and Juan Carlos climbing around on the rocks by the river.

The river we explored.  During the rainy season the river is very much so more alive.  It is also one of the cleanest and coldest rivers in Costa Rica.

The host family was nice enough to pose for a picture.

On the way home, we passed a soccer field with some kids playing.  Juan Carlos, my host dad, told Gleys to stop the car.  She did and he proceeded to get out and play soccer with these kids.

They were one short of having even teams so I joined in.

This kid was showing me his cleats.  He and I talked a bit in Spanish.  Some how he knew I was a gringo.  Notice Juan Carlos taking a breather.

The only roller-coaster there was in the park.

Laura and I just had to ride it.  Now we can both say we have ridden a roller-coaster in another country.  The ride was short but worth it.

No amusement park is complete without an octopus.

The park was free to enter but if you wanted to ride a ride you had to pay.  It was about $1 for a ride ticket.  This ride cost 2 tickets.  The roller-coaster cost 3.

A drinking fountain!  I think this is the only drinking fountain I have seen in Costa Rica my entire time here.  I miss drinking fountains and free public restrooms.

Inside the park, there is an old mock village.  Inside the village, there are many replicas of old buildings, stores, etc.

Here is a shot of the park inside the old village.

Here is a view inside one of the traditional houses that the village had to offer.

The creepiest baby I think I have every seen.  It was sitting on a bed inside one of the houses.  I think it has a mustache too.

There were water rides too.  It was a hot day which made these rides tempting.  However, we didn't give in.

Also in the old town were horse-drawn buggies.  However, the horses had the day off.

A grandmother and her granddaughter playing in the fountain.

They also performed different events in the old town.  We watched them perform traditional folklore dances.  Overall, it was a wonderful day.  Laura and I always make the best out of our excursions.

The Perfect Field

           Allow me to paint you a picture.  Imagine…  You’re lying in a field.  You’re back is pressed against the soft green grass.  In the light blue sky above, the clouds are white and fluffy, floating effortlessly across the horizon.  There’s a gentle wind blowing across the field, making you feel refreshed and tranquil.  It’s completely silent, nothing around you is moving; you’re not moving.  You’re just breathing, slowly, in and out… in and out.  

But wait, what’s that?  Something is making your right arm itch.  How annoying.  All you want to do is to relax in this field, just relax.  Wanting to remove the itch and get back to the lovely day, you reach over with your left hand and give the itch a good scratch.  Ahhh, at last, the itch is gone and you achieve your total peace and serenity again.  But, a few minutes later, the itch is back.  You reach over again with your left hand a squelch it, knowing exactly where it is and how to get rid of it.  Reaching harmony again, you go back to feeling the gentle breeze in the perfect field of lush green grass.

A little time goes by and you begin to feel the same itch again but in a different place.  You sit up, frustrated and upset.  You shout, “Why won’t you just leave me alone!  I just want to be happy; I just want to be at peace.”

Do you ever get an itch?  Does something ever make you frustrated?  Does someone ever disturb your peace?  I know that I am always itching.  Someone or something is always nagging at my mental utopia.  Whether that ‘something’ is me wanting to talk behind someone’s back or thinking mean thoughts about someone, itches can be very harmful if scratched.  This itch is sin.  The cause of this itch is the devil. 

Lying in the perfect field, we need to learn to ignore the itch.  We need to trust that God is going to remove this itch for us, helping us battle against the urge to scratch, helping us battle against the urge to give into sin and temptation.  And while scratching the itch provides a temporary relief, it is a false peace, a false sense of happiness.  It is a peace brought about by sin, a peace that will never last.  However, if we put our faith in the Lord, if we let him lead us and sooth our itches, we will find eternal peace through Him in heaven.  We all need to remember this.  I need to remember this.  Amen. 

Hey, You, Relax! Go to the Park; Read a Book

Lately, I have had a lot of free time to explore the inner workings of Ben and what makes him tick.  Although I volunteer at the La Escuela de Castro Madriz every morning from 8:00-12:00, I still have my entire afternoons and nights free.  Since I am quite the frugal person, I find interesting ways to pass my day without spending a lot of money.  Usually, I will go for a nice 45 minute run down to the park and back or I will take a nap (usually because I am worn out from playing soccer with the school kids for 4 hours every day).  However, this past Monday, I decided to walk to La Sabana, the largest park in San Jose, where the Costa Rican National Stadium is located.  

The National Stadium where Costa Rica recently tied Argentina 0-0 in futbol.

