La Carpio

First night in Monteverde

We made it!! After a long and bumpy bus ride on a winding road up the mountains we arrived to Santa Elena, Monteverde.  I had gotten very very sick this particular morning so I sat in the front of the bus hoping not to get sick, and it worked!!  It was dark and pouring rain as we shuffled off the bus in an unkown area. I would definitely say i was a but nervous for the unexplexed: a new family, a new neighborhood, would they like me? etc...

I left with a 13 year old girl who walked me home down a muddy road until we reached a sign that said "villa lodge". I remembered that my family mentioned they lived next to a hotel so I was relieved I didn't have to walk too far with by heavy bags.  As I approached the house I could hear many voices and dogs barking.... I am not a huge fan of dogs so I knew this would be a challenge for me, but I was ready!

The family welcomed me into their home with open arms which was a relief.  I have fears and anxiety about being alone, in a foreign country and in a strangers home but they made me feel right at home the moment I walked in.

This family has a young mother and boyfriend as well as six childre ranging from 8months to 16.  It is a mixed family in a rather small, basic home with 3 bedrooms and 1 bathroom for the family to share, plus one extra bedroom for me. It will be a tough adjustment from my last home stay where I had my own private room and bathroom detached from the house, but I'm excited for this new adventure.

My mama Tica's name is Rebeca and papa Tico is Rene.  They are both avid runners and enjoy listening to music and spending time together.  I learned that Rene has two daughters (who attend the cloud forest school & speak English) and Rebeca has two daughters and a son who attend public school in Santa Elena & do not speak any English.  Together they have a sweet and adorable baby!! I wondered why the dads children go to private school while the Mom's children go to public school? 

I will be spending two weeks with this family so I really hope to form close bonds with them, communicate in Spanish and learn about their family values, Tico culture and fun facts about Monteverde!

Poverty as a Childhood Disease

This past Friday our group went to a small village of 35,000 people on a strip of land between a landfill and sewage treatment center.  This land and town is known as La Carpio where undocumented, impoverished Nicaraguans live.  We spent the day with a lovely woman named Gail who has devoted her life to bettering the lives of women and children in this area.  Gail created a Humanitarian Foundation through her own home which educates and supports the people of La Carpio.

I was very nervous as we drove through the streets of La Carpio, finally reaching our destination of a small school where Gail would give us a presentation describing what it is like for children to live in such conditions.  

"POVERTY AS A CHILDHOOD DISEASE"

She gave us an analogy of being sick and a child in poverty.  You feel stressed, depressed, emotional, and many other symptoms every day.  

Many children go without proper meals, clean clothes, a warm bed, a roof over their heads or fresh water. It was eye opening listening to Gail explain the extreme poverty that these children live in everyday, and it lit a spark in each of us, wanting to help out in any way possible.

The grandmothers of La Carpio met with us and told us their stories of immigrating, and their struggles living in La Carpio.  Although it is a tough place to live, they want to make it better for their children, grandchildren and future generations.  Due to the fact that La Carpio is a town of undocumented people, the government does not acknowledge them in any way or service such as trash removal etc...  So, the streets are full of trash because people will just throw their bags on the side of the road, making La Carpio a very dirty place.  The Grandmothers have created a movement which will hopefully educated the people of La Carpio on how to recycle, dispose of trash and keep their community clean.  Gail made a very good point during her lecture about how we associate poor people with being dirty people.  They do not want to be dirty but they do not have a choice.  They do not have running water to bathe, they do not have proper trash disposal... So many times, being dirty is not a choice... It's what children are born into, what they know, and what continues until someone breaks the cycle.

As educators we can help break the cycle of impoverished children by educating them, keeping them off the streets and ensuring that they have food to eat, clean clothes and know their potential.  Many women, children and teens in La Carpio feel stuck because all they've ever known is living in a tin hut, poor, hungry, tired and depressed.  Many men in La Carpio feel empowered and abuse their property, the women.  The humanitarian foundation is trying very hard to educate women and give them the opportunity to break away, feel strong, independent and worthy of a better life. 

After all of our education on La Carpio it was time to walk around the streets and meet the people in is community.  To my surprise, everyone was friendly, welcoming and interested in listening to what we had to say in regards to improving their community.  I met amazing children, one special needs boy in particular who completely melted my heart.  He lived in a small tin hut with plastic walls.  He emerged from the front of his home and immediately grabbed a girl named Christy.  He embraced our group with a bear hug and had a smile ear to ear.  I will never forget this little boy who must've been 5 years old or so.  He was just so happy to see us and we danced in the alley way with him for a few minutes which was magical.  Due to his disability he couldn't really speak but that didn't matter, his joy filled the air and I knew from that moment that I want to make a difference, use my resources and help children like him who need an advocate in education.  

Costa Rica is a catholic nation so sex education is not discussed or mentioned at all in schools, especially La Carpio.  Young girls are not educated at all on this topic and it is becoming a huge problem in their town for teenage pregnancy.  As we walked the streets we saw at least 15 young girls who were pregnant which sparked an interesting group conversation.  We wondered what healthcare was like for these undocumented people? Do they have proper medicine, healthcare and opportunities for immunizations etc..??? 

