Summer arrived on Monday! It was quite sudden. I was taking Spanish classes this week, so it was off to the school early, and I got sunburnt between walking down and during our morning break. The mornings have been beautiful and summery all week. We still have the odd shower of rain, but there is definitely a feeling that summer is here, and I’ve been back in shorts and flip-flops.
Thanksgiving
----------------
Thursday was thanksgiving in the US, and so was a big celebration in the school. There was a thanksgiving party, so I had my first thanksgiving dinner. On the menu was turkey, mashed potatoes, mashed squash, green beans, cranberry sauce and stuffing. I was the turkey carver. It was a huge turkey that fed the entire school!
Actually, it was interesting, because it didn’t really feel like a celebration for the Gringos at all. Most people were a little down because of it. I didn’t realise that it was such a big holiday in the US, and also, because it’s such a family time, people were quite homesick. I felt that on Thursday night, a lot of them were on a bit of a downer.
Teacher of the week
-------------------------
I was teacher of the week this week. That sounds like an achievement, but it’s just a rota – we all take it in turns. Teacher of the week means that you have to stay behind and tidy up the staffroom each night, and on Saturday. And you chair the Wednesday weekly meeting. It was my first time chairing a meeting since last December. It was strange because it was something I did so often in Irish Life. I hadn’t realised I was teacher of the week until I arrived in on Monday and saw written on the board – Teacher of the week – Eamon ‘The Irishman’.
Intercultura news
---------------------
This was followed by the publication of the school magazine ‘Intercultura News’ which is written by the students and published monthly. The following article appeared.
New Teacher Interview – With Eamon ‘The Irishman’ McDonagh.
The following questions were answered by Eamon’s students on behalf of their beloved teacher:
· What’s his favorite holiday or time of year?
St. Patrick’s Day.
· Describe his ideal partner:
Someone who is friendly, funny and interesting.
· Describe his most embarrassing moment:
The day he gave us a class from Unit 9, but we were on Unit 7. Or, the time he got drunk in Puerto Viejo and tried to dance Celtic style, much to the bewilderment of the reggae enthusiasts on hand.
· What’s his most annoying characteristic?
He speaks too fast
· Does he have any hidden talents?
He always looks happy.
It’s pretty good hidden talent if you ask me!
The best restaurant so far
-------------------------------
I went to a Lebanese restaurant in San José last night with my friends Laura and Leah. It was a fabulous meal. The best since I’ve been here. I had a large main course and three beers in a very upmarket restaurant (there was a picture on the wall of Mikhail Gorbachev on his visit here) for only c7,000, or €9.44.
Today, my landlord had another barbecue, so we had a nice afternoon. It turns out his father was Lebanese, so he’s invited us all back in two weeks when he wants to cook some Lebanese food for us.
------
My internet connection is down at the moment, because the government agency, RACSA were billing me to my RACSA email address which I don’t use. So I caught up on my payments the other day and am awaiting reconnection. I’m sending this from an internet café. I hope to be back online tomorrow.
So until next week,
Pura Vida,
Éamon
Today’s headline in La Nación: Aresep raises fares on faulty buses
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Irish Evening
Folks,
Although we still had some rain this week, it’s definitely getting less. Today was actually quite warm, with the temperature was about 25˚c this afternoon.
Irish evening
----------------
One group of my students were saying a couple of weeks ago that they’d love to know some more about Ireland. So we had an ‘Irish evening’ during class on Tuesday. I started off with a brainstorm on information they already knew about Ireland. It didn’t take long, because they knew nothing! They literally hadn’t a clue. They vaguely knew it was in Europe. They were amazed to find out that it was an island. They knew we liked potatoes and Guinness, but that was only from me in previous classes.
For the evening I wore my green FCEK – The Irish Correction t-shirt. I had a reading exercise around an article about Ireland. We had two music activities on songs, Nothing Compares 2U by Sinéad O’Connor and Sunday, Bloody Sunday by U2. I also had a clip of Riverdance to show them the dancing. The whole class went very well, and they really enjoyed it.
The Intercultura Cup
-------------------------
The soccer competition is up and running in the school. The Intercultura Cup. It’s open to teachers, students and their friends. Chris, the head teacher, arrived to my classroom with a few students earlier in the week and said they had something to ask me. They asked if I’d like to be on their soccer team for the competition. I politely declined. Afterwards, Chris said that he was sure I’d told him before that I’d like to play. I know most of you will find the thoughts of me playing in a soccer competition as funny as I do. I told him that no matter how drunk I would never have said I’d like to be on a team.
