Welcome to Off and Away!

Studying in another country can be an enlightening experience. I hope that by blogging about my observations and thoughts I can shed some light on the true nature of the places I will visit, as well as their lingering problems and profound situations. In our increasingly globalized world, knowledge is the key to tolerance, cooperation, and peace. My anticipation is that some how, my writings can bring you a little bit of this knowledge.

jueves, 9 de diciembre de 2010

Abriendo los Ojos por Fin

  Tomorrow is the day!! 3 and a half months later, my wonderful journey is finally coming to an end! This week has blown by, with finals, presentations, and of course packing. I really have not had time to even sit down and think about the huge change that will be occurring tomorrow.

   Thinking about it, I don't even know how I feel about leaving! Yes, I am ecstatic about coming home to my cozy bed, family, and all the amazingness that is Christmas and New Years. But, I am not excited about leaving this warm, beautiful country. I love bazillion different types of fruits I each each morning, the music, my wonderful family, and exploring.

  I'm going to miss the delicious breads, and making a daily visit to the bakery for coffee and empanadas everyday after class. And the traveling- don't get me started on the traveling. At our farewell lunch today, we went around and told about some of our most memorable moments, and every single one occurred at some point while we were traveling. We had everyone almost in tears from laughing so hard!

   These last few weeks have been pretty busy, so reflection time has been limited. I was really concentrated and studying and writing, and on top of that I had to do some Christmas/ souvenir shopping, and now the last few days I have been packing. I'm also still working on a small handmade card for my family. Busy busy! Taking the time now, I realize how sad I am to leave. As cliche as it sounds this has been if not a life altering, at least an attitude altering experience. I have really learned how to take life in strides now. When you stop worrying about the little things and instead start learning to savor every detail, the way you feel and experience life changes.

   I keep telling friends how proud I am of myself because I rarely cry here! Its very true. Back home I am the emotional friend. I get my feeling out by crying, for everything. Yet, right now I can't remember the last time I cried. My biggest fear is that I'm going to get home and forget all I've learned here, make an about face and return to who I was.

   For now I'll remain optimistic. I don't believe the last few months will just disappear from my mind. There is no way the things I've seen and lived through here will go without a fight, they made to big of an impact on me. I think about every thing differently. Development, human rights, the United States and world relations- so many sides to all of these things that I would've never learned from a book. Being exposed poverty, real extreme poverty especially in Nicaragua- I still get a lump in my throat just thinking about it.

  All these things have helped me realize certain huge things concerning my future. I want to pursue international relations more then ever now, and while there are so many sides to it I think I truly belong on the diplomatic side. I decided I am definitely going to pursue my dream of studying law, except I hope to be able to focus on international and human rights law. But before all of this, I want to apply for Teach for America.

  Ok, random much? Yes, its strange considering I love being abroad and I like to look at things internationally way more then dealing with the complexities and frustrations that is the US government. If I learned anything here though, it was that the importance of education is unmatchable. With everything we studied- development, economics, politics, participation, human rights- it all came back to one thing. Education. It truly is what fuels change, and if I can make a difference in any child's education I will be beyond happy.

  Good bye Costa Rica, it has been real!! One last HOORAH tonight before we all fly our separate ways.

  Hmmmmmmmm, where to next??

domingo, 5 de diciembre de 2010

Day 102

    102 days ago I arrived in San Jose, a bright-eyed student fresh off the plane, leaving the USA for the first real time in my life. I remember being dropped off at my host family’s house thinking, “Wow, this is it,” right before my amazing host mom Hilda ran out of the house to give me a huge hug and tell me how worried sick she had been since my flight had gotten in late. 
Walking in Parque Nacional.
   That first week was a nightmare. My confidence sunk to an all time low, despite the fact that I could communicate better then almost all of the other students. I did not feel comfortable walking through the streets, and getting me to explorer downtown with its throngs of people, tiny streets, and overall dirtiness was like pulling teeth. One of the biggest challenges was regaining my confidence and independence in this new place.  Not to mention the fact that I had to make friends, without the luxury of being stuck together 24/7 in dorms. Facebook became our best friend in communication, hence the next biggest challenge: making plans and meeting up without cell phones. I could have gotten a local phone but I wanted to experiment and see how my semester would go without a cell phone glued to my hand like my Blackberry has been since the day I bought it. Like all things in life, there was no choice but to overcome! Little by little I pushed myself to explore further and further, first with friends then alone. I got over my initial fears, and learned to channel them into awareness and safety. I regained my confidence, and improved more then I imagined with my Spanish skills.

