Could you be so lucky?

Here is a sampling of the ceramics I've made in Guaitil, Costa Rica. You may just be a lucky winner of one of these hand made pieces this holiday season. :-)

There's no place like home for the holidays.

Being reunited with my best friend Carrie after being apart for two years.












Home for the holidays 2006, what could be better? After arriving back in the good ol U.S. of A.this past Sunday night, I was greeted at the airport by my parents, brother, and my best friend. I thought this day would never come. It was a very happy time that just got better and better as the night progressed. It felt so good to be back in a place where everyone was speaking English and where you could actually put the toilet paper in the toilet. It's still taken me some time to get used to that old creature comfort. The warm water running from the faucets is also a wonderful perk. After a pleasant dinner together, we headed home, touring Old Town Alexandria and enjoying all of the holiday lights along the way. I could never have imagined the surprises that would lay ahead as I was reunited with my old house. Now you may be thinking, some kind of surprise welcome home party or something but that wasn't it. After almost 30 years, my parents had replaced the old, white fridge with a new LG side by side in brushed chrome. It was filled with so many good American products, it reminded me of Extreme Makeover Home Edition when they show the families their new home. If that surprise wasn't enough (I know you're thinking, she's getting excited over a new fridge?), there was more waiting. As I wheeled my 90 lb suitcase to my old bedroom, I found that it wasn't so old anymore. While I was gone (OK, two nights before I arrived home), my parents had taken down the childish border and changed the bubblegum pink walls to a fresh coat of seafoam green, making the room look a little more fit for a 26 year old and not a teenager of 14. I was so touched by the thoughtfulness. It was yet another wonderful surprise. I am very happy to be home and fear that time will pass too rapidly. Stay tuned for more adventures of Amy on holiday. And if you want to get together, please call.

Yes, I'm still here.

Me and Stephanie (my next closest volunteer) at our Halloween retreat.


Well, it's been way too long since the last time I posted a blog. Where did the time go? I was making lots of ceramics to be truthful. That, struggling through a relationship, hosting a college friend for a week at the end of September and planning a retreat for all of the PCVs here in CR which took place for three days over Halloween. A good time was had by all but I am kinda glad it is over and I can focus on my barrio some more. At least for the next month when I´ll be making a Stateside appearance for 30 days. Cannot wait to see my best friend Carrie who I have not seen in two years, family and other friends. Be sure to contact me after the 10th of Dec. so we can get together.

Last week while I was in the capital city, I got my wallet stolen out of my bookbag. No fun. Bastards charged $327 to my debit card at home. It was just a royal PITA trying to recover the contents and file police reports. That was a lesson learned for sure. Never keep anything of value on your back in your backpack while walking through the city. Now this may seem like an obvious piece of advice but, when you go there repeatedly every month for an entire year and you're always cautious and nothing happens, you start to get comfortable and forget that you're not invincible. Personal items in your front pockets baby!

Really, that's all I have to report for now. Be sure to check back next month when I will have internet access 24/7 and will be able to write about the culture shock I am experiencing.

Birthday Girls

My host mom, Geisel, and me on our birthdays.

It's Party Time

This entire week has been one big party and we're just getting started. I had just arrived back from an extended weekend in the capital where we had a big dinner for all PCVs, when it was time to start thinking about all of the parties the upcoming weeks would bring. Not only was it my host mom's 46th birthday and I was planning a small dinner party to celebrate, but it was also "Children's Day" which entailed three days of parties. I'm almost through it all at this point. And we haven't even gotten to the 13th yet.

