Well, I leave my house in 12 hours. To get on a plane that will take me to another plane which will take me to my other house. In my other country. With my other family. With my other friends. In, what feels like, my other life.
I feel almost as antsy-nervous-excited as I did when I left for Costa Rica. The reality of the end has been slowly dawning on me since yesterday after I finalized all my paperwork with the university. Not quite here yet, but it's getting there.
In the mean time, I sleep, finish packing, eat breakfast and say goodbye for the last time. Then I'll be off on my next adventure. Wish me luck!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Final Steps
Well, I have two days and the remainder of this one in Costa Rica, follow that up with a bag-drag on Saturday and I'll be back in good ol' BG.
I have survived/experienced: cockroaches, food poisoning, public transportation, classes in my second language, life in my second language, cold showers, boredom, exhaustion, sunburns, excessive sand everywhere, mosquito bites, information overload, homesickness, cold sickness, allergy sickness, dehydration, back pain, sleepless nights, beans, rice, beans and rice, culture shock, family shock, blisters, exhaust fumes, pollution, being hit on by drunk guys, being hit on by sober guys, catcalls, phone calls, skype calls, torrential downpours, thunder, lightening, futbol games, big ants, little ants, mean ants, smaller ants, nice ants, leafcutter ants, black ants, red ants, ants stuck in my computer (not joking), Costa Rican aunts, and several paragraphs more of poorly listed items.
Oh, and then there were some phenomenal experiences. Still digesting everything, so don't look for any dramatic summing-up style entries for a few weeks. If they even make it here, then.
The fact that I'm leaving doesn't feel real to me yet. I'm still waiting for reality to kick in and smack me in the face. Probably some time during my layover in Houston, I'll realize that I just left Costa Rica and don't know when I'll make it back here, but until then, I'm still just floating along without homework and with tons of free time. It's rather nice.
So, all that to say, it's been a blast, it's been a challenge, and thus far, I haven't failed any classes yet. Can't wait to see you all whenever I have the pleasure of doing so.
Pura vida!
I have survived/experienced: cockroaches, food poisoning, public transportation, classes in my second language, life in my second language, cold showers, boredom, exhaustion, sunburns, excessive sand everywhere, mosquito bites, information overload, homesickness, cold sickness, allergy sickness, dehydration, back pain, sleepless nights, beans, rice, beans and rice, culture shock, family shock, blisters, exhaust fumes, pollution, being hit on by drunk guys, being hit on by sober guys, catcalls, phone calls, skype calls, torrential downpours, thunder, lightening, futbol games, big ants, little ants, mean ants, smaller ants, nice ants, leafcutter ants, black ants, red ants, ants stuck in my computer (not joking), Costa Rican aunts, and several paragraphs more of poorly listed items.
Oh, and then there were some phenomenal experiences. Still digesting everything, so don't look for any dramatic summing-up style entries for a few weeks. If they even make it here, then.
The fact that I'm leaving doesn't feel real to me yet. I'm still waiting for reality to kick in and smack me in the face. Probably some time during my layover in Houston, I'll realize that I just left Costa Rica and don't know when I'll make it back here, but until then, I'm still just floating along without homework and with tons of free time. It's rather nice.
So, all that to say, it's been a blast, it's been a challenge, and thus far, I haven't failed any classes yet. Can't wait to see you all whenever I have the pleasure of doing so.
Pura vida!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
In Which Appears a List of Items United by the Sole Fact that I have Compiled Them
- Since universities in the US started getting out, the demographic in Heredia has visibly changed.
- My spelling abilities in English have gone down the tubes since I got here.
- I now appear to have internet again and thus be contactable. For the remaining 13 days of my stay.
- The US got their butts kicked in the futbol game on Wednesday. 3-1. And we barely even got away with that.
- I walked to class in the rain on Friday, got wet and then froze to death for the three hour duration of class. Cold. In Costa Rica. So strange.
- Costa Rican residence halls are very similar to those in the states, with a few exceptions: no carpets, larger refrigeradors, guys and girls share bathrooms, and every student has a rice cooker.
- I walked past a guy singing and playing electric guitar outside the Soda at the university on Thursday, thought to myself about how utterly horrible his singing was (he's not a bad guitar player but I'm pretty sure he's mostly tone deaf) and then managed to end up meeting him and hanging out with him for several hours on Friday night. Where, unfortunately, he decided to grace us (myself and friends) with his skills...luckily, he doesn't know the words to most of the English songs he plays. Led Zeppelin need not be quite so ashamed.