After the 3 mile or so trek to the park, I walked around it a bit just taking in everything.  Since no one had school Monday (it was a national holiday), the park was full of families playing soccer, kids riding bikes, people fishing in the ponds or just relaxing under the trees.  I brought a book with me that my host brother, Jose Andres, had lent me.  It’s a Spanish book called Pantalones Largos.  Usually, kids who have just finished 6^th grade read this book in school but, even though I am way past 6^th grade, this book is perfect for my level of Spanish comprehension.  

A view of the lake at La Sabana.

So, after having walked around the park a bit, I found a nice tree in the shade, nestled myself against its trunk and just read my book.  I read for roughly 2 hours or so, looking up words in my dictionary when necessary.  This book has really helped me improve my Spanish and I am very thankful Jose let me borrow it.  I am able to understand more spoken words than I was before and am beginning to use more new words too.  I only have about 30 pages left to read out of the 200 or so in the book.  Jose has already given me another book, a much larger and more difficult book, to read after I finish this one.  If not reading in a park, many days, I just relax on the couch in the house and read my Spanish book.  

A similar area to where I reclined against a tree and just read.

Life should be this simple.  Bored?  Go to the park, recline a bit, and read a book.  I struggle with this, however.  If you know me, then you know that I plan and schedule my life like a mad man.  I write everything down in my planner, I allot time for everything, and I sacrifice relationships, deep relationships, for my schedules.  I need to thank Costa Rica, thank this entire experience, for re-grounding me in the things that matter most in life – my friends and especially my family.  Too often I find myself caught up in the future, with what I have planned and with what I need to do.  I need to remember the now; I need to remember to relax, to have fun, to just talk to people and to sometimes curl up and read a book.  I don’t always have to be going going going in order to enjoy life.  In the words of Jack Johnson, “Slow down everyone you're moving too fast.”

Friendships and relationships are worth the time and effort.

Yes, I have neglected friends from the States while in Costa Rica but I have learned so much about friendship while being in this new country.  With less worries, with less things that I ‘have’ to do and schedule, I have been able to open myself up to simply hanging out with people, forgetting time and forgetting schedules.  I think now, after having experienced Costa Rica, I will be able to lead a more balanced life when I return to the States in a few weeks.  But of course I didn’t come to this realization on my own.  I want to thank the Lord for allowing me to pursue this amazing experience and for opening my mind to a new way of viewing His creation – my life.

Futbol in Central America - Buenisimo!!

            Last night, Laura and I went to a Saprissa home futbol game.  The game was against Real Salt Lake, an MLS team from the States.  Saprissa had lost to Real Salt Lake earlier the month before 0-2 and had to win the game last night by at least 2 goals in order to be able to advance to their league’s finals.  Let’s just say that the game was FREAKING AWESOME!!!  First off, we bought tickets from a scalper which was an experience in itself.  Second, we sat right behind the ‘crazies’ or as they are called here, the ‘ultra morada.’  We stood the entire game, sang chants the entire game, and made fun of the gringos the entire game. 

Honestly, this is how futbol is supposed to be played and enjoyed.  I think soccer fans in the States could learn a lot from Costa Rican fans.  I thoroughly enjoyed myself.  I took some pictures of the match so that you too could enjoy the game through me.  Also, there’s a video of some of the highlights from the game below too.  If you look closely after Saprissa scores its first goal, you can see me and Laura in the stands.

 

We arrived a little early but it was fun to sit and take it all in.  Plus, it was cool to see the stadium fill up.

Of course, I was sporting the Saprissa jersey.  I think if I had worn a Real Salt Lake jersey I would have been murdered, honestly.

Notice the Saprissa fan flipping the 'bird' to the left of the photo.  When Real Salt Lake came out to do their warm-ups, the middle finger was the choice signal to use by most Saprissa fans.  Also, dirty words, both in English and Spanish, may or may not have been yelled by the fans.

As seen in this photo, the row of seats literally right in front of us was the pep band/crazies section.  My ears hurt but boy was it worth it.  They have such passion for the game!

My Saprissa buddy for the night.  I mean Laura, not the guy behind me with his shirt off.

A live action shot of the game.  Saprissa is in purple and RSL is in white.

Another shot of the ultra morada (aka the crazies) in front of us with their huge bass drums, snares, trumpets, etc.

Two things, first, look how full the stadium is compared to the first picture I posted above.  Second, my favorite chant of that night was: "Vamos!  Vamos morados!  Esta noche, tenemos que ganar!"  It was amazing!  What a great night of futbol, jumping around, and chanting in Spanish.

