If this is your facial expression today, be proud

Posted on by stanleyobando

This week was nuts: in U.S. news, in Costa Rican news, and even in my house. A certain Very Big Girl went off to first grade with all the fanfare, nerves, and “Oh my God, Mom, no more PICTURES!” that such a milestone implies.

So at the end of it all, this is the facial expression I’m wearing. And you know what? That’s good. Our capacity to be shocked, horrified and disappointed by current events is something to be valued. It means we still expect something better. And what we expect, we tend to get – or so I heard somewhere.

Wear that gobsmacked facial expression with pride, cry into a cocktail over the state of our political lives if you want to, and maybe disconnect a bit this weekend. Or climb onto a tree branch and let loose with your best howler-monkey-inspired roar. We’re still alive. Still feeling something. When we don’t care and don’t even have the energy to throw our poop at each other anymore – that’s when we’re really in trouble.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

I’m a writer in San José, Costa Rica, on a year-long quest to share daily posts on inspiring people, places and ideas from my adopted home as a kind of tonic during a rough time in the world. Sign up (top right of this page) to receive a little dose of inspiration every weekday in your mailbox; tell a friend; check out past posts; and please connect with me on Instagram or Facebook! You can also find me churning out small, square poems on any topic under the sun (here on the site, on Instagram or Twitter). 

Catching up and moving on

Posted on by stanleyobando

I’ve got some big plans for the Daily Boost in 2020. I’ll be sharing a different theme every month – one close to my heart and a critical issue for Costa Rica’s development – and celebrating inspiring leaders, travel tips and even a cool online contest related to that theme. I am starting a bit early this month because my mother’s fabulous visit just ended this past Tuesday, and if Costa Rica has taught me anything, it’s: family first! But I can’t wait to tell you about this month’s theme on Monday and starting to share the conversations I’ve been having with people making a difference in that area.

In the meantime, too many days of 2020 have elapsed without a sloth. Here’s one who captured my heart with his soulful, pensive gaze.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend full of deep thoughts.

I’m a writer in San José, Costa Rica, on a year-long quest to share daily posts on inspiring people, places and ideas from my adopted home as a kind of tonic during a rough time in the world. Sign up (top right of this page) to receive a little dose of inspiration every weekday in your mailbox; tell a friend; check out past posts; and please connect with me on Instagram or Facebook! You can also find me churning out small, square poems on any topic under the sun (here on the site, on Instagram or Twitter). 

 

Day 55: Happy Slow Friday

Posted on by stanleyobando

What do you say? Shall we make this a thing?

If there were ever a day made, NOT for shopping or rushing, but for contemplating one’s navel, it’s today. If there were ever a day when we might realistically pull bits of food out of our hair like a sloth, it’s the day after Thanksgiving.

As Black Friday becomes nuttier and nuttier, I say we make this day a holiday for conservation in both the virtuous and the fun senses of the word: conserving not only financial and material resources, but also energy. Like, let’s move as slowly as possible. Carefully click the remote to watch “Elf” – you don’t want to sprain a finger. Ease ourself from one soft surface to another. Turn our heads at the pace of the tortoise from “Kung Fu Panda” as we crane to gaze out the window.

Gaze. We should gaze quite a bit today. And we should, like this sloth, watch the world go by. That’s something my dad used to say. He loved to pull up a chair on a porch or lawn, find himself a cup of coffee or bottle of beer, and say, “I’m just going to sit here, watching the world go by.”

It’s a dying art, but we can rescue it. The Turkey Trots have been run. The big dinner has been pulled off with a flourish. The sweatpants are stretchy. Our books and windows and ceilings have been missing us. Calls not to spend money on Black Friday can sound restrictive; I think the marketing would be sexier if they focused on the utter decadence of inaction. (My mouth is literally watering at the thought. What does that mean, when your mouth waters at the thought of doing nothing?)

Let’s make this sloth, high above the crowds, oblivious to long lines, our spirit animal for today. I think that Slow Friday, at least in my mind, might be here to stay.

