Word Games

I am living in Boca Vieja, which is a few streets of houses and about a five minute walk away from Quepos. I don't really don't know why it has its own name though. My host parents are Rogelio (Yeyo for short) and Lettvia. In their mid-sixties, they are retired on pension. Having two of their children married to Americans, they had been looking forward to practicing their english with me. They were disappointed.

I HAVE learned a few things since leaving you guys in January after all. My words come easily now and honestly, it feels like the skeleton key to other cultures. I've met many interesting characters during this trip, taken advantage of opportunities, and achieved a certain level of understanding of all the places visited in the last four months. And all of that is thanks to Spanish.

More importantly, I've improved so much because of practice. Lenay and I set a goal at the outset of the semester NOT to speak any english. Of course there have been exceptions. But our friendship now is largely one of Spanish. Frankly I get startled when she breaks into the native tongue.

So to all of those traveling abroad, or even thinking about it: PRACTICE. IT's so easy to break down into english whenever you get out of class, but hey, take the high road. It pays off. And if you're afraid of saying the wrong thing, well don't be! You're a foreigner, it's expected of you! And that is exactly how you learn. That fear is holding you back from greatness. So get rid of the mental block. Block you ask? Have a few drinks in Mexico, Ecuador, or wherever. Then try out some spanish. You'll know what I'm talking about then. After a few cocktails you'll feel SO much better at spanish. Though it's not. But at least you got that confidence back.

Now only if you could do it sober...

Anyways I've been staying with Yeyo and Lettvia this week. For breakfast I'm sually fed papaya and banana, noodles and bread to go with my coffee. It's not mate de coca but I guess it will do. For supper it's usually Pinto de Gallo (rice & beans) with a meat, salad, and postre (dessert). Suprisingly, the water is potable here. At least I'm done buying bottled water for the duration.

In the evenings, Yeyo usually talks to me about his culture. I also found out he's a big sports nut. Baseball, which is even better. Too bad he's a Yankees fan. So we watched the Yanks-Tigers game last week, I rooted for the Tigers naturally. Too bad for him.

Last night we watched fútbol, the Pachuca (MEX) v. Saprissa (CR) game. Costa Rica lost, so I guess it's Pachuca going to Japan. Due to Frank Lampard's mad free kicking skills, it's Chelsea who will be facing off against them (sorry Liverpool). It is odd, my fascination with soccer in a different hemisphere, but that's what Latin America does to you.

The best part about living in Quepos, thus far, is obviusly the beach. An hour away from the legendary Jaco, the waves here are world famous.Lenay and I take the seven kilometer bus ride from Quepos as often as we can. The road goes through the rainforest, and is dangerously narrow, narrow on a darwinian scale. There are few pedestrians for that reason. IT is lined with restaurants and hotels. Every other bar has advertising for Imperial, the national beer. Funny though, all of the Ticos (CR people) seem to prefer Corona.

This is definitely Central America.