A WILDERNESS First Responder classwill be offered by the Monteverde ConservationLeague for the second time Sept. 6-14 in theChildren’s Eternal Rain Forest in San Carlos innorth-central Costa Rica.Although the event will not be held untilSeptember, a $100 reservation deposit isrequired by June 30 and the rest of the fee, $500,is needed by Aug. 9. The cost includes materials,meals and housing. The class will be presentedin Spanish.The intensive medical training will teachparticipants how to deal with medical emergencieswhen the nearest clinic or hospital is milesaway and calling 911 is not an option.The weeklong workshop will be divided intomorning talks and afternoons dedicated to practicaltraining, like making stretchers or large scalerescue simulations.For more info, call 645-5003 or visitwww.childrenseternalrainforest.org.

FOR avid readers, the annual book fair startstoday with more than 300 publishers and 60exhibitors represented at the Old Aduana buildingin San José.The fair, which runs through July 4, featuresthousands of books (mostly in Spanish) will beavailable to browse.It is also a chance to get acquainted withLatin American writers and meet Costa Ricanauthors. Costa Rica’s leading bookstores, suchas Lehman’s, Max and Librería Internacionalplus publishing houses will have displays anddiscount prices.July 2 will be dedicated to Chilean poet andwinner of the 1971 Nobel prize for literature,Pablo Neruda, for the 100th anniversary of hisbirth. Look for books on his poetry and his life.Each year the fair celebrates the literature ofa different country and this year the honor goesto Colombia. The Colombian Embassy is planningcultural events and visits by popularauthors. For young readers, there will be displaysof children’s books and Cuenta Cuentoprograms of story telling.Doors open at 10 a.m. and close at 9 p.m.Entrance is ¢600 for adults, ¢300 for childrenover 12 and free for younger children and adultsover 65. The Old Aduana building is located onAv. 5, Ca. 23. For more info, call 221-2154.

CANOE racing is one of the newersports in Costa Rica and it’s the goal of oneman, Niel Kahn, to make sure it catches on.Located about 25 minutes from theCentral Pacific beach town of Jacó in PlayaAgujas, Kayak Jacó, Kahn’s company, hassponsored outrigger canoeing races forabout two and a half years. The next race isscheduled July 3-4.“An outrigger canoe is like a canoe witha training wheel,” Kahn said.These types of canoes have a floatingdevice attached to one or both sides of thecanoe, making it virtually impossible to flipover. Because outrigger canoes are narrowerthan other canoes, without the floatingdevice they would be susceptible to tippingover, he explained.The narrower the canoe, the faster it isable to move through the water. The canoesKahn uses are 21 inches wide. But theymeasure 13 meters (40 feet) long, enablinga team of six to sit comfortably in the longstretch.“I’m working hard to make this popular,”Kahn said. “In Costa Rica it’s a newsport. Most people don’t know that it existsand I’m trying to create it. In Hawaii, forexample, this is the equivalent to soccerhere. Kids start at age six, they haveleagues, they get their high school lettermanjacket for it.”A FRIEND suggested this type ofcanoe to Kahn as a way to take moretourists out on the water at one time insteadof using kayaks, which are smaller.“So then I researched, studied, trainedmyself, went to Hawaii and learned how tobe Costa Rica’s expert in outrigger canoeing,”he said. His company has used outriggercanoes for more than three years (out oftheir seven years in business).Teams from the United States will becompeting as well as area Tico teams. Therace, for experienced canoers, will consistof about two hours of intense paddling andbegins at 9:30 a.m. near Jacó Beach.“The sport is really interesting in thatit’s 100% team-oriented,” Kahn said.“There’s not one person who’s the quarterback.”The second race at 12:30 p.m. will bemuch easier and is an open event for anyteam of six who would like to participate.“They don’t need to know anything,”Kahn said. “We will provide them with asteersman and we’ll show them how to paddle.”AND Alex Sanchez, owner of the sponsoringcompany Lio Te, added that the raceis not about individual strength.“It’s not a very physically demandingsport,” he said. “There is a lot of strengthwith six people working together. It’s moreabout knowing the sea – the waves, the tideand the current.”The only requirement?“They have to be in good enough shapeto paddle hard for 30-40 minutes – if theywant to win,” Kahn said.Beverage company Lio Te is also providinga climbing wall and a canopy ziplinefor the public. Asunset beach dance from 5-9 p.m. will follow the day’s activities. A 10-mile sea kayak race is scheduled Sundaymorning at 8 a.m. followed by an openevent where people can participate in a 30-minute just-for-fun race.PARTICIPATION costs $100 per teamand includes prizes and the cost of lunch. Toregister teams, call 643-1233 or online atwww.kayakjaco.com.

