Week #5

Since the beginning of my stay here, I have noticed that my family does not eat many desserts. We had dessert for the first time about two nights ago. While at first I thought it was a cultural thing, I recently found out that my tica mom has diabetes. 

When I asked about chocolate, my mom was hesitant to name her favorites. Instead she talked about eating chocolate for special occasions like Valentine's day or Christmas, but it is rare to eat chocolate or prepare chocolate desserts for other occasions.  On the other hand, my two brothers quickly spit out names of american candies like Hershey's, snickers, milky way, and three musketeers. My brother even gave me a snickers bar. (I like the reward of this weeks topic!) My other brother preferred the high class lindt truffles. 

Since my family is older, they either are not able to, or do not have time to go to the market. Instead my tica mom was able to give me a view of the relationship that fruits and vegetables provide. Each week on Saturday to be exact, a truck comes to the house and my mom buys whatever fruits and vegetables that she needs. The family who drives the truck and runs the business is a family from Cartago. Normally they sell the goods at the Ferria market, but for older customers that may not be able to easily make it to the market, some of the family members come to the customers. My tica mom says that other neighbors here buy from the same family. She buys her fruits and vegetables from this family because that is what she has done for many years now. 

The fact that she has built a relationship with the family and that they bring the foods to her show that food is not just food. She knows about the family and keeps up with them every time she sees them, once a week. Food in Costa Rica equals community. That was evident at the market as well with many people singing and playing music, creating an atmosphere of amistad and community. In addition to the music, food is being cooked for immediate consumption, another commonality within the community. 

The market was great because it seemed to be a "grand equalizer." Everyone was there, young, old, handicapped, poor, and perhaps the rich as well. The market is very well organized into rows, and it seems to be the one place where there is a set goal and focus. Tica time and pura vida go on pause at the market. Everyone seems to know exactly where to go and does not waste time elsewhere. The shoppers have their rolling bags, and seem to have some sort of relationship with each vender. All venders were very friendly with us and willing to answer any questions we may have had. 

In the U.S. my farmers market is not nearly as large, but I would say that the personal relationships with venders are the same in the U.S. In the U.S. it is much less common to go to the famers market. In my family it is almost a special treat. Although, my friends that go weekly know the families that sell the goods very well. The one thing you would never see in the U.S. is the truck that personally delivers to each house. That is incredible. Clearly food fosters relationships here.