Tango Lessons!

We finally did it!  After nearly 20 years of thinking about, wishing for, and putting off taking tango lessons together, we finally went! 

Last Tuesday evening, Rick and I learned the "basic 8" along with a little variation.  Class was at the Alliance Française (French), in San José, Costa Rica (Tico Spanish), taught by Oscar Lopez Salaberry (Argentina).  We did all right, and had fun!  Even if we didn't have the right shoes...

To see what we danced like, click here :-)

Art City Tour

San Jose has an ART blow-out every couple of months, called the Art City Tour - on a Wednesday evening, from 5 to 9, museums and art galleries are open to the public (free entry!).  In addition, the GAM puts together several routes that folks can follow.  They organize tours by bus, by bicycles, or on foot, with helpful people on hand to answer questions and relieve anxiety :-).

We kept missing these tours, until (yay!) this last one - we met some friends downtown, and we all trooped around gawking at art and museum exhibits.  We signed up in advance for one of the bus tours - SIX stops in FOUR hours!  It turned out that it is much looser than I expected - people were changing routes, bus-hopping, and generally playing everything by ear.  The buses leave each venue every 10 minutes, and are easy to find.  You can stay on the bus if you want to skip a gallery, and you can walk between different places, change the order, go to a museum that is not on your original route... It's a free-for-all!  And a lot of fun! (and exhausting!)

We ended up walking between a couple of places, then skipping a couple.  We'll definitely go back for a longer look at the National Museum. 

We saw a fun dance exhibit at the Alliance Française - especially interesting was the one man dancing with two women - one woman was blindfolded.  It was a very interesting way to tell a story, as well as exciting to watch as a dance.

As we walked between a few other venues, we overlapped the bike route - there were probably two dozen bicyclists, and they just took over Avenida 7.  It reminded me a bit of the Critical Mass rides in San Francisco.

When we go again (and we will), here's what I would do:
- still sign up for a bus route, but just not worry about sticking to it.  I think signing up in advance helps the organizers, but it's not critical to follow it to the letter.
- bring snacks (and not just candy) and water
- expect to drop out here and there, and take a load off; "museum strolling" is hard on your feet and back!
- don't worry about seeing *everything* in the museum; expect to return another time
- leave behind any anxiety about following a plan, and just go with the flow!

Mini-Tour of San José

Sometimes, you can go years knowing people electronically, and never meet them in person.  Well, this morning, I met an e-friend in downtown San José - in person!  She was on her way through town, so we met at one bus station, and ended at another.  In between, we meandered around downtown, and ended up seeing a number of parks - and closed museums :-(.  Holidays are usually fun in Costa Rica, but a drawback is that a lot of places are closed (and buses often run on a Sunday schedule).  Today, Guanacaste Day, was a holiday.  And a Monday.  And San José was *quiet!*

I was amazed at how much I had forgotten!  What was the history of the metal school?  Who is that and what represents which country on the national monument?  sigh.  Fortunately, detailed information is available with a click of the mouse.

I've been having fun with Google maps lately, so you can see where we walked :-)


View Mini-Park-Tour San Jose Costa Rica in a larger map

Routine without Ruts

I had a nice little routine going here - some structure, but not so rigid that it was suffocating.  But then visitor season hit, followed by major holidays, and some serious and multiple changes to my class schedule (I have to blame something, right?).  I found myself a bit rudderless, and didn't really realize what was happening.  Then I suddenly saw!  And remembered how important it is to have purpose and structure in life.  So, I made a little schedule, and a few rules. 

The number one rule is:  every day, say "where will I walk today?" instead of "do I have to go out for something?"

Supporting rules include basics like get up by 7:00, have a real breakfast, no more than 2 cups of coffee (that one is tough, and may very well go by the wayside), and get ready for bed by 10:00 (but actual sleep time will take care of itself).

