Movin' On Up

 

Last Saturday, we moved…from the hustle and bustle of the city streets to the most glorious little beach town. So I suppose I could blame my lack of recording our daily experiences on the waves, or the gentle rain that falls without fail each day, or on the book I’ve been reading lately…but to be honest, it’s probably a combination of most of these factors. Many of our days here have been spent rather lazily…and with this being the wet season, the steady rain continues to fall.

I’ve certainly gotten good at filling my days here…Julia has always been good at that sort of thing, with her writing and reading and such. Something about being so near the ocean each day has helped me to relax into the day and not feel like I have to hurry. This lack of hurrying has caused us both to feel a bit more local (or as they would say 'tica') with each passing day.

There is so much to say…and rather than hit you with it all at once, I’m going to pace myself with tidbits. Get ready…I think we all know I’m quite a talker once I get going…

Oh dear.

Oh dear. I’ve been such a lackadaisical blogger as of late, I’m afraid. And, oh, how I’ve missed you! It seems silly, I suppose to tell you that you’re missed…as this blog is written to no one in particular, and yet each day when I sit down to write I simply think of those I miss most…and that is y'all! Especially since I’ve yet to make it famous in the blogging world, I’m quite certain that anyone who is reading this is already someone I know and love. It’s true that Costa Rica is not all that far away…and yet, it feels far away. The comments and notes that y’all have sent my way in response to this blog have given me quite a thrill. It’s always nice to know that someone is listening, but it’s especially nice when it’s those you love who are the listeners.

So, I’m back…and hopefully my ramblings will continue to make your visits here feel worthwhile!

If Only...

I'm trying to learn Spanish. Really trying. Julia brought a series of 12 tapes that are helping me along...each tape is a story about a fellow named Peter Wilson. Oh, Peter Wilson. I think he's a drug dealer...he goes to visit strangers in Guadelahara, Mexico and takes them packages. Hmmm...

I've been told that it's helpful to really immerse yourself in the language, listening to it being spoken as often as possible...thus I've also resorted to watching Costa Rican talk shows...and sometimes I can actually catch a word or two of what they're saying. Seeing Dr. Phil being referred to as "Doctora Phillipe" is kinda awesome.

But alas, my progress is slow. If you have any recommendations, hit me with 'em...

After explaining this to my dear friend Eden today, she sent me the following clip. I couldn't help but be jealous of these fella.

When Julia first saw this commercial, she said, "That will be you! After you finish the 12 tape series!" She is so optimistic...and frankly, would probably would be great at selling things on infomercials based on this enthusiasm...

If listening to 13 hours worth of Spanish tapes would result in me being able to speak fluently about buying chips at a gas station, I'm there. Until that occurs, I'll keep hanging out with Peter Wilson.

Lovin' a Cheerio

As with most adventures, I jumped in head-first to this whole blog thing. And I've been so surprised with all of you -- sweet friends that actually listen to my ramblings.

Living in a new place has been such an experience. There are already lots of aspects of our life here that I've grown to love...and lots of aspects of our life from NYC (and the rest of the good 'ol U S of A) that I've missed. It's hard to feel so far away from dear family and friends...and in some way, this blog has helped me to feel connected to y'all. It sure does help that I'm with sweet Julia: Home is wherever I'm with you.

We've now been here almost two weeks, and with each day, our surroundings begin to feel more and more like home. There is a level of familiarity with the fact that I can order a cappuccino here and know exactly what to expect. (I'm guilty of being a bit of a coffee snob...and thus, I need to know what I'm getting when it comes to good foam.) We've started having daily coffee dates at the local market. I love that canela (cinnamon) comes standard atop the foam here.

Anyone who has traveled abroad to a place where you don't speak the local language can probably relate to this...the feeling of never really knowing what to expect. You can order at a restaurant thinking you'll be given one thing, only to be surprised by the plate that arrives in front of you. Hence my excitement when I found a box of Cheerios for sale at the grocery store...there's just something deliciously familiar about those lil' o's floating in my cereal bowl each morning...

Things like riding the local bus were once an overwhelming adventure, and now, I know how to hand the driver my colones with confidence, using just enough Spanish to convince him that maybe I know what I'm doing.

This is our local bus stop...and no, Sindy is not the youngest Brady Bunch sister, but rather the former name of the local grocery store: Super Sindy. So clever. The store has since been renamed Perimercado, but everyone insists on referring to it as ex-Super Sindy...and thus, the bus stop name remains as well.

I've found a local park where I can go for morning runs...which means that my poor ol' knees are feeling better...and also means that I don't feel like I'm risking my life by dodging street drains and cracks in the sidewalk. The sidewalks here are flanked by deep drains (to catch the rain that never fails to fall each day when the heavens open up), and would make a New York City safety inspector faint. We've laughed at the fact that most corners have a "bridge" over the deep drains marked with a handicapped symbol. Seriously? You think a wheelchair could survive these crazy cracked sidewalks? Yeah, right. (I'll have photo evidence of this soon...it'll give you a laugh. Promise.)

