It's not a lab, it's not a desk... it's a cow field!

Rural community development is not conventional job. You can’t measure my work by the standards you measure your doctor, your lawyer, or your broker. To cast doubts is normal, if not expected. I have my own. Every day that I awake in Costa Rica I wonder: Do I really need to go to that meeting? Does the group understand why we need a budget? Are the kids learning anything from my classes? Will I do anything sustainable today? and Is it worth it?

You know what? Every day I answer myself: Yes, Very slowly, Sí, Possibly, and Definitely.

Sharing my exciting adventures (and also the mundane activities) is important to me and I appreciate that you tune in to learn about them! But I can write until my fingers bleed and I can talk until your ears fall off. I can try to explain how I live but some aspects must be lived to be understood.

I can tell you about hearing the howl of the congos(1) in the rain, the cock of the gallos(2) at any hour, or about trying to sleep with the snoring cows (I swear, they can be so loud!) But I can’t keep you up all night with their noise. I can tell you about the generosity of my townspeople and their cunning way of saying yes when they really mean no, but you’ll never know what it’s like to walk into your neighbor’s perpetually open door and call out, “¿Cómo amaneció? ”(3) while she hands you bread and cafecito. I can post of picture of the smiles of the children in my school as they participate in their first Halloween ever, but I can’t tell you what it’s like to hear them scream, “Queremos Trick-or-Treat”(4) and have the whole town in a buzz, asking, “¿Qué es lo que quieren?”(5)

Every activity, however thrilling, however dull, is a part of my experience and a part of my contribution. So if you’ve thought, “Gee, all she does is go to meetings!” then try and picture what it takes to execute the meeting, which has all sorts of competition:
· Weather of all sorts (if it’s not rain and mud, then it’s sweltering heat and dust);
· Lack of transportation (particularly when the weather doesn’t cooperate);
· A convention gringos term “Tico time,” when events actually start 1 to 3 hours after the scheduled time;
· That curious Tico trait in which, “Yes, I’m going to the meeting” really means “Ahh, what a nice backyard I have that I’m going to sit in all afternoon.”
If there’s not enough struggle in the accomplishment of gathering the people, there’s certainly more to fight within the meeting itself.
· The idea that tools like schedules, regular meetings, budgets, timelines, etc. are not necessary;
· The idea that a group can manage thousands of dollars with no treasurer or accounting;
· The fact that Costa Rica is moving into the technology age, but leaving its rural areas behind, holding numerous communities without access to grants and other financial and educational opportunities.
· The fact that leadership roles are compromised (and leaders are lacking) due to lack of education and training;
· The list goes on…
Provided that my fight wins out on the first list, I try to change the conventions of the second. Just think, these challenges can only happen after all the fuss of forming the group in the first place! Changing the system has to start from the bottom, but there’s nowhere to go but up. It may be a slow life, but we’re moving. As they say, Poquito a poco(6).

So hold that judgment! Have faith in the turtle; he finished the race in the end.
And I’ll hold on to my esperanza(7) and my faith. In my town and in myself.

[I’ll also continue to update you on all these things I can’t explain!]

1 Howler monkeys
2 Roosters
3 “How did you wake up today?”
4 “We want Trick-or-Treat.”
5 “What is it that they want???”
6 Tiny little bit by little bit
7 Hope
*Translations are literal.

Written a while back...

Día de la Anexión de Guanacaste (GTE)

Background: Guanacaste is the northern Pacific coast province of CR and was traditionally an independent area, drifting between Nicaraguan and CR rule. It has officially been united with Costa Rica since the year 1825, several years after Central America’s separation from Spain. The Guanacastecan citizens independently decided to secede from Nicaragua and join CR. [It’s ironic that being Nicaraguan has “negative” connotations, because Guanacaste was Nicaragua! Many Nica immigrants come to CR seeking work.] Each July 25th Costa Rica (GTE in particular) celebrates the annexation of the best region of the country (I admit, I’m biased!) Schoolchildren dress in traditional campesino clothing and shout bombas, which are short poems, usually romantic but sometimes downright raunchy! The kids discuss the significance of their heritage and enjoy traditional food (guess what - it's rice and beans! Plus corn tortillas and an egg torta, all wrapped in a banana leaf.) Here's some sample bombas, because it's really hard to understand those kids! (Even if you speak Spanish...)

