tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16713074811782438502024-10-06T22:43:34.984-06:00Zach Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985073497584425682noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671307481178243850.post-12080272846184663242010-09-15T19:53:00.000-06:002010-09-15T19:53:58.315-06:00

Books in Costa Rica: Costa Rica is not a book culture.  Even the copy centers here blatantly ignore all copyright laws.  Nobody seems to have books in their home (with The Bible being the exception).  This is likely due to the fact that a book here costs anywhere from $10-$40.  It's absolutely absurd. Fortunately, I've never been one to buy books new anyways.  Proof that

Zach Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985073497584425682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671307481178243850.post-56227161522148554532010-09-12T12:47:00.000-06:002010-09-12T12:47:32.885-06:00

After a few dozen emails, phone calls, and resume-in-hand inquiries, I finally found a volunteer opportunity in Costa Rica.  I offered myself to everything from sanitation programs to rehab centers, including schools, sustainable farming foundations, palliative care centers, and the government.  Nobody seemed interested.  The few that returned my calls or emails were apologetic,

Zach Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985073497584425682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671307481178243850.post-26522542757631697212010-09-12T11:54:00.000-06:002010-09-12T11:54:35.759-06:00

I need to get better at posting consistency with this blog.  The problem is that Sunday is the only day here where I really have a chance to catch my breath.  This week was particularly crazy. Teaching I am now in full-swing with my two English classes.  The high school class is truly remarkable.  They have turned in some very impressive assignments already (including very

Zach Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985073497584425682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671307481178243850.post-2123112727054357072010-09-02T21:14:00.001-06:002010-09-02T21:14:50.873-06:00

The title really says it all.  My Tica roommate Ariana (a self-acknowledged hippie) saw a young pregnant street cat and decided to give it a safe place to have her litter.  She put out some food for the fat little cat, made a nest of the sorts out of cardboard boxes and ripped newspaper, and made sure her own cat (a male cat that looks more like a small tiger) was kept out of the area.

Zach Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985073497584425682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671307481178243850.post-22415894492066510262010-08-30T10:52:00.000-06:002010-08-30T10:52:44.864-06:00

Though I've been in Costa Rica nearly six weeks, a majority of those six weeks were spend taking the Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) course through the Center For Teacher Development (CFTD) and sitting the Teaching Knowledge Test (TKT).  In the course I taught a few classes as part of my training, and during the past two weeks I have taught some tutorios (class make-up

Zach Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985073497584425682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671307481178243850.post-70054162880762301962010-08-23T20:16:00.001-06:002010-08-23T20:32:14.794-06:00

I'll start this entry off with an apology (mostly to myself, as I'm writing this blog for myself).  The past two weeks have been very busy, and I'm still dealing with a bit of transplant shock.  That said, I've had time to blog and just didn't.  Here's what I've done: Karina's Birthday Party: Karina, Lalo, and I drove out to a fancy discoteca to meet up with some of their other

Zach Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985073497584425682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671307481178243850.post-27520419211977550352010-08-03T21:36:00.000-06:002010-08-03T21:36:11.300-06:00

With everyone here in Costa Rica taking the day off on Monday for La Negrita (La Virgen de Los Angeles), we students had a three-day weekend.  I took the opportunity to head to the beach.  Though teachers and students in my program warned me that Puntarenas was ugly, passed over, and nothing like what it was a decade ago, I decided to head there all the same.  The way I saw it,

Zach Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985073497584425682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671307481178243850.post-6459353240150875932010-07-24T20:34:00.000-06:002010-07-24T20:34:43.625-06:00

So... Marco (my host brother, the smooth Tico pilot) and I ran some errands on Friday.  While we were in Alajuela I had him show me where he gets his hair done.  The place was incredible.  It’s a barber shop the size of a soccer goal, run by one old barber who exudes a sense of experience and authenticity.  There was a sign (made of paper) stating the price per haircut. 

Zach Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985073497584425682noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671307481178243850.post-18181106953239964532010-07-20T08:42:00.000-06:002010-07-20T08:42:35.179-06:00

After that last post I took a nice cold shower and passed out with my legs tingling from an exhausting first day of classes.  This morning I attacked my commute with the kind of focus I usually reserve for academic testing, and it helped a great deal.  Here is my commute: (1) from the corner in right next to my house to the bus center in ALAJUELA:(by BUS: 5 minutes, 50 cents)walking: 15

Zach Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985073497584425682noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671307481178243850.post-13341245936654382052010-07-19T20:05:00.000-06:002010-07-19T20:05:30.163-06:00

It’s 7:30PM and I just got back from my first day of class at the Center For Teacher Development.  What an experience.  Everything here is so new, foreign, confusing, and unaccommodating.  The school, however, is very nice.  Since it was the cheapest program I found anywhere, I expected it to be terrible.  Incredibly, it's as nice as I could have imagined.  

