I had some comments on my English writing gettin worse. I wanted to explain why - It is not because I forgot how to spell or punctuate in English. It is because I am typing on a Spanish keyboard at school.
A. The letters and symbols are in different places.
B. I do this in 10 min before school starts each day, thus no time to go back and edit.
Please note this as you read and don´t think I forgot how to write in English. :)
Friday, June 22, 2012
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Adios, Chiticitica!
I learned that one uses "adios" when one is passing an open doorway, but not stopping. You don´t say, hi, because you are not staying to talk. Instead, you say - bye. I find that funny. It is like it is to clarify that you are going somewhere and people should not stop you to chat. I think they could have used that practice in Peru... where you couldn´t get anywhere without stopping 10 times to talk to everyone.
I also love the ita endings ticos add to everything. Por ejemplo: "hola, gatita." If you are really feeling Tico, you can say, "hola, gaticitica." It pretty much just goes on and on and more rediculous from there.
I also love the ita endings ticos add to everything. Por ejemplo: "hola, gatita." If you are really feeling Tico, you can say, "hola, gaticitica." It pretty much just goes on and on and more rediculous from there.
Frustration and Fun
Last night I was super frustrated because I felt like my Spanish was getting worse. I have only been here 3 and a half days, but it feels like a whole lifetime. My brain gets so tired after speaking for 5 hours in Spanish, that I can´t even have a conversation in English after that. It is like I am brain dead. I have more empathy for my students with learning disabilities and can see how they feel when they get overwhelmed and shut down. It is like... what is the point!
Last night... I ended up telling my host mom that I was frustrated and didn´t understand my homework. She was so sweet. She ploped down on the floor-mattress-couch next to me and tried to help me. She did not understand the grammar exercise either, but worked so hard on it. I just let her keep going even though I knew it was wrong - one, because I didn´t know how to argue... and two, because it was fun to be with her and she cared so much.
After we did the homework incorrectly :) we laughed and talked for a long time. We made plans for telling the director of my school that I am ¨¨mal de patria¨ (homesick) and need another student to live with me when Alicia leaves. She acted out all the parts and even told me to put water on my eye and sing a song about how I was lonely. It was so funny. Really, she just wants more students because she has several rooms. I told her that I told the director that Alicia speak in Spanish... and practice a lot, so that is no problem.
I also told her the story about how yesterday, at the school... my profesora was getting coffe and I warned her about the ants in the powdered milk. ¨Con cuidado - hay hormigas en la leche,¨I say. Äh, no ha problema. Yo soy acostumbrar.¨ Hahaha.... my host mom laughed and laughed and re-told the story to Alicia when she got home. We all laughed some more. It made me so much happier to be laughing in Spanish... meaning I understood it on a deep enough level to have humor. I was also happy that she didn´t understand the homework, either!!!
My host mom also taught me how to make coffe at home after she heard about the ants in the milk. It was so cute.... she showed me all the steps like I was a little child who had never opperated a coffee maker. I let her, though, because I had never done it in Spanish!!! What a good way to learn, no? It is something I already understood and could follow along, well.
I already notice my English syntax changing... Do you see that as you read? Haha... I´m becoming a Spanish speaker.
Last night... I ended up telling my host mom that I was frustrated and didn´t understand my homework. She was so sweet. She ploped down on the floor-mattress-couch next to me and tried to help me. She did not understand the grammar exercise either, but worked so hard on it. I just let her keep going even though I knew it was wrong - one, because I didn´t know how to argue... and two, because it was fun to be with her and she cared so much.
After we did the homework incorrectly :) we laughed and talked for a long time. We made plans for telling the director of my school that I am ¨¨mal de patria¨ (homesick) and need another student to live with me when Alicia leaves. She acted out all the parts and even told me to put water on my eye and sing a song about how I was lonely. It was so funny. Really, she just wants more students because she has several rooms. I told her that I told the director that Alicia speak in Spanish... and practice a lot, so that is no problem.
I also told her the story about how yesterday, at the school... my profesora was getting coffe and I warned her about the ants in the powdered milk. ¨Con cuidado - hay hormigas en la leche,¨I say. Äh, no ha problema. Yo soy acostumbrar.¨ Hahaha.... my host mom laughed and laughed and re-told the story to Alicia when she got home. We all laughed some more. It made me so much happier to be laughing in Spanish... meaning I understood it on a deep enough level to have humor. I was also happy that she didn´t understand the homework, either!!!