¡Bomba!
La naranja nació verde
y el tiempo la maduró;
mi corazón nació libre
y el tuyo lo aprisionó.
uyuyuy mamita ...

Bomb!
The orange was born green
and with time, matured;
my heart was born free
and yours imprisoned it.
Uyuyuy mamita…

¡Bomba!
No hay cosa más bonita
que la vida de soltero,
para andar cortando flores
sin que lo vea el jardinero.
uyuyuy mamita...

Bomb!
There’s nothing more beautiful
than the single life,
to walk cutting flowers
without the gardener seeing you.
uyuyuy mamita...

Bomba. The word has many uses in CR. A light bulb, a car motor (actually a motor of any kind), the machinery that powers water supply (or any other pump at all), fireworks, a bomb, a gas station, OR these particular love poems.

D.A.R.E.

…to say NO to drugs!

Remember elementary school? I recall the days of Officer Joe, his K-9, and his racing car back in the 5th grade at Rawlings. Well, I brought Officer Joe, or in this case Oficiales Sara y Maria del Carmen, to Jabillo and La Y Griega to educate kids from four rural schools in my area on drugs, violence, and the damage they can cause you or the people you love. Coordinating this event was a nightmare, trying to get officials to teach in two separate schools (Jabillo, La Y Griega) and schedule classes providing for students coming from two other schools (Las Pampas, Juan de León). This meant transportation as well.

Try finding a free ride for a group of kids over a river and through the cow fields… while everyone who owns a truck is out there working for his dinner. But thanks to the excellent collaboration of my Comité Tutelar, we collected nearly $140 with a Bingo event and were able to fund all the operating costs of the program, with leftover funds for the graduation party!

After an intense week-long program crammed from a curriculum that normally consists of months of sessions, thirteen 5th and 6th graders (and several enthusiastic high school kids) graduated from the junior anti-drug program at our evening graduation (with an attendance of over 120 people, why didn’t we do food sales!?!)

Geared for children from 1st to 6th grade, we had 40 kids participate in the program overall. Not bad, considering the kids were on vacation and the program was 100% voluntary!

The pictures include a shot from the course, a photo of the girls at the beach (I had to let them have some fun trapped in my little towns all week!), the two graduating groups from three schools, and one of the younger kids at the graduation.

Oh , and HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD!!!

Baile in Jabillo

So after the dismal result of the Semana Santa baile (dance) in Jabillo, I can now report that when there is an entire community effort, my town actually knows how to throw a party! (The previous dance was the product of a single person, who did not request collaboration from anyone and then later complained that no one helped! Needless to say, we didn’t make much money on that venture.)
Anyway this time around we did it right and everyone pitched in to donate their time and money, help cook, clean the salon, haul stools and tables around, man the cantina, fix the bathroom, install lighting, put up plastic so that people wouldn't get wet if it rains (yes, the Salon has a roof, but if you saw it, you would understand the extra tarp protection!),etc. We had nearly all the food donated, so the only expenses came from the cantina. We were even graced with the support of another PCV, thanks Ben!

There were over 300 people in attendance. Not bad for a town of 150, eh? The conjunto, or music group, Azul Plata, made out with all the ticket sales, but we ended up with a solid 500,000 colones in profits. (That's a little bit less than $1,000, which is great considering that in that "other dance" we made 185,000 colones or $360.) After the kumbia, a little marimba, and of course, the reggaeton, the people were still willing to open their wallets in the name of the Salon Comunal de Jabillo.

Of course, I forgot to take pictures until the dance had already ended, but here are the ladies of the kitchen and the men of the cantina...

In attempted compensation, I also added a picture from another event, a buelle parade in Coyote (buelles are the traditional transport in Costa Rican agriculture and though no longer used, they are now an art and people take pride in the custom). This was the conjunto from that event, so just pretend these guys were playing music at my dance!

Working Works!

