tuanis.

Today was INCREDIBLE! Oh my gosh easily the best day yet. I am going to try my very hardest to do it justice..

For breakfast mi madre fixed me a FAT plate of scrambled eggs and plantains. Deliciousness!

Then our TOURISTA taxis picked us up at 7:30 to head over to Selvatura Canopy Tours for a day of zip-lining through the cloud forest. We had a group of 12, and our taxis were divided up with 9 in one taxi and 3 in the other. Then, once we made it up the trocha, the 3 of us in the second taxi got into the other taxi and our driver peaced out. I just love the taxis. So much.

We got to Selvatura at like 8:15 and the place was packed with fellow touristas. So many rando languages to be heard at a Costa Rica zip-line attraction in the early morning. Also, I could see my breath, which is endlessly fascinating for me. We filled out waivers with our names, ID numbers, and signatures. ID numbers could be your social security number, your passport number, your drivers license number, or your phone number. What? I chose all of the above in hopes my identity would be stolen.

Then they took us into this room that at first glance looked like total chaos but then you realized all of the yelling and harnesses and craziness was a system. Eduardo strapped me up in my harness and bright orange helmet and handed me my hardcore gloves. I asked him how I looked and he gave me the once-over and said "guapita." But what's new, right?

I was very confused by the gloves because they were construction gloves reenforced with a fat slab of leather on the palms. I quickly gained an immense appreciation for them, though. When you zip line, you sit in your harness with your knees up and your ankles crossed and you have your non-dominant hand on the rope connecting your harness to the cable (aka your polyester life support) and your dominant hand on the cable behind your head. So that fat slab of leather ensures that the friction doesn't burn your palms to a bloody mess. Yay for weird gloves.

We started out with a baby line just to practice. Then we got to the good stuff. Oh my gosh it was so amazing. I zip lined through clouds, above the trees of the rainforest. What? Yes. That happened. This is my life. There were 15 lines. The highest altitude was 300 feet, and the longest line was 2100 feet long. The longer ones were awesome because being in the cloud made it so that you couldn't see very far in front of you. It looked like the line just cut off mid-air. It didn't, though. The shorties were fun, too. You got to zip through all the flora and fauna and all things beautiful and green. And there is nothing more amazing that flying through the air and looking down on a rainforest. It was breathtaking and made me feel so alive. At one point, I just had to scream "PURA VIDA!"

And at other points, I just had to scream. Yes, I was that girl--the screamer of the group. At the end of every line when I was sure I was going to hit the tree and intermittently on the really fast lines. And most of all on the Tarzan swing. The Tarzan swing made me a woman. Let me explain: you climb up about 30 feet of stairs, get strapped in, and fall. Straight-up fall 30 feet. I was FREAKING out. Cayman, being the rockstar she is, jumped to the front of the line. Then Cheesecake, our fearless leader. Then Deany Weany (if you haven't noticed by now Dean and Kathy are like the most BA grandparents ever). Then me. Our favorite guide Jeff was giving me a hard time telling me not to cry and that only 2 people die a week as the other guide clipped me in, bent my knees, and pushed me to my death. As I plummeted towards the ground, all I could think was death, death, death and then I started to swing and life was good again. And you know I screamed bloody murder for those death seconds. Then Eduardo caught me with the black tube thingy and brought me back to land. Sweet sweet land. My hands were cracked out shaking, but I couldn't stop smiling.

There are three levels of lines. The level of a line is determined by how hard it is to break at the end of the line. Breaking requires you to pull down with your dominant hand on the cable, thereby assuming that a person has at least a minimal level of upper body strength. Unfortunately for our guides, I am profoundly lacking in the upper body strength department. So, instead of me slowing myself down before getting to the platform, I came in FULL speed, bracing myself for the tree that seemed to be my inescapable fate. I nearly killed Jeff a few times, but somehow he managed to catch me before I hit the tree every time. He laughed at my lack of breaking skills a lot, and told me that I was putting an awful lot of trust in someone that I didn't even know. Well, we're bffl now, Jefferson Rodriguez and I. His personal fave was when I literally did not even try to brake and ended up slamming my knee into the cable when he caught me. Cayman said that she could tell it was a bad landing from the other end of the line. Yikes.

So three hours and one and a half miles of zip line later, we were all on such a high. I love today!

