I'm tired of rain

Hola todos mis companeros,

It's now October and supposedly we're moving into the rainest part of the year. Joy. Since August, we've had rain almost every day. Since mid September, that's been almost all day, every day. Today the sun came out in the morning. I watched it rise over the mountains thinking, "We haven't had a decent sunrise since July." It was a nice change. From what everyone here is telling us, this is one of the most rainy seasons in the last 20 years. Joy. That thrills me greatly.

Thankfully, last weekend we went to Isla Tortuga for the day. Translation: BEACH AND SUN. But you could still tell it was "winter". The sun wasn't as intense. But at least it was there. The humidity not even close to being as high as it was in June when we were in the same area. It was more like Kansas in May.

Then later on Saturday it was back to Escazu and "winter". Granted, our winter is like 70 degrees F, with no strong storms. Just rain, cooler and less humid. In the evenings a comforter feels good. During the day, long sleeves aren't out of the question. It's a refreshing change to January and February when it's so hot and humid.

From what everyone has told us, December is the best month. We'll see. :)

Costa Rican Independance Day

Hi all,


It was an enjoyable week in the land of Doka coffee, Poas volcano and earthquakes. This week we had an earthquake. It was 5.3 on the Richter scale and located mostly on the north pacific coast. Joy. Earthquakes unsettle me more so than anything else here as they don't have easily noticeable signs. Tornados in the Midwest can be easily predicted and advance warning is common. Earthquakes, not so much.

Another important event this week was September 15th, Costa Rican's Independence Day! The week leading up to it meant decorating and preparing for celebration. On the 15th, there were parades and lots of absolutely adorable little girls and boys in traditional costume. The traditional costume is period 1820s and Spanish in origin. The independence celebrated for Costa Rica is from Spain in 1821. Costa Rica's current government formed in 1949 after a civil war. Like most Central American countries, Costa Rica's path to its current state is long and varied. But Costa Rica's birth and growth under the Spanish crown with an absence of native indigenous people, had long lasting cultural impacts; contributing to many of the cultural idiosyncrasies Costa Rica is known for today. Check out Wikipedia for all the details. It's really very interesting.

But what does Independence Day in a foreign country feel like? How should you observe it if you're not a nationalized citizen of the country? These are questions we had to answer for the first time.

Independence Day in a foreign country felt like any other day to me. I didn't feel the anticipation or strong patriotism of our US independence day. I did feel an intense respect for our host country and a desire to learn as much as possible about the day and its significance. With our son Corwin, we started learning. We looked up the Costa Rican national anthem and read the words. Corwin sings it every Monday at his school along with the US national anthem. He recognized the music and knew some of the words. We worked on translating those words to English and discussing what they meant. We talked about the importance of a stable, democracy to a country and its people. Keeping in mind our son is 8, so the higher level economic concepts of a stable government's impact on foreign investment, etc was a bit out of our discussion thread. Our discussion focused on the top line items and how they related to us. For example, a stable and democratic government meant companies would come to the country. If companies came to the country, those companies create jobs for people. If people have jobs, they can buy homes, cars, groceries and pay taxes to the government to support it. Disney "Circle of life" stuff but with an economic twist an 8 year old can understand.

All in, it was a very enjoyable day for us. We all had the day off. We watched parades on television and talked about the holiday and what it meant to us as a family. I made a pot roast. It felt like a Sunday. :)

"Santa Luisa"

Hola all!


Wow, the month of August literally blew by us. Weeks with family. Weeks working. Starting school. Whoosh! There went August.

And finally, as promised, a post about Santa Luisa or Saint Luisa, the most wonderful person on the face of our Costa Rica planet; our most favorite engineer of the domestic arts; the MAID! :)

Here are the top 10 reasons why I think Santa Luisa should be enshrined in glory forever:

10. As a Costa Rican national, we pay her a higher salary than other less experienced or illegal immigrants. We pay her 1700 colones an hour. At the current exchange rate of 503.75 colones per the US dollar, 1700 colones is $3.37 an hour. Working from 7am to 5pm, it costs us $33.60 a day. Our housekeeper in the States who came twice a month cost us that much an HOUR.