So back in April I had another visit from a PC Trainee, but this time I put her to work. As we raced from one meeting to another, Julia had a real dose of being a volunteer. Perhaps even a skewed dose, as I’m normally not that busy! We started with the Kindergarten fundraiser, then off to my Health Center Evaluation Meeting, which resulted (thank goodness!) in the formation of the Health Committee (pictured) that’s been lacking for over a year. The next day I we went to a four hour Asamblea for the Aqueduct Association in Juan de León, a neighboring town. Afterwards we took a break to see the partidos (soccer games) in Las Pampas (another of my towns) and the last day I finally took her to the beaches (Coyote and San Miguel) for some sun fun before dragging her to yet another meeting in the evening for a project proposal to the Concejo Distrito for the Salón Comunal.

Project Updates: As for the Japanese Embassy solicitation, we are at a standstill until we have an engineer create a Plano de Construcción (Construction Plan) for submittal to the Embassy. (Pictured is the new, improved salón, now with roof!) I don’t know how they’ve built the salón so far with no construction plan or design whatsoever, but that’s why it hasn’t been completed I suppose. We have until September to turn in the Plano and I am sure the Committee won’t do anything about it until August at the earliest. Who ever heard the phrase "the early bird catches the worm" anyway?

I am thinking about trying to solicit a PCPP (Peace Corps Partnership Proposal for donations) in order to raise money and fix the Puesto de Salud (Health Center). It’s a bunch of paperwork, but rainwater leaks in so much that the building floods from the inside out and they are threatening to suspend consultations if the Health Committee doesn’t do anything about the problem. I myself formed said Committee, but they are already having issues. Hopefully we’ll be able to put it together in the next month, so keep your wallets open!

Also, there’s a new project I’m starting, called Chicas Poderosas. It’s basically a girls’ empowerment group, a youth group only for girls to promote self-esteem and self-worth. While it’s lessening with time, women here (especially in the campo) still suffer from machismo and this is a great way to address the issue. I am also planning to coordinate a charla (talk) on VIH/SIDA but that would be after the D.A.R.E. program (in early July, next week!)

Back in Puerto Coyote, I supervised a beach clean-up for a high school group working towards the community service project required for graduation.

There are so many things lacking and so many possibilities but when it comes down to coordination, in these smal towns, LOGISTICS ARE SO TOUGH! You work so hard to achieve so little. Baby steps, baby steps... poquito a poco as they say here. I know I haven’t done anything huge, but it's everything to actually to note differences and measure progress.

Arte por la Paz

From January to March, I offered a series of anti-violence art workshops for children ages 6-12. Totaling seven talleres (workshops) in all, each had a different topic and art project or activity. Subjects included: definition of violence, different types, the violence cycle, managing conflict, tolerance and diversity, war and peace, etc. “Estuvo muy bonito y fue un gran encuentro,” (“It was very pretty and a great experience,”) said Kayna, one of the 15 participants in the program. In a country where machismo and domestic violence are still rampant, as well as racial intolerance and discrimination, it’s important to educate and diversity and the prevention of violence, beginning at home. For me, the best part of the program was the field trip we took to Nicoya, where nearly 50 kids from all around the region of Guanacaste congregated for a day of art: theater, music, including drums and rap, crafts, games, and other activities. These kids rarely leave the communities they live in and seldom experience the camaraderie of other children. They grow up with a limited perspective and vision and it means so much to be able to expand that, even just a little bit. The field trip was undoubtedly the most popular part of the program (as much as the kids loved painting with me, a bus trip to Nicoya will win every time!), but the most important was the knowledge they took home with them at the end of the day.

Also worthy of mention is my encounter with el presidente de la República. Yes, that’s right, I met the president of Costa Rica and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Oscar Arias. Selected as a representative for Peace Corps at the 40th Anniversary of DINADECO (National Directive of Community Development and my official counterpart), I was present throughout day to field questions about the program and thus missed the president’s speech on the governmental changes he hoped to implement. (For example, my program is a part of the Ministry of Security, while it should be under Social Services. DINADECO is severely under-funded and thus quite understaffed, which makes keeping track of over 450 associations nationwide a bit of a challenge.) In any case, the whole affair was an encounter to remember.

