quiet-chaos

Timeout for Pork

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 20:06:00 +0000

Due to kids birthdays, Independence day, and various other events this week, we didn't get much work done on the house. Instead, my brother-in-law and I built a fire pit in his backyard and roasted a pig. Fair play. I'm willing to delay progress for the sake of pork.

Roasted over charcoal and hickory wood for about 5 hours, this 85 pound porker was tender and delicious. I didn't even marinate or season it. The smoke took care of all that. It came out great!

I use the 3 Guys from Miami method for building the pig pit. I got the hog from Snapps Ferry Packing (5900 East Andrew Johnson Highway, Afton, TN; 423-638-7001). They were great to deal with. Despite giving them less than a week's notice, and even with the holiday rush, they hooked me up with a perfectly butchered hog at a reasonable price. I plan on doing another one of these when my house is done, so I'll definitely keep them in mind.

A New Face

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 19:51:00 +0000

After two weeks of working on the house, it's starting to look like we've actually made progress. All of the siding has been replaced, new exterior doors have been installed, and all of the old windows have been replaced.

Naked house:

New exterior:

Drywall has been hung in the three bedrooms, covering the old ugliness and providing a nice clean slate to work with.

While the walls are exposed, I'm taking the opportunity to add electrical outlets and wiring boxes. Eventually, I'd like to complete a structured wiring project.

Six Months Later

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 19:39:00 +0000

In the six months since I last posted, I've been getting reacquainted with Tennessee. The reverse culture shock wore off after a couple of months. My ear is now retrained to understand the accent of this region. I'm starting to adapt to the culture and lifestyle here.

I'll be here for awhile. I'm planting my roots. That's right - I've bought a house. As of May 20th, 2008, I own my own piece of Cowtown, TN.

The house hunting took many months. I didn't want to go too deeply into debt, but the homes in this area are oddly high. An influx of buyers from outside the region (mostly Florida) have raised the real estate prices. Of course, I wasn't looking for anything extravagant. After living in apartments and rented rooms for a decade, I really just wanted a few rooms to call my own.

Eventually I discovered a house that was a foreclosure, listed by HUD (Housing and Urban Development). My agent helped me put in a bid, which I won. The price was well within my budget. And, although the house needs much work, I believe I will be able to renovate it and still spend less than I would have on a house in "move-in" condition.

The house was built in 1962, is 864 square feet, and has three bedrooms and one bathroom. It's on a double lot, providing a large back yard. And it's only a few blocks from my sister's home.

This is my new adventure. With the help of my very handy brother-in-law and my eager teenage nephew, I will spend my Summer reconstructing this house. We're going to do as much of the work ourselves as possible. In the process, I'll hopefully save some money and gain quite a bit of experience.

Final Daze

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 02:50:00 +0000

It is no exaggeration for me to say that the past week has been emotionally draining.

Dec 7
My parents arrived at the San Jose airport in the afternoon. I got them checked into their hotel, fed them, gave them a quick tour of central Heredia, and put them to bed. I began to realize that guiding them would be very much like taking care of children. They depended on me for everything.

Dec 8
We had breakfast at a soda in the central market. Mom's statement: "I've never seen so much meat in my life." Dad saw a jar of picked peppers at another table and decided he wanted some. I didn't know the word for this food item, so I had a hard time describing it to our waiter. My parents just pointed. We caused a bit of a scene. I ushered them out quickly, left a large tip, and took them to the farmer's market. Mom decided she didn't like fruit. They met my roommates and we all went to Zoo Aves, using public buses. This was a new experience for them. Dinner was at La Casa del Cerdo (The House of Pork), where we ate mucho puerco.

Dec 9
We checked into Best Western Irazu to be closer to San Jose, which we toured for a bit. Then we met my roommates at the central park and took the bus to my Tico family in San Rafael Abajo de Desamparados. Today was Alejandra's 15th birthday, so the whole family was at the house to celebrate. My parents were overwhelmed. Lunch was rice, beans, salad, and beef tongue. My parents were disgusted. After eating, the dancing began. And oh, how we danced! I've decided I really like merengue. My parents, however, deemed it "dirty dancing." When we had to leave, it really hit me that I'd be leaving this family. Que triste!

Dec 10
We were picked up for a tour at 6:45am. It began with breakfast and a tour of Doka Estates coffee plantation. Then we were whisked up to the Poas Volcano, where we luckily saw the crater unclouded. Afterwards we got to spend a good amount of time at La Paz Waterfalls. Here we visited monkeys, birds, butterflies, and a few other animals. We also had an excellent buffet lunch. Oh, and we saw waterfalls too. Mom mentioned she'd never walked so much. Finally, we went to Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí for a boat tour down the river and more animal watching. Thirteen hours later, we crashed at the hotel.