- I left the residence hall at 1:00, Saturday morning. Unfortunately, the guards lock the gates of the entrance so you have to grab a taxi outside. Even more unfortunately, the gates are not merely designed to keep out cars, but also casually-interested pedestrians. Ended up crawling under the gates (along with five others, not all gringos) while our bemused taxi drivers waited and watched from the comfort of their cars.
- I've been praying that my shampoo will last me til the end for the last month and a half. I think it just might do it.
- It will be good to get home where I know where the toilet paper is kept.
- We had a potluck dinner on Friday. I brought a loose rendition of Mexican Pinwheels (ie picante taquiticos mexicanos) and was surprised at how well it was received. If nothing else, I thank my mother for bringing that recipe into my life. It has saved me numerous times.
- They do not sell canned green chiles nor green onions (fresh, of course) in Costa Rica. Leastwise in Hipermas.
- Doesn't look like I'm going to make it to Arenal *sigh*
- They grandfathered me into the system! WA state recently changed a bunch of requirements for getting your endorsement in world languages. It was going to make my life very complicated. Luckily, they also put in a grace period...still only have to take one test! Not three!
- I think I'm going to need to come by some reading material for the trip home.
- This time, a year ago, I had nearly survived my first week in Nicaragua.
- I'm super psyched that I get to be home for Father's Day. Even if only just.
- "Even if only just." If that isn't a nightmare for someone learning English, I don't know what is. Barely makes sense to me, and I wrote it.
- I'm trying to figure out if I need to buy another bag to bring home the mountain of books and papers I've aquired. I don't think so...
- It's going to be very confusing to come home to PNW summer weather. Mostly, the sun going down between nine and ten. The sun has not set after six o'clock for the past nine months of my life.
- Speaking of which, I have a very poor perception of climatic "normal," right now.
- My friend asked me last night if I wished I had gone to study in Chile (which, from the things I've heard, sounds rather more developed and current than CR). I could honestly say that I did not. And it felt amazing.
- I have some friends who went bungee jumping. Watched the video. I couldn't do it. Kind of wish I could. But no.
- There's another host student coming to stay today (did I mention the last one in here?) I'm not really supposed to talk about it, lest word get back to the homestay coordinator. ISEP guarantees us a house with only one student, but my parents ran it by me (the student is from a different program and only stays for five days) and I don't mind at all. The last girl spoke no Spanish. My host mom speaks no English. I got to play translator for a week and it was kind of fun.
- Spanish capitalization rules make so much more sense than English.
- I should be studying.
- From my house, on various days, I can hear: futbol games, church bells, band practice, choir practice, choirs during mass and the beeping noise at the crosswalk two and a half blocks from my house. That last one is new. And rather annoying.
- Okay. I'm going to go study now.
- My spelling abilities in English have gone down the tubes since I got here.
- I now appear to have internet again and thus be contactable. For the remaining 13 days of my stay.
- The US got their butts kicked in the futbol game on Wednesday. 3-1. And we barely even got away with that.
- I walked to class in the rain on Friday, got wet and then froze to death for the three hour duration of class. Cold. In Costa Rica. So strange.
- Costa Rican residence halls are very similar to those in the states, with a few exceptions: no carpets, larger refrigeradors, guys and girls share bathrooms, and every student has a rice cooker.
- I walked past a guy singing and playing electric guitar outside the Soda at the university on Thursday, thought to myself about how utterly horrible his singing was (he's not a bad guitar player but I'm pretty sure he's mostly tone deaf) and then managed to end up meeting him and hanging out with him for several hours on Friday night. Where, unfortunately, he decided to grace us (myself and friends) with his skills...luckily, he doesn't know the words to most of the English songs he plays. Led Zeppelin need not be quite so ashamed.
- I left the residence hall at 1:00, Saturday morning. Unfortunately, the guards lock the gates of the entrance so you have to grab a taxi outside. Even more unfortunately, the gates are not merely designed to keep out cars, but also casually-interested pedestrians. Ended up crawling under the gates (along with five others, not all gringos) while our bemused taxi drivers waited and watched from the comfort of their cars.
- I've been praying that my shampoo will last me til the end for the last month and a half. I think it just might do it.
- It will be good to get home where I know where the toilet paper is kept.
- We had a potluck dinner on Friday. I brought a loose rendition of Mexican Pinwheels (ie picante taquiticos mexicanos) and was surprised at how well it was received. If nothing else, I thank my mother for bringing that recipe into my life. It has saved me numerous times.
- They do not sell canned green chiles nor green onions (fresh, of course) in Costa Rica. Leastwise in Hipermas.