   Although I’m still not allowed to cook and clean for myself, I gained my independence in other ways, mostly these last few weekends exploring San Jose and all it has to offer. I made friends, AMAZING ones! And while I am not walking away with a whole groups of new friends, I am leaving with two new best friends that have helped me more then anyone through the last few months. Together we’ve dealt with homesickness, illnesses, and traveling, tough situations, and yes, even long distance break ups. I quickly got used to the fact that internet was our best way to communicate, and we all have gotten pretty good at getting to the designated meeting spots on time, without losing anyone. 

    When I think back on this experience and how I’ve changed most, I’d have to say besides all the academics and what I’ve learned, I think its been my ability to adapt and keep a clear head when reacting to situations has changed the most. I have truly accepted the “Tranquila” Tico attitude, and I hope more then anything I can maintain it when I get back to the hectic streets of DC.  I have really learned how to just be happy and grateful here, of everything I have, and at all times.

After some gift shopping in an arts market.
   I look forward to returning to DC and regaining my full independence! I can’t wait to be living and cooking again with my best friend, listening to music as loud as we want and cooking what we please. I can’t wait to walk around the beautiful clean streets, go running by the National Mall, and just calling up friends to grab lunch. I look forward to so much, but at the same time I am very sad to be leaving my new family and home. I hope when I get back I can spread some of my tranquila attitude with my friends and family- Oh and cook for them all the amazing stuff I’ve learned to make here!!
    
Update on life here in the CR: My last weekend here has just officially ended! It was a great on though, and ended up being a great way to tie up the semester. Friday included a nice sunny lunch in Parque Nacional, which is downtown. I had never really taken the time to visit this landmark, as it is usually raining. However, this sunny day was brilliant, and besides getting some sun, we got in some great people watching. Afterwards we walked to a local artisan market and did some gift shopping. The market was incredibly small and cramped, and everywhere I turned people were trying to usher me into booths, thinking I was some flustered gringa. Loved the look on their faces when I spoke nearly perfect Spanish right back at them. I am Cuban ya know!! 

   Saturday was just as sunny early on, but because of looming clouds we headed to a mall/ theater after a quick walk downtown. After asking nearly everyone working in the area to tell us about this movie called, “ Todo Sobre mi Desmadre,” we finally figured out it was actually Get Him to the Greek.


     Saturday night turned out to be one of the best experiences I’ve had here thus far. Carlos and Hilda invited me to help them decorate the Christmas tree! I felt so integrated into this amazing family; I was even allowed to put the star at the top! We spent about two hours decorating, listening to Christmas music, and doing normal family stuff.  We celebrated finishing with a toast of wine, and I could not have been happier. This morning I took a nice long jog around the University of Costa Rica campus, just thinking to myself that life could not get better then it was at that exact moment; the sun shining through the gigantic trees, cool breeze blowing, every thing falling into place. Tomorrow starts finals week, my last week.  Take a deep breath and…… GO!

Decorating the tree with Carlos!
                                 

Tico Thanksgiving continued....




Here are some pictures from the actual dinner I cooked here in Costa Rica! Finding ingredients was a bit more of a challenge then expected, but I made due with canned/ boxed food. Everything turned out much better then anticipated. My family here put so much into this dinner it was touching! They set up the fancier dining room which we've never used, and asked me plenty of questions about the tradition. My host mother Hilda gave a beautiful prayer before hand, and we each went around and gave our thanks. They told me how much they enjoyed this holiday and its meaning. Thanksgiving abroad was fabulous, and I felt even more blessed about this opportunity then I had before.

                                    

lunes, 22 de noviembre de 2010

A Tico Thanksgiving!!


  Thanksgiving, or Dia de Accion de Gracias as it is known here, is fast approaching! I have been daydreaming of creamy mashed potatoes, hot biscuits, turkey, and delicious pies for the past two weeks!! Unfortunately, turkey is not easy to come by here in Costa Rica. The good news is that after speaking with my host family, we will be having a makes shift Thanksgiving dinner!! While cooking is by far not my thing, I have volunteered to make mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, biscuits, and possibly a pie. When I say make, I mean look for a box or can with the easiest instructions. I asked my family if on this night we could all eat together, and I hope to incorporate some of my own family’s traditions. These are: going around and giving thanks for something before we all start to eat, and serving everything family style in the center of the table. As much as I long for a traditional Thanksgiving, I know this will be anything but that. We’ll probably eat chicken or fish, and I’m sure there will be some yucca, and rice and beans on the table as well. But hey, that’s what this is all about. I’m in a foreign country to learn about another culture, which unavoidably celebrates holidays different from the typical American ones. My hope is that just as my wonderful host family has taught me so much about the Costa Rican culture, I can teach them a little something about American culture. The Center of North American Culture in downtown San Jose will also be holding a typical Thanksgiving meal around lunch time on Thanksgiving day, and a few of us in the program are hoping to attend that as well. It should be a nice way to get our fix of Thanksgiving food, and being able to share our overseas Thanksgiving with other American here in Costa Rica. It should be an interesting experience! While I will definitely be missing my big Cuban family back in Miami, I am excited to share this special day with my new family! Plus, my family back home will be sure to include me in the festivities by calling me on Skype. I’ll be sure to add pictures of my Costa Rican Thanksgiving in next week’s blog!

