Sushi in a World of Comida Típica?

The other night, elbow-deep in sushi making, I said to my fellow volunteer who was staying the night at my place, "I can't believe we're making sushi in my house in Costa Rica." She laughed.

It all started 24 hours earlier when a site visit from my Peace Corps program manager alerted me to some Asian markets in San José. Previously unbeknownst to me, there exists a small "Chinatown" in the busy streets of our capital city. After some fiascos and failed attempts to find the area (getting lost a few times, asking numerous people, paying $4 to have a cab driver mistakingly take me to an Asian non-food market), I finally stumbled upon a few Asian markets...an area I walked passed and drove through in the cab mere minutes earlier. Boldly venturing into any store with Mandarin characters on the signs, behind each storefront I found what was a hidden surprise of one feeling like they had magically been transported to the heart of China. I was in love. I was suddenly sent back to my time in Japan or India where an innocent exploration of the markets turned into a guilty pleasure of another world. I suddenly became a kid in a candy store, picking up every item out of curiosity - touching it, feeling it, imagining eating it or even inventing ways of how to prepare it.

One hour later, and $26.00 later (eeeks! on a Peace Corps budget), I filled my canvas bag with the following, some things familiar, some new (see photo). I was ecstatic. Soon I would be filling my mouth with homemade sushi, dim sum, spicy ginger candies, tapioca pudding, curries made with coconut milk, tofu, and other recommended Chinese sweets.

So that night, I arrived home, back in my community with a cupboard full of ethnic ingredients. Heaven. On Earth. For me.

My fellow volunteer and I proceeded to "cook" up vegetarian sushi rolls and spring rolls made with purple cabbage, rice noodles, grilled tofu, and mangos with a peanut, garlic, and chili dipping sauce.

Spring roll assembly!

OOooooohhh my gosh, so excited to eat this:

Now that's a sushi roll:

A little red wine to top it all off, and some ginger candies and other Chinese sweets (some not so good) for dessert? We were more than satisfied, and suddenly incredibly sleepy.

It was one of those experiences that I sort of didn't believe was happening in Costa Rica. If I learned anything from this adventure, it's that EVERY place on earth (even when it seems you are only surrounded by comida típica) has it's secret hidden gems with which you can create beautiful pieces of jewelry.

Thanks again to my wonderful program manager, Natalia, for giving me the heads up! I've got many asian meals to look forward too.

Ode to Skillet Bread - For Lindsay K.

The things we do in Peace Corps without ovens.....

The New Learning Center!

Wanted to quickly post a few images from a new Community Learning Center here in Copey that I am helping my community create....a project I just sort of 'fell' into. It is an environmentally and culturally focused learning center whose foundation is the learning of English as a Second Language. I am not involved in the teaching part of things (just some art classes here and there), but rather the organizational part...working with the Board to help them realize their goal! We have officially opened and have begun classes and workshops! Stay tuned for more info including the official website!

Enjoying the new English books:

Practicing spelling our names to each other:

Working hard with a Canadian volunteer:

Ode to Luz - Rest in Peace

Sunday morning a woman named Luz died in my community.

She was a young, pretty woman - unique looking. Freckles, dark curly hair, smallish wide-set eyes, medium stature. She always had a smile on her face when I saw her. I didn't know her very well, but I know her kids well - three of them - the youngest Manuel in kindergarten, Daniel and Carmen in fourth grade. They all resemble their mother with dark tresses and freckles, they also always have smiles on their faces, much like their mother. A perfect looking family, in fact - the four of them, happy, together. Always walking down the long empty road from town to their house, sometimes hand-in-hand or arm-in-arm, never to forget a big wave and a smile to me if we passed. I smiled back to all with an 'hola,' always.

Recently, about a week ago, I sat in front of Luz and her daughter Carmen on the bus back up to Copey from the bigger nearby town. Carmen was goofing off with me and teasing me, touching my shoulders, head, etc, pretending it wasn't her. I played back, as her mom just laughed along with us….it kind of broke the ice between her mother and I, as I never really had the opportunity to get to know her personally. When the teasing between Carmen and I finally stopped, Luz and her daughter continued. I'm not sure what they were talking about, but from the looks of it, something quite comical. They were giggling and laughing together very audibly and embracing and looking at each other and just outwardly enjoying each other's company…the entire 20 minute bus ride - as if they somehow knew what were to come.

Sunday afternoon was her funeral. I would guess to say nearly the entire community showed up - pews full, extra chairs in the back, standing out the door, even people that didn't personally know her showed up, to be in solidarity with her and her family. The sermon talked about what a strong woman Luz was throughout the entire battle of her cervical cancer. She never once asked Why, or even Why ME? She just went on bravely to the bitter end trying to battle the disease that eventually overtook her. I saw power and strength in Luz's eyes every time I saw her. I knew she was strong without really knowing her. The priest told the community not to grieve over her absence, but be grateful and joyful that there is one more angel in heaven.

