gobble gobble gobble gringo-style!

Being away from the home for a holiday is probably one of the most difficult aspects of living life abroad. One misses not only treasured loved ones who gather together to celebrate but also the many familiarities of the sounds, smells, tastes, background music, game playing, conversation and laughter that accompany each holiday.

This year´s Thanksgiving holiday proved that there´s something special about uniting with one´s co-patriates when far from home... the celebration continues and, arguably, it is at an even greater level of celebration since all are giving 110% to keep traditions alive and well! So, suffice it to say, I ate WELL this Thanksgiving!!


Iowa Megan , Washington Jennifer, Minnesota Lance, South Dakota Meghan, Michigan Randy and Toronto (!)Grant (lucky guy got to celebrate Thanksgiving twice, since Canada celebrates earlier in November. We were also enlightened this year to learn that in Puerto Rico they also celebrate Thanksgiving).

Hosting the gringo-style Turkey dinner in our apartment meant you know what....the turkey was up to us! Meghan dutifully watched an MSN.com instructional video on how to prepare the bird, and I offered moral support and my photography skills! .... 6 hours of brine-ing that turkey turned out to be the special touch! That and then another 6 hours of cooking that turkey, due to the high altitude.

I should back up to say that we weren´t sure if we were going to eating any turkey at all this year, due to the significantly higher prices in Costa Rica. Thankfully we were able to find a cheaper price than the original $50 for a frozen bird at the nearby supermarket. We quicky discovered you have to get a bit creative when attempting to bring all the food traditions to fruition.... those same ingredients that you´ve seen purchased and used year after year at home might not be stocked on the shelves in the markets, and even if they are, chances are the dish will still end up tasting different!

With everyone contributing their favorite Thanksgiving dishes, our potluck-style meal was SO tasty, complete with Jennifer´s amazing green bean casserole and candied sweet potatoes! Yummmmmm! Here´s the whole spread--yeah, we´re good!.....turkey, garlic mashed potatoes and gravy, Stovetop stuffing, cranberry jelly, curried fruit and cornbread (made by yours truly!), olives, pickles and jalapeños. And, of course, pumpkin pie for dessert!

Check out my plate of food---oh, I was such a happy girl!---and check out my Martinelli´s Sparkling Cider....how stoked was I to find that Nelson family tradition!! :)
The night was made complete with reflections on the many things to be thankful for this year--some of us having spent all of 2007 in Costa Rica, others having just arrived--and then after pumpkin pie and coffee we got down on the floor to play SPOONS! Thanksgiving 2007 in Costa Rica was a good one!!

rain rain IS go(ing) away....!!!

It is with much joy and satisfaction that I announce that the RAINy season is just about over!! good golly, I've never experienced such a concentrated amount of rain in my life! GRACIAS Costa Rica! The "never leave home without an umbrella" rule is ceasing to be a habitual custom around here, and for that I am very glad!

Here are a few photos, taken from our apartment, of a typical afternoon downpour as well as the common flooding of the roads...

cAhUiTa by photos

As my trusty LP guide describes, "upon arriving at Costa Rica´s Caribbean Coast, visitors come to a delicious realization--they´ve somehow got into two countries for the price of one." It truly is a different world, folks. Compared to the majority of Costa Rica, the Caribbean Coast (well the little I know of it, to be more accurate) is noteably unique and, for that reason alone, truly intriguing. The climate is one that provokes constant perspiration, the food is popping with zip: spice and coconut milk are the favs, the spanish almost sounds like an entirely different language, the people are black in skin color, the music is reggae, dreadlocks are the norm, and the pace of life is muy pura vida... slow, relaxed, chill. After many months of waiting, I finally boarded a bus and headed to the Caribbean Coast, to the little town of Cahuita, which boasts a beautiful national park, refuge for this coast´s last living coral reefs, unusual black sand, and gauranteed relaxation.

***cAhUiTa by photos***

Cabinas Seaside.... just as the name claims, this great find is right on water front and is a crowd pleaser with hammocks strung beneath the coconut palms.
Total relax---loved it!

Our cabina, complete with mosquito nets for each bed!

Oh to have the ocean as your constant playground....!

My weekend travel pals, Michelle and Cindy, are both graduate students at The University for Peace here in Costa Rica, and Michelle is also a Rotary Scholar. We LOVED snorkeling over the largest living coral reef in the country. We climbed into a little boat at our hotel and were taken to several of the best spots to observe the incredible sea life that exists among coral reef.

