I've always loved baking and cooking. I find it to be supremely relaxing and exciting at the same time. To me it's like a giant science experiment, for my mouth! I was dying in Korea due to my doll house sized kitchen and lack of oven. Also in Korea, the grocery stores and markets were so strange I didn't even know what I was buying and cooking with half the time.
Here in Costa Rica, I do ALL of my grocery shopping every Monday morning at the local farmers market. I am basically forced to cook with all natural and organic ingredients. Down to my homemade almond granola cereal for breakfast! School lunches are also homemade with fresh local ingredients. My favorite lunch being the locally caught fish on Friday. I always look forward to mealtime here, colorful and flavorful.
Tonight I made an avocado chicken salad with a creamy citrus mustard dressing. This is one recipe I have to share! Just the dressing...
1/2 Cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
juice of 1 orange
juice of 1 lime
handful of fresh basil
Blend this all together and pour over fresh salad, or use as veggie dip!
I hope to keep up this style of cooking when I get back to the States. I have to find the strength to not venture into those tempting aisles of disgusting boxes and cans!
Monday, April 4, 2011
Isla Tortuga
With the final days in Costa Rica quickly approaching, my friends and I decided to have a get-a-way this past weekend. Before arriving in Costa Rica, I was told that Turtle Island is one of the premier destinations, and a must go. Once I was settled here in Cobano, I realized that this Isla Tortutga was just a short boat ride away! One of my students families owns a boat and agreed to take the 6 of us volunteers!
We woke up early Sunday morning, packed a large cooler of beer, and took off to sea! Once we got close to the island, we could see what all the talk was about. Crystal clear water, powdery white sand, masses of palm trees, and a red parrot! We started with snorkeling. Not the best ever, but there were so many fish and we had a guide so that we were able to identify everything we saw.
We then made our way back to the island to eat fresh coconut, play games in the sand and sea, and enjoy some drinks. The water was awkwardly warm. For a minute we thought everyone kept peeing, but it never got below that temperature.
The drivers of our boat made us delicious fish with potatoes, carrots, and garlic bread for lunch. We also had lots of pineapple and watermelon.
After lunch, we were able to enjoy the water, beer, and each others company for a few more hours before heading back to the mainland. We had so much fun together as a group. This was the last time all of us will be able to hang out together and have fun before 3 of us leave Costa Rica. Sad times.
Could you imagine if mangoes were one of the largest problems in US schools? Luckily, here at our little schools that is one of our biggest problems. There are so many mango trees on the school grounds. For the first couple weeks of schools, students would fight over mangoes, eat them in class, and steal them from each other. The school received so many parent phone calls and teacher complaints that we had to come up with a solution. My solution-Mango Monday Madness. Every Monday for the last 2 months I start my class with all of the students gathered under the shade of 3 mango trees. We share mango fun facts, and sometimes meditate for a minute. Then, for the last 15 minutes of the day the students go wild. They throw basketballs and soccer balls high into the tree, as well as shoes, big sticks, or other smaller children. The goal is to collect as many mangoes as possible so that all students can take home one or two and eat them there. For the rest of the week, if a student is caught with mango he/she is not permitted to participate the following week. It has been a fun and usually chaotic time, and sadly today was my last Mango Monday ever...
We woke up early Sunday morning, packed a large cooler of beer, and took off to sea! Once we got close to the island, we could see what all the talk was about. Crystal clear water, powdery white sand, masses of palm trees, and a red parrot! We started with snorkeling. Not the best ever, but there were so many fish and we had a guide so that we were able to identify everything we saw.
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| snorkeling |
We then made our way back to the island to eat fresh coconut, play games in the sand and sea, and enjoy some drinks. The water was awkwardly warm. For a minute we thought everyone kept peeing, but it never got below that temperature.
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| the girls |
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| ready for lunch! |
After lunch, we were able to enjoy the water, beer, and each others company for a few more hours before heading back to the mainland. We had so much fun together as a group. This was the last time all of us will be able to hang out together and have fun before 3 of us leave Costa Rica. Sad times.
