Notes and Music

I will preface this blog entry by explaining an interesting routine I've been performing.

Before I left the Cincinnati Airport for Costa Rica, my Mom, Grandma, Boyfriend, and one of my best friends was there to wish me off. While there was still time before I had to rush to my departure gate, my boyfriend went off by himself for a good fifteen minutes. I was wondering why he was separating himself when I was going to be gone for five months, and this was our last chance to spend time together for a while. As I was saying my goodbyes and walking towards the omnipotent force of airport security, he handed me an envelope that looked like it had just finished stuffing its face in preparation for a five month hibernation. It was clearly an envelope from my mom's work with the logo and all stamped on the top left corner. He had scratched out the logo and drawn a furby underneath it saying "Me better than CCSA," along with instructions to not open until I was bored on the plane ride. And it said "From PupPup," the affectionate title that I have dubbed him.

Upon opening it in my room at my host family's house later, I found it to be a bundle of folded up notes held snugly together by a slightly faded maroon rubber band. Inscribed on the front of each folded note is the date in which I should open that individual one and the number of task I am working on at that point. One for each week while I am gone, for a total of twenty or twenty-one notes I believe. I would highly recommend this system to couples that are going to be in a similar situation, it has proven to be highly enjoyable, clever, and comforting when I'm feeling lonely.

The tasks so far have ranged from describing new food that I've tasted to making a new friend to haggling at a market. Each has a cute little drawing of a furby saying something clever and a signature of one of the many names I call him. One of the latest tasks I have been assigned is to find some cool new music, whether it be on the internet, on a cd, or on the street.

I was walking to class last friday and noticed out of the corner of my eye and ear that there was a little trio of college-aged musicians playing in front of the cafeteria. At first I was going to simply continue walking, but then all of the sudden remembered my task about finding music and thought it perfect for the assignment. After gaining permission to videotape their performance, I stood and recorded as they played together. It was a trio made up of Victor Julio Rodríguez on Darbuka (a type of hand drum), Randall Perez on Violín, and David Muñoz Morales on Guitarra. It was so neat to not only find a group playing in public, but to actually find the music really appealing and unique, and on top of all of that; it was the first time that had played together. Crazy. Check them out.



and P.S. I want to say thank you very much to Sara Drabik for being a great video-blogging and street-interviewing teacher in Scotland. That experience has provided me with so much more confidence and ability to do what I want while I'm here. Thanks!

A SHOUT OUT TO ALL MY PEOPLE

In the week before I came here, my baby boo and I made a little song together. We both enjoy making music, and both have experience from different manners in doing so. It is interesting to try to combine our experiences into harmonious works that reflect our selves in both emotion and style. I feel as though this song does just that quite well. Expanding upon this idea of harmonious relationships created through shared emotions and experiences; I would say that I feel this way with every person in am close to. If you have friends and family, you contain a set of individual relationships built by sharing of emotions and experiences unique to each and every individual that you know. Some sound nicer at times than others; it is simply the chemistry of those particular shared experiences in the given moment.

Again, I've been soaking in a hot tub of nostalgia, smiling and laughing at pictures and videos of all of the different people that I am close to. I assume this is a normal ritual performed by all study abroad students at some point or another. If I'm wrong, maybe I'm just a baby, but oh well. I love all of these people so much and value their relationships endlessly for various individual reasons.

Being in a new country, (yes, I've been here for a month almost, and yes, there are still many new things), I haven't had the luxury of being able to call a good friend at any time to ask if they want to hang out. The number of friends around me has gone from a number I couldn't count on all of my fingers and toes put together, to barely one hand. This is something I think study abroad advertisements fail to mention. You always see a group of young, smiling faces living to the fullest in some exotic place, seemingly living in this carefree paradise of boundless opportunities and friendships. Maybe I'll be on that poster eventually. I'm still trying to figure it out. I've made more friends slowly, and a guy in one of my classes today responded when I told him I didn't have many friends here that "Es una pregunta de tiempo," or "It's a question of time." I think that's what he said at least. I agree with that. It's all a question of time. Bettering my language and understanding, making friends, enjoying my stay here, returning, living life after all of this. It's all a question of time.