For lunch we went to this seafood restaurant in Santa Elena. We pre-ordered our meals yesterday. I got the fish meal that came with beans, rice, salad, and plantains. We all got chips and bean dip for appetizers and ice cream with chocolate syrup (AHH!) and cherries for dessert. And weird but delicious juice with lots of foam and lots of pineapple pulp. The fish was so wonderful. I just went to town.

Then we walked around Santa Elena for a couple of hours. I feel like I have drawn today out a lot already though so that's all you need to know about those couple of hours.

We got back to campus a couple of hours ago and I passed out on the couch in the biblioteca for a blissful 20 minutes. I have done nothing productive as far as school work is concerned, but it's whatever. There's always tomorrow.

peace love and yes this is my life

This morning for breakfast mi madre made me mashed potatoes, gallo pinto (rice and beans), and tortillas. I'm worried that I'm not getting enough carbohydrates.

I made it about three-quarters of the way up the hill before I started sweating. I'd say that's progress.

The punk-cows were out again, and this time they had friends. All of the cows that were behind the barbed wire were staring me down. It was the creepiest thing ever. There were like 20 of them, just eyeing me. Bah!

Dean in all his crazy liberal wonderfulness had a movie about global warming for us to watch this morning. Its narrated slash hosted by Alanis Morissette. Random. So we were about 2 minutes into it when all of a sudden the power went out. Apparently it does that a lot. Dean didn't skip a beat and just talked right on through the 20 minutes without power. He's a rockstar.

In Jeffs class we did these crazy poems called "Ghazals." They're Persian and weird as heck. I was feelin it.

To my dearest Katie Yang:

Yesterday my "friend" Tess told me that I shouldn't write about every meal I eat. Same "friend" that told me that my blog is boring and refuses to read it. I will include all my meals from here on out.

For lunch we had veggies, rice, pureed beans, and ceviche with lettuce. I wanted chips with my ceviche, not lettuce. Ugh. Then I had tea and coconut cookies.

Apparently in Social Problems (Dean's other class that I'm not in), Dean jumped up on the table and did a dance on the table in celebration of cereal with beer instead of milk. What? Dean why are you so weird? Also shout out to sb07 and Dave's beer-ios.

While they were dancing on tables in Social Problems, I was in the comedor taking my first Spanish test. 5 pages. You're killin me, Carla.

Jennifer was a no-show for English lessons today, so we decided to hold off on the animal charades. I just felt like that would be really awkward for Susan. So instead we played go fish to practice pronunciation of numbers (a stretch, I know). Geovanny came and played with us. He has the week off, but has been around like every day this week just hanging out. He sang Ricky Martin songs and Mambo #5 for us. The boy loves to sing. Oh, Geovanny.

Then I walked home to mi familia with Tess. No rain today. Crazy.

Marta got home from university today. She gave me chocolate. I like her.

We ate dinner with some rando who was at the house buying chickens. It was so awkward. No one was talking. I just watched the TV. Unfabulous is the new series on TeleTico (ps on teletico, there is one chosen series that runs every single day until the series is over, so the weird patito feo show is over and now it's unfabulous for the next couple of weeks I guess). For dinner we had chicken. FRESH chicken. Like mi-padre-killed-it-just-a-few-hours-before-it-was-on-my-plate chicken. Chicken and rice and beans and some delicious orange-esque juice. Yum. I finished all my chicken and all my beans and still got hell for not cleaning my plate.

Tonight was the Latin American Idol finale. I don't think I have ever experienced a more dramatic and drawn-out decision. For the two hours leading up to the decision, every commercial break had a "Text MARIA to 43657" commercial and there were news casters at 5 different bars across the country interviewing people about Maria Jose and Margarita. Toyota gave Maria Jose a Yaris. People were just going nuts. Then Margarita won. Mi madre was crying, the newscasters were crying, and it was just a sad, sad night for Costa Rica. My whole fam was pissed. They were just cursing Margarita and Panama (Margarita's country) and were so torn up over Maria Jose losing. I was pretty sad, too. I have grown to love Maria Jose.

Now it's time to pass out.

peace love and carb fests

This morning I walked to school with a couple of cows. After the hill, there is this stretch of road that goes to the Ecolodge (campus) and for the past two days a couple of punk-age cows have just been hanging out on that road. When I first saw them I was terrified that they were going to charge at me and kill me. But then I kept walking and soon realized that they were terrified of me. They turned and started walking away from me, looking back and giving me the eye every so often. So it was more of a me walking behind them and them running away from me, but whatever.

