Today was great!
Today was the first day of my Spanish class. It took me an an hour and half to get to my class by bus through the city. Which seems like a while but its OK. I have Spanish class from 1-4 everyday. My class is with 3 other students and we meet outside in a beautiful garden, with banana plants, palm trees, and pretty flowers. I love having classes outside! It is so nice! Today it rained but we still had class outside because we have a little porch covering us. Everyone had an interview for about 20 minutes in Spanish with a professor and that is how we all got placed in our class, based on our ability shown in our interview. My professor is really nice, she doesn't speak English, everything is in Spanish so by the end of class my head hurts from thinking in Spanish all that time.
I was really nervous to get to and from my class today becasue I didnt think I knew my way around the city too well yet. However I managed to find all my bus stops and go shopping for school supplies. And when I got home my mom was so happy she was cheering for me! She is so nice!
After dinner tonight I gave my host family a package of Oreo cookies as a small gift from the US. They loved them! I got out the peanut butter and told them to try it with their oreos, but they were a little hesitant to try them and when they did they said they liked it but I knew they were lying so I called them liars and we all just sat around the table laughing!!!
My family is going to the beach for vacation in 2 weeks and I can´t wait. They said its so beautiful and they keep telling me great things about it!
Monday, August 31, 2009
San Jose
¡San Jose is a huge city!
I live 30 minutes from the city by bus in Tibas, Costa Rica.
I spent a day with 2 other girls walking around the city and getting a feel for it. We learned many important skills. Like how to work a payphone, how to buy certain products, how to take a taxi, how to take and pay for a bus, how to exchange money, use an ATM and go to an Internet Cafe.
It was a great day, tiring but great. San Jose is like NYC but without the tall skyscrapers. There are tons of people and cars and everyone wants to sell you something . The thing here is people don't have the right of way on the streets.
I'm nervous to travel alone in the city because I don't want to get lost. But I know once I do it once or twice it will become routine and very easy for me.
I live 30 minutes from the city by bus in Tibas, Costa Rica.
I spent a day with 2 other girls walking around the city and getting a feel for it. We learned many important skills. Like how to work a payphone, how to buy certain products, how to take a taxi, how to take and pay for a bus, how to exchange money, use an ATM and go to an Internet Cafe.
It was a great day, tiring but great. San Jose is like NYC but without the tall skyscrapers. There are tons of people and cars and everyone wants to sell you something . The thing here is people don't have the right of way on the streets.
I'm nervous to travel alone in the city because I don't want to get lost. But I know once I do it once or twice it will become routine and very easy for me.
Mi casa es su casa
My new house is very simple.
There is a gated garage out front, just like most houses here. Everything is locked up with gates. They don't have a yard or anything because all the houses are attached to each other.
There is a kitchen, dining area and a sitting area. There is one bathroom to share between all 5 of us. My brother and sister share a room and I have my own room, which is really nice. It is a small room with a bed and a nightstand and a closet to put my belongings in.
My house has access to the Internet which I am thankful for because it is far more convenient than traveling to an Internet cafe to use a computer.
The mom and grandmother are constantly cleaning the house. Clean floors are very important to them.
There is a gated garage out front, just like most houses here. Everything is locked up with gates. They don't have a yard or anything because all the houses are attached to each other.
There is a kitchen, dining area and a sitting area. There is one bathroom to share between all 5 of us. My brother and sister share a room and I have my own room, which is really nice. It is a small room with a bed and a nightstand and a closet to put my belongings in.
My house has access to the Internet which I am thankful for because it is far more convenient than traveling to an Internet cafe to use a computer.
The mom and grandmother are constantly cleaning the house. Clean floors are very important to them.
Mi nueva familia
My new family is a family of 4. Mom, dad, daughter and son. With 2 little white dogs. The dogs names are Dixi and Rollo.
My host mother is very pretty she is around 35 and her name is Xiania. She is very busy cleaning the house, cooking meals, and washing cloths all day. She also has a little hair and nail salon attached to the front of the house. My fathers name is Jorque he is around 40 and I love his laugh. He owns a business selling locks and keys for homes. My host mothers mom spends most of her time at our house too. She has a little store in the front of our house where she sells little toys and gaggets that she buys from the city. Her husband died of cancer a few years ago.
My sisters name is Pamela and shes 12. She wants to be a lawyer in the US when she grows up. So far we have played soccer a lot, painted our nails, went for a walk togther in her neighborhood, played bingo with her family, played jenga and my personal favorite was when she lent me her rollerskates.
