The ladybug is really hungry and really tired

Hello all,

So far it has been a whirlwind of activity over here in Costa Rica. Everyday we are jumping from place to place. Real quick synapsis since the last post...

Tuesday we had a lecture on the history of coffee in Costa Rica, followed by group discussions on focus topics. I decided that I am going to focus on the aspect of law in relation to the decision making processes of coffee farm owners, i.e., what influence does the law have on the decisions to buy property at specific locations etc.

Wednesday we hiked a whole lot. We first went to the coffee farm at Coop Narunjo, which had really amazing coffee, and then we went to a second farm in the area that actually won first place in Costa Rica for the best coffee. That was really neat because it is owned by one woman who really cares about the Nicaraguans and the environment. Definitely made me wonder the importance of certain labels, such as fair trade, shade grown, and organic, because although I had criticisms of the labels going into this trip, it was very interesting to hear it from a first hand perspective.

Today we went on a really touristy tour of Cafe Brit which was incredibly corny, but the point was to see what a person traveling here would normally see, perhaps without any previous knowledge of the coffee business or coffee history. We then went to CICAFE, which is the national institute for research of coffee plants.

Other news before I leave, homestay family is finally warming up to me. I think they are just really shy because now my homestay mom smiles a lot. I am borrowing a phrasebook and a dictionary and combined I am able to communicate a little bit. Anything important that I have to tell her I ask Rose to do for me, which has made my life sooooo much easier. Thank you Rose!

Also, I am feeling really frustrated with the program right now. Although I am visiting interesting places and people and learning a lot about coffee, I am only really catching about a fifth of what is going on simply because I cannot speak Spanish. Our program director made it very clear in the very beginning (as in, during the interview process) that Spanish was not a requirement for the course. He assured us that we would have everything translated, and that we can participate equally in the program with the Spanish speakers. However, this is really not the case, and I am not the only one who feels this way. Some of us in our group took Spanish in high school and some in college and they still feel like they are at an incredible disadvantage during our trips. It is just very frustrating to be told one thing and have the reality be entirely different. Tomorrow I will talk with the instructor about this.

Ok, time to eat! More to come soon, as always. But even though the ladybug is tired, hungry, and a little confused, she is very happy to be in Costa Rica!

Love,
Ceci