Folks,
We celebrated Halloween a little early in school. We had the party on Thursday, the end of the week, rather than tomorrow, the beginning of the week.
May the force be with you
--------------------------------
All teachers (and some of the students) dressed up for the Halloween on Thursday. This meant that students were taught by Cleopatra, a skeleton, a bunch of grapes, a mummy, a fairy, a Canadian ice-hockey player, Mr. T, a bumble bee, a pirate, a Martian and Rambo, to mention just some.
I went as Darth Maul, from Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace. I had a black sheet with a hole for my head and fastened with a belt, and red and black make-up all over my head. It was a good laugh. I’ll put some pictures up on the site.
The Ticos are a bit wary of Halloween. The Catholic Church attempted to stop it as a festival many years ago because it was perceived as ‘satanic’.
Julie won the competition as a bunch of grapes, covered in purple balloons with a purple tinsel wig and a green ‘stalk’ cap.
We went out afterwards to celebrate. When travelling around the town I was whistled at, stared at, and had truck drivers honking their horns at me! My make-up lasted from 4pm right through classes, the party, the bars and until I came home at around 2.30am. It looked as good as it did at the start.
Out with the Spanish teachers
------------------------------------
There is a divide between the Spanish teachers and the English teachers in the school. Although we share the same staff room, they teach mainly in the morning, and we’re mainly in the evening. When the teams overlap in the staff room, there is a little interaction, but not much. I think it’s really because they’re permanent people, working teaching Spanish as their career. Whereas we’re perceived as gringos on holidays having a laugh.
A notice went up on the board saying that there was a fancy-dress party on Saturday night in a bar run by the brother of Fanny (the accountant in the school). So Julie and I decided we’d go and do our bit for entente cordiale between the two teams. It was a good night, although the bar (in the neighbouring city of Alajuela) wasn’t up to much. We ended up coming back to Heredia and having a few drinks locally. But it was nice to get to know a few of the Spanish teachers, and to speak a few words in Spanish.
Halloween is from the Irish
---------------------------------
I made a rather interesting discovery as I researched Halloween for an article in the Intercultura news, in that Halloween is originally an Irish festival. That it went to the United States with Irish immigrants. And that the carved pumpkins with candles were originally turnips!
Another week, another hurricane
----------------------------------------
There have been so many tropical storms and hurricanes this year that it’s set a new record. Twenty three named storms, including 13 hurricanes. And the season has another month to run. They have run out of names – Wilma was the last name on the list. Now we’ve moved onto the Greek alphabet. Alpha hit Cuba last week, and Beta hit Nicaragua this morning. It’s very unusual for a hurricane to be so close to Costa Rica. But we’ve actually had no rain in the last two days, the only two days in October with none. And although the hurricane is dumping tons of rain further up the coast, today was quite nice and far better than for other hurricanes much further away.
-----
OK, that’s it for another week. I’m back to Spanish classes in the morning. Those of you in Ireland enjoy your bank holiday tomorrow. Until next week.
Monday, October 31, 2005
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Taxing times
Sorry I’m a bit late. I’m running a little behind on things these days.
Into the tax system
-----------------------
The tax year runs from 1 October to 30 September. So I had to register with the tax authorities. This seemed a bit risky, given that I don’t have a visa. However, I headed off to the ‘tributación’, which is the tax office with the Ministerio de Hacienda.
She asked when it was to date from, so I said I guessed May 1st when I started with the school. She said that there would be a fine for not having done it at the time, so she suggested that I say I started today, and avoid the fine. Fair enough! And she didn’t even ask for a visa.
There followed 15 minutes of stamping forms, and printing off multiple copies of a letter telling me my tax number. She wrote the number in their register of numbers, which was a Spongebob Squarepants jotter. I was then given a little folder with 26 leaflets on various aspects of the tax system. Twenty-six leaflets! Registration of contributors1, 2 and 3, tax on rental income, guide to retentions at source, required receipts, tax system online, etc.
The first C1,629,000 is 0%, then up to C2,433,000 at 10%, C4,058,000 at 15%, C8,132,00 at 20% and anything over at 25%. But you can use receipts for your rent, your water and electricity bills, and your mobile phone if you’re lucky enough to have one, as allowable expenses. Bar and restaurant receipts are also allowable expenses! Not covered though are cable bills, landline phones or supermarket receipts.
