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The following articles have been submitted by students and staff, and give you an idea of the daily activities and projects going on at Intercultura in Heredia and at the Sámara Beach Language school. Articles appear in Spanish and English, and cover subjects including; community outreach projects, academic recognition, cultural activities, poems, theatre reviews, sports coverage, Intercultura's participation in the United Nations Global Compact initiative, Spanish class materials, Costa Rican culture and language, and more. If you would like to contribute to this page, please email your submission with name and date to:
articles@interculturacostarica.com

The New York Times

The Happiest People

On the Ground
January 6, 2010 Nicholas D. Kristof , Op-Ed Columnist

Hmmm. You think it’s a coincidence? Costa Rica is one of the very few countries to have abolished its army, and it’s also arguably the happiest nation on earth.
There are several ways of measuring happiness in countries, all inexact, but this pearl of Central America does stunningly well by whatever system is used....
(read more)

January 2010

From:Ively Kitler, Canadá.
To: lucie@samaralanguageschool.com
Cc: laura@interculturacostarica.com
Sent: Wednesday, December 30, 2009 4:03 PM
Subject: Video / "Poem"

Hi, there! Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a great beginning to 2010! As promised, I have enclosed a copy of the "poem" I wrote for my graduation, December 4. Feel free to pass it along to everyone who works at the school, as everyone played a part - directly or indirectly - in making my time at Intercultura an amazing experience. I can't wait to go back and see you all again! I also wanted to let you know that I have posted Julio's segment of the video in the Intercultura group site on Facebook. Let me know what you think! If there is anything I can do for you here in Canada, just let me know. I fell in love with Costa Rica the first time I visited in 2004; this last trip just served to reinforce those initial feelings. And you are all so lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the country. I am so jealous... Wishing much happiness, health, prosperity, and love in the New Year. Take care of yourselves and stay in touch.
Until we meet again,
Ly

Read article

December 2009

Jane's Costa Rica experience.
By Jane Gantz

Jane fue estudiante de español del 31 de setiembre al 02 de octubre de 2009. A continuación se muestra un artículo que ella escribió sobre su experiencia.

Read article

October 2009

Dia de las Culturas
By Hannah Zimmermann

On Monday, October 12th Intercultura celebrated el Dia del Encuentro de Las Culturas, otherwise known as Colombus Day in the United States, Dia de la Raza in many American countries, Discovery Day in the Bahamas, and Dia de las Americas in Uruguay. This holiday marks the anniversary of Christopher Colombus’s first journey to the Americas, and the merging of different cultures between Europe and the Americas. The celebration took place at Intercultura's beach campus in Playa Sámara, Costa Rica. Colombus began the first of his four voyages to the Americas in 1492. These voyages changed the perception of the world --from the way maps were drawn, to the belief the world was round (not flat), to expanding people’s knowledge of other people and cultures. In 1502, on his fourth and last journey, Colombus arrived in Costa Rica.

October 15th 2009

Para vivir la Pura Vida!
by Aaron Rudenstine

Cuando yo llegué a Sámara hace nueve semanas, y el sol estuvo en el cielo y el tiempo estuvo perfecto, yo supe que este viaje fuera a ser buenísimo. Me acuerdo que yo dije “qué arrecho!” Y por ustedes , mi tiempo en Sámara y en la escuela ha estado nada menos de asombroso. Entonces muchas gracias a todos. Me gustaría agradecer a mis profesores—Ilsen, Ruth, Nelson, María Fernanda, Carmencita, Virginia, Julio y Jesús, y un espacio gracias a Ilsen y Jesús por las lecciones en pachuco. No sé cómo lo hacen todos ustedes, pero mientras yo estaba luchando contra agotamiento en la última hora de la clase y me comportaba como su yo fuera un abuelo, siempre ustedes tenían energía y humor. También, me gustaría agradecer a Paola, Lucy, Gaby y Estefanía. Ustedes me ayudaban con todo y me daban leccionitas en español y en la historia de Costa Rica. El ambiente de la escuela es maravillosos en grande parte por ustedes ...