       

           Okay, here's a highlight clip of the game.  If you look really closely between the 1:18 mark and the 1:20 mark, you can see me and Laura in the stands.  Okay, I'll help you out a bit finding me.  See the white and purple sign across the screen?  It says 'ultra morada.'  If you follow the 'M' in the sign up, you'll see a man in a tank top in front a huge bass drum, playing it.  Off the right shoulder of that same man, at a 90 degree angle, you'll see 2 people with Saprissa jerseys on.  One of those persons has his arm and hand sticking straight up in the air and is jumping up and down, that's me!  My 2 seconds of international fame.   

 

R.I.P. Senor Facial Hair

            So today is a sad day for my facial hair.  Yes, it was fun when it lasted but it must go.  Too often I find mustache hairs in my mouth and too often I catch myself stroking my chin hairs, caught up in some distant reverie, ignoring the world passing by around me.  To be honest, it is a liability to my health and education and I have to part with it.  We’ve become close over these past few weeks, taking walks together in the park and honing our Spanish speaking skills against one another.  Mr. Facial Hair, I will always have a place for you in my heart.  Goodbye.  If you would like to share a few parting words as well, please comment below.  In fact, write an ode if you so desire.  I know I will appreciate your kind words and I’m sure Mr. Facial Hair will hear and enjoy them from beard heaven as well.

The day before we had go our separate ways.

Tony Hawk and Children

            So, for those who don’t know, the month of April is the month I volunteer in Costa Rica.  The first three months were school stuff and now it’s volunteer stuff.  When I first signed up to study abroad, I noted that I wanted to help with a soccer program when I volunteered.  However, when I arrived in Costa Rica, the director of the volunteer programs said that soccer wasn’t an option since it had already started and only volunteering for a month wouldn’t work (not sure if she really tried but whatever).  Since soccer was a no go, I had planned on volunteering in the zoo, working with the animals, cleaning up poo, and possibly leading tours.  The director said the zoo would be fine. 

I found out this past Tuesday, the day before we started our volunteer work, that the zoo too wasn’t an option now.  Thanks for telling me in advance, right?  Anyways, the director said I could volunteer in Santa Ana at a nature preserve but that I would be working with plants, doing botany stuff.  I politely said no thank you because I wouldn’t get much interaction with people while looking at leaves, plus it would cost me $10 in travel expenses each day and I’m cheap.  So, I asked what else I could do instead of Santa Ana.  The director suggested a school.

Turns out, there’s a school near my house within walking distance that I could volunteer at and help out the physical education teacher, playing games and soccer with the kids all day.  Duh, why wouldn’t the director have suggested this in the first place?  Anyways, the director wasn’t sure if I could get ‘in’ since there was already three other volunteers at that school.  However, that same Tuesday, the director took the other three volunteers to look around the school and said I should tag along so she could ask the principal if it was okay for me to volunteer there too.  The principal said yes!

My first day of full volunteering was Wednesday, two days ago.  The school is ages 1^st-6^th grade and is a public school.  Let’s just say all the kids loved the volunteers.  The kids want to show us everything, tell us everything, learn what we like to do in the US, who we know in the US, what it is like in the US, how old we are, what are names are, etc.  I was bombarded with questions and did my best to answer them in Spanish.  Not many kids speak English at all and those that do can really only say things like ‘Hello’ and ‘What’s your name?’

I accidentally made the mistake of telling some kids I know Tony Hawk.  I thought they were asking if I knew of Tony Hawk so naturally I said yes.  Little did I know that I had just told them I was friends with Tony Hawk which quickly spread around the school like fire.  Later that day and all day yesterday, Thursday, I had kids coming up to me and asking me if Tony Hawk was my best friend and if I would sign their notebook since I was a friend of Tony Hawk.  I guess in their eyes being a friend of Tony Hawk makes me famous too.  Oh well, I feel like I’ve dug myself too deep to tell them the truth.  I guess Tony Hawk and I really are friends now.

Well, these past two days have been a blast with the kids.  I’m remembering their names, building relationships, and practicing Spanish.  I have basically been playing soccer with these kids all day long or being a monkey with them on the swing set.  But let me tell you, 4 hours a day with 300 kids really tires one out…Whew.  But in all, I think God filled the zoo with volunteers for a reason.  I think He wanted me at this school with these kids.  And so far I’m glad that I am here, with these kids, being their friend, learning and growing from them while also teaching them the things I know.