The best ice cream shop ever! I love lavender ice cream!!!
Allie, me, Tiffany and Amanda
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Back from Panama!
Wow! It has been an amazing 2 weeks out of Costa Rica! First we ended core seminar portion of the semester. Now we are moving into our concentrations. I got to spend time in Panama and with the indigenous of Kuna Yala. The attached photo is of the group of us and our Kuna friends wearing traditional molas. See if you can find me! The second is of my Kuna mother and my house. We spent a day and a half in Panama City seeing the old part and ruins of a cathedral. We stayed in a Hotel during this time. Panama is known as the Miami of Latin America, so if you can imagine there is a lot of life and culture there. Although there a lot of North American influences, Panama City is fun. What I really noticed was the public buses. There were all the same bus but they had art wort all over with music and flashing lights on the inside. The best word I could use is "pimped" out! We never got to ride these buses because we had our own driver for our time there.
The night before we left for our homestays in the San Blas, we had a wonderful Chinese dinner. I had chicken curry chow mein. I loved it so much! To get to Panama from San Jose you have to take an 18 hour bus ride. We left San Jose at 1pm and arrived at our hotel at 5:30 am the next day. It was brutal to say the least. Ok so now lets move on the the stay with the Kunas. Nuedi! is what you will say to greet your new Kuna friends. Many of the people spoke Spanish as a second language. So we had something in common from the start...Spanish is our second language! In my family only the father and some of the sisters spoke Spanish. My mother only spoke Kuna. To get to this island we had to take a poodle jumper plane and fortunately they had recently built an airport so we got to land on the island. Then took a canoe ride to our part of the island where the water is turquoise and the palm tress are heavy with coconuts. Food on the island consisted of plantain soup, avocados, hot dogs, bread, fresh fish, a wonderful hot chocolate drink, lobster and more plantains! One day for lunch the whole group was invited over for food at one lady's house. She made us this five start lobster and crab soup. It was hearty enough to be a winter soup but we had in the middle of humid 90 degree weather! For flavor there was shredded coconut in it. I loved it so much! I did not get sick at all while I was there, I am so thankful.
During our stay we played with kids, took a canoe ride to a river and saw the cemetery for the Kuna people. We went to the local congress and saw two being reprimanded for steal someone's coconuts. Every where in Panama they use dollars but on the island the use coconuts also. One coconut equals 10 cents. It was neat to see people buy things with coconuts. You would think that being surrounded by water there would be beaches but here there is only one area of white sand, which is not even very big. I was so happy to go swimming that day. The water was turquoise and so refreshing. For church on Sunday they had a different style to their service. In the morning was Sunday school for all the kids. All of us students visiting where the leaders for the service. We organized games and songs and even a little skit. Then at night was the regular service. It was in both Kuna and Spanish. Sunday was our last night and when the pastor started to share his thanks for us being there he started to cry and he said that the community will never forget us. This brought all of us to tears too.
We left the island on Monday and it was very hard to leave my family there. We had created a great connection even though I could not speak their own language. My family gave me a beautiful mola in a frame. I will never forget my life with the Kunas.
Once back in Panama at the same hotel we did a lice treatment wash and sent out again to tour the city. What a quick transition from island to city. So crazy! We were all craving something cold after the hot island so we found this wonderful French ice cream shop. They had amazing flavors such as earl gray, pineapple, basil, honey and many more. I got the lavender flavor and it tasted just like a field of French lavender. I also had a taste of the basil ice cream and it was wonderful too. For dinner that night we went to a an Italian place. Me and my friends shared our meals. We had a pesto and spinach fest, yummmmy!!! The next day we visited the canal at the Miraflores locks. We saw 3 huge boats passing through the canal and walked through the museum. I liked being the canal. There is so much history there. My father in Kuna Yala even worked on the canal. After we went to this huge mall called Albrook and had a typical Panamanian lunch (not much to write home about). Then we went to a market full of indigenous stuff. I bought some molas and things. Then we went to dinner at an Indian place and I had coconut shrimp curry. I went through so many food cultural experiences. That night we got back on the bus to San Jose for another 18 hours of my life sitting on the bus. This time it was worse. I am so glad to be back with my Costa Rica family.
I only have 3 weeks left in San Jose then 2 weeks in Guatemala, then one week in Miami and home eon April 27th. Start the countdown! lol Alright folks thanks so much for reading this far down! I am really excited to share more with you all when I am home!!
Love always,
Clara Marina
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Chilling.....
Hello all! I have finished my big paper for the semester and tomorrow we have group presentations tomorrow. Thank you for the prayers during that time! I did eleven pages about the Latin American Film Industry in Spanish.
This week has been very relaxing, not much homework so I have really appreciated this down time. Since I have not had much to do when I get home at night me and my host mom have had some great conversations. We about things ranging from family life to tattoos. I really value this time we spend together because one we are talking in Spanish so I am learning and two we are building a great friendship. My family here is very quite and as I have said before I am outgoing and like to joke. I have always been myself while I am here but I feel now that the family is starting to get my humor and laugh together a little more.
