New Blog

Okay, I've decided that I do not like xanga anymore and have changed blogs.  My new one is...

www.ryanbschultz.blogspot.com

I will be posting on there from now on.

Almost there...

Well, the end of the semester is almost here.  I leave Costa Rica in 5 days, spend 10 days in Guatemala, and then I'll back in the US.  I can't believe how fast this semester has gone by.  As a "End of the semester" activity, I went to the beach with 4 good friends.  It was a really great beach...it was beautiful and had monkeys, raccoons, coatis, iguanas, and a lot of crabs.  We had brought some food with us to make sandwiches while we were there and while I was swimming, a coati (a mammal related to the raccoon) came and stole a whole loaf of bread!  Jenna chased him into the forrest, but it was no use.  He had my bread and he was not going to give it back.  We later saw some monkeys with some of the bread...at least the coati shared I guess.

Needless to say, it's been a fun semester.  But I think it's about time to go home for a while.  I miss my family and friends so much!  It'll be nice being back in a familiar place and with people that I love.

Peace out.

Life in C.R.

Okay, here's a small update...

This semester has been quite full and definitely busy.  It has flown by much faster than I thought it would.  I've been busy with learning how to get around here in Costa Rica, school work (a lot of it!), and a bunch of traveling.  I took a two week trip to Nicaragua in October and then another two week trip to Cuba at the beginning of November.  I have also taken a couple weekend trips to nearby beaches and volcanoes.  So I pretty much feel like a tennis ball, bouncing back and forth everywhere.  But I also feel like I've gotten to see so much of the different aspects of Latin America.  I've definitely seen and enjoyed some tourist places, but I've also had the chance, through the program I'm with, to see real life here.  I've been able to meet people here and talk with them about their lives...what they think about the world and what their dreams are.  This is something a lot of people miss out on when they come here, but I feel like it's the most valuable thing I'll take away from this place.

The language has been difficult at times, but it's also been really fun too.  I have definitely laughed at myself  (and others) a lot this semester.  But I love communicating in a different language so much.  It's so fascinating!  I just wish I was more disciplined in my studying of Spanish.

As far as classes go, I am definitely learning a lot.  I'm also being challenged quite a bit.  They are presenting many things I've never heard and many thoughts that I'm struggling with.  I find myself asking questions all the time, and there never seem to be enough answers.  Right now, I feel like I cannot learn anymore.  I am already processing so much, and they just keep adding more.  I can tell I'm in the coasting phase right now...still taking everything in, but starting to look forward to the end.  It'll be nice to be home for a while after this, especially since it feels like I haven't been home in forever!  (I was home for one week since May)

Okay, I feel like this is boring, so I'll end with a funny story (I have a ton of 'em).  Have you heard of Sin Eaters?  Well, I basically said I was one.  The word for fish and the word for sin in spanish are very similar (pescado and pecado).  I do not like to eat fish, but when I was in Nicaragua, I had to choke some down for the sake of politeness to my hosts.  Well, returning to Costa Rica, I told my host mom all about the trip and how I ate pecado, which is the word for sin.  She acted really shocked, but she knew that I did not like fish so I assumed that she was just surprised that I ate it.  She asked if I had indeed eaten pecado.  And I said yes, I definitely had.  It took a little while of completely misunderstanding each other to sort it out.  But finally we got it.  No, I did not eat sin...I ate fish.  I'm not sure which is worse really.        

Just a tease...

I'm sorry to all who have been waiting for another post from me.  I know it's been awhile (like two months).  I'm still in Costa Rica and still alive.  I don't have time to write a real post right now, so this is just a tease really.  Hopefully I'll have a new post up in the next few days.

Ryan

9-8-06, Friday

Well, I have been here in Costa Rica for a little over a week now.  I feel like that hard part is now over.  The total confusion that had consumed me…confusion about the city and how it worked, the language, the transportation, living with a family that doesn’t speak English…it was everywhere.  But I feel like I’m past that first hump.  I feel comfortable walking around the city and getting where I need to go and the language is coming along.  I understand most of what I hear, but still have problems saying what I want to say.

Here is what my schedule looks like:

I have morning classes two or three times a week.  These classes are over Latin American History, Politics, Social Issues…etc.  On these days I have to wake up at 6:30 and leave to catch the bus at 7, to be there at 8.  The mornings when I don’t have this class, I either sleep in or meet friends in the city to either do homework or just hang out.  Every afternoon, we all have Spanish classes (one grammar class and one conversational class) at an institute that primarily teaches Missionaries.  It’s a four-week ultra intensive program.  I’m done with classes at 3:30 every day and I usually head back to the center of San Jose to go to an internet café or do any errands I need to do.  Then I take my bus back home, usually arriving between 5:30 and 6:30.  Dinner with the family and then either hanging out and talking to the family, or straight to homework, depending on the day.  Friday nights, my Tica (Costa Rican) family always has communion together.  It’s a really special time, and I love being a part of that.

Of course, some days are different…like today.  After Spanish classes, I went with some friends to the city to hang out and then we went to Wendy’s for dinner (Yeah, we have Wendy’s here!).  After that, we went to a house of one of the other students because it was her birthday.  We ate cake, talked, and danced a lot!  It was great…we were all crammed into that little house, but we were all having a great time.

Speaking of dancing, I signed up for dance lessons while I’m here…we’ll see how that goes. J