Things He Didn't Know About Me

The other day Clint, my longest standing guy friend, and I were talking about eye color. Having seen me cry countless times, he noted that my eyes are prettiest when I cry. I later had the thought that my most recent significant other (SO) never saw me cry, so I he couldn't possibly have known this. We met while vacationing abroad, and proceeded to develop a relationship with 1,000 miles between us. Because we only spent a total of three weekends together, I began to think of all the things that he couldn't possibly know about me; the nuances that one can only come to know over time spent together. These are the little things that someone who loves me should know about me; not because I made a list, but because they have experienced these things themselves and have grown to know and love them as being part of my charm.

• How crystal clear blue my eyes get when I cry.
• That my handwriting is a messy mix of cursive and print, so my Rs are cursive and many people think they look like Ns.
• That I feel complete when I'm writing.
• When I find a song that fits my mood, I put it on repeat.
• One can tell how under control or chaotic my life is depending on whether my living space is immaculate or looks like the aftermath of Katrina.
• I eat the same things day after day because it's efficient.
• Incorrect grammar annoys me. (This goes for my grammar as well.) Especially on social networks.
• I'm not good at keeping all of my thoughts in one journal, so I have six. When I decide to write, I just pick the one within proximity.
• I am so afraid of tornadoes that I become physically ill when I hear sirens or the weather warning on the TV go off.
• The best compliment anyone can pay me is to tell me I look too thin.
• I find it nearly impossible to accomplish school and job work in the home setting.
• Sunday is my favorite day of the week.
• I have the most energy on Mondays.
• Conversation or noise before my first cup of coffee in the morning is positively lethal.
  
• I HATE feet, including my own.
• I scar easily, so my legs are marred from bug bites and shaving nicks.
• Freshly cut grass always makes me sneeze.
  
• The amount of pleasure I derive from making lists and calendars is frightening.
• I'm really not picky about something until I figure out what I want.
• I love wearing red lipstick. 
• I have as many red shoes as I do black.
• There are more Ann Taylor labels in my closet than any other brand.
• When it comes to material things, I prefer quality over quantity.
• I love handwritten notes.
• I hate the pressure of organized gift giving on specific occasions.
• Office and organizational supplies make me happy.
• When I got to a restaurant and I'm handed a napkin with my utensils inside, I always place my utensils in their correct positions on the table.
• I heart chick lit.
  

Forward to All Ants

To my esteemed friends, the ants:

While I appreciate your attempts to keep me thin by taking over my Reese's peanut butter cups and M&Ms, I'm having a hard time understanding why you chose to cease my sealed peanut butter jar as well. That was my lunch for the week. I understand the theory of survival of the fittest, which is why I was forced to employ my hairspray to euthanize you all. You will forgive me, but I just couldn't have you all traipsing through my room and stealing my food. I do hope that in the future we will be able to find common ground.

Yours truly,
Kristina

Mi Casa in San José, Costa Rica

I've been in San José now for going on seven weeks, and living in this house for five. (You may recall that I had to move to a new house two weeks into my stay because of an incident involving my Tico brother, his boxer shorts and him being what we like to call "borracho," or drunk.) But, now that I have unlimited wireless internet access and a camera (thanks again, Harv,) I feel it's time to let you see for yourself what my life in Costa Rica is like.

Below you will see a view of the "calle" or street that I live on.

In Costa Rica, home security is a very big deal. Homes and yards are fully enclosed in gates that reach far above head high, and in most neighborhoods you will find barbed wire lining the top. I'm quite certain that the actual crime rate does not correlate with the extensive precautionary measures taken, but such is life in Costa Rica. Pictured below is a view of my house from outside the gate.

And behind these beautiful bars, you will see...

Mi casa.

Esto es mi cuarto.

The only place that I actually get alone time, and the place from where I do most of my communicating with my connections outside of Costa Rica.

La Sala Formal

La Cocina

(From where I have acquired a significant portion of my Spanish skills.)

El Comedor

La sala informal

(Do notice our back yard and my red pajama pants hanging on the line.)

El tele está in este cuarto.

I have spent all of two minutes in this room.

I don't like television in the states, so I really can't handle poorly filmed Latin American soap operas in Spanish. (Yes, we have ABC for Grey's, but it coincides with my pilates class at the gym. And no Renee, there is no N.C.I.S. here. Plus, I would only watch Gibbs with you.)

So, this is where I live. More information on my Tica family, friends, and daily routines to come.

Facebook Grievances

I know this will be difficult for some of you to grasp, but Facebook is getting on my nerves. And now, may I present to you, my list of grievances.

I. Status Updates

• I don't care how much you have to study or how hard or boring your class is. Guess what, we've all been (or are currently) there doing the college thing. It's not going to change. Suck it up and deal with it, and please, quit taking up space on my home page with it.
• Can we keep the bible verses to a minimum? I really don't want to have to sort through the book of John on my homepage to find out what's actually going on in the world of my friends. I understand that, here and there, a poignant scripture serves a purpose. But, all things in moderation people. 
• Speaking of the bible, quit preaching through your statuses. I guarantee you that they're about as effective as the man in the abandoned supermarket parking lot standing on a truck bed yelling through a megaphone. It's annoying, so we're ignoring it. It is quite acceptable to impart a wisdom or truth every now and then, but I don't need to read the entire sermon that you heard on Sunday. Just hit the main idea. Brevity, people. It's affective. (I know, I'm one to talk, huh?)
• I also do not care what the weather is like where you are. Why is it that the weather is an accepted conversation topic anytime, anywhere with anyone? Who cares? No one! So quit status updating about it.
• This is not Twitter and you aren't limited to 140 characters. Therefore, there is no excuse for not using appropriate grammar and complete sentences.
• We don't care that you're going to sleep. That's equivalent to you telling us that you're breathing or  using the restroom. It's unimportant, insignificant, and boring. We want creative statuses that evoke emotion, or least provide us with significant or useful information. 

