INCOMMUNICADO

We are leaving for Manuel Antonio National Park and Quebrada Arroyo (the rainforest) in the morning. We will be staying in a small farming community and will not have access to computers or telephones. Unfortunately this means we won't be able to post our daily thoughts and pictures but rest assured we will still record them and update the blog when we return to San Jose. It promises to be an amazing experience so stay tuned for the low down on Monday evening!!

--Wilds

A Growing Connection

A recurring theme in our last two interviews has been the idea of Costa Rica as a meeting place—a bridge between different ways of being, seeing, and knowing. Musician Manuel Obregon spoke of the South American and Central American cultures meeting together in Costa Rica, rubbing up against, influencing, even transforming each other into new forms. Environmentalist Gabrielle Quesada made a near identical statement in relation to geological and biological meetings that occurred in Costa Rica with the connection of the northern and southern Americas in a blazing furry of volcanic eruptions.

They each spoke passionately, but theoretically about these connections, making them sound almost simple or whimsical. However, if anything can be understood from our experiences over the past few days, these places and moments of connection are charged with an intensity, explosiveness, and joy that should not be underestimated.

Our connection within the group has been growing. Trust is the fundamental core around which this builds. Slowly, in fits and starts, we have become trusting of one another. The laughter has increased directly with this growing connection, to the point where we spent most of the last ten hours laughing until we nearly choked.

We’ve been asking the students to watch for their reactions to discomfort and to avoid their typical escapes into music, AIM, technology, food, sleep, television. The result has been a deepening tendency to go to one another and lean into the group.

The challenge ahead is how to build upon our solidarity (another fundamental theme form our interviews) and open ourselves to a new community of people and a wholly new set of experiences and sensations. As we head to sleep in anticipation of our early morning departure for Manuel Antonio National Park, and ultimately the small community of Quebrada Arroyo, I am feeling hopeful that we will all find ways to expand our connection to one another, and to let these links serve as the foundations for connections outward to those we meet in our further travels, be they human, plant, or animal. Check back on Tuesday to find out how it went.

-Oliver

Mi Mejor Amigo de Costa Rica: Wasting Away the Minutes

My New Best Friend is the receptionist of the hotel that we're staying in, and at this moment he has exactly 21 min until his shift is over, which is 1 AM, or 3 in the morning Pittsburgh time; so we're going to type something.

He is first going to type in Spanish about how he feels about all of the City High guests.

MADCR :Normalmente en este hotel no tenemos grupos de estudiantes por mucho tiempo, pero este grupo fue una experiencia muy especial porque ellos compartieron mucho con cada persona del hotel. Para mi especialmente me ha encantado conocer a Cristal. Ella es una persona con mucha energia y emprendimiento, estoy muy feliz de haber compartido con ella una pequeña historia de mi vida, gracias por ser mi nueva amiga de Pittsburgh cuidate mucho espero verte algun dia... Pura Vida Alberth Sandro Brenes Castillo recepcionista de Kap's place.

So now you have a first hand Tico perspective of the City High Connections Team. If you can translate you can see that Alberth has a lot of nice things to say. And he was a great help to the team and made our stay at Kap's Place Wonderful.

He was one of the few people I've personally interviewed (con ayudita) on my quest to get a real everyday prospective of Costa Rica from tourist to born and raised Ticos.

Buenas Noches o Buenos Dias
Pura Vida
Cristal

Preguntas y Respuestas

Oh My Goodness it so great to hear from you all. It nice to hear from some familiar people. I’m tying this at 11:20 at night which is about 1:20 in PA, even being here a few days my body still works on Pittsburgh Steelers Time (Corny Joke I know), but all in all it’s late. The reason why I don’t like bloggings is because I don’t really know what to write and I’m not a big fan of the idea. Plus I want to be in touch with Nature and Costa Rica, I need to feel the vibes of the earth
To answer some of your questions I’ll start with:

Why are you interviewing them? Are they politicians? Peasants?
We are interview significant leaders in Costa Rican and San Jose. Yes they are Politicians and not peasant, though later I’ll tell you about my special project. So far we’ve interviewed four people that have connections with the politics in the country. We’ve interviewed an environmentalist and a musician, that interview was amazing, I actually want to be adopted by Manuel Obregon he was just a musical genius. Other than that’s we’ve been really busy doing interviews but now they are over. By the way people in Costa Rica are pretty much the same as people in the US (Not America) Costa Ricans go by the name Ticos. Moving on the topic of Great Discussions that many commented on.

What does "Fair Discrimination" represents to Costa Rica?

On Tuesday when we interviewed Clotilde Obregon she talked about Costa Rican History in 1863? Costa Rica wouldn’t allow Blacks and Chinese into the Costa Rica, and questions were raise. Before 1863 a man from the south; William Walker went to Central American in hopes to create slave states invaded and managed to take over Nicaragua so Costa Rica wanted to help by defeating the US. When Costa Rica was in Post war process they shut down the boarders for blacks because of an agreement with Pres. Lincoln. Also they shut their boarders to the Chinese. So Clotilde explained it as Fair Discrimination because Costa Rica didn’t want to sign an agreement with the United States they choose politer way of saying no, by not allowing the two groups, and not singling out just one group. So it was Fair Discrimination by not allowing both Black and Chinese. Sorry for the long explaining but I was Comico.

So now yens have to use the phases “Fair Discrimination” :P The next response is for Ms. M. Whit

I only know the basic fruits such as apples, bananas, plums, peaches, grapes, and oranges. What fruits have you eaten? What does fruit mean to Costa Rica?
Well to be honest I don’t totally know all of the foods I’ve consumed since I’ve been down here. I do know I didn’t heat Qui(?). I’ve learned sometimes it’s better not to know.
For Ms. White I have a list of the fruits we eaten and all these fruit were juices also.
1. Maracuya ( a mucusy center) 2. Tamarindo ( Brown and has big seeds, also a candy found in Mexico) 3. Pineapple ( the pest you’ll find anywhere) 4. Lemons (which are limes) 5. Carambolda ( Star Fruit) 6. Cas 7. Papya 8. Watermelon 9. Guanabana.
As far as food goes, it’s been really good and adventurous. For breakfast we have gallo pinto which is beans and rice. Also we have had eggs and ratilla, which is a salty mike, it kinda taste like sour cream
We’ve have had different type of bean which I’m sure Felicia told you all about that. And Dinner is usually a heartier foods like meets a green vegetables. And Rice so much rice everywhere, now I even dream of rice now. Not really.

