Day 18: More photos, and some cultural notes

So, since I got such positive feedback from the photo post last time, I decided to upload some more photos (more city/landscape shots, as per my dad's request) but to mix things up a bit, I'm also going to add in some cultural differences that I've noted here (and of course, my thoughts and opinions on them).

Note: The pictures are not related to the cultural points they are next to, I just wanted to condense the post a bit.  Also, captions have become my arch-nemesis.

When it rains, raincoats aren’t really popular, you just find of pull out your umbrella here.  In the U.S. when it rains, people put on their raincoats, put on their (probably super cute) rain boots, and pull out their umbrella.  Even rain needs fashionable attire.  However, I’m still rockin’ my rain coat because I love it so much (and it has a hood, and I have yet to acquire an umbrella…) 

They don’t have the same holidays here; It is October 4^th (when I originally wrote this), and there are Christmas decorations in shops and commercials for Christmas deals on TV.  Wow, talk about a long-awaited holiday! Also, Columbus Day just happened...wouldn't have known if it wasn't for Facebook. 

 The driving is a pretty accurate reflection of our concepts of personal space.  Here, you drive closer together, and your space is pretty much just your car, motorcycle, or body if you are a pedestrian.  That’s all you have to care for, and that’s all you are responsible for keeping track of.  Therefore, motorcycles will drive between the cars, people will try and fit wherever there is space because space is free game.  In the U.S., we bring our habits of a lot of personal space into our driving as well.  I was taught that cars and motorcycles alike both have the right of the whole lane to use; line-to-line.  If a motorcycle drove in the middle of the road, people would be angry and feel gipped of their space.  Also, here, you don’t really give a berth of any kind to pedestrians or parked cars (because you only need space the size of your car), but in the States we tend to over-do our self-importance and we will drive all the way on the other side of the road to avoid a parked car (partly because we think we’ll hit them because we’re so big, and partly because even parked cars have their own personal space that should not be invaded).  What this means is that there is a strict adherence to the lines on the road (more or less) in the States, because the lines help us define where our space starts and ends; here in Costa Rica, the lines seem more decorative than anything because they don’t help define what space is yours (because wherever your car fits is your space) but more what direction you should be going.

We had a huge donation of diapers

There aren’t really any crosswalks here; this is a testament to the role of the pedestrian.  Here, pedestrians are as common as grass is on a farm and so they’re por todas partes (everywhere) all the time; they’re just there.  You don’t have to try and avoid hitting them because you know you won’t—your car isn’t that big, and they can move aside if they feel threatened (note: they pretty much don’t move aside).  It’s every man for himself; one of my co-workers was walking with me today and she didn’t want to cross at the intersection because it was too busy, and she much preferred to cross the street in the middle of the block.  In the States, there are crosswalks at basically every corner, for pedestrians (as well as motorcycles or bicyclists) you go WAY out of your way not to hit them, and you pretty much don’t move while they’re crossing in front of you.  Here, cars inch forward while people are crossing, and nobody pays it any mind.

We have no room for them

Seriously. A ton.

So. Many. Diapers

Something similar that I was not expecting to be similar is that they have the same outlets here for electrical things.  I guess if I had looked at the map the converter I brought with me has, then I would have known that (or if I had asked someone from LAM who had been here…) but oh well, bringing it back in December frees up about four more pounds of stuff I can take back with me when I come again later! Woo!

Me in an official Rahab Polo!

They don't have the same holidays here; there is no Halloween, no Thanksgiving, and so Christmas stuff is already out on shelves. Also, I didn't know yesterday was Columbus Day until I saw a ton of Facebook posts about it.

Spanish is the dominant language here; English is dominant in the States (simple and obvious, but very important, and still different).

Cars are almost all stick-shift here; even the buses.  That’s kind of terrifying, but it is what it is.  I would say (based on my experiences in the States) the ratio of automatic to manual cars is opposite in the countries.

Streets can collapse here.  This is terrifying; the amount of rain here has literally been collapsing major roads.  I don’t think that happens with major roads in the U.S.  Minor ones, maybe, but the roads are better kept in the U.S. and so I don’t think they ever get to that point.

Milk comes most often in boxes (unrefrigerated boxes) or in a powder form. 

Not only is all the cheese white, but it tastes like eggs.  Seriously, for breakfast one day Laura made cheese sandwiches, just a slice of cheese melting between two toasted slices of bread.  

I seriously thought that it was an egg sandwich before, during, and after my first bite.  It was then that I realized that it was pretty thin and evenly colored to be an egg sandwich, and saw that it was actually a cheese sandwich.  It makes me a little 
sad to know that I won’t have any cheese that tastes like what I know “Cheese” to be.  I don’t like the taste of the cheese here.  But I told myself it was an egg sandwich, and that made it delicious.  But mixing the cheese and the eggs (like in the scrambled eggs we had for breakfast we had one day) makes me remember that the cheese flavor is not eggs, that it’s actually kind of weird, thus making the eggs taste weird. Sigh. Who knew I liked cheese so much? Ok, I kind of knew, but I 
didn’t mind the weird cheese in Argentina (pretty much the same kind as here)…it’s just…not the cheese I like. Oh well, it’s the cheese I have, and that will have to do.

