i love the rain most when it stops

On the way out the door to buy tickets to Manuel Antonio, I ask my friend Paige, "who all are we buying tickets for?". "Turns out, everyone bailed...homework". So it's looking like it is just the two of us for the weekend, on a beach. I'm stoked: Paige is a mellow Iowa girl who's also a senior in college. The fact that there will only be two of us might actually enhance the experience: it'll be pretty easy to hit the town in a small group. Also, Paige and I are usually the "responsible" ones of the groups, so this will be a nice break.

Yesterday I started writing my final paper for my Music & Society class. Today I had eight pages about calypso and its social and political implications finished. Things are wrapping up nicely here. I'm pretty excited to write my other paper about how happiness and country development are in no way related.

I'm excited to hit the beach, let's just hope I don't have to make another rescue! Paul-1, Men with leg cramps in the ocean-0.

Nothing much else new, sadly to report. We're starting to get out of the rainy season, so that means less rain on the walk home. I'm also in love with Chiky's, the cookies they sell her. It's probably the only factory food I eat in this country. Also, after thinking about it for a few months, I believe I'm going to be giving up (most) meet when I return. I'll hold out for low-carbon footprint alternatives; in other words, local, organic meat only. It's time we lower our ecological footprint as a people, and we've got to start somewhere. I'd start here, but it would be difficult to tell my parents to shift their appetites for me. Therefore, probably no Christmas roast beast for me :(.

Peace & Love

set you free

Well writing my paper is so not going to happen tonight, so I guess I'll write here. Shall we?

I step out onto the wet pavement shutting the gate behind. With a shout of "chao" and "hasta luego" to la familia I pop my ear buds in, ready for day. The music of the day will set the tempo for the two mile walk to school. I could take the bus, but I haven't in nearly over a month. It never rains in the morning, and I could use the excercise; I walk home too if I can beat the rain.

This morning's walk is a little tougher than the rest: over the shoulder I'm hauling the tent from this weekend and my heels bear evidence of blisters from hiking soaking wet through the rainforest of Rincon de la Vieja. My legs bear bruises as evidence of sleeping on pavement (we chose pavement over a second night in the rain with a leaky tent).

Spent the day researching about calypso for a paper due Wednesday, spending the night doing more research. Would rather be here --->.

Finally read Wuthering Heights as well as a book called Everything Must Change; something about the social revolution that this world could use. Both were eye openers; I wish Heathcliff and Catherine could have treated each other with patience and tolerance, and I wish the same for humanity.

Somewhere over dinner la familia says something along the lines that my Spanish has improved bastante. I crack off that I only pretend to understand them. They understand that my rants and threats are meaningless, I've told them dozens of times that I'm writing on my family review that I live with a bunch of crazies.

Someone reminded me today that Thanksgiving is coming. Now if I can find me some pumpkin pie filling...

Tomorrow I'm going on a field trip to learn about coffee. I promised my host mother I'd eat a pound of coffee before I returned to the house. Vamos a ver. This is what happens when your tent has a whole in the bottom of it.

leaves and kings

Don't cry for me blogspot.com, the truth is I never left you.

I didn't abandon my writing entirely, but life definitely caught up with me. Where do I begin?

This weekend was spent in Cahuita, Limon, a tiny calypso/reggae induced town on the Caribbean ocean. It stood under the guise of class field-trip, with sampling the music and the food listed as the agenda. We did both, and got in plenty of beach time as well. Me and my now good friend Arielle built a bonfire Friday night and the twelve of us plus our professor Manuel Monestel spent the night singing under the stars. As it turns out, if you mention "calypso" in Costa Rica, everyone knows you're talking about Manuel.

I can no longer spell in English. As I struggle with writing in Spanish I can now claim that I'm simply bi-lingually challenged, rather than proficient in just one. With only a month left (what??? you've got to be kidding me) most of my time is spent at school doing some research for the forthcoming papers that are do at the end of the program. Life is...tranquil.

I finally was able to get fingerprinted for Peace Corps last week, so now I officially get to wait. As a backup my friend Paige and I are starting our Costa Rican job search for next year (potential National Park Guide? yesss). I'm also getting frequent emails from Columbia about obtaining a Master's in "Climate and Society". Studying cultural and political implications of our changing climate is so very very tempting; but no school for me next year, I need a break. I'm slotting that process for 2011.

Please, if there is anyone out there reading this that has specific questions, please please email me, I'd love to talk to you.