Dec 11
Interbus picked us up at 8ish (supposed to be 7:30am) to take us to Cahuita. Finally, we got some relaxing time at the beach. I showed my parents some of my favorite spots. We ate and chilled out. Mom slept alot.

Dec 12
More beach relaxation. I took them down to Playa Negra. I played fetch with some beach-dogs. More eating. More chilling.

Dec 13
We hopped the bus down the bumpy road to Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. We shopped for souvineers and xmas presents. I led them down the path behind the beach so they could see the sights, including Rocking J's (the surfers' mecca). I made sure my mom got ice cream and my dad got beer. Then we went back to Cahuita for dinner at Cha Cha Cha.

Dec 14
Interbus picked us up at 7:30am on time and drove us back to the airport area. The parents decided they should stay in a hotel here, rather than back in Heredia, to make the trip shorter. It turned out to be a good idea, and they liked II Milenium - a small hotel in Alajuela by the airport. Then we paid our departure tax at Banco Costa Rica, did some final shopping, and I sent them back to their hotel so I could finish things for myself. I had dinner with my roommates and packed my bags.

Dec 15
We got to the airport in plenty of time. Things went fairly smoothly. Then we learned that our flight was delayed for an hour. This was a problem, because it didn't leave us much time to catch our connecting flight in Atlanta. In fact, when we got to Atlanta, we were told that we'd missed it, so we got in line to reschedule. Then we were told that our flight to Tri-Cities itself was delayed for 3 hours, so we had plenty of time. When we got to the gate, however, we found a different situation. There was no plane. It was stuck in Milwaukee due to bad weather. ETA? Unknown. We sat for hours and hours, getting tidbits of information from the attendants. Finally they found a plane for us, and we made it back to Tennessee around 3am.

And now I'm here at my family's house. I've been officially welcomed back. It all seems very odd. I think I'm experiencing a sort of reverse culture shock. Hopefully that will ease with time. But for now, I feel very much out of place.

Turkey Day Follow-Up

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 22:00:00 +0000

The expat turkey dinner party we hosted on Saturday night was a huge success! I woke up at 8:30 in the morning to get the bird in the oven and hit the farmer's market for fresh veggies. My roommates were smart and kind enough to leave the house while I, still groggy from the previous night's festivities, monopolized the kitchen in order to prepare the feast. I can be a bit of a bear at times, believe it or not.

I braised a 5.5kg turkey (slathered in herb butter) for 2.5 hours at 375 and 5 hours at 200. I made gravy from homemade vegetable stock and turkey drippings. I made dressing from scratch, using homemade cornbread and store-bought white bread. All of these dishes were firsts for me to attempt solo. My family always helps, and they tend to use a few more prepared ingredients.

Around 5:30, guests started arriving, bringing sides and drinks. It was at this point that I realized our guest list was a bit estrogen-heavy. I was the only male at a table of nine females. Hey, I'm not complaining! It's a special joy to have a group of women fawn and compliment my cooking skills. I spent a good portion of the dinner just sitting back, smiling, and soaking it all in.

After dessert (apple and pumpkin pies skillfully crafted by my roommate) and digestion, I hid in the kitchen to do dishes while the ladies gabbed. I wanted to clean the place up a bit before the rest of our friends arrived for the party.

Alex (friend and former student) showed up with his brother, his cousin, and a lovely young lady. Roommate's former student came with a friend as well. Cacique and shot glasses were passed around. The rest of the night is a bit hazy, but I know it involved dancing, laughing, and posing for pictures.

Altogether, I'd say it was one of the best weekends of my life.

What Happens in Alajuela

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 19:41:00 +0000

A friend (and former student) took me to a club in Alajuela last night. Although he finished my class a long time ago, we've kept in touch and hung out occasionally. Last night he really went out of his way to show me a good time since he knows I'm leaving soon. Due to the rules of "Guy's Night" I cannot divulge any more details. But I wanted to post this as a reminder of that fantastic evening.

Feliz Dia del Pavo

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 06:06:00 +0000

Thanksgiving is the one holiday that I enjoy without stress or frustration. It is also the one day of the year that my family gets together at one table and actually talks. Christmas, with its bounty of gifts, is all about the kids. Thanksgiving is about the whole family. It begins the night before, when we cram into the kitchen and start prepping the meal. We get everything ready ahead of time so we can eat early in the afternoon. Plus, there are few joys greater than waking up to the smell of roasting turkey.

Of course, I'm missing it this year.

