EN ESPAÑOL ABAJO
[Here is my fourth bilingual travelogue entry about my experiences in a Spanish immersion program in Costa Rica. If you can read Spanish, please note that all grammar errors in the dialogue belong to me.]
ENGLISH TRANSLATION FOLLOWS.
[Todos de errores gramaticales en el diálogo son mios.]
En mi sexto día en Costa Rica conocí a unos amigos nuevos. Estaba hablando con Zeidy, la hija de Macha, y ella me invitó que acompañarla. No supe dónde, pero estaba feliz de ver cosas nueva.
"Vamos a ir a un lugar muy bonito," ella dijo.
Manajamos arriba una carretera estrecha con muchas curvas y rocas. Traté de concentrar en nuestra conversación y no me preocupé por mi seguridad.
Saturday, July 28, 2018
Tuesday, July 24, 2018
Muchos Niños Lloran / Many Children Cry
EN ESPAÑOL ABAJO...
[This is the third in a series of bilingual travelogue entries, a record of my progress in a Spanish Immersion program.]
ENGLISH TRANSLATION FOLLOWS...
En mi tercero día en Costa Rica, escuela comienzó. Estaba nerviosa sobre el autobús, pero mi mamá Tica caminó conmigo y le dijo a el conductor donde yo necesité ir.
En el bus hubo tres profesoras de mi escuela, CISA. Caminamos en la misma vía del día pasado. El edifício sirve para escuela, misión, y iglesia.
Aquí encontré a 11 perros que viven con el director, Héctor. Ellos siempre entran a escondidas. ¡A veces trepan por las ventanas!
Inicié en una clase intermedia con cuatro otros estudiantes. Todas las instrucciónes estuvieron en español. Estuvo como el sermón de Hector en el día pasado. Las palabras fluyeron sobre mi cabeza pero no entraron mis pensamientos. Sin embargo, hoy debí concentrar. ¿ Cómo pude aprender si no entendí las instrucciones?
Quise llorar, pero no. Sólo me senté en la silla y sonreí.
Después almuerzo, asistí un clase intensiva. Nosotros practicamos verbos reflexivos.
Después mi clase, yo fui a la parada con una profesora, Malli. Llegabamos diez minutos después el bus salió. El proximo bus fue a llegar en cincuenta minutos, y yo debí esperar sola.
Pregunté a Malli, "¿Cómo le digo el conductor donde necesito ir?"
Malli me explicó, pero no comprendé porque estuve inquieta. Ella repetía sus instrucciones, pero yo todavía no entendí. Ella escribía en mi cuaderno:
Yo dije, "¿Debo...?" Me levante el brazo y bajé un cable imaginario.
"Sí," ella contestó.
"¿Cómo sé cuando necesito...? Todavía no sabía el verbo.
"Después del puenta."
"¿El puente? ¿Dónde?"
Inicié llorar. "Disculpe," dije, y cubrí mis ojos. "Tengo miedo."
"Es normal," ella me dijo. "Quizás puede llamar un taxi."
"Pero no sé cómo que decir dónde la casa esta. Quizás camino. Pienso que puedo encontrar la casa si camino."
"Pero esta lejos, y esta lloviendo."
"¿Llovi... la lluvia?"
"Sí."
A mí me parecía que la carretera fue peligrosa. Fue estrecha y los carros manejaron rápidamente. Normalmente, disfruto caminar, per no quise mormirme en este día.
"OK. Por favor, me ayuda que llamar un taxi."
Malli llamó a Ariel, el nieto de Macha, y él llamó un taxi.
"Sólo diga, 'La casa de Doña Macha, por favor,' " Malli me dijo.
No necesité decir algo porque el conductor llegó en cinco minutos. Malli le dio las instrucciónes.
Después tres minutos, estuve en mi casa.
En la cocina, dije a Macha, "A mí me hace falta mi autobús." Estuve orgullosa para usando un estructura de mi clase intensiva. Ahora, sé la correcta oración: "Perdí mi autobús."
"No sé cómo que decir dónde..." Lloré de nuevo. "Disculpe."
"No llore," Macha dijo. "Es normal. Es su primer día." Ella me abrazó.
Ahora yo reí, tan duro que casi no puedo hablar. "Sí, muchos niños lloran en su primer día en escuela."
Soy normal.
=========================
On my third day in Costa Rica, school started. I was nervous about the bus, but my Tica Mama walked with me, and she told the bus driver where I needed to go.
On the bus were three teachers from my school, CISA. We walked the same route from the day before. The building serves as school, mission, and church.
Here I encountered 11 dogs that live with the director, Hector. They always sneak in. Sometimes they climb through the windows!
I started an intermediate class with four other students. All of the instruction was in Spanish. It was like Hector's sermon on the past day. The words flowed over my head but did not enter my thoughts. However, today I must concentrate. How could I learn if I could not understand the instruction?
I wanted to cry, but no. Instead, I sat in my chair and smiled.
After lunch, I attended an intensive class. We practiced reflexive verbs.
