These Horoscopes are meant to be fun and enjoyed. They should not be taken too seriously.
VIRGO – August 23-September 22
This month, someone named “Svlad” will appear at your door, carrying a large inflatable penguin and a bag of pistachio nuts. Despite your better judgment you will let him in. On Tuesday 2 people near you will engage in rubber band warefare, you will be caught in a crossfire and severely thwarped.
RULING GEMSTONE: SAPPHIRE
LIBRA – September 23-October 22
You will find yourself in a huge hand basket before the end of the day, and it will be getting much warmer than you like. Did you know that this month is the second to last month of the 19th segment of your life? Don’t question.
You don’t have to become a geek to know how wind power works
Wind is the result of the uneven heating of the Earth by the sun and the fact that temperatures are invariably attempting to reach an equilibrium (heat is obviously moving to a cooler area). With the rising price of energy and the damage to the environment from standard fuels, it is starting to be equitable to harvest this renewable resource.
The advantages of wind energy are that it’s virtually free (once you purchase the equipment) and there’s no pollution. The disadvantages include the fact it’s not a constant source (the speed varies and many times it is insufficient to produce electricity) and it typically requires about one acre of land.
Bienvenidos/Welcome to Quepolandia. Rain – Rain and more Rain maybe the motto for this 2 month issue but we don’t mind as it makes everything so very GREEN and cool…..we hope you can enjoy it along with us…..coming up Oct.2nd is the 4th Annual Chili Cook-off at LaHacienda Restaurante in MA – it’s a don’t miss fun afternoon to laugh and taste a lot of chili – We are happy that new owners Mark & Karen decided to continue the contest & hope that Tracy & Bill can come and enjoy the fun….it’s also time for Football again …you can watch your favorite team in many spots around town, Byblos in MA, Los Pescadores, El Gran Escape just to name a few…and for a laugh read Anita Kiesel’s story on becoming a cheerleader…..this is the time of year that many of our restaurants close for a period of time to allow their staff much earned vacation time – lucky for us they don’t close all at the same time – but it’s a good idea to check before you go…….Sept. 15th is Costa RicaIndependence Day – hope you get to see the parade thru Quepos with many marching bands, floats, & children in costume – don’t forget the camera –it’s a proud day for Costa Ricans and lots of fun to watch……….we would like to thank Jeff Anderson for our Heliconia regalis cover shot –what a beautiful flower – later this month check out our It’s Wonderful World of Plants article by Donna Porter for more on Heliconia – a very interesting plant…………… Sept. 5ththe Barefoot Church on the Beach begins–more info is available in the Community Bulletin Board toward the back ……when visiting our advertisers please mention that you found them in Quepolandia ………..and we hope you enjoy your stay with us and come back soon………ciao………P
The School “Centro Educativo Los Delfines” from Quepos; participated in the annually Olympic Race for children sponsored by Program Giving and Serving.
Josué the physical education teacher and parents took a group of children all the way to Coronado in San José at the Olympic Facilities. This participation was possible thanks to the financial support from Scott Cutter and Sol Scharf who provided private transportation for the kids and parents. The kids had a fantastic time and also had the opportunity to participate in the video clip that won the Central American Games San José 2013. Read More…
Filed under: Guest Writer Comments Off on “Giving and Serving” Program
The plethora of topical plants found within the borders of Costa Rica is truly one of the wonders that captivates its visitors and residents alike. It is amazing to discover the variety of places that a plant can actually situate itself and call “home”. I am sure anyone who pays any attention to our natural landscape, has been awed by the sight of seemingly hundreds of loosely vase-shaped plants nestled and dangling amongst the branches of some trees. At first observation one may think that this greenery is part of the actual tree, when in fact it is not. These are our native epiphytic-wonders called Bromeliads and there are an estimated 200 native species of Bromeliads alone in Costa Rica. Read More…
Oh, how I would love to be able to do exactly the opposite that the band Simple Minds had once suggested and forget Judd Nelson’s ridiculous wardrobe and how I had once mimicked it. Isn’t it surprising how corny 80’s movies like “The Breakfast Club” can seem so fresh in our minds, but here we are living in paradise and every day we battle with remembering the sheer beauty that surrounds us.
I came down here the same as most of us have, on a vacation that was simply too good to be true and now I am not sure if I could once again fare in the “real world”. I have recently opened up a tiki-bar on the beach not far from Manuel Antonio National Park that is a scene cut straight out of “Cocktail” (I really need to buy some new movies…), and I am once again a working man… if you can call it that.
