Monster Man

Hey so I haven't had wi-fi but I typed up everything from the past couple days so just pay attention to the red dates!! I'll post pictures later today!  Don't have time right now!

July 14, 2012

So yesterday we toured Alvaro’s farm which is actually my house where I’m staying!  So everyone in my class knows the family I’m with now.  It seriously has THE MOST gorgeous view.  My professor was saying that even though I have the longest walk, I have the best view in the valley. 

So obviously I’m in my homestay and it’s really an awesome opportunity!! The dad, Alvaro, is out of town but gets home today so at the moment it’s just me, Laura (7), Adriana (18), and Elizabeth (mom).  My professor said that Adriana was somewhat snotty but I honestly don’t see it.  She seems really nice!  I asked her about her school since she’s finishing up her last year and she said it’s good.  She’s studying in the tourism area but she doesn’t know if that’s what she really wants to do.  She loves photography and showed me a bunch of pictures of animals and nature and everything.  She loves mariposas (butterflies) and arañas (spiders). 

This is what I get to wake up and brush my teeth to...
sooo gorgeous

Laura is adorable!! She lovesssss talking!! We played UNO and I attempted to teach her Phase 10 but it was kind of complicated.  That was probably the hardest time I’ve had with my Spanish so far.  But aside from that I’ve been able to speak really well and carry on a conversation about animals, family, etc.  But I have learned a lot of vocabulary and have been trying to write it all down.  It’s cool when I first walked into the house, Adriana was watching a movie and it had Lindsay Lohan in it.  It’s that movie where she pretends to be pregnant.  Then after that movie, Chuck & Larry came on.  It’s really cool to see all of the movies I’ve seen at home in Spanish. 

Elizabeth is really nice too.  She left this morning around 8 to go help out at the school for the party today!  I’m really excited.  And Adriana said I could use her straightener so that means I’ll feel pretty for at least one day!! Yayyy :p

Also I went to take a shower last night and Adriana goes, “El agua es muy frío.”  The water is really cold. ….. -____- Not gonna lie… that kinda sucked.  It was cold and when I say cold I mean Chattahoochee River Cold.  But I mean it definitely woke me up … that’s for sure. 

There’s also moths EVERYWHERE.  I don’t mind it though… which is weird because if I was in the US I’d be staring that moth down waiting for it to leave, but that’s one of those cultural things that’s different here.  Costa Ricans value almost every animal.  If there’s a spider or a bug, they calmly swipe it away or put it outside… whereas in my house, my sister, mom, and I would be screaming “DAD!!!” until he came down and killed it. 

Also when I first got here, we all went outside and the chickens got loose!! The door to their little house opened and all of them were outside and they kept trying to get them to go back in and I just kept my distance…. I felt sooo out of place!! I am this 18 year old who is freaking out over these chickens getting within a foot of me while Laura who is 7 years old is walking towards them trying to get them inside… Let’s just say it was an interesting, eye-opening experience.

July 14, 2012

Not the best picture but this is everyone dancing

So I just got back from the fiesta!! It was soo much fun!  And I finally got to look nice!  I also danced A LOT!  Dancing in Latin countries is always better because it proves that there is more to dancing than just grinding.  But there are a lot of different moves that make it difficult sometimes.  Giovoni, which is the same guy who gave us dance lesson earlier on in the week and also works in the kitchen, was at the party and danced with me!  He is SUCH a good dancer!  And he’s sooo tiny it’s soo adorable!  I have a picture on my professor’s camera! 


But before even dancing we played BINGO for like 2 hours.  It was actually really fun and intense.  Maybe it’s just because I’m so used to the culture and everything that I know that it’s a big deal but what also made it hard was that the announcer said all the numbers in Spanish so it definitely helped with my numeric vocabulary. 

This is obviously the band

While playing BINGO, I saw this guy who was really cute and he was wearing a Monster Drink hat (meaning it had the logo on it).  So all night I referred to him as Monster Man.  But during the whole dance and everything he just stood in the back.  And I finally decided to go and talk to him.  Apparently he had a bad headache and that’s why he wasn’t dancing… either that or that was the only reason he could come up with so that he wouldn’t have to dance with me.  But then after I thought about that… it wouldn’t make any sense because he was literally standing there for hours.  Maybe he’s just a bad dancer and doesn’t want me to know but whatever.  Turns out his name is Miguel… which is an awesome name by the way.  AND… he’s 16… so POSSIBLY too young for me… just maybe.

This is my gorgeous professor
dancing :)

There were two kids that I saw that were there from our university and I’m assuming they had just a tad too much to drink because he picked up the girl wrapped her legs around his waist and practically motor boated his face in her boobs and then when he swung her down, her dress flew up and everyone in the room saw her bare butt cheeks…

That’s another thing that I found really interesting, the party was in the gym of an elementary school.  They also had a bar there and a raffle that whoever won got 2 bottles of everclear and 2 slices of filet mignon.  We would NEVER be able to put up a bar in an elementary school… or raffle off everclear!  But I did have a drink with Dr. Connel (she’s the teacher of the 8^th graders in our class). 

Jason came here today too.  He’s Alvaro’s son from a previous marriage and he’s been playing heavy metal music all day.  And it’s all in English so I understand it but he doesn’t.  I feel like if I was listening to something I’d want to know what it says… but oh well who knows.  But it is kinda cool because it’s all on the TV so it’s like their tour and it’s in Mexico and Costa Rica and stuff.  I didn’t know they were that big.  The name of the band is

But basically I’ve been chillin at the house hanging with whoever is home but they don’t talk all that much so I played hearts on my computer and it’s reminding me of all of my family in Cabo playing Euchre right now… love you guys!! L Wish there was a way I could be in two places at once.  Don’t miss me too much!

July 15, 2012

We went to Leilo’s today for dinner!  And it’s really cool because what you do is you catch your own fish… but there’s a trick.  You don’t use a fishing rod, you use this big circular net that you throw in the water kind of like a giant flexible Frisbee and then you reel it in and see if you got anything!  And .. of course .. I did J But even though I caught one I didn’t eat fish because they literally put the whole body on your plate and I just can’t deal with that, but I did try it!  I had pork which was still REALLY good it was just a lot of food.