Ask and you shall be given...

One reason that this particular program appealed to me, (apart from its location in Costa Rica) was the availability of "on the ground staff". This means that, although we're mostly on our own, we do have two people dedicated to full-time support of us here in Heredia and they help us figure everything out from immigration documents to homesickness. Teresita, our program director, is everyone's second mother, she is fabulous and always seems to know what we need, even when we're not sure ourselves. Yanori, the assistant director has connections with everyone and everything, and after this week I believe she can make anything happen.

So, as many of you may know, there are a few things in the world that bring me a lot of joy. The first is music...pretty much in any form, singing, drumming, dancing, even just listening to it. The second one is being with kids, and having the chance to teach and give back. Thanks to Yanori, I'm now doing both!

Last Thursday she called up the director of the "Rondalla",  small choral group that does mostly traditional Costa Rican and Latin American music, is incredibly laid-back, and was looking for someone to play hand drums and small percussion for them. Next thing I knew, I was in rehearsal having the chance to sing and play drums, and the director has promised to teach me some typical Latino rhythms to accompany them! The group is also filled with really wonderful people who have been very friendly to this semi-lost "gringa".

On Friday, Yanori called my house to tell me that she had my volunteer opportunity all lined up as well. Across the street from my house is an elementary school, Escuela Manuel Camancho, and there was an English teacher there that needed some help. I spent this Monday and Wednesday morning at the school with Marcella, the teacher, working with her and about four of her classes, ages 7-11, who are absolutely precious! The kids think I'm some sort of alien because I'm from the US, one kid even asked me if there was water where I was from. And although I'm supposed to be there to help them learn English, they've been teaching me plenty of new Spanish words, and are a blast to hang out with.

So now my life consists of classes, hanging out with cute kids, playing music, and hanging out and traveling with my friends...hmm, that sounds exactly like the life I want to be living right now.  Just a lesson for me on the amazing things that can happen if you just ask the right people for help.