Que rico con las conversaciones con los ticos

(It literally means that conversations with the Ticos are wonderful!)

On this day in Orosi, I soaked in our first day of orientation and my second day of living with my host family. It is a large Catholic family, eight children in all. I have a room of my own, and I have enjoyed large, tasty meals and breezy, sunny weather. The other volunteers and I have begun to get to know each other better, and it has been a huge comfort to share some of the same concerns, excitements, and cultural observations. For example, it came as quite a surprise when we learned that people often say "adios," or literally "goodbye," when they are passing each other on the street or that Ticans eat fast and they can't get enough rice and beans!

Yesterday, we spent the day in San Jose. We listened to a presentation by the embassy and we met our contracted doctor and laughed at his dry sense of humor: "And watch out for the killer bees...if they come after you, my prescription is to run." By the end of the day of warning after warning, I was ready to board the first flight back home, but things changed dramatically once we got to Orosi later that day and met our host families.

From doom and gloom to smiles and besos (kisses), the day ended with a happy exclamation. My family welcomed me with a hug and a kiss and showed me patiently around the house and the neighborhood. We played cartas, and after two unchallenged wins, my host mom insisted that we play another so that she or her son would have a chance of revenge to which they were finally able to seize. Later, I went to an evening rosary with my host mom and two of her daughters. I enjoyed the latin guitar as I listened to the prayers and songs. Afterward, the church shared a meal together of rice, beans, corn tortillas, carne con salsa (meat with salsa), and Fanta to drink. My host sisters, 11 and 13 years old, put me to shame and cleaned their plates. I enjoyed every bite, but had more than enough.

My Spanish is both better and worse than I thought. Sometimes, it has been difficult for me to have very simple conversations like when I am going to go to bed and wake up in the morning, and at other times, I have found myself discussing favorite vacation spots or the influx of Chinese run supermarkets in Costa Rica and the apparent generosity of the chinos. As you can see, the Ticans, most especially my host family, have been very patient with me, and I think the immersion along with our daily language classes for the next few weeks will help me to make significant gains.

This is hard. Harder than I thought. It's hard to be away from my family and loved ones. It's hard to navigate through a new culture and learn a new language. But, it's also incredibly rewarding to speak in a different language and to observe and digest a different way of life. Not to mention, technology eases the pain a little. (Thank you Skype and facebook!) But, when you close the night with a beso and a hug from your host mom, it makes me feel less like a stranger in a foreign land and more like a welcomed guest among friends.