The first week in Costa Rica...

Hey yall! I know I said I would post to this from Costa Rica, and that didn't happen...long story short, the internet there is iffy at best, and it was easier to just email. So here are the emails I sent out from there each week... (ignore the ">"s because they just showed up when I copied the email. I will try to fix it later when I have more time.)

Howdy yall!> I'm in Costa Rica right now at the Hotel La Amistad, and although it has> only been a few days, I feel like it's been a week already. San Jose is an> interesting city, and it could not be more obvious that all of us are from> the US. I feel like we walk around with signs on our foreheads that say "I'm> foreign, please stare. And hitting on my is acceptable." If you ask someone> something in Spanish, they tend to reply in English. And my first day in the> city, I had a bunch of teenage boys asking the guys we are with for my name> and telling them to have me call them. They said "Hey!! Beauuutiful! Bonita,> hey, Bonita!" Which was kind of weird, considering in Athens there are> so many girls, that when we walk into a room, it's no big deal. I guess San> Jose is more like Tech in that sense, haha.> The city itself is such a mix of everything. There are McDonalds> everywhere and some other places like Pizza Hut, Church's, Burger King, and> stuff, but if you are from the US, it's strange. Also, there are so many run> down looking buildings and poor people, tons of markets and people selling> lottery tickets EVERYWHERE, but then there will be a beautiful and well kept> building in the middle of it all. One such building is the Teatro Nacional,> where we did a tour yesterday afternoon (In Spanish) and then returned that> night to hear an orchestra perform. It was beautiful, and it was fun to> hear. After the intermission, there was a baby that would NOT quit making> noise, and the mom didn't take it out. The music in that part was supposed> to be dramatic and very serious, with a lot of solos, and after about 1> minute the director stopped the music, turned around, and asked Very> Politely (again, in Spanish) for the lady to take out her child. He said> that he loves children but that it is very hard for the soloists to> concentrate with that going on and for the audience to pay attention, and> for the respect of his performers and the audience, could the baby please be> taken out. Almost everyone there started clapping, and it made me think of> how people feel when someone is told to shut up in a theater when they> continue to talk on their phones during a movie.> Today, about half of our group went somewhere in San Jose-very early in> the morning- to run a 10K race. That's 6 miles through the city. Not for me.> But, we were all really proud of the ones who did it; they all finished, and> I was really impressed. They all got medals and t-shirts for participating,> and that is just a cool story anyway. I slept late and told them good job> when they got back. haha. We all went to eat at a pizza place-I felt bad for> the waiter who took our order in Spanish, haha- and then we returned to the> hotel, where I got on the internet.> Tomorrow we will go to the SLRS-the San Luis Research Station- which is> owned by UGA. It has an ecolodge that we will stay at, and one of the girls> informed me that she read that it is Jessica Alba's favorite vacation spot.> That doesn't really mean anything to me except that it should be beautiful> there...not really a Jessica Alba fan. But, I am excited to be in the> mountains and to see the classrooms and stuff. It costs $5 an hour to use> the internet there, and we have to walk to a pay phone to call, where as> here it is $2 an hour for the internet and we have phones in our hotel> rooms. The downside of moving there is that we have to start class....a> necessary evil of STUDY abroad, right? ha. Oh well, maybe then I can get> some more practice in. While everyone here speaks to us in English, our> teachers only speak to us in Spanish. In about a week I will be moved in> with my family, and I am sure that is when the real Spanish help will kick> in, though I do pity them for their time trying to figure out what I am> saying. I hope I get a family with kids, but it seems like everyone here> wants to have a family with kids as well. There are a couple of couples with> no kids that want us, so we will see who ends up with them. Whatever> happens, I am sure it will be great to be there at last.> Alrighty, I have to run.> Much love,> Meghan>