Today was the first day of tryouts :-).  Rick and I walked to Guadalupe, mainly for the walk, but also to stock up on meat at the butcher.  I hadn't been there in a very long time, and never any day but Saturday.  Saturday is feria day in Guadalupe, and so I used to combine that with a number of other chores - as did many other folks.  And the butcher was **busy!**  But on a Monday?  Not so much! :-D

Once I started to think about what I could do when I go out, instead of how to accomplish everything efficiently, life got a bit nicer.  No more groaning about having to go out to do a bunch of chores, no more over-stuffed shopping cart, no more saying "where did the day go?"

What a Week!

What a week (to miss out on)!  Yes, I'm going to whine...

I was not up to snuff this week, and missed out on a *lot!*
Saturday:  dragged through class, hopefully absorbed something, but I was certainly not a stellar student.
Sunday:  no visiting with friends.
Monday:  missed Juan Santamaría Day in Alajuela; parade, festivities, museum events.
Tuesday:  chores at home, but did not experiment as planned with a hoped-for butcher delivery.
Wednesday:  missed afternoon festivities at UCR, but at least we walked through it on our way to the clinic;  *REALLY* missed the Art City Tour!  Had planned to meet friends and make a real night of it.  Back-up plan was to go to the Alliance Française for a Milonga.  Too tired for even that.
Thursday:  no painting workshop with friends.  At least I can hear some of the music wafting over from UCR while I rest up in my recliner.
Friday:  Semana U will still be going on at UCR.  Maybe...

National Theatre 2011 Season

The National Theatre MedioDía has gotten off to a great start!  A few things have changed since last year - entrance is now c1000 ($2) instead of c500, and there are many Tuesdays of dance and theatre as well as music. 

Today was the first musical performance, and for me it's all about the music!  We hosted the Juilliard Jazz Artist Diploma Ensemble, with 3 members from the USA, one from Australia, and the charming Spanish-speaking Italian.  They are on a tour of Costa Rica, and definitely worth going to see!

Some other activities and events:

• Master class and concert at Universidad Nacional - Heredia
• Master class at UCR
• Transcultural session at the San Pedro Centro Cultural Costarricense Norteamericano
• Master class at Teatro Eugene O'Neill
• Concert at Palmares - Colegio San Agustín
• Concert for students of MEP - Teatro Eugene O'Neill
• Concert at Hotel Club de Mar - Jacó
• Concert at Teatro Copaza - Quepos

March 13 - National Oxcart Driver Day

aka Día Nacional del Boyero, is a day to celebrate the oxcart drivers of Costa Rica.  The weekend celebration started Saturday, but having just returned from a week at the beach, we decided to just go for the parade on Sunday (with a little hope for some pre-parade music).

Plan A:
- leave at 7:30-ish, catch the San Pedro bus into San José
- catch the Sabana Cementerio bus to the Coca-Cola terminal
- catch the 8-something bus to San Antonio de Escazú
- get there in time to see the folk music at 9

Plan B:
- ask people at Coca-Cola about the best bus and stop for the fiesta; change if it make sense
- if we can't find the music, find a café and wait for the parade to find us

What Really Happened:
- left about 7:50, caught the San Pedro bus, then the Sabana Cementerio bus to Coca-Cola
- walked around a bit looking for the right Escazú bus; caught the 8:30 bus.  "looking for the right bus" included asking people in line about the fiesta (one blank look, immediately followed by a "you bet, San Antonio" from her neighbor).  Confirmed with the driver, who was a bit caught off-guard by the question.  Listened as another passenger asked the driver more specific questions about the fiesta.  Managed to mention this fact to the French couple behind us, who were also going (done in French, thank you very much!).  Watched said person like a hawk, and followed him all the way to the festivities :-).
- left the bus at 9:00, walked the 6 blocks in a few minutes to the San Antonio church area.  No folk music.  Food stalls were getting set up, but definitely not ready for us.  Had coffee and pastry at Musmanni's - now why is it that I can never tell if I'm spelling that right?  It's a bakery chain all *over* Costa Rica, and I stop in regularly!
- found a seat in the shade; waited, listened, watched
- 10:30 - heard that the parade had started (we were at the finish line).  More people start to show up.
- 12:30 - no oxen. Getting hungry.  Getting a sore behind.  Sunburnt.  Still enjoying watching the action and talking to our neighbors. 
- We wait a bit longer, then decide to eat.  Meander down to the food booths - I got a chorreada (YUM!), and some real food.  I soooo love fiesta food!
- 1:00 - finished lunch, walked around a few minutes, and lo and behold, there's the first part of the parade!
- cameras are out!
- 1:30 - look for our bus back to San José and home!

