On Saturday, Jen and I went to several language schools in the Heredia area and I left resumes, in the hopes of securing me employment as a Teacher of English as a Foreign Language (what used to be called ESL).
Today, one of the schools called back and asked me to come by sometime in the morning for an interview.
So, ... /see post title/ ... 'cause I really want to stay here and need to earn some money.
Showing posts with label Costa Rica. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Costa Rica. Show all posts
25 May 2009
04 May 2009
I Guess This Is What They Call "The Rainy Season"
Today, @1:30pm local time -- just after the burst of 1cm hailstones had melted:
26 April 2009
Tropics or Tundra*?
I think I might have mentioned that I'm living in Costa Rica now, yes? Right. And y'all all know that Costa Rica is in the Tropics, down Central America way, right? Okay, then.
Furthermore, it don't snow in the Tropics -- except very rarely at extremely high elevations -- right? Okey-dokey.
Now, some architectural history. From the Wikipedia (but it's accurate) page about A-frame buildings: The steep slope of the A-frame roof is designed to help heavy snow to slide to the ground, instead of remaining on top of the house and weighing it down.
Why did I go bringing A-frames and snow load into this post about living in Costa Rica?
Because --
-- these were seen on our little trip up to the Local Top of the World.
Now, I know that people in the States build A-frames at the beach and whatnot, but they just look out of place here in the tropics -- no matter how many of them there are (there's one -- albeit smaller than the two above -- just a couple blocks from here, btw)
*yes, I know that "tundra" literally means "treeless", and that doesn't apply here, but I like alliteration. Sue me. :)
Furthermore, it don't snow in the Tropics -- except very rarely at extremely high elevations -- right? Okey-dokey.
Now, some architectural history. From the Wikipedia (but it's accurate) page about A-frame buildings: The steep slope of the A-frame roof is designed to help heavy snow to slide to the ground, instead of remaining on top of the house and weighing it down.
Why did I go bringing A-frames and snow load into this post about living in Costa Rica?
Because --
-- these were seen on our little trip up to the Local Top of the World.
Now, I know that people in the States build A-frames at the beach and whatnot, but they just look out of place here in the tropics -- no matter how many of them there are (there's one -- albeit smaller than the two above -- just a couple blocks from here, btw)
*yes, I know that "tundra" literally means "treeless", and that doesn't apply here, but I like alliteration. Sue me. :)
23 April 2009
Jen Said I Had To Post Something
So I guess I will....
As of about 4 hours ago, I have been in Costa Rica for one whole calendar month (which in this case is four weeks and three days). It seems like a lot longer than that -- in the good way. I'm happy to be here. :)
Here's a couple of pictures I took on our little outing yesterday:
The path leading up to the lookout point
A big ole tree with lots of different types of epiphytes
As of about 4 hours ago, I have been in Costa Rica for one whole calendar month (which in this case is four weeks and three days). It seems like a lot longer than that -- in the good way. I'm happy to be here. :)
Here's a couple of pictures I took on our little outing yesterday:
The path leading up to the lookout point
A big ole tree with lots of different types of epiphytes
21 April 2009
Nature: Exhibits A and B
A: Yesterday's sunset
B: Today's insurance salesperson (with apologies for my cameras crappy close up capabilities)
(click to embiggen)
B: Today's insurance salesperson (with apologies for my cameras crappy close up capabilities)
12 April 2009
Today In Unnecessary Signage
Jen took this picture yesterday (after I referred to a similar sign sited elsewhere near the summit) up on Irazú -- which, by the way, I erred in my conversion from meters to feet; it's actually 11,260ft above sea level.
Now, this is a volcano that is still active... the last eruption began in 1963 (which was a very good year) and lasted until 1965, so I ask you, is it really necessary to have a DANGER sign posted?
Yes, I know the sign refers to the crater itself, but... it's a freakin' volcano, which, by their very nature, are not safe places.
Now, this is a volcano that is still active... the last eruption began in 1963 (which was a very good year) and lasted until 1965, so I ask you, is it really necessary to have a DANGER sign posted?
