My Routine / Mi Rutina

Six days in, and I've finally settled into a routine. Those who know me well know that this corresponds directly to my contentment, so I'm feeling quite content now. :) Days here consist of being rudely awoken by numerous passing trucks loudly jake-braking their way down la montaña, then taking a shower in tepid water to rinse off the perpetual dampness that I've marinated in overnight, followed by a delicious breakfast of fruits with pancakes or french toast or an omelet, personally prepared for me (when I signed up to pay a bit extra for breakfast at the hostel, I was expecting continental style cereal and toast; this is una buena sorpresa!).

After breakfast, I cross the road to wait for the 7:20am bus. It has not yet arrived before 7:40. For 210 colones (about $0.45), I ride the bus down the mountain to the center of Turrialba. I'm usually left standing on the by now very full bus, and get a very effective core workout as I attempt to stay standing during the winding switchbacks and avoid ending up in the lap of some unsuspecting Turrialbeño. I haven't learned how to say "I'm not making a move on you, I just have poor balance" yet.

After the 10 minute bus ride, I hit the streets and stroll approximately 1 km to CAIPAD (el Centro de Atención Integral para Personas Adultas con Discapacidad - the Center of Integral Attention for Adult Persons with Disability) to volunteer in the terápia física gym with Betty, a very fun therapist who speaks just enough English to help me stay out of trouble. CAIPAD is similar to any integrated therapy program in the States, with PT, OT, special education, and social work. People with more marked disabilities attend CAIPAD in the morning, and have a variety of diagnoses, most involving some sort of neurological component - Downs syndrome, cerebral palsy, etc. As such, most PT treatments are focused on improving coordination and social play, using activities like simple obstacle courses and playing catch. I haven't been able to offer much in the way of physical therapy treatment yet, as my lack of Spanish is somewhat of a crutch when attempting to direct a group of persons with short attention spans and difficulty redirecting to a task. Believe it or not, talking about cats, birds, and the color of one's hair is not helpful in this situation. My basic Spanish has not been entirely useful...

After PT sessions with two groups of four patients, I walk back to the bus station and take the bus back up to the school. I have to sit on the right side of the bus to watch the landmarks carefully to catch my stop. (Stay tuned for a story involving Jessica sitting on the left side of the bus.)

Back at the school, I eat lunch and prep for class, which runs from 1-3pm. I'm the only student at my level (not as impressive as it sounds, since there are only three of us here), so I get two hours of one-on-one Spanish instruction that effectively turns my brain to mush. After 3:00, I stare into the distance for approximately 13 minutes, simply because my brain won't let me do anything else, then start work on mis tareas (my assignments), which range from workbook activities to writing a diary of what I did the day before. There are THREE past tenses in Español (well, at least that I learned this week), and I've been practicing mucho using them. Había una vez era una muchacha que sabía nada sobre español...

By this time, my two compatriots and myself have made our meager suppers and studied ourselves to exhaustion, and finally turn in for the night... at about 8:00 pm. We're such party animals.

One week down, three to go! Here's to learning más y más each day. :)