Monday: Nothing. That’s right, nothing.
Tuesday: 8-11 A.M. Spanish
11-12 A.M. Spanish Conversations
4-5:30 P.M. Latin American Dance
Wednesday: 11-12 A.M. Spanish Conversations
1-4 P.M. Latin American Culture
4-6 P.M. Latin American Cuisine
Thursday: 11-12 A.M. Spanish Conversations
Friday: 8-11 A.M. Spanish
In the mornings when I have classes before 8, I will wake up early
to run on the beach or do a beach body workout with some of my
classmates (shoutout to Becky, can’t wait for Wednesday). I have done
something physical everyday (whether it's a run, hike, or snorkeling)
since I’ve been here, and my body is thanking me for it over and over
again. I’ve never felt so mentally and physically healthy, and it’s only
been a week!
I originally thought that since I don’t have classes on Monday, I
would travel with a friend of mine who also doesn’t have class with me,
but, alas, I have been proven wrong. I seemed to have forgotten that I
was actually going to school here. I have a decent amount of homework
and finishing it all on Mondays will prove to be invaluable. This will
allow me to spend more time on the porch with my family for the rest of
the week-which is my favorite activity here in Puntarenas.
My Spanish class is for Track IV students which means that for the
first half of the semester the class will cover Advanced Spanish I and
the second half of the semester we will delve into Advanced Spanish II.
Our class is the biggest track, but we are already becoming a family.
I ended up adding Spanish Conversations because everyone I knew who
was taking it was raving about the class. Although I’ve only had one
class so far, I can tell that it will be one of my better decisions this
semester. The class consists of a small group of Track III and Track IV
students that sits in a circle and discusses pertinent topics regarding
Costa Rican culture and current events. Fluency isn’t about asking,
“Como esta?” and “Donde esta el bano?” (I can’t use accents on this
blog). This class will help me to discuss my opinions and bring my
relationships with Spanish speakers to a much deeper level.
DANCE IS SO FUN. It’s also a huge workout. We’ve learned how to Cha
Cha Cha and will learn how to Salsa, Bachata, and much more by the end
of the semester. When Costa Ricans go out they love to dance so we’ve
already gotten to show off our moves a few times at some local bars. We
have a blast and don’t mind the stares we get from locals one bit.
Latin American Culture is in the running for my favorite class of
the semester after one week. It is also the class with the most work
attached. The professor wants us to use all of our Spanish language
skills to learn about culture so there is a lot of reading, watching
movies, writing, and speaking within the class load. I just finished my
first round of homework for this class an hour ago and have already
learned about how Costa Ricans flirt, the helpful nature of ticos
(native Costa Ricans), how words that are considered offensive in other
cultures are not considered offensive in the Costa Rican culture, the
importance of grocery stores as social gathering locations, informal
soccer games, farmer’s markets, the ease with which ticos converse with
strangers, the difference in how directions are given here as compared
to the rest of the world, all about the word, “chuncha,” which basically
means “thingumabob,” and the importance and history of how coffee came
to Costa Rica and how it is harvested. THAT WAS ALL IN ONE CLASS WORTH
OF READINGS.
We are starting with Costa Rica, but the class will be a
comprehensive look at different cultures throughout Latin America and
how they are different from one another. I have a group project in this
class, and the topic is to look at how African culture affects Costa
Rica, particularly on the Carribean Coast. You know what that means? A
weekend trip to interview Costa Ricans in the Carribean. That’s what. I
LOVE SCHOOL.
Cuisine is a great group of 8 girls, and the food is incredible. We
all are given small tasks to complete individually which add up to a
whole meal, which was arroz con pollo this week. At the end of the
semester I will have complete cookbook of classic Latin American meals
to share with my friends and family for years to come.
I also ended up picking up Surfing Class! It will be 5 weekends of
learning to surf in Jaco, Costa Rica. We had our first meeting today,
and they told us to build up stamina before our first class so a few of
us went and did an Insanity workout later today. I think we have a
little more work to do lol. We’ll all stay in a hostel together on the
weekends where the surfing teachers (?) are planning on throwing us pool
parties.
That rounds out to a grand total of 17 completely amazing and
absolutely incredible hours of learning for this semester. When I’m not
in class I’m almost always on the beach, with my host family, sitting in
circle (again) on the beach under the stars, or dancing in a local bar
here. I couldn’t ask for a better life to be my normal, but the weekends
are going to be absolutely amazing if this weekend has anything to say
about it! I’ll start writing about this weekend now. Chao!
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Read more from Caroline at: http://carolinegeorge95.wix.com/puntarenas
For more information on the USAC Costa Rica: Spanish
Language, Ecological, and Latin American Studies in Puntarenas program, visit: http://usac.unr.edu/study-abroad-programs/costa-rica/puntarenas