Next time:
- leave home about 10:00, wearing sunscreen
- take the San Antonio de Escazú bus to the terminus, walk 3 blocks to the church
- eat fiesta food lunch
- watch oxcarts come in, get blessed, and judged
- eat more fiesta food :-)
- bus home about 3:00

Front of the parade - brass band and giant heads, followed by.... OXEN!

At the very end of the parade, the oxen - and passengers :-) are blessed by the priest - cool water at the end of a long hot ride.

Somewhat smaller participants:

Even smaller fiesta-goer!

The After-Party Crowd

Scenes From a Bus

• A Profusion of flowering trees and shrubs
• Grandmothers pushing strollers
• Kind Strangers offering fruit to toddlers (after subtly checking with the mother)
• A Happy Toddler with fruit juice running down his chin
• Mothers laughing with their children
• Sunny skies with flitting clouds
• Young adults sitting and talking in the shade of a bus stop
• People jumping up to offer their seat to those who need it more

Roller Skating?!?!

Roller Skating?!?!  You bet!  I went roller skating this afternoon!  I haven't been since I was a teenager, but guess what?  Nothing much has changed - same music, same games, same smell :-S.  Nostalgia is strange sometimes.

I went with a couple I met through my French school, so we had a very nice conversational mixture of Spanish, French, and English.  It was a workout for my brain as well as my legs!  Speaking of legs...  It did take me a while to find my "skating legs" - I was a windmill for at least the first half.  But then I found my balance, and even started to get the hang of the cross-over turn.  Spinning, squatting, and skating backwards will have to wait.  I got a little cocky, and so I fell twice.  I'm not going to count all the times I grabbed at other skaters - a very common occurrence for nearly everyone - all in all, not too bad.

Some details: the rink is in San Pedro, just across the circunvalacion from the Mall San Pedro.  Skate times are at 1-3:30, 4-6:30, and 7-10.  Entry and skate rental is c2000 (about $4) at the 4:00 time slot.  You can choose between in-line or traditional skates.  Skate are in USA sizes.  Shoe (etc) check runs c150, but some people keep a small backpack with them for that instead.  Sodas are c500.  I did not hear any songs from KC and the Sunshine Band, but there were definitely others from that "original" era of skating.

Feeling Like Christmas

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! La la la la la....

Today, after days and days of rain, saturated ground, landslides, road wash-outs, electrical outages, and more rain, we finally had an entire day of sun!  The humidity was all the way down to the mid-50's, and the air was soft and breezy.  Lovely!

In the midst of all this sunny, balmy weather, *several* Ticos commented on the day, saying that is was very Christmas-y.  Whaaaaaa?  All the Gringos together now, say it with me - WHAAAAAT? Now let's add in the Canadians and Europeans...

Of course, once you think about it, it makes complete sense.  Christmas here is at the beginning of summer - days full of sun and soft breezes, and no more rain.  Just as people in the Northern Hemisphere are reveling in that Autumn snap to the air, we relish the few days here and there that are rain-free. People in both places are celebrating the change in the weather, and anticipating the holiday to come...

International Guitar Festival!

The International Guitar Festival kicks off this week!

