21/1/2011

10:25pm

I just came out of my room after organising some of my things, papers, etc., to find out little sister had some small wallet sized photos of her school picture to give to me. As much as I miss home, this lovely family is slowly going to make leaving them a lot harder.

21/1/2001

9:48pm

I'll have to congratulate my mother of her gift choices: they were a hit!

I'd already seen a couple of New Zealand tea towels displayed under the plastic table cloth, so I already knew an Australia addition to the collection would please my host mother. There was also an emu hand puppet, which the youngest is yet to take off her hand, and some Australian tea tree oil soap, which smells great and impressed my mother. The whole family was fascinated with the tea towel, which is decorated with a map surrounded by native Australian animals.

But the best part by far was the big box of Cadbury Favourites. Watching their excitement, their faces and reactions to trying new kinds of chocolate, was priceless. All this was accompanied by a heart-felt letter, translated by my project leader, and my mama tica was very touched, and gave me a big hug. I know, this is a bigger, 'larger than life' kind of experience, but I really believe it's the little moments like that that I'll carry with me for the rest of my life.

21/1/2011

8:38pm

Today was the last day with the children, besides the parade of Sunday, and it was a little emotional. There are two kids in particular, a pair of brothers, who I've been helping out the past few days, and even as a self-proclaimed non-fan of children, I'll allow an exception or two for these kids. Getting a thank you hug, and knowing how much you mean to these kids is enough to warm the heart of even the coldest grinch.

We also had a group discussion about Costa Rica not having an army, and how it's seen as a "happy" country. There were a lot of moral and ethical dimensions, which is something of an interest for me, but what really got to me was hearing a local, one of the two leaders from the creative project at the school, tell us she saw nothing of her country in the way it was presented in the scholarly articles or news reports.

She explained that the happy and pacifist view of Costa Rican's presented to the world is essence deprived them of some of their freedom, as it is a lot harder to go against a government that is always trying to enforce (for want of a better word) peace and happiness. When I think about social issues back home, not having the ability to speak out against the government seems almost crippling. It's definitely given me a lot of food for thought.

In other news, I've found that I've really grown to enjoy spending time with my host family. There's a sweet, family-oriented simplicity in their lives that is really heart-warming, and I often find myself smiling as I watch them interact, blissfully unaware of what they're actually saying in Spanish. As the countdown of our remaining nights in San Cristobal Norte begins, I've decided to give them the gifts from Australia tonight. I'd rather see the aftermath of their reception for a bit longer than one night, and hopefully it will help highlight the true gratitude I feel towards them in my final days here.

21/1/2011

7:58am

I scrolled through the days on the calendar on my iPod last night. Even though I know it's only one less day than yesterday, I can't help it.

Mornings are always the hardest. Dreams of home are still fresh in my mind, and it's so easy to wish I was waking up somewhere else, with someone else, to do something other than paint giant murals all day.

I know volunteer work isn't always supposed to be fun, but it is definitely testing me in more ways than I thought possible.

20/1/2011

8:28pm

Had to stop, dinner was ready.

As I gazed out over the valley, a single firefly began to float around, rising up and drifting away, like a beacon in the night. It was such a pretty image, and it felt even more special by the fact that I knew such a thing couldn't happen in Australia. I guess this is how people get the 'travel bug'. Not because they're bored with their own lives; just that the world has so much diversity to offer. It's sad to know that people here may never leave, unable to get out and see the rest of the world. When I look at it that way, it feels an even more amazing opportunity. I've decided if would be great to go travelling again sometime, except maybe not leave that special someone at home next time.

I've figured out that we're exactly halfway through our entire Costa Rican journey. Yet even telling myself "It's all downhill from here" doesn't cure the homesickness, however mild. But I guess that's natural. I'm still having multiple dreams a night, all relating to life back in Sydney, and waking up to realise I'm still in Costa Rica comes as something of a rude shock. No matter how long I'm here, there are some things you just can't get used to, or that time makes better, with the knowledge that my time here is really temporary (regardless of how long it feels as though I've been here). (NB: That's really confusing for even myself to read - I mean to say if I was here for a significant period of time, say 6 months or a year or so, I'd be more inclined to feel as though I was 'living' there rather than simply travelling or stopping by.)

Dinner was great tonight, you never go hungry here, and afterwards we sat around the table as a family while the brothers made funny origami type designs with tea towels, and even did a magic coin trick. It's nice to see the whole family interacting, and the boys away from their video games. I guess an event like having two foreigners in your house inevitably brings a family closer together. In so many ways, this family reminds me more and more of my own. Which is a surprisingly nice feeling, considering it's been nearly a month since I saw my own parents.

