Figuring it all out.

On our first weekend in Costa Rica we did some sight seeing as well as having a few classroom discussions about the program. We visited Cafe' Brit, which as a large coffee distributor and processing company. Coffee is more than a commodity in Costa Rica it is a centrifugal force that binds Costa Rica. Coffee is a key source of economic export, which provides much needed foreign exchange receipts that are a backbone of the Costa Rican economy, but it is also part of the daily conversation.

We also visited La Paz, which is an ecological park, and nature reserve nestled in the mountains not far from San Jose.

After checking out of the hotel on Sunday and stopping buy CPI for our Spanish testing we talked a little bit about what to expect from our stay with our host families. There was a certain amount of tension and nervousness about what to expect during our stay, but nothing unusual.

My family picked me up and we went strait to a family gathering. Mi Tico Papa, Alvaro, and Mi Tica Mama, Rosario, were celebrating the fact that their niece was having a baby. At first it seemed intimidating to be at a "small" family gathering of about 100 Costa Rican's, but it actually made for a smoother transition because nobody could hear each other over the music.

My family knows a little English and I know a little Spanish so we could communicate about the basics. It is that very tension that makes the experience more clarifying. I believe that one has to be motivated to learn another language and when you are in a situation where communication cannot occur, you quickly learn that you need to learn.

As much as being in that position is uncomfortable, it is the best way, in my opinion to learn. For me, the tension and isolation from my native language has produced the motivation for me to learn more. It has also taught me with laser beam clarity, what a student in a classroom feels like when he is not fluent in the language or completely comfortable with the culture.

One critical difference from my position and the student in the classroom is the he is probably 10 years old. Imagine what that feels like to be isolated.

Just one more thing!

I'm very interested in learning about Costa Rican government and politics. Costa Rica just elected it's first female president, Laura Chinchilla, and I'm interested in what the people of Costa Rica think about her and politics in general. Like President Obama did in 2008, she won by a significant margin and I wonder if the people have the deep divisions that Americans seem to be mired in that make real discourse difficult. Are they obsessed with the daily news cycle like we seem to be; one side always looking to gain short term advantage on the other? Or are they more focused on creating long term solutions to the problems that face the country?

I'm also interested in exploring how the banks in Costa Rica handled the financial collapse that rocked the international financial structure in 2008. Are the financial firms more regulated? I've read that Costa Rica, like all countries, has its issues with physical and fiscal infrastructure, but I want to know what the people think. I hope I get the opportunity to talk with a variety of people about these and other issues. I want to here from the affluent, the economically advantaged, and the financial middle. I hope to talk to young, old, rural, and urban Ticos to answer these questions.

Well, time to check in. Airports, its all about hurry up and wait.

Adios

Dave

Before I leave

I leave for Costa Rica on Friday, and so far, my procrastination gene has prevented me from packing, but I have thought a lot about my coming trip. I’ve thought about what I will see, and the people I will meet.

In one of my favorite books, The Art of Racing in the Rain, Enzo the Golden Retreiver, explains, “What you manifest before you will be your reality.” If I could talk to Enzo, I'd tell him that my eyes are firmly fixed on one prize, learning.

No doubt the country is full of beautiful scenery, but to tell you the truth I’m more interested in the people I will meet. What I like about my coming trip is that the locations are set, but the script has not been fully written. Those details will be filled in as I go.

Between the big city of San Jose and the smaller towns where my host families live, and the schools I will visit, is where I'll really learn about Costa Rica. This trip is about cultural immersion, so as I pack my bags I'll also be remembering to pack my curiosity so I can absorb all that comes my way.

I think being in a country where you don’t know the language, and trying to learn about its culture, will be similar to racing in the rain. A race-car driver has to be able to absorb the changing conditions. He actually has to slow down to speed up.

For me, I’ll be learning Spanish while I’m trying to learn about Costa Rica. This will be a challenge, but I'm looking forward to it. In order for me to learn about the people, history, culture, economics, education system, and politics of Costa Rica, I have to learn the language. I’ll have to slow down. By doing this, I’ll also learn many things about what it is like for a non-English speaking person to be in the United States. I’ll learn to race in the rain.