Yes, I know the sign refers to the crater itself, but... it's a freakin' volcano, which, by their very nature, are not safe places.
11 April 2009
Was It Pretty? You Betcha!
As Jen said this morning, we went on a day trip to see some pretty. The aforementioned pretty included Irazu Volcano, the Orosi Valley and points in between.
I only took a few pictures, cause my camera will only hold a few pictures (note to self: get a memory card soonish). Yes, there was some pretty. And hopefully, Jen will post some of her pics soon. ;)
First up, OMGBootz!! As most of you know, Jen really likes purple, so these boots we saw were the object of much wanting:
But seriously, folks, we did see some awfully pretty stuff. These two pictures were taken from the top of Irazu... which is 3432m (~10900ft) above sea level, which was a good deal higher than any elevation I've ever before experienced. In fact, it was above the clouds:
It was nice and cool up there, if a bit airless. Look here (and at Jen's) for more pics to come!
I only took a few pictures, cause my camera will only hold a few pictures (note to self: get a memory card soonish). Yes, there was some pretty. And hopefully, Jen will post some of her pics soon. ;)
First up, OMGBootz!! As most of you know, Jen really likes purple, so these boots we saw were the object of much wanting:
But seriously, folks, we did see some awfully pretty stuff. These two pictures were taken from the top of Irazu... which is 3432m (~10900ft) above sea level, which was a good deal higher than any elevation I've ever before experienced. In fact, it was above the clouds:
It was nice and cool up there, if a bit airless. Look here (and at Jen's) for more pics to come!
09 April 2009
Holy Purple, Dude!!
We went for a walk yesterday afternoon, for to get a good deck of cards. Since this is Semana Santa (aka, the Catholic-- okay, all Christian -- Holy Week) Jen knew that some of the stores might be closed. But she thought that one in particular would be the best bet, so off we went.
Just down the street, afore ever we reached the nearest corner, we spied this:
"It's purple!!"
Still on our way to the one store, we got to the square in the middle of town, which, as usual around here, was next to the church:
(don't tell God that I'm proud of that pic, cause Pride is one of the Seven Deadlies)
...and then finally to the One True Store.
Which was closed. So we got ice cream cones and went back to the park and sat and ate them. Then we looked in about forty-leven other stores -- okay, three -- before finding some. Which were purchased and have already begun the process of being broken in (and are also involved in some reputation-rebuilding, or so I'm told). Two-handed Spades, don't you know.
On tap for tonight, some tuna casserole and Harry Potter movie action. And probably more cards, too.
Just down the street, afore ever we reached the nearest corner, we spied this:
"It's purple!!"
Still on our way to the one store, we got to the square in the middle of town, which, as usual around here, was next to the church:
(don't tell God that I'm proud of that pic, cause Pride is one of the Seven Deadlies)
...and then finally to the One True Store.
Which was closed. So we got ice cream cones and went back to the park and sat and ate them. Then we looked in about forty-leven other stores -- okay, three -- before finding some. Which were purchased and have already begun the process of being broken in (and are also involved in some reputation-rebuilding, or so I'm told). Two-handed Spades, don't you know.
On tap for tonight, some tuna casserole and Harry Potter movie action. And probably more cards, too.
06 April 2009
I've Been Here A Semi-month
It's hard to believe that I've only been here in Costa Rica for two weeks (dos semanas). But that's all it's been (well, and six hours). I aready feel like I live here, ya know?
So, when Jen got home from work this afternoon we went to do some shopping (cause I need new clothes and stuff and I don't know where anything is -- I've only been here two weeks, after all. :) ).
Our tasks for the afternoon took us to Barva, which, I've read somewhere, is the oldest village in the area, and I managed to get this shot of the old church on the main square as we drove by:
And then later we went to the local superstore to look for some things that we didn't find, but did that stop us? Oh, no it didn't! We bought other stuff. This store, by the way is not WalMart. It's Hyper More, see:
(and I don't care that it's owned by WallyWorld (well, I do, but....) -- it doesn't say WalMart, so it isn't one.)
So, when Jen got home from work this afternoon we went to do some shopping (cause I need new clothes and stuff and I don't know where anything is -- I've only been here two weeks, after all. :) ).
