October 25, 2004 San Jose, Costa Rica
hey you guys!! Sorry it has taken so long to get a web site going but finally here it is. This is just a short summary of what I have been doing these past two months and I hope you enjoy it. Feel free to e'mail me with any questions about the trip or anything else. Of course, my address is [email protected].
Well, I am based in San Antonio de Coronado, which is a barrio near San Jose, Costa Rica, which is the capital. I live with a great host family, the Zuņiga's. The father, Don David, is a pastor of Faro del Evangelio, a pentecostal church and also works for a bread company, and the mother, Doņa Carmen, cooks amazing Costa Rican food. The two sons of the house David, 26, and Jonathan, 22, are two cool guys that i dont know very well cuz they are always gone, but they for sure seem rad. David sings and plays guitar, so he is especially super rad. (His voice is amazing by the way).
During this time, I have had the great opportunity to visit various places outside of San Jose, such as Limon, on the eastern coast of the country. I also have been fortunate enough to travel to Nicaragua, which I just came back from in early October. I stayed in a very poor and rural pueblo, called Jiquirillo in the northwestern province of Chinandega. In these places I have learned a lot about what it means to live poor and discriminated against. I have also learned that Latin America is a very diverse place, though it seems wherever I go in Latin America most people are quite laid back and friendly.
More recently, I just had a four day mini vacation this past Thursday through Sunday, which I spent with my friend Josue, a Tico (Costa Rican) from Belen, Heredia. We went on a mini canopy tour and threw ourselves off of a cliff into a forest in the province of Alajuela and then later went to see a huge volcano, Arenal. We drove so much in just two days and basically traveled around the north and western coast, doing a circle until we came back to Belen. Ok, theres more to it, we goofed off a lot, got into a couple of sticky situations with members of the opposite sex (awkward yes, but hilarious), and we drove way too fast. Man, it was so fun. I actually didnt do homework for once.
Ok, Ill explain one of the awkward girl situations. Its funny enough to retell. Josue and I were eating lunch at a little restaurant right near the volcano Arenal. The waitress was extremely hot and I wanted to practice being Latino by complimenting her in a gentlemanly way (like not whistling at her or calling her mami or mamacita). Here in Latin America this is called piropos, and I wanted to give this woman a nonvulgar piropo. So when Josue went to the bathroom, I started to talk to her. I said, "Miss, can I tell you something?" She said, "Yes, of course." I didnt realize this, but here she was married and without noticing her husband in the back, chopping vegetables or meat very angrily and aggressively with a huge knife, I said, "you are very pretty and good looking". She replied with a smile by thanking me and saying that I was good looking too. She then the eye flirting began. Josue came back and noticed what we were doing. We paid the check and then as we were getting in the car to leave he said, "R.J., didnt you notice everyone said goodbye to us except for the cook? Thats because the girl you were flirting with is married and that was her husband frowning at you with a knife in his hand!! Whenever you meet a girl, ALWAYS ask if she has a boyfriend or husband before you do that."
Man, I wanted to die. And we did die. Laughing of course. Its still funny and I will remember the girls hotness.
Ok, enough about that. This Wednesday, I will be leaving for Cuba and Panama, with about 20 other students. We are going to study more of Latin America and we will be challenged even more on our beliefs in Christ Jesus and our worldviews by meeting all sorts of people. We will also be working with elderly people for a week. Then on the 13th day, we will leave to be in Panama for four days. I will for sure put an update up for you all. This trip will rock. Oh yes, it will rock hard.
Lastly, I just want to say that this semester has definitely been extremely great, although the hardest semester of my life. I know when I come back, those of you I will see right away will probably be like, "Whoa R.J., you changed a lot!" Its totally a good thing, because I am growing deeper with the Lord and am learning to be confident with myself enough to form arguable opinions, and I am trying harder than ever to understand the world in order to do whatever I can to work for Gods awesome kingdom.
I love you all! Enjoy the pictures.
With much love,
R.J. (or for the sake of the trip, Roberto)