Volcan Poas (ecotourism)

Volcan poas is a very popular volcano near Alajuela Costa Rica, one of the main reasons people go see it is because its very easy to drive up the mountain and walk a very short paved road, with hardly an incline to see the top of the volcano. It has a massive crater, with an "idillic" lake. Th road up from Alaljuela winds past coffee fields, pastures, screened-in fern plantations, and near the summit, thick cloud forest. The Volcano's main crater is 1.5 Km acrossand 1,000 ft deep. It is one of the largest active craters in the world. The Volcano had a multicolored pit and smoke rises. People loose its sense of scale because a lack of vegetation within the crater. The summit is usually covered by mist, and many people who come  up only see a bit of the crater. If you wait a while the clouds will disappear quickly and its easier to see. The earlier in the day you go the better. 

The park itself "Parque Nacional Volcan Poas" protects "epiphyte-laden" cloud forest on the volcano's slopes and dwarf shrubs near the summit. There is one trail which leads just fifteen minutes off to the right where you can see Laguna Botos, it used to occupy to an extinct crater. Mammals are rare , but there are many birds, including insect sized  hummingbirds. It is a great example of Ecotourism. There are many resorts nearby for people to stay, such as La Providencia Lodge, which has more trails for exploring cloud forests. As far as shopping there are many roadside stands on the way up to Poas that sell strawberry jam, cajeta, and biscoches. The Neotropica Foundation has a store in the visitors center of the park which sells plenty of souvenirs. 

Fodor's 99 Costa Rica, editor Caragh Rockwood

Parts to a banana tree

Like they demonstrated at Chiquita, growing bananas is not an easy task. Like corn it requires humans to take care of them. Bananas have four important parts, The leaf, flower, seed, and the bulb. First three seeds must be planted at different times but together in the same spot. This makes the “banana family” . Interestingly enough for humans to eat bananas they must be grown asexually. They are “parthenocarpic” ( the production of fruit without fertilization of an egg in the ovary) because they have one diploid parent and one tetraploid parent, so they cannot grow seeds.
Banana tree leaves are used all over the world for different kinds of recipes, most familiar to me, the cover to tamales we have every Christmas. The leaves are strong and durable, they are sold frozen and have been known to predate to the Iron Age in South East Asia. There are also a wide range of different banana flowers, which yes make the banana look and maybe taste different (just an assumption) such as, the Ornata which will produce yellow or orange flowers. The Musa beccarii is also called the Orange Flame Banana, a popular flower. A Musa velutina is often called a Baby Pink Banana because it grows small pastel pink bananas. Humming bees and insects pollinate the banana flower by eating its sweet nectar.

my conclusion (personal)

My cousins esteban y quinillo
my cousin/primo Luis David 

Victoria! que gogaaaa
Well here is my last personal blog. Things in costa rica have changed a lot since i was younger. It feels less safe and issues seem to be piling up but no one does anything about it. I now understand why tourism here is so important for the stability of the country and the good of the people. I used to be opposed to cafta but i honestly think costa rica does need to see that there is alot of competition in the world, and we have no choice but to be further globalized. Since it is a developing country it really needs the push from cafta. 

This experience is really priceless for me, i have seen so much and i cant wait when i come back with my immidiate family to show them some of the things we have seen over the last four weeks. The rafting was what i feared most and it ended up being my favorite activity. And yesturday was so priceless. We went to this place called La Paz waterfalls garden. It was so cool, I mean it must have like 10 stars. I walked in thinking we were hiking to a water fall and going home, but no. We walked into this resort were they gave us walking sticks and off we went to the Aviary, where I got to see a red macaw from a far. I thought that was indescribable, but then!, a green macaw was on my arm trying to eat my fingers, as another bird sat on top of my head. And just when i thought it was over the red macaw came over and stared at the blue macaw, i looked at them both just like 4 inches from my face, it was SO cool!!!! then we had this really great lunch and i had some rice pudding, my favorite. Anyway i need to go to alajuela and see family now! my last lunch at veritas in a couple minutes :( 

Osa (ecotourism)