Rick and I went for our first little taste at the MedioDía today.  What fun!  The Orquestra de Guitarras de la UCR played arrangements for guitars - there were about 20 players, ranging from soprano to electric bass (is there such a thing as a soprano guitar? dunno, but it went pretty high, like a mandolin).  The composers included Manuel de Falla, Andrew York, Astor Piazolla (!!!), Ernesto Alfaro, Pedro Elías Campos, and Rubén Fuentes.

We're very much looking forward to more guitar this week :-)

Oh, What a Beautiful Morning!

Yeah, I know. You thought this would be a sunrise picture, or a description of how great it is to wake up in Costa Rica.

Well, it *is* great to wake up in Costa Rica, and for the last several days, I've had that darned song going on in my head. But the flip side is that everything *doesn't* *always* go your way. Here are a few such items to consider.

Item 1: Several times in the last few months, I have spent the day at a friend's house painting. It is a great way for us to visit and to focus on the artistic side (one big goal for my life here). We don't have a car, and I thoroughly enjoy the bus system here. However! On this trip, the buses *never* seemed to align! They're like the stars that way, I guess. The last time I went, it took two and a half hours to get there, and then (OMG, I almost died) it took THREE and a HALF hours to get home! That's an average of three hours to go a distance of 20 miles! And this is without much traffic - that would take *maybe* an hour in a car (lots of windy roads on one end, and a few stoplights at the other).

Item 2: Rick and I usually go to the MedioDía at the National Theatre. It is a noon concert of just less than an hour, and gives you a nice taste of a performance that is often played in expanded form later that week in San José. Usually it's a nice taste. The last time we went... Well, it wasn't that the musicians were bad, because they weren't. It wasn't a bad composition either. We just didn't like it! It was too something - too modern, dissonant without relief, snippets of melodies that went nowhere... The little girl sitting next to us had her hands over her ears by the end of it - very subtly of course, since she was a Tica, but still. My compensation was that I was with Rick. And anytime I get to spend with Rick is great :-).

Item 3: I often go to the Guadalupe feria - the produce is fantastic, and the people are friendly. But one time, I had gotten everything except strawberries, and so was cruising pretty fast. A stack of strawberry bags caught my eye, and I stopped. I have gotten pretty good at testing weights, and so I pretty much know what a kilo feels like. These bags looked light, and when I asked how much, the guy said the price. Then I picked up a bag, and asked how much it weighed. He said about a kilo - I looked kind of funny I guess, and he put it on the scale. When he did this he kept his hand on the bag, and pressed on the scale - well it was pretty obvious. So I laughed, and motioned that he should perhaps lift his hand. He laughed, lifted his half-kilo hand off the scale, and - well, there you go. I said no thanks and moved on.

I'm quite sure there are other disappointments, but they do fade quickly. Because you know, we *do* have beautiful mornings here :-D

Would I let these set-backs stop me from trying again? No! (One might even be tempted to say "No way, San José!")

Overlapping Holidays

In the states, we have seen the Christmas holiday creep earlier and earlier. Time was, the official start of the Christmas season was the day after Thanksgiving. You could pretty much count on enjoying your Thanksgiving holiday without another holiday invading, then finish it off with a Christmas parade or the first Christmas movie.

I think the earliest I have seen ads for Christmas decorations was a couple of years ago - the day after the 4th of July! Something about pre-ordering your custom decoration for your collection. At this point, not only is Thanksgiving incorporated, but Halloween as well - as soon as the Halloween candy is taken off the shelves, it is replaced with Christmas candy.

When we first moved to Costa Rica, we kidded ourselves - we felt like we were getting away from the USA-style Christmas over-hype. And in a way, we were. It feels different here. Less corporate-controlled, more relaxed, more joyful. However. sigh. If it can be believed, Christmas starts even *earlier* here!

