Innholdsfortegnelse for May/June 2018 i Faces People, Places, and World Culture for Kids and Children

Costa Rica is known for its lush landscape and friendly people. Here are five facts to get you started on your adventure. 1. Costa Rica has been named the happiest country in the world by the New Economics Foundation (NEF) three times in the past decade. The NEF considers two main factors when deciding—the nation’s environmental efforts and an economy that serves all people. 2. Live the Pura Vida! Pass a Costa Rican on the street and he or she might greet you with “Pura Vida!” The expression means “pure life,” and reflects the country’s attitude that life should be enjoyable. 3. You say banana. I say plantain. Banana. Plantain. These fruits are closely related (cousins, actually), but they are not the same. Both are popular snacks in Costa Rica,…

Not once, not twice, but three times in the past decade, the New Economics Foundation (NEF) named Costa Rica the happiest country in the world. If you have ever lived in or visited Costa Rica, you probably aren’t surprised at its selection. People smile and welcome you. Lush, green plants and trees grow everywhere; tropical birds and lively wild creatures live naturally nearby. Comfortable year-round temperatures suggest you could stay there forever. Is that what happiness is? Different experts and groups define happiness in various ways. Some psychologists who study happiness have developed ways to measure how happy a person, group, or country appears to be. For an individual, many believe that working to make life better for others is an important key to happiness. For some, healthy habits—such as…

• Costa Rican oxcarts delight by bringing art to everyday chores. • Traditional oxcarts date to the mid-nineteenth century. They are often called carretas. •The carts were originally used to carry coffee beans and other goods. The goods were carried from central valleys, over mountains, and down to the coast of Puntarenas, a journey that could take 10 to 15 days. • Drivers might encounter sandy beaches, rocky mountains, and swampy roads. The spokeless wheels on the carts, a combination of designs from the Aztecs and the Spaniards, were designed to help drivers navigate tricky road conditions. • Early oxcarts were plain and simple. Slowly, decorating became a trend. Contests are held to judge the creative designs, which often include colorful flowers, portraits of people, and beautiful landscapes. • You…

Chicharones…carnitas…ceviche . . . and chop suey?! Costa Rican fare is a unique and delicious medley of fresh tropical foods and international flavors. This one-of-a-kind cuisine blends Latin American and Caribbean with European-style cooking techniques. The earliest chefs were the indigenous tribes. Farmers and hunters, they lived off the land. They cultivated maize, manioc, and beans and gathered loads of wild fruit. They fished and crabbed and hunted game such as boar, wild turkey, and even crocodile. The Spanish arrived at the turn of the 16th century, bringing with them not only their language and religion, but also a whole new host of flavors and foods. Flour, rice, dairy, and beef were introduced along with new spices and citrus fruits. Fast-forward several hundred years and the diet expanded again. In…

CHARACTERS: Narrator 1, Narrator 2, Narrator 3, The Great Spirit, Cardinal, Tropical Mockingbird, Wild Turkey, Quetzal Bird, Roadrunner Narrator 1: Many years ago, in Maya Land, the trees, butterflies, and birds were of different shapes and colors than they are now. Halach-Uinic, the Great Spirit, guarded over them all, and his word was law. One day, he called a meeting in the center of the forest. Great Spirit: I am tired of the constant chatter and fighting among the birds in this forest. The din is so loud that I cannot hear myself think. Therefore, I have decided that the birds must choose a king to keep the peace. Cardinal: That will be an easy contest. No other bird is as bright red and beautiful as I am. Look at…

Roland Tiensuu and his first- and second-grade classmates in Sweden sat, spellbound, as their teacher, Ms. Eha Kern, introduced them to the magical world of rainforests. They learned about cuddly sloths, brightly colored birds, poisonous frogs and snakes, and monkeys that swung from branches and howled. The year was 1987. Ms. Kern went on to describe how rainforests were being cut down and destroyed for farming and timber. The children watched a film, shocked by images of bulldozers toppling majestic trees. Despite being only nine years old and half a world away, they desperately wanted to help save the rainforests. But what could they do? Then Roland had an idea. “Why can’t we buy some rainforest?” It seemed farfetched. “You can’t just find a rainforest to buy,” Kern recalled saying.…

Dotted around the countryside, often nestled between rainforests and cascading waterfalls, lie some of the world’s last archaeological mysteries—the ancient Las Bolas. You probably won’t trip over them, but you may walk into one if you’re not paying attention—these enormous stone balls are sometimes as large as a horse. But how did these huge spheres get here? Who made them? And what are they for? Although the spheres have been around for hundreds of years, they were only recently rediscovered. And it’s all thanks to the banana. In the 1930s, the United Fruit Company needed to clear more jungle to expand its plantations. Believing them to be large rocks stuck in the dirt, workmen often bulldozed over the spheres. Legends of gold inside Las Bolas began to circulate, and people…

Costa Rica is a colorful, vibrant land, but its brilliance doesn’t stop at the landscape. In fact, the arts and crafts market of this country carries a magnificence of its own, while serving as a valuable reminder of the rich traditions of the area. The art of mask making has deep roots in the Costa Rican culture. Groups such as the Boruca Indians carve these distinctive masks from lightweight balsa or cedar woods using special tools. Masks measure approximately 8-18’’ in length and are painted bright, vivid colors. Dramatic animal likenesses are then created through fine detailing. Masks hold a special place in the Fiesta de los Diablitos, the Dance of the Spirits. During this 500-year-old tradition, individuals perform with the masks, and locals and tourists take part in a…

Costa Rica is known for its beautiful jungles. The country has been careful to set aside parks where the natural land and animals are protected. It is a country full of hills and mountains, wide-open beaches with waves rolling in, waterfalls and jungles crowding together. These are all filled with animals that may surprise you. It’s where the animals of North America meet the animals of South America. If you ever have a chance to visit, you may experience the sound of howler monkeys making a crazy racket in the treetops as the sun rises or see a pair of macaw parrots gliding in the sky. It is these beautiful scenes that tourists try to capture with their cameras and artists try to depict on canvases. You can give it…