September 9th

What on earth is Kids Day? I guess it is like Mothers Day or Fathers Day, but honestly what is the point? Why do children who only go to school three hours a day four days a week need a special day just for them? In a culture with very high rates of diabetes personally I do not feel children should be given cake, ice-cream, and candy as well as the day off from classes. Shouldn’t we be celebrating the teachers? Also, small schools that can barely buy supplies, and just got a computer that is a month later out of ink, should not be spending money on such foolish activities. Than the children have the nerve to ask for a gift (because they are used to it), and parents with kids not in the school have the nerve to tell the teachers they need to buy another cake. Somehow I feel this may be unique for my town. They want to get as much as they can for as little as they can from anyone.

Than I calmed myself down and got to thinking. Is there a “Kids Day” in the States and I forgot about it? No, that can’t be. Field Day popped in my mind but I just can’t compare them. Field Day is organized, with food from the cafeteria and I can’t remember gifts. The thought of gifts reminded me of BINGO put on by the PTA. Did everyone get a gift or just the winners? Were there snacks? Did my parents have to buy my BINGO card or make a prize donation? So many questions but the one thing I know is that it was at night and not the teachers’ responsibility.

So, I did what any normal modern day age girl would do. I looked it up on the internet. Just kidding! I wrote a note on a post it (that my friends had to bring me from the states) to look it up once I took the bus to internet. So, with no internet I started asking around. Why on earth does this day exist? I found out that every school does it different, but some form of extra special food, no classes, and a gift are involved. I also got more specific reasons. I still plan to look it up online, but here is what I have so far:
- The teachers invented the day to give themselves another day where they don’t have to teach.
- Back when families didn’t celebrate Christmas with gifts and families were very poor it was the only method for children to receive a toy or gift.
- Communism


Now I know your thinking, Victoria, come on, there just kids, let them have their one day. But it’s not like that. They have plenty. There is “Kids Day” “Happy Day” when school is almost over, the before vacation party, and a formal graduation party. I think they are okay. Especially considering the amount of class time they receive and a continuation rate of less than 30% of sixth graders going to high school. Not to mention the school management group always being low on funds, I think they should maybe rethink this day.

Than I was talking to another volunteer friend and she yelled at me. Apparently I am the only one who does not like this day. I think this is just another reason why my town is different. She pointed out that a lot of kids do a lot of work with their parents in the house or fields and deserve a day. Another volunteer said well, why not? They need to know hey are special and have rights too. That is a very good point. Maybe if they turned half the day into educational things for kids on their rights and resources and the other half play time I would feel better about this. Possibly it is just because I was rubbed wrong when the kids asked for gifts and a mother told the teacher she needed to buy another cake. Now that I am at internet I will look into the historical reason to have this day and get back to you all. Maybe.

Would you like to help my school?

Hello friends and family and anyone reading this.

I am sorry your weather may be turning cold but this is great news for me. Why, because you may not need some of your old summer clothes. Also, you may be doing some in between season changing of closet. So….

If you have clothes that:

* You don’t want
* Don’t fit anymore
* Think are ugly
* Think are tacky
* Are really old
* Are from your children who are now 28
* You are moving
* You just want to downsize

Or

* You want to help out a small poor school in a small town in Costa Rica


Please send your clothes to my post office box in Costa Rica.

Now I don’t want to take away from the needy of our states and I know there will be local coat drives for the winter. Also, to keep expenses down for you all I am not asking for your closet. If you could fill one small box, or more if you don’t mind the postage fee, with ANY TYPE of warm weather or rain clothing that would be great. Costa Ricans LOVE clothes from the states.

The school will be using the clothes to sell, very cheaply, and the money will then go to help buy much needed material for the school. Like tables, books, paper and art supplies. Very cheaply like a dollar or two so even the poorest family can buy them. They do clothing fundraisers about once a year and did them before I got here. It is part of their culture. With your help we can make it even better this year.

