Gratitude

There are a lot of great things about being a Peace Corps Volunteer, like getting to experience a totally different culture, making new friends, challenging yourself, and knowing you are making a difference, even if it is just in one child's life. But there are also a lot of hard things about being a PCV. Life in PC can often be full of a lot of doubt. Uncertainty. Insecurity. That knot in your stomach as you wonder...

 "Is anyone going to show up to this meeting I planned?" 

"Will my project ever get off the ground?" 

"Why the hell a I here since no one seems to want my help?" 

"How much longer until my vacation at home?" 

BUT, every so often, usually when you need it the most, something happens that gives you hope about your service and makes you so happy and grateful you want to cry tears of joy. Today was that day. As you know, I've run into some roadblocks recently with my after school program. I've been really worried about it (see the foregoing questions). Today was the first meeting with our new directiva (committee). The new committee consists of myself and four very reliable, motivated, enthusiastic women, two of whom are mothers of kids in the program. We had an incredibly productive discussion about building the children's center, fundraising, programming for next year, etc. We defined everyone's roles to avoid the problems I encountered with the original committee and got ourselves all on the same page for next year. The best part is that the other women were coming up with ideas and planning out the future of the project, without my prodding. It was INCREDIBLE. I can't describe adequately how happy I am or how hopeful I feel about next year after this meeting. As Doña Flor, our new treasurer told me tonight after the meeting, "Nos va a ir muy bien, ya lo sé." (Things are going to go very well for us, I already know it). 

Happily, I am less than a month away from a much-needed visit to the States to recharge my batteries with the people I love most in the world. Even better, I get to do so with a clear conscience and peace of mind about where my program stands for the coming school year, which starts in February. 

In other news, I have two best friends here in my site who follow me around almost all the time. The first, you already know...

My spoiled-rotten puppy, Lucky! 

The second is more of a recent addition to my little family here... 

Leinner, one of my second-grade students, practicing his English (with Lucky! hehe)

Another exciting project is one I've been working on with my co-teacher, Isa (who, by the way, has become a great friend of mine here -- we are making Thanksgiving dinner next week!). We are coordinating an English camp called JumpStart in January for sixth-grade students who are about to start high school. The camp, a project of Costa Rica Multilingüe and Peace Corps, is meant to catch them up to speed on English (most of the kids in my group have not had English for as long as many of their peers or really struggle with English. The majority of kids in other camps around the country have never had English and will be entering school with peers who have had English for six years). According to research done last year when the camps were first piloted, the kids who did JumpStart did better academically across the board and had much more confidence than their peers, even those who had prior knowledge of English. Anyway, the project is a really great opportunity for these kids, and we are very excited about it! Check out this video by CRML about JumpStart, and let me know if you are interested in contributing materials or a financial donation to the camp! 

That's all, folks! Thanks for reading! :) 

Love, Rachel 

A Glass Half Full

Is the glass half empty or half full?

That's a question I've been fighting with a lot lately. So many wonderful and awful things have been going on, that I just don't know which way is up sometimes! As they told us to expect in pre-service training, Peace Corps services is a roller coaster. In the same day, I can go from being ridiculously happy to crying my eyes out. Here's a rundown of the ups and downs of my last couple of months in site...

• Things got pretty rocky with my host family and I moved out sooner than anticipated...glass half empty. BUT, I now have my own adorable apartment all to myself and my puppy. Glass half full!
• I've really been missing home lately...half empty. BUT, I am more independent and self-sufficient now than I have ever been before in my life. Definitely half full! 
• Sometimes I just wanna smack some sense into my most disrespectful students, either that or pull my own hair out. Half empty. BUT, I've gotten to be close to a lot of these students outside the classroom and I feel like I am making a positive impact on them, even if classroom management drives me crazy. Definitely half full again! 
• My after school program has been driving me crazy, because the parents are so reluctant to commit and help, but they still want to send their kids to the program, which means me, alone, with like 30 kids at a time with zero assistance. I actually had to call off the last four weeks of the program before vacations in an attempt to get the parents' attention and get more support from the community. Glass definitively half empty. HOWEVER, I've recently started putting together a new committee for the program and have found a group of university students who will hopefully be reliable volunteers. Right now, despite all the stress of the last few weeks, it seems like the program might come together even better than I originally thought when school starts up again, INCLUDING a potential donation from the municipality of a lot to build a permanent youth center!!! Cheers with a glass that's most definitely half full! 

