Day 17...H-E-A-L-T-H. Health! Health! Health!

Waking up this morning was extremely difficult. Because of our fun, I did not feel too great today. I believed I could simply eat something and the sick feeling would disappear. However, I headed for breakfast only to realize I could not bear to take a bite of anything. I rested until it was time to head out. The group loaded into taxis to take us to the beach. Once we arrived, we were given the option of laying on the beach or going for a hike; I chose the beach and laid out for about two hours.

Later on, a group of us decided to go for a boat ride. However, before doing so we were questioned and lectured about safety. Believing the boat to be safe and seeing that locals were riding, five of us, Ansley, Feeney, Sydney, Tamera, and I, made the decision to go. The speed and maneuvering of the boat was perfectly fine and the view was glorious. After five minutes of riding, the driver stopped for us to jump into the water. Without thinking, Feeney plopped right in. However, in doing so, he slipped and hit his shin. However, when he came up from the water, he was holding his head, and we realized he must have hit that too. Not thinking it was a big deal because he was swimming fine and coherent, the rest of us jumped in the water as well. Between the freshness of the water and the gorgeous horizon ahead, we were absorbed by the beauty. After swimming for about five minutes, we climbed back into the boat and proceeded back to shore.

Some of us rested while others swam as we awaited the arrival of the our group members that went hiking. Once they arrived, we were given an additional thirty minutes or so for the hikers to enjoy the beach. The teachers and guide were talking and I was suddenly aware that something was really wrong with Feeney. They knew he had hit his head and was acting funny but simply decided to watch him rather than take him to see a doctor.


As we packed our stuff, we took a five or ten minute walk up to Luba's place where we were to be given a cooking lesson on bread. The process was fascinating, and the bread was delicious. Part of the process included using a machete to cut coconuts to use as fire wood, which I was given the opportunity to help with. Although I did not do a very good job, I managed to break part of the coconut apart. Many of the students were involved in helping make a batch of the bread making it extremely special for us.


For me to participate in a boat ride, laying in the sun, and chopping a coconut with a machete, I was definitely feeling better. However, the queasiness returned the minute I received my lunch. I ordered fish and a full fish is what I received. Not able to bear the thought of looking at it, Stephanie traded me fish for chicken. I ate some, but was still barely able to keep my food down. Feeling like I was about to pass out from being so tired, I decided to take a twenty minute nap on the beach and in the shade. This made me feel a little better but when I awoke, I was informed that we would be taking a forty five minute tour around Manzanillo. This was because a hiccup had occurred in our day; Dr. Harris and Marcus decided to take Feeney to the hospital causing us to be without two of our leaders.

Our tour was given by a local named Andy. He took us around and let us smell multiple trees and foods and simply look around the land. After this, we sat in a shady area where we were given the opportunity to ask him questions about him and his culture. He told us he plays an instrument and likes to dance. He also informed us of the development of Manzanillo, which was extremely interesting. Knowing he had visited the states, we wondered what he thought of our country and its people. He had nothing but nice things to say and then told us why he was there. In 1991, an earthquake hit Manzanillo causing a cement wall to fall onto his leg. The injury was so bad it eventually led to amputation. After listening to his story, we had a lot to process on our way back to the hotel.

Immediately after arriving I jumped in the bed and slept for an hour and a half. I would have slept much longer had I not had to prepare for dinner. Still feeling pretty bad, I dressed extremely casually, jeans and a t-shirt. We ate dinner at a local Caribbean place, like usual, where I had fish along with rice and beans, like usual. Once again, I hardly ate anything. A group of people were planning to go out, but I knew better. Instead, I came back to the hotel and fell fast asleep.

Today I learned how important it is to be thankful for my health. I am blessed to be as healthy as I am and feeling sick all day was completely my fault. Seeing Feeney with a cuncussion (thankfully he is fine) and talking with a man missing a leg for twenty one years, I realized how much I take being in such good shape for granted. I complain about my legs hurting or how huge they are while some people, like Andy, do not have the luxury to even walk. From now on, this is something I will try my best to keep in mind and continue to work at staying in good health. :)

Day 16...Global vs. Local

This morning began like any other at the Shawanda Hotel; we awoke at 7:30 for breakfast consisting of eggs, fruit, and bread. After eating our meal and preparing for the day, we loaded onto a bus and headed for a visit with the Bribri tribe. The first thing we did when we arrived was watch and learn about the production of chocolate. We were shown the seeds at the different stages of growth followed by the seeds and their stages of production. After this, we watched the making of chocolate and later drank some hot chocolate in a hut. We then proceeded to purchase some souvenirs.

