My first impressions of Costa Rica weren't so great. There was litter everywhere. Everywhere! I've come to determine that this is a good indicator of the type of mentality of the locals. Usually people who care about their community have a nice community. Another observation was that the air smelled like fried chicken. This, however, is a good indicator that the food should taste nice.
Of course, this was only the capital, San Jose. Usually the biggest cities don't entirely represent the rest of the population of the country. I couchsurfed my first night and was awake enough to have a mild conversation. I learned that the government owns/runs the cell phone and electrical industry. This creates problems, as demand is not met. I think this is due to infrastructure, but could also be due to a lazy government. And monopolies run rampant, such as insurance, and a bunch of others I can't remember on account of fatigue.
Found my new stomping grounds for the next year and sat and had a chat with my new landlord, Ed. He spoke pretty poorly of the local folks here. Oblivious, clueless, corrupt, thieves, and 'on the moon' were some of the personality descriptions he used. He instructed me not to drink the water and not to buy meat from the local grocer. He also said that if I go outside, I'll get mugged. Ed is a good old boy from San Diego and I figure he's probably been in Costa Rica for too long. So, I drank the water before going out for a walk to find the local grocer to buy some sausage. Cause that's how I roll.
I find the locals to not really be too friendly. That said, they're not unfriendly, either. Most of the smiles I hand out are returned, but none have been first offered to me. I've only been here a week though - I expect this observation to change a lot. I'm living in a bustling town of between 20,000 and 30,000 inhabitants called Ciudad Colon. A lot less litter on the streets here! Phew! The fried chicken smell is also gone. Now it just smells like a developing country. That is, the air is filled with the sounds and smells of low-level construction, unmuffled 2-cycle engines, and 30 to 40-year old diesel trucks. I have a small studio apartment in a 10-apartment complex that's filled with other expats, 90% from the U.S., and I'm the only student. Kinda gives a representation of how many foreigners there are in this country. My apartment is at N 9º 54.643' and W 84º 14.536' and sitting around 2800 ft above sea level. I probably won't stay in this apartment for more than my first month, as the guy in the apartment next to me snores from the moment he falls asleep to the moment he wakes up. The sound goes right though the wall. And the guy above me goes through coughing fits from 4am to 6am, every morning. I have some earplugs, which stop the sound of the snoring, but not of the coughing. Good news is, there are other options in this tiny town.
The center of Ciudad Colon is constantly filled with people going to and fro. The town was built on a highway, so there is a healthy amount of traffic at all times throughout the day. It doesn't take much to escape the center, though. Rolling green hills are found close by, and in every direction. They are covered with lush vegetation consisting of flora and fauna that I've never seen before. It's a pretty place, but obvious things about it will end up getting to me: irresponsible development leading to leftover debris scattered about and intense erosion, foreigners owning half the country creating a separation as blatant as haves and have nots, as well as low/non-existing standards for environmental regulations as seen by the pollution coming from cars and trucks. Oh the developing world.One of my hesitations in embarking on this grad school adventure is that I want a job. After my German Hippie Fiasco of 07, I decided that I want to pursue a path that leads to professional, positive, and effective societal development. Surrounding myself with uneducated hippies who try to teach the world about bongo drums, indigo children, and the benefits of marijuana probably isn't going to get me to where I want to be.
As I introduced myself to my new neighbor, Zach, I struck up a conversation with his guests. One guy, I think it was Zach's brother, was talking about cancer. Interesting.
"Your brain, like, sends signals and shit down to your body. If something happens in your past that's huge, your brain keeps sending these signals and that's how you get cancer and shit."
Hmmm... Not so interesting. But... Mildly entertaining in a bizarre, humorous sort of way so I gave him my attention.
"It's like, you know how when someone always thinks they're sick, and then their brain makes them sick? Same thing with cancer. Like when old, depressed people die and their healthy spouses die immediately after; like a year or two later. That's how that happens. It's your brain, man."
Hhhhh.... I'm hoping my fellow students have a bit more to offer on an intellectual level. Or really on any level - I'll not be too picky for fear of my brain starting to send signals and shit down to my body.
I've got high hopes for my time here. I'm trying to keep up on my running, but the terrain is intense! So many hills! And my one good lung hasn't adapted to the conditions yet. Including the weather - it's so humid here! And being that this is the rainy season, there is a two-hour deluge, complete with intense thunder and lightning, every afternoon. But every morning I wake up to beautiful blue skies and sunshine!
School starts in a week. I haven't met any other students yet - but I got here early so I could find a place to live. I'm only a year away from a masters degree! I'm also only a year away from my next vacation home! Woo hoo! I hope it's longer than three weeks this time!