How did the 'bed building' go yesterday? Can you please tell us more about this service experience?
Sorry to post things really late, but as I mention before I’m not one to blog, It’s now 12 am and I’m still not done, but not to complain. The bed building experience was so much fun, First we went to the school and chilled with the kids Christopher, Gabrielle, y, Ryan. Then we went to the homes and it took us maybe 15-25 minutes and then the second house it took use maybe 10 the children were so sweet and nice and so grateful for everything. I loved the bed building, I if had to choose I would have love to have done it the whole time. Most of the really service starts manana so I should get in the bed soon. I’m extremely excited about being in the rainforest in a village and being with the Ticos.


I just wanted to know how is there is there environment different compared to our and is it hard adapting to the way they do things out there?
The physical environment is very different , because the geographic of Costa Rica is so Rich ( in part due to it’s name) It has great farmland and the Capital is located in the valley of mountains. One interesting this since is rains 6-8 out of year so there like ditches is all the roads . Yes it is really different here. The city is nice, umm like any city you have nice parts and bad part, but not wild has happened yet so over all I really like the city. The only thing that I think is hard to get used to is that people stare, but not in a bad way. It’s cultural thing to following things with the eyes. At first I felt really comfortable but today something amazing happened. I was staring at this guy walking passed and through his eyes he gave me a glace of acceptance that I have master on of the Cultural Barriers, he I felt like he accepted me into the world of Costa Rican Culture, I felt wonderful.
I did find that it wasn’t hard to adapt to the language, but overall my time here has been wonderful, and I love it because I’m learning something new everyday.

Pura Vida
***Cristal***

Everyday is A Winding Road

You think you’re open-minded until you experience another culture and not only does this experience open one’s mind but it opens one’s heart.




The other day we found ourselves at a school meeting the woman who was taking us to go build beds. Well Oliver, Felicia, and Travis all decided that they wanted to play Futbol with the kids (this is when I jumped in and decided to play too, and then came Bobbs, and then came Steve). While playing I was thinking to myself about how awesome it was that we were playing soccer with a bunch kids we can’t understand and they can’t understand us. I mean we found a way to communicate and have a good time together that didn’t involve much language. The thing is we had found a way to overcome the language barrier.

Later that day I walked over when Crystal was talking to one of the men that we were helping with the bed building and we were trying to hold a conversation with him. None of us understood each other but we had found a way to speak to him in VERY broken Spanish and we again had overcome the barrier. And the thing is when you find a way to overcome the barrier you feel as if (like Crystal we saying to me) you made a connection with that person.

So then we went to Papaya Music to interview Manuel Obregon and he had many different beautiful things to say and I just wanted to bring up one of the things he mentioned. He talked about listening to the rainforest. He talked about feeling the vibrations of the rainforest and just listening to what’s around us. And that’s something I can really appreciate. We’re leaving for the rainforest tomorrow and I think this is going to be something we can all really appreciate. AW MAN THE OUTDOORS!! I LOVE IT!!!

We also just had a nice discussion about talking out our situations and I think we ended on a good note. We need to learn how to solve our own problems but that doesn’t mean that no one is ever going to be there to help us along in the sense that we can’t ask them how they could fix the situation but how can I fix the situation. I mean we got into how there aren’t going to be Olivers and Wildss around for us all the time in the sense that we need to change our idea of who they are now (almost like someone who can almost solve our problems for us) in to how can they help us figure things out (like by asking them for their opinion on the situations we’re in). Do you understand? If not you can ask me.

Anyways it’s late and I have to get up early. BEACH TOMORROW!! So I’ll talk to you guys later.

-- Britney Marie Countz

Meeting people in power!

Well from my point of view, meeting people in power has been really interesting. I don't think any of us were intimidated but it was kind of shocking to realize that we are actually talking to really powerful politicians.

I feel that the U.S. is lucky because not to many foreigners come in our country and meet important politicians. We met some very powerful people in Costa Rica within a span of four days. Not too many people do that.

~Stephen B.

Espresso is roasted for 20 minutes

What did I do today? What didn't I do today? No, seriously. Well, I didn't shower, but this isn't about that.

The tour of the coffee plantation was absolutely fascinating to me. I never really knew about the process involved in coffee agriculture, but now I have a basic handle on the process. The farming practices down here, at least for coffee, seem more organic than anything else. This is presumably because of the rain, the volcanic soil, and the viability of bananas and sweet lemons as shade plants. They plant rows of coffee plants, which sort of look like boxy shrubs, around the sides of hills like a topographical map of sorts.

So the strengths of coffees depends on how long they are roasted, starting at 12 minutes and ranging up to 20 minutes for espresso. The caffeine removed in germany to create decaf is often sold to Coca Cola, who put it in their sodas. And that's why we're all addicted.

The different blends are made up of a number of roasts. House blend is made up of equal parts European and French blends, and Breakfast Blend is made up of equal parts French, European and Peaberry.

Peaberries are special coffee beans that are two beans fused together. It's a genetic effect that only occurs in 5% of the crop.

Butterflies are, in general, amazing. Additionally, they like me a lot. Not only did I have one land on my arm for a prolonged period, I had one actually land on my head for an absurd amount of time. It only left when I shoo'd it away.

I'm telling you, I've got the vibe. People don't believe me, but it's so true.




After our trip through the butterflies we saw hummingbirds and frogs. A hummingbird's heart can beat 12,000 times per minute. Hummingbirds are the smallest birds in the world but have the largest hearts and brains of any birds on the planet.
The frogs, it seems, are so sedentary that the staff puts little colored tags on the leaves where they see frogs in the morning. The vast majority of frogs on leaves were tagged, and the vast majority of tagged leaves had frogs. I was talking to Oliver about how some animals are so adapted to life in their habitat (Like spiders on a web for example) that they have little to no motivation to leave and explore any other habitat.