After our snorkel fest, we were dropped off at Puntita Cahuita, the point of the area´s National Park. We hiked through lush coastal rain forest, stopping often to watch the many monkeys swinging from branch to branch, playing, munching, checking us out. Wonderfully, there were more monkeys than there were people!

To compliment the start of the photo montage, here´s a final picture showing the rastafari influence on the Caribbean Coast. Yup, that´s Jesus with dreads; rastafari Jesus.

Nearing the end

¡Pura vida!

As the holiday season is now upon us, I am especially thankful for so many things---for my family and friends back home (and around the globe!), for my health and safety, for an incredibly blessed year as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, and for upcoming travels here in Costa Rica and then to Nicaragua with my dear college friend, Amber, and THEN a much awaited return home to Iowa! Before then, there are papers to finish writing and a "gringo" potluck Thanksgiving Dinner to feast upon! Now if we can just find ourselves a turkey....!

It´s truly amazing how it seems like just the other day that I was arriving to Costa Rica, just in time to celebrate the new year with my new host family; and now, almost 11 months later I am a busy girl trying to "wrap up" the year, finishing all of the final term papers and projects of the trimester, final Rotary and Rotaract club projects for the year, scheduling in "goodbye" dates with friends and "family" here, and making lists of what to bring home.

The exciting part is that my Costa Rica journey will continue!! I am all set --thanks to the support from my steadfast family and close friends as well as receiving permission from the Rotary Foundation-- to extend my stay in Costa Rica in order to complete my Master´s degree program in Human Rights and Peace Education.

I will arrive to home in Iowa on December 15th and will begin accepting visitors the following day! ;) I will be freeeeeezing cold in the Midwest winter wonderland until January 17th, when I will then hop back on a plane to head south again....back to the warmer climate I am meant to reside in! I´m looking forward to spending time resting and relaxing, visiting and yes, studying some as well----there´s a thesis to be writing, people! :)

Please do be in touch---- by email, phone calls, personal visits!!

Thanks for all your support and love this year!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving---be thankful, and make sure you eat some turkey for me, just in case it is unable to be found here!!

With love, Megan The following is just for fun---a ´Top 15´ list put together by a former Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar about some likely clues to identify those who have had "the amazing experiences, tried the weirdest foods and danced to the songs we all have come to love while living in another country through Rotary International." Anyone who has lived abroad can surely relate! ::

1. You ask for some type of food/snack/drink to be care packaged to you as your Christmas present.

2. You have problems understanding people in your native language because you instinctively assume they're speaking your host language and listen for words in that language.

3. Back home, you watch lame documentaries on the History channel in the hopes of seeing your host country or hearing your host language.

4. You speak the wrong language every time you open your mouth for the first few days you are back home after the first few days of speaking the wrong language, you speak your own language with a strange accent.

5. You always got out of punishment or being yelled at, or got out of school work because you didn't understand the language or pretended that you didn't.

6. You can sing all the Top 20 songs from your exchange year...even a year later....

7.You buy everything in sight with the name of the country you went to visit so when you go back people are bound to ask you about it.

8. You get letters and emails in a language that no one else can read.

9. You've have attempted to fit all your worldly possessions into 2 suitcases and a carry on. (And have succeeded, more than once!)

10. You cringe at the mention of 'baggage weight limit'.

11. You have 20 siblings and 8 parents.

12. You can describe in perfect detail every symptom of traveler's flu, but still travel anyways.

13. You worship Pepto Bismol.

14. People mistake you for a local until you speak (sometimes even after).

15. You help tourists because you know where the nearest bank is, how much it costs to mail a letter, how to use the pay phone, what bus to take, local customs, etc.

SI al TLC

On October 7th, Costa Rica became the final country to ratify the DR-Central America Free Trade Agreement with the U.S. The vote was an extremely close one--51.7% YES to 48.3% NO--demonstrating what was well-known prior to the vote: Costa Rica was and continues to be remarkably divided on this controversial issue.

Several weeks after the vote...

My heart says...Si or No?

Tomorrow, on Sunday October 7th, Costa Rica faces a historic moment. Costa Rica is the only country yet to ratify the controversial free-trade agreement with the United States, called CAFTA. Before my arrival to Costa Rica, I knew I would be entering into a unique political environment during my year abroad, not only because of the controversy in signing the agreement but also precisely because I come from the country which has proposed this agreement and has implemented other such agreements, such as the well-known NAFTA between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.

