6 de Enero

So today was pretty average until the bars were hit up that night, which was really fun. It wasn't anything crazy or anything of that nature, but it was fun, very laid back. Everyone seemed to get screwed out of some money somehow in someway, which was exactly what they warned us about. For starters the taxis are a fun game to play. First you have to find one which is actually pretty easy. Then when you get in you have to say "Tiene una maria" or "Ponga la maria" which tells them to use the meter and not just charge some obscene price for your taxi ride. Oh also when choosing a taxi you have to make sure its one registered with the state otherwise you could get driven out to the middle of nowhere and robbed. Anyways the indicators of a "legit" taxi are a yellow triangle on the side along with the other signs typical to a taxi as well as numbers on the side, and you need to remember those numbers so that you can report them if they screw you over. Anyways I actually was fine all night because as long as you don't open up a tab or draw alot of attentin to yourself everythings fine. You just always have to be careful and very skeptical with people. On the way home from the bar is when people got really taken advantage of. One taxi told someone that they didn't know where the college is, because Costa Rica doesn't use street signs, just landmarks and directions from there, there are no street signs. So basically this driver took him and the two people he was with for all he was worth. 4200 colones, or a little over $8, which doesn't sound bad, but the cab fare for me both ways was 1500 colones, or $3.

Anyways on the way home I had to walk home alone in the dark because my roomate got lost via taxi, so on my walk home I was fine, but theres always the small concern in the back of your mind that your gonna get robbed, but it was 3 blocks and I had this. So I was walking down the street, confident long strides, eyes straight ahead, giving the apperance that I know whats up. So after about a bolck and a half I was approached from the year by a man boy. I was deciding whether or not I should run, but I chose to face it, I had no money on me at all, so he couldn't have stollen anything from me. Ended up he just wanted a cigarette, and I just "lo siento" and "adios". But a succesful conversation in Spanish was achieved.

Also yesterday I went shopping all by myself for all the ingredients for quesodillas and other mexican dishes of sorts. Anyways basically while I was doing that my roomate went to get his haircut, I dropped him off at a really sketchy barber that we passed on the way to the supermarket. Apparently while I was chillin out at the super market he was getting his haircut by recovering crackheads and a random dude from Manhattan. So interesting.

Also at the supermarket this worker started talking to me and I had no idea what was going on so I said, "No comprende, Necesito queso" which translates into, I don't understand, I need cheese. So that was really funny, we just laughed at the fact that I can only talk and Spanish, not really understand unless your talking really slow.