I'm bummed beyond belief, but there's a consolation prize. We're hosting an expat Turkey Day at our place on Saturday (since most folks have to work Thursday). I bought the bird today. The selection was slim, and the price was ridiculous, but I suppose I'm lucky I found one at all. Turkey isn't too popular here. It's only available at the gringo supermarkets this time of year, which have set up companion displays of Stove Top stuffing and canned cranberries. I plan on making dressing from scratch (thankyouverymuch) and gravy to boot. Roomie, however, snatched a can of cranberry goo. But she's also making pies, so I'll overlook it. Others are bringing mashed taters and such. One kind soul has promised cocktails, bless her heart.

After we stuff ourselves, we're going to have a party with a broader invitation list. It's a going away party for me and Roomie. The rest of our weekends are booked, so this is our last chance to hang out with many of our newfound friends.

Better than a day of family fellowship, extreme overindulgence, watching parades on TV, and browsing newspapers full of sale ads? No, I'll miss my family's quirky traditions. But I'm thankful I have friends here that will attempt to fill that gap.

Rainy Cloudforests and Cloudy Rainforest

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 04:34:00 +0000

I've enjoyed Costa Rica's beaches. I've explored a couple of volcanoes. But to get the full experience, I needed to head Northwest.

Friday morning, I and three companions got on the early bus to Monteverde. It was a long and bumpy ride. This is said to be the second most popular spots for tourists, but the roads to get there are the absolute worst in Costa Rica. Oddly enough, this is by choice. The locals (including a large population of Quakers) don't want to compromise their natural resources for the sake of busloads of tourists. Good for them. Good for the cloud forests. Bad for my butt.

Upon arrival in Santa Elena (gateway to Monteverde's forests), we were greeted by hoards of hawkers handing out pamphlets for tours and hotels. We rushed past them to check out a few places from The Book (Lonely Planet's guidebook). After being disappointed, we went back and followed a hawker to a cabina that turned out to be rather nice. Lucky us. The rest of the day was spent exploring the town. It reminds me a bit of Gatlinburg, TN - a mountain town attempting to maintain its charm while still catering to tourists. And much like Gatlinburg, the attempt has failed and charm has mostly given way to tourism.

We visited the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve the next morning, where we ponied up the cash for a guided tour. This is a private (though non-profit) scientific reserve, making it slightly more expensive than a national park. But we were treated to an entertaining and knowledgeable guide who educated us as we strolled through the misty forest. Unfortunately, one of the first things we learned was that November is a horrible time to visit Monteverde due to the wind and rain. Animals take cover during this time. Tourists get soaked. But still, the forest itself was amazing.

More Monteverde pictures.

Sunday, the ladies caught the early bus back to San Jose. I, the essentially unemployed bum, took this opportunity to continue my journey over to La Fortuna. This is an interesting trip because the bus takes 7 or 8 hours, but a Jeep-Boat-Jeep transfer takes only about 3 hours. The name, though fun to say, is misleading. The "Jeep" was actually a minivan. Bumpy, but it got me there. The boat ride is a short skip over Arenal lake. And the final minivan made the short jaunt to La Fortuna's center. I got there in plenty of time to hunt for hotels, which is good since many of the options listed in The Book were either full or closed for remodeling. Finally I found a nice little place run by a friendly, helpful Tico family.

If Santa Elena / Monteverde is Gatlinburg, then La Fortuna / Arenal is Pigeon Forge, TN. This town makes no attempt to hide its touristy agenda. It openly begs for foreign money with big flashing signs. But, oddly enough, I enjoyed it slightly more than Monteverde. Sure, the weather still stank (warm, but rainy and cloudy). And the tour that my friendly, helpful Tico hotel owner convinced me to take was a wash since the volcano stayed covered in clouds.

But there was one thing that made it worthwhile: the waterfall. Sick of tours, I decided to simply walk the 7 kilometers to the waterfall on Tuesday. It was possibly longer. It was uphill. It was rainy. But it was absolutely stunning. The whole area was beautiful, lush and pastoral. I'm so glad I went.

More La Fortuna pictures.

Although the weather was less than ideal, and the towns were overly touristy, there were certainly some good points to this 5-day trek. I enjoyed good company on both towns, with my friends in Monteverde and some travel buddies I met in La Fortuna (two guys from Utah and a young lady from Germany). I saw some spectacular sights. And I'm now able to put a real "face" on all the fuss about saving the rainforests.

Toenailless

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 03:49:00 +0000

My spider bite is still healing, but now I'm dealing with a new wound. Months ago, during my hike up to the waterfall in Montezuma, I smashed my big toe. It never quite healed correctly, leading to an ingrown toenail. I was going to wait and deal with it in the US, but while in Bocas, a couple of hospital employees noticed it and said, "I hope you'll visit a doctor for that. We've seen people lose their toes because of it." I decided not to wait.