9. Paperwork...like NO paperwork. She's self employed. Basically an independent contractor here. Means we don't have to deal with the Costa Rican government for her taxes and other deductions. Amen!

8. For 3.37 an hour, Santa Luisa does everything. No exceptions. No "I don't do windows". She simply does whatever needs to be done or we ask her to do. Clean windows, clean the gas grill, watch the kids, laundry (more about laundry here in a minute), dishes, cook, mop floors, scrub walls, change every sheet, clean every toilet. Oh, and the other day, without being told to do so, she completely organized our walk in closet from top to bottom. I was ready to call the Pope right then and there to nominate her for saint hood!

7. Spanish only! She speaks a little English but not much. This is actually a GOOD thing as it forces the kids and James to learn a little more Spanish every Wednesday.

6. Hard working...Luisa gets more done in a 10 hour day than I could get done in a week! She is never rushed. She just never stops the entire day. I'm seriously wondering if there is divine intervention involved.

5. Laundry...OMG does she DO LAUNDRY! Besides the usual wash/dry/fold, Luisa irons EVERYTHING and folds laundry just like it came from a department store. Our t-shirts have never looked better. Everything is sorted by size and neatly stacked. (I asked her not to put the kids’ clothes away so they would actually still have some type of responsibility. Gee...I know...it's tough on them.) Before James leaves the house on Wednesday mornings, Luisa insists on ironing his jeans and shirt first. No exceptions.

4. Sewing...She also mends anything which needs repairing (buttons, ripped seams) and hemmed up Corwin's school pants when they were too long. She saw them on the table with my sewing machine nearby. I intended to hem up the pants when I got home (I know...good luck with that on my schedule). When Santa Luisa put two and two together, it equaled the pants being already hemmed up perfectly by the time I got home.

3. Honest...Our relocation mobility coordinator has known Luisa for 15 years and highly recommended her. Now, I completely understand why. We can actually leave Luisa alone in the house and know not only will our $50 box of laundry detergent still be there after she leaves, but the house will be spotless and the door locked. We worry about nothing with Luisa in the house.

2. Dependable...Santa Luisa is never late. She never misses a day. The ONLY drawback is she's only available one day a week for us right now. She works for another expat family as well and only has the one day a week available for us. (sigh) Someday...3 days a week! Maybe 4!

1. The top reason I think Santa Luisa should be enshrined in glory forever is she does everything with a smile on her face and happiness in her voice. She is a beautiful person inside and out. She whistles while she works. She sings to the radio. :) She is always positive; energetic, outgoing. The kids love her. She is always willing to learn something new (I introduced her to my good friend the Dryel home dry cleaning process the other day!). She's a little shy. She didn't want me to take her picture here. She's a very humble person. She makes our lives better every Wednesday. I only hope, before long, it's every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. :)

Next post: Jaci's parents come to town! Pura Vida!

Hi all,

I know I promised a post on "Luisa" next. But that can wait a little longer. We're trending toward the end of July. School has been out for awhile and now is the time for vacations. As in people vacationing to Costa Rica. :) Some of those people just happened to be our family coming to Costa Rica for the first time.

My husband's parents, my inlaws, just returned from the States this weekend after spending a week with us. It was wonderful to see them. It also gave us a reason to actually do a little vacationing of our own. So off we went out into the wild, blue and green Costa Rica.

