We will always have costa rica...

So sorry it has taken so long to post!!!

Okay, I'm leaving tomorrow and since you all know me you probably know that I've already finished my 5th panic attack about the whole ordeal. I want to go home cause I've got so many great people and events waiting for me. First Disneyland with all my great friends, and then off to my mom's wedding! But I also really don't want to leave.

I had my last day with the kids at the orphanage. I made them all scrap book pages for above their beds. They each got two pages with their pictures and a note I wrote for them. The little ones did not care much for the notes, but they loved the pictures of themselves and my drawings. The older ones let me read their notes to them and were really sweet and appreciative. I'm really glad I was up all night finishing them.

Porto Viejo, the carribean side feels like it happened ages and ages ago. Which I guess it did. The beach there was great. It was beautiful and warm and the water was very calm. Will assured me their were no dangerous sharks on the East side so I went swimming. Of course after I went swimming I ended up chilling on the beach and reading my book (thanks Nana). I thought the occasional pain I felt was just the absurd amount of sand on my body. Turns out it was sand fleas, who were not deterred by my herbal bug repellent. They made quick work of me. Weeks later I still have a few marks. If I would just stop scratching them, they were probably heal. Of course, I can't control what I do in my sleep. I'm considering taping over my bites so I can't scratch them in my dreams. We went biking in Porto Viejo and generally just chilled in the very cool town. Lots of people from all over the world. The only good mexican food in Costa Rica and also Japanese food and more.

I went to Harry Potter with Ashley. I can't believe I missed Harry Potter with all my LA friends. Snape made me cry in so many ways. I plan on seeing it again, when I get back I plan on seeing it again a few times, if anybody wants to join. Bring tissues.

I traveled around San Jose to all the towns around here. The town I'm in is a big university town, with lots of students. Other towns have huge houses, and some others are like shanty towns. All of them though are covered in wonderful bright colors, which I think I should bring back to the United States. Why don't we paint our houses with yellow, green, pink and orange?!

I had to buy a new suitcase to bring back all the stuff I have accumulated after I visited the San Jose Aritist Market. There was art and hammocks and so much more. I'm off to finish packing, get my last cupcake, and go hang out with my tico friends as long as I can before I leave at 6 tomorrow morning. I come back at 5:30 on Thursday. I'm not sure how I'm gonna make the plane ride though, cause my ipod broke, and occording to the spanish apple here will not be waking up again. Somehow I will make it through.

Good luck to Erica and all the other law students taking the bar! Good luck with finals Liz. And to everybody else, can't wait to see all of you!!

Pura Vida!

Evil Elfes and Transformers

So many things to talk about. First Monte Verde...

It was amazing. It is in the mountains north of here. I'm probably spelling everything wrong, but whateves. We stayed in a little 7 dollar a night hostel right in the center of this little tiny town. Breakfast was at 6:30 and ended at 8. I do not understand this early waking hour here.

I spent most of my time with Lorine another co-volunteer from the orphange. She is from France and speaks english, spanish and french. It is quite impressive. I will attempt to upload some videos of her, but not going to be possible right now. We went hiking through the rainforests during the day on our own, and then a night we took a guided tour through the rainforest at night.

The night tour was an experience. It was weirdly similar to what I imagin a night scuba diving would be like. Not that I would ever scuba dive in the ocean at night, I've seen jaws. But it was pouring rain and the rainforest was so dense that the rain didn't really hit us. It made me feel like I was in a submarien. The sounds were all muted and weirdly seperate. And we were all alone with the night animals in our section of the rainforest.

We saw so many insects! There were several walking sticks that looked like actually small branches but with a little mouth on the end. They came in so many shapes and sizes too! I also got to hear some more stories about urban myths in Costa Rica. I had one story happily confirmed. The other day I was talking to one of my kids Gerad. I started playing with an elf doll and tried to give it to him. He gave me the most serious and suspisious look back. I asked him what was wrong and he said he didn't want it because it was a duende. He eventually explained to me that elfes are evil and will try to take him. Apparently they only take you if you are out at night once the sun sets, if you are safe in your bed the elfes cant take you. My guide who grew up in a completly different area in Costa Rica confirmed that the elves haunted most of her childhood.