2009 & 1999

Happy Costa Ricans top global list for the good life

By Simon Briscoe in London
Published: July 4 2009 03:00 | Last updated: July 4 2009 03:00
Costa Rica, the country of fewer than 5m people sandwiched between Panama and Nicaragua, tops a new global ranking for combining a happy and long life with limited environmental degradation.

The country blends beautiful countryside, a great diversity of species and has long since got rid of its army. The merger of its energy and environment ministries has reversed deforestation and helped it produce 99 per cent of its energy from renewable sources. It has also scored highly, relative to other developing countries, in surveys of poverty, press freedom and democracy.

July, 2009

THE OXFORD UNIVERSITY COSTA RICA 2009 CONSERVATION EXPEDITION

Hello,
This is just a short thank you note to our sponsors to let you know that we have now received sufficient funding to make the trip and will be setting off on the 29th June 2009. Your generosity, especially in this difficult economic climate, has been overwhelming and we cannot thank you enough. When we have completed our research we will, as promised, send you a copy of our report. We have recently met with Dr Angel the world renown Entomologist and he is keen to see the results of our research, as well as our College’s leaders.

Thank you again.
Ben Cowburn
Hertford College
Catte Street
Oxford University
Oxford
OX1 3BW

www.costarica2009.co.uk

Please feel free to contact us with any questions you might have about the project and our work at the above address, my e-mail:

contact@costarica2009.co.uk

Many Thanks,
Ben Cowburn
Reading Biology at Oxford University

May, 2009

¡La mejor que he probado en mi vida!

El día de hoy, martes 13 de enero, la señora Sumi nos mostró su habilidad para la cocina y preparó una deliciosa Sopa Miso (¡la mejor que he probado en mi vida!). A continuación, compartimos su receta y algunas fotos de la clase. También cocinó variaciones de la Sopa Miso: con camote y cebolla, con tomate y hongos y, además, preparó una ensalada con pepino, algas y surimi. ¡Todo exquisito!

January, 2008

Ver receta y fotos

Mi Experiencia de Costa Rica

Beachside Blues
Intercultura student and blues singer Eric Vanderpool made graduation history when he performed a blues harmonica sólo on stage with the following song, composed after only 3 weeks of Spanish classes!

Mi experiencia en Costa Rica
By: Eric Vanderpool

Antes de venir aquí
Mi Español fue peor
Con la ayuda de Ruth y Nelsy
Ahora yo hablo mejor.

La escuela Intercultura
Puso mucho Español en mi cabeza
Pero yo solamente vine a Costa Rica
Para surfear y por la cerveza.

Cuando yo estuve hablando
Yo dije “un otro”
Pero mi maestra Nelsy
Gruñó como un oso.

Yo juego fútbol
Pero yo no gano
Va a hacer diferente
El próximo año.

Yo no sé todo
Y no soy un tico
Pero yo hablo bien
Para ser un gringo.

Thanks to Intercultura for helping me learn Spanish well enough to embarrass myself on stage!
August, 2008

Espectáculo Nacaome, XX Aniversario

The "Grupo Proyección Folclórica Nacaome", was founded in 1988, with the objective of producing and presenting artistic interpretations of the cultural traditions of Native Costa Ricans. From it's beginning, the group has focused on dance interpretation, music and oral tradition in their productions. This year, in celebration of their 20th year anniversary, the group of "Heredianos" (people from Heredia) has explored the region's culture and formed it into a presentation focusing on the importance of coffee in the province, incorporating "la carreta" (elaborately painted ox carts used for hauling coffee) in the presentation. Other highlights of the presentation include, the interpretation of Heredia's traditional "fiestas" (festivals) and the bulls and masquerades that are apart of them. Representations of the people of the "city of flowers" played by beautiful women dressed in their best attire, opposite handsome men exchanging smiles and glances with are also one of the show's highlights. Above all, the joyful atmosphere of the galas that were held in Heredia's Central Park is accented in the presentation. The show entitled, "Nacaome por media calle", which evokes the popular phrase "Heredia por media calle" (used by Costa Ricans from other provinces to describe the way the people of the town walk in the middle of the street, rather then on city sidewalks) will take place on Saturday, September 20th, at 7:00pm at the Teatro Popular Melico Salazar, in San Jose. Intercultura has the pleasure of being a part of the "Nacaome" family, through the it's collaboration of offering its dance room for the group's rehearsals in addition to providing materials for the stage ad sets.
September 1st, 2008

See Banner...