Here’s this week’s recap:

Monday Motivation: An oxcart bonanza.

Tuesday Beauty: Taking life one butterfly hour at a time.

Wildlife Wednesday: One of the most incredible sea turtle videos ever shot.

Thanksgiving: A TBT to an essay on slang, gratitude and the oddities of language.

Have a great weekend!

I’m a writer in San José, Costa Rica, on a year-long quest to share daily posts on inspiring people, places and ideas from my adopted home as a kind of tonic during a rough time in the world. Sign up (top right of this page) to receive a little dose of inspiration every weekday in your mailbox; tell a friend; check out past posts; and please connect with me on Instagram or Facebook! You can also find me churning out small, square poems on any topic under the sun (here on the site, on Instagram or Twitter). 

 

Day 50: Test your Costa Rica literacy with the Simpsons

Posted on by stanleyobando

It’s Friday. It’s the 50th day of my yearlong Costa Rica Daily Boost challenge. And it’s time for you to test your Costa Rican knowledge.

When I woke up Monday morning to the news that the previous evening’s episode of “The Simpsons” had taken the world’s favorite bright yellow family on a trip to Costa Rica, my first thought was, “Oh my God. The memes are going to be intense.” Ticos love memes, and making fun of themselves, and this was going to be irresistible.

Sure enough, an onslaught ensued, and some of them flew right over my head. Here’s the toughest:

Francela Zamora / La Teja

Legend has it that Club Sport Cartaginés, the soccer team of Costa Rica’s colonial capital, is cursed because someone once buried a voodoo-style doll, “El Muñeco,” somewhere under the field. Here we have Santa’s Little Helper helpfully digging up the doll to end the curse and help Cartago out in its game yesterday against Limón. (It lost, so this image may be doctored.)

If you’re Costa Rican, these are immediately recognizable –  but for the rest of us, consider this your citizenship test. How many of the places and situations pictured below – most of them by Francela Zamora of La Teja, who unleashed her creativity to make these mashups – can you name? You knew La Teja was gonna own this one. Scroll down to the end for my weekly Boost roundup.

Francela Zamora / La Teja
Francela Zamora / La Teja
Francela Zamora / La Teja

Francela Zamora / La Teja
Francela Zamora / La Teja
Francela Zamora / La Teja
Francela Zamora / La Teja
Francela Zamora / La Teja
Francela Zamora / La Teja

As usual, here’s a roundup of this week’s posts, for those who like to catch up on the weekend.

Monday Motivation: How an angel helped me run a half-marathon. Seriously.

Tuesday Beauty: The art of Carolina Rodríguez got huge, happy feedback from readers.

Wednesday Wellness: All the world needs now is pinto.

Thursday Explorations: On spiders, motmots and Ani Difranco.

Bonus: If you’re new to the Daily Boost and missed how and why it started, check that out here. And have a wonderful weekend!

I’m a writer in San José, Costa Rica, on a year-long quest to share daily posts on inspiring people, places and ideas from my adopted home as a kind of tonic during a rough time in the world. Sign up (top right of this page) to receive a little dose of inspiration every weekday in your mailbox; tell a friend; check out past posts; and please connect with me on Instagram or Facebook! You can also find me churning out small, square poems on any topic under the sun (here on the site, on Instagram or Twitter). 

Day 45: Women at the forefront

Posted on by stanleyobando
Movimiento Guardianes de la Naturaleza logo

Here is what Jessica Sheffield, an incredible Costa Rican leader in environmental education and the creator of the Guardians of Nature Movement, had to say yesterday in La Voz de Guanacaste about women’s leadership at this beyond critical moment in the history of our planet. This translation is excerpted from Jessica’s Facebook page:

Women play an essential role in the conservation of our natural resources. We are leaders with the potential to achieve a critical transformation in the protection of nature, ensuring the well-being of our communities and the planet.