TUCKED away on the second floor of a downtown SanJosé building, among disco balls, purple lights and black andwhite question marks on the walls, Luis Enrique Solanorecently celebrated his 27th birthday.Solano is a university student and a transvestite whoperforms in a weekly drag show. And on this night, at thepopular gay discotheque Déjà-vu, gays, transvestites andheterosexuals alike intermingled and rejoiced alongsidehim.“I have just as many non-gay friends as I have gayfriends,” he said. “There are some people who have problemswith my lifestyle, but in general people accept me andrespect me.”The climate for gays in Costa Rica was not always as tolerantas it is today. In 1992 and again in 1993, there weremajor police raids without warrants at Déjà-vu – it was atime when those type of raids were commonplace in gaynightclubs. Intended to shake up the patrons, the raidsbecame a catalyst for change in Costa Rica.“THE police just came in and took everyone out, theytook documents,” said Déjà-vu owner Norbel Antonini, whobought the club a few months ago after working there forseven years. “The (previous) owner went to court and arguedthat they didn’t have the authority to do that.”The raids at Déjà-vu and the publicity that followedgained notoriety among the gay community as well as madethe rest of the public aware of the prevalence of policeharassment at the time.Richard Stern, director of Agua Buena Human RightsAssociation, a non-government organization that focuseson getting AIDS treatment for gays in countries that don’thave universal healthcare, agreed that the Déjà-vu case aswell as a few other court decisions around the same timewere major factors in helping Costa Rica become more tolerant.“Around 1998, a series of court decisions put an end topolice harassment. Now there are no raids unless they havea warrant that shows evidence that a crime has been committed,”Stern said. “Politicians realized that the courtswould not allow that kind of discrimination, and that reallyopened the door for gay businesses.”STATE-sanctioned discrimination was common throughthe late 1990s, a time when Costa Rican Tourism InstituteExecutive President Eduardo León-Páez said that sex touristsand gay tourists were equally unwelcome (TT, April 9, 1999).“We don’t want, under any circumstance, Costa Rica tobecome a destination for either ordinary sex tourism orhomosexuals and lesbians. We don’t believe it would behealthy for this country,” León-Páez said at the time.In 1998, organizers of Costa Rica’s second annual Gayand Lesbian “Festival” were forced to cancel the tour as aresult of public outcry (TT, Aug. 28, 1998). Protest camefrom religious groups, community leaders, and even then-President Miguel Angel Rodríguez (TT, Aug. 14, 1998).Ombudswoman Sandra Piszk denounced the protests, inwhich “children between 4-15 years old were instructed tochant ‘Homosexuals aren’t born, they’re made.’” (TT, Aug.28, 1998)WHEN Stern, originally from New York, first arrived toCosta Rica in the late 1980s, he encountered a very differentatmosphere for gays.“When I first came here in 1988-89, there was a lot ofdiscrimination. Gays were often fired from their jobs, raidsand firebombs in clubs were real concerns,” he said, addingthat at that time he remembers just three gay bars in existenceat the time, and one bar did not even have a sign outfront, people just knew where it was.Stern, who used to work for the now-defunct humanrights association Triángulo Rosa, said that gay nightlife inSan José is now as open and accepted as in any U.S. city.“In terms of nightlife, people can count on a safe environment,just like Chicago, New York or Miami, where theywill not be discriminated against,” he said. “And the onlyproblem gays businesses have now is competition. New oneskeep popping up and every year some go under since thereis only a limited market.”Stern added that outside the capital, community standardsmay be different and gays might suffer more harassment.In fact, he said, many gays from more rural parts of thecountry migrate to San José for that reason.ANA Victoria Vega, owner of La Avispa, San José’s oldestgay nightclub, said that while police harassment has beenvirtually eliminated, homophobia in Costa Rica is still veryreal. The country is predominantly Roman Catholic, andmany church leaders in Costa Rica have made commentsdenouncing homosexuality.