Also, did you know that poison dart frogs get their poison from the plants in the ants that they eat? Therefore, these frogs can be kept in captivity with no harm to people whatsoever, because they lack access to the specific ants that give them their toxicity. The frogs in captivity are often fed crickets and fruit flies, which causes them to lose their toxicity over time.

The walk through and around the waterfall area was absolutely absurd. I was speechless. I'm so fascinated by the environment. I spent time staring at every single plant and bird and insect. Every little plain green leaf or complex flower is a hypertext for millions of years of Darwinian struggle. Every single green patch of moss has its niche carved out and has developed its ability to exploit that environment to the maximum. It's truly impossible to do them all justice. There are so many millions of years of evolution represented that you cannot possibly fathom it all over a lifetime.



-Trevor F

Learning to Listen

The other day when we interviewed Manuel Obregon I thought that one of the most important things he said was in reference to his time in the rainforest. He told us that we need to "learn to listen" to everything around us. I realized that the idea of learning to listening extends beyond just physically hearing. We are beginning to be able to feel the rhythms of this country and its people. Whether it is Crystal trying to interview every Tico she meets (though usually with the use of an interpreter) or Felicia yelling "Hola" out the window of the van to EVERY person we pass, we are all enthralled by the country and the people. From the interviews and our experiences with everyday people, the kids have become honorary Ticos (at least in their own minds). When we see large groups of tourists or drive through communities that have large numbers of American condos or fast-food chains, the kids begin to discuss the ignorance of gringos and the economic and environmental issues they cause.

Today was amazing!! We all had very sleep (getting home late from the concert and up at 5:30am to catch our bus) but the drive to the coffee tour was beautiful and Miguel our guide made it educational as well. Even though it rained most of the time, we began practicing our listening skills. Standing by the edge of the volcano, we were unable to see the crater because of the clouds but we were still able to use our other senses (listening to the fumaroles and the stinging smell of the sulfur). I loved the butterfly gardens at La Paz but by far the best part of the trip was the waterfall gardens! We climbed across suspended bridges and wooden and metal stairs built into the rainforest. You could HEAR the falls long before they materialized out of the forests.



The kids are truly enjoying a life-changing experience (as are the adults)! We are still goofy and laugh hysterically about silly things but when it comes to the important moments... I have been so impressed and proud of them the words escape me!! I truly wish that everyone could enjoy an experience like this one!

--Wilds

So how about we had a great time at the concert... AND WE MET THE PRESIDENT!!!!!

At the concert that I described in my previous blog we were sitting in the audience (nose bleed) and they announced that Nobel Peace Prize winning, President of Costa Rica, the one, the only, Dr. Oscar Arias!!! After the show was over we were standing at the door waiting to meet up with Manuel Obregon and out came Dr. Arias!!!!!! Oliver used his keen dialect to draw him in, I used my long reach, and Felicia used her "Philly" aggressiveness for us three to get in and meet the president and shake hands with him!







That right there kids, is a "Yeah!" moment.


-Bobbs

Fast Times in Escazu

Masks - Who ever thought?



We did more today than you can even deal with. In the morning we had to hop out of bed for an early interview with one Gabrielle Quesada, who proved to be quite fascinating. He had much to say about the environment, politics, and the interplay between the two. He was quite clear about the fact that the market will never make proper room for environmentalism and that the government must set aside room for the environment. In fact, he suggested that environmentalism in the constitution was a possible next step for Los Ustados Unidos.

I was totally impressed by the city walking tour. The history here seems so much more concentrated than American history. Granted, the USA is a bit older, but you know.

I dare you to walk around Costa Rica for a few minutes without hearing about William Walker or CAFTA. If you can, teach me how.

The mask maker was a highlight. It seemed that he was sincerely interested in his art, and truly proud of the fact that he had inherited it from his grandfather and father. I was enthralled by the style of the masks, especially the one depicting the Chupacabra in dark greens and browns. I find the constant references to skulls, death and the devil to be interesting. Perhaps our own culture could learn something from these strong traditions. Perhaps we aren't jovial enough about such things.


I'm super psyched that I don't EVER have to wear a black worsted wool suit in the tropical sun again if I don't want to. And, if the local resentment of CAFTA is any indication, I'll never be down here on capitalist imperialism missions, so I shan't worry. Bueno!!

-TREVOR EL CHUPACABRA

I miss my Guitar

Firstly, I truly miss my guitar. I think my caluses will be gone by the time I get back to Pittsburgh. :'(

However, we are getting ready to see an awesome concert being put on by Manuel Obregon for an elderly musician who has fallen ill... It is going to be INTENSE! The symphony, native music, contemporary, and a mixture of all of the above!

I wanted to go to a concert and I got my wish!
I'd blog more about everything but I don't have the time so I'll write a blog probablly tommorow answering any questions people have about the trip... Lova Ya All!

---Alex

Edit:



After The Show with Manuel Obergon!

Facing my Discomort

Hi Yens Guys,


Oh my goodness my time here has been wonderful, but we had a discussion today about comfort zones, I guess one of my biggest discomfort on is posting a blog. So for Oliver I am sitting with my discomfort and posting at least something.

Well you pretty much know the low down about what's been going on in Costa Rica. So I probably don't have to go through my interpretation of the events day by day.

But I can honestly say that I've learned so much about Costa Rica and the Culture like "Fair Discrimination" and that we've probably eaten over 25 different fruits that I’ve never even heard of.

I wish people would send a list of questions, because I truly don’t know what to write. I hope you’ll post a comment So I know what you want to know.

Well we have our next interview in about 10 min so I have to get ready. I just wanted to get a shout out to Class of 2007 I miss you all. I hope to hear from you soon.

I miss you all. I hope to hear from you soon.

Crystal

Day 3 was a bit bumpy

It didn't take that long for me to find myself struggling with the effects of a different nation upon myself. Today had its ups and downs, all of which I seemed to internalize.

Up
Playing soccer with the school kids was amazing even though I had no D-fence (OLIVER). I played Goaltender, and I scored the only goal for my team! The kids however owned me. I was making a lot of pretty stops, its just I had no one playing d-fence in front of me.

