Culture day #2

This past Wednesday was Culture day again, so we set with high spirits and open hearts to learn more about Costa Rica. We met Señora Vaca and had to take a picture with her because we are from Wisconsin, and well I really miss Wisconsin cheese and milk! I do eat ice cream and yogurt here and they get me through, but I'm looking forward to a big, cool glass of milk. I had to do a summary and opinion on an article from the paper this week and in true Wisconsin girl fashion, I chose the article on Dairy. It seems that pasture space has diminished, but milk production has increased in Costa Rica. The World Jersey Cattle Bureau meeting and fair was in Costa Rica this past weekend. ¡Que Chiva! 

There is a main street through San Jose that is filled with vendors and little shops and sellers. I love walking down this street and the diversity and hustle and bustle around me. It never gets old. I have a beautiful painting from Ecuador and I really wanted one from Costa Rica, but things are more expensive here, so I did not think I would find one. While one of the girls was getting a Henna tattoo I was exploring the street vendors and found this gentleman selling his paintings. I talked with him for awhile and walked away with a few paintings. Later on when we walked by we were able to watch him painting again. It was a very special moment for me.

Then we walked to Plaza La Cultura and it was beautiful! All of the buildings and people around just marvel me. The more I see of this world, the more I long for the next. I cannot imagine what heaven will be like with all of Gods image bearers together made new with perfection rejoicing in Jesus forever. God has been so faithful to me here giving me times of encouragement, giving me opportunities to minister to others, and continuing to challenge me to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. I am so thankful for every challenge that draws me closer to Him.

By the national theater, we met the pigeons. There were so many, and then this man came and put seeds in our hands so the birds just flocked to us. The one that flew on my head surprised me a bit.

We also met this statue that was a little creepy, I am not sure why, but these guys are just not my thing. I gave a bunch of my little coins to a companion to put in his bin, but he insisted on taking a picture with me because he knew where the money came from..... He also wanted a kiss, but I was not feeling that generous!

Then we went to the Museo de Jade, which is the Jade museum and is filled with the pre-Colombian history of Costa Rica. It was very interesting and a lot of fun. In the photo above you can see our professor and Diego is one of our program directors. He and his wife do a lot for us and we are so thankful to have them in our lives here!

In the museum, we were able to see and touch many things including some Jade and learned the process by which they form the Jade by hand. They stated that one piece can take from several weeks to several months to form. It was a very informative experience and it has been fun to recognize this influence on current culture. Below I was brushing around in the sand to find some ancient ruins.

Here is me and Maria finishing up our day with smiles. We also went to the artisan market and I bought some more gifts for my family. They all enjoy hearing and talking about my large family and all the gifts that I buy, but I am almost done, so then I will just have to figure out how to pack them all in my suitcase so I can get them all home. Someone told me, ¡Que montón de familia!

I was a little taken back, because it literally means what a mound of family! But I am working on learning their phrases, because they often say things that are more frank or honest, but they mean good things. They typically use language that is much more loving and generous than we do in English. ¡Es muy intersante, pero me gusta mucho! Family is also very important in this culture, so they have a lot of respect and interest in my large family.