Spring break starts this Friday and ends on Monday the 12th. So technically we only have one day of break and then the weekend. My Dad from the USA is here and we will be traveling to Monteverde (zip line and jungle) and then maybe Puntareanas. Since Dad has been here I have had the chance to be a tourist in San Jose for a bit. We took a tour of the Teatro Nacional and the Gold Museum. Both very interesting and fun. On Sunday Dad came to church and then to my house for lunch. My host mom made a great meal, yes I am talking about food again! The desert was the best, she made baked plantains with a brown sugar cream cheese dressing! YUMMY! I wish I could send you all some! Then me and my Dad went to go see Babel.
We are starting concentrations next week. I am in Language and Literature track, there are 12 total in this track. First we will travel to Panama for ten days and live with and indigenous tribe called the Kunas. They live on the islands of Panama. They use U.S. dollars and coconuts for money and live in palm tree huts. And Spanish is their second language so it will be fun to learn some of their native tongue. After living with the Kunas we will tour the Canal and then hop back on the bus for an 18 hour ride back to San Jose.
I am so glad to be done with that paper and moving into our concentrations. The Latin American Studies track gets to spend ten days in Cuba. One girl told me she wants to smoke a Cuban cigar on the beach! I can't wait to hear stories from their experience.
Talk to you all after Panama! Hi Grandma, I love you and thanks for all the cards!
The picture is of me and my friend Angie on the way back from Nicaragua listening to my new reggaeton CDs!!!
Claire Scholl
EagleVision News Team-- Latin American Correspondent
www.biola.edu/eaglevision
Nicaragua
Buenos dias familia y amigos!
I am back from the campo (the countryside) in Nicaragua. I had such a beautiful experience there. First we had a few day in the capital Managua where we visited historical parks and spoke with a man in the National Assembly. We ate bastante comida (a lot of food) at various restaurants. Next we did a week of homestays all over Nicaragua. I went to a campo town called Wapy. There were no paved roads for about an hour and a half to get to the town. They only had electricity from 5-10pm and no running water. So I took bucket showers all week with freezing water. My family consisted of a mother and her son and daughter. The daughter, Karla, is 6 years old so we instantly became friends, especially when I gave her the pretty hair clips I brought for her. Attached is a picture of her and I. The other photo is of me and the other students that stayed in Wapy. Other groups went to the north of Nicaragua and others to both coastal sides.
During this week we did many fun things. For a service project we painted the Sunday school room with a bright turquoise color, we got to swim in the near by river with all of our clothes on, normally this is a river for bathing and washing clothes, we visited a farm, which was a hike and we would volar la lengua, which means talking. For most of the day we would sit in patio chairs and just talking about various subjects. I really enjoyed this because I got to build a nice relationship with this family. I have many funny stories to share but I will choose just one for this email. I had become sick last Sunday, I had to force my self to vomit, I had horrible stomach pains and the doctor had to come visit me, which only cost 5 dollars by the way, and it was just a bad day. The doctor determined that it was an amoeba in my intestines, so he put me on some pills. So two days later I started to feel almost 100%, and my host mom asked me "are you afraid at all to eat our food now?" and if you know my humorous personality you will understand the way I responded. I said "No I am not scared, I love animals in my stomach!" And the room just fell silent and their faces dropped. :) Then I said oh it was a joke, I am feeling better and then just shoved more food in my mouth. So it was a memorable experience in Wapy.
After the homestays we made our way to Granada a city outside of Managua. It is a colonial city with great old churches and next to a huge lake. We did not get much time here, but I hope to visit again. We stayed at a wonderful hostel that had a pool and real showers. I loved not having to work to make my self clean. Next we traveled back to Managua for a final dinner in Nicaragua. We went to this restaurant called Ola Verde (Green Wave) and it was all food made from organic local farmers. The restaurant was a dream come true after a week of salty and carbo type foods. Oh yeah speaking of foods for lunch one day in Wapy my host mom served me cow brains and we are told to eat everything and yes I did eat them. I stuff a portion in my tortilla with rices and beans and chewed fast! It was literally a whole cow brain in broth! But back to the organic restaurant, we had spinach chicken wraps and a wonderful tomato bisque soup. The owner is a North American and her mission in life is to educate Nicaraguans about organic farming and healthy cooking. This place was just what we needed after our homestays. We took a bus to and from countries, it is a 12 hour ride, so I slept a lot and chatted with friends.
Now back in San Jose for school I have a big paper due Monday on Latin American Cinema. Please pray for me as I go through this. Then tomorrow my Dad is coming to visit for 2 weeks, so I am very excited to show him around. The next portion of my semester will be in our concentrations. I chose Language and Literature. For this part we travel to Panama on March 12th, so soon I know!
Alright, I hope letter this finds everyone wonderful!! I will be back in 2 months! Love you all!
Claire Scholl
EagleVision News Team-- Latin American Correspondent
www.biola.edu/eaglevision
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