So, as you can see, in spite of some hard times, there are still plenty of glimmers of hope to hang onto and a lot of good work still left to be done. 

An old Peace Corps ad from the 1960s. 

This weekend was perfect.

This weekend was perfect. I am settled into my cozy, little apartment in Costa Rica. Yesterday, I had a relaxing morning, watched TV, made breakfast, snuggled my dog. I went to the farmer's market in Quepos and bought some delicious (and cheap!) fresh produce. I treated myself to pizza and a Coke. I planned for my after-school program and saw some of my kiddos. I stared out at the ocean. I Skyped with Alex. I made peanut butter cookies (healthy AND no-bake!). I learned how to make guacamole and margaritas with my co-teacher. After a few VERY rough weeks of homesickness and host family problems, I feel SO truly content and even more so because I am simply so RELIEVED that I am feeling that way again :-). If that makes any sense. I live in a beautiful country. I have a job I love and basically got to create and design for myself. I have a life full of loving, lovable people both here and at home. I have my own, beautiful little space. I have the three keys of happiness, if you will - something to do, people to love, things to hope for.

Farmer's market

Some shots of my new place

Lucky is settling in nicely!

Yummmm, cookies!!!

Love,

Rachel

Rant Time: GO!

Not gonna lie, dear readers...this week has been rough! Here, for your reading pleasure, are some of my quejas (complaints):

Things That Bug Me: The Unabridged Edition

1. People who are freaking unreliable! It's nearly impossible in Costa Rica to get people to show up when they say they will, IF (and this can often be a BIG IF) they decide to show up at all! I run an after-school program that serves between 50 and 70 kids on any given day, yet very few of the parents of those kids are willing to step up to the plate, be responsible, and help me out. Thus, the several times I have ended up by myself or nearly by myself with 35 kids.

2. The indirectness of the culture here. It's petty and childish. If you have a problem, come talk to me directly. Don't send your sister/neighbor/cousin's dog-sitter to do your dirty work. It's immature, and it just makes everything worse in the end.

3. School? What school? Classes get cancelled here for pretty much no reason ALL. THE. FREAKING. TIME. Rainy day? No school. Handing back exams? No classes the rest of the day. Teacher just doesn't feel like showing up? Enjoy your vacation. In one of my counterpart schools assigned by Peace Corps, I have barely started working due to this disaster of a school schedule. And that's after nearly FOUR MONTHS in my site. It's madness, I tell you, madness.

4. Machismo. Ooooh, this one makes me so mad. There is no reason in this world why I should not be able to walk down the street without someone hissing, purring, whistling, cat-calling, or doing whatever other obscene action in my direction. My name is not reina, princesa, mi amor, machita, bebe, or any other Spanish term of endearment. In fact, since we don't know each other's names, why don't you just shut up and let me be on my way in paz.

5. Classroom management. It's pretty much nonexistent here. It can make my job pretty hard at the after-school program. These kids just have never been taught classroom discipline, so it's really hard to impose it on them after a lifetime of not learning it. It's hard for them, and me, to adjust. We're getting there. Slow but sure. I think I can, I think I can...

Okay, I think I've hit on the main things that have been getting me down this week...now to end on a more positive note.

Things That Don't Bug Me: The Abridged Version

1. My students. They are the light of my life here, the constant bright spot that keeps me hanging in there on the bad days. They are intelligent, enthusiastic, clever, mischievous, hilarious, kind, welcoming, friendly, accepting, loving, affectionate, and so much more. They have truly made me feel loved and accepted here and been a huge blessing in the short time I have been here so far. I would not trade them or my work on the after-school program for the world. They make it all worth it.

2. My host brother, Gabriel. I love that child so much, I could just squeeze his chubby cheeks off. Always makes me smile.

3. My dog! Well, my almost dog. I am in the process of convincing my host family to let me have him. He might as well be mine though, since I am the only one who really loves him and pays attention to him and he follows me everywhere I go.

4. My friends in my town. I have been blessed to find several good, supportive friends in town who have been my saving grace on bad days.

