Christmas Eve in Palmares

I was fortunate enough to be invited to a Christmas Eve fiesta at the home of Lorene and Alonso to join in a celebration with their family and friends. And a great celebration it was. My neighbours and I decided to take a taxi($8.00) for the twenty-five minute drive to Palmares. Palmares, usually a sleepy place, comes alive for a week in mid-January when it hosts one of the largest Fiestas in Costa Rica. It is estimated that close to one million people (about 1/4 of the population of the country) visit the city for the celebrations of Costa Rica's cowboy heritage: rodeos, disco tents, fairgrounds, everything a celebration should have.
But, on Christmas Eve, it was quiet and peaceful. We arrived about 7:00 and ate, drank (moderately, of course) and danced (I did tap my foot, almost in rhythm, several times). A great time for all!
Elizabeth arrives on January 1 (finally) so I imagine future posts will be appropriate for the Home and Gardens Network.

Finca por Chicharrones

A most interesting sojourn yesterday. I was invited by the family of Vicente, a neighbour to visit his wife's parents' farm in Guanacaste. Along with them, their daughter Jennifer and Santos, a young fellow who is working on the house across the street, we set off at 6:00 am for the two hour drive northwest. We arrived at the farm, located in a small village called Arizona. Warm greetings ensued from gracious hosts, children, chickens, cattle and a tethered pig. Soon after, Alonso and Lenora along with their two boys and Lenora's mother arrived to complete the gathering. After a filling breakfast of gallo pinto, huevos and tortillas, we toured the farm while Santos and Vicente's father-in-law began the preparation of the main meal: the tethered pig.
After a few hours, the pig became pork, all of which was expertly cut into ribs, loins... Water boiled outside, savory pieces deep fried and presto, chicharrones, a Costa Rican specialty. Along with salads, bread, yucca and rice, a mouth watering, somewhat artery hardening, meal.
It was amazing to be a part of a family experience in a setting I would probably never encounter without good neighbours. I feigned complete understanding of deep and meaningful conversations, drank a few beer, demonstrated the innate soccer skills of Canadians and even had the energy to photograph a high wire monkey act on the drive home.

Lecciones de Inglés Para los Vecinos

Being in a location where it is vital to learn a new language is transformational. One must be patient, open and willing to err, over and over again, with strangers and neighbours. It is impossibile for me, in San Ramon, to rely upon glib responses, verbal adroitness and word play to define myself to others. Which tends to beg the question, without language who are we, or, for me, without the complex layers of spoken language how do I reveal who I am?
Actions and human connections become even more critical in this defining process: taking the time to acknowledge, helping the next door neighbour carry ceramic tiles, sweeping the road in front of the house..... Still, the imperative to engage in some sort of higher order dialogue is irresistible; so practice, fall, get up, practice....
Last night, I hosted the second in an ongoing series of English classes for any of the neighbours who could or cared to drop in. Lesson plans become somewhat superfluous as the level of the learners and the class varies from session to session. The common element is a desire to learn or improve language facility in a non-threatening, social environment.
As is always the case, the teacher learns at least as much as the students: for me, a real life refresher course in individual learning rates and styles and the importance of using each class as an opportunity to design more effective plans for next week. How teachers do this day after day floors me. At least for an hour or so a week, I get to chum around with others facing similar learning challenges.

A Work in Progress

Quite the day (again). Ricardo left yesterday for a week in Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean Coast while I remained to oversee the beginning of the construction Elizabeth and I have planned for the second edifice on our lot. On the advice of Rosario, our house keeper, I hired Romaine, who has already completed several jobs for me (new shower heater, aluminum windows, shelving), and his partner Bryan. A great recommendation. We spent the morning at a variety of Ferreterias and supply shops. Bryan has several "ins" so we were able to get some excellent descuentes. Following the buying of materials, the men spent the rest of the day framing a downstairs room for a ceiling. Delivery trucks were arriving regularly bringing wood, plastico, soil for cement, electrical wiring and everything else necessary to complete phase one: a first floor kitchen/barbecue area and an upstairs lounge with sliding glass windows to see the mountain view. New flooring, walls.... Costs here are amazingly inexpensive compared to Vancouver (like most places in the world). The materials ran about $800 while the cost of labor is almost embarrassingly low.
The last delivery was a gallon of paint. Both Romaine and Bryan considered the cost prohibitive, so off went the truck with the paint: we will visit the store tomorrow to negotiate a fairer price. Just shows the importance of working with locals who know the market and insist on fair value. Despite the advice of those who warn about the dangers of being taken advantage of as Norte Americanos, we choose to place our trust in our neighbours and keep a positive perspective on the people who live and work here. So far so good!