The honeymoon is over….

La luna de miel ha desaparecido….

Ok so the reality of living in San Jose is trickling into my life!

I cringe at the contamination daily…
I will always be a country girl…not accustomed to city life in any form!...ay! the smog that I am breathing in from the traffic…I see the black stuff puffing out of the passing buses/vehicles and cringe as I have to breathe that in!  And the noise and the busy-ness and the men that call their cultural “piropos” to females in the street (whistle, call “macha/machita” (blonde), “rica” (hott), “gringa” (american gal) honk, just stare…and whatever else). I do not want to know what the water system is really like…all the water running by the roadside. The rivers are brown with mud runoff and who knows what else! “las aguas negras.” And the trash lies wherever it pleases!! Not all areas are dirty, and I overlook this….así es la vida…but by first impression you would think it is dirty!

And really, the thought of recycling or eating healthy doesn’t exist. This is not part of their education/knowledge. And there is not grand incentive for either! To eat healthy fruits and veggies (although it would seem simple living in a country of biodiversity) costs more that buying a loaf of white bread each day. And it takes more effort to recycle than to just discard it in the trash or on the street. This is an interesting concept because Costa Ricans value “appearance.” BUT it is appearance of themselves or their houses…not of the sidewalks per say. Interesting, eh?

So I confess that I miss my healthy, peaceful country lifestyle that I grew up in. Such a blessing! Thank you Dad and Mom! But every day I resolve to seek the beauty of the city of San Jose….which God has to show me. It could simply be another LASP student with whom I share a conversation during the walk from LASP to language classes. It could be the view of the mountains, which surround the valley of San Jose. Or it could be the little girl walking to school with her father in the morning.

(Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 25-26)
The beach is not like the pictures tell…
I went to the beach of Puntarenas with my family this weekend. Doesn’t that sound amazing?! Well, let me explain to you that it is “winter,” which is the rainy season, and there is a tropical storm passing through the coast. So the mini-get-away with the family consisted of a cozy cabin, swimming pools, and beach….all the while cloudy, drizzly, or rainy…(not to mention the glorious thunderstorm during the night!!). Yet, to my little brothers who had been set on this beach trip all week, what’s a little bit of rain or clouds?? NOTHING! They didn’t care that it wasn’t the ideal weekend for a trip to the beach.

I would say that it was worth it. I got to know a different province of Costa Rica, which became well known through the growth of tourism to its beaches. They pride themselves in their seafood and an ice cream combo called “Churchill.” Delicious food indeed! It was a relaxing weekend…refreshing to just walk on the shore and think and listen to the glory of God through the crashing waves. I even had the chance to RUN on the shore twice!! The first time I have “exercised” since I arrived. Also invigorating.

Monday, Sept. 27
Today LASP students visited the U.S. Embassy in San Jose. We listened to the perspectives of three female ambassadors. It was interesting to hear an American point of view after learning through the Latin American lens for a month in LASP classes/charlas!! And I was amused by one of the ambassadors. During Q & A … she asked us “And what is your final product after your time in Costa Rica?” She was clearly talking from her political/economical perspective…that there needs to be evidence/profit….Under my breath/to the people around me I replied: “Our lives!” Ultimately what matters from this experience for each participant is what he/she does with the knowledge and experienced gained through this intercultural dialogue, which is a daily process of soaking in the experience, reflecting upon it, and then living it out in a manner that glorifies God.

The past week, I have been meditating on the truth of Psalm 23….that the LORD is ENOUGH….
“El Señor es mi pastor, nada me falta…”
May you rest in the truth today that you lack NOTHING if you follow the good Shcpherd and put your trust the LORD!

Gloria a Dios,
Joanne