Anyway, we headed out to the competition on Friday. Because of the number of teachers, they’ve now got two teams. The Meltdown’s are the original team, but they’ve now got an offshoot, the Goosecocks. They designed a logo and got t-shirts printed for the three-week competition, only to crash out spectacularly on the first night.
Irishisms
-----------
People are always having a laugh at my Irishisms. ‘I’m grand’, when asked how I am, is mimicked by many of the staff. Monique thought I was talking literally when I said that the sun was splitting the stones for my sister’s wedding. Joaquín’s phrase of the moment is ‘Jaysus!’
I lapse into Irishisms when teaching much to the confusion of my students. We were having a race in a game around telling the time yesterday, when I called out ‘Five past six’ as one of the clues, only to have the game stop as they looked at me blankly. It’s ‘Five after six’ in the book. I’ve confused students talking about footpaths instead of sidewalks. Laundrettes instead of Laundromats. Forming a queue instead of making a line. Opposite the bar instead of across from the bar. Beside the supermarket instead of next to the supermarket. And bizarrely, diagonally opposite instead of something called ‘kitty corners’!
I said to one returning teacher that I hadn’t seen her since we ‘broke up’, meaning since school broke up for the holidays. The others though I was implying we’d had an affair.
The school is delighted to have another accent to the teaching staff. When I arrived there were 5 Canadians and 3 British teachers. Now many have left and all the replacements have been from the US, so the staff is all American except for 3 Canadians, Tom from UK, and myself. And Tom is leaving next month!
Well, that’s it for another week, folks. I’m now off to prepare for a marathon 20 hours set of private classes this week with a new French student.
Today’s headline from La Nación: Mudslide destroys 27 houses in Aserrí
Although we still had some rain this week, it’s definitely getting less. Today was actually quite warm, with the temperature was about 25˚c this afternoon.
Irish evening
----------------
One group of my students were saying a couple of weeks ago that they’d love to know some more about Ireland. So we had an ‘Irish evening’ during class on Tuesday. I started off with a brainstorm on information they already knew about Ireland. It didn’t take long, because they knew nothing! They literally hadn’t a clue. They vaguely knew it was in Europe. They were amazed to find out that it was an island. They knew we liked potatoes and Guinness, but that was only from me in previous classes.
For the evening I wore my green FCEK – The Irish Correction t-shirt. I had a reading exercise around an article about Ireland. We had two music activities on songs, Nothing Compares 2U by Sinéad O’Connor and Sunday, Bloody Sunday by U2. I also had a clip of Riverdance to show them the dancing. The whole class went very well, and they really enjoyed it.
The Intercultura Cup
-------------------------
The soccer competition is up and running in the school. The Intercultura Cup. It’s open to teachers, students and their friends. Chris, the head teacher, arrived to my classroom with a few students earlier in the week and said they had something to ask me. They asked if I’d like to be on their soccer team for the competition. I politely declined. Afterwards, Chris said that he was sure I’d told him before that I’d like to play. I know most of you will find the thoughts of me playing in a soccer competition as funny as I do. I told him that no matter how drunk I would never have said I’d like to be on a team.
Anyway, we headed out to the competition on Friday. Because of the number of teachers, they’ve now got two teams. The Meltdown’s are the original team, but they’ve now got an offshoot, the Goosecocks. They designed a logo and got t-shirts printed for the three-week competition, only to crash out spectacularly on the first night.
Irishisms
-----------
People are always having a laugh at my Irishisms. ‘I’m grand’, when asked how I am, is mimicked by many of the staff. Monique thought I was talking literally when I said that the sun was splitting the stones for my sister’s wedding. Joaquín’s phrase of the moment is ‘Jaysus!’
I lapse into Irishisms when teaching much to the confusion of my students. We were having a race in a game around telling the time yesterday, when I called out ‘Five past six’ as one of the clues, only to have the game stop as they looked at me blankly. It’s ‘Five after six’ in the book. I’ve confused students talking about footpaths instead of sidewalks. Laundrettes instead of Laundromats. Forming a queue instead of making a line. Opposite the bar instead of across from the bar. Beside the supermarket instead of next to the supermarket. And bizarrely, diagonally opposite instead of something called ‘kitty corners’!