Many friends, classmates, Rotarians and even those I meet for the first time are interested in my opinion--"what's your vote?," they ask with a smile (or sometimes with a smirk at the irony of the situation). "Would you vote "Si" or "No"? Does your heart say "Yes" or "No"?" The free-trade agreement is complex at best, and has resulted in a fascinating division in Costa Rica.

The media propaganda of the NO/SI campaigns has been quite clever. Most popular of all has been the use of a heart--colored red, blue and white just as is the flag of Costa Rica. First used by the "no" side, the heart is the "o" in "NO" in the slogan: "NO al TLC" (NO to CAFTA). Naturally, the "si" side countered with "Mi corazon dice SI" (My heart says YES) with the word "heart" being replaced with the red, blue and white heart symbol.

Included in the Independence Day parade I attended on September 15th was a clear message from one of the area high schools: "Dos corazones y una sola Costa Rica", which translates as "Two hearts and only one Costa Rica." The division created over the last years, and more intensely during the last months has been made evident in all parts of the country. You can't go more than one city block without seeing propaganda from one side or the other in the form of banners hung on buildings or in windows, bumper stickers and flags waving from cars, graffiti (99% from the "no" side), and buttons on shirts or backpacks.

As I entered into the scene relatively close to when the vote is to take place, I would like to share a well-written and thorough overview of the pending agreement and how Costa Rica has been affected thus far and what some possible outcomes of a "Si" vote would mean for this small Central American country. This overview was written by my friend, Erica, who has foll0wed the agreement firsthand since 2004, both stateside and here in Costa Rica during her two years working with the ELCA Lutheran Church in the country:

Erica and I, in February, in front of the banner for the ELCA Lutheran Church of Costa Rica

The Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) has been controversial since negotiations began behind closed doors in January of 2003. By August 2005 all participating countries had signed on and were pending ratification of the agreement by their congresses. Despite widespread popular dissent, the agreement was ratified by every country, except Cost Rica; passing in the U.S. House of Representatives on July 27, 2005 by one vote, with two representatives not voting. The movement to fight unfair free trade agreements continues to grow in the United States and around the world. Nowhere, however, is the struggle against free trade agreements more evident than in Costa Rica.

While the rest of the countries have begun to study the effects of DR-CAFTA on their economies, often seeing their imports increase and their exports decrease, Costa Rica has yet to make a decision on the agreement. Many experts predicted that the decision would come immediately following the 2006 Presidential election. Yet, despite the election of pro-CAFTA Presidential candidate Oscar Arias (known for his reception of the 1987 Nobel Peace Prize for efforts to end civil wars ravaging many Central American countries), the race was so close between Arias and anti-CAFTA opponent Otton Solis, taking weeks to hand-count the ballots, that it was obvious that the country was deeply divided over the issue. Costa Ricans have continued to be so evenly split over CAFTA that the Legislative Assembly (Costa Rica’s congress) eventually decided to let CAFTA be determined by popular vote in a national referendum to be held this coming Sunday, October 7.


The streets of San José, the capital city, have been filled the past months with thousands chanting "No al TLC! (No to CAFTA!)" This past Sunday, September 30, an estimated 150,000 to more than 200,000 Costa Ricans joined together to voice their opposition to CAFTA in a peaceful march down San Jose's main street. Costa Rican Lutheran Church Executive Director Pastor Gilberto Quesada Mora offers an explanation for the continued resilience of the David vs. Goliath movement, stating that the “Yes (to CAFTA)” movement is fighting only for an interest, while “No (to CAFTA)” movement is fighting with passion, with much at stake. These photos are from the anti-CAFTA march, held in February, which was one of the final large-scale organized marches in San Jose.


University students from the National University, where I am a graduate student, representing the university's officially declared "NO al TLC" position, which it declared in 2003.




Adding to the scene are allegations of corruption and manipulation by politicians, company owners, and even U.S. government officials for the “Yes” campaign, most notably with the leak of a memo sent by Second Vice-President Kevin Casas and legislator Fernando Sanchez to President Oscar Arias and Presidency Minister Rodrigo Arias. The memo details underhanded political tactics such as “stimulating fear” in four different areas and threatening that “the Mayor that doesn’t win his canton [for CAFTA] will not get a penny from the government in the next 3 years.”


