Elections Day

Finally, after months and months of continuous political advertisements, after headaches for the way the officialist party shamelessly skim money and start the campaing way before it should (instead of 7 months before the elections, they started AGAIN two years before the elections), we've reached the final day, the final stage: E-Day. Probably this will be my last Costa Rican election, and I'm kind of sad I didn't took it a step further and signed in to work at the voting places as a member of the PAC (Partido Acción Ciudadana - Citizen Action Party) or Frente Amplio (Wide Front).

Since it has been a couple of hideously hot days, these last ones, I decided to go vote early. As so I talked to Kari, so that we would talk afterwards, sometime around noon for me, 19h for him. My parents... well, Hyne knows when will they go, specially now that my Dad got sick. Great day to get sick, if you ask me. Knowing them, I knew they would take around forever to get ready and go, and most likely go when the Sun is as high as it can be, and as burning as Israeli illegal weapons. So, I woke up around 7 am, washed my hair (though skipped the Keraflex step this week, or I would be stuck in the bathroom forever, and heat would caught up with me), dried it and took my Breakfast of Champions: Béres, Fresca and a bowl of ChocoZucaritas.

After that, armed with one of my tiny backpacks (I only have two, actually), packed with glasses, my journal, wallet with ID, pen, book, agenda and keys, I left to the bus station to go to our old neighbourhood. I never changed my address after we moved here, and that was like seven years ago. Now it would have been a bit late for that.  On my way to the bus station I walked by my old high school, a place I hate like barely anything else in my life, an the school where my cousins studied, and where one of the works. These were all set up for the votations, with people from the different parties here and there, and kids dressed up in t-shirts of the different parties, working (for free) as guides to take people to the respective voting boxes.

 

Bus from Frente Amplio

 

Streets closed for the elections.

 

Frente Amplio (Yellow) and PAC (Red and Yellow) side to side

There was no lack of assholes, like some guy in a 4WD that slowed nex to me and "offered me a ride". is he stupid or what? No! When he insisted, I stopped, took my sunglasses off and told him to get lost or I'll be calling the police. As the car speed up and got lost, I couldn't stop wondering about what this country has become and how is it possible that some people will actually vote for things to continue down this road (those who vote for Laura Chinchilla, the current president's chosen one). Well, when I've got to the bus station, I realized that there was no bus station. Hell! They moved it! So I went looking for it. As many things in this little town of Heredia, the Major decided to move things to a "better place" which basically means, moving them to an area with higher criminality rates. Why is that good, I'd never understand. Anyway, I didn't need to get to the bus station, as the bus was coming my way in a traffic jam, which came out handy, as I simply signaled it to stop and got on.

Bus to Los Lagos

The bus rolled around slowly towards the old neighbourhood. It reminded me the time when I used to live there, and went to the University or to school. It felt fun. I wouldn't live there again, but it did reminded me a lot of good things from back then. It had kind of a "back home" feeling wrapped all around. I called my brother to ask him if he was going to be there (as there was a plan of him voting early and then leaving to Parrita so that his wife can vote too). He was there, at the school where both of us used to go, and so he waited for me.

 

On the way to our old school to vote.

 

The tent of PAC outside our old School

 

The note I've got with the Voting Box number I've got.

At our old school, once we knew at which box should we go (we alway go to the same one, since the assignation of boxes go by last name alphabetical order), we talked over how shall we vote. We were both determinated to chose the presidential cadidate of PAC for president, and then decided whom shall we pick for lawmakers and majors. Then we went in and voted. For the first time ever, we voted with crayons. This year the Election Supreme Tribune decided to provice all voting boxes with orange coloured crayons, some special ones that don't stain and have many other special qualities. Truth to be told, I felt a bit like back in the kinder garden. It was so think and so cool, it made me want to have my own crayons! Last time I used some was in the University, when I used crayons to highlight texts (they last longer, have more colors, do not stain, don't leak to the other side of the page, have always the same strenght in color and are much cheaper).

At the PAC tent I've got some bumber stickers, and that made me quite happy! ^_^ I know, silly me, but what can I say? Neither my brother nor my Dad put bumber stickers on their cars, yet I've got a few to stick on notebooks, dossiers and so on.

After that I accompanied my brother to buy bread and walked home with him.I spend some time in his place, our old house, and then he brought me home, where I sat down to write this entry and talk with my boyfriend on Skype.

I'm not sure if my candidate will win, I hope he does and Costa Rica gets a change, but we will know only tomorrow... maybe today around 20 h.