School holidays in Monteverde - Sat to Midday Mon - Luxury, Wii and a Hummingbird

For schools here it's six weeks on, then one week off.  I had two weeks on, now I have one week off.
Hey a school holiday is a school holiday - it feels just as good even if only after two weeks of teaching!

We are now living in even more luxury.  Cindy and Jason have come through for us again and offered us their house for week while they go on a much deserved holiday!

Wow a proper wooden house, complete with washing machine, hot shower, fully equipped kitchen, coffee maker, TV/DVD's/Wii a lovely back yard and outdoor seating area, two bookshelves FULL of books and two very comfy couches.

Saturday
We moved into Cindy and Jasons first thing in the morning (they left real early) still in our pjamas - we were so excited.  Then we checked out their Nintendo Wii (for untec ppl like me that is a action video game).  I did skateboarding, kung fu, aerobics, and strength yoga (man that was the hard one).  Then Snowdon and I played Tennis (he wasted me).  Then we made the trip into Santa Elena and stocked up with groceries.

Sunday
We both woke up with sore arms from the Wii!  Chilled out and read all day (except for a really hot and tiring mid day run - ouch!) and I finished 'I know this much is true' by Wally Lamb.  I also discovered 'Thich Nhat Hanh', more about him in upcomings ideas/musings. I finally got started on one of my holiday projects - getting my storage drive sorted - yippee I'm underway!

Monday
Another expedition into town (a 3km walk from Monteverde), Santa Elena.  On our way from the bank to the coffee shop I had an incredible 'moment'!

For the first time I saw an ....... amazing tiny little green bird (wow, i thought, a bird the size of a big insect).  It was absolutely beautiful - man you should of seen those wings go.  That tiny little heart must have been going for it.  Snowdon said "it's a Hummingbird".  I stood and watched it flutter from flower to flower in awe..

I tried to find an image that would capture it's beauty - to no avail.

That's all for now folks.

Monteverde - Green Mountain

I have a job!  Up in the mountains! For two weeks (at least)!

I’m a substitute teacher for a teacher called Beverly who got Glandular Fever and is back in States recovering.  The school is called Cloud Forest School, Centro Educacion Creativa.  The class is a Grade 1 and 2 class (6-8 years old) of 16 children.  The pay is very minimal but the great thing is that we can stay in Beverly's little unit, which is very comfortable for $60US for the two weeks - bargain (we've been paying that kind of price for two nights up until now)! And it's a great opportunity for me to be able to teach here to see what's it's like. It's so nice to be in one place for awhile and not have to pack up our packs all the time.  It's also refreshing to be in a cooler climate, with fresh mountain air.

I teach in English.  This makes it interesting as 2/16 children are fluent English speakers, 2/16 can pretty reliably translate from Spanish to English (although I have to mention that yesterday - to my delight I found it easier to translate a story about a Rainbow Fish than they did – yippee I must be getting my Spanish back!), and the rest have varying levels of English – ranging from good to none!  My job got heaps easier as I realized that it was ok to do some translating for them during the day so they actually know what I’m asking them to do!!  Then they can actually do what I'm asking (because they understand)!

The school is very interesting, run quite differently from a NZ school!  The children don't seem as interested in adults?! This may be because there are so many adults at the school - there is a volunteer programme (both in the classroom and in the garden).  The school is really big on conservation - they're all set up with a big garden and a full time gardener - we have a garden/environment lesson each week.  Last week the children picked and ate carrots.  Today we gathered up leaves for the compost, did some weeding and painted a sign (purple!).  I love that lesson!  The children are schooled up to be the guardians of the neighbouring 'Cloud Forest'.  The senior school does a lot of fundraising - they cook local food and bake and sell it around the school - which I like - today it was cheese empanada, last week baking and tomorrow...burritos with guacamole!