So the dinner party went off rather nicely with few setbacks. I spent the day baking an "American" birthday cake (thank you Pillsbury!) with a Tico flair, preparing the dinner, cleaning and decorating the house. There were 8 of us and the American style taco dinner was a big hit. The cake was an even bigger success. My host mom was really appreciative and said no one had ever done that much for her birthday before. I started to feel guilty as I realized I had probably never even done that much for my own mother for her birthday. One day soon mom, I promise. ;-)

We had an all day party in the school yesterday with hamburgers, cake, relay races, music, games, and a clown. I was the face painter, go figure. It was a lot of fun though and all the kids really enjoyed every aspect of the day. All of the children came in their Sunday best as they normally have to wear uniforms to school. They all looked so precious with their matching clothing sets, cute hair barrettess and shiny shoes.

Last evening it was another party for my baseball team. It was really a simple affair with hot dogs, ice cream and a piñata, but the children had no idea as they all had arrived ready to play ball. I even taught them Red Rover.

Today was day 1 of fiestas with the children at the orphanage. A Best Western hotel at the beach sponsored the Children's Day with a pizza/pool party at their hotel. The albergue children rarely get to leave the orphanage so this day was really special for them. We spent about 4 hours there. Tomorrow is day 2 and we are going to be doing more of the same thing as today but only at a place farther away with thermal waters. Apparently this trip had been planned before the other outing that took place today but since today, the 9th of September is actually Children's Day, we had to do two special trips. Most of the children are under 6. They are going to be wiped out by the end of the weekend.

That sums up all the parties thus far, leaving next week's party schedule unknown. But since next week is leading up to Costa Rica's Independence Day, there will be plenty of fiestas taking place. Not to mention a few others to honor a special PCV.

Wish List

Now this was my brother's idea over a year ago that I make a "wish list". I wasn't so keen on the idea but now I thought, it couldn't hurt. So here it goes.

Just go to www.amazon.com and search for my name under wish lists.

I Got Sucked In

You can see even more pictures here.

http://www.myspace.com/trekrubyma

The Happy Things in Life

David and Jeffry hauling lumber.


I just finished up a great week here in Santa Cruz. This past week I had a lot going on with a partnership between Peace Corps and Habitat for Humanity. Last Sunday a group of 9 arrived from the States to take part in a new type of "Exposure Trip" that Habitat is trying out. The group came to learn about the problem with housing here in Costa Rica, to help with the building of a Habitat house and also to help local Peace Corps Volunteers with their current projects. This is where I came in. We had a nice welcome dinner in Nicoya (about 30 minutes south of my town) on Sunday evening where we met all of the people involved. On Tuesday we all worked on the building of a house in another town about 30 minutes from my town in the opposite direction of Nicoya. That was a tough, hot day but it was really fun getting to know Bill, Sheri, Jon, Colleen, Kate, Rosie, Ian, David and Nicola. We moved two big piles of rocks and about 30 slabs of concrete wall closer to the work site in the blazing sun. It was a tough job but somebody had to do it. The next day, the group, including the group leaders, Kelly and Maribeth came to work in my albergue. This is where my greatest happiness took place. In the 5 hours that they were there, they scrubbed outside walls in the play area that were covered with dirt and crayon, picked up glass, separated good toys from the broken ones (there were very few good toys left in the end), built a roof and door on a storage shed, made a picnic lunch for the kids, paid to have all of the "junk" hauled off to the dump, PLUS they left a bunch of donated gifts for the children. They made such a big change at the orphanage that day that I was just ecstatic and so were all of the little kids. I think the caretakers were really happy to see such an improvement in the state of the albergue as well. It was a wonderful day. Today, I just finished up with a goodbye lunch for the group including slide show and dancing. The entire partnership was a great success and as much as I know the group made a big impact on the albergue, that experience working there made equally as big of an impression on the group. I just want to say a great big MIL GRACIAS to everyone for their time, effort and dedication to the week. You will always be in my heart.

