September Classes
By Kathleen Winslow, Covenant College

We had no idea what a semester in the Latin American Studies Program would be like. Now, the fourth full week of classes is almost done, we’ve settled into the rhythm of classes, homework, and family life—and it’s all about to change! Since the LASP staff only gives out information on a need-to-know basis, all we really know right now is that we’ll be in Nicaragua for the first two weeks of October, and then back in San José—for the most part—until December. But first, let us tell you about September. During this first month, we have all participated in the Core Seminar at the LASP office, two or three mornings a week. The point is to introduce us to perspectives about Latin American issues (politics, discrimination, economics, history, poverty, religion) that we don’t hear very often in the US. We’ve done a lot of reading; we’ve interviewed a lot of people; and we’ve heard from Costa Ricans in all walks of life. It has been a stretching experience, to say the least! Five days a week, we have gone via taxi or bus to the Spanish Language Institute (ILE) for intensive Spanish classes. LASP only requires that students have a minimum of 1 year of college Spanish before coming to Costa Rica, so we are all at different levels. Based on written and oral tests, we were divided into ten levels of five students. Each level has its own experienced teachers, one for grammar and one for conversation. It would be nearly impossible not to improve under such conditions! And we hope we have.

El Quince de Septiembre
By Amy Jones, Eastern University

Friday the 15th of September, Costa Rica celebrated 185 years of independence. Many students in LASP were able to join in the celebrations with their host families. In many neighborhoods, the festivities began on Thursday night. The tradition is for children to light candles in paper lanterns (faroles). And there are usually patriotic activities at each school and town center. Drums echoed through the Central Valley early on Friday morning. Almost every school was represented in the parades through each neighborhood. Children dressed in a variety of costumes: as campesinos, cheerleaders, baton twirlers, and traditional dancers.

Students take first “Field Trip”
By Nikky Maatman, Dordt College

LASP students headed out on Costa Rica’s Independence Day to the Caribbean coast, to the city of Puerto Limón, a key port city in Costa Rica. On our way, we made key stops to learn about how some of Costa Rica’s major exports are grown and harvested. Our first stop was a coffee plantation where we looked at and even tasted coffee beans. The red ‘berries’ are considered ripe (see photo collection). We learned that the insides of these berries taste sweet and not like coffee at all! (Although we were warned not to actually eat them, in order to prevent sickness.) Our next stop was a pineapple field, where we unfortunately didn’t get to see any pineapples ready to be harvested, but the LASP staff was quick to explain to us how the pineapples grew. In the photo collection you see a tiny pineapple that Don Gerardo found for us – our own little baby pineapple! Our third stop on our way to Limón was at a banana plantation. The bananas you can see in the photo collection are still on the tree. Don Antonio explained to us that bananas indeed grow upside down from the way most of us would explain. The blue plastic bags are used to protect the bananas from pests and pesticides alike. Upon arrival in Limón, we caught the end of the Limón Independence Day parade and spent the night eating wonderful food and interviewing Limón residents. Our Saturday was filled with “charlas” (chats), as well as a visit to the Caribbean Sea! Our weekend finished on Sunday with visits to local Catholic, Methodist, and Baptist churches and a long bus drive home.

The “Miracle of Sharing”
By Nikky Maatman, Dordt College

Students had a shock when Don Alex asked us this past week to heat up our lunches and wait until he said we could eat them. We wondered what he was up to – after all, it was only 10 in the morning! Well, as is true to LASP, warming up our lunches had an educational purpose. Throughout Biblical reflection, the class discussed the book of Mark, particularly Jesus’ feeding of the multitudes. When we finished our reflections, Don Alex suggested that we experience what many have come to call the “miracle of sharing” by putting our lunches in the front and eating from everyone’s lunches – and waiting to see if we would have leftover food as well! We indeed had leftover food, as well as a wonderful time of fellowship and taste-testing lunches made by a variety of tican mamás and papás!