27/10/2009

A day in the life of homestay: part I

I thought it might be fun to do a blog series about life here at Homestay in Costa Rica. There are a few things just are just a little different than our routine was in Canada, and I'd love to share 'em!

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Today we will cover from 4:00am - 8:20am

4:00am - It's still very dark. Your house mother and father wake and prep him for work. They do this routine quite quietly, but many people in the neighborhood are doing the same, which wakes the dogs, which tend to bark. A lot.
4:45 - your house father catches his bus to work. Your house mother tends to her chores.
5:00 - dogs bark
5:50 - roosters crow
6:29 - dogs bark
6:50 - roosters still doing their thing
7:00 - alarm sounds, do your quick morning reading
7:20 - hop in the shower.
Now, this is no ordinary shower you're having. You see, hot water tanks are an odd thing to see in this country. Cold water only, except for some showers. Some showers have add-on shower heads that contain a heating element. Yup, cold water runs over this hot (electrical!) element to create a comfortable temperature shower. You get some choices: actual water pressure with cold delivery, or hot and trickle. But, considering electricity is relatively expensive, you actually shower like this: Turn on water, rinse (30sec), turn off shower. Lather, suds up, shampoo hair. Turn shower on, rinse (repeat process for conditioner if necessary).
7:30 - prep self, cloths, and allow spouse to shower and do the same.
7:49 - Kiss your English good-bye.
7:50 - coffee time.
Your house mother is patiently waiting for you to come take some (superb) coffee from the freshly brewed pot. She knows you like yours black so you go first, then the minute you both take your mug-full, she takes the pot out and dumps a mound of sugar inside, gives it a stir, and now has a pot of coffee ready for drop-in house guest for the day. Like relatives, or the hydro workers, or the water line layers, or...
8:00 - Breakfast and morning Spanish lesson.
Your house mother usually makes gallo pinto, but this can be switched up with empanadas about once a week. Both are hot off the press (she manages to whip these up in the same amount of time it takes you to grab a mug and pour the not-yet-candied coffee for you and your husband) and often accompanied with a banana. While whipping up the hot meal and pouring some juice, your fantastically entertaining house mother also sees to it that you get a Spanish lesson before (Spanish) class. A well animated and often hilarious story is delivered.
8:15 - Realize your going to be late.
Gather the Spanish text books, umbrellas, suntan lotion, sunglasses, and flip flops
8:20 - You're out the door.
Head out the back door and into the most beautiful surroundings ever. You've got a 35mins brisk walk to do.

4 comments:

Tiffany said...

4am is WAY to early for me! Although, it'll practice you up for when you come back and have a BABAY!!

:)

ypom said...

Is this the walk that is straight uphill both ways?? and about the cucaracha... upon research... the song may also be political and refers to the Mexican revolution and the cockroach is Pancho Villa.

Sonya said...

What insane hour of the day do you go to bed?!!

Nice post!

Candice said...

Oops, I think I should have been more clear... That 'alarm' that goes off at 7:00am is ours to get up.. Not like an alarm to do a reading (that's just what we've been doing first thing these days). I just wanted to emphasize that our parents are Hard Workers, while we are still laying in bed.