Spiders and Bingo

Sarah: Well David and the crew have been gone a week now and for the most part, it’s been pretty quiet around here. Actually the first night, everyone was gone and it was just me to hold down the fort. So I usually enjoy time to myself and I don’t really get freaked out, especially in this safe small valley. However, it does seem like when I’m here alone, the bugs come out in full force. Last Sunday night it was a particular spider. I went to brush my teeth, and there he was—large and hairy. I’m used to the small spiders that live in every corner in our apartment, but this one was BIG. I didn’t know what to do. I kept entering and leaving the bathroom, sorting it out. I couldn’t leave him there, knowing full well that he might not be there the next time I checked and he might be on his way into my bed. I also have a fear of killing spiders, did I mention that? So I did the only rational thing possible. I took a number of David’s shoes and started chucking them at the wall, yelping and running out of the bathroom with each throw. Finally he fell into the shower, so I tried to drown him with hot water, but he kept escaping the water spray. So I resorted back to throwing shoes at him, and finally I won. As I left the bathroom feeling victorious, I realized how ridiculous the entire past 20 minutes had been and what a scene I had been making. I have to admit I was glad that some students returned the next day…so far we have gotten rid of 5 spider egg sacs and about a dozen spiders in my apartment (ok so THEY have gotten rid of almost everything…)

There are 3 girls and 1 guy who aren’t participating with the other students on the Environmental Science Concentration (ESC). The girls returned to QERC on Monday night, and the guy has been in and out because his girlfriend was here to visit last week. Tuesday night we all went to a very special event here in the community—Bingo Night. These nights only happen a few times a year as a fundraiser for the school. We showed up not knowing exactly what to expect, and found most of the community ready to participate. There was plenty of food available to purchase and lots of prizes available to win. Apparently it’s a pretty competitive event, and even Efrain and Caridad come to win. We were having a lot of fun, though not winning anything, until at last one of our students, Laura, had a bingo. She ended up walking away with a new coffee maker!

The rest of the week has been pretty low-key. The students had a big test they were studying for, so they’ve been pretty non-social. Plus, I think they are enjoying having the building practically to themselves, so it’s been many late nights of them watching movies and chatting, and it’s been a rare day that I’ve seen anyone up and moving before 10:00 am! Ahh the life of a college student.

On the other hand, David’s reports have been really positive. They saw some turtles laying eggs on a beach at night, and now they are staying near Arenal Volcano to study volcanology. David says that everyone is having a great experience and taking away something new they are learning and excited about. I'm sure he'll have much to report on when he gets back!