30 September 2007
Phrase of the Day
Amigos con Derechos (Friends with Benefits)
a good one to know, i suppose...
Baño Man
~For Mik~
Our teams play soccer in the same park every week. There are several places to use the facilities at the park. Unfortunately you have to pay for it. Fortunately, it's only about 20 cents, and you get to meet people like the Baño Man, as we'll call him.
He's one of the bathroom attendants. He'll whip out his trumpet and play various tunes from time to time. Amusing. Today I told him I play the Trombone and so we shared a brief brass-player camaraderie. And then he played the US national anthem from memory for me. It was actually quite good. I didn't know if I should've removed my hat or stood at attention. So I just leaned against the bathroom entrance and listened to his rendition. Interesting that I was hearing a Costa Rican man play the United States' national anthem that was originally a British drinking song (the tune at least). Globalization in action...or something. 
"Oh say can you see..."
He wears a hat constructed of plastic junk-food wrappers. Why not? I think it fits his style.
29 September 2007
Fix It
A flattish right-front donut put our war-horse in the fix-it racks. $1.40 repaired the puncture. Notice our tank rests in the Reparaciones Llantas Automovil lane, not to be confused with the Balanceo Automovil berth.
Lunch
Limeade
How to buy lemons...
I've been here five weeks and seen this man wear a shirt ONCE. 
dusk
Man vs. Nature
Wet street.
27 September 2007
Children's Home Kiddos
Some shots of the great kids up at the home in Coronado. Finally, some photos of gals on the blog, too. I've had some comments questioning whether there are any in Costa Rica at all. Yep. See for yourself. Some precious niñas can be viewed just below.
Milt makes his first appearance. The kids liked the jacket. And why shouldn't they! 
We can go to the river up there. It's very cold and nice. 
Ham and butter sammich. Quite good with cafe con leche (with sugar of course). 
Swing.
Big jacket. I'm still learning names, otherwise I'd write them in. 
Grocery day. 
Milt goes for a swing.
Monkey.
Bedroom playing.
Down the slide.
Embarrassed. 
Costa Rican powerpose. Milt has officially splashed down in Costa Rica.
Saprissa wins 2-1
Went to another Saprissa game. They played Puntarenas last night to decide who will play in the Central American Cup. Or something like that. It was tied late in the second half until Saprissa's show pony, Solis, booted in the winning goal with two minutes left in regulation. Good times. I learned some colorful new language too, furthering my shadier Spanish vocab. This clip is just after Solis scored his goal. Tickets were $3. There were 16 people in our group and we had a great view. Score.
Buy Your Chickens Here
I spotted this truck drifting the streets of La Carpio today. And it wasn't hard to notice. The loudspeaker on top announced its presence quite clearly, as well as announcing the going price of "fat, big chickens." The Birdmen as I'll think of them came down our little street and sold some flappers. So here's how you buy chickens in La Carpio. 
Birds for sale.
The extraction. Some commotion and cooing in protest. 
The delivery. These birds were quickly dispatched by a swift twist of the neck. And perhaps they bolstered this evening's spread of rice and beans. 
"Fat, big chickens." Kluck Kluck! 1,000 Colones will get you two birds. That's about a dollar a pop. A fair price, I think.
26 September 2007
Noche
Moonrise over La Carpio.
25 September 2007
I Like Skype
Mum and the nephews. Joshy (on the right) turns 2 this month. Nice to see one's family back home when you're far away. And for free too. "I still love technology..."
24 September 2007
Bits 'n Bobs
Strong suggestion.
Hole-in-the-wall's menu. 
Country clothesline.
16.920 liters.
Tanker.
Big dog, little dog. White dog, black dog. 
Meat stew lunch.
Loosing the Lexicon
Yesterday I was thinking about the impressively large number of words we're toting unawares in our mother-tongue vocabularies. And for some reason I also wanted to know how to say VOMIT in Spanish (it's Vomitar. thanks, Steve).
And then I thought of all the ways I can say vomit in English. I came up with 15 (with help). Interesting that there are that many ways to get the same idea across.
Languages are highly fascinating and complex things. I recommend learning a new one. It's good for you/us. Makes us think differently (literally) and gives a broader world perspective and foreign cultural appreciation. And oftentimes it means an interesting if not exotic stint in alien lands.
Harry Connick Jr. said "to love the language, you got to be born on the banks of the Mississippi." But I don't think you have to be born in New Orleans to appreciate jazz. And there's no time like the present to pick up some foreign lingo.
