Day Downtown

We kept hearing about the experience of going downtown and we just hadn't gotten around to it yet. So we decided to try it on Saturday. The main thing we've always heard is about all the sketchy people down there and how you have to watch for people stealing your stuff. Then others said it is awesome. We just had to go for it and see for ourselves.

Before we left, Emma decided she needed to wash dishes. She loved it! She is now our official dishwasher and is actually pretty good at it. I absolutely will not discourage her from this. She said she would charge me 10 colones each time she washes dishes....ummm, that's like a penny, so sure.

It was a really easy bus ride downtown and only costs us about $1 total for all of us to ride (Jack is free). The bus is very crowded and crammed with people in the seats and standing up. Every time I get on the bus I carry Jack so we won't have to pay for him, and every time someone stands up so I can sit down with him. This time it was a teenage girl with her friends who immediately jumped up to give me her seat. Costa Ricans are so polite.

Walking down the cobblestone pedestrian street...such cool things for sale...including pirated movies

Pigeon Park

After asking lots of people who almost all told us different directions, we finally found the Central Market. It was quite the experience for sure.

Aisles absolutely crammed full of stuff! Fire codes are for wimps.

One lady dressed up Jack with a wooden machete, hat and bandanna. We just had to buy the wooden machete with the holder. Jack wore it all day and protected us from thieves.

Random animals for sale...I think we were looking at a mouse

Costa Rican dress

Jesus statue in the middle of a crammed aisle...because that makes sense

Jack and his wooden machete

Emma and her little coin purse...she has agreed to wash dishes for two weeks for this purchase...score

Kids day was Friday so there were all kinds of people dressed up all over the place for entertainment. They love kids here....never seen anything like it. We told Emma and Jack that kids day is every day so this is why they didn't get a present. Don't feel sorry for them...they got tons of candy at church on Sunday.

Gross dead rat

Horse trailer in the middle of downtown...a truck up ahead just backed into a taxi and people were honking everywhere. They love to honk their horns for everything!

We had found this restaurant called Don Wang online that had great reviews. We were so looking forward to eating there and we ended up wandering the streets downtown for about an hour trying to find it. Once again, everyone was telling us different directions to get there, and we somehow ended up finding it. We should have brought a map downtown with us...live and learn.

Some streets were quite questionable, but we tried to stick to the most crowded ones. Will says he needs an umbrella with a sword in it. If anyone can find one of those, please let us know.

E&J by the Koi pond at Don Wang. We were so happy to eat at an awesome restaurant. It was probably the best Chinese food we've ever eaten. Not sure if that's because we haven't eaten at a good restaurant in 6 weeks or not...but it was worth the wandering....sketchy streets and all.

Then we walked around in this insanity trying to find our bus stop to take us home. It was getting really hot and we were so tired, but determined to find it. Jack asked, "can we just get a taxi?"Once again, the locals were so nice and helpful and they finally directed us to the right one. We just kept asking "Dos Rios"? "Bosque"? and we finally found it. We were way off.

Next time we will be downtown pros and we hopefully won't wander the streets again. We will study the map intently before we leave and carry it with us. Maps do not have street names, but just knowing some landmarks would be helpful. Now to find a map that's actually correct.

We actually loved it downtown and look forward to going again soon. We've heard about a great Children's Museum down there we might try this weekend. I'm sure it's full of all the unsafe things from the States they had to get rid of! Just couldn't fit it in since we spent so much time on our unplanned walking tour.

Who knows...once we get good at directions, maybe we'll be mistaken as Costa Ricans....maybe.

Some Cultural Things

Will and I have been compiling a list of all the cultural differences we've noticed so far...and there are many! We are loving Costa Rica and I'm sure a lot of these will become so normal we won't even notice after a while. We wanted to write them down for everyone back home to see and so we can remember for years to come.

· Don’t blow your nose in public

· Don’t point to people

· Don’t slam the taxi door

· If you iron and go out in the rain, you’ll die

· Everyone gets sick from not wearing shoes…if you don’t wear shoes, you’ll die

· When you have a baby you must stay in your house for 60 days or the baby will get sick & die

· Funny terms of endearment. It is completely fine to call people gordito (little fatty), negrito (little blacky), machito (little blondie) or flaquito (little skinny)

· The people who speak English are very good at it but apologize for how bad it is

· KFC is everywhere

· Dogs are wandering everywhere

· Meals are made from scratch…not much prepackaged things to choose from

· They really do eat rice, beans and tortillas all the time

· Groceries are very expensive…adjusting eating habits is necessary to keep the bill cheap (fruits/veges/rice/beans/tortillas = cheap…meat/preservatives/packaged foods = expensive)