5. My co-teacher, Isa. She is responsible, does not cancel class on a whim, and we work together super well. We've been co-teaching, co-planning, co-you-name-it from the beginning and we even teach a community class together. She is a wonderful teacher and I am so lucky to have her as a co-worker. We are planning an English camp for fifth and sixth graders in January.

6. Speaking of community classes....These are some of my favorite classes because I get to work with adult students who really want to learn and appreciate what I am teaching them.

Lastly, here's a video from one of my classes of some of my students playing a review game:

Odds and Ends

A few weeks ago, on Sept. 5, we got hit with a pretty big earthquake here in Costa Rica. It registered as a 7.6, which is unnerving even for the Ticos, who are very used to the smaller quakes that happen all the time here. It was pretty scary, especially for someone who is not used to experiencing such things. It actually took me a moment to realize what was happening, and then everything was rapidly shaking back and forth. It lasted for almost a full minute. I was at a friend's house, stopping by on my way to my program, and just followed everyone else's lead and stuck close to the door frame. It was super unnerving to feel as though the whole world was moving and not be able to point to the source of the movement, like a stampede or a giant truck. It was totally beyond anyone's control. Classes were cancelled all afternoon and phone and internet lines were down for most of the day. There was even a tsunami warning for a few hours. The earthquake's epicenter was in Guanacaste, where several of my fellow T23-ers are located, but thankfully everyone is okay. Two people died, which is of course an awful tragedy, but thankfully there wasn't more fallout. A smaller earthquake back in 2009 killed over 40 Costa Ricans, and this earthquake that we just had was predicted to be much larger and much more damaging than it was. So, all things considered, gracias a Dios that we made it through relatively unscathed.

The epicenter was in Guanacaste, a neighboring province, but the quake
was felt all throughout Costa Rica and Central America. 

In other news, the after school program is still going really well. We've seen a lot of positive changes already in many of the kids we've been working with behavior and confidence wise. While the stereotypes of Ticos being unreliable (showing up on "Tico Time" or not at all) has definitely been a challenge for me in recruiting volunteers, I am blessed to have a solid group of about 10 moms who consistently help me and often bring me their own ideas and initiatives without me asking. That makes me really hopeful about making the program a permanent thing, especially since my host mom recently told me she has a connection to the president of the town association, who could donate a piece of land that we could then use to collaborate with the parents to build a permanent space for the program. In addition, since I started the program I have started to feel very much a part of my community. The other day, my host mom made a joke that I need to start carrying a flag that says "Hola" around town, because so many kids and their parents come up to greet me. I am so lucky to have so many new friends in these beautiful children.

I'm so blessed to have so many cherished kids in my life, here and at home <3 

Now for some interesting cultural trivia...Macha or Machita is a word used here to refer to blonde people, specifically gringos. Surprisingly, I get called this a LOT. I can't tell you how many times I'm walking down the street and hear someone say, "Hola Machita," or "Buenos Dias Machita." It's always kind of weird cause I don't consider myself blonde. But I guess compared to most Ticas, I look blonde.

Another interesting thing I noticed at my after school program is how the Ticos will nod at you and it means they want you to go over to them. Instead of waving you over or saying come here, the kids will always say "Teacher," and nod at me. It took me a few times to figure it out, but that means come here apparently.

Last Saturday, Sept. 15, was Costa Rica's Independence Day. It was a really wonderful celebration, and it was also just what I needed to show me that I really am integrating and making connections here, since I had been feeling pretty homesick the week before. On the 14th, the Ticos in my community made their way to Quepos with beautiful, homemade (and occasionally store-bought) faroles (lanterns). There is a contest to judge the best farol, and everyone takes a stroll around the town for the desfile (parade) de los faroles. The whole thing was really beautiful and reminded me of the lantern scene from the Disney movie Tangled -- obviously the BEST part! (anyone know what I'm talking about here??)

Gabriel and his friend with their faroles :)

Desfile de los faroles - hard to get a good shot at night! 

I swear it was more like this in person!

The next day, there is a big parade through Quepos where all the kids participate, whether by playing in a band, carrying a flag, dancing, etc. It was really similar to the parades we have in the US on the Fourth of July.

Some of my students in the parade! 

