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My writing development
At the beginning of the semester, I was hoping to improve my writing skills, because I have always been kind of dorky when it comes to doing this. However, with all the practice we have had, now I feel more confident about writing. I recognize that my first paragraph is redacted a bit poorly, in comparison to the last essay I did, which is good because it shows improvement.  Looking back, I enjoy the fact that all of the paragraphs are different, and so is my writing style, which also shows the different stages I went through as a student throughout this semester.  I can say that now it is not so difficult for me to find inspiration for writing, because it used to take me so long to find it, concentrate and organize my ideas well. I hope I can continue growing and improving my writing skills, now that I am not so afraid of it.

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Going to a waterfall on a tight schedule and tipsy

In November, 2021, I was with some classmates at my uncle’s cabin in La Paz, San Ramón. We were there because we needed to do some bird sampling for our ecology course. Our plan was simple: do a sample from 5:00am to 8:00am and then from 2:00pm to 5:00pm. However, around 11:00am I started to wonder: “what if we go to the waterfall that's near the cabin?” Someone told us the waterfall was 45 minutes away, so we thought that if we went fast enough, we could make it back in time for the second sampling, but it was a big shot.

We started packing some fruit, water bottles, rain capes and boots. However, once we were outside, we realized there were 8 of us and just one car. The wise thing to do was not to go, because that was too many people to fit in one car, but we already had our mind set, so we fit everybody in the car and started to drive. We were going slow, because of all the extra weight, but it was enough for the car to drive downhill just fine. Some of us were drinking some beers we had left in the cooler, because we thought it was going to be a smooth trail down to the waterfalls. 45 minutes later, we arrived at the entrance to La Danta; the rest of the road wasn’t safe for cars to drive on. So we left the car, took our bags and started walking (some of us being a little bit tipsy).

The family in charge of the place told us it was only 1km walking down the trail, so we were relieved, because we were on a tight schedule. We started walking down the trail and everything was beautiful. We saw a lot of birds and frogs and the landscape was gorgeous. 40, 45, and 50 minutes had passed and we had not arrived at the waterfall yet. By this time, we already knew we were not going to make it back to the cabin in time.

When we arrived everything was absolutely stunning; the waterfall was so big and mighty and the nature around us made us feel amazing, like taking all of these risks were worth it. And somehow, the beers we took helped us, because we couldn’t feel all the pain of walking down a trail for 1 hour (but don’t try this at home). We stayed there for half an hour, and then we started going up the trail, back to our car. We arrived at the cabin around 3:30pm, but we had no regrets at all, since we had a wonderful time.

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Dear Editor:
Yesterday I was reading in your economy  issue the interview with the new president of Costa Rica. I don’t really read anything concerning this man, because I don’t like him. However, I saw how he is planning to bring back the mining industry, which I think it’s a terrible idea, let me explain why.
The mining industry has been one of the most destructive industries in the world, especially in our country. Because the amount of petroleum used in their machinery contaminates the soil, the rivers, the ocean, the sea, the air, etc. The amount of contamination can kill over 6% of our biodiversity, which has massive consequences in the costarican society as we know it today.
You should’ve considered all of these issues before saying it officially to the whole country. Now that you know how terrible it would be to bring the mining industry back in Costa Rica, I ask you to a) let the president and the economy ministry know all of these consequences, and b) to make a clarification in your next issue, to let everyone know all of these information.
People deserve to know the whole truth about the projects the president wants to make in Costa Rica, because it’s a collective concern and we should be allowed to have a saying in these types of decisions. It’s really important to publish the complete story, the good and the bad, so we can take a formal stand about it. You ought to me more responsible next time.
Sincerely, Ruth Rivera.

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Why should you help others?