I said to one returning teacher that I hadn’t seen her since we ‘broke up’, meaning since school broke up for the holidays. The others though I was implying we’d had an affair.
The school is delighted to have another accent to the teaching staff. When I arrived there were 5 Canadians and 3 British teachers. Now many have left and all the replacements have been from the US, so the staff is all American except for 3 Canadians, Tom from UK, and myself. And Tom is leaving next month!
Well, that’s it for another week, folks. I’m now off to prepare for a marathon 20 hours set of private classes this week with a new French student.
Today’s headline from La Nación: Mudslide destroys 27 houses in Aserrí
Monday, November 14, 2005
Cantina Mulo
I guess I overestimated the change in the weather. I had hoped to go to the coast this weekend. But the weather forecast was terrible. The hourly forecast as hilarious, listing rain, rain, rain hour after hour, interrupted by the odd thunderstorm. So I stayed put in Heredia.
France 0 Costa Rica 2
--------------------------
OK, so that’s only the half-time score. Costa Rica played our group toppers, France in a friendly during the week. We had the TV on watching it during our weekly meeting. However, France came back in the second half to win 3-2.
Cantina Mulo
----------------
Those of you of a certain vintage from Irish Life will remember Blacks. The pub on Talbot St that was always a bit of a dive, but was well-loved by many of us who frequented it for many years. I remember one work colleague telling me that he used see Jim, the proprietor, more often than his own father. And he lived at home.
Well the good news is that Cantina Mulo is the Blacks of Costa Rica. It’s directly opposite the school. It’s a very typical old Tico Cantina, which is a type of spit-on-the-floor bar that serves drink and food. ‘Jim’ over here is called Jorge. We’ve had many a good Thursday that starts off there. Barbara my boss usually ends up behind the bar serving drink. I was going to say pulling pints, but alas there are no pints, and only one beer is ever on draft, Imperial. So it’s usually bottles. With the odd shot of ‘Guaro’ (the local drink made from sugar cane) to round off the night.
One very curious, but typically Tico, fact is that there is a Gents urinal just in the corner of the front bar. But it’s basically right in the bar. It’s a tiny cubicle, and you’re just screened by ‘saloon type’ doors. It’s the sounds that are most disconcerting when you’re sitting there drinking your beer however.
The other bars
------------------
After Mulo, it’s usually on to Bulevar. Which is a big American style bar, open to the front, and with two floors, and a back bar with live music. It’s very gringo, meaning that a lot of Americans, usually students, go there.
An alternative is El Chozo, which has several floors, and a stunning view from the top bar, looking out over Heredia, San José and the Central Valley.
After everything else is shut, if the night continues, it’s on to Miraflores Disco Bar. To which all the late-nighters of Heredia beat a trail. This is where Jack and I came on our first night in Heredia, when he sang Downtown on the Karaoke. In all the times I’ve been there, I haven’t sung Karaoke. Well, maybe I’ve sung along. But I’ve never taken the mike!
El Cholo
-----------
Still my favourite bar by a long shot (not of Guaro!) is El Cholo. The gay, but very straight-friendly, bar down the road. It rarely forms part of the trail on a Thursday, although many teachers love it. It’s quite Spanish, rather than Tico. It serves tapas rather than bocas. The owner is from Barcelona, and it has a picture of the Nou Camp and lots of Barca memorabilia.
I’ve got a lot of feedback on the weekly emails in the early days that all we talked about was bars and beer. So I haven’t mentioned it for a while, and I actually have been living a quieter life, believe it or not. I guess I’ve blown all that now.
France 0 Costa Rica 2
--------------------------
OK, so that’s only the half-time score. Costa Rica played our group toppers, France in a friendly during the week. We had the TV on watching it during our weekly meeting. However, France came back in the second half to win 3-2.
Cantina Mulo
----------------
Those of you of a certain vintage from Irish Life will remember Blacks. The pub on Talbot St that was always a bit of a dive, but was well-loved by many of us who frequented it for many years. I remember one work colleague telling me that he used see Jim, the proprietor, more often than his own father. And he lived at home.
