First Impressions

(1/31/10)

Well, I made it to San Jose despite my plane out of Boston being frozen. They kept us waiting at the gate for almost an hour and told us they might deboard the plane. Right after they made that announcement they said "we're ready to go" which was a little disconcerting. I guess the water lines defrosted but the way they said it made it seem like they decided it wasn't all that important if they were still frozen.

When I got to San Jose it was sunny and hot (in the 80s) but the breeze made it feel cooler. It was cloudy, but the clouds here are beautiful, not like the flat gray stuff that blankets Massachusetts. The city lies in a valley beneath an active volcano that is partially shrouded. From what little I have seen so far, I quite like the city. It isn't what some people might consider beautiful; there's little uniformity in the structures but they form a sort of patchwork thats fascinating to look at. One feature that is common is an embossed diamond pattern found on many of the metal gates in this area.

Yesterday I met my host family, Damaris and Edgar Sanchez who share the house with their daughter Marcela, her husband Luis, their son Saul, and new baby Amanda (all of whom live in an attached apartment on the second floor). We watched a show on tv (which they have four of, including a little tiny one in my room) resembling a rodeo, but with a bunch of other people in the ring. I learned that elections are coming soon. Apparently, in Costa Rica, this is cause for celebration. I talked with them some about general things like my interests. I have been able to communicate somewhat effectively, definitely better than when I went to Guatemala. I think the spanish immersion course was helpful, despite not being totally immersive.

This morning (Sunday) I went to a farmers market with my host family. There were tons of vegetable and fruit stands, as well as some selling meats, seafood and cheeses. As we were going through the market, I spotted a group of Americans (I think from North Carolina- one had a shirt that said raleigh international) who stopped to look at some bootleg dvds layed out on the ground. It was funny seeing dvd guy trying to sell them his movies. I thought it would have made a good picture but I decided not to take one. They would have noticed because I was right next to them.

This afternoon, I accompanied all the male members of my extended family to a futbol game. I was the only person in our group (and one of a minority in the stadium) not dressed in purple, which is the color of the local team, Saprissa. We sat in the lefthand side what I guess is the economy section, concrete bleachers overlooking the length of the field. A ways over from us, in an area delineated with purple banners, there was a section for the truly devoted fans. Their constant chanting, drumming and horn-blowing made them seem like an improvised, unruly marching band. At times they would all jump up and down in unison, causing the entire structure to wiggle.

The game was fairly slow for the first half, with several almost-goals. Soon after halftime (or whatever its called in soccer) the home team scored a goal. Towards the end of the game, many people began to leave, apparently confident in the games favorable outcome. Sure enough, Saprissa scored another goal just minutes after the stands began emptying, sealing their win against San Carlos.