We live in a society, which means we are not alone in this world and we need others to survive, just as you need help once in a while, so does the rest of the world. Helping others, in a big way or a little way, can change their day and attitude. For example, it you give your seat in the bus to an old lady, she may feel relieved and grateful, because you don’t know if she has been walking or standing all day and she is feeling tired. Secondly, helping others can help you become more empathic, because you will not only understand other’s situation, but help them solve it or change it. For instance, if a friend tells you they don’t have anything to eat for dinner, you do nothing telling them “I understand you”, because even though they will appreciate feeling heard, they need help. Another reason is because you should treat others as you would like to be treated.  For example, if there has been a moment when you felt like you had no one to talk to, try being that friend to someone else, someone you may know is struggling. The final reason is not as important as the others; however, good actions may be returned to you, in the close or distant future. For example, think about the old lady in the bus, what if her stop is before yours and when she is leaving, she tells you to take your seat back? Because you helped her first and now, she wants to help you. Maybe this won’t happen every time, but sometimes people can surprise you. Helping others can feel so rewarding, because even if you get nothing back, you will know in your heart that you have made someone’s day better.

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How to Give Kids a Good Childhood

We may not notice it, but children are way more sensitive than we think. Parents often believe that their kids won’t feel pressured, afraid of disappointment, or anxious; but they can feel all of those things. Even though children’s sports competitions sound like it’s a good way to build discipline and character, it may have more disadvantages underneath the shiny exterior. Kids can feel pressured by their parents or coaches to be excellent, which can lead to them becoming perfectionists or super self-demanding. They can feel afraid of quitting or cutting back on practices because they don’t want to let anybody down. They may hide or cover up their injuries because they are afraid of missing out on practices or competitions, which leads to their injuries getting worse. Finally, they can have anxiety or panic attacks before a competition, since there are usually a lot of people in the audience and demanding judges. It’s a better choice to let children play sports in a casual and recreational way, because they can still get the benefits of an active life without the pain of big and exhausting competitions.

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The most delicious and nutritious breakfast

The easiest and tastiest dish I can make is a good and balanced omelette. When it comes to breakfast, eggs are the classic, can't-miss choice, but I don't like just regular eggs. I like a well-done omelette. This is a great choice because the ingredients are cheap and because it's a nice source of protein (because of the eggs and greens). The ingredients I like are: large eggs, milk, turkey ham, mozarella cheese, tomatoes, some spinach leaves, organic mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, green onions, salt, and a delicious avocado. With these ingredients you can see it's a balanced and colorful dish, which are important characteristics for breakfast. It's also fast to make: you whisk your eggs with the milk and the salt, then you put it in a hot pan and add all the other ingredients already chopped (except for the avocado). Next, you fold it in half, cook it a bit on both sides, and serve it with the avocado. The first meal of the day shouldn't be boring or dull to make, so I decided to turn it into something fun by making an omelette.

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In your life as a student, you will meet a lot of teachers, and it is important to make a good first impression on them. Those first seconds are crucial for setting the foundation of a good relationship and you need to have a good relationship with them because they are influential people in your life and, especially, in your grades. First, it’s important to have a good attitude and to be respectful, this will show that you are a good person. Second, they need to know that you are a good student, who can focus and be determinated. If you are talking to them, don’t talk poorly or gossip about your other classmates, because they may think that you don’t work well with others. Instead, show that you can work with others, by helping and being nice to them. Finally, don’t pretend you are better than them or that you know everything, it’s okay to ask questions and make mistakes. In the end, they are the ones who will grade you based on your effort and the amount of good work that you did; if you follow these steps, they will remember you as a good student.

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Hello, my name is Ruth Rivera. I was born in Grecia, but I moved with my family to San José when I was 6 years old. I am studying Ecological Tourism, so I love animals and being surrounded by nature. I adopted a bunny, her name is Venus, and she loves cuddles and strawberries. I love coffee, I started drinking it when I was 15 and since then I haven't been able to stop. I really like learning new languages, beside English, I'm also learning the costarrican sign language (LESCO), so I can communicate with deaf people. I'm happy to be taking this course.