For breakfast I had a fat plate of plantains. I ate them all and loved every second of it.

I sat with my parents for like an hour talking about past students they've had and stuff. They gave me the perfect lead in to ask about coming back to stay with them after my program. So I asked and they said yes of course there will always be room for me in their house. Yay!

Insert classes/ lunch.

It rained all afternoon. I tried to wait it out to walk home, but then I realized that I could potentially be waiting until November. So I walked home in the rain just before it got dark with Tess and Tia. We were toying with ideas of what to do once the program is over. My personal fave is orbit around Costa Rica via bus. I'll keep you posted.

I got home and mi madre and I ate dinner together. The boys didn't like what she had made or something. Or they had already eaten? Why is my Spanish so weak? Then they gave me a mug of hot milk. Drinking straight-up milk normally makes me want to die, but this hot stuff was surprisingly decent. Except my stomach was a hot mess like as soon as the stuff hit my lips. Then mi padre gave me this glass of like hot liquid flan. Thick hot sweet milky something. It was good but I couldn't finish because my stomach was horribly angry with me.

After dinner we watched the movie "Mirrors." It was really good. Except after the movie I was really afraid to look into the bathroom mirror.

Oh and also Maria Jose gave her final performance last night. It was the craziest thing because Latin American Idol comes on at 7, but so does the news. So the news came on a little early, and every time Maria Jose started a song, the news would cut off and it would show her perfomance instead. Ridiculousness. Maria Jose was sick all week, but she pulled it out. Mi madre was crying. Literally. Tears down the woman's face. The winner will be announced tomorrow night. If Maria Jose doesn't win I am afraid of what mi madre will do.

Um so that's my day. Snoozefest, I know. Lo siento.

peace love and picaflor picaflor (playa playa)

This morning mi madre made me an omelet to put on my tortillas. It was so delicious. It was just my parents and I for breakfast, and we sat there for at least an hour talking. Mi padre was telling me about how he can't work at all this week and maybe not even next week on a project that needs to be done by December 1 because he was running two power tools on their one teensy power box at the site and then it stopped working. The family car also stopped working this weekend while I was away. So we can't make a family trip to Bar Amigo til it's fixed. Sad times!

After breakfast came the hill. I made it to the school in 25 minutes. Go me. I had also packed a shirt to change into. Go me again. It's just a matter of time before I master this stupid hill.

In Dean's class we have been talking a lot about the atrocity that is bottled water (my love). I am going to have to give it up for the greater good, I'm afraid. Sad day for Sarah. Sad day indeed. But honestly, it takes 3 gallons of oil to produce one of those stupid bottles that are intentionally made thin and fragile so that you can't reuse them. Then we only recycle 20% of plastic bottles, leaving about 1.5 million tons of waste per year. Ridiculous.

Lunch was a grave disappointment today. It was some sort of beef stew with over-stewed veggies floating in beef fat. And beans and rice. So I ate beans and rice, and a couple of tomato pieces when the salad finally came out. Thank goodness for Crunchy Peanut Butter Clif Bars. And for snacks. They had the delicious jelly biscuit things and peanut butter cookies. The kitchen staff is amazing.

In English lessons today we played Pictionary (Melanie, this is another game for you and I to dominate at). We went over parts of the house, which had the potential to be a very boring lessons, but Tess and I are awesome so it wasn't. I initially thought of charades, but I think we will save that for Thursday when we go over animals.

I walked home with Tess a little after 5. It was dark and rainy by 5:20. Yay.

When I got home mi madre asked if I was ready to dance. I said of course I was! And I told her that I told all my friends about dance lessons and that they were really jealous. She thought that was funny. We chatted some about our days before the boys got home. When Kevin walked in, he did the kiss thing with me but then he was like "tuanes" (which he explained is like "pura vida") and did like a handshake/ pound thing with me. This obviously means that we are now bff. Mi madre and I were hopeful that Kaylor would be in a better mood today. Our hopes were in vain, I'm afraid. He got home all smiles and kiss-things, and then when mi madre asked if he was going to dance with us he got all fussy again. He went to bed right after dinner so that no one could harass him about dancing. Weak sauce, Kaylor! Kevin cooked us dinner. It was amazing. It was just spaghetti but he made this sauce with fresh tomatoes and cheese and a bunch of spices. It was way good. I actually finished the serving they gave me, and I was proud of myself and made sure everyone at the table knew. Then Kevin pointed out that I had left a few grains of rice (yes, beans and rice do function as a side dish to spaghetti here). Bia bia.