There was also another (debatably) exciting event tonight. After a whole lot of shouting between our father and the other men in neighbouring houses, I figured out there was something in/on the roof. By the time I saw what it was (an opossum, I think; to be honest I'm not exactly sure), it had already been bludgeoned to death and thrown to the dogs. I don't know if the creature was a pest, but I was slightly disturbed by the whole ordeal. But I suppose it's another example of how I really am in another country, and as a foreigner who barely knows their language, I thought it would be rude to impose my personal beliefs on an established culture, of which I still knew next to nothing about.

So I feigned excitement with the men, said a silent prayer for the opossum, and simply put it down to another life experience, on what is turning out to be quite the journey of a lifetime.

20/1/2011

7:07pm

Continuing in my inspirational mood from this morning...

I walked home by myself this evening, as my roommate is still at an art workshop at the school, and I decided to do so sans iPod. Just a short walk, soaking in the surroundings, was enough to make me appreciate even more how beautiful a place like Costa Rica, and in particular this town of San Cristobal Norte, really is.

I passed several locals, including a few kids who recognised me from the afternoons at the school, and everyone offers a warm greeting. Even the majority of passing cars give a friendly wave and a beep. Down in the centre of town, I could hear the boy from last nights musicians practicing his saxophone, the haunting tones echoing out through the valley. As I stopped to admire the sounds and soak up the scenery, a small light started blinking in front of me, and it took me a moment to realise what it was...

20/1/2011

8:21am

Must be a big laundry day today - our mama tica usually washes our dirty clothes everyday, but today I returned from breakfast to find my sheets gone too. These people really are too good to us.

Just one thing I forgot to mention about last night: our project leader has been telling me about a small band that some of the local teenagers play in, but so far had been unsuccessful at getting me to one of their jams. Last night at the BBQ, however, they surprised us by showing up and playing a short little concert under the light of the full moon. Consisting of 4 acoustic guitars and one saxophone, I suspect it wasn't the usual ensemble, but it was still a nice performance, and a pleasure to watch. Even though I couldn't understand what they were singing, a quote from my childhood still rang clear in my mind: "Music is a language that everybody speaks."

(NB: Upon returning home to research and confirm, I heard that quote from David Desrosiers, the bass player of Simple Plan.)

19/1/2011

9:14pm

I really shouldn't have bothered with the run. The hike we went on was more like a full-on trek through the jungle, one of the girls even likened to army training. Granted, it wasn't much different from some of the walks I'd done with Scouts, or mountains I'd climbed in Scotland (except maybe a little (or a lot) more mud), the fact that I did a huge uphill run only hours before ensured that I was totally exhausted by the time we got back. There were some amazing views and sights, and I got a bunch of great photos. I'm going to have to upload them all to Facebook when we get back to Heredia, or I won't have enough room on my camera for photos in the adventure tour.

Our evening consisted of a BBQ with all the volunteers and their host families, which was nice, just to be able to sit around and chill and not worry about working. Someone also made a comment, as we watched the Tico's talk and socialise, that if this were a BBQ in Australia, at least half the guests would be smashed by now. I know we all laughed about it, but it made me realise how drinking plays not only a big part in my life, but in the small fragments of solidified Australian culture.

It's been over a week since I last consumed alcohol. That is a surprising milestone for me, considering I got 5 days into 'Dry August' last year before going out and ending up drinking again. But I suppose it's all circumstantial: I know for a fact if I was back in Sydney I wouldn't have remained sober. Nor would I have voluntarily given up internet access. I guess the detox has finally kicked into effect, but all it is showing me is that I can survive without my vices if I have to.

But there's no way in Hell I would choose to.

19/1/2011

11:39am

My God, days off go by so slowly!

I've been reading Dear John, but I had to put it down for fear of becoming too overwhelmed. The setting of two people who fall hopelessly for each other in a matter of mere weeks, only to be ripped apart by inevitable circumstances, is a theme that hits way too close to home at present.

I know I'm not serving in the military, and I'll be home sooner than John ever would be. But all the same, my heart aches with empathy as I flip through the pages.

19/1/2011

11:12am

So my 'no exercise' plan didn't work. However, I ran further then any of the previous days with the others, and managed to kill another hour. I think I sweat so much my sunscreen began coming off. Either that, or the sheer extent of that workout turned my cheeks a shade of pink.

There were some pretty awe inspiring views on the way, too. I went so far that the downhill started going back up, and the views of the mountains from the valleys in between are of that epic postcard status.

Since my adaptor doesn't work in the powerpoints here, I've given my camera to one of the girls to charge. I'll have to make that trek one more time before I leave, with my camera, to capture a few of the impressive views.