I honestly can´t believe it´s already been an entire month already! Packing up my bag this morning was so hard because I feel like I have acquired a new home in Costa Rica: and my host mom has already made it clear that I´m welcome to come back anytime I want. Since we´re staying at the airport hotel tonight, last night was the final night with our families. My host sister and I stayed up talking and laughing because we both dreaded wasting our final time together- until at 1 am we got so tired that we crashed! It´s amazing how close we´ve gotten within these last weeks, and it´s going to be really sad to go.
On a happier note, we all went rummaging through downtown San Jose yesterday at the Market and Museum, picking up last minute gifts and souvenirs for our families. KOB got the nickname of the ´tourist´, because our teacher said that he was a sucker for a good deal. To speak for the girls, our weakness was the jewellery, of course. Between beads to coins to leather, the market had it all. For me, I bought myself a bottle of the signature ´Salsa Lizano´sauce so that I can cook some Costa Rican cuisine for my family when I get back. As for the boys, I´m pretty sure they just went for anything that had the signature phrase ¨Pura Vida¨ on it, but as the tour guide at the rainforest said, ¨If you know the phrase ´Pura Vida´ you pretty much know half the Spanish in Costa Rica¨. Speaking of Spanish, I think we were all amazed yesterday at how well we could communicate- really showing us how much we´ve learned in these past weeks.
All in all, I´ve had a fantastic, priceless and unforgettable experience on this trip. I´ve met new people, discovered a new culture, perfected my Spanish and acquired a new home in the (what I now see as short) span of four weeks. It´s sad to go, but I´ve made about twenty or more new facebook friends that I can keep in touch with while I´m away...and I hope that I´ll be able to plan another trip shortly along the road.
-Leah
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Arenal and Hot Springs
HI everyone,
This weekend my host family took me to see Arenal and its surrounding hot springs. Arenal is an active volcano that is in the classic cone shape. It has several craters and visible evidence of its activity as one side of the volcano is blacked by cooled lava. Arenal and the town of San Carlos is about three hours from San Jose, but it is a beautiful drive through the mountains and valleys of the Costa Rica´s central valley. I thoroughly enjoyed the hot springs and challenged myself to climb into scolding water, finally cooling down in a cool pool. On our return to San Jose we stopped in the small town of Zacero to see an amazing garden. A beautiful church was framed by the plants and trees of the garden which were carved into animals and various figures.
Thanks,
Charlotte
This weekend my host family took me to see Arenal and its surrounding hot springs. Arenal is an active volcano that is in the classic cone shape. It has several craters and visible evidence of its activity as one side of the volcano is blacked by cooled lava. Arenal and the town of San Carlos is about three hours from San Jose, but it is a beautiful drive through the mountains and valleys of the Costa Rica´s central valley. I thoroughly enjoyed the hot springs and challenged myself to climb into scolding water, finally cooling down in a cool pool. On our return to San Jose we stopped in the small town of Zacero to see an amazing garden. A beautiful church was framed by the plants and trees of the garden which were carved into animals and various figures.
Thanks,
Charlotte
Before this trip, I was called a [picky eater] by my parents... but through my experiences on this trip, I have suprised myself, through how much food I have tried. I would now call myself an adventurous eater. :) Even though some of the foods I have tried have been delicious, the after thought has almost made me sick My favorite foods from Costa Rica are picadillos and fried plantin. I have been cooking with my mom, and learning the Costa Rican ways in the kitchen. Tonight she is going to teach me how to make Picadillos; chopped potatoes with vegetables. I have made myself my own little recipe booklet, inwhich I´m excited to share with my family in the states. The typical foods of the United States and Costa Rica have a couple main differences. Besides the traditional meal of rice and beans, I have also noticed that the cakes I have tried have been made with a milk base; condensed milk, evaporated milk, and normal milk. All in all, the food has been delicious and I am going to miss my mother´s cooking in Costa Rica.
I have also gone to the movies twice with my family. We have seen A Night at the Musuem 2 and Up; the animated kids movie. They are both kid movies, but have been in spanish without subtitles, which was easy to understand because of the slow pace of conversation. The price of tickets is also cheaper because of the salary income for Costa Ricans. The tickets have been 1700 Colones which is equivilent to around $3.50 .