Down
The bed building truly struck me hard. It reminded me of probably the toughest 10 days of my life, which took place before I went to City High. The summer before 9th grade, I worked in Kentucky building houses for some of the poorest people in the U.S. The smell of the raw sewage was something that captured me and in essence was the one of the worst things I remember from that trip. Well I smelt that smell again today, thinking I’d never have to deal with it again, I nearly went emo, but no one noticed, so its all good.

Up
Manuel Obregon is my hero. Nuff said.
Music is my passion as most people know and I love learning about musicians experience’s, lifestyles, as well as inspirations; and he provided all of that.

Down
The café with the DJ… It made me realize that I am on this trip with a bunch of lunatics!

Down
Journals…. I wrote 9 pages of bickering about Oliver being a Nazi about everything… I could probably have a book done about that subject by the time we leave!

Up
Getting an email from my dad saying that Mark Cuban and Dan Marino are going to buy the Penguins!

Up
THE FOOD IS AMAZING!


It is pretty late, but I’m used to it. Sleep is for the weak!

Hasta Luego

---Alex

Gringos

It was another fascinating day in Costa Rica! One thing that being in a different country teaches you is how much we take for granted. As we meet new people and see different things I think about how small my perspective was before we arrived here. As much as I have travelled around the US, going out of your comfort zone gives me a complete new view of everything. Just buying a bottle of pop at the corner store is an adventure (using different money, never quite sure what people are saying to you).

The other amazing thing is wonderful expereiences that happen by chance if you just let them. This morning started with bed building and we had to meet the people from the organization in the neighborhood where we were to build the beds. The truck transporting the materials had broken down so we were left to stand in the school yard as a group of children began playing soccer. I could tell our kids we just dying to go over there and join in, so they did! They split up and joined the teams. It was an elementary school so just watching the young kids running around on the same court as Travis and Oliver was entertaining. But the amazing thing was that even though they couldn't communicate well verbally, they spoke a common language of sport and joy. When the game finally ended a group of 4 or 5 boys who were finished with their exams stayed to talk with us. I'm not sure who was more excited by the encounter the boys or our kids.

Eventually we were able to build the beds and see a whole different side of the capital, working in the poorest areas of San Jose. The kids were enthusiastic about getting to do some manual labor (so was I). And everyone enjoyed meeting the families that we were helping.

Our two interviews today we with Fernando Duran and Manuel Obregon. Obregon is a musician focusing on trying to maintain the musical traditions of Costa Rica and all of Central America. One of the most fascinating things that Obregon talked about was his experience in the rainforest. He said that he didn't really feel a part of the place until he learned how to really listen. I can't wait for our opportunity to stand in the middle of the rainforest and listen to all of the life around us.

Well its time for dinner and then we are going to a cafe with live music.

--Wilds

The Boy that learned to smile

As of right now if you were to ask me "What is the best thing so far?" Hmmm.. The interveiws. NO. The walking around the city? NO. Becoming closer to your fellow Pittsburghers? NO. The girls? Ya ....... NO. Building the beds for the families? That is second. Wow man! What can be better then building beds for the needy children? The looks on their face after you're done was magical. Yes it is. But there is one thing that touched me deeper then those children. Hmm... What can that be? Playing with the children. In this moment I was no longer there to help them. But they were there to help me. To show me even if the court of life is filled with pot holes and cracks all you need is friends and a ball. Ya Ya Ya I just had an Oliver moment. But it's true. Instead of just looking at this 6 foot 2 and a half black guy they called, "Ven a jugar." "Come and play." Before I knew it I was in a swarm of tiny Ticos. Running and passing the ball. At one time during the game I was called "amigo," "friend." These kids didn't even know my name but I was amigo. And in this moment a boy learned to smile. The boy is me. 17 years of life. And it took a short a game of fútbol para enseñar a un muchacho a sonreír.


====> Martaz Jo<====

Musica es muy importante! (Music is very important!)

Well the females were complaining about how the female interviews were more interesting than the male interviews. But today the second male that we interviewed, Manuel Obregon, blew us all away!

(I'd like to briefly go off on a tangent to make this very important announcement...

Writing in journals is okay but I'd much rather type in the blog about my feelings on the trip because I can share with a wider audience and I get a lot more writing done. The fact that we have this technology (computers and laptops) around us and some of us still have to hand write 10 pages of chicken scratch for 20 minutes is ridiculous

Now back to our regular scheduled programming...)

Anyway, Manuel Obregon is a Costa Rican musician that has done some cool things with music. For instance, he went to the rainforest with all of his musical equipment and recorded a whole album based on the response from the animals from his music. I though that was pretty amazing. He told us that the animals actually came closer to him because they liked the sound of his music.

I found out that music is a enormous way to express oneself in the Latin American culture and so far I think he was our best interview!

~Stephen Bethea

Jazz Interviewing

We learned to improvise.

Finally, the moment I was waiting for emerged. At the very beginning of our interview with musician Manuel Obregon, we left the script and simply engaged in a real conversation. Our youngest member, Crystal, showed the way. She stopped being "nice" and took charge, asking what she really wanted to know, in the moment, rather than the finely tuned question she had prepared beforehand. Things simply flowed from there and, synchronistically, all our prepared questions were still answered along with many others.

Following an amazing hour and a half, punctuated with Don Manuel's visual and musical examples played from his laptop, the group returned to the van wondering why we spent so many afternoons and late nights coming up with questions, prepping, and editing if the whole purpose was to break with the script?

They are on the edge of what poet Derek Walcott calls the "discipline of the poem". Understood most simply, it means that only within the bounds of a clear form and order does true creativity and freedom to improvise emerge. It was the safety and security of our elaborately constructed script, finely tuned, with questions assigned, that allowed their minds the freedom to listen and be fully engaged in the present moment. It was these that allowed us to wait and listen for the emergence of real, spontaneous questions. Without this guide, the anxiety and self-consciousness might overwhelm and swallow the creative capacity, potentially stunting our sense of wonder.

--Oliver

PICTURES!

More pictures! (Click Here)

Working hard or hardly working?!