As with other free trade agreements, the “Yes” side is mainly comprised of the political and economic elite, while the “No” side has supporters including government workers, university professors, religious leaders, students, union leaders, small business owners, and more. The concerns about labor, environment, and agriculture are vibrant in the debate. What makes the stakes unique in Costa Rica is that it stands to lose the many qualities that have made Costa Rica a kind of peaceful anomaly in Central America. Here are just a few of the "Costa Rica-specific" reasons to vote no to CAFTA:

“Estado solidario:” Costa Rica is able to provide high rates of coverage at low cost for many basic services through state-run enterprises, which operate under a commitment to provide basic services to every corner of the country. Following the Costa Rican mindset of solidarity, those who can pay more help to subsidize the cost for those who cannot afford it. Under CAFTA, these areas would be opened up for competition to private providers. While privatization may or may not offer improved quality, it will definitely replace the commitment of service to all with a commitment solely to profit margins.

---Telecommuncations: Costa Rican telephone rates are less than half the cost of the rates in other Central American countries, while simultaneously offering the highest area of coverage in the region. It is estimated that, under CAFTA, one out of four families will no longer be able to pay for telephone service.
---Healthcare: Costa Rica’s healthcare system is currently ranked 36 in the world by the World Health Organization, just ABOVE the United States, which is ranked 37. CAFTA facilitates healthcare for the rich and will destroy the ability to provide healthcare to all.


Arms manufacturing: Costa Rica, heavily dependent on tourism and therefore on its international image, is a country known for its pledge to peace and non-violence. CAFTA puts this tradition into jeopardy by allowing for the buying, selling and even manufacturing of arms on Costa Rican soil.


The strong opposition to CAFTA in Costa Rica is even drawing attention in the U.S. Congress. On October 1, US Senator Sherrod Brown from Ohio gave an excellent Senate floor speech detailing the shortcomings of NAFTA/CAFTA style agreements and hi-lighting CAFTA resistance efforts in Costa Rica. **Watch it on YouTube in the blog entry below**


Senator Brown also commented on CAFTA at an interfaith prayer breakfast in 2005, stating “I am offended by what DR-CAFTA will do to the poor. I’m a Lutheran, and this trade agreement goes against my faith values and those of my church. Trade agreements are written for and by the economic elites of both our country and the other countries of the world. They serve their interests, not those of common, every day people and certainly not those of the poor.”


Follow the outcome of the Costa Rican referendum (immediately binding as long as 40% of the population participates in the vote) on Costa Rica’s English language newspaper at http://www.ticotimes.net/ or, for Spanish speakers, at http://www.nacion.com/.

I will be sure to share the outcome with you, as well, with a blog entry.

Adding a bit of excitement to the mix for Meghan and I, it just so happens that we live directly above an office space used by one of headquarters for the "Yes" campaign. Displayed in the office windows are banners reading "Mi corazon (heart symbol) dice SI." Beginning several weeks ago, it is now a frequent happening to hear the repetitive sound of honking horns as cars drive by our building--most often the honking comes from those cars with "NO al TLC" flags waving from their car windows; however, as I type this blog entry a caravan of cars, adorned with "SI al TLC" bumper stickers, banners and flags waving from their windows, has congregated on the street below, in front of the office, getting ready to drive around town honking honking honking on this historic eve of the SI or NO vote.

Several weeks ago, in the early morning of Independence Day (Sept. 15), I was awakened to the terribly loud sound of breaking glass and male voices. The next morning I discovered that the windows of the "SI" headquarters, located directly beneath our apartment, had been broken and the walls of our building had been spraypainted "NO TLC." It is unfortunate that the "No" side has become characterized as the more destructive and violent side, as they are responsible for exactly that: destruction and violence in the name of voicing their opinion. Of course this only discredits their opinion.

What will be the historic outcome of tomorrow's vote? "NO al TLC, SI a COSTA RICA" ("No to CAFTA, Yes to Costa Rica")?? Stay tuned!

Sen. Sherrod Brown - CAFTA - Costa Rica - TLC

Club Rotario Heredia

Club Presentations

As part of my role as an ambassador of goodwill, as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, I give presentations to Rotary and non-Rotary audiences. Through these presentations, the idea is to personally help further international understanding by sharing of myself and of my experiences. Talking about my home country and culture allows for further cultural exchange, as when I later return home after my scholarship year, I am also required to visit with Rotary clubs and non-Rotary audiences alike to share about my experiences here in Costa Rica.

