I can't believe I've already finished my first month! It has really gone fast! My professors and Tica family have been very encouraging and tell me that my conversational Spanish is much more fluid. I joke that now it only takes me 30 seconds instead of 3 minutes to figure out what "mood", what tense and the correct conjugation for the verbs when talking. Truly the verbs are my nemesis! This week we visited La Iglesia de Orosi in Orosi, Costa Rica. It is nestled in the foothills of the mountains. The beautiful drive through the mountains covered with coffee plantations is a treat in itself! The church was built in 1734 and is still in great shape. It is beautiful inside with a brick floor and beautiful wood carvings and pews inside. It is a popular setting for weddings. We also visited El Museo de Oro (Gold Museum) in San Jose. Costa Rica has a rich (of course!) history of forming gold religious icons and jewelry. The museum also has a very interesting Numismatica exhibit which is a history on the currrency used throughout Central America. There was an incredible display of wood carvings as well. I visited a home for children but opted not to accept it as a part of my clinical experience. They were severely physically handicapped and profoundly mentally retarded. Treating kids has never been a desire for me and when they are so severely involved it breaks your heart. Many had been there their whole lives and are no longer children. One guy grabbed my and I had a tough time breaking free. He did it to my professor too and it kind of freaked him out as he is not a medical person. Thanks, I'll pass on getting hurt while I'm down here! I had originally planned to visit one of Costa Rica's volcanos today but it was overcast and decided to wait as the volcano is so high that the view would have been obstructed by the clouds. Instead my classmate, Paul and I walked to a local mall and saw the movie, Stardust. When I went to buy my ticket speaking in Spanish the girl behind the counter told me in English that it was in Spanish. I replied in Spanish, yes I knew that. Then she told me, again in English that there were no English subtitles. To which I replied in Spanish "Esta bien" (that's fine). I don't know what it is, maybe it's the blonde hair that a lot of clerks automatically speak to me in English even when I speak to them in Spanish. Well, the movie is really good and I even understood most of it. Robert Dinero (sorry, I am forgetting how to spell in English) is hysterical! Tomorrow I am looking at a clinic in Cartago as a possible location to practice medical Spanish. Of course I'll continue my classes as well. I hope everybody had a great week! Happy Birthday to my brother Paul! ¡Pura Vida! ¡Hasta luego! Mary