A Very Full Day

The vast expanse of knowledge, information, and sensory input we absorbed over the course of the past ten hours could be digested for days to come. Everyone is pulling their own weight, plus more. Complaints are few and far between and the willingness to jump in wherever needed is allowing the group to function and move successfully.

It was a day of multiple surprises. The first, and perhaps most significant, was that our interviews will all be conducted in Spanish, with translation from our guide Matt. This is both an exceptional opportunity for us to be exposed to large amounts of Spanish, and an unexpected challenge. Our interviewees have so far been so expressive and animated that students have little trouble keeping interest despite long gaps between moments of understanding. They struggle to understand the words flowing out passionately in Spanish, then, almost visibly relax as they hear the capable translation.

Obregon offered a brilliant analysis of the externally driven attempts to create economic unity within Latin America, claiming that it took a hundred years and a bloody civil war for the US to achieve true unity, and sixty years following two world wars for Europe to attain unity, but organizations such as the WTO and World Bank are pushing for similar changes within a few years and listening very little to the concerns and aims of the people involved. What's more she explained brilliantly the many ripples that flow out from events within nations, claiming that Costa Rica won the first battle of the American Civil War by beating back William Walker, the southern adventurer who tried to annex Latin America to create a new region safe for slavery with his private army.

It's endlessly fascinating how completely connected and interconnected our stories are with those in other parts of the world, and how very little we even consider these possibilities in the midst of our regular routines. What if these vast unintended and intended consequences of actions, big and small, could be made manifest to us? Would we act with more purpose and integrity, or simply be paralyzed by the awesome impact of each small choice?

Campbell was truly inspiring and could very well be the future president of this nation. An Afro-Costa Rican woman not afraid to challenge power or speak her mind, yet wildly popular with large sections of the population. Perhaps a vision of what we might aspire to some day in the future...

The students continue to impress and entertain us. Fueled by an afternoon caffeine boost they remained awake and engaged through every interview until the bitter end and made no complaints even though we didn't get dinner until almost 9pm and have to be up tomorrow at 6:30. So far the awe factor appears to be keeping them humble and in good spirits. It's like one continuous "moment of wonder", and their already good natured souls are especially caring and conscious of others.

Enough for today. We are up early to build beds in the morning, plus two interviews in the afternoon and I am starting to fade.

Our best to all those back in Pittsburgh and elsewhere.

Oliver

In the streets they call it........

Ogey. I find that the people we interview seem to still be in touch with the people of the city on San Jose. The "head Quarters" of these people are on the street next to and other people of the city. There was not big office building for Ms. Campbell. She pulled up in a small Pinto like car with another women. Got out and walked toward the small house like building. But the building was the head quarters of her party (PAC)where we were waiting. Come to think about it, maybe it's wierd that I think is wierd that there was no big building with armed guards and people checking for guns. I mean she is a person of the people. She is a presidential candidate. No limo, No million dollar office not ever a guard. Just a small office building with two young women (beautiful, if I may ssy so myself. *Wink*) sitting at a desk. Yes there was a door in which you had to be buzzed in, but the place we are staying has the same thing. And cameras if I may add. I think I should try to see people thought not try to see thought people. While on this trip.


====> Martaz Jo <====

Our first interview: Clotilde Obregon

The Men are in Costa Rica

Buenas Noches! Contigo

Hola chicas y chicos, we made it to Costa Rica Gracias a Dios! Mami I will call you later when I get a calling card-Te Amo! Okay, back to the subject. I started the morning at the crack of dawn, meaning 5:00 o'clock, and blasted music until Ms. Wilds told me to turn it off--ahhh Man. Then we had some wonderful desuyano(breakfast), dinner and lunch as well, pero hoy has been long. We had two wonderful women represenatives of Costa Rica to interview who were very intelligent and muy excited--great personalities and trying to do wonderful things for their country so much props and thanks to those individuals who took out time to speak with us. As for the gentleman, he spoke like a true professor, like in the States very informational and intelligent as well as opionated and educated about what's happening in the world around him and at home. I wish them all the best and hope to talk with them later in the future. I have met a future president, a wonderful historian, and a professor/politian. Much gusto! I am still wired though and it's not like I'm going to sleep much again. Yay, we get help people tomorrow building beds. It is a beautiful country and the dance lesson was hilarious. We are having a ball!
Adios

--Boricua Princess--Frances

The World is Calling

Costa Rica! This is what I’m talking about people. This is amazing. How many times in your life can you say that you threw yourself into a culture you know little about (I mean actually living in it, we did our research). It’s amazing! And what we’ve learned so far! I think that so far my favorite interview has to be Epsy Campbell. She gave us some wonderful answers to our questions. She told us that she joined politics because she loves the people and she loves the world. And as much as Trevor tried to convince me that she only said that because she’s in politics, I have to say that I truly believe she meant it.

Costa Rica is where it’s at folks. And the people here are so . . . passionate about their culture and their way of life that I think we can really learn something from them.

We’re in Costa Rica! We’re in Costa Rica! I love it!

p.s. when we salsa danced I learned that Trevor doesn’t know how to lead . . . and that you have to keep moving . . . and Oliver almost lost his head! Good stuff!

---Britney Marie Countz---

Brainweariness

Hola Estados Unidos,

So the first official Costa Rica day has come and gone. I'm feeling tired, but purely from a mental standpoint. The day was spent listening to Spanish, translated Spanish, bad student Spanish and good student English.

I handed a bank teller $23 and got 11,470 colones. That's neat. My pocket is stuffed with thousand (denomination) bills, so I'm pretty much a movie star or something.

The individuals we've interviewed have had much to say on a variety of topics. The bulk of our interview questions follow the same basic format so they allow for comparing and constrasting between responses.

