[casp2014]

Obviously living in another part of the world will cause you to question the social, political and economic dynamics of your own society. Frustrated with some of these dynamics I decided to write down a little bit of what I have experienced here.

I have it all, yet I can never have enough

…

[elizabethdiannew]

Well sorry posting has been nonexistent because I hardly ever have wifi and that’s not a real excuse but I’m gonna go ahead and pretend that it is.

But here is a poem my friend wrote! Because reblogging counts as blogging I believe.

[casp2014]

Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on who you ask, the dreams of many Guatemalan children are to reach the United States. Of course, in my own cynical thoughts about the US, I would like to tell these children that the US is not what its cracked up to be. And that American Dream? (Which...

[casp2014]

[elizabethdiannew]

Quetzaltenango and assorted adventures.

[elizabethdiannew]

Guatemala!

We arrived in Antigua on the 2nd of January and spent four days acquainting ourselves with the historical city, a landmark to beautiful architecture, squat colorful buildings, and quirky wooden doors. With the entire CASP group together at last we’ve officially begun the five month program I can’t tell you how many people have described as “life altering”. So we’ll see about that.

This morning we made it to Quetzaltenango, otherwise known as Xela, the city in which we’ll spend the next three weeks working one on one with Spanish teachers at the language institute and drinking Mayan chocolate in the meantime.

The pictures include a hilltop view of Antigua, my fellow CASPañeras chillin in front of a convent, one beautiful section of the rooftop panorama our Antigua hotel provided, and one of many artisan markets selling textiles unique to and usually made by Guatemalan indigenous peoples.

[elizabethdiannew]

Cuba!

Looks like I’m going to Cuba tomorrow.  Every study abroad program by its nature seems to imply these moments of mind blowing opportunity that one cannot fully appreciate; this is one of those times. 

I learned next to nothing about Cuba during the good ole days of high school.  I knew that

We don’t go there.

Communism.

It’s close to Florida.

They have cigars.

Dirty Dancing Havana Nights.

Perhaps this says something about my high school education (probably), but unfortunately I think it reveals a larger lack of awareness within United States culture.  This could lead me to a longer rant about the seeming general lack of basic education about Latin America in the States, but we won’t go there, so back to Cuba.  It has been equally fascinating and sobering to learn about this country through my various courses here.  Things like, Cuba has two currencies, and that’s not exactly ideal.  Or that a lots of people aren’t big fans of the embargo, including my host family (I’m talking about the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba, read about it here and a bunch of other places).  Also, the music. 

Do your own digging about this unique nation and see what ya find.  Then watch this movie and this movie because they are good. 

Another fact about Cuba: I won’t have internet for the week, so adios!

Another other fact about Cuba: On of my host mom’s favorite singers, Silvio Rodriguez, hails from the island nation.  Check him out. 

[elizabethdiannew]

Feliz Halloween/Día de las brujas

[elizabethdiannew]

Montezuma

I'm a bad blogger guys; it's been a month since the last post and I have no excuses.  But let's not allow that to spoil these nifty beach pictures!

   Three friends and I spent the weekend in Montezuma working as volunteers with the organization ASVO.  This group serves many functions throughout Costa Rica, and Montezuma beach is the sight for one of several Sea Turtle Conservation Programs (sea turtles are endangered, several species very much so).  We arrived about 7:30pm - by taxi then bus then ferry then bus then another bus - to discover we were scheduled for volunteer shifts throughout the night.  Alas, turtles like the night life; most leave the sea to make their nest anywhere between 9pm-6am.  Fortunately our exhaustion paid off: we witnessed a turtle nesting! She laid eggs and everything, which another volunteer collected for the hatchery. 

The hatchery (or vivero in Spanish, like the picture above) is like a chess board of volunteer-made turtle nests.  We, meaning more experienced volunteers who know stuff about turtles, collect the eggs from a nesting mother and deposit them in our own nests in the hatchery. Imagine a deep hole in the sand filled with 90 ping pong balls, then covered and left to cook for 25 days or so. 

When your nest has turned a golden brown and tiny babies begin to poke their heads from the sand,  you're eggs are ready.  The next afternoon we were lucky enough to witness such a moment on top of our prior  turtle sighting.  Of 70ish eggs, 11 survived.  But they were precious little gems of survivors, tiny turtles the size of your palm and covered in sand.  On the beach we set up what was essentially a turtle runway bordered by driftwood, and we watched as the itty  reptiles waddled their way to the sea.  It was a beautiful thing, I've got to say. 

