Wonderful news! I can connect to the WiFi in the residence hall!
Our team is now in the dorms at the University of Costa Rica. There's sixteen of us: six guys, ten girls, eight foreigners (U.S.) and eight locals. Things have been running pretty smoothly (no major kitchen disasters, the majority are usually on-time for meetings), and we've been able to cover a lot of material. As a member of the leadership team, I am now on the kitchen rotation as an "experienced" cook...I am proud to announce that I haven't burned or under-cooked anything and everyone is still alive. Our meetings consist of the leadership team (Kendall and Grace: Coordinators, Bryant and I: Support People) teaching the rest of the group everything that we learned in Nicaragua (leadership skills, educational theory and techniques, etc). Our group is great-we'll definitely be ready to teach on the 17th.
Our dorm has a family of cats-2 adults and 5 kittens. They are ADORABLE. I'm going to have to find time to upload pictures (since I've taken a bajillion). One of the volunteers named the kittens after the four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (with the fifth named "Turtle"). Rafael seems to be missing (which was announced at our latest meeting), so keep your fingers crossed that he shows up :) Biggest difference between these kitties and my kitty (Squeaky the Lazy Cat)? The mama cat will take the time and effort to kill an IGUANA. I came out of a meeting to find a head, tail, claws, and a bunch of iguana eggs in a neat little pile near the door. I didn't notice the blood until it showed up under the flash of my camera...
We had a fiesta three days ago (Sunday) to celebrate GL's 15th birthday. Jana was able to secure a local cafe for the evening at a very low cost (Even if we weren't a non-profit, education-enriching org, I'm sure Jana could charm anyone). We had wonderful bite-sized appetizers and tons of cake (banana with cream cheese frosting topped with strawberries and grapes). Past volunteers spoke of their experiences, and we sang Happy Birthday 15 times (a GL tradition!). I sang in Polish and Arabic :)
Monday was field trip day (usually Sundays, but we had the party)...we went to Playa Hermosa, a beach about an hour away. It was much more touristy than the beach in Nicaragua, but still beautiful and relaxing.
As with any large group together 24/7 in a foreign place, things don't always run smoothly. Some of the foreign volunteers don't understand the importance of making enough filling food for the entire group. It's very frustrating when people complain about eating rice and beans everyday and that they want more variety. It takes everything I have to avoid smacking them upside their heads. The leadership team ate rice, beans, and plantains for at least 2 meals a day, every day for two weeks with eggs and tuna for protein and a mix of fruits and veggies for variety. AND WE LOVED IT! Many of the local volunteers have left meals feeling hungry (as have I and the other members of the leadership team). We explained all this in our latest meeting (I kept my mouth shut since I knew I'd say something rude) and hopefully things will improve. If not, our grocery budget is going to explode...
In addition, I just received notice that one of my favorite high school science teachers, Mr. Coleman, passed away. Mr. Coleman was a brilliant man who had high standards for his students and didn't mind playing Jurassic Park or Young Frankenstein for his classes. He also always attended Prom with his wife. Please keep him and his family in your thoughts/prayers!
To end on a good note, this team is HILARIOUS. I can't write about everything that happens, but between our dance parties and general silliness, our meetings are quite entertaining. Two of my favorite stories:
1) While playing "question from a bag" (a get-to-know-you type of activity), someone pulled the question, "What would you name a child?" Most of the group gave traditional names like Marisol or John. However, I noticed that Emily, a volunteer from Missouri, had no idea what to say. I leaned in and told her to say "Apple" and "Moses" (the names of Gwyneth Paltrow's kids). She did it. I have never seen so many confused faces in my life...until I said Rosalind/Beatrice/Hermione and Fred/George :) Only a couple people got the Shakespeare/Harry Potter references...
2) While discussing inappropriate language (Spanish and English), Nella, a local, told us a story about her experiences in English class. She tried to say "can't" in class one day, but due to the differences in vowel pronunciation in Spanish vs. English, the word came out "c*nt." Apparently the teacher couldn't stop laughing...
Abrazos y besos <3
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