Ecotoursim in Osa rainforest region is encouraged, but must be done with caution. I say this because there are bad people going not just after trees but the very rare and beautiful animals, such as the macaw that we were able to witness. Adventure and nature activities are provided for tourists, boating, snorkling, hiking, even scuba diving. It wasnt until I heard the tour guide say that the macaws found there can be worth more than 10k dollars each. I realized that area must be closely watched for poachers. It really must not be too hard for a poacher to pose as a tourist and go hunting at night, they probably use silencers, ( I dont really know just things I was imaganing during my hike) Anyway there is an organization called the Osa campaign program which quote, ``hopes to raise awareness and funds from guests to help support the Osa Peninsula Region Conservation Initiatives. Nicuesa Lodge priorities include:

-Conserving properties in and around Piedras Blancas National Park under the threat of development,

-Sponsoring more park guards to protect the area from illegal hunters/poachers,

-The completion of wildlife corridors between Piedras Blancas National Park and Corcovado National Park.

People are also encouraged to donate to the Nature Conservancy

here are two great sites to look at for Osa
http://www.nicuesalodge.com/ecotourism/osa-peninsula-conservation.html

http://www.osacampaign.org/osa2/index.html

Chiquita Bananas

We arrived at Chiquita today at Guayacan farm in Sarapiqui, near Puerto Viejo, Limon. As the bus was going Professor Platt pointed out how close the bananas with dangerous cancer causing pesticides were not even a meter or two from a neigboring community. I looked down at the people who did not seem to have much money at all, and I wondered who they were. Because of the pesticides I was automatically skeptical of Chiquita so I asked the representatives lots of questions. How much they pay the banana workers (40-50% more than minimum wage or around $400/month) but in the packet given to us later on it said they get 13 dollars per day. So I asked if the workers get any special work benefits (some depending on which area they work on the plantation, will get tested for abnormalities every 3 months) and I asked who lives so close to the banana plants (the banana workers and families) and I had to ask what physical damage do the pesticides affect humans (cancer and infertility)
The representatives were part of the Chiquita Nature and Community project. They first showed us a video which at first I thought was "green washing", well I still do a little. Especially after showing us their tree refuge, a special place they "save the trees", well this place was not big at all, about 150 acres. However according to the guide they are helping La Celba (which we toured this morning) to connect their primary and secondary forests to another forest really far away. I automatically remembered how Monte Verde is trying to raise around 300k dollars for conservation and I wonder how much Chiquita actually gives to the forest. Considering thier community projects are not as big as they make it sound. I could tell by the gift shop, they have community people make souvernirs for tourists to buy, but I know they can do more than that. Seeing the shitty areas the men and women have to live in I know Chiquita could pay them more. The representatives would not tell us how much Chiquita profits, but Im sure these profits can give more than shacks to the workers. One out of the 6 small community groups this project helps is the Grupo Nogua , eleven women who put on a "Chiquita banana show". I loved how they began the play with the song "la maza" , very depresssing, as if they were trying to hint at us how hard their lives were, but nobody seems to see that. It is just a cute show to make Chiquita look like good people. Dont get me wrong they did a good job of showing the crowd the history of Chiquita and how bananas reach our stores, but Chiquita could provide them with a decent stage and better a better stereo. I just couldnt help but imagine what their real lives are like and how hard it is to stay in a place that will never pay them enough probably.

Puerto Viejo (personal)

Puerto Viejo was so much fun, I had never been to Limon before, and I felt a culture shock actually. It really did feel like I was in Jamaica, and I loved it. The people are all called Afrocostarricences. There is Bob marley gear and surf boards everywhere you go. As soon as we got there a lady asked us if we wanted braids in our hair. We told her that we had to get dinner first and that we werent sure where at. She said, dont worry ill find you. That was kind of creepy but it made me realize how small puerto viejo is. This map I got shows less than 50 places for tourists. But it is a great example of how the people of puerto viejo come together to make money off tourists. There are souvenir shops, scooter rentals, hair braiding, internet cafes, reasturants, cabins or motels, ice cream, adventure tour shops, jungle cottages, bars, lodges, surfing, an even an art gallery. It is very close to Playa negra, and just 13 km from Manzanillo, where we stayed at a really really nice hotel called the palms...to be continued..

Chiquita Corrupt!

A year-long investigation by The Cincinnati Enquirer has found that Chiquita Brands International Inc., the world's largest banana company, is engaged in a range of questionable business practices.

