Early wake up call by some howler monkeys...wow those things are awful! I had no idea what it was at first, a wild boar or something? haha very unexpected. Had a very good breakfast with fruit, eggs, rice and beans. Getting to know our family more was very nice. We took a tour through their pineapple, sugar cane, papaya fields. Listening to all the effort it takes to plant and harvest all their produce is a lot of work that they must keep on top of daily. We were able to try fresh sugar cane and pineapples freshly picked and drink fresh coconut water. This is an experience and a taste I will never forget. You cannot have fresh produce like this from the grocery store. All of this contained no preservatives or pesticides it was all natural.
After the tour we had free time to go play soccer with the local kids. I have been waiting to play because I love soccer and I bet these kids have a lot of talent, which they clearly did! I have to remember to use my spanish because mostly everyone only speaks Spanish that's about it.
We had the rest of the day to relax and hang out with our families. We all went to bed pretty early because the next day we get to view/help out with their chores on their little farm and possibly milk a cow!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
May 27 Poas Volcano - Doka Coffee - San Marcos Homestay numero Uno
What an awesome day Volcanos, Coffee and meeting a wonderful family!
To begin the day we traveled to Poas Volcano. We went on a nice hike up to the volcano and let me tell you it was amazing. I have never seen a volcano up close before and I was so impressed and knowing that it was active was even more exciting. I didn't enjoy the smell of sulfur so much but I got over it. Having volcanoes and other sites like these is very good for tourism in Costa Rica because you have to pay to come to these parks and most of the time if you're in Costa Rica and you're near a volcano you're gonna go see it. The lake here was very pretty as well and there pretty birds flying around that our tour guide Javier pointed out to us. I was hoping to see it erupt since the day before had 18 eruptions, but it didn't happen so I guess I'll just have to make another visit sometime.
Doka Coffee Farm
Being a barista and being around coffee all the time, I was really interested to see all the labor that is put into the beans. The tour took us through each step of the process and it is a very long process, especially when it comes to the plant to mature. It was cool to see how they protect their plants from other animals and bugs with planting fruits near so they will go after those instead of the coffee ones. Although the workers did not get paid very much and their labor was very intensive, it was nice to see that they received housing and care for their children. Being an HR major worker rights is very important to me and I am glad workers are not getting taken advantage and that their jobs take care of them. I again feel like this is a huge part of tourism with all the gifts shops and how the coffee plant was presented.
San Marcos Arrival
We arrived pretty late to our first home stay and we were greeted with hugs and a delicious dinner. First thing to do was put on that bug spray, from here on during our trip I kept my repel-ant at my side 24/7. We were all very exhausted and it was so relaxing to hang out on their porch and get to know the family we were staying with. The girls and I had such a fun time playing with their grandson Christopher. He is a very intelligent kid and was very helpful to his grandparents. I'm excited to play soccer with the kids in this town!
To begin the day we traveled to Poas Volcano. We went on a nice hike up to the volcano and let me tell you it was amazing. I have never seen a volcano up close before and I was so impressed and knowing that it was active was even more exciting. I didn't enjoy the smell of sulfur so much but I got over it. Having volcanoes and other sites like these is very good for tourism in Costa Rica because you have to pay to come to these parks and most of the time if you're in Costa Rica and you're near a volcano you're gonna go see it. The lake here was very pretty as well and there pretty birds flying around that our tour guide Javier pointed out to us. I was hoping to see it erupt since the day before had 18 eruptions, but it didn't happen so I guess I'll just have to make another visit sometime.
Doka Coffee Farm
Being a barista and being around coffee all the time, I was really interested to see all the labor that is put into the beans. The tour took us through each step of the process and it is a very long process, especially when it comes to the plant to mature. It was cool to see how they protect their plants from other animals and bugs with planting fruits near so they will go after those instead of the coffee ones. Although the workers did not get paid very much and their labor was very intensive, it was nice to see that they received housing and care for their children. Being an HR major worker rights is very important to me and I am glad workers are not getting taken advantage and that their jobs take care of them. I again feel like this is a huge part of tourism with all the gifts shops and how the coffee plant was presented.
San Marcos Arrival
We arrived pretty late to our first home stay and we were greeted with hugs and a delicious dinner. First thing to do was put on that bug spray, from here on during our trip I kept my repel-ant at my side 24/7. We were all very exhausted and it was so relaxing to hang out on their porch and get to know the family we were staying with. The girls and I had such a fun time playing with their grandson Christopher. He is a very intelligent kid and was very helpful to his grandparents. I'm excited to play soccer with the kids in this town!