“Homophobia is always greater in underdeveloped countries,”she said. “Also when the church has more influence,homophobia tends to be greater.”Vega is the original owner of La Avispa and witnessedthe systematic discrimination that was ubiquitous when theclub opened 25 years ago.“The police would arrive and takeyou away, this would happen all thetime, on weekends, during the week,with no respect for people’s basichuman rights,” she said. “Now, thereare no longer police raids but therepression is more strategic now. Wehave no more problems at the policelevel, but homophobia still exists in agreater social context.”MARK Strickland, a 42-year-oldfrom Seattle, Wash., who has been livingand studying in San José for severalmonths, agrees that gay life here is stillnot fully accepted by the community.He said that while gay life here isvibrant and gay clubs and businesses arecommon, it is still really kept hidden.“Costa Rica is like the UnitedStates was 20 years ago,” he said.“(Gay life) is there, but no one wantsto acknowledge it.”But Jorge Angulo, who manageswww.gaycostarica.com, a Web sitethat reports on gay life in Costa Rica,said that despite the church’s influence,he thinks Costa Ricans are making uptheir own minds about homosexuality.“The church is in a bit of a crisisright now; this is giving people a reasonto be more open minded aboutthings in general, and about gays aswell,” he said.ANGULO, 29, can sometimes befound at one of San José’s many gayclubs taking pictures, some to use onthe Web site.Angulo said it has only been inthe last 12 years or so that gay life hasreally been brought to the attention ofthe general public. And according tohim, the public has been so acceptingthat many other Latin-Americancountries are looking to Costa Rica asa positive example.“Costa Rica is conservative, but atthe same time it’s very open,” he said.“The other countries in CentralAmerica look at us as taking initiativeand being at the forefront, this is alsotrue of the attitude toward gays. Forinstance, in addition to the naturalimmigration flow from Nicaragua,many gays come here as well.“Gay nightlife is very open andthere are now so many clubs and barsto go to,” he added. “There is somewhereto go every night of the week.”

A JAZZ trio from San Diego StateUniversity in California is scheduled toperform at the Eugene O’Neill Theater at7:30 p.m. today.The performance is part of the theater’sPromising Artists of the 21stCentury non-profit program, which aimsto “bring talented musicians from universitiesin United States here to offer theirtalents,” said Manuel Arce, the theater’scultural director.This is the second installment of thisyear’s program. The program itself is 10years old.The trio is composed of San DiegoState University faculty member RichardThompson on piano and students PatrickMarion on bass and Robert Lawson onguitar.“The music is essentially jazz innature, with standards and original compositions,”Arse said, noting that the triowill perform works by classical jazzcomposers Bill Evans and KennyWheeler, as well as a work called“Peace” by guitarist Lawson.DURING the visit, the trio will“teach master classes to University ofCosta Rica students and have jam sessionsat Academia Musica Bach in SanPedro,” Arse said. “They will share theirknowledge with Costa Rican musicians.”The sessions are open to the public.This intercultural exchange is thepurpose of Promising Artists of the 21stCentury. The artists will hold free classesand workshops for music students atarea universities.On Monday at 7:30 p.m., the SanDiego trio will participate in a radio programcalled “Jazz Beat” on the station95.5.“The show is broadcast from our theatrelive with an audience,” Arse said.“The show will have interviews and performances.”THE performances will be held at theEugene O’Neill Theater in the CentroCultural in Los Yoses.For more info, call 207-7554 or 207-7555. General admission tickets are¢2,000 ($4.60) or ¢1,000 ($2.30) for studentsand senior citizens.