Please send your donation of any style of clothes to:
Victoria Leibman
Apartado 913-8OOO
Perez Zeledon, SanJose
San Isidro, 119O1
Postmarked by September 21st please.

Tank you bunches and tell everyone you know!
LOVE,
Victoria, the teachers at my school, and all 64 of my kiddies.

The Final Product!

The actual new tank, with water!

Construction of the tank


The old tank

Cultural Stuff

We just had a small party to celebrate the completion of the water tank. I love how Costa Rica functions. I get woken up at 6:45am to be informed that there is a meeting the same day at 2pm. I have to change my entire day around. It literally throws me into an all day jam packed schedule, which I like, just wasn’t expecting. I get to the meeting at 2 and of course it’s not a real meeting. It’s a party with Johnny Walker Red Label, boiled green bananas, yucca, salad, chicharron, and of course Coke. It’s not a party unless you have coke. We are celebrating the completion of the new water tank and the Vice President of the local water maintenance agency will be here soon with the guy who helped over see the builders. I love how small town groups work. Then, after two hours my mind starts drifting, as it often does at parties. I start to wonder… How on earth can the VP just take 3-4hours out of her work day to come hang out and eat with us, a small town group of 7 members? Does this happen in the states at all? I am not educated on business in the U.S, but I like that is happens here. It made me smile.
Then, I leave the “meeting” to go have “coffee” at an elderly couple’s house who I know very well. I show up 20 minutes late and have to leave within 15 minutes to get to English class. That just illustrates the type of day it is. I also had to call that morning to say I couldn’t make it at 3 but more like 5. Well, two things culturally interesting happen here. First, I don’t drink coffee and the entire population of my two towns knows this. However, it is there cultural duty, no matter where I go, to joke about this for a good 5-10 minutes. No lie. While we are joking about my disgust of coffee they are also calling me an ugly little girl. A normal person may get upset but I understand the culture and am very flattered. You see, only pretty girls get called ugly to their faces. Maybe it’s a way to knock them down a few notches. In case you don’t believe me the old grandpa reassured me as I was leaving that he was just joking. Now my favorite part about this is that it was their first time joking about me being “ugly.” It is also the first time they have seen me in two months, with make-up on, and much heavier. To them, heavier is healthier, and healthy is pretty. Now don’t think I got out of there without eating and drinking something, that would be rude.
Next I walk down to English. I get there on time but the woman’s group calls an emergency meeting. For 20 minutes (I was checking my watch) of class time mind you, we made five major decisions. I am very proud of the woman’s group and how they have been working to better educate themselves. So the decisions… The second class of the candle making course was postponed, as well as English class, for two weeks in order to make way for the 44 hour government certified small business course. I am going to have a busy two weeks. I was about to start my class when the president of the community group shows up and gives me an announcement to read and then directions for a meeting Friday night and what I need to say, insane. I was then able to start English class.
Finally class is over and I go to my rides house. Yes, I finally have a ride home. You know a town cares about you when they hold a meeting in one group to solicit another group to figure out the transportation of the volunteer. They don’t want me walking home alone on the highway at night. I am truly touched and grateful they are looking out for me. Also, this makes the family at home happy as well. I know it is the best thing for my safety and this is why I have not fought it. The truth is that is makes me feel a little uncomfortable. I like to arrive home safe and quick but who knows what these poor people are paying my chauffeur. I used to walk up the hill with my students. Now I feel silly to tell them, “You go ahead, I have a ride.” Also, I am missing some much needed exercise. Even though it is awkward and I miss out on conversation it is definitely for the best. It also brings me to the last cultural points of the day. One is small and cute and the other just so simple.
First, the man who drives me home never, ever, drives me home alone. His son’s take turns riding with him. That way, a married man is not seen alone with a woman who is not his wife. I also sit in the back to make it perfectly clear.
Second, culturally it is expected to start a conversation discussing the weather. Believe me, I tried to skip that step and I was greeted with silence. The old schoolers will hear nothing else.