Ali Visits the Rich Coast!

Back in March, my friend Ali from high school came to experience the rural life (and a little bit of tourist exposure as well!) We started off in the campo, heading to the Cabalgata de Los Ángeles. (LA is home to fellow volunteer Anna, but Kathryn from Ostional is pictured with me and Ali.) A cabalgata is basically a party that you travel to by horse (or on foot if you don’t have a horse, like us!) Ticos will seize any excuse to fiesta! We next hit the beautiful beaches of my area, including Playa Coyote and Playa San Miguel (pictured last entry). After (a little too much) fun in the sun, we enjoyed the Fiestas Cívicas de Jicaral in the evening, where we saw some good ole traditional Tico rodeo. I’ve never been to an “American” rodeo, so I have little to compare by, but often I can’t believe these guys make it without getting trampled. (Ali visited during a time of year in which many towns host local festivities, so we had lots to experience!) We also spent some time with the host family and Ali got plenty of the local cuisine... but trust me, eating rice and beans for a week is not the same as eating them for a year plus! Ali made a guest appearance as an English speaker at my English class in the Escuela Jabillo. The kids got a such a kick out of it, though almost all of them were too shy to talk to her!

A continuación, we left the campo and headed into the rainforest. With Eileen and Dana, I toured the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve last September, so to explore “new” territory, we took in the majestic beauty of the Monteverde Cloud Forest, a reserve started by a Morman community and protected ferociously, down to its pot-holed trail road! We also visited the Children’s Rainforest, a private reserve funded entirely by those “Save the Rainforest” campaigns. (And you thought your money was going to waste!) There we went on a night hike, on which you see very different wildlife. Pictured is a tarantula, yikes!

Topping off the adventure was an excursion to Volcán Poás, a volcano with a yellow sulfur pool. Go visit if you like to smell rotten eggs! (But really, it’s something else to behold. Volcanoes are simply impressive in every aspect.) We also saw the lake on a nearby hike, a crater of the former exit for the lava of the volcano.

It was a quick and busy week, but we wasted no time, or at least, as little time as possible considering cultural restraints such as “Tico time," rocky roads where 20 miles an hour feels way too fast, and faulty rental cars... but hey, it's the pura vida, right?!

To Ali: Thanks for coming, thanks for sharing, thanks for everything...

Campo Life Continues...

My host sister Cristina gave birth to a baby girl, Deirlyn Pamela González Abarca in early January of this year.
La niña is pictured in yellow at 1 month and in red at 3.5 months. She's now over 4 months old and is the largest baby I've seen yet! Introducing la gordita...
(The little fat one. It's actually a term of endearment.)







The month of January also kicked off the continuation of my English classes, which were turning into a grand disaster. I teach in two schools, Jabillo and La Y Griega, and have an adult course that allows for recognized certification. I also started an Open English class to compensate for the fact that the course is closed to new students. I began this second adult course because there were minimum 10 people interested in English that claimed they couldn't enter the original course for some-excuse-or-another. So at one point, I was giving classes from Tuesday through Saturday, which was not a good idea… especially throwing in the Tico apathy factor. (I know have one class in la Escuela Jabillo on Wed. and teach all day on Thursday, which is tiring but it's nice to have it over and done in a day.) Once people realize that they must study to learn, they quit. It’s pretty disheartening, but you focus on the people who really want to learn, who actually have a thirst for knowledge. For example my student Marlene, a 28-year-old housewife with an 11-year-old and a 4-year-old, had never had an English lesson in her life before my arrival. She’d never even been to one day of high school. She has now survived the apocalyptic dropout rate and passed both of her exams thus far, surpassing students who are currently in high school receiving other English classes! She can hold a basic conversation in English and read entire passages of text. Her progress is my motivation to keep teaching. As long as there is one person dedicated to learning, I will teach…



Also in January were the Fiestas de Coyote, a benifit for the colegio (high school) in a more developed town closer to the beach. Fellow volunteers Pete from the Isla Venado and Kathryn from Ostional came in to visit and we rocked to the merenque and danced with all Kathryn's graces. Due to a shady car wheel, we were later stranded in Playa San Miguel... (What a tragedy, right? Poor us... of all places to be stranded, we wind up stuck in one of the most beautiful beaches in the country!)