UCR
It was really interesting to see the Universidad de Costa Rica's campus compared to ASU, it is very different. It is a very large campus and there are a huge range of student ages and is not as focused with being green. Although there were gardens, butterfly farms and attempts to cut out pollution, the campus I thought was very dirty and had a lot of litter. ASU's campus really tries to recycle and trash is usually picked up. Although Costa Rica is known as moving to being more green and sustainable, it really bothered me to see how dirty and how much trash was on the ground. The campus was very colorful and had a bunch of culture which was really cool to see. The butterfly farm was so nice and interesting to see the different types and colors. It was really cool to learn how the different colors play a huge role in their defense mechanisms.
When Maria Paula spoke about Free Trade Agreements, she explained about why they were important and about the positive and negative benefits. She is a very intelligent person and I wish I knew more about FTA to fully understand her lecture. It was very hard to follow and difficult to listen to because I felt like I had no knowledge at all of the topic.
I really enjoyed exploring downtown of CR. There were many great restaurants, shopping and a nice museum. I really like going to museums and looking at the artifacts and history of a culture because you can really understand visually. Overall it was a nice day to go see how people my age interact in Costa Rica.
When Maria Paula spoke about Free Trade Agreements, she explained about why they were important and about the positive and negative benefits. She is a very intelligent person and I wish I knew more about FTA to fully understand her lecture. It was very hard to follow and difficult to listen to because I felt like I had no knowledge at all of the topic.
I really enjoyed exploring downtown of CR. There were many great restaurants, shopping and a nice museum. I really like going to museums and looking at the artifacts and history of a culture because you can really understand visually. Overall it was a nice day to go see how people my age interact in Costa Rica.
Dia Tres - Medical Tourism
Medical tourism is very popular in Costa Rica. Through out the day we visited 3 hospitals, 2 private and one public. The private hospitals were extremely nice and the conditions were superior. I didn't feel like I was in a hospital because it was so quiet and the atmosphere was very calming.
Clinica Biblica
The first hospital we visited was a private hospital called Clinica Biblica. It began in 1929 and has a certification from the Joint Certification International. This hospital is no free, but insurance here is good and works with many other country's insurance companies. Prescriptions are also cheaper and are regulated in Costa Rica. Clinica Biblica has different departments such as dentistry, psychology, social work, nutrition, and physical therapy. It was interesting to see a dentistry department in the hospital. I was excited to tell my parents about this hospital because they work in hospitals in the US. All the nurses were RN's and there are 80 rooms in the hospital. As far as sustainability, they recycle materials and they use electronic files for all of their patients.
CIMA
CIMA is a private hospital. I was very impressed with this hospital. Their main goals are Quality, sustainability, and ethics. There are 8 facilities 46000 divisions and 38000 surgeries. CIMA is the first hospital to receive accreditation from the Joint International Commission. They offer great healthcare, medical packages, great customer service and cheaper prices. CIMA seemed like it was run more like a business than a hospital. The lobby was very nice and relaxing and the rooms were very accommodating. These hospitals had many and the similarities to US hospitals but a difference that stuck out to me was how quiet they were. It was calm and the intercom was rarely used.
The Public Hospitals health care in Costa Rica or any type of treatment is free because of their social security system. People must pay for private but the care is better and is still 1/4 cheaper in Costa Rica than in the US. You must be a Costa Rican citizen or have to live in Costa Rica for 3 months to receive free health care in a public clinic. The public hospital Blanco Servantes: Hospital Nacional was pretty much a geriatrics hospital. It was very clean considering it was public and offered many services. The nurses were very nice. A public hospital nurse earns about $2000 a month where as private make about $8000-$10,000. I can't believe all the records were only recorded on paper. With the hospital being public there has to be so many records to keep track of.
I really enjoyed these visits and comparing them to US hospitals. It was a great experience and I am going to persuade my parents to view possible job opportunities there!