Our tasks for the afternoon took us to Barva, which, I've read somewhere, is the oldest village in the area, and I managed to get this shot of the old church on the main square as we drove by:
And then later we went to the local superstore to look for some things that we didn't find, but did that stop us? Oh, no it didn't! We bought other stuff. This store, by the way is not WalMart. It's Hyper More, see:
(and I don't care that it's owned by WallyWorld (well, I do, but....) -- it doesn't say WalMart, so it isn't one.)
05 April 2009
*YAWN*
Another beautiful tropical sunset...
The view out my kitchen window. As you can see in the lower photo, the actual sunset is obscured by vegetation (and wall, as the camera is sticking its li'l head out the window on these shots). But, what I can see out the window doesn't suck.
Doesn't suck at all.
Oh, and in the interest of full disclosure, I am completely not already jaded by the beauty here -- and don't really expect ever to be so. After all, I did spend the first 45+ years of my life in the mountains of North Carolina, which is not an ugly place at all.
The view out my kitchen window. As you can see in the lower photo, the actual sunset is obscured by vegetation (and wall, as the camera is sticking its li'l head out the window on these shots). But, what I can see out the window doesn't suck.
Doesn't suck at all.
Oh, and in the interest of full disclosure, I am completely not already jaded by the beauty here -- and don't really expect ever to be so. After all, I did spend the first 45+ years of my life in the mountains of North Carolina, which is not an ugly place at all.
31 March 2009
Tut Tut: It Looks Like Rain
As Jen has already mentioned, today the rains came. And came. And, as of this writing, are still coming. She tells me that once the Rainy Season settles in, the daily torrent will mostly be confined to midafternoon (much like summer thunderstorm time in Teh Mountains, NC), but that here at the begininning, there's no telling how long it will rain.
So far it's been about six hours, and I have no problem with any of it. I've always enjoyed the sound of rain on a tin roof.
The power has flickered a couple times, which is something that, while I don't love it, I'm certainly used to it, having grown up in the penultimate house on a Rural Electric Authority line. There were times that it seemed like my Dad's sneezes (which, I must admit were prodigious -- not to mention that they echoed through the hills [I'm totally not kidding]) were enough to knock the power out back in the hills in the day.
Had dinner upstairs* with Jen and the girls, and a good time was had by all, with recorder serenades and (virtual) science inventions and more than a little giggling (although I did try to contain myself). And now I'm back downstairs, where it's much cooler, winding down and checking blogs and posting this.
Oh, by the way, if you haven't been by there this evening, stop by Steve's place, and leave some love for him and his family.
*for those who do not know, I'm living in the downstairs apartment of an up/down duplex, so as to allow everybody to grow used to the idea of me being here.
29 March 2009
The Pressure Is On
Hmmm. It appears that I have been put on notice -- on the hotseat -- the onus is on me -- to post "something of interest". I'm not in a position at the moment to do an essay on amortization, however.
I will say that I enjoyed going to the farmer's market here in San Rafael. Beaucoups fresh fruits and veggies and all kinda stuff. I got some nice looking tomatoes, some new taters and some onions, a hat for to keep the tropical sun off'n my haid, and Jen and I shared a traditional dish from El Salvador, pupusa, which is a flatbread(ish) thing. Corn flour with black beans cooked on a griddle, then a filling with cabbage and (some kind of) meat and a spicy sauce. It was very good and much more of a meal than I thought it would be. I may have to find a recipe.
And now it's time for dinner and then possibly some Harry Potter movie action. B'bye!
I will say that I enjoyed going to the farmer's market here in San Rafael. Beaucoups fresh fruits and veggies and all kinda stuff. I got some nice looking tomatoes, some new taters and some onions, a hat for to keep the tropical sun off'n my haid, and Jen and I shared a traditional dish from El Salvador, pupusa, which is a flatbread(ish) thing. Corn flour with black beans cooked on a griddle, then a filling with cabbage and (some kind of) meat and a spicy sauce. It was very good and much more of a meal than I thought it would be. I may have to find a recipe.