In Costa Rica, a large number of women are leading initiatives that are transforming society. Christiana Figueres promoted the Paris agreement on climate change; Karla Chaves Brenes leads the Latin American recycling program ecoins; Alejandra Monge-Jiménez directs the Corcovado Foundation, which protects the Osa Peninsula, one of the most biodiverse places on the planet; Zdenka Piskulich is the force behind Costa Rica Por Siempre, one of the most consolidated conservation NGOs in the country. There are many other prominent Costa Ricans achieving change through their leadership initiatives.

Our formal education, especially during the early childhood years, is mostly led by women. During my three years directing Guardians of Nature, I have noticed the extraordinary power that teachers have, inspiring and educating a new generation of children, the guardians of our natural resources. Given the necessary tools and resources, teachers will educate present and future generations about the need to live in peace with nature.

Costa Rican women have leadership roles in our homes as well. Even though times have changed, many of us still take care of our children’s food, select products that benefit their health and the environment, and educate the family about the proper use of resources. Above all, we are an essential force and engine in the marketplace with the ability to influence the supply of products and services through our own consumption.

…I am confident that, little by little, there will be many more guardians of nature, women who exert great influence from their homes, jobs and social circles. Thank you to all the girls, moms, and professionals who make this difference every day.

Amen!

And on that uplifting note, here is a recap of this week’s posts:

Monday Motivation: An anniversary that celebrates Costa Rica’s elementary schools!

Tuesday Beauty: An artist whose social media feeds make me smile.

Wellness Wednesday: The curse of multitasking.

Travel Thursday: The one thing every visitor to Costa Rica must pack.

Bonus: Over at Poems on Demand, I tried my hand at a sonnet. Shakespeare may be agitating just slightly in his grave, but it was fun. You can see it and my other poems here.

Have a wonderful weekend and wish me luck (more about that on Monday!).

I’m a writer in San José, Costa Rica, on a year-long quest to share daily posts on inspiring people, places and ideas from my adopted home as a kind of tonic during a rough time in the world. Sign up (top right of this page) to receive a little dose of inspiration every weekday in your mailbox; tell a friend; check out past posts; and please connect with me on Instagram or Facebook! You can also find me churning out small, square poems on any topic under the sun (here on the site, on Instagram or Twitter). 

 

Day 40: Time for my yearly viewing of Kristen Bell’s sloth video

Posted on by stanleyobando

Man, I just realized that today, day 40 of the Daily Boost, is the day of my current age, and therefore a great opportunity to reflect on the (pretty insane and numerous) life lessons I’ve been taught this year. But man, it’s Friday, my brain is tired from all those life lessons, and this photo of a happy sloth is giving me life.

“Why are people so obsessed with sloths?” a friend asked this week. “Aren’t they kind of smelly?” Yes, smelly and eating gross things out of their fur. For me, that’s part of the appeal, I think, because then when you’re on the couch with Cheetos crumbs on your shirt, you know that your spirit animal is an internationally loved icon.

You know who loves sloths more than all of us? Actress Kristen Bell, and even if you have no idea who she is (in which case you do not have kids who are practically catatonic with excitement over “Frozen 2”), I guarantee her retelling of her encounter of a sloth will make you laugh. I go back to it at least once a year – not kidding. Watch it here. You’re welcome.

And here’s a recap of this week’s Daily Boost. Wishing you a slothful weekend covered in Cheeto crumbs (or maybe kale chips are more your scene – but eat them messily, and in sweatpants).

Monday Motivation: A true badass came to Costa Rica for the world’s toughest mountain bike race.

Tuesday Beauty: A message of galvanizing hope from climate action icon Christiana Figueres.

Wednesday Wellness: Let’s talk about anxiety.

Thursday Travel: Baby turtles set off to sea.

I’m a writer in San José, Costa Rica, on a year-long quest to share daily posts on inspiring people, places and ideas from my adopted home as a kind of tonic during a rough time in the world. Sign up (top right of this page) to receive a little dose of inspiration every weekday in your mailbox; tell a friend; check out past posts; and please connect with me on Instagram or Facebook! You can also find me churning out small, square poems on any topic under the sun (here on the site, on Instagram or Twitter). 