· Saw a dog for sale at the mall for $900! Odd since there are so many dogs wandering the streets everywhere

· There is rainy season which is winter (may-nov) and dry season which is summer (dec-apr)

· The sun is up at 5am and down at 6pm year round

· We are on central time zone but don’t have daylight savings

· You can’t flush toilet paper

· There is no air conditioning or heat in homes (we have fans)

· Must take showers in the morning every day (kids will get made fun of if not)

· Costa Ricans are called ticos and Americans are called gringos

· Spanish is the language spoken in heaven…bc it takes an eternity to learn

· Ticos do not climb trees…they are only for decoration

· There are no ice makers, dishwashers or disposals

· Trash comes twice a week and you just put your bags out on the sidewalk...it can be a problem when dogs and homeless people rip open the bags to rummage through it

· We have a “security” guy named Miguel who rides around the street on a bike who we have to pay, but we’re told not to trust him

· Yes driving is crazy…but it reminds me of how Memphis drivers would drive if there were no police…it doesn’t really shock me

· Cars have to be over 10 years old to be “cheaper” & most are manual transmission because that’s what people know how to work on. Cars are crazy expensive.

· Manual labor is super cheap…had a plumber here for 3 hours…bill was $60…toilet continues to leak…what do you do?

· Electronics are double the price

· You measure a person with palm facing forward, you only tell about the height of an animal with your palm facing downward

· To get a taxi, you stick your arm out and wave with your palm towards the ground

· There are no streets signs or numbers. Directions are all described. Sometimes a landmark is given that went away 20 years ago, but people remember “the large oak tree” that used to be on the corner. That makes it hard for us newcomers

· Stealing is everywhere…it is well-known that Americans take everything they own with them just in case. I never set my purse down anywhere, even in a restaurant

· There are no food permits or ordinances. So Will has plans of building a smoker in our backyard and selling Memphis BBQ pork sandwiches and sweet tea in the park very soon

· Medical doctors and dentists are excellent here and a lot of medicines are over the counter. You can bargain with the pharmacists. I know a missionary who just had lasik eye surgery here from one of the best doctors around for a third of the price as in the States

· We do not have hurricanes here, but there can be lots of earthquakes per month

· You do not toss objects at another person

· To greet women, you lean forward, touch cheeks on the right and kiss the air. It can make for an awkward situation if you go for the wrong cheek. If it’s a man and a woman, the man lets the woman take the initiative to kiss if she feels comfortable. Patting the shoulder is also common. Men shake hands.

· Women should not sit in the front seat of a taxi

· Personal body space is very close between people, and store aisles are very crowded together

· Do not discipline your children in public

· Everyone loves kids. They are not a bother at all and everyone wants to see them, talk about them, pat them on the head and tell you about their kids. I feel much safer out with my kids with me

· Single adults live with their families until they get married

· “there is more time than life” – they are very relational and it is always okay to be late if you’re visiting with someone. It is rude to set an ending time for a party, meeting or gathering

· Drink coffee all day every day…afternoon coffee is called cafecito

· You pierce a baby girls ears at birth…that’s how people can tell if your baby is a girl or a boy. Poor Emma and her unpierced ears

· Quality of items bought here is not very good and some items can be sitting on a shelf for years. A missionary told us they saw cheerios in a grocery store that expired 5 years ago

· Costa Ricans are very polite. Every time I say “gracias” for anything they always say “mucho gusto” (with much pleasure) instead of “denada” (no problem). It’s like being at chick-fil-a every day!

· When you pass people on the street, instead of saying “Buenos dias” (good morning) or “buenos noches” (good evening), everyone just shortens it to “buenos” (I guess that’s just saying to have a good everything!)

· All tips are included in the restaurant bill & taxis don’t expect them

· Mayonnaise is everywhere

· It is expected to have a maid if you can afford it…and all North Americans can

· Ticos are generally shorter than Gringos…which is beneficial when they want to take your purse

· Two people on motorcycles will try to steal your purse

· We have homeless people, people selling things, ice cream man & people asking for money ringing our doorbell every day multiple times…its getting really old…the Jehovah Witness about got slapped by Will

· Something about saying “I don’t speak Spanish” makes people talk louder and faster at you thinking that will remedy the problem

· Women dress either really conservative or really revealing…there is no in between

· Guys check girls out very obviously and don’t care…it’s kind of creepy

· HBO/Cinemax & porn-type shows are on cable tv at night…sketchy commercials are on kids shows during the day…there are pornographic pictures in all newspapers except one

· Across the street from our language school is a Jehovah’s witness language school on one corner and a Mormon language school on the other

· Everyone’s experiences are different, but they swear by them. You have to find out for yourself…you can ask 5 people the same question and they’ll all give you different answers. A taxi driver told us that the city of Escazu here is the number 3 most expensive city in the world…I don’t think so.