Fun fact: Tonight my family and I set up the Christmas tree. I guess that's what happens when you celebrate neither Halloween nor Thanksgiving.   

Merry Tuesday to all and to all a good night.    

[elizabethdiannew]

The provost and her husband came to dinner and I took my translating abilities for a test drive. They along with assorted administrative faculty made a quick trip to Whit South for mangoes and gallo pinto,* spending time in San Rafael for a total of three days. *also probably work and important things.

[elizabethdiannew]

On campus we have 13 baby ducks. They like to waddle around.

[elizabethdiannew]

I will be spending the next week in Nicaragua sans technology and thus sans blogging! Check out the link and be introduced to our home for the next eight days. Pura vida

[elizabethdiannew]

A post AND a puppy

Here are pictures of Kiara to distract you from recent lack of posts.

In other news, the internship went swimmingly today; three women came and there are 10 brand spankin' new cards to show for it! In additional other news, I leave for Nicaragua in less than a week, which aside from being very exciting also means it's almost October.  Did I not just get here?

[elizabethdiannew]

Pasantía // Las Vecinas

Monday is Day of Internships at the CRC.  Meaning, each student travels courtesy public transportation to his or her place of employment for hours of interning fun.  I have the privilege of working with Las Vecinas, a group of women who live in a small impoverished community located on the outskirts of campus.  They have developed a card making business, what is officially called a micro-enterprise, from which they reap what they sow, i.e. make individual profits based on their works sold.  So if you buy a card made by Rosa, Rosa will be the one earning the 2000 colones price paid (colones being Costa Rican currency, like this). 

The cards themselves are naturally sourced and reasonably priced.  Also pretty. We use dried flowers to recreate original designs provided by our lovely teacher Elena, a Costa Rican woman with a knack for giving constructive criticism and working with Mod Podge.  Rosa (pictured below, to the left) and I will be meeting Thursday morning bright and early to stroll around the beautiful CRC campus and collect flowers to be dried for future use.  It's rough, this internship life.    

I'm thrilled to be working with these women, to explore who they are and why they live as they do.  I also see the effort put behind each card, and I am all about it.  If you have any interest in supporting these women as they attempt to supplement their family income, holler at me for info on available products, pricing, and the like.   

We make a mean Christmas card, folks. (See below). 

  Photos courtesy Whitworth CRC facebook page.         

[elizabethdiannew]

aguacero.

[elizabethdiannew]

My new home dog, Nala. 

Well, I’ve been in Costa Rica for about two weeks, so that probably makes this post overdue.  But better late than never!

This year is a year o’ travel, amigos.  A slapdash timetable as follows: 

Now: Costa Rica

In two weeks-ish: a week in Nicaragua

Sometime in November: a week in Cuba

December 12-January 1 or 2: los estados unidos!

The month of January: Guatemala

The following 5 weeks: Nicaragua

The 2 weeks after that: ….to be decided.  (fingers crossed for El Salvador!)

Still with me? This puts us at about the last week of March.  And so…

The 5 weeks after that: Nicaragua

And the last 2 weeks: Costa Rica otra vez. 

If your question is whether I’m studying through school, the answer is yes.  If you’re wondering why I’m studying abroad for a year: alas, another post, perhaps. 

As far as the facts, I am currently in Costa Rica at the Whitworth University Campus is San Rafael for the Fall 2013 semester program.  In the handy dandy calendar above, you may note some week long escapades to Nicaragua and the like.  These side trips are part of the program. 

The following semester, spring 2014, I will be part of an 8 member team called the Central America Service Program.  CASP is a decades old Whitworth offering packed full with life changing experiences, or so I’m told.   

As for a blog, it seems the best way to consolidate information.  For all those who expressed interest in my whereabouts, i.e. the endless line of people whose initial response upon learning my plans was “omg post pictures!!”, this one’s for you.  Also, it’s for my mom. (You know who you are).

Posts should be fairly regular if my good intentions have anything to say about it.  I’d love for you to follow along! 

  Pura Vida

Lizzie