![]() ![]() There’s no bonding agent better than a shared love for melodrama!!! My first coherent conversations with my host parents involved them explaining plot lines to me, getting me up to speed about who cheated on who, why the main character was crying or how a lost lover had been resurrected in the last episode of their favourite show. I quickly learned upon arrival that my family loves watching telenovelas at meals. But, ultimately, my juvenile enjoyment for overly dramatic TV shows was the key. Before I left Canada, I made a list of common interests we might share, like cooking or soccer. I was keen to practice my Spanish, but also to build a solid support system for the lonely moments that were sure to come. I really wanted to bond with my homestay family when I arrived. Thankfully I didn’t realize what I had said until I got home, although I think his partner standing nearby was more perceptive than I was. I wanted to offer my ice cream to him by asking “Do you want this?” or “Quiere este? but instead I came out with “Te quiero” or “I want you”. I had taken the last tub of chocolate and I saw a local Tico looking for the same flavour. My most embarrassing language faux-pas so far happened in a grocery store one night when I was buying ice cream with a friend. Language school is a perfect protected environment to make mistakes, but out in the real world, language mishaps seem to occur too often and get more awkward than I hoped. It’s the ultimate opportunity to embrace constant failure, overcome frustration and practice laughing at yourself. Learning a new language is an exercise in patience and humility. ![]() It’s not so much an expression to me as it is a social survival technique. Can’t take another bite of white rice and beans? Pura Vida. An angry bus driver doesn’t want to take your eticket? Pura Vida. Don’t know what your host mom is saying to you? Pura Vida. No matter the situation, Pura Vida is appropriate. Pura Vida is a very popular expression in Costa Rica which basically translates to “pure life”. Here are a few of my key ingredients to surviving in the land of the Ticos: By Caitlin Grady, McCall MacBain International Fellow (Costa Rica)Īfter more than a month living in Costa Rica, I have learned a few lessons about this very special country that I will call home for the next year. ![]()
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