Cooking? Uh no.

So I have been living off of a combination of pb & js, turkey/cheese sandwiches and cereal for a little over a week now. Therefore, I am taking on a very ambitious undertaking, I am going to learn how to cook. It has been decided. In order to do this, I have to actually buy real food to somehow put it together and make it taste good. I'm pretty sure that is how it works. So, I went to price mart, which is IDENTICAL to Costco (BJs, Sam's Club, etc.), they even give samples, and bought a shit ton of food. Last night I made a salad, nothing too challenging, but you have to start somewhere. Tonight I was a little lazy and just made an egg and cheese sandwich but I plan on taking on the chicken tomorrow. Today was also my first day at the gym! super exciting. I took a kickboxing class and it was amazing. In the states, kickboxing involves punching and kicking the air but in Costa Rica, your personal punching bag is included! For those of you how know me, I thoroughly enjoyed this class and it was a great workout. I get to take it tomorrow tooo, woooo! Lesson learned: don't wander around the mall in shorts, its like you don't even have a face, just stay put at the gym, period.

Little sleep in exchange for a good time, I'll take it

This weekend I made a pretty great discovery so I have to start off with sharing something that I believe does not exist back in the states. Pre-mixed drinks in a can! They have Captain Morgan with Coke (my personal favorite), vodka with sprite, etc. Besides that Costa Rica's beer, Imperial, is also not bad. I also learned that some places close at 2, but mostly at 4 and some even 7 am! Therefore, I didn't get much sleep this weekend. On Friday, a couple of friends took me to a Reggae Club (apparently very popular here). It was nice atmosphere and I definitely enjoyed myself. The music can get a little repetitive but its super chilled out too. Saturday I was able to go to this festival called Palmares about an hour and a half away. It lasts for two weeks and students normally will rent a party bus to take there and back. At the festival there is concerts, food, bars/clubs and other activities. But to sum it up its basically a huge party. I couldn't miss out on going, so I did just that with a group of students. It was tons of fun and everyone was really nice and friendly. Learned a little lesson though, don't let a minor borrow your id. One would figure that would be common sense, but I felt really bad when she couldn't get in. However, I also didn't know I would be talking to security guards for almost an hour and would even have to cry for them to give me back my CT license. Other than that it was a great time, danced until I could dance no more.

Survival 101

I am finally moved into my new place and was able to experience a wonderful long hot shower. My first week has gone by but I still haven't visited San Jose or gone out. Fortunately, the supposed Japanese girl that was my roommate for a week, isn't Japanese at all, but rather from Guanacaste, Costa Rica. She is going to take me out this weekend at last! Let's see what I have learned from my first week?
- Don't sleep without socks on, you will wake up with polka-dotted feet aka bug bites
- Munoz y Nane is the equivalent of target and the landmark of all landmarks
- When the little man turns green, cross the street immediately, if you don't forget it, a bus will accelerate and attempt to hit you
- Mai = bro, man, dude, etc. y para los colombianos parce/marica
- Carepice = penis face, when someone asks you to say something, ask them what it means first
- No one likes people from Nicaragua
- Costa Ricans use lots of slang, so I won't understand 99% of their jokes for a while
-  Pura Vida! and tuanis are one in the same
- Asians still roll deep in foreign countries
- Ketchup taste different everywhere you go, so I should probably start carrying my own...somehow?
- Police/Security guards' main function is to assist with directions
- Two for one special at the movie theater on Wednesdays

@ Oiko:  Another one of my tasks is to visit Oiko's counterparts and interview clients, as well as, update their score cards. Today my manager confirmed that I would be visiting Asoprasanramon on February 2nd or 3rd. Asoprosanramon is an NGO that provides financial and technical support to micro/small enterprises and farmers in the region of San Ramon. Founded in 1982, Asoprosanramon, was originally created by the citizens and communal leaders of that region, in order to promote social and economic development. Due to a stagnation of their two main crops, coffee and sugar, there was a need to support the decentralization of the agricultural industry in order to minimize dependency on traditional products. As a result, this particular organization was able to find its niche and target market. The average loan is of approximately 2,000,000 colones which is about 4, 000 US.The organization provides credit to projects in agriculture, livestock, small industries, workshops, services and commerce. I will be interviewing three women and two men. They have micro/small enterprises that work with a range of products from avocado and corn to clothing and flowers. I am really excited to meet them and be able to share their story. I will also get to take lots of pictures and travel a bit too!

Ahhh..home sweet home

I found the ideal place! I have my own room and bathroom but more importantly it is spotless, I would be more than willing to still eat a cookie after dropping it on the floor. Whereas, were I am currently living, if I accidentally dropped my undies on the floor, they immediately became dirty laundry. Anyways, this new place is 4 blocks from where I work so its super close too. I am really looking forward to situating myself permanently (aka. not live out of a suitcase), so I can start a routine or something. I was also able to go to the gym after work and sign up for the month. I still can't get used to how Costa Rica does not use street names, numbers, or anything of that sort. Everything is determined by landmarks, so if the McDonalds goes bankrupt and moves, you're screwed. Literally, people draw little maps with pictures for me every time I ask for directions. I think its pretty funny, but I am also starting to get to know the city a lot more and I'm beginning to recognize popular landmarks. I am also starting to learn my orientation in the world, if that makes sense. In order to get anywhere, once has to learn what is north, south, east, west and so on. This is great for me because those of you who know me, know that I easily get lost, even with a GPS on full volume. Unfortunately today I also have to tell Anita that I am moving out, not fun, really not fun. GAHH can I just write her a letter or something?

