July was summer break so we went to the states. We were there for Grandma Chitty's 90th birthday. What fun to gather family and friends to help her celebrate her life, recall shared memories and to honor her and thank her for how she has impacted our lives.
Bonnie's oldest daughter Annick had planed to get married in October but changed her wedding date so the Costa Rican part of the family did not have to make another trip to the states. So we planned and prepared for the wedding in two weeks!!! Another wonderful family event with lots of love and laughter.
August is the season for the fruit "mamonies" They look like a long haired sicamore ball. The inside looks like a grape with a large seed in the middle. You suck the fruit then spit out the seed. They are sweet, delicious and fun to eat.Costa Rica has a rich family based culture. This is one of the many things we enjoy about being here. We are included in many different families activities from several different families. One of the August activities is making choreatas They are made from a special corn. Husking the corn is step one.
Many generations are involved so it makes if fun for all. The corn is then removed from the cob. The corn kernels are then put into a blender with an egg. This batter is then fried into a big pancake. They are filling and very taste.
Returning to Costa Rica we stepped back into teaching English and being part of the community. Many of our students participated in a typical dance competition. Many schools from the surrounding area were involved and it was an all day event in the high school gym. We want our students to know we are interested in them and all that they do. This relationship building process is what makes our outreach have more of an impact than just teaching a class. We are investing in the students interests and building individual relationships with our students.