After my class, I went to the bus stop with a teacher, Malli. We arrived 10 minutes after the bus left. The next bus was going to arrive in 50 minutes, and I must wait alone.
I asked Malli, "How do I tell the driver where I need to go?"
She explained it to me, but I did not understand because I was very anxious. She repeated her instructions but I still did not understand. She wrote in my notebook:
To La Selva (The Jungle), please. You can stop where Aldemar or after the La Selva bridge." [I still don't quite understand the instructions.]
"Must I...?" I raised my arm and pulled an imaginary cable.
"Yes," she answered.
"How do I know when I need to...?" I still didn't know the verb.
"After the bridge."
"The bridge? Where?"
I started to cry. "I'm sorry," I said, and covered my eyes. "I have fear."
"It's normal," she said. "Maybe you can call a taxi."
"But I don't know how to say where my house is. Maybe I walk. I think I can find the house if I walk."
"No, it's far. And it's raining."
It appeared to me that the road was dangerous. It was narrow, and the cars drove rapidly. Normally, I enjoy walking, but I did not want to die on this day.
"Okay, please help me call a taxi."
Malli called Ariel, Macha's grandson, and he called a taxi.
"Just say, 'Doña Macha's house, please,' " Malli told me.
I didn't need to say anything, because the driver arrived in five minutes. Malli gave him the instructions.
I dried my eyes and hugged Malli.
After three minutes, I was in my house. In the kitchen, I said to Macha, "To me it happened that my bus was missing." I was proud for using a structure from my intensive class. Now I know the correct sentence: "I lost my bus." [It is an idiom that we don't use in English.]
"I don't know how to say where..." I cried again. "I'm sorry"
"Don't cry," Macha said. "It's normal. It is your first day."
Now I laughed, so hard that I almost couldn't talk. "Yes, many children cry on their first day of school."
I am normal.
[This is the third in a series of bilingual travelogue entries, a record of my progress in a Spanish Immersion program.]
ENGLISH TRANSLATION FOLLOWS...
En mi tercero día en Costa Rica, escuela comienzó. Estaba nerviosa sobre el autobús, pero mi mamá Tica caminó conmigo y le dijo a el conductor donde yo necesité ir.
En el bus hubo tres profesoras de mi escuela, CISA. Caminamos en la misma vía del día pasado. El edifício sirve para escuela, misión, y iglesia.
Aquí encontré a 11 perros que viven con el director, Héctor. Ellos siempre entran a escondidas. ¡A veces trepan por las ventanas!
Inicié en una clase intermedia con cuatro otros estudiantes. Todas las instrucciónes estuvieron en español. Estuvo como el sermón de Hector en el día pasado. Las palabras fluyeron sobre mi cabeza pero no entraron mis pensamientos. Sin embargo, hoy debí concentrar. ¿ Cómo pude aprender si no entendí las instrucciones?
Quise llorar, pero no. Sólo me senté en la silla y sonreí.
Después almuerzo, asistí un clase intensiva. Nosotros practicamos verbos reflexivos.
Después mi clase, yo fui a la parada con una profesora, Malli. Llegabamos diez minutos después el bus salió. El proximo bus fue a llegar en cincuenta minutos, y yo debí esperar sola.
Pregunté a Malli, "¿Cómo le digo el conductor donde necesito ir?"
Malli me explicó, pero no comprendé porque estuve inquieta. Ella repetía sus instrucciones, pero yo todavía no entendí. Ella escribía en mi cuaderno:
Yo dije, "¿Debo...?" Me levante el brazo y bajé un cable imaginario.
"Sí," ella contestó.
"¿Cómo sé cuando necesito...? Todavía no sabía el verbo.
"Después del puenta."
"¿El puente? ¿Dónde?"
Inicié llorar. "Disculpe," dije, y cubrí mis ojos. "Tengo miedo."
"Es normal," ella me dijo. "Quizás puede llamar un taxi."
"Pero no sé cómo que decir dónde la casa esta. Quizás camino. Pienso que puedo encontrar la casa si camino."
"Pero esta lejos, y esta lloviendo."
"¿Llovi... la lluvia?"
"Sí."
A mí me parecía que la carretera fue peligrosa. Fue estrecha y los carros manejaron rápidamente. Normalmente, disfruto caminar, per no quise mormirme en este día.
"OK. Por favor, me ayuda que llamar un taxi."
Malli llamó a Ariel, el nieto de Macha, y él llamó un taxi.
"Sólo diga, 'La casa de Doña Macha, por favor,' " Malli me dijo.
No necesité decir algo porque el conductor llegó en cinco minutos. Malli le dio las instrucciónes.
Después tres minutos, estuve en mi casa.
En la cocina, dije a Macha, "A mí me hace falta mi autobús." Estuve orgullosa para usando un estructura de mi clase intensiva. Ahora, sé la correcta oración: "Perdí mi autobús."
"No sé cómo que decir dónde..." Lloré de nuevo. "Disculpe."
"No llore," Macha dijo. "Es normal. Es su primer día." Ella me abrazó.