Politics is serious business down here. Everywhere around the city the phrase "NO TLC" is scrawled in spraypaint. No, it's not a manifesto against tender love and care. In fact, it's a protest against Costa Rica's acceptance of CAFTA, the Central American Free Trade Agreement. There is much national pride surrounding the public health care, the strong electrical and telecommunications infrastructures, etc. If CR accepted CAFTA, it would allow big multinational corporations to muscle in on the small local agricultural producers who make their living growing crops for in-country consumption. There is a distinct probability that local producers would be crowded out by larger concerns like Tyson, an economic malady that some claim has blighted Mexico and Canada in the wake of NAFTA.
Every interviewee brought up CAFTA, and it was serious business in every case. The people are passionate about it, and they truly identify with their politics. When people charge that the USA is politically apathetic, I'm seeing that they're correct.
There is also a relatively major problem in Costa Rica regarding sexual tourism and casino tourism. Alvaro Montero summed it up intelligently when he said, "Show me the country that has actually economically developed as a result of casinos." He argued that in places like Las Vegas and Atlantic City, these have not actually brought real development into the region. I assume he's seen the raw data. I wonder what Amsterdam would have to say.

So Google bought Blogger and Yahoo bought Flickr? Who knew! Give me a break, Web 2.0. Am I right or am I right?

Another curious point was about the rise of women in Costa Rica's history. Clotilde Obregon argued that it was the group of teachers who afforded their workers higher wages as a result of extensive professional training. As it was women who had attained these levels of training, it was the women who benefitted directly. Paradoxically, as the economic status of women rose there were more restrictions upon their rights from a social standpoint.

All the houses here are really bright colors. It's totally cute.

Clotilde Obregon brought up the fact that when garments are made by workers who are paid the absolute minimum wages, the same garments are sold in the United States for exorbinant sums of money. In her words, nobody benefits from this exchange but the company buying low and selling high. So why do we permit this? It's a good question. The corporations seem like such an easy foe to rise up against. When it's a lose-lose transaction, nobody is happy. So why don't people do it? Wooo fair trade!

Salsa dancing can stay where it is. No me gusta!

-TREVOR FILIPIAK

Colors

Red, blue, yellow, green, orange, pink... the colors of the buildings in San Jose are so bright and vibrant they make everything seem more alive! Even though we haven't seen much of the sunshine (they don't call it the rainy season for nothing) you could never describe this place as drab or dreary. Things I have learned in just over one day in Costa Rica: driving is almost a contact sport, for every big church there is an adjacent park, hand gestures and goofy faces are very useful when trying to communicate in a language you don't quite understand (as a side note it never hurts to say gracias and mucho gusto), if you don't understand the exchange rate some people will try to cheat you. But most importantly from the interviews I have learned that all people have similar desires: to be respected and valued by others, to be able to make a good life for themselves and their families, and to be considered a worthy member of the global community.

I'm sure we will continue to learn more and more about Costa Rica and its people as the days pass. But I think in the end we are learning the most about ourselves...

-- Wilds

A black girl in Costa Rica

Since I have been here I have learned a lot. I met so many people just by saying hello to them. The most amazing experience for me was when I met Epsy Campbell, the president of some political party. But to go back to my normally blunt self... The food has been great from Dona Sarah, all we eat is rice, beans, and fruit. Just to sum things up, I love it out here. Hey, forget Carlow, I'm living in Costa Rica. Oh yeah one last thing, during the salsa lessons the male teacher (who by the way was a hot Costa Rican Dentist) asked me if I was Dominican, besides the chick that taught the class, I was the best in the room. Therefore I am not longer from Philly but I now represent the Dominican Republic

Adios,
---Queen Felicia Thomas---

A Little Q&A with Bobbs

Greetings to everyone back in the states. Let me be the first to say that I miss all of you but I don't plan on coming back. OK, I'll come back, but Costa Rica is going to be in my future plans again. We had a very long day today of interviews around San Jose. We overcame caffeine withdraws, long walks on the hot suburban streets, and very strenuous yet beneficial interviews. As I am typing this, I am sneaking back and forth from Salsa lessons, mainly getting incriminating footage of my teammates on the adventure (also the song I am currently listening to) of what I'd like to call the Costa Rican Awesomeness Tour, 2006.

So I have noticed a lot of questions appearing in peoples comments, all of which I am enjoying, I thought it would be nice for one of us to take the time to answer these.

Justin asks, "Are you able to upload pictures on your blogs?"

Well Justin, yes we are and I'll be doing that later on tonight most likely. Also to note, Justin, I got you a pen from the hostel, just like you asked.


Brit's mom, KC, has two questions with one relating question for us. "How is the money different there? Do they take dollars or do you have to change your money into theirs? Is San Jose like a small town, a village or a main city?"


The money here is called colones. I actually have a humerus story about the exchange that took place at the bank today. Imagine a line for getting on a Kennywood line. That's how long it was! Francis and I decided it would be best to just get it done in small spurts back at the hostel. We sat down and were just looking around when an older man steps into the bank. The security guard did a hand held metal detector check on him. He got through and the guy started flipping out because the guard doesn't check underneath peoples arm pits.
It gets better...

He then skips everyone in line and just walks up to the counter! Francis and I were astonished by how bold this guy was. After he is done, he does a little more flipping out then walks out. As he walked out he picked up his cigar that he left on the ground. You are probably all thinking that I am insane. Well you had to have been there, but you weren't. muahaha<-- evil little laugh

San Jose is the capitol of Costa Rica. Its brusselling with activity everywhere. The drivers are insane and the pot holes are almost as bad as they are in Pittsburgh!


Doc writes: "How do they perceive the U.S.A.? What is the form of local government? What is on the minds of the locals? How do people make a living? Is it a religious society? What products are imported? What are exported? Have you visited a school? What is the educational model?
and finally;
Is Felicia whining?"

Well Doctor Wertheimer, I really glad that you asked that first question. They love the true citizens who understand how things work on all levels. They love the hard workers, the teachers, the engineers, the doctors; but they perceive the government Representatives as idiosyncratic bureaucrats who all have an agenda which leads back to big business. This is what we've gotten from all 3 interviewees we had today.

When talking to locals, our biggest topic is the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA for short). Most of them are against this because it only benefits those within the upperclass and the big business of the U.S. This is an extremely big deal because Costa Rica is the only nation within Central America to not ratify CAFTA. I am not going to give my personal bias into this mainly because I dint want to offend the non-liberals.

It is just like the states down here in the sense of making a living. People can make a living doing almost anything. Its all up to the ambition of the person.


Costa Rica is not as religious as I had expected. It is in a sense more religious then the U.S. but not as much as other Hispanic countries.

