» 2010 » February
And the plot thickens….
I have decided that Costa Rica is a fabulous place to go…and I will be going there to (I will bring you all back a grain of black sand), but I am more interested in getting a more authentic experience of living in Central America, the issues and cultures. Costa Rica is very touristy, which is generally not my style. Thus, I am changing my first stop to Guatemala, where i will be for two weeks and then heading to Costa Rica for a week. I am running a bit late so I will be writing my weekly destination blog about Guatamala tomorrow (hey give me a break).
Other things going on in trip planning world:
I will probably buy most of my plane tickets this week. Then i will be committed (Yikes!!!).
I have started developing my poetry workshops, which is super fun. I have so many great exercises, now i just need to organize them all and create a lesson plan notebook.
I am about to create a master trip to do list….so i can begin to check everything off. There will probably be like 200+ things on that list. I’ll let you know.
I have 97 days until take off………………..
» 2010 » February
I got this wonderful book for Christmas, entitled “Go Girl” and its about using travel as a metaphor for spiritual journey in which one embraces adventure to see themselves, God, people and life from a new perspective. And so….I have really begin to see this trip as a pilgrimage and what I am most looking forward to is being changed by the process. Even in this time of preparation, I am learning to walk with God in a way that I have never even ventured to do in the past. For I have purposed to do something that I can not bring to fuicion by myself. I need the hand of God to open doors, secure financial support, strengthen me, his guidance in decision making and protection during my travels. I also need the support, kindness, encouragement, contacts, love and generosity of others. There was a time when I really believed that I could take care of myself and that i did not need anybody. So I am thankful that this trip has made my need for others more apparent and I have been both surprised and blessed by how others have stepped up to the plate. There has not been one person who has been discouraging. In fact, Ireally feel like Akeelah and the Bee in that I have seen my whole community support me in this endeavour. So, thanks for those who are rooting for me. It brings great joy to my heart that I have seen both God and people in words and deed say……Go Girl.
This book has some great quotes and I will leave you with a few…..
Travel is a calling more than anything else. And when something bigger than you calls you, grace supplies the means–be it money or gumption. —Marlee LeDai
Travel brings a special kind of wisdom if one is open to it. At home or abroad, things of the world pull us toward them with such gravitational force that, if we are not alert our entire lives, we can be sucked into their outwardness. Attentive travel helps us see this, because continually changing outward scene helps us to see through the world’s pretensions…the world loses its wager. —Huston Smith
Real travel is not a consumer item, it is a private, idiosyncratic thing, the traveler feeling the urge to go forth, unprotected, to confront the unfamiliar.—Dervla Murphy
I will go before you. And make the crooked places straight… —Isaiah 45:2
» 2010 » February
So I got some pictures taken today by Sarah Cramer (Cramer Photo). Just thought you all could benefit from the joys of freedom.
» 2010 » February
Costa Rica in a Coconut (I was going to say nutshell, but coconut seemed more appropriate)
After doing a bit of research, I am definitely excited about visiting Costa Rica. Costa Rica, literally translates as “Rich Coast.” It is said to be one of the most exotic places on earth (the have black and white beaches, which is awesome). Its famous for it’s active volcanoes, rainforests, white water rivers and a wide range of national parks and eco-tourism. Bordered by Nicaragua and Panama, Costa Rica is a country of about four million people. Colon is the official currency and the official language is Spanish (surprise, surprise).The capital city of Costa Rica is San Jose (thats where I will be). San Jose is a metropolitan city of over one million people nestled in between giant volcanic mountains and miles of green foothills. The temperatures are usually between 75-85 degrees (can you say perfect), but I will be there in the rainy season (but it shouldn’t be too bad).
The Demographics
Over 90% of Costa Rica is white or “Mestizo” (mixture) of Spanish heritage stemming from the European conquests. About 2% of the Cost Rican population is of African descent (Afro-Caribbean) with most living in the province of Limón (I must go there). Their ancestry is traced to slavery and Jamaican immigration attracted to the employment opportunities in the late 1800s.