Meghan and I thought we better partner-up to share about our home country and our neighboring states--Minnesota and Iowa. Our presentation, entitled Service Above Self in Costa Rica: "Las Megans", shares about the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship and why we chose to apply, what we are each studying, if we like Costa Rica (and the answer, of course, is "Si!"), about our families, our home states and where we worked prior to coming to Costa Rica.

The video above captures one such presentation---which was given to the joint meeting of the Rotary and Rotaract clubs of Heredia, the city where we live and study. We have loved getting to know both of these clubs and they have warmly received us. We were honored to be able to share our presentation with them at this special end of the Rotary year meeting, where both club presidents were honored for their exceptional service to their clubs and to the betterment of Rotary and Rotaract in Costa Rica.

After each presentation, it is customary to exchange club flags, Meghan and I each presenting the club flags from our home clubs in the U.S. Hope you enjoyed the video!

Beauty and Butterflies

An afternoon spent enjoying the beauty of nature, in the company of beautiful women friends. A restful refuge we found in INBio Parque, a nature preserve tucked away among the hustle and bustle of Heredia city life, which seeks to conserve Costa Rica's biodiversity. Here we discovered beauty and butterflies and many other lovely creatures.

A beautifully bright-colored caterpillar--every leaf on the tree was covered with these fuzzy little creatures.
New born baby butterflies--we watched in wonder as they left their cocoon homes behind and discovered the movement of their bodies, stretching and using their tiny little legs during their first seconds of life. Truly captivating and wondrous.

Apartamento

As was mentioned in my earlier "Birthday Bash" post, July 2nd was move-in day for Meghan and I--the media pinas are now roommates AND co-renters of an apartmento! The location couldn't be any better--we're just 3.5 blocks from the Universidad Nacional, where we are both studying, and within a few blocks radius we are spoiled with a great little supermarket which also has a Musmanni (mmm!) bakery inside, a gym were we thoroughly enjoy morning spinning or Latin dance classes, a Catholic church, a delightful cafe, rotisserie chicken and Chinese restaurants, and best of all, a great view--on a clear day--of downtown San Jose.

We couldn't have been more blessed with how well we were taken care of by our Rotarian and Rotaract friends. Our apartment is almost entirely furnished by these generous folks, which was such an amazing surprise for us! Don Jorge hooked us up with all the major necessities--and to top it all off, the couches and chairs and dining table chairs are a constant reminder of our Rotary support as the colors coincidentally are blue and gold--the same colors as Rotary International!

Thanks, also, to the support of our Rotary friends, we were able to quickly move in all of our belongings and furniture, as well as get the curtains hung with the crafty talent of our good Rotarian friend Sider.

After all of the on-loan donation of furniture and appliances were received, we only had 2 major purchases to make: a gas stove and a used washing machine. Our wonderful Rotaract buddy, Julio, helped immensely in the purchasing and transportation of both purchases. Sadly to say, however, our very economical purchase of a $50 used washing machine tends to leak more and more with each wash!

Come inside for a look at our apartment!

Welcome to our very blue and very well-used living and dining room space. Yes, the walls were painted blue by the previous renters....thus, coordinating very well with our furniture and curtain donations, as well as our Rotary club banners which are, of course, primarily blue in color! (btw: Meghan and I have already predicted that we will most likely stay far far away from the color blue in future home decorating endeavours.) The view from our dining room table, which heavily doubles as our homework zone, is of the Sacred Heart of Jesus church across the street. Countering the high noise level from the busy road below us are the welcome chiming of the church bells on the hour, every hour.
Our kitchen is small, but we manage well, specializing in quick and tasty meal preparation--what else would you expect from busy graduate students?! Yes we do tend to cook "American style," but there is also regular buying and trying of the wide variety of Costa Rican produce! We love all the fresh fruits and funny looking vegetables we find at the market.

Below is the view from our kitchen window. Unfortunately, this was taken on a not-so-clear day, so you can't see our view of downtown San Jose. But really, it's nice. You can see a bus passing on the busy road below us--if you come and stay with us, as a precautionary warning, it may take a few nights to get adjusted to the noise level! But remember, there are lovely church bells, too! And here's (part of) my bedroom---lots of bright and lots of light! And see how there are not one, but two beds in the room? Come and visit!

Just for kicks, here's my new physical address: 350 north of the National University, In front of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, Iguazu Building, Apt. 4, Heredia Costa Rica

However, my MAILING (ooh, I looove mail!) address is:

Megan Nelson

Programa de Intercambio-UNA

c/o Paula Vargas

Apartado 2598-3000

Heredia, Costa Rica

America Central