VISITING COSTA RICAN STUDENTS FIND DIFFERENCES HERE

Things were very different than 14 Costa Rican students visiting Notre Dame Regional High School expected this week.

Take for instance the lack of snow. Susanna Chinchilla, 16, gave up three weeks of her summer vacation to come to the United States so she could see snow for the first time.

She wasn't alone: Only one of the students has ever seen snow, and all said they were disappointed by the unseasonably warm weather.

"We're supposed to have snow," said Chinchilla. "It is very warm in Costa Rica."

That wasn't all that was different for the students, who are in the United States as part of the three-week School Partners Abroad program to experience American culture and practice their English-speaking skills.

They have been amazed by the number of cars, teen-age drivers and household appliances they've seen. And the low cost of gas and electronic gadgets has surprised them as has the American partiality to fast food.

"Food is very expensive," said Daniel Barrantes, 15. "I was surprised how some things are more expensive and other things are so cheap. "Here you eat a lot of junk food, but back home it's more home-cooked meals."

Viviana Binns, 16, was surprised by the large size of stores and the lack of public transportation. She said she also misses the free periods built into Costa Rican school days.

"We had two recesses in the morning for 10 minutes, lunch time for 40 minutes and a five-minute recess in the afternoon," said Binns. "Our high school is so small, and we all know each other."

The students attend a bilingual school about 30 miles northeast of San Jose, Costa Rica, and are proficient in English, said Rubierth Hidalgo, the teacher who is traveling with them. Their school features a rigid course load that touches on some 18 subjects, including three English classes, each week.

This is very different from American schools, where high school students generally are allowed to choose their courses and have fewer than 10 subjects each semester.

Hidalgo said the SPA program differs from a traditional exchange program because of its short duration and emphasis on educational and cultural exchange. The experience forces students to use their second language to interact with their host families or while they attend classes or social events.

"The idea is to have a three-year relationship with a school so they can share a part of their culture, a part of their lives with the Americans," he said. "It goes both ways, because the Americans also share their culture and lives."

Students said they did not expect the earnest attitudes they have encountered in classrooms and sports arenas.

"Everyone is so serious," Barrantes said. "Relationships are more serious, and they act more serious in the classroom. We are not so much in Costa Rica."

Wilmer Mendez, 16, noticed a seriousness among athletes. "I was looking at the practice, and it was very, very hard," he said. "In Costa Rica it's not that serious."

The students said they want people to know they don't live in a wilderness. Since their arrival they have been dismayed by questions about whether they have indoor plumbing, electricity, televisions, cars or other items commonly found in industrialized countries.

"I don't really know if it's a matter of ignorance or just closed-minded ideas," said Hidalgo. "I've visited some classes, and I think people focus a lot on the American culture and not enough on other cultures. That's a big difference from Costa Rica."

This is Notre Dame's first year in the program. Spanish teacher Donna Zahner said she will escort a group of Notre Dame students to Costa Rica in June for a reciprocal trip.