PHOTOGRAPHY gleaned from a lifetime of photojournalismin Latin America is on display at the National Gallery in San José.It is the culmination of the work of a lifelong pictorial storyteller,each chapter in black and white, blown up and framed.The famous, the poor, those whose photos made a point andthose who were generally newsy passed through Héctor García’slens and were solidified in his artful exposures. The multiple award-winning photojournalist from Mexico scoured his countryand Central America for the images that told the stories of eachplace.Now, at 81, he exhibits his most powerful work, defined by thefame of the subject, as in the case of his portraits of such hard-hittingartists as Gabriel García Márquez and Frida Kahlo, or by thetenacity with which the scene portrayed clings to the viewer evenafter it is out of sight. One such photo is of a boy curled tragicallyin a nook in a cement wall. Called “boy in the cement womb,” aFrench minister visiting Mexico called it “one of the most cruelimages of our time.”Another, the photo that headlines the exhibit, called “ElZapatista,” is of a stalwart figure – a photo of such gray beautythat if a print were bought, it could not be hung in a room of thehouse that is often entered. It would desensitize the viewer.The photo is balanced by the shaded underside of the sombreroabove a woolen poncho and empty bullet straps draped over thenarrow shoulders of an aging man. He was a veteran of the originalZapatista rebellion, García said, whom, though his age-weariedeyes look at the viewer, never knew his photo was snatched from20 meters away through a telephoto lens.“El Ché” captures Ernesto “Ché” Guevara in military uniformsmoking the last inches of a cigar.ALIEN-looking steel forgers, faces covered in torn bandanas,look through outlandish goggles at the camera in the simply titled“Forjadores del Acero” (Steel Forgers).And others – comedians, singers, actresses, a poet, a director,and the heart-rending masterpieces of grainy children and peopleof the working class in the midst of the props of progress, religion,labor and poverty.He spoke of photography in religious terms, placing his philosophyof the art of picture taking among his praise of people who“live like human beings as God commanded in the creation of theworld.” The invention of the camera is the way that people canspeak the truth.“With photography, one’s own eyes are enough” to understand,he said. “It’s the perfect communication – universal and human – and it doesn’t need translation.”Hanging alongside García’swork are the portraits of CostaRicans as interpreted throughGloria Calderón’s camera. In anexuberant address to the crowdoverflowing the exhibition hall onthe night of the inauguration, shesaid “I’m nothing more than inlove with my people from CostaRica,” and dedicated the work toher daughter. “Everything is areflection of what she has taughtme,” she said.CALDERÓN, the daughter ofex-President of Costa Rica RafaelÁngel Calderón, steered clear ofwealth and power and chose hersubjects democratically from averageCosta Ricans. Her photos documentthe young and the old in stillmoments of their daily routines.Most look like snapshots, remarkablefor the detail evident in theirsize and the respectability thatblack-and-white films lends ascene.“Coquetas” (Flirts), is one ofthe most noteworthy of her collection– two young girls, one black and one Hispanic, peering from a white woodenwindow frame, only their faces and grasping hands are visible.Calderon’s strength is in close-up portraits – both her understanding of light ontheir skin and the array of characters she chose to shoot. “Don Ramón” is azoomed-in detail of the part of a face between overgrown, luminescent eyebrowsand wrinkled lips, ancient eyes and an expressionless mouth. “Don Rafael” wearsa huge, gap-toothed smile that crinkles the corners of his eyes with creases thatextend to his jaw line.In line with the school of thought that more wrinkles than teeth make for goodphotos, “Quique” portrays a gap-toothed man holding a broom on a spiral staircasesmiling upward at the camera.OTHER subjects include children and others working in a tree farm, a womanwith her baby, and people in their pulperías and other small businesses doing theirphotogenic daily chores.The exhibition will be available for viewing through June 30 at the NationalGallery in the Children’s Museum in San José.Museum hours are 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. weekdays, weekends 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.Entrance to the gallery is free, a voluntary payment is accepted.The museum is in the redecorated former central penitentiary, one kilometer northof the Banco Nacional headquarters in San José.For more info, call 258-4929.

