More Costa Rica

Costa Rica is still one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. I am learning a lot about myself and about the people of Costa Rica. This weekend we had the opportunity to spend time in Manuel Antonio which is a beach in Costa Rica. We stayed at a hotel that had no TV but yet internet access so we weren't totally isolated. In Manuel Antonio we had were able to hike in the National park. We were able to see much wild life that is not in the United States. We saw white faced monkeys that weren't even a foot away from us, we saw a green and yellow frog which is poisnous and if kissed or licked, could be extremely deadly. One thing I am realizing about myself during the trip is that even with the conditions of San Joaquin or certain parts of Costa Rica like La Corpia people are very happy to live. La Corpia is a place in Costa Rica with extreme poverty. We worked in the Humanitarian Foundation with some of the children, and it was such an awesome experience. We were toured around La Corpia and went to a shop where bunk beds were made for families with not a lot of money or no beds for their children. It was very sad, and definetly a culture shock for me. Trash was lined up on the side of the road with hundreds of flies flying around them. One thing that touched my heart deeply was a young mother with her son who was severely disabled. She has to carry her son up 140 steps a day to get him to The Humanitarian Foundation so that she can go to work and make the little money that she does. In the past week, The mother passed out carrying her son and cut her hand open because of the exhaustion of carrying her 60 lb son down so many stairs because they had no money to afford leg braces. Situations like this that I encounter in Costa Rica really make me sit back and think about the appreciation I should have for life. Monday I got to meet my new host Family. Who I absolutely Love!  I have Mama Tica Xenia, A papa Tica Dennis, and two hermana ticas a ten year old named Maria Jose and a five year old named Valentina. The girls go to a school called Saint Elena which is very close to their home. the first day I was put into a room that had a tv, a large bed, and my own closet area. Tuesday Morning I found out that the room is actually the parents room and they moved their stuff from the room so that I could have a place to stay. Family is very important in my family tica. We eat dinner together and breakfast together, which isn't always the case in The United States for some families. My mama tica is a wonderful cook and I was introduced to many new different cheeses, powdered milk, and plantanas. Which are banana like fruits that are fried and served. It is very tasty! we got to teach in the classrooms today at Saint Elena Elementary which is the school that my hermana ticas attend. I got to teach the students the leaf lesson which had them exam the size, color, length, texture, and veins of the leaves. It was very complicated to say things that you didn't know in spanish. At times I found that the students were giving me a confused look, but that was when I had to stop and reevaluate what I was saying to correct my self. Spanish is a very hard language to learn because of the difference between english and spanish. Last Night I had the opportunity to help my Mama Tica with her english. She is currently taking high school classes because she was working her whole life until she met her husband and was unable to graduate. As my Mama Tica was asking me questions I found that at times I was unable to explain words to her in english. For example " I don't know how they are going to handle a big house like that" It was very hard to explain to her that going in this context doesn't mean going anywhere, but yet its an expression. I am having a great time here in Costa Rica, and I hope to continue to further my spanish education, and to learn more about Costa Rica, Along with learning more about myself.