First Two Days in Costa Rica

7/22/2011

The mixed emotions of fear and excitement in moving to a new country are similar to that of teaching. Entering into an unknown world takes courage, and so does standing in front of a classroom for the first time. By putting great efforts into my teaching here, and attempting to use the most effective methods to bring out success, I hope that success in the classroom will translate to my overall experience in Costa Rica, like it did when I lived in Japan and China. I wonder if the two - teaching and living in a foreign land - are inextricably bound. There is the obvious reason behind so many teaching jobs for foreigners abroad - to fill a need. But is it more than that? To be a teacher is to be a particular kind of person - one who is willing to meticulously plan and at the same time, be able to think on one's feet; this is much like the ambitious world traveler, who plans trips, yet often possesses an inclination for spontaneity. The best teachers have eyes in the back of their head; you ought to be aware of your surroundings in a strange place. There is nothing better to a teacher than seeing the excitement of a student learning something new, the same emotion that a foreigner feels when he or she embraces a different culture. Perhaps even the obligation that teachers feel toward their students is what motivates the person who lives abroad - a feeling of obligation to oneself, or God, or life.

There are five things I'd like to accomplish in this new chapter of my life: be the best teacher I can be, learn as much Spanish as possible, learn how to dance salsa and merengue, travel, and soak up the culture like a sponge.

Until I get settled, I'm living with my friend Carlos and his wife, who are incredible hosts. They've been helping me with everything from picking me up at the airport to driving me around to cooking meals to translating from Spanish to English. They've taught me a few words of Costa Rican slang. "Tuanis!", which means "Great!", supposedly comes from gringos saying "Too nice!" and "Que buena nota!" is slang for "Que Cool!". The one that has earned the most laughter so far, however, is "chunche", which translates into "thingumajig" (a "lazy word").

That's all for now. I'm going merengue and salsa dancing Saturday night. The experience will be recorded in my next blog.