Where did we go? Based on recommendations from some of the folks I work with, we headed to Manual Antonio. Yes, it sounds like a guy's name. But it's really the location of one of the best national parks Costa Rica has to offer. Here is the link to the Wikipedia entry about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manuel_Antonio_National_Park

We spent 3 days in Manual Antonio. 3 days of family, sun and nature. We had lots of all 3. First family. 3 full days of 6 people driving in one car in a foreign country. James drove. His dad Gerry navigated. I helped to keep the kids entertained while the Nintendo batteries were charging. Judy, James's mom, held on for her life for the bulk of the trip. The roads in Costa Rica are nothing short of an adventure. There are a lot more obstacles (cows, people, pot holes, mountains, roads which wound around the mountains with no guardrail) then one usually encounters along the average highway and biway in Missouri. But besides the joys of a road trip, having our family with us here in Costa Rica was the best. It's hard to describe the happiness of having your close family in the same room for a change instead of only by Skype. The kids missed their grand parents very much. Having them here for a week was the best vacation we could have given.

And then there's sun. We had lots, lots and lots of sun; mostly on the 2nd day. We applied sunscreen liberally, in the first 15 minutes we were on the beach. But then, forgot to do it again for the next several hours. Add the fact we're 2 miles from the sun here in Costa Rica and playing in the water, spells more than too much time without adequate sun protection. Lesson learned for sure. Although, my favorite picture was of the kids after this day of sun and sand.

Finally, there is nature. Lots and lots of nature for sure. We saw grasshoppers 5 times the size of anything I've seen before. Walking stick insects which were as big as real sticks. We saw iguanas and geekos at every turn. Monkeys of 3 different species. There were sloths in 2 different varieties. We actually saw a bona fide tree frog snuggled safely in the crook of a large banana leaf. So small and so close to the same color of the leaf without the expert eyes of our guide we would have missed the little frog totally. We saw tree bats snoozing in the mid afternoon. And, we saw snakes. Joy, slithering reptiles. :) Tree boas were mostly what we saw with the one exception. One of these reptile friends we saw Monday evening right outside our hotel bulding on the path leading from the beach up to the hotel. Here is a picture of our little friend, a black reticulated boa as our nature guide said based on this picture,  as he was quickly trying to escape into the underbrush. Our other reptile friends were curled up high in the tree canopy away from those pesky people.

It was a wonderful 3 days and a great week with our family. We thoroughly enjoyed having them visit us, enjoy Costa Rica and experience our day to day life here.

I think this final picture exemplifies the Pura Vida feeling we all had after enjoying our vacation.

Now, this week, MY parents visit. More family, sun and nature coming up!

JULY 4TH 2010 - Happy Birthday USA!

Happy Birthday USA!

Today we spent our first July 4th in Costa Rica. It was a nostalgic day and very different compared to the last July 4th I spent in a foreign country.

The last 4th of July I spent in a foreign country was 20 years ago as a college student in Guadalajara Mexico. The highlight of our evening was singing the Star Spangled Banner at 10pm in the middle of a residential street with probably 15-20 other study abroad students under the influence of several Tecate beers, the "PBR" of Mexico (translation: the cheapest beer). It was quite a "chorus". (!)

This 4th of July was very different. There were still study abroad students. I saw and talked to many from Missouri and Kansas. But I wasn't in that group. I was in the "family with small children" group. Wore my KU t-shirt and Audrey had on her KU cheerleader outfit none the less. James had on a patriotic shirt with the US flag. Corwin proudly wore the t-shirt from his boy scout troup from KC. We still sang the Star Spangled Banner. But not at 10 pm at night, nor in a residential street. There was still beer involved via an all you can drink beer garden; just not Tecate and I had only one.

This 4th of July we spent the bulk of the day at the annual July 4th Picnic sponsored by the American Embassy and probaby 40 or 50 sponsors. This was the 50th year of the event. It was at a large outdoor private picnic park where for $5 US per person (and it was only for American citizens with US passports and immediate family), we had all the hotdogs, beer, soda, popcorn, kids games, picnic games, volleyball and bounce house time we could stand. But more importantly, we also saw the Stars and Stripes raised by a US Marine Corps color guard, recited the Pledge of Allegiance and then sang the Star Spangled Banner at the top of our lungs with a local outdoor live orchestra. The picture here is the flag as it was being raised on July 4th by the color guard. After the colors were raised high, the US Ambassador to Costa Rica addressed the crowd. Both with her own address and an excerpt from President Obama's July 4th proclamation.