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| Salud Tortuga! |
Could you imagine if mangoes were one of the largest problems in US schools? Luckily, here at our little schools that is one of our biggest problems. There are so many mango trees on the school grounds. For the first couple weeks of schools, students would fight over mangoes, eat them in class, and steal them from each other. The school received so many parent phone calls and teacher complaints that we had to come up with a solution. My solution-Mango Monday Madness. Every Monday for the last 2 months I start my class with all of the students gathered under the shade of 3 mango trees. We share mango fun facts, and sometimes meditate for a minute. Then, for the last 15 minutes of the day the students go wild. They throw basketballs and soccer balls high into the tree, as well as shoes, big sticks, or other smaller children. The goal is to collect as many mangoes as possible so that all students can take home one or two and eat them there. For the rest of the week, if a student is caught with mango he/she is not permitted to participate the following week. It has been a fun and usually chaotic time, and sadly today was my last Mango Monday ever...
Thursday, March 24, 2011
pura vida?
So I'm re-using a title, but there wasn't a more appropriate phrase in my brain. The recycling of the title is validated by the constant usage of the phrase "pura vida" everywhere in Costa Rica. Which caused me to think about the country phrases of my most visited places:
"pole pole" -Swahili (translation: slowly slowly)
"bali bali" -Hangul (translation: hurry hurry)
"pura vida" -Spanish (direct translation: pure life, literal translation: no worries)
All of the above are constantly repeated in their representative country (respectfully:Kenya, Korea, Costa Rica). I prefer the pole pole attitude to any of the rest. I wonder what phrase people take from the United States.
As a foreigner in a such a small town, there is very little pura vida. We are constantly being watched and gossiped about. One Monday at work, the school cook was telling me everywhere I went, everything I did, and everything I wore that weekend. I didn't even see her!
My skin has turned to Tica tone. People approach me and speak to me in Spanish as if I am a local, then quickly realize I am not one of them. One man told me he was so confused. "How can you have brown skin, but be from Indiana?" I have even acquired a nickname at school, morano, which basically means brown person but not Tica.
The monotony of life here is stirring stress and boredom. I used to think it was nice living as an 80 year old person. Wake up without an alarm, eat oatmeal, grow vegetables, read books, swing in a hammock, bed by 9. The first few weeks were awesome! Now, not so much. Coming from the bali bali of Korea, pura vida is like hitting a wall. I suppose I'm getting ready for a home stay for a bit. Regain some time with familiar places, familiar faces, and familiar phrases!
Speaking of home...I've said it from Korea, and I'll say it again from Costa Rica. GO TROJANS! I wish the boys basketball team the best of luck as they travel to Indianapolis for another state title! Wish I could be there, but this is the best I can do. Escuala Futuro Verde wishes you good luck!
"pole pole" -Swahili (translation: slowly slowly)
"bali bali" -Hangul (translation: hurry hurry)
"pura vida" -Spanish (direct translation: pure life, literal translation: no worries)
All of the above are constantly repeated in their representative country (respectfully:Kenya, Korea, Costa Rica). I prefer the pole pole attitude to any of the rest. I wonder what phrase people take from the United States.
As a foreigner in a such a small town, there is very little pura vida. We are constantly being watched and gossiped about. One Monday at work, the school cook was telling me everywhere I went, everything I did, and everything I wore that weekend. I didn't even see her!
My skin has turned to Tica tone. People approach me and speak to me in Spanish as if I am a local, then quickly realize I am not one of them. One man told me he was so confused. "How can you have brown skin, but be from Indiana?" I have even acquired a nickname at school, morano, which basically means brown person but not Tica.
The monotony of life here is stirring stress and boredom. I used to think it was nice living as an 80 year old person. Wake up without an alarm, eat oatmeal, grow vegetables, read books, swing in a hammock, bed by 9. The first few weeks were awesome! Now, not so much. Coming from the bali bali of Korea, pura vida is like hitting a wall. I suppose I'm getting ready for a home stay for a bit. Regain some time with familiar places, familiar faces, and familiar phrases!