Chiquita, based in Cincinnati at 250 E. 5th St., has disputed suggestions that any of its practices are improper.

The Enquirer investigation took reporters to the sweltering lowlands of Central America, where bananas are grown, as well as to Canada, Belgium, New York and Washington. Findings are outlined in a special 18-page section in today's Enquirer.

These findings include:

• Chiquita secretly controls dozens of supposedly independent banana companies. It does so through elaborate business structures designed to avoid restrictions on land ownership and national security laws in Central American countries. The structures also are aimed at limiting unions on its farms.
• Chiquita and its subsidiaries are engaged in pesticide practices that threaten the health of workers and nearby residents, despite an agreement with an environmental group to adhere to certain safety standards.
• Despite that environmental agreement, Chiquita subsidiaries use pesticides in Central America that are not allowed for use in either the United States or Canada, or in one or more of the 15 countries in the European Union.
• A worker on a Chiquita subsidiary farm died late last year after exposure to toxic chemicals in a banana field, according to a local coroner's report.
• Hundreds of people in a Costa Rican barrio have been exposed to a toxic chemical emitting from the factory of a Chiquita subsidiary.
• Employees of Chiquita and a subsidiary were involved in a bribery scheme in Colombia that has come to the attention of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Two employees have been forced to resign.
• Chiquita fruit-transport ships have been used to smuggle cocaine into Europe. Authorities seized more than a ton of cocaine (worth up to $33 million in its pure form) from seven Chiquita ships in 1997. Although the company was unaware and did not approve of the illegal shipments, problems were traced to lax security on its Colombian docks.
• Security guards have used brute force to enforce their authority on plantations operated or controlled by Chiquita. In an internationally controversial case, Chiquita called in the Honduran military to enforce a court order to evict residents of a farm village; the village was bulldozed and villagers run out at gunpoint. On a palm plantation controlled by a Chiquita subsidiary in Honduras, a man was shot to death and another man injured by guards using an illegal automatic weapon. An agent of a competitor has filed a federal lawsuit claiming that armed men led by Chiquita officials tried to kidnap him in Honduras.
• Chiquita Chairman and CEO Carl H. Lindner Jr., his family and associates made legal but controversial contributions to political figures at a time the company desperately sought U.S. backing in a trade dispute over banana tariffs in Europe.
• In a statement issued through its attorneys, Chiquita said the company "has been an active and enthusiastic engine for a better way of life throughout the region (and) is a leader in preserving, enhancing and cleaning the environment through Central America."

http://www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/chiquita/chiquita02.htm

here are more articles related to Chiquita's bad ways 

Chiquita Banana Company Admits Paying Colombian Terror Groups Over $1 Million to Protect Farms 

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,258804,00.html

Organic Coffee

What is organic, How is it grown and why is inorganic such an issue? 

definition: 

Organic coffee is grown without the use of harmful pesticides or chemicals using processes and materials that have a natural impact on the environment. Recycling, composting and healthy soil are some of the environmental benefits. This is a healthy long-term farming method that is impacting the world. Coffee is the world’s second most valuable “traded” commodity (petroleum is the first). We drink it every day so organic does make a difference. It is estimated that 11 million hectares of the world’s farmland is dedicated to coffee cultivation and the annual consumption of coffee has expanded to 12 billion pounds. Organic is better for the earth and better for our bodies. Most of us drink at least one cup of coffee a day. By drinking organic there is lower risk of ingesting synthetics or chemicals that are used in a normal coffee bean growing process. Organic coffee is better for you, the farmers that grow it and the environment.

http://www.american.edu/TED/SHADECOF.HTM

A. Identification 1. The Issue During the 1960s-1970s, changes in growing techniques made the production of coffee increasingly more devastating to the environment. Coffee which was traditionally grown under a shade canopy was now being grown without a canopy, under the sun. The elimination of the shad canopy also eliminated a vibrant habitat for wildlife. Also, growing coffee under direct sunlight required a dramatic increase in the use of fertilizers, pesticides, and insecticides. 2. Description Traditionally, coffee was grown under a shade canopy. Coffee plantations managed in this traditional manner provided a vibrant agricultural habitat able to support a variety of species of migrants and other species that prefer or are restricted to forest habitats. In some cases, shade plantations have supported more than 150 species of birds; a greater number than is found in other agricultural habitats, and exceeded only in undisturbed tropical rain forests. Traditional coffee fields attract wildlife because they mimic forests. The coffee bush is a shade-loving understory plant, sometimes growing as tall as 30 feet. The plant's propensity for blurred forest-floor light sets coffee apart from other tropical monocultures, like sugar, bananas, or cattle, which replace forest ecosystems with fields. On the other hand, shade coffee areas provide a habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife.