Ahora yo reí, tan duro que casi no puedo hablar. "Sí, muchos niños lloran en su primer día en escuela."
Soy normal.
=========================
On the bus were three teachers from my school, CISA. We walked the same route from the day before. The building serves as school, mission, and church.
Here I encountered 11 dogs that live with the director, Hector. They always sneak in. Sometimes they climb through the windows!
I started an intermediate class with four other students. All of the instruction was in Spanish. It was like Hector's sermon on the past day. The words flowed over my head but did not enter my thoughts. However, today I must concentrate. How could I learn if I could not understand the instruction?
I wanted to cry, but no. Instead, I sat in my chair and smiled.
After lunch, I attended an intensive class. We practiced reflexive verbs.
After my class, I went to the bus stop with a teacher, Malli. We arrived 10 minutes after the bus left. The next bus was going to arrive in 50 minutes, and I must wait alone.
I asked Malli, "How do I tell the driver where I need to go?"
She explained it to me, but I did not understand because I was very anxious. She repeated her instructions but I still did not understand. She wrote in my notebook:
To La Selva (The Jungle), please. You can stop where Aldemar or after the La Selva bridge." [I still don't quite understand the instructions.]
"Must I...?" I raised my arm and pulled an imaginary cable.
"Yes," she answered.
"How do I know when I need to...?" I still didn't know the verb.
"After the bridge."
"The bridge? Where?"
I started to cry. "I'm sorry," I said, and covered my eyes. "I have fear."
"It's normal," she said. "Maybe you can call a taxi."
"But I don't know how to say where my house is. Maybe I walk. I think I can find the house if I walk."
"No, it's far. And it's raining."
It appeared to me that the road was dangerous. It was narrow, and the cars drove rapidly. Normally, I enjoy walking, but I did not want to die on this day.
"Okay, please help me call a taxi."
Malli called Ariel, Macha's grandson, and he called a taxi.
"Just say, 'Doña Macha's house, please,' " Malli told me.
I didn't need to say anything, because the driver arrived in five minutes. Malli gave him the instructions.
I dried my eyes and hugged Malli.
After three minutes, I was in my house. In the kitchen, I said to Macha, "To me it happened that my bus was missing." I was proud for using a structure from my intensive class. Now I know the correct sentence: "I lost my bus." [It is an idiom that we don't use in English.]
"I don't know how to say where..." I cried again. "I'm sorry"
"Don't cry," Macha said. "It's normal. It is your first day."
Now I laughed, so hard that I almost couldn't talk. "Yes, many children cry on their first day of school."
I am normal.
Friday, July 20, 2018
El Peor... y El Mejor
EN ESPAÑOL ABAJO.
[In this series of blog entries, I am writing about my experiences in a Spanish Immersion program in Costa Rica. I write first in Spanish, and then I translate it as faithfully as possible into English. This way, we can see my progress. You may notice that I am now using past tense. I must confess that the Spanish portion alone took me about five hours to write. This is great practice for me. I can write much better than I can speak. In conversation, I typically move back and forth between present and past tense, and my speech is painfully slow. I am having the time of my life! I have three more stories to tell you so far.]
ENGLISH TRANSLATION FOLLOWS
En mi segundo día en Costa Rica me llevanté muy temprano porque la luz comienza que brillar antes las cinco. Antes desayuno, me senté en el porche y leí mi nueva Biblia bilingüe. Fue mi primera vez que leer la Biblia en español, y ahora yo me di cuenta como glorioso es que escuchar la voz de Dios en otra idioma. Esto versículo tocó mi corazón:
"¡Es cierto!" yo pensé. " Hoy, voy a cantar con mis hermanos Ticos."
Corrí a Macha y la mostré el versículo. Ella me abrazó.
A las 9:30, fuimos para autobús a la iglesia. Debemos caminar en una colina y en una calle con muchas rocas. Con la humedad, me sentí muy caliente.
En la iglesia, me tomé mi segundo taza de café y me comí unos postres. ¡Que rico!
Mientras nosotros cantamos, comprendí casi todo porque hay palabras en una pantalla. La primera canción tiene una oración sobre la gente cantando ante las naciones.
Toque hombro de macha y señale a la pantalla. Pienso que ella tenía lágrimas en sus ojos, como yo. ¡Dios estaba hablando conmigo!
A mí me parací que Dios eligió todas las canciones para mí. Una tenió frases de mi favorito capítulo: Salma 139. El mensaje era que Dios me conoce mejor que cualquier otro, y Él está conmigo en cada lugar. No estaba sola aquí, donde la idioma es diferente. Yo estaba tan feliz. !Que bueno, esto día!
Cuánto el sermon comienzó, no comprendí nada. Hay no palabras que leer. El pastor decía muchas cosas, y después unos pocos minutos no traté de comprender. Sólo pensé sobre necesitando agua. Me sentí caliente y fría, y también más y más mareada.
Fui al baño y oré, "Por favor, no me permite que vomitar. Aquí no, en esta iglesia desconocida."