We were all really tired tonight for some reason. So everyone but Kaylor sat and watched the 7:00 news and I was already nodding off. Mi madre asked Kevin if he was up for dancing, but he had mentioned earlier that his back was really hurting him and so he said tomorrow night instead, which was fine by me. We kind of had dessert tonight. It was these kind of sweet pita strips with strawberry jelly. Kevin told me to eat without shame, so I had two. He is just on my case, that one.

Now I need to pass out. Homestays are exhausting.

peace love and crunchy peanut butter clif bars

hola muchachos.

I knew it was going to be a good day when they served pancakes for breakfast this morning.

Deany Weany scheduled a high tea today at 3:30. He and Kathy are fabulous hosts. We had teas, juices, cookies, cracker/ pretzel things, and cheeses. Oh yes. Today was the day to try Choco Cheese. Choco Cheese does not deserve to be called a cheese. Just try to imagine: reduced fat Kraft American cheese slices, with a hint of chocolate. And as if the texture and taste weren't enough, Choco Cheese is brown. Brown like mud. Or poop. Not like cheese. Not by any stretch of the imagination is this horrible violation of nature like cheese.

Not that I actually expected to like Choco Cheese, but I expected to be able to see how someone could possibly like it. Beyond sheer curiosity, I cannot imagine another reason why anyone in their right mind would purchase this heinous excuse for a cheese. I guess they keep in on the shelves for the crazies and the suckas in the TOURISTA taxis. And for our guide from the cheese factory. Questions? Questions?

After high tea, we went back to our homestays. Lindsay decided to be a rockstar today and give us rides home in the truck. Go Lindsay.

I got some quality one-on-one time with mi madre when I got home. She is like the cutest woman ever. I am obsessed. She showed me my babies' new home. It has two lights and much more space so no more babies will die. Yay. Then I sat in the kitchen and did some homework and chatted with mi madre while she cooked dinner. Dinner was some delicious tico version of chicken fried rice. It was delicious, but of course I failed to finish the gargantuan portion that was served to me. Kevin and Kaylor, on the other hand, did not leave a single grain of rice on their plates. And Kaylor is sick. What the heck.

After dinner, I had dancing lessons with mi madre and Kevin. Kaylor refused to dance with us like a little punk. I would have been mad at him, but he makes the cutest angry face. It's like a kissy face--he just sticks out his lips as far as they can go. Freaking adorable. He said he was too sick and tired to dance, even to a single song. I was disappointed because mi madre was going on and on about how great of a dancer Kaylor is. He ended up passing out on the couch. Hopefully he won't be so lame next time.

Mi madre has SO many dancing CDs. She loves to dance. Tonight we worked on my meringue and cumbia. First I would watch mi madre do the steps with Kevin, and then she'd pass Kevin off to me. Kevin gave me a hard time for looking at my feet too much and for forgetting to keep dancing when he was doing a turn or something, but he was nice about it. He's a good brother. I had worked up a sweat by the time we'd finished. It was so much fun. They got to experience my hyena laugh for the first time, so they are fully initiated now.

Lessons ended when Kevin couldn't dance anymore because his knee was hurting him too much. I think he messed it up playing soccer, but I could be making that up because I can't focus on my dancing and on my Spanish at the same time. So then the three of us watched the news. There was this one terrible story about how every 20 minutes, a tica gives herself an abortion. Abortions are illegal in Costa Rica because the government is still tied to the Catholic Church, but apparently that isn't stopping anyone. It was this super graphic segment with re-enactments of two girls' stories, and there were all these horrible scenes with bloody bathrooms and girls sobbing and all that. It was awful.

Okay I can't end on that note.

In happier news: today they had delicious cake and pancakes out for snacks. And in Spanish, Kathy brought me plastic spoons to eat my jar of peanut butter with. And I get to do the kiss thing every day with my brothers. And I haven't totally forgotten all my French yet. And I'm in Costa Rica. Pura vida.

ciao.

peace love and Kaylor's kissy face