My host mom also taught me how to make coffe at home after she heard about the ants in the milk. It was so cute.... she showed me all the steps like I was a little child who had never opperated a coffee maker. I let her, though, because I had never done it in Spanish!!! What a good way to learn, no? It is something I already understood and could follow along, well.
I already notice my English syntax changing... Do you see that as you read? Haha... I´m becoming a Spanish speaker.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Vida en Quepos
Me encanta mi familia Tica mucho. (I love my Costa Rican family a lot!)
Today is my second day of classes and I love learning Spanish in an immersion context. It is like solving a riddle every moment. I love the critical thinking and creativity it takes to try to communicate something with the few words that <i do know. When I don´t know how to say one thing, I have to use about three times the ammount of time to talk around what I mean and do a whole charades show. Mostly I get the point across and everyone is very patient - especially my host mom and my professora.
Tengo mucho exito (I feel proud) for being here, in Costa Rica, on my own. I made it despite all of my fears of getting lost or confused or not making it to school at all. Now, I don´t even feel alone. I have a housemate from Canada and she is so nice to me (only speaking to me in Spanish) even though I make so many mistakes and it would be easier to Speak English. She has helped me out so much - teaching me how to ride the bus and how to get to class and reminding me of all of the family members names.
I went with her and my host mom to Zumba last night. Zumba was in a resteraunt in the midle of the jungle where the chairs had been cleared aside to make dancing room. It was so hillarious to be doing it there. I just kept laughing to myself thinking "Ï´m really here.... doing zumba in the jungle!"
There is only one other student at my school right now, but that is ok. I like that we get so much attention and conversation with the staff! The other school in town is way busier (that is where my housemate goes). I guess there must be a reason <i am at this school instead, even though at first I was a little sad not to have a group to hang out with. Hay es no problema, esta bien.
My spanish is already so much better! Actually, this is the first time since yesterday that my internal voice has spoken English. Even though I often don´t make sense to myself, I hear spanish as my internal voice!!! It´´s hard to explain but it is really crazy!
Ok, necesito ir al clase hoy.
Ciao!
Today is my second day of classes and I love learning Spanish in an immersion context. It is like solving a riddle every moment. I love the critical thinking and creativity it takes to try to communicate something with the few words that <i do know. When I don´t know how to say one thing, I have to use about three times the ammount of time to talk around what I mean and do a whole charades show. Mostly I get the point across and everyone is very patient - especially my host mom and my professora.
Tengo mucho exito (I feel proud) for being here, in Costa Rica, on my own. I made it despite all of my fears of getting lost or confused or not making it to school at all. Now, I don´t even feel alone. I have a housemate from Canada and she is so nice to me (only speaking to me in Spanish) even though I make so many mistakes and it would be easier to Speak English. She has helped me out so much - teaching me how to ride the bus and how to get to class and reminding me of all of the family members names.
I went with her and my host mom to Zumba last night. Zumba was in a resteraunt in the midle of the jungle where the chairs had been cleared aside to make dancing room. It was so hillarious to be doing it there. I just kept laughing to myself thinking "Ï´m really here.... doing zumba in the jungle!"
There is only one other student at my school right now, but that is ok. I like that we get so much attention and conversation with the staff! The other school in town is way busier (that is where my housemate goes). I guess there must be a reason <i am at this school instead, even though at first I was a little sad not to have a group to hang out with. Hay es no problema, esta bien.
My spanish is already so much better! Actually, this is the first time since yesterday that my internal voice has spoken English. Even though I often don´t make sense to myself, I hear spanish as my internal voice!!! It´´s hard to explain but it is really crazy!
Ok, necesito ir al clase hoy.
Ciao!
Friday, June 15, 2012
Change, Already
Ok. I need to remember that change will happen frequently and I have very little to no control over most of the happenings I am about to experience. Remember Shaun and Lisa's Australia story.
Let go. Trust. Breathe.
These are the things I need to keep telling myself.
I just received an email from the school that my host family assignment needed to be changed. I am no longer staying in the oldest neighborhood (a fishing port called Boca Viejo - Old Mouth), but am staying in the center of Quepos. On the positive side, I think they have three kids... at least there were five names in the list... so I assume they are kids. If that is the case, that will be happy. I wanted to have host siblings. I bet it will also be easier to catch the bus from there.