Imports and Exports. This another topic we've been covering a lot in our interviews. Costa Rica's main export is coffee as well as produce. This brings in about $7 billion a year. On the other hand, the imports are around $9.2 billion a year, about 54% of that is from the U.S. alone. To make up for the deficit, Costa Rica gains about $2 billion from tourism alone.

We've walked past quite a few schools but we haven't visited any. That won't be until later on in the trip. One observation I made was that every student wears a uniform, no matter what level.

Finally, Felicia is wining, but that is to be expected. She also enjoys going up to strangers and making friends with them, especially in the Charlotte airport.


Well kids, that's it for this time. Hasta Luego.

---Bobbs

La Lucha (The Struggle)

It's been a real struggle getting down here. But so far it's fun! Yesterday Ms. Wilds said, "We made it to Costa Rica!" five hundred times. She also keeps taking head counts of who's here and who's missing. It's starting to get really annoying.

Other than that it's been a great two days. We did three interviews today. I was so tired, hot, and thirsty. But I got through it. We interviewed Citolde Obregon, Epsy Cambell, and Don Alvaro (I think that's his name).

It each of the three interviews I heard all of them say the word "Lucha." I kept asking myself what that word meant. Almost everytime Matt, our interpreter/head guide, told us what they were saying I missed out on what the word "Lucha" meant. I figured out during the Alvaro interview that this word "Luchar" means to struggle.

It seems to me that Costa Rica as a country has gone through a lot and they are still struggling. It was nice to hear from some of the citizens of Costa Rica.

We learned how to Salsa and Merengue dance today. Oliver and Ms. Wilds were sure struggling to stay on beat!

We've had our struggles on this trip but we always manage to pull through. That's why I know its going to be a great eight more days!


~Stephen B.

Arrivals

An understated awe built throughout the day’s travels. Travis’s first plane adventure went off smoothly and he marveled at the views from above the clouds. Ms. Wilds and I had many small celebrations at take off, landing, and finally at arrival at our hotel. Painted a bold mix of yellow’s and oranges, the place is an excellent center for our small operation. We have our own dining area as well as a good natured cook who generously prepared a smack of papaya, bread and black beans and a massive dinner of chicken rice, plantains, cabbage salad, and more beans. There was of course some vegetarian alternatives for the Californian.

A walk before dinner revealed a city that looks strikingly similar and yet very different from what we are all used to in Pittsburgh. Wide open plazas punctuate almost every block it seems, and cars race through the streets. Huge holes gape wide open at too many curbs, threatening to swallow up some of our smaller members. Despite rain, the mood is upbeat and playful. We are all happy to have arrived and true to usual form. Felicia demands that more Spanish be spoken. Frances takes charge and clears the table after dinner. Trevor talks economic theories and tries to keep from passing juice through his nose while laughing at the dinner table. Alex is dependably quirky and helpful with the technology and research. Travis marvels at international differences in graffiti and eats huge quantities of food. Britney is full of energy one moment, falling asleep in mid-sentence the next. Stephen is calm and quietly spreading his steady influence. Crystal exudes goodness and offers help to the bitter end when she uncontrollably drifts into a deep sleep.

Exhausted, full of visions and food, we each retreat to the cool clean comfort of our rooms. Tomorrow will be our biggest day of interviews for the entire trip. We begin first thing with Historian Clotilde Obregon, then break for lunch before running out to interview 2006 Vice Presidential candidate Epsy Campbell, and 2006 Presidential Candidate Alvero Mejia. Each one has been a major critic of CAFTA and is pushing for the winner, Oscar Arias, to scale back or renegotiate the free trade agreement with the United States. Nothing like starting huge. It was a late and sleepy night of editing interview questions, but regardless, and more than anything else, we enjoy each others’ company. Out of the strangest combination of people you might ever imagine, we are moving toward a sense of unity that is effortless and mostly unspoken. Nine more days to see what else is possible.

Oliver

Costa Rica from Here

Hey whatz up yal it's Martaz aka City High's first prom king. Man. Costa Rica is...how can I say... great in a small way. No flashing lights and huge buildings. Just people living life. A simple life. When people from the states talk about going to another country they only talk about the things that are crazy and stand out. I see this in my "classmates" in the way they take pictures. The landmarks and old churches get a lot of snapshots. Parks get walked through and we want to go see the beaches and waterfalls. But what about the people? A guy walking up to you asking if you want to but a lottery ticket. A lottery ticket? Who in their right mind would buy a lottery ticket from some random dude. And it was night time. But Matt (our guide) gave the man some coins and got a ticket. Or the long line on the side of the hospital, or Dona Sara (the lady the cooks our food). What I am getting at is that I came to see Costa Rica and the Costa Ricans, or Ticos, as they call themselves. I think by just going about their everyday lives they show me what being in Costa Rica is about. Living life as it comes. Or, as the great Muhammad Ali said, “Don’t count the days. Make the days count.”



====> Martaz Jo<====

We Made It

The group has arrived safely in San Jose, Costa Rica! My first impression of the country as we flew in was how green everything. It was also pretty amazing when we were flying over the open water and you couldn't quite tell where the horizon was because the sky and water blended into one. Its been raining since we arrived but that hasn't dampened anyone's spirits! The hotel is pretty cool, we have our own kitchen and a woman who is preparing all of our meals for us. We took a stroll around the neighborhood before dinner and are now putting the final touches on our interview questions for tomorrow.

I finally have a stamp in my passport!!!

Pura Vida!
--Wilds

Anticipating the Journey

One week out and the momentum is building. As the group frantically prepares interviews in midst of prom and graduation insanity, departure looms on the horizon...10 days and counting.

Eight members of City High's founding class and two of it's teachers will travel for 10 days to Costa Rica from June 25th to July 4th. Join us on the way as we meet with the elite and the marginalized, explore urban city scapes and rural forest canopies, push ourselves to new intellectual heights, and transcend self-imposed limitations. In the days to come you'll find artifacts of our interviews and adventures, and perhaps a small sense of the wonder that comes from connecting to a far away place and its people for the first time.

