Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Update on the bedmaking
We've sighted (and killed) a chinche, although happily it wasn't in anyone's bed. Imagine that at about an inch long, and carrying the threat of Chagas' disease, which from what I hear is pretty nasty. I don't really care about the scorpion thing anymore lol.
Students arrived yesterday and so far today we've taken them on tours through both the center and Atenas. Atenas is like a 10 min drive from the center and has like 6 main roads, so it's pretty easy to navigate. There's a central plaza/park, a market, and a church that are the main markers. It's becoming apparent to me that my AmEx card won't work like, anywhere. It's all Visa and MasterCard.
I need to come up with some kind of project to work on while I'm at the center. One of the last interns was writing a paper with Sergio, and Daniela is helping with the Rainforest Alliance Certification that the center's working on. It's also hard right now because a) I don't know much about what everyone's working on, and b) we'll be going on field trips like every couple of days. Maybe for now my project will be improving my Spanish lol.
I've actually started running in the mornings with Daniela and Jess (the student affairs manager). I'm still awful and have to walk periodically, but we've been doing about 3 miles a day. This morning we got going at 6am because we needed to be on time to breakfast. It's also MUCH cooler then, so you're not dying by the end.
I need to come up with some kind of project to work on while I'm at the center. One of the last interns was writing a paper with Sergio, and Daniela is helping with the Rainforest Alliance Certification that the center's working on. It's also hard right now because a) I don't know much about what everyone's working on, and b) we'll be going on field trips like every couple of days. Maybe for now my project will be improving my Spanish lol.
I've actually started running in the mornings with Daniela and Jess (the student affairs manager). I'm still awful and have to walk periodically, but we've been doing about 3 miles a day. This morning we got going at 6am because we needed to be on time to breakfast. It's also MUCH cooler then, so you're not dying by the end.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Sooo, I kind of love the people here. My Spanish is still in need of some work, but I'm more comfortable using it. It's better to stumble around trying to talk than to sit quietly. Especially everyone at the center is used to it. And it's funny, some people I can understand perfectly and some people I can't understand anything they say. I've been talking to one of the guards, Melvin, a lot. He gets kind of lonely in the guard house and he's always looking for someone to talk to. His accent is a little difficult for me, but he's really patient. Evelyn, the cleaning lady, is also really sweet and encouraging. It's funny, I don't know the professors very well at all yet because they've been on vacation for the past couple of days. Everyone clears out during days off. It also seems to be really easy to travel around Costa Rica, which helps. I read somewhere that the whole country is about the size of West Virginia.
The wildlife is pretty cool, there's iguanas EVERYWHERE and Gerardo (center director) hates them. They break into the greenhouse and eat the lettuce and seedlings, and they pee all over everything. If you hear something funny scrabbling on the roof, you can be about 95% sure it's an iguana. There's also tons of smaller lizards and geckos around. There's one that lives near the dish washing area that's probably the size of a AAA battery. Last night Daniela pointed out a GIANT toad near the pool, it was like the size of a kitten (ok, maybe a very young kitten). We also apparently get capuchin monkeys around the kitchen, but I haven't seen them yet.
The wildlife is pretty cool, there's iguanas EVERYWHERE and Gerardo (center director) hates them. They break into the greenhouse and eat the lettuce and seedlings, and they pee all over everything. If you hear something funny scrabbling on the roof, you can be about 95% sure it's an iguana. There's also tons of smaller lizards and geckos around. There's one that lives near the dish washing area that's probably the size of a AAA battery. Last night Daniela pointed out a GIANT toad near the pool, it was like the size of a kitten (ok, maybe a very young kitten). We also apparently get capuchin monkeys around the kitchen, but I haven't seen them yet.
Friday, July 8, 2011
A couple of things I didn't expect:
-my hair appears to LOVE it here. I don't understand, it always protested so vehemently to humidity. It was great in Mexico too, I guess it just wants me to go abroad all the time.
-it pays to be neat and clean. Scorpions like piles of clothes...so I feel like the time it takes to make my bed is worth it.
-the food is MUCH better than the travel blogs say.
-plaintains (platanos) are awesome. Ok, I did kind of expect that.
-my spanish skills depend on who's talking. I understand Yendry perfectly, but can barely catch the gist of the cooks.
-lizards everywhere, from itty bitty ones to iguanas that destroy the lettuce beds.
-people with the same name as me (more or less). The name Katy is pretty common, and pronounced kah-tay. As a result, I'm Katy to half the people here.
-two words: MANGO TREES. Everywhere. The season's almost over, but there's still a couple hanging around (haha).
-my hair appears to LOVE it here. I don't understand, it always protested so vehemently to humidity. It was great in Mexico too, I guess it just wants me to go abroad all the time.