I'm sure there are more ways to say vomit, too. Please, share.
Vomit
Throw up
Hurl
Spew
Ralph
Toss your cookies
Lose your lunch
Yak
Heave
Puke
Regurgitate
Coming back up
Blow Chunks
Retch
Upchuck
pre-game pomp
Luis Carlos.
Maycol.
23 September 2007
Merrily We Roll Along
I spent some time in Cartago this week, about 30 kilometers to the east of San Jose. My friend Diana (from Oklahoma) and her hubby Josh were visiting her relatives there. Diana and Josh are my friends who got married in Costa Rica this summer, fyi.
But, at one point it came to my attention that Diana's relatives like to cycle. I quickly made it known that cycling is a favorite pastime of mine, and perhaps even a passion. And so I got a nice invite for a short four-hour spin in the Costa Rican countryside. And WOW. What ensued was probably a Top Ten ride of all time for me. And think. The locals can do rides like this all the time. Not fair. I need to get out of the Middle-America flatlands more often...
Anyway. Some shots from the ride. 
My rig. Not a bad ride. I'd take it. I hit 60 khr at one point on a downhill. That's about 40 mph for the non-Metric masses. Pretty swift. Good times. No injuries reported. 
Guillermo working it. The name of this particular town is Dulce Nombre (Sweet Name). I like that. 
We ate papaya and bananas mid-ride for a recharge. 
There were some other riders on the trail. Some kind of competition. We got free fruit out of the deal. Not bad. 
The crew: Natalia, me and Guillermo. I have an open invitation to visit them any time out in Cartago. I could probably manage that...
22 September 2007
Arachnid
Some wildlife that I prefer not to associate too closely with. This one was about 4 in. x 4 in. Lovely. Notice its little brother at the top of the photo.
21 September 2007
La Carpio's Greatest Woman
Last week I heard wind of a woman living in La Carpio who has many years. And by "many" I mean a fantastic amount. How many you ask? You'll have to read on. Intrigued by the news, I set out with Antonio, a fellow amigo, to implore futher.
We came upon the proper house, and asking for entrance and photo-taking permissions, captured La Carpio's greatest woman (and the most aged dame I've had the fortune of meeting) 
La Carpio's Greatest Woman. Fanclin Mora Marin was born on March 9, 1890 in Nicaragua. That's 117 years old, if you don't want to count. And she was 105 when she moved to La Carpio with her family. A remarkable feat. 
Mother and Daughter. Mrs. Marin had 9 kids, three of whom are no longer living. She has 33 grandchildren and 42 great-grandchildren. I asked Franclin to reveal her secret to long life. Her answer? Hard manual labor. She worked the agriculture fields of Nicaragua with a machete for 30 years. And I guess it worked. And Franclin is in great health. She can walk about freely (though slowly). Her vision is fair and her hearing poor, but overall quite strong. That's one of her great-grandkids, Esteban on the right. 
Daughter. This daughter is 86. I think she barely looks 60. Seems the longevity is hereditary. 
I had to laugh at one point when the daughter asked her mom a question. Mom didn't hear and so daughter raised her voice to a low holler. A classic child/elderly parent exchange and one I've observed not infrequently with my own mother and grandmother. Some parts of humanity are amusingly parallel at times. 
Not so tall. Some perspective to the situation.
20 September 2007
R.D. clarification
Let it be known that my below post on our revered Richard Dean is in no way a criticism of his acting prowess or the show's inherent entertainment value. Live on, Mr. MacGyver and your Phoenix Foundation too. Your show has always been a personal favorite.
Costa Rican Independence
Costa Rica celebrated its Independence Day on Sept. 15. It was a good time. Parades, costumes, fireworks, marching bands. Some shots from the celebratory action.
19 September 2007
Richard Dean Anderson
An episode of Macgyver as seen in a La Carpio home. Apparently it's a popular show around here. My worlds were colliding. And no, sadly, Richard Dean's acting doesn't get better with Spanish overdubbing.
Click here for further R.D. Anderson info and to possibly laugh audibly.
Teatro Nacional - San Jose
San Jose's very nifty theater, built in 1897. We saw Macbeth here last Friday night. A good thing.
17 September 2007
Tags
16 September 2007
Egg Rolls
To say "egg roll" in Spanish you say Taco Chino. As in Chinese Taco. I find this amusing.
15 September 2007
pooch
Venus the Bulldog, enjoying an afternoon in Parque de La Paz.
