Back Abroad

Roxbury Latin resumes summer immersion programs

This summer marked the return (after two years) of Roxbury Latin’s long-standing—and often transformative—cultural immersion programs. Shortly after final exams end and the school celebrates its newest graduates, dozens of RL students and their faculty chaperones fly to countries abroad to experience life, language, and learning in other parts of the world. This summer, students again traveled to Caen, France, and to Cádiz, Spain, for month-long visits, which involve homestays with local families and academic work in their elected modern language. This June, eleven RL boys also traveled to Costa Rica for two weeks, where they learned and enjoyed much about the local people and culture, food and language, industry and natural landscape. Read students’ firsthand accounts and view photos from their adventures, as posted in their RL travel blogs.

France

First Day of Classes

by Lucas Vander Elst | June 7, 2022

Today was our first full day of French immersion, and it was jampacked with lots of activities! After eating a small breakfast with my host family that mainly consisted of a baguette and yogurt, I left the house for the first day of classes at the University of Caen. Many of us arrived by public transport, which is called “Twisto” here. We all met at the University groggy and a little nervous. After learning a little about the three French royal dynasties, we set out with our teacher Romain for L’Abbaye aux Dames, an abbey from the 11th century that housed Benedictine nuns. There, we received a tour and learned all about the abbey’s architecture and the long process of becoming a Benedictine nun in the 11th century. After some lunch at the University Cafeteria—it was really cool to eat surrounded by college students—most of the group played beach volleyball at the University’s courts. It was a tight match, but my team came out with the win!

In the afternoon, we visited L’Abbaye aux Hommes, which is the “brother abbey” of the one we visited in the morning. While the morning’s abbey was strictly for nuns, this one was used by monks. We visited the church, and I can confidently say that we were all stunned by the sheer size and grandeur of the whole building—to think that people would climb 250 feet on ladders and scaffolding and build architectural masterpieces is crazy! Finally, we capped off our day with a scavenger hunt around the city and a pleasant dinner at a small restaurant. In fact, our group of about 20 people had the entire restaurant to ourselves for the night. Overall, I’d say that our first full day of immersion was a success! I was talking with the group earlier today, and I speak for everyone when I say we can’t wait to visit Bayeux tomorrow and see the famous tapestry of Bayeux. //

D-Day Landing Beaches

by Joseph Wang | June 18, 2022

Our trip to France so far has been full of fun and excitement: (daily) trips to the local artisan ice cream spot, dynamic volleyball rallies, and enough beautiful chapels and castles to go around. But this past Saturday gave us a unique opportunity to think more deeply about our own lives and the sacrifices made by those who came before us.

The day began at 9 a.m., as the group piled onto a tour bus. As we sped through the streets of Caen and out of the city, we learned about France’s history in the years before and during World War II, as well as the logistics behind the D-Day (Jour J) landings. Before we knew it, we had arrived at the first of the five landing beaches: Omaha. Contrary to some expectations, it wasn’t a grand scene. In fact, each of the historic landing sites could have passed as just another beach. Yet something about them struck us. As I looked up to the muted blue sky, I couldn’t help but imagine a fatally wounded soldier, perhaps only one or two years older than we are right now, spending his final moments on Earth staring up at that same sky. His silent sacrifice, now almost 80 years in the past, provides each of us an opportunity to live our lives in peace and freedom.

During our tour of the landing sites, we also had the opportunity to explore the bunkers that were used to fend off the Allied landing, which included wreckage of tanks and artillery used in the original battle. According to trip tradition, the whole group (with some help from Mr. Diop) managed to climb on top of a bunker to take a group photo. Everyone made it down, too, although not without the suggestion of remaining on top (where the adults couldn’t reach) until the curfew was pushed 30 minutes later. After enjoying a delicious picnic lunch packed by our host families, it was back onto the bus for the next visit of the day.

Our destination was the Normandy American Cemetery, where we were welcomed into a luscious courtyard surrounded by a sprawling wall inscribed with the names of American soldiers who went MIA during combat in Normandy during WWII. As we walked past exhibits of maps detailing the liberation of Normandy, there was a collective aura of shock as rows and rows of crosses emerged, all neatly organized in columns against the backdrop of the flowing greenery. To me, that was the moment where the casualties suffered in WWII became more than just a statistic. As the rows of crosses continued it dawned on me that each one of

them marked the loss of a unique soldier. I’m reminded now of the inscription on the graves of those whose bodies could not be identified: HERE RESTS IN HONORED GLORY A COMRADE IN ARMS KNOWN BUT TO GOD.” John 15:13 says “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Even though their lives may be unnamed and unrecognized, their sacrifice will be marked within the gates of heaven. //

La Traversée et Le Mont-Saint Michel

by Mark Anderson | June 24, 2022

We woke up early this morning to a small farewell from our host families at Vissol, after spending yesterday with them buying souvenirs and packing for Paris and the flight home. We slept through a long bus ride from Vissol to the start of the walk to Mont Saint-Michel. When we finally got there, we could see Mont Saint-Michel in the distance. We met up with our guide, who explained the trek and that we would all have to be barefoot because of the terrain.