Fiesta del Día de la Anexión

Intercultura celebrates the Anexation of Guanacaste in Playa Sámara every year with typical folkloric dance, music, food and "fiesta" for all. This year was the first in which students and staff performed traditional Costa Rican dance pieces together, to much applause! Staff and students also shared "bombas" with the audience (bombas are short, comic Costa Rican poems of two rhyming couplets, usually about courtship, love, marital troubles, friendship, mother-in laws or related themes!). The following example contains a frequently used metaphor...
"Los maridos y los gatos son de una misma opinión; que teniendo carne en casa salen a buscar ratón"
July 25th, 2008

See photos...

UN Global Compact welcomes Intercultura
to its list of registered participants!

In recognition of its commitment to the principles espoused by the UN Global Compact, Intercultura became the first academic institution in Costa Rica to be included in this UN initiative, which supports sustainable development and corporate responsibility in the areas of human rights, the environment, labour and anti-corruption.

Intercultura has been recognized by the UNGC for its demonstrated alignment with the goals of the compact, and for its dedication to building social and ethical legitimacy, within Costa Rica and internationally. Intercultura is uniquely poised to provide the "practical meaning and reach to the values and principles that connect people and cultures everywhere" (Ban Ki-Moon, UN Secretary General), in fulfillment of its mission to cultivate global awareness, and tools for communication and tolerance, through the sharing of cultures and languages.
June, 2008

Boot Drive for the Children of Talamanca:

This past February, Intercultura's students and staff collaborated in the collecting of rubber boots and school supplies for the children of Talamanca, Costa Rica. Talamanca, is in the southern-most region the country, bordering Panama. If you have visited Costa Rica, chances are you were in Talamanca. Puerto Viejo and Cahuita are popular tourist destinations in the region, famous for their Caribbean charm, national parks, and beautiful beaches.
March, 2008

Intercambio, March, 25th

Both Intercultura's Spanish and English departments organized an hour and a half long Intercambio during which the students had the opportunity to actively participate and practice the language they are learning.

During the Intercambio the students participated activities like: "La Doble Rueda" where students got in two circles (one inner

and one outer) and walked around the circle introducing themselves (telling their name, age and occupation/area of study) to everyone in the other circle. After Doble Rueda students filled "Láminas" with conversation question topics. And finally, students ended the intercambio with "El Espejo", a game where students paired off face to face and mirrored all of the movements their partner made.

March 2008

CLASES DE COCINA

Por Marcelo Arroyo Jiménez
Uno de los placeres que más goza el ser humano es comer. Pero para otros, el mayor placer está en preparar lo que se va a saborear posteriormente. Y este fue el caso de la clase de cocina en vísperas de la Semana Santa, pues los estudiantes, guiados por la profesora de cocina Carmen Jiménez, prepararon una empanaditas rellenas de miel de chiverre, platillo muy característico de la época santa.

¿En qué consisten?
Las empanadas están cocinadas a base de una pasta de harina más huevos, margarina y queso crema. El relleno, el chiverre, es una verdura que crece y se procesa con miel de tapa (tapadulce) y especies dulces. Se forman las empanaditas y luego se llevan al horno y -en poco tiempo- ya están listas para comérselas con una buena taza de café, un agua dulce o un vaso de leche. Algunos prefieren saborearlas solitas, para poder sentir mejor el sabor del chiverre.
Creatividad.
La clase de cocina estuvo matizada no sólo de sabor, sino que también la creatividad de los participantes se hizo presente.

