Workin at the Orphanage

EMI hasn’t been all engineering and traveling.  Every week, Alfonso and I work at Hogar de Vida, an orphanage here in Atenas.  The day starts with a Bible study (in Spanish, of course) and then we are off to our various tasks.  One day I helped a team from the States mix cement so they could build a new septic system.  Another day, Alfonso and I helped clear logs that had been cut from fallen trees.  We have also cut the grass a few times, which has given me a new appreciation for self-propelled lawnmowers and gloves.  One week, we helped plant banana trees.  The orphanage wants to be more sustainable, so they are hoping to grow more of their own food.  We got to do our small part to help by digging holes in the side of a steep, muddy hill through grey, cement-like clay and planting 5 to 8 foot tall banana trees.  We have also helped cut weeds and small trees using machetes, and we still have all of our fingers.

It has been neat to think about the orphans while doing all of these things.  To remember we are cutting grass so orphans have a safe place to play or planting trees to the orphans can have food to eat.  

Intern Vacation! - Part 2: Boca del Torros

Once we got off the boat in Boca del Torros, we were greeted by many locals who wanted to show up to our hotel and to offer us boat tours the next morning.  We got to the hotel, and were a little bit surprised by the quality of the accommodations.  It turns out there were no private bathrooms, there was no water one day, and while we were trying to fix our key into the lock (they had given us the wrong key), we listened to a lady yelling about how there had been 5 attempted murders and that we should cleanse the hotel and forgive him… What a great welcome to the city!

After most of us had gotten over the initial shock of our living arrangements, we decided to explore the town.  We talked with several boat tour companies and arranged to have someone pick us up at the hotel the following morning to go island hopping.  That night we went to a restaurant called The Pirate and Bethanny, Matt and I split a 3.5 pound Red Snapper.  We got so many looks from the other people at the restaurant (customers and waitors), but the fish was great!

The next day we set out on our boat tour.  We began by going to a bay where there are a lot of dolphins.  We learned that dolphins like to play in the boat’s wake, so our captain would drive quickly in tight circles so we could watch the dolphins jump behind us.  Other times, he would turn off the engine so we could get closer to the dolphins.

After that, we went snorkeling.  We got to see some very colorful coral and a lot of small, colorful fish.  I also saw a jellyfish…boo.  We got out of the water as it started to rain.  To escape the rain, we retreated to a cabana on a near-bye island.  We weren’t the only ones who decided to wait out the storm; soon the cabana and dock were full of locals and tourists.  The owners turned up the music and we had a little party.  It was fun to relax and hang out with the other interns and see how Panamanians party.

Once the rain died down, we went to yet another island where we got to relax on a beautiful beach.  Trees on one side, rocks on the other, and beautiful sand in the middle.  A little boy who lived on the island showed us a small red frog that the island is named after (Red Frog Island).  We had expected to get to hike on the island, so we talked to the captain about it.  He said there was no hiking on the island, but for a small fee we could go to another island where his friend lives. J

On to the next island.  This part of the adventure began by taking the boat up a fairly narrow river.  We saw some toucans and other birds on our way to the friend’s house.  We eventually got to a small dock, got off the boat, and walked next to a banana orchard to get to a thatched-roof hut.  There was a family playing horse-shoes with some bottle caps, and a dog and several chickens running around.  A man came out of the house and the captain explained that we would like a tour of his property.  Apparently this leg of the tour wasn’t very common.  The friend agreed, and we began exploring.  First, he invited he to see a huge rat/ant-eater thing he had just caught that was living in a cage in his house.  Just behind his house he pointed out a three-toed sloth that was just above head-level.  It was fun to watch the sloth try to escape as he slowly looked from side to side and climbed up the tree.  After trekking through a muddy forest, the friend found a huge centipede, and later an orange and then a red frog.  Finally, we came to a cave.  We stepped inside, took some pictures, and were about to leave when he asked if we wanted to explore it farther.  Of course we said yes, so on we went.  The cave was full of bats that flew all around the entire time we were in the cave.  We also saw some nasty spiders, some beautiful stalactites, and we even drank some mineral water from a stalactite.  After leaving the cave, we made our way back to the friend’s house.  He cut down some sugarcane, peeled it, and cut it into small pieces for us before we left.  Back in the boat as we were leaving the island, we saw monkeys!  The captain turned off the boat and we watched the monkeys run around in the branches and jump from tree to tree.