THE Girl and Boy Scouts’ Group 50of Liberia, in the northwestern provinceof Guanacaste, will host the 3rd AnnualInternational Independence Festival onJuly 4.The festival will feature food, adultand children’s activities, fireworks,music, and traditional dancing by theChapernal Troupe.For kids, there will be carnivalgames, crafts, face painting, and a clowncreating balloon designs.Adults can enjoy a horseshoe tournament,volleyball and golf games.Some activities provide the chance towin dinner for two or hotel accommodations.LOCAL businesses are offeringpizza, German food and pastries, hamburgers,hot dogs, and ice cream.The ¢1,000 ($1.30) entrance fee willsupport Group 50.The event will be held 750 meterswest of the Langostino Farm on the roadto Playas del Coco.For more info, contact Laura Hahn at667-0667.

THOSE who attend BalletMagnificat’s performances may do morethan just enjoy beautiful dancing – theymay have a spiritual experience as well.Ballet Magnificat! is aiming for thiseffect as they perform at Teatro PopularMelico Salazar today through Sunday.San José’s Academia de BalletMagnificat contacted the American groupof the same name to perform in the TeatroPopular Melico Salazar. Both groups taketheir name from the Latin phrase “to magnifyhim.”“What’s really interesting about oursponsor in San Jose is that their name isBallet Magnificat. We couldn’t believe itwhen their portfolio came in and the namewas the same,” said Jiri Sebastian, the U.S.group’s assistant artisticdirector.María Teresa, director ofthe San José ballet academy,described both groups’dances as “Ballet for theLord.”“BALLET Magnificat!is a little different from mostballet groups around theworld. What sets us apart isthat we are a Christian company,”Sebastian said.“We try to be clearabout what we’re saying. Some peoplewould call it bold – we don’t try to hideanything, it’s all there in the open.”Though the performances do have aspecific message, Sebastian insists that thegroup’s performances have broad appeal.“A lot of people come to see us becausewe are a ballet company, and because wedo this for the Lord we try to be as good aswe can,” he said. “ We’ve never had peopleleaving disappointed because they didn’tget enough dance.“Our desire is to not only provide anight of dance, but we want people toleave the theater with their heartstouched,” Sebastian adds, explaining thatthe group will include both traditionalballet and more modern dance in its performances.“At this point, we’re planning on performingtwo pieces each night. We’restarting with a classical piece called‘Freedom’ composed by Mr. MichaelSmith,” an American composer.“THE first piece is more of a classicalpiece. The music has some Irish themes init, so it’s very fun,” Sebastian said.“We’re going to finish the evening witha ballet called ‘Journey of the ProdigalSon’ based on the parable of the lost sonfrom the book of Luke in the Holy Bible.It’s a contemporary take on the story.”In this piece, the ballet incorporates avariety of dance styles: classical ballet,modern, and even a little swing.The group is composed of experiencedprofessional dancers.“All of us have danced in the seculararena as well, but we have a desire to combineour faith with dance,” Sebastian said.This combination putBallet Magnificat! in highdemand: The 18-year-oldorganization performs 90-100 times a year, dancingfor 75,000-85,000 people inall.“We perform from hugearenas” such as theKennedy Center inWashington D.C., to collegetheaters, auditoriums,churches, all the way tosmall private gatherings, Sebastian said.MANY of the group’s sponsors arechurch communities who realize that morethan just entertainment, Magnificat alsoprovides an outreach opportunity.Sebastian hopes to get a varied audience.“A lot of guys don’t want to see a ballet,”he admits. “They’re dragged to theconcert by their wives.”However, Sebastian believes the mencan be won over.