Lately I have been comparing my experience here to my experience in Spain. As beautiful as my time in Spain was, I think I have come to love Costa Rica in a different, deeper way. Don't get me wrong, Salamanca is still the most beautiful place I have ever been or probably ever will go, but I think the way I have come to see Costa Rica versus Spain is like loving an imperfect person, flaws and all, versus an infatuation with someone you don't know that well yet. In Spain, I wanted very badly for everything to be perfect, to be happy all the time, to enjoy every minute and have a storybook experience. In a lot of ways, I got what I wanted, but at the same time, I didn't fully engage with the Spanish culture, speak the language enough, or get to know a more well-rounded version of Spain. I spent four months as a bit of a tourist, even though I was taking classes. Here, I strive daily NOT to look like a tourist, speak nothing but Spanish, climb rocky, muddy, pot-holey streets to work, deal with "Tico time," machismo, etc. on a daily basis. And I benefit from the kindness and generosity of the Ticos, their relaxed, stress-free attitude about a lot of things, the yummy albeit unhealthy food, my host family, etc. It's not just an infatuation; I love this country, flaws and all.

Up and Running!

My after school program is officially up and running! We started on Monday with a wonderful turnout of nearly 60 students, and the numbers have been consistent all week! The program operates in two shifts - a three hour shift in the morning and a three hour shift in the afternoon. Primer ciclo (first cycle, grades 1-3) comes in for one shift, and segundo ciclo (second cycle, grades 4-6, plus kindergartners) comes in for the other shift. Here's a snapshot of what the program looks like!

• 9-9:15: icebreaker game
• 9:15-10:00: English class
• 10-10:15: snack
• 10:15-11:00: Specials (art, science, team-building games - kids are rotated to a new activity each day)
• 11:00-11:30: study/homework time
• 11:30 - 12:00: group reading (Right now, it's Charlie & the Chocolate Factory!)

The schedule is the same in the afternoon, but from 1:00 to 4:00.

I've been fortunate to get a lot of help from the parents of the students, which is awesome because sustainability of the project is my ultimate goal, and their collaboration is necessary to make that happen. Like I've said before, I really want to find or build a house to be a permanent home for the program so that this project can continue to serve kids in my community for years to come. I am currently looking into a few different options as far as that goes.

In the meantime, I've started taking a few steps that I hope will eventually make me unnecessary to the program by the time I leave to return to the US. Allow me to explain... Poco a poco (little by little), I am doing my best to scale back my "ownership" of the program, and make the parents feel like they are the ones who own it and make it happen. So, while I did all the planning and put together all the lesson plans, materials, etc. for this week, I had the moms who were helping me out actually execute most of the activities, aside from English classes. I was more of a facilitator between activities and helped keep everyone on track and in check, bouncing around to help with various activities at any given time. Some of the time, I just sat back and beamed like a proud momma at how well the moms AND kids were doing, whether they were doing arts and crafts, playing a team-building game, doing homework, or just eating their merienda (snack). It was great to see the kids having fun and learning and watch a lot of the moms who don't necessarily think of themselves as leaders get to step into that role.

In addition, this week some of the moms and I formed a directiva (a committee) for the program. We now have a treasurer, secretary, organizer, and vice president (they wanted me to be the president, even though I tried to tell them that wasn't allowed...one step at a time). All of them are motivated and have already begun working on their jobs, for example, organizing snacks among all the parents, planning fundraisers, and scouting out new volunteers. We also started lesson planning together for the third week of the program (I pre-planned out the first two weeks just to get the ball rolling). Anyway, as you can see, there is a lot of leadership potential among the parents, and I am really hopeful that they will keep this thing going once I'm gone (cross your fingers!) Lao Tzu said it best:

"A leader is best when people barely know he exists; when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, the people will say: we did it ourselves."


On a different note, the week was just a lot of FUN. We made edible chocolate play dough, played some good old fashioned team building games, did lots of cheesy icebreakers, sang songs, ate snacks, and just enjoyed. As always, my very favorite part is getting to know the kids. I'm always amazed at how quick kids are to accept and love somebody new. I've made about 60 new best friends this week :-)

Next week promises to be just as great, and even better since we've settled into a routine! And now, for some pictures!

Our nice set-up in the salón comunal

Lucky has started following me absolutely everywhere I go.
Here he is trying to break into the salón comunal. 

Ice breaker game!

Making the edible chocolate play-doh! 

