Presidential Elections

Yesterday was one of the longest day of my life. I even caught myself comparing it to labor a couple of times, but quickly dispelled the thought. It wasn't that long. The day started with a 3am Harper feeding and followed with a 4:15 bus ride to the Costa Rican Supreme Electoral Tribunal to pick up my credentials to be an "International Observer" of the Presedential Elections. Believe me, it sounds a lot cooler than it really is. I was then put in a taxi along with 3 other classmates and driven to a polling station to observe the voting process. I could give you a detailed description of my 17 hour day, but instead I'll write exerpts from a 4 page letter I wrote to Rivers while "observing" democracy-in-action.
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"People here think that my job as an International Observer is a lot more important than it really is. When I walk into a polling station with by binder and official, laminated ID card, the voting Junta get a little nervous. They offer me a chair. They bring me water. I write down how many people are in line to vote, how long they've been waiting, and whether or not they're wearing campaing T-shirts. I think I may start wearing this ID card more places and get some good old fashioned respect. I'll probably ditch the binder though. That just may creep people out.... "Hey guys! No, no, don't mind me. I'm just an impartial observer. You were saying...?"

"I'm at a school that's been turned into a voting station. On the wall is a cut-out of a human face, round torso and eight squiggly legs portruding from the body. I'm confused as to whether it's a humanimal, a student's imagined X-men character or a poorly drawn octopus. I'm gonna go with humanimal."

"Did you know that El Voto es Secreto, but if I lean back on my chair I can catch a glimpse behind the ballot box? I don't, of course. But I could, just so you know."

"I think Costa Ricans may love car horns even more than they love to vote, but probably not as much as they love little yappy dogs. They love the sweet sound of a barking Shih-Tzu. Love it."

"If you experience an election lasting more than 4 hours, contact a physician immediately. Yup, makes sense now. Mine has lasted 12 hours and I think I might pass out."

"Wow-excitement. A man wearing a fanny pack just walked out from behind the cardboard ballot station with...wait for it...Unfolded ballot papers!!!! Luckily 3 junta memebers were quick as lightening and wrestled him to the ground. When the junta Presidente tapped him out, a 4th member pried the ballot from his death grip and gingerly folded the papers, placing them in the ballot box. Close call. Seeing the fanny packed man's election may have persuaded others in the room to change their vote. Never underestimate the power of the fanny pack." (That may have been a boredome induced embellishment).

"I wonder if Diego my busdriver knowns that whenever I see him I want to put my mouth really close to his ear and say "Go Diego go diego go diego go" the whole busride?"
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So, as you can tell, I had a pretty awesome day. On an even more exciting note, Costa Rica just elected their first female president, and I knew it before everyone else. Suckas.