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Well we are still enjoying ourselves here in San Jose and we are learning a lot about the culture and differences between life here and back in the States. Here are some things we've learned about the culture down here:
1. Coffee is the best drink there is. They will drink it all day long and as far as they are concerned they have the best coffee in the world. Every afternoon Ticos (the name for Costa Ricans) sit down for cafecito! It's just a nice afternoon cup of coffee with a snack or pastry. They love coffee so much that they actually put a few drops of it in their babies bottles. They aren't really sure why they just do it:) this is probably the reason for number two...
2. Ticos are short. For the first time in my life someone thought I wasn't short! I think I like it here:) Maybe i'll stay:) I think they are short because of all the coffee they drink but who knows. We haven't really seen anyone over 5'10".
3. to hail a taxi you put your hand out with your fingers spread out and pointing towards the ground and you shake your hand back and forth.
4. theft is very high here. there aren't many violent crimes, just a lot of theft. Women especially have to watch out for our purses. Everywhere you go as a gringo (spanish word for North American or foreigner) you need to watch your things because we are known for taking everything we might need with us, especially valuables like phones and camaras. They love children though so if you are with your kids your chances of getting robbed are very slim.
5. It gets dark here at six and that is what they call the bewitching hour. After this it's better to be walking with groups or pairs, just like in cities in the States.
6. Men need to carry black umbrellas and only black umbrellas. Women can carry whatever color they like.
7. The currency here is the colon and one U.S. dollar equals about 500 colones. Most everything here is either the same or more expensive than in the states. Except if you buy produce at the outdoor markets, you find great deals.
8. Relationships are really important here. Everyone is close and families don't live that far apart from each other. It's considered fine to be late for an appointment or something because you are spending time with a relative or close friend.
9. Adult children don't leave the house until they are married.
10. The mom is the head of the household. She's the one who takes care of the upkeep of the house and who deals with the money. So every month we pay rent to Mami, not Papi :)
11. Security is very important. All the houses have locked gates. Our house has two gates, the front door, and then our bedroom door to unlock. Our bedroom is only locked though if no one is home. Dogs can also be a great form of security. We don't have any because Papi doesn't like dogs. We have seen huge dogs here though. The house on the corner has a huge rottweiler and some other big dog.
12. Beans and rice are made everyday in our house.
13. You have to always wear shoes or socks in the house. Costa Ricans think you will catch cold if you walk around barefoot. All the floors are tile anyway.
14. Ticos are very sensitive. If you are offered something you don't want, you need to find a way to put it back on your self as to why you don't want it. You can't just say no I don't want any, that's rude. You need to say something like I'm sorry my stomache hurts or I'm sorry my stomach is too small to fit any more. Mami and Papi are really understanding though.
15. Looks are very important here. Everyone dresses nicely all the time. Pants for men, high heels or fancy shoes for women. Perfume is a must all the time! They love perfume! You must shower every morning, not at night. They normally only look really casual if they are playing a sport or exercising.
16. Instead of saying de nada ("it's nothing") for your welcome, they say con mucho gusto ("with much pleasure"). They also don't say lo siento for sorry because you only say that after something very sad like someone died. Instead you say disculpe. They are also more formal. They use usted all the time instead of tu for the word you, just to show respect.
17. the term pura vida is their motto. it means pure life. if someone asks how you are doing and you respond pura vida it means life is wonderful, nothing is wrong.
18. it's perfectly ok to ask questions like how much do you weigh, how much did that expensive thing cost, are you pregnant and so on.
19. it's considered a term of endearment, not making fun of someone when you call them fatty or shorty or something like that in spanish.
20. it's very rude to point at people or to throw something at them when they ask you to hand something to them. it's alright to point to objects though.
21. Your bedroom door should be left open all day long unless you are napping or not feeling well. you should tell your house family the reason for closing your door. if you don't they will probably get concerned thinking you are mad at them. To them, closing your door is like you are shutting them out of your life.
22. it's very rude to blow your nose in public
23. meals are made from scratch, there aren't very many premade things to buy at the store.
24. you can't flush toilet paper down the toilet. their drains are too small for it so you throw it in the trash can.
25. There are no street names for the most part so addresses are very long. Ours starts with the the name of our neighborhood and then says we are one block west of the park El Bosque and then we have to describe the house we live in.
26. if you get in an accident you have to wait for the police to come but it will probably take them a few hours to get there. the police here are more for traffic. they don't enforce laws very well. there are many robberies but none of them are reported because people know the police won't do anything about it
27. Costa Rica is a very peaceful country though. they abolished their military in the 1940's. They don't like to fight with anyone.
28. if you say the party starts at 6, it's polite to be there at 6:15 or 6:30
29. at restaurants you pay a service tax to the restaurant, a tax for your food, and tip. It can really add up.
30. Costa Rica currentlly has their first woman president. La Presidenta se llama Laura Chinchilla Miranda. It just says the president's name is... I did a speech on her in class one day
- comments
Helen Kimmel What about beards? How does Patrick fit in with his beard? haha
Kate yeah he is fine. We see an occasional beard. The men here are capable of growing them, it's just not their culture to grow beards.