Cultural Differences - The Greeting

In Costa Rica, friends greet friends with a handshake and an exuberant calling of their name.  If you're female, it is proper to squeal and slightly jump up and down.  Males give each other a hearty handshake and only deepen their voice.   

OK - got that; but I live in a multi-cultural community.   We have Germans, Belgiums, French Canadians, and others.    The ex-pat Europeans do this kiss-your-cheek thing.  They grab your shoulders and move in for a kiss on each cheek.  If they don't like you, they go in for the fake air kiss.  If they are particularly fond of you, you may get each cheek really kissed AND a kissy sound - "mmmmwawwww."

I'm from the south - we just grap you by the shoulders, pull you in close and sqeeze the life out of you like a boa constrictor (called a hug).  However, I have noted that not all areas of the United States (like our ex-pat New Yorkers) are comfortable with this greeting.

So, first my mind has to determine where you're from to figure out the proper greeting.   And I thought all I had to do was learn Spanish.  

Money Pit in Paradise

So, as to our big beautiful house in paradise:

First of last year, we realized that three years of water damage had nearly destroyed part of the balcony and porch ($5,000 repair).  Then, we found out a few months ago that we had water issues and needed to dig a well (long story), but the the drilling, pump and accompanying plumbing costs $22,000 (yeah....I could have gone on 10 trips with that.)   Now,  the big heavy trucks that dug our well also smashed and leveled the gravel on the driveway, so we have to buy rocks ($300), both air conditioners died one week after the end of their warranty ($2,000), and now we've discovered there is some drainage problem with the kitchen sink.

So, does anyone want to buy a house in Costa Rica?   Oh yeah, the view is beautiful.

Backyard Habitat

Most everyone can look at their windows in a residential area and watch squirrells and birds play.  I watch monkeys and iguanas.   I know its merely the locale, but I'm still amazed that I watch monkeys frolic in the trees from my front porch.  It's still hard to wrap my head around this notion.

Howler monkeys are only about 3-4 feet tall as an adult and live in families of 5 to 20 in number.  The "howler" comes from the adult males, who make an undescribable sound something like the deep croak of a frog, fierce roar of a lion, and bark of a dog - all at the same time.   They sound off at dawn and dusk and move within about a mile range.  I've been following a group we call "Wayne's kids."  There are 2 adults, 2 youth and a baby.  During the dry season (December through April), they are high up in the mountains, but as soon as the rainy season starts, they move lowland. 

Dressing in the Tropics

I have not worn shorts in 30 years - now I live in gauze dresses, shorts and tank tops.  Even my most summery Atlanta clothes are too hot for Costa Rica.  

Fortunately, I discovered American Ropa.   They have stores all over Costa Rica that carry name brand gently-used American attire such as Gap, Tommy Hilfiger, Dockers.  Pants are $2, Tops are $1.  And, since the average-sized woman in CR is size 18, there are lots of choices for the big girls.  And yeah, they even have dressing rooms, albeit without air conditioning.

TicoLand

South Americans began calling native Costa Ricans "Ticos" several generations ago because they added "ito" as an affectionate term to words in the Spanish language.  For example, "one moment" is "un momento" in most Spanish-speaking regions.  In Costa Rica, it is "un momen-ito".   Also "ito" is added to the son of a man who has the same name - Mario's son is Mario-ito.  And that's how Costa Ricans became known as, and call themselves,  Ticos.

Who am I and How did I get here?

First word:   TRAVELING
I blame it all on my parents.  I have a gypsy gene.  No doubt they passed it along.  No one in either of my parent's family had ever ventured more than 20 miles from their respective farms until WWII.  My father was in the Army, met my mother and traveled the world.  So, my wanderlust was inherited and no doubt fueled by my having a passport since I was 6 months old.

Next word:  HIPPIE
Oh yes, I self-identify.  Lived it, loved it and longed for the day when I didn't have to wear shoes again.  I did and do, embrace all the freedom of mind and body that the 1960's and '70's represented. 

NOW:
After having a job for 45 years (duh...I was tired), I moved to Costa Rica basically for affordable health care and inexpensive cost of living.  This blog follows my journey and travels