The silence is broken
At long list I find the time, the energy and the wish to write something here. For those who don't know or can't remember, I'm a Norwegian doing the TEFL course in Quepos/Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica (I will use Quepos since that's where I actually live, though the course is technically in M.A.).
So, where do I start. I arrived in Costa Rica a few weeks back and spent a few uneventful days in San Jose (a city which is eerily remniscent of Cape Town in many ways). From there, I went to Quepos where I am currently staying (till approx the 10th of Feb). I started the course three days after my arrival in Costa Rica and so far it's been a good experience. The course itself isn't too challenging, really, but gives a lot of good ideas and build confidence for the actual step into real classrooms. Thursday - yesterday - was the end of classes and we're starting teaching practice next week, which will occupy us until its conclusion on Thursday the 8th of Feb.
The crowd here is mainly American, a large British minority and two foreigners, yours truly and an Austrian chick. In total we're around 35 people and the school is too small to efficiently handle the number, to be honest, but they have done their best and a good job nonetheless.
But as I already told you, the course isn't too challenging if you have an inch of backbone and some activity in your top floor. Which means ... spare time. Which means ... social activity. And boy there's been a lot of that. I'm a rather solitary creature so to handle a mass of strangers in the daytime and usually a bunch of strangers in the nighttime has been quite the challenge, but one that I've mastered. Even if barely. I've spent more time at the beach these days than I ever have before (that is, several hours), and there's lots and lots and lots of alchohol involved (and other substances) in the extracurricular activities. The TEFL class is very diverse and quite pleasant to spend time with, so I don't really mind much. I spent my first week in a backpackers here in Quepos, then moved into a homestay which is very, very good - cheap and excellent service. And Spanish "classes". So if you're going to Quepos to stay for a while, doing whatever, mail me and convince me that you're a nice guy or guyette and I might help you out.
Teaching practice next week, as said, and I gotta start looking for a job. A Norwegian teaching English in Costa Rica. Hopefully, over the next years, I hope to go to even more obscure locations. But for now, it looks like I'm staying in CR for the next half-year or so.
So that's pretty much it from me. If you have any questions regarding Costa Rica, in particular Manuel Antonio/Quepos, the TEFL course etc etc feel free to mail me, though I'm not the encyclopedia-ish fount of information Bruce & better half is.
