Wheaton and host fams

Wheaton Profe Nestor Quiroa looks on as Ryan, one of
the Wheaton students, introduces himself to the
host fams at the gathering.

May 22-23, the Wheaton College students arrived for their 8-week summer course in Costa Rica, where we're hosting them at our CRC facilities. After a busy week of orientation on campus and excursions around the Central Valley, we had a fiesta de bienvenidos for them and sent them off to live with their host families for the next several weeks.

They are a lovely bunch of individuals, and I am sad that I will be heading Stateside before their term here is up, and returning to CR after they will have left. I have been able to disfrutar (enjoy) some time with students and their host families in the last couple weeks, which has been great! I went into San José to take in a lovely dance performance with one of the Wheaton students, Abraham, as well as Aaron (one of our students from the spring semester) on a Sunday night. We then had dinner with their host family after returning from the show.

We went to watch the Jazzgoba Academia school of dance...

...at the theater of Cultura Popular in San José.

Speaking of host fams, we three 24/7s also have been getting to hang out with another one of our host fams, Mamá Kuki and her other host sons, Carlos (mexicano), Thom (Dutch), and Mike (U.S.). One night, we made dinner and hung out and watched the second Twilight movie. A few days later, we celebrated an award Carlos had been honored with, as well as Mike's 22nd birthday, all on the same night. And got to play with kittens (resulting in much allergic reaction, but totally worth it!). Good times.

Gatitos!

Bean, me, and Mike (the birthday boy) preparing the food,
with our fiesta faces on, of course!

Sorpresa, Carlos! Felicidades for your award!

Lindy and Dinorah returned "home" to the CRC on May 30, ending the reign of the 24/7s. We are ever-busy with this group of students, as well as trying to tie up loose ends from previous semesters and planning for new groups (faculty workshops, visiting profs, planning trips, etc.) and evading tortas. Ah, life at the CRC.