On a friend's recommendation, I went to CEDCAS Clinica to see Dr. Carla Mastroeni. Thankfully, my roommate agreed to tag along and translate. Medical visits are one time that you really don't want miscommunication.

The entire experience was quite different from doctor appointments I've had in the US. First, the doctor saw me before my scheduled appointment time. I didn't have to spend hours in a waiting room. Also, I paid upfront, and the cost was staggering: $30 for the whole thing. Seriously, why is medical care in the US so messed up?

There was a little confusion at the beginning. When the nurse started the routine exam, she asked my roommate something about my blood pressure. My roomie thought she was asking if she could take my BP, so she said yes. Later, we figured out she was asking if I had a history of high BP. That led to a few minutes of the nurse showing concern that I wasn't on meds and such. We worked it out, though.

It was time to get to the business at hand... err... foot. I showed the good Doc my foot, and she commented that it was "Muy bonito." She actually tried her best to make me comfortable. She did a good job, for the most part. But the toenail was ingrown and had to go. I knew this was coming. I laid down and they injected me to numb the toe. Pain. Weird feelings. And eventually pressure, but no pain. It was kind of like having a tooth drilled at the dentist. I could hear the sounds. I knew what they were doing. I couldn't really feel it, but I knew I didn't like it.

When it was done, she showed me the toenail. Ick. Then she asked if I wanted to look at my toe before they bandaged it. Stupidly, I looked. Eww. Then I got my prescriptions (antibiotics and anti-inflammatories) and instructions (clean it 3 times a day, wear sandals when possible). And I was done.

Now I just have to follow the doctor's orders, wait for it to heal, and try not to look down.

Gringo Grub

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 03:38:00 +0000

Sunday I visited my Tico family for lunch. This time I took both my roommates. They enjoy it, because they get to practice their Spanish. I enjoy it because the food is excellent and, although I don't understand every word, I enjoy the warmth and friendliness of the family.

To show my appreciation, I made banana bread and cracklin' cornbread to take for coffee. Banana bread translates easily enough - pan de banano. But there's no easy way to say cracklin' cornbread. The family calls it "pan con chicharone" or bread with fried pork. They marvel at this typical Southern fare. In fact, on the way home, my roommate said she heard them say: "It took a gringo to teach us how to put chicharone in bread."

Just call me the unofficial Southern Cuisine Ambassador to Costa Rica.

Bocas Revisited

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 22:45:00 +0000

It was time for my third and final border run. This time, it would be me, my roommate (J), and a new friend (S). We decided to visit Bocas del Toro. Although I'd already been there, I felt I didn't get to enjoy the town during my last trip because of the rain, so I had no problem going back.

Thursday morning, bright and early, we took a taxi to the Caribe bus terminal, where we got tickets for the 6am bus to Sixaola. The bus was rather empty, so we got to stretch out and relax for the journey. At the border, we had no problems getting through migration on either side. As before, I was greeted by a "guide" who took us to a taxi. We arrived at Changuinola's dock in plenty of time to take the 1:30 water taxi to Bocas. Once on the Island, I found my way back to Casa Amarilla, where Dennis had a couple of rooms for us. After a little rest, I showed my companions around Isla Colon, which took about 10 minutes. Along the way, we met up with some fellow travelers, explored a few bars, and shared stories. We retired early in the night, wary from a long day's travel.

Friday, we took the obligatory tour of the islands. Every dock on the island offers the same tour for around $20, lasting from 9:30am till 4:30pm. It consists of zooming around "Dolphin Bay" to try to catching a glimpse of dolphins poking their heads above water. They were fun to watch, but I couldn't help feeling like we were exploiting them a bit, especially when our captain took to driving circles around them, prompting them to jump over the waves. Afterwards, we were taken to a remote dock to order lunch so it could be prepared while the group was taken to do some snorkeling. After lunch, we were herded onto Red Frog Beach, which was the real joy of the tour. It was an absolutely postcard-perfect beach. We lounged for a couple of hours, then were taken to Hospital Point for more snorkeling. Finally, we were returned to the main island.

Saturday was the celebration of Panama's Independence Day, so we were treated to music and parades in town. It was great to watch the student bands march up and down the streets. Throughout the afternoon we did some souvenir shopping. I picked up a colorful hammock for myself. And that night, we enjoyed good food (Shelly's Mexican BBQ - excellent grub) and cheap drinks.

Sunday marked the end of our forced 3-night vacation, so we made the return boat-taxi-bus journey. Well, my companions did, at least. I, being unemployed, had no reason to rush back to Heredia. So from Sixaola I took a local bus to Puerto Viejo, where I caught another bus to Manzanillo. Thus, I have finally explored the full trinity of Southern Carib towns in Costa Rica.