You betta believe I'll have some more comments about finding the familiar. Here's to finding joy in the midst of unfamiliar...and being awfully thankful when I find myself getting used to things around here.

P.S...if you would like to be e-mailed when a new post is added to this blog, now you can! On the upper right-hand side of the home page, you can enter your e-mail address where it says "Follow by E-Mail". Just like that, you'll get a friendly reminder in your inbox. Cool, huh?

A Night at the Symphony

Last Friday night we went on a date to the Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica...it was my first time to the symphony...and I must say, it was a rather electrifying experience.

The National Symphonic Orchestra of Costa Rica performed Liszt and Mahler. They were just so good. So good.

The Teatro Nacinal was built in the late 1800's, and is a great source of pride for Costa Ricans, built at a time when coffee exports were wildly successful. The theatre is used for performances of only the highest quality, and an extremely selective process determines performances for the year. The building itself is considered the finest historical building in the capital city.

The interior space was unbelievable. Such an amazing night...not just due to the music, but especially to the person with whom I shared it.

Letting the Rain Fall...

When you live in New York City, rain is never very much fun. Navigating city streets and sidewalks becomes a greater challenge when sidewalks are covered in puddles...not to mention dodging the umbrellas of surrounding passers-by. Many a day I've gotten caught in the rain without appropriate footwear, and despite my travel umbrellas' feeble attempts to keep me dry, my cowboy boots sometimes take days to recover from an unexpected downpour.

Living in Costa Rica during the wet season has caused me to experience rain in an entirely different way.

Granted, I am no longer in a place that prides itself on hustle and bustle...and it's rare that I find myself hurrying anywhere. That said, it rains here...everyday. Were I the gambling type, I would never bet against the rain finding it's way to our new home. Clearly it's known as the wet season for a reason. Most days, we arise to blue skies and views of green mountains in the distance...but soon enough, the dark clouds form.

There is something glorious about an afternoon rain shower. The changes in the colors of the sky throughout the day can be almost breathtaking. Knowing that the rain will inevitably come for a visit each day makes it an almost welcome surprise.

I have no doubt that these are not the last rainy day photos I'll share...but here are a few...

 

Hope you are enjoying the sunshine whenever it finds you...and maybe even the rain, too.

To Market, To Market

Anyone who knows me well knows that I have a thing for good food. At first glace, Costa Rica leaves something to be desired in this department. The fact that gallo pinto (fancied up rice and beans) is their national food...well, that says something.

Sweet Julia has tried her damnedest to find exciting restaurants that she thought we would love...and she has succeeded many times. We had grilled fish at a lovely little cafe in downtown San Jose, lots of really delicious cappuccinos, and the other night she took me out for sushi!

Realistically though, we can't go to a restaurant for every meal...

Our first visit to the local supermarket proved to be less than appetizing. The meat department alone turned me into a temporary vegetarian. And my less-than-stellar Spanish skills caused me to buy skim yogurt instead of skim milk...which of course I didn't realize until the next morning. Boo.

But, I wouldn't be admitting all of this to you if I didn't have better news to report.

Things started to take a turn for the better when we visited San Jose's Central Market...

Colorful mountains of spices

Vendors with different types of cheeses

Enough tropical fruits to make your head spin

I was crushin' on this scale...to hang in our kitchen...ooooh, lovely.

 

After we meandered through the tight, windy aisles of fresh food, there were countless small restaurants ("sodas" as they're known in Costa Rican) serving everything from cerviche to hamburgers to coffees...it felt like I was walking back in time, as clearly so many of these sodas have been here for years and years...

 

 

 

 

One of my favorite views was a long table full of older women sitting around a big pot of soup, talking and cackling. 

 

 

 We continued to wander and found a string of stalls that had local herbs, to be used for cooking and medicines. There was one friendly lady that wanted to tell us all about her plants and herbs.

We bought some spearmint from her to take home and make tea. She didn't let us pay for it at first...it was like we had made a new friend!

 Loved his hat.

Outside the Mercado Central. Such a tourist.

Our fresh spearmint tea!

I've always loved a local market. It says so much about the community...and the ways they express their tastes.

Clearly a place with this much of a focus on food has to have some other good markets and grocery stores that are a bit closer to our home...so, I did some research. The owner of our guest house, who is a real dear, educated me about all of the grocery options in the area. It was this conversation that led me to inform Julia that we needed to take a trip to the AutoMercado. Apparently, this is where most Costa Ricans actually shop.

We went yesterday...and we both agreed it was one of the most pleasant grocery shopping experiences we've had in awhile (and yes, this includes our visits to groceries in the U.S.!)

It was so civilized...no one was in much of a hurry, everything was clean and well-organized, and they had an employee in every section waiting to answer questions or offer assistance. Tuanis, I said.

We filled up our cart with organic chicken, fresh spinach, deli turkey, sopressata...the list goes on. It was a feeling of 'lions and tigers and bears, oh my!'

Since our guest house has a kitchen, we're able to cook most of our meals at home and save our dining out experiences for special occasions. Most of the meals we make at home are pretty 'American'...but if that means I'm not eating too much rice and beans, I'm ok with that!