Me senté en el piso por un tiempo muy largo, hasta Macha vino a la puerta con su hija Vicky.
Ella dijo "¿Sarah, está enferma? Abre la puerta, por favor."
¡Ay! No quierí ver nadie, solo quizás mi mamá. ¡Que malo, esto día!
Fuí en mis rodillas al puerto. Macha me da manzanilla, un té por ayudar de digestión.
"¿Me causar vomito?" yo pregunté.
"Quizás," ella contestó.
"Necesito vomitar, pero no puedo."
Tomé un poquito. Entonces dije, "¡Go!" (No podía recordar cómo hablar español en ese momento.) Moví mi mano hacia la puerta.
Ellos cerraron la puerta.
Mi cuerpo tratío y tratío de vomitar, pero nada. Gemí, y agua llenó mis ojos. "Esto día no puede ser peor," yo pensé.
Por supuesto, podria ser peor.
¡El pastor, Hector, entró el baño! Con papel de baño, suavemente limpió el maquillaje aldredor mis ojos - cómo la máscara de un mapache. Habló conmigo en inglés.
"Voy a manajarla a la casa. Su va a ser más cómoda allí.
"No puedo ir," contesté en español. "Estoy muy inferma."
Él continuó hablar en inglés. "Voy a darla algo que se sienta mejor."
"Necesito una bolsa porque quizás vomito en su carro."
Él me dio una bolsa de plástico. Me senté en una silla.
Él puso unos aceites esenciales en mis manos. "Huela profundamente."
Inhalé unas veces. Después cerca 30 segundos, corrí al baño. Vomité y vomité hasta no quedó nada.
Después unos minutos, salimos. La calle fue tan áspero, pero no vomité más.
Muchas vezes durante la tarde, dormí y entonces me desperté. Me llevanté unas veces, pero me sentí náuseas de nuevo.
A las siete, tuve hambre pero tuve miedo que comer. Quieré galletas de soda, pero no sabía cómo describirlos.
¡En la cocina, Macha me ofreció galletas de soda! También me da agua de gelatina. Cuando era una niña, mi mamá me da estos dos cosas por enfermedad.
Dios es muy bueno. Él me dio otra madre cuando más la necesitaba.
Sí, era un buen día.
On my second day in Costa Rica I got up very early because the light starts to shine before 5. Before breakfast I sat on the porch and read my new bilingual Bible. It was my first time to read the Bible in Spanish, and now I realized how glorious it is to hear the voice of God in another language.
This verse touched my heart:
"It is true," I thought. Today I'm going to sing with my Tico brothers and sisters. [Costa Ricans are called Ticos and Ticas.]
I ran to Macha and showed her the verse. She hugged me.
At 9:30 we went by bus to church. We had to walk on a hill and on a road with many rocks. With the humidity, I felt very hot.
At the church I drank my second cup of coffee and ate some pastries. How wonderful!
While we sang, I could understand almost everything because there were words on a screen. The first song had a sentence about the people singing among the Nations.
I touched Macha's shoulder and pointed at the screen. I think she had tears in her eyes, like me.
It seemed to me that God chose all of the songs for me. One had phrases from my favorite chapter: Psalm 139. The message was that God knows me better than anyone else, and he is with me in every place. I was not here alone, where the language is different. I was so happy. How good, this day!
When the sermon began, I comprehended nothing. There were no words to read. The Pastor said many things, and after a few minutes I did not try to understand. I only thought about needing water. I felt hot and cold, and also more and more dizzy. I went to the bathroom and prayed, "Please, don't let me vomit. Not here in this unfamiliar church."
I sat on the floor for a long time, until Macha came to the door with her daughter Vicky.
She said, "Sarah are you sick? Open the door, please."
Aiyee! I didn't want to see anyone, except maybe my mama. How bad, this day!
I went to the door on my knees. Macha gives me manzanilla, a tea that helps digestion.
"To cause me vomit?" I asked [in broken Spanish.]
"Maybe," she answered.
"I need to vomit, but I can't."
I drank a little. And then I said, "Go!" ( I could not remember how to speak Spanish in that moment.) I moved my hand toward the door.
They closed the door.
My body tried and tried to vomit, but nothing. I moaned, and water filled my eyes.
"This day cannot be worse," I thought.
Of course, it could be worse.
The pastor, Hector, entered the bathroom! He knelt beside me. With toilet paper, he gently washed the makeup from around my eyes--like a racoon's mask.
He talked with me in English. "I will drive you home. You will be more comfortable there."
"I cannot go," I answered in Spanish. "I am very sick."
He continued to talk in English. "I will give you something to make you feel better."
"I need a bag because maybe I vomit in your car."
He gave me a plastic bag. I sat in a chair. He put some essential oils in my hands. "Breathe deeply," he said.
I inhaled a few times. After about 30 seconds, I ran to the bathroom. I vomited and vomited, until nothing remained.
After a few minutes, we left. The road was very rough, but I did not vomit more.
Many times during the afternoon, I slept and then I woke up. I got up a few times, but I felt nauseated again.
