Our House!

Questions from Sea Girt Students #3 (Part 2)

Continued...

Hey PeteMan! How's the weather? I hope that Costa Rica is treating you well. I think that it was fantastic that you were able to visit our small-town school to teach us. If you have any more amazing encounters/pictures feel free to write them down for us to see! I hope that you enjoy your adventures!

Sincerely, Sea Girt 6th Grade 

I sure will! 

I’m also combining this weather question with the next one:

Hi Peteman,

Thank you for coming to our school we enjoyed it. You were really funny. How is Costa Rica? Is it fun there? Also how is the weather?

From

Charlie 6 grader from Sea Girt 

Right now it is hot ...and I love it. Melana does too, she just doesn’t know it yet. Today it’s not as hot as it’s been, but it is 30°C with 66% humidity. Making today nice and cool. The weather’s not actually too bad, but our house has a tin roof and it gets pretty hot in there, I’d say over 45°C some days. Remember, we don’t have air conditioning and only just bought a fan last week.

Hi Peteman,

I wanted to thank you for coming to visit us 6th Graders at Sea Girt Elementry School. I was wondering.....Does it take a lot to tend and care for the farm and animals?

Thanks, 

Nina 6th Grade

Like taking care of any pet, animals need to be fed, and cared for. The pigs probably take the most work because, unlike the chickens, dogs, cats, horses and cows, they are not allowed to roam around and must be fed and cleaned regularly. Personally, I don’t do too much with the animals, but every once in a while I will help to milk a cow or hop on a horse to move the herd around. 

Thanks for coming to our school, PeteMan. I have two question for you. First, how is Costa Rica doing for you? Second, you know what's weird? Donald Duck never wore pants. But whenever he got out of the shower, he'd put a towel around his waist. What's up with that? 

I love Costa Rica! 

You know what’s really weird? Pluto is Micky’s dog but Micky isn’t Pluto’s mouse…. what’s up with THAT?

Dear PeteMan, 

Thank you for visiting our school. I just have one question about your job. Where do you think you will go after Costa Rica? 

From, 

Connor, 6th grader

Has my mom been talking to you? 


After I finish here, I hope to go and work for one of my mentors, Simon Norton, doing youth programing. Last summer, we worked with teens from the UK, Ireland, Iraq and the US to talk about how young people can make a difference in conflict and post conflict situations. 

I am also looking into experimental forms of classroom techniques to make education more engaging. 

So it looks like education in one way or another is in my future. I hope I get a chance to talk about it with all of you some day! (maybe after I write my thesis)

Whatever I do, I want to make sure that I’m making a positive difference in the lives of young people.

Thanks again for all your questions! Also, thank you to those who wrote me Thank-yous! I really appreciate it!

Coming soon... a tour of my house!

Questions from Sea Girt Students #3 (Part 1)

Hey, everyone! Thanks so much to the 6th and 7th graders at Sea Girt School for your questions. I really enjoyed speaking with your class and am looking forward to corresponding with you in the future. 

I want to give a special quick note to the 7th graders. Great job with your understanding of microfinance! I think you understood the concept faster than some of the adults that I’ve introduced it to. Any of you think you want to study economics?

First off thank you very much for coming to our school and teaching us about economics and stuff, it was very interesting. Also one question do you enjoy skiing or snowboarding?

Sincerely,

Sea Girt Students 

I have tried both and am bad at both. I think I like skiing better because after I snowboard I can’t sit down for a week. I’m more of a warm weather kind of guy.

 ...ouch. It hurts just to think about it. 

Hey Peteman,

Thanks for coming to Sea Girt Elementary School. We learned very much about the Peace Corps and what micro-finance is. The pictures of Arizona is the Grand Canyon. When you were talking about the baby animals, what happens to them after they are born?

P.S. The fish feeding at the bottom was fun to use! :D

Sincerely, Tim 

Most of the babies get sold. Pigs sell very well because they grow to be very big. Piglets sell for about $50-$60.We kept 3 of the piglets to let them grow to use them for making more piglets and pork.

