1) I have never seen weather like this before every in my life. People keep saying that there is a cold front on top of us. I feel like we are in the middle of a cloud or something. It has been raining like all day for the past couple of the days but the sun has been out. But, it isn't normal rain. It's like a weird MIST. It's not enough for an umbrella but you still get wet! The wind has also been REALLY strong. Last night, the wind blew up a piece of our roof. I could hear it banging up and down. Probably the best thing about this strange weather, is the amazing rainbows that show up in the sky. They are so pretty!
2) Yesterday in San Jose, there was a taxi strike! Taking a taxi here in Costa Rica is not like taking a taxi in the U.S. In fact, I don't know many people who do take taxis in the States. However, here is is very common and not extremely expensive. All the legal taxis are red with a yellow triangle on the side. There are also illegal taxis. These taxis are not red and do not have a yellow triangle. Apparently, there is a lot of tension between the legal taxi drivers and the illegal taxi drivers. So, yesterday there was a strike. I have no idea the exact reason but I saw on the news a HUGE line of red taxis in the city somewhere. By the way, it took me about 20 minutes to get a taxi yesterday. Usually it takes less than five minutes!
3) Did you know that Costa Rica doesn't have an army? I didn't until about 24 hours ago. I am fascinated by this concept. Costa Rica has somehow maintained a state of neutrality amidst a world of chaos and violence. Since they don't have an army, the extra money is spent on education and health care systems. This helps Costa Rica maintain a higher level of living than other Central American cultures. How interesting!
4) A man named Otton Solis came to my class on Tuesday to talk to us about U.S. Foreign Policy. Many of you may not recognize his name. Let me give you some background information. Oscar Arias is the current President of Costa Rica. He was re-elected as the President in 2006. He ran against Otton Solis! Mr. Solis lost by just 1% of the popular vote. The next election is next year in 2010 and Mr. Solis plans on running again and this time winning the election. It was so interesting to hear him speak about the U.S. He brought up very valid points and he was an excellent speaker. I came home on Tuesday night and I told my family that I met someone famous. They said, Who? And I told them Otton Solis! They just laughed and laughed at me!
1 comment:
OMG, you met Oton Solis? We were there during the 2006 election when he was running. I think i still have a campaign flag. He was definitely the LASP favorite, though he lost. How's Arias running the country these days?
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