Moving abroad: the first take from the 11 and 13 year olds

An 11 year old's take:

There’s no real best thing and no real worst thing about being here. It just gets better over time and the bad things just get better. 

'Bobby' who defected from the groundskeeper extraordinaire, Jose. 

"Casado" or "meal of the day" at a local restaurant. Sets you back $5

Costa Rica is really developed. I thought it was going to be like Nicaragua since they are so close: it’s crazy. It’s way different from the US in distances and people. In the states, places are way apart but it’s identical. There are the same stores, maturity of the land, things. In Costa Rica,  there are places that are exactly like the US so  you really have to search for the real Costa Rica. 

  



It’s really Tico (what Costa Ricans' call themselves) when it’s down to earth and not gadgets and technology---- too many unnecessary things. 

The Tico stores sell just what you need and that’s it. In the US there is a ton of stuff to buy. There are the things you need, and then 500,00 things that they are trying to focus you on  instead of the real things you actually need. In the Tico stores, they sell just a few things that you’re looking for.  Like I walk down to a little store literally right outside where we live- 10 steps away from the gate at most. You find only the necessary things in this store. This morning I bought one stick of butter and two cartons of milk for $5.50. 

I would say that people here are focused on life. In the real life in the US, it seems focused on making money, especially in music and movies. Here, it seems like it’s just enough to be happy or maybe even a little less. 

Dona Ceci along with her husband & brother. She is the seamstress who hemmed the kids' school pants at 7:30 pm for $6. When we stopped by to pick up the second pair of pants she invited us in for cake and dancing.

On our way to Dona Ceci's to pick up the pants.

It is really different academically so far. They kids learn in a different way- they try to do really well. They push themselves. They expect more of themselves- without the teacher pushing, but from within. It’s fun. 

(*The kids definitely are studying. So far, we notice that they have had to take a lot more quizzes, tests, and produce a lot more projects. The students' received iPads through an alumni facilitated donation last week and I notice that the virtual textbooks/assignments seems to allow them the access, organization, and content to go deeper. It's too early to tell too much but I am really interested to see how it shapes or detracts from their learning.)

In soccer here they think outside of the box. They take chances. They really actually play. They don’t care if they win. They don’t care about pass completion they-- they run on instinct, not a plan. 

Last Monday, a coach from the school invited me to play after school. I was shocked and crazed when I realized that most of the students were high schoolers playing with middle schoolers. What I learned was that age doesn’t really matter. A player is a player and that’s final. It felt like we were all equal. 

It’s been different to see what old men’s happiness is.

In the US, older men watch sports and in Costa Rica, they play the sport. We’ve passed numerous fields with old men with pot bellies playing soccer. They love it. They are just playing to play.

J facing off with a silver-haired dude who could move the ball. (Too bad on the graffiti- I'd say it's not a norm at all, just popped up in this shot.)

A brief check in with the 13 year old:

 All the girls I’ve met at school are really accepting, nice and helpful. So the hardest thing for me has been remembering their names. There’s a Marisol, Maricris, Maripaz, and Maripaula, Paula, Paola, Patricia, Manuela, Claudia, Daniela and Ximena, Luisana, Renata and. . .!

Something that has been different is the emphasis on where you want your life to go and what you want to do. For example, on our computerized group student planner, you can pick a quote but you can also select how you like to learn (eg visually, hands on, or listening) and what career goal you have. When you select a category like from ‘Reading’, ‘Nature’, ‘Computers’, ‘Law and Order’, ‘Science’, ‘Social Studies’, ‘Math’, ‘Helping People’, ‘Sports’, out pops a list of career like actuary, physicist, electrical engineer, statistician, surveyor, financial analyst, landscape architect, chemist, environmental scientist and so on.

It’s made me think about what I want to do.
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We are growing and changing as each day passes. Having Casper the rescue dog fatten before our eyes and become affectionate and confident is a reminder of how maleable we are as beings.  We will be updating with more frequency now that we have a full week of school under our belt.

Great to hear from you. Thinking about all of you and hoping you are having great summer days.