As we took our first steps, we realized that the ground was mostly mud… it was going to be a long walk. Along the way, our guide described the history of Mont Saint-Michel. It was a destination for pilgrimages dedicated to the Archangel Michael, the leader of heaven’s army who is also the final judge between good and evil. The ground squelched under our feet. Half of the boys hated it and the others found it nice, like a spa experience! One of the main things that had us intrigued was the special shells that came with a backstory. Our guide explained that if you pick up one of these shells and touch it to the rocks of Mont Saint-Michel, you will have good luck for the next seven years. On the other hand, if you broke your shell, you would be cursed for all eternity. With this gamble in mind, many of us chose to take shells and try our best to keep them safe for the rest of our journey.

When we finally made it to Mont Saint-Michel, we split up to eat, and I enjoyed a homemade sandwich and a jus de pomme. We then climbed to the top for a guided tour of the Abbaye. We took in the beautiful view of the surrounding land from the top, and our guide taught us about the old traps, the history, the crypt, and even the prison. Even though I could have explored this place for hours, it was time to take the bus to Saint-Malo, where we would stay the night. On arrival, we had dinner together at a crêperie. The ham, egg, and cheese crêpe was absolutely delicious, and a dessert of either a crêpe caramel or assorted ice cream was divine. Even though this day was really long and eventful, it was one of the most enjoyable days of the trip, and our first day in a while being together for dinner instead of with our host families. //

Spain

Sábado 11 de Junio

by Ammar Elawad

Our first night in Granada was behind us, and the day started with breakfast and a walk toward the fortress of La Alhambra. It was about a 20-minute walk, and it was very hilly. (La Alhambra is at the top of the city). We toured the fortress, and it was easily my favorite tour of the trip.

The Alhambra is a man-made fortress built by the Muslims in the time when they were conquering Spain. I recall studying about it in middle school, so I was familiar with some of the history we were told during the tour. Last night I saw the fortress from afar, and I was curious about how it would look inside… my expectations were exceeded. The fortress was so large and beautiful, and our tour guide emphasized the greatness of the building and what it symbolized. He talked to us about the things Muslims at that time brought to the world that are still used, like algebra, counting systems, and more.

After our tour and some free time, we went to an Arabian restaurant where we were served Arabian tea and pastries. Then we continued toward a restaurant where we had a great

three course dinner followed by a flamenco show. The show consisted of exotic tap dancing with upbeat cultural Spanish music. It was in a man made cave, which made it a more intimate environment. The cave echoed whenever the crowd clapped while yelling “Olé!!” //

Jueves 16 de Junio

by Dror Ko

Today in school, we discussed the topic that we had been assigned to ask our Spanish host families about: What the city of Cádiz does to protect or to harm the environment, and its efforts (or lack thereof) against climate change. In small groups we worked on making our own non-government organizations dedicated to fighting climate change in some unique way. My group’s organization was called Los Salvabosques, meaning “the forest protectors.” Each group made a decorative poster for their project and presented the details of their organization to the group. During recess we played basketball in the schoolyard—again in front of many interested spectators.

Later we went on a small field trip to a nearby market where we saw new types of seafood and produce that we had talked about in class. One particular fish is called “Bienmesabe” which literally means “it tastes good.” We picked up some of the food and had a midday snack as a group. Caracoles (snails), camarónes (shrimp), and choco (squid) were among the types of seafood that we tried.

We had some free time to explore the city before lunch with our families and our fishing activity. I went to the Santa María beach, which is practically adjacent to the school.

