The Word

School has definately been in gear... quizes, papers, etc... Many assignments are done as a group, which makes it a bit easier.

I am writing a paper on The USA, Globalization, and the possibilities of democracy and sustainability in my class Food Systems and Global Economy. Unfortunately, the class is not nearly as good as I had hoped. It probably has something to do with its being conducted in English (as many students are still beginers), but the dry 100 page technical documents we are supposed to read and discuss do not help.

In work experience class, we were assigned the task of raking leaves off a trail in the rainforest. Apparently this is for the benefit of gringo tourists? I also learned that the school's forest reserve was established and maintained with money donated by American Express... and we sell our banana's to Whole Foods! Which reminded me how long it's been since I've sampled the seafood bar to make sure Shrimp Fest was in order.

I went to San Jose this weekend for a brithday party of one of the first year guys... The bash was in the rich suberb San Pedro, which is really just an extension of San Jose and within easy walking distance. Arrived in town early to suprise my host family, who happened to live a few blocks from the party. They invited me for dinner and let me crash there for the night, though I ended up sleeping on a hard floor... better than the street eh? The party was like something out of a movie. In a huge courtyard with gardens and ceramic statues, there were several tents of food, beer, and other drinks (all free, of course) and crowds of young people. Mainly friends who lived in San Jose and from EARTH University, the crowd was overwhelmingly made up of beautiful, in-style Latins... the type you would expect at such a bash in San Pedro.

And another week. Hasta Luego.

Campo

Cultivos Tropicales is my favorite class without a doubt. We are working in small groups growing beans, rice, corn, misc. Cucurbitaceae's, and other misc. vegetables (bok choy, watermelon, and cucumbers for my group). I accidentaly burned my corn crop by fertilizing the wrong way... it was my first time, and no one gave me advice before hand. Despite the "sustainability" mantra of EARTH, they are having me use standard, 10-30-10 fertilizer for my project...

Edlin's frijol on the left and my maíz on the right


Michi and her sandía (watermellon) in the foreground, Hugo working in his parcel of pepino (cucumber) in the back-right...


The whole class preparing rice patties:

sloth

This sloth was found slowly crossing the street, showing off its huge claws, at night in the middle of campus.

Carnaval, etc...

As my corn slowly grows in the poor soils of the humid tropics...

Been jamming with Pablo, a first year student and sweet guitar player from Argentina

Found a guava tree behind my dorm and climbed coconut trees

Went to Puntarenas last weekend for a free reggae show at Carnaval

Have been showing a good time to some Canadians passing through EARTH this week

Discussed the finer points of (non)violence in the revolution (in class)

The past week or so

Last weekend the Costa Rican presidential election took place. There is a national holiday for this event and no alcohol is allowed to be purchased within 48 hours of voting. Because the results were so close, a recount is being conducted. The winner is either Oscar Arias, the popular "Bush of Costa Rica", as described by one friend (though Arias compares himself to Clinton, which would make sense since Clinton was largely responsible for NAFTA and Arias is eager to pass CAFTA), and Otton "something or other", the underdog, and a more populist critic of CAFTA.

My roomate Pablo took me to his home in Santa Ana, outside San Jose, for Saturday and Sunday. We rode horses with his friend Jonathan at a ranchero where the guys knew some people. Despite the dry law, we were given some cervezas due to our VIP status as friends of workers.

Pablo and I get along real well, which makes being here even better. I've been hanging out mainly with people from classes and Pablo + his friends. Found that the younger students are less mature, and it's more relaxed spending time with the older students.

The culture is similar, as people are people no matter where one goes. Still there are noticable differences, especially concerning machismo in Latin America. Many girls are unfamiliar with interactions with guys other than getting hit on (by US standards, although here it is typical and less distinguishable from other interaction). Some of the common things that guys do here would be cheesy if attempted in the states. On top of that, there are girls who get somewhat offended if they are not immediately given certain kinds of attention. I'm managing.

Tonight (as usual on Fridays) the university is sending a couple bus-loads of students to the local bar for dancing and socializing. I've been getting better at the salsa, but still get lots of laughs on the dance floor.

Class Updates

I am conducting an experiment on a 10x20 meter plot of maíz using three levels of chemical fertilizer (10-30-10). In this class, my group has also been working on beans, watermellons, cucumbers, bok choy, and rice. Today we spent some time analyzing or field's soil in the lab.

For Food Systems & World Economy, I'm working on an essay regarding Food, Natural Resources, and Globalization. This paper needs to be 8 pages plus tables, diagrams, a summary, list of definitions, etc... Should be interesting, and I plan on posting it eventually.

In Reality of Latin America, the professor assigned us the task of changing the world. I have been trying, but now it's for credit... Not really sure what to do, I decided to create the Network of Liberty (name tentative). Some students are doing things such as recycling and cleaning up trash, others are doing projects even more idealistic, for example, spreading the message that, "You might be late, but not too late to change the world", as a maxim to live by... I'll post more about the Network of Liberty at some point when I have figured it out.