i have been robbed.

Estoy de chicha. (I am upset.)

Yesterday my Mama Tica fired a girl that she had come and help clean, after discovering that she had been stealing money and other things from the family. How uncomfortable, and unfortunate. This morning she asked her regular housekeeper to come and help, since the other girl was no longer working for her. The woman brought her teenage daughter with her, though the daughter is quite old enough to be left alone at home, and my Mama Tica pays only her mother. This morning I woke up and went to shower like normal, leaving my clothes on my bed and my cell phone charging. When I came out of the shower the housekeeper and her daughter were there cleaning. We greeted each other and I got ready as usual. After eating breakfast and packing up my backpack, I couldn't find my cell phone. I checked my other purses, thinking in tranferring my stuff I had left it there, under my pillow, under my blankets, emptying my backpack, but it was nowhere to be found. My Hermana Tica tried calling, but the phone was turned off. IMOPSSIBLE! I never turn my phone off, since I need to be reachable at all times in case of emergency. Nor could it be out of service range, as i have made and taken phone calls from my room over the course of the last trhee weeks. So...I hate to even think of it, but what if it was stolen? I didn't say anything before leaving home, but resolved to call later and suggest it to my Mama Tica and to look more throughly for my phone later. About half hour later I called my Hermana Tica and asked about it...she said my Mama Tica had already called the cops and questioned the daughter, and she had admitted to meeting her older sister and arranging to buy drugs..! Since the girl is a minor, not very much can be done. My Mama Tica insists on going and filing a compliant against her, hoping that it will scare her into better behavior. If another complaint is filed, she will be taken to a correctional facility.
On the whole I feel really awful for my Familia. What a terrible situation! My Mama Tica is up to her eyes in embarrassment and frustration. Students are always told that they can leave valuables with the family, that their homestay is a secure and safe place. I am glad that this happened to me and not to a student though. Being a chaperona and having a better command of Spanish I see the situation much differently. The whole situation is completely beyond my Mama Tica's control, and things happened that she never could have anticipated...
My Mama Tica also insisted on replacing my phone. She went and got me a new phone and a new SIM card, but I lost all the contacts and pictures I had on my old phone. I have to start from scratch. The silly part is that I was going to sell the phone I had to a friend, who now might not possibly want it, as I will now be charging full price. Later today I am going to pick up an iPhone which I got as a birthday gift, which will replace the phone, camera and ipod I had. All three devices in one.

This is the first time I have really truly been robbed here in Costa Rica. The irony is that it was in my house, at home, and was completely nonviolent/nonconfrontational. I always thought if I ever had anything stolen that it would be in a public place, possibly a dangerous situation, and that I could avoid it through primary prevention (ie, be on guard and be aware of my surroundings, not giving anyone any opportunity!). Unexpected things happen in unexpected places.

I now know what my weekend looks like. Tomorrow in the early morning I drop my group off at the airport, and from there go to Monteverde on the morning bus. I will be in the Groups office that afternoon. Weekend looks free, and I think I will go back to Heredia on Sunday to visit with my Familia. Saturday I would like to rest. I have some free time coming up, which will be nice.

Meanwhile winter has arrived...we have had some fierce rain the last couple days, though the downpours do not last too long. Time to start carrying my raincoat again.

Pura vida...