Finishing our hot chocolate, we made our way up the street to interview the leader of the Bribri tribe. He was quite a fascinating character. He told us of his tribe and even sang a song of prayer for us. Leaving his home, we took a break for drinks at a local store. Here, I had a deep and intense conversation with fellow classmate, Mary Lee, about everything I was experiencing on the trip. We discussed the luxuries we have in the United States as well as future plans involving returning to Costa Rica. Following this conversation, we made our way back to the Bribri tribe where we were served a delicious meal.

Feeling full and reenergized, we began a hike to a waterfall. The leader we spoke with earlier and his grandson led this hike. It was a ten minute walk through a good bit of water and some slippery rocks, but we finally made it. Here the leader of the Bribri tribe sang a song of cleansing and had us walk under the waterfall to "cleanse" ourselves. It was one neat experience.

Drying off and putting some clothes on, we headed back for the bus to take us to our hotel. Upon arrival, we all showered and dressed to head to dinner. I was super hungry and the fish I had was absolutely delicious. A group of us then decided to go out for a night on the town following dinner. We went to a couple of bars, had a few drinks, and danced a good bit. Some of the girls even met some cute boys;). It turned out to be quite an enjoyable day.

Today's lesson involves helping others. I have always had a passion to help people, especially kids, in some capacity. However, I always saw myself as living in Georgia and working in the Atlanta area when really I could travel anywhere around the world to make a difference. Today I realized I could do a variety of things and my options are basically endless. I simply need to follow my heart. Whether globally or locally, I plan to make a difference, and this trip has shown me I can.

Day 15...Soccer = Passion

This morning I awoke around 6:30 am to head to breakfast. Breakfast included bread, pineapple (which was extremely fresh), banana, eggs, and of course rice and beans. After we finished our meal and packed our bags, we loaded into vans and headed for a local school. Here we were given the opportunity to simply interact with local students and see what their world is like. Before I knew it, I was playing soccer with them, boys versus girls. It took me a minute to get the hang of things again, but after a few trips and mistakes, I was playing like I used to and it felt amazing.

Finishing our game, which the boys won, we broke into two groups. One group was placed in the first second and third grade classroom while the other was in the fourth and fifth grade room. I was in the upper grades room. We were given the opportunity to ask the kids and the teachers questions while they were given the same opportunity. Of course we had a translator due to the fact that the kids and I speak different languages. All the questions were asked and answered in about thirty minutes or so. After finishing here, we proceeded to a local's house for an interview.

A local Ladino (Latino) opened her home to us and allowed us to ask her any questions we had. From this interview we conducted, we gathered a good deal of information about her community. Most people of this community tend to marry younger and have babies immediately; she married at nineteen and had a baby within the year. After marriage, the couple then usually will move in with the woman's family. Other information was divulged and a lot was learned. It was a good opportunity for us to learn about yet another culture in Costa Rica.

Later that day we went for a gorgeous "hike". We were told this was going to be a ten minute one when in reality it was about two minutes. Here we took multiple pictures before heading to lunch. After finishing our meal, we proceeded on our journey over to Hotel Shawanda. Arrival was smooth. We were given our room assignments and settled in quickly. This time around I am paired with Tamera and Mary Lee. The three of us claimed our beds and talked until preparing for dinner.

Throwing on a t-shirt and shorts, I joined the rest of the group as we walked up the street to dinner. We were served Caribbean food consisting of chicken and rice and beans. At dinner, everyone was making plans to go out on the town for the evening. Not knowing they were going until it was too late to get ready and really not feeling up for it, I decided to stay in, along with Mary Lee, while the remainder of the group jumped in taxis and headed for town.

Playing soccer with the kids and seeing their passion for the sport reminded me of how much I loved playing and how much I miss it. It has been over a year since I last played, and I never thought I would play again. Today, my mind was completely changed. I learned that if you have a passion for something, giving up on it is not an option. Even if I never play for a team of my own again, I know I will still participate in some capacity. Passion is important and everyone deserves the opportunity to experience theirs.

Day 14...Calypso is Cool

This morning I woke up around 7:30 to prepare for departure from Hotel Milvia to Casa Calateas. After loading all of our bags onto the bus and finding a seat, we began our four hour journey (which was really more like a five or six hour journey due to all of our stops:). I slept for the first hour and half, read my book for the next hour, and listened to music for the last haul. About thirty minutes out we stopped for lunch at a local Caribbean cuisine restaurant. It was very simple, which made it extremely delicious. Arriving in our third city, we were to be given a short orientation. Before we did so, we were assigned rooms. Sleeping in a room with mosquito nets surrounding the beds, we held our breath nervous about the bugs we most likely would be sharing our beds with. We knew it was going to be hard, but we were ready to brave it.

