So, I have been a little busy this past month. Back in September we had our independence day celebrations. They are quite involved. It took two weeks to decorate the school,new murals were painted on the walls, the drum line practiced constantly, loudly. On the actual day of the celebration most of the schools population marched through town banging drums, twirling batons, or just smiling and waving. A good time was had by all.
A few weekends ago was the Day of Indigenous Culture. This is a rather important day in Boruca. The main event is a feast with traditional foods. I witnessed and lent a hand in the food preporation. The main event was the pig slaughter. I had to help string it up because I was the only one tall enough to reach the rafters of the community center. I helped with the shaving as well and plucked some chicken feathers. I thought it was an important experience because I believe that anyone who eats meat should be willing to participate in the slaughter of their favorite foods. If one does not have the stomach to watch then they should be vegetarian. I found that I clearly had the stomach for it and will be enjoying bacon for years to come.
I also had the opportunity to participate in the traditional occupation of Ticos for the past 150 years, coffee picking. In the begining I was rather enjoying it. Sunshine, cool breezes, fragrant plants, bella vistas, what could be so bad. To tell the trught there is really nothing bad about it except that it is really quite boring. One is assigned a row of bushes. One enocuners the bush and examens every branch. Those berries that are red or yellow can be picked and thrown into the basket around one´s waist. The green ones are left to rippen and will be picked another day. And that is pretty much coffee picking. There is more that goes into the cultivation and maintinace of the plants but so far as harvesting, well, one can accomplish a lot of thinking.
I have also been traveling north quite a bit. I had an interview with a private school in Heredia and got the job. So once my volunteer duties in Boruca are finished I am off to Heredia to start my new job. So, I´ll be in Costa Rica until at least June 2009 and longer if I decided to stay at the school through another year. Right now I am in town for the weekend looking for apartments. My main criteria is no live chickens in the kitchen.