Manzanillo is the smallest of the three, with one restaurant, a few sodas, a couple of cabinas, and nothing else besides a long stretch of lovely beach. It is clearly the hot-spot for Tico families, as they were arriving and leaving by the busload. I enjoyed a lunch of rice and beans, took a nap on the beach, and had an amazing dinner of grilled red snapper.

Dinner was a bit of an adventure, though. When I arrived at Maxi's, I noticed the lights were out, but the kitchen was lit. Okay, perhaps they're going for a candle-lit thing. I strung together a couple of questions in Spanish and learned that there was a problem with the lights, but everything else was working. As this was the only restaurant in town, I went ahead and ordered. The plate arrived, smelling delicious and looking... well... dark. Candles were impossible to keep lit due to the ocean breeze, so I ate by far-off streetlight. It was delicious, even if I could barely see it.

The next day I returned to Puerto Viejo and located a cheap place in town to stay (Cabinas Larry - oddly missing from the Lonely Planet guide, it's next to "Bread and Chocolate"). It turned out to be perfectly comfortable, with a strong fan inside and a comfy hammock outside, and even a communal kitchen. I had the whole place to myself the first night, and only one other guest arrived the next day. So I spent a couple of days lounging around, swimming off Playa Chiquita, and enjoying a cold beer or two. This is how I know I'm spoiled for beaches forever: When I got to Chiquita and saw there were 5 or 6 other people there, I thought "Oh great, it's already crowded."

Wednesday I headed toward Heredia, back to cool temperatures and construction noise. I miss the Caribbean already. Luckily, I'll be taking my parents to Cahuita in just a few weeks.

The rest of my Bocas del Toro photos are here.

More Manzanillo photos are here.

Finding Shelter

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 22:43:00 +0000

I awoke this morning to a complete absence of water and electricity. Earlier this year, around March and April, such outages were common in parts of the Central Valley due to water shortages. But now, in the thick of the rainy season, I assumed that it was because of construction in the neighborhoods.

My roommate, however, informed me of the truth: our landlord forgot to pay the utility bills.

We've endured other discomforts here as well. We've been waken by early morning, unannounced intrusions by our landlord for various reasons. Recently, he decided the apartment absolutely had to be repainted, despite the fact that it meant weeks of drywall dust and paint fumes for us. He spontaneously replaced a sink one morning, turning off the water, and leaving us unexpectedly without water for morning showers. The list goes on and on.

Why do we remain here? Well, this highlights a problem for expat ESL teachers. Furnished housing is difficult to find and relatively expensive in Costa Rica. It's even more difficult to find in desirable locations. So, because we don't want to buy furniture for our temporary stay here, and because we need a place with a phone line (difficult for non-residents to get), and because we want to be close to our school, we are stuck.

Luckily, the water and electricity came back on in the afternoon. And more importantly, I'm only living here for 45 more days.

El Hombre Araña

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:04:00 +0000

Two weekends ago my ankle was bitten by something. I didn't worry about it at the time because it was a small bite, like from a mosquito. The tiny mark remained all week, not getting worse or better.

Yesterday, however, things started happening. The bite was swollen and a bit red in the morning. By evening, my entire ankle was swollen and the red area was about the size of a nickel.

No worries, I told myself. I probably scratched the bite and it got infected. I knew I could go to the pharmacy the next day, have a doctor look at it, and get some antibiotics.

Just to be safe, however, I Googled "spider bite." Allow me to warn you now: NEVER GOOGLE "SPIDER BITE!" The anecdotes I read, the pictures I saw, nearly kept me up all night. But eventually I calmed down. I rationalized, figuring that if I had been bitten by a horrible flesh-melting death-spider, the symptoms would've revealed themselves sooner than 7 days.

Today my roommate went with me to the pharmacy and the doctor confirmed that it is indeed an infection. He gave me 7 antibiotic pills (one a day) and some spray. The cost was much more than my last dose, but I assume these are stronger pills. The whole thing took around 15 minutes and $40. I grumbled about the money for about 8 seconds, and then I remembered that a similar medical visit in the US would've taken much, much longer and cost several times as much.

Then I remembered that I'm supposed to leave for Panama on Thursday. Seven days of antibiotics means I'll be taking them the entire time I'm in Bocas del Toro. I'm not thrilled about crossing the border with pills. But worse: that means no drinking during my border run. I don't get to enjoy cheap Panamanian beer. That makes me an unhappy gringo.

Plus, apparently it wasn't a radioactive spider. So I don't get to be Spider-Man for Halloween.

De-Classified

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 15:33:00 +0000

Last night marked the end of my regular teaching gigs. All that's left now is to grade a few quizzes and sub for someone at the end of November. I am free to enjoy my remaining 49 days in Costa Rica in a state of blissful unemployment.