Como se observa en una de las fotos, los estudiantes crearon la primera Tortuga rellena de Chiverre, que causó gran revuelo y admiración entre el personal administrativo/docente y los estudiantes. La repostería presentaba un caparazón (donde se encuentra el relleno), patitas, cola y una cabeza pequeñita, que nos recuerda a las tortugas Baula, tan caracaterísticas de la región pacífica de Costa Rica.

March 2008

ANCESTRAL VOICES:
A theatrical portrayal of Guanacaste´s people and history.

On Saturday March 8th, 2008 Ancestral Voices, a theatre group representing Guanacaste's history, performed at Intercultura, Playa Sámara.

The piece tells the story of Costa Rica's original peoples and indigenous groups, such as the Chorotegas, who settled in the region before confronted by the Spaniards during the invasion. Eventually, indigenous and Spanish inhabitants came to an uneasy truce, resulting in the mestizo (mixed race) culture found today in Guanacaste. The idea of the presentation is to communicate the fact that we are all, to some degree, a mixture of races, people, and nationalities: as such, we need to live together, show tolerance and understanding for those different than ourselves, and especially learn from our ancestors. Respect for the environment was a prominent theme, with references to the indigenous peoples' respect for animal life, their efficient use of resources, and our need today to pay attention to these lessons. Voces ancestrales was organized, written and composed by Guadalupe Urbina, with the help of local authors, the performers themselves, and others.

In addition to the theatre piece, several prominent Costa Rican musicians performed at the event, including Karol Cabalceta (who dedicated a piece to the women of Sámara in celebration of International Women's Day), Esteban Monge and Olman Briceño. Intercultura's next public event will be in late July or early August, celebrating the Anexation of Guanacaste. We will again have music, as well as dance, cultural festivities, food and folkloric presentations.
March, 2008

Concert at the Ujarras Ruins

By, Marcelo Arroyo J.
Last Saturday evening, the 23rd of February, a number of students had the opportunity to attend the second concert of Musica Virrenal Española y Colonial Mexicana (music from the 16th and 17th century) which was organized by the Mexican and Spanish embassies in Costa Rica.

The concert's venue was the Urjarrás ruins, the ruins of the first church built by Spanish colonizers in Costa Rica. The musical program performed by Syntagma Musicum, a Costa Rican ensemble, and was comprised of four pieces written by composers, Manuel de Zumaya, Francisco Javier Llorante, Fabian Ximeno, Ignacio Jerusalem, Sebastian Durón, Juan de Vaeza and others of the time. Many well known personalities were in attendance of the event, among whom stands out the president of Costa Rica, Mr. Oscar Arias (Nobel Peace Prize winner, 1987) and also included members of the cabinet, ambassadors from various countries, university officials, and Costa Rican writers. Some Intercultura students attended the concert and were able to get close to the president, speak with him, and take pictures with him. Everyone was very happy at the end of the evening, as the music together with the proximity to the president made for an experience difficult to forget.
February, 2008

Intercultura Nominated for International Award

Intercultura has received two nominations (2006, 2008) for the Annual SAPIENTIAE Award for Excellence in Education, given by the Organization of the Americas. This organization, headquartered in Brazil, seeks to recognize the work of internationally renowned professionals and institutions in the field of education, emphasizing achievements in Sustainable Development, Innovative Pedagogical Methodologies, Ongoing Professional Development for Teachers and Staff, Community Recognition, and the use of Technology as a tool to promote Human Rights and Interdisciplinary Applications.
February, 2008

Juegos Deportivos Nacionales, Heredia 2008

Por Marcelo Arroyo Jiménez
Heredia se ha vestido de gala al iniciar el 2008 siendo la sede los XXVIII Juegos Deportivos Nacionales, cuyo lema versa "Caudal de

voluntades". Es esta idea la que ha guiado al grupo de organizadores para que en esta oportunidad 18 disciplinas deportivas, entre las que destacan natación, baloncesto, beisbol, tenis, boxeo, voleibol, futbol y futbol salón, atletismo, ciclismo, karate, distribuidas todas en los distintos cantones de la provincia, se disputen las preciadas medallas de oro, plata y bronce. También, habrá exhibición de Gimnasia, Patinaje y Balón Mano.
February, 2008