Monteverde

Well, I'm here at last!  Arrived at the school this morning, got oriented (sorta) and immediately discovered that I know two of the volunteers who come every year at this time and who are from Argenta.  Liz and Don Tanner were old friends and who have a son who was Omar's best buddy from those days.  Not completely surprising in that Argenta is a Quaker community but amazing none the less  to see them after all these years.  

So far I have been assigned to help the science teachers for grade 7/8 and 9/10.  It may work out that I also get to help the elementary science teacher which would be super cool because they are studying insects...pooters here we come!  

My host family seems welcoming and actually kinda excited to have me be part of their life for 6 weeks. Marisella is the mom and teaches Spanish to the elementary kids.  Lovely warm kind and slightly disorganized.  Analisse is Maddy's age (15) and gorgeous, smart, speaks English fluently  and is an accomplished violinist.  She hopes to be an exchange student at a friends school in the US next year.  We seemed to have bonded because she liked the earrings I had made while in Zancudo and gave her.  She also is keen to learn how to use my iPad  although it appears she is on her laptop most of the time  when not practicing the violin.  

Angelina is 10 and has become my new best friend.  She is talkative, curious and has already walked me around their property, showed me all her stuffed animals and her Barbies, of which there are many!  Massimo, is 9 and is sweet and seems to be plugged in to some kind of game pad when not playing outside with the dogs and Angelina. He is a bit shy but is very curious about my "children". They all seem to like the picture book I brought about coastal BC, especially the photos of the  orcas.

Their  house is an old wooden one across the street from the school.  I think Paco, the father, is the son of one of the founders of the school and the house is one of the originals.   I haven't met Paco yet but their library at home  is extensive and multi-lingual. I gather most of the family's books were donated to the school .  Let me digress to say that the school has over 20,000 books (kids, science, fiction, Spanish French and English). Can't wait to check it out tomorrow. 

There also are three dogs who seem to be outside most of the time and a huge garden that has mostly gone to weed although there must be 40 coffee bushes on the hillside. I'm not certain if they harvest them or not.  There are Bananas growing  on the property and I think I saw some papaya trees but no fruit.  So lots more to discover.  Tomorrow is my first day working.  I'm told we will be dissecting frogs.  Haven't done that in years. Adios amigos.