August Updates from San Jose

Well, due to a few people's responses saying they do read my blog, I will continue posting. I am currently in the capital for a few days. Today I gave a presentation to current trainees on how to use recyclables as learning aids in the classroom. I am apparently a "pro" at this since I was an art major and work in the classroom. Yeah right. It went really well though. You should have seen my binoculars made out of toilet paper rolls and checker board made out of the inside of a cereal box. The entire presentation was a great hit. Tomorrow I head back to my site with a current trainee named Katie who I just met today. She is from Denver and will spend the next 3 days with me learning what it's like to actually live like a PCV and to observe my current projects. I went on the same trip about a year ago when I was a trainee and had just an OK time so I want to make sure that Katie has a REALLY GOOD time.

Earlier this week, I took a 3 day vacation with two of my closest PC friends to a beautiful beach which is located inside a National Park called Manuel Antonio. About 8 hours by bus from my town (three buses actually), it was probably one of the best beach experiences I have had so far here in CR. Too bad I couldn't have taken my parents there. Maybe if Jason comes to visit. Hint, hint! My friends Rebecca, Jennifer and I were in the water for all of 10 minutes when a raccoon came out of the forest and started rummaging through Rebecca's backpack for food. Luckily, he only got ahold of her plantain chips. It was a good time with good friends.

At the end of July, I finally got to participate in the Youth Conference put on by my fellow PCVs. I took 4 teenagers from my barrio to the 4 day camp in the mountains outside of San Jose. Everyone, and I repeat EVERYONE had a really good time. My friend Jennifer and I were camp counselors for a group of 7 13 year old girls. There were probably about 60 teens there in total and by the end of the long weekend, everyone was crying when it was time to go home and leave friends they had just made 4 days earlier. All of the kids from my town are begging me to take them back next year. I'm happy it was such a great success because a lot of time and money was put into planning the camp which focused on teaching the teenagers to make good decisions in regards to their futures. Sessions on continuing education, sexuality and starting projects in their communities were some of the lessons including lots of songs, skits, team work and hugs. I look forward to participating next year if there are funds to have another retreat of a similar nature.

That's about all from me for now. I hope everyone is doing well and my family and friends are in my prayers, especially my grandparents.

School Children

Steven and Jeudy.
Isabelita.
A beer bottle costume that I designed for an anti-alcohol drama in May.

Vale la Pena?

Just wondering, does anyone read this? Do I need to continue making posts? If so, hit me back.

July Happenings

July 4th has come and gone. I hope everyone had a great holiday. I am fortunate to say that I was able to celebrate America's 230th birthday with thousands of Gringos at a free July 4th picnic thrown in the capital of San Jose. Free beer, coke, hot dogs, cotton candy, popcorn, TCBY, bagels, coffee, cheese cubes and more. A good time was had by all of the PCVs who attended. I even smooged with the US Ambassador and his wife, Mark and Patty Langdale for a while.

Not only did this grand July 4th shindig bring me into San Jose for the first time in 4 months but I was also able to visit my host family from training for a good day and night before the picnic. My host mom, Sarita, just got back from 5 months in the States visiting her daughter and new grandson whom live in Nashville. She had about 1 million photos to share. The baby is so sweet. Hope to meet him one day. It was also great to see my "sister, brother-in-law, and my niece and nephew" who I hadn't seen since my parents' visit in February.

There were also a few orders of business to take care of in the PC office while I was in town. I am helping to plan the All Volunteer Conference for all PCCR PCVs which will take place over Halloween. I love party planning. I also am a new member of the Resource Center Committee so I will be coming into the office once every 3 or 4 months to organize the resource room books and make the volunteer lounge more comfortable.

I am headed back to Santa Cruz today with a case of tonsillitis. The Gringos will be there and ready to play baseball. I will help with their week of organized activities. It won't be long till I am back here in San Jose with 4 teenagers from my barrio for the 3 day Youth Conference at the end of this month. This event it finally happening. Thanks to everyone who made donations to this worthwhile cause. I will definitely keep you updated.

Hope all is well with you and your families.

Amy with the Newlyweds

Amy with her Costa Rican friends Natalia and Edwin on their Wedding night.