Who grows Organic coffee? 

http://www.tesdelsol.com/

http://www.cafemilagro.com/?gclid=CJubxKP68ZMCFReenAod7n5KWQ

http://www.cafebritt.com/costa-rica-shade-grown-organic/  

(Ecotourism? ), Manuel Antonio Beach and Park

 Manuel Antonio sometimes called Quepos. It is a town of 8,000. There are three major beaches which make up the area. Together they make up 1.5 km across. They are called Espadilla del Sur and Playa Manuel Antonio, they are both sheltered for safe swimming. Although the area is very beautiful it is not recommended to go during summer because 1,000-5,000 tourists have been known to visit at once. And the capacity is really only about 300. Plus when its not winter it is very expensive.

Some history on Manuel Antonio: It was first explored by Juan Vasquez de Coronado who found the Quepoa, a subtribe of the Borucas, when he arrived in 1563. These indians were largely wiped out in succeeding years by disease, intertribal warfare, and theft of lands by the spaniards. It was actually built by United Fruit aka Chiquita in the 1930's. Quepos like Golfito was originally laid out as a company town, established to service nearby plantations. Production of African Palm oil supplanted bananas as the local crop during the 1950's. However Panama diesese destroyed the crop and Quepos was the only became the only town in costa rica to suffer a population decline during the second half of the 20th century. The name Manuel Antonio was for a Spaniard who had a memorial plaque. He died from a "skirmish" with a group of Quepoa. 

There are three programs that manage the park´s conservation. Enviornmental Education program, which contributes to the communities which surround manuel antonio park. The program of Protection, which tries to limit and take care of physical and biological alterations to the park. It also and makes sure conservation laws are followed by the people. The last is a program of Administration which participates with local communities and uprising businesses. 

(Before we went to Manuel Antonio, which according to our tour guide Roberto is the second most popular tourist spot, I remember Luis told us that many species had been scared away by the people and the animals are in a way trapped between all the tourism. (

Adventure guide to costa rica, 3rd edition by Harry S. Pariser

Fair Trade

Wiki Definition

Free trade is a market model in which the trade of goods and services between or within countries flows unhindered by government-imposed restrictions. These restrictions may increase costs to goods and services, producers, businesses, and customers, and may include taxes and tariffs, as well as other non-tariff barriers, such as regulatory legislation and quotas. Trade liberalization entails reductions to these trade barriers in an effort for relatively unimpeded transactions.
One of the strongest arguments for free trade was made by classical economist David Ricardo in his analysis of comparative advantage. Comparative advantage explains how trade will benefit both parties (countries, regions, or individuals) if they have different opportunity costs of production.
Free trade can be contrasted with protectionism, which is the economic policy of restricting trade between nations. Trade may be restricted by high tariffs on imported or exported goods, restrictive quotas, a variety of restrictive government regulations designed to discourage imports, and anti-dumping laws designed to protect domestic industries from foreign take-over or competition.
Free trade is a term in economics and government that includes:
trade of goods without taxes (including tariffs) or other trade barriers (e.g., quotas on imports or subsidies for producers)
trade in services without taxes or other trade barriers
The absence of trade-distorting policies (such as taxes, subsidies, regulations or laws) that give some firms, households or factors of production an advantage over others
Free access to markets
Free access to market information
Inability of firms to distort markets through government-imposed monopoly or oligopoly power
The free movement of labor between and within countries
The free movement of capital between and within countries

an easy example we all think of is Starbucks, I remember they used to sell Costa Rican coffee and I believe because of the agreement, stopped buying it. I think it is unfair for such a big corporation to not give enough back to its very source of profit. Its like having one last backyard of trees and selling paper without watering the trees enough. Ok it may seem mean to compare a tree to a coffee farmer, but thats what it is. The tree will stop growing as much, like the farmer may stop working, and without them you have no forest, or crop. The price paid to coffee farmers is at a 30 year low and there are 2 billion cups of coffee sold per day. Starbucks sells free trade, but only for a small percentage of their coffee, the whole bean is not fair trade, which in my opinion should have some downfall. However SBUX is not doing so bad, since 1992 sales have increased, until these past two years.