February marked the beginning of the busy season. Those of you who actually read this (or better yet, those wonderful people who have been here to see it themselves!) know that Jabillo only has 150 or so people and therefore, does not have a movie theater (among many other things!) So instead, I brought the theater to the rural zone. We kicked off the school year (Feb-Dec here in CR) with a Screen on the Green type event sponsored by Panasonic. Only replace Green with one-room-plastic-encased-windows-boiling-oven-school and you have a more accurate description! With no AC it’s needless to say that the movies in Jabillo are not a good way to escape the heat (but I’ll say it anyway!) Regardless, there was a great turnout and the kids were enthralled with the big screen and surround sound, so the event was a success despite the contribution of only two parents for the food fundraiser. (We still made over $50, which is great considering we were working with empanadas and Coke!) Carros (Cars) and (Los Cuatro Fantantasticos (The Fantastic Four) were a smash in the campo that day!

Some Rivers Weren't Meant to Be Crossed

It may seem that I have forgotten how to write or possibly that I have failed to maintain computer and Internet knowledge. Maybe some of you thought that the Ticos held me captive these last months. Or that I was lost in the jungle.

Fortunately, none of the above is exactly accurate. The truth is that I’ve been busy.

What? Me, busy? The one who used to complain that the most productive accomplishment of the day was drinking coffee with the neighbors? That’s right…
…proyectos galore.
…wonderful family and friends from home who decided I was worthy of visiting.
…chatting up the Prez of this great República. (No, that’s not a joke; I actually met the Nobel Prize winner Oscar Arias!)
Here’s what I’ve been up to all this time:

First of all, being home for the holidays was... rejuvenating. Family, friends, great food, paved roads, movie theaters, modernity galore... Many thanks to those who welcomed me home. Here's the family at our annual Christmas morning brunch. Awww...

Back in January things were ho-hum, as there’s no school and the times are slow. I passed a few days with my mom’s hippie cult in Nosara. Ok, so it was really an intensive yoga program, but that’s about the same thing. It was quite a trip: my mom, the ultra-conservative, chilling with all the radicals…

Early February marked disaster, as I tried to show my mom the splendor of this beautiful country but only succeeded in demonstrating the danger of river mouths and the bad side of a particularly bad couple. The road to Playa Carmen is on the beach and we missed the exit back inland, crossing (or rather, not crossing) an impassable estero or river mouth. When the water seeped into the car, it ruined two laptops, a camera, and an iPod. If that wasn’t bad enough, the car itself had electrical problems.

To top it all off, my mom’s purse was stolen the next day, including passport and car keys. After being stranded at the ferry all day long, we finally make it the capital San José nearing midnight to wait in line at the US Embassy the next day to replace the passport. Of course, in the morning the car wouldn’t start…

But in the end, we had a lovely stay at the Arenal volcano and enjoyed beauty and wonder of the natural hot springs generated by the underground lava. Due to all the appliance issues, I have no photos of any of these events. Maybe one day some will be recovered! Mom, despite it all, thank you so much for visiting and spending time with me in my town. I loved having you here!

Oh, and I found one picture, here's the beach near my mom's hippie convent.

Mission Acomplished!

How long does it take to complete a 3 page proposal soliciting money from the Japanese Embassy?
Almost five months.
Why so long?
If you don’t want to know, stop reading now!!

Some of you may or may not remember that my town has a partially completed salón comunal (community center). This is basically a large building in which groups can hold meetings and realize community activities. In my town’s case, it’s the only location (almost) available for many activities such as dances or bingo. The community desperately needs to organize such events for much needed funding. Community groups are often a sole source of financial support, especially in the case of the health centers, schools, churches, etc.