At 3:30, we met on the pier where we fished over the railing into the bay. The methods of the fishermen of Cádiz were different from those that some of us were accustomed to. The fishermen used a piece of moist white bread as bait and lured fish toward the area by throwing a type of moist flour and cheese mixture into the water. While Matt Bastardi and I didn’t see a single fish, Jed Dougherty and Abe Jacoby each caught multiple. Matt and I struck up a conversation with a local passerby who was convinced that we were not only using the wrong method but also fishing in the wrong place. The rest of the day was ours to hang out and explore the city. Some people went to the gym, some people went for ice cream, and some did both. We each coordinated our plans for dinner with our families and eventually dispersed to our homes by Bonobús (the T) or by foot. //

Jueves 20 de Junio

by Ryan Lin

Today officially marks the halfway point of our ever-eventful and colorful stay in Cádiz. So far, the trip has flown by in a whirlwind of beach time, ice cream, and occasional Spanishlanguage challenges. But all in all, it has been an incredible experience full of personal growth and enriched friendships. I’m especially grateful for my host family, a loving pair of grandparents who’ve accepted and cared for me wholeheartedly despite some of my quirky habits. They particularly don’t understand why I love going to the gym, and they believe my daily cold showers are a “barbaridad.”

Today was a little special because school was being conducted in the streets of the Casco Antiguo (the old part of Cádiz). When we met up at the Cathedral, everyone was buzzing to talk about his day spent with his host family. It was quite a surprise to see such a lively bunch, especially for a Monday. The lesson today involved a tour of different historical monuments throughout the city. We started at the Arco de la Rosa. It’s a fragment of the city’s ancient fortress wall, which I personally thought was super cool because it was a defensive trap. It had holes that were camouflaged from a distance. Through these holes the people of Cádiz used to drop rocks on unprepared enemy heads. What a nasty surprise! Next, we visited La Casa de Almirante, the house of an admiral that used to serve as a lookout.

After reconvening and sharing our newfound knowledge with the rest of the group, we set out for the Teatro Romano de Cádiz, one of the most important historic sites in all the city. I was especially excited to see this one because I gave a presentation about it in Sr. Ryan’s 9th grade class. (Shoutout that class for being great, and shoutout Sr. Ryan for being even greater!) This Roman Theater was commissioned by Julius Caesar himself, with the help of the extremely wealthy Bilbao family. It was also the first Roman Theater in all of Spain to be built of stone. It was an awesome time.

After a great lunch with our host families, which for me was roast chicken (the people of Cádiz sure can cook!) our little army of Americans joined forces once again to take on the most important challenge of the whole trip: painting!!! With the help of master instructor Cecilio Chaves, the most celebrated painter in contemporary Cádiz, we each attempted to paint our own classic Cádiz watchtower. Sr. Chaves was genuinely unbelievable. We tried to keep up with him to no avail, but we all ended up with works we were proud of. Thank you so much, Sr. Chaves!

Today was one of my favorite days in Cádiz so far. I learned a lot about the city, and I got to spend time with my friends doing fun activities. Mom, Dad, and Jeff, Love you all. To all the other parents, love you all too. Thanks for having such awesome kids! //

Costa RICA

June 12, 2022

by Emmanuel Nwodo

Today we woke up and ate breakfast at our hotel in Manuel Antonio National Park. Most of us had gallo pinto (rice and beans with eggs). After breakfast, we got on our bathing suits and went to the main part of the National Park, where we saw many animals in their natural habitats. Right before the entrance, we saw a sloth in a tree and got some great photos. We also saw many different types of monkeys: the Central American squirrel monkey, the white-faced capuchin monkey, and the howler monkey. Later, we encountered several deer, and even got an arm’s length away from a group of them. This part of the day was amazing and was made better because Josué, our tour guide, was highly knowledgeable and had an amazing eye for finding small lizards, spiders, crabs, birds, and even frog eggs hidden in the jungle. We also saw hummingbirds, a bird snake (or mica pajarera), a white-nosed coati, a giant red-winged grasshopper (at its nymph stage), and a green basilisk lizard, also known as “the Jesus Christ lizard,” for its ability to “walk” on water. After finding them with his naked eye, Josué would set up his telescope on his tripod and would give us a chance to see them and to take pictures of them through the telescope.

After the tour, we had a quick swim at Playa Manuel Antonio, then boarded a bus to get to our zip-lining canopy tour. We got there and ate lunch, which was arroz con pollo, plantains, and tortillas. Then we put on our harnesses and began to zip line. There were fast ones, long ones, and scary ones… some scarier than others! At the end of the canopy tour there was a dunk into water: we jumped from a platform while linked to a harness, as one of the instructors pulled us into the water. It felt great! Then we had a three-hour bus ride back to our respective houses. Some of us went to eat at a restaurant and others went home and ate there. This was a full day of activities, and we had a blast! //

June 15, 2022

by Michael Thomas

The agenda today was to go to “Flor de abril” finca and learn about coffee plantations. Fernando, the owner of the finca, took us to see the seedlings of coffee, which were barely sprouted in the soil. We walked into a little greenhouse made of mesh that provides shade to the plants. He showed us the many different types of coffee growing, and explained how he uses the mutations in the coffee to take advantage of good characteristics and breed a better product. There are hybrid coffee plants, he told us, but it takes a long time to breed for certain genes, because the process of growing the coffee takes years. He walked us through the process of weeding out the bad coffee seeds before they grew into mature plants. He told us that roots straight down into the dirt were favorable, while twisted, wild roots were not.

