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English Festival Speech & Conversation Competition

First to Fourth Place Winners of Casual Conversation
Liceo de Atenas, Costa Rica
Winner of the Formal Speech Contest
Liceo de Atenas, Costa Rica

One of the students delivering her speech before us judges.
Liceo de Atenas, Costa Rica

Recognition of the Blind Student who participated in the speeches.
Liceo de Atenas, Costa Rica

Pulling Judge Charlie into the festival picture frame
Liceo de Atenas, Costa Rica

For the second day in a row this was a delightful experience with some of the nicest people I have met or worked with anywhere in the world! We had fun and though all could not win first place, all the kids were winners! And they do English better than I do Spanish! Being old is my excuse!  🙂

The teachers say they will expect me to help next year and Zaray is going to get me an invitation to judge in the regional contests. 
One of the boys in his speech talked about the diversity of nature in Costa Rica and mentioned his Dad was a bird watcher. Afterwards I gave him my business card and he gave me his dad’s facebook address where he posts bird photos:   https://www.facebook.com/arnoldo.garciaj
At the time I did not know that I had already discovered his Dad’s Facebook page and was already a “Follower.” He is one of the best nature photographers in Costa Rica. I must learn to speak Spanish to relate to guys like this! In a post on his page I referenced my Birds photo gallery, not as good as his but not bad!  🙂

https://www.facebook.com/liceodeatenas/


Photos of Liceo de Atenas on the web  (Google Image Search)

And a cool locally made video about Atenas  from local Chamber of Commerce type organization

My ATENAS photo galleries:
Vistas  (Click Roca Verde, My House and La Jacaranda)
Walking in Atenas (flowers mostly)
Atenas is quite a wonderful place to live as you will see above.  🙂
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English Festival Spelling Bee

First, Second and Third Place Winners in the English Festival Spelling Bee
Colegio Liceo de Atenas, Costa Rica
The light green uniform shirt means he is a graduating senior. All others blue!

First Place Winner Receiving a Gift from Teacher
Colegio Liceo de Atenas, Costa Rica

“Native Speakers” as Judges for the Spelling Bee
The teen is a student there, but from the states and a native speaker helping.
The rest of us are old retirees from both the states and Canada.
Colegio Liceo de Atenas, Costa Rica

We started at 8 with a 9 or 9:30 break with a full Tico breakfast (Gallo Pinto, eggs, plantains, bread
and coffee! Then at noon a full Tico lunch and a donut as we left about 2 PM. The teachers are so nice and appreciative, the kids so nice and polite and helpful. It is a joy to visit this public school! And I will again tomorrow as a judge for the English Festival speaking contest and conversational English activities. Fun! One of the English teachers is Zaray Monge, a friend at church where she is also a translator and she was for awhile one of my Spanish teachers. So even more special to help her! She has three kids of her own plus a foster-child and her husband is a teacher at the other high school, Tecnico. A busy family!

My Gift from School
A Beautiful Pot Plant!
Colegio Liceo de Atenas, Costa Rica

https://www.facebook.com/liceodeatenas/


Photos of Liceo de Atenas on the web  (Google Image Search)
And my post on the 2015 Spelling Bee at Liceo
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They have updated the website for El Camino de Costa Rica and are having weekend hikes almost every weekend, though mostly in the steep mountains right now. Check it out! This will eventually be a top tourist attraction for nature lovers & hikers!

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Home Business Signs: Cakes

Cakes for Sale at a house up the road from me towards town
Atenas, Costa Rica

Note the interesting mix of Spanish and English on this sign, showing a local custom. Of course the first part, Se Vende: Queques is pure Spanish saying “For Sale: Cakes” but then she adds the English name of Cup Cakes! I cannot speak for all of Latin America, but for Atenas, Costa Rica, they often prefer the shorter, catchier English names for items than what sometimes becomes a long and complicated Spanish name. Thus cupcakes, jeans, shorts, cellphone, and a bunch of other names I can’t remember right now. And of course “proper names” are not suppose to be translated, meaning Coca Cola, McDonalds, KFC, Taco Bell, Subway, Kleenex stay the same here, just like my name Charlie! No one tries to make me Carlos or Carlito. And to show you why, the dictionary says that in Spanish “cup cakes” (two words) is tortas de la taza or “cupcakes” (one word) las magdalenas. I have never heard anyone here use either for cupcakes here. And on the culture goes! ¡Pura vida!

See my new photo gallery: Home Business Signs


Interesting video of Toucans somewhere in Costa Rica.

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Home Business Signs: Corner Grocery

El Pingüino is a landmark on my side of town.
It is a very small corner grocery store called pulpería or mini-super
It looks like a store in front but it is also their home, living in the back.
Atenas, Costa Rica

How cool is it to have a little corner store called “The Penguin” in a tropical climate country where no native has ever seen a penguin? And it is the front part of their house! Or attached to their house. Plus it is 2 blocks from one public high school/middle school and 1.5 blocks from one public elementary school. Needless to say they have more student customers than anyone, selling lots of cold drinks an snack food! But they are better stocked for real food than another similar home store closer to me, though I still prefer the supermercado! There are many of these little corner stores all over town and probably many are in homes. No strict zoning codes or laws here!  🙂  Atenas is a really cool place to live!