Back in mid-August, I received a tip from my director that the Japanese Embassy of Costa Rica accepts applications for donations, especially for infrastructure projects. Perfect for my town! I think to myself, and download a copy for inspection. It includes several parts and I assume, simple, we’ll put it together in a month and have everything ready to go before the year ends. (Keep in mind it’s August. This allows for three months of government turnarounds. It might be a bit optimistic, but I’m here to see the bright side. It’s part of my job.) Anyway, I forgot that I live in rural Costa Rica. It’s a different kind of process. Here’s a timeline:

1998: The association receives about $1000 that was originally for the aqueduct system, but no longer needed. It decided to start reconstruction of the salón comunal (a tree fell on the original several years before this date).

2000: Government donates materials for cement floor and walls. Structure begins to appear, though it is interesting to note that the cement floor covers less than half the area surrounded by the walls.

2005: Municipality of Nandayure donates materials for basic roof structure. They sit around collecting dust until…

2006: …the Municipality donates more materials for the tin roof; the community has a dance and earns enough for the labor cost. I arrive in May, when said roof still has yet to exist. After a dismal contracting problem, it finally appears in December, but the Municipality only donated enough tin for half the area of the roof. I start my project in early September.

Part (1) basic information. Easy enough. I have to hold out on the total donation solicited, but otherwise finished in about five minutes.

Part (2) project summary and details, including proof of ownership of property. A bit more difficult, but reachable. I describe the project, explaining the need of the center and the socio-economic situation of the community, who benefits and how. I inform about community input to date. I include a copy of my Community Analysis Evaluation, a diagnostic project that took about six months to finish. (Granted, this document was not entirely completed until December, so had we in fact been able to submit the application earlier, we would have sent an unfinished version of the community analysis.)

Part (3) budget or amount solicited. Up until this point, I have been able to work through informal interviews and keen observation. Now I may know how to write and how to organize, but I know little about construction and quantities of building materials. So here comes the collaboration part. I need the association to list the products we will solicit in the necessary quantities. The problem is, they don’t know either. After first requesting the information in early September, I wait until mid-October before learning what I need to ask for from the hardware store. I begin hunting for the best options.

Part (4) information from soliciting organization, including previous financial information. Here I collide with real issues. Welcome to a place where paper records are either non-existent or illegible for any or all of the following reasons: paper succumbs to attacks by insects, mold takes over, unwitting person folds paper beyond recognition (and then spilled coffee on it), paper gets lost, only copy of paper is given to “someone” never to be seen again, etc. The development association has been in the process of construction of this salón for over seven years. Yet they have not one financial statement. No budget, no expense report, no receipts, no reports, no papers whatsoever! It takes a month to get the Comité del Salón Comunal (yes, there’s actually a committee! They just hadn’t met since before I’d arrived many months earlier.) Once they do, I am able to form a hazy timeline outlining previous financial transactions.

In December, I’m nearly ready to go. I’m waiting on a hardware store for an updated budget estimate. They are holding out on me. I call, I visit, I am nice, I am necia (annoying), I am fed up. Time runs out and I leave for vacation. Giving up hopes up concluding in 2006, I return in January resolved to turn the proposal in the same month. I visit several other hardware stores and complete the budget. I tweak the whole application, print copies and present it to the president of the development association for a signature and the official stamp. I explain in detail the various parts and show him where to sign and stamp. He’s busy, so I tell him to read it overnight and I’ll come back the next day. Over the course of a week, I return several times and leave disappointed (and empty-handed). Not yet fazed, I wait at the pulpería last Wednesday, demanding attention as I am going to San José the following day to submit the project. He comes out with another copy of my community analysis (a completely different document, one which he had little to do with and less authrorization to sign). Trying not to lose my cool after having given such explicit directions several times, I calmly explain that I only need the part that says Signature and Stamp. He signs, I rejoice, everyone’s happy. One part left: take the proposal to the Japanese Embassy in San José and present it.

I miss the bus. It comes 20 minutes early and I miss it.

Luckily a neighbor is driving into the capital (in a car, what luck!) and I head in with him on the 5pm ferry. (I plan to go to the Embassy in the morning before catching the 10:30am bus to Esperanza to visit my mom.) Here´s the view from the ferry dock to compensate a lack of pictures.