Anyway, because I didn’t start working until May, I will be under the tax threshold for this tax year, so I just have to keep my expense receipts for the tax year 2006.
The Tico washing machine
---------------------------------
In the division of labour while Jack was still here, he got custody of the washing machine. Now I have the unhappy task of struggling with the Tico ‘semi-automatic’ washing machine. To call it a washing machine really is a misnomer. It’s more like a motorised sink. You fairly much have to do everything yourself. The make is called Mabe, which I assume is a play on words meaning that ‘maybe’ your wash will be done, or ‘maybe’ your clothes will just get covered in a coating of fluff.
It’s top loading, and there are two sections; one for washing and one for spinning. You put the clothes in, and because there is a problem with the connecting hose I have to fill it with water from a bucket on several trips from the sink. Then you turn it on. ‘On’ means that a turntable moves your clothes clockwise and anti-clockwise for 15 minutes. You repeat this a couple of times, then flick a switch to empty the water. Then you transfer the clothes into the spinner. You need to readjust the load about three times because the spinner knocks off the sides until it’s balanced. You repeat this procedure, moving the clothes over and back, until your wash is rinsed. It’s such a chore!
And I know there is always a laugh about where your socks go when you are just left with odd ones. I know exactly where mine go. They are down in the drum beside the spinner. I can see them, but I can’t get them out.
Wilma!
---------
Another very rainy week, because of Hurricane Wilma. Although we’re not in the hurricane zone, we definitely get very heavy rain each time one of them hits the coast up north. It also brought down the English Horizons website yesterday, because the servers are in Boca Raton in Florida, and they were put out of action in the storm. So I wasn’t able to give my class.
-----
OK, that’s it for another week. I have to decide now on a costume for Thursday, as it’s the custom for all the teachers to dress up for Halloween.
Into the tax system
-----------------------
The tax year runs from 1 October to 30 September. So I had to register with the tax authorities. This seemed a bit risky, given that I don’t have a visa. However, I headed off to the ‘tributación’, which is the tax office with the Ministerio de Hacienda.
She asked when it was to date from, so I said I guessed May 1st when I started with the school. She said that there would be a fine for not having done it at the time, so she suggested that I say I started today, and avoid the fine. Fair enough! And she didn’t even ask for a visa.
There followed 15 minutes of stamping forms, and printing off multiple copies of a letter telling me my tax number. She wrote the number in their register of numbers, which was a Spongebob Squarepants jotter. I was then given a little folder with 26 leaflets on various aspects of the tax system. Twenty-six leaflets! Registration of contributors1, 2 and 3, tax on rental income, guide to retentions at source, required receipts, tax system online, etc.
The first C1,629,000 is 0%, then up to C2,433,000 at 10%, C4,058,000 at 15%, C8,132,00 at 20% and anything over at 25%. But you can use receipts for your rent, your water and electricity bills, and your mobile phone if you’re lucky enough to have one, as allowable expenses. Bar and restaurant receipts are also allowable expenses! Not covered though are cable bills, landline phones or supermarket receipts.
Anyway, because I didn’t start working until May, I will be under the tax threshold for this tax year, so I just have to keep my expense receipts for the tax year 2006.
The Tico washing machine
---------------------------------
In the division of labour while Jack was still here, he got custody of the washing machine. Now I have the unhappy task of struggling with the Tico ‘semi-automatic’ washing machine. To call it a washing machine really is a misnomer. It’s more like a motorised sink. You fairly much have to do everything yourself. The make is called Mabe, which I assume is a play on words meaning that ‘maybe’ your wash will be done, or ‘maybe’ your clothes will just get covered in a coating of fluff.
It’s top loading, and there are two sections; one for washing and one for spinning. You put the clothes in, and because there is a problem with the connecting hose I have to fill it with water from a bucket on several trips from the sink. Then you turn it on. ‘On’ means that a turntable moves your clothes clockwise and anti-clockwise for 15 minutes. You repeat this a couple of times, then flick a switch to empty the water. Then you transfer the clothes into the spinner. You need to readjust the load about three times because the spinner knocks off the sides until it’s balanced. You repeat this procedure, moving the clothes over and back, until your wash is rinsed. It’s such a chore!
