04 ː Learning to learn

Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Enséñanos de tal modo a contar nuestros días, que traigamos al corazón sabiduría. Salmo 90:12

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12

This afternoon marks three weeks since arriving in Costa Rica, and I’m eager to give some updates on all that’s transpired.

Things learned:

I’ve enjoyed getting to focus on the history of Costa Rica these first couple weeks, especially during the celebration of the 200th anniversary of independence from Spain on September 15. A teammate and I were tasked with researching the first 100 years of Costa Rica’s existence and presenting to the rest of the class. In this project, I was able to note some key aspects of this history that contribute to the values and identity of the modern Tico. (1) Industriousness: Early Costa Rica was very poor but managed to grow an entire economy based in exports of coffee beans from hundreds of small and large plantations in the center of the country. (2) Peace: Costa Rica’s independence was negotiated through diplomacy rather than a war. The standing military was abolished in the 1940’s, and Ticos are quite proud to be “a nation with more teachers than soldiers.” (3) Social welfare: Although there exists a difference between the social ideals and the actual state of social equity, Costa Rica boasts free universal healthcare and economic options for college education.

In my Spanish classes, we’ve been learning about Latina feminist poets and the morphology of Spanish verbs. Spanish has two primary verb forms to express actions in the past, one to describe completed action and one to describe incomplete or ongoing actions. This makes for an enriched system of storytelling but also creates difficulty for speakers of languages with only one past tense who are trying to adopt the language as their own.

I’ve also been adapting my vocabulary to that of the Tico variety of Spanish. When addressing one person, Ticos use a formal verb form, except when speaking with their closest family and friends. The formal form is even used when talking to pets! I’ve had to learn to use this formal form (usted) more often than the informal (tú) and don’t think I’ll get to the point with my family where I can use the intimate form (vos). (A good thing, since I haven’t studied this form in school.) Ticos frequently use diminutives, endings on words that typically imply a smaller or more informal version of the original word. For example, in the afternoons we have a cafecito (café “coffee” + cito diminutive) with pancitos (pan “bread” + cito diminutive). However, these diminutives are a staple part of the Tico lexicon and don’t always communicate tininess or depreciation.

Things experienced:

My friends and I played tourists for a weekend and explored the forests of Monte Verde. We hiked in the biological preserve and took a guided tour through the rainforest on suspended bridges, learning loads about monkey troops, sexual dimorphism in birds, tarantula nests, and Costa Rica’s exemplary preservation efforts.

We also had the chance to tour the National Museum of Costa Rica and the Legislative Assembly (equivalent of the U.S. Capitol). By pure coincidence, we were able to meet one of the presidential candidates for the upcoming February elections, Welmer Ramos González. He was very generous with his time to talk with our group of gringos, and it was a truly unique opportunity to get such a glimpse into the current political climate in Costa Rica. There are over six parties with strong political presence in Costa Rica, and Ramos’s party is currently in power; so, it’s quite probable that he could win the presidency.

It’s truly a shame that Costa Rica had to celebrate its bicentennial during a pandemic. Nonetheless, there was a truly impressive show that was televised from the National Stadium in San José.

I’m also taking Latin dance classes. We’ve had one session so far in which we learned the basics of the Salsa. I had such a blast and am looking forward to these classes as a unique avenue of cultural engagement and appreciation.

I’ve even gotten to do a bit of coffeeshop-hopping! There are a couple of adorable cafés in our neighborhood and even more in downtown San José. (Pictures attached ;) )

Things felt:

Frustration. It’s difficult to note improvement at this point in my language skills and my intercultural competency. I enjoy my classes and experiences with the Students International staff, but the majority of the trip has been spent away from our host families. I hope in the coming weeks I’ll be able to engage more with my family—conversationally and relationally. My desire is to truly improve my language skills beyond relying on the simple expressions and grammar I’ve been scrapping together thus far. My (unbased) fear is that I’ll get to the end of the semester without seeing substantial linguistic or interpersonal growth.

In reality, I'm making progress. I've noticed that I'm adapting my accent and vocabulary. I'm understanding more and more of native speech. I'm asking lots of questions to test my comprehension. However, an ever-present sense of self-doubt lingers at every moment, and most of the time I don't allow myself to celebrate or recognize my progress. My inner critic interprets any sort of verbal affirmation as pity, which discourages me even more.

Fatigue. Adequate nights of sleep and afternoon naps don’t seem to cure my exhaustion. I recognize this a symptom of culture shock and think I’ll simply have to ride it through until I’m more emotionally adjusted. This fatigue is frustrating when I chat with my host family, something that is mentally taxing even when I’m alert. I find myself losing focus while listening to Spanish speakers due to being so tired.

Elation. There have been a handful of moments in which I’ve truly felt like I was learning and thriving: appreciating rich cultural symbolism in the National Museum, morning coffee with my host mom discussing the news, spying on howler monkeys from a swaying bridge hundreds of feet above the rainforest floor. Some truly amazing moments.

Prayers & Petitions:

If you are a person who prays, please consider praying especially:

· for the ministry of my new host church, Árbol de Justicia, as they fight against hunger and poverty and fight for the recognition of Indigenous rights and environmental sustainability in Costa Rica;

· that God’s Spirit would continue cultivating a soft and fertile heart within me and give me eyes for His Kingdom;

· that my team and I would be adequately preparing our hearts and minds for our upcoming ministry sites and our time in Nicaragua;

· that I would be active in supporting and encouraging my teammates, who indubitably have their own list of frustrations; and

· that I would be giving myself grace and continually taking on the role of “student,” expecting nothing more of myself than to observe, adapt, and grow.

I appreciate you so much. Thank you for your impact, prayers, and presence in my life.

Be well,

jcb