Those days are filling up quickly, too. This weekend I'll be bar-hopping with friends and visiting my Tico family. Next weekend I'm going back to Bocas del Toro for another border run, then I'm taking the long way back so I can check out more of the Carib coast. At some point, I want to go to Monteverde and Arenal Volcano. Then we're hosting a Thanksgiving dinner / party at our place. I'll have one spare week to tie up any loose ends, and then my parents will be here.

And then I'm gone.

It absolutely blows my mind when I think of how quickly this year has passed. But it's too soon to get nostalgic about it. I'm not done yet! These remaining days must be savored.

Pollo con Coco

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 19:53:00 +0000

Despite the fact that we live together, my roommates and I never eat together at our house. We have different schedules and tastes, for the most part. But since one of them was having a birthday, I decided to cook lunch for us all on Saturday.

Inspired by my recent experience with Caribbean cuisine, I gathered ingredients to make chicken with coconut sauce. Of course, I didn't follow a recipe. Nor did I measure anything. But this is the gist of what I came up with:

chopped garlic (maybe 4-5 cloves)
chopped ginger (tablespoonish)
chopped onion (one medium)
chopped sweet peppers (two)
roasted jalapeño (only one - they're wimps)
fresh thyme (this is my new favorite herb)
cinnamon (dash)
chicken breasts (marinated in soy sauce overnight)
coconut milk (half a can)
cilantro and chives for garnish

I sautéed everything until the chicken was almost done. Then I added coconut milk and simmered for about a half hour. I served it with brown rice and caramelized carrots.

The birthday girl enjoyed it so much she went for seconds, and asked for leftovers to take for lunch. I'd call that a success.

Grey Skies

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 19:09:00 +0000

October is the rainiest month of the rainy (err... "green") season. Now we not only have downpours every afternoon, we have sprinkles and showers throughout the day. There is no sun. The neverending drizzle was starting to get to me, so I looked for a solution. It turns out that October is the driest month for the Limon province.

I should also mention that I'm currently only working 6 hours a week (Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30 to 8:30 at an off-site class).

These two facts led to one simple conclusion: Beach Trip.

I packed a bag and took the Friday morning bus to Cahuita. I plan on taking my parents to this beach when they visit in December, so this was no mere vacation - it was a fact-finding mission. Upon arrival, I scoped a few spots and settled on Cabinas Calipso for my lodging. It had the essentials - a fan in the room, warm water, and a hammock outside. Plus it was only 7000 colones (around $14).

With shelter secured, I began the hunt for food. Miss Edith's called out to me. It is a Cahuita institution, and for good reason. Hidden on a corner, next to the Police Station / Post Office, and with an ocean view, it's a peaceful place to enjoy the best of Costa Rica's Caribbean cuisine. I chose fish fillet rondon, then relaxed with a cool glass of lemonade while I waited. This is not a place for the impatient. But who's watching a clock? The kitchen is hidden behind a curtain, but I could hear the sizzle and smell the aroma of real cooking, the kind that's been going on here for generations. Eventually, I was presented with my feast. Rondon is a stew that gets its name from the patois word for "run-down" because it was originally made with whatever the cook could run-down in the kitchen. Mine contained fish and root vegetables like carrots, potatoes, yucca, sweet potatoes, and plantain that were simmered in butter and a coconut milk sauce and flavored with whole sprigs of thyme. I savored every morsel.

I enjoyed the experience so much that I went back the next day. A morning of lounging on Playa Negra had worked up an appetite. This time, I asked for the Hot Jerked Smoked Chicken, extra spicy. And boy, did they deliver. My platter contained mounds of chicken breast, smothered in dark jerk sauce, and topped with several habanero chilis. It was an amazing balance of sweet, spicy, and smoky. And it was the best chicken I've ever put in my mouth.

The rest of the long weekend was spent in a similar fashion. There was not a single drop of rain the whole time. I relaxed. I checked out some of the nicer hotels for my parents. I ate good food and drank cold beer. I swung on a hammock. And I reluctantly returned to Heredia on Monday, where it was and is still raining.

Can I Keep Him?

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 21:19:00 +0000

I made a new friend today. As I was walking home from the farmer's market, I took a detour through some different neighborhoods. A cute little dog started following me. I made a few turns to see if he'd keep up, and he did. I even went into a store, and he was there waiting for me when I got out. He made it all the way to my house, despite the other neighborhood dogs trying to scare him away.

I figured it was over when I got through my gate. But he managed to climb through the bars! (Luckily none of the neighborhood dogs can do that). I tried a few things to get him to leave. I put water outside, which he went to. But he always found his way back between the bars of the gate.

For a moment, I was tempted to keep him. But I knew I couldn't. What would I do with him?