14 September 2007
The Diggs - aka Gringo HQ
We live in a nice apartment complex outside of San Jose. About 10 minutes by car from La Carpio. It's a gated apartment setup. We have a guard with a .38 on his hip, and a very intimidating watch/attack dog that weighs about 15 lbs. We hope his bite is worse than his bark. Overall a great place to live though. I sleep in a bed, there's a bathroom, the internet is wireless and speedy. Oh, and all our cable channels are satellited in from the illustrious Denver, Colo. So, greetings to all you Mile High reader(s), and know we're stomaching the same boob tube content. And you might bring a rainjacket with you this weekend, the 10-day is showing some precipitation off the Front Range.
And many thanks to my venerable roommate for letting me live with him. Muchas Gracias, Steve. If you ever come to Oklahoma, you can bunk with me for sure. And I'll charge you a very competitive rate. 
View out our kitchen window. Not a distasteful sight to do dishes by. I like opening the little slit windows in the morning for a nice cool breeze. Don't need much here in terms of insulation from the elements.
Room for living. Not a few guitars. 
Other side of the room. My online command post is there at the table. All very formal. 
Here's my room, where I grab a rack and settle in nightly. The walls are nakedly sad, like a weeping newborn. I usually make my bed.
13 September 2007
Sun Down
Enjoyed an excellent color protest to finish the day. A nice requite from the typical cloudiness that often puts our star to sleep at this time of year. 
Exposed for highlights. 
Exposed for lowlights. Our eyes can do both at the same time. Sadly shutters cannot. 
50 foot drop. Picture title: "Maternal Nightmare" 
Window reflection.
12 September 2007
Band Wagon Fans
Apparently we got some Manchester United fans here in La Carpio, just like in the rest of the world. Though when I asked him, Roberto didn't know who they were. So take that, Wayne Rooney.
For Sale
Anyone interested in purchasing this lovely Coronado mountain-side farmhouse for me? We're going to call and check on the price, just for fun.
An afternoon in the park, San Jose style
Eucalyptus trees.
No idea why he had the face paint. 
Reminded me of Harry Potter...
11 September 2007
A waft of Asia in C. America
For Dan-O. 
09 September 2007
Odds and Ends
Steve getting his "Taco Bell fix" at the "Gringo Mall." 
Not a comforting sight...
Irony?
08 September 2007
Eye Pawed
Got an iPod Nano with the new computer back in July. I used it for the first time last week. I've never been overly interested in the devices. The portability is nice, but the best feature?
The world timezone function. I've already programmed in about 10 zones in the memory. Need to know what time it is in Moscow? Singapore? London? Anchorage? Tokyo? Buenos Aires? Munich? Reykjavík? D.C.? Mumbai? Guam? Melbourne? Rio? Cape Town?
No problem.
But I guess being able to hear music while I mess with timezones is kind of entertaining. iDon't know.
Some Scenes
Asundry shots of La Carpio peeps doing asundry things.
Lunch at Mercado Central
Bistec w/rice, beans, cabbage, noodles and plantain. I drank Horchata with ice cream in it. Powerful good. Let's face it, you only love me for my food pictures. 
A quality eating establishment. This meal cost me less than $5. 
Wholly satisfied customers.
In other news, I lost my upper retainer. So if you're around downtown San Jose sometime soon and see a clearish piece of plastic laying around somewhere in a dirty corner, it's probably mine. But losing it wasn't my fault. How did I know there was a hole in my pocket? Fortunately I've got a backup.
Nice Shirt
I'm sometimes surprised by the clothes the kids wear here. Mostly how American-ized they are. Shirts that say things like Tigers Basketball, Billabong and Adidas. And anything Yankees related is a huge hit. (I asked some people once about the Red Socks and they just blinked at me)
So, anyway, Roberto had this shirt on the other day. Something you'd find on a thrift-store shopping college student, I thought. Quite surprising. And then I found out that a missionary group from Houston had distributed a load of these shirts down here. This explains why I saw this shirt on another kiddo the next day (as evidenced below).
So, not so surprising, but still somewhat amusing.
I'm thinking we need some Vote for Pedro shirts or something...
07 September 2007
Fútbol Profesional
Wednesday night saw us cruising through San Jose in our venerable diesel microbus with a load of La Carpio peeps in the hold. Our intended destination: a professional Costa Rican soccer match. Most of the people I'm around are fans of Saprissa, Costa Rica's winningest pro soccer franchise. So, with the common paradigm already in place, I figured I'd be a Saprissa fan too. A vicarious fanship. Kind of like my devotion to my bro-in-law's beloved Derby County Rams. But I'm okay with that.
