El Cuartel was great fun on Monday night. The live band played some salsa and reggae. They even threw in some Bob Marley songs. Our friends Randall, Leo and Eduardo showed up. David shortly found himself a dance partner, as he always does. Alira came along, too. We had fun, but we didn't stay too late.
My family is panicking about swine flu. It is all over the media here. Yes, it is probably being completely blown out of proportion, but the minister of health is advising that people don't go out. Patri is totally frantic. She hasn't left the house, but she doesn't want us to leave the house, either. I can't just be housebound. I think Patri watches too much television. Brandon is apparently sick now, too. Everyone at work doesn't seem concerned. Regardless, I've been washing my hands so often that they are dry and chapped. I do not want to get that sick here.
Last night after work, I went bowling with some co-workers. Cesar, Rafa, Karol, Marilyn, her boyfriend Paolo and I went to the same exact bowling alley that I went to with the program. I stupidly forgot about these bowling plans, though, so I was inconveniently dressed in a dress and flats. Everyone in the office complimented my blue dress but kept asking me why I was wearing a summer dress in the winter season. I forgot that the wet season is considered winter here. It's still hot enough to be considered summer, but people here wear suede boots and pants all the time.
The bowling alley didn't sell extra socks, of course. I had to go to the nearby Auto Mercado and buy three pairs of stupid socks. I was so annoyed, and I looked ridiculous, but it was still muy divertido. I am a horrible bowler. I did improve throughout the night, though. I doubled my original score in the second game. Everyone was laughing at me, but I wasn't that much worse than the others. It was just for fun. I got home around nine, ate a late dinner and went straight to sleep. Bowling can really wear you out.
Today, I went on an adventure to find greeting cards during my lunch hour. It was absolutely pouring rain, but I was determined. I found a Hallmark and bought the only "Gracias" cards they had in the entire store. I braved the rough winds and wet sidewalks to buy them because Natalie, Amy and I wanted to get a little something for our host family and the program directors. I looked for flowers, too, but the flower shop near my job didn't have anything very pretty. I might go back and just buy single sunflowers.
Tonight is the final dinner for my program. We're going to a fabulous hotel and having a corny ceremony. We'll watch the slideshow and eat a lot, I'm sure. It hasn't hit me yet that I am actually leaving Costa Rica on Saturday. I know I am, but I don't feel like I'm leaving. I am so adjusted to my life here. I have a home, a job, a routine...re-locating right now just seems silly. Natalie, Amy and I have been planning our last few days. We want to go out to Castro's tomorrow night. We were talking about going to El Pueblo on Friday night, but today Juanca mentioned something to Amy about maybe having another fiesta at the house. I suspect it's because Patri doesn't want us in the crowded bars picking up germs and the H1N1 virus, but it still sounds like the perfect ending to my summer.
Pura Vida,
Lauren
p.s. Fish update: the other day, I came downstairs and found the fish tank in a cloudy brown state. All of the fish stationed themselves at the top near the filter; my guess is that this was the cleanest water they could find. Patri was convinced they were all going to die. She went to the pet store and bought another tube contraption. The store clerk told her she was feeding them too much food and that the extra food was settling and decaying, thereby giving the water its murky color. I tell her every day she feeds them too much! I joke and say they're not Latin. They don't eat as much as we do. She cleaned out the entire tank, even though she insisted you're only supposed to do it once a month, and installed the new filter. It was like magic! The tank is back to clear blue, and we thought all was well. I had to laugh at Patri. I took a picture of her in her self-assigned seat, parked next to the tank where she literally spends hours watching her precious pets dart in and out of strategically placed rocks and fake foliage. Today, Amy messaged me telling me that Dory has passed away. It is predicted that Dorito is going to pass away within the next day. This is a grave tragedy for our family. Keep your thoughts and prayers with the remaining fish, both named and unnamed, in our beloved freshly-filtered tank.
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