The turkey dinner I have been daydreaming about!

   Since it is the week of thanks, I have to say Thank you to everyone that supported me in coming to Costa Rica this semester despite my fears and doubts. I also want to thank everyone that has been there for me this semester, listening to me when I was  homesick and laughing with me about all of my many adventures. This has been a Roller Coaster ride of a semester, and I could not have done it without you all!! Thank you God for all the amazing people in my life and for keeping me safe here in Central America.

lunes, 8 de noviembre de 2010

All the Places You'll Go!


Muddy after zip lining in Monteverde.
Rocking J's hostel in Puerto Viejo.
 One of the greatest parts of my study abroad experience has been the times I have gotten to spend traveling. Not having classes on Fridays has made it easy to plan weekend get aways. To date, I have been to Manuel Antonio National Park, Monteverde, Irazu Volcano, Puerto Viejo, Limon, Nicaragua (Isla Ometepe and San Juan del Sur) and Tamarindo. From my travels I have learned so many things! Like how you can still have a good time on a budget. Traveling has added to my study abroad experience because I have been able to push myself out of my comfort zone, meeting people, trying things I never though I would, and sleeping in places that would usually make me want to scream. I saw my first monkey, and the beauties of almost untouched land in Manuel Antonio. In Monteverde, I learned about dairy farming, how American Quakers settled the land, and took a leap of courage by zip lining through the cloud forest. I saw my first ever volcano, Irazú, and was able to stare down into its crater, when the clouds weren’t in the way! In Puerto Viejo I saw the Rasta side of Costa Rica, heavily influenced by Caribbean culture, and a city were racism and discrimination virtually did not exist. In Limón I learned the basics of sustainable farming and rural tourism, and had the chance to live with a family on a farm, fishing, learning about the plant life, and sleeping with a restless bat flying around the room.
Riding a bus with locals in Nicaragua. 
 In Nicaragua I got a look into a completely different world, where poverty is sadly still too common, but where the people still live on, getting by day by day with a smile on their faces and a welcoming attitude.
Finally, on my last trip to Tamarindo, I got to experience first hand the wonder of meeting amazing new people from all over the world, and just how great good company can really be. I had my first of several hostel experiences, each one better then the last. Maybe because of all the crazy hostel themed horror movies I’ve seen, this was not something I was looking forward to. But I actually have come to love the sense of friendship and community you get from cooking in a hostel’s kitchen, talking to everyone around you getting to know where they are from and why they are here. Physically I have had to push myself; I’ve gone on some intense hikes (by my standards), flown high above the trees, and trekked with a heavy backpack farther then I ever planned. Mentally, I started off always worrying, wanting to have every thing planned out and to be home early every sunday so I could get work done, and ended up going with the flow and even enjoying myself so much I stayed an extra day in Tamarindo. I even had to push myself when it came to a sense of safety, traveling always on public buses used by locals, and crossing a border into a once war torn country. One of the most enlightening parts of my recent travels has been the people I’ve met. They have ranged in age, gender, sexual orientation, and nationality; each with a unique story of how they ended up in the same place as me.
Hostel on Isla Ometepe, Nicaragua, situated between two volcanoes.
I have learned so much from these people, from their opinions of Americans and the USA, to the different trials and tribulations of life, to the importance of embracing your age and just living your life to the fullest. The Ticos I’ve met have taught me about the culture, the history, and most importantly the land so many of them are trying desperately to preserve. I’ve made two amazing friends that I’ve gotten so close to mainly because of the crazy and chaotic situations traveling has put us in together. Every now and then we think back and say, “ Wow, that was crazy! Are we really still alive?!” Studying in San Jose has taught me the academics behind development and human rights.  Traveling has taught me the realities of life in Central America. 
Attempting to surf in Tamarindo. 
As I begin the count down to my return to the United States I begin to realize just how amazing my time here has been, and how it would not have been nearly the same with out all of my many adventures. Looking forward, I know I will forever remember the lessons learned and wonderful moments, and I will always carry with me the memories and relationships I’ve made during my days on the road. The sunsets, the fits of laughter, the moments of terror, the exhaustion, the butterflies in your stomach, the nights spent sleeping in a hammock- those are the things that have made my experience. 

viernes, 5 de noviembre de 2010

Tensions Rising

Nicaraguan Flags on the boat we were on to Isla Ometepe.

