Day 7: Emma







Mala Mala (pronounced Mara mara, ‘the food is so good’)

This morning we got to the main kitchen at 9, perfectly on time. Today, Chloe took over the role of photographer during service, which, according to everyone, went well. After this, around lunchtime, we were served wacho, a traditional Bribri dish that can only be described as rice with soup and some variety of protein (8/10).

 

Later, Profe Mara held our daily Spanish class, where we continued our study of ethnography and the art of interviewing. In this lesson I learned that interviewing is different from conversation in that it takes more effort to centralize, or lead, the conversation along a specific subject.

 

After class, we attended a funeral service, which in the Bribri culture is held 9 days after the body is buried, (a process that follows the manipulation of the body by the Oköm, or “enterrador”). They celebrated his life with a joyful reunion, perhaps those especially joyful were the kids, who played games around the fire. This isn’t to say they rejoiced, but instead spent their time mourning with the community as a whole, a social gathering to honor the memory of their loved one’s life.

 

At the end of a very educational day, we went to the river, Río Skuy, where Chloe and I  decided that it would take too much effort to swim. Instead, we returned to our neighborhood early, stopping by La Pulpería, a store run by El Yodoro, where you can buy anything from basic necessities to every kind of chocolate and marshmallow combination that exists.

 

Chloe and I have tried 5, so far.

Our food ratings:

  • Escolar (8/10, kind of like an oreo)
  • Chocole (6/10, chocolate isn’t great)
  • Hipo (5/10, Chocole but worse)
  • Chiky (5.5/10, Escolar but dry)
  • Pengüino (supposedly the best one, according to every kid here)

 

After an eventful day, we can all say we’ve learned a lot about respect and the strong sense of community that is upheld within the Bribri culture. To say the least, life here is very different, and has given us all time to get to know our families, and best of all, relax.


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