It was both an incredibly wonderful event and bittersweet at the same time. Over the last month or so, the whole family has been more than a little homesick. Things which remind you of "home" can suddently and strongly trigger very intense emotions. When singing the Star Spangled Banner, it was all I could do to hold it together and not just start sobbing half way through it. We were told this would happen. I expected it in the kids. I didn't expect it in myself. It's a difficult thing to describe. It's like "the honeymoon is over". The boxes are unpacked. The car bought. The immigration process complete. The kids enrolled in school. The paths to grocery store, gas station, church, Walmart substitute and work are almost second nature. However, the language is different. The government is different. You can't buy an American flag because you can't find any. The extended family isn't a car ride away. Nothing you know like the fiber of your being is "just a car ride away" anymore. It's all a day's journey by an airplane going 700 miles per hour.

The question is how to manage this incredibly strong pull to things more familiar and comforting? How do we embrace our new home in a foreign country while still keeping our home country with us in our "back pocket" so to speak? It's something we will be working through for quite some time to come I'm sure. In the next several weeks, my in laws and my parents will be traveling south to see us. We've already sent "lists" of what we want them to bring from the States. The top of the list? The first thing which came to mind? Cheeseburger Mac Hamburger Helper and a very large US flag. :) Can't find either one of those things here at all. Why Hamburger Helper? Kids love Hamburger Helper. It's not gourmet. But it's easy to make. It's "American". It's "comfort food". The flag? When you're not in the USA, you're just American. You're not from Missouri or Kansas or New York City. You're not Republican or Democrat. You're just American. You want a big honkin' flag to put up whenever the mood to display your "Americanness" reaches pitch. As such, perhaps with a little "Hamburger Helper" once in awhile, a big honkin' US flag to put up when we feel the urge coupled with the fact I can play the Star Spangled Banner on my piano keyboard while the kids learn to sing it at the top of their lungs, we'll get just the "fix" we need once in awhile to keep the USA close at hand like that comfy sweater you know you'll always have handy when it gets really cold.

Have you ever been homesick? Ever away from "home" for long periods of time? What did you do to help ease those homesick blues? Drop me a comment. Would love to hear about it.

Next post: LUISA!

God Bless the USA!

Jaci

Bogota!

Hola mis companeros,

From my last post, I promised a tale about my recent trip to Bogota.

Very interesting place Bogota. I’m not sure what’s more disconcerting. The fact there are more bomb/drug sniffing dogs and military police than people in Costa Rica or the fact those security measures are needed in Bogota. I admit to being pretty open about traveling there as it was the “lesser of two evils”. Either go to Bogota or Mexico City. Both places are challenging from an American perspective. Regardless of what we do, regardless of fluent our Spanish might be or how well we appreciate and know the culture, Americans will always stand out in Latin America. Bogota is no different. However, taking the fact Columbia takes security to the level of an art form aside, I really enjoyed Bogota.

Let’s start with the weather. It was cooler than Costa Rica but not too cold. During the day long sleeves were okay. In the evening, a leather jacket or sweater was definitely needed.

Let’s talk the food. OMG…the food. It was great! Traditional Columbia food is VERY close to what Americans would classify as “comfort food”. It’s creamy soups with big chunks of chicken and vegetables. It’s baked chicken with gravy. It’s absolutely mouth watering steak with baked potatoes with all the fixings. It’s incredible deserts with fresh fruits, whipped cream or the most delicious cakes with intricate frostings.

Then, the buildings. Where I stayed it was a more upscale but older part of town. There were high rise buildings but also many older and more traditional buildings, many of the brick with beautiful and intricate wood trims. Our hotel was one of these buildings. It reminded me of a turn of the century castle with round turrets with stained glass windows.