At seven, I was hungry, but I had fear to eat. I wanted soda crackers, but I did not know how to describe them.
In the kitchen, Macha offered me soda crackers! Also gelatin water. When I was a girl, my Mama gave me these two things for sickness.
God is very good. He gave me another Mother when I needed her most.
Yes, it was a good day.
[In this series of blog entries, I am writing about my experiences in a Spanish Immersion program in Costa Rica. I write first in Spanish, and then I translate it as faithfully as possible into English. This way, we can see my progress. You may notice that I am now using past tense. I must confess that the Spanish portion alone took me about five hours to write. This is great practice for me. I can write much better than I can speak. In conversation, I typically move back and forth between present and past tense, and my speech is painfully slow. I am having the time of my life! I have three more stories to tell you so far.]
ENGLISH TRANSLATION FOLLOWS
En mi segundo día en Costa Rica me llevanté muy temprano porque la luz comienza que brillar antes las cinco. Antes desayuno, me senté en el porche y leí mi nueva Biblia bilingüe. Fue mi primera vez que leer la Biblia en español, y ahora yo me di cuenta como glorioso es que escuchar la voz de Dios en otra idioma. Esto versículo tocó mi corazón:
Te alabaré, oh Jehová, entre los pueblos; a ti cantaré salmos entre las naciones.
"¡Es cierto!" yo pensé. " Hoy, voy a cantar con mis hermanos Ticos."
Corrí a Macha y la mostré el versículo. Ella me abrazó.
A las 9:30, fuimos para autobús a la iglesia. Debemos caminar en una colina y en una calle con muchas rocas. Con la humedad, me sentí muy caliente.
En la iglesia, me tomé mi segundo taza de café y me comí unos postres. ¡Que rico!
Mientras nosotros cantamos, comprendí casi todo porque hay palabras en una pantalla. La primera canción tiene una oración sobre la gente cantando ante las naciones.
Toque hombro de macha y señale a la pantalla. Pienso que ella tenía lágrimas en sus ojos, como yo. ¡Dios estaba hablando conmigo!
A mí me parací que Dios eligió todas las canciones para mí. Una tenió frases de mi favorito capítulo: Salma 139. El mensaje era que Dios me conoce mejor que cualquier otro, y Él está conmigo en cada lugar. No estaba sola aquí, donde la idioma es diferente. Yo estaba tan feliz. !Que bueno, esto día!
Cuánto el sermon comienzó, no comprendí nada. Hay no palabras que leer. El pastor decía muchas cosas, y después unos pocos minutos no traté de comprender. Sólo pensé sobre necesitando agua. Me sentí caliente y fría, y también más y más mareada.
Fui al baño y oré, "Por favor, no me permite que vomitar. Aquí no, en esta iglesia desconocida."
Me senté en el piso por un tiempo muy largo, hasta Macha vino a la puerta con su hija Vicky.
Ella dijo "¿Sarah, está enferma? Abre la puerta, por favor."
¡Ay! No quierí ver nadie, solo quizás mi mamá. ¡Que malo, esto día!
Fuí en mis rodillas al puerto. Macha me da manzanilla, un té por ayudar de digestión.
"¿Me causar vomito?" yo pregunté.
"Quizás," ella contestó.
"Necesito vomitar, pero no puedo."
Tomé un poquito. Entonces dije, "¡Go!" (No podía recordar cómo hablar español en ese momento.) Moví mi mano hacia la puerta.
Ellos cerraron la puerta.
Mi cuerpo tratío y tratío de vomitar, pero nada. Gemí, y agua llenó mis ojos. "Esto día no puede ser peor," yo pensé.
Por supuesto, podria ser peor.
¡El pastor, Hector, entró el baño! Con papel de baño, suavemente limpió el maquillaje aldredor mis ojos - cómo la máscara de un mapache. Habló conmigo en inglés.
"Voy a manajarla a la casa. Su va a ser más cómoda allí.
 |
| Hector en la iglesia (y escuela) |
Él continuó hablar en inglés. "Voy a darla algo que se sienta mejor."
"Necesito una bolsa porque quizás vomito en su carro."
Él me dio una bolsa de plástico. Me senté en una silla.
Él puso unos aceites esenciales en mis manos. "Huela profundamente."
Inhalé unas veces. Después cerca 30 segundos, corrí al baño. Vomité y vomité hasta no quedó nada.
Después unos minutos, salimos. La calle fue tan áspero, pero no vomité más.
Muchas vezes durante la tarde, dormí y entonces me desperté. Me llevanté unas veces, pero me sentí náuseas de nuevo.
A las siete, tuve hambre pero tuve miedo que comer. Quieré galletas de soda, pero no sabía cómo describirlos.
¡En la cocina, Macha me ofreció galletas de soda! También me da agua de gelatina. Cuando era una niña, mi mamá me da estos dos cosas por enfermedad.
Sí, era un buen día.
 |
| Yo y Mateo, nieto de Macha. Su fiesta fue en misma noche |
This verse touched my heart:
I will praise you, oh Jehovah, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations.