Speaking of home...I've said it from Korea, and I'll say it again from Costa Rica. GO TROJANS! I wish the boys basketball team the best of luck as they travel to Indianapolis for another state title! Wish I could be there, but this is the best I can do. Escuala Futuro Verde wishes you good luck!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
estupido
I realized this afternoon that most "normal" events here in Costa Rica would severely disturb the average person, including myself, under regular circumstances at home.
Examples:
1. We remove an average of 10 large cockroaches a week from our house. Enough to keep a roach cup on the kitchen counter for quick capture and removal.
2. I am always on the lookout for large lizards in the house after the giant ran across my foot in the bathroom.
3. We have removed scorpions from bedrooms, opossums from the living room, giant grasshoppers from the fridge, hand-sized wolf spiders from the laundry room...
4. While rummaging around in the garden at school alone, a coral snake (the red touches yellow dead fellow kind) slithered next to my hand. This is the most venomous in Costa Rica! Without screaming, I grabbed a stick and my friend Alex came and smashed the head.
5. I eat rice and beans everyday and enjoy it.
This list could go on for a while. These are just the things that were going through my head on my way home from school today.
Examples:
1. We remove an average of 10 large cockroaches a week from our house. Enough to keep a roach cup on the kitchen counter for quick capture and removal.
2. I am always on the lookout for large lizards in the house after the giant ran across my foot in the bathroom.
3. We have removed scorpions from bedrooms, opossums from the living room, giant grasshoppers from the fridge, hand-sized wolf spiders from the laundry room...
4. While rummaging around in the garden at school alone, a coral snake (the red touches yellow dead fellow kind) slithered next to my hand. This is the most venomous in Costa Rica! Without screaming, I grabbed a stick and my friend Alex came and smashed the head.
5. I eat rice and beans everyday and enjoy it.
This list could go on for a while. These are just the things that were going through my head on my way home from school today.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
aventuras con toros, playas, bosques, y mi amor
My emotions over the past couple weeks have consumed me to the point of not writing an update. Brad came to visit last week, and the week before I was too excited/anxious to even think about writing. However, I now have plenty of material for an update!
A couple weekends ago was basically a zoo weekend. The largest festival of the year was here in town. The festival was celebrating Costa Rican culture with bull riding, bull running, great food, and Latin dance into the early morning. I loved every second of the festival, down to the bumper cars. I even went down into the ring with the bulls during the bull riding. Quite the adrenaline rush!
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| The bulls and superheros |
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| Rudy and I in the ring |
In between sweaty, dusty bull riding and sweaty salsa the roommates and I decided to stop home for a quick clean up. Upon squeezing myself into my small bathroom and shutting the door, I realized I had closed myself in with a giant lizard/dinosaur of sorts. My roommates came rushing to the sound of my blood curdling scream to find me crouched on top of the toilet. We managed to trap him with a large box and broom and carried him a long way down the street for his release. And I thought the hundreds of cockroaches were bad...
Brad arrived the following Saturday afternoon. Following a much anticipated long hug, we headed straight to the beach! That night there was a festival at the beach with a barbecue, music, fire dancing, and lots of fun. The next few days I was able to take a break from school and spend time with Brad, the beach, and our cooler. It was awesome showing him around my town, exploring the beach, waterfalls, and new restaurants together.
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| the lizard |
Brad arrived the following Saturday afternoon. Following a much anticipated long hug, we headed straight to the beach! That night there was a festival at the beach with a barbecue, music, fire dancing, and lots of fun. The next few days I was able to take a break from school and spend time with Brad, the beach, and our cooler. It was awesome showing him around my town, exploring the beach, waterfalls, and new restaurants together.
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| beach beer |
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| Montezuma waterfall |
I could not pass up exploring the Monteverde Cloud Forrest while in Costa Rica, and couldn't think of better time to go than with Brad here. We left the beach for the forest Thursday. On Friday we headed out in the morning for world famous zip lining! On the last zip line, the guides let Brad and I go together! Wonderful memory. At the end of the zip lining, there was a Tarzan swing. Sounds awesome, but extremely painful. It was only a 26 foot high platform that you jump off and swing from a tree by your harness. I still have bruises on the inside of my legs. I suppose I should stick to bungee jumping.