Spending the da in this town was completely shocking, eye opening and reflective. It was physically and emotionally draining, and left me extremely grateful and blessed for what I have.  A few of us though about how we spend excess money on clothes, shoes and materialistic things like phones, iPads etc.. And these people don't even have fresh running water, food or shelter for their families.  It's a rude awakening, but very important.  I a so glad I had the opportunity to witness La Carpio and I have a whole new outlook on life due to my experience. 

As a teacher, I will have children who will go to bed hungry, who will not have clean clothes or a roof over their head.  I need to take that into account at all times and help as much as a can. I will teach lessons on hygiene because a student may have never seen soap before.  I will teach lessons on self respect, and give my students opportunities to keep them off the streets.  I need to pay special attention to cues that a child is hungry, abused or without clean clothes.  

 I need to remember at all times that I was very, very fortunate to have a family and all of my belongings and that many people are not as fortunate, so giving back, donating and spending time with children such a those in La Carpio is not only rewarding for myself but imperative to those people as well.

During this trip I have felt so many emotions so far, this day in particular the most.  I know what I am doing with my life, I am educating the future, I am educating children who may not know what tomorrow will bring and I know I will make a difference.

PURA VIDA-PURE LIFE

If I could describe Costa Rica in two words “Pura vida” would be the answer.  It is the most commonly used phrase in CR, which literally means “Pure life”, but the saying goes beyond its simple translation: it’s a way of life. It symbolizes the idea of simply enjoying life and being happy. It’s a synonym of “hakuna matata” and reflects the relaxed lifestyle of Costa Ricans.

Do we have a national slogan that is used daily in the US? In Costa Rica you can walk down the street and everyone will say "PURA VIDA!!" To you.  It brings a smile to my face every time I say or hear it around school & town.  It came be used instead of saying hello, goodbye, thank you etc...

If We could chose a slogan for the United Sates I wonder what is would be?? 

Calle Hernandez

First Impression, Homestay & Elementary School

What a whirlwind experience this strip has been so far! Within a matter of days I have been able to travel through a foreign country and experience things only a few people get to experience in their lifetime.  As my first reflective blog post, I have a ton to talk about so this may be quite long but definitely worth your while :)

First impression: when our bus picked my group up from the airport I wasn't sure what to expect, a big city, crowds of people, chaos etc... I was immediately confronted with many different people, a different language and a bit of a culture shock.  We drove through San Jose on our way to Heredia and I was a bit taken back by the trash, run down homes and buildings.... but with a picturesque view from afar. As we drove through this city I questioned the living conditions of the families and children I would be staying with in San juaquin which is a mere 15-20 minutes outside San Jose.  We had been told numerous times San Jose is a dangerous place to be and what I saw during our drive definitely solidified that fact. 

Over the weekend our group stayed at a wonderful note called La Condesa which was located in Monte De La Cruz.  It was a beautiful resort and our time there was very short but I am so glad I was able to bond with my group from UNCW as well as the students from Missouri state university.  We traveled to La Paz and Poas Volcano on Saturday and Sunday and ate DELICIOUS food for breakfast, lunch and dinner each day.  A typical meal is a casado with rice, beans, vegetables, chicken, fish or beef as well as plantains and fruit.  I was planning on losing a bit of weight here in CR but that is definitely not going to happen with their large portion sizes!!! 

Homestay:  on Sunday night, we took a walking tour of the streets our home stays would be on and then we met back at CPI which is our Spanish immersion school to meet our host families.  I was nervous, excited and still in shock that I was in Costa Rica let alone leaving with my own host family in a matter of minutes.  So many questions popped into my mind as we stood in a line waiting for our named to be called. Would my family speak English? Would they like me? Will I have my own room/bathroom? What kind of food would they have? Etc.... One by one our UNCW-MSU group got smaller and smaller as more names were called.  Finally, it was time.... "Carolina" (the pronunciation of Caroline in Spanish) was called.  A short woman with shoulder length black hair greeted me with a hug and a kiss on the check alongside her young son Samuel. The first thing she said to me was.... "No habla Ingles" 

Well that's that! I knew from that point I had to break our language barrier and perfect my Spanish speaking skills so I would be able to communicate with my family.

We pulled up to a home with sky high black gates and barred doors and windows, and children playing futbol outside.  I wondered why all of the homes I had seen so far were caged in and secluded? Everyone I met thus far had been so warm, welcoming and inviting.  I discovered that it is just the "norm" in Costa Rica to have the locked gates and that it is nothing to worry about safety wise.

