La familia Bermudez Venegas

Meet my familia tica--my Costa Rican family! I have been living with the Bermudez Venegas family since the end of January and have loved and appreciated being welcomed into their home. Homestays, I am coming to personally understand, are one of the most authentic ways to truly learn about a culture. Not only do you reside in a room of a family´s home, but you also partake in so much more: eating meals together, watching television, talking about the day´s news--both local and international, and, perhaps the most valuable component, all are able to share about their respective countries, cultures, family and friends, and laugh a lot together about language bloopers.
Something that makes me laugh each time without fail: a favorite form of flattery I receive from my tica family is when they are trying to explain something to me or are trying to remember what this or that is called and they say to me, ¨Oh, Megan, you would know how to say x; you speak better Spanish than we do!¨ Far from the truth, but kind nonetheless! My papá tico, Roy, is an electrical-mechanical engineer, my mamá tica, Gabriela, is an elementary school teacher in a public school, and my hermanita tica, Ariana, is a sweetheart of a 10 year-old, who spends her days attending a private school and then playing or attending swimming lessons in the afternoons, always eager to accompany me to the nearest internet café in town or play games together.

And the family introductions wouldn´t be complete without also introducing you to the family perro. His name is Ricky Martin. Enough said.
My host family´s home is located in San Pablo de Heredia--one of the many barrios, or neighborhoods, of the city of Heredia. It´s a pretty tranquilo little town, of course equipped with the essentials of a couple Catholic churches, a quaint central parque, a Musmanni panadería (favorite Costa Rican bakery), and the blessed soccer field. From my house, I walk 200 meters (approx. 2 blocks) to hop on a bus for the short 5 minute ride to and from my university each day. And just in case anyone will be looking to show up on my doorstep, the official directions to my homestay, according to the Costa Rican landmark system of directions, are the following: 400 meters south and 100 meters east of the Municipality in San Pablo de Heredia. It´s the house on the left-hand side of the dead-end streetwith the brownish-red gate and the pinos (pine trees). And, it goes without saying, ¡Mi casa es su casa!

Mi Hermano Tico

The story begins 9 years ago in small town Decorah, Iowa. Three-fourths of the Nelson family (i.e. the native Californians: mom Barbara, brother Tobin and myself) were experiencing our very first Midwest winter. Tobin had been studying the Spanish language for several years by this point; Megan was content in her first months of learning Norwegian. An exchange program between Decorah High School and a high school in San José, Costa Rica had taken place for years, rotating between Decorah kids spending a month in San José and Costa Rican (ticos) students spending one month in Decorah. Unfortunate seasonal differences meant the ticos spent their ¨summer¨ vacation in Decorah during the month of January, which certainly does NOT produce comparable summer temps to those of Central America!

We had the pleasure of hosting one of the seven tico students, then 17-year old Bernal Mora, in our home for the month of January. Tobin, being the Spanish speaker of the fam, was responsible for much translation and relaying of communication between us all. There were, of course, ample gestures, miming and rough (but valiant!) attempts on both ends to speak in one´s non-native language. A fun month, indeed: ping pong and fooseball in the basement, sledding, snowball fights, skiing in Wisconsin, eating chocolate chip cookies and oatmeal pancakes in Babs´ kitchen, many gatherings in homes of the host families, a trip to the Mall of America.

The following summer Tobin returned the exchange by traveling to Costa Rica, apart from an official group exchange trip, and spent a month living with Bernal and his family. He, of course, was given a whirlwind tour of this small but diverse country and was adopted into and adored by the Mora familia.

9 years later, mi hermano tico--my Costa Rican brother--and I have reunited here in Costa Rica! Who would´ve thought that I would switch from studying Norwegian to Spanish in high school and years later end up spending a year in the same Spanish-speaking country as that of my host brother! It´s been a joy to reconnect, to be able to communicate with more fluidity!, and to get to know Bernal´s family. Our first time together was a true walk down memory lane....sharing lots of laughs over stories and photos from Bernal´s time living with us in Decorah.

Siblings reunited!Bernal and his wife, Raquel, live with their three dogs in Cartago--a beautiful province of Costa Rica--on a finca (farm) where his parents as well as some other family members also have their homes. It is very common in Latin culture for families to live much closer to one another than we tend to do in the U.S. And by close, just as is the case with Bernal and his family, this typically means sharing the same house, finca, or living nearby in the same town. Thus, family life is very much integrated--everyday life is much more of an extended family experience.
La familia Mora: Bernal is the oldest of three boys--his younger brothers are Esteban (center) and Daniel (right).Another wonderful reunion: our hermano ticos (tico brothers) with their hermanitas (little sisters)--Megan and Bernal, and Erica and Diego Rivera. Diego was also one of the group of seven that lived with a host family in Decorah nine years ago. He lived with Erica Spilde and her family, and so since Erica has been living here in Costa Rica for the past year and a half, these ¨siblings¨ have also been able to reconnect! The four of us had a fun time meeting up for lunch recently--it was Bernal and Diego´s first time to see each other since they graduated from high school 9 years ago!

39 Años de Servicio--39 Years of Service

¨Hoy Rotaracts, líderes y profesionales del mañana¨

¨Today Rotaracts, Leaders and Professionals of Tomorrow¨

March 13th marked the 39th anniversary of the formation of Rotaract, a Rotary-sponsored service club for young men and women ages 18 to 30. Rotaract clubs are usually community-based or university-based and are sponsored by a local Rotary club making them true "partners in service" and key members of the Rotary family.

Through the Rotaract program, young adults not only augment their knowledge and skills, but they also address the physical and social needs of their communities while promoting international understanding and peace through a framework of friendship and service.

It just so happens that the Rotaract Club of Heredia, the town in which my university is located, was the first Rotaract Club formed in Central America. Getting involved with the Rotaracts of Heredia has been a wonderful way to meet fun, bright, and service-oriented people. The weekly meetings are held at the Casa de Cultura, in the center of Heredia, and many varied service projects and other ´business´ matters are discussed for several hours, before then piling into cars and continuing the fun at a nearby restaurant or bar to eat, drink, and be merry (i.e. sing karaoke!) together! It´s evident that this is more than just a club for the members; it´s more like a brother(and sister)hood where solid friendships are formed with the basis of ¨Service Above Self.¨

I had the opportunity to join both the Rotary and Rotaract Clubs of Heredia for a community service project of providing eye exams and, if necessary, eyeglasses to children at a local public school. The visiting partner Rotary Club for this project was from Atlanta, GA., and with them they brought 1000 pairs of used donated eyeglasses to distribute. Two professional optometrists were present to examine and diagnose, and as volunteers, we interacted with the children, helped with the initial reading of eye charts, and later handed out the prescribed glasses.

Club Rotario La Guaria Moravia

For the duration of my scholarship year as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, I am supported by two specific clubs: my ¨sponsor club¨ in my home country and my ¨host club¨ in my host country. The two lucky clubs are, respectively, that of my hometown in Decorah, Iowa and Club La Guaria Moravia here in Costa Rica. I am supported back home by a wonderful sponsor counselor, Keith Christensen, and I have been warmly received here in Costa Rica by my host counselor, Miguel Rivera. Miguel and his wife, Emilia, were founding members of Club La Guaria and have seen it grow over the years to a club of 17 members as well as many additional Damas Rotarias, or the wives of the Rotarians in the club. Pictured above is my first visit with my host club and the exchange of our respective club flags. From L to R: Emilia Rivera, La Guaria Club President, me, and Miguel Rivera.