Church with the charismatic ribbon dancers

Its Sundays like these that make times go by fast in Costa Rica!


So this Sunday my friend Kennesha and I planned on going to her church and then making cookies afterwards. I was excited but then Kennesha told me that her church lasts 2 hours! What!?!?!? She was surprised that that was long for me, thats how her church is back home. I told her my church is like and hour and once you start going past that hour, its like hey... lets not push it... at least thats how I grew up. But I still wanted to go since I have been a heathen and not attended church in a while. I don't blame myself, I get dressed and then my host parents just decide not to go or say I can't go because they have an appointment afterwards or whatever, not a problem! So, we are walking to church and Kennesha notices that the crowds of people are not around... well church started an hour later than usual this week, ugh. So we decide to go buy the cookie mix at auto mercado (The upscale grocery store: its basically like Harris Teeter.... which I am in love with, plus there is air conditioning, for convenience while you shop). On the way to walking to the bus stop we heard people in a church singing and decided to do an impromptu church thing. We went in and sat down... it was a sauna, but whats an hour right? But then as I sat there my mind wondered... What if this lasts for more than an hour? Wow that girls shirt is pretty... What religion is this? I wondered what religion it was and then I saw the star of David. Now I have never been to a Jewish temple but I just don't think they lift their hands in the air and shout random things, and have people dancing all around. Then, there were like 8 girls dressed in these as I like to call them "mormon polygamy dresses"  with the star of David embroidered on them, and they were doing synchronized dances with ribbons. Kennesha said this stuff dates back to the 80's. So after sitting and sweating and trying to figure out the religion, I noticed they had been doing praise and worship for over an hour... if praise and worship is over an hour (and they looked like they were just starting to get into it) then how long is the sermon going to be. As I was thinking of how Kennesha was probably thinking this was so cool, she leaned over and said "Do you want to leave?" Girl read my mind. I said yes and just like that... we became church ditchers. Heathen x 5 + 20 = sinner. Haha, I mean, we couldn't even understand what they were saying. 


Afterwards we went to Auto Mercado for cookie mix and somehow I spent $25... I like being a girl, I can blame this shopping on the fact that I am a girl. muhahahaha. Kennesha and I returned to her house and made guacamole and chips (Whoever is reading this have it ready for me when I get home) and chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. Then we watched Gullivers Traveles (I recommend it). It was a wonderful way to spend my Sunday!

Las Malas lluvias!!!! And the penultima cooking class

So this one time, my friend came walked into her house after she had just been rained on... Her host mom told her to hurry up and take a shower! She said "las malas lluvias las malas lluvias" which means the bad rain! She said she was going to get sick! We all laughed at this because who doesn't love to run in a summer rain? I always used to run in the rain during the summer and never got sick, in fact... pure rain always feels so wonderful. I have yet to be caught in the rain in Costa Rica. Long after hearing about the malas lluvias our other friend told us she got caught in the rain and understands why it is bad now. She said she smelled like a sewer afterwards. Must be this city rain! We're all from the suburbs! 

So yesterday was our last cooking class as a small group... um yay! Next week it will be a joint class with all of the three classes. The last class was awesome! Chocolate fondue with strawberries and bananas for dessert... so delicious! Its bittersweet... mostly sweet. I loved my cooking class but who says it stops in Costa Rica? Thinking about having a cooking night with Michael where we pick a difficult recipe and cook it! We both love cooking, especially together... so the end of the cooking class is actually great, I get to look forward to continuing it! 

So the countdown is at 2 weeks and 2 days... I don't count the saturday I come back into that equation because I am counting down to that day! I know sitting in the airport will seem like forever but I have waited this long! 

Easter!!!

So guess what? Its no big deal around here, its like any other Sunday really. This makes me sad! I thought Costa Rica was a really Catholic area, but I haven't experienced much religion around here! I usually go to church with my host family but ever since their son was kicked out of the house, we haven't gone. Com'on, its Easter Sunday! People go to church on Easter! To me, its one of the most important days in Christian history. In Costa Rica, they focus on Good Friday... but isn't it the resurrection what was so incredible? For me, I did have the chance to realize that Easter isn't all chocolate bunny, deviled eggs, and my family throwing a big party... its about Christ and what he did for us on the cross and that he rose on the third day. It was sad sitting in my bed all day doing nothing, but then I think of what Jesus did for me and I realize that today was a really great day. 

Can we talk about something great?

So I returned from Bocas del Torro... my final trip while in Costa Rica... bittersweet some might say but for me, this is all sweet. The trip home was kind of like the trip going there... long, hot, sweaty, and full of listening to my ipod thinking about Michael. Am I excited about going home? YES! Its not that I don't like it here or anything but I love my life at home and I really can appreciate it now for what it is really worth. People! We have it so good in the USA! Sometimes Costa Rica can make me depressed just by seeing what people live like. While on the bus we drive by houses and people are just hanging out on their porch and just watch the people go by. Some people toilets in Panama are just a shack with a hole carved into it. Is it sad this makes me depressed? What if my life was like that? Its not, I was handed this wonderful life full of opportunity, happiness, amazing people, family... not that people don't have that here but lets be honest for a second, we have it so much better. I'm not saying i'm better, because i'm not, but what i'm saying is I can't believe how lucky I am for the gifted life I really have. I think back on people from my high school that said my house was a decent size... psh, my house is a mansion compared to the rest of the world... I don't think i'm going to forget that. Appreciation... i've learned it. 


