Sunday, March 16, 2014
Fairwell Festival!
The Chilamate and Linda Vista communities host a fairwell/ thank you party for BC this evening with host families and friends! Tomorrow we'll be completing our last day of work on the playground beautification service project and then zip lining in the afternoon.
How to choose?
What's more important? Access to clean drinking water or education? Slashing poverty or national debts?
Almuerzo de Myra and cooks!
Tomato salad, chicken and rice, fried plantains, plantain chips, and cheese
Rafting and tucans
Yesterday we played soccer and went
white water rafting! Coach Chino, a devoted and passionate soccer coach who
volunteers his time to coach kids who can’t afford to pay for a typical soccer
league, lead us and his players through intense warm-ups and drills. It was
very hot, we had bananas and watermelon while watching a half-time show of
back-flips, and the Costa Rican kids were very grateful because it was very
special to have support and know that we wanted to learn from them and play
with them. Some of these kids didn’t have shoes to play in but across the field
was a team with shiny uniforms and new soccer balls. The kids we played with
didn’t seem bothered by this because they had a great coach and knew they didn’t
need fancy uniforms to play the game they love. We accepted each other and had
a great time.
After lunch we took a bus to the drop-in
spot of the Sarapiqui River and learned all the safety information. Carlos and
Davis (our instructors) taught us rafting calls like “lean in”, “get down”, “back
paddle”, and “front paddle.” At some points we even got to fall out the boat
and swim around in the river. We saw tucans, trees, sloths, and vultures. Because
the water level was low we also saw layers of twisted roots, rocks, soil, and
sediment. It looked perfect and unreal, like it hadn’t been affected by humans.
We took a break half way for a quick swim and fresh pineapple. We went on class
2 and class 3 rapids! After 2 hours of rafting we changed and took a bus to the
lodge where the leaders did A.N.C.H.O.R. (appreciation, news, concerns, hopes,
oddities, and a reading). We then walked to our home stays and spent a relaxing
evening with them.
Today we woke up and had breakfast
at our home stays (pancakes and fruit). We then walked to the Chilamate School
to work again. We cleaned, painted, and had fun! Now we are looking forward to
taking a cooking class with a local and then eating our creations and concoctions.
¡Pura vida!
~Eleanor
Murphy, Mylana O’Reggio, and Victoria Sotomayor.
Sergio and his pejibayes!
We spent the afternoon at casa de Sergio y Myra where we had a cooking class and learned about their small farm. It was kind of like spending a Sunday afternoon with your grandparents! Here Sergio shows off his pejibayes- part of the coconut family, grown on a palm. They look like tomatoes but are more akin to yucca and cassava.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
These are the recycled desk and chair frames students cleaned on Friday in preparation for being painted today.
Scraping away
Preparing a table to be painted by scraping and scraping. "Quite satisfying," report Judith and Elena.
Also a really long bench
Students help build and paint this partition wall, which will keep out snakes and other animals from the jungle, while also serving as a pretty cool bench for the little ones.
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Coconuts and more...
Yesterday afternoon, after snack,
we went to meet our home stay families. After spending a few minutes with them,
we went back to Yamileth’s house for another delicious lunch. After enjoying
time with some of her young relatives, we all happily drank water straight from
a coconut, which is full of electrolytes that help prevent dehydration. Then,
we played a leadership game on her front lawn. The game sorted us into
different leadership/personality types, because World Leadership School is
based upon the idea that everyone has the potential to be a strong leader. The
four groups were artisans, guardians, conceptualists, and idealists. The
activity made us more aware of who we are as a leader, but we were reminded
that this is not a box that we are being put in, rather a way to look at
ourselves.
After completing this thought-provoking
activity, the group headed over to an ethno-botany class, taught by a local
named Jaime, where we learned about and occasionally tasted many native plants,
which could also be used as remedies for an assortment of ailments. Some of
these plants included lipstick plants, a variety of very spicy basil, sour
oranges, leaves that numb your tongue, and more coconuts! After this we had
homemade chocolate banana ice cream (you can see the recipe for this here on
the blog).
Last night was the first night we stayed
with our home stay families. It ran smoothly for everyone, despite the language
barrier. Many students played games like UNO, chicken feet (which is similar to
dominos), and catch. In the morning, home stay students were picked up by the
group, and walked to the Chilamate Eco-Lodge, got on a bus, and headed to a
rigorous soccer practice and game with a non-profit soccer organization. Some
of the soccer balls that we brought from NYC were donated to the organization. The
sun was hot, but we ended with water and refreshing watermelon and bananas. After,
we headed back to the classroom in the Eco-Lodge, where we did more exercises
about our leadership styles. After being re-sorted into the four groups, we
split up into four different groups, all with people of different styles. We
held a competition between the four groups, to see who could build the tallest
self-standing structure out of raw spaghetti, tape, and string. The structure
had to hold a single marshmallow. The competition taught us about how different
leadership styles work together in addition to the conflicts that come up.
After that, we headed to lunch at
the Eco-Lodge, which was pasta with sauce, cheese, and garlic bread.
Soon we are headed out to go white
water rafting, which is much anticipated!
¡Adios!
Sara Azcona-Miller J, Julia Harrison J, and Gabby Guarna J
Blog note: Click on photos for full view!
It may look like some of the pictures are cut off when screening the blog but click on each photo to see the full view!
Recipe
At the request of the students who loved this concoction, I am posting the recipe for the homade ice cream that Jaime made for us and served in small plastic bags, which I have taken the liberty of calling Delcioso de Jaime.
3/4 blender of water
2 bananas
2 tspn vanilla
1/2 Oz. Coffee
Sugar (to taste)
Milk
Mix and enjoy!
Coconut party
A lesson on ethnobotany turns into a party yesterday afternoon with Jaime. Another round of coconuts? Clark que si.
NY and Costa Rica
Mr. Agnor and Chino share a post-game handshake. Mr. Agnor tells Chino that after the USA, his favorite team is Costa Rica. Chino replies that after Costa Rica, his favorite team is Brazil. Good coach.
Why we're here
Davis, a WLS country coordinator, explains to Coach Chino's team that BC students came to exchange culture through sport. Part of the kids' fundraising paid for 10 brand new soccer balls for the team. The grey ball at Davis's feet has "Brooklyn" across it.
Coach Chino (Geraldo)
Coach Chino announces that it is time for the half time show. Chino volunteers his time to coach this local team, whose players, many without shoes or cleats, cannot afford to pay dues required of AYSO-style teams. It is difficult to capture Chino's passion. This guy is real. 
Jake on the ball
Jake makes a move while Gabby and Ms. Laundon play defense. Julia and two other Equipo Verde (Team Green) players are open.
I'm open!
Mylana looks to pass to Gabby (calling for ball) on the right or Maddie on the left as defenders collapse on her. Matty is vigilant in goal.
Futbol!
Julia and Judith challenge the ball in a game comprised of both BC students and local kids from the La Guaria neighborhood.
The road less travelled
Picking students up from home stays and walking to Chilamate to play soccer with a local non-profit youth sports organization!
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