Cindy (the acting Principal who gave me the job) is really happy to have us here (she taught the class for a week before I arrived) and is wonderfully hospitable.  Her and her husband Jason look after us really well (they also invite us daily for a hot shower at their house as our hot water has putted out).  I get a ride in with Cindy at 7am and at first I tried the school bus home. Now I walk and let the bus pass me half way home. I love that part of the day.  I drop the children off at the bus stop, pack up my stuff then run down the steep hill to the main'ish road, then walk to meet Snowdon in the cafe.  Yesterday I passed a truck loaded with water/rock melon with a group of men gathered around it.  I stopped and bought a watermelon for 1 000 colones ($2.50NZ).  I was so happy to have bought a watermelon off the back of the truck (I mean how fresh is that! - market garden style but fresher), that I carried it in my arms (not hidden away in my backpack) and smiled the whole way to the cafe. I smiled at every person I saw and they all smiled back!  We ate half of it last night and MAN IT WAS GOOD!

Over the weekend we participated in the Carrera Creativa.  It was a great event!  Snowdon and I did the 5km walk (originally I was keen for the 10km run, but hadn't been doing much running .....+ altitude.... + last year another teacher told me she went in it and fainted - she's still not quite sure why..).  Anyway the walk was fun.  I handed out balloons to the support crews along the way.  We were given fresh fruit on our arrival at school (the race finish) and then we bought a cheap, filling and delicious meal made by the parents who were fundraising at the school festival.

That's it for now about our new temporary home.  Today was my second day of the second week and I feel like I'm now settled in and things are running along quite nicely.  I'm not quite sure how Beverly's recovery is going...

Off home to cook up a storm with my honey and get my daily few hours of reading on the couch in...(LOVING THAT!)

Thanks for reading :)

Reading Log 2010 - February

I plan to read a bit this year...


Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpa
First book finished on this trip.

Writing skill and my interest level 10/10, for a light, fun read 2/10 - don't read this book when you're looking for a bit of light entertainment!
Comment: gripping, eye opening, another view of horrific cultural civil wars in Africa, made up of 4-5 short stories from the viewpoint of children. Finished in 5 days - rare for me!

I know this much is true by Wally Lamb
This is a very interesting book.  
I learnt a few things:  

I got an insight of Schizophrenia (particularly with twins) and mental disability.  Dr Patel the psychiatrist is a new (if fictional) mentor for me – she’s patient, authentic, unreactivateable, loving and insightful.  I also learnt that ‘The Act of Contrition’ has ‘I firmly resolve to……amend my life’, as it’s last line. I like that.  A declaration to transform.  Confession isn’t just an offload/apology of/for sins as I’d thought.

I also liked, “forgive them father for they know not what they do”.  That’s often quite true and useful.  And lastly, “Einstein didn’t start speaking until 5 yrs old, “up until then I’d seen nothing worth commenting on”.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
First published 1960.  Pulitzer prize 1961.  Academy award winning film.  A Classic.  Regarded as a masterpiece of American Literature.  Well I agree – it was really good!

I love this quote from the Dad, Atticus Finch said to Jean Louise (Scout) Finch:  You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and crawl around in it”.

Sapphire and Cascada Verde

We had a mystical experience last night.  We stayed at Cascada Verde in Uvita.  It's a mainly volunteer run lodge with yoga and explains itself as 'an Eco lodge evolving a human habitat into a native ecosystem'.  Was a great place to stay - very relaxing.  This morning I lay and read and slept in a hammock and then Snowdon and I played chess with pieces carved from Bamboo.

Anyway back to Sapphire.  Sapphire is very unique and memorable and had a big impact on both of us.  She was the first one to greet us at the lodge and as my judgements of her went into a frenzy (she was incredibly gaunt) I wanted to run a mile.  Fortunately Snowdon's judgements weren't and as he showed his interest in her huge necklace which was made up of hundreds of different types of jewels (incidentally including A Lot of 'Amber', her middle name) my view quickly began to alter.  She is 23 and has been to 48 countries, and she's picked those jewels up from all over the place - a pretty good effort.

Anway the whole trip I've been going on about seeing a psyschic (my mum was into all kinds of stuff like that and I think it's really interesting, if a bit way out..) who are all over the place in Costa Rica.  And what do you know - there's one managing our lodge - one of those opportunities that we really shouldn't pass up.  So after a fantastic surf at Dominical, dinner and a little discussion we decide to go for it.