El Pingüino
Store entrance on corner. White addition on right is a rental apartment.
The owner’s home is also attached to the left, seen in next photo.
Also notice a mother walking daughter home from primary school.
Atenas, Costa Rica

El Pingüino
Owner’s home is light green, attached to left behind white metal fence.
These boys are at a school with a “no uniform day” today. Rare!
Or out of school, especially the boy in shorts! No shorts in school!
Atenas, Costa Rica

See my new photo gallery: Home Business Signs

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Home Business Sign: Seamstress

Clinica de Ropa
In Boqueron, 3 blocks from Roca Verde
Atenas, Costa Rica


“Clinica de Ropa” (Clinic for Clothing) is the common name for a seamstress (la costurera) who probably does more repair work on clothing than making new clothing, although she does both. This particular seamstress is the closest one to my house and I have used her twice. The first time she put a patch over a little hole in one of my several canvas shorts I wear every day. She did a good job with fabric on both the outside and inside and it does not show or is not noticeable.

Recently I was motivated to do something with my front right pockets where I keep my cellphone and believe it slid out of the pocket in a San Jose Taxi. I asked her if she could sew velcro on both sides of the top of the right pockets. She said she could do that but, a zipper would be better and safer. So for one mil, the equivalent of about USD $1.75 each, she sewed a zipper in each of my 6 pairs of shorts, the only pants I wear here. That included the zipper! I think it would cost a bit more in the states! 🙂  I think the patch was about the same price, though don’t remember for sure. Labor and services are cheaper here! Imported U.S. products are not. It was most likely a Chinese zipper which would be cheaper here than say one from even Mexico or Columbia. Interesting!

New photo gallery: Home Business Signs
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The Good, The Bad, The Ugly in One Morning!

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
On Heliconia in my garden, Atenas, Costa Rica

Yeh, it is unusual for a hummingbird to stay still very long, especially on a flower! Thanks Lord!

Bark Scorpion
On my kitchen floor, Atenas, Costa Rica 

Both of these shots were made before breakfast this morning. The scorpion crawled out from under my electric dishwasher. You can see that on his tail and left hand he has collected some cobweb.  🙂  I just used the broom to sweep him outside off my deck or terrace. In 2 1/2 years here it is only the second scorpion I have seen, both in my kitchen. I am going to spray under my dishwasher, stove and frig, the best hiding places. Though, last night I opened two cardboard boxes of old genealogy books and that is also a good place for scorpions. Part of living in the jungle!  🙂

Check out my Birds photo gallery and my Other Insects photo gallery for more creature shots.
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Home Business Sign: Tortillas

Homemade Tortillas by Ana that I pass every day walking.
She sells them out a window of her house.
People walk or ride a bike to her house to get morning or evening bread.
Atenas, Costa Rica

For first-timers, this is the second in a new series of posts with photos of interesting signs people in Atenas hang outside their homes for their home business. With two photos now, I have also started a new photo gallery: Home Business Signs

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Greta Morgane or Thick-tipped Greta Glasswing

Greta Morgane or Thick-tipped Greta Glasswing
Atenas, Costa Rica

This is a first sighting of this butterfly for me. He was on the screen in my kitchen, obviously near the end of his short life. I went for my camera and when I returned he had fallen onto the kitchen counter next to the sink. Not great shots! I prefer to find them on flowers! 🙂  This is usually the best time of year for butterflies (May-June) but not as many this year. Is it because of more rain?

It is my second clearwing or glasswing butterfly to see or photograph. The other was near Chirripo, Costa Rica in Cloudbridge Nature Reserve and called a Greta Oto or by the guide, just “Glasswing Butterfly.” It was in a tree which is a little better background than a kitchen counter.  🙂  But with my doors wide open during the day, I sorta live outdoors! And I like having nature come to me!

Greta Morgane or Thick-tipped Greta
Atenas, Costa Rica

 

Greta Morgane or Thick-tipped Greta
Atenas, Costa Rica

I hope you realize that it is common to find dead or dying butterflies here, since most have very short lives, sometimes only hours! (Yes! Less than one day!) The Monarch is a big exception who migrates to Mexico from as far away as Canada but then dies after giving birth! And we do have some Monarchs here and our famous Blue Morpho Butterfly lives 115 days or about 4 months. So all are different! And you are worried about how long you will live?

See DESCRIPTION  of Greta Morgane on Wikipedia – It is one of several sometimes called “Glasswings” or “Clearwings” and in the smaller category of “Greta” butterflies. Note the link in my opening paragraph to the other Greta I have photographed.

And of course my Butterflies & Moths Photo Gallery has many other interesting creatures! Enjoy!

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Gardeners Lunching at My House

Every other Wednesday they come work my yard & eat lunch on my terrace.
Last time William brought ceviche. This coming Wednesday it’s Sopa Azteca.
I’ll eat the soup with them this time, but I don’t eat ceviche (raw fish soup).
I provide the drinks!   La conversación es en español.
Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica
My Garden photo gallery 
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Parakeet Flocks Over My House

Every day I have bigger flocks of parakeets than this flying over my house, more this year for some reason.
But I haven’t gotten a photo over my house. This is one I shot at Rancho Naturalista, Turrialba, Costa Rica.

See also my Birds Gallery

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I went back to Alajuela Hospital and got more papers and two more appointments. Seems a little weird, but on 23 August I go to hospital admissions in Alajuela to be admitted to the hospital for a procedure at Hospital Mexico in San Jose. They will probably weigh me, temp, maybe blood and urine tests; don’t know yet. The next day, 24 August, back at Alajuela Hospital (my province hospital) for an appointment with my cardiologist and possibly other tests, not sure. Then 25 August I go to Hospital Mexico in San Jose to get the angiogram. Whew! It has been confusing because my Spanish is malo (bad), but I plan to take my translator with me in August and hopefully get a little more fluent!