Futbol and the Farmers Market

Today marks two weeks since my arrival. It’ s amazing what a change of scenery can do for the soul, although I suppose it’s all relative since I probably wouldn’t feel the same were I living in Tajikistan (nothing against central Asia). I also have the cultural and language advantage since I’m viewed as Uruguayan, not North American. I haven’t made any weekend forays outside of San Jose since my trip to Cahuita, but I’ve been enjoying the nightlife here, enjoying it too much in fact.








I’ve always been a night person and moving to a new place has only amplified that tendency, but I’ve decided to make a truce, a temporary cease-fire, a non-aggression pact if you will, with my liver and my wallet. I’ll be here for at least a year so there’s no point in trying to pack it in the first month.

As for last weekend, a group of friends and I went to watch Costa Rica destroy Chile in a futbol friendly. There was nothing friendly about it though, from the loud remarks directed at the Chilean goalie’s maternal provenance (hijo de ___) to the red card issued at to a Chilean player just before halftime to the not so witty insults screamed at the Mexican referee and his heritage. The atmosphere was lively as was the game, non-stop attacking and a barrage of shots on goal. La seleccion is actually a solid team and plays an entertaining brand of futbol. Once the domestic league starts comes the fun part of picking a random -preferably underdog team- and cheering them on at games like we've always been fans. Kind of like people do with the Yankees, the Red Sox and the Lakers, except more along the lines of the Clippers in our case.

In keeping with my local cultural immersion program, I went to the farmers market in Pavas on Saturday. It’s bursting with a huge assortment of exotic fruits and veggies and unlike the farmers markets in D.C., it’s cheaper than the grocery store. They also sell bootleg movies and CDs. I stayed away from the meat though. I haven’t gotten sick yet and I don’t plan on breaking my streak. I still enjoy eating rice, beans, salad, and some kind of meat everyday but I'm craving some Indian food, Chipotle and good Pizza (Vace for the D.C. crowd). Speaking of pizza, has anyone seen the new Domino's dessert pizza? It's crushed Oreos on a bed of something topped with chocolate syrup. It's stuff like this that convinces me beyond any doubt -much more so than the war in Iraq or any other botched Bush administration action or the rise of China and India- that U.S. hegemony is in a precipitous decline. Does Domino's pay its advertising firm in pot now? Because a bunch of stoned college students is the only way I can conceive of someone imagining dessert Oreo pizza. Then again, I never thought the McGriddle would catch on but apparently it's delicious.

I’ve also included some pics from my office. When it’s not cloudy, the view is stunning, as San Jose is nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains and volcanoes. Also worth mentioning, there’s apparently a man who every so often strips down completely and dances in the median below our window for an indeterminate period of time. I haven’t been lucky enough to witness it yet (I wonder what kind of moves he has and if I can request the worm/dolphin) but I’ll keep you posted.













My first full week at work is moving along nicely. I’m still getting my bearings but the 20 second walk to the office makes “going to work” so much better. I’ve decided that when I get a new job it has to be within a 2 minute walk from my place. I may have to be a “Sandwich Artist” at Subway or a barrista at Starbucks (I draw the line at McDonald’s or CVS) but I’ll be a happier person I think. It’s also worth pointing out that the Habitat regional HQ is a nicer building than the Montgomery County Council and we don’t have to pay for our water cooler! MCC has an annual operating budget of over $4 billion by the way. I'm excited about my volunteer coordinator position because it's actually critical to the organization and I'm busy during the day. Managing volunteers is also a new challenge for me and it's the first time I've worked with younger people. Pura Vida!