Well the good news is that Cantina Mulo is the Blacks of Costa Rica. It’s directly opposite the school. It’s a very typical old Tico Cantina, which is a type of spit-on-the-floor bar that serves drink and food. ‘Jim’ over here is called Jorge. We’ve had many a good Thursday that starts off there. Barbara my boss usually ends up behind the bar serving drink. I was going to say pulling pints, but alas there are no pints, and only one beer is ever on draft, Imperial. So it’s usually bottles. With the odd shot of ‘Guaro’ (the local drink made from sugar cane) to round off the night.
One very curious, but typically Tico, fact is that there is a Gents urinal just in the corner of the front bar. But it’s basically right in the bar. It’s a tiny cubicle, and you’re just screened by ‘saloon type’ doors. It’s the sounds that are most disconcerting when you’re sitting there drinking your beer however.
The other bars
------------------
After Mulo, it’s usually on to Bulevar. Which is a big American style bar, open to the front, and with two floors, and a back bar with live music. It’s very gringo, meaning that a lot of Americans, usually students, go there.
An alternative is El Chozo, which has several floors, and a stunning view from the top bar, looking out over Heredia, San José and the Central Valley.
After everything else is shut, if the night continues, it’s on to Miraflores Disco Bar. To which all the late-nighters of Heredia beat a trail. This is where Jack and I came on our first night in Heredia, when he sang Downtown on the Karaoke. In all the times I’ve been there, I haven’t sung Karaoke. Well, maybe I’ve sung along. But I’ve never taken the mike!
El Cholo
-----------
Still my favourite bar by a long shot (not of Guaro!) is El Cholo. The gay, but very straight-friendly, bar down the road. It rarely forms part of the trail on a Thursday, although many teachers love it. It’s quite Spanish, rather than Tico. It serves tapas rather than bocas. The owner is from Barcelona, and it has a picture of the Nou Camp and lots of Barca memorabilia.
I’ve got a lot of feedback on the weekly emails in the early days that all we talked about was bars and beer. So I haven’t mentioned it for a while, and I actually have been living a quieter life, believe it or not. I guess I’ve blown all that now.
Monday, November 07, 2005
After the rain
The weather has taken a turn for the better, with much less rain this week. Sometimes I’m inclined to forget where I’m living at this stage, and I start to take things for granted. But this evening when I went down to the supermarket in the lovely clear evening sunlight it was beautiful to see the mountains to the North, South and East. The city of Heredia isn’t very beautiful, but the location is.
Ceviche
----------
After class the other night, one of the students popped back and said that he and his wife were going into the neighbouring city of Alajuela to have some ceviche. Ceviche (pronounced seVEEchay) is dish of raw fish, marinated in spices. So I headed out with them to Alajuela. An opportunity to practice my Spanish if nothing else.
We arrived at the cevichería in Alajuela, which turned out to be just a counter on the street. Ceviche is served in a tall glass, looking a bit, I guess, like a sundae. I have to say that although a ‘drink of fish’ doesn’t really sound very nice, it was actually delicious.
Still no travel
----------------
You may remember that I had intended to travel away a couple of the weekends while I’m not working Saturday. I guess with all the rain it just seemed much more comfortable to stay in the apartment and socialise locally.
I’ve only one weekend before working the four remaining Saturdays before the Christmas break. So I’m hoping to head away, probably to the Pacific coast, next weekend. Several of my friends are going to Nicaragua on a border run. Unfortunately I join them because I’m out of visa compliance.
Long Christmas break
---------------------------
The Christmas break is quite long this year. We break up on December 15th, and classes don’t start again in January until 23rd. We can stock up on private classes in that time if we want, but I think I’d like to just have the time off. In addition, my mother is coming on holidays for a few weeks from December 27th, so it will be ideal to have the time off for travel.
Shortly after she goes back, Jack’s planning his return to Costa Rica, sometime around the beginning of February. It will be five months since he left, and he’ll be returning in the beautiful summer months.
New neighbours
--------------------
Two older American guys have moved into the apartment next door. There had been a young Canadian girl. So I’ve now got Americans on all sides. Carlos, the landlord, threw a barbecue for the tenants (there’s only 4 of us) yesterday to welcome the new arrivals. They seem like guys who have come down here to retire. There are a lot of Americans who come down here to retire, because it’s much cheaper to live than in the US. I had wondered first off if they were a couple, but there have been quite a number of female visitors coming in and out in the meantime so I’ve discounted that theory. And they’ve only been here since Tuesday.
Monday, October 31, 2005
Feliz Halloween
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.
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.
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!
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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