And I know there is always a laugh about where your socks go when you are just left with odd ones. I know exactly where mine go. They are down in the drum beside the spinner. I can see them, but I can’t get them out.
Wilma!
---------
Another very rainy week, because of Hurricane Wilma. Although we’re not in the hurricane zone, we definitely get very heavy rain each time one of them hits the coast up north. It also brought down the English Horizons website yesterday, because the servers are in Boca Raton in Florida, and they were put out of action in the storm. So I wasn’t able to give my class.
-----
OK, that’s it for another week. I have to decide now on a costume for Thursday, as it’s the custom for all the teachers to dress up for Halloween.
Monday, October 17, 2005
Día de la Cultura
The time is fairly zipping along now. I found September difficult as I got used to being on my own. But you get a new routine, and other people become used to the fact that you’re now more available and so remember to invite you along to things, and little by little your social life is on the up again. Also, I’m now finished my five week Saturday rotation. I don’t know where that went! I don’t think I’m back on until the end of November, and then there are only three Saturdays until the Christmas break.
Not to be
------------
I dashed home from Spanish class on Wednesday just in time for the kick-off of the Irish match, which was 12.45 lunchtime over here. I hoped that I’d pick it up on one of the cable channels. Alas no. I could get England / Poland, Italy / Moldova, Netherlands / Macedonia, and France / Cyprus, but no Ireland / Switzerland.
I had to settle for something called ‘Matchcast’ on the FIFA website. I had all the information at my fingertips. I had the weather in Lansdowne Road, and the temperature, as well as the history of previous encounters, updates on other matches, match trivia and a fan poll. I was promised live commentary in 4 languages, which seemed a bit excessive, but alas the only sound I had was the whistle at kick-off and at the end of the match. I had a minute by minute update in text though. So I knew what was happening.
37’ Ireland pile on the pressure and R Cabinas (SUI) saves his side with a crucial clearing header from a K Kilbane (IRL) cross.
39’ Ireland keep flooding forwards down both flanks, but lack the guile to match their endeavour.
I watched the France / Cyprus match on cable at the same time, and from time to time I’d get a little glimpse of Lansdowne on a little TV in the French dugout.
I was really sorry that they didn’t get through, but I’d felt we were fighting an uphill battle since losing the four points against Israel. So it’s ‘come on ye boys in Red and Blue’ for me next year.
Día de la Cultura
---------------------
Another week, another bank holiday. Or so it seems. Día de la Cultura is the anniversary of the October 12, 1492 discovery of the Americas by Christopher Columbus. It celebrates the joining together of the European and indigenous people of the Caribbean and Central America. With disastrous consequences for the latter.
The English department had a day off, but I was in the school in the morning in my role as Spanish student. All the classes had to make a presentation to the whole school on an aspect of indigenous culture. I presented on the artisan crafts of the Guaymies tribe, who live between here and Panama. Some unlucky students had to play tribal instruments.
Difficult student
--------------------
I got a surprise this week when a new student signed up for my English Horizons class on the internet. His name was Osama. But although he signed up, he never attended class. This was a relief really, as I had visions of him making an English video for Al Jazeera, and then all hell would break loose.
Well that’s it for another week. I’m off to sleep now. I’ve an easier week ahead because I’m not taking Spanish and don’t have Saturday classes.
Pura Vida,
Éamon
Not to be
------------
I dashed home from Spanish class on Wednesday just in time for the kick-off of the Irish match, which was 12.45 lunchtime over here. I hoped that I’d pick it up on one of the cable channels. Alas no. I could get England / Poland, Italy / Moldova, Netherlands / Macedonia, and France / Cyprus, but no Ireland / Switzerland.
I had to settle for something called ‘Matchcast’ on the FIFA website. I had all the information at my fingertips. I had the weather in Lansdowne Road, and the temperature, as well as the history of previous encounters, updates on other matches, match trivia and a fan poll. I was promised live commentary in 4 languages, which seemed a bit excessive, but alas the only sound I had was the whistle at kick-off and at the end of the match. I had a minute by minute update in text though. So I knew what was happening.
37’ Ireland pile on the pressure and R Cabinas (SUI) saves his side with a crucial clearing header from a K Kilbane (IRL) cross.