Out With the Old, In With the New

I am free!! I left the crazy lady behind and now live in peace. Don’t you think a Peace Corps Volunteer should live in peace? Living with a very difficult person hopefully has taught me a lot about myself and interacting with others that I will later be able to reflect upon. However, at this moment, all it has taught me is that for my own tranquility in life I cannot live with any more Costa Rican woman. Many female volunteers have issues with living with the Costa Rican women, not just me. Often times the daughters get jealous of their mothers relationship with the volunteer. Other women treat the volunteers like their child. Babying them and not allowing freedom. For me, I just lived with a crazy lady. I know I know, that doesn’t describe anything. But, at this point I do not need to speak negatively of her anymore. She is a good person at heart but I am still very happy to be out of there. So, now that I have moved out here are photos of what I left behind and photos of what I now have.

Also, my parents just came for a visit and laughed when they entered Dominical. Apparently, I am not describing life here very well so I will attempt my best to be literary and describe life here a little better. However, at this moment I am too lazy to try.

The Old

The New

Money

I have just written my very first money proposals. In fact, I have just written three, two of which were in Spanish and were way tough. I was working with people who only have elementary school education and with my Spanish it was definitely difficult and an interesting experience.

Before I reflect I just want you to know that one of the proposals relies on donations from people in the US. I was hoping anyone reading this could ask their community relations department or have a small fundraiser. Now I know times are tough financially in the world so I am not expecting a lot. 5 bucks would be a great help. Also, I was hoping you could tell all your friends and family that may have businesses or something.

The project only needs about $2,000 more. We are building a water tank to help with the water shortages in the town during the summer months. The total cost is about $7,000 but some material is being donated and the town’s men will be doing all the construction.

TO DONATE: Check out the proposal at www.peacecorps.gov. Click the Donate Now section then search for projects under Costa Rica or my name and follow the instructions.


Thanks very much! Let me know if you have any questions.

Food, Friends and Flavor

Wow! I just had my first female friend visit me and what a different experience food wise it was. She brought pretzels, American chocolate, and we ate or cooked American food. I actually went a few days without Costa Rican food and was much happier. Now that I am back with my host mom I have realized that is not Costa Rican food that makes me miss what my taste buds are used too. It is the fact that some Costa Ricans just don’t spice, or know what flavor is. To test my theory I ate my host mom’s food, another older Costa Rican woman’s food then went to my friends “soda” which is a small restaurant. The food at the soda is amazing. The owner, my very good friend, sautés onions and peppers and other herbs to get flavor for the simplest of dishes. It is the same simple Costa Rican meal but in a class of its own. So as I woke up today, back in my host mothers house , and went to the kitchen, I was sad. There was no cereal and milk like I had with my friend, no flavor filled dishes, and no excitement. As I ate cold rice with luke warm beans and a tomato at 8am I thought of how nice it will be when I can add some flavor back into my life and be in control of my own diet. Now I don’t want to sound ungrateful. The older lady fed me for free for three days and the soda owner often refuses to let me pay. Then, when I insist she charges me too little. This culture is amazingly welcoming and friendly. Also, when it comes to food, the women are worse than Italians, Jews and Greeks combined. It doesn’t matter if you just ate, you are getting fed. Also, “only a little” is a foreign concept to them.

Dancing (or lack there of).

For those who know me know I LOVE to dance. And yes, I busted out the shopping cart and lawn mower, but only for a moment.

Dancing in Costa Rica is a very different experience. I should say, going to a dance, because not many people actually dance.

They stand outside the club area on the street just watching. Than, when there is a promotion and you can enter cheaper for two minutes maybe a few will enter. However, that doesn’t mean they will actually dance. They will stand there, the entire night, and maybe sway a little, maybe. Where is the Latin lover dancing I have always heard about? I think I need to go to Cuba for that. Also, if they do dance a little they than stop to take pictures when the barley dressed woman start dancing on stage. You would think they haven’t seen a sexy woman before, but that’s not true. They can see them on the news, in the newspapers, or in public when a woman is breast feeding.