This past Saturday, I went to the Feria, an open market with my mom. We bought all of the fruits and vegetables she would need for cooking for this upcoming week. The prices were also cheaper compared to the United States because the venders grow the fruits and vegetables themselves.
- Allie
I have also gone to the movies twice with my family. We have seen A Night at the Musuem 2 and Up; the animated kids movie. They are both kid movies, but have been in spanish without subtitles, which was easy to understand because of the slow pace of conversation. The price of tickets is also cheaper because of the salary income for Costa Ricans. The tickets have been 1700 Colones which is equivilent to around $3.50 .
This past Saturday, I went to the Feria, an open market with my mom. We bought all of the fruits and vegetables she would need for cooking for this upcoming week. The prices were also cheaper compared to the United States because the venders grow the fruits and vegetables themselves.
- Allie
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Post Beach Weekend
So, I´m not really sure what Charlotte is talking about when she says nobody got burnt, but I´m pretty sure she´s just referring to the miracle that she didn´t burn...all I know is that my back is red, and Mac´s nose is already peeling so I´m pretty sure at least a few of us got burnt :D. All in all, it was a fantastic weekend. The hotel was gorgeous (with a Chocolate Chip Cookie entrance). The rooms were beautiful, and I think being together at the beach was a nice break from the hustle and bustle in San Jose. Also, driving to the beach gave us the full Costa Rican experience with the scenery and the pleasurable bus ride around sharp corners. Jack had to grip the back of the seat for support.
When we returned to San Jose, we got Monday and Tuesday off of school to enjoy some time with our families because our siblings have vacations now (the equivalent of our Winter break). I got the full Costa Rican experience when I travelled with my sister to Jaco Beach...the beach was beautiful, and the town was small and cute, with really nice people and GREAT shopping (much to my parent´s dismay :P). I´m glad I could share that experience with my host sister because it´s really given me a chance to bond with her...
Next, I´m super excited for the rain forest trip on Friday. That should be a ton of fun! Until then, chao.
-Leah
When we returned to San Jose, we got Monday and Tuesday off of school to enjoy some time with our families because our siblings have vacations now (the equivalent of our Winter break). I got the full Costa Rican experience when I travelled with my sister to Jaco Beach...the beach was beautiful, and the town was small and cute, with really nice people and GREAT shopping (much to my parent´s dismay :P). I´m glad I could share that experience with my host sister because it´s really given me a chance to bond with her...
Next, I´m super excited for the rain forest trip on Friday. That should be a ton of fun! Until then, chao.
-Leah
Monday, June 22, 2009
The Beach Weekend
HI Everyone,
We had a successful trip to the beach at Puntareanas, Point of Sand. We were accommodated nicely at the Hilton Hotel, locally known as La Fiesta. We had beautiful rooms and a couple great swimming pools. Everyone enjoyed the constant supply of food, needless to say we were spoiled. The waves at the beach were extremely strong but that didn´t stop most of us from swimming in the ocean. On Saturday night, we were fully entertained with a show at the hotel called Earth, Wind, Water and Fire. It was fashioned after Costa Rica´s love and care for the environment. We all thoroughly enjoyed the weekend and fortunately no one got burnt.
Thanks for reading,
Charlotte
We had a successful trip to the beach at Puntareanas, Point of Sand. We were accommodated nicely at the Hilton Hotel, locally known as La Fiesta. We had beautiful rooms and a couple great swimming pools. Everyone enjoyed the constant supply of food, needless to say we were spoiled. The waves at the beach were extremely strong but that didn´t stop most of us from swimming in the ocean. On Saturday night, we were fully entertained with a show at the hotel called Earth, Wind, Water and Fire. It was fashioned after Costa Rica´s love and care for the environment. We all thoroughly enjoyed the weekend and fortunately no one got burnt.