@ Oiko: Today I got a list of all the counterparts we lend to. Oiko's portfolio is primarily made up of MFIs (60%), but they also invest in PYMES (micro, pequena y mediana empresas), which are micro, small and medium enterprises. Furthermore, they invest in projects that involve/enhance education, agriculture, health, housing, and commerce in rural and urban areas. Currently, Costa Rica has 49 projects in the areas I listed above. My job will also be to visit the different projects and interview clients, as well as, evaluate them using the ESG score cards. Today I went through some of the counterparts I will be visiting and read over their reports. Something interesting was the different forms of collateral MFIs use. In Spanish, there is the fiduciara (which is comparable to a co-signer), prendaria (which is when people use an item of value such as a car, or a tv etc, as a guarantee) , hipotecaria (which is the option to put your house up as a guarantee), or other. Speaking with Anita, she made me realize that there weren't any options for someone like her, who would benefit from a credit to expand her business, but also does not want to risk putting her house up as a guarantee. She is a single mother, therefore, she has no co-signer and nothing of significant value besides her home. I am going to keep looking, but I feel that this segment of the population is not being reached.Urban poverty is a larger problem in Costa Rica, but I feel that Anita would be a prime candidate for credit and there is no tangible option for her. It really does upset me, so hopefully I will find something.

So, we had hot water the whole time?!

It has almost been a week and I just found out that I actually do have hot water. Therefore, all those painful cold showers at 6:30 am were totally unnecessary. Unfortunately I am not as comfortable as I thought I would be with my housing situation, especially since I will be here for decent amount of time. For that reason, I have been looking for housing. I feel really bad because the family I am currently with is super nice and has been incredibly helpful. I went apartment shopping last night and met a cab driver that was AWESOME. He took me around and gave me a little background on the different neighborhoods. I think I found a place, but I am going to visit some that are a couple blocks from the office. I have no idea how I am going to tell Anita, but I honestly feel like I am not supposed to live there. Tonight, water from the washing machine drained into my room while I was skyping with my mom and the floor was covered with an inch of water in a matter of 30 seconds. I had to navigate over the furniture to pick up all my things off the floor. I still feel really bad though!

@ Oiko: Today I learned about the smart campaign, which is a global effort to unite microfinance leaders and reinforce the founding principles of microfinance. Oiko's goal is for at least 75% of their counterparts to sign on to the Smart Campaign. Unfortunately, MFIs in the area are too nervous and hesitant to sign on because they fear that their institution won't be able to comply and fulfill all the requirements. However, most are more than capable, but are just unaware or need capacity building from us to incorporate strategic planning or workshops to assist them in the process. I am also trying to pick up on the language used in the field, but in Spanish. Most of them are cognates so it has been fairly easy to pick up. There are a lot of acronyms too, like ONG (organizacion no gobernamental), which is an NGO. There is also MIVs, which are microfinance investment vehicles.


I've been using this site a lot, it has been super helpful: http://www.globalnegotiator.com/trade-dictionary/

My very own Chair :)

Today was my first day at the office and I have to say, I can really get used to this. The office has 2 floors, 12 employees, and the best atmosphere I have experienced in a workplace. My usual work day is from 8 to 5, an hour for lunch at anytime, however, everyone eats together at 12:30, so its most fun at that time. I arrived at 7:30 am because normally on the first day its best to arrive earlier than usual. When the door was locked, I realized I was the first to arrive too. The first employee came around 7:55 and then everyone came after. Everyone was super welcoming and thought it would be better to start the day with some coffee and get to know me first. I got to choose my own mug for the rest of my time here and they led me to my desk with a chair! For those of you that know about my 1st co-op will believe me when I say that my eyes teared a little, at the sight of my own everything. As far as my tasks, my first week will mostly consist of reading and getting to know the enterprise, inside and out. It will also involve, learning how to apply the tools Oiko uses to measure social impact, efficiency/sustainability and management, among others. Some of the tools they use are the CERISE, which was founded by five leading French microfinance institutions. It is made up of 3 sections with approximately 80 questions. Its purpose is to measure and compare MFIs in four specific areas, impact/social performance, agricultural and rural finance, governance and social viability, and intervention methods. They also use ESG (environmental, social and governance) score cards, a modified and more concise version of the CERISE, created by OikoCredit. Lots to read! 

here is a link to the CERISE main website, for those of you who are interested:
http://www.cerise-microfinance.org/spip.php?page=article&id_article=263