And now it's time for dinner and then possibly some Harry Potter movie action. B'bye!
28 March 2009
Wherein I Pose A Question
To wit:
Is it still Wal-mart if it's called Hiper Más and it's in Costa Rica? Cause if it is, I totally blew my boycott. But my kitchen is all set up now and I have a chair for the table I built yesterday. Here's a poor photo of the desk:
Also too and?
It gets dark early and fast here. Like 6pm(ish). Remember those views I posted t'other day? North and South? Here they are at night:
Is it still Wal-mart if it's called Hiper Más and it's in Costa Rica? Cause if it is, I totally blew my boycott. But my kitchen is all set up now and I have a chair for the table I built yesterday. Here's a poor photo of the desk:
Also too and?
It gets dark early and fast here. Like 6pm(ish). Remember those views I posted t'other day? North and South? Here they are at night:
27 March 2009
I Love The Smell Of Sawdust In The Morning
So, when Jen got home from work yesterday we went to the neighborhood hardware and lumber store. For those of you who may not have ever been in a Costa Rican hardware store, it's quite different than a Lowe's or Home Depot. First of all, the people who work there know what all the stuff is that they sell. Second, it's set up like an auto parts store in the States -- a long counter, and several rows of shelves behind it where all the stuff is kept. You tell the knowledgeable and friendly (yes, even with my limited Spanish, I could tell) person what you want and he brings it to you.
We went to pick out some lumber with which to build a desk for my computer and also a bed. Most of you know that Jen has a wee li'l car (the Purple Hatchback of... oh, wait I'm not allowed to say the name), and we were buying boards that were between 3.5 and 4 meters (11 1/2 to 13 feet) long, so that would have been a bit of awkward hauling. I noticed that they had a cutting station set up in the back of the lumber yard and Jen asked the nice dude if he would cut the boards to length and he said sure, and we managed to figure it all out and get it done without any 8x10 color glossies with pictures and arrows and a paragraph on the backa each one and also with me only having to say "No comprendo" once.
So, anyway, here's the Pile O' Lumber after we got it home:
Then it was time for dinner, which was Green Food -- and very good.
So, this morning, afore Jen headed off to work, we went back and got some nails and bolts and stuff, and then I got to work:
And before long, viola! I have a computer desk:
Some time over the next couple days, we'll get me a chair and then Whoa, Nelly! I'll be ... sitting there doin' stuff.
We went to pick out some lumber with which to build a desk for my computer and also a bed. Most of you know that Jen has a wee li'l car (the Purple Hatchback of... oh, wait I'm not allowed to say the name), and we were buying boards that were between 3.5 and 4 meters (11 1/2 to 13 feet) long, so that would have been a bit of awkward hauling. I noticed that they had a cutting station set up in the back of the lumber yard and Jen asked the nice dude if he would cut the boards to length and he said sure, and we managed to figure it all out and get it done without any 8x10 color glossies with pictures and arrows and a paragraph on the backa each one and also with me only having to say "No comprendo" once.
So, anyway, here's the Pile O' Lumber after we got it home:
Then it was time for dinner, which was Green Food -- and very good.
So, this morning, afore Jen headed off to work, we went back and got some nails and bolts and stuff, and then I got to work:
And before long, viola! I have a computer desk:
Some time over the next couple days, we'll get me a chair and then Whoa, Nelly! I'll be ... sitting there doin' stuff.
25 March 2009
Discovery Channeled
Jen is under the impression that she has taken me out of the mountains.
If so, then what the hell, pray tell, be these?
They be, by the way, around 6000' (or close to 1800m) in elevation.
In other words, here there bedragons mountains!!
If so, then what the hell, pray tell, be these?
They be, by the way, around 6000' (or close to 1800m) in elevation.
In other words, here there be
24 March 2009
23 March 2009
If Anybody Needs Me...
...I'll be here ...
...around 5pm EDT.
/shuts down computer, packs in suitcase, heads to airport, gets on plane to Costa Rica/
...around 5pm EDT.
/shuts down computer, packs in suitcase, heads to airport, gets on plane to Costa Rica/
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