Saturday Mornings

Every Saturday morning, I walk to the Feria (Farmer's Market) here in San Fransisco. Usually the sun is bright and warm, and the rows of fresh produce line both sides of the walkway. Even if I don't buy a thing, it is a delightful experience. People are buying fresh produce for the week, visiting with acquaintances, and enjoying the beautiful morning. The Feria takes place in a local park, so the sound of children playing provides background music.  

The vendors are helpful and patient with me and my poor Spanish.   The first week I took off to the Feria  by myself, I had to ask for the price of items at least three times before I could understand  the cost.  One vendor finally gave up and asked me to hold out my money so he could take the proper amount. After he took the right amount and said it again, I finally understood. (Well, duh!)   After a month of Saturdays, it now only takes one repetition for me to get the right amount, and if it is an even amount I might even get it on the first try.  It's the cincuenta (50) added to the end of something that always messes with me! 

Fresh vegetables for the week are purchased and taken home to be cleaned.  Here is this week's supply:
papaya (la papaya) (for a friend)
bananas  (los bananos)
Clementines (las mandarinas)
watermelon (la sandia)
cilantro (el culantro)
new potatoes (las papas)
pineapple (la piña)
lettuce (la lechuga)
carrots (las zanahorias)
oranges (las naranjas)
broccoli (el brocoli)
cauliflower (la coliflor)
honey (miel)

After getting everything home, the fruits with peels get a good washing.  Then the veggies get a special bath to kill little organisms that might make us sick.  After an hour or two of soaking, everything is washed thoroughly.  Needless to say, it is an all morning affair to purchase and clean the week's produce.  Although it takes quite a bit of time, it is well worthwhile.  Everything is so fresh and tasty, and hopefully the pesticides are mostly gone!  Generally, food is quite expensive in Costa Rica, but most of the things purchased at the Feria are reasonable.  Just to make you jealous, the pineapples are usually about $1.25-1.50 each.  However if it isn't grown here, the price is at least double the price in Texas or Alabama. 

If you ever visit, I'm sure you will enjoy a trip to the Feria! 

Have a wonderful week!

(Next weekend we will be out of town, so check back late Monday for pictures of our trip.)

Until next week,

Melanie

Multicultural Day

Jim, Samuel, Hae Su



Friday was a relaxing holiday from class at the Instituto Lengua de Español (the Spanish Language Institute).  We spent the day seeing sites around San Jose with our new Korean friends, Samuel and Hae Su.  Let us introduce you to these gentlemen.  Samuel is originally from Korea, and he has been a missionary in Argentina for the past 13 years.  He doesn't speak any English.  Hae Su is a 23 year-old young man from Korea, and he has been in Costa Rica for about 2 months.  He speaks a tiny bit of English and he knows only a few words in Spanish. 

Cafe Brit Coffee Tour

Samuel and Jim have struck up a friendship because of the bond between their pastor hearts. They have enjoyed getting to know one another by communicating in Spanish. Although neither is quite fluent in Spanish, they manage to talk and share with each other.

Hae Su is living with his uncle here in Costa Rica while he studies Spanish for his future international job in Korea. He is one of my classes where the teacher mothers him and is always calling him, "Little Chiquito."

Hae Su, Mel, Jim, Samuel

Picutre this - two Korean gringos accompanied by two U.S. gringos sightseeing in a Latin American country with a bit of Spanish, Korean, and English being spoken throughout the day.  We caught ourselves laughing at the conversations that were a mix of Spanish (Jim-Samuel), Korean (Samuel-Hae Su), and English (Jim-Melanie). 

Bouganvilla at Cafe Brit (it's so beautiful in person)

However, as the day came to a close we were touched by the kindness, love, and frienship we experienced.  The love we share through the bond of Christ is overwhelming and amazing no matter where we are or what language we speak.  We are so thankful that God has allowed us to have many brothers and sisters in Christ.  As we begin this journey to work in Latin America, we are reminded that no matter where we or how far apart we may be, we are united with bonds of love that are strong and deep.

It's the Same But Different

Life in San Jose, Costa Rica makes me feel as if I'm living in two paralell worlds simutaneously.  In many ways our life is the same, but in many ways it is quite different. At times life feels "normal" and familar, and then something will make me stop and say, "Wait a minute. . . " 

Here are just a few observations.

Same: Get up, take care of the responsibilities of the day, come home.

Different:  Be home to stay by 5:30 p.m. for safety reasons.  Since we don't have a car, we walk or take a bus everywhere we go.  Although we want to blend with the Ticos (Costa Ricans), we don't!  We stand out like a flashing light, so it's best not to be out walking after dark.  One night we were out with friends until 11:00 p.m., and we felt wild and crazy!


Same: Favorite movies on TV, Top Chef, House Hunters International, UFC, loud commercials, The Today Show, Law and Order

Different: These shows will appear on various channels.  There isn't HGTV or Versus, but you can catch your favorite shows from these networks on a random channel. Another strange moment occurs when we are watching a movie in English, and then suddenly the commercials come on in Spanish.  It's these moments that remind me that "we're not in Kansas anymore."

Same:  Church service with worship, offering, sermon, familiar songs

Different:  Church services last for at least 2 hours.  Most churches have about an hour for worship, and then another hour for the sermon.  (You know Jim will be happy when one day he can preach here for an hour and no one will complain!)  Many of the songs are ones we sing at home, but of course they are in Spanish.  Feeling comfortable with the format, but completely out of place with the language makes one feel a bit confused.

Same:  Bathroom with shower, toilet, and sink

Different:  (Warning - this one is a bit nauseating!)  We can't flush the toilet paper (ugh).  This one has been difficult!  The plumbing systems can't handle the paper products, so we must dispose of them in a garbage can.  At first we just couldn't handle this, but we are becoming accumstomed to the process which isn't as awful as it sounds - I promise!








We will post more thoughts next weekend.  In the mean time, have a wonderful week!

(Pictures are from our neighborhood)

Melanie