Almost 1 month in Costa Rica

I'm  already almost 1 month in Costa Rica and I'm still adapting to this culture, everytime I have a little bit downtime and after it I adapted a little more. Pura Vida is difficult to adapt to but I hope I'm fully adapted soon!

Here is the report of the last days:

Miercoles 8 agusto 2012 22:29

Finally the gym!

Today was a free day from school, so I could sleep late till 10, I couldn’t sleep any longer even though I really wanted to. The neighbours are very loud and have chickens. I finally found the gym, it is in a regular house but with a big sign. I can go unlimited for only €20 a month! So I well go 4-5 times a week, might even get muscled J. The boss of the gym is a very nice 60-70 year old guy who gave me a little program, I figured out that back in Holland we didn’t really do much in the gym and this Costa Rica training is a little harder.

Furthermore I practiced a little Spanish we were told to practice like 1 hour a day, I practice 30 minutes in 4 days I think but it’s going well. In the night I watched a soccer game at my big brothers house, one of the coaches got sent away for calling during the match, very funny.

Tomorrow I go talk to the Fisica teacher about joining the soccer team, I hope I get in!

                                               Viernes 10 agusto 2012 22:00

Back to the 70’s!

Yesterday I didn’t write because I was very tired and felt a little bit down. Because of some cultural differences, I spoke with Frida, another exchange student about the whole exchange, cultural differences, family and more. It is really good that there are people to talk with. Also I set and appointment with my IEC, the local EF representive.

Furthermore I went jogging, every time I go a little bit further, also I made a Dutch cake with my host-sister.

Today I didn’t had a lot of school as well, only till 10:00 and yesterday I had till 9:00. I have so less school just because the teachers are not there. My host-sister didn’t have school for 3 days because of that. After school the class and teacher went to the library which was being re-opened by the minister of technology of Costa Rica, all very formal but  not much happened. My classmates asked if I wanted to go rollerskating with them and I couldn’t say no to that.

First I had my talk with the IEC which made me feel kinda better, but most stuff I already figured out myself, but it was still good to talk with him, he is very nice. After that I went rollerskating with my friends, it was really cool! It was in a big hall on those old school rollerskates with 2 times 2 wheels and a colored nose as brake. I was pretty good at it actually. The music was only 70’s and Michael Jackson mix-tapes. It made me feel like in the movies and in the 70’s really cool! I asked my friends if they knew if there was a party this weekend but they didn’t. I wanna go the a real Costa Rican party soon! So in the night I didn’t do a lot.

                                               Sabado 11 agusto 2012 22:37

Rain doesn’t like Gringo’s (neither do dogs)

Today I woke up early to watch Mexico-Brasil with my host-dad, Mexico won 2-1 and we had pancakes for breakfast which we do pretty often, me gusta! I went to Orotina to discover more of the city with Ruth. While being in an open field the rain came down on us, really hard and really much. We searched for shelter underneath a tree, but with laptops in our bags we wanted to find a real dry spot real soon because the rain didn’t seem to end soon. We ran to the rollerskating hall where I were yesterday. We arrived really soaked and I feared my laptop would be broken. The rollerskatinghall wasn’t a rollingskating hall anymore but there were a lot of tables and chairs. We were allowed to take 1 table and dry up. Since it was going to rain for real long we decided to watch a movie on my laptop which was luckily still working. A really nice guy working for the rollerskating thing helped us out with stuff and recognized me from the day before. After 1,5 hours I figured out I lost my sunglasses in the field and when the rain got  a little less I went searching for it. After 25 minutes of searching I finally found it and I was very happy because I already gave up hope. Again I was all wet. We decided to go to our restaurant since we had to go home sometime. The nice guy from the rollerskates brough us with his umbrella, Costa Ricans are so nice! While I was ordering my cappuccino with chocolate latte art a Costa Rica woman asked if I was an exchange student. We had a little chat and so invite me to come to her house one time and pick mango’s and watch the monkeys. Really nice, really cool.

In the evening I played soccer with my lil bro and some neighbourhood kiddo’s. I’m getting better at it! Tomorrow I’m going to play in a soccer hall again, I really feel like it!