Unhealthy roots could be caused by insects, Fernando told us. The finca had various, impressive ways of dealing with insects in a safe and healthy way. They don’t use pesticides or any chemical toxins to keep bugs away. Instead they take advantage of certain plants’ natural ability to repel bugs and worms. Some bugs, however, are important because once the flowers of the coffee plant bloom, it no longer self-pollinates, and it needs to

be pollinated by bees and other insects. To strike a balance, the finca uses plants like the higuerilla, or castor bean plant (which, in addition to providing shade, has leaves that are toxic but don’t harm the coffee plants), basil (which attracts pollinators), and the Carolina Reaper (which keeps insects at bay).

At one point along the tour we encountered a bush of Carolina Reaper peppers. Here I made what was probably the worst decision of the trip. Fernando picked a few peppers and said that, although he didn’t recommend eating them because of the spice, they were perfectly edible. I, and a few other unsuspecting classmates, ignored his advice and tasted the peppers. I cannot even describe the spice of that pepper except by saying that I thought my tongue was going to burn off and that my life was going to end on that Costa Rican finca. Eventually, he brought us a whole bottle of yogurt, which we finished immediately, and we continued the tour, still feeling the effects of the hottest pepper in the world.

He showed us the rest of the plantation, and as we walked we tried different fruits like guava, beans, jocote, and unripe coffee right off the branch. When the tour ended and we arrived back in San Joaquín, we had free time until 10 p.m. All went to their tica houses to rest after the long day and to interview their padres ticos to prepare for our presentations tomorrow. Some ate dinner with their tica families and some went out with friends. A bunch of us ended up watching the Stanley Cup Finals at an open-air restaurant.

Today, when I learned that it was my day to write the blog, I was shocked at how this trip has flown by. We have really enjoyed it, and these last few days are bittersweet. We all wish that we could stay here in this incredible place for longer, but we also miss our non-tica families and are excited to go home. //

June 16, 2022

by Bobby Zabin

Our presentations began at 10:30 a.m. Each of us was assigned to speak for seven minutes about one member of our host family. Most of us, including me, chose to present on our mamá tica (Costa Rican mother). We orally painted a portrait of them through descriptions of their childhoods, educations, careers, hobbies, favorite Costa Rican traditions, and, of course, their favorite dishes. Will Hutter’s host mother told him her preferred traditional tico dish was plantains marinated in vinegar, a combination most of us had tried a few nights earlier. To put it politely, we gringos could not find the same richness of flavor that delighted Hutter’s mom. These presentations gave us a deeper understanding and a deeper connection with our host families.

After a quick lunch, we headed to Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad, (the Costa Rican Institute of Electricity). There, we learned about Costa Rica’s vanguard electrical coverage program, which supplies electricity to 99.4% of the population, the secondmost coverage for a country in Latin America. Additionally, 99% of their energy comes from renewable sources. Our presenter, Alejandro, was an electrical engineer and professor who has worked at the Institute for more than 30 years. He continually stressed the truth that all energy comes from nature. This includes renewable sources, such as solar or wind power, oil which comes from ancient biomass, and nuclear power. It is no surprise that Costa Rica, a tiny country with incredible biodiversity, has such a profound network of electricity supplied to nearly all its citizens. We learned (to a very technical level) how the country harnesses its volcanic sites for geothermal energy, its powerful rivers and lakes for hydroelectric power, and the winds of both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. And since Costa Rica is also home to many sugarcane plants, the bagazos (the residual dry fibers of the sugar cane) are burned as another source of energy.

After our tour of the institute, we headed to a sports restaurant to watch game six of the Celtics in the NBA finals. Dr. Guerra granted us un día de excepción (an exceptional day), so we stayed out until 11 watching the game and enjoying each other’s company on our second-to-last night in Costa Rica. Although the Celtics lost, the food was good enough to be worth the unfortunate experience.

Each day we immerse ourselves in a new activity that allows us to learn about this different, complicated, diverse, and beautiful country that we have called home for the past two weeks. I know I am sad to be leaving so soon. There is so much that can only be learned from traveling and engaging with a place in such an intense, hands-on way. We want to thank Dr. Guerra for his vision, Shawn for chaperoning us, Mónica for accompanying us to most sites, and Francy Orozco for organizing an incredible and unforgettable trip to this rainy paradise in Central America. //