Thanks for reading,
Charlotte
Friday, June 19, 2009
We are going to the Beach
Hey guys,
It is the morning before we go to the beach and we are all really excited. We talked with our teacher yesterday and he said that it was a nice beach and hotel and there are a bunch of cool shops around there. Today is the last day of school before a break for the kids here and they are all excited, they also get a dress down day and they don't have to wear collared shirts and can wear jeans. We don't really know what we are doing at the beach or have anything scheduled. There is a big cultural difference here, time isn't a big deal it is more of a go with the flow attitude which is nice but sometimes gets annoying, because you can't really plan on doing something.
Talk to you later...
Mac
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Beach Tomorrow
Hey everybody. We are just finishing up another successful week and tomorrow we leave San Jose to spend a few nights at a beach on the Pacific Ocean. It should be a lot of fun and we are all very excited. The high school we are attending is going on a three week break tomorrow, so next week we will be the only people at school. It rains here everyday, but when it's not raining the weather is great. We're hoping that the rain stays at a minimum while we are at the beach. Overall, everything is still going good.
-Nate
-Nate
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Dear Outside World,
Dear Outside World,
It is my unfortunate duty to inform you that yesterday at approxamitely 7:00 in the evening (Costa Rican time) I unknowingly partook in the consumption of none other than lengua de vaca (cow tongue). Rest assured that no one was physically harmed in the event, although a number of victims are reporting psychological distress. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had no comment for the press regarding the incident.
Actually cow tongue doesn´t taste that bad. Had my sibling not told me what I was eating, I probably would have finished the whole thing. But at least I can say I tried it! I was worried a little about the food before I came... seeing as I´m opposed to anything spicy, from the sea, or comprising too many vegetables. So I was somehow pleasantly surprised... that almost everything is rice and beans. Oh, and the so-called "bad" meat from the cafeteria on monday (that got almost the whole school sick).
I also learned the importance of sunscreen. In the past few days I´ve been called "Hellboy," "Kirby," and "Stupid" regarding the color of my skin. Need to remember my SPF´s for this weekend when we go to the beach. WooT! And someone said we´re halfway through the trip. It seems hard to believe. We still have the San José market, the rainforest, the beach (maybe twice for some of us), and another weekend with the families. Hopefully that means fewer classes.
Hasta luego amigos,
-Jack
It is my unfortunate duty to inform you that yesterday at approxamitely 7:00 in the evening (Costa Rican time) I unknowingly partook in the consumption of none other than lengua de vaca (cow tongue). Rest assured that no one was physically harmed in the event, although a number of victims are reporting psychological distress. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had no comment for the press regarding the incident.
Actually cow tongue doesn´t taste that bad. Had my sibling not told me what I was eating, I probably would have finished the whole thing. But at least I can say I tried it! I was worried a little about the food before I came... seeing as I´m opposed to anything spicy, from the sea, or comprising too many vegetables. So I was somehow pleasantly surprised... that almost everything is rice and beans. Oh, and the so-called "bad" meat from the cafeteria on monday (that got almost the whole school sick).
I also learned the importance of sunscreen. In the past few days I´ve been called "Hellboy," "Kirby," and "Stupid" regarding the color of my skin. Need to remember my SPF´s for this weekend when we go to the beach. WooT! And someone said we´re halfway through the trip. It seems hard to believe. We still have the San José market, the rainforest, the beach (maybe twice for some of us), and another weekend with the families. Hopefully that means fewer classes.
Hasta luego amigos,
-Jack
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Volcano Irazu
There is water at the bottom because the volcano is not active and the water is greenish from all the sulfur. The plants around the crater are plants that can only be found near a volcano.
Hi Everyone,
Sorry I started my blog a little late, but better late than never. Costa Rica is awesome my family is really nice and everyone here is very accepting and willing to talk and hang out with us. But whenever we walk into a room we feel like everyone is watching our every move, it is kind of funny. We went to Volcano Irazu 2 weekends ago and it was very cool and it had a great view. After that we went to the botanical Gardens which was very pretty and our guide new a lot about flowers. Yesterday K.O.B. switched with Ms. Evans we miss Ms. Evans but it is nice to have K.O.B. here.
-Mac Kimmerle
Monday, June 15, 2009
Classes....and the food :D
As a follow up to Charlotte´s post, we all have a joke about the rice. I don´t think either of us have seen so much rice in our lives! What´s funny at about the fried plaintains is that when Allie was describing the delicious food she´d eaten over the weekend, she was describing fried green plaintains-a food very typical in Jamaica and one of my favourites. She aleady has me bringing back a tupperware of fried green plaintains for her in the beginning of the school year :D.
