Less Albergue, more...fiber?

Hello everyone. It's been a whole week now since I've posted ("I" being "Kristen or I"), and Sam's well-written post about Volcan Barva and 'having a splendid little chat about the jovial things in life, as only the very best of friends can do' was a whole week ago now (jolly good work, chap). So we're updating.

Life here is good. Life is challenging at times. Well, more like the Albergue (orphanage) is challenging at times. Not necessarily bad challenging...(insert exclamatory cough here)...oh, okay, so not every challenge is a welcome one. But life is proceeding.

The orphanage has 14 kids (and climbing). It is supposed to have around 10, but as most places in this line of work seem, they have a surplus of children in need. Kristen and I work from about 8:30 to about 12:30. The "about" is due to bus schedules that fluctuate within a 15-minute window and due to hours that change depending on the childrens' needs. We initially were 'just' occupying the kids with games and our attention. Now, as we become more familiar with the kids' schedules and the "tias" ("aunts" who live/work there) we have been asked to put together a more consistent schedule that includes doing homework, teaching English, and playing.

Sounds simple enough, right? Well...
As it turns out, the ages at the orphanage range from 3 to 13ish. The different age groups have different school schedules, as most Costa Rican students have classes either in the morning or in the afternoon, alternating every week. Our kids have such different schedules that predicting who will be there is a difficult task. Furthermore, the kids seem to rarely have homework, and often only one or two will have anything to work on. Likewise, teaching English is challenging because the kids are all at very different places with what they know. Some have only a Sesame-Street level, some know more. So the whole 'organized schedule' thing kinda goes out the window (and over the gate, down the street, out of town and into the nearest active volcano). But hey, Pura Vida ("Pure Life") eh? Schedules are....well. "Schedules aren't," is more accurate.

There are days at the Albergue when we leave with kids holding onto us with hugs. There are other days where we leave and the kids are holding onto each other in a fight to the death. They are very possessive of everything, disrespectful to others, and deaf to me. But they need attention, and a safe environment. We're doing our best, but patience wears thin at times. We'll see where we are in a month or two.

Aside from Albergue frustrations, life is very good. Our host mom is pretty awesome, as Sam can attest to (he was here this last weekend). She refuses to let us clean our dishes, the floors, the bathroom. She dislikes it when we clear the table. She even insists that it's her job to make our beds.

I like her. :)

But life is getting more reasonable. At first, we literally could not move our dishes. Now when we clear the table, we get an eyebrow raise and a playful scolding, but we are permitted to do so. We can even get away with cleaning the occasional dish. The first time we made it into the kitchen and cleaned something (well, Kristen cleaned something...), Gretel was conversing with a visitor in the living room. We finished the dishes. Kristen went to our room down the hall, and from there she heard:

"*GASP!* She...she cleaned them?! What shame!" I was standing too close, and she turned to me and said (with her expression and maybe her words (??): "Why? Why did you let her do this?" But things are more reasonable now....It's more of a joke, because at first (and now) she always would say, "This afternoon, this afternoon" or "tomorrow, tomorrow" or "Later. There is time." Which distracted us for awhile, but we're catching on.

So, by now you're wondering what the "fiber" in the title is all about. Well, the truth is, we're running short on it. Whole grains and whatnot are not a big thing here. Rice and beans and corn are. So (and those of you who were in China with me remember this) instead of having the problem of just going with the flow, it's been pretty slow going. We've been healthy though, except for a two-day Kristen vs. digestive system battle. But that's over.

Other than those couple minor complaints, we're great. The people are great, our family is great, the uVolunteer people are great, the food is great, the blackberry smoothies are great, the frozen chocolate cappuccinos at the Aroma Cafe are great...

Pura Vida.

I've written a lot.

Blessings to ya'll in the midwest and wherever else. Thinking of you, and our thoughts and prayers are with you as your's are with us.