My Papa tico and Mama tica greeted me with "mi casa, su casa" which was exactly what I needed to hear to calm my nerves.  I met their three boys as well as aunts, uncles, grandparents and at least a dozen cousins who all live on the exact same street either next to or across from my house.  I wondered why everyone was so close and wished my family back home was like that!! All of their doors were wide open and the children played while I attempted to converse with the family.  They have a very simple one story home with white tile floors and white walls. There are two bedrooms, one bathroom and a common living space with a dining table and one couch. The kitchen is small with all of the necessities, no frills.  They do not have a television or many materialistic items, instead they focus on being together, sharing stories and enjoying each others company.  

Being at this home is a complete culture shock, but in a way I really love the simplicity and calm feeling I get when I am home with them each morning and night.  The hot rooms, bugs and cold showers are tough to get used to but I've been able to manage so far!This experience had taught me a lot about appreciating what I have as well as my friends and family back at home.

Schools:

  I can empathize with English language Learners in the US now more than ever before and that is truly a gift.  The language barrier I have is one of the hardest struggles I've had to deal with while in Costa Rica.  Even though children are taught English throughout their eduction, most are not fluent and the older generations rarely speak any English at all.  A few examples of times when I felt defeated after trying so hard to communicate toCosta Ricans was asking for directions, ordering food, trying to figure out how to work my shower etc...  The little things that I took for granted before is now harder than ever.  When I become and teacher and I have an ESL (English as a second language) student I will be able to reflect back on how I felt during this 

experience and understand exactly what they are going through.

Today I had my first experience in a school called Calle Hernandez.  This was about a 30min ride outside of San Juaquin.  It was in a poor, rural area surrounded by beautiful mountains, barbed wire and livestock everywhere.  The school had two buildings with an outdoor corridor in the middle.  The buildings were painted a bright green with tropical paintings on the walls.   Children were running around playing, interacting and learning in all directions.  I was a bit taken back by the inside of the school.  One classroom, no walls, wooden desks, no school supplies, no ceiling, basically horrendous learning conditions but despite all of that, the students and teachers All had smilies on their faces and were so excited that we were there to help and teach as much as we could! This school teaches in both English and Spanish do most of the students were bilingual.  My experience today changed my life and outlook on teaching completely and I cannot wait to learn from these students and teach them as much as in can! The students deserve a great education and endless opportunities and I know that their teachers as well as my group will foster that learning environment and provide them with what they need to be successful in life.

Pictures

Good morning!

My first day inCosta Rica was amazing!! We were able to exchange our money, sight see a bit and stop by a local farmers market to try some delicious local fruit and veggies!! For the weekend we are staying at a hotel called La Condesa which is absolutely breathtaking in the mountains! It's 6:30am here are we have a meeting at 7 for breakfast and then off to do some hiking in La Paz which has waterfalls, wild animals and awesome sight-seeing!! 

here is the view from my room!

A few snapshots from the market and airport..

Night before!

The trip is finally here! In a few hours I will be boarding the plane to Costa Rica and I am so overwhelmed with so many different emotions... Fear of the unknown, excitement and overall joy for being able to embark on this journey. I am so thankful for all of my amazing friends and family members who have donated and those who are keeping me in their thoughts and prayers. 

This trip is going to tough, but I know that everything will be worth it in the end... And I probably won't want to leave!! Spending time as an SLL learner, being totally immersed in the Costa Rican culture will teach me valuable lessons that I will be able to apply in my future career as a teacher. I will feel exactly how Spanish speaking children feel when they learn in American schools.  Most people do not know what it's like to have that language barrier so I know this will only benefit me in the future! 

I've been up since 3:30am to catch my first flight to Myrtle so it's definitely time for bed :)

**** reminder I will NOT have my cell phone so please email, Skype or check my blog for updates.

 

The joys of packing

We're closing in on the trip... And I'm still living in Wilmington! This is very stressful because I have to move out on Sunday, drive home to New Jersey then I'll have Monday through Wednesday to prepare for Costa Rica and then I leave on Thursday to fly to Durham to meet my friend and tripmate Kristen AND THEN drive to Myrtle Beach and finally fly to CR.  I have so much to get done in a very short amount of time so thank goodness for my parents and family members who have been graciously helping me get what I need to live in CR!  I think most of us dread packing, and trust me, I am procrastinating trying to fit 3.5 weeks of stuff in ONE small duffle bag and a backpack.  Yes, that's right... One bag and one backpack.  Now, coming from someone who packs a month worth of clothes for a weekend stay, I'm going to need serious help with my over-packing problems!!

We have been given a list of items to bring with us and that has helped out tremendously! There are some things I would never have thought to bring with me!! A few big items that I had to purchase was a nice backpack, and multi-purpose sandals.  We were advised to bring clothes that are lightweight and things that will dry quickly because it is rainy season and they do not have dryers so everything will drip dry outside. I invested in a nice poncho style rain jacket for those pouring afternoons I hear so much about :)

My mom has put together a first aid, medicine and supply kit for me which will definitely come in handy throughout the trip!  Now all I have to do is fit everything in my bag!! Wish me luck!

Ill post again on Thursday before my flight departs and then again when I land in Costa Rica with pictures!!

xoxoxo
Caroline