I left him alone outside for awhile, thinking he'd eventually get hungry and leave on his own. Then, when my roommate went out, he followed her. I don't think he'll be back.

I already miss him.

Futbol

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 20:02:00 +0000

Soccer is, by far, the most important sport in Costa Rica. The sports page of the newspaper is filled with pages of soccer information and a little corner of one pages about other sports. They take their futbol seriously. So I figured I should watch a game, live, in a stadium. Last weekend, my town's team (Club Sport Herediano) was playing at home, so I went with a couple of other teachers to check it out.

Honestly, it wasn't as exciting as I thought it'd be. I expected a more festive atmosphere. But the crowed just wasn't pumped. I think that's because the opposition wasn't very good. CSH scored three goals and the other team (I don't even remember their name) barely made any attempts.

We did get to see some little kids do a traditional dance, which was cute.

And I got to try some unique stadium food. No hotdogs here, folks. There was pizza, which my friends went for. But I took a chance on a guy with a basket selling "patie." It's a snack from the Caribbean, a small pastry filled with meat and beans. I got mine with chili, so it had a little kick. Pretty tasty.

When the game was over, everyone filed out. Again, it was a rather uneventful ending. We might try to catch one of the more important games if we get a chance. I know there are some serious rivalries here.

Falling Apart

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 20:40:00 +0000

It is 73 days, 18 hours, 14 minutes and 26 seconds until Saturday, December 15, 2007 at 9:00:00 AM (San Jose time).

I jinxed myself. My class got down to 2 students, and the school's owner decided it was no longer profitable to keep it going. So they kicked the students to the curb, explaining that it was too expensive to pay their teacher. It's a harsh reminder that private English schools in Costa Rica are all about the money, not the education. I'm left to scrape by on substitute gigs until they find more students. Luckily, I think I have enough money saved to pay rent and bills for the rest of the year.

As if to add salt to the wound, my glasses broke on Sunday. Snapped right in half. I have another pair, so I can still see. But I really liked those glasses. I'm noticing other things are wearing down, too. Some tshirts have little holes. I've had to sew a few pairs of socks. I replaced a button on one of my work shirts. And one pair of khakis is currently held together with a safety pin. So, while it's possible to live for almost a year with a very limited wardrobe (5 work shirts, 2 khakies, 1 jeans, 2 shorts, 4 tshirts, etc), the clothes do suffer.

I can feel the days counting down. I've gotten a lot out of this experience. In fact, if I had to leave tomorrow, I'd feel like I wasn't missing anything. There's more to see and do, of course. And there are plenty of things I'll miss. But I'm building up my goodbyes for Costa Rica.

Better'n No Class

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 18:51:00 +0000

Our advanced classes are a bit odd because students come and go all the time. The class lasts two months, but students came be there for any two months. So the class is circular, not linear. And the composition of the class can change from week to week. Some weeks I'll have 6 students. Then others I'll have fewer. Today I had two. Tomorrow, one of them has to work, so I'll have one.

I like small classes because I get to really interact with the students. I get to know them and understand their needs. It gives me an opportunity to tailor the material. But it's really hard to fill 3 hours 5 days a week with only 1 or 2 students. That's a lot of talking time for me and the students. It's good for them to have the practice, but it's also very draining. It's difficult to keep up the energy for that long. And if a student is tired or just doesn't feel like talking... well... then the class is really shot.

It could be worse, though. This is apparently a low time for the school. Other teachers have been without any students. So I'm lucky that I've been able to keep a class going, no matter how small it is.

Freeeeeeeeeeedom!

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 18:37:00 +0000

Saturday was Costa Rica's Independence Day. I manage to completely miss all of the celebrations. I thought they would be in the early afternoon. So in the morning, I went to the farmer's market (where I got an excellent bag of habanero peppers). By the time I got to the central park, it was of course raining. The park was empty except for one little snack stand, where I got to eat some meat on a stick.

That evening there were supposed to be fireworks, but I'd made plans with friends to go to the National Theatre to watch a performance of Macbeth. Again, we were too late, and the tickets were sold out. Since we were all dressed up in San Jose, we decided to go out to dinner instead. We found a decent restaurant with a second floor patio. We enjoyed good food and conversation.

In the end, as always, it worked out fine.

Sunday I went to have lunch with my Tico family. It was nice to see them again. They gave me a hard time about getting old. They also gave me grief about not learning much Spanish. But, while they were picking on me, they fed me, so it was worthwhile. I could feel the love.

Honestly, they are wonderful people, and they continue to amaze me with their warmth and hospitality. They've been far too good to me. I could never repay their generosity. In a place where I've felt very isolated at times, they have given me a home and a sense of family.

