Language Tip #1: Learn to say "How you doin'?" in Spanish

A few months before we left for Costa Rica, I borrowed Erin Van Rheenen's Living Abroad in Costa Rica from the Cambridge library. The book was so helpful that I bought it a few days before we left and have been reading it cover to cover since we left the U.S.

Her tips on learning Spanish are quite good (and I'll be trying a lot of them!), but I'd like to add one more to the list after tonight's experience. Read on, readers.

From Living Abroad in Costa Rica:
1. Don't be shy. How will you improve your conversation skills if you never say anything?

2. Ask the native Spanish speakers around you to correct your errors, and then keep reminding them. They'll probably hesitate at first for fear you'll feel bad if they tell you you're doing something wrong.

3. Keep a notebook on you, and jot down all the new words and phrases you encounter. Try to look up the new words every evening, and then use them in conversation at least five times the next day.

4. Immerse yourself in the language and the culture but realize you'll need to take breaks now and then.

5. Understand that at first you won't be able to convey all of who you are in the new language...Get used to having the verbal resources of a toddler.

6. Remember that your Spanish-speaking self will be different from your English-speaking self...I know people who are much more relaxed and fun in Spanish than in English, for example, and others who are more exacting and precise.

And I'd like to add one more:
7. Watch "Friends" reruns in English with Spanish subtitles. A great way to end the day and learn a little Spanish along the way! Haven't you always wanted to learn how to say "How you doin'?" in Spanish?

You just heard Spanish "in the wild!"

...Brian said to me as we made our way off the plane. One of the flight attendants had waved us off with a pleasant "buenos noches" and a smile, and as we walked off the tarmac and toward the airport, I realized -- we'd made it! We were actually here in Costa Rica. And so begins our year-long adventure in San Jose, learning Spanish "in the wild." Not because the country itself is wild, but because we are finally outside the classroom, away from our books-on-tape, and actually living and breathing Spanish for the next year. ¡Que bueno!

After arriving last night - with all six suitcases arriving at the same time as we did! - we couldn't find the cab driver we had booked to pick us up so we got a cab at the airport and headed into downtown San Jose to check into our room. For the next month, we'll be staying here, at the Clarion Hotel, in a neighborhood known as Barrio Amón. In the few weeks, we'll meet with a realtor and start looking for an apartment to move into in November.

It was pretty late by the time we arrived, so we checked in, and checked out for the night. After a great night's sleep, we woke up this morning and grabbed some breakfast in our hotel; it's free!



You can see the basics of our day here: reading La Nacion (with a dictionary in hand!), a San Jose map for our 3-hour walk around the city today, and an awesome buffet with arroz con frijoles (rice with beans), juevos (eggs), cafe con leche (coffee with milk), salchichas (sausages), and sandía (watermelon). So good and just what we needed to kick-off our day of exploring this new city of ours.

We walked all the way from our hotel to El Parque Metropolitano La Sabana - more than 8 kilometers (about 5 miles!) - was definitely a great way to see a good part of the city and stretch our legs after a long trip.

Later today, we'll head out to try to find a local mercado (market) and get some food for our hotel room.

¡Hasta luego!

One day from today...

A few weeks ago, it was our last MONTH in Boston.

Last week, we realized it was our last WEEK in Boston.

This afternoon, we just have one more DAY in Boston before we move to Costa Rica for the next year!



Things have been pretty busy - but not too crazy - this month, and I keep looking at B and saying "Are we forgetting something huge? We did remember to keep our passports out of storage right? Did we buy our tickets?" No, yes, and yes. (At least so far!)

When we first found out we'd have to leave our apartment a month before we were going to move, we were pretty disappointed. The thought of living in three different houses in two different states (for me) and out of one suitcase (for each of us) was a little bit daunting.

Romans 8:28 - "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

The Lord used this crazy month to teach me - again - to trust in Him and His plans for me and for our family. And you know what? If we had to do it all over again, we would choose to move out and have a month in between a major move like this.

We've had a great time catching up with friends and family, enjoying the city, and just gradually preparing for this big transition. We were surprised to find out that a month moving from home to home actually made us more flexible, more trusting, more laid back people. A good mindset to have as we prepare to move to Costa Rica and embrace the culture of Latin America.

Hasta luego, amigos!

One week from today....

...we'll be wheels up from BOS --> EWR --> SJO.

CRAZY.



San Jose, here we come!

Maine Media Workshop

I had the incredible opportunity to spend last week in Rockport, Maine participating in the Maine Media Workshop's "Introduction to Digital Photography" course with Terry Abrams.

Best location.
Best professor.
Best classmates.
Best class.

I loved it! Here's a collage of some of my photos; I'm so excited to learn more! I'm going to take the camera home with me this weekend and keep practicing.

 

Betsy in Boston!

Betsy is awesome in many ways: awesome at Pit, awesomely kind, loyal and warm; awesome Christian woman; and not the least, an AWESOME photographer. Do ya get my drift? She's so young and so talented; God is going to do great things with her! I have no doubts. It's so fun to see someone so passionate about their job that it turns into a calling for them. Betsy, we love you, girlfriend!

We asked her to come and visit us in Boston, hanging out and taking some really fun pictures of the two of us to help memorialize our time here (and this time in our lives) as we don't know yet where we'll end up for medical school next year.

Check out the preview here: Photo by Betsy

(She's also entered this photo below into a contest; go here, click on #300 and help Betsy win!)

Moving on up....to Costa Rica!

Big news in the Blank house: in addition to officially putting in our application for medical school this week, we found out we're moving to Costa Rica for a year! We'll be moving in October and staying down there as long as we can until we move back to start med school in 2011.

Here's a map of the beautiful country so you can start to imagine where we'll be!