Manuel Obregon is an incredible pianist and an incorrigible musicologist who has definitely found his calling in life and is now reveling in it. Even before he helped form the Central American music label Papaya Music, he showed signs of his calling when he became enamored by the music of Paraguayan guitarist Augustin Barrios Mangore’ and transcribed and interpreted the compositions to piano. Along with being a member of Malpais, arguably the most popular band in Costa Rica, playing original tunes in a new style I have dubbed “modern folkloric”, Obregon also commandeers the Orquesta de Papaya, a culmination of musicians and musical styles from all of Central America. His last recorded project, “Piano Malango” was a unique presentation of instrumental interpretations, meandering down the river of historic and famous Costa Rican, Nicaraguan and Panamanian songs.
These Horoscopes are meant to be fun and enjoyed. They should not be taken too seriously.
LEO – July 23- August 22
Those born in “Leo” have a tendency to find themselves in trouble, they are as corruptible and they are powerful, and will seek to gain an advantage in any way possible, either in business(loan sharking) or love(a relationship between 2 people) Good month to waste your life watching television.
RULING GEMSTONE: PERIDOT, JADE
VIRGO – August 23-September 22
More fun with twine this month, and do remember to hold your pinkie finger up when drinking tea. In this world you have a choice between being clever and being pleasant…I suggest pleasant.
As most of you know, a huge storm hit the Manuel Antonio and Quepos area in June, downing thousands of trees and branches, which in turn destroyed numerous monkey bridges.
The KSTR Monkey Bridge Crew went out several times to evaluate the damages, and found that a total of 32 bridges were affected by the storm, some of them partially damaged and many of them completely destroyed.
Bienvendio/Welcome -We are happy to have you visiting our corner of Paradise and reading Quepolandia . This is our “GreenSeason” so watch out for those afternoon showers as they can sometimes be quite heavy…..but even with a little rain you are sure to still have a great time…remember the insect repellent as we do have a few mosquitoes flying about – it also helps to take extra Vit B…………..Aug. 15th is Costa Rica’s Mother’s Day and it is a big event (as it should be!) so if you’re a Mom from somewhere else– go ahead and celebrate twice this year – some of the restaurants are sure to have a special menu on that day…. ….speaking of Mother’s Day…we thought this great cover photo of Mono Titi “Moms” and their little ones was very fitting….thanks to Joshua Horn that snapped this shot while visiting in Manuel Antonio at Jungle Creek Vacation Rental …….now the World Cup has come to an end – we trade “futbol” for “football” but you don’t have to worry – if you need a sports fix you’ll find big screen TV’s at several drinking establishments in town….whatever you choose to do….have fun, stay dry – be safe and come back soon…….ciao….P
When it comes to parties, no one does it better than people of the Latin culture. Spirits are high and conversations are animated, but best of all, the food is always delectable and the music upbeat and very danceable. None of these factors has was lost on Putumayo Music when they released their new album, appropriately titled “Latin Party”, a compilation of twelve modern, up-tempo songs from a varied reach of Latin regions and influences. Latin people are very proud of their heritage and I think this CD demonstrates how new musicians pay homage to their musical Latino roots, while putting their own spin on it.
Through Angel Villareal Bogarin’s hard work, initiative and leadership, the community of Matapalo has been strengthened in social infrastructure as he has inspired change and others to action. His participation as a community leader and his involvement with the Bandera Azul program, ASANA, as well as a liason for the Matapalo Beach Lifeguards has served as a grand example to other local Costaricans on the importance of being active community participants. His example has also shown the important role the private sector can indeed play to acheive stronger more united multi cultural communitities.
For first time readers to Making a Difference, here are the 4 principal and governing factors which allow our multi cultural community to become engaged.
1. Inspire Change.
2. Build Community.
3. Facilitate action.
4. Strengthen Engagement.
Here below ANGEL shares with us his current participation in community affairs.
The origins of the names of places are sometimes obvious and sometimes obscure. The stories of how the places in the south central coastal region got their names are often interesting and tell us something about the area where we live.
Many places in Costa Rica were named by the church and our region is no exception. Examples of these are San Isidro, San Juan de Dios and San Josecito. A few villages already had local names when the church decided to give them the name of a saint. In these cases the inhabitants didn’t always embrace the new name. Read More…
One of my first, and best, jobs was at Daiter’s Creamery & Deli in Kensington Market in Toronto. Daiter’s was a family-owned Jewish dairy that made the top quality cottage cheese, sour cream, farmer’s cheese, cream cheese, & yogurt. The deli was a busy, raucous place that sold dozens of types of cheese, cured meats, lox, herring salads, bagels, fresh-baked breads, new pickles, matzo crackers, gefilte fish; an unending feast for all the senses, especially for a budding foodie like me. The place was staffed mostly by high-school and college students and overseen by the family matriarch, Rene Daiter, who, when she wasn’t managing the store, spent endless hours cooking for her family…and for us kids. Read More…
VIRGO – August 23-September 22
LIBRA – September 23-October 22
LEO – July 23- August 22