After braving the hotel another night, Alfonso and I went kayaking before it was time to leave.  Then we took the boat to the van to the boarder to the next van to the bus and arrived back in Atenas in one piece.

What a great vacation!

Intern Vacation! - Part 1: Puerto Viejo

Last week there was an EMI conference in the States, so you know what that means: Intern Party!  All of the interns, along with our friend from language school, Katie, and Bethany’s boyfriend, Matt, took a few days off of work and went to some of the most amazing beaches I have ever seen.

The trip began with a long bus ride from Atenas to San Jose to Puerto Viejo in southern Costa Rica.  We spent the rest of the day exploring the town, eating seafood, and relaxing on the beach.  I spent that night sleeping outside in a hammock just because I could (I was under a mosquito net, of course…not that it helped.  I had 5 mosquitos trapped in with me all night). 

The next day, we went to an amazing place called Bread and Chocolate.  I ordered a mocha and they brought out a cup of homemade chocolate, a cup of milk, and a coffee press.  I made the mocha “wrong,” and put all of the chocolate in the first cup, along with a little milk and a little coffee.  So good!

After recovering from our food comas, we hiked through the woods on our way to the most beautiful beach I have ever seen.  It was completely undeveloped, and the forest went all the way up to the beautiful white sand beaches that gently flowed into the crystal-clear perfect temperature Caribbean Sea.  Its off-season right now, so there were very few people at the beach, locals mostly.  We spent the day taking pictures, playing in the water, taking naps, and building faces and hearts in the sand.

That afternoon, we explored a beach on the other side of Puerto Viejo called Playa Negra.  The sand on this beach is all black because it is made of volcanic rock.  The sand is very fine and very soft.  The water at this beach was also perfectly clear, and the perfect temperature to play around in while enjoying the unique sand.  That night, we explored the town a little more and got to listen to some live Reggae music.

The next morning began with an attempt at catching sunrise at Playa Negra (it wound up being too cloudy to get any great pics).  After that, took a van to the boarder, made our way through customs (which seemed optional for many people), and made our way across a former railroad bridge with wood (sometimes) nailed across the railroad ties to keep people from falling through.  After going through customs and paying our $1 tourism fee in Panama, we got in the van and drove to a dock.  At the dock, we hopped in a boat and made our way to Boca del Torros.

Part of the Family

So not to interrupt my post before it even gets started, but there was just an earthquake here!  According to USGS it was a 5.9 on the Richter scale.  Everything seems fine here, but wow!  At first it just felt like the ground was shaking because a big car was driving by.  It got stronger until it felt like trying to stand in the back of a pickup truck on a bumpy road.  All the birds and the dogs were going crazy outside, and every time a car drives by, I think its an aftershock.

Back to your regularly scheduled blog post: My host family has done a great job making me feel like part of the family.  They speak slowly to help me understand Spanish, they hug me when I come back from work, and my little tico brother and sister have learned the art of sitting on my feet while I walk around.

Henry made a picture of his family in kindergarten.  He drew me in the top left

 Last week my little tico brother and sister were playing house.  Of course I got to be their little kid.  They had a fort set up in the dining room (chairs with blankets over them and all the stuffed animals they had piled underneath).  They have a little plastic kitchen thing, and both of my little "parents" wanted to cook me all sorts of made up food.  They would bring me an empty plate and tell me about their amazing creations, and they would bring me an empty cup and tell me about how good their coffee is.  One time, Amy brought me a special cup of coffee and told me to drink it quickly.  At first I was just sipping it, so she kept yelling "Rapido, rapido!"  To make her happy, I made a motion as if to chug the entire cup of make-believe drink.  As it turns out, the little cup was actually full of real juice, which I had just poured all over myself and the floor....The kids laughed, I laughed (although was just a little embarrassed) and my real tico mom taught Amy a lesson about mixing real things and imaginary things.

A little later I was playing with the stuffed animals and a few hot wheels cars when Henry decided to call his grandmother.  Henry and Amy always take my cell phone to play with, and they call all sorts of people, from my "cousins" to people from other countries, so I thought very little of Henry's conversation.  He told me the phone was for me, so I answered in little-kid language, "Halo?  Como esta?" expecting to be carrying on a conversation with a conversation with an imaginary person as usual.  Imagine my surprise when I heard the voice of Henry's grandmother on the other end! I had a nice conversation with her, but what an experience.

