Meeting my host family and the first few days...

After what seemed like a very long trip, due mostly to the build up of anticipation, I arrived in Costa Rica late Saturday night. Passing through imigration and customs was exciting for me because I got the first stamp in my passport. As soon as I walked out of the airport, I noticed a difference from back home. Hundreds of Ticos were waiting with signs for people they were expecting. It was unlike anything I have ever experienced at an airport before.

To reach downtown San Jose and Veritas University, where we would be staying, we had to take about a half hour bus ride. Darkness kept me from seeing the mountains around us and from just riding around, San Jose seemed pretty similar to American Cities. When we arrived at the University, I met my host mother. Her name was Viviana and she had a tiny Toyota Paseo that myself and my roomate Nate barely fit into with all our luggage. Her house ended up being 3 blocks away from the University and a great location in terms of some things to do in San Jose. I really was expecting a big family with a mother that was older, but Viviana lives mainly by herself except when her mother or boyfriend stay as well and she is only 26 years old. She is a preschool teacher and has been to L.A. and Orlando and speaks english very well which is great because I do not know any spanish.

That first night was very interesting. We went to Subway for dinner which I really did not expect to do in Costa Rica. Then Viviana took us to 2 bars where we met her friends, her boyfriend, and I had my first Imperial, the main domestic beer in Costa Rica. Here, you can buy a beer for as littler as $1.50. The first bar was more relaxed and was part of a restaurant. Oddly enough the bar had pictures of Hilary Clinton, The Beatles, and other famous works of art. The second bar was more of a dance bar and it played a lot of Elvis music.

My room is actually its own littler apartment that she usually rents out and is in the back yard. To get up the stairs to my room I must pass her dog which is very friendly, thankfully. Viviana also has a pet rabbit, it seems that she is an animal lover. My room has two beds, one is a double which will be nice. I have begun to unpack and get myself situated. My room will be very nice because it will be very private and it also has its own bathroom with a shower. So far, I have not been able to get a hot one, but I am still hopeful.

Sunday was also an eventful day. When I awoke, breakfast was already on the table. It was Guyo Pinto, eggs, and bacon. Gallo Pinto is a mixture of rice and beans and every Tico seems to make it their own way. Viviano´s Gallo Pinto was delicious. After breakfast, the group I am with from Miami had an orientation and tour of Veritas University. We then departed by bus for a narrarated tour of Costa Rica which also included some walking of the streets of San Jose. The city seems to be very young and busy, the parks and shops were all very crowded. That afternoon, we ate lunch at a local restaurant. Again, I had rice and beans but also had a salad and a steak whcih was all very good. I have learned that Costa Rica always seems to have fresh fruits to eat and juices to drink. At this particular restaurant, they had a juice that was made from rice and pineapple. It was quite refreshing and quinched the thirst I had from walking around in the heat. After lunch we traveled to a Souvineer shop where there were handmade Tico masks and other things that are native to Costa Rica. We were supposed to head to a mall but it began to rain so we went back to Veritas.

Sunday night, Viviano took Nate and I to the Multi Plaza which is a mall just outside of Costa Rica. Though most of the stores were closed, we were able to get dinner in the food court. I had rice and beans and chicken. I believe that rice and beans will be a recurring theme in my diet while I am here in Costa Rica. Thankfully I enjoy the taste very much. After the mall it was bedtime because we had our first class in the morning.

Monday class was enjoyable. We also were able to exchange Dollars for Colones at 512 to 1. We had lunch at Veritas, and in the afternoon, we got dressed up for a meeting with CINDE, a non profit organization in Costa Rica. There, we watched a presentation on there role in bringing foriegn investment into CR. I will have another post dedicated specifically to there talk.

I spent the early evening getting my assigned reading done for class. Viviana made dinner which was in her words, pig and vegetables. It tasted like sausage to me. After dinner everyone from Miami met at Pescaditos, a local bar to enjoy some Costa Rican night life.

Today, Tuesday, we had class in the morning and a local Costa Rican came in the afternoon for a lecture on Sustainability in Costa Rica. So far, the lecture and readings are really making me think about how business can be conducted more efficiently and maybe more importantly, how business can benefit from considering the environment when making decisions.

Tonight there is a Dance class that I am planning on attending. Maybe I will learn some Ragae or Salsa!!