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