Expect the Unexpected

In Costa Rica, one of the most said "dichos" (sayings) is "Si Dios quiere." Literally, this phrase, means "if God wants it" and is spoken hundreds of times a day and almost as automatically as we say "fine-thanks-and-you?" It often follows an "hasta luego" or "I have to do tal y tal cosa," (such and such a thing) or really anything that implies "i have planned - however so loosely - to do something in the near, not so near, or far away future." Yes, it's vague and multi-functional. However, in my year as a volunteer here in Costa Rica, I have learned that there really is something to it. Whether or not you or I or whoever uses the words "Si Dios quiere" believes that God is behind every event, accident, coincidence, or plan, there is a lot of truth and wisdom in the letting-go of control.
I cannot even begin to count how many times this year I've left school one afternoon only to find out later, and often not until it's too late, that my students wouldn't be coming the next day, that a coworker had gotten sick/injured and would be out for weeks, that there was a last minute event planned or canceled, or that - in the most recent case - a sinkhole on a highway has caused all classes to be canceled. (More on that in a moment). Plans have been made, changed, and canceled so many times and in so many ways that it's hard to keep track of the whys and hows of logistics. It's easier, almost, and oddly comforting, to tack on the "Si Dios quiere" as a way of saying "don't plan your life around this!"

I like to think that a lot of things do have to do with God's will for us, but I also recognize a huge cultural difference in the acceptance of responsibility and control. As a born and raised gringa, who has so far thrived in an overly organized, highly planned, responsibility based society, it's been challenging to adapt to the take-it-as-it-comes attitude that many people, including professionals, adopt in Latin America. Efficiency and responsibility are certainly present in theory, but what I've seen in practice has been a bit different.  I'm not saying they're wrong. I'm not saying I'm wrong. I'm saying these are two really different worlds, with life philosophies that are complex, multifaceted, and influenced by all sorts of historic, religious, and social factors. Each has many pros and many cons, and in a perfect world, we'd find a happy medium. I also happen to think a perfect world wouldn't be all that interesting, so I'm content to keep exploring our current one.

Now, back to that whole sinkhole thing. Today was to be my last day of work on campus at Centeno Guell.  Mid-year vacation begins on Monday, so even though I'll be in Costa Rica for two more weeks, I won't have school. I left my classroom yesterday in a bit of a hurry, intent on getting home to get a head start on writing my thank-you notes, making little gifts for my students, and rehearsing what I wanted to say to the many many co-workers I had planned on despediring today. (That's Spanglish for "saying goodbye to"). I hadn't planned on being on campus tomorrow because my group is planning on having a 'Goodbye Caro/Happy Vacation' party at one of the students homes. Now, even if I did go tomorrow I wouldn't find any of my co-workers because the Ministry of Education canceled all classes for schools in the areas in and around San Jose where traffic may be affected by the sinkhole. Sinkhole, you ask? Yes. After a very strong storm the other night, a piece of the highway between San Jose and Alajuela (where the airport is) caved in. The hole is about 4 meters deep and is causing a ton of traffic issues.  So, naturally, there's no school today. Naturally.

Trust me, despite my sarcasm, I am sensitive enough to the situation to recognize that this is dangerous, people's lives are in jeopardy, and patience will certainly be tested on this highway while it's being repaired. But the other part of me - the part of me that says there are no excuses to be made when it comes to education and supporting student success - is disappointed. And yet another part of me - the selfish part that wanted to say goodbye and thank the many people at Centeno who have made this year what it was - is a little sad and a little bitter. ("Like, really? Today of all days?")
But, oh, Carolyn, don't you know? That's where the lesson lies! Don't put off til tomorrow what you could do today. Expect the unexpected. Let Go and Let God. Go with the flow. Cherish every moment as if it's the last. If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans. Okay, okay, I get it. Meanwhile, I'm going to keep working on those thank-you notes and hope that I get to see my students and their parents tomorrow for one last goodbye, si Dios quiere...

The past few weeks have been filled with lots of ups and downs, and realizations that my time here in CR is quickly drawing to a close. Here's a quick update of some of the stuff we've been up to!

