Today I'm going to go through what exactly I'm doing here and what it's like.
I'm in Costa Rica with a group from Grayson County College from June 8-July 5. It's about 20 students and 4 adults, including my GCC Spanish teacher, Mary Yetta McKelva. I live with a family in the town of Heredia, where the school is located. I attend the Intercultura Centro de Idiomas from Monday-Friday, 8:30 am-12:30 pm. It's a typical Spanish class, with complete conversation in Spanish and studying grammar. NO English allowed. Every Friday we have an exam to se if we pass and go on to the next level, or fail and retake the same level.
At my homestay, I live with a husband and wife and their two adult live-at-home kids. The parnts are Evelio and Alma Luz, and their kids are Evelio Jr. and Cecillia. Evelio Jr. is my favorite. He's really friendly and fun to talk to. He's a paramedic though and so he's often gone in the ambulance or at medical school.
I eat at least two typical Costa Rican meals a day. Alma Luz makes a big breakfast and dinner for Abigail Childress and I. Abby is a student in the group whom I have known for several years now, for those of you who don't know. She and I are living in the same house here.
A typical breakfast usually consists of fresh fruit, amazing costa rican coffee, scrambled eggs mixed with ham and onions, fried bananas, and gallo pinto. Typical dinner has juice made by hand from fresh fruit, rice, beans, salad, beef or chicken, and a side vegetable. For lunch I eat out on the town. For a big Costa Rican lunch, it's about $2. But if I'm wanting some good 'n' greasy American fast food, it'll cost me quite a bit more. Today my friends and I actually found a cafe where we could get really good, not-so-greasy burgers for about $2.
Weekends are usually spent with the GCC group on excursions to waterfalls, rainforests, beaches, canopies, etc. They're a lot of fun and really give the true Costa Rican experience. It costs from $150 - $200 per weekend, but how often will I ever get to visit Costa Rica again? Probably never!
On thing I do -hate- about this place... the cockroaches are HUGE. You generally won't see a large group of them, but just one is enough to sicken the stomach.
So there's the basic runthrough on what exactly is going on down here. I miss home. I've heard from other students that the second week is always the longest and the hardest. My stomach hurt all day yesterday. After this week I'm hoping everything gets way better. After all, I've already been here a week and a half. Only 17 more days to go!
¨Through this illustration [Jeremiah 1:6-10] I realized that I don't have to worry about not meeting his expectations. God will ensure my success in accordance with His plan, not mine. This is the God we serve, the God who knew us before He made us. The God who promises to remain with us and rescue us. The God who loves us and longs for us to love him back.¨
- Francis Chan, Crazy Love
At my homestay, I live with a husband and wife and their two adult live-at-home kids. The parnts are Evelio and Alma Luz, and their kids are Evelio Jr. and Cecillia. Evelio Jr. is my favorite. He's really friendly and fun to talk to. He's a paramedic though and so he's often gone in the ambulance or at medical school.
I eat at least two typical Costa Rican meals a day. Alma Luz makes a big breakfast and dinner for Abigail Childress and I. Abby is a student in the group whom I have known for several years now, for those of you who don't know. She and I are living in the same house here.
A typical breakfast usually consists of fresh fruit, amazing costa rican coffee, scrambled eggs mixed with ham and onions, fried bananas, and gallo pinto. Typical dinner has juice made by hand from fresh fruit, rice, beans, salad, beef or chicken, and a side vegetable. For lunch I eat out on the town. For a big Costa Rican lunch, it's about $2. But if I'm wanting some good 'n' greasy American fast food, it'll cost me quite a bit more. Today my friends and I actually found a cafe where we could get really good, not-so-greasy burgers for about $2.
Weekends are usually spent with the GCC group on excursions to waterfalls, rainforests, beaches, canopies, etc. They're a lot of fun and really give the true Costa Rican experience. It costs from $150 - $200 per weekend, but how often will I ever get to visit Costa Rica again? Probably never!
On thing I do -hate- about this place... the cockroaches are HUGE. You generally won't see a large group of them, but just one is enough to sicken the stomach.
So there's the basic runthrough on what exactly is going on down here. I miss home. I've heard from other students that the second week is always the longest and the hardest. My stomach hurt all day yesterday. After this week I'm hoping everything gets way better. After all, I've already been here a week and a half. Only 17 more days to go!
¨Through this illustration [Jeremiah 1:6-10] I realized that I don't have to worry about not meeting his expectations. God will ensure my success in accordance with His plan, not mine. This is the God we serve, the God who knew us before He made us. The God who promises to remain with us and rescue us. The God who loves us and longs for us to love him back.¨
- Francis Chan, Crazy Love
4 comments:
I've been looking at recipes for gallo pinto, and there are a lot of quite different ones. If you like the recipe that you have been served by your family, could you get the recipe?
--Mom
Sounds like the weekend may have been a bit much. Glad you are enjoying your time (and trust the schooling is going well - Dad comment)
Mom -- I like gallo pinto... the first couple of weeks. Now I'm sick of it and hardly ever eat it. I don't know how these people eat it every day!
wow kristen! this experience must be absolutely amazing :P gosh talk about a once in a life time adventure :P i am very very happy for you and hope all goes well :P take care
lesley
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