ad astra

(Here begins what is probably one of hundreds, maybe thousands of blogs which will be created today and most likely forgotten in a month.  And that’s probably being optimistic.)

Saludos desde Costa Rica.  Today is already Friday, which means I have completed my first week as the program intern of the Latin American Studies Program.  This semester’s LASPers still haven’t arrived, they’re coming the 30 of August, which means this week has been relatively quiet (with the possible exception of the occasional chorus of 17 dogs which live in a house across the street.  Yes - 17 - which should be an even more horrifying number for anyone who has been to San José and knows that backyards for dogs to run and frolic in are nonexistent).  However, as a former LASPer, I know that these “tranquilo” days are numbered and that the “locura” which everyone at LASP loves will be beginning before we know it.  This semester we have 32 gringos coming down.  We’ll have a week of orientation for them before classes officially start September 5.

My Latin American adventure began last weekend in Nicaragua visiting Jess Rebstein in Estelí.  We spent an afternoon in the fiery blazes of Managua which were made bearable only thanks to some delicious food from Ola Verde, a delicious restaurant with uncharacteristically healthy Nicaraguan-grown food.  Friday was a full day of artistic presentations from youth around the country as part of the “Voz Joven” festivál, and Saturday and Sunday we were both vagos, not getting up until after 9.  I don’t think Jess had slept passed 9 since she left in January, and I’m surprised none of her friends didn’t send out search parties.  Throughout the weekend I began my slow and inevitable process of becoming obese thanks to the delicious and literally irresistible Nicaraguan food which surrounded me.  There’s just something about the horrifying amounts of oil and grease in those foods which make them impossible to stop eating.  And the crack cocaine which is most definitely placed in Chiky cookies and compels one to eat an entire package in one sitting doesn’t help the situation either.

I made it back to Costa Rica on Monday after suffering only a minor heart attack when TransNica told me the bus was full.  I had to buy another ticket but other than that the trip went well.  I sat next to a Nicaraguan woman who now lives in México - never in my life have I met a woman that can talk the way that woman could.  My mom likes to use the phrase “bit of a talker” when people tend to ramble, but “bit of a talker” would not even begin to cover this woman.  Thankfully she was really interesting and I did enjoy talking to her…it was just shocking that she barely needed to stop for a breath between the Costa Rica/Nicaragua border and San José.

On Tuesday I moved in with my host family: Doña Mayela, her husband, and their 3 sons Edgar (23), Sergio (19), and Esteban (17).  Everyone describes Mayela as “muy chineadora” and I have quickly seen that they are right.  I already feel like one of her “hijos” and have been introduced by her as such.  Two nights ago she called out to every neighbor which passed the house, “Come in and meet my new son!”, but even still I’ve only met a fraction of the neighborhood, and Mayela seems to know literally every person in a 5 mile radius, so I think that the introductions will continue well into the coming weeks.

I said above that today was Friday, but now that’s a lie because I didn’t finish writing yesterday and now it’s Saturday morning.  This afternoon I’m going to get my hair cut.  We’ll see what the Ticos can do for me - but there is no way of knowing if I will return with several pounds of gel in my hair, since that is the style around these parts.  Then later I think we are going to play fútbol, which is sure to provide me with a nice healthy amount of embarrassment.

I miss you all and hope you are all doing well!  Un fuerte abrazo.

UPDATE as of 9:49 Saturday evening: I think we can safely say that a final score of 23 to 13 with Matt as the goalie of the losing team sums up the soccer experience nicely.