Puppies can be sold for about $20 each because people use them to guard their houses and protect their livestock. 

Kittens, calfs and chicks are usually left to grow up. Calfs that grow into cows can be used for milk and to make more calfs before being sold while kittens are kept as pets and chicks are used for eggs and meat. 

Hi Peteman,

Its Marietta and Paige at Sea Girt Elementary School. We were wondering if you were scared of any type of animals that you see a lot???

I REALLY don’t like spiders! That’s pretty much it. I’ve always been afraid of spiders. I just freeze up when I see them. 

Melana, however, has a larger repertoire of animals she doesn’t like. Any large insect, snake, spider, centipede,  or scorpion will pretty much make her do a panic dance. This means that I find myself in the position of having to remove these critters from the house. 


EDIT: We found a rat in the house and Melana has tasked me with disposing of it. I'll let you know if I ever catch it. I've never seen it but Melana says it's BIG.

Hi Peteman,
Thanks for taking time to come teach us about microfinancing. Really interesting stuff. About the pics, were you flying with Peace Corps or commercially? Those pictures are really awesome. We've never seen that clearly out of a plane and seen cool things like mountains and canyons. Thank you again, Sea Girt 7th Graders. 

I am combining this question with the following:


Peteman, 

As i am looking at your photos i am wondering if you were in a normal commercial airplane or you were in a smaller plane that flies lower to the ground? 

Thank you, chip. 

I’m glad you enjoyed it. I was flying commercially, the pictures I took were out of a Delta issued Boeing 737-800 aircraft. PCVs always fly using commercial US carriers. In an effort to support the economy. In fact, I believe all non-military flights are mandated by congress to be commercial US carriers for all government business. 

I rarely see that clearly either, which is why I took the pictures! I think it was just a really clear day.

Dear Peteman,

We really enjoyed you time here in our class,we learned a lot and had a splendid experience. Therefore, we wanted to ask you a question. Are the farm babies only born this time of year?

Sicerely,

Julia & Torey 

Primarily Spring is the time when animals have their babies. They do this so the babies have plenty of time to get strong before the next winter. However, the seasons are different here in Costa Rica. The animals seem to have their babies in the middle of the dry season. That way, as soon as their old enough to fend for themselves, there’s plenty of food at the beginning of the wet season. Because there is really no time of year when there is a uniform food shortage (like winter in temperate climates) babies are born for different species all year round.

Peteman,

Thank you for coming into my class and teaching us about what the Peace Corps does. I am doing a project on John F. Kennedy and I was wondering if the Peace Corps gives him and recognition? 

Absolutely, it was JFK’s presidential order that created the US Peace Corps. This year marked the 50th anniversary of our organization and, to celebrate we recognized both President Kennedy and Robert Sargent Shriver, Jr. who was the driving force behind the creation of the Peace Corps. In fact, Sargent Shriver (as he’s more commonly known) took the model for Peace Corps training from the Experiment in International Living, an organization of World Learning. This is extra important to me because SIT World Learning is also where I’m getting my Master’s degree!

Hello Peteman,

Those animals were adorable, especially the pigs! I was wondering if that was you farm or if any of the animals were yours?

Melana has claimed one of the dogs as her own. Other than Lisa (the dog), all of the other animals belong to the family on whose land we live.

Puppies!!

Answers still in progress!

Cute picture

Melana and Alexa say hi!




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Miami

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More airplane pictures

Not as clear but still pretty! This is the southern tip of Florida.

While I was in NJ I spoke at Sea Girt school. I would like to thank the 6th and 7th grades for being such great audiences.

Also, I would like to extend a special thanks to Mrs. Lawlor for inviting me to speak and for making room for correspondence amid a very rigorous schedule.

I am very excited to answer your new questions. I will get on that as soon as I get back to my house.

Bird's Eye View

I've recently had to fly to California due to a family emergency. On the way, we flew though one of the clearest days i've ever seen from an airplane. Here are some of the pictures we took.


This is Arizona. Any idea what this is a picture of?





And the following are Colorado.