We'll start at 8 am...or 8:30. Possibly 9

I really don't like to be the last person to walk into a meeting. I aim to be prompt, not too early, but fairly on time. It's not normally a problem. Very little is normal in Costa Rica!

If a meeting starts at 8 am, we might get started by 8:15. Time is very fluid so far. Buses don't have a posted schedule anywhere, because they run on their own time. It depends on traffic, the day, and how many people flag them down from the side of the road. Our half hour Survival Spanish course turned into more than an hour long just because we started asking questions! It's something to become accustomed to: no one is in a big hurry. Everything will get done. Everyone will end up where they need to be. I had been warned, but one really has no idea until they've experienced it.

Today is the first day of work with all staff members. I'm finding it really hard to remember names I didn't quite catch the first time! As slow as the schedule can go, the speaking makes up for it. Everyone is really friendly; I've been kissed more in the past week than in the past year. I have some meetings today, and the rest of the week. I had to clarify where I was needed; as a specialist, I could be in three meetings at once because of the preschool, elementary, and midle/high school.

This semester I teach all of the younger grades: K3 through Grade 5. I have 6 three-year-olds, and my largest class is 16 kids. 16! My MS/HS principal informed me that we would run an elective if as few as 5 kids chose to register for it. What a difference having 200 kids in a school rather than 1000. I anticipate there will be some challenges with such a tight community, but there is really good support from all the administrators so far.

This weekend is a long weekend. Monday is some sort of Saint Day; Las Angeles, I think. Apparently half a million people will be walking through San Jose and San Pedro this weekend on their way to Cartago (about 22 km) in order to visit the Basilica there. The legend has it that the Virgin Mary appeared to a small girl, and eventually the priest figured out that Mary was telling them where to build the church in her honour. Every year all these people go, thanking her for blessings and asking for things. I'm really tempted to go, as I don't think I've ever seen half a million people walking anywhere, never mind together. Our principal and others have strongly suggested going the next weekend when people will still be walking AND we can see the church more easily. I'm thinking this is the better idea, and I can see the streets full of people here in town.

One note: I don't live in San Jose. I thought I did, based on where I flew into, and where the school's address is. I know now that the school is in San Ramon de Tres Rios, and I live in Mercedes Monta. de Oca, very near San Pedro. San Jose is actually quite small, with a lot of smaller cities/towns/counties coming out of it, sort of like bike tire spokes. I'm still trying to find a map.

Ok, off to be early for a meeting. More later, provided I don't fall asleep. I'm still not used to 6 am.