After finding our rooms and returning to the common area for a brief talk, Willis began discussing our schedule. However, after only having read a sentence or two, Feeney, who was sitting next to me, started to shake. As I peered over, I saw he was trying to open his water bottle. Overhearing a conversation between he and two other girls, Ansley and Meagan, I assumed he was simply upset and shaking from the rude comments made. However as I continued to watch, the shaking worsened and he could not even twist the cap off of his water bottle. One adult ran over, and then another, and then another, and then yet another. Seeing the anxiety on each person's face, I realized he was having a seizure. Not knowing what to do, I simply sat there. The intensity of his shaking scared me to my core. Multiple medicines were looked through until the correct one was found. After he took one pill and walked around for a bit, he seemed to be okay.

As Feeney walked around, the rest of us had some refreshments and finished looking through the schedule of the week ahead. After completing this, we were given some free time, which we used to play some games including Dominoes, Uno, and Mafia. We then had a delicious dinner of fish and potatoes. After finishing dinner, we proceeded to the common area for a live performance of Calypso music. We listened, danced, and even sang some. The song titles varied from "Rum" to "Give Me Some of Your Rice and Beans". This lasted for about an hour or so and many laughs were had.

Watching a seizure occur before my eyes, people rushed to bring help while I sat there terrified. Not knowing what to do, I had the opportunity to observe the actions of others. Seeing everyone drop what they were doing made me realize something. I learned that in the time of need, everyone bands together to get the job done. So today's lesson is that no matter the circumstances, race, religion, sexuality, etc., it is important to help those in need no matter the situation.

Day 13...Observation is Key

As usual, I awoke around 8 am to eat breakfast and get ready for the day. However, today instead of having a discussion with a guest speaker or having class, Joaquin, who spoke to us a few days ago, had an activity planned for us. We were to go to the mall and simply observe. On our way, we took a detour and stopped at the University of Costa Rica. Some of us shopped while others observed the students around campus. After about twenty minutes of this, we headed for the mall.

Upon arrival, we fanned out and found a location where we could observe. Our directions were to spend thirty minutes observing the space, thirty more on the people and their wear, and the last thirty on nonverbal gestures. After an hour and a half of doing so, we all met up and discussed what we had seen. Discussion ranged from how girls tend to not wear shorts to how Costa Ricans tend to walk at a leisure stroll. Another major contrast between the two countries is that of space. At home kiosks are randomly strewn throughout the mall's length. In Costa Rica they are more permanent and placed strategically. There were many other differences observed between the United States and Costa Rica.

After this activity, some people stayed at the mall to shop while others headed back to the hotel to sleep or complete some work. The readings for today discussed Porte Viejo and the Bribri. Topics from these articles included games, culture, and traditions. As we has class, discussion ranged from these people living simpler and healthier lives than today to the interesting games they have invented. Finishing our talk, we moved into groups to create interview questions for a variety of people we will be meeting with over the course of the next few days.

Completing our questions, we prepared for dinner and made our way to Tin Jo. The dishes ranged from the simple fried rice with chicken to fish along with teriyaki sauce. No matter the food, It was a consensus that everyone enjoyed their meal. For dessert, we were given a slice of cake in honor of Sydney's "birthday." She was generous enough to let everyone have a bite and it was deliciouso:)! After dinner, we proceeded back to the hotel to turn in for the evening. However, just as we were to do so, we took a little detour. A few of us went out for the evening to a local club. It was an absolute blast as we danced the night away!

The lesson of the day is that respect is important. It is one thing to accept differences and try to move on from them. It is another to treat these differences respectfully. Reading the Bribri's story and simply observing the actions of others on this trip, this lesson has suddenly become blatantly obvious to me. I hope that after learning this lesson, I can apply it to life.

Day 12...Relational Diversity

Waking up thirty minutes earlier than usual was not as hard as I expected. I did my usual routine and did some work before departing to hear our fourth speaker. As we walked towards the University of Costa Rica, many of us began to complain about the heat. Finding the building, we fully expected to walk into a full blast of air conditioning. However, to our surprise, we walked into an even hotter area. As we signed in and followed our speaker to a classroom, most of us felt as if we were going to pass out from the heat. We did try to ignore it throughout the talk. Our speaker, Vanessa Smith, discussed discrimination and racism in Costa Rica amongst all types of people, especially immigrants and minorities versus majorities. After listening to the talk for about two hours in intense heat, we headed back to the hotel.