• Nicole and I went to a concert at our friend Josue's church to see Tapon, a Costa Rican reggae/reggaeton artist, perform. Apparently he started out as a pretty mainstream singer but in the last decade or so has been producing Christian music. The show was good (and we got to see Josue play at the end too!) and certainly different...how many Christian reggaeton concerts have you been to?  
• Margie, Arthur (the volunteer at St. Francis for the summer) and I took a bus to Coronado one Saturday just for kicks. We got on a bus that passes by our house all the way to the end of the line, got off, and navigated our way to the center of Coronado on foot. It was really fun, and a neat way to see a new town. The church in Coronado is strikingly different from most others we've seen here, and the park in  town was pretty hopping, which made for great people watching.
• Jordan came to town for a week! He was here for a few days before our Summer Retreat, which took place at a cute retreat center up in the mountains. Friar Jorge accompanied us for part of the retreat too, which was very special. 
• The day after the retreat, we went to La paz, a waterfall garden that has been turned into a huge tourist hot spot, complete with a beautiful hotel, various restaurants, and all sorts of other attractions - jungle cats, birds, butterflies, snakes, etc.   It was a beautiful day together!
• Nicole turned 23! To celebrate, we made ice cream sundaes and went out to our favorite Mexican place, in that order :)
• Margie, who had been pretty sick, decided to head home a little early to recuperate before our final retreat in Syracuse in July. It was sad to see her go, and it's weird to have only two people in this big, beautiful house, but she's doing better now that she's home. 
• At Centeno, my students were out of school for about 3 weeks because Guiselle was sick, so I was working with the group next store. I was so sad that my kids were out because it was last few weeks of work with them, after having spent about 8 months with them every day.  Fortunately they found someone to fill in, finally, so they should all be back next week.  Working with the other group was fun, but there were usually more adults than students since anyone who would have been working with my group was there.  
• Yesterday my coworkers threw me a surprise goodbye lunch, which was so sweet. Through a series of very sneaky plans, they decorated the room, collaborated on a delicious meal, and sent me home with some pretty gifts and memories (ictures to come!).    

That's it for now...one more week of work left then a bit of traveling before heading back to the states...updates to come, I promise!


Enjoy some photos :)

Jordan's buddy

pretty!

true friendship

birthday girl!

And then there were three...

proudly sporting Lonestar shirts

This past week, Molly left us for Notre Dame, where she will spend the next two summers working on a Master's of Education while teaching full-time in Brownsville, TX during the school year. To send her off in style, we had many "goodbye" activities with various friends of our community. The first in the series of events was a trip to Lonestar, a tex-mex restaurant in Coronado. We went with Friar Michael, Marta, her son Charlie, and our new friend Arthur, a US college student who is staying at the friary for the summer.  Later we were joined by most of the friars and Yamy! We shared a lot of laughs and some delicious margaritas.

The next evening, Molly and I were invited to dinner and a sleep-over with Marlyn and Juan Gabriel. Juan Ga is a student in my class at Centeno as well as a patient at the clinic where Molly has worked. He and his mom, Marlyn, are two very special people who we have grown to love a lot this year. Marlyn insisted on having us over for the night as a way to say thank you. Sure enough, she spoiled us rotten with lasagna, presents, and a delicious breakfast. We loved being able to spend time with Juan Ga as well!

last group shot!

Last Saturday evening, we had a community night out on the town to celebrate Molly's departure. We went to an Italian restaurant in the center of Moravia and enjoyed some fantastic food and wine and community time.  Before dinner, we enjoyed preprandials (the fancy friar word for cocktail hour) at home and reminisced about community memories, silly stories about Molly, and other random and funny things that have happened this year. Arthur was along for the ride, so I think he got to know us pretty quickly. (Thankfully, we didn't' scare him away...he must be brave.)

Collage for Molly

The "last supper" with Molly on Wednesday was an assortment of all her favorite foods...or at least the ones we've eaten most frequently in Costa Rica. We made plaintains, yuca fries, mac and cheese, and frijoles molidos in her honor. Now she's safe and sound at Notre Dame...and we miss her already!

This week at work was a little crazy, but hasn't every week been? We had classes Monday and Tuesday per usual where we have been working on Father's Day art projects. On Wednesday, I helped out with the class next store since my kids didn't come in. On Thursday, I joined Guiselle and Ale (the teacher and assistant I work with) on a home visit to two of the families in my group. It was really interesting to see where my kids live and what their home lives are like. I've now seen 4 homes and they're all so welcoming. I really enjoyed the day, especially because it was something a little different than usual.

Also this week, I joined Nicole at the afterschool program she helps organize with students from St Francis. Twice a week, a group of about a dozen students loads into a mini-bus to go to La Isla, a community in Moravia that is markedly different from the area that St. Francis is in. The community is extremely poor, which is evident in everything from the homes, the roads, the schools, and the way people dress. In this program, St. Francis students help tutor little kids from La Isla and teach English classes to the older kids. I helped Nicole with English...it was so much fun. I hope to continue helping out for the few weeks we have left!

I'm down to four weeks left of work, and they'll certainly fly by! Hope summer is off to a great start back home. Sending much love up north!

 Fun picture:

Gecko showdown in the kitchen sink