Since we have returned to campus, our days are really laid back; therefore, our blogs are pretty low key and account for a lot of down time. Today was a "free day" We woke up and headed up to the main area for breakfast. After breakfast we met in the library to go over our last two chapters of reading or so we thought. As we discussed the effect of Mass Media on our communication styles, time seemed to fly by so quickly and we were only able to cover one chapter in its entirety prior to lunch. We came to the general conclusion that media impacts us from when we are children to all the way through adulthood. This was seen when our conversation went to from talking about the cartoon Rugrats to the television show Girlfriends. This just paints a picture for you of how diverse the media content can be.

After lunch Brittany and I went to milk cows. Well actually, I became more of a photographer of Brittany since I wasn’t too big on the idea. I accompanied her so I could capture the experience of film, which I am sure was something new for her. It wasn’t much of a surprise that our afternoon showers came right when Brittany was done milking, which left us enough time to work on our project and prepare for dinner and dancing lessons afterward.
Surprisingly, our semester is winding down very soon and in order to take advantage of our free time, we took the remainder of the afternoon to work on our group project. Once we return to the U. S., we will all be returning to the “real world,” which will make it difficult for us to reconnect and finish our class work.

Thankfully, our schedule here on the UGA campus is slow paced and allows for time like this to tie up any loose ends on our assignments. came to an end ---what fun!

Pura Vida,
Nicola

From PDA to Refugees, we learned a lot today! 6/24/2009

This morning began like every other we have spent at Hotel Milvia: hot coffee, warm bread, and fresh fruit. After breakfast, we had a visit and activity with Joaquin; we started out by discussing cultural differences about non-verbal communication. Following our morning talk, we hopped on a bus and headed for the city mall to do a little people watching and observe these differences for ourselves. While watching people walk by or sit and chat at the food court, we noticed that Costa Ricans are a lot more “touchy-feely” than we are as Americans. They walked closer together (especially the men), they made more contact while talking or walking, and they were more animated and expressive among other things.
After fighting the rain to get back to Hotel Milvia, we had a little down time before our next activity—a discussion with law school students at the University of Costa Rica. I think that this was my favorite part of the day. Over the course of their semester, they have studied Costa Rica’s refugee situation and interacted with many of the refugee and governmental organizations. We learned many interesting facts about being a refugee, most importantly how it is completely separate from migration. Did you know that according to the United Nations, there are five acceptable reasons to be considered a refugee: (1) political persecution, (2) religion, (3) nationality, (4) race, and (5) social class/position. We also learned that in Costa Rica, there are twelve thousand government recognized refugees; this number does not include those currently trying to obtain this status. It was even a little surprising, to me at least, to find out that of those twelve thousand, two were American women that had come here to get away from domestic violence. It was very interesting to hear what these students had learned and how, over the course of time, their understanding and attitude towards refugees had changed.
After the students shared their research and explained everything they were doing to help educate people and spread information about refugees, they had a little reception for us. In the hall outside of the classroom, we were given sandwiches, refresca (pineapple and passion fruit juice), and a sweet biscuit with caramel icing on top. It was great because we were able speak with the students informally, asking them questions about their work or our projects that we are working on for Dr. Harris.
All in all, we had an extremely eventful day filled with lots of learning! And now it’s time for dinner, PURA VIDA!

BRITTANY

Chao Puerto Viejo! June 23, 2009

Today started with a sad goodbye to Puerto Viejo and all the friends we made while visiting there. The week we spent in Puerto Viejo was a very refreshing change from the city—once we all got used to the fact that we were just going to have to deal with the bugs and the humidity! It was wonderful to have the opportunity to meet people from all different cultures and backgrounds, and to get a feel for a different type of Costa Rican culture.
Now we are back in San Jose, staying in Hotel Milvia again. After arriving at the hotel, we took a little break to get situated and rest a little bit from the long bus ride. Once we were all settled, we held a class discussion over chapter 7 in our book; the chapter was about interracial friendships. We all took turns sharing some personal experiences discussing how, if at all, communication within these interracial friendships may differ from friendships we have within our respective races.
After about an hour and a half of discussion, the group broke up to get ready for dinner. Tonight we met with two interracial and intercultural couples over dinner to talk with them about their experiences and difficulties caused by racial and cultural differences. Because there was quite a large group of people, I really only got to talk to one of the couples, Susan and Fernando. They had just recently (six months) gotten married after having dated for about four years. It was funny because Susan had actually met Fernando through study abroad; his family had been her host family four and a half years ago. Because his family had gotten the chance to get to know her, they had no problem at all with her joining their family. On the other hand, before Susan’s family had the chance to meet Fernando, they were a little leery. They had this idea in their head that he would be unfaithful and run out on her just because of things people had told them about Costa Rican men. Fortunately once the family met Fernando, Susan told us, they all loved him, even her big brother who had not liked a single guy Susan had ever dated.
Susan and Fernando also talked about some of the cultural differences they experienced in their relationship, the biggest issue being with punctuality and planning. Susan, being from the States, likes to be on time and makes plans based around their daily schedules. However, Fernando is a Tico, he runs on Tico time and it doesn’t bother him to be a little late or if plans change. Their different concept of timing and making plans has caused quite a few arguments, according to Fernando, but they are learning to adjust and navigate their way around these differences.
All in all, dinner was great and the conversations were interesting and stimulating! Tomorrow we have a lot planned and I am exhausted, so good night!