 Amy, being too cool

There was a toucan in the back yard

Regular Life in Costa

Now that I am done with my project trip, it is time to get used to normal life.  I have been working in the office most days during the last 2 weeks.  I have been creating new autoCAD drawings for the hospital and updating drawings for a boy’s home in Guatemala that were created before I got to Costa Rica.  I also had the opportunity to help out at an orphanage.  There was a team here building a new septic system, so I helped them a little bit.  I also wound up helping them with some yard work, and I came back to the house super muddy (that makes it a good day).  I went to the orphanage later in the week to help someone move her furniture (refrigerator, stove, washer, dryer, and 2 beds) to her new house.  We also had a Bible study with the orphans.  It was neat getting to meet some of them and to see God’s hand on the hospital.

In Costa Rica, I am living with a pastor.  That means I have lots of Bible studies (in Spanish, of course).  At one of these Bible studies, I learned a game that is much harder in Spanish.  It’s called fishbowl.  In this game, everyone writes down names of famous people, musicians, athletes, movies, etc.  All the words are put in a bowl, and people draw one and have to get other people to guess the word.  The first time around, you can use any words except the words on the paper to describe it.  The second time around, you can only use one word, and the third time around you can’t use any words.  I learned that I don’t know many famous Costa Rican musicians or athletes, and my vocabulary is still very limited, but my team still wound up winning (other ppl on the team were really good at the game).

On another note, God is good.  I didn’t get much of a break last weekend, and all the Spanish and Bible studies and work in general were wearing on me.  Yesterday during my quiet time, God reminded me of Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”  What a great reminder!  Today, I was able to sleep in a little and work on some stuff for my wedding and play with my tico brother and sister a little.  It has been good to relax a little bit.  Please pray that I will have time to relax during all work and various activities that go along with living with a pastor.  I have been a lot busier than I expected, and it is starting to catch up with me.  !Gracias por las oraciones!

Guatemala!

What a great trip! I just spent the last 8 days in Chichicastenango, Guatemala working on the Good Samaritan Hospital. Our team consisted of a structural engineer, a hospital architect, a mechanical engineer, and an electrical engineer, as well as an architect, construction manager, and another intern from the Costa Rica eMi office. After examining the hospital, it became apparent that adding an eye clinic was more of a temporary fix to the hospital’s problems, so in addition to designing the eye clinic, our team compiled a list of immediate fixes, a 2-5 year plan for a hospital remodel, and a 10-20 year goal for the hospital.

Final Presentation (What a beautiful CAD drawing!)



Me and Rosco working in Chichi



Preliminary Presentation

I spent the next few days working with the hospital architect (Rosco), the structural engineer (Richal), and the other intern (Erika). Rosco reconfigured much of the existing layout to work much more efficiently, Richal made sure the building wouldn’t fall down because of the changes, and us interns created and updated the CAD drawings. I also worked with Rosco to create charts showing the planned expansion in the 2-5 and 10-20 year plans. I also got the chance to act as a translator as Richal and I went to material supply stores to determine the quality of the concrete, steel, and cinder blocks in Chichi.  I spent a few hours at the hospital with the construction manager (Josh) as we took all the measurements necessary to create a new as-built of the entire hospital. We measured all of the windows, doors, wall heights, and location of important features, and I will be creating a new as-built in the coming weeks. During the week, we also had two presentations to hospital administrators, doctors, and other people who were interested in the proposed changes.

The week wasn’t all work. We began every morning with a devotion and worship with the volunteers. We also shared testimonies throughout the week. What a great way to get to know the people you are working with! On a more somber note, one of the volunteers had to leave early to be with her mom who was not doing well after heart surgery. It was amazing to see her faithfulness as she went on the trip while her mom was in the hospital. Please keep her and her family in your prayers.

I bought a painting and met the artist at the market!

We did get one day out on the town. Chichi is known for its huge, crazy street market, and we got to experience it first hand on Thursday. I again acted as translator as Rosco, Mike (the mechanical engineer) and I attempted to negotiate for the best prices on all sorts of souvenirs. We also got the chance to go out into the country to see a school and meet some of the locals. It was amazing to see the Mayan influence in Guatemala. The culture is nothing like Costa Rica or Mexico, and it was really neat to experience.

Thank for the prayers and support! Now that all of the crazy traveling is done(ish…), it’s time to adjust to “normal” life as I begin working in the office!



Little kids in a parade on Independence Day



In front of the hotel in the back of a truck

hmmm...

Should I be an architect?