39’ Ireland keep flooding forwards down both flanks, but lack the guile to match their endeavour.
I watched the France / Cyprus match on cable at the same time, and from time to time I’d get a little glimpse of Lansdowne on a little TV in the French dugout.
I was really sorry that they didn’t get through, but I’d felt we were fighting an uphill battle since losing the four points against Israel. So it’s ‘come on ye boys in Red and Blue’ for me next year.
Día de la Cultura
---------------------
Another week, another bank holiday. Or so it seems. Día de la Cultura is the anniversary of the October 12, 1492 discovery of the Americas by Christopher Columbus. It celebrates the joining together of the European and indigenous people of the Caribbean and Central America. With disastrous consequences for the latter.
The English department had a day off, but I was in the school in the morning in my role as Spanish student. All the classes had to make a presentation to the whole school on an aspect of indigenous culture. I presented on the artisan crafts of the Guaymies tribe, who live between here and Panama. Some unlucky students had to play tribal instruments.
Difficult student
--------------------
I got a surprise this week when a new student signed up for my English Horizons class on the internet. His name was Osama. But although he signed up, he never attended class. This was a relief really, as I had visions of him making an English video for Al Jazeera, and then all hell would break loose.
Well that’s it for another week. I’m off to sleep now. I’ve an easier week ahead because I’m not taking Spanish and don’t have Saturday classes.
Pura Vida,
Éamon
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Olé, Olé
Apologies that this didn’t go out Sunday night. I was wrecked and had to be up early for another week of Spanish class. Well, there were big celebrations in Costa Rica on Saturday as they qualified for ‘Alemania 2006’. And the source of the really torrential rain was revealed as Hurricane Stan which has caused much devastation further up the coast.
Going through in style
---------------------------
Well, Costa Rica have made it through the qualifying rounds from Concacaf to the World Cup in Germany. They seemed to be in a far more precarious position than Ireland over the summer, but now they’ve come good, and there has been tremendous celebration.
It had looked very positive for qualification. They only needed one more point to be out of the reach of Guatemala. Even if they lost to the USA, Guatemala would need to have won in Mexico. Unlike any qualifying competition that I can ever remember where Ireland has been involved, they didn’t just scrape through. They ended up going through in style. The US, already qualified, fielded a rookie team, trying out new talent in the safety of a qualifying match that they didn’t need to win. That said, Costa Rica put in a very positive and spirited performance and won 3-0. To cap it all, Guatemala lost in Mexico – 5-2 was the final score.
Immediately afterwards the car horns were blaring. I went up to the bigger bar, Bulevar, and the streets were sealed off to traffic as hundreds took to the streets in their red Costa Rican jerseys singing Olé, Olé (even the songs are the same!). That’s a lot of people for Heredia. Apparently there were really big crowds in San José.
La Nación lead yesterday with a big broadsheet style cover which covered the front and back of its tabloid main section, saying ‘Selebremos’ (a play on words for team and let’s celebrate). Going on to say ‘After a long and tortuous road it’s over. The ‘tricolour’ is one of 24 teams who have already secured a place in Alemania 2006. The nation is smiling. Once again the sporting victory has made us forget the economic crisis in the country as the jubilation spread out from the stadium into the bars and restaurants’.
Here’s hoping that this is how things will be in Ireland on Wednesday, or after the playoffs.
Hurricane Stan
------------------
Hurricane Stan hit Central America on Tuesday, but it was far up the coast with Mexico and Guatemala taking the brunt. This was the cause of the torrential rain we’d had during the week. The latest figures I’ve seen suggest that 1,400 people could have been killed in mudslides in Guatemala. Costa Rica has been spared the worst of it. The rain is still torrential most days. October is the wettest month anyway. It’s really getting people down at this stage, and I heard many of the teachers talking today about how down they’re getting with the relentless downpours.
I have had a lot of internet connection problems over the last week, so I’m not sure if it’s related to the bad weather. To look out at the huge collection of wires clustered around poles in the street, often sparking and sizzling in the rain, it’s a wonder that cable and electricity make their way into the apartment at all.
I’d better head to bed now. It’s always a tiring week when I have the early starts for Spanish.
