Last Day of Hard Work

Mission on the Go!

1. Finalize and translate the power point, agenda and registration and application forms into Spanish.

2. Practice presentation

3. Decide on the best content from the UN Website to use with the participants, in response to their queries.

Since the morning, we continued what we have been tasked to do, rotating shift sometimes, and we put together copies of all the necessary documents in a package; ready to distribute to the participants who attend the conference. As a result, we had lunch late and we went home late ~__~!

"All we can hope for is to impress the participants as much as we can…"

By The Members and edited by Sudarat and Cindy

Third Day of Work

We are in good shape!

On 6 June, the phone calling continued, there were several more acceptances to the invitation to the breakfast. Professor Lee and Abdulmohsin went to the Barcelo San Jose Palacio Hotel to discuss and settle all requirements for the meeting. They rejected two rooms before settling on the third. A contract was issued to provide breakfast and meeting facilities for 41 persons. Government officials were contacted by UNDP and our team.

By the afternoon, the presentation was taking shape and the sign-up sheet was finished (in English). It was agreed that the meeting was going to be taped and discussed with officers of the center to materialize this task. Cindy would be asked to assist on this.

After discussion the following tasks for the meeting were distributed:

1. Registration desk and welcoming of participants by Brenda and Clarice
2. Computer access for participants for questions at the resource desk by Brenda and Clarice
3. Prepare an Informal Translation (into Spanish) of NGO/DPI application form to provide to participants by Brenda and Abdulmohsin
4. Resource Desk and Power Point by Sudarat
5. Filming presentation/interaction by Cindy
6. Informal Question and answers about availability of documents/leaflets/etc.; follow up to our presentation by Cindy
7. Presentation of power point by Fabiola and Abdulmohsin, following an introduction by Phyllis Lee

By The Members

Second Day of Work

Working in Progress...

On 5 June, Fabiola had made about 70 phone calls and had to request (via Sudarat and Clarice and Brenda) Professor Lester Wilson to re-send several invitations by e-mail and by fax. He added a few more NGOs to the list to be contacted. There were few successful responses to the invitation on the first day. Cindy and Abdulmohsin worked all day in outlining the presentation and preparing the first draft. UNDP was contacted and Ms. Sofia Torres helped in finding addresses of NGOs in the list whose address was not clear. The Resident Coordinator was pleased with his talking points.

By Fabiola Knight and Clarice Luzia

First Day of Work

At Global College - Costa Rica Center

We received a warm welcome from Sarah, Marci and her staff at Friends World Program and a full briefing on practical points to get around in San Jose, Heredia and the surrounding neighborhoods, with the host families, and at the center.

We then met separately to plan the tasks ahead, to ensure a successful leading to the breakfast meeting on 8 June 2007 at the Barcelo San Jose Palacio (at 8am).

The tasks were listed as follows and members of the team were assigned.
Deadlines were given:

1. Call NGOs on the list who had been invited to follow-up on the invitation, by Mrs. Fabiola Knight
2. Prepare the first draft of the Power Point presentation to be delivered at the meeting, Mr. Abdulmohsin Alojaili and Cindy Narcisse
3. List of acceptances, preparation of sign up sheet (with logos) by Brenda Monterroso and Clarice Luzia
4. Coordinate with UNDP/San Jose, Professor Wilson in LIU by Clarice Luzia
5. Computer issues and blog by Sudarat Adirek
6. Coordination with the Resident Coordinator, preparation of his introduction remarks and arrangements for the 8 June meeting by Professor Lee.
7. Agenda by Clarice Luzia
8. Documents/booklets/leaflets control and distribution by Abdulmohsin

By Clarice Luzia and Fabiola Knight

The Real Journey Begins!

"Beautiful Sunday"

Sunday morning, we make the first contact with Abdul and Brenda, the latest arrival. Abdul invited us to go out in order to check out the city. But Brenda decides to stay with the host family for the day. First, we have delicious Mexican lunch at the Mall in Heredia. Then we go to the center of San Jose and visit "Museo: Banco Central de Costa Rica". After a while walking around the center of San Jose, we stop by at the mall having coffee and dessert. Actually, before we have coffee, members of Abdul's host family drive us to the highest point of the city to enjoy the spectacular view of San Jose. After coffee, Abdul and Sudarat go to the supermarket in order to purchase the umbrellas due to we are in the season that rain pours down everyday. Finally, we end up having dinner at "Fresas", a restaurant near the LIU Center in Heredia since we have already have a long journey today. What a beautiful Sunday we have!!!

By Clarice Luzia and Sudarat Adirek

First day in Costa Rica!

"The 3 Pioneers"

Cindy, Clara and I are the first group to arrive at Costa Rica International
Airport. We arrive on the same flight from New York. It is different from
something I think I would see regarding airport architecture. It looks very
modern, clean, and busy which reminds me of JFK in NYC. After we pass
through customs, we are impressed by the large number of bright orange
taxis that are lined up in front of the arrival exit to pick up the passengers who were traveling to this nice little country.

In the airport, there are several shops selling local handicrafts and the way they decorate
the shops is very impressive. The colors they use are a combination of
bright and natural colors which give us some energy after the 5-hour flight.
Also, the decoration style is like a jungle that represents their famous
rain forest and vast variety of biodiversities. However, we encounter a
little problem, which is that we cannot find the one who comes to pick us up
(Marci) because she put the sign on the window of the arrival exit after we
are outside out and we cannot go back inside.

Hours pass. Brenda's flight from Miami is delayed but we still have hope so
we decide to wait for both Brenda and Marci. A little later, we cannot just
wait any longer by not contacting Marci, so we go all the way to the
departure terminal to buy the domestic phone card that works with the public
telephones at the airport (they have several public telephones that use
coins but they are all broken). Finally, we are able to call the center.
Oscar picks up the phone and he contacts Marci for us right away.

Half an hour later, Sarah and Marci arrive but Brenda still does not show up
so we go to the center, take some rest, and our host families come to pick
each of us up one by one. Accordingly, I was informed before I arrived in
Costa Rica that each host family will accommodate 2 people (1 Spanish
speaker and 1 non-Spanish speaker) but it turns out that I, a non-Spanish
speaker, end up staying alone with the Costa Rican family, who understands
very little English. This is definitely a real challenge for me to survive
in this Spanish speaking country of Costa Rica...

By Sudarat Adirek