Now you may think the music is bad and that’s why no one is dancing. I do get annoyed with the VJ’s. They just talk and talk and talk killing the beat of the song. Also, they are saying the same exact thing over and over. A name of a local soccer team, who has to work on Sunday, where are the single ladies… This does kill the vibe, and the lack of music with a good beat is sometimes frustrating, but still. If there’s music you can do the sprinkler.

You might also be thinking they may be waiting for typical music, Salsa, Merenge, Cumbia. Some are. I will give you that. DJ’s, knowing some Costa Ricans prefer the actual technical dancing, play a good mix. Yet the younger generation urban males do not know the old school dances. What a shame. When you can find a partner who can dance, it’s fabulous. If you know the basics your in.

So, Valentines night. I couldn’t make up my mind to pay the ten dollar cover charge to stand around. I was going back and forth with my decision driving my volunteer friend and new Costa Rican friend crazy. Ten bucks is huge on Peace Corps budget and I really wanted to actually dance. Than I finally decided, so what? Money is only money and it is meant to be spent. Also, who cares if no one else is dancing? They’re on the dance floor and there are sexy woman to watch on stage. That way, I can dance without everyone staring at the random gringa in the middle of the dance floor alone.

The moral of the story is I had a great time. My feet now hurt, I was able to dance, and next time I will not let money or the lack of a dancing culture stop me.

Now I don’t want to say all dance clubs and parties are like this. In my experience, in general, this is how a night at a club will go.

A Typical Day

- Walking on the highway I am blown a kiss, by a five year old. They start
young here.

- A random Costa Rican starts speaking English to me. He tells me I should get
married and make tortillas.

- A 17year old girl in her pajamas who has never been to high school stops to
tell me why she missed class last night. Within 1 minute I got to hear 3
different excuses. They don’t understand its okay, I’m not upset. It’s
their loss.

- I plan a movie night at the school to raise money to paint the school fence.

- I got to a meeting at 3 which I arranged to offer funds to the woman’s group
and no one is there. They forgot to tell me they canceled it.

- I than go hang out with an American and feed bananas to horses.

- Go to English class at 6pm. Whoops, forgot to bring a carrot as a snack.

- 7pm. Electricity goes out and my students leave.

- 7:08. I reach the top of the hill and the electricity is back on.

- Walking home on the highway the electricity goes out again and the moon is
so bright I don’t need my flashlight.

- I see a dead snack. Its yellow and green

- 8pm. Eat some rice and beans!

- Finish The Memory Keepers Daughter.

Funeral

It’s amazing what you can learn from death, especially in the cultural sense. Also, its very eye opening how different religions and cultures handle a passing. In Costa Rica it’s a social event, a gothic draw of the people and morbid obsession to see the body. Me personally I would rather remember the person as I knew them. Smiling a shy smile as he passed on his bike. However, the Costa Ricans, even the children, wanted to see the stitches that went from his nose to the middle of his skull as well as the line of stitches that held his cheek on. This is how it was described to me by a 7 year old. I’m leaving out the part about his hands and story of his leg. Than, even at the cemetery before they put the grey fur covered coffin in its new cement cradle it was opened once more for the viewers to see. In my eight months here I have never seen such a crowd in my community. And, have you ever heard of people filming a funeral and taking pictures. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I was. Standing there in my floor length skirt, hair pulled back, and jewelry removed for respect purposes to the Church, La Luz Del Mundo, I watched the men in T-shirts and jeans take pictures while woman in short shorts and clubbing tops lifted their children to see the boy for the last time. I think this is what makes Costa Rica, Costa Rica. For me, I would like to be cremated or actually buried in the earth where I could let life takes its natural course. Also, please don’t jeans. Wear a pretty cocktail dress or something nice. One last observance from the day. Not that I really want to know but it crossed my mind. How long does it take a person filled with embalming fluid, closed in an air tight wooden box, placed and sealed in a cement cell to decompose?

