Today was my first day going to the Instituto de Cultura Y Lengua Costarricense (ICLC). Overall, it was a wonderful experience! Lauren, I did begin taking pictures today, and lots of them! This morning I had to wake up at 6, (so much for sleeping in for summer break, huh?) I showered and ate breakfast, which consisted of rice and beans, fried eggs, and a roll with cheese on it. The bus that goes to the language school stops by my host family´s house around 7:20, and is a very short walk. It was really funny because I felt like I was going to the first day of kindergarten, with my host parents walking me to the bus stop, while I was wearing my brand-new backpack, shoes, and rain jacket!
Anyway, my nervousness immediately stopped when I got on the bus and sat down beside other teachers from all over the US. I began talking with them about where they were from, what do they teach, etc. Everyone was very nice, and it was also very nice to listen to and speak English for a bit.
After the 20 minute bus ride, we all got off the bus and went onto the grounds of the school. It is so beautiful there! Mostly everything is outdoors, including the classrooms and other meeting places. We went through an introduction of the staff and teachers at the school, we introduced ourselves, and then we took a placement test, which consisted of an oral part and a written part. Not sure how well I did, but oh well!
At around noon, we took a bus to a small town called Grecia, which is supposedly the cleanest town in CR. Grecia is such a cute town! Basically we went for a walking tour and to have lunch. It was nice to talk more with some of the staff of the ICLC and also get to know my new friends.
Our bus left to go back home around 3:00, making stops at everyone´s bus stop. Sadly, I am the only person who gets on/off the bus at my stop. I guess I got off at the wrong stop because I had no idea where I was at, or where to go. Luckily there were some policemen nearby, so I asked them which way to get home. I was a little scared for a bit there!
So now I am back home, and again, exhausted! I´m not sure if I can post pics here? If not, I guess I will put them on Facebook. Talk to you soon!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010
First Day
Yesterday I arrived at the airport in San Jose around 1:30 in the afternoon. I was so happy that I´d gotten a window seat because it was so nice to look out the window and see the beautiful country! The land is very different than in Georgia and DC. After going through customs and immigration, I got my bag and came outside where my host family had a sign with my name on it. Carlos, the son and his brother in law came to pick me up. They were very nice and helpful, and thankfully Carlos speaks English. I´m not sure if that´s a good thing or a bad thing because although I want to be immersed in Spanish while I am here, it sure is easy to go back into speaking English!
We arrived home about 15 minutes later. The house is very different than houses in the US (obviously)! It is very open: there aren´t any windows really - it´s just open, and there is a garage door that they keep open during the day that opens up into the living room! Of course, the family was watching the World Cup. When I got here, I met my host mother and father, who live here, and also Karla who is the couple´s daughter and her 2 young sons. They live about 45 minutes away. Karla is an English teacher at an elementary school. She would only speak in Spanish to me though! I can understand her best because I guess she is used to speaking very slowly. Everyone was very nice! I have my own bedroom and bathroom, which is actually much nicer than I´d expected.
Later I walked into the town of Alajuela with Carlos (the son, who is 23 years old) and we did some errands. He needed to buy a gift for a friend, so we went to this small boutique shop that sold brands from the US. He bought an American Eagle shirt for his friend, which he said was most likely fake. haha We also went to the ATM, the grocery store, and a department store, and Carlos wanted to get an ice cream so we went to, of all places, McDonalds! I told him I thought it seemed a little crazy that I´d come so far for a McDonalds ice cream.
Anyway - last night I was going to go out with Carlos and his friends, but I was soooo tired from the long day that I fell asleep around 10, which is midnight in DC. I´m glad I brought earplugs because there is lots of noise from the street, and there is also some church nearby that was very loud last night and also this morning. So far, I´ve eaten black beans and rice at every meal, and we´ve also had chicken, cheese, and little rolls with ham and cheese! Yum!
That´s it for now! I will take some pictures soon. Tomorrow starts Spanish classes, so I am excited to meet some of the other people who are here!
We arrived home about 15 minutes later. The house is very different than houses in the US (obviously)! It is very open: there aren´t any windows really - it´s just open, and there is a garage door that they keep open during the day that opens up into the living room! Of course, the family was watching the World Cup. When I got here, I met my host mother and father, who live here, and also Karla who is the couple´s daughter and her 2 young sons. They live about 45 minutes away. Karla is an English teacher at an elementary school. She would only speak in Spanish to me though! I can understand her best because I guess she is used to speaking very slowly. Everyone was very nice! I have my own bedroom and bathroom, which is actually much nicer than I´d expected.
Later I walked into the town of Alajuela with Carlos (the son, who is 23 years old) and we did some errands. He needed to buy a gift for a friend, so we went to this small boutique shop that sold brands from the US. He bought an American Eagle shirt for his friend, which he said was most likely fake. haha We also went to the ATM, the grocery store, and a department store, and Carlos wanted to get an ice cream so we went to, of all places, McDonalds! I told him I thought it seemed a little crazy that I´d come so far for a McDonalds ice cream.
Anyway - last night I was going to go out with Carlos and his friends, but I was soooo tired from the long day that I fell asleep around 10, which is midnight in DC. I´m glad I brought earplugs because there is lots of noise from the street, and there is also some church nearby that was very loud last night and also this morning. So far, I´ve eaten black beans and rice at every meal, and we´ve also had chicken, cheese, and little rolls with ham and cheese! Yum!
That´s it for now! I will take some pictures soon. Tomorrow starts Spanish classes, so I am excited to meet some of the other people who are here!
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