Neko

ajacob:

I’ve seen these guys in person, the color of their wings are perfect.

(via pulperia)

(via pulperia)

wearmaize:

Train bridge Jesus Maria, Costa Rica

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thetravelowl:

“Anything is Possible.” Outside of school house, Tortuguero, Costa Rica. August 3, 2011.

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stefattack:

My first home-cooked meal! Gallo pinto, pollo con salsa de tomates, y patacones!

Can I have it???

(Source: ste-f-chen, via puravidacr)

tropicalexile:

Relampago. ©Kale Gray

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earth-jam:

Costa_Rica_038 by battenkillcanoe on Flickr.

I’ve been there! It was so beautiful! The rivers are different colors because of the sediments in the river beds- not pollution. The yellow river runs through a volcano, I think. So cool, right?

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miastevens:

Costa Rica beach

Peace & quiet

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Photo courtesy of Meg Brask

I want to feel this sand between my toes, the sun on my shoulders, and fight the monkeys for my pineapple and my wallet. Rascals.

Today I was feeling mecha genki, no lie.

Pura vida! This came to mind while a tornado of cherry blossoms were swirling around me as I ran walked to class late.

I love Osaka. I love my job. I love my students. I love sakura.

I love it when my two cross cultural experiences begin to collide and I just can’t find the words in my natural language to better express my feelings. I’m forced to borrow from from languages to which I am a foreigner & yet they feel so familiar on my tongue.

I hate it when people I follow on Tumblr get in fights. It always amazes me that people get really heated over bad arguments. I hate seeing it on my dashboard. I’d love the get involved but I’m not about to clog someone elses dash with this nonsense.

The entertainment tonight was over a blog on tumblr that collects pictures of white people who go to Africa. Many would make assumptions about the intentions of people behind the camera and the intentions of the traveler. The blog that they were speaking of is a terrible blog, I’m not going to provide a link to it, but the argument wasn’t even about the blog- it turn into name calling.

This is just to say that it reminded me of something.

When I was studying abroad in Latin America (Costa Rica, Nicaragua, & Cuba), I was always hesitant to whip out my camera for many reasons. I hated looking like a tourist, for one, and I also didn’t want to exploit those in my host culture. However, there is some proper documenting that can be done with photos like nothing else. My pictures weren’t going to be sold, they were going to be kept in albums so that I could remember the things that I learned and experienced while I was abroad.

So, there are many moments that I didn’t document through the lens of my camera because they were too delicate and I don’t regret it. Throughout my whole experience it was always something that I was careful of. I always asked before I took photos of people and as I became more sensitive to my environment I took less and less photos.

I realize that travel is a hobby for the rich. I am very thankful for all of that chances that I have been able to have in going abroad. Each country I have been to, I tried to make an effort to give back and make connections with people I meet there. In each case I have been successful. I think the world has a lot to teach me and I am grateful for it’s lessons.

Living abroad has taught be to appreciate life and that there are many more beautiful things to live for than success and personal advancement. I have learned to love the food that is put in front of me, to love the people that surround me, to participate in religious ceremonies that I may not fully understand, and to appreciate the ways that all people give and receive love and respect.

I remember that before my semester abroad I would often try to pretend that my family wasn’t wealthy in it’s own right, but let’s be real, my family is very privileged because we don’t worry about food, about clothes, about a home, etc. I remember one time I was with Meg and we were getting our almost daily “Coca Light” from the AutoMarcado. There was a beggar outside of the store. I gave him all my change that I had from buying my coke (which is a debatable activity, I know) and he said, in English, “God bless you, gringa.” I gave him enough for bus money, but I wasn’t worried about how much I gave him because it was so little and he treated it like gold, he looked in his bucket with complete surprise when he saw what coins I dropped. I remember getting on the bus and crying to Meg, because I’m emotional, and because I know how little that money meant to me and how much it meant to him. Actually, I can’t even guess how much it meant to him.

I learned the word “solidaridad” before “solidarity.”

This is because the first time I encountered solidarity I was in Costa Rica. I was reminded of this today when I called my host family for the very first time since I left last December. It was painful for all this time to think back and remember them. I loved them but talking to them would bring back all the feelings that I had for that country and those people and Latin America in general.

I was right. Calling them via Skype did bring back lots of of feelings and many memories but they were all good. I miss my Costa Rican family and they said about a million times that they have missed me and were sad that I hadn’t called. I spoke with my mom Adri, my aunt Yadi, my sister Prisci, and my little brother Fabi. It was wonderful. They asked me about my life and we talked about Cuba, since they wanted to know what it was like there. They all updated me on how their lives were and how Prisci and Fabi were doing in school.

My mom couldn’t believe that I was going to Japan to work at a college - she said she was proud of me and “que Dios te acompañe.” Also, she said she loved me and missed me and wanted to see me again.

If I were writing a bucket list, number 1 would be: Return to Costa Rica and take a friend- introduce them to my wonderful host families and show them the beautiful place that it is.

I really love and miss mi familia tica.

This was my last meal at my three week home-stay in Palmares, CR. My host mom was the best cook in the world! I really miss home cooked Costa Rican food. Que rico! I miss the rice, the beans, the soup, the bananas, the pineapple, the mangoes, the avocados! The homemade fruit juices! Every time I try to recreate what I ate there, even something like Gallo Pinto, it’s never as good as it was in Costa Rica. I miss it all! Quiero volver a Costa Rica para ver mis amigos y comer su comida deliciosa!