Arriving at the hotel, I headed straight for the fridge and grabbed some food for lunch. My lunch was an eclectic one consisting of a banana, strawberry yogurt, rice, fruit loops, and water. During this break, I prepared for class. I read the article and the chapter and filled in our worksheet. After completing this, I took a short thirty minute nap. Waking feeling very refreshed, I grabbed my books and laptop and sat down for class. Today we talked about interracial friendships. We discussed the idea that it is possible, though hard at times, to be involved in relationships with someone of a different race.

After class, we all changed for dinner. We ate at a nice restaurant called Cafe Mundo. I had Fettucini Alfredo with seafood along with my first Sex on the Beach drink. Everything was absolutely delicious. On the way to dinner, at dinner, and on the way back to the hotel I had a really good conversation with Shannel. It was really nice connecting with someone on this trip on a deeper level seeing as I had fully expected to simply have surface conversations with most people.

Though I have made some good friends here, as mentioned above, being here has made me truly appreciate my friendships back home. Of course I value all of my relationships equally but in different ways. However, I learned today that interracial friendships are important. My core group of friends from my high school consisted of an Asian, a couple of African Americans, a middle easterner, a boy from the Dominican Republic and a pacific islander. I have a vast majority of these friendships and each has taught me a great deal about different cultures. These relationships have helped shape my outlook on a variety of subjects and have allowed me to be a very diverse person.

Day 11...Monkey Business

This morning I awoke to a bright light in my face and a loud conversation in my ear. Thinking my roommates had flicked the light on, I was somewhat upset I could not go back to sleep. However, when I pulled the covers from over my head I realized all of the light was simply coming from the window. Realizing what the time must be, I jumped out of bed and headed for breakfast. Of course, I had the usual, pineapple, toast, and coffee. After finishing my meal, everyone went back to their rooms to change and prepare for the zoo. Naturally, I panicked about what to wear fearing that I would be to casual. Though I scoffed at the idea of someone wearing a dress to the zoo, that is exactly what I ended up wearing. Our attire varied throughout the group; some were in dresses while others were in t-shirts and shorts. In the end, attire did not really matter that much.

Most people slept for the hour long car ride to the zoo, though I do not know how because it was a bumpy one. After arriving and making our way to the entrance, we split into groups and began our journey. It began with a good amount of birds. Immediately after seeing the first few birds an iguana suddenly appeared walking freely on the sidewalk with us. As the majority of us were quite frightened we ran up the path. Monkeys, turtle, parrots, peacocks, and a number of other animals were included in our sightings for today. Unfortunately the turtles were the most interesting. As I approached their section, I heard quite a funky noise...Come to find out, they were getting a little friendly with each other. Because I have never heard or seen anything like this before, I was quite appalled.

Finishing our trip, we walked across the street to a local hole in the wall restaurant. My chicken and fried rice was absolutely delicious. There was a bit of a language barrier but I managed to stay calm and my order was actually correct. Waiting for the check, a long bus ride back, and a stop at the bank, we finally made it back to Hotel Milvia. With about two hours before class, I furiously worked on my discussion questions. As class began, I was extremely nervous about how my questions would be received. The majority of our discussion revolved around tourism and identity, especially that of race. How we are perceived in both aspects. In the end, between Shannel and I, we managed to start a good amount of conversation allowing class to last for almost two hours. Following class, the group ate together at a local Japanese restaurant. Some really good conversations were had around some good food.


Today's reflection refers to nonverbal communication cues, especially facial expressions. As Shannel and I walked back from dinner with Dr. Harris and Marcus, Dr Harris. commented on how I use nonverbals to communicate. She simply said she finds my facial expressions childlike and precious. Her prime example came from lunch earlier in the day. When preparing to order, the waitress began telling me about the specials. Of course the waitress would pick me, the one who speaks the least amount of Spanish at the table, and begin talking extremely fast. The face I made was not made on purpose. However, I was told that my facial expression showed that I did not understand at all and desperately needed help. I find this extremely funny because I am always being told that I make crazy faces, but I do not even realize I am making them. So today's lesson is that facial expressions, and other nonverbals, can communicate a lot whether you mean to or not. Therefore, we should pay special attention to all types of communication, including facial expressions, body language, dress, attitude, etc., in order for people to perceive us in the manner we aim to portray.


*Kudos to Shannel for my title today:)