"It is true," I thought. Today I'm going to sing with my Tico brothers and sisters. [Costa Ricans are called Ticos and Ticas.]
I ran to Macha and showed her the verse. She hugged me.
At 9:30 we went by bus to church. We had to walk on a hill and on a road with many rocks. With the humidity, I felt very hot.
At the church I drank my second cup of coffee and ate some pastries. How wonderful!
While we sang, I could understand almost everything because there were words on a screen. The first song had a sentence about the people singing among the Nations.
I touched Macha's shoulder and pointed at the screen. I think she had tears in her eyes, like me.
It seemed to me that God chose all of the songs for me. One had phrases from my favorite chapter: Psalm 139. The message was that God knows me better than anyone else, and he is with me in every place. I was not here alone, where the language is different. I was so happy. How good, this day!
When the sermon began, I comprehended nothing. There were no words to read. The Pastor said many things, and after a few minutes I did not try to understand. I only thought about needing water. I felt hot and cold, and also more and more dizzy. I went to the bathroom and prayed, "Please, don't let me vomit. Not here in this unfamiliar church."
I sat on the floor for a long time, until Macha came to the door with her daughter Vicky.
She said, "Sarah are you sick? Open the door, please."
Aiyee! I didn't want to see anyone, except maybe my mama. How bad, this day!
I went to the door on my knees. Macha gives me manzanilla, a tea that helps digestion.
"To cause me vomit?" I asked [in broken Spanish.]
"Maybe," she answered.
"I need to vomit, but I can't."
I drank a little. And then I said, "Go!" ( I could not remember how to speak Spanish in that moment.) I moved my hand toward the door.
They closed the door.
My body tried and tried to vomit, but nothing. I moaned, and water filled my eyes.
"This day cannot be worse," I thought.
Of course, it could be worse.
The pastor, Hector, entered the bathroom! He knelt beside me. With toilet paper, he gently washed the makeup from around my eyes--like a racoon's mask.
He talked with me in English. "I will drive you home. You will be more comfortable there."
"I cannot go," I answered in Spanish. "I am very sick."
He continued to talk in English. "I will give you something to make you feel better."
"I need a bag because maybe I vomit in your car."
He gave me a plastic bag. I sat in a chair. He put some essential oils in my hands. "Breathe deeply," he said.
I inhaled a few times. After about 30 seconds, I ran to the bathroom. I vomited and vomited, until nothing remained.
After a few minutes, we left. The road was very rough, but I did not vomit more.
Many times during the afternoon, I slept and then I woke up. I got up a few times, but I felt nauseated again.
At seven, I was hungry, but I had fear to eat. I wanted soda crackers, but I did not know how to describe them.
In the kitchen, Macha offered me soda crackers! Also gelatin water. When I was a girl, my Mama gave me these two things for sickness.
God is very good. He gave me another Mother when I needed her most.
Yes, it was a good day.
Tuesday, July 17, 2018
Aventuras en Costa Rica
For this series of blog entries, I will describe my experiences in a Spanish Immersion program in Costa Rica. I will write the stories in Spanish and then translate into English as faithfully as possible. My Spanish is not very good yet, so expect errors in grammar and especially verb tenses. I speak only in present tense currently. Also, I don't know how to type accents on my phone. Also, I cannot see the uploaded photos on my phone so they may not be the right ones.
Llego en San Jose en el sabado pasado. Comienzo hablar en Espanol inmediatamente. La agenta de inmigracion me comprende bastante bien. Un hombre amable que trabaja para el aeropuerto me ayuda que busco a mi conductor, se llama Ronnie. El y su esposa me manaja a Tuis, cerca Turrialba. Un otra estudiante viaje conmigo en la camioneta.
El trafico esta horrible. La carretera es pequeno, y hay muchos carros. La vista de las montanas es muy bonita, con muchos arboles y flores. Durante el viaje, hablamos principalmente en ingles.
Mi familia en Tuis es muy amable. La madre, se llama Macha, sabe un pequeno ingles, pero hablamos casi todo en espanol. Cuando no estoy demasiado nerviosa, puedo comunicar la mayoria que quiero hablar.
Macha vive con su esposo, Mecho. Estan casado por 52 anos. Su hija adulta, Laura, vive con ellos. Ella es muy dulce.
Macha tiene mucha paciencia. Repete sus palabras muchos tiempos y habla despacio. A veces usa sus manos por me ayuda que comprendo. Macha canta con frequencia. No comprende las palabras, pero me da alegria. Tambien me alegra que su lee la Biblia. En su voz, la Palabra de Dios vive!
La casa es muy linda. (Es la casa blanca en el foto. Otro foto es mi calle-muy pequena.) Tiene muchos flores y mariposas con colores diferentes, tambien muchos tipos de pajaros. Hay un perico que come galletas!
Mi cuarto es bastante grande por mi. Me encanta la cocina, que tiene paredes rosas. Es tiene una moda de tiempos pasados. Es tranquila. Y la comida es muy bien!
