Saying Goodbye

Caution: graphic descriptions of a pig butchering included in this blog

Only one week left for me here in San Cristóbal Norte. The time for saying goodbyes has finally come.

Fortunately, saying goodbye in this culture also means...a good ol´fashion pig roast.

That´s right! Why not have a little fun and make it a celebration. Last weekend I decided to treat my host family (the entire family) to a feast.

It had been quite awhile since the family had a proper pig killing, and seeing as how I paid for most of the animal, I figured I should take part in its demise. You know…to get the full experience.

There are a number of different ways to kill a pig. You can shoot it in the head, which is quicker and ultimately cleaner. Or you can string it up by its hind legs to a low hanging tree branch, and then drive a knife through the animal´s heart. Also, you can hit the pig on the head with the dull end of an ax, and then once the animal is unconscious, follow it up with a knife to the heart.

Actually, come to think of it, every pig butchering seems to end with a knife to the heart.

As I was to learn, in addition to killing the animal quickly, this allows the blood to begin draining quickly from the pig before it is butchered.

One cardinal rule here in Costa Rica when a pig is killed – you always respect the preferred style of the person doing the butchering. Or that is…nobody likes the equivalent of a backseat driver when it comes to killing a pig.

After butchering this pig on Sunday morning, I´m still not sure which way my host family prefers.

Our pig butchering takes place behind my host brother-in-law´s house, and the principal players are myself, a neighbor named Zurdo, and another brother-in-law named Macho. Zurdo, whose name/nickname means ¨leftee¨, is practically a family member, and is the butcher in charge. That leaves Macho and I to follow his lead.

Macho and I have been discussing butchering a pig, and I understand that his preferred method is to string the pig up, followed by the knife to the heart. Hanging from its hind legs, the pig has little range of motion, so it can be killed without much effort, and the resulting butchering is much easier since it is hanging.

That said, Macho respects tradition, and makes no mention of this to Zurdo.

That´s okay though, because Zurdo has a plan. Or at least we think he has a plan. Or maybe he just had a plan…but it didn´t work out, so he switched to a new plan without telling us. Yeah…I think that is what happened.

Zurdo directs us to help him grab the pig, which has been tied to a tree near us, and hoist him onto a table. Only the pig, who is starting to get a clue that we have it out for him, naturally starts putting up a fight.

Pigs are strong animals! This one weighed 70 kilos, or about 150 pounds. And they have extremely strong legs. A kick from one of them can really hurt.

The pig is squealing, and kicking, and causing a ruckus, and throwing around all his weight, so Zurdo decides to abandon his plan.

Zurdo decides we need to take the pig off his feet, Macho and I will hold him down, and then Zurdo will just go ahead and pierce his heart from there.

I didn´t really sign up for that. But at that point, with your hands gripping two powerful pig legs, and being the only thing stopping it from kicking my compañeros in the head, I really didn´t have an out.

So I held the pig´s front two legs while Macho held the back two. We took the big animal off his feet and then leaned on him as hard as possible with our shoulders.

At this point the pig definitely knew something was up. Plus, Zurdo was hovering under his neck with a 6 inch, not-so-sharp-looking pocket knife. Zurdo is not a guy you want hovering around your neck with a knife.

The pig goes nuts and starts belting out some of the worst noises I have ever heard (or at least since the last pig butchering I remember). Finally, Zurdo finds the right spot and drives the blade into the heart of the animal.

Macho and I apply more pressure and wait out the pig as it continues bucking and screaming, and finally the life drains out of it. Picture three men in the dirt, hugging a squealing pig, blood splattering everywhere, prolific cursing in Spanish, and that about sums up the scene.

When it was finally over, feeling only slightly traumatized, I stood over the pig and felt an unexpected feeling come over me.

Hunger.

Saying Goodbye

The family put together an incredible going away party for me, with tons of food, a soccer game, plenty of cold Imperial, and gifts. I feel so honored to have been able to be part of their family for these two years.

Also, the 19 students that finished my English class also through me a little party. After taking classes for more than a year and a half, they will be receiving a diploma from an accredited English speaking institution here in the country. English-speaking visitors to the town that have met with my students have expressed how impressed they were with their level of knowledge.

Pictures from our class party.

I´m really proud of my kids! They will probably have the opportunity to continue their studies once my replacement arrives at the end of May.

Expect an update next week following my departure from the town on May 12th. Thanks for those of you still following along. I really appreciate your support.