Back to the night tour, the worst part was an ant house. It was about 20 feet long and 5 feet wide and it just looked like a pile of dirt. When I think about accidently stepping on it and falling into the ant home of millions of these huge biting ants, I can't really think about anything else. Kinda of similar to swimming in the pool and thinking of sharks. I want to get out of the pool, even though I know it's irrational. I feel like the ants followed me back here.

By the end of the night my jacket was zipped up to my neck, my hair was covered and my pants were tucked into my socks, I didn't want to risk anything coming in. I just wish I brought a face mask or something.

In other bug and animal news. The orphange has been a blast this week. Yesturday there was a preying mantis. The kids wanted to kill it because it was evil too apparently. I tried to stop them, but then it flew up and landed on little Chaney's arm. She started screamming and panicking (which is so not her, she is usually pretty calm). I tried to be the responsible lifeguard I know is deep inside of me and took it gently off of her. Of course this ended up with the bug on me, so then I started screamming and paniking. Next it disapeared. We all looked for it and little Reiner turned around in slow motion so all the other kids could see this monsters bug climbing up this little quite two year olds back. He never talks, but he just lost it. He started running and screaming and would not stop. I am not sure where he ran off to inside, because i finally grabbed the poor bug and helped him escape from all of our paniky feet.

In mammal news, the cat tuna got stuck on the roof yesterday. His name is actually short for acetuna (not spelled right, but nothing here is) and it actually means olive. So not a fish, but an olive. In a group effert of the other co-workers, I stood on one of the kiddie chairs, held, a broken toy house door over my head, until the brave cat stepped onto the shaking door so I could lower him down for one of the others to grab. All the kids broke into applause. We then spent the next 20 minutes doing cheers for the gato. As the cat (gato) started regretting ever coming down as a bunch of 4 year olds tried to pet him.

In last news, I met a new friend at a super cool bar right next door to my house here. There is live music and it is different every night. I've seen alternative, ska, reggae and all in spanish for the most part. Will (my new friend) makes great Dakories filled with pinaapples. On our first meeting though, he made a failed bloody mary for my friend Cassandra. That's when we learned the different meanings of Caliente and A picante. Caliente means hot temperature and A picante means spicy. Cassandra asked for her bloody mary Caliente. Much hilarity ensued, mostly for me because I didn't order a bloody mary. I have also now seen Transformers 3D in spanish. So I feel like I'm getting to know the local scene here, mostly thanks to Will. I think I would just stay in and read Harry Potter in spanish other wise. I have decided to read Harry Potter in spanish, so far I've made it through 2 pages. in other exciting news, I'm currently waiting on my laundry. I caved and had it done. I could take the moldy ocean smell on all my clothes anymore! We will see how they did!

I am off to the Carribean side this weekend. I will try to post some pictures before I leave!

¿Cuán alto el sicómoro crecer? Si lo cortas, entonces nunca lo sabrás

¿Cuán alto el sicómoro crecer?
Si lo cortas, entonces nunca lo sabrás

Pictures from Monte Verde. These pictures are from a hike with my friend Lorine though out a rain forest called Santa Elena north of San Jose. I want to post so

much more. But I was out way too late last night, so I'm going to bed : ) But first is a bug that I thought was a Caterpillar, it's not, eww. Next is Lorine and I when it started raining. Lorine lost her poncho, but she is a resourceful one. Then me, in my beautiful hiking outfit. Next is a cool nest that from far looks like someone climbing the tree and last is pretty rainforest.

Kickboxing, trees and a sloth

The rest of the pictures are all over the place, this is my third time editing, hopefully you can match the comments and pictures.

This is a random pic of a the bathroom sign at our hostel last weekend. I think it means ladies and I think it's pretty.

This is the front of the house, security level one!

I have to use three different keys to get in and two to get out. I don't think this would be fire chief approved.

A sloth in Manual Antonio. He was much easier to catch in photo then the monkey. Much slower

Cupcake store next door to where I live. Very dangerous. But oh so cute.

A cool log with moss in Manual Antonio.

More manual antonio.

So Ashley and I went to take our kickboxing class where they insisted on talking us on a run around San Pedro. Ashley and I got completely lost because we fell behind. We eventually stumbled onto the

main street, took our best guess and were able to find the class just in time for the actual kickboxing to start.