Sometimes I wonder if I've been too lucky.

Bam Bam Bam

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 18:34:00 +0000

This Saturday is Costa Rica's independence day. My students were a bit slim on the details. They don't seem to know too much of the history. But, like other holidays, it will involve parades and fireworks. That explains the constant drumming from every school around here. We happen to live right next to a highschool. I hear drums even when they're not playing. Ba-dump-bump-bump. Ba-dump-bump-bump. Ba-dump-bump-bump.

Since the holiday is on a Saturday, we won't get any extra days off. That's the real bummer. In fact, there are no more work holidays until Christmas. I'm petitioning for the school to observe some of the US's holidays, since we're an English academy. But so far, the administration is unreceptive.

In fact, the administration is rather somber lately. The school has been a grim environment for the past couple of weeks. It's not as lively and fun as it used to be. We don't have as many classes here at the school during the morning any more, so there aren't as many people around. And two people in the office are doing the work of six. We've lost more than just staff and students, though. There's been an attitude change. I can't exactly put my finger on it, but it's definitely a different vibe.

A La Mierda!

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 18:22:00 +0000

Every once in awhile, my mind breaks free from the monotony of my daily routine, and I realize the reality of my situation. These are my "Holy Shit!" moments. I had two of them recently.

Holy Shit, I only have 3 months left in Costa Rica! When it was 4 months, I felt like I still had plenty of time. But 3 months is nothing. I still have a few places I want to visit and things I want to do: Vulcan Arenal, Monteverde (for a tree-top zipline tour), Playa Samara, Playa Grande, INBioParque, see a performance at the National Theatre, watch a live soccer game. There's time. But with only 12 weekends left, I need to get off my butt.

Holy Shit, I'm 29! Yikes. That's way too close to 30. As my young German roommate put it this morning, "Twenty-nine and still alive, aye? Wow!" This is karma. I've made fun of others that were leaving their twenties. It's my turn to be the old man. But I refuse to act like one. I've requested a piñata for my party tonight.

Students Say

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 16:25:00 +0000

I was teaching phrasal verbs to my students yesterday. We came to "get by with" and I explained that it means to do the minimum, to manage with very little effort. One student was thinking and thinking, and then said, "I don't know if we have a word for that in Spanish, but that's so Tico!"

Dos Playas, Cuatro Noches

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 19:32:00 +0000

J, my roomie and fellow teacher, was going to be class-less for two weeks. I, being a kind-hearted gentleman, offered to let her teach my class for three days this week. She and our academic coordinator agreed to the proposal. That meant one thing for me: beach trip!

Saturday morning, bright and early, I made my way towards the southern Pacific coast. I spent my first two nights in Manuel Antonio, which is a beautiful beach. It's also heavily touristed. More tourists means more people selling things on the beach. Are these people selling things that beach-goers need, like icecream or beer? No, they're selling ceramic pots. Every five minutes, I was confronted by someone with a pot on every finger, calling out "Ceramica, Amigo?" Who the heck goes to the beach to buy pottery? I didn't see them sell a single piece.

The highlight was on Sunday, when I visited the national park. It was absolutely stunning. There were monkeys and iguanas and racoons and all kinds of birds. And not a single ceramica salesman in sight. I hiked up to the various lookout points, which provided amazing views of the beach. Breathtaking.

Monday I took a bus down to Dominical. It's a relatively short trip, around 40 kilometers, but it took over two hours because the road is unpaved. It's all gravel and potholes. That makes the busride, literally, a pain in the ass. But it was worth it. Dominical is my kind of beach. It's small and quiet. It has a great vibe, very laid back, and filled with surfers. The food is good and the beer is cheap. Ideal. Unfortunately, it rained all afternoon and evening. Less than ideal.

Tuesday I tried to go a little further south (17 kilometers, to be exact) to Playa Uvita, which is supposedly an even more remote, quiet beach. Unfortunately, I got off the bus too early. I made it to Uvita the town, but not Uvita the beach. So I had to walk a few more kilometers. I found more of the town, which consists of several farms and a few cabinas and sodas. I found the entrance to the national park. But I never saw the beach. I didn't see any other tourists and only a few locals. Hot, tired, and a little nervous, I headed back to the bus stop, where I waited a couple of hours and had a nice conversation with a Tico who assured me the bus would come. Finally I went back to the comfort of Dominical, where I enjoyed my final night.

Wednesday I headed back, but took a different route. Instead of going through Manuel Antonio, I went over the mountains to San Isidro, the only "big city" in this part of the country. The bus ride was crowded, but the view from the mountains was beautiful. From there, I caught a bus to San Jose and arrived in Heredia safely.

I love these mini-adventures.

More Manuel Antonio pictures.
More Dominical pictures.