Hey, everyone! Thank you so much for the comments! I love getting them! I don´t know how to comment back, so I just thought I would thank everyone in a post! Things here are going well. I had a little trouble with the ATMs but everything is okay now and I´m no longer without money, lol. For future reference, if you´re going abroad, find out which types of banks will work with your debit card. Otherwise, it either won´t work or it gives you American money! Definitely not what I needed...lol.
I´m still learning the lay of the land. Haven´t really figured out bus system at all, but I think I´ve got the taxi thing under control. Funny story, though...another exchange student and I took one the other day to get home, and she decides to strike up a conversation with him. I wasn´t really paying attention until I heard her tell him we were from Canada! Apparently this is a good idea to do because the world likes Canadians a little more that Americans, news to me, anyway...so, we drop off my friend and we´re headed to my place, and the driver starts asking me questions about Canada! Well, I know nothing about Canada, lol, so I basically had to make up stuff about Canada while speaking in Spanish for 5 or 10 minutes. Funny now, but at the time not so much, lol. I did find out that I´m a lot better at lying in Spanish than in English, possibly good to know...
This weekend I´m going on an excursion to the rainforest! We´re going to tour a pineapple and chocolate plantation, and go on a night excursion to see some nocturnal animals such as bats and certain frogs. It should be pretty cool, and hopefully I´ll have something to write about it. Hope all is well!
Peace from Costa Rica,
Amelia
Friday, February 1, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Walking, walking, and more walking...
So, as the title would suggest. I do a lot of walking, lol. I walk 8 blocks to school in the morning, and then 8 blocks back for lunch, and then I spend most of the afternoon walking around the town exploring. Today, I had the second day of orientation, and all we did was walk!! I think I´ve walked at least 3 miles today. If I don´t get in shape from this, I´ll be pretty mad, lol! I kind of enjoy it, though. When you have to walk somewhere, you are more aware of your surroundings. (I have to be in order to not get lost, lol.) There´s always something new to see, and it´s pretty easy to find beauty everywhere. When you look out over the buildings, you can see mountains and volcanoes in the distance. It´s really quite breathtaking. I think the group of exchange students here will be going to see a few of those volcanoes soon...I´m pretty excited!
Last night, I went to a bar in San Jose, very upscale. It´s really weird here how the buildings are built. You can walk down the street and all you see are closed doors and barred windows, but if you walk inside...it´s incredible! That´s what my house is like, and that´s what the bar was like. There was a band with a girl singer playing and they were really good. It made me really miss being on stage! I think I´m going to take a singing class here at the university so I can keep my chops up for when I get back to the States!!
The weather here is beautiful, but it´s starting to warm up a bit. I found out today that Costa Rica is in winter right now. It´s been like 80 degrees everyday, lol. If this is winter then I´m afraid to see how hot summer is going to be during February and March! In April, the rainy season starts. My host mom says that it rains every afternoon during this time. I love rain, but even I may get sick of it, lol.
Well, that´s my update for now. Tomorrow I register for my classes, and I´m just praying everything goes well. I´m still having quite a bit of trouble understanding the local people. All the host families understand and they talk really slowly and clearly, but everyone else...not so much, lol.
Hope all is well!
Peace,
Amelia
Last night, I went to a bar in San Jose, very upscale. It´s really weird here how the buildings are built. You can walk down the street and all you see are closed doors and barred windows, but if you walk inside...it´s incredible! That´s what my house is like, and that´s what the bar was like. There was a band with a girl singer playing and they were really good. It made me really miss being on stage! I think I´m going to take a singing class here at the university so I can keep my chops up for when I get back to the States!!
The weather here is beautiful, but it´s starting to warm up a bit. I found out today that Costa Rica is in winter right now. It´s been like 80 degrees everyday, lol. If this is winter then I´m afraid to see how hot summer is going to be during February and March! In April, the rainy season starts. My host mom says that it rains every afternoon during this time. I love rain, but even I may get sick of it, lol.
Well, that´s my update for now. Tomorrow I register for my classes, and I´m just praying everything goes well. I´m still having quite a bit of trouble understanding the local people. All the host families understand and they talk really slowly and clearly, but everyone else...not so much, lol.
Hope all is well!
Peace,
Amelia
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Costa Rica!!
Hola! I´m in Costa Rica!! Hello to everyone out there! Things are going well so far. Today I went exploring with a couple of other study abroad students and a host mom. Heredia, the town I live in, is beautiful. Very windy right now, but my host mom tells me it will be very hot soon. Tomorrow I will be going to the University for the first time to begin an Orientation week. I´m excited and scared at the same time. I just know I´m going to screw something up while registering for classes, lol.
My host family is pretty nice, although I have no clue what they´re saying half the time. I just nod my head a lot and say ¨si¨ which could be a bad thing, lol. The food is nothing crazy so far. I have discovered, though, that I like Costa Rican pineapple. I´ve gone my whole life hating pineapple, and here I am, liking the ones grown in Costa Rica. I never knew there was a difference but there is, lol.
The drivers are ridiculously crazy here. I would never drive in this place, lol, and do not recommend it. There is a speed limit, but no one abides by it, and the police don´t seem to care, lol. There are very few stoplights, but a lot of stop signs. Most people take buses and there are some people the don´t even have cars. They just prefer walking or taking the bus, and so far, I´m with them, lol.
Hope all is well for everyone wherever you are!
Adios de Costa Rica,
Amelia
My host family is pretty nice, although I have no clue what they´re saying half the time. I just nod my head a lot and say ¨si¨ which could be a bad thing, lol. The food is nothing crazy so far. I have discovered, though, that I like Costa Rican pineapple. I´ve gone my whole life hating pineapple, and here I am, liking the ones grown in Costa Rica. I never knew there was a difference but there is, lol.
The drivers are ridiculously crazy here. I would never drive in this place, lol, and do not recommend it. There is a speed limit, but no one abides by it, and the police don´t seem to care, lol. There are very few stoplights, but a lot of stop signs. Most people take buses and there are some people the don´t even have cars. They just prefer walking or taking the bus, and so far, I´m with them, lol.
Hope all is well for everyone wherever you are!
Adios de Costa Rica,
Amelia
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