And So it Begins

Richard Bach once stated, "There is no disaster that can't become a blessing, and no blessing that can't become a disaster."

Today was my first day of following the regular schedule that I will have for the next two months. The initial plan was that I would wake up, help Hilda with breakfast, and casually catch the bus around 8 a.m. to complete a little studying before my 2 p.m. class. It just so happened that was not the way things unfolded.

I woke up around 6 a.m. with plans and hopes to help Hilda with breakfast. I must have not expressed my intentions clearly, however, because she thought I had told her that I wanted my breakfast ready at that time. So at 6 a.m. this Saint of a woman had prepared eggs, beans and rice, a beef jerkey type meat in a tortilla, something kind of like a cracker, and fresh fruit of mango, strawberries, papaya, and watermelon all set out and ready for me. I had been told that Costa Rican children do not move out of the house until a late age-- early 30's sometimes-- and now I understand why. The breakfast was fit for royalty. Tomorrow I am bound and determined to help her in the kitchen so that I can learn her trade secrets. 

Hilda and I spoke a lot at breakfast. The Spanish was a little much to handle before my morning cup of coffee, but I managed to smile, nod and even respond a few times. She showed me pictures, talked about her family, and chatted away. I learned that her daughter is studying to draw maps and her husband is an electrician. Hilda is very interested in business, marketing, and finance, however she can't work because it is necessary for her to be a stay at home mom.

Somehow when we looked up from the table it was already 7:50 a.m.! We quickly changed and ran towards the bus stop, but between Hilda and me it was inevitable that we would miss it. Things moved very fast after that. It was discovered that the next bus did not arrive until 10:00 a.m., and then somehow we were then in a taxi, and then in a medical center. I was very confused until I realized that she was taking me with her on her daily routine. I was thrilled! I learned much more in my morning with her than I would have in the library studying. She told me that on June 30 she is going on a 5-kilometer run and invited me with her. I eagerly accepted, thinking an activity we could do in silence would be a relief from all this Spanish, although I had no clue how long a 5-k was. I later found out that the event is 3.1 miles and it is somehow a very big deal in the community. Based on the amount of food Hilda and I have consumed in the past few days, I have a feeling we won't emerge victorious.

It was very fun spending the morning with Hilda; I am going to make a point to spend more mornings with her. She is very sociable; she knew almost everyone we passed on the street and paused to kiss each of them on the cheek and chat. When I mentioned her popularity, she claimed it was because of her stunning beauty. I joked that it was probably because of the strange white person walking next to her!

We visited multiple farmers markets (I learned there are markets everywhere, right next to each other even, and they're are all the same: very small and sell a variety of fresh fruits), a bakery, a key shop where she bought me a key to her house, and an art shop where she purchased art supplies for her children (they are both talented artists). Basically her life is dedicated to them. We walked through the central park, where she picked berries off of a tree and gave them to me to eat. To my complete and utter surprise, I ate the sweet-and-sour berries even though they were covered in dirt and bug bites, and they were pretty good! This place is already changing me for the better in week one. I even slept soundly among large spiders last night with minimal fear! I am surprising myself with the less annoying personality I seem to be picking up here.

It was my host father's birthday today, so my housemate and I bought him a shirt from Whitworth's campus. Hilda surprised him by inviting the neighbors over for a big dinner-- she was very insistent that I not call it a party, because there was no drinking/dancing/etc, It was strictly a dinner and hanging out with friends. This was kind of a turning point for my housemate's and my relationship with our host family. We played many rounds of Foosball with our host parents who are unrealistically good. My host dad is also very competitive; when we would start winning he would cheat his way back to the top. Since he is the one providing us with food, I did not complain.

I'm looking forward to learning more Spanish and being able to contribute more to conversations with my host family. If anything, I hope they can teach me their foosball strategies!