It was extremely difficult. I would like to say it was difficult only because of the Spanish instruction, but at one point the guy just started talking to me in English and I still could not figure out which arm to punch with. We are both really sore, but content now.

My mama tica's hijo, picky. Ants walking along on may way to work with some seriously big leaves. Pura Vida!

update

gave up trying to post more pictures or videos, but got two posts below.

Pictures!! The few I had time to upload...

Manual antonio igauna

The first day at the beach..... all white and energized and not covered in sand.....

The first day back less white, a much less energized considering how much sand I have to carry everywhere it makes sense.Proof that I am in the right place.

video attempt

I will attempt to post a video here. It's of me in National Park and Beach of Manual Antonio.

Transcript: "Hola Amigos, Pura Vida!"

I am on lava rocks, every times I climb on lava rocks I think of the time in Hawaii when Teddy found an eel in the tide pools in the lava rocks. He looked over at it and the eel fffing jumped out of the tide pool, snapped at Teddy's face and jumped into the ocean. Still scared to even look at the tide pools.

Brad Pitt and Pinas

Hi Y'all! I told you I was going to pick up a southern accent. I talk all slow and drag out my vowels and everything.

I have so much to tell whoever happens to be reading. Apologies at least to my mom who has been unable to log in and comment (sorry mom). May I recommend pressing preview after typing in you comment? When I commented on the post from another place that's what I did. If not you can all reach me at christinemorgan4@gmail.com. I can't post pictures of the kids, but I'm allowed to show friends and family so I can email them to you if your so inclined. All ready planning on sending some pics of the baby to you Liz.

Anyway.... The rain has been ridicules and all the kids crack up at me when I jump at the thunder. My mama tica picked up on my dislike of the thunder and made some good comfort soup for me last night.

I have learned all the names of the kids at the orphanage. Everyday I fall in love with another one. First there was Jene who is just the most content person let alone 3 year old I have ever met. Then there was Maite the little 4 month year old baby who will give me only 3 smiles a day if I'm lucky. Then there is Ceasar who is super smart and I have been teaching him how to draw micky mouse and grumpy, he wants to know how to draw goofy, but I never learned how to draw goofy at California adventure, so he came up with his own version. Today it was Reiner who is mostly in his own world (since he is only two), but he let me in today, we hung out for an hour this morning. All we do is really play with the kids, its kinda of awesome.

This weekend we went to beach. I went with my roommates Cassandra and Ashley. Ashley is from Mississippi (hence the accent) and will happily be moving to San Francisco giving me another excuse to drive north. Cassandra has spent time in California and New York, but is currently from Colorado. I also brought one of my co-volunteers from Little Rock, Arkansas. Her name is Alicia and she is awesome, she has watched The Very Potter Musical for one. And yes that is a link and yes if you haven't watched it go and watch it now and come back in 2 hours when my pictures have finally uploaded. If you have already watched it the sequel is right here. A Very Potter Sequel . She is also an English and Spanish major and is writing her thesis on magical realism in literature, she reminded me so much of my cousin Claire (Hermione). We went to Manual Antonio on a public bus costing a whooping 6 dollars instead of the 30 dollars for some shuttle (go us) and stayed at a 12 dollar a night hostel. We paid the 10 dollars to get into the park and I saw a monkey, a sloth and an iguana.

Then we mostly chilled at the beach. Some creeper who supposedly works for playboy took some pictures of everybody, I informed him that I am from LA and I know lots of lawyers, and he claimed he deleted everything of me at least, but I let him now sh*t is going down if any pictures of me in my bathing suit go up somewhere. How many days until you take that bar Erica? That was a bit of a damper on my tan, cause I put my clothes on over my bathing suit after that but, it was still fun, and I still got burnt. And according to him I ruined his weekend because I accused him of being unprofessional for not trusting him to just keep the pictures to himself. Apparently he is so professional that he even has a website! Does that make me a professional too? Anyway, chewing him out was kind of fun, so was ruining his weekend.

I wish I could say a burnt monkey was chilling with a pina colada this weekend with me, but it was mostly me with the pina colada. Sometimes minus the alcohol, because the pinas are so good!! I just ate fruit the whole weekend. Now I'm back to frioles and arroz. Rice and beans, not good for fitting into my maid of honor dress.