Boys and Toys

Happy June to all. This seems to be a popular month for weddings. Like I mentioned in my last blog, my good Tico friends Edwin and Natalia got married this past weekend in a simple civil service and I was one of among 50 guests. The evening was very nice with an elegant setup and good food at the nicest restaurant in town. Check back soon for a picture of me with the newlyweds.

I said I would write about ceramics and boys in my next blog so I must stick to my word. I can't say how the two really correlate but anyhow.

Back in November I went with my friend Dearing (another PCV who has since finished service) to the town of Guaitil (about 20 minutes in bus from where I live) to learn the ancient Chorotegan Indian pottery technique. The pottery is made with clay found in the area and all the pieces are made on a hand turned potter's wheel. The paints are all natural in rich, browns, black, and orange and the designs are derived from precolumbian history. I had gone a few times into the new year but stopped going for my lessons for about two months when I was changing houses and writing my diagnostic of the community. Guaitil is a small town where just about every family makes this pottery and competes against their neighbors to sell their work to the tourists that come through the area or to have work contracted by a hotel or the like. The gracious Briceno-Chavarria family has taken me under their wing and has been giving me lessons free of charge. Because it is difficult to arrive to Guaitil with the bus schedule and without having to walk 2 kilometers in the pure sun, I usually go all day from 7am-4pm. My ideal is to go once a week but that hasn't been happening. Juan Felix who is the 36 year old son teaching me the technique would prefer that I even come twice a week but that is seemingly impossible with all my other work. I have a really good time when I go to Guaitil and enjoy being able to do something artistic. Makes me feel like I am back in college again. I have lots of pieces to produce before going home for Christmas.

Everyone likes to ask me if I have a boyfriend here in Costa Rica and my answer is always no. But let the truth be told, this is purely by choice. Sure, there are always creepy old men yelling “piropos” or pick-up lines as I ride my bike around town. The reality is, I have lots of boyfriends. Or at least all of these so called boyfriends think I am their girlfriend. First there is the 40 something mailman who brings his motorcycle to a complete halt whenever he sees me and smothers me with a kiss. The way he stares right into my eyes really creeps me out. I try to avoid the post office as much as possible. Then there is the 29 year old Costa Rican English teacher. Think Eddie Munster meets the Pillsbury Dough Boy but with more of a daemon laugh. He actually advertises to people that he is my boyfriend but he doesn't ever seem to get the hint that I'm just not interested. Never have been, never will be. Literally, I have talked to him about 4 times in my 8 months here. His pregnant sister who I like very much keeps asking me, “Don't you want to be the baby's aunt?” No, thank you. There is this co-worker of mine that is constantly implying that we should get together sometime. Maybe I can teach him English and he can teach me Spanish. Always shaking his eyebrows in suggestion. Dude, I'm not interested and the fact that you are married makes me REALLY uninterested. The owner of the grocery store is always awfully friendly as well but I am just trying to use that to my advantage. Hey, free groceries anyone? Just kidding! There had been this one guy that I had the hots for when I first moved to my community but then he had to go off and get married this past weekend. ;-) That leaves me yet to talk about my friend Allan who I actually met through Dearing back in November at her going away party. We danced salsa together. After she left in December, I kept running into Allan in the center of town wherever I went. The internet, grocery store, on the street. He asked for my number one day at the internet so I thought, why not. He's a good guy who's not looking for a one way ticket to the States. So he called me to go out dancing one night (he's teaching me salsa). We started hanging out on a regular basis and we've made 20 kilometer treks to the river together on our bikes, gone to the only movie theater in a town that is over an hour away, we're Saturday night drinking and dancing buddies, and most recently he helped me write letters and collect donations for my other co-worker whose house burned down (see previous blog). He hung my hammock for me at my new house after I had it sitting in my room for the past two months. He calls me every day just to check in. All in all, Allan is a great friend. The nosy neighbors like to refer to him as my boyfriend and even though I have been and am still boyfriendless here in Costa Rica, I guess you could say he is the closest I've come to having a boyfriend. So, that bit was to fill all the curiosity filled folks who want to know about my love life. Nothing steamy, nothing juicy, just a nice friendship to fill my time.