Pura Vida,
Éamon
Going through in style
---------------------------
Well, Costa Rica have made it through the qualifying rounds from Concacaf to the World Cup in Germany. They seemed to be in a far more precarious position than Ireland over the summer, but now they’ve come good, and there has been tremendous celebration.
It had looked very positive for qualification. They only needed one more point to be out of the reach of Guatemala. Even if they lost to the USA, Guatemala would need to have won in Mexico. Unlike any qualifying competition that I can ever remember where Ireland has been involved, they didn’t just scrape through. They ended up going through in style. The US, already qualified, fielded a rookie team, trying out new talent in the safety of a qualifying match that they didn’t need to win. That said, Costa Rica put in a very positive and spirited performance and won 3-0. To cap it all, Guatemala lost in Mexico – 5-2 was the final score.
Immediately afterwards the car horns were blaring. I went up to the bigger bar, Bulevar, and the streets were sealed off to traffic as hundreds took to the streets in their red Costa Rican jerseys singing Olé, Olé (even the songs are the same!). That’s a lot of people for Heredia. Apparently there were really big crowds in San José.
La Nación lead yesterday with a big broadsheet style cover which covered the front and back of its tabloid main section, saying ‘Selebremos’ (a play on words for team and let’s celebrate). Going on to say ‘After a long and tortuous road it’s over. The ‘tricolour’ is one of 24 teams who have already secured a place in Alemania 2006. The nation is smiling. Once again the sporting victory has made us forget the economic crisis in the country as the jubilation spread out from the stadium into the bars and restaurants’.
Here’s hoping that this is how things will be in Ireland on Wednesday, or after the playoffs.
Hurricane Stan
------------------
Hurricane Stan hit Central America on Tuesday, but it was far up the coast with Mexico and Guatemala taking the brunt. This was the cause of the torrential rain we’d had during the week. The latest figures I’ve seen suggest that 1,400 people could have been killed in mudslides in Guatemala. Costa Rica has been spared the worst of it. The rain is still torrential most days. October is the wettest month anyway. It’s really getting people down at this stage, and I heard many of the teachers talking today about how down they’re getting with the relentless downpours.
I have had a lot of internet connection problems over the last week, so I’m not sure if it’s related to the bad weather. To look out at the huge collection of wires clustered around poles in the street, often sparking and sizzling in the rain, it’s a wonder that cable and electricity make their way into the apartment at all.
I’d better head to bed now. It’s always a tiring week when I have the early starts for Spanish.
Pura Vida,
Éamon
Monday, October 03, 2005
It’s lashing
Although we had some good days this week, the rain continues. We have beautiful mornings most days, but then the rain comes with a vengeance. A state of emergency has been declared in some parts of the country because of flooding and landslides.
Technical problems with English Horizons
------------------------------------------
It is funny how sometimes the internet classroom mimics a regular classroom. Students hit the control button when they want to speak, which I can see. We call it ‘putting your hand up’. Sometimes students stay back to talk to me after the class is over. Students can arrive late, or ask permission to leave early. But on Monday, I had a frustrating hour with a technical problem that doesn’t have a real world equivalent that I can think of. I arrived to my class as usual (i.e. logged in). I looked at the register, 7 students had registered. Nearly a fully class. I waited for them to arrive. 2pm, no one there. 2.05 still no-one. Then I got an email from one student. We’re all outside trying to get in but we can’t. I went out and got back in no bother. I tried locking and unlocking the room. No problem. By 2.15 I still had no students, and 3 emails. I messaged the school administrator, but got no reply. I wasn’t sure if it was something I’d done incorrectly, which is why I was so frustrated. I had to wait the full length of the class in case anyone arrived. Anyway, in the heels of the hunt, it turns out that the time on one of the servers was incorrect. So when my students were trying to get in it checked the time, and thought that there was no class. I have been assured that this fault has now been rectified and won’t happen again!
