Oh what’s up June! Where the hell did you come from?? I was just hanging out with January a few days ago it seems and now you show up all unannounced…sneaking up from out of nowhere and what not! You should be ashamed, June…ashamed! Speaking of shame…this posts idiomabroma:
My Tico friend asked me the other day what my last name is. I told him and he immediately went wide eyed and starting laughing hysterically. Okay, fine buddy, I guess “Sobel” is pretty gringo sounding but I didn’t realize I made such a hilarious joke. After he finally got his composure, he asked me to say it again. Apparently, I really need to work on my annunciation in this country. Sobel = the proud and dignified surname of my family crest and ancestry. Sobo =” I masturbate”. PERFECT! Now when people ask me my last name, I pronounce each syllable with such over-the-top distinction for clarity that people are probably thinking I am having a stroke, but better they think I am having one “stroke” than several…if you know what I mean.
So I have been in La Esperanza for 4 months and Costa Rica in general for 5…insanity. I really apologize for the 2 month lag in blogging…every time recently that I have sat down to write, I became overwhelmed with how much time has passed and all of the things that have happened and wouldn’t know how to start, so I would put it off, which just perpetuated my problem as more time passed. I also have to admit, part of the reason that I haven’t been blogging as much recently is that I think I have been in somewhat of an existential dilemma regarding the microcosmic experience that is living in a new country for one year. I think sometime in May, I hit the inevitable point where the novelty of almost all things had started to wear off. At first, simply the mere act of speaking Spanish, even if only to disgrace my last name and ask my 12 year olds when the twins were due, was enough to make my day. However, as the weeks past and turned into months, the uneven ratio of Awesome Spanish Conversation: Moments I Stared in Silence asPeople Around Me Discussed Things I Couldn’t Understand and I Would Occasionally Here My Name Mentioned Followed By Laughter (especially when my host mom talks because I can still sadly, barely understand anything she says), really started to get to me. However, I think I am starting to feel more on the upswing in terms of attitude and ability regarding my Spanish now and the frustration has more just become a change in mindset. I have started to learn the invaluable art of being content merely listening to and watching my environment without the constant feeling that I need to be outwardly engaging in it all the time. Thus, the part of me that admittedly loves talking and never shuts the hell up often finds itself…shutting the hell up. So, in this new spirit and also for the sake of continued blog entries, instead of a long and drawn out summary of vaguely descriptive memories and no-longer-relevant issues/mentalities of the past 2 months, I will sum it all up with this It’s The End of the World As We Know It/We Didn’t Start The Fire style rhyme scheme to bring everything up to the present.
Brother’s wedding, table setting, much romancing, Ticodancing, who came here? Former volunteer! Drinking lots of beer.
April starts, sun departs, town is quiet, rice/beans diet, Easter celebration, Panama vacation, better sanitation but tourism invasion, returning home=accidental illegal immigration, hop back on bus, passport stamps a must, make it back, sleep all week we lacked, but fun times had by all (two of us)!
Here comes May? What the hay?! It seems I got here yesterday!WorldTeachmidservice in San Jose, volunteers reunite yay!, shared stories we’ve had along the way, and then from the great U. S of A a friend flew down here just to play, his name Dan Israel a chap from school, “porque no?” was our only rule! A weekend spent with French girls by the beach, by Monday La Esperanza I’d reached, thenGave a test, some tried their best, some others less, Some kids need a kick in the butt, and some days I feel quite in a rutt, Goddamnit kid I know you think you’re soooo cool and fine, but ultimately listen buddy…you’re 9…on the other hand I feel so lucky, with my 1st graders cuter than a baby ducky, and some older ones making me notes and cards, protecting me like miniature bodyguards, some love to learn, some LOVE to annoy, some are so sincere and others just coy, some days I feel great, and others like sighing, okay sighing sounds manlier but truthfully..it’s closer to crying, so for those who say those who can’t do choose to teach, come over here so I can kick you hard in the ass (that doesn’t rhyme, it just needs to be said)…sooooo then I found a local waterfall, the hikes a pain but worth it all, built a ladder and set up my hammock, the jungle is my panoramic, bought a machete, though I’m probably not ready, destroyed the forest, a choice the poorest, found out messing with the wrong tree, leads to the WORST case of poison ivy, went to the Doc to fix my ills, to me he gave a lot of pills, antibiotics and benadryls, and two shots in my tush added to my bills
And now I lay in my warm cama on a cold “winter” night darker than Obama, I cannot sleep, not a wink or a peep, maybe take some benadryl??? Well, after all I have a heep! Though it probably won’t work, I’m too excitied for manana, for in the afternoon comes my hermana! It’s been too long since I have seen’a, but by 3pm tomorrow I’ll be with Rina! For 10 days she will grace my presence, with her big bright smile and effervescence, though I’m excited as can be, I think my students are more excited than me, We’ve lots of plans and adventures to come, and I promise I won’t be a lazy bum, so more blogs coming soon, this time I swear, unless we’re eaten by a bear, but since no bear’s dwell in this land, I believe a new entry is shortly at hand, so goodnight for now till the next idiomabroma, time to drift off into an 8 hour coma.
Okay, admittedly it definitely got a little more “Twas the Night Before Christmas” with a little bit of Doctor Seuss towards the end there, but…I tried. So, Merry Thursday to all and to all a goodnight!:-)
The kids got really excited to make cards for Rina's arrival (it's so adorable!) and th 3rd and 4th graders really wanted me to write something on the board in English they could copy so they could show off their English (/not have to think as hard)...so I just couldn't help myself to such a golden opportunity for them to show off...this card is compliments of my favorite 4th grader, Yinia:
Genius. Hope you're doing well, Sobel!
ReplyDelete#1 - so jealous that you're seeing Rina. #2 - you're awesome. #3 - you better follow up with more blog posts.
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