Clinica Biblica
The first hospital we visited was a private hospital called Clinica Biblica. It began in 1929 and has a certification from the Joint Certification International. This hospital is no free, but insurance here is good and works with many other country's insurance companies. Prescriptions are also cheaper and are regulated in Costa Rica. Clinica Biblica has different departments such as dentistry, psychology, social work, nutrition, and physical therapy. It was interesting to see a dentistry department in the hospital. I was excited to tell my parents about this hospital because they work in hospitals in the US. All the nurses were RN's and there are 80 rooms in the hospital. As far as sustainability, they recycle materials and they use electronic files for all of their patients.
CIMA
CIMA is a private hospital. I was very impressed with this hospital. Their main goals are Quality, sustainability, and ethics. There are 8 facilities 46000 divisions and 38000 surgeries. CIMA is the first hospital to receive accreditation from the Joint International Commission. They offer great healthcare, medical packages, great customer service and cheaper prices. CIMA seemed like it was run more like a business than a hospital. The lobby was very nice and relaxing and the rooms were very accommodating. These hospitals had many and the similarities to US hospitals but a difference that stuck out to me was how quiet they were. It was calm and the intercom was rarely used.
The Public Hospitals health care in Costa Rica or any type of treatment is free because of their social security system. People must pay for private but the care is better and is still 1/4 cheaper in Costa Rica than in the US. You must be a Costa Rican citizen or have to live in Costa Rica for 3 months to receive free health care in a public clinic. The public hospital Blanco Servantes: Hospital Nacional was pretty much a geriatrics hospital. It was very clean considering it was public and offered many services. The nurses were very nice. A public hospital nurse earns about $2000 a month where as private make about $8000-$10,000. I can't believe all the records were only recorded on paper. With the hospital being public there has to be so many records to keep track of.
I really enjoyed these visits and comparing them to US hospitals. It was a great experience and I am going to persuade my parents to view possible job opportunities there!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Day 2 intro, Tico, INCAE
San Jose is a very interesting city. There is a lot of traffic and congestion. I wish I was able to explore more around here, but unfortunately its not very safe and the streets are dangerous after dark. Javier our tour guide provided us with interesting facts about the culture as we drive from place to place. The country is very green and the view of the mountains outside San Jose is very pretty.It is funny to see American companies and restaurants all over like Burger King, Taco Bell, and Firestone. Even though the exchange rate is low, prices on products in CR are very high. I think water, meals and clothes are about the same price as the US if not more. The water seems fine to drink, so far... Rices and beans seems to be a popular meal here. I am very excited to see the other cities and compare the cultures.
TICO
Our first tour of the trip was at Tico Electronics. It was very informative and interesting. Tico is basically a facility where there is outsourced manufacturing. Compared to the US and their manufacturing facilities, Tico is rather small. There are many different sections, but each combine in an assembly to make a final product such as sleep apnea, airplane joysticks etc. The company is 15 years old and there are 2 plants with 400 employees. Tico thrives on high mix low volume and their customers know exactly what to expect. Their competition is mainly from a duty free area in Mexico which is right next to the US mainland. It was interesting to see that customers find Tico through things such as the web, word of mouth and gov't agencies. When I first saw the company, I did not think it was as popular as it was.
As an HR major, I took notice to the working conditions and was impressed that the climate was controlled for a comfortable environment, good ventilation, as well as exercise, therapy and an on site doctor for the employees. Workers opinions and voices are heard to help their day to day production. They are paid about 8.000 colones an hr which is equal to 4 US dollars.
Tico was a very interesting company in the sense that each employee( labor intensive - low technology) and department played a huge part in keeping the company successful.
INCAE
Our visit to this university was very impressive. It is number one in Latin America and is rated the 20th best schools in the world. This school is very selective and only promote their school through word of mouth and their website. Diversity is very important which I agree with and expereince in the class room is a major goal of the program. I thought it was cool how student must live on campus. The work load is very tough and will have you studying from 8am-2am, very intimidating. Our speaker was very intelligent and I enjoyed listening to him speak about his school's success. He spoke a lot about business protocol which was cool because he explained different contexts in cultures and how it can really affect a business meeting. I really like how the university used non-drinkable water to irrigate the grounds. He also mentioned how the Brewery in Costa Rica was being sustainable and pays upstream farms. Very much enjoyed this campus and made me interested in looking internationally for universities.
Overall it was a very educational day. I really enjoyed Tico in being able to relate my HR knowledge. I am hoping they become more environmental in recycling materials soon though. INCAE was a very beautiful campus and I felt very informed by our speaker. It was a good start to the beginning of exploring Costa Rica's businesses.
Chao!