Some cute kindergartners

Making fake quicksand with cornstarch and water

Cheesin'

Volleyball...kind of!

Group reading time...What will happen to Charlie next?!

This Everyday Love

Hello all, sorry for the delay in writing! Things have been busy! Here's a recap :)

I spent a lovely week in the States with my family, friends, and boyfriend, and even got to celebrate my birthday at home! It was a whirlwind of trying to see all my favorite people and places in such a short time, but it was absolutely worth it and I had a fabulous, refreshing week at home! The best part was that only a few people (my immediate family and Alex) knew I was coming, so I got to show up de sorpresa (as a surprise) for everyone else!

My cumpleaños

Favorite hello :)

Alex's softball tournament

At the lake with my love Genesis and her cousin Jamel

Friendly's with two of the best kids in the world <3 

I missed this girl a LOT! 

Life back in Costa Rica has been great as well. I had a few days where I felt really homesick after I first got back from the States, but I am doing much better now. Right now I am at IST (in-service training) in San José with my fellow Tico 23-ers, so that has been a great, much-needed way to recharge and the training sessions unexpectedly turned out to be like an awesome group therapy session for us all. It's great to hear about everyone's work, compare notes, and support each other in our struggles and in our triumphs.

On Monday, that's FOUR DAYS FROM NOW, my after school program officially begins!!!!! I am soooo excited to get started with it! My community is full of some really amazing kids, and I can't wait to get to spend more time with them via this program! And, although this is me getting way ahead of myself, I recently found out about a house for sale near the center of town that we could possibly convert into the youth center so my program has a permanent home!!! Keep your fingers crossed! In the meantime, I will post pictures and videos, etc., of the first week of the program! Wish me luck!

Here are some fun anecdotes from the last couple of weeks:

My little host brother, Gabriel, who just turned 6, has started calling me his novia (girlfriend). He says he is going to drink a special kind of milk to grow big and strong so he can steal me from Alex. The other day, we had the following conversation:

Gabriel: Raquel, ¿Qué vas a hacer?
Me: Voy a hablar con mi novio.
Gabriel: ¡Usted es mi novia y no me gusta que hables con él! (while shaking his finger at me!)

That roughly translates to...

Gabriel: Rachel, what are you going to do?
Me: I'm going to talk to my boyfriend.
Gabriel: You are MY girlfriend, and I don't like that you talk to him! (while shaking his finger at me!)

That put a big smile on my face.

Another fun story...A little girl in one of my English classes who is probably around 7 or 8 years old came up to me and said, "Teacher (that's the only word of English that kids here consistently know haha), you know I really wish I could be your daughter but I can't." (She was legitimately upset about this). I said, "but you have your family, why do you say that?" And she said "I know, but I just like you and you're so beautiful." I tried to make her feel better and said, "how about you can be like my little sister?" She was not thrilled. She replied with "I guess, but would you like to have me as your daughter?" It was super adorable.

A different day, I was taking a walk with my host mom and Gabriel, when one of my sixth grade boys said hi to me. I said hi back, and Gabriel scolded me, saying, "¡Raquel, no hables con muchachos que no conoces!" (Rachel, don't talk to boys you don't know!) His mom and I just about died laughing while we tried to explain that I did, indeed, know the boy.

On a different note, I want to say a word about acto cívico here in Costa Rica. An a.c. is basically a day when there is a big school-wide assembly, usually in celebration of a national holiday, when all the students come to school in traditional dress and do performances, often dances, as well as poetry readings, songs, art projects, etc. Now, at first, I got frustrated with these days, because they happen quite often and they interrupt the school schedule, which is already interrupted enough thanks to the infamous Tico time and they fact that kids don't show up to school if it rains, which is often. Combine that with the fact that a lot of teachers are unreliable and don't show up and classes almost always start late, and it's no wonder many kids don't end up graduating. But I have changed my outlook on that after the a.c. that celebrated the annexation of Guanacaste to Costa Rica. I've really come around to the idea, because it is a day that everyone, even the kids, takes seriously and it makes these kids proud of where they come from. I believe that is truly important for kids who live in a society that constantly tells them they are of the "Third World" and subconsciously sends them the message that they are less. And the events are educational, because they learn about the history behind whatever day or event they are celebrating. Here are some pictures and a video of some of my students celebrating Guanacaste Day!

