Montana Linda Spanish school

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  Orosi, Costa Rica
Monday, February 18, 2008

Montana Linda (which means "beautiful mountain" in Spanish) boasts that it is the second-cheapest language school in Costa Rica. I'm not sure which school is the #1 cheapest, but I don't care, either. ;-) It's hard to know if my needs would be equally well met if I were brand new to the language, but with six years in junior high and high school, and a semester in college, this place is meeting my needs very well. At $31/day for breakfast, dinner, lodging and one-on-one classes, well, you just can't beat it.

The school serves as the local 'travel center,' post office for letters and postcards and it has a cafe where people can buy drinks, breakfast (for those staying at the hostel) and lunch. Today I had my first salad (I'm not getting nearly enough fruits or veggies here) at lunch at that cafe. The classrooms are "open air" and I am lucky in that when it is sunny (which doesn't appear to be often), my room is the one that gets the sun in the morning.

My teacher, Margoth, has been teaching at this school for 9 years, I think (we discussed that our first day and my Spanish was much worse then than it is today). Her husband is a mechanic and taxi driver. She has one grandchild and two on the way. She lives about a 5-minute walk from school. She has an excellent sense of humor, and is willing to do non-traditional things. (For example, at 4:15 a.m. tomorrow she, her 12 p.m. student and I are getting picked up by a taxi to "hold class" at the nearest national park. Spencer, a retired school teacher and librarian from Wisconsin, and I want to get there before dawn as that's the best time to see the birds.)

My "funny Spanish moment" from the weekend: I thought I was asking my homestay mother if I could take a shower before we went somewhere. In fact, I asked if *she* could shower me before we left the house. She responded, fighting a smile, that typically students wash themselves, but if I wanted, she would wash me. Then we both broke into hysterical laughter.

My other favorite from yesterday: Meterologists are called "meteorologicos" in Spanish. My homestay father calls them "mentiralogicos." "Mentira" is "lie." ;-) The weather here, is *always* changing. (Though the one consistent thing is that it rains every day here!)

Hasta luego.

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Outside the classrooms	Kim in class	My teacher	Street outside school

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