another day...another embarrassing moment

It's bad enough when I try saying "I had a nice trip" and I actually say "I had a nice old woman" (viaje/vieja). But then I have all sorts of other embarrassing things happen.

Last Friday my team and I visited downtown San Jose. As we walked through the pedestrian shopping area admiring the buildings, shops, and Tico's, I was approached by a very large "person". They walked straight towards me with their arms outstretched and suddenly I was enveloped in blue foam. My team turned around just in time to see me being released from the arms of a person dressed up in a foam costume that looked like a credit card. You know...the kind of costume that is usually found at little kid's birthday parties. Although I don't know why anyone would advertise credit cards to little kids. I tried to play it cool, but my team started pointing and laughing and describing how red my face was. They were joined by about a thousand Tico's who were within a 10 foot radius of the scene.

On Saturday Carlos and Tati hosted a welcome party for us. The guest list included the local CCC board of directors. Towards the end of the night I noticed that my friend Juan and his wife were saying goodbye to everyone. I approached Juan to give him a kiss on the cheek and say goodbye but he blocked the kiss with his hand and said, "No." I was shocked because Juan is usually so friendly.

Carlos yelled from across the room, "Juan is giving you, Leah, and Jared a ride home." I didn't need to say goodbye because I was actually leaving too! Again I heard the laughter and derision of my team.

car alarms and wrong numbers

This morning my roomie and I went on a walk around the neighborhood. We passed by a teal green car with it's alarm going off. Not so unusual because car alarms are as common as birds chirping. But what was unusual was a parking attendant who nonchalantly and thoroughly washed the car as it was beeping and blaring and trying to get someone's attention that it was being violated. At least I think it was a parking attendant. Maybe he was a car thief who was trying to throw me off with his "good samaritan" spirit.

In other news...I have found that every time my house phone rings I get nervous. Will I answer right? Will I be able to understand the person? Will men keep calling and asking for a someone named Alexis? Every day a different man calls and asks for Alexis...it's starting to make me wonder about the woman who was the previous resident. I've finally figured out four simple words to communicate she doesn't live here. "Ella no vive aqui".

I end up talking to random men on my cell phone too...
Today I answered my cell phone and after a volley of "hello" between me and the caller, I finally heard him say ...."mi amor". That was my cue to hang up. I don't know who this guy is but I'm certainly not his love. It's at moments like these that I am glad I don't understand much Spanish....

My apartment is quite secure

I think I found the most secure apartment in all of San Jose. Today the security was so tight that I couldn't even get in.

I went out this morning to run a quick errand. I headed to the mall where there is a bank that I can exchange money at. On the way, a friend called and we chatted for 30 minutes. Then I got to the bank and it was closed...it doesn't open until 1pm. Well I thought I could at least grab a quick coffee at a great Italian coffee stand in the mall. Only it took me 5 minutes of butchering Spanish before I could understand how much it cost. The guy next to me shouted out the cost in English...so I paid exactly what he said...and received money back.

Anyway, I digress from my secure apartment. After returning from the mall I walked through the iron gate and then up to the door. I don't have a key to this door because the guard who is on duty 24/7 is the one who opens the door to get into the building. After I am inside, I use 2 keys to get into my apartment. Typically the outside door buzzes open automatically because the guard is outside in a little box and he sees me approaching. But if I need to get his attention, there is a doorbell to ring. So I rang the doorbell and waited....and waited...and waited. I rang again and waited. This scene repeated about 10 times. A mixture of frustration and hilarity overcame me. And I walked across the street to the Crusade house to get some work done.

Three hours later I returned, hoping to penetrate the iron clad security. The same thing happened. I determined to wait a full 5 minutes before I despaired. Finally, the guard, Eddy, poked his head out the front door and there I was. It was at this moment that he decided to enlighten me about ANOTHER doorbell to ring if he doesn't hear the first one. Thanks Eddy.

STINT...where less happens in a day than I thought humanly possible.

So I've been in Costa Rica for a week and I have been reduced to having the capacity of a 10 year old. Actually, when I was 10 I think I was able to accomplish more in a day than I am able to right now in Costa Rica. Yesterday I took the bus with a friend, and he had to show me the exact coins to use to pay because I didn't understand when he told me how much it was. I find myself following my friends around like a lost puppy because I don't know how to even take care of basic things in life. Well, that is what this blog is for...to help me tell all of you the crazy things that happen on STINT. And maybe in a few months you can celebrate with me when I understand how much things cost.