I find it hard to believe that a week has already gone by! My host family is truly amazing. This past Saturday Ricardo took me to Pica e´lena, which is a celebration in honor of the Virgin Guadalupe. This was actually the preparation for the big celebration in honor of this saint, which will take place on December 12. I don´t know the full details of the story, but the Virgin Guadalupe was apparently able to stop two brothers from fighting.
On Saturday, the men got up early (3am) to chop wood that was donated by a farmer. Oxen and buggies were used to pull the wood into town. The wood is for a huge fire that will be used to cook food for the town on December 12. Many people donate animals (chicken and pigs). On Saturday afternoon we were able to see a parade (also in honor of the Virgin Guadalupe). There were oxen, horses, and dancers that were dancing Bailes tipicos. This is traditional dancing for Costa Rica. It was a lot of fun!
I am enjoying teaching at San Ambrosio. I feel that I have learned a lot about Costa Rican culture just from being there each day. The discipline is more relaxed than in the states....students are allowed to get up out of their seats and visit their friends during class. There are also more breaks...the students have a 15 minute recess, along with a ten minute break, two five minute breaks, and 40 minutes for lunch. I really like that the students are able to take a break after each lesson. This is not done at home, except for recess...which is not as long as it should be. The students at San Ambrosio come back from their breaks refreshed and ready to learn! I wish we would do this in the states. It would make such big difference.
The students at here are wonderful. The language barrier can be a little difficult, but I think it is an opportunity for the students to practice their English. Some of the children are helping me to learn Spanish, which has been great. When I return to the states I plan to take Spanish classes. I would really like to be fluent in the language. There are two high school students at San Ambrosio who speak up to four languages! I find that amazing. They are both cultural exchange students...one is from Iceland (she speaks Icelandic, Spanish, and English) and the other is from Norway. (she speaks Norwegian, English, Dutch, and Spanish) I think schools in the states should enforce learning a second language more. It can help so much in the job world!
I am in love with the food here. Every dish I have tried has been amazing. The fruits and vegetables are so full of flavor! I will have to take a lot of recipes home with me.