--Oliver

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This first blog entry is to give you, the readers, a little background knowledge of what we, the explorers, hope to achieve by participating in this expedition as well as each individual's underlying reasons for taking part in this trip.

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Name: Ryan Oliver, Cultural Literacy Teacher
Age: 30

Plans for when we arrive back: I will make our adventures and insights accessible to the public and start planning a new four year cycle with a new 9th grade team.

Reason for going on the trip: As a high school junior I was blessed to be part of a trip like this one and it was truly transformative. The experience solidified my love for exploring faraway cultures and places. Now that I am in a position to help create these experiences for others, I can’t possibly avoid it. In doing so, I also seek to recapture some of the joy and wonder of the process.

What You Hope to Gain from the trip: More than anything I hope to gain a deeper understanding of Costa Rican ideas, values, and concerns. Expanded understanding of these, achieved through dialogue and active work alongside a range of Costa Ricans will ideally provide new insights into the common human challenges that I face as an individual and as a member of local and national communities. As always, I am teaching to learn.

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Name: Casey Wilds, Scientific Literacy Teacher
Age: 30

Plans for when we arrive back: Prepare for ninth grade

Reason for going on the trip: To experience a different culture and see the experience through the kids’ eyes

What You Hope to Gain from the trip: A stamp in my passport; a different perspective of life; a chance to experience the rain forest firsthand.

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Name: Stephen Bethea
Age: 18

Plans for when we arrive back: When I get back I want to put together a video from our trip. I want to edit the footage we’ve taken. I also want to share my experience with others and encourage them to travel internationally.

Reason for going on the trip: I want to learn more about other countries. This is going to be a great experience for me. I want to see what different cultures are like and I want to do it first hand. I also think its going to be fun. The environment seems really interesting.

What You Hope to Gain from the trip: I hope to gain more knowledge about the Latin American culture and I want to be able to practice and improve my Spanish.

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Name: Britney Marie Countz
Age: 17

Plans for when we arrive back: To start out with, I’m going to tell everyone about everything I’ve experienced on this trip. I’ll also hope to keep an accurate journal during the trip that I can share with people when I get back along with the numerous pictures I plan on taking. I want to share as much as possible.

Reason for going on the trip: There were a few reasons I decided that coming on this trip would be awesome. I have never been out of the country and I’ve always wanted to travel the world (since I was little). I'm also excited because of the work we’ll be doing down there. At some point we’ll be building beds for the homeless and I think it’s remarkable thing when people are helping other people. And third why not? It’s a chance of a lifetime.

What You Hope to Gain from the trip: What won’t I gain from this trip? The people I’m with, the work we’ll be doing, the people we’ll be meeting, experiencing another culture. This trip, I think, has it all.

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Name: Frances Clouston
Age: 19

Plans for when we arrive back: When I arrive back I plan to take another trip to Jersey City, then Puerto Rico, then Myrtle Beach—to work—and finally returning to Pittsburgh to go to college for Pre-Med. As for what I will do with the experience, I will take it further with me for life as well as sharing with other students. I would encourage others to travel abroad and start early with fundraising for trips like these, plus learn as much as you can about all different cultures. Learning languages is key!

Reason for going on the trip: I took this trip because duhhh…When are you ever going to pass up a chance to experience another country like this? I took it because it would be a wonderful experience and because I can learn a lot about myself and other people people. Hopefully learning about myself and others will make me a better person. It would give me a chance gain my Spanish back and learn directions as well as helping others in the community.

What You Hope to Gain from the trip: I hope to gain an understanding of traveling abroad. I want to improve my teamwork skills as well. I plan on developing myself extensively through this trip so just pay attention to my blogs and may I can fill you in on what I gain, not just what I guess I'll gain! Adios.

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Name: Felicia Thomas
Age: 18


Plans for when we arrive back: When I return from Costa Rica I plan to start working and in the fall I will study International Business and Spanish at Carlow University.

Reason for going on the trip: My reasoning for going to Costa Rica is to get first hand experience of the Central American, Latino, and Costa Rican Culture. I would like to see the world from a different perspective so that I am able to share my knowledge and become a better person.

What You Hope to Gain from the trip: Once I return back to the United States I hope to have increased my fluency in the Spanish language while obtaining a glimpse on what the world is like in another area. I would also like to gain team working skills as a leader.

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Name: Crystal Daughtry
Age: 17

Plans for when we arrive back: To catch up with my grade since I have to return to school. Truthfully, I hope to work with Bossert with the intention of planning for next year’s expedition. I also want to inform other people about my experience to get them excited about what is to come.

Reason for going on the trip: My reason for going on the trip was to be able take the knowledge that most only learn from a text book, and be able to see something tangible and to experience it. I also was part of this team to be a part of the process to eventually to be part of new a tradition at City High.

What You Hope to Gain from the trip: I hope to gain an eye opening experience. I look forward to being in the midst of a different culture and be one with the people of Costa Rica not just tourist.

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Name: Trevor Filipiak
Age: 18

Plans for when we arrive back: Reading all summer, then heading to Allegheny College

Reason for going on the trip: I have a lot of experience doing natural conservation work and am very passionate about the environment. I'm also interested in the culture of other countries.

What You Hope to Gain from the trip: I hope to gain a fuller appreciation of the nature of cultures outside the United States.

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Name: Alex Bobbs
Age: 18

Plans for when we arrive back: When I arrive home, for the most part I plan on relaxing as well as going on multiple road trips with friends and family. In the fall, I am going to be attending Penn State University, Behrend campus.

Reason for going on the trip: I originally signed up for the group when it was in the first stages as being an elective. I was interested in it for learning about the historical context as well as the natural science. When the elective evolved into to an elective, I became ecstatic about this opportunity.

What You Hope to Gain from the trip: I want to learn first hand about another culture as well as using this trip to grow as a person.

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Name: Martaz Travis Diop Williams Johnson
Age: 17

Plans for when we arive back: Use spanish I learned in everyday life. Try to get closer to my Haspanic roots

Reason for going on the trip: This is a once in a lifetime chance for me. By going on this trip I will be able to take things that I've leaned for this country and bring it home and practice it.

What You Hope to Gain from the trip: A new look and way to handle things in my life.

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