Semana 2

View of San José from the top of the National Museum

This week was busy with schoolwork, three presentations and an exam. Since I  am only here for a month and am taking 6 credits, a lot of the material is condensed and there is homework almost every day. Having class four hours straight in Spanish is exhausting; however, I am learning a lot! Most of the week days I am really tired because I wake up at 6:30am and have class most of the day. Every few days I go through a cycle of: enjoying being here studying Spanish and learning the culture, being tired of classes and homework, homesickness, excitement to do something new, and looking forward to the weekend trips. I have talked with my other friends here and discovered they feel very similar, so I would define this cycle as the "culture shock" for us.

Daily life in a tico home: 
Everyday, I wake up at 6:30 and shower. My Mama Tica has a helper, Lucy, who comes to the house everyday to make us breakfast and clean the house. Around 7:30 I eat breakfast, which usually consists of fruit, coffee, toast, pancakes, or a cheese empanada, and walk to school. Then, I have class from 8-12. While I am in class, my Mama Tica usually runs errands or meets with friends, while Lucy cleans the house and does laundry. After class, I go to lunch with my friends at different local restaurants. After, I either have class from 3-5 or have an activity/tour planned through my program or the university. When I get home around 5:30, Lucy has gone home for the night, and my Mama Tica is preparing dinner for Jess and I. We eat dinner as a family and talk about our day and other topics about the culture and our lives only in Spanish. After dinner, I usually spend the night working on homework, relaxing, and watching  t.v. Sometimes, we go out with friends. My Mama Tica goes to bed around 8:30 every day and because I am so tired, I normally am sleeping by 11.

On Wednesday, I went on an art tour through my university in downtown San José. We visited three different museums, the Jade Museum, the Gold Museum, and the National Museum. The National Museum of Costa Rica was my favorite because it used to be the main military fort of the country and still had some of the features from many years ago. The Gold and Jade Museums had many artifacts, fossils, and items from the indigenous people of the past. I am usually not a huge fan of museums; however, it was really interesting to learn about the past of another country, see their statues and artwork, and how the past has shaped the country today. Below are some pictures from the museums:

Jade Museum

Artwork from the Jade Museum

Artifacts from the Gold Musum

Grave in the Gold Museum

Jail cell used during the civil war in Costa Rica in the National Museum

This weekend, I am going to La Fortuna in San Carlos with AIFS, my study abroad program, to see the Arenal Volcano, enjoy the hot springs, and swim next to a waterfall. I am excited to have a break from school, leave San José, and explore more of the natural beauty of Costa Rica!