costa rica crazy

Home - Cross Posted

noreply@blogger.com (Jen Fos - Top Banana) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 14:57:00 +0000

"Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in."

- Robert Frost, Death of a Hired Man, 1915

And while our need is not that great, I am so grateful to have so many homes to welcome us.

We have thought long and hard about the choices we have made and the life that we are living. Costa Rica has been a wonderful experience, but like so many gringos that try it out, we won't make it past two years.

In the end, language barrier (totally my fault), lack of family and multitudes of friends, and fear of experiencing crime first hand have tipped the scales to our return. The final nail in the coffin was when I realized that we had successfully replicated our Silicon Valley life here. My husband is working the programmer schedule 10-7, nice for a single guy, sucky for a family guy. Might as well do that at home, where Mom can network with the other soccer/girl scout/karate/boy scout/ballet/science club?/PTA moms and understand the instructions.

After the decision had been made, we learned that Costa Rica is thinking of drastically changing the residency requirements. My friend talks about it in greater detail. So far they are just thinking about it, but.... um no. In a very amusing coincidence, our residency cards are finally ready.

You just can't make this stuff up.

I am sure that I will write more in the future about Costa Rica and our decision/transition to return home. And we will try to squeeze in as much more Costa Rica as we can in the meantime. But for now, there is so much to do.

26 days and counting.

Gym Addition and Revelation

noreply@blogger.com (jen poco loco) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:42:00 +0000

I may have neglected to mention it, but we FINALLY joined a gym. We picked Arena Trak. We picked it for many reasons:

possible star siting of the ever-famous Saratica!

proximity to our house

value for cost (probably the most important factor)

It really has what we are looking for:

Cardio equipment (bikes, ellipiticals, treadmills, and other items of heart beating torture)

Weight lifting stuff

Classes in things like yoga, pilates, dancey stuff, and beat yourself up as hard as you can

Extra stuff (that costs a little extra) like power plate equipment and pilates machines. Stuff that I want to try and for a much smaller sum and commitment than in the US, I can. I'll tell you about it later.

My only disappointment is that we didn't join a year ago. If we had, I would be one year fitter. Or not. But anyway, it feels like we wasted that time. But from now on, we will do good. We will go regularly. Work hard, look better, feel better, and all that good stuff.

I may have mentioned before that my husband looks a little young. I may have mentioned that the guys that work as security guards and the like are referred to as "muchacho" (literal translation is boy). I may have mentioned that I am a little overweight and starting to look a little older.

When we work out at the gym and people want to switch machines with Barry, they refer to him as "muchacho".

I have been called "Senora" (Mrs.) and on occasion, "Dona" (lady of the house, usually reserved for older women)

Revelation:
I am a "Dona" married to a "muchacho."

CA vs CR

noreply@blogger.com (jen poco loco) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 20:48:00 +0000

I recently spent several weeks in California. I was very interested to see how I would react, having been out of the US for almost one year. Here are my thoughts:

What I missed most about the U.S.
1) Street signs
2) Radio options in the car
3) Fountain Diet Coke that tastes so good.
4) Being able to chit chat with just about anyone I run into.
5) LIBRARIES!!!!

Can I live without those things. Yes, of course. But life there is definitely more convenient. But it also seems to take longer.

What do I dislike about there:
1) SO SO MANY Street lights.
2) People actually follow the rules. Yes this is good, but they do so without thinking if things make sense.
3) Life seems so much more compressed and fast paced at the same time.

Another big difference: Costa Rica is dirty outside, clean inside - the US, with it's manicured lawns and filthy restrooms, is quite the opposite.

What was interesting, on the airplane trip there, the airline showed a segment about the happiest places in the world. You have probably seen this, Denmark tops the list. But in the preamble they said, "...many countries lead the U.S., including ....Costa Rica." So I started thinking. Where were people (speaking in general) happier. And I think that they are definitely correct. Costa Ricans as a whole are more content than those in the US, or at least my little corner of the US. But that is the key word. Content. In a simplified idea, happiness is at odds with ambition. People here are happy, but not pushing hard for more. Or at least that is the way it feels to an outside observer.

But what about me? It is fine to speak in generalities, about the happiness of a group of people. But what about me? As I mentioned the other day, I can be happy anywhere. Part of me likes this place, the difference of it and what is available. Part of me wants to go home. Only time will tell which part wins out.

Wordless Wednesday - Spiders in my Yard

noreply@blogger.com (jen poco loco) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 05:39:00 +0000

One Year here

noreply@blogger.com (jen poco loco) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 20:46:00 +0000

Today is July 7. On 7/7/7 we were on a plane on our way here. We have learned so much about this place in the past year. And about ourselves. What are the most important lessons that I have learned?

1)I can be happy anywhere.
2)I will always miss something from the last place I was happy.

Good stuff to know.

Cow Parade

noreply@blogger.com (jen poco loco) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 18:01:00 +0000

A little while back, some of the Costa Rica bloggers were talking about the Cow Parade art project coming to San Jose. I wanted to contribute some that we have seeen. I like the Pre-Columbian Cow with the gold jewelry in the nose and the Costa Rican Frog Cow, but my favorite has to be the Disco Cow Or DisCow as I like to call her.

Enjoy.

You can see many more cow photos by others at the flckr group.

Worldess Wednesday - I am talking about pictures

noreply@blogger.com (jen poco loco) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 18:20:00 +0000

Panoramic view of our yard

noreply@blogger.com (jen poco loco) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:52:00 +0000

We live in an enclosed compound type situation. It is great to let the kids go out and play - they can't go anywhere and nobody can get in (without a great effort). It is hard to explain. I have been playing with some stitching programs and a panaromic view. Here's my best attempts:

Sausage Tree

noreply@blogger.com (jen poco loco) — Tue, 27 May 2008 17:47:00 +0000

Not sure what this is, but Bella noticed them in the Pricesmart parking lot. The "fruit" of this tree hangs down like sausages.

Rock Paintings

noreply@blogger.com (jen poco loco) — Sat, 24 May 2008 16:16:00 +0000

We saw these painted rocks on the road to Atenas:

Here's one up close:

Not sure what the idea is here. Some seem to have numbers by them. Are they being sold? Judged? Do you take the rock? Is this artistic expression or for sale? It is an affront to nature?

Anyway, we thought it was interesting as we drove by.

No Gringos

noreply@blogger.com (jen poco loco) — Thu, 22 May 2008 15:58:00 +0000

We recently took a trip to Manuel Antonio Park. It was a lovely trip and we had a great time. On the drive down, we saw this sign. The key thing to note is the anti-Gringo sentiment here. As you get to the coast, I believe that there is some of this thinking. I don't think that they mean the tourists, it's the Gringos that want to stay. I think. Still, we have never felt any direct anti-Gringo sentiment.

But it is out there.

Wordless Wednesday - Hail Mary, full of Grace

noreply@blogger.com (jen poco loco) — Wed, 21 May 2008 13:21:00 +0000

I may have mentioned that this is a Catholic country. You may have seen my post about Semana Santa. But here is some more evidence, in case you are interested.

This statue is in the back play area/woods at my kid's school.

And again with a little help from photoshop.

Beautiful, no? It almost makes me want to whip out my rosary.

Costa Rica Spanish is a little different than high school

noreply@blogger.com (jen poco loco) — Mon, 19 May 2008 15:47:00 +0000

I may have mentioned that I took Spanish in high school. Three annoying years. Three years for which I am now so thankful. I never would have predicted I would need Spanish, I mean I lived three hours from Quebec, French would have been a more convenient choice, but I took Spanish.

But I have to tell you, some things are different here than in my "Churros y Chocolate" text book.

1) People here do not really say "Adios" - instead they say "Ciao" or "Hasta Luego"
2) People do not refer to others as "mi Amigo" (in fact I know a Filipino friend that says "Hola Mi Amigo" more than most Costa Ricans.
3) Instead, you refer to people as muchaco/a, or campesino/a - this is for a shop clerk/worker, or a co-worker.
4)Buenas is perfect for hello (more formal would be buenos dias, buenos tardes, buenos noches).
5)Gracias is said by saying the c, not like the soft s sound of "science". More like Gra C es.

That's it for now.... more as I figure it out.

Costa Rica and the environment

noreply@blogger.com (jen poco loco) — Sun, 18 May 2008 18:09:00 +0000

Costa Rica says it will plant a bunch of trees to be carbon neutral. This is wonderful, now if they would just stop throwing the garbage in the rivers.

Llavalo Me

noreply@blogger.com (jen poco loco) — Sat, 17 May 2008 15:55:00 +0000

The other day I was out without my camera and I saw the funniest thing. I saw a dirty car (an unusual site unless it is my car) and someone had rubbed a message into the grime on the rear window:
"Llavalo Me"

which translates to:
"Wash Me"

There are some parts of humor that are the same everywhere.

Mel and Britney

noreply@blogger.com (jen poco loco) — Fri, 16 May 2008 04:10:00 +0000

Mel and Britney are coming to Costa Rica. Maybe we'll see them.

