Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Yesterday was a long day of learning.  Emmanuel Cheverrie Alforo came and talked about the school system in Costa Rica and how it differs from our system in the United States.  The main problems with education here are: families cannot afford to pay for books, children's parents do not encourage them to learn English because when their parents were younger they didn't take English, and it is better to get a job right after high school in order to make more money instead of going to a university.

My host family was very welcoming.  My mama tica showed me around the house, showed me my room, then served me some very tasty chicken and rice.  We talked for a couple hours and I visited with Ashlee and Bardin, since they live in the 2 house right next to me.  We talked, ate dinner, and I tried to understand everything that they were saying.  I found that I understood more Spanish than I thought I would.  Last night, after 4 hours of Spanish classes, I spoke to my host mother with ease.  The one day of classes helped me a lot with my Spanish so it looks like I'll be speaking Spanish even better by the end of this week!

2 comments:

  1. Your trip sounds wonderful. I'm glad you're becoming fluent in Spanish. How is the bedroom you are sleeping in? How many kids in your host family? I heard you had a small earthquake. I saw pictures of the outdoor market. The pineapples looked great. I hope you are taking lots of pictures. Feel free to share. I love your picture with the waterfall behind you. Absorb it all. This is a wonderful learning experience being immersed in another culture. You could never learn as much about other places and their culture by reading a book. Looking forward to hearing more. I love you & stay safe. Mom

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  2. Glad you're having fun. I look forward to hearing all about it. Does this experience make you look at our own country & culture any differently?
    Dad

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