Over a lamp lit table Sapphire tells us a little of what she does.  She tells us that she has always had a really clear understanding of her spiritual being, and is still working on understanding her physical being (which explained the gauntness to me and I understood - I'm the reverse, pretty good understanding of my physical being, spiritual being...??...I guess she might of thought my spiritual being looked gaunt haha! part of the reason I'm on this trip..).  She tells us that she's always been able to see people's Aura's - that that is just natural to her and she was surprised when she found out that it wasn't like that for everybody.

She pulled out a pack of Archangel cards, and Ascended Master cards.  Judgements came out again..man what cards? I could just go to the shop and buy some and flip them over..  Well I started to flip and she explained as we went and it was REALLY interesting.  She explained the science behind aura's and the vibrations and atoms...

Sapphire got me to ask a question (then I didn't have a clue which question to ask so she gave me examples and I pounced on one).  I asked, "Who is my Archangel?"

Hey guess what? Da na na nah! It's:

Archangel Jeremiel ~

Jeremiel's name means 'Mercy of God'. Archangel of prophetic vision's and helps newly-crossed over souls to review their lives. He helps those still living to take an inventory of their life, to be able to make positive changes. The Angel of Emotional Healing.

Sapphire said that I have a high level of intuition and that enables me to contribute to others so if I'm unsure to just trust myself and go for it!

You know when someone's looking at you and you can feel it so you turn around and they look away (and vice versa when you get snapped staring of course).  Well she says that's because I'm intuitive to the vibrations and some people won't feel them - I'm unsure about that one - everyone does that don't they?

NOTE: Comments welcome on this point - anyone who does or doesn't have that experience? Intuition or normal human experience to feel when someone's watching you?

The second Archangel assists with the work of the first one (hope I'm explaining this bit correctly). This is mine - seems pretty appropriate to me..

Archangel Metatron

Focus on your highest priorities 
I will help you get organized and motivated.  
Bringing about World Change.
Indigo and Crystal children: You have a bond with children - in particular you can help those who are sensitive.

Then I picked an Ascended Master for my Past, Present, Future (and the last one oversees it all).

Past: Priorities - (Saint-Germain?)  Stick to your priorities and be assertive in saying no to anything that diverts you.

Yes well that would be accurate - make priorities, set a goal, work hard out till I achieve it.

Present: Take Control - Moses

Still sounding pretty accurate.  I'm currently doing something completely different, taking control to alter what I'm up to..

Future (and my personal favourite): FREEDOM, Hina - a Hawaiian/Pacific moon goddess (so beautiful that no one can look at her directly - eek that would be quite lonely wouldn't it!?).  Walk away from restrictions and be free!  Loving that out there in my future!  (Also fertility with her too Harold).

Extra:  Detach from Drama - Saint-Germain I think.


Then we got onto Snowdon.  She said we'll just do one with you because you'll end up analysing and comparing and thinking about it too much later if we pick more than one - hah!

Anway da nah nah nah- Yahoo.

He got. 'Drink more Water' - you know what that means?  That his body is crying out for/thirsty for water.   Just not drinking water, but anything to do with water - he's got to get himself around water - SURFING is in the water - nice one Sapphire, this is getting even better!

And Purification...

She said that he had a whole lot of Spiritual healing guides around him and said he could do Psychic Surgery (actually making cuts in people and healing them with no blood....) and was quite surprised/shocked/ and envious at this point!  She said that he was very lucky as she had spend a couple of months with one recently and said it was amazing.  She said she could see it happening for him within the next 10 years if he choose. We weren't quite so sure about that one.  We know he's pretty special but not quite so keen on the cutting people bit..

Lastly we got one more for where we're at in this moment:

I got Pavarti (below).  But brain was full at this point and can't remember much about her.

Sapphire got Nature - hence her situation at Cascada Verde right now.

And Snowdon's we can't remember (whoops)!

So that was my mystical experience.....(quite a 'journey')

I rolled 3 000 'colones' up in a paua paper clip (thanks Dan Heinrich's Dad) from my little kiwi goodie gift bag and she showed her delight and said it would go in her special box of treasures and thanked me with one of her appreciative bows - phew I picked well.