 Coffee. ‘Nough said.  But I’ll elaborate anyways.  As a recent college grad, I know that coffee is a major part of American life.  It’s even moreso here.  Coffee in the morning (perhaps twice in the morning), in the afternoon, after work, after dinner.  So much coffee consumption!  I think I MIGHT become hooked on it while I’m here.  So far I don’t think I’ve had it more than twice in a day (but usually only once), but I don’t know, I feel like that might change.  This also means I have to invest in some sort of Whitening Strips because if there’s one thing I’ve learned ever in my life, it’s that if you’re not whitening, you’re yellowing (that is definitely the tagline of some toothpaste. Probably Crest).  Also, coffee stains your teeth.

Metric system. I have no idea.  I mean, I know how to convert stuff (ease of converting is like, the main reason to go metric), but I still think in inches and feet, and people don’t really do that here…at all.  I don’t even know the Spanish word for inch.  I don’t know if there is one.

Children’s toys.  These have been really interesting to look at while at work.  There are some that are obviously made for Latin America—still Fisher Price, but it’s all in Spanish.  There is one toy, it’s more like a table, really, for young kids and there are a multitude of things on this table to entertain young’uns.  One of these things is a three page “book” with plastic pages.  The words are in Spanish, the alphabet on the side of the table includes ñ, there is a setting that says “ING” which I assume stands for inglés (I cannot actually confirm this because the batteries are dead, as they are in many of the toys)—this toy is obviously made for young Spanish-speaking children.  Other toys, however, are clearly American. For example, one of the few toys that still does have working batteries is a small piano-esque toy. When you hit one of the four keys, it will play a different song.  I’m pretty sure one is the hokey-pokey, one is definitely the “baby bumblebee” song (no idea what it’s real name is), one is frère Jacques (or however you spell it, and I realize that’s actually a French song, but it’s common in the States for little ones), and I think the final one is a melody common used in little kid songs and I can’t pinpoint exactly what song it is.  The point is, I know all of those songs.  And sure enough, when I looked on the back to see if there were any words, all of them were in English—there was absolutely no mistaking that it was an American toy.  I can only assume they get at least some of their toys from donations, and that’s why there are a mix of English and Spanish on the toys.  There is also a puppet of Lamb Chop (seriously taking me back!), a Barney stuffed animal (and the kids knew EXACTLY who he was), a McDonald’s cash register toy (the sticker on the front says “Total…….$3.00, it’s def American), there’s a Thomas the Tank car (ok, train, but it has four wheels and so it goes with the cars), it’s just such an interesting mix of cultures—in toys!  It’s interesting to note, however, that Fisher Price is THE brand in the room.  PlaySkool has nothing on them here.

Make-up is almost expected to be worn by women.  It doesn’t matter how old you are, there is a 98% chance you are wearing make-up.  Gabi will put it on near the end of the day—or refresh it, more accurately—so that when she leaves she’ll be ready to go.  Definitely feeling kind of inadequate in my eyeliner and mascara because they go ALL OUT!  But it’s ok, I don’t know that I’ll pick up the habit of make-up…maybe.

                                                                                                    Costa Ricans LOVE to be matchy matchy.  Green shirt?  Better make sure your eye shadow, earrings, purse (bonus), bracelets, shoes (bonus), headband,  and any other accessory you can have are green as well.  One day when I wore a blue shirt, TWO sets of blue earrings, my blue eye liner and a blue headband, someone thought I was legit Tica (native Costa Rican). It made my day.  She’s a volunteer at Rahab (Tica herself) and she asked my name.  When I told her Kiki, she said “Oh! You’re the American!  I totally thought you were Tica!” (She speaks English and loves practicing it whenever she gets a chance, so yes, that was in English).  Seriously, that made my day.

Gabi and I were charged with moving
and sorting over 300 crates (there were
no kids with us that day)

Like in the U.S., the TV in the house is almost constantly on, but unlike in the U.S. there’s not usually someone watching it.  This has been confirmed at two houses here.  Also, the TVs are usually about 18” (or smaller) and definitely not flat screen. Also no HD or U-Verse, so no recording or rewinding (or fast forwarding) going on here.

Gabi working with one of the girls there today

The news covers a ton of important stuff (not that in the U.S. it doesn’t……….) and there are essentially no commercial breaks.  I noticed this when I was waiting for a commercial break to talk to Laura.  It didn’t come, so I had to talk over the news. But seriously, there is a lot of news, and a lot of sad news about kids.  It was sad listening to the news L (not necessarily different from the U.S.)

Well, these are more or less the things that jumped out at me as being different.  Of course, new stuff keeps being added to the list always, but I feel like this post has been overwhelming enough.  It just so happens I have more pictures, though. So, continue to enjoy!

Said crate moving was a dusty,
dirty job. So much dust!

Farmer's Market on Saturday!

So much fresh produce!

 

Mountains EVERYWHERE! I love it!

Freshest produce you can find!

Some city scenery

 

A shot of church after the service

Thank you so much for reading, I hope it wasn't TOO overwhelming!  I also hope this makes up (and then some) for my quietness the past week or so.  Next week will be more of a reflection and written update (I'm starting to look like a super weirdo for taking pictures of everything, seriously, I think Laura thinks there's something a little wrong with me, lol).  Also, it's about time you guys had a written update about me anyways.

Please give me some feedback on what you thought of this post, what you want to see in future posts, and you know, how you're doing and stuff.

Peace and Blessings,

Kiki

P.S. I'm writing this update during a soccer game, and it's so funny to hear the actual update of what's going on from Laura's TV, but then the effect it has on our neighbors (both the ones in our building as well as the building next to us), as well as the people driving by (honking horns in celebration, etc.).  This is awesome!