Blog 4:  La Carpio

       The La Carpio experience was an incredible eye opening experience. Upon arrival we immediately started doing work in the community. Part of our group painted a new railing that goes up a new set of stairs. The other part of the group, including myself, carried buckets of concrete mix up and down the stairs to build a wall. The wall was being built to keep things from falling on the people when they walk up the stairs and to keep them from hitting their head on the things such as sheet metal.  Before the stairs were built people had to go up this steep mountain to get from their house to the top. It was really dangerous, especially when it rained because it created a mud slide. A woman even died going down this steep mountain before the stairs were built. 

I learned that there are still a lot of people that live in poverty. We also went into a preschool where children were learning and getting ready for primary school. It was really interesting because we got to see the town they live in and the school they attended. It really made me think about how they live a life in such poverty yet they get dressed up and look very nice and presentable for school. The children were very sweet and trying to learn. It was extremely interesting to meet and fall in love with these children and then think about what kind of home they would be going back to once school lets out for the day.

La Carpio does not hide that it is an area of poverty. I saw trash and dog poop laying everywhere. At one point I saw a little boy sitting in an area covered in trash and wires strung everywhere. It also smelled really bad in some areas. Many of the houses had pieces of tin hanging on them. Also the sidewalks were less developed in La Carpio than in San Jose. The sidewalks had water drainage ditches everywhere and sometimes it was just a piece of plywood going over the drainage ditch. I found that I looked down a lot as I walked because I never knew what I might step in. I also saw a lot of women and children together. Gail, the leader of Costa Rica Humanitarian Foundation, told us that it was common for families in La Carpio to be made up of mothers and their children. The fathers abandoned the family a lot of the time.  

Gail talked to us about the people living in this area and what they were going through and it was very sad. She talked about one girl in particular named Kimberly that had her first child when she was only 15 years old. A few years later she found out she was pregnant again. Both children’s’ fathers left Kimberly. When Kimberly’s mother found out Kimberly was pregnant again she kicked her out and cursed the baby.  When the child was born is was extremely sick (Kimberly believes the mother cursed it). Even after a year old it is still not up to where it should be. Shortly after Kimberly’s second child was born, Kimberly’s father, whom had been financially supporting her, died. She faced the reality of having an extremely sick child, an older child to feed, no source of income, no house, and she found out she had stomach cancer. Although she is going through all these tragic incidents, she still goes out and sells DVDs to make money and works every chance she gets to provide for both of her children. 

This true story really touched me because it made me think about what some children may be going through at home. They may not have the necessary support they need at home and they could be homeless.  I also want to make sure my students always get a snack in my class because they could not be eating at home. It is important that I give each child attention because again they may not be receiving that at home. Children no matter where they come from all want the same things: love and attention. I have to remember that no matter what their families and home life is like, I need to care for them just the same as any other students.

So far on my trip to Costa Rica, visiting La Carpio has been one of my favorite things we have done. I would love to live in Costa Rica and work with Costa Rica Humanitarian Foundation in La Carpio. To be able to help these people would be an incredible opportunity. Also working in the preschool would be really fun. All the children were so sweet. I just want to save all my money and buy them things like snacks, books, school supplies, and other necessities. I also really enjoyed helping add the concrete mix to the area where the wall will be built. I felt like I was a part of something and getting to help these people in poverty improve their walkways was incredible. If I come back to Costa Rica, I really want to volunteer at La Carpio. What an amazing experience!

Blog 3: La Paz Waterfall Gardens

            On Saturday, May 17 we visited the La Paz Waterfall Gardens. There were a ton of animals to see. All of the animals were rescued from the wild. I saw birds, butterflies, monkeys, big cats, snakes, frogs, toads, and oxen. A toucan perched on my shoulder. It was really awesome! One of the monkeys had a short tail because his had been broken off in the wild. This makes him disabled because monkeys rely heavily on their tails. One of the cool things about La Paz was that it wasn’t like a zoo in the United States. The areas where the birds and butterflies were kept was a place that people could walk into and touch and hold the animals. Also the habitats for the animals were very realistic and even gave the animals privacy if they wanted it. In Costa Rica animals are very protected. Jabier, our tour guide, told us that you are better off killing a person than an animal because the animals are so protected. Even the wild animals in Costa Rica are protected. This is the same everywhere in Costa Rica. When there were insects or lizards in my Mama Tica’s house she would never kill them even though she didn’t like them. She would just always scoop them up and put them back outside.