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| Tarzan swing |
That night we went on our favorite excursion, the night hike! I've always been a huge fan on nite hikes, but this one tops them all. We weren't even 2 minutes into the hike before we spotted a 2 toed sloth in the trees! I learned he will only come down once a week to poop. Then we saw huge tarantulas, a pit viper in a tree, soldier ants and gigantic colony, frogs, and the worlds largest species of stick bugs. I loved every second and learned way too much about all the animals in the forest in Costa Rica.
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| tarantula |
Saturday was spent hiking through the Monteverde Cloud Forrest and nearby hummingbird garden. I have a strange love for hummingbirds and orchids, so I was in awe all day. The cloud forest was breathtaking as well. The feeling of hiking through a tropical forest all while looking down at the clouds was beyond words.
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| Brad in the forest |
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| Big hummingbird |
Sunday was a tough day full of tears and goodbyes. Now it's back to my daily grind of teaching, reading, and beach going!
Friday, February 11, 2011
hace calor
I'm sure those of you reading this don't want to hear about how hot it is here...but it's really hot here! We sit around laughing at each other while sweat drips down everywhere. Last weekend we had a scorcher and resorted to laying on the "cold" tile floor and covering ourselves with ice cubes.
On to school news...
I suppose drama and lack of organization is a package deal with a new school. This week felt like madness. A child bit me, tire swings are creating disasters, a teacher quit, more students are enrolling, and we ran out of rice.
In spite of the madness, my agriculture class is moving at a pace much faster than expected! Recycling program is underway, the compost bin is almost complete, and we got new baby chicks. The students are so involved and seem to look forward to taking care of our new projects and begin even more.
The students have yet to find out about the chicken coop behind the schoolyard. I'm not quite sure how to introduce our new friends, because our new friends are future food. I took a couple third grade girls back to the coop to play. As they hustled around the coop trying to keep the chicks out of the sunlight, I asked "why do you have to keep them out of the sunlight?" They replied, "They will get too hot!" Laughingly I said, "We don't want to cook them yet!" Surprisingly they agreed and told me we had to wait a couple months. I suppose we can have the circle of life talk Monday!
Rudy and Julia with ice
On to school news...
I suppose drama and lack of organization is a package deal with a new school. This week felt like madness. A child bit me, tire swings are creating disasters, a teacher quit, more students are enrolling, and we ran out of rice.
In spite of the madness, my agriculture class is moving at a pace much faster than expected! Recycling program is underway, the compost bin is almost complete, and we got new baby chicks. The students are so involved and seem to look forward to taking care of our new projects and begin even more.
The students have yet to find out about the chicken coop behind the schoolyard. I'm not quite sure how to introduce our new friends, because our new friends are future food. I took a couple third grade girls back to the coop to play. As they hustled around the coop trying to keep the chicks out of the sunlight, I asked "why do you have to keep them out of the sunlight?" They replied, "They will get too hot!" Laughingly I said, "We don't want to cook them yet!" Surprisingly they agreed and told me we had to wait a couple months. I suppose we can have the circle of life talk Monday!
Kara and Fiona with the chicks
Kara and her new favorite
the start of our compost bin
I'm excited the students are so eager. I'm also excited for this weekend away from loud children!
Thursday, February 3, 2011
rojo y amarillo, negro y blanco
Week one check! Easiest first week teaching ever. Tico (Costa Rican) time is the perfect combination of African and American time. Laid back and relaxing, yet you can still get stuff done when you need to. The first day of school was overload as usual, but for different reasons. Everywhere I looked there seemed to be a different color kid speaking a different language. Escuala Futuro Verde is an international green school. The student body is a small combination of kids from all over the world, whose hippie parents moved them to Costa Rica. I find the school to be extremely exciting.
school office
Students at the school study academics before lunch, then after the homemade organic lunch they have extra curricular types of activities: art, music, theatre, P.E., agriculture, yoga, and so on. I teach agriculture and organic gardening twice a week as well as assisting with all other afternoon activities. I plan to have the children build a compost bin next week, plant an herb garden, and start a recycling program.
1st grade lunch
yoga
The roommates and I have a weekend of sun, swimming, beach, and drinks planned to celebrate the first week!
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