II. Games

• Mafia Wars, Farmtown, Farmville, etc. I don't really care what it is. Quit sending me requests! (And for the love of all that's good in this world, find a hobby that actually forces you to use brain cells.)

III. Quizzes

• Quit taking them. They're so stupid. Bored people create these jaded quizzes with uncharacteristic options to elicit a specific result that's supposed to make you feel better about your life. But, if you find that you must, skip the publishing part so I don't have to read about what you're going to be when you grow up on my homepage. 

IV. Like

• Why is it that just because I "like" someone's status that every time someone comments on it from then on I get a notification about it? Just because I like it does not mean I want to read everyone else's back and forth on it. The whole purpose of the "like" button is to clue someone in that you're paying attention without having to actually comment on it or commit to it.
• Why isn't there an "unlike" button? I mean, plenty of times I see something and I think, what's to like about that? And I want to be open about my dislike for it. Zuckerberg, have someone get on this. It doesn't have to be as severe as "F-U" or the bird, but it could be used to mean something like, "I don't like the fact that you're sick" or "I hate that you're stranded in the airport, too."

V. Photos

• Quit posting albums of ugly dogs on Facebook. They're like babies: not all of them are cute. If you're that obsessed with your unattractive animal, please, spare the rest of us and use a scrapbook that will not leave your coffee table. 
• There is no need for your profile picture to be of you making out with your significant other. We know you do that, but that doesn't mean we want to see it on your profile page (or more importantly, my homepage.) So, let's get a classy pic up there and save the ones of you in the midst of a drunken make out session to be discovered one day when someone is bored and wants to stalk you.

That is all. For now.

¡Ole, Ole-Ole-Ole! ¡Ticos! ¡Ticos!

This weekend marked my sixth weekend in Costa Rica. Because we had traveled for five consecutive weekends, my friends and I decided that we were exhausted. So we hung around this weekend to relax and explore San Jose. This actually worked out well for me because I had come down with the flu on Wednesday, and I knew I wouldn't be up for much to begin with. But on Saturday morning I was feeling significantly better, so Ray, Britt and I began coordinating our day.

Costa Rica was to play Trinidad and Tobago in a world cup qualifier game at Estadio Ricardo Saprissa. Ray had mentioned something about a fútbol game, so acting as even coordinator, I figured out what information was needed and we were on our way. In asking my Mamá Tica about the event, she gave me to pieces of advice: 1. Arrive two to three hours early, and 2. Bring a jacket. You must understand that the average year round temperature for San José is between 70 and 80 degrees. I figured it might get cool, but nothing to pack a parka for. However, when in Costa Rica, always, always, always prepare for rain. So I stuck a light rain jacket and an umbrella in my purse.

I would add here that I had also looked up movie times as an alternative, as the weather forecast predicted a %60 chance of rain. (With that forecast, one could call meteorologists here prophets.) Britt, was pushing toward the movie, as was I. 1. I wasn't even over the flu. 2. We both knew we wouldn't enjoy the game if it rained the whole time. But our dear friend Ray, in typical Ray fashion, convinced us that this "experience" would be well worth it. Thus, we were persuaded.

Upon our arrival, we attempted to buy tickets. Oddly enough, there were no ticket windows open. So I deferred to Ray to do the communicating with the Ticos as to how to go about buying tickets, as I was busy keeping out of rain puddles. Ray was lead by one Tico to another, who proceeded to persuade us to buy three tickets for ₡40,000, an amount that far exceeded the value of the ticket. Fortunately, we only had ₡30,000 with us, so we settled on that amount. That comes out to be about $17 per person. I'm still certain we were gypped.

Regardless, we entered the stadium to find that we were indeed very early. Why my Mamá Tica encouraged us to arrive so early, is yet to be understood.

But as the two and a half hours before the commencement of the game passed, the stadium grew lively, despite the steadily falling rain.

Ah, the rain. Despite umbrellas, rain jackets, and panchos, we were soaked before the game even began. (It was at that point I figured out that my Mamá Tica meant a RAIN JACKET, and not a jacket for the cold.) As pictured below, Ray is in his "enjoy the experience" mode. Britt, not so much.

The game however, was very intense. Costa Rica ended up scoring 4 goals! Trinidad-Tobago boasted of 0. So this was a big win for Costa Rica. (Especially considering that they aren't in the habit of winning here recently.) And each time we scored the entire stadium began jumping up and down while chanting, "¡Ole, Ole-Ole-Ole! ¡Ticos! ¡Ticos!"

Thanks to Digicel, everyone who entered the stadium got free clappers. I had perhaps a bit too much fun with them.

All in all, I'm glad Ray pushed us to "the experience". The game ended up being a lot of fun, and somehow the fact that it rained the entire time makes it that much better. I am not sure, however, if it was worth catching this terrible cold that I've yet to be rid of.

So it was a night of many firsts for me. First time to ever watch an international sporting event in person. First time to sit through an entire sporting event in the rain. First time to spend a significant amount of time in inclement weather and not complain. First soccer game I've actually enjoyed.

My dad recently made a comment that his world had been turned upside down because my former tomboyish sister is now a KΔ at Ole Miss requesting ball gowns and that, I, his former Princess, the-closest-I'll-get-to-nature-is-the-national-geographic-channel, daughter only wanted to be surfing on exotic beaches. So while I'm sure he'll be impressed that I sat through an entire sporting event in the rain without complaining, I fear he's going to find his life even more disorienting upon hearing this news. Lo siento, Padre.