It was a close game, and the atmosphere and weather made for an easily enjoyable sporting-event package. I like people watching, and there were many opportunities. I also managed to see my first (and then second) soccer-fan brawls before and during the game. Thugs + Alcohol = rowdy times. The policias mopped things up before they got too ugly, but I thought it was sort of exciting.
I decided I need to see a pro USA soccer game now. I've cheered at a few UK ones and two here. Time to support the industry closer to home. So I'm thinking maybe a Dallas Burn excursion...but we'll see. 
We geared up before the game, much to the adolescents' enjoyment. Oh, and that's my roommate, Steve in the mask. He pretends to be an adolescent sometimes...
We were all ready for the game and then everything went black. Literally. The whole block lost power. Apparently this happens not infrequently. CR's power company is centrally controlled by the gov't and is known for providing inconsistent wattage.
Strangely the people don't seem to mind much. Can you imagine this happening at an OU home game? Heads would roll. But an amusing cultural experience. We waited in the dark with the other thousands for the lights to come on. About five beers later (by the locals' standards), they flashed on. I heard a guy yell "La LUZ!" (the light) It was go time. 
The whole group, pre-game. Go team!
Party in the back. Very impressive. My first CR mullet sighting. I caught my breath. 
Field overview. 
Warm up.
Getting excited...sort of. 
An evening fog came in with the second half. This was the vantage point from our seats. Mid-field, front-row action. 
Not much of a coffee drinker. But, when it's locally grown and brewed and purchased for you, why not. A nice addition to the crisp evening. 
We were tied late in the second half. Then our team scored with three minutes left in regulation. Spirits were high. Saprissa won 3-2!
I also had a funny language slip at the game. The Saprissa fans have a slogan Morado Corazón. It means purple heart, which corresponds with the team colors. So I attempted to sound cool with the guys and say this phrase. Instead I said Mojado Corazón which means wet heart. Hmm...not exactly the same sentiment. I had to laugh at myself. Fortunately no one else was really paying attention.
Living Art
Kids having fun with markers. Poor Pablo. I think he looks like Chuck too.
06 September 2007
Eat your heart out, Sammy
The commercial grocery store market is pretty big here in Costa Rica. At least it is in San Jose. You find a lot of American-style stores around the city, selling American stuff alongside local goods. And I learned that not too long ago, a little company called Wal-Mart Stores Incorporated bought out Hiper Mas, a big chain in Costa Rica. They sucked up some other chains too along their way to country-wide dominance. They kept the names of the stores, but redirected the cashflow Arkansas-ward.
So I guess I'm still managing to support The Machine, even after getting out of Dodge. Not sure how I feel about this...
Making a List
Went to the local grocery store yesterday. It's a five minute walk. I like the idea of walking to the grocery store.
Anyway, before stepping out, I made a list of necessities. I didn't need much. And so it happened. I made my first ever grocery list in Spanish. A mostly insignificant occurrence, but sometimes the little details in life are the most enjoyable.
So here she is. Bonus points if you know what item No. 4 is. The translation's very tricky.
Mantequilla
Uvas Pasas
Nueces
Bananas
Yogur
Queso
As a side note, before reaching the grocery store I'd made a mental decision to buy some spices. I had no idea what to get really, but thought I'd just wing it. I'm taking this learning-to-cook idea pretty seriously you see. Toward the end of my shopping experience I found the proper aisle. I paused at the entrance to the tiled, shelved corridor. Intimidation hung in the air. The culinary demons whispered thoughts of doubt and insecurity my way. I mean, what's an ignorant, male twenty-something to do when he's thrust into a new foodular environment such as this? I looked about for assistance. Only Pablo shelving frijoles two aisles down. I'm not that desperate. And so the decision came. Sink? Swim? Take your pick, gringo.
I shuffled down the hallway and fixed myself in front of the sealed spicy samplings before opening my eyes. My heart soared, my confidence spiked. This isn't so hard. No problem. Lots to choose from, lots of details to process. But I can hack it.
And then I read a label. And then another one. CRAP. My world was crumbling. My palace of confidence evaporating. It was all in Spanish. Everything. The decision was made for me: SINK!
I trudged away, defeated.
But I'll be back, spice aisle, wielding the deadly bilingual-dictionary saber.
I'll swim yet. I'm just getting my feet wet.