My brothers name is David and he is 15. He has a mohock which is really sweet. He likes going to the gym and playing soccer. His school team is ranked 2nd in Costa Rica. Saturday we went for a run together which was nice. He wants to be a heart doctor here in Costa Rica when he grows up.
So far my family is really nice.
All their relatives live really close by. It is overwhelming when they all get together becasue they are all talking, laughing and yelling in spanish and I have no idea what they are saying! But my parents say that I am really good at spanish compared to the rest of the students they have hosted. The have hosted 4 other girls from the program before. I think they are just telling me that to be nice though!
My host mother is very pretty she is around 35 and her name is Xiania. She is very busy cleaning the house, cooking meals, and washing cloths all day. She also has a little hair and nail salon attached to the front of the house. My fathers name is Jorque he is around 40 and I love his laugh. He owns a business selling locks and keys for homes. My host mothers mom spends most of her time at our house too. She has a little store in the front of our house where she sells little toys and gaggets that she buys from the city. Her husband died of cancer a few years ago.
My sisters name is Pamela and shes 12. She wants to be a lawyer in the US when she grows up. So far we have played soccer a lot, painted our nails, went for a walk togther in her neighborhood, played bingo with her family, played jenga and my personal favorite was when she lent me her rollerskates.
My brothers name is David and he is 15. He has a mohock which is really sweet. He likes going to the gym and playing soccer. His school team is ranked 2nd in Costa Rica. Saturday we went for a run together which was nice. He wants to be a heart doctor here in Costa Rica when he grows up.
So far my family is really nice.
All their relatives live really close by. It is overwhelming when they all get together becasue they are all talking, laughing and yelling in spanish and I have no idea what they are saying! But my parents say that I am really good at spanish compared to the rest of the students they have hosted. The have hosted 4 other girls from the program before. I think they are just telling me that to be nice though!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
¡Adios USA Hola Costa Rica!
¡Hola!
I´m really excited to be studying abroad this semester! As I always thought studying in a different culture would open my eyes to many new things and different perspectives on life. However, while studying abroad brings many new and exciting things it also brings different challenges to the plate. Many of which I don´t have much control over. Things like a language barrier or not knowing what is going to happen next. For this experience and next four month of my life I wish to give it all over to the Lord, all the good and the many challenges that I will be facing. For I know He has great things in store for me, and He promises to never leave me if I put my trust in Him!
Saying bye to friends and family was hard but I was more confident than I expected. And although I was a little nervous to travel alone. God took care of that worry in an instant. On my first flight to Miami God placed one of my friends and his mother on the very same flight as mine. It was as if God was reassuring me of His presence on my trip, which I thought was so amazing!
Once the group all met up in Miami we traveled to Costa Rica together and arrived late at night to spend the night at a student resort center. I was so tired from traveling all day all I could think of was a bed to sleep on. And in the morning when I woke up the mountains of Costa Rica and the city around me was such a shock to me. It was absolutely beautiful. Here we started our orientation and got assigned our families.
Before I met my family I was nervous, excited and anxious all at the same time. The students all entered the room where the families were and one by one we were called to meet our families in front of everyone. When we entered all the families were cheering and clapping which I thought was so nice of them. I teared up a little. I was one of the first to be called where I met my host mom and dad. From here we gathered my suitcase and left for their house.
I´m really excited to be studying abroad this semester! As I always thought studying in a different culture would open my eyes to many new things and different perspectives on life. However, while studying abroad brings many new and exciting things it also brings different challenges to the plate. Many of which I don´t have much control over. Things like a language barrier or not knowing what is going to happen next. For this experience and next four month of my life I wish to give it all over to the Lord, all the good and the many challenges that I will be facing. For I know He has great things in store for me, and He promises to never leave me if I put my trust in Him!
Saying bye to friends and family was hard but I was more confident than I expected. And although I was a little nervous to travel alone. God took care of that worry in an instant. On my first flight to Miami God placed one of my friends and his mother on the very same flight as mine. It was as if God was reassuring me of His presence on my trip, which I thought was so amazing!
Once the group all met up in Miami we traveled to Costa Rica together and arrived late at night to spend the night at a student resort center. I was so tired from traveling all day all I could think of was a bed to sleep on. And in the morning when I woke up the mountains of Costa Rica and the city around me was such a shock to me. It was absolutely beautiful. Here we started our orientation and got assigned our families.
Before I met my family I was nervous, excited and anxious all at the same time. The students all entered the room where the families were and one by one we were called to meet our families in front of everyone. When we entered all the families were cheering and clapping which I thought was so nice of them. I teared up a little. I was one of the first to be called where I met my host mom and dad. From here we gathered my suitcase and left for their house.
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