Can we talk about how I have 3 weeks left here? Where did the time go? The next few weeks will probably go by even faster because I have exams and final projects to turn in. I have already completed some of my final projects so its the exams I have to study for, oh joy! I have $50 for the next few weeks... think it will last? I hope so...


So what does it mean when I get back? All my friends... I miss them! My family, wow do I miss them too. Michael... all I think about is running into his arms in the airport, then music will play. A song that you would hear at the end of a Disney movie is appropriate for this moment. Then everyone will smile and laugh with joy, just like the hobbits did with Gandalf at the end of The Lord of the Rings. Then I will go home and eat everything for like 2 straight weeks that doesn't have the words RICE or BEANS in its recipe... and i'll gain back all the weight I lost here. Life isn't good, its great. 


Semana Santa: It mean "Holy Week" which is why I had spring break this week. Today was Good Friday and everything was closed around here! I really can't complain, I feel like thats how it should be in the US... I mean Christ dying on the cross is a day that should be remembered. I'm just surprised everything closes down on Christmas... although another important day no doubt, but the ultimate sacrifice is a more memorable day to me... Just a thought really.


I'm thinking of starting a new blog when I get back... but i'm not sure what I want it to be about... not sure if anyone would read it. I just like writing down my thoughts...

More Bocas del Torro

Yesterday was awesome! We booked a tour for a catamaran sailboat and got the child's price for only $33! It was a tour that lasted from 930am to 430pm. We sailed around, hung out, read books, sang, snorkeled in two different locations and got foot long turkey sub sandwiches for lunch and it included a drink of choice! The tour guy was this german guy who was hilarious. We were on the tour with 5 other girls, it was so chill. But enough writing... pictures are more fun!

 Our apartment!

 We are making our own food instead of going out. I made Mickey pancakes! My favorite!

 Fulfilling race stereotypes... ghetto pose... white girl sorority pose

 These are the girls i'm with for Spring break 2011!

Linsey and I dancing

 Laying on the netting... while the boat was moving a dolphin swam right under me!

 Our german boat driver... Marcell the shell! haha

 Days like these make time go by so fast!

Some people i'm missing!!!

I hope I win

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Bocas del Toro!

     My host parents say that traveling a distance longer than 2 hours is not very common for ticos. Seriously? In my family 2 hours was the minimum travel time. So when I told them 4 hours to Hilton Head beach was not bad, I can now understand the surprised looks on their faces. With that being said, yesterday I really witnessed why many ticos do not like to travel far and it goes a little something like this...

     It was a 6 hour bus ride to get to Bocas del Toro, Panama. The country south to Costa Rica. This trip was going to be a little more independent than the Nicaragua one since we were on our own. I woke up at 7am and met up with friends at 730am. From there we walked to the bus that goes to the main city San Jose. Once we got to the last bus stop, we got out and took a taxi to our bus station. We got there and there was already a huge line. Once the bus arrived the chaos started. My friend Kennesha went up to the guy in charge and told them we pre bought our tickets. The guy led us to enter the bus in the middle door. As we started to get on the bus people yelled that we were skipping. Linsey told them to calm down and that we had pre bought out tickets. However, thats when people started flooding on the bus, ticket or no ticket. We had to save rows for all our friends to make sure everyone got on. It was craziness. We were supposed to leave at 9am and ended up leaving at 930am. The bus ride... was hot. As I may have said before, AC is rare. I'm glad I took pills because our seats were in the back of the bus. We of course ran into traffic... its simply unavoidable when you only have two lane roads! Can we start some sort of road expansion project? So we ended up arriving to the border at about 430pm. yeah, 7 hours. Then we had to wait to get a stamp out of Costa Rica. Then we had to walk across a bridge of wooden boards held together with nails... this was a trust God kind of bridge... if you know what I mean. Then we had to wait on another line to get bus tickets proving we would leave Panama in the next year. Then we had to get our passport stamped again, then we had to buy a $3 Bocas del Toro sticker for our passport for who knows what reason. Then, because we got there so late, we had to take a charter van to the water taxi place because it was 530pm and the last one was leaving at 630pm and we were still an hour away. That charter bus was $10. Then we had to take the water taxi for 20 minutes to get to the Bocas del Toro island. The water taxi was $6... it was $4 but that was before 6pm. You know you are an American when they can get away with ripping you off with everything! Finally we got to the island and were led to our apartment. Other students in our program went to a hostel but I definitely strongly encouraged my opinion towards renting some sort of condo apartment. Luckily my friend Kennesha was right there with me and found a great apartment which everyone is completely thankful for. Its only $30 more for each of us for the entire week. We get our own private bathroom with tons of towels, AC, a clean kitchen with utensils because we are making our own food! A nice bedroom and a pullout couch. There are 5 of us here so one person is sleeping on an air mattress. 


     Today we woke up to the sound of rain, which I love. We hung out, made pancakes, took pictures, and took 5 hours to get ready. We are going on tours the rest of the week but decided to get settled in for the time being. So far it has been tons of fun! Taco night tonight! I'll post pictures at the end of the week!