The Christmas-trigger here is now Independence Day (September 15). We went shopping for paper and tape (basic stuff) the day after, and the stores were chock full of Christmas decorations! Window space is a premium now, with flags vying with Christmas ribbon for that eye-level spot. The flags, seals, and buntings are still available, but enormous sections of other goods have been moved aside. One store had reduced its books by about a third, and replaced them with toys. (As an avid reader, I find that sad.)

Notice, however, that the shelves and windows are still full of Independence Day items! In Costa Rica, Costa Rican independence is celebrated the entire month of September - flags and seals go up, storefronts erect enormous drapes of color, school bands practice marching, parks and government buildings are cleaned and painted... The country is full of pride and independence-day spirit.

So, does your average Tico really do much about Christmas this early? I'm sure some thinking starts, but I've asked a few people here and there about it, and most usually get started after the first of November - that's when Christmas trees go up, and decorations become noticeable. The fiestas really kick in at the beginning of December, when the aguinaldos are due - these Christmas bonuses are mandated by law, and amount to an extra month of pay.

What about the other end of Christmas? A few years ago, I was surprised to see a woman buying wrapping paper on Christmas eve - I thought "wow, she really put this off, eh?" But I have since found that gift-giving is also spread out. January 6th is the *big* gift-day, and the official end of Christmas.

For us, the best part of the season are all the fiestas - they are nearly back-to-back, in every town. It is truly a different sort of celebration.

Living in Costa Rica - Best and Worst (for now)

People often want to know "the worst" and "the best" about living in Costa Rica - unfortunately, this list changes, depending on what kind of day you're having :-S.
So, my list for today is all about the unexpected...

Three of the best things about living in Costa Rica:
- sharing a moment with others while waiting for or riding a bus. Or shopping. Or watching a tope. I love it that so many people get a gleam in their eye, for no apparent reason. Then a smile, then sometimes a comment about the line, or the weather, or whatever, that sometimes leads to a lovely conversation.
- the fiestas that never seem to stop! The new year starts with the end of Christmas fiestas, then continues through school summer break. Then fiestas leading up to lent. You would expect things to quiet down during lent, but noooo! It's *summer,* and March is a *huge* month for weddings, horse fairs, and other celebrations. Then Easter! It is the biggest week for family vacations to the beach, as well as religious parades. May slows down a bit, but there are still plenty of fiestas. Then June and July have major events - Guanacaste day, and San Juan's little summer. August sees patron days in San Ramon and several other cities. The entire month of September is Independence Month, with clean buildings and parks, flags and buntings streaming, parades and fireworks. October and November seem to build up to Christmas, and December is chock full of fiestas!
- the bus system! Every time I really think about this, I have to laugh at myself. I used to practically *live* in my car - drove since the age of 9; I never used a bus (except for school, and then only until I could legally drive). Now, in Costa Rica, I have yet to drive a car. And I get a special thrill out of finding a new way to get somewhere by bus. So call me weird.

Three of the worst things about living in Costa Rica:
- news from USA. More and more, I find that news from the states is just plain depressing. The rest of the world seems so much more sane by comparison. But that might be because I am less vested in the details of the rest of the world.
- cherries and blueberries. Unattainable at a reasonable price, and even if you could bring yourself to pay $25 for a handful, you could only do this for a very short time each year. Mitigated by luscious, year-round mangoes :-)
- that uncomfortable feeling when you think you should know what to do in a situation, but you don't. When and how do you invite someone to coffee? What do you do to thank someone for an invitation? How closely do you calculate time spent on a job, and therefore determine pay? What hints are you missing? It's a minefield...

These are some of the things that were unexpected - let's not forget that the original reasons for even investigating Costa Rica as a place to live still hold:
- We can live (really live) together, as we like, spending real time together
- Medical care is excellent and affordable

and the expected difficulties:
- culture shock - yes, it still attacks, but less frequently, and less severely. And it is more recognizable each time, and therefore more easily dealt with.
- safety, and the necessary suspicion that goes with it - this is still hard to accept and live with, but it is becoming a more natural part of life. I'm telling myself that is a good thing.

