COSTA RICA:Life around town I became TEFL Teacher

  San Jose, Costa Rica
Saturday, March 25, 2006

Well hello folks!!!!!! HOLA

It´s me from Latin America, or Costa Rica aka land of PURA VIDA (literally "pure"/wonderful life or simply a friendly content greeting/ great state of mind/well-being!).. - finally i get to write a jounral entry :d - day off today.

Sorry for not writing sooner but the volume of work this TEFL course demands ihas been overwhelming. always tired. First two weeks were ok - just theory. bit boring really but now am doing full on practiacl teaching practice to a fab but crazy class of low-beginner and somewhat illiterate adults in a run down church lol! Done 4 and have 4 to go. lesson planning annoying but I love it. Feedback good so far.. There are 9 other students on same course - 1 lass from north of UK whole the yanks (8 of) take the mick out of all the time bless.. I am often used as a resource of clarifying "queen´s english speech" pronunication haha! Banter is great between us gringos and I may travel with some of them for a weke or so elsewhere in CR after course ends. Most are returning home or immediately going out to find a teaching english job here, in Spain or in Corea etc..

As for the surroundings & host family/household - they are wicked and can't fault...... beach - wow !

Family have such varied food and cooked so deliciously man! a typical breakfast I am served will be guaranteed to have some form of egg in it.. Pancakes, tropical fruit, breads, cereals, fry up, beans....you name it. Done get lunch but for dinner I have stunning food. There are 6 in the fmaily in total.. only 2 siblings remain in the household - 9yr old boy and 22 yr old girl....fit as..... others are married awith kids and spread out amongst the town..... house is always full of people yacking away - eldest daughter´s family is currently lodging there as well - has 4 kids... 1 of which is older than my homestay mothers' youngest son (9yrold) - ie niece older than uncle -funny as as people are so religious here and moral....aaaaanyway - house is apparently high standard for the region, though it can be best descibed as a done-up shack on the outside, with nice furnishings on inside. study bedroom sufficient.. fans eevrywhere as it is like 33 degrees constatny day in day ut from dawn til dusk... havent felt clean since I got here quite frankly.... there is a school being built right opposite my house and people get up at like 5 am on regular bassis coz go to bed so early also (soooo unlike Spain!!!!!!) - working day is like 7 - 4 you see. so its soooo noisy at crak of dawn. amazing... beggards are abundant and drug dealing too. trainer on course got mugged ast kinfe point and car broken into same weekend for example!

Before I begin ranting about first 3 weeks out here, a little on my trip over....

I spent the night of 2nd March wide awake in Heathrow terminal 2......You couldn't imagine the variety of weirdos that palce attracted - hilarious... kept me entertained certainly: some drunken rowdy old hag demanding this that and the other off cafe owners and pasengerss.....this gross hairy smelly trampy who stripped semi nude and lay out his tatty sleeping bag in the MIDDLE of a hall and slept theng ot up and scratched himself and looked zombified... This twatty sour crout german guy who was probably high or sumit as he was clicking fingers, swearing, laughing, demanding table service in a takeout COSTA coffee restuarant etc and reading the english papers and cursing the queen and politix etc... haha

Was delayed from both heathrow on red eye and then from madird to san jose....good old spanish airlines ay... flight over seemed to last 4 eva.. no sleep.... plenty of people to chat to though lol!Arrived in CR at 6pm and the heat upon disembarking was phenomenal.. no trouble at customs thankfully. didnt care! then got taxi to the most dangerous place in downtown san jose for muggings, theft etc. o wel i wheeled my luggage away and just made the alst bus goig to my destination.... cramped, tacky, no air con, jam apcked bus lasting 4 hours.... fianlly got to the hostel where i promptly crashed out at 6am Uk time Sat 4th. first experince of basic hostel dormitory was pleasant as half empty and quiet... bumped into people on my course there so that was cool!

Of course the first thing I did here was go the beach on pacific ocean!!!!!! clea blue water and golden sands!! lovely jubly....... no sun cream - biiiiiiiig mistake.. singed to the bone and only started peeling 4 days alter. am v brown now though :-P Then just chilled with home family, who are a delighful as i say. can speak broken english but i never use it!!!!