- Doesn't look like I'm going to make it to Arenal *sigh*
- They grandfathered me into the system! WA state recently changed a bunch of requirements for getting your endorsement in world languages. It was going to make my life very complicated. Luckily, they also put in a grace period...still only have to take one test! Not three!
- I think I'm going to need to come by some reading material for the trip home.
- This time, a year ago, I had nearly survived my first week in Nicaragua.
- I'm super psyched that I get to be home for Father's Day. Even if only just.
- "Even if only just." If that isn't a nightmare for someone learning English, I don't know what is. Barely makes sense to me, and I wrote it.
- I'm trying to figure out if I need to buy another bag to bring home the mountain of books and papers I've aquired. I don't think so...
- It's going to be very confusing to come home to PNW summer weather. Mostly, the sun going down between nine and ten. The sun has not set after six o'clock for the past nine months of my life.
- Speaking of which, I have a very poor perception of climatic "normal," right now.
- My friend asked me last night if I wished I had gone to study in Chile (which, from the things I've heard, sounds rather more developed and current than CR). I could honestly say that I did not. And it felt amazing.
- I have some friends who went bungee jumping. Watched the video. I couldn't do it. Kind of wish I could. But no.
- There's another host student coming to stay today (did I mention the last one in here?) I'm not really supposed to talk about it, lest word get back to the homestay coordinator. ISEP guarantees us a house with only one student, but my parents ran it by me (the student is from a different program and only stays for five days) and I don't mind at all. The last girl spoke no Spanish. My host mom speaks no English. I got to play translator for a week and it was kind of fun.
- Spanish capitalization rules make so much more sense than English.
- I should be studying.
- From my house, on various days, I can hear: futbol games, church bells, band practice, choir practice, choirs during mass and the beeping noise at the crosswalk two and a half blocks from my house. That last one is new. And rather annoying.
- Okay. I'm going to go study now.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Wrapping Up
17 days. 8 classes. Two finals. Two projects. Two flights. Home.
That's a brief summary of my immediate future anyway. Unfortunately, it does not look to include any volcanoes or convenient internet service. My household internet seems to have inexplicably disappeared and due to the joys of dealing with large corporations everywhere, I can't find a real person to talk to for the life of me. Ergo, looks like I may be hard to get a hold of for the remainder of my trip. Since that's only about two and a half weeks, shouldn't be too big a deal.
Anyway, not much to send out into the interweb today. The end of semester in Costa Rica plays out very similarly to the end of semester at home: study, cram, pretend to study, pretend to cram, cobble together beautiful powerpoint presentations which hopefully cover your lack of actual preparation...no really, sometimes I'm a good student. Actually, I'm a good student in the classes that interest me and seem worth my while. Unfortunately, most of my projects are in the class that I really couldn't care less about. I'm just hoping to scrape a disinterested passing grade in that class and then run with it.
Today is the big Costa Rica vs US futbol game in San Jose and sadly, in spite of being here, I didn't manage to get my hands on a ticket in time, so I'll probably be stuck watching it on tv. Still haven't decided who to root for; I figure if I just wear red, white and blue and cheer for everything, I'll be safe.
Anyway, I've avoided my homework quite long enough. Hope you are all doing well and I'll be in touch with everyone as soon as I can be.
Pura vida.
That's a brief summary of my immediate future anyway. Unfortunately, it does not look to include any volcanoes or convenient internet service. My household internet seems to have inexplicably disappeared and due to the joys of dealing with large corporations everywhere, I can't find a real person to talk to for the life of me. Ergo, looks like I may be hard to get a hold of for the remainder of my trip. Since that's only about two and a half weeks, shouldn't be too big a deal.
Anyway, not much to send out into the interweb today. The end of semester in Costa Rica plays out very similarly to the end of semester at home: study, cram, pretend to study, pretend to cram, cobble together beautiful powerpoint presentations which hopefully cover your lack of actual preparation...no really, sometimes I'm a good student. Actually, I'm a good student in the classes that interest me and seem worth my while. Unfortunately, most of my projects are in the class that I really couldn't care less about. I'm just hoping to scrape a disinterested passing grade in that class and then run with it.
Today is the big Costa Rica vs US futbol game in San Jose and sadly, in spite of being here, I didn't manage to get my hands on a ticket in time, so I'll probably be stuck watching it on tv. Still haven't decided who to root for; I figure if I just wear red, white and blue and cheer for everything, I'll be safe.
Anyway, I've avoided my homework quite long enough. Hope you are all doing well and I'll be in touch with everyone as soon as I can be.
Pura vida.
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