Off to Explore

I have quickly learned that it is not safe for a foreign, female, to be alone outside once the sun goes down. The thing is the sun goes down at 5 so you can imagine, I haven't been able to go out much. However, this morning I woke up early to go with Anita to the feria (which is like a market). I bought some fruits, vegetables and saw some that I have never seen before, like chayote. Chayote is a vegetable that is most known for not tasting like anything and filled with water. It is originally from Mexico but now Costa Rica has become one of the main producers. I also had a "pipa" which is the water from a green coconut. The people from the market poke a hole at the top and insert a straw. It's kind of a large cup to carry but it was very refreshing. I also decided to take a bus into San Pedro and check out the mall. I noticed tons of American fast food restaurants and surprisingly, an unusual amount of sex shops for one mall. Other then that, five floors had a variety of clothing stores, a movie theater, a food court, and a gym. I needed to go grocery shopping so I began to ask around, if there were any nearby. So this is the breakdown of what Costa Rican's consider to all be "supermarkets". There is a pulperia (a mini convenient store), a mini-super (slightly larger convenient store), and a super (which is what I was looking for). There I discovered a FLAN-TRES LECHES all in one cake, so tempting, but I did not buy it. I also looked like an ass when I asked for a 1/4 pound of turkey and they obviously use Kilos (duh). Today I also heard someone say PURA VIDA for the first time (a little dumb but oh well). I really love that, pura vida, all day, every day.

Consistently Startled to Death

Its Saturday night and to be completely honest I didn't expect to be posting anything on my blog but I am sure many will enjoy this one. Before going to sleep my first night, I was laying in bed, probably facebook stalking, don't remember, when I feel something tickling my arm. Naturally, my first thought, is one of my stray Colombian hairs is probably just resting on my arm. So I looked over my shoulder and was very mistaken. Instead I found myself face to face with a giant cockroach. After screaming, throwing my laptop into the air, I stood standing in the middle of my bed, half in tears and half laughing hysterically. I stood there for a while unsure of what do, then I spotted it on the edge of my bed, and had another fit. It was only until I saw it walking over my open suitcase, that I decided to run out of the room. Luckily, the younger brother was up and I was able to somehow, between gasps, in spanglish, convey that he needed to kill a bug for me.


Night #2: So this literally just happened. Jossy, the younger brother, and I were talking and the incident from the night before came up. He thought it was very comical and mentioned that the only insects he is really afraid of are these monster tarantulas, found in the more tropical areas of Costa Rica. I agreed that encountering one of those would just suck. He asked if I was afraid of spiders, but to be honest I never have been. 100 percent of the time, I am the person in the room who isn't freaking out and I am able to take the spider outside. Anyhow, I said good night and went into my room. As I am changing out of my jeans I see a mid-sized hairy black spider run over my bed. I think my heart is still pounding, but all I know is I started screaming for help and attempted to climb up onto the walls? Jossy came to my rescue again, but literally at this point, I sleep in a giant sweater, fetal position in the dead center of my already tiny twin bed, with the lights on and a flip flop next to my head. Not sure how sustainable my sleeping pattern is? but tomorrow is Sunday. That is supposed to make me feel better but what IS happening on Sunday? I'll let you know.

Welcome to San Jose

My first day in Costa Rica. So of course I ended up taking 3 pieces of luggage. A little piece of advice, I do not recommend this especially when flying solo and you can't find one of those little carts. Besides having a couple strangers laugh at my attempt to get two 50 lbs suitcases, a carry on, my backpack, and a purse to the other side of the airport, I finally made it to the doorway and immediately realized I had no idea exactly who would be waiting for me on the other side. The first thing I felt was warmth and smiled since it had been a while and was greeted by an older gentleman assisting people with their luggage. I was supposed to be meeting my new Costa Rican mom, but I had no idea what she looked like. Therefore, when the gentleman looked out into the crowd of anxiously waiting friends and family, and asked me, "So, who are you meeting?, where is your family?" I shrugged and said, honestly I don't know. I was lucky enough to turn the corner and make eye contact with an older woman and for some reason, she knew I was "the girl". Riding into San Jose it immediately struck me, how similar everything was to Colombia. The mountain range, cars, roads, buildings. Everything looked very familiar. I arrived with Anita (my new mom) to my new home for the next 5 months. It is a small, humble home and my room kind of looks like a room from a scene in the exorcist, but no big deal. Nap time, chaoo

Yupp, This is for real.

After much preparation yesterday I officially secured a ticket, housing, and confronted the reality of this trip. I will be leaving on Friday, January 13th from the Big Apple, making a pitstop in Miami and finally arriving in San Jose at 1:30 pm. After talking to several tenants,  I will be living with an older woman, who seems super sweet and motherly. She works from home and has two sons. One is tweny-seven and the other one is eighteen. I am pretty excited to meet them because we are around the same age and hopefully they will help me get to know the city. A student also rents a room in the house, she is japanese, which is pretty cool too. Those who know my mother, would believe that she almost insisted I live with an older woman named Enriquetta that was going to watch over me like a hawk, so I am very thankful that other options were available (can't even imagine). Anyway, I am super pumped for this trip! Although, I will miss everyone very much, I do plan on keeping in touch. I have no idea what to expect and that is probably what is most exciting, wish me luck!