PURA VIDA!

BRITTANY

A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That

Well, our time in Puerto Viejo is coming to an end. Our last day here was very relaxing, but it would not be complete if something of interest happened. The day began with the group having breakfast at Banana Azul as usual. The meal consisted of potatoes, bacon, eggs, and toast. After we boarded a taxi, Dr. Harris, Brittany, and Nicola went horseback riding, Shiri and I (Santrice) went kayaking, and Mitzi went for a walk through the botanical garden. Because it was my activity of choice, I can personally say that kayaking was a ton of fun!
We kayaked on a river, and after having completed three hikes since being here in Costa Rica, I was able to appreciate the tranquility of being still for a change and identifying some of the animals we saw along the river. The journey was actually one of the most peaceful things that we have done since being here!. Everything just seemed to be at a standstill and quiet. Our adventure lasted approximately one hour and thirty minutes. After the kayaking, we journeyed into the city and shopped in the stores. Puerto Viejo is strikingly different from San Jose, but in a more low-key and serene way. For one, everyone here seems to be a lot calmer instead of hustling as they were in San Jose. Another difference is that I saw a lot more people of the same or close skin complexion as myself. The final difference is that although Spanish is the official language, people were also able to communicate in English, which was a lot easier since I still do not know a ton of Spanish.
While in town Shiri and I decided to have lunch at Mr. Patterson’s (one of guest speakers) restaurants. The food there was delicious! Both of us had red snapper with one form of rice and beans or another. An interesting thing happened at the restaurant that reminded me of the importance of this class. As we were bringing our lunch to a close and waiting on the check, a Caucasian couple proceeded to walk up to us and begin speaking in Spanish and asking us questions about the restaurant. While asking questions for clarity is fine, I was taken aback by the stereotyping that seemed to be occurring. We were sitting down at our table like the other patrons, so I can assume why they had drawn the inaccurate conclusion that we worked there. Now this could be taken one of two ways. Either they saw two people who looked absolutely nothing like them and made the assumption that we had to work there or they were just really confused. At no time during our time here has anyone for one second thought that we were from Costa Rica, so why now? I have no problem being a part of the community or culture, but my gut feeling is that this was probably not the case. Seeing that the class is about race, I just thought this would be an interesting situation to share with you all. In short, this is something I experience in North America and thought I had left behind. Enough of that though. Just a little food for thought.
The rest of our day has been filled with rest, class (where we discussed theories about race), and dinner. Upon day break we will be on our way back to San Jose, the big city! We do not have much time left here, so I will be trying to enjoy every day as much as possible. This will be my last blog for this journey so I hope that you have enjoyed my experiences as much as I have enjoyed sharing them with you. This has been an eye-opening experience and one that I will not forget as long as I live!

A Name by Any Other

Today we went on our fourth hike with a Puerto Viejo native named Tino. Shiri was sick with flu-like symptoms, so she was unable to make the hike. Throughout the hike in Manzanilla (a neighboring town to Puerto Viejo), Tino showed us the luscious plant, tree and animal species from the Caribbean coast in Costa Rica. One of my favorite things that we saw was the Walking Tree. This tree is special because it literally “walks” from place to place in search of sunlight. According to Tino, whenever other trees in the forest begin to grow and block the sunlight within the forest, the Walking Tree will shed its roots and lean until the trunk of the tree moves into the new sunlight. Once the Walking Tree has found proper sunlight, it will sprout new roots. It has been said that a Walking Tree will move about 40 kilometers in its lifetime.