Zach Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985073497584425682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671307481178243850.post-22588121266289748112010-07-18T17:20:00.001-06:002010-07-18T17:22:38.892-06:00

My Saturday night was fairly calm, as I was exhausted and asked to get home somewhat early.  There was a game to be watched (the local Costa Rican Team of Alajuela was premiering their team and playing their season-opener).  We did, however, drop in on Tia Flori and her wonderful little family before heading home for the night. Tia Flori is a wonderful woman, and her house is

Zach Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985073497584425682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671307481178243850.post-752416944412440712010-07-18T09:00:00.000-06:002010-07-18T09:00:59.054-06:00

Just got back from my morning walk (with my host father Marcos) and brief exercises in the park across the street, and felt a huge desire to listen to this song: WAVING FLAG--English and Spanish Version David Bisbal—Waving Flag (featuring K'naan) ohhh ohhh ohhh ohhh (x2) Give me freedom Give me fire Give me reason Take me higher See the champions Take the field now You define us

Zach Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985073497584425682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671307481178243850.post-25982848883394861422010-07-17T20:51:00.000-06:002010-07-17T20:51:38.688-06:00

With the help of my host father Marcos, I went to the mall and exchanged some cash.  My original goal was to open a bank account with one of the more common banks in Costa Rica.  It seems my options are Banco Nacional, Banco de Costa Rica, and Scotiabank.  Sorry to disappoint everyone back home, but Scotiabank seems to be the best run, fairest, and most accessible. While the

Zach Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985073497584425682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671307481178243850.post-5246778947737521762010-07-17T13:16:00.000-06:002010-07-17T13:16:56.536-06:00

If you’re like most tourists or new students, you’re likely going to struggle to come up with something that will both be representative of your home and also appreciated by your host family.  What inspired me to write this post is the simple fact that Americans are terrible at this.  My mom suggested I bring tea to my host family.  Can you imagine bringing coffee or tea to Costa

Zach Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985073497584425682noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671307481178243850.post-7672005688449236342010-07-16T20:19:00.002-06:002010-07-16T20:24:58.619-06:00

After more than 24 hours travel and a brief stop in Nicaragua, I have finally arrived at my new home in San Jose, Costa Rica.  The place, the people, and the neighborhood is perfect.  I am still taking everything in, but I'll do my best to share everything I've experienced so far. The Family:    It seems that I will be seeing the most of Marta, a wonderful and loving

Zach Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985073497584425682noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671307481178243850.post-72438533574392518092010-07-12T16:21:00.000-06:002010-07-12T16:21:38.721-06:00

Nothing.  I am serious.  I have packed nothing.  I think maybe my lack of preparation is a reaction to my ambivalence towards leaving.  The adventure and potential for learning and growth excites me, but I am not eager to give up the wonderful things I have here in the United States, namely: a wonderful and sweet girl, a mother who takes care of everything in my life, a family

Zach Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985073497584425682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671307481178243850.post-24918237897509841152010-07-10T10:56:00.000-06:002010-07-10T10:56:12.223-06:00

I thought I'd make a post chronicling my experience setting up a blog.  Albeit, this is my first blogging experience, I have only written a handful of posts, and I have little basis for comparison.  Still, I feel something can be gained by others from learning about my experiences so far.  I'll start with...      --Blogger--Blogger is Google's free of

Zach Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985073497584425682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671307481178243850.post-56652902941290290062010-07-09T14:21:00.000-06:002010-07-09T14:21:49.961-06:00

I don’t understand Latin America’s general obsession for legal documents, but it can be a real pain.  My past experiences traveling through the region have shown me the need to have every possible document available, especially if one wants to open a bank account, cash a traveler’s check, pay a bill, or find employment.  While I have heard from many sources that the best way to find a

Zach Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985073497584425682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671307481178243850.post-13623172274335507712010-07-08T08:54:00.000-06:002010-07-08T08:54:52.643-06:00

                My experiences in Latin America are mostly in leisure.  I have gone on family vacations to Barbados, Curacao, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, and Ecuador (and the Galapagos).  Most notably, I had the incredible privilege of spending my last semester in high school studying throughout Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands

Zach Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985073497584425682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671307481178243850.post-50179858451915880152010-07-08T08:10:00.000-06:002010-07-08T08:10:28.090-06:00

To the reader: Somewhat frustrated with my first experience with medical school admissions, and feeling far to alive and both spiritually and mentally underprepared for such a career undertaking, I have decided to move to Latin America.  This move is not permanent, meticulously planned, or a solution to my dilemmas and problems here in the United States.  I just found that the

Zach Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985073497584425682noreply@blogger.com0