Finally, I am excited about the possibility of an upcoming project for January-February. There is an organization here called Costa Rica Multilingüe (Multilingual Costa Rica) that does month-long English camps for sixth grade students who have never had English class before so that they will not feel as behind compared to the other students when they get to high school and are put in classes with students who have been studying English throughout primary school. CRM is working in conjunction with the Peace Corps to put on camps like this throughout the country, and they provide supplies and fundraising assistance to any volunteer who wants to put on such a camp in his or her site. I am definitely leaning towards doing it. Another exciting perk? CRM helps pay for a volunteer from the States to come help with the camp...sooo, any takers? hehe.

Anyway, I believe that is all for now. Life is good. Love and miss you all. 

Peace,

Rachel 

PS...Happy 6 Months in Costa Rica to me and the rest of the Tico 23-ers! :D 

Days Go By....

"Days go by, I can feel 'em flying like a hand out the window in the wind..." -Keith Urban


Time here has been going by pretty quickly! Which I guess is a good thing, because that means I'm busy and happy.

After moving to my third host family (to sum up, the first family had an inappropriate/creepy son-in-law who lived at the house, and the second gave me a hallway/living room instead of a bedrom), I am finally REALLY happy with my living situation. My host parents, Aleyda and Heinner, are both kind people who have made me feel really welcome and treat me like part of the family. Gabriel, my five year old host brother, is one of the new loves of my life. He says I'm his girlfriend. Heinner works in construction and actually built me my own room onto the front of the house. Pretty awesome. I have a pretty nice balance of having a family environment and having some independence. For example, I get to cook my own food, but a lot of times we end up sharing food and eating dinner together.

Baking peanut butter cookies with Gabriel

My work here is going really well. I am teaching about 25 hours in the schools here each week. I have good relationships with my co-teachers, and I even teach an extra class in the community with one of my co-teachers, Isabel. In addition, I teach a night class by myself once a week. Aside from my work in the schools, I am starting an extracurricular program for the students here in my town. It's basically what an after-school program would be in the states, except it will take place in both the morning and afternoon, because the school schedules work differently here than at home. So far, I have 17 volunteers and about 45 kids registered for the program. I am super excited to get started! The first day is August 20. So right now, I am busy getting ready for the big day! I have high hopes for the program to be something sustainable even after I leave Costa Rica. Most of the volunteers who will lead the lessons with me are parents of enrolled students. And supplies and snacks will be donated each month by the parents. In addition, the community is currently donating a free space for the program. So basically, the parents will be able to sustain the program, I hope, when I am no longer here! And Isabel is going to help me eventually go to the municipality to ask for a land donation to build a center for the program that would basically be like a community youth center. That's obviously way in the future, but I could not be more excited!

Some of my sixth graders hard at work

Third grade :)

I have settled into a routine here and am really feeling at home. People know me now, and I am always greeted on the street by children who call out "teacher!" It's such a good feeling. Today, one of my students ran up to me from behind, gave me a huge hug, and handed me this (when my mom saw this fruit during her visit, she called them hairy strawberries)...I swear it's a compliment, even though it might not look like it:

The "hairy strawberry"...I forget the real name! 

In other news, my parents came to visit. It was great to see them! I really missed them.

My best friend <3 

We had a really nice visit, even though we were stressed about some stuff going on at home. I got to spend time with them at there resort, which was a little weird. I'm used to trying actively NOT to look like a tourist, so I felt super uncomfortable in the resort. On the plus side, I got to have some good conversations with the Ticos who work there and who were usually surprised that I speak Spanish. I made an effort to always talk to them in Spanish, because I felt like I wanted them to know I'm not one of "those" gringos who comes to Costa Rica for the resort life and doesn't actually learn about the Costa Rican culture and language.

Here are some pictures of my town:

A view over La Inmaculada from my street

My house!

My new best friend! 

Anyway, all is well! Miss you all,

Rachel

A List of Lists

Partly due to my laziness, partly due to my love of lists, this post will be written entirely in list form. Starting now.