In fitting into clothes news, my friends and I joined a fight club in San Pedro. Not exactly what it sounds like, no Brad Pitt, we just learn how to punch sand bags and run a lot. The teacher is hilarious. When doing difficult things he says only ticos do this gringos don't even try. He said we will get better though, we return tonight.

The laundry situation is interesting. I'm almost to acceptance that nothing will ever be completely dry. And sand seems to have followed me from the pacific. What was that old anime movie with those moving dust bunnies? I'm hopping one of the Jessicas are reading cause they would know. I think it is something like Howls Moving Castle, but it could be another movie. But it is like the sand are those little dust bunnies and they just migrate out of my backpack and are sitting and waiting to greet me every night. I still find sand on my body everyday, and it has been what three days since the beach?

I am now taking private Spanish classes. And I have learned many new words and have mostly been working on my conversation skills. I have decided that I want to get Spanish completely fluently. I've finished my classes at UCSD, but I'm thinking of in the future taking a community college class, or something else? Not sure what the next step is. Because I can talk, but it is really difficult to explain or understand more complex things. Several times I have missed significant parts of a complex conversation. And what is talking with out interesting and complex topics? Even talking about Harry Potter is complex as far as I'm concerned.

Planing on a trip to Monteverde this weekend. It's up north and there are lots of trees and animals. And something called a cloud forest.

I will be attempting to post pictures soon. How is everybody else doing? How's school going for those in it? How's wedding plans going for those with a wedding this summer? Oh, and if you want gifts, give me suggestions now, before I run out of cash. Something small and not easily breakable.

Oh and let me know if I miss anything big while I'm here. I only just heard about New York, and I have three things to say about it "Awesome", "about time" and "Obama, come and jump on the freaking equality train already, it doesn't move as fast, but it's a much more fun journey with our crowd"

Audios Amigos!!

Lelo

So attempted to do my laundry last night. I washed my clothes in the sink and hung them to dry, I think they may be dry by the time my 6 weeks are up.

I'm getting much better at communicating with the kids in spanish. I get called a lelo a lot when the kids want me to chase them. I kinda recal learning that lelo is slang for ditzy or weird or something like that. I have also been told I'm very pretty but a bad swing pusher, and always in the same sentence. I don't let the kids go to high in the swing. I have learned a few words beyond no touching, mainly get down and not so high.

I have yet to take a single picture, but it's hard because it is either pouring rain or I'm in public. And everyone here keeps telling me not to take my camera out in front of locals. The attitute towards crime here is kinda of hilarious. My host mother is very upset because she has to have bars on her window. And everyone keeps ordering me to not take so much money with me. On top of it, many of the people here are from such calm places as rural america or even canada, so they agree. I've explained that it is common to have bars in the windows in the cities at least on the first floor and most people lock doors in the city. Also, I think it is only me, but I would rather not upset a mugger because I have no money and just lose the money instead of getting hurt. I also have been order into a cab instead of a bus, but I personally find the cab more sketchy. Maybe less likly to be pickpocketed?

The other huge cultural difference, university costs the equivalant of 100 dollars a year! And apparently most ticos are annoyed cause it is not free. You can usually get reimbursed for the money though I think if you are involved with the school.

The other interesting cultural differences are between the volunteers. Many of them are pretty shocked by the conditions of the city, mainly the roads, but I find they are pretty similar if not worse then many places in LA. The only thing that makes LA better is not as much rain. In Costa Rica the rain and the trash kinda mix all together. It is very gross when it is raining, but much cleaner afterwords!

The kids at the orphange and I with my co-worker had a full on dance party, I think it will be my highlight of the week. So so cute. 2-6 year olds dancing all over the place and trying to mimic us and get us to pick them up.

Ticos & Suenos

--written last night but posted 06/22 porque it wasn't working last night, i have not proof read cause I have to go to work

Horrible dreams last night, including dreams about mis amigos so you all may be getting a call soon to make sure everything is alright. It will be from a weird number, but it is me calling with skype, so pick up!

So thanks to my bad suenos (dreams, but an accent is needed), I slept in this morning and ended up getting hopelessly lost finding the orphanage. Last time it was raining, and everything seems so different in the sunshine. I found it eventually and had my first day there a little late.