   Last week I wrote to you about the border dispute between Costa Rica and Nicaragua, that rose from the fact that a Nicaraguan dredging project had been allegedly dumping sediment on Costa Rican land damaging property and protected land. While the countries have been seeking to create a diplomatic solution, this week the situation intensified when a Costa Rican police helicopter found Nicaraguan troops on Costa Rican land. The Organization of American States awarded the piece of land, called Calero Island, to Costa Rica last year, after the countries had been disputing the border. Nicaraguan troops took a Costa Rican flag down, put up a Nicaraguan flag, set up camp with weapons, and damaged property. Due to this, Costa Rica called an emergency meeting with the OAS in order to settle the dispute before any further intrusions occurred. Most of the anger is over the fact that Nicaragua would send troops into a country with no military. This is a huge violation of international norm. However, in my opinion this is just a show for attention; there is no real intention to attack. Why would Nicaragua do something that would set almost all of the Western Hemisphere against them?

On the beaches of Isla Ometepe.

What has really interested me is the reaction of the Costa Ricans. It seems as if this week, xenophobia towards Nicaraguans has increased three fold. Nicaraguan migration to Costa Rica is very similar to that of Mexicans moving into the USA. Many Costa Ricans become upset because they say that the Nicaraguans come and use their social services without paying, take up jobs, and overpopulate cities. Worst of all, I have heard Costa Ricans say that Nicaraguans are born violent people, and come to Costa Rica just so that they can kill their wives. The Costa Rican people have been nothing but amazingly nice to me since I arrived more then two months ago, so it’s very strange to be hearing this from so many people. It’s terrible how a border spat between two governments can cause such hatred and tensions between their people. While immigration is a huge issue, the answer is not to be xenophobic. I have seen these feelings in the  USA, just as I am sure my family experienced it when the first arrived in America. It is truly disheartening to realize that it happens in so many parts of the world, especially in “peace loving, “ Costa Rica where everything is Pura Vida, and a large percentage of the population is foreign. I hope the border dispute ends quickly and peacefully, and that the entire region can change its negative attitude towards its neighboring countries. Without a change in attitude it is hard to see any progress occurring at all. It has been an enlightening week as far as learning about Costa Rica-Nicaraguan relations,  and it has made me realize even great people with the best intentions can say hurtful, educated things, and the only solution is to learn about the true problem and understand one another.  

A mural in downtown San Jose, Costa Rica, saying "Save the Earth."
Just an example of Costa Rica's commitment to peace.

martes, 26 de octubre de 2010

Costa Rica- Nicaraguan Tensions


   Just this past weekend, something big occurred within Central American and Costa Rican relations. On the northern border of Costa Rica with Nicaragua, is the San Juan River, which lies on the Nicaraguan side, but marks the border. Within the last month, The Nicaraguan government had started a dredging project, and this weekend it came to light that the left over sediment was being pumped into Costa Rican territory, damaging goods and property. In a very uncommon show of force, the Costa Rican government sent police to the area in order to investigate these allegations. After they had determined that there had been damage, and had retrieved video evidence of the Nicaraguan pipes being placed in Costa Rican lands, the government was able to file a formal complaint, and most recent news says that the dredging had been called off, and that fisherman had heard over their radios calls for the pipes to be moved back to the Nicaraguan side.
   Besides the fact that the Nicaraguan side intruded and damaged Costa Rican property, the head of this entire project is Eden Pastora, known as Comandante Pastora, a Nicaraguan Revolutionary hero. His violent past makes the motives of these actions questionable, with many Costa Ricans believing there were aggressive intentions. All of this becomes even more frightening when you consider that the small country of Costa Rica has no military, only a diminutive police force that is traditionally not professionally trained. Since being in Costa Rica I have heard a lot about Costa Rican- Nicaraguan relations. It is very common to hear about the problem of illegal immigration into Costa Rica from Nicaragua, a problem that parallels that of the USA and Mexico. However, due to its traditionally non-violent, military-less past, this intrusion has stirred up a lot of resentment. While this is an obvious violation of the border, Costa Rican officials have handled the situation well, sending in many investigators before coming to conclusions. Central America has unfortunately encountered its fair share of violence and tumultuous relations, and it would be ideal to be able to settle this dispute diplomatically in order to avoid any further conflicts. If a military conflict were to erupt, this would be a huge blow to Latin American stability overall, as the International community would be obligated to intervene on behalf of the unarmed Costa Ricans. This could create a problem with countries taking side and sending in various forms of support.

   The good news is that this weekend I was in the province of Guanacaste, lying on the Nicaraguan border and I heard nothing of this news, meaning the problem is not yet serious enough to be affecting every day life. Lets hope it stays that way!