Estoy aqui!

Wow, I am completely shocked and amazed right now. I mean, I guess it's not the craziest thing ever, but to open up my laptop in the middle of a barrio in Costa Rica and have wireless internet access is pretty amazing to me!

I just woke up after a pretty solid eight hours of sleep. As some of you may have already known, my initial flight on TACA was canceled, which meant that I had to fly out the next morning. I was mad, just like everyone else in line who had come to find out that their seat had been given away, but I played it cool. Result of playing it cool? A $400 voucher for a flight within the next year on TACA or any of its partners! Sweet!

So I finally got in to San Jose last night, only to find that NOBODY was there waiting for me. Not being terribly worried about this (and in the back of my mind thinking, wow, this is going to be an adventure going into SJ blindly and looking for a hotel), I just kind of hung out looking at everyone's signs (for other people, of course!). It seemed practically everyone out there wanted to help me by putting me in a cab, or letting me use their cell phone. Realizing that many were probably just looking to make a buck or two, I was cautious, but in the end, I think I realized that several of them just wanted to help out. That's the "pura vida" lifestyle, and although I'm just beginning to know it, I have a feeling it'll just be the first of many instances where a foreigner like me can't believe that people are helpful just because they enjoy doing so.

So anyway, after a while I find the lady with her "CRLA" (that's my school) sign waiting for another student. I tell her that I am with CRLA as well, and she produces a sign with my name on it from her back pocket. Apparently, my midnight email the day prior never was read by anyone. So much for that! She tells me that I will go with her and to just wait with her for the next kid to arrive. He comes out a few minutes later (a 19 white kid from Zimbabwe who speaks NO Spanish) and we get into a cab with "Chino." Spanish begins immediately, and I find it remarkably easy to communicate with this guy. All the way home, we make small talk about soccer, music, parts of town we're in, the prostitutes along the side of the road, etc. It was almost as if all the studying I've been doing for the last couple of months had paid off. Imagine that!

We pull up to Michael's "house" and we're smack-dab in the middle of a barrio. Not necessarily a bad barrio, but just not quite what I expected. I'm sitting there thinking, "Boy, he got screwed. Or did he? Is my place going to be the same type of thing?" I didn't have to wait long to figure that out! We pull around the corner to my new home and it's almost a carbon copy. The place is very meager, very simple, but I think it'll do just fine. I walked in, and of all things, they have practically the same TV as me (46" Samsung). Priorities, right?!

So I met Dora, who is the abuela (grandma) and the youngest daughter, Dorothy (about 6 years old, who is entranced by her television show...lol). I find it a little more tense speaking with them as there is clearly a little bit of nervousness on all parts. They've probably only seen gigantic gringos like me in the movies! A few minutes later the rest walked in (apparently back from getting their burgers and fries). There's Arelys, the mom, who is maybe a couple of years younger than me, Jason the dad who is about the same age, and their other daughter Kristhel, who is nine. I still haven't completely figured out where Sergio, the grandfather is. I keep hearing something about him riding a bike in the mountains. I don't know what the hell that's all about, but I figure I'll meet him at some point.

So the girls are super cute, and me being such a nice guy (and incredibly bored with my four hour layover in DFW), I pulled out the "regalitos" (small gifts) for the girls, which consisted of those sugar crystal things, giant lollipops (you know, the multi-colored ones you might find at Disneyland), and each a Pez dispenser. I told them that when my sister was a girl, she used to collect them. They marveled at such items and probably looked forward to today when they get to actually eat instead of admire them:)

Today, I was told that we're going to head into the market to buy some fruits and vegetables. I still have absolutely NO idea where we are, other than we are about a 10-15 minute bus ride from my school. I know there's a gigantic grocery store "Mas por Menos" (literally, more for less) around the corner, as well as a church, school, etc. Today will be fun and interesting to go around and check out the sites, and perhaps get gawked at a little with my new mohawk and all! Should be interesting...

Tomorrow starts school, and I'm told that Dora will accompany me there. That's when the real fun begins!

I'm going to go outside now and take a picture of my "casita" so you can all be jealous of my new digs...be right back.

OK, that was a bust. I was able to figure out the one door that looks in, but apparently, the outside door is locked and since nobody else is up yet, I'm going to leave it alone! I did take two pictures though, one of my room, and the other is looking in from the front door. Here they are: