After getting over the initial shock of being in a different country, I have been focusing more on ways Costa Rica and the U.S. are the same. But there are still a lot of differences that strike me as interesting.
First, the driving is somewhat terrifying. There are little to no road rules. Cars pack into the tightest spots you can imagine. Buses fly past a car stopped in the middle of the lane by driving into the next one. This evening, we almost saw a car get hit by a train because the car sat on train tracks while we were stuck in traffic. The strangest part to me is the fact that I have not witnessed fifty accidents so far. As different from the driving rules we have in the U.S. as it is, it does seem to work for the people here. I must say, despite the sheer terror I felt the first time we pulled in front of another car to switch lanes, I am more used to it and am thankful for how quickly we get through the traffic.
Second, is the food. Rice and beans at almost every meal. The food and seasonings used here are delicious! Pinto gallo is the most common breakfast food, and it is a combination of rice and beans. I am not much of a breakfast person, but pairing pinto gallo with a homegrown banana has made me want to eat every morning. Fresh fruit juice, often made from a combination of different fruits, also accompanies each meal.
The most obvious difference is the language. I have never cared about learning Spanish until this week. In sixth grade, everyone was required to take Spanish for side weeks, but in seventh grade I wanted to do band instead of take Spanish all year. I have been learning some new phrases, which is good, but it makes me wish that I had stuck with a language in high school and college. I took two years of French in high school, yet I somehow know more Spanish than French. My two semesters of Italian from my freshman year of college have been fairly helpful since you can oftentimes translate between the two, but I would love to have been able to join in on conversations with the speakers we've had without a translator. I am truly starting to understand just how common the Spanish language really is.
Another difference is the wildlife. The animals here switch between beautiful and terrifying, just like they do in any other country. On Wednesday, a couple members of the Methodist group on a mission trip here got stung very badly by Africanized bees very close to where we had been working the day before. Yikes. Luckily the two that were stung are okay. At the same time, however, we were in the rainforest seeing the beautiful birds, butterflies, and even a couple capuchin monkeys. Dogs freely roam the streets. In fact, they also freely roam the beaches and a restaurant we ate dinner at. There is nothing like laying on the beach only to have a dog run up for you to scratch it's belly, or to be eating dinner and see a happy golden retriever strolling around, weaving in and out of the dancers there for entertainment. The amount of fruit bushes and trees you comes cross is also wonderful. Here at the Latin American Biblical University, there are banana trees and lemon trees. Walking along the street a little bit ago, there was an avacado tree peeking out from behind the fence in front of someone's house.
The last major difference I've noticed are the houses. The first thing you notice is how brightly they are painted. I love it! Teals, greens, oranges, reds, yellows, and purples are splashed on the walls, roofs, and fences. The fences are also very different from what you'd find in the U.S. Due to the threat of petty theft, they stand very tall, and it is common to find barbed wire at the top. Looking past the fences, however, you find beautiful small front yards with flowers, fountains, benches, and trees. I have been told that the backyards are bigger and even more beautiful, but I have not seen one for myself.
Just as an update, we are about to start our last lecture for the week. After dinner, we will be reflecting back on the week with worship and communion. Then we plan on wasting time until our ride gets here bright and early (actually not so bright) at 3:15 am. Our flight leaves San Josè at 6:40 am, and we will fly to Miami, then to Charlotte, then finally back to Pittsburgh. I'm sure we will all have lots of pictures coming soon!
Puravida!
Morgan
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