The Beginning of the End

Friday was the last day of classes for most of my friends.  Those of us in Intermediate 2 have really loved our profe Hazel.  (Simone and I get to continue with her for one more week.)  We decided to get Hazel a present.  The fact that she had never read Harry Potter but wanted to had come up in class.  I had volunteered to be the one two buy the first couple of books Friday morning.  An easy task as I had seen them everywhere earlier in the month, or so I thought.  Well, with the last movie coming out there must have been a resurgence of interest in reading the books, because it took me 4 stores in a rain storm to find them.  In the store where I finally found it, I bought the last of copy of the first book. Its all David's fault... he had jinxed me the night before.  Simone made a loaf of Swiss bread (her dad is Swiss) and brought it to class.  Hazel had bought iced coffee drinks, so we had a little party.  We had the option of watching a movie or doing more exercises with the subjunctive.  We chose the subjunctive... we are a sick group.

Intermedio 2 - Julio 2011 Back: Eric, David, Me, Simone, and John.  Front: Rob and Hazel.

After class, we headed to El Rio for something to drink as per usual.  Stacey had to go pick up a friend who had come to travel with her for a few days.  After a while we headed to a Mexican restaurant down the street for a goodbye dinner.  We eventually had to break up the party and head home.  Saying good-bye was not a lot of fun.  It has been a great group... I feel very fortunate to have made such good friends here.  It was kind of funny.  I said good-bye to Stacey for real.  I knew I was going to see Simone, Eric, and Jenee again.  John, David and I rode the same bus toward home.  I get off a stop or two before they do.  So once the bus hit my stop... it was basically a... "Well.. uh... see you guys."  and I hopped off the bus.  (Well stepped down carefully, I keep waiting to fall down the bus stairs but you know what I mean...)

Saturday, I decided to head into Downtown San Jose.  I had been there a few times on various tours, but never really looked around.  There were lots and lots of people around.  This coming Tuesday, Aug 2, is the day they celebrate (for a lack of better term) the patron saint of Costa Rica, La Negrita (I've mentioned her in previous posts.)  Anyway, I'll probably talk about this more later, but people walk from all over to for Mass on Aug 2 in Cartago.  The main street near my house is a major thoroughfare to Cartago.  There were lots of pilgrims walking, which added to the crazy number of people around.

Anyway, I wandered through a couple of markets again.  I holed up in the smaller one when it started raining really hard.  (It's covered.)  It was funny because most of the people at the various stalls knew who I was at least for awhile.  Several told me that for me they'd give me a good price (In Spanish or English depending on the person.)  I'd laugh and say, "Just for me?"  Most would laugh and say "Of course."  BUT one guy looked at me with a very serious face and gave me a very flat, "No."  (I mean seriously lady, why would I give just you a good price.)  I found it hilarious.  I only ended up buying stuff from people who spoke to me in Spanish.  It went about half and half on what people would use with me first.

After awhile the rain lessened a bit and I caught the bus home.  In the evening, I had the house to myself.  Jorge's aunt died earlier in the week (I think.)  And so Jorge and Isabel went to the wake.  Mauricio went out... although he was in for a bit in the evening.  I actually really enjoyed having some time in the house alone.  Isabel was a bit worried about what I was going to have for dinner... I assured her I was capable of making a sandwich for myself.  :)  I got to sit around and watch movies in Spanish.

Sunday was another quiet day.  In the afternoon I decided to go the the Museum of Costa Rican Art.  It is supposed to be open on Sundays and free.  I took a taxi there, because I wasn't sure which bus to take, and its on the other side of town.  When I got there, it started raining again... of course.  (I've been very grateful for my umbrella the last month.)  And there was a sign that said it was open and free on Sunday and Tuesday... and this was true kind of... parts of it were open and it was free.  Mostly the outside parts and a couple of the inside rooms were open.  I did get to see some cool stuff, but it was weird how it was only kind of open.

I decided to walk back to the city center which was a 2-3 kilometers away.  I stopped in a Quiznos with internet access for lunch.  (The internet had been down all day Saturday and Sunday.)  I then walked on through the downtown and caught a bus back to home. 

Jenee, Eric, and I had made tentative plans to go to a ballet Sunday night, but the ballet had been postponed until September apparently.  So we met at the Mall near my house.  We aren't really mall hanging out people, but we managed to kill a few hours.  Particularly with Jenee and I oohing and aahing over all sorts of stuff in a home decoration store. After the shops closed and we ate dinner, we caught a cab.  They dropped me off by my house.  The head home tomorrow (Monday).  In the group that I hung out with... it is now just down to Simone and I.

When I got home Jorge and Isabel had just returned.  They had spent the afternoon with Jorge's family.  I hung out with them for awhile.  Then I headed to bed.  I was about to go to sleep when I saw the internet had finally come back on... so I took the opportunity to post.

Tomorrow (Monday) starts my private lessons in the morning and just two of us in the afternoon... it should be and interesting experience.  Its hard to believe that I'll be back in the States in less than a week.