Bucket List

When I was in elementary school, we did a class project on the rainforest. (We actually focused on Belize in particular.)

"How cool would it be to actually go there?" I thought back then. "Probably will never happen, though."

Fast forward about fourteen, fifteen years.




This teaching certificate has been a lot of work, don't misunderstand, but it's also left me with the time to do crazy things like ZIPLINE THROUGH THE RAINFOREST.

I've also not forgotten my crafty endeavors. Two items in particular have made me pleased as punch.

The first is this little fellow. I picked him up at a store in nearby Moravia in the least kitchy, least tourist-y shop we could find (that wasn't attached to the super-cool old-fashioned leather workshop for which Moravia is famous).




He's quite small, only a couple centimeters tall, and looks to be cast out of copper. He's going to become a bracelet when I get home, so I have a handmade souvenir of my time in Costa Rica.


The next one is an item of interest to any of you tailors/seamstresses out there. Quite simply, these are the coolest pants I will ever own in my life. They are multi-step pants.


Step 0



This is what you start out with: a piece of cloth (rayon, or something else lightweight) with the drawstrings. You can't see the bottom in this picture, but it's a mirror image of about what you see here. A large rectangle of fabric with a seam/pucker in the middle, and extra ties on the short ends.

Step 1

Tie one of the short ends around you like an apron. Your front will be covered and there will be a knot in the back.



See how it puckers a bit? That's not just the drape of the fabric, there's a seam in there that will later become the crotch of the pants.



Step 2

Stand with legs apart. Reaching from behind and through your legs, pull the fabric through your legs.

Right now, one short end of the rectangle is fastened to the front of your body. This brings up the other short end to the back of your body.



Tie it around your front.

Step 3

Look super chic!

The end result are pants that are breezy and open on the outside, though both sides overlap so it's not open all the way up. A strong breeze is enough to expose you, though, so I wear leggings under mine. Plus, because they're lightweight and open, you can get pretty chilly pretty quickly. What they're absolutely perfect for, though, is beach-side cover-up.




I'm having a rough time finding any information on this kind of pants online. One of my fellow CELTees called them Mexican Fisherman Trousers, but those don't match quite what I have (except that they are also pants that you tie on out of a large piece of fabric). This is the closest I can find: Thai Fisherman's Pants. Still completely different construction, though; the crotch is sewn into those, while with the ones I have you create the crotch by folding the fabric.

Once I get home, I'll spread out more and post some better pictures (tripod's at home) of the fabric flat, so it's easier to reverse engineer your own pair.

On a note unrelated to maths or handicrafts, I'm officially certified as an EFL teacher now, which is rather mind-boggling. It was a short but intense month, filled with paperwork and practice teaching and lifelong friendships. Finally, I have some time now in Costa Rica to myself, which I plan to spend on the beautiful shores of Guanacaste at Samara beach. (Or, hopping a bus to La Fortuna again, to get another shot at Venado Cave and to relax in the free hot springs.)

I have to admit, though, I also look forward to going home (despite the cold cold weather) so I can finish up some jewelry projects. Fingers are twitching!