However Sapphire is, she is authentic for who she is, and we think she's intriguing and awesome.
Thanks Sapphire!

Doh! No photos for a while...

Our camera is stuffed, so no photos for a while.  The panasonic waterproof lumix was going great, check out the photos...until it siezed up....then fogged up....then no camera for us...

My Hubby

My hubby, Snowdon has a blog too (http://snowpuravida.blogspot.com).
Feel free to refer to it for the other side of our story.
As you can see in the pic he's quite captivated by it.

He's started to surf too - he likes it so much we set him up with a really nice near new second hand board (Mini mal - I'd show you a photo but camera out of action - see next blog..) from a surf shop in Jaco, and some cool boardies and a rashy.  He's getting pretty flash, can even stand up for awhile.  Needless to say I'm very delighted that he's enjoying it so much - fingers (and toes) crossed it lasts, for a long time..

Jaco

Jaco started to grow on me this morning - my first impressions weren't that hot (may have been something to do with the urgent hours long Saturday night search to find accomodation when the town was overflowing with weekenders)!  After desperately paying mega bucks for a crummy room the first night just to be off the street, our accomodation expectations had dropped significantly.  Luckily I'd made a verbal deal with 'Manue'l the night before (on one of my hundred enquiries) for this - as seen in the photos.  Our beautiful new accomodation complete with pristine pool and friendly owners/managers.  Just one and a half blocks from the surf beach.

Playa Jaco (beach) breaks on high tide only (I'd only seen tiny waves on low tide so I was having trouble understanding why it was a surf town?!).  Anyway high tide was at 4am this morning - I didn't have the hunger to get up that early for it (I got spoilt for waves at the wonderful paradise of Playa Carmen).  But I made it in time to catch the last little bit of the high tide...

The waves weren't the attraction this morning though:

First on my arrival to the beach I got a lovely friendly (no not 'friendly', I mean friendly - everyone is friendly here!) greeting by a local guy and we exchanged small talk about how I'd missed the high tide and the good waves (any chance to regain my spanish and meet some Ticos (locals) I'm taking).

Then I spotted similar sleeping bodies that we'd spotted the day before (in such a deep sleep they looked dead), by a similar burning log (out partying all night/enjoy sleeping outside/so high they sleep where they fall/homeless? Hard to say..).  

I stashed/buried my jandals under the sand, and padded out to some little waves (caught a few littlies, as usual so great to be in the water).  Awhile after enjoying the beautiful warm water, the picturesque surroundings, the joyous sounds of the group of guys playing in the water nearby and the bunch of birds surfing the air currents above the waves:

I spotted a stingray jump clean out of the water with it's tail flowing behind it!! I didn't know stingrays could jump?!  I wondered what was behind it to make it jump that high, but choose to not dwell on that.  Anyway it was a shared moment ....., how nice - Marcela had seen it too!  So I made a friend.  Marcela - a lovely lady is from San Juan de Antonio (acutally I tried really hard to remember but I can't it was something like that..)  Shortly after when duck diving under a wave a saw a huge school of fish right in front of my face - I must have dived right through them.  After seeing more and more stingrays leap out of the air, we ended up with her family standing in the shallows and spotting the stingrays leap out of the air all over the place and then surfing inside the waves - 5 or 6 at a time - so clearly that we could see the top dark part of them and the lower white part shining when their wings flashed up to curve around and surf the wave - WHAT A SIGHT.  I said goodbye to Marcela and even used a new saying - Mucho gusto (great to meet you), and it was!

On my return I passed the friendly guy that I'd spoken briefly with on the way in.  He confirmed that they were Mantarays (Mantaraya) and that there's heaps more in the summer - the water is full of them then - feels like summer to me, it's so nice and warm! He said his name was Carlexo, but that everyone calls him Tigre (Tiger).  I asked why and he gave the action of a golfer, it wasn't till then that I noticed how much like Tiger Woods he looked... Bummer for him - his nickname is now tarnished!  Anyway he knows a guy looking for an English teacher so he's going to scope it out today.  We may have another lead!

Two new friends this morning!  Now some Costa Rican coffee from our coffee machine.. Life is good.

Chau!