In addition to seeing the Walking Tree and other plant life, we were able to sample fruits that were in the forest including several species of coconuts such as the sponge coconut that is a waterless mutation of the coconuts to which we are accustomed, and quite tasty might I add. We also had the opportunity to see some of the Puerto Viejo wildlife, which was really exciting to see up close and personal!. There were Howler monkeys, Red frogs and Jesus Iguanas, the latter of which derive their name from their ability to walk on water.

While I enjoyed learning all about Puerto Viejo, more than anything I enjoyed gaining an understanding of the power of naming/ language within the forest and in the community as it relates to the Caribbean-Costa Rican culture. I will illustrate this point through one of my favorite medicinal trees: The Naked Indian Tree (yes, that is its real name).

The Naked Indian Tree is native to Costa Rica and generally grows in rainforest areas. Costa Ricans use this tree for several medicinal purposes that include offering relief for those who suffer from asthma, diabetes, stomach aches, and as a diarrhetic for weight loss. It can be identified by its reddish-brown in color and barkless trunk, hence its very stereotypical name. To be honest, upon seeing the tree and learning the name Puerto Viejo natives had given it, I was a bit angry especially, after the talks we had earlier that week on the oppression of the Indigenous BriBri people in Costa Rica. Even though I am aware that we are taking an interracial course, and therefore many things may have different meanings for me than it would for a Costa Rican, I still had that inherent need for political correctness. Then, I had to take a step back and really dissect the American ideology of political correctness.

Earlier in our trip we learned that while political correctness was something originally meant to protect people of color and other marginalized groups (i.e., women, gays) from derogatory language, today it has become an excuse for continued ignorance as in, “I’m sorry I called you that name and you felt it was politically incorrect even though I really meant it.” On the other hand, in Costa Rica, political correctness is seen as dishonesty because here everyone says what they feel. Over all I’ve seen that while Costa Ricans may have racial differences, they prefer to put them out in the open rather than treating it as an affliction.

While many may think that being so open about race would cause more problems, I’ve honestly preferred the “out and open” conversations on race and life that we have experienced here. In my mind, at least you know where everyone is coming from. There is no need to guess or hide behind disingenuous and from what I’ve seen this has made the people of Puerto Viejo closer.

Part of me wishes that people in North America would be more open to discussions of race in the same manner. I think that if we were able to just put things out there, we would be able to not only find out people’s true feelings, but also address those feelings that are based on stereotypical misrepresentations. I truly believe that then, and only then, can we move towards the racial acceptance U.S. citizens claim to have.

Web of Life

"You must teach your children... that all things are connected like the blood, that unites one family. Whatever befalls the Earth befalls the sons of the Earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself." - Chief Seattle

Today we woke up and had breakfast at Banana Azul. On the menu was banana pancakes with glazed apples and syrup on top, along with the staples (fruit, cereal, coffee, tea, juice). Shortly after breakfast we all gathered around to have a forum on Interracial and Intercultural relationships with Ashley (recent Master’s graduate), Alaine, Suzanna, Sheran, and Erica (ATEC employees), and Jasmine (U.S. professor);. The discussion was started with the initial question posed to the students: "What is your image of the Costa Rican national identity?" Some of the responses were that the dominant group is the white Costa Ricans and all others are second class citizens. It is clear that colorism exists in Costa Rica, and that has become evident in our group experiences on both the Pacific and Atlantic sides of country. The discussion then moved to a discussion of what seems like a very innate dislike of Nicaraguans. Ms. Sheran gave an example of how she was treated on her visit to Nicaragua to see her in-laws and when it became known that she is Costa Rican. This experience painted for her a clear picture of how it must feel for Nicaraguans living in Costa Rica and constantly facing discrimination.

From the discussion, it became apparent that racism still exists in Costa Rica; however, as the saying goes, “You don’t air your dirty laundry to company.” So when we ask direct questions, we are usually given a politically correct response. In short, people want to ignore the reality of racism and its very existence. We all have socially constructed identities, but we must always remember that God created us and nature, and nature doesn’t discriminate and we shouldn’t either. Our uniqueness helps to create the diversity around us. It is clear that Costa Rica is transitioning and trying to redefine itself as a country and there is space now for influences from all the groups represented in Costa Rica a more holistic national identity.

After such a rich discussion, we all needed a swim and mental break, and we did just that! So some of us had our massages, while the rest of us checked emails and talked to family members. This evening we will be going to meet Congressman Edwin Patterson (Sheran's uncle) and have dinner at Ms. Mirna's house (Sheran's mother).