            After seeing all the animals at La Paz, we continued to see the waterfalls. Costa Rica has amazing waterfalls. I could just stare at them all day. They are muy bonita (very beautiful!) We saw around five different waterfalls at La Paz. There was a ton (I mean a ton!) of hiking and stairs to get to them but the view was well worth it! There was a spot where we could get fresh water by the waterfalls and the water tasted amazing! It was very refreshing after the long hike to the waterfalls. After viewing the waterfalls we left La Paz Waterfall Gardens. It was a great day. Seeing the animals and learning about how well they are protected was very interesting. At home bugs kind of freak me out, but I am really trying to emerge myself in the culture and be okay with bugs. I find that when I don’t freak out about them, I stay calm and they mostly leave me alone. Every time I see a bug I try to avoid it and I don’t kill them (except for I did kill a spider because spiders scare me too much.) Don’t tell Mama Tica! 

Blog 2:  1^st HomeStay

            Yesterday I met my host momma for the first time. While I was waiting at Centro Panamericano de Idimos Spanish Immersion School I found that I was very nervous waiting for Donya Cecilia (Mama Tica) to pick me up. When she did arrive she gave me a huge hug and I found this eased my anxiety. Her son, Bryan drove us to her house which is not too far from school (one kilometer). Byron explained to me (in English) how to get from school to her house.

Upon arriving at Donya Cecilia’s house she showed me around the house. There are two spare bedrooms, her bedroom, two small bathrooms, a living area, a small kitchen, and a small laundry room. I then tried to talk to her and quickly realized she speaks no English at all. We walked to the porch out front and sat. The view from the front porch is beautiful. There is a small area of grass (about a 5 by 10 foot area) with gorgeous flowers and a huge iron gate surrounding the yard.

We talked very little because I know hardly any Spanish and she said she didn’t know any English. I would point at things and she would say it in Spanish. For example I pointed at the flowers and she said, “flors.” I then said “bonita flors” for beautiful flowers and she replied, “si.” She then pointed at a dog and said, “perro.” We did small talk like this most of the time. She loaned me a Spanish-English dictionary which was very helpful. I definitely plan to buy one as soon as possible to help with talking to her.

Later in the evening she made the best Costa Rica meal I have had yet. We had arroz de pollo (rice with chicken), seasoned potatoes, plantains (muy bueno), beans, and a really good fruit juice called Cas. After dinner (cena) we went outside and sat on the patio mostly in silence with a few words here and there. It was already dark by six pm. I think it is going to take me a little while to get used to this difference from the United States. We are only an hour ahead of the United States, but because the sun rises around  five am and sets around six pm I always feel like it is so much later. I stayed up with my Mama Tica until ten thirty. I really love my Mama Tica. Although we struggle communicating, she tries to slow down her Spanish for me and we play lots of charades. After my first night with her, I am very ready to start learning Spanish tomorrow!

Blog 1: Pre-Travel

Blog 1:  Pre-Travel

It’s official! Today is the day I take off for Costa Rica! I’ve decided to study abroad with some other students from Missouri State University to broaden my own cultural experiences. By going on this trip I hope to become more culturally aware. I also want to understand what it is like for English Second Language students when they come to America, by going to a country where Spanish is the primary language and my first language is English. I hope to learn how to work with children that speak primarily Spanish. I want to learn how to help them understand what I am trying to teach despite our language and cultural differences.

            While I am on this trip I have three main goals I would like to accomplish. My first goal is to be able to speak and understand main words and terms in Spanish by the end of my trip. I want to be able to have a conversation in Spanish with my family and even understand what they are saying back to me. I will know if I have met this goal by the way I feel. If I can keep up with Spanish conversations or at least get the main point I will feel like I have accomplished my first goal. My second goal is to try new things. I want to get the full experience of being emerged into a family that speaks Spanish. I also want to try new foods and zip lining. I will know if I have accomplished this goal by having new experiences to talk about and describe in this blog. My third goal is to learn about literacy in the school systems. I want to see if there is emphasis is placed on literacy and how it is taught. I will know if I have met this goal by being able to describe literacy and its importance in the school in my research project. Another small goal that I am almost certain I will accomplish is to have fun. I want to enjoy my time in Costa Rica. I want to make new friends from both Missouri State University and Costa Rica. I also want to try zip lining, hiking through the rain forest, and seeing a volcano.

            As of right now I am feeling very excited about this trip. I am ready to get to Costa Rica and start experiencing the culture and the people. I am excited to see what the atmosphere is like. I am feeling a little bit nervous about meeting a family and then going home with them shortly afterwards. I am also a little bit nervous about the short walk I will have by myself in the mornings. Hopefully I am close to someone I know. I think parts of my fears are coming from the fact that I have never been out on my own. I still live at home with my parents so the thought of being where I know no one freaks me out a tiny bit. I think these fears will be great learning experiences for me. They will also help me grow into an even more independent person. I need to be able to stand on my own two legs and this will be a great way for me to do that. I am ready to conquer these fears and start this incredible journey to Costa Rica!