Now, we shift to the mountains which were all around Bogota. Not sure if they were taller than the mountains circling Costa Rica’s central valley or not. But they were certainly beautiful. From one of the Citi offices in downtown Bogota, the view of those mountains and several of the buildings built along the range illustrated some of the most spectacular sunsets Bogota has to offer.

Finally, the LEATHER. Again, OMG…the leather! Managed to get a little shopping in while we were in town. Well…more like A LOT. J In fact, I did all of our family Christmas shopping with the exception of the kids. It was awesome. A jacket for me, a jacket for James. Wallet for me, belt for James. Plus, wallets, belts, gloves, boots, purses and all sorts of other cool nifty things for our friends and family. The only people I didn’t shop for were the kids. At 3 and 7 they just aren’t that into Columbia leather. LOL!

All in it was a great trip. However, I definitely noticed the difference coming back to Costa Rica, enough of a difference to say, “I missed Costa Rica!” There is no pollution, no bomb/drug sniffing dogs outside of airport security and no military police with sub machine guns every 2 blocks. Yes, Costa Rica has its challenges. However, our challenges don’t involve traveler warnings from the US State Department. Pura Vida!

You are only 7 once...

Hi all,


Two weeks ago we experienced our first Costa Rican birthday party. A little boy in Corwin’s class from school was turning 7 years old. Now, I’ve never really considered turning 7 a significant milestone in one’s life. You can’t drive yet. You can’t operate heavy machinery. You can’t smoke, drink or gamble. At age 7 you can’t even have a credit card or a job. However, for turning just 7 years of age, this was quite the event as birthday parties go.

First, there was the place. “Tesoro de la Pirata” or “The Pirate’s Treasure” is an indoor playground complete with trampoline, zip line and climbing wall among other things. It was fairly large. Had a secure parking lot. Clean and courteous staff. It was a cool place.

Second, the food. There were catered (yes I said catered) appetizers including a chocolate fountain. There was pizza for the kids. There was the custom decorated Lego topped incredible cake. No worries about leaving this soirée the least bit hungry.

Third, the décor. There were custom balloon sculptures hanging from the ceiling. Nifty center pieces on all the tables for the “Indiana Jones” themed party. Treasure chests to put gifts in when you arrived.

Fourth, face painting and the largest piñata I’ve seen yet. All the kids had faces painted with a broad range of designs. Butterflies were our daughter’s theme of choice. For Corwin, snakes. And the piñata in the shape of a Lego soldier was about the largest piñata I’ve seen. It was also full of premium candy. The imported good stuff. Our kids came home with more candy than they did for Halloween in the States.

Fifth, parting gifts. At an American party, there is almost always the ubiquitous “goodie bag” with some candy and small toys. At this party, the parting gifts were Lego kits, Indiana Jones whips (yes, the ones which are quite realistic) and satchel bags like Indiana Jones carried. Here in Costa Rica, those are not inexpensive toys. The Lego kits especially would be in the range of $20-30 US without much effort. Multiply this by the numbers (see the next paragraph) and you're not talking small change.

And finally, the numbers. In the US, parents are always uber sensitive to staying at the party and/or bringing younger siblings. Unless the invitation specifically says you can, most parents won’t bring younger siblings or stay for the duration of the party unless they think it necessary. No such social quandary here. At this party, when we inquired if it was okay if our daughter came to the party, we were met with “Of course! And there are appetizers for all the adults.” There had to be 30 kids and probably 10-12 adults. Easily a group of 40-50 people. I've been to weddings in the US with fewer people.

All in, the kids had the best time. They played for almost 2 hours, ate pizza, played more, ate cake, played more, beat up the world’s largest piñata and played more. We had to practically drag our children out of the place at 5pm (the party started at 2pm!). The food was really good. The cake was really cool. The party place very nifty, clean and secure. It was a great party. A bit over the top perhaps, but after all, you only turn 7 once. :^)



Next post…BOGOTA!