Irazu strongly urges students to participate in a range of cultural and social activities after class and on weekends. A new calendar of scheduled activities and events is published each month.
Weekly events with staff include dance classes (salsa, meringue and cumbia), cooking classes, movies in Spanish, and informal talks and discussions covering such topics as the Costa Rican environment and ecology, politics and women’s studies.
The school arranges cultural interchanges with Costa Rican students of English. Attendees are encouraged to practice their conversation skills in both languages and to make new friends.
Once they feel comfortable students are encouraged to visit a local discotheque to check out the fantastic dancers.
Students should take advantage of the vibrant arts scene by viewing a comedy theatre production or catching a classical music or dance performance at the Opera house. San Jose is home to a number of museums.
Shopping is available in the city center or at a number of malls spread over the metro area.
Restaurants offer cuisine from many countries in addition to typical local food. All of these venues are easily accessible by bus or taxi.
A good weekend activity is to attend a Fiestas Patronales where citizens honor the patron Saint of their particular town. These occur throughout the year and last for several days at a minimum. Students attending can travel to a small town, enjoy traditional foods, view “los topes” where specially trained horses strut in parades or enjoy “corridas de toros” bull riding where the bull is never harmed although some of the human participants may be.
