Talamanca= WIN

Hi guys! I must say I am in love with Tico time, I can be late to everything and still be on time! I am soaking up some morning sun before Spanish class (yes I do always write these before Spanish) and simultaneously uploading Talamanca pictures to face book! go check them out dudes!
Talamanca was amazing, we learned a lot and had loads of fun being jammed into awkward positions for hours on end in a little bus. We stated out and had lunch with Timoteo, an indigenous leader who speaks Bribri (native language) as well as Spanish. After eating with our hands from banana leafs we went on a short hike to an amazing waterfall. There we swam, and wow, the force of the water was spectacular. He also did a short ceremony where we all sat in a circle and he chanted. I was indescribable. He than told us all about the battles he and so many other indigenous are fighting over land rights and how their practices have been hurt by excessive mining and major corporations that want to exploit the resources of the land. When we returned to the microbus Max, our fantastic driver, had gotten it suck it the mud and we created quite a spectacle jumping on the back of the bus and pushing from the front, but in the end we got it out. We than proceeded on to Suredka and our hotel which was very nice. It reminded me of my TTS days a little, being jammed into busses and carted around. Also, the humidity was way worse because we were so close to the coast, so the failure feeling of constant thin sticky sweat returned and my hair took to curling.
The next day we had really neat meeting with an indigenous community, the Awa, or healer, talked to us about the alternative ways of healing and his people’s traditions. He was speaking in Bri Bri, so we had quite a train of translation going, everything had to be translated from Bri Bri to Spanish, than Spanish to English. It was very interesting and the area was stunning. After another finger-food banana-leaf lunch we had another ceremony which was just as indescribable at the previous but in a totally different way. Than we all piled onto a bus and went to the chocolate co-op which was, to say the least, delicious. Mmmmmhmm yes.
Our last day on the road we went to the Cahuita National Park and spent all morning soaking up rays and swimming on the pristine beach. The water was perfect, warm and salty, and the morning slipped by in a lazy fashion. After lunch I chose to go on a little guided hike and saw all manor of animals. We saw a sloth, monkeys with babies, some snakes, a impressive ant hill, frogs, crabs, plants that close when you touch them and a mired of butterflies. Our guide told us all about the park which is actually mostly marine and the good it has brought to the area. He also told us about how drilling and pollution from farther up the coast come down with the currents and hurt the coral reefs that the park protects.
By this point I was dead tired, but we continued onward to a Calipso dance class. The people in the class were extremely talented and I was thoroughly impressed. I tried for a wile, but shortly gave in to my tired legs and watched the class move. Finally we all piled into the microbus one last time and made the five-hour drive home.
It is funny, I had to write a paper for Spanish about this exact same thing, so actually I have written my Talamnca description in two different languages. Neat eh? I am overwhelmed by how lucky I am to be here and so grateful to all of you who helped out! I hope you are all happy and healthy where ever you are and that you continue to be so! Another update will be here soon. (Allegra. HA.)
xo
greta

Pura Vida!

Hello everyone!
How is everything going? Well, I am fitting in to life here very well. I have a connection to this part of the world, I feel very at home here. We finished our first week of classes and I love all of them. It is a lot of work, lots of reading, but it is all interesting and relevant to where we are. Spanish class every morning is hard! I remember most of my conversational Spanish, but lots of grammar stuff goes way over my head. I think it is really good I have Spanish class though because seeing as I can converse and understand (usually) without the class I don't know how much more Spanish I would learn. My other classes are all about once a week and very interesting. My adviser, Lorna, and I are finalizing my plans for my independent study here as well. I am working in La Carpio with children, my focus being children’s' interpretations through art. I am going to have a different subject and medium for every class which I will teach every Tuesday. I can't wait, I start this week!
Everyone keeps asking me how the people are, so as an answer, in short they are great! I get along with everyone in my group and we have lots of fun together. I am excited to spend the year with everyone! Under the category of "people" my host mom is proving to be amazing. She is so very funny and nice. Her friends come over all the time (It reminds me of home, having my mom know everyone.) and they all talk very quickly. I can usually pick up what they are saying and join in and it is so much fun! She is also a very good cook and likes to make cakes "for fun." That is just fine with me! I can't wait until Wednesday when we are all (yes a bunch of 60+ year olds and I) going to a festival in the central park.
This weekend I went to San Jose (30 min bus ride) to an art festavil on Saturday and again to San Jose for a yoga festaval. The art fesival was neat, we made clay sculptures and ate some "cheese balls" which consist of dry bread that taist slitghtly of cheese and mostly of... nothing actually. Also we saw some inturpritive dance which was very dramatic. The yoga festival today was great. I went to a class in the morning wich was hard but very good. Than I got some AMAZING food, a wrap with indan spiced chicken or something like that. mmmm yes. We got back early afternoon feeling refreshed!
Oh, so, Thursday through Sunday we are going to Talamanca. First field trip!!! We have to get up mad early and cram into a microbus. I am told they are little and cramped, but compared to my experiences with little cramped vehicles, wow this is lugubrious! The windows even open! Anyways, we are going to a Finca and a woman's organic chocolate association. We will be in Cahuita National park, and all the national parks here (Costa Rica has a ton!) are stunning. I can't wait to see them for real, not on a screen. We get to meet with a Calipso music youth group before we get home too. And... I get college credit for this. YES.
All right, I actually have to go attempt Spanish grammar now, but I will update after the field trip!
xoxo

greta

Classes

Well, today was our first real day of class. Sadly, I am unable to be in the Holistic Health class because of my independent study, so my Tuesdays only really have spanish class. I have a little class, just 2 of us, so I am going to get good fast! The rest of the day I have been figuring out my independent study and planning for the year to come. I must say I am so excited for this year, I can't even describe it. I have spanish classes in the morning, a orientation seminar, a latin american studies seminar, and a writing seminar as my required courses. I am taking a global environmental issues and latin america course and doing an independent for my other credits. My independent study is going to be working in la carpio with children and their artistic inturpratations of the world around them. I am going to be there for a few hours a week working with younger kids doing painting, sculpting, writing, and all manor of artsy things. I can't wait!!!

I am setting in well here, I still love my host mom and Heredia is a cool place to be. It is a city, so I have to adjust to city life, but everything is going great! I will post again soon! Hope this finds you all well!

greta

Costa Rica, here I am!

Hello all my friends and family!
Costa Rica is, well, amazing. My group has 21 kids from all over and spent the first few days together in hotel americana. Hotel americana was nice, with a shower the size of my bedroom and strangly american food. It was fun, and last night was our first night with our families. My family is just a woman, she is very sweet and takes good care of me. Her name is Julieta. She has a daughter who lives near san jose and two grandchildren she loves to talk about. I can't wait to meet them!

Today, we went to do some service work. We planted trees in the morning and had a great lunch. I notice how much people love to feed me here! After lunch we were suprised by a parade that passed by the church and we danced around the main field area. We than played games with the kids and eachother utill it was time to go. It was loads of fun and I made friends with lots of little kids who love to dance. Monday classes start, and I can't wait. So far everyone I met has been kind and helpful and I am feeling very safe. I have had no communications, but over the next few weeks it will become more regular. I will try to skype with some of you soon!!

much love,
Greta

p.s. It is raining. It rains all. the. time. here. And I don't really mind it!