Words cannot describe the phenomenal discussion we shared with Mr. Patterson prior to dinner! The key thought from his talk was that "problems don’t exist until we create them." This has been apparent for me on this trip because as a result of experiences we have faced in the past, we (in general) have had our guards up and feel out of place in places even when we are welcome. Mr. Patterson's family was one of the first Jamaican families to come Puerto Viejo to work on the banana plantations and then the railroad. He is a man with a wealth of knowledge about the area and Costa Rican history as a whole and painted a great picture, which held true to the saying I’ve heard: “Don’t make a declaration on an issue until you hear both sides of the story.” According to Mr. Patterson, “Happiness is not material.”

Family and community is all you need to survive, not material goods. Check out the video clip to get an understanding. Today was a wonderful day,

Nicola

Back To Basics

Today we traveled to Alta-Talamanca, which is about 10-20 minutes outside of Puerto Viejo, to meet with the indigenous BriBri people of Puerto Viejo and one of their elders, Don Timoeteo Jackson. During our visit we had the pleasure of taking a walk through the rainforest and swimming under a rainfall. That is something we would never have the chance to do in the States, and I am so glad Brittany, Dr. Harris, and I took the plunge!

The BriBri people are a tribe of Native Costa Ricans (similar to Native Americans) who still practice the traditions begun by their ancestors hundreds of years ago. To clarify, they are not headdress wearing, naked, exotic others who dance around fire; forget the stereotypes. They are beautiful, intelligent, resourceful people who have been victimized by the greed of land conquests throughout history.

As with Native Americans in North America, the BriBri people were the original habitants of Costa Rica who lived on this land well before Christopher Columbus and other Spanish conquistadors began inhabiting the country. Unfortunately, as with many countries that Spanish conquistadors inhabited, the BriBri people were a forgotten link in Costa Rican history for centuries until groups such as ATEC (explain who they are) and indigenous leaders, such as Don Timoeteo, committed themselves to working to preserve their unique culture and to educate the public about their pre-conquistador history.

One of the things I found most interesting from our talk with Don Timoeteo was the oppression his people faced over the years and how well this injustice has been strategically and purposely hidden from the rest of the world. Much of the BriBri history was erased when disease and mass killings wiped out most of their people in the early settlements of the Spanish conquistadors. It was estimated that over 80 percent of their population was killed in the first couple of decades during the Spanish Conquest. Those who were not killed were forced to sell their land for subpar prices or were pushed onto reservations deep within the mountains of Costa Rica. To illustrate this point, Don Timoeteo told us the story of his great-grandfather, who was a respected BriBri leader. Sadly, several men killed him because he refused to sell the BriBri land near Puerto Viejo to them for industrial purposes. Before they murdered him, the “white men,” as Don Timoeteo referred to them, tried to get him drunk with corn rum and trick him into signing the contracts. But to their surprise, after hours of drinking, Don Timoeteo’s great-grandfather was still sober and refused to sign away his people’s land. Out of anger, the “white men” killed his grandfather, not realizing that Don Timoeteo’s great-uncle was on his way to claim the BriBri people’s land as the rightful heir. To this day, people continue to try and take what rightfully belongs to the BriBri of Puerto Viejo.

Personally, I was amazed at how one group of people could do so much destruction around the world. In the U. S., we barely learn of the conquests that took place, and to learn that it happened all over the world really makes me cringe. I understand that to be ethnocentric is a natural human trait, but to be so privileged and then use that privilege to wipe out millions of people for selfish goals is something I could never understand. What angers me most is that the Spanish conquistadors disguised their selfish desires by saying that their main purpose for conquest was to “bring Christianity to the ‘heathens’” that inhabited the Americas. But, if they were really the Christian as they claimed to be, they would know that selfishness, hatred, and bloodshed are never okay. Unfortunately, much of the world still hasn’t learned that lesson.

Okay, okay…I’ll step off my soapbox.

During our time with Don Timoeteo, he told us of the rich history of the BriBri people and demonstrated their self-sustaining, intelligent spirit as we walked through the rich and fruitful land in the Talamanca rainforest. It was refreshing to learn that the BriBri people have cures and remedies for several ailments U.S. Americans also suffer from on a daily basis, including diabetes, asthma and obesity. It was amazing to me how much they rely on nature in their everyday life. In the U. S., we rely so much on chemicals and manmade remedies, but everything is there in nature for us, free of charge and complicated visits to the doctor’s office.
By the end of our walk, I really began to think about how the world would be different if we valued nature more than convenience. Granted, it is easier to drive to a doctor and get everything we need than hiking for three hours in the rainforest every time we are sick, but what are we truly sacrificing by doing so? Besides, we can enjoy the beauty of nature along the way…

Think about it,
Mitzi