Is 4 Out of 10 OK?

I have lived here *how* long now? Off and on, coming up on 5 (FIVE) years! And I see that I have *not* been to 6 (SIX) of the top ten destinations in Costa Rica! As a summary, here they are, along with my lame excuses:

1) San José - well, I *live* here, so I have *been* here. But I haven't seen an awful lot of it - almost none of the museums, for example. I'm counting it.

2) Arenal - I have been here, several times! And I'll be back :-)

3) Monteverde - sorta went here, once. Really, it was Santa Elena. But I walked through one of the reserves. I'd go again if someone was visiting and wanted to go - any takers?

4) Manuel Antonio Beach - haven't been. Don't know why. It's been on my "must do" list since day 1.

5) Tamarindo Beach - went to a couple of other beaches on the Nicoya peninsula. They're darned hot! Sámara was nice, and I'd go back with an interested visitor. I would tell a visitor how to get to Nosara. Tamarindo has never interested me.

6) Jacó Beach - Probably won't go, just on principle - too many gringos can't pronounce it. But principles are meant to be broken...

7) Puerto Viejo & Cahuita - ooooooohhhh yeah! Have been. Will return. Got new snorkel gear demanding a try-out.

8) Drake Bay (Corcovado National Park) - this has also been on my "must do" list since day 1. I will get there eventually...

9) Tortuguero - turtles. For some reason, you can't come to Costa Rica without doing something with turtles. I don't mind turtles, I just don't get the fascination.

10) Montezuma - One of the first friends we made in Costa Rica lives here. Maybe one day we'll get out there and see him. If others in this area are as nice as he is, we'll probably kick ourselves for not getting out there sooner.

So, is 4 out of 10 OK? If you count the fact that we'll be here for the foreseeable future, and have spent a lot of time figuring out LIFE, maybe so.

This is not a whirlwind...

Culture: Art, Music, Language, and Buses

Thursday was a banner day for Culture, in all it's forms!

I had a day of ART planned with a friend on the other side of the Central Valley, so I caught a bus into San José bright and early (but not too early!). I walked through downtown (stopping for pastries) to the Alajuela bus terminal, and caught the parando (the one that stops more often). I'm hoping it was only the temporary effect of learning another new language, but I had quite a time making myself understood (sigh, not usually this much of a problem). I wanted to have the bus driver point out to me the different stops in San José, so that the next time, I could perhaps catch the bus along my route, instead of going to the terminal. Well, we finally got all that straightened out, and he did in fact point out the *perfect* bus stop for me! (it's unbelievable how excited I get about figuring out new bus options) So, next time I need to get to Alajuela, I will take the Sabana Cementerio bus (from near Fischel) West to just past the Coca-Cola / Puriscal terminal, down Avenida 1. When I see the "Vida" funeral parlor, I'll get off, walk North one block, and catch the Alajuela bus in front of the "La Estrada" market.

Once I got my bus information, I settled in for the ride by doing my French homework :-). It had been a while since I'd been in Alajuela, but I was still able to find the Grecia bus easily. I hopped on, and we left in a few minutes (8:55 - it leaves every 25 minutes). Half an hour later, I am with my friend, drinking coffee, and getting ready to paint!

I wasn't sure what I would work on, so I had brought pretty much everything - I ended up trying out my new watercolors, and learned a bit more about what I like, and what works for me. It was a lovely, sunny day, *and* it wasn't over!

I caught the 3:26 bus (*so* precise!) back to Alajuela, then San José, and *just* got to the National Theatre in time for my 5:00 concert with Rick. I half-ran the half block, and felt lucky that it hadn't started yet - found out later that the Thursday concerts actually start at 5:10 :-|.