The ragamuffins are mine - end of the day at Manuel Antonio Park

noreply@blogger.com (jen poco loco) — Thu, 15 May 2008 15:28:00 +0000

We moved to Costa Rica to live a life less ordinary (at least for a while) and a life less regulated (I am not talking about governments or politics here - I mean that little girl needs a shirt kind of stuff.) So here you have it. Our kids look like ragamuffins living in a shack. We've got a kid in a sling, a kid with no shirt and a boy who is actually cleaner in this photo than most days. But don't they look happy?

In actuality, we just finished a lunch at a hard-to-miss restaurant on the road from Quepos to Manuel Antonio Park. Perhaps you have seen it?

It is a restaurant stuck onto an old airplane. Supposedly this is the plan that crashed in Nicaragua and outing the entire Iran-Costa scandal. I am not sure if I believe that, but this restaurant is still a fun place.

They made the interior of the plan into a bar area.

But the real attraction is the view from the patio dining at the top.

Food was okay (I have not been blown away by any food in Costa Rica, call me a California Food Snob, but it is true) but it was a lovely time and a great end to our visit to the beach that day.

Wordless Wednesday - This is how my dog sleeps - so comfy

noreply@blogger.com (jen poco loco) — Wed, 14 May 2008 11:26:00 +0000

What's on Fire? - Info about the header photo

noreply@blogger.com (jen poco loco) — Fri, 09 May 2008 20:58:00 +0000

People often ask - what is going on with that photo on your header? What is on fire? Is everything OK?

So I will tell you. I could make up some great story about how the truck was on fire and the guy on the motorcycle was an undercover cop and my husband saved a baby that fell from the truck, and then the flying saucer landed - but you probably wouldn't believe it.

The truth is that it was twilight and starting to rain and we had to wait our turn to go across the "Oh Shit bridge" on the way back from Manuel Antonio Park. We took this picture through the windshield (lazy) and it just came out really cool. And that is kind of how Costa Rica has been for us. Things just kind of turn out cool.

Cumpleaños Feliz Costa Rica Crazy

noreply@blogger.com (jen poco loco) — Fri, 09 May 2008 20:10:00 +0000

I just realized that I have hit (or passed) my one year bloggy anniversary. Things were a little rocky there in November and December, but we pulled through. Cumpleaños Feliz a mi.

Wordless Wednesday - Who is taking the picture?

noreply@blogger.com (jen poco loco) — Wed, 07 May 2008 08:07:00 +0000

Actually it was Bell's playing around with the digital camera, but I just had to laugh.

Speaking Spanish with the ladies

noreply@blogger.com (jen poco loco) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 18:05:00 +0000

The other day we were invited to a girl's get together after school. Little girls running around in Disney dress-up with makeup. Meanwhile, mom's could ~~gossip~~ talk.

We went and had a wonderful time. There were six other Mom's there. A few I know pretty well. A few were new. A few speak EXCELLENT English. A few speak none. Of course, this is a Latin country, Spanish is the first language. It is only because these are very well educated women that they speak English at all. So I will play along in Spanish as best as I can.

Lessons learned:
1)Do not sit too far down the table, adding hearing difficulties to the language difference is not helpful.
2)They speak fast.
3)I need to learn more Spanish to be able to keep up.
4)Smile and nod works well in most cases, even if you don't understand 100%.
5)I will probably never understand 100%
6)These are exactly the kind of women I want to hang out with.
7)They are quite funny.
8)Eventually any group of women will start ~~griping about~~ discussing their kids and husbands.
9)Even I can play along with that.

For more details about what good news came out of this visit, go here.

Run on Rice

noreply@blogger.com (jen poco loco) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:38:00 +0000

A run on rice? Are you kidding me? I never ate that much rice until I married a Filipino, now most meals have rice. In the states, I used to buy 25 pound bags of Jasmine rice for about $10-$13 depending on what store and what sales. A friend back in CA said the price recently went up for these bags to about $25. So I guess it is real. And I guess we will be switching to potatoes....

Bell's new accent

noreply@blogger.com (jen poco loco) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 18:02:00 +0000

Some of the reasons that we came here were for the kids. Expose the kids to a new culture. Let them learn Spanish. Bell's has been resistant to that idea and is finally starting to give in a little. When out in public, if someone speaks to her, she frequently asks me what they said.

BUT....

Her accent is spot-on. She says words in Spanish the way they were meant to be said, not like her Gringa mom. In fact, she is frequently correcting me.

BUT...

She also has started to speak English with a Spanish accent....

hmmm......

Wordless Wednesday - Looks like Hortons Flower?

noreply@blogger.com (jen poco loco) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:18:00 +0000