Mi primer dia estoy mas facil que penso, pero no mi segundo dia. Pero es un otro cuento....
I arrive in San Jose on the past Saturday. I start to speak Spanish immediately. The immigration agent understands me well enough. A kind man who works for the airport helps me look for my driver, named Ronnie. He and his wife drive me to Tuis, near Turrialba. Another student travels with me in the van.
The traffic is horrible! The highway is small and there are many cars. The view of the mountains is very beautiful with many trees and flowers. During the trip we speak mainly in English.
My family in Tuis is very friendly. The mother, who is called Macha, knows a little English, but we speak almost completely in Spanish. When I am not too nervous, I can communicate the majority of what I want to say.
Macha lives with her husband, Mecho. They are married 52 years. Their adult daughter, Laura, lives with them. She is very sweet.
Macha has a lot of patience. She repeats her words many times and speaks slowly. Sometimes she uses her hands to help me understand.
The house is very beautiful. It has many flowers and butterflies with different colors, also many types of birds. There is a parrot who eats cookies!
My room is big enough for me. I am enchanted with the kitchen, which has pink walls. It has a style from times past. It is peaceful. And the food is very good!
My first day is easier than I think but not my second day. But that is another story...
Llego en San Jose en el sabado pasado. Comienzo hablar en Espanol inmediatamente. La agenta de inmigracion me comprende bastante bien. Un hombre amable que trabaja para el aeropuerto me ayuda que busco a mi conductor, se llama Ronnie. El y su esposa me manaja a Tuis, cerca Turrialba. Un otra estudiante viaje conmigo en la camioneta.
El trafico esta horrible. La carretera es pequeno, y hay muchos carros. La vista de las montanas es muy bonita, con muchos arboles y flores. Durante el viaje, hablamos principalmente en ingles.
 |
| Las casas son diferentes aqui |
Mi familia en Tuis es muy amable. La madre, se llama Macha, sabe un pequeno ingles, pero hablamos casi todo en espanol. Cuando no estoy demasiado nerviosa, puedo comunicar la mayoria que quiero hablar.
Macha vive con su esposo, Mecho. Estan casado por 52 anos. Su hija adulta, Laura, vive con ellos. Ella es muy dulce.
 |
| Macha y Laura |
Macha tiene mucha paciencia. Repete sus palabras muchos tiempos y habla despacio. A veces usa sus manos por me ayuda que comprendo. Macha canta con frequencia. No comprende las palabras, pero me da alegria. Tambien me alegra que su lee la Biblia. En su voz, la Palabra de Dios vive!
La casa es muy linda. (Es la casa blanca en el foto. Otro foto es mi calle-muy pequena.) Tiene muchos flores y mariposas con colores diferentes, tambien muchos tipos de pajaros. Hay un perico que come galletas!
 |
| Daniel |
Mi cuarto es bastante grande por mi. Me encanta la cocina, que tiene paredes rosas. Es tiene una moda de tiempos pasados. Es tranquila. Y la comida es muy bien!
Mi primer dia estoy mas facil que penso, pero no mi segundo dia. Pero es un otro cuento....
I arrive in San Jose on the past Saturday. I start to speak Spanish immediately. The immigration agent understands me well enough. A kind man who works for the airport helps me look for my driver, named Ronnie. He and his wife drive me to Tuis, near Turrialba. Another student travels with me in the van.
The traffic is horrible! The highway is small and there are many cars. The view of the mountains is very beautiful with many trees and flowers. During the trip we speak mainly in English.
My family in Tuis is very friendly. The mother, who is called Macha, knows a little English, but we speak almost completely in Spanish. When I am not too nervous, I can communicate the majority of what I want to say.
Macha lives with her husband, Mecho. They are married 52 years. Their adult daughter, Laura, lives with them. She is very sweet.
Macha has a lot of patience. She repeats her words many times and speaks slowly. Sometimes she uses her hands to help me understand.
The house is very beautiful. It has many flowers and butterflies with different colors, also many types of birds. There is a parrot who eats cookies!
My room is big enough for me. I am enchanted with the kitchen, which has pink walls. It has a style from times past. It is peaceful. And the food is very good!
My first day is easier than I think but not my second day. But that is another story...
Thursday, July 12, 2018
At Least You Know You're Alive
Last week I told you a bit about my family's recent road trip to Indiana. Now I'm going to tell you about the day that most of us will remember when we look back on this vacation.
Our last Tuesday was designated as Chicago Day. Rather than to brave the traffic and fight for parking spaces, we decided to take the South Shore commuter train that runs between South Bend, Indiana, and Downtown Chicago. I've actually ridden that route many times, and I usually enjoy the sense of adventure. This was my sister Amy's first time to ride the train since her stroke, but our sister Melody had done her research and assured us that the train was handicap accessible.
We decided to depart from Michigan City, an hour's drive away, because it had more return options than the closer South Bend station. On the trip out, we had the benefit of a one-hour time difference; we could leave at 7:00 and have plenty of time to catch the 9:00 train.