The concert was amazing! It was an hour of pure delight, with just a piano and saxophone. The pieces they chose were *all* "my kind" - romantic, rich, lush... But mainly it was so moving because the saxophonist had such a fabulous tone. I obviously don't have enough superlative words to describe it (drat these new languages)...

If you get a chance, definitely give them a listen.
The program: "Arias y Sonatas"
Piano: Federico Molina Campos
Saxophone: Harold Guillén Monge
Composers: Taktakishvili, Creston, Brouquieres, Ibert, Ravel, Tcherepnine

Mini-vacation

I had a week and a half off between French classes - what to do, what to do...

First and foremost, I *relaxed!* Then I made a list. Then I ignored the list. Except the "relax" part.

I did do a few things here and there - saw the dentist, kept my "French Story-hour" with Ann-Marie on Skype, and went to the Feria.

On Monday, Rick and I ventured into downtown San Jose for lunch. I wanted to see if my grades had been posted, and we wanted to pick up some tickets in advance for Tuesday's Mediodia concert. Well, no grades yet, so I couldn't sign up for the next class, but we got pretty good seats for the concert! I usually go about half an hour before the concert, and get nose-bleed seats (still definitely worth it)!

Tuesday was a big day for relaxing :-). Our friend Linda was checking out the bus system from her house near Grecia into San Jose, so I met her on the West side of town. Her bus took much less time than expected, and mine took much more - so she waited quite a while :-(. But, then we toured San Jose by bus - Sabana Cementerio bus from Sabana park to the Caja, then walked from the National Theatre to Lehman's. We spend a nice chunk of time browsing through the art supplies - got all excited by the glass staining paint, water color choices, art paper... Had time to notice that the first floor has a *lot* of books. Saw that there was a very decent selection of staples, paper, drawing tools, and other school and computer supplies. We left Lehman's just in time to make it back to our seats at the National Theatre. We met Rick there, the lights dimmed, and the jazz music burst forth! Afterwards, we decided to have lunch at a soda near the Alliance Française. It's a good one - convenient, good food, and a good deal (lunch is half the price of the place next to the Jade museum) - hard to find downtown...

After lunch, I checked again for my grades - they are posted! and I PASSED! So, I immediately signed up for the next session :-).

We spent the rest of the afternoon back at our place having an early cafecito. Then Linda and I headed back to the Alajuela bus terminal, stopping for peanut butter on the way. After all kinds of discussions about which bus is good for what destination, I zoned on the wrong bus - ended up 4 blocks in the wrong direction!

Symphony at the National Theater

I am *definitely* going back! This morning, I went to the National Theater to see the symphony - when those first phrases of cello drifted up, I cried. I am trying to remember the last time I went to *any* symphony, and can't - but it has been at least 10 years.

On the program today: Schubert Symphony #8, Haydn Concerto for trumpet and orchestra, Proto A Carmen Fantasy for Trumpet and Orchestra, Mendelssohn Symphony Italiana.

Giuseppe Mega was the guest conductor, and he was very dynamic! He moved all over his dais, and I think I even heard a little stomp or two from his feet :).

The guest trumpeter was Jens Lindemann, a Canadian living in California. What a character! He came out for the Haydn wearing a sparkly electric-blue blazer, and preened (what else to call it?) for the audience. That was just a hint of what was to come. After the intermission, he wore bright red! What else should he have worn for Carmen? Fantastic trumpeting, preening, and - on top of all that - he got the orchestra to shout OLÉ on cue! THEN, he got the *audience* to do it! He mugged, walked around the stage while playing, and blew a "trumpet kiss" during the piece. And after that, he played an encore! He got his new friend Carlos, a bass fiddler, to come out from the orchestra, and together they played the jazz tune "Sugar Blues." What a treat :-D

Logistics: I caught the Escalante bus a bit after 9:35, got to the National Theater shortly after, bought my "cheap-seat" ticket for c3,000 (about $6), and was sitting in my place by 10:00. By about 10:20, the place was nearly full - just a few seats on the edges were unfilled. The symphony started a bit after 10:30, and was over at about 12:30. I know you can call or stop by for reservations (I didn't do this, but may in the future).

