I flew into San Jose today at 2pm our time, 12pm theirs. I forgot there was a time change. In Central America they don't have daylight savings or anything of the sort because they're so close to the equator that their sunrises and sunsets stay pretty much the same. It's supposed to get dark around 6:30 or 7 tonight. I sure am going to miss those 9pm sunset summer nights in North Carolina, but if it means I'll miss winter over there I think I can manage... Stephen Deal, the man who I have been in correspondence with for the last few months working out details for the trip, picked me up from the airport today. He drove me to the house in San Sebastian (a neighborhood in San Jose) that will essentially be my home base for the next six months.
The neighborhood is small, generally poor, but perfect. And the scenery is a sight to see. It is a 360 view of the most lush green mountains surrounding the entire metropolis of San Jose. It began to rain today in the afternoon and the fog clouds came rolling in over the tops of the mountains like they were on cue. I was just there walking down the street feeling like if I took one step too far out of my way Id land myself smack in the middle of a rain forest. All the houses lining the streets have beautiful flowers protruding from their gated yards. There's also a park dedicated to John F. Kennedy right down the street. I asked about the connection Kennedy had to Costa Rica and Stephen told me that he visited here actually soon before his assassination. Another conspiracy theory? I hope not.
The house I'm staying in is actually the birthplace of the Lutheran Church in Costa Rica. It was in maybe the 1980's when the Lutheran Church here began to form and they used this house as their homebase. They had offices here, worship services, etc. Granted at that time there were maybe 15 people that made up the church.
The upstairs has four rooms that used to be offices and one bathroom... that is still a bathroom. The four rooms are where the German volunteers who come to volunteer in the daycares around San Jose will be living. These volunteers will come in a couple weeks after they spend a month in some other part of the country learning to speak English. Stephen tells me they come speaking no Spanish so they have to have a crash course. These guys committ to work here for a year and most of them are fresh out of high school - about 18 or 19 years old.
Their rooms are small but utterly pleasant. It's all wood upstairs and it smells like cedar every time you turn a corner. They also have windows that overlook other
houses around us, tree tops, and a tin roof that covers our clothes line and washing sink downstairs. I am jealous they get to hear the rain tink off the roof so
frequently.
Downstairs is the aforementioned outside area with the clothesline and washing sink. It is practically outside aside from the tin roof that covers the clothesline. It has a garden back there as well with bright red and purple flowers as well as very intrusive palm tree looking leaves that like to hug you as you pass by. This area is in the back of the house. When you walk in the house from that back area, there is the German volunteers kitchen to the right. It has a round table, a few chairs, microwave, refrigerator, sink, etc. It is also really well lit with natural light from the outside garden. To the left is a room that resembles a den. It has a TV in it and a few chairs though I'd put money down it doesn't have cable. There's also a book collection in there that I'll be sure to scower through later on.
Past these two rooms is a small hallway in where the first room on the left is my room. It's well-sized but no outside windows - its only flaw. Across from my room is my kitchen/the church's kitchen as well as to the left of it my/the church's bathroom and one further, our shower. The San Sebastian community still holds church
services in this house as well as community activities like craft time for women groups, children's circles (practically Sunday School just not on Sunday), Sunday worship services, etc. I think this means it will be a pretty packed house when I'm here, but after moving to a foreign country for six months alone I can't really
see a downside to being surrounded by people... who love Jesus.
The rest of the hall has the stairs up to the four rooms but empties into the "sanctuary." It is a small concrete room that has many unmatched chairs where they hold church services. This room is connected, with no wall, to the carport which is used mainly to enter and exit the house. There is also a door in the sanctuary room
that opens to a small garden in front of the house, then another door to the sidewalk; however, it is supposed to open through a buzzer but it's broken.
Today Stephen walked me around the neighborhood to introduce me to a few neighbors so I could get acquainted with them. To my right is an older woman who I met while she was watering the flowers in the small garden outside the front door to this house. She came over to take out the trash, water the plants, and clean the refrigeradors. When Stepehen asked her why she said "because it needed to be done," shrugged her shoulders and walked away. I like her. I also met her grand-daughter Carolina who is in college studying law and chemistry... what? I know... As if one or the other wasn't hard enough. Then I met Leo, an older man who lives across the street. He owns his own car painting store and runs it from his garage. He is very friendly and I have a feeling I'll be watching some soccer games over at his house if he'll let me. He explained to me that there are two main teams in Costa Rica: La Liga (the league) and The National Team. He is a Liga fan so I already know how I'll coax an invitation out of him. Finally I met Lucia who lives with her sister on my left side. They are both single moms and all five live in the house. She has dyed red hair and was the livliest person I'd met all day. She held her umbrella over my head the entire tiem she spoke even though I had a hood on and told me if I needed anything that I could just stop by... any time. I believe her. She's one of those people who makes you feel like home.
In the end, Stephen and I talked about tomorrow's plans. He said that I would have a meeting with Xinia (essentially my boss) at 7:30am and then with all the ILCO pastors at 9:00am to figure out how to go about setting up my first classes and meetings with their communities. What I learned today is that most of the teenagers and older students will want to learn reading comprhension for their national exam in their last year of school, adults will want to learn more conversational English so that they can use this knowledge to their advantage in a job situation, and that younger students in elementary and preschool will be looking to learn simple vocabulary, games, and songs to make learning English easier in the future.
Stephen said that English education is very poor here in Costa Rica. He said that it is almost a national joke that English teachers here couldn't even pass the national exam they are supposed to be preparing their students to pass. Then he explained that with standards that low throughout the country, they are simply
significantly worse in rural areas with large populations of Nicaraguan immigrants. He said most government officials don't care of English teachers are competent in the subject in these areas. These are the communities in which I'll be working...
I'll begin work on Thursday tutoring the two administrative workers, helping them prepare for their upcoming trips to Sweden and Texas, and the bishop. On Friday I'll travel to San Martin to see how many people come to the adult and youth classes that are supposed to be set up on Friday night and Saturday afternoon. Stephen said that many times the people in these communities do not believe these classes are taking place until they see them or until someone, like me, comes to their door and assures them. He said it might take a couple of trips up there to get a class together. He said if they still are not attending after a few tries then we can move on to another community who is more interested.
I am most excited and nervous about working in San Julian and El Jardin right outside of Puerto Viejo. The younger group I will be working with in El Jardin are fourth graders. This is the year they begin to learn a foreign language, mainly English; however, Stephen said he isn't even sure if there is an English teacher or
just a teacher who takes on that responsibility without any knowledge of it just because no one else will do it. I will be able to collaborate with these teachers and find out what they are trying to accomplish, how they are doing it, and how I can help. In San Julian I'll be working with older students in high school and I'll hopefully be able to talk to their teachers as well and find out exactly what it is they need to be learning, focusing on, etc. to pass the national exam.
It's only 5pm here and I am beat. I'm going to walk to a store to pick up some dinner and breakfast for tomorrow morning and then go to bed as early as my eyes and brain will let me.
PS - Im sure as my schedule picks up I will start writing blog posts instead of doctoral theses. Thanks for your patience.... haha
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