I got Amy and myself up that morning at 6:15, which seemed like plenty of time. But I had not factored in the shared bathroom, nor the multiple trips to the basement to holler at Allyson and her friend Kambry. Aunt Sue came to rescue by cooking our oatmeal and even washing Kambry's hair in the kitchen sink just moments before we left.
Following Melody and her husband Joe, we pulled out of the driveway around 7:20, not too bad in my book. While Kambry brushed her wet hair, Allyson routed us to the Carroll Avenue station. If all went according to plan, we would arrive with 40 minutes to spare.
Our last Tuesday was designated as Chicago Day. Rather than to brave the traffic and fight for parking spaces, we decided to take the South Shore commuter train that runs between South Bend, Indiana, and Downtown Chicago. I've actually ridden that route many times, and I usually enjoy the sense of adventure. This was my sister Amy's first time to ride the train since her stroke, but our sister Melody had done her research and assured us that the train was handicap accessible.
We decided to depart from Michigan City, an hour's drive away, because it had more return options than the closer South Bend station. On the trip out, we had the benefit of a one-hour time difference; we could leave at 7:00 and have plenty of time to catch the 9:00 train.
I got Amy and myself up that morning at 6:15, which seemed like plenty of time. But I had not factored in the shared bathroom, nor the multiple trips to the basement to holler at Allyson and her friend Kambry. Aunt Sue came to rescue by cooking our oatmeal and even washing Kambry's hair in the kitchen sink just moments before we left.
Following Melody and her husband Joe, we pulled out of the driveway around 7:20, not too bad in my book. While Kambry brushed her wet hair, Allyson routed us to the Carroll Avenue station. If all went according to plan, we would arrive with 40 minutes to spare.
Saturday, July 7, 2018
A Milestone for Amy
A couple of months ago, she underwent an experimental stem cell treatment using cells from her own body. (Our former brother-in-law, James, provided this treatment at no cost.) Since then, Amy has increased flexibility in her hip and is now able to extend her curled fingers by bending her wrist with her other hand. Her concentration is also improving, and she now reads murder mysteries and even dreams about math.
Our brother Rick strives to push Amy past her limits. He takes her out frequently and brings her home for dinner, and he always insists that she walk rather than use her wheelchair. His front and back porches have a small step, and she has become proficient in navigating those obstacles.
But this Indiana trip challenged Amy on a whole new level. We started with approximately 16 hours of driving over the course of two days. Traveling in a caravan of 12 with passengers ranging in age from 3 to 87, we made a lot of stops. It was a far cry from Dad's idea of a road trip: waking a couple of hours before dark and driving straight through, with everyone holding their pee until we had to stop and fill up or get fast food. No, this time we stopped every hour to hour and a half, and each stop took 15-30 minutes. At every stop, Amy laboriously pulled herself to her feet and walked across parking lots and through truck stops, up hills and down rest-stop sidewalks. This helped ease the pain from her stiff muscles, but all that walking wore her out and made her back hurt because of the way her limp shoulder hangs down.
Wednesday, July 4, 2018
Home Depot! Home Depot!
Yesterday afternoon, I rode with my mom to her bank, where we were meeting my sister Emily. We had an appointment to sign paperwork so that Emily and I could have access to Mom's safety deposit box.
"Where's your father?" Mom asked. "He was supposed to go to the bank with us."
"I don't know," I answered absently, but then I remembered what Dad had said to me after a sweaty hug when we passed each other in the doorway. "Oh, wait.... He said something about working on some lady's plumbing."
"Oh, he's at Lupita's, then," she said, drawing in an exasperated breath.
"Isn't it too hot for him to be working outside?" I asked. "They said on the radio that it's over a hundred degrees today [38 degrees Celsius]."
"Yes, it is too hot," Mom agreed. "That's why I made him promise to do the work in the morning. But obviously he didn't keep his promise. Every time those ladies call, he runs right over."
I raised an eyebrow.
"He wants the money," Mom went on. "I told him maybe I'll have to start giving him money so he'll stay home now and then."
Just then, Mom's phone rang over the car speaker, and I saw Dad's name on the dashboard display. Apparently his ears must have been burning.
"Where's your father?" Mom asked. "He was supposed to go to the bank with us."
"I don't know," I answered absently, but then I remembered what Dad had said to me after a sweaty hug when we passed each other in the doorway. "Oh, wait.... He said something about working on some lady's plumbing."
"Oh, he's at Lupita's, then," she said, drawing in an exasperated breath.
"Isn't it too hot for him to be working outside?" I asked. "They said on the radio that it's over a hundred degrees today [38 degrees Celsius]."
"Yes, it is too hot," Mom agreed. "That's why I made him promise to do the work in the morning. But obviously he didn't keep his promise. Every time those ladies call, he runs right over."
I raised an eyebrow.
"He wants the money," Mom went on. "I told him maybe I'll have to start giving him money so he'll stay home now and then."
Just then, Mom's phone rang over the car speaker, and I saw Dad's name on the dashboard display. Apparently his ears must have been burning.
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