It tunrs out Costa Rican kids are just like California kids. They have their own language that takes awhile to understand and I doubt it is just because of spanish. Most of the language barrier was figuring out if the words they said were in spanish or something made up. But they all want piggy back rides (arriba, arriba) and love chasing or being chased. I say no and no lo toce (no and don't touch him or it) a lot.

In very dangerous news, there is a very little baby there. I thought I only wanted to play with older kids, but then my co-volunter handed him to me while he was crying and he stopped when I held him and I may have fallen in love. He is only 4 months old and was born at 6 months! He is so beyond adorable.

My host family and I talked about politics in Spanish and I think I got the basics down. Coolist fact about Costa Rica, they abolished their military in 1948. I think they are the only democracy without a military right now. I remember reading years ago that when Bush asked for help in Iraq they may have sent monkeys instead of people. Cool, but I hope the monkeys didn't get hurt : (.

Other cool fact about Costa Rica, the people here are called ticos/as. Because they add tico or tica on the end of adjectives. For instance, bonitatica as a nickname for a pretty girl.

That's it for today, I'm planning a trip with my roommates and other volunteers to Manual Antonio on the West Coast this weekend. Thank goodness, for hostelworld!

-Christine

We've been through every kind of rain there is, little bitty stinging rain,and big old fat rain,rain that flew in sideways, and sometimes....

I now know why Costa Rica has so many rainforests. Today around 1:30, after a morning so hot I may have worn my fedora (that's for you dramawiz), a weird noise hit the house. It was rain like I have never seen rain before. It was like buckets of water being thrown at the ground.

I had a 1 minute walk to the center and I got soaked. Water at certain points was up to my knees. There was a dead rat earlier on the sidewalk, and it just floated on by me. I tried and failed to not think about all the other things possibly floating around my submerged feet. I just cannot belive how fast the cement flooded. I'm very grateful I brought my water shoes, not just for rivers anymore, for the streets of San Pedro tambien.

While soaking wet I went on to visit the orphanage I will be volunterring at. It is an orphange with tempory housing for children who have been taken away from their parents for one reason or another. The children run from 0 to 6 and the few I met are just pricless. One boy, Aron 5, upon learning that my co-worker does not speak any spanish, told her in spanish "I like that you do not know how to speak spanish" and then started laughing. I was very impressed. And now know to keep an eye on him.

I'm beginning to suspect my host mom speaks english rather perfectly. I was attempting to translate what Asheley (my roommate who doesn't speak spanish) and I were discussing and she seemed pretty knowledgeble despite my lack of palabras. I had my first spanish class today, and I learned the different meanings of pensar. Not that I can explain them now that the class is over.

I may go out with some new friends and see the town, if I can manage to not fall asleep. The fact that I don't have internet at my host house makes the possiblity of me going out highly more likely, so I guess that is good.

-Christine

!Pura Vida!

!Hola! This is Christine blogging from San Pedro which is a suburb of San Jose, Costa Rica. Everything here is in Spanish, including the spell check, so lo siento ahead of time.

I arrived last night, I'm staying at a host family, the host mom is very nice and has cooked me vegetarian meals so far. My roommate is from Missassipi so I may come back with a Southern accent instead of a Costa Rican accent. The shower is interesting, you get to choose between pressure and hot water, I'm just happy there is an option.

The organization I'm working for here is Maximo Nivel and it is just a few blocks from where I'm staying. It has internet, so I will be here a lot. I check out the orphanage I'm volunterring at at 2 today, very excited. I will volunteer in the morning and then take spanish classes in the afternoon. I took a spanish placement test and I am more than a little miffed I got into basics 1 spanish class. But according to my new friend who is a spanish teacher, it takes several years to get beyond the basics, so I should be patient and considering my experience trying to operate this blog in spanish, maybe I need some more basicis lessons.

I have mostly been able to communicate, only my pronucniation and general blondeness gets in the way. At custums I asked the guy in spanish if he spoke spanish instead of asking him if he spoke english. He and the security guards were sent into a fit of hysterics and insisited I ask in spanish because apparently my spanish is okay. I wanted to find the baggage claim, but only knew the word for purse, so I kept asking them where the purses were. Eventually they took pity on me and revealed they all spoke perfect english. In my defence, I was very tired, and I really wanted my bags.

I hope to have many adventures over the next 6 weeks and can't wait to tell you all!

Hope everyone is doing well!
-Christine