Here in Costa Rica they are all about their fireworks (or, bombas, as Costa Ricans call them). They are also all about their street parades! For their "Dia De Independecia" -- Independence Day -- schools each host their own street parade to celebrate. The kids make homemade lanterns, the school band plays loudly (with an emphasis on the drums!) and police block off neighborhood streets for the march. Our girlies participated in this and loved the experience. We used our recycling pile to construct lanterns and marched with the best of them!
This was all such a welcome cultural experience until we encountered the "dark" side of their firework and parade love and admiration. Imagine this... It's early Saturday morning. You are fading in and out of glorious sleep; so thankful that after a long week of early mornings and brain-twisting language learning you have the opportunity to sleep past 5:30am and listen to the yellow-bellied birds chirp on the line outside your window as you casually sip your second cup of coffee. Sounds nice, right? Well that's not how it works. NOPE!!!! Here's the truth -- It's early Saturday morning; about 4:30am. You are fading in and out of glorious sleep when --- BOOM!!! --- Your eyes burst open, your heart beats quickly. You ask yourself, "Self? Are we in Kuwait in the 90's or Costa Rica in 2014?" Then it hits you. You're not under attack...the Costa Rican's are setting off Bomba's at 4:30am in celebration of St. Francis. Then, suddenly --- BOOM!!!! --- and then it really starts. The band, the horns, the drums that really like to express themselves and stand out among their fellow instruments! Sleep is out of the question. The school of culture doesn't close it's doors for a Saturday and Sunday break. Our lesson was at 4:30am on a Saturday morning and it's one we will never forget!!
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