Sunsets, etc.

It's generally interesting, and often quite surprising what foreigners ask me about America. I imagine it's fairly interesting for anyone traveling abroad to see what people know about their host country. Yet, with America being by far the most powerful, the third most populous country in the world with the biggest economy and probably the most widespread culture in the world, people tend to know a fair amount about the States. So, for me, when I've traveled and lived abroad, it's less about if the locals know about America, and more about what sort of impression they have of America; which facts and images have stuck in their heads. One thing I really like about my job is that two of the three Peace Corps goals have to do with culture exchange. On the one hand, this is awesome because it means that I'm working sitting in a bar, having a Pilsen and talking about why Americans don't like soccer or sitting on the bench at school, eating a candy bar and talking about what kids do in high school in the States. I think things like this are important for a whole lot of reasons, I'm sure I've mentioned them time and time again. One, very basic reason, is that, it's often best to hear it straight from the horse's mouth, and that cultural exchange can educate people using primary sources. 


So, I had a great opportunity to drop some knowledge on some Costa Ricans the other day and fulfill Peace Corps' second goal: "helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served." Or, well, I guess American geography/general science in this case-but kind of the way Americans live. 


As the horrendous second half of the Gold Cup final ended, the US giving up an early 2-0 lead to lose 4-2 to a much superior (read: faster) Mexican team, one of the two older guys at the table next to me (I watched the game alone) leaned over. We had been making small talk at times during the game, commenting on calls, missed shots. I have been pretty reserved when I watch US games at the local restaurant, kind of because I don't want to be The Ugly American, partially because I don't know if the people around me are cheering for the US, and mostly because I have no one to cheer with. I figured he'd comment about the game. I'd already told them "Hey, sometimes you lose," which is, in my opinion, pretty much the best reaction to a loss. But, instead, as the Mexican players were frolicking around the sunny field in joy, he asked "What time does it get dark there?" 

I think he expected a specific hour. He got a whole lot more. While I didn't get into explaining that the earth is on a tilt, blah, blah, blah. I explained that it depended on the part of the country on is in, and the seasons. I gave rough estimates of the different sunset times during the year for Des Moines, but explained that in parts of Alaska (and much of Canada (America Lite)) there are dramatic changes-crazy things like 20 hours of sun in the summer and 20 hours of darkness in the winter. It was almost nine o'clock in Costa Rica, so eight in Los Angeles, where the game was, so I said it'd go down within a half hour or so. I was a bit off, it set at 20:09 on June 25th in LA.


In my previous post on the weather, I've already expounded on my frustration/amusement at getting questions about the US as if it's one place. But, in reality, that's a fairly reasonably viewpoint for Costa Ricans. Likewise is the question about what time the sun sets. Being only 10.5 degrees above the equator, means that Earth's tilt doesn't very much affect the sun that reaches Costa Rica as it makes its elliptical mosey around the sun. For San Jose (and the differences within the country are minimal), the summer solstice sees a 5:17 sunrise and a 18:00 sunset. When everyone is busy making tamales and the winter solstice hits the sun rises at 5:48 and sets at 17:21. Yeah, there's less than a 40 minute difference in when the sun sets throughout the year. Add in that there's only a rainy and dry (read: less rainy) season, the lack of seasonal changes make it so most Costa Ricans probably don't even notice the slight change in sunlight hours. And the fact that the sun is never up later than 5:48 might do something to explain why everyone gets up so early here. 

Judging by their reactions "Really" "No way" "How strange" it's pretty crazy for a CRican to think about the sun rising at 7:38 and setting at 16:47 as it does in Des Moines during winter solstice. And, I bet they'd run out of things to do in the sunlight, when, after rising at 5:40 it doesn't set until 20:52 during the summer solstice. Two really cool volunteers near me, Kevin & Megon, moved here from Anchorage. I can only imagine what sort of madness must transpire when they try to explain that in the dead of winter, Alaska's biggest city doesn't see sun until 10:14 and is watching it fade at 15:41; (summer: 4:20 and 23:42). It's things like this that are super interesting to share with people from other countries. This is a first for me, I've only previously lived between 30 and 45 North, and have yet to even cross the equator. Yet, I was oddly excited to share this seemingly normal detail of life, but, that by traveling, by engaging with people from places other than good, ol' Polk County, have a very different understanding. 


Oh, and, sorry, there's a big series of hills west of my house, so I haven't been able to snap a picture of a sunset. Of course, I bet the sunrises are gorgeous across the fields and palm trees behind my house. Maybe one day I'll be awake to snap a photo. So just pics from around town.