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.