 

 

Day 35: The magic words to dispel self-importance

Posted on by stanleyobando

Try this the next time you are stuck inside your head, battling waves of self-doubt or consumed by ego struggles. Leap from your chair, assume the most ridiculous power pose you can think of, and shout to the heavens:

Más agil que una tortuga, más fuerte que un ratón, más noble que una lechuga, mi escudo es un corazón!

(Yes, I know it’s actually “su escudo,” his shield or his coat of arms, but we’re taking on the character, people. In English it’s “More agile than a turtle, stronger than a mouse, more noble than a head of lettuce and my shield is a heart!” It doesn’t quite work as well in English, but I think shouting “More noble than a lettuce!” will pretty much get you there.)

I’ve written a lot about what makes Latin America, and Costa Rica in particular, such a happy place despite so many challenges. I’ve hypothesized that it’s the mindset. But maybe it’s just the Chapulín Colorado, the Mexican non-superhero-superhero played to perfection by the beloved comic El Chespirito, or Roberto Gómez Bolaños. El Chapulín Colorado is known for his bright yellow underpants and the underwhelming descriptors listed above. When this is your Superman, how can you help but laugh your way through life? I mean, look at him!

I started a major undertaking this month: NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, when insane, overly caffeinated writers all over the planet attempt to write 50,000 words towards their current book projects in 30 days. Both times I’ve attempted this in the past, I’ve given up by day three or four after deciding that all my ideas are ridiculous (a tendency I am mitigating this time by shuffling between two projects instead of one, so that I can turn tail yet still keep writing!). It is a process that inevitably gets you stuck in your head. So today, all weekend and all month, my challenge to myself is to leap from my chair whenever this happens, stand with arms akimbo and chest puffed out, and declare myself “Más noble que una lechuga!”

Because truly, laughing at yourself is half the battle.

Here are the posts from this weekend for my weekend readers out there!

Monday Motivation: Inspiring words from Isak Dinesen

Tuesday Beauty: Welcoming the reading season

Wellness Wednesday: An ode to farmers markets

Thursday Explorations: Latin America’s scary stories

Have a great weekend, and eat a bite-sized leftover Halloween candy in my honor!

I’m a writer in San José, Costa Rica, on a year-long quest to share daily posts on inspiring people, places and ideas from my adopted home as a kind of tonic during a rough time in the world. Sign up (top right of this page) to receive a little dose of inspiration every weekday in your mailbox; tell a friend; check out past posts; and please connect with me on Instagram or Facebook! You can also find me churning out small, square poems on any topic under the sun (here on the site, on Instagram or Twitter). 

Day 30: Let’s startle the world with beauty

Posted on by stanleyobando
Boyero with his oxcart in Costa Rica

Superfluous beauty is one of the best things about the human race. We’re gratuitously violent and stupidly destructive, and then we write novels. Build cathedrals. Paint intricate designs on oxcarts when it would have been so much easier for the hardworking people who fill, empty and guide them over misty mountains to leave them unadorned.

Who started this, in fact? Who was the first person to say, “This cart is an opportunity for startling beauty?” Costa Ricans and those of us who know the country say, “Of course, another fabulous oxcart,” but imagine coming across one for the first time, out of the blue, as you push heavy sacks of coffee through the hills or fog or heat with your normal, simple cart. Wouldn’t your jaw drop? You’d shrug or smirk, but just picture that spectacular blaze of color out of nowhere.

Just think – whoever it was, the person who first painted an oxcart was our relative, our fellow person. We all have that same potential to make something lovely that has no business being lovely. Any of us can choose to startle the world with beauty. May this weekend include a chance to make something unnecessarily awesome (on a plate, on a page, on a canvas, in a garden) – and may we take those chances when they come.