The Government
Costa Rica is a democratic republic with a strong constitution (i.e. its fairly safe). Their outgoing President Oscar Arias is a Noble Peace Prize winner (like ours) and their incoming President is a women (thats progressive). They have not had a military for over 50 years (thats impressive). And, get this, they desire to be carbon neutral by 2010 (ambitious). Its actually one of the greenest cities in the world (bet you didn’t know that). Education is important to Costa Ricans, so they are an incredibly literate society.
Social Issues (Human Trafficking and Illicit Drugs)
Costa Rica is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and child sex trafficking and forced labor. Women and girls from neighboring states, Russia, Uzbekistan, and the Philippines are trafficked into the country for sexual exploitation. The government identifies child sex tourism as a serious problem; men, women, and children are also trafficked within the country for forced labor in fishing and construction, and as domestic servants.
Costa Rica is a shipment country for cocaine and heroin from South America. There is illicit production of cannabis in remote areas and domestic cocaine consumption, particularly crack cocaine, is rising.
The People
Most Costa Ricans refer to themselves as “Ticos” or “Ticas” which are male and female inference. Ticos being male, Ticas being female. The Ticos are said to be extremely friendly, full of hospitality, love to dance and jump at any opportunity to celebrate (my kind of people). Catholicism is the prevailing religion and many of the tradition festivals(Easter Week) are religious in nature. I guess I will be going to Mass (the only Mass I have ever been to was in Spanish so I will be “lost in translation” yet again).
Costa Rican Food (Mmmmmmmmm)
Gallo Pinto is commonly served for breakfast. This is a dish of black beans and rice seasoned with onions and peppers, accompanied by fried eggs, sour cream, and corn tortillas.
Another typical meal is the Casado, rice and beans, meat or fish, fried plantains, and a carrot, tomato, and cabbage salad.
Arroz “rice” is a staple and usually offered with chicken (pollo) or shrimp (gambas). Arroz con pollo here I come (this reminds me of home (NY).
Olla de carne is a stew made with beef, potatoes, carrots, chayote (vegetable pear), plantains and yucca
Bizarre Fruit
Costa Rica obviously has all the exotic fruits that are characteristic of the Caribbean, but here are a few I have never heard of:
The pejibaye, a relative of the coconut, is a bizarre fruit. It’s flesh is thick and fibrous, and resembles the taste of chestnut or pumpkin. They are usually boiled in salt water, peeled, halved, pitted, then eaten.
The manzana de agua is a dark red, pear-shaped fruit that is full of juice and quite refreshing.
Dessert & Drinks (just a few)
Cajeta de coco – a fudge made of coconut, tapa dulce, and orange peel Cono
Quaro (the working man’s drink), a clear white spirit.
Coffee is also an extremely popular and nationally-revered drink.
More information Costa Rican Food
Music (I will be putting on my dance shoes)
Music includes a rhythm known as tambito and a distinct music genre called punto. Reggaeton, Reggae, Hip-Hop and American Pop are the most popular genres among the youth. Dance-oriented genres like soca, salsa, bachata, merengue, cumbia and Costa Rican swing have been increasingly shifting toward an older demographic. The guitar is a popular instrument especially as an accompaniment to folk dances, however, the marimba was given the status of the national instrument. The Costa Ricans say that it is sacred that the woman wears a red dress when in Costa Rica while doing the Salsa (Sassy).
Must See Sites
Guayabo National Monument is Costa Rica’ss most significant archaeological site. The site houses the ruins of a large community covering 49 acres and with a population of around 20,000. The city was abandoned in 1400 AD. Excavated ruins consist of tiled roads, stone bridges, a house, temple substructures and gravesites.
Arenal Volcano & Hot Springs: Famous for its nighttime lava fireworks, Arenal Volcano towers above a lovely lake of the same name. The area has plenty of natural activities, eco-adventures, and the lake is particularly popular with fishermen and windsurfers. The thermal springs at nearby Tabacón Resort Hot Springs offer a refreshing dip any time of the day.
