Update

Hope everyone is doing well in the states. Things have been going pretty well here. It's been kind of quiet the past week or two. I'm looking forward to Amanda's visit. I think she is coming for my birthday. I did get to see Batman the other day and it lived up to the hype. I definitely recommend it.

Before you read the next comment don't judge me. But I have began watching the food network channel. I like a lot of the shows especially the next food network star. It is pretty interesting and I have actually tried to make a couple of the dishes. Plus it is one of the five or six english language channels so that has a lot to do with it as well. Maybe the reason my Spanish is not progressing is because I watch mostly english tv. But the Latin America sportscenter is pretty horrible because it is all soccer and tennis.

I think I am going to try my second go-round at the Catholic Church tomorrow. It is a little weird because of the language barrier and people looking at me weird because I don't know all the rituals, but I can't find any other Church in the neighborhood. I would like to be able to comprehend about 75 percent of the sermon before I leave Costa Rica and I think that is a realistic goal. I think I picked up about 40 or 50 percent of what the padre said a few weeks ago, but when he got going pretty quick it was a little difficult. Listening is the easy part though. Speaking is easily my biggest challenge. Poco a poco.

I´m ok

Sorry for not posting in a while. I have been a little busy, but things have been going good. I made it back to Jaco beach last weekend and enjoyed some beautiful weather. It was one of the rare days since I have been here that it did not rain. There were some killer waves which made for a pretty interesting surfing competition. (I did not compete. Although it looks like something that would be cool to learn.)

Classes have been going well. It is nice having a three day weekend and only having to wake up early twice a week. I think my students have really taking to my teaching style. I have seen some steady improvement in all of them.

I knew when I left the States there would be some things that I really missed and journalism has been one of those things. Luckily, I got in touch with the Zephyrhills News and I will be writing one story a week for them. There is a former ZHS player who is playing ball in a prestigous summer league so I will be writing about him for awhile. Then probably some High School sports in the fall.

I think I will be posting some flyers around Ciudad Colon about teaching some free English classes. It will be nice to give something back, although the hours that I have open might not be conducive to a lot of people who have to work or go to school. But hopefully I will get some responses.

Mom- Email me about when a good time to skype is. Look forward to hearing from you.

Don't Let Grandma Read This Post

For several reasons
1. I am working illegally in Costa Rica. I am working with a tourist visa.
2. I just got my own bank account today. The school has to write a special note to the bank for this to happen.
3. I am not paying taxes.
P.S. I am pretty excited to get out of San Pedro and move into Ciudad Colon. It is like two different worlds. The city is kind of dirty and dangerous. But Ciudad Colon is beautiful and it is what I expected when I moved here.

Overexcited street vendors, taco bell makeout sessions and awesome spanish teachers

I haven't posted for a week so I thought I would cram some stuff from last week into one post. The first was the person selling me pizza on the street. I had never seen anyone so excited to sell a 400 colonie (.80 cent) piece of pizza. The restuarant had an inside, but I decided to get it to go. Good thing because I think if I would have gone in the waitress would have talked my ear off. I gave a couple of polite gracias and was greeted back with no no gracias a ti. Con todo mi corazon. En serio. Really you are thanking my with all your heart? You had to be there to see it. She kept going on and thanking me and it was kind of awkward. It was like I was the only person who had bought something from the restaurant. The pizza tasted fine although I was worried that with all the emocion and excitement the waiter had that there might be some type of illegal substance in the pizza that would get me kicked out of Costa Rica.

The second experience was more gross than funny. And no, I was not fortunate enough to have a make out session with a tica at taco bell. But the PDA at Taco Bell was kind of disgusting considering how long it lasted and that they probably just stuffed down a couple bean burritos with salsa picante. Que feo no.

Finally, moving on to my awesome spanish teacher. I think she is awesome basically because she basically resembles my teaching style in the classroom. She is laid back, throws in a few jokes and tries to make things interesting and talk about things I want to discuss. I also like that, even though I speak spanish like a child, she speaks at a normal to quick pace and does not slow down. I think the only way to learn a language is to hear it at a normal pace and even with beginners like myself it is good to talk at a normal speed. It is also nice having class for two hours a week now instead of one.

Pretty Interesting Article

http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/man_who_used_stick_to_roll?utm_source=EMTF_Onion

I thought this was pretty interesting. And it actually came from the sports department of a newspaper. Kind of puts things in prospective, although I still want to be a sports writer in the future.

The story is about Tiger Woods by the way.

I am required to write a least one thought provoking blog a month

So here goes. This months topic: racism.
I wouldn't call it as much racism, but more a feeling of superiority.

Since I have moved here I have really enjoyed the Tico people and their culture. From the people giving up their seats on the bus for older or pregnant women. Or the people taking a real interest in helping my find some place, even though I did not buy anything from their store. It seems like a more relaxed atmosphere, although people in the city drive and walk much crazier than people in the states.

However, the general attitude toward Nicaraguans or Nicos is the only thing that is really troubling. I can understand the general ribbing or teasing one of my students gets because they say he looks like a Nico. That is all in good fun. But it goes a lot further than that. In the baseball game I went to my first week, the catcher and one of the opposing teams fan got into a yelling match and started cursing at each other. The woman, a Nica, and the catcher from Costa Rica. I could actually understand the cuss words then the woman repeatedly saying Nicaragua and don't make fun of my country.

It was not just this incident, but the feeling in general that gives me kind of a sour taste. The people looking and laughing at people buying the Nico Times. The spraypainted graffiti all over the walls.

I know both Ticos and Nicos are very proud of their heritage so maybe I am making too much of this, but it seems very prevalent everywhere I go. One of my students the other night pointed out to me it is very similar to the United States and Mexico. The Nicaraguans working in Costa Rica are generally doing labor work and living illegally. He said most Costa Ricans don't dislike Nicaraguans, but that the few Nicaraguans that do bad things and are bad people give the country a bad name.

I don't really what to think. I haven't read anything in the paper about hate crimes or malicious acts. And the only real fight I saw was at the baseball game. Feel free to send me your thoughts and if you think I am overreacting.

Amanda's awesome blog

I'm sure most of you reading this already know my sister Amanda has her own blog, amandaisthenewblogspot.blogspot.com. But since she plugged my blog on her site, I felt like I should return the favor.

It is very insightful and funny at the same time. So give it a look.