Conversation classes today were a lot of fun! We all got in groups of three and made up our own ´television news reports´ over what one of us did on the weekend and the weather that took place. I must say, seeing the drawings of Nate, Jack and Joe while they tried to explain the weather in Spanish were entertaining enough- you´d never guess that each of the 16-year olds drew smiling suns! Also, we all struggled through pronouncing tongue twisters in Spanish: if you ever thought they were difficult in English, I challenge you to try them in another language :P. Still fun though! And everyday we test how much our vocabulary has grown by playing a game called ¨Alto¨- I think we all have yet to beat Jack, but we´ll get there. Down here is all about the experience, and I think that what we´re doing in Costa Rica right now is not only a test on how well we can grasp Spanish, but also on the culture and just being exposed to new things every single day. It´s a priceless opportunity.
-Leah
Conversation classes today were a lot of fun! We all got in groups of three and made up our own ´television news reports´ over what one of us did on the weekend and the weather that took place. I must say, seeing the drawings of Nate, Jack and Joe while they tried to explain the weather in Spanish were entertaining enough- you´d never guess that each of the 16-year olds drew smiling suns! Also, we all struggled through pronouncing tongue twisters in Spanish: if you ever thought they were difficult in English, I challenge you to try them in another language :P. Still fun though! And everyday we test how much our vocabulary has grown by playing a game called ¨Alto¨- I think we all have yet to beat Jack, but we´ll get there. Down here is all about the experience, and I think that what we´re doing in Costa Rica right now is not only a test on how well we can grasp Spanish, but also on the culture and just being exposed to new things every single day. It´s a priceless opportunity.
-Leah
Costa Rican Cuisine
Hi Everyone,
So I´m sure you guys are wondering what we are all eating here in Costa Rica. Well for all of you who don´t know we aren´t in the jungle eating bugs, we are in the city of San Jose eating the customary culinary dishes of Costa Rica. Breakfast is typically gallos pintos which is rice and beans accompanied with sour cream and salsa lizano, a cilantro based sauce. Often this is served with eggs and coffee. Typically dinner and lunch are similar. In Costa Rica, we have been feasting on rice and beans and chicken. There is a common joke that says at every meal Costa Ricans eat arroz con pollo. The salads here are usually compromised of cabbage and carrots. Finally, we have been eating the delicacy of fried plaintains, which is similar to a banana in appearance however the taste is much different. Dessert is typically arroz con leche, rice pudding or tres leches cake. Also it is well mannered to offer guests as much food as possible.
As you can now tell we are well fed here,
Charlotte
So I´m sure you guys are wondering what we are all eating here in Costa Rica. Well for all of you who don´t know we aren´t in the jungle eating bugs, we are in the city of San Jose eating the customary culinary dishes of Costa Rica. Breakfast is typically gallos pintos which is rice and beans accompanied with sour cream and salsa lizano, a cilantro based sauce. Often this is served with eggs and coffee. Typically dinner and lunch are similar. In Costa Rica, we have been feasting on rice and beans and chicken. There is a common joke that says at every meal Costa Ricans eat arroz con pollo. The salads here are usually compromised of cabbage and carrots. Finally, we have been eating the delicacy of fried plaintains, which is similar to a banana in appearance however the taste is much different. Dessert is typically arroz con leche, rice pudding or tres leches cake. Also it is well mannered to offer guests as much food as possible.
As you can now tell we are well fed here,
Charlotte
scenery is great
howdy people,
hope that summer vaction is going great and you are getting as much sun as I am. Costa Rica is beautiful. There are many upon many different types of plants and animals, including one that only grows near volcanoes and feels like sandpaper. The scenery is great, there are grass, trees, rivers, and the best mountains (where i live). I live about an hour and a half away from school so the travel is long. but it is very fun here.
hey i gtg
someone has to use the computer
peace guys,
Jose
hope that summer vaction is going great and you are getting as much sun as I am. Costa Rica is beautiful. There are many upon many different types of plants and animals, including one that only grows near volcanoes and feels like sandpaper. The scenery is great, there are grass, trees, rivers, and the best mountains (where i live). I live about an hour and a half away from school so the travel is long. but it is very fun here.
hey i gtg
someone has to use the computer
peace guys,
Jose
San Carlos Hot Springs
Hola!!
