Slow Pace

It has been a while. A thousand apologies.

I struggle trying to figure out how to explain my experience here in Costa Rica with Peace Corps and I feel like I tend to go for the sentence "it is hard, frustrating, slow and I am so thankful for this opportunity and I am really really content". Don't get me wrong, this is my experience but I realize it doesn't help to give you a picture of my daily life here. I talk a lot about how things take 5 to 10 times what it 'should' take, if we are talking from a US centered perspective of efficiency and time value. So, to illustrate this I want to share what has been this week's experience trying to start a new English class:

After many weeks of pushing back the start of a new English class in the community (for many many reasons) I decided it was time to start one and I planned on having an informational meeting with anyone interested. All I needed was permission from the High School principal to use a classroom to hold the classes. I was fairly sure that I would get permission to use the room but until it was official I didn't want to start advertising.

This is the 3rd principal the High School has had in the year and three months I've been here, and though they have all been very helpful it has been hard on me and the students to keep adapting to someone new all the time.

I went in on Friday but I was told that he was in a regional meeting and not there. On Monday the school secretary tells me that he was supposed to be there but he hasn't shown up that day so they don't know when he will be in. When I ask if he will be in on Tuesday she tells me she doesn't know but I should check tomorrow. This is quite typical whenever I need to find anyone. Finally on Tuesday he is at the school and I ask permission to use a room after hours. He tells me that it shouldn't be a problem, but that I should write a formal letter requesting it (something the other principals never asked for)

I type up a letter but I cannot print it out until the next day since the only person that has a printer I can use works all day and will print documents out for me if I leave my USB with them overnight. Today, Wednesday I am able to go see the principal and after he reads my note, I get permission to use a classroom.

My next step is to make a sign advertising the course and the informational meeting this coming Monday. I need to make a copies to put around town but when I get to the house where they have a photocopier all the doors are closed and no on is there. This means that tomorrow morning I will go to the photocopier, get my copies, put them up around town and let as many people as I can know. That is, this is what the plan is but who knows what will really happen tomorrow...