Whale Steaks! I almost forgot about Labor Day! The beautiful (and unfortunate) holiday that marks the end of summer, the return to school, the end of wearing white, the last Summer cookout and the endless SALES!!! Luckily, a fellow volunteer hangs on to the American traditions and reminded me. In holiday spirit, I went to Playa Uvita to see the annual whale migration. For 15 mil colones ($30), I got to see a 22 day old baby whale and its mother as well as 3 dolphins that decided to play with us. [Animal lovers can relax because no whales ni dolphins were harmed.] Labor Day win!
Chacos y Skin Irritations Ever wonder how weird new friendships can be made? Well, that was the starter of a conversation. Waiting for the bus with a fellow volunteer, an(other) American walked up to me and asked me how to loosen her Chaco straps. The strap (with the heat) rubbed against her skin and left nasty marks. Five minutes later (learning that she volunteered to pick coffee for 5 months & telling her that we are PC volunteers), she then pointed to her neck. “Do you guys know what type of rash this is?” Well, this is apparently a good conversation starter because she was also going to see the whales & hung out with us for the day.
Speaking of skin, my skin is completely irritated thanks to the mosquitoes, ants and other bichos that constantly bite me! Unconsciously, I scratch at night so there are two raw spots: one on the thigh & the other on the forearm. Reminder to self: request more Claritin.
War of Teeth: As recess ended, the kids gathered around the sink to brush their teeth. As they brush their teeth, they start comparing tooth brushes. The difference between a hard toothbrush vs. a soft toothbrush. The newest Colgate toothbrush, which has a feature on the back of the toothbrush so that you can brush your tongue as well. The appropriate size of your toothbrush. Different techniques to reach your back teeth.
Listening to their conversation, I thought of how pleased my Dentist would be to hear this conversation. A dentist’s only remaining lesson (and probably that of a nutritionist) would probably be to start a war against their eating habits, especially that of candy. While they are in the habit of brushing after every official meal, they eat candy throughout the day, especially after dinner. Brushing before bed is not encouraged :( And as a result, I see children with the same amount of gold teeth as Lil Wayne.
Made in China I recently decided that US items made in other countries should say “Made in China…designed in US.” A past time is to play games with my Tico friends. The favorites are: Jingo, UNO, cards, checkers and soon enough, there will be Monopoly (Costa Rica version.) In looking at the boxes of these games, a few friends have commented on how smart the Chinese are for inventing these games and most of the games that we all love. I gently tried to explain the idea of globalism: Most of these games were invented in the US but in the past 30-40 years, production of the games have been shipped oversees. Of course, my dear Ticos don’t believe me.
Tanto Speaking of games, a favorite card game here is called Tanto. One card is removed from the stack without anyone looking at it. The remaining cards are dealt. Within your hand, you form all the pairs possible (2 Aces, 2 Threes, 2 Eights, etc) and disregard those cards. Finally you play: Hold up your hand and allow the person to your right to choose a card. That person wants a card to make a pair; with the object of being the first person without cards. Because in the beginning a card was removed, it means that one card will not have a pair. The person with that card is Tanto…or in English, STUPID! What a game más Tanto.
Dia de los Ninos (Day of the Children) On most calendars found in the states, there are holidays that are completely ignored. Grandparents Day. Teachers Day. Father’s Day (Alright, we recognize that but all fathers can admit that in a race with Mother’s day, it places 5th.) Children’s Day. I remember once pointing to Children’s day on the calendar and asking Collette why we don’t celebrate this particular day. Her response: Christmas or Children’s day, which is your preference? Well here, it is widely celebrated. I’m also at an age that I can fully appreciate Collette’s response.
That’s enough of randomness. This upcoming week sounds promising for more!
-Q
