Ortonville- Isabela Llanso, 10, experienced snow for the first time last week, as well as Easter American-style.
Isabela and her mother, Alejandra Monge, Costa Rican residents, were in the area for a few days to visit Kay and Lou Williams of Brandon Township and their daughter, Lisa LemMon of Goodrich. Monge was an exchange student with the Williams family nearly 30 years ago, and although this is her fifth time returning for a visit, it was her first time back in 12 years. She also brought her mother, Maria Ines.
‘I wanted Isabela to see the differences in our Easter and theirs,? said LemMon.
‘We have different traditions,? Monge explained. ‘Our holidays are centered more on religion. (Costa Rica) is 90 percent Catholic and is centered around church… It doesn’t seem like the same holiday here.?
While here, Isabela made a snowman, dyed Easter eggs with LemMon’s family, went on an Easter egg hunt, had her picture taken with the Easter Bunny and visited Frankenmuth, where she shopped with her mother at Bronner’s Christmas store. Isabela also attended class at Oaktree Elementary in Goodrich.
‘People here are very kind,? she said. ‘I liked it so much, the way they teach here. I like that they had a microphone and everyone can hear.?
Monge said that in Costa Rica, schools have longer days scheduled? from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and two days a week, students stay two hours later, until 5 p.m. While the same books are used in her country, the classes are more relaxed and teachers are less strict here.
Monge, 45, spoke no English when she arrived in Brandon Township as an exchange student for the 1979-1980 school year.
‘It was hard in the beginning,? she recalls. ‘It was a different culture, different food, I didn’t understand what people were saying… School was different. In Costa Rica, you have to take the classes the government says. I only chose classes that I liked here, except I had to take government.?
Monge describes Costa Rica as a very small country with not as many opportunities, and said her year as an exchange student in the United States was the beginning of success in her life. After she left, she could speak English fluently, had good-paying jobs, and went to college, where she studied public relations and sociology. She now lives in San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica, and works for American Express.
‘It’s great having them here, we get a lot more talking done,? said LemMon, adding that Isabela may have to come back to experience Halloween here. ‘I bet she’d really like it.?