So thought I'd update about my first weekend in Ciudad Colon and my first day of classes- both of which went beautifully.
On Sunday morning Diego borrowed his dad's car and drove 7 of us up to the nearest beach, Jaco. (Very sadly saw a dog get run over on the way which was pretty traumatic.) It was about a 40 min drive punctuated by a stop at this bridge which we lent over to see a load of alligators sunning themselves on the banks below! We were all feeling pretty brave until a big lorry crossed the bridge making it sway badly and turning us all temporarily white with fear.
We carried on to Jaco and, after picking up beer, chips and other snacks, set off for the beach. It was such a hot day and the Pacific was pummeling us with huge rip-your-bikin-off-if-you're-not-careful waves. Lovely warm sea but not so much swimming as just battling to stay upright.
In one of our talks a professor had said "one of the best things you'll learn from being at school with people from 51 different countries is more about your own culture." This came true as after five minutes of sitting on the sand Ben, the only other Brit, piped up with "well I guess it's about time to make a sand-penis". I promtly decorated it with doritoes and I think we taught our multi-cultured friends a little something about how we do things the British way. (I resisted showing them beach time the N Irish way which was essentially as soon as you arrive set about digging the biggest hole possible until there is more hole than beach- ah the fun family holidays we had!)
It was pretty flipping hot but I managed to only burn my knees and shins, impressive considering that Costa Rican Diego and his cousin Daniel from El Salvador (who's job is inventing new ice-cream flavours! Dream jobs do exist. I have several new suggestions for him.) got fairly red themselves. Such a chilled out fun day and got home just in time to squeeze in a bit of study before my first day of classes.
Today we started the Conflict Resolution module which we all take together. Had some quite heavy reading but the depressing outcome was basically conflict's going to happen, the best we can learn is how to manage it and resolve it quickly.
Between lectures and seminars we had about 2 1/2 hrs off so we found one of the many many hammocks that are dotted around the tiny campus and pretended to study while watching the bushes moving amongst the fluttering of hundreds of butterflies. In my opinion all studying and philosophical thinking should be done in hammocks. I might suggest this to the UN Security Council next time I see them.
Spent tonight eating pizza (one of which was covered with strawberries and chocolate) with ten of the UPEACErs, having very inappropriate restuarant conversations and basically laughing far too loudly.
Also a lovely girl called Mari Celly from Puerto Rico just told me she'd had a dream about me where she was in a pet store and they were saying "urgh when are we going to do the inventory", then these sliding doors opened and my head slowly appeared from inside. I jumped out with a guitar and sang a song all about inventories and everyone else joined in in a big magical musical moment. I've just seen Inception so now am worried I may be unintentionally invading people's dreams- singing a song about inventories does sound a lot like something I'd do. I apologise in advance for what I might do in your dreams.
Lessons learnt:
In Korea you are 1 when you are born then you wait til the next new year when everyone starts counting up from then! So trying to work out how old everyone is can be tricky. (I also learnt to write my name in Korean- it looks like crop circles) Also in Korea they don't really hug to say hi so I am spreading hugs internationally (and simultaneous invading a lot of personal space).
Costa Rican drivers don't stop for dogs.
Stories about bridges collapsing are all well and good unless they come directly before a rocking bridge over an alligator infested river.
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