Matt finally sent Sharon an email with details about what he has been doing. It is pure Matthew, even though we think someone else wrote it for him because he would never send a long email:
Here is what I have done so far.
Sunday 6/4: I left for Orlando International Airport at 6am for 9am
flight. My father and I arrive early so we have breakfast. After
breakfast, I go to my gate and await my flight to Miami. That flight was
only 55 minutes and went great I just slept the whole time. I went to my
connecting flight and got on the plane, but we sat on the tarmac for 2
hours, after they settled the problem the fight was a little over 2 hours
long to San Jose International. I got through Customs and Immigration ok
but, the person that was suppose to pick me up was not there, come to find
out she did not know my plane was late and after waiting a hour and a half
left. So I had to take a 20 minute taxi in a foreign country were nobody
speaks English. It was a little difficult giving directions to a house I
ad not been to in a year but somehow I did it. The family received me with
open arms, literally. Once I was settled in, I had dinner with them and we
just talked for the rest of the night.
Monday 6/5: I have to go to school for 8-12, then I have the rest of the
day free to what ever I want to do. After a great breakfast with just the
mother, I take the bus to my school where I meet my new teacher. He is in
his 20's, a student at the national/local collage, loves soccer, and does
not speak a word of English. If you want somebody to learn a language send
them to a place were the people only speak that language. The teacher and
I just talked; we got to know one another for the first two and half
hours. We talk about what we like, sports (he explained the World Cup to
me), family, and school. For the last half hour of school, we go over what
I already know. After school, I went back home for a lunch of giupinto
(rice and beans), chicken, bread with butter, and lemonade. Then I got out
my soccer ball and went across the street and play soccer with the locals
for close to four hours. I went back home and got cleaned up for dinner.
Tuesday 6/6: I went to school, were my teacher gave me a list of all of
the World Cup games. Then we went over verbs and other boring stuff until
10', were we went for a walk around the University of Costa Rica.
Afterwards I went to the Mall of Sand Pedro, where I watched The Da Vinci
Code in English with Spanish subtitles. It was pretty good for a movie
with so much controversy. Then I went home for a small lunch and 5v5
soccer. Afterwards I went home to do homework, have dinner, and go to bed.
Wednesday 6/7: Like always I went to school were I did a bunch of boring
stuff until 10', were my teacher and I went to the National Museum. I
learned a lot about how Costa Rica was first used as a place to put
prisoners during wars. Then I went to the mall and had lunch at the ever
so local Taco Bell. Then I went to the internet café and checked my email
and other personal things. When I got home that night, I found about 20
people in the living room. The mother had some work to do with them, so
the daughter (17) and I need to leave the house for an hour or so. We went
to one of her friend's house and watched TV for the whole time; it was in
English so I was happy.
Thursday 6/8: Again, I went to school and at 10', we went to the Mall of
San Pedro, walked around, and bought things for school on Monday. Then I
needed to get home because the son (21) and a friend of the family were
giving their final presentations for collage. They were at 7' and lasted
until 9:30. Afterwards we had a party at the house were there was a lots
of alcohol (I did not have any) and food. That night after the party and
cleaning up, I was the first to bed a 1:20 in the morning.
Friday 6/9: Today was interesting I have never seen so much spirit for any
one thing. The government gave everybody off until 2' in the after noon so
that they could watch Costa Rica vs. Germany in the first game of the
World Cup. My teacher and I went to a local bar for 18+ but I got in
somehow. I watched grown men hug and jump for joy every time that Costa
Rica scored. Costa Rica lost 4-2 but the country was still a big party
afterwards because we did not get humiliated in that game. After the game,
I went to McDonalds and consumed two big Macs, a large fry, a mcflury, and
two drinks (2300 calories) for lunch. I accidentally ordered too much but
it still only cost me $5 total. Then I went a played soccer in the rain
until seven at night were I dried off just in time for dinner and the
police to come over and ask me questions. The house next door was robed
while I was playing soccer and the police wanted to see if I remembered
seeing anything, I did not, but the daughter, the mother, and I had to
wait while the other family came back home from the police station.
Saturday 6/10: The power went off twice and a screaming family awaked me
at 7:15 am because they were watching a World Cup game and the power went
out. When the power came back on around eight, I decided to also watch the
game. Afterwards I needed to help cook lunch which was soup. Then I went
and played some 2 on 2 soccer. During the game the other neighbors dog
died suddenly. Than I had lunch and watched the final World Cup game of
the day. The family and I were supposed to go to a concert tonight but it
was sold out. So we came home and watched Anchorman.
And Julia simply must share the story... I almost needed a drink warning when she told me!
heh heh heh LYMI
Thanks again, Irene, for the darling pirate outfit....he's still wearing it!