-it pays to be neat and clean. Scorpions like piles of clothes...so I feel like the time it takes to make my bed is worth it.
-the food is MUCH better than the travel blogs say.
-plaintains (platanos) are awesome. Ok, I did kind of expect that.
-my spanish skills depend on who's talking. I understand Yendry perfectly, but can barely catch the gist of the cooks.
-lizards everywhere, from itty bitty ones to iguanas that destroy the lettuce beds.
-people with the same name as me (more or less). The name Katy is pretty common, and pronounced kah-tay. As a result, I'm Katy to half the people here.
-two words: MANGO TREES. Everywhere. The season's almost over, but there's still a couple hanging around (haha).
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Costa Rica!
Well, I made it to Costa Rica in one piece, as did my luggage. Actually, that's a lie. There was a box that broke into multiple pieces, but that's not important. I was met at the airport by another intern Mark and Yendry (pronounced JEN-dree, not sure what her job is yet). Atenas is a little over half an hour's drive NW of San Jose. Turns out, Mark and Amara (Student Affairs Manager) are leaving soon and tonight was their going away party. I was warned that it would probably be a little weird, since my first introduction to everyone would be at a party. There's so many people at this center, I need like a cheat sheet. Unlike Mexico it looks like almost everyone brought their family to live here, and the default language is Spanish. Last night I realized my Spanish needs a lot of work! Everyone was really really nice, even when I couldn't understand them lol. It's obvious that everyone here is really close.
I'll update on what the center looks like once I get some pictures.
I'll update on what the center looks like once I get some pictures.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Reflection: One Year Later
I was thinking recently that it's been about a year since I left Mexico. I remember I cried as my plane left the ground at Mexico City. My friend Dylan and I went as far as DFW airport together and we both teared up when we parted on the SkyTrain, because it meant that it was all over.
We were warned about reverse culture shock, and some of the frustrations we'd encounter. Our friends and family lived so many months without us, and they certainly weren't sitting twiddling their thumbs waiting for news. Most people would ask "how was Mexico" and you'd think how in the world can I sum up four months of my life in a foreign country in a few words? And there were things about American culture that we'd temporarily forgotten about. Like the neighbors' Turf Wars and the existence of an entire wall of breakfast cereal when you've been used to three.
I've realized that 2010 was extraordinarily good to me. I spent three months abroad experiencing a new culture, came home and went almost directly to Pymatuning to (finally) do my own experiment for the first time, acquired a new niece, and moved in with some great roommates.
Apparently I've changed some over the past year. Studying abroad made me more outgoing and confident. For some reason studying abroad had been something I'd thought would be nice but would never actually happen. It came as a bit of a shock when I realized I was two days away from leaving the country for three months.
I did a lot of things that I would have been terrified of- I'm thinking specifically of a hike across a mountainous island on loose rock with steep hills. I managed to get directions from a security guard in the Guadalajara airport with my rusty Spanish.
Over the summer, I learned to really push myself and expect more out of myself. Big kudos here to my mentor Dr Rickey Cothran, who leads by example and is never worried.
Around New Years I was worried that there was no way 2011 could live up to 2010. Five months in, I think it might. I pushed through my last semester of college (and sometimes I really had to push!) to finish my thesis and graduate. Breaking my back was less than enjoyable, but it followed news that I would be spending the next year in Costa Rica.
We were warned about reverse culture shock, and some of the frustrations we'd encounter. Our friends and family lived so many months without us, and they certainly weren't sitting twiddling their thumbs waiting for news. Most people would ask "how was Mexico" and you'd think how in the world can I sum up four months of my life in a foreign country in a few words? And there were things about American culture that we'd temporarily forgotten about. Like the neighbors' Turf Wars and the existence of an entire wall of breakfast cereal when you've been used to three.
I've realized that 2010 was extraordinarily good to me. I spent three months abroad experiencing a new culture, came home and went almost directly to Pymatuning to (finally) do my own experiment for the first time, acquired a new niece, and moved in with some great roommates.
Apparently I've changed some over the past year. Studying abroad made me more outgoing and confident. For some reason studying abroad had been something I'd thought would be nice but would never actually happen. It came as a bit of a shock when I realized I was two days away from leaving the country for three months.
I did a lot of things that I would have been terrified of- I'm thinking specifically of a hike across a mountainous island on loose rock with steep hills. I managed to get directions from a security guard in the Guadalajara airport with my rusty Spanish.
Over the summer, I learned to really push myself and expect more out of myself. Big kudos here to my mentor Dr Rickey Cothran, who leads by example and is never worried.
Around New Years I was worried that there was no way 2011 could live up to 2010. Five months in, I think it might. I pushed through my last semester of college (and sometimes I really had to push!) to finish my thesis and graduate. Breaking my back was less than enjoyable, but it followed news that I would be spending the next year in Costa Rica.
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