Site Visit

Site visit
So we had our counterpart workshop thursday and friday and i was still pretty sick. It was a little nerve-racking to finally meet the people were going to be working with for the next two years. But we had some great team building training which eased the tension.  

Saturday I lucked out and was able to get a ride from Tres Rios in a buseta that the counterparts from Acosta (my county) had rented. So they drove us through San Jose to see our bus stop and treated us to breakfast which was really sweet.  Then they dropped us off in San Ignacio de Acosta the city whee I can catch a bus from to my town.  I hung out in the park until my new host-sister met me to show me which bus to take to my community -La Cruz.

La Cruz is about a twenty minute car ride or thirty minute bus ride on mostly unpaved roads. The roads are especially torn up after the bad weather with a ton of land slides and some pretty dangerous passes with water still sliding down. But on the other side the view is incredible! The mountains are greener than a North Carolina summer if you can believe it. The only break of green in sight is the occasional scarring of orange where the mud slid.  

My digs- dude... I have my own bathroom! With hot water!!! And my room is in the basement! The four year old playing can be loud if i wake up late but I'm sure I'll get used to it.  They said they're going to get me a desk and I cant wait to sit in front of the window with the most amazing view any of my desks has ever seen that's for sure!  

The family is really "buena gente." The dad Luis Calvo (lots of Luises) works is farm all day, the mom Aida in the kitchen.  My sister Elena lives next door with her husband Juan Luis and their two sons Pablo 4 years, and Emanuel 2 months.  Their two sons live in Parrita near the beach and I have yet to meet one. One of them is married with two kids, I'll update on them once i meet them at Christmas time.

The schools were great. Although they were already on vacation I got a chance to spend several hours with two of the three English teachers I'll be working with ane I'm super excited to get started! The director had me speak a few minutes in front of the high school kids on the spot and I'm hoping i didn't make a fool of myself!  I asked them to sign up if they wanted to form an English group over the break and ten minutes after i walked away they brought me a list of 15 students! 

Then i decided to walk to the pulperia after school finished and met the owner and chatted with him over the juice i bought from him. As everyone came in he introduced me and I had the chance to chat with a ton of people about what brings me to town. A lot of people were excited that I was coming to stay and new people I met had already heard about me which awesome, of course as I go I have to correct the stories heard through the game of telephone but it's all in good spirit! I'm so excited to get started!!!