Next symphony: Friday, April 30 @ 8:00pm and Sunday, May 2 @ 10:30am - Berlioz Condemnation of Faust, Kodaly Harry Jones Suite, Faurè Requiem.

National Theater

On Tuesdays, at noon, you can see short productions (usually music) at the National Theater in downtown San José. We went, deciding to take our chances on whatever was on - and we got *lucky!* FLAMENCO! One of the hottest dances, paired with fabulous guitar, flute, drums, and husky, gutsy singing.



We got there at 10 minutes before noon, and all but the upper floor was sold out. At c500 per ticket, it is pretty popular. We were mesmerized, and so didn't notice what time it ended - but it is less than an hour, as many Ticos come to see a show on their lunch break. This same group "Soy Gitano" is playing a full performance this Saturday and Sunday evenings - definitely see it if you can!

Karl had an especially nice time, since (as usual) the prettiest girl in the theater sat next to him...



Info on "Gitano"

My New Butcher

A few weeks ago, I went to "My" butcher in Guadalupe. I wanted to make some beef stew, but I didn't know how to ask for the right cut. The butcher shop has a sign on the back wall listing all sorts of cuts and types of meat, but they are all specialized Spanish! How would you ask for a chuck roast? or stew meat? I knew that if I asked for meat for "Olla de Carne," I would get ribs - not at all what I wanted. (Olla de Carne translates to "Pot of meat," and is like beef stew, but it is a specialty of Costa Rica, and is definitely different than your basic Irish stew.)

So, in preparation for this trip, I looked up all sorts of possibilities in my dictionary, and wrote them on my shopping list. I'm sure all that helped, but the final answer for the name of the cut was *not* on my list!

When I got to "MY" butcher, as usual, I stood in a line that was 4 or 5 people deep. Saturdays are *very* busy, with so many people buying their meat for the week. So, it took about half an hour to get to the front. Meanwhile, I was sharing eye-rolls with my fellow penitents, and becoming more and more amazed at how friendly and patient the butchers continued to be. When the fellow in front of me finally paid for his mountain of beef, chicken, pork, sausages, etc., and it was my turn, I started with the hard question.

I said that I didn't know the name for the cut of beef, but it was something like... and I rattled off my list of Spanish "stew meat" names. Well, "my" butcher called over another to help, and we all had a conference - they looked at my list, and seemed amused that I was trying so many different Spanish terms (and none of them the right one). They finally determined that what I wanted was rump roast - "posta cuarta de res"- cut small - "trocitos." They showed me the entire roast first, and I said "yep! looks good." Then "my" butcher cut some pieces and showed me the size. I said "maybe half that size" and he cut them even smaller - "trociticos."

All this time, my butcher was smiling, the consulting butcher was smiling, and another fellow behind the counter was smiling (I don't know about the folks standing in line behind me - I didn't dare look...). I noticed that the name on the money bowl was "Solórzano," and it made me think of the sun (sol, solar) - and before I knew it, my mouth was open again... I asked if that was his name, and he said yes - I said (essentially) that it suited him, because his face was so sunny. Well... he wrote out his name for me - and added his phone number =:-o.

I am *positive* (yes yes yes) that this is the phone number of the butcher shop, and he only gave it to me so that if I had more questions, he could answer them.

Hmmm. Well, the stew turned out great, and the next time I went to the butcher, I somehow ended up in the line next to "my" butcher. The consultant saw me in line half-way across the room, recognized me, and said "how are you?" I hollered back, and when I got to the front of the line, he came over and shook my hand. Both he and "my" butcher asked how the meat worked for me (this is two weeks later!). I told them how I cooked it, and they seemed genuinely interested.

My walk home took just over half an hour, and I smiled the whole way...