Day 21, Monday Motivation: Meet a Nicaraguan refugee changing lives in Costa Rica.

Day 22, Tuesday Beauty: An international treasure hunt for the lost tapes of a music legend.

Day 23, Wellness Wednesday: A parenting epiphany at the skate park.

Day 24, Thursday Exploring: A pic from a Costa Rican park (no one has identified it yet!).

Have a great weekend…

I’m a writer in San José, Costa Rica, on a year-long quest to share daily posts on inspiring people, places and ideas from my adopted home as a kind of tonic during a rough time in the world. Sign up (top right of this page) to receive a little dose of inspiration every weekday in your mailbox; tell a friend; check out past posts; and please connect with me on Instagram or Facebook! You can also find me churning out small, square poems on any topic under the sun (here on the site, on Instagram or Twitter). 

Day 15: Overly Literal Translations, Oktoberfest Edition

Posted on by stanleyobando

No matter how good you get in your second language, there will always be moments when the direct translation to your native tongue flashes through your brain. In the inaugural episode of Overly Literal Translations, where I put things through Google Translate and see what happens, I’m taking on a topic fit for Oktoberfest: Costa Rica’s dizzying array of craft beers. Here’s some of what a non-native speaker of Spanish might see when looking down the menu or the beer aisle. (What’s your favorite? Can you guess the original names? Can you pick out the one that is made up and not, in fact, a poorly translated beer name?)

Tomb Panties
Weeping Woman
Bald Lady
Daddy
Monkey Indigestion
Misplaced
Pumpkin Tamale
Stick Hen
Heartthrob
Butt Horse

To learn more about Costa Rican beers, you can visit Birripedia, lk j or Craftbeer.cr. And here is this week’s round up of Daily Boost posts for those who like to catch up on reading on the weekend. See you Monday for Week 4!

Day 11, Monday Inspiration: The empowerment of women starts right here.

Day 12, Tuesday Beau-tay: The coffee-inspired art of Raudyn Alfaro.

Day 13, Wellness Wednesday: Why I love olla de carne.

Day 14, Thursday Exploring: One of my favorite travel hacks ever.

I’m a writer in San José, Costa Rica, on a year-long quest to share daily posts on inspiring people, places and ideas from my adopted home as a kind of tonic during a rough time in the world. Sign up (top right of this page) to receive a little dose of inspiration every weekday in your mailbox; tell a friend; check out past posts; and please connect with me on Instagram or Facebook!

Day 5: Love for September babies

Posted on by stanleyobando

In Costa Rica, it sometimes seems like everyone was born in September (or October, which I just found out actually holds the record). My husband, three of his four siblings, his mother and an awful lot of her grandkids and great-grandchildren were born in this month, and plenty of my friends as well. If you’re a September baby, happy birthday. And if you’re a baby sloth, well, thanks for reading. That’s a lot of effort for a sloth, and I just want you to know I appreciate it.

Every Friday I’ll publish something on the lighter side to get the weekend started right – slothy, funny or cocktail-y – and list the previous days’ posts in case you missed them and feel like some weekend boosting. Thank you for joining me… I can’t wait for Week 2.

Launch Day: Boots on, ready to roam.

Day 1, Monday Inspiration: On the learning curve of freedom.

Day 2, Tuesday Beau-tay: My first challenge of the year is to learn artists’ stories.

Day 3, Wellness Wednesday: In which I sat down meaning to write about why I should transform myself and ended up writing about how self-improvement can stuff it.

Day 4, Thursday Exploring: A little poem about volcanoes and, you know, the #metoo movement.

Wishing you all a slothful weekend filled with good coffee and many other pleasures!

I’m a writer in San José, Costa Rica, on a year-long quest to share daily posts on inspiring people, places and ideas from my adopted home as a kind of tonic during a rough time in the world. Sign up (top right of this page) to receive a little dose of inspiration every weekday in your mailbox; tell a friend; check out past posts; and please connect with me on Instagram or Facebook!