TICO
Our first tour of the trip was at Tico Electronics. It was very informative and interesting. Tico is basically a facility where there is outsourced manufacturing. Compared to the US and their manufacturing facilities, Tico is rather small. There are many different sections, but each combine in an assembly to make a final product such as sleep apnea, airplane joysticks etc. The company is 15 years old and there are 2 plants with 400 employees. Tico thrives on high mix low volume and their customers know exactly what to expect. Their competition is mainly from a duty free area in Mexico which is right next to the US mainland. It was interesting to see that customers find Tico through things such as the web, word of mouth and gov't agencies. When I first saw the company, I did not think it was as popular as it was.
As an HR major, I took notice to the working conditions and was impressed that the climate was controlled for a comfortable environment, good ventilation, as well as exercise, therapy and an on site doctor for the employees. Workers opinions and voices are heard to help their day to day production. They are paid about 8.000 colones an hr which is equal to 4 US dollars.
Tico was a very interesting company in the sense that each employee( labor intensive - low technology) and department played a huge part in keeping the company successful.
INCAE
Our visit to this university was very impressive. It is number one in Latin America and is rated the 20th best schools in the world. This school is very selective and only promote their school through word of mouth and their website. Diversity is very important which I agree with and expereince in the class room is a major goal of the program. I thought it was cool how student must live on campus. The work load is very tough and will have you studying from 8am-2am, very intimidating. Our speaker was very intelligent and I enjoyed listening to him speak about his school's success. He spoke a lot about business protocol which was cool because he explained different contexts in cultures and how it can really affect a business meeting. I really like how the university used non-drinkable water to irrigate the grounds. He also mentioned how the Brewery in Costa Rica was being sustainable and pays upstream farms. Very much enjoyed this campus and made me interested in looking internationally for universities.
Overall it was a very educational day. I really enjoyed Tico in being able to relate my HR knowledge. I am hoping they become more environmental in recycling materials soon though. INCAE was a very beautiful campus and I felt very informed by our speaker. It was a good start to the beginning of exploring Costa Rica's businesses.
Chao!
Monday, May 23, 2011
Arrival: Dia Uno
Hola!
Safely arrived in San Jose, Costa Rica! The flights were pretty good considering how nervous I was about getting on the plane. We arrived just in time for the rain today and the temperature feels wonderful. Sorta humid but there is a nice breeze. Getting to know my fellow classmates on the trip is very fun and we all seem to have common interests. I am going to try to speak as much Spanish as I can and really experience the culture here. Time here is about 2 hours behind eastern and it should be an easy adjustment.
Our hotel, Villa Tournon is very nice and our tour guide Javier picked us up and dropped us off at here. We have lecture tonight from 6-8 and then we are going to get dinner. Restaurants close around the same times as normal US restaurants. I am very excited and eager to experience the culture here!
Chao Chicos!
Kristen
Safely arrived in San Jose, Costa Rica! The flights were pretty good considering how nervous I was about getting on the plane. We arrived just in time for the rain today and the temperature feels wonderful. Sorta humid but there is a nice breeze. Getting to know my fellow classmates on the trip is very fun and we all seem to have common interests. I am going to try to speak as much Spanish as I can and really experience the culture here. Time here is about 2 hours behind eastern and it should be an easy adjustment.
Our hotel, Villa Tournon is very nice and our tour guide Javier picked us up and dropped us off at here. We have lecture tonight from 6-8 and then we are going to get dinner. Restaurants close around the same times as normal US restaurants. I am very excited and eager to experience the culture here!
Chao Chicos!
Kristen
Monday, May 2, 2011
costa rica reader
Answers to my questions: These are questions from my book and questions I answered myself throughout the trip
1. Myths about Costa Rica's origin - a. Small indigenous population when Spanish arrived.
b. That it was a peaceful conquest.
c. There were no divisions between classes.
There were actually about 400,000 indigenous people in 1502.
The conquest was not peaceful and lasted about 50 years.
The population was divided up into chieftomships.
2. Costa Rica Became independent in 1821.
3. The major money maker for Costa Rica as far as exports is the coffee. They export all the good coffee beans and keep the not so good beans for themselves. Before coffee was popular they grew crops such as garlic, coriander, plantains, and most important corn. Only the wealthier class could afford to grow grain and have bread on their tables.
4. A major problem land owners and farmer had were that they were losing the titles to their property and had to buy it back.
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