May 28 (personal)

we just got back from manuel antonio, ill go backwards i guess. Manuel antonio is a beach kinda near jacob, it was so warm and the waves were sucking us all in like no other. we played football and meanwhile i accidentally bumped the back of my head against peters chin, and now i have a big bump on my head. we ate at some reasturant were there were some mariachis from spain singing, ay ay a yaaay cante y no lloreeee, yeah its kinda stuck in my head. then last night we went out to some dance place were they only had salsa and merengue, it was pretty sweet.

the 2 days before that we spent in monte verde and Arenal, it was awesome! , we got to go to some hot springs and drink at a bar that was under water at some hotel called baldi that had awesome noodles. then the next day we walked on a trail closer to the volcano and got to see arenal lake which was made by an eruption 30 years ago, and we walked acrosst rocks that had come from the volcano and even saw a huge tree that was also destroyed by the volcano, there were signs everywere that said, enter at your own risk, then the next day we took my first boat ride to monteverde, crossing that arenal lake, monteverde i have been to before so i was kinda mad that it was dark and rainy, actually pretty mad, i dont think any of us had much dry clothes left, so that made it kinda uncomfterable. otherwise these past few days have all been great, oh yeah we also saw a damn which powers alot of costa rica, oh and on our way to manuel antonio the bus driver let us off at a crocodile river! it was awesome, i thought id be scared by it was pretty cool

Cafe Brit

today we went to cafe brit, every picture I took didnt save because my camera is a piece of crap- but its all in my head :) It was a total show about how coffee is made, with these two really enthusiastic tourguides- actually there where three, but they were really nice. I went kind of crazy because I technically heard the entire tour double time since they were translating- but that made it all the more interesting. Anyway so they showed us how coffee is made from the plantation, to the methods in which people taste it, and a couple pointers I remember,
- Arabica has less caffeine than Robusta
- Dont put coffee in the microwave
- slirp the coffee fast so that all tastebuds plus the nostril catch the flavor
- Coffee only has 20 minute span, and good coffee tastes good in any temperature
- Cafe Brit owns about 1000 private coffee growers
- They are unique in that they mix their beans, but at the same time give each region in Costa Rica credit, like coffee from Poas for example
-Coffee was discovered by a heard of sheep, then drank by arabs who spread it to europe, first in France, then in Italy the pope approved it to not be "the devil" , then eventually spread to the caribbean by some sailor, or explorer
-Coffee can be used to make liquor (never knew that one)
-they use the caffeine they take out from Decaff and sell it to companies like Coca-Cola and Redbull, and also for medicines, this is a good example of sustainability
-another example is that they recycle the percent of the bean that is not used

http://www.cafebritt.com/coffeetour/?LangID=2&CFID=7399027&CFTOKEN=88149423

Organic Bananas (Dole what do you know) and Carbon Neutral Plan

Organic Program

Dole’s Certified Organic Banana Program is at the forefront of organic agriculture, implementing natural growing procedures, and meeting the consumer demand for the ever-growing organic trend of quality products. 

As consumer interest in organic products rises and new organic production and marketing systems keep evolving, organic agriculture continues to rapidly expand in the United States. 

As defined by the Organic Trade Association, organic agriculture is an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on using minimal off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony. Basically, organic agriculture puts the focus on improving soil fertility through the use of mineral and natural fertilizers and enhancing biological cycles for natural insect and disease control. 

At the forefront of this organic trend is Dole’s Certified Organic Banana Program. In addition to using conventional agricultural production methods, Dole has been exploring alternative growing methods to provide consumers with a choice on how their bananas are grown. “We see the organic industry as a growing market with good opportunities to learn methods for growing produce in a more earth-friendly manner,” said Frans Wielemaker, Director of the Organic Program for Dole in Latin America. 