This weekend I traveled to San Carlos with my family. San Carlos is located in between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. On Saturday, we traveled to the Hot Springs and swung from ropes into the river. Some of the more experienced people did flips into the water from swinging on the rope. Then we went to the Arenal Volcano. We walked around 2 km on a trail, and were able to hear the lava and rocks tumbling down the sides. The views were amazing!! After we went to a hotel which had waterslides and swim up bars. On Sunday, we layed out at my family's pool and experienced Costa Rica's HOT sun. Many of my siblings got sunburnt...
This following week, we'll have classes and leave on Friday to have a beach weekend at the Hilton.
-Allie
This weekend I traveled to San Carlos with my family. San Carlos is located in between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. On Saturday, we traveled to the Hot Springs and swung from ropes into the river. Some of the more experienced people did flips into the water from swinging on the rope. Then we went to the Arenal Volcano. We walked around 2 km on a trail, and were able to hear the lava and rocks tumbling down the sides. The views were amazing!! After we went to a hotel which had waterslides and swim up bars. On Sunday, we layed out at my family's pool and experienced Costa Rica's HOT sun. Many of my siblings got sunburnt...
This following week, we'll have classes and leave on Friday to have a beach weekend at the Hilton.
-Allie
Friday, June 12, 2009
almost as big as Ohio State football
Costa Rica is great. Everyone is having a blast and all of the people down here are really nice (the girls are very good looking too). The weather is ideal also. The scenery is beautiful with lots of mountains, volcanoes, and forest. I live about 20 minutes from St. Judes High School where we take classes, and 7 people live in my house. The other day is was the great grandmother's 81st birthday and the entire family came over. Also, a mariachi band showed up and it was a lot of fun. Soccer is huge here (almost as big as Ohio State football in Columbus) and Costa Rica is the best team in North America. Johan (my host brother) plays soccer and I usually attend practice with him. Although I don't play soccer I miraculously seem to do alright. Overall, everything's going great.
Nate
Nate
Thursday, June 11, 2009
I´m in Costa Rica
Hi everyone! It´s Leah, and I´m in Costa Rica right now. It´s only been two weeks, and I´ve already done so much. I´ve taken classes in complete Spanish (grammar, conversation and literature), I´ve visited a volcano for the first time in my life, and I´ve been living for two weeks with a family that I don´t know. I must say, the whole host family thing seemed a bit scary at first, but it´s been amazing for me! My host sister is a nice, fun girl, and she helps me with my spanish a lot. My mom´s the best! She´s so funny, and she really has ensured that I´m comfortable in my home. My brother, too, is very nice and I even got a little lesson from him-in Spanish, of course- on the architecture he´s studying. They´ve been great with slowing down the Spanish so that I can understand, but also trying to open me up to more than just the same old, same old simple words. This truly is an unforgettable and fantastic experience for me to solidify my Spanish-mostly in terms of conversation-, and also to learn about a new culture- I never knew people like rice and beans so much as they do here!
I´m really looking forward to what´s ahead for all of us in the rest of the trip. I´ve made so many new friends at our school- and I think I can say the same for all of us. I know with me, I laugh and joke around with my host sister´s friends so much that I feel like I´ve known them for a lot longer. I think these are friendships I´ll be keeping for a long time: especially since now I found out that ALL my friends down here have Facebook! Hahaha, as much as I take advantage of it at times, in this case it´s really useful! :D
-Leah
I´m really looking forward to what´s ahead for all of us in the rest of the trip. I´ve made so many new friends at our school- and I think I can say the same for all of us. I know with me, I laugh and joke around with my host sister´s friends so much that I feel like I´ve known them for a lot longer. I think these are friendships I´ll be keeping for a long time: especially since now I found out that ALL my friends down here have Facebook! Hahaha, as much as I take advantage of it at times, in this case it´s really useful! :D
-Leah
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