"Must Love Dogs"

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Hola Familia y amigas,
I don't actually start my Spanish classes until Monday but it never hurts to start practicing. Actually, I've been getting a lot of practice this week as I've had some wonderful visits with Delta Kappa Gamma ( DKG) members here in San Jose. What is DKG you say? First, I'll tell you what it isn't. It isn't a sorority. It is a 75 year old honor society for key women educators with over 140,000 members. I was honored to be invited to join 25 years ago. It has been a very important part of my life. DKG is an International society with chapters in 14 foreign countries. I have held many offices and now serve on one of the International Commitees- Travel and Study.

When I first started studying Spanish, Dr. Maria Bujan asked me why I didn't come to Costa RIca. She told me I could stay with her and that she and her husband, Victor (also a Ph.d), were even building a room just for guests in their new home. I had met Maria in 1995 when I when we were both part of a 2 week Leadership- Management Seminar given at the Univ. of Texas School of Business in Austin. This is an honor given to 30 DKG members every other year. It is called the Golden Gift. And truly it was. It was a life changing experience for me. Not only did it place great value on me as an individual but it reinforced my own belief that teachers are the most valuable and undervalued ( in my opinion) resource in our society worldwide today.

So after studying Spanish in Mexico, Spain and Ecuador I decided to take Maria up on her offer. I arrived Jan. 6 close to midnight. Victor and Maria welcomed me. While driving to their fantastic home Maria mentioned that they had three, that's 3! dogs. Ok, I thought, I like dogs. I was very thankful that they were not 3 cats. After the iron barred gate opened and we drove into their garage I could hear the 3 dogs. Everyone for the next few blocks could hear the dogs. They set off a chain of dog barking through out the neighborhood that sounded like feeding time at a sea lion show.

Well, surprise, surprise! All that noise was coming from 3 rather small ( briefcase size) dogs. The queen is Nieve ( snow in Spanish). She is all black and holds her head regally. She is the only indoor dog. The yard dogs are a brother and sister, Luna y Sol. They long to come inside the house but seldom do. Nieve delights in flaunting her status as the favorite. All night long they alert us to any hint of someone in the area. It is a gated community so the chance that someone might be wandering around is pretty remote. But the guard on his motor bike causes a commotion in their dogdom. Anyone for two or three streets around opening their barred gates alerts their little dog minds and they do their job with horrendously scary and prolonged barking. But one can get used to anything and now it doesn't even wake me up.

To call the house spectacular is an injustice. It looks like something out of a Hollywood movie set. It is big. No it is HUGE!. The most interesting thing is the starkness of it; the angular lines ( Victor is a mathematician), the geometric planes created by enormous glass windows, the all white walls, the Guanacaste wooden doors and steps, the 12 foot ceilings, the indoor garden, the paintings and sculptures all displayed with exquisite taste. And, yes, I have my own room and bath just as Maria promised.

So this week I have met with some of the Costa Rican DKG members. Anna is a librarian in a bi-lingual school. She took me to see a Basilica in Cartago. Ilsa, an elementary school Principal and Elizabeth took me to the rain forest. They all spoke excellent English. But yesterday I met Marta, the DKG Costa Rican state President and Miriam 1st VP. We went to Sarchi to see a very ancient factory where the colorful ox carts are made. They spoke virtually no English. Well, Marta tried but her English is about equal to my Spanish. Nevertheless, we had a wonderful time. All of these meetings are icing on the cake for me. Anna and Ilsa have invited me to come and visit their schools and speak to the children when I return from my studies in San Joaquin and Monteverde in 3 weeks. I am looking forward to that.

In truth I never dreamed when I join DKG 25 years ago that I would be doing what I am doing today. Life is full of surprises and delights. One just has to be open to find them.

Carolyn

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