Moo like a cow
---------------
I was back in Spanish classes this week. We were covering some fairly boring grammar. One part was learning the irregular verbs of the past tense. This would be similar to English where we say ‘went’ instead of ‘goed’, ‘took’ instead of ‘taked’ or ‘met’ instead of ‘meeted’. One exercise we had to do was to do a time line showing 4 significant years of our lives, saying whether they were excellent, good, average or bad. Some people revealed quite personal explanations. But Natalia the teacher saw it all as an opportunity for grammar correction. One student got quite upset while talking about her father’s near-fatal skiing accident (he still has paralysis in his legs). She said that he nearly died, incorrectly using morió as the word instead of murió. Tears were brimming in her eyes. Natalia’s eyes lit (not lighted!) up as she saw opportunity for grammar. With a big smile she asked, He nearly died (morió)? He nearly died??? No, the word is incorrect. It’s MURió, Mooo-rió. Mooo like a cow!
River dispute
--------------
The Rio San Juan runs along the border between Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Although the river is in Nicaragua, a treaty from 1858 gives Costa Rica navigation rights. However Nicaragua is now not agreeing to this and wants to stop armed Costa Rican border patrols and tourism from the Costa Rican side. The dispute has been in arbitration for three years, but there’s been no agreement. The President this week sent the case to the International Court of Justice in The Hague. It looks like it could yet get nasty, with Nicaragua now threatening to put a 35% tariff on Costa Rican products.
Anyway, thanks to anyone who has sent me emails. I’m way behind in my replies, but I’ll reply to them all, just bear with me. As I sign off, I can still hear the rain against the tin roof. I taught my students ‘it’s lashing’ this week to give them a little bit of Irishness.
Hasta luego,
Éamon
Technical problems with English Horizons
------------------------------------------
It is funny how sometimes the internet classroom mimics a regular classroom. Students hit the control button when they want to speak, which I can see. We call it ‘putting your hand up’. Sometimes students stay back to talk to me after the class is over. Students can arrive late, or ask permission to leave early. But on Monday, I had a frustrating hour with a technical problem that doesn’t have a real world equivalent that I can think of. I arrived to my class as usual (i.e. logged in). I looked at the register, 7 students had registered. Nearly a fully class. I waited for them to arrive. 2pm, no one there. 2.05 still no-one. Then I got an email from one student. We’re all outside trying to get in but we can’t. I went out and got back in no bother. I tried locking and unlocking the room. No problem. By 2.15 I still had no students, and 3 emails. I messaged the school administrator, but got no reply. I wasn’t sure if it was something I’d done incorrectly, which is why I was so frustrated. I had to wait the full length of the class in case anyone arrived. Anyway, in the heels of the hunt, it turns out that the time on one of the servers was incorrect. So when my students were trying to get in it checked the time, and thought that there was no class. I have been assured that this fault has now been rectified and won’t happen again!
Moo like a cow
---------------
I was back in Spanish classes this week. We were covering some fairly boring grammar. One part was learning the irregular verbs of the past tense. This would be similar to English where we say ‘went’ instead of ‘goed’, ‘took’ instead of ‘taked’ or ‘met’ instead of ‘meeted’. One exercise we had to do was to do a time line showing 4 significant years of our lives, saying whether they were excellent, good, average or bad. Some people revealed quite personal explanations. But Natalia the teacher saw it all as an opportunity for grammar correction. One student got quite upset while talking about her father’s near-fatal skiing accident (he still has paralysis in his legs). She said that he nearly died, incorrectly using morió as the word instead of murió. Tears were brimming in her eyes. Natalia’s eyes lit (not lighted!) up as she saw opportunity for grammar. With a big smile she asked, He nearly died (morió)? He nearly died??? No, the word is incorrect. It’s MURió, Mooo-rió. Mooo like a cow!
River dispute
--------------
The Rio San Juan runs along the border between Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Although the river is in Nicaragua, a treaty from 1858 gives Costa Rica navigation rights. However Nicaragua is now not agreeing to this and wants to stop armed Costa Rican border patrols and tourism from the Costa Rican side. The dispute has been in arbitration for three years, but there’s been no agreement. The President this week sent the case to the International Court of Justice in The Hague. It looks like it could yet get nasty, with Nicaragua now threatening to put a 35% tariff on Costa Rican products.
Anyway, thanks to anyone who has sent me emails. I’m way behind in my replies, but I’ll reply to them all, just bear with me. As I sign off, I can still hear the rain against the tin roof. I taught my students ‘it’s lashing’ this week to give them a little bit of Irishness.
Hasta luego,
Éamon
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