A Little Homesick

Most of the time I feel fairly at home here. My family is very warm, and they treat me like one of their own. The people at the school are very friendly and kind too. People at Cafe Daniela are nice to me,(tipping well never hurts).

Nevertheless, I have had a couple of days where I felt like an alien. Last night I went to the fiesta, I watched the folkloric dancers, I listened to the musical trio. I walked around, ate some more chicken on a stick and some churros. I watched the people at the beer tents and at the shopping booths, but I just felt kind of left out.

It´s kind of like the whole world is really interested in something you just don´t totally understand, or think is all that great. The folkloric dancers were very talented. The women had those huge white skirts with contrasting colors of silk around their waists and the men were in white finquero(farmers) outfits with bright red cumberbunds and different colored scarves in their hands. They all twirled and danced very well, but other than seeing a glimpse of thigh now and then, it wasn´t that interesting to me. Then a traditional trio came on with 2 guitars and an accordion. They talked so fast and seemed to be making jokes that the whole audience thought was hilarious, but I just couldn´t get it.

So I headed home after while, just kind of tired and a little sad. I slept late and after breakfast, went back to bed and napped for a while. When I headed out for lunch, one of my host mother´s kids grabbed me and drug me into his house. There were two other gringos that were staying with them from. They were from Northern Ireland and Great Britain. We chatted away happily for about 45 minutes and then went to lunch at Cafe Daniella.

Now, don´t be concerned that I´m wasting away into some sort of deep depression and am ready to come home right away. Not by a long shot, I just had a bad day. I´ve still got so much to do. I´ve just finished my first week here with a 100% on my test, and I have so much more to learn.

What this little bout of homesickness reminded me is how it feels to be a stranger in a strange land. Sometimes in the states I see Latinos walking around the mall, or in the bank or the supermarket. They kind of have that same look I had last night, not totally understanding the world around them. Perhaps, a little lonely, wishing they could find some of their countrymen to speak to and talk about music, or news, or whatever. I can really appreciate their experience a lot more now.

Juanito

Next Costa Rican Entry: The Eternal Struggle Between Good and Evil