Unfortunately we run into heavy traffic (you would think major highways had more than one lane, but they don’t. So if there’s accident, plan on turning around or waiting for hours). Then we get a flat tire. We turn around for a back roads route to San José but by this time it’s late and my neighbor decides that it’s a much better idea to stay at his cousin’s place. Not my top choice, but I’m not the one with a car. We leave at 6am to arrive early in the city (drive takes about an hour). Two and a half hours of traffic later, I finally arrive! Against all odds, I make it to the Embassy and submit my project. Now we’re in the waiting phase… to be continued.

Note: The application really wasn’t complicated. It was straightforward and (at least up until this point) there were no hidden strings. But my association president made a striking comment. He declared, “We couldn’t have done this. I’ve never learned how to compile anything like this.”

In OTHER news, I started a sustainable project in my own house! No, it´s not a reading hour, it´s just encouraging fascination with my camara. But at least I had them pretending that they liked to read!

Another favorite pastime... playing in the dirt! (Isn´t he adorable?)

Asamblea de Navidad

Early in December, the Comite Tutelar that we established in my town held an Asamblea de Navidad (literally, Christmas Assembly) for familites in the area. The idea was to raise awareness of the committee and generate ideas from the communities themselves for future projects. I was in San Jose on medical leave the week before we had the Asamblea, so I was really worried that we hadn't planned enough, that no one would show up, that everything would turn out to be a disaster. (I had to see doctors about this awful cough that I'd had for about a month. Then I pulled a muscle in my stomach from cough so hard and had to stay the week! Ouch... I'm sort of better now. ::Cough, cough::)

Anyway, the event was fabulous! Entire families came from about 5 towns, including mine. There were about 120 people altogether, which made for a very successful turnout. We had planned for a nice sunny day on the plaza (soccer field) with a parent discussion on kids' rights and protection, Santa's gift-giving, door prizes, a pinata, and more! And then it rained, but they didn't abandon ship! Instead, we took the meeting over to the schoolhouse and started over. To explain a bit, this Comite Tutelar is part of a UNICEF-motivated law to protect children and improve their quality of life. They can establish after-school activities and continuing education, such as anti-violence or anti-drug programs.

I am not on the Comite but I helped establish it, so I am sort of like the facilitator. I gave an what I thought was to be an introductory speech (in Spanish!) about who we were and what we wanted to do. It turned into a lot more... it was a bit disappointing that no one who is actually on the Comite wanted to say a few words, but I can definitely understand. (A lot of people are really timid when it comes to leadership. It's one of the challenges I often face working with local groups.) Anyway, after collecting all the suggestions and feedback from the parents, it was time for the party! Santa gave gifts to all the kids and then there was the pinata. Oh, how Ticos love their pinatas! Everyone enjoyed the event and I couldn't have been more pleased!

Gobble, Gobble

One more picture from the AVC (All-Volunteer Conference), when all the PC volunteers join for a conference (very self-explanatory, right?) in a city called Tres Rios, or Three Rivers. I'm in the second row, behind the girl in red. There's so many people now, I don't know everyone. Most of them live too far too visit anyway... :)


In other news, my host sister Cristina was married in November. They are pretty young, but they are carving out their new life together. In the picture, the newlyweds are celebrating their wedding with the baile de billete (those who actually read this may remember what that is!) I was lucky enough to dance with both the groom and the bride!

For Thanksgiving, known in Costa Rica (at least for those who have heard of it) as el Dia de la Accion de Gracias, my training group Tico 14 decided to have a good old traditional turkey dinner. Ben even hauled a 17-lb or so turkey all the way from San Jose! Here's Dave and Dan handling the big bird. It took us a while to figure out how to cook it without an oven! Many thanks to the Stucki's for hosting our dinner and obtaining the kitchen of a local restaurant for our personal use. The group straggled in from various parts of the country to the island of Tortuguerro on the Carribean coast. Note the word island and keep in mind that bridges are often lacking just for small rivers, so needless to say you must arrive in a boat. For me it was a journey from one side of the country to the other, literally coast to coast. Total travel time: something like 15 hours. But worth the effort. It was my second Thanksgiving in a row without my family, so it was important to be with good friends! We enjoyed the beautiful dark sand beaches, saw turtles make their way into the challenging life in the ocean, and of course, enjoyed great food! The whole crew is ready to eat in this last picture!