Send me suggestions for the next blog. What do you want to know about?

The Latest

After finishing my 15 page diagnostic report of my community (written in Spanish) at the end of April, I realized I finally had time on my hands. I decided to dive head first into work opportunities and now I've found myself almost drowning. 3 times a week I assist the preschool teacher with her class. Helping develop lesson plans and creative projects for the niños. I'm sure glad that I am not a full time teacher because after 4 hours with these kids, I'm ready to go home. This week the preschool teacher and I started a 6 week course with the parents of her students to educate them why hitting their kids as a form of punishment is bad and alternative methods to discipline without physical abuse. Last night, one parent showed up! I spent time and made 20 handmade invitations (think computer printouts with lots of cut, neon colored paper, glue and fun scissors) and that's the kinds of response we got. That's just how the people are here.

On Wednesdays I run an environmental club with a University student for the older kids in my elementary school. This last week we had a coloring contest with a handout teaching the students how to prevent Dengue (a disease very similar to Malaria), offering prizes to the girl and boy who completed the questions correctly and colored all the pictures on the worksheet the nicest. Only one person even bothered to do the assignment.

I am now teaching three different private English classes to 4 different people. Half children, half adults. Teaching English is not really something I came here to do but somehow I got suckered into it. More people are banging down my door requesting lessons but I just have to say no because time doesn't permit it. Of course all of these classes are free of charge.

I am still working at the orphanage about 5 hours per week. My most current project is teaching animals and colors to the youngins. We are reading the book “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” which my kindergarten teacher read to us 20 years ago. Wow, that makes me sound old! We are making a copy of the book out of construction paper for the kids to keep there in the orphanage. I also help take the 9 month old twins, who were 3 months premature, to physical therapy once week.

I have found a Tico who loves baseball and has a team of teenage boys started in the center of town. We are going to work on a partnership to offer a baseball camp to kids of all ages from my barrio and other marginal schools in the area during their two week vacation in July. There will be a group of Gringos coming this week to help with the camp.

Peace Corps called me last week offering me another partnership opportunity but this time with Habitat for Humanity. It turns out that Habitat is going to be starting new “Exposure Trips” where volunteers come to Costa Rica to build a house for a few days but then for the next few days to work in communities with Peace Corps Volunteers on different projects with the locals. The pilot trip is this August and the house is being built in my town of Santa Cruz. I am really looking forward to this opportunity. 4 other PCVs who live relatively close to Santa Cruz will be included in this project as well and we will all be given the opportunity to help built the Habitat House with the Gringos who are coming.

Did I mention that a third group of Gringos is coming to help in the church in my barrio the first week of July? The pastor of the church has asked me to accompany them with their projects. Of course I said, “Sure!” Not sure how I will pull that one off since it will be the same week as the baseball camp.

A little over a week ago, one of the caretakers of the orphanage lost her own house and EVERYTHING she owned in a house fire that started in the middle of the night. Cars, work equipment, and a dog included. Two people suffered burns to their feet, back, hair and face. Luckily all survived. Doing my part as PCV, I wrote a letter and distributed it to about 70 of the businesses in town asking for donations of any kind. This Saturday I will go around in a truck with a friend and collect all of the donations. The family has no idea I am doing this.

In addition this Saturday, my good Tico friends, Edwin and Natalia, will be tying the knot and I've been invited to a small ceremony of about 40 people. My own cousin Jenna is getting married in the States this same day and I was disappointed that I was not going to be able to attend the wedding. Turns out I will be attending one that day anyway. All my family will be in my thoughts this day as I cannot be with them.

So, as if it didn't sound like I already have a full plate, I will be on two different committees of PCVs. One to help plan an All Volunteer Conference in San Jose for 4 days over Halloween and another to help keep the Resource Center in order in the PC office in San Jose. The latter of the two will only require me to go to the capital (4 hours by bus) once every 3 to 4 months to do work.