“The Lord does his work, and we haveseen lots of guys being touched in a placein their heart they didn’t know they had,”he said.The Jackson, Miss.-based group alsoconducted ballet classes for all age groups June 21-23.SUNDAY afternoon, Ballet Magnificat!will host a creative worship class for allenrolled in the classes and any members ofthe public who wish to attend.“They don’t necessarily have to bedancers to participate in class,” Sebastiansaid, adding that the class will use dancecombined with faith to form a kind of prayer.This is the first time the group will performin Costa Rica.“We’ve never been to Central Americabefore,” Sebastian said. “We are excited tocome and touch the people of San José,Costa Rica through our dance.”AFTER the Costa Rica visit,Magnificat will return to the United Statesto conduct summer classes with more than100 students from around the world. BalletMagnificat! is scheduled to perform June 25-26 at 8 p.m. and June 27 at 5 p.m.For more info, call Academia de BalletMagnificat at 259-2404 or Teatro PopularMelico Salazar at 221-5341 or 221-3756 tobuy tickets. Or visit the company’s Web siteat www.balletmagnificat.com.

SQUELCHING Latin machista stereotypes undermountains of rainbow flags, artsy performances and sheercojones, gays and lesbians in Costa Rica will reaffirmtheir self-pride in the second annual Gay and LesbianFestival of Pride in Sexual Diversity.Stage actors, singers, dancers, speakers, sex-changeoperation recipients and cross-dressers will performamong a rainbow flag-waving crowd of gays, lesbians,and their heterosexual fans in what organizers predict willbe the biggest festival yet.Francisco Madrigal, administrative director of theevent’s organizer, the Central American Center for theInvestigation and promotion of Human Rights (CIPAC),said he expects 6,000 people to participate, twice as manyas last year. Many of the newcomers should be heterosexualsupporters, Madrigal said, including members of workersunions such as the National Association of Public andPrivate Employees, women’s and human rights groups.THIS year’s festivities will also launch a signaturecampaign for equal rights for gays. CIPAC also plans tocollect signatures at the festival on a petition calling forthe removal of Ombudsman José Manuel Echandi, who,it charges, refused to help the group try to change lawsthat discriminate against homosexuals (see separate storyin news).The Festival will take place on Sunday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Plaza de la Democracia in San José, in frontof the National Museum. For more info, call CIPAC’shotline at 800-247-2227, or visit its Web site atwww.cipacdh.org.

COSTA Rican artist Jorge Araya andNew York businessman Frederick Hintzeare opening Galeria de Arte to share CostaRican culture.The business partners are opening thegallery in Escazú, southwest of San José, toshowcase the works of Araya and otherCosta Rican artists.“The gallery is designed specifically forCosta Rican art,” Araya said.The gallery, which will have its privateopening Saturday and opens to the publicJune 28, will sell paintings, sculptures, candlesand more.“I work in any medium, subject, orsize,” said the artist, who began paintingmore than 24 years ago. He is now a professorof the arts at the UniversidadNacional in Heredia.Though his work is diverse, he said,“when I paint I paint in a Tico style. I amalways looking to transmit our Costa Ricanvalues.”His work caught the eye of AmericanHintze, who bought more than 10 paintingsfrom Araya’s San José gallery. Some ofthese will be on display in the Escazúgallery.“The colors are just brilliant. One thingthat attracted me to Jorge’s art is the color,”Hintze said.The gallery is open Mon.-Sat., 9 a.m.-6p.m. Contact the gallery at 228-2516 or emailjorge@jorgearaya.com. Learn moreabout Araya at www.jorgearaya.com.