The Dream

I have come to realize my idealistic vision of Peace Corps and what I would accomplish is not going to happen, and I am fine with that. I came wide eyed and filled with big hopes for my communities, but it was very unrealistic.

If I leave in two years having only touched one life and not completed any substantial project, that’s okay! I will have lived in Costa Rica, learned Spanish, and experienced an invaluable opportunity.

With that being said…I still have the big dreams inside me.

It has now be 8 ½ months into my service and things have been coming together. I still need to practice Spanish but there is a different feel to my life. I am more comfortable with the people, culture, and my daily activities in general. Of course I still have a lot to learn and work through, but I am now more confident in my capability to do so. I look forward to living alone and being more involved with the school. I am about to write my very first grant proposals ever, and they’ll be in Spanish.

I have learned you really can’t do anything without money. The majority of the Costa Rican’s just sit around waiting for things to be given to them. This is because sometimes they are given great assets to their towns but with no sustainability. Therefore, they have learned if they wait long enough someone will give it to them. For example: the money for a million dollar Catholic Church was donated and the Church is beautiful for the 17 people that attend Mass, but they cannot afford the upkeep. A group of high school kids came in and built a recreational room/kitchen at the school, but it has caused conflicts in the town.

The truth is, I would love for groups to come in and do everything. That way a lot could be accomplished while I am here. However, the Costa Ricans would never learn anything and think that life could be handed to them.

So, in the next few weeks and months I embark on writing 10-15 paged grant proposals in Spanish. Even to ask my friends and family for donations I need to get approval. (Heads up I may do this). This will be the next skill I will learn and I look forward to the challenge. Oh yay, that and teaching English is an everyday challenge. I now feel for all teachers and praise them.

I don’t know if any of you remember the movie where this guy has to spend a million dollars in one day in order to inherit like 20million, but he can’t spend it on himself. If that was me, here is what I would do…

Caña Blanca:
The town with only a few people I never get to because it takes so long to walk back up the hill.
- Buy all the material to finish road. $5,000
- Find a water source and build a tank so the 12 people that live there could have government regulated clean water. $6,000
- Fix the small bridge that fell down. $$

La Alfombra: The town I refer to as the one I like
- Finish the community building they started 13 years ago. $4,000+
- Find a small plot of land and build a park $3,000 if the land is donated
- Help finish the church $1000
- Re-do the road $$$$
- Get a new water tank $2,500

Las Tumbas: The town I don’t go to.
- Put a fence around the school $1,000
- Get the school a computer $700
- Get electricity on the second main road in town $$$
- Re-do the water tubing to the second main road so there is actually enough to shower. $$$

San Cristóbal de Tinamastes de Barú: The town I refer to as the one I don’t like but it is growing on me and I want to focus on them more and more.
- Finish the damn rodeo stadium $20,000
- Repair the communal kitchen and building $5,000
- Put a fence around the school and paint it. $2,500
- Get the school computers and internet $1,000
- Build a park $3,000
- Build SIDEWALKS $5,000
- Pay for the new water well $2,500
- Pay for the new water tank $3,500
- Start a woman’s group $ material or to pay instructors
- Start boy scouts (girls can join too here) $ for uniforms and material
- Hopefully have the woman’s group or someone else open a bakery $$$$

All Communities:
- Get phone lines
- Get internet
- Do workshops on recycling and the environment
- Give the kids something or somewhere productive to go
- Help the issues with water
- Teach them general health, like birth control and burning plastic is bad for you

So that’s the wish list. I know some of it will be done but I am a realist. It’s a slow process here and I am not here to do the work for them. Also, we have the government stacked against us when it comes to some things. There have been families on waiting list for a phone line for years.

I’ll keep you updated.

Welcome

Hello friends, family and random strangers. Instead of writing long e-mails infrequently I have created a blog. Hopefully this will allow you to understand and see more of what I am doing. Enjoy!