I guess we will have to wait and see, right?
Let go. Trust. Breathe.
These are the things I need to keep telling myself.
I just received an email from the school that my host family assignment needed to be changed. I am no longer staying in the oldest neighborhood (a fishing port called Boca Viejo - Old Mouth), but am staying in the center of Quepos. On the positive side, I think they have three kids... at least there were five names in the list... so I assume they are kids. If that is the case, that will be happy. I wanted to have host siblings. I bet it will also be easier to catch the bus from there.
I guess we will have to wait and see, right?
Fixing the Pants
I think it has become a tradition, now, that whenever I go on a trip - even to DC - I need to sew any pants that I am bringing, before I go. Thankfully, my mom is always willing to be my sewing partner... pressing the reverse button every time I say "go."
Either my host family will think that I am crafty and good with the sewing machine or that I'm too poor to buy new jeans that are not riddled with patches. I hope they can survive the summer.
In just 24 hours I will be getting on the plane. It is amazing how getting ready for a big trip can feel like a full time job. My friends keep asking me if I've packed yet... and I retort back with "you pack for a 7 am flight at 5 am!" The truth is that I've been packing for a week and I am slowly making progress. I have about 5 lists and with the amount of detail, you'd think I was going to outer space. I need to remind myself - they do have stores in Costa Rica.
I am constantly oscillating between being nervous and being excited. One of my friends says to treasure this time and feeling because, "Later - you will look back and remember how everything was unknown. It will never be like that again." Thanks, Sam.
Either my host family will think that I am crafty and good with the sewing machine or that I'm too poor to buy new jeans that are not riddled with patches. I hope they can survive the summer.
In just 24 hours I will be getting on the plane. It is amazing how getting ready for a big trip can feel like a full time job. My friends keep asking me if I've packed yet... and I retort back with "you pack for a 7 am flight at 5 am!" The truth is that I've been packing for a week and I am slowly making progress. I have about 5 lists and with the amount of detail, you'd think I was going to outer space. I need to remind myself - they do have stores in Costa Rica.
I am constantly oscillating between being nervous and being excited. One of my friends says to treasure this time and feeling because, "Later - you will look back and remember how everything was unknown. It will never be like that again." Thanks, Sam.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
The approach....
I seem to process things easier when I think externally... so I thought I'd start writing now - even before I go.
Here I am... about to embark on a journey- a journey of which the seed was planted eight years ago. When I was in college, I imagined studying abroad but I was too scared to go to a country where I would not know the language. I planned to go to New Zealand! I researched and planned, but it never happened. I didn't go.
It is interesting how the desire to study abroad stayed, while the new desire to study Spanish emerged. Perhaps it is all perfect that I am going now, instead.
I am nervous about many things:
- That I won't know enough to communicate when I get there
- That I keep second guessing myself on my choice of programs and countries
- That my host family won't like me
- That there is so much unknown
- That it will be so freaking hot!
... and more importantly, I am also excited about many things:
- The unknown
- The possibilities
- The people I will meet
- The people who's stories I will hear and share
- All that I will learn
- The world that I will see with a new perspective
*Note to self to remember in life - You have a tendency to freak out before a big trip and to even not want to go, anymore. It is ok. You've done this process before. It will be awesome.
- "Shift your approach, breathe, and go smoothly."
Here I am... about to embark on a journey- a journey of which the seed was planted eight years ago. When I was in college, I imagined studying abroad but I was too scared to go to a country where I would not know the language. I planned to go to New Zealand! I researched and planned, but it never happened. I didn't go.
It is interesting how the desire to study abroad stayed, while the new desire to study Spanish emerged. Perhaps it is all perfect that I am going now, instead.
I am nervous about many things:
- That I won't know enough to communicate when I get there
- That I keep second guessing myself on my choice of programs and countries
- That my host family won't like me
- That there is so much unknown
- That it will be so freaking hot!
... and more importantly, I am also excited about many things:
- The unknown
- The possibilities
- The people I will meet
- The people who's stories I will hear and share
- All that I will learn
- The world that I will see with a new perspective
*Note to self to remember in life - You have a tendency to freak out before a big trip and to even not want to go, anymore. It is ok. You've done this process before. It will be awesome.
- "Shift your approach, breathe, and go smoothly."
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