That is where I will be four days a week! Mountain of the Cross.
Yesterday, I got to move in to my home stay with Hannia and Eme. We live pretty close to San Rafael, but a decent distance from everyone else's houses.
It is hard for me to pick what to write about. Speaking Spanish 70%-80% of the time gets difficult. Yesterday an electrician and his friend came over to look at some stuff for my host mom and I ended up talking to his friend Santiago about things like 9/11, the economy and (I'm having trouble coming up with a word in either language right now) the polarization of social classes (rich and poor). I have a really limited vocabulary. It is frustrating. Also, the electrician was like 'you're not from North America'. So apparently I look European (thank you, padre, for the dutch heritage? or perhaps living in Peru and thus having an accent).
This is a church in San Rafael (the pueblo near school). I forgot to take a cartwheel in front of the one in Heredia (the ciudad near school).
I appreciate the patience with which people interact with me. I know I'll pick up the Spanish quickly, but I admit, when I am tired and trying to make sense when conversing, it really doesn't work well. Grace abounds. I am also trying to learn to be less of a planner - take life more as it comes. Which is really difficult to do when I am starting to think about job applications for 'real life' as so many people are kind enough to warn me is coming up quickly. Note: sarcasm. The abyss that is next year is terrifying, I wish people would stop reminding me about it.
Learning to speak a language is really hard. I've already had moments of 'Seriously??? Why am I doing this to myself??'
Walking around the pueblito, ciudad and campus -
Yesterday, I got to move in to my home stay with Hannia and Eme. We live pretty close to San Rafael, but a decent distance from everyone else's houses.
It is hard for me to pick what to write about. Speaking Spanish 70%-80% of the time gets difficult. Yesterday an electrician and his friend came over to look at some stuff for my host mom and I ended up talking to his friend Santiago about things like 9/11, the economy and (I'm having trouble coming up with a word in either language right now) the polarization of social classes (rich and poor). I have a really limited vocabulary. It is frustrating. Also, the electrician was like 'you're not from North America'. So apparently I look European (thank you, padre, for the dutch heritage? or perhaps living in Peru and thus having an accent).
This is a church in San Rafael (the pueblo near school). I forgot to take a cartwheel in front of the one in Heredia (the ciudad near school).
I appreciate the patience with which people interact with me. I know I'll pick up the Spanish quickly, but I admit, when I am tired and trying to make sense when conversing, it really doesn't work well. Grace abounds. I am also trying to learn to be less of a planner - take life more as it comes. Which is really difficult to do when I am starting to think about job applications for 'real life' as so many people are kind enough to warn me is coming up quickly. Note: sarcasm. The abyss that is next year is terrifying, I wish people would stop reminding me about it.
Learning to speak a language is really hard. I've already had moments of 'Seriously??? Why am I doing this to myself??'
Walking around the pueblito, ciudad and campus -
- senses = assailed by more smells that you can imagine, not all good. Imagine Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans (HP reference) but in smells. Yeah.
- Also, cows wander the roads and my neighbors have a rooster. Or two?
- Coffee plants grow right next to houses. There isn't really a distinction between residential, commercial or agricultural.
- A latte here is very different from a latte in the USA.
- Campus is super sustainable - composting, building a greenhouse, banana tress, planting of tons of herbs and fruit trees. Love it.
- Our chef and Maintenance man work miracles in their respective fields. It is awesome.
- English class on Thursday nights = the best thing ever. period. We have awesome neighbors.