As this blog entry has now become way too long for anyone to want to read, I will save the stories about making ceramics and boys for the next entry.

Hope everything is going well with you. My time is flying here so maybe we will be seeing each other soon. Until then, pura vida.

Snail Mail

Just for the record, even though I have moved, my mailing address is the same.

Amy Burkert
Apartado 292-5150
Santa Cruz, Guanacaste
Costa Rica

But, my new phone number calling from the states is as follows. 011-506-680-1960.

Look forward to hearing from you soon!

Casa Nueva

So I know that I just posted a blog a few days ago but I am so overjoyed with my new living situation I wanted to share it with everyone.






I did this purple paint job myself...OK, with the help of a friend. But it was my first wall painting experience. Mental note, don't use oil based paint, even if the Ticos insist.

Got Money?

Hello and welcome back to Amy's life in the Peace Corps. I have to say, my life is 95% better now that I have changed houses. I have been in the new one for 4 days now and really like the independence and privacy I have gained. It's really nice being able to prepare your own lunch whenever you feel like it and be able to walk around in your underwear because it is so damn hot and no one is home. OK, ok, I didn't really do that second one yet but it sure is tempting.

I've startled buckling down on the work because I've realized I have a lot of it. Teaching environmental classes, working to clean up the orphanage, teaching the orphans the basics like colors and numbers, working with the preschool class at the school in my barrio, being part of the community association and attending their meetings, writing a 20 page community analysis report in Spanish, and planning for the future. I want to start a baseball team, boy scouts and girl scouts, and run a week long camp for kids in July. In the more immediate future, Peace Corps Volunteers here in Costa Rica are putting together a 4 day Girls Conference in May where all PCCR volunteers with come together and bring at-risk girls from their barrio to the conference. The conference is looking for a lot of donations so if you've got a little money lying around or know someone who does, check out the following website on how you can contribute to a good cause. I'll let you know how the conference goes in May.

Go ahead, check out the website.

http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.projdetail&projdesc=515-115&region=latinamerica

How do you like them peaches?

Raise your hand if you think Amy is bluffing about her great Peace Corps experience. Ok, you were right. It's not all peaches and pineapples and it hasn't been for a long time. Oh, wait, it hasn't been like that ever. For the last 8 months I have been living in Costa Rica, learning the language, culture and customs, learning about my role as a PCV, melding into my barrio, and missing my family and friends at home like crazy. More than once I have thought about coming home. OK, everyone thinks about going home, but I thought about it and was really serious. A las, I have not decided to board the plane quite yet. I've wanted this for too damn long and worked too hard to get here that it's not quitting time just yet. Instead, I have reevaluated my expectations for Peace Corps (read, lowered my standards) and decided just to change houses in my barrio to spice things up a bit. Supposedly I am allergic to the animals. So that is what I am dealing with right now. Leaving one family and preparing for the next. Move in date, April 1. Work is starting to pick up. Can't really say I've had too much of it so far. I guess the work has always been there, I am just starting to take advantage of it along with the lovely Spanish skills I have picked up along the way. You wouldn't believe the words coming out of my mouth...you would think I had lived here longer than 8 months. So that is what is going on with me. Let's see what the next 19 months bring. If you are feeling up to it, I'd love to receive some snail mail to hear what you are up to.

Amy Burkert
Apartado 292-5150
Santa Cruz, Guanacaste
Costa Rica

More Odd Realities

This always seems to be everyone's favorite blog topic so back in its second edition, more things that consume my daily life that I find un poco strano.