Monday morning, the day after her funeral, I walked down to the supermarket and to stop by the community learning center. Her sons Daniel and Manuel were playing with two other boys on the soccer field. I heard Manuel yell my name from afar….he often does that. In fact, he did that when I walked into the silent church for his mother's funeral - it always brings a smile to my face. I smiled and waved back to all the boys. It was so sad for me to see those boys playing soccer on the field - as orphans, no mother, no father, just their remaining grandmother to take care of them. But when I saw them playing that day, seemingly impervious to saying goodbye to their mother the day before, I felt a strong pang for them - day one of their young lives without their mother.

Later that day, I ran into Manuel, the 5-year-old son. After a few exchanges, I said to him, "Manuel, I'm really sorry about your mother." He kind of stopped playing around on the fence and looked up at me with his big hazel eyes with a slightly surprised look, "She's dead," he said. "I know, and I bet you are very sad….." and then I explained I was there for him if he needed anything. In the eyes of a kindergartner, it's hard to fully comprehend what death actually means - I'm sure he wondered why he was leaning over the coffin the day before so curiously looking at his mother in a glass covered box, seeming like she was just peacefully asleep. I told him we could talk or play or do anything he wanted, but that it was okay to be sad.

There's an absence in Copey without Luz. She lived a quiet life, but it had a strong presence on the community, especially with her three lovely kids in the school, all of whom I hold very dearly in my experience here. I'm sad for Luz, and I'm even more sad for her children, left alone to face this world with very few extended family members. All we as a community can continue to do is show those kids we are here for them. And if I know those kids, they are strong in spirit just like their mother, and will be resilient in the face of this tragedy.

Sunday morning a woman named Luz died in my community.

Goodbye to Luz. May you rest in eternal peace.

The 'Toothpaste' of Strangers

Tonight I saw what kindness is.

Tonight, kindness was toothpaste.

It was about 10:13 PM in the capital city of San José, and I was just making use of the high-speed internet at my hotel and g-chatting with my sister, when I told her to hang on so I could "wash up for bed." Much to my dismay, I quickly realized I forgot to pack toothpaste, or anything remotely close to resembling toothpaste that could make-do for the evening.

After beginning to just brush my teeth with the wet brush and any leftover toothpaste that might have still been on there from breakfast, my sister's g-chat messages popped up about how she hates not brushing her teeth and that perhaps I should go see if the front desk has any sort of store or complimentary items for forgetful travelers.

'Yeah right,' I thought. 'Not in Costa Rica.'

But she convinced me to go anyway.

I arrive at the front desk, no one else is around, but the guy behind the desk watching TV.

In Spanish I say....

"Excuse me, you don't happen to have any toiletries to buy if someone forgot something....like toothpaste?"

"Noooo, nooooo ma'am. Sorry."

"Is there somewhere close I could buy some?"

"There is a supermarket about 7 blocks away"

"Ohhhh, that's too bad. I don't really want to leave at this hour."

After an awkward silence, feigning extreme disappointment about not being able to brush my teeth this evening...

"Welllll.......I do have my toothpaste here, and I could give you a little?"

"Really? You could?"

After going in the back room to get his tube of Crest, minty paste out of his overnight bag, there I was at the front desk with my pink toothbrush, eagerly awaiting. Popping back the cap, I squeezed it out and tried to put a dab on the brush without touching my bristles. Then I mumbled in Spanish what I was trying to do.

"Don't worry," he says.

There I am, with a 1/2-inch glob of toothpaste hanging from his tube and me trying to vigilantly cut it off on my brush. Finally, success! I tapped the extra toothpaste back down in the tube, gingerly smiled, vocalized a quick 'gracias!', walked back to my room with toothbrush in hand, and smeared half of it off onto toilet paper for the morning.

My teeth are thanking that kind man at the front desk.

And like Tennessee Williams said in 1951, "I have always depended on the kindness of strangers," I, too, tonight, depended on the kindness of strangers. And for me, kindness and toothpaste went hand-in-hand.

Gardens, Grub, and Greenhouses.

Rain, rain go away...Becca´s garden wants to pla - needs some sun. Yes, the rains have hit full force. This means bad things for my garden. It just doesn´t like thaaaat much water! So, my friend´s husband, Danilo helped me - errrrrrrr, rather - constructed a makeshift greenhouse over the two main beds. I have been enjoying lots of bounty from the garden this year such as leeks, tomatoes, lettuce, patty pan squash, carrots, basil, rosemary, garlic, arugula, and rainbow chard. I can´t wait to get some more seeds while I am back in the USA to start a planting season anew in October (less rain)! I just had to do something once all this water started pouring down non-stop nearly all day....including can a ton of basalmic green tomato chutney. Yum.






In other news.....other garden news..... I made a small garden at the school with the preschool class and some parents. The vegetables are growing well and today we harvested the first full batch of what was ready....each kids got to take home a bunch of lettuce and a big bunch of celery....for their first day of school vacation! Glad to know it´s going to good use....

When we first made the gardens for Earth Day:

Today...getting their goods: