Dec 1-7: Matricula and Bad Bunny

The week prior concluded all of my formal sessions at the centros educativos in my community. I don’t really have much to do at my schools at this point in the year, so it’s not necessarily a requirement to be there. However, looking at 2 months of “summer” vacation ahead, it’s my preference to at least go to the buildings, show my face, and chat with students and counterparts while I still have the opportunity to do so, so that’s primarily what I did this week. Both the colegio and the escuela went through matricula this week, which is a form of enrollment for the next school year. Students don’t receive schedules at this point, rather parents arrive to cover some fees, ensure student information is up-to-date, purchase uniforms, and take photos. Almost all of the staff was roped into helping out with the enrollment process, so on those days, there weren’t really formal classes.


When I wasn’t at school, this was a really fun week for me. On Wednesday, the Costa Rican soccer team I support, Alajuelense, won its third consecutive Central American championship. They made history in a dramatic game that culminated in a penalty shootout, so that was quite the rush. And then, over the weekend, I was able to attend a couple concerts of my favorite artist, Bad Bunny. He isn’t even touring in the United States this year, so it was really amazing to get to see him here in San José. I acquired tickets for the show on Saturday all the way back in May, so I had been looking forward to going to it with a friend for months. The show sold out immediately, so I was really lucky to get those tickets. However, earlier this week, the concert promoter announced some last-minute tickets on sale for the show the night before at a much cheaper rate. I had wanted to see the show with my girlfriend too, so fortunately I was able to get a couple tickets for that Friday night as well and I went with her. I’m not normally one to go to multiple nights of the same concert, but it was really special to get to see my favorite artist both with her on Friday and with a Peace Corps friend on Saturday. After back-to-back nights of concert-going, I’m taking a much-needed rest day today on Sunday. Tomorrow begins the final week of classes for the 2025 Costa Rican school year!





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