Laughing Cow

Last year, we struggled a bit with the food options in this area of Costa Rica. Unlike the capital, San José, with its larger international population, Atenas doesn’t have any real selections of ethnic foods. We enjoy casados and gallo pinto but sometimes we need variety. And to add to the challenge, Mélanie and I are vegetarian and Costa Rican cuisine caters to the carnivore. If you are a chicken or a pig, you should stay far away from this country.

Now that the highway is open, we can more easily purchase ethnic and vegetarian options in the grocery stores in the outskirts of San José.

Middle Eastern

Veggie burgers

We have even found “La Vache qui Rie” to quench our needs for spreadable cheese. (This laughing cow is so popular worldwide that we have been able to find “La Vache qui Rie” in small towns in Vietnam, like Hội An.)

Bug of the Week

I don’t want to sound like a wuss but I nearly puked when the kids pointed out this bug on the screen door right next to our dining room table.

Black Vultures

Vultures have the unfortunate reputation of being dirty. The truth is that they not only clean up everybody else’s mess by consuming carcasses that would otherwise encourage diseases and pests such as rats, but they also are meticulous in washing themselves, finding water to bathe in daily when they can. (Source)

These large black birds are often hovering ominously in the sky above our house searching for carrion and then stop to perch in the tree right in front of our deck.

 

Make sure you hit the pool

When we moved to Costa Rica 8 months ago, Gabriel was very nervous around water. I wouldn’t say that he was scared the way that he was when he was really little but he still lacked confidence.

In this hot climate, Gabriel spends an inordinate amount of time in water when he is not in school. He is now over his discomfort of swimming to the extent that we have to remind him that when he makes those kamikaze jumps into the pool, he needs to make sure that he lands inside the water and doesn’t overshoot the pool completely.

And speaking of pool, here are pictures of our two “sun princesses”.

Crêpe

There is nothing like a homemade crêpe to Frenchify your Costa Rican morning.

The Grammys

I would love to have a transcript of many of the conversations that our children have amongst themselves. I happened to overhear this exchange today between Léah and Gabriel.

Background: The Grammys were on in Costa Rica today nearly a full 2 weeks after they were aired at the end of January. They were dubbed in Spanish so that might account for the delay.

(Léah heads outside this morning to tell the two younger ones.)

Léah: Tonight’s “The Grammys”!

Gabriel: What’s “The Grammys”?

Léah: You know… Taylor Swift, Céline Dion…

Gabriel: What about “High School Musical”?

Léah: *Not* “High School Musical”…

Gabriel: Michael Jackson!

Léah: No, he won’t be there. Céline will be singing for him. (Pause) We are going to be eating popcorn in front of the show.

Gabriel: Oh my G-d! I love to eat popcorn in front of the show.

(10 second pause)

Gabriel: What about “The Jonas Brothers”?

(End of conversation)

Both High School Musical and The Jonas Brothers are properties of Disney which clearly indicates that the Disney Empire own the hearts of today’s youth.

Fiestas de Cumpleaños

Birthdays are a big deal in Costa Rica. This past weekend, we attended a birthday party that had horseback riding, relay races, face-painting, and a number of other activities.

 

One of the best ideas at the party was the loot bag – each of the kids “fished” for guppies to take home.

The kids named their fish (in order from left to right):

- Iron Man: Gabriel’s

- Sushi: Léah’s

- Bottom: Naimah’s (for the first few days, it insisted on staying at the bottom of the tank)