· They cook with a lot of oil in food

· Costa Rica does not have a military

· Costa Rica currently has their first woman President

First Day of School

This was a big week for us! Emma started second grade on Monday, Jack started preschool on Tuesday, and Will and I started language school on Tuesday. It was a long week full of intensity, flexibility, overwhelmingness (is that a word?), excitement, independence and hard work. I think we all enjoyed it, and we're glad to be in a routine again. It is strange to think this will be our life for the next year and that comes with all kinds of emotions. It's just so different than what we're used to. Our typical day this week consisted of this: wake up at 6am, pack lunches & snacks, out the door by 7:15am, school from 7:30-12, pick up Jack, go home and rest for a little bit (we usually play Mario Kart), walk back to get Emma at 2:30 in a torrential downpour, study, dinner, wash dishes, bathe kids, kids in bed by 7:30, we're in bed by 9. We really rested this weekend which was nice. Back to the grind on Monday! Here's some pictures from the first days of school:

Emma lost her tooth the night before school started. She was so excited about school and the tooth fairy that she couldn't sleep. Will made her put the pillow outside her door.

The tooth fairy in Costa Rica brings colones!

My big girl second grader

Emma - age 7 1/2...check out that missing tooth!

Have to spray legs with bug spray every time we walk out the door...Emma looks thrilled

Emma and her new friend Elena

Preschool playground where Jack hit his head

Back door to the school...only open for 10 minutes before & after school with a guard

Sojourn Academy school hallway

Gym where they had opening assembly. There's Emma & Elena in the middle.

Hallway connecting kid's school & language school

School playground complete with concrete, jagged rock, questionable swings and fenced in sand box. We ain't in the USA anymore! Emma said they play a lot of tag & that's her favorite game.

Family backpacks

My big boy preschooler

Jack - age 4 1/2...he loves the Costa Rican flag on his arm

Mom & Dad first day of school picture

Blue polo shirts are the school uniform

My favorite picture of the day...they're growing up so fast

Emma and her teacher Mrs. David

Emma by her desk in her classroom

She really likes the kids in her class and her teacher. I think there's only 3 girls and 8 boys. Will told her that her odds are pretty good for a boyfriend...she punched him.

Best picture I could get of Jack's classroom. His face pretty much explains how he feels each day coming home. The kids in his class speak English, but his teacher doesn't speak any English at all. I think after having Spanish spoken at him for 5 hours straight he's pretty weirded out. I have to carry him home every day after school and usually after lunch & some down time he's okay. We ask him every day if he understood anything at school and he says no. We're gonna ask him this every day, so we'll post when he finally says yes. We've been told it could be months.

Will's grammar class

His group of 5 guys in phonetics and language class. I have a group of 6 girls. It's kind of nice having the same people in each class, but the small class sizes make it impossible to hide and daydream. Will and I don't have any classes together which is probably good. Keeps us from getting too competitive with each other!

Will's teachers are Laura, Lissette and the butterfly lady. My teachers are Ana, Eugenia and Dixianna. My teachers speak some English but Will's don't at all. We've already had plenty of homework and we're moving at a lightning pace. Will said after only 4 days we're probably 3 months into a high school Spanish course. My language teacher is a little intense and kind of scary, but I guess that will make me learn the language! We even had a lady cry in class on Friday. We've been told this happens often. Will and I know that the most important thing for us is to get in bed early every night...even if we're not finished studying. This keeps us from getting emotional and helps us focus. If we get tired and get behind in our work, I have no idea how in the world we would catch up. I can't even begin to describe how intense it is to not only listen, but learn in another language you don't understand for 5 hours a day. Wow.

We begin week 2 tomorrow...please keep us in your prayers!

Pastor Visit in Ortega

Last weekend, Will went on a ministry exploration trip up to the Guanacoste area to a town called Ortega. We are working on figuring out where we're going to live and work after language school and we'll probably be taking several trips like this over the next few months. We are wanting to do pastor training and leadership development throughout Latin America, and we're trying to take advantage of opportunities when they come our way. Fernando knew of a pastor who would be a good guy for Will to talk to and see his way of life.

Will ate at a lot of these little "sodas" and his stomach was messed up for a while

Hotel he stayed at...sketch

Howler monkeys along the way

Will and Pastor Guillermo

The church

Pastor's home on stilts because it floods every year. He says the water isn't the problem...it's the crocodiles...wow

Amazing sunset

Emma said this looked like the movie poster of the Lion King. I've never seen anything like it.

To read and see more about his trip go to www.savellcrossover.com.