Costa Rica with Ray

Ray’s Second Week

Name: Ray Jackson

Program: Valpo Study Center in Costa Rica

Location: Heredia and San Jose, Costa Rica

Spanish Speaking

During this week is when I started noticing some unusual changes in my Spanish speaking abilities. I was already surprised by how well I was doing in conversation shortly after I first arrived. But over the weekend my mind was starting to get exhausted from it. I found that I couldn’t maintain a high level of fluency for an entire day. So sometimes I would be very comfortable and fluid in my Spanish, and other times my brain just refused. I also started to realize the fear and guilt that I would sometimes feel for not being able to talk in the same way as everyone around me, so in moments when my Spanish didn’t feel comfortable, I had a tendency to avoid talking all together.

All of this may sound bad, but I’m pretty sure it just meant that my mind was adjusting to something new. And I was lucky to have many people around me who consistently reassured me that my Spanish is already fine the way that it is even if it’s unique. People from my university, the praxis center, my internship, and my host family reminded me that I have nothing to fear when I’m talking to people I trust.

Getting Sick

After everyone came back from the Limon excursion, most of us started getting sick one by one. I was one of the lucky ones because my only symptom was stomach aches, so while it was a very uncomfortable experience, it didn’t get in the way of anything I had to do. And my lovely program director Heidi made sure that we were all getting better with the help of a doctor.

I’ve heard from other students at Veritas that the same thing happened to them after visiting Limon. I don’t know what it is, but my advice to anyone who is traveling, would be to wash your hands, don’t drink tap water, and consistently DISINFECT. You best believe that after that experience I had spray and hand sanitizer with me at all times, and I washed my hands every time the thought popped into my head. It was uncomfortable, but I’m glad I wasn’t alone. Everyone in my program was there for one another, and we got through our problems together.

Internship

This week I found that I was connecting a lot more with the other workers from where I intern. Before, I avoided talking to most of them because no one spoke English except for my supervisor, and I was uncomfortable speaking Spanish. But this week, while I did have my moments of discomfort, I also had moments when I would speak Spanish freely so that I could interact with those around me. A lot of the people who work there are in the same family, so I think it is beautiful how much their affection and trust permeate throughout the restaurant.

 Through conversations with my supervisor, I learned a little bit about how it was for him to start his own business as an immigrant from Venezuela. And I think this is valuable because maybe starting my own business is something that I could do in the future. However, I did find it a bit strange how little I was doing in my internship so far. Up until this point, the only things I had done for the company was translate the menu and organize receipts, and I would help clear off tables when I could. I heard that this was relatively normal for interns in Costa Rica because of the more relaxed culture, and I was advised beforehand to be patient if at first, I found myself lacking things to do. But later, I will talk about how I also did other things to learn within the realm of business once I had more time on my hands.

The First Time it Rained

I came to Costa Rica during the rainy season, so I was already expecting it to rain almost every day. But I learned that the rain out here isn’t like the rain back home. When I first arrived it was in the middle of the “Veranillo” which is a very short dry period that happens during the rainy season. So, it hadn’t rained much at all since I’d been here until Thursday of my second week. I had a relatively far walk to the train station after class, and that day I THOUGHT I was prepared.

I was sure that my coat and shoes would keep the water out; but with all the rain, it seeped right though. The ground also had a lot of running water, so I walked a little more slowly to not slip, and I ended up missing the train because of it. So, I had the pleasure of waiting at the train station for a half an hour soaking wet before the next train came. And to top it all off, I accidentally left my umbrella on the train.

So, after all that, I learned my lesson. I now have a plastic poncho that’s big enough to cover my backpack, and I have a new umbrella. Additionally, my professor was nice enough to let me out of class early whenever it rained so that I had time to reach the train. So now I’m actually prepared 😁

So, besides being sick, I’d say that this was a pretty good week. It was nice to see my learning develop, in both my classes and in my internship. I feel like I know the country better, and I know what to look out for in the future. It was also really nice to have companions by my side to help me through my struggles. But little did I know, I would have the pleasure of developing many more relationships within the next couple of weeks that really made my experience special. Until next time!