Things I Love About My Site

1. Kids who stop me on the street and call me "teacher!"
2. The soda (cafeteria) that lets me hang out for hours even if I only buy a bottle of water.
3. They have Diet Coke.
4. My after-school program is taking off and has a lot of parent support! 
5. I'm never cold!
6. People are really grateful for the chance to learn English for free.
7. My adorable host brother Gabriel. 
8. I already have some good friends (and they are my age! Shocking!!)
9. I made friends with the photo copy lady even though I thought she hated me at first.
10. Lizards! Everywhere! And monkeys!!! 
11. Kids are always hugging me.
12. It's easy to communicate with people back home.
13. It's small enough that people know each other, big enough that I don't go crazy. 
14. The kindness of strangers. I think, as a PCV, you constantly have to depend on that. 

Projects I am Working On

1. An after-school program that will hopefully develop into a permanent youth center with it's own building and everything! Cross your fingers!
2. Three community English classes
3. TEFL in the escuelas. 
4. Not being mistaken for a gringa tourist.
5. Watching the entire 7th season of How I Met Your Mother

What I do Every Day

1. Cook my own food!!! (Such a relief after living with a host fam for so long!)
2. Work out
3. Get lost
4. Lesson plan or teach
5. Work on the after-school program
6. Get stopped on the street by kids whose names I still can't remember but who nonetheless hug me and call me teacher.
7. Get mobbed in the street by children and parents who want to learn English 
8. Resist the urge to eat EVERYTHING in the panadería 
9. Walk A LOT
10. Sweat a lot
11. Hang out with Tico friends and try to make more
12. Act like a total gringa by petting the stray dogs in the street

Things That are Stressing Me Out Right Now

1. Being far away from loved ones at home
2. When people ask me to come home 
3. Finding more volunteers for my project
4. Misbehaving Costa Rican school kids
5. My cough is not going away :/ 

Things I am Looking Forward To

1. My parents visiting in July! 
2. Seeing Rattana (fellow PCV) tomorrow maybe! 
3. Visiting my old host family

Motivational Thought for the Day

Love,

Rachel

What if you never graduated from high school?

What if you never graduated from high school? Where would you be right now? What would you be doing?

Well, friends, here in Costa Rica, that is sadly the fate of about 60% of Ticos! That's right, 60% of Costa Ricans never make it to high school graduation! It's tragic, really, because this country is full of bright, enthusiastic kids who could do a whole lot with an education. Unfortunately, many never get that opportunity, due to poverty, teen pregnancy, crime, drugs, and often just a lack of someone in their lives to tell them they can do it and they should try.

That's where my Peace Corps work comes in. I am starting an after school program for kids from kindergarten through sixth grade here in my community, La Inmaculada. The program will offer homework help, free English classes, mentoring, and other fun, recreational activities like music, science, sports, dance, etc. For now, it will operate 3 days a week. I have 25 kids signed up and the calls from parents keep coming. These families really want their kids to have an opportunity to learn English and to excel in school. They just don't always have the resources to help them do that. Hopefully, this project can help bridge the gap!

To make this happen, I need help from you! I am asking for donations, large or small, whatever you can give, of basic schools supplies and non-perishable foods we can use for snacks.

My parents are coming to visit me in a month. If you can contribute anything, anything at all, please contact me and we will find a way to get the goods to my parents who will then bring them to me in CR. If that doesn't work, you can also mail donations to this address:

Rachel Rutter, PCV
Cuerpo de Paz
Apartado postal 193-6350
Quepos, Costa Rica

Either way, Let me know so I can keep track of how much we have/need! :)

Here's a list of ideas to get started:

notebook paper
construction paper
markers
crayons
colored pencils
scissors
tape
glue
play dough
pens
pencils
paints
beads/string
any other craft supplies
books in English or Spanish
cookies
crackers
fruit snacks

Any help you can give would be SO APPRECIATED by both me and my community, especially the wonderful kids here in La Inmaculada. THANK YOU!!! :)

¡Alex visits Costa Rica!

Alex came to visit me for two whole glorious weeks. Here's a recap in pictures:

When he first arrived, on the bus ride to San José!

We visited my amazing host family in Concepción! 

We hung out at the beautiful Marina Pez Vela in Quepos.

He came to school, and all the boys were fascinated with his cell phone.

We saw monkeys on the beach!

And iguanas!

We went horseback riding!

Swimming in a waterfall! :)

Cracked open and ate fresh coconut! 

Beautiful beaches

That's right, I live here!

It was a fabulous visit, and I can't wait for the next one!

Much love, Rach