04 September 2007
Lilly Serves Lunch in La Carpio
The noon hour approached today and a mutual hunger rumbling ensued. So. Steve and I ventured to the local trough for sustenance. And here's Lilly (pronounced "Lee Lee"), cooking up our goods. I wondered vaguely about sanitation, but figured I need to build some antibodies at some point. So far I'm feeling fine...
Fanta Fanta...want a Fanta...
Pinball wizard. A 20-cent round provided entertainment while the food cooked. 
Yee-yah! Pork chop, beans, rice, cabbage. And after this, Lilly hooked me up with some amazing fried plantains. The best $3 meal I've had in a long time.
*Sigh* Naked plate contentment. Gave the bone to a local pooch. Lilly told me to come back again. And I don't see why not. 
Got a shot with "La Abuela" (The Grandma) of La Carpio. She came in the restaurant while we ate. Steve calls her his girlfriend. He claims she's under 25 and just caught a lot of rays in her formative years. I'm skeptical. But she's a lovely, warm woman all the same. Truly like a grandma.
3-1 Victory!
Highlights from our older team's Aug. 26 victory over another La Carpio troupe. I apologize for the low rez images. Sadly, that's how we have to roll with streaming media for now. There's music too, though. Some quality J. Cash covering Soundgarden. Crank it. If you like...
There's also some pics of the younger guys' team. And the pics at the very end are exhibiting Saprissa, one of Costa Rica's pro teams.
03 September 2007
Point and Shoot
So I've taken a lot of pictures this summer. Got the new blaster at the end of June and I've used it — a lot. How much you ask?
I took picture No. 5,000 today. That's about a 75 pics/day average. But hey, it's sorta my job now...
And I just want to be like Jesus. Only difference is that he fed his five thousand instead of taking their picture.
Click.
His name is Singer
One of the kids at the children's home in Coronado, CR. I like him.
Coronado
Coronado Highland: Part of the ministry here is a children's home for little ones from troubled backgrounds. The home is located in Coronado, which is a bit northeast from the big city. I've been hankering to head up into the countryside, and the pristine scenery didn't disappoint. You can see a fantastic, sprawling view of San Jose from up there, and the area is known for it's standout greenery and quality cattle (the dairy variety, that is). This morning we ventured the hour drive up the mountain to meet the wonderful staff people there, take in some amazing views and see the precious kids. More kiddo pics coming soon...
View from outside the children's home. Very quiet and peaceful. And the faint smell of cow manure was strangely welcoming. An odious reminder of the Mid-West.
Crossing Bridges
There's an awesome, rickety footbridge across a river in La Carpio. It's fun to cross. And it's really not very high (in the event of a fall). But still...
It makes me feel like Indiana Jones.
02 September 2007
Gameday Rainout
I like a good bit of rain just like anyone else. It usually brings cool temps and dynamic sensory offerings. And it's fun to play in. Fun to get muddy. But, unfortunately when you're trying to play an outside soccer game in Costa Rica during the rainy season on a Sunday afternoon, it can be a little too much. And so we had to cancel today. The pitch markings were unintelligible and the field was a shallow pond. Oh well. Beat 'em next week. 
Eventually I took shelter under the tarp with some fellow hombres. Reminded me of some past BSA campouts gone wrong. You'll remember Daniel (on the right) from the panoramic pic below. 
The wetness seen from our tarpy protection. 
Splash.
______
And a quick word on the climate here...if you're interested:
Currently, Costa Rica is amidst its rainy season. This generally runs from May - December with the dry season taking over the rest of the months. In San Jose right now the mornings are amazing: bright, sunny, clear — temps in the 70s F (low 20s C). Rain comes in the afternoon usually. Sometimes a deluge. Sometimes lighter. Lighting and thunder typical. Not a lot of wind (which is a change). And the temps cower to the high 60s F (high teens Celcius). I usually get a chill in the afternoons.
But mostly it's just very nice. Very livable and encouraging of a life spent out of the barn. I like that.
For further reading. Try this.
01 September 2007
Some Panoramics
La Carpio as seen from a nearby hill. That's a gravel and sand plant in the foreground and my new amigo Daniel on the right. He's on our older kids' soccer team.
*click to enlarge* 
What I see every day.
I also saw my first snake today when out taking these pics. I asked my locals if it was poisonous/dangerous. Yup. But nothing I haven't handled back in The OK (see Copperheads, Rattlers, Cottonmouths). Good Boy Scouting fun for sure.