Little by Little

On this day in Rey Curre, I am reflecting on all the things that I knew before coming, those that I didn't, and those that I want to know.

I knew...
...that I would be eating rice and beans for every meal (yes, even breakfast).
...that I would be perpetually sweating from the heat.
...that I would learn to love coffee, it being one of Costa Rica's major exports.
...that this country was the size of Virginia, but I could drive from Indiana to Florida in the time it takes to get from one side of this country to the other.
...that I would have my own classroom with a whiteboard and lots of books.
...that I would be living with a grandmother who has six children of her own and 7 grandchildren.

I didn't know...
...that whatever you are wearing on any particular day also constitutes as a bathing suit.
...that shoes are optional in soccer.
...that you can call penalty shots in foosball.
...that it's acceptable for anyone to ask if you have a boyfriend at any given time.
...that I would see a salamander on my wall every morning.
...that I would have to break into the school every time I want to get in my classroom and my director is not there. (Today makes the fifth time that I've slipped between the crack in the gate and the fence.)
...that I would have to stand on a chair, stick my arm through a gated window, and use a ruler to open the door to the copy room.
...that all six children of the family (and their children) would be in and out of the house all day. (There's never a dull moment!)
...that every morning, I would wake up to the sound of the roosters crowing.
...that I would love teaching English as much as I do. (Think of it...singing, dancing, role-playing, and games...and they call this work! ;)
...that it would cost $30 more to take the taxi. (Note to self: Always take the bus. Generally the safer option as well, except in San Jose.)
...that Latin soap operas are even more dramatic than American soap operas.
...that Americans have a bad rap here for not showering frequently enough.

I want to know...
...how to dance the Merengue and Cumbia and Salsa and Bachata.
...how to get a classroom of 1st and 2nd graders to be alert and engaged for 80 minutes.
...why the school doesn't have a key to the copy room.
...how to dribble a soccer ball past a Tican.
...more songs and games and activities to keep it fresh in English class all year long.
...how to participate in a conversation with Ticans in which they don't have to pause and explain to me what's going on.

As the Ticans say, "poco a poco"...little by little.