Outline of my weeks atlingo school - had to sing weird chants and act out role plays etc to establish rapport with fellow students - i am youngest btw. there is a 49 yr old woman, 35 yr old woman an d2 30yr old girls then rest of us in mid 20s...... al seem so much younger though wich is weird!!! Americans arent too americany either lol. 2 are dating... INCEST! and two of OLDER women have been pulling 20 yr old local men (tios) tut tut.. i wont comment on my social escapades ie how well or badly behaved i have bee.

Unfortunately 1 dude had to pull out as his delinquant daughter inthe US had got arrested...guted!! real shame!

theory stuff we been learning includes phonology, grammar, classroom discipline and correction, differnt types of learners erm.....group teaching........ seminars on job propsects.... assignemtns coming ut of ears!!!
have to do a 1 - 1 sesh with someone also! journals.... zzzz

These last 2 weeks simply involve getting lesson plans signed off each day of week for the following days class so prep pre prep. then 1 hr teaching per day and 2 hours observing peers.. v long!!!!! no rest for wicked can tell ya! neevr got up so early in life...
So what have I been up to otherwise?

So yeah beach 1st saturday, then national park the following sunday with peeps... there are coloured crabs, lizards, iguanas, cute naughty moneks, snakes, crocs, and SLOTHS who climb along telephone wires at like 1mph. amazing! fotos galore..... much of CR is protected officially by government as national parks to conserve nature and wildlife..... also been on a kayak trip with classmates - free .... this canal thing wich has crocs and snakes and monekys around... wicked!

Night out wise - reggae nights, jazz nights, salsa clubs and these 2 amazing open airclubs wich spill out onto beach... sunset and sunrise are just out of this world - take 15 mins for the sun to start dropping and drop below the horizon line creating darkness....... all year round this same.. dark around 6 pm and soooooo light by 4 am. rainy season begins in may- monsoon like... so am glad will be missing the torrential rain and associated flu and crap..... muggy! ladies cand rink free in certain palces every night of the week - un fair.... the locals usually go out in couples by there are many sleezy locals after the white girls....

4 students are sharing private accommodation to parties there etc.. THEY PALY MY CLASSIC CARD DRINKING GAME WITH A DIFFERNT MEANING FOR EACH NUMBERED CARD!!!! woohooo.. dogs follow you around like you are their owners and locals chat awy next door....

Ummm.... everyone knew exactly what St Paddies's day was so green dominated the clothing that day for sure... we had a group effort grill up at another guys place too.....

Costa Rica is ace - friendly folk for most part... very acepting....... bt definitely at upper end of 3rd world countries - intermittent power cutts and water cuts............. stray dogs roaming streets...... no contacts for work....constatn need to bargain with taxi drivers and shop keepers to get desired fare/price - they will takae the piss if you dont try.....pedestrains never have right of way.... there are NO road name or street name.. peoples addresses are determined by a DESCRIPTION eg the blue house 100 m on right from the school just off from the bridge etc etc etc!!! ooooook..... would take 3 weeks to get mail apparently but stysem works! And finally, the cost of things.... CR is meant to be the most expensive country in south american continent but a beer is like under a quid, a 3 course meal providing not in tourist beach area will cost 4quid..... etc etc no club entrance fees or dress codes... ooooo there have been 2 earthquakes in last 2 weeks reaching 4 on the Ricter scale - i must have been asleep as i did not feel the house shake unlike other mates!?!?! ooooook.


Am setteld here nevertheless- made friends, love the food weather and culture....strasnge will be leaving in a week or so. no culture chock or problems with health as yet.


thats all folks - sorry no feasibility for personal emails! - anything ihave forgotten iwill include in next entry..shuld be hell of a lt shorter mind!! haha

take care, Andy Picot-tico

PS if any one is bruning to hear my harming spanish-ified voice soon, then i can be reached at my home on 00 506 777 3