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.