Kids & Pets

I believe we just finished our second full week of classes.. I'm losing track of weeks.. days.. and time. Our first Sunday night here we gathered for a potluck dinner. Everyone brought a dish to share along with their kitchen table, chairs, plates, utensils, and drinks. We put our tables together (round & square) to create a long banquet table. We had a feast of pasta, fresh tomato sauce, crisp salad with homemade dressing (olive oil, fresh lime juice, salt & pepper), fresh baked garlic bread, and for dessert vanilla and 'vanilla chip' ice cream with a fluffy chocolate mousse that was created by our 'raw foodist' (Justin).  The mousse was made from raw cocao (ca-cow) powder, whipped avocado, and other secret raw ingredients. It was extremely inventive and delicious!  It tasted like real dark chocolate - bitter, not too sweet.. satisfying.  As we go into our third week, I can feel everyones energy dropping a bit, the newness is beginning to ware off. Personally, I'm starting to feel overwhelmed by the constant workload and the lack of personal time, but it's truly difficult to be upset in an environment like this. So, I acknowledge those feelings and continue on.

Just a general observation, that the most difficult foods to find are chocolate, cheese, and meat (protein). It seems that proper refrigeration is hard to come by, especially with the constant heat and humidity. So, foods that should be stored at a certain temperature (meats & cheeses) or that will melt in the heat (chocolate) are more difficult to find, and therefor more expensive. I'm always looking for new and different sources of protein (aside from eggs and beans), but I have yet to find tofu or any other soy products.

I shop at two different grocery stores depending on what I need. 'Pali' has more essentials and is generally less expensive. 'Super Samara' has a greater selection, more specialties (cheese & chocolate), and is generally more expensive. I did find some herbed gouda cheese there that cost 4,800 (almost $9), so basically it's a treat that I use sparingly. I also go to the butcher (carnicero) for chicken (pollo) and the bakery for sweet rolls mMMmm

I am fascinated with the mayonnaise here. First of all, it comes in a flexible pouch with a spout. Second of all, it ONLY comes in fun flavors like, lime and salsa. 

The other day I had an intense experience with costa rican coffee.  I brewed some fresh coffee, put it in the fridge to cool off, added some milk (leche), and minutes later I was shaking and feeling foggy.  I had to load up on water and rolls before I gave a massage later that day. I think I can only drink coffee in moderation, on weekends, in the afternoon. It was deeeeelicious but powerful :x yikes! 

I hand-wash most of my clothes, but sometimes it just doesn't do the trick. So, yesterday I treated myself to laundry service in town.  I brought a small bag of clothes, they weighed them, and a few hours later they were clean and folded. ahhh totally worth it.

 

Somehow, I've forgotten to mention the thick black smoke that sporadically wafts through our outdoor classroom. Any guesses? ding ding! It's burning plastic and trash.. and sometimes leaves! It recently became illegal in May 2010 to burn trash in Costa Rica, but obviously it's still happening! Not only are some of us are having allergic reactions (sneezing & congestion) to the carcinogens in the air, but we had to cancel yoga the other night - it didn't seem right to practice deep breathing and meditation amongst the burning plastics :x

As for the bug situation, it's honestly better than I expected.  The most annoying insects are the tiny red fire ants. I've learned to walk quickly when barefoot and to avoid standing near their nest that is built directly in front of our porch.. duh.  However, if I do get attacked, the best remedy is to run for the pool. 

Speaking of bugs, there are also campus dogs. There is one dog in particular that I am most familiar with.  Her name is Canela (cinnamon)..  she welcomed us to campus by breaking into our house on the first night. She propped herself up on our porch, pawed open the screen, and jumped through the bars that line our window frame.  I heard this loud bang at 3 am, but thought nothing of it becuase I was in new surroundings with new noises. However, the next morning she was in our living room and the trash was knocked over in our kitchen.  Since that night she has been partial to resting on our porch but I avoid physical contact beucase I don't know how healthy she is. I would say that I have a love/hate relashionship with her, as I do with most dogs.  Although, as the days go on, I'm warming up to her and sometimes she helps me color my anatomy homework by the pool.

It has rained three times since I've been here.  It doesn't last very long - it's mostly refreshing and cools everything down.  However, it does increase mosquito activity! My legs are proof!

At low-tide the beach is a mecca for treasures of all different shapes, sizes, and colors! There are a lot of coral pieces and bright pink shells but here are a few that I've collected - I was happy to find that curvy green piece of sea glass!

There is a family that lives next door to us, who owns the land that the campus is built on.  They are very friendly, always saying Hola, Pura Vida, Buenos Dias, Buenos Tardes, and Buenos Noches. Last night they called me over to look at an anteater that was climbing the trees above their house.  It was really sweet of them to include me in their family sighting!  They have two little boys, Michael and Orlando, who are extremely entertaining; they climb trees, swim in the pool, and ride dogs like bulls (influenced from bull fighting).

On Tuesday, I was lucky enough to be Jill's model for the demonstration (in front of the class) for the back of the legs and feet (prone position) which included more draping techniques and manual manipulation of stretching the legs and hips. ahh it was such a treat to have her touch.

On Wednesday we learned draping techniques for the back of the legs and hips. By the end of the week we learned how to give a full body swedish massage! YAY! This is an absolute milestone in our education!  This coming Monday and Tuesday we'll be exchanging full body massages (with another student)! Lectures and demonstrations are done for swedish massage, so now we are just practicing and improving -- until we learn the next technique!

Friday night I had my professional massage from Jill (one of my instructors and cofounder of CRSMT). It would be impossible to put into words, but she created a technique called 'Mindful Expressionism', which is more like reconstruction bodywork than it is massage.  She broke up calcified toxins (what feels like crunchy knots), used myofascial release on my lower back (separated connective tissue from my spine), and climbed on the table to manually stretch my legs and hips. The experience was unique, tranquil, comfortable, cool, emotional, and calming.  She expects her clients to be sore for the next three days and advises them to drink plenty of water and limit physical activity for 24 hours. The next morning I felt fluid and free. My shoulders had dropped and the tension in my jaw had been released. After feeling her work and experienced touch, it only encourages me to become a better massage therapist.  I am blown away by her creativity.

Oh, and the internet sucks. It's constantly cutting in and out. I tried to post this last night and I lost everything I wrote from the past week. :# I f*ing freaked out and then collected myself to rewrite this - so enjoy! sigh. Life is full of obstacles.