This is information I would use against Chiquita if I was a risk manager, or member of some NGO. If they are the number one sellers of bananas, then why doesnt Chiquita follow in their footsteps? 

http://www.doleorganic.com/

Pictures for week one

Coffee

Fine Costa Rican coffee can be expensive even for the Costa Ricans, we have learned the difference between Organic and Non Organic Coffee. We met an entrepreneur named Daisy Rodriguez who owns De la Cafe Tal, I think a play on words, like to say De la Capital, but I´m not positive. Anyway she is very cynical and not happy with the system. She used to have to sell her coffee for really cheap, and finally decided it was time to market her own brand and only sell to clients who would give her a bigger profit, then the dollar fifty she was getting for bag of coffee before. She now sells her coffee for about ten dollars a pound I believe. Her coffee plantation seemed small from the perspective we saw it, I´m sure there was alot more behind those trees we couldnt see. She was nice enough to treat us to a free cup of coffee and some biscochos. Señora Rodriguez sells her coffee online, and hates Starbucks and other corrupt systems who dont benefit the actual coffee growers like herself.

Ecotourism

according to the international ecosystem society , eco tourism is defined as : responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the enviornment and improves the well being of local people . Im going to list the principles, and how I have related to each one in some sense.
minimize impact there is a billboard in san jose that reads " el que tira la basura vive en la basura", another words "who throws trash lives in trash" ; In my opinion tourists are more likely to respect costa ricas enviornment, versus costa ricans who throw trash on the streets. Well I take that back, some people spit on the crocodiles we saw at the river.
build environmental and cultural awareness and respect This principle can be easy to follow, with the right tour guides. We have had many nice ones who are also very informative, I would say especially in Cafe Britt, their whole tour was dedicated to educating the audience about coffee.
provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts this is something cafe brit excelled on , and when we went to De la Cafe Tal, I felt the ambient was somewhat friendly, especially when Sra. Rodriguez gave us some coffee and snacks. She wasnt as pushy as Cafe Brit to bring us to a souvenir shop at the end of the tour, then again, she is not as big.
provide direct financial benefits for conservation This was definatly highlighted when we went to Monte Verde, they had signs in the bathroom as to how someone could give back to Monte Verde. They need something like over 200k to conserve around 315 acres, if i remember that number right. Their souvenir shop was sustainable to the rainforest, in the sense that you buy a tshirt, and that money goes back into the rainforest reserve.
provide financial benefits and empowerment for local people I think a good example of this I experienced at Manuel Antonio, there are local people lined up all across the bridge selling jewerly, towels, pottery, they live off tourists. I dont know how empowering that is for the people, but it is probably their full time job.
raise sensitivity to host countries' political, environmental, and social climate I think a good example of this is right at my host home, my host father knows more about news in the US and other countries than I do, in fact I had no idea we were in a tropical storm until he mentioned it was what occureed after a hurricane, a phenomenon of different kinds of clouds coming together. He looks over tour guides and makes sure they do their jobs, so I know his attitude is a good reflection for this principle.


Ecotourism is what made Costa Rica famous, there was a boom in the 1940´s and in 1992 its Costa Rica´s first source of imcome, competing with Intel, which exports computer chips and finds cheap labor in Costa Rica. This Ecotourism boom was not planned according to Rodolfo our tour guide who took us to an Organic Coffee plantation. Tourism is a good way to sustain our enviornment, if used in the right way, for example...a dead tree that needs to be cut down can be made into ornaments and sold in souvenir shops. False Advertisement is often a problem for Tourists, for example Tortugero which is not as pretty as it is perceived in advertisements. Jaco is a beach known for surfing, waves can sometimes be more dangerous and people should not go into the water. There are many cliche places tourists go to, and these places are in danger.

here is the site I got the principles from http://www.ecotourism.org/webmodules/webarticlesnet/templates/eco_template.aspx?articleid=95&zoneid=2

May 20th (personal)

day 3 in costa ricaaa, eeeee im so happy, our host mom and dad own grani tico, a granizado shop, and have a little son thats almost 3 with a dog named blueee, we are in the veritas computer lab adding eachother on facebook, jaja, the first day we went walking around San Jose which is something I was never allowed to do, it was awesome! they tell us its a safe city and then they are like BUT wear your backpack in front of you, cracks me up that im afraid of my own people. Anyway, I love the university we are at, its a design and architecture school, I want to meet some of the costa rican students but im kinda shy, jaja, que mas...oh the cafeteria has awesome tico food