Harker Goes To Costa Rica 2018

Posts

Sarchi

August 09, 2018

Thursday, August 9, 2018 Today was a very memorable second to last day in Costa Rica. Today we visited Sarchi, famous for its painted oxcart wheels. When we arrived at our first destination, we took an oxcart wheel painting class. We received a blank wheel and we used different paint colors to copy a certain design. In the end, the three best painters would receive authentic miniature oxcart wheels. In first place came Ally and in second and third were Emily and Gloria, respectively. After our painting experience, many of us purchased various items at the gift store. These included miniature oxcarts, butterflies, and clay birds to serve as mementos of our adventure. Afterwards we drove by a park containing the world’s biggest oxcart on display. The oxcart’s design contains intricate patterns and is very colorful. We also passed by the chu rch of Sarchi, a turquoise structure with many different depictions of angelic figures. Next we went to Sarchi’s oxcart factor...

La Clase de Baile

August 09, 2018

Wednesday, August 8, 2018 Today we participated in a dance class. Our instructor, Crystal, taught us 3 different styles of dance including meringue, salsa, and bachata. To start of the class we did a warmup. In the ten minute warmup we exercised every part of our body from head to toe. Next we learned the basics of meringue which originated from the Dominican Republic. This style of dance has two beats. In this dance you are not supposed to lift your heels of the ground or bend both your knees at the same time. We practiced this dance with a partner. The next style of dance we learned was salsa which originated from Mexico. This type of dance has eight beats but the fourth and eighth are pauses. The final dance we learned was bachata which originated from the Dominican Republic. This dance has four beats. Overall, many students enjoyed the class and thought it was high energy and a lot of fun. Written by Anishka Raina A video can be found in the Google folder gi...

Nuevo Milenio #2

August 08, 2018

Wednesday, August 8, 208 Nuevo Milenio 10th Graders Heads Up Today was our second visit to Nuevo Milenio. It is a private school in Grecia. In our first visit last week, the students there helped us improve our Spanish by playing games such as Charades in Spanish. This week, we played many games with them to practice their English. The students were warm and friendly when we walked in. As we arrived in Nuevo Milenio, we divided ourselves into smaller groups and introduced ourselves. First, we played games with the tenth graders. In my group, we played a game called Atlas. In Atlas, you start with the word Atlas and the next person names a place that starts with the last letter of the previous word. Other groups played games such as Charades, Heads Up, and Never Have I Ever. Throughout the morning, we were able to switch groups and interact with many kids. Then, we took a recess where we played a game of volleyball with the Nuevo Milenio kids. Many of us were not good a...

La Carpio #2

August 08, 2018

Tuesday, August 7, 2018 After an early breakfast at 6:30, we boarded the bus and headed to La Carpio once again. We stopped at one of the main buildings of the Humanitarian Foundation before heading to a smaller center, a daycare whose walls were covered in beautiful murals painted in countless different colors. Gloria, the head of the daycare, received us warmly and told us a little bit about her and the center. She runs the place all by herself and prepares lesson plans for every week and makes different snacks for the children every day. The kids began to arrive at 9:30, when the daycare opens, and left at 11:30, when the daycare closes. However, Gloria always stays until around 1:00 to clean and prepare activities for the following day. She also proudly presented to us graduation pictures of kids who were going to a different center to continue their education this year. Then, we began to play with the kids. Some children ran to the art station, others to play with d...

ACCE

August 06, 2018

Every weekday afternoon, we spend three and a half hours studying in Academia Centroamerica de Español (ACCE). Its proximity to the villas make it easily accessible from almost any location in the city by foot. The first level of the building is a restaurant open to the public, while the basement is a movie theater in which we watch movies in Spanish to improve comprehension, and the upper level holds classrooms. Although this does take up most of our afternoons, it is a very relaxed learning environment and adds a uniformity to our days. Our first visit to the school began with a brief overview of the trip’s itinerary and a description of the diagnostic exam which was given to separate students into the small groups of two or four in which they would feel most comfortable. This exam consisted of a written test, which was a straightforward examination which determined the extent of students’ knowledge of grammar; this was followed by one on one “interviews” to test ...

Las Casitas

August 06, 2018

Upon arriving in Costa Rica, after scarfing down a much anticipated dinner, our group arrived in a quiet and secluded haven: our casitas. Multiple houses are separated from the street by a large and sometimes faulty iron gate that keeps trying to close. Our little houses are situated on the border of a large lush green grass field, dotted with various fruit trees and plants that could never be seen in California. Each casita has four beds separated in two rooms, a bathroom, a couch, tv, and a generally unused kitchen area. Marlisa helps us tidy the rooms, change the towels, and look after the casitas when we leave for our daily excursions. Every morning after waking up, the group convenes at breakfast in a pavilion at the end of the field they call el rancho , always prepared by Sra. Lavina. Ranging from cereal to gallo pinto and always served with a variety of fruit and tropical juices, she always fills us up first thing in the morning in preparation for the eventful day ah...