Top 20 Must See Sites (click here)
References (Basically where I copied most of this info from)
http://www.vivacostarica.com/costa-rica-information/costa-rica-food.html
http://ca.tenfootsquare.com/central-america/top-cultural-facts-in-costa-rica
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costa_Rica
http://www.1costaricalink.com/eng/web/activit-eng.htm
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cs.html
» 2010 » February
For all those who are wondering, I have received about $925 so far. Just $21, 575 to go. Give as soon as you can, but before May 1st would be great. And if you are planning on giving at a later date, just let me know. Remember you can donate at any point during my trip. So, if you do not have it now, you can either donate over the course of the year in recurring donations or at any point before I return. Although, sooner is better, as I have to pay for the large items (like plane tickets) before I leave.
Thanks
» 2010 » February
Below is a quote that a friend sent me the other day. It explains why art and creativity are important to humanity. As I ponder this trip, and the question of “What can poetry do for the world?” I am encouraged that my dreams and efforts have the potential to accomplish something way bigger than myself.
“The second feature of many communities both in the postindustrial West and in many of the poorer parts of the world is ugliness. True, some communities manage to sustain levels of art and music, often rooted in folk culture, which bring a richness even to the most poverty-stricken areas. But the shoulder-shrugging functionalism of postwar architecture, coupled with the passivity born of decades of television, has meant that for many people the world appears to offer little but bleak urban landscapes, on the one hand, and tawdry entertainment, on the other. And when people cease to be surrounded by beauty, they cease to hope. They internalize the message of their eyes and ears, the message that whispers that they are not worth very much, that they are in effect less than fully human.
To communities in danger of going that route, the message of new creation, of the beauty of the present world taken up and transcended in the beauty of the world that is yet to be– with part of that beauty being precisely the healing of the present anguish– comes as a surprising hope. Part of the role of the church in the past was– and could and should be again– to foster and sustain lives of beauty and aesthetic meaning at every level, from music making in the village pub to drama in the local primary school, from artist’ and photographers’ [and poet's] workshops to still-life painting classes, from symphony concerts (well, they managed them in the concentration camps; how inventive might we be?) to driftwood sculptures. The church, because it is the family that believes in hope for new creation, should be the place in every town and village where new creativity bursts forth for the whole community, pointing to the hope that, like all beauty, always comes as a surprise…”
NT Wright from Surprised by Hope
Here is a poem for you inspired by William Meredith’s ”A Major Work”
The Artist
Songs are soothing to the soul
Poems are tantalizing to the mind
Dance and theater bring our dormant limbs and stories alive
Paintings and photographs freeze the beautiful in time
But whether from a flash of inspiration
Or a divine hand
Art is born
And our hearts are moved with imagination
This is the origin of a new creation
» 2010 » February
For the next 13 weeks, I will be writing a brief entry that educates readers on the history, people, culture, must see sites and more… of each country that I will visit. It will help me get ready for the trip and inform my readers before I leave. I will probably write these on Sundays, so check the site.
» 2010 » February
- Poems, Pictures, Video (flip camera), journal writing and blog posts.
- I hope to post online while I am abroad as often as I can. I will bring an internet notebook computer and the IVHQ volunteer spaces have Internet access.
- I will create a presentation when I return and I hope to put together an accompanying printed publication.
» 2010 » February
- Pray for my safe travels
- Support my trip financially – As one of the 150 Friends of Poetic Justice ($150 donation), fund some portion of my trip or give as you are able. No donation is too small, $5 will buy me water for a week.
- Encourage your friends and family to financially support my trip – forward a link to the website or forward the facebook cause.
- If you have friends in other countries that I will be visiting, I would love to see friendly faces, please pass along their contact information with their permission
- Trip Advice: Feel free to pass along advice on must see places, deals, websites or other ideas
- Join my trip: I am eager for other people to join me on the trip. If you are an artist, join me to help with poetry workshops or to conduct workshops around your art form. I am eager to have photographers, videographers, poets etc. Or you can just visit me. I will be away for months, so friendly faces will be appreciated. Just note, this is a budget travel trip for me.
» 2010 » February
- Check the website and blog. I will be writing entries, poems and hopefully posting pictures and video as much as I can.
- Join my mailing list. I hope to send a monthly email newsletter
- Send me emails – I will need some encouragement along my ways
- Skype me or more likely I will Skype you. I will hopefully have a Internet notebook with me, so that I can keep in contact through Skype. I do not plan on having a cell phone. Of course I will have emergency contact information at my volunteer placements.