1. We use old newspapers to clean the mirrors instead of windex.
2. Instead of doormats, a pair of old jeans greets visitors at each doorway.
3. For as many dogs that roam the streets, I never see dog crap anywhere. Maybe we as Americans are doing something wrong with our pooper scoopers and plastic bags.
4. Once when a child had splattered paint all over my shirt, my host mom used a little gasoline to take the stains out. Hmmm....
5. We reuse our clothes washing water. Now seriously, we're not that poor.
6. Instead of ice cream trucks, we have ice cream bikes here in Costa Rica.
7. Why are we cooking in the kitchen with 25 watt bulbs overhead when we leave the 75 watt bulb on in the bathroom all day long?
8. For some reason, Ticos find it a good idea to burn their trash (OK, mostly brush and dry leaves) in open air fires alongside the road or next to their houses. Now who told them it was a smart idea to start fires in an already hot and dry climate? Most of the time it smells like marijuana. Oh wait...
9. A popular dessert treat is mixing cut up fruit with jello and ice cream. It's a lot better than it sounds.
10. When baby girls are born, it is customary for them to leave the hospital with their ears pierced.
11. And the last oddness of my daily life, in most Tico homes, a broom can be found accompanying you in the shower. I guess they really like clean cooters!

Time flies when you're having fun!

In the last two weeks my parents came, they saw and they bought the T-shirt (OK, really it was a hat). And boy did the time fly. Some tears were shed when I met my parents at the San Jose airport on the 14th of Feb. This was the first time we were seeing each other in more than 7 months. Mostly those tears were from me. We had a good two days in San Jose visiting my training community, the Peace Corps office, and eating at two wonderful restaurants. It's always nice when someone else is footing the bill. Following the brief stint in San Jose, we took the four-wheel drive and set out for a little exploring. Stopping to visit the town of Sarchi where a lot of woodcrafts and furniture are made was among the highlights. We saw a lot of beautiful terrain, animals and rainbows along the way. Just from this little bit of exploring and seeing a part of the country which I never knew existed, gave me a newfound appreciation for Costa Rica. On day four, we finally arrived in Fortuna where we would spend the next three days exploring the Arenal Volcano, taking a horseback ride to a canopy tour through the rain forest (think zip line), and soaking in hot springs at night. Next on our agenda was visiting my site. We made the four hour drive around Lake Arenal and finally arrived to Santa Cruz on Monday night. The following day was filled with more than 75 formal introductions so my parents could meet the people with whom I live, work and play. My brain was really fried after that day from all the translating. I am happy that my parents will now actually be able to visualize my town and work and acquaintances when I talk about them. My parents really enjoyed meeting everyone and commented on how friendly the Ticos are . The next day we headed to the small town of Guaitil where I am learning to make an ancient form of pottery derived from the indigenous people of Costa Rica. A small dent was made in my dad's wallet as they bought up a bunch of pottery. Finally it was time to head for the beach. We stayed for the next two nights at a beautiful paradise called Lugar Bonita. Gracious Gringo owners, Jerry and Wanda , rent out two cabinas on their property. Each cabina has a theme and is decorated to the max, with every detail covered. There is a very inviting swimming pool, lush plants and flowers, and a rancho (think large tiki hut) filled with lounge chairs and hammocks and a stocked fridge. After we arrived, my dad made the executive decision that we would stay for two nights and not just the originally planned one. It was a very tranquil place that I would recommend to anyone looking for a very relaxing spot to vacation. Check out their site at http://www.lugarbonita.com/ Though a lot of these last few days were spent enjoying the company of the owners, we did manage to take a trip away from paradise to visit two different beaches, watch the sunset and eat at a few more good restaurants. It was sad to see my parents leave after their 11 day visit, but I know it is only another 10 months till I go home for Christmas.

Fiestas, Training, Camp and Vacation

The third week of January commemorated the annual civic festivals in my town of Santa Cruz. Bull riding, marimba music, parades with folkloric dancing and scary clowns, dances into the wee hours of the night, and your typical carnival food and rides. Unfortunately, this ended up being the same week that Peace Corps decided to hold our first In-Service-Training of my training group (Tico 13, project: Children Youth and Families) since we had sworn in as official PCVs at the end of September. Since then, we have lost two people who found that their site (it was our only married couple, fellow UVA rivals) was not up to their expectations. We are now a group of 11 scattered throughout the country. It was nice to all come together for a week in San Jose after being apart for 3.5 months. PC put us up in a nice hotel that had efficiencies, free internet and a pool. Too bad it was always too cold to swim. The week entailed Spanish lessons in the morning, and then sessions throughout the week on health and safety, cultural and work related challenges, sharing goals and accomplishments, work report and grant writing, using puppets to work with children, and private time to talk with our boss. The food was wonderful. A nice change from what most of us are use to in our sites. In the evenings, we found ourselves catching movies in downtown San Jose, celebrating a fellow volunteer's birthday and searching for wisdom from our fellow volunteers...around bottles of unapproved PC beverages. Oh how I look forward to Mid-Service-Training which will take place in September.

The last week of January into the first week of February found me in the town of Liberia (an hour and a half NE) helping a fellow volunteer in my Tico group run an Environmental Day Camp for kids of her barrio. Three other volunteers were there to help as well. We spent the week helping the boss run errands and take care of last minute details. I was usually in charge ofpreparing and making sure all the 30+ kids got snack which usually equated to a mini lunch. The week ended with a trash pick-up and mural painting at the school in her barrio. It turned out really well and all the kids had a wonderful time. As for me, I got attacked by every mosquito and biting ant in all of Central America. Over a week later, I am still trying to recover as the bites turned into "poison ivy like" patches on my legs that no cream or pills seem to heal. I guess that puts extra emphasis on the term "Environmental Camp"!

I spent this past weekend with my host mom visiting her family in the countryside. It's always nice to escape there to get away from the noise of the city. Typically we just sit around shooting the shit. This time we sat around doing that and attended a Rosario for a distant family member who had passed away 9 days before. During these trips to the country, I usually find enough time to finish a book. This was my second visit. The food is always out of this world, always a plus!

Tomorrow is Dia de Los Enamorados or better known to Americans as Valentine's Day. Usually this is not a day I look forward to with much anticipation but this year will be different. Tomorrow my first true loves arrive in country, my parents! We will spend 11 days visiting my training town and current work site and throw in a few touristy attractions here and there. I look forward to seeing them for the first time in 7 months and hope I don't find myself packed in their luggage on their return flight home!

Thanks to everyone for all of the cards and packages that rolled in throughout the month of January and throughout the other months of the year. It's always nice to have something waiting for you when you arrive to your mailbox.

Happy Valentine's Day to all!!!

Thought you might like another picture!

Me with my friend Dave (JMU alum) and Dearing (former PCV).

My host brother and nephew.

*Note the lack of presents under the tree!

Was it really that bad?

Everyone has been asking, "So, was your Christmas really as bad as you thought it would be?" And the honest answer is, YES! Now, I know all my blogs come across as sarcastic and really bitter but it all really is the honest truth. Plus, I have to keep my customers entertained. So here it goes with the real story of Christmas.

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, no one was there, only the mouse (and cockroaches). But to where did all the people go? To the neighbors to attend a Rosario. There was chanting of hymns and beer and bad food, I was really tired and just not in the mood. So we returned to the house a little after one, so we could go to bed and be rested for a big day of fun! In the middle of the night, I placed presents under the tree to awaken in the morning to find there was nothing for me! Christmas day in Costa Rica was a day like any other, with soup from a packet and no call from my brother. Then what to my wondering stomach did appear, but a toilet full of vomit and no one to hear. It was off to the orphanage at a quarter past five, to eat rice and beans as my Christmas dinner surprise. The kids were all happy with their day full of glee and this made me happy, it was the best thing to see. It was back to my casa where I found coca-cola on the table, which kept me company as I finished my day on the couch with a movie of Harry Potter which helped keep me stable. To this I say, a Christmas I will never forget, can't wait for next year, hopefully with a different mindset.