Busy Arrival Day

To be sure that you see all of the pictures, please remember to click on "view full entry."

Everyone has been far too busy since we arrived yesterday to e-mail home, so don't worry if you haven't heard anything yet. The flights, the brief layover in Houston and arrival in San Jose all went very smoothly. Almost everyone changed some money or used the ATM before leaving the airport, and we were greeted by three friendly CPI (that's the school here) staff members and two drivers who brought us to the town of San Joaquin, about fifteen minutes from the airport. The first order of business was the placement test, which was a lot to ask after a day of flying and not much sleep the previous night! But it was finished quickly, and then we played a few language games in the front courtyard of the school while waiting for the last two or three students to finish the oral portion of the test. Next came a short orientation session to learn about living with a host family here. They explained everything from how to get the most out of a not very hot shower to what the difference is between beans and rice and rice with beans (no real difference). There was also some important information about health and safety and how to get to school the next day. Following the orientation session, there was a quick tour of the school, and then the host families started to arrive. One by one, each member of the group was introduced to his or her host family. I tried to get a picture of each one, but some came and went too quickly. They will each be with this family for three weeks, so there will be plenty of photo ops during that time. By 4:45, all of the host families had come and gone, and the students were on their own for dinner and the evening with their families. Some reported crashing very early, while others had some lively cultural exchanges already. All in all, it was a great start to the program. Enjoy the pictures!

---

---