Studying in Costa Rica Rule #1: Shower
The institute gave us a list of rules for our stay here in Costa Rica, and one of the rules was to shower daily.
Culture Fact of the Day: Costa Ricans highly uphold the value of cleanliness.
I was intrigued that showering was a verbalized as well as written rule. Is that not understood? Yet, now that I’ve entered the culture I’m beginning to see the depths of the necessity to be clean and the little tolerance for the smelly.
Here is why:
1. The temperatures are high and coupled with humidity, you get a workout crossing the street.
2. Most people use buses and thus are in close proximity to crowds at all time.
3. The sky empties itself every afternoon and consequently you can expect
Studying in Costa Rica: Melting Pot in the Canopy
Culture Fact of the Day (why not learn as I do?): The day starts between 5-6 a.m. and ends by 10 p.m.
The United States is always deemed the melting pot of the world, but Missouri seems to be sheltered a bit. However, I’ve concluded that Costa Rica is the pot where everyone has chosen to gather this week.
I’m currently sitting in Café Delicias with my Papaya milkshake waiting for the daily promised rain to pass. Here with me is my friend Anaisa, and we’ve been talking about home all afternoon. Being from Denmark, she offers a fresh view of what I deem my “normal lifestyle.” The melting pot has broadened my understanding of the culture of both Costa Rica and abroad.
As
Studying Abroad in Costa Rica: Confessions
Hola from Costa Rica!
Confession Time.
When I came to Costa Rica I didn’t come with the intention of learning Spanish, yet now that I am here, I have an authentic desire to grasp, understand, and communicate in Spanish. I never thought I would say such a thing.
On Day 1 Spanish was used for survival. Just 4 days later, my vocabulary and comprehension has increased greatly, and Spanish has transformed into a challenge that I have 4 more weeks to conquer.
My mornings consist of 4 hours of Spanish class with only 5 students in my class. The class is taught solely in Spanish, and if we use English, we owe our professor 5 dollars.
The picture to the right is my class with Senor
Costa Rica: Snapshots
PURA VIDA is the response to everything here in Costa Rica. How was it? Pura Vida. How are you? Pura Vida. Translated roughly to “this is the life,” it is the anthem of the life here.
My stay here will determine if that’s the truth. In the meantime, however, I will say Pura Vida simply because it is a Spanish phrase I know. I’ll use all I can.
Snapshots of the past few days:
On the flight to Costa Rica from Houston I sat by an artist who “expressed herself” to me by explaining her art. Her expertise is sculpting two-headed baby fountains. To add pizzaz she uses real hair from salons to give a lifelike appearance. I’d choose a gnome for my yard any day but probably just a plant.
I arrived safely
Preparing to Study Abroad in Costa Rica
Maybe I should invest in an English-Spanish dictionary
Tonight at Target I heard a family speaking Spanish and reality struck: I don’t understand Spanish at all. Tomorrow this reality is going to do more than strike; it’s going to jumpstart a lifestyle for the next five weeks.
May 16th—June 20th I am studying Spanish in Alajuela, Costa Rica. Tomorrow at the airport my host family will be holding a sign with my name on it. From there, my immersion into the culture will begin and hopefully, my lacking Spanish skills will tag alongside.
Tonight I’ve been researching my next five weeks. Here’s are the basic facts (and then you’ll know as much as me):
Location: Central America; 12 miles northwest of San Jose
Weather: Warm