Residente 2013 11

El Residente Costa Rica’s English language newsle er

November/December 2013

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Contents: President’s Message ................ 4

Editor’s Note Holidays are coming, and it is for that reason that we have saved our cover ar cle for this, our final edi on of 2013, even though the Pope actually visited the country in March. We just felt Christmas me was more appropriate, and hope you enjoy the ar cle.

In the Press .............................. 5 Legal Update ............................ 6 - Allan Garro

Club Corner .............................. 8 A City Rejuvinated ................. 11 - Richard Ternouth

A Day in the Life ..................... 14 - Allen Dickinson

My Costa Rican Experience .... 18 - Kate Ling

Wild Side of Costa Rica ........... 20

Further we bring you a last walk of the downtown district. It appears members truly enjoyed this series, as we have received a couple le ers to that effect. Hopefully we will be able to find a new topic to your liking for the New Year.

Our ar cles On the Globe will be con nuing, with a twist for the next year which we hope you will also enjoy. Our contest entries will also con nue, but with a new series of entries, which also means a new chance to win a prize, so please get your entries in soon. A simple tale of your experience could be cash in your pocket!

For the rest of you, have a happy and safe holiday, and remember to check the dates we are closed before making the trek down to the office over December.

- Ryan Piercy

Ryan Piercy

Costa Rica on the Globe ........ 22

Contact Informa on:

Children Are Our Future ......... 24

Published by: Email:

- Martha Rollins

Business Directory ................. 26

This magazine has been published every two months since 1995 as the official communica ons media of the ARCR. Our organiza on provides service to thousands of foreigners who have chosen Costa Rica to reside for short periods or for permanent residence.

ARCR Administra on info@arcr.net www.arcr.net Ed tor in Chief: Ryan Piercy Adver sing, Publicity: Cindy Solano Office Hours:

Monday- Friday, 9 am to 5 pm CRC me GMT-6

Address:

#101 Casa Canada, Av 4 Calle 40 San José, Costa Rica Tel: 506-2233-8068 Fax: 506-2255-0061

Mailing Address:

P.O. Box 1191-1007 Centro Colon San José, Costa Rica

Since 1984 the ARCR has been offering reliable SERVICES, INFORMATION and ADVOCACY to Costa Rica’s foreign residents.

We have the experience and ability to help you with your residency applica on, immigra on, business and financial management, real estate purchases and rentals, property management, insurance, pet importa on and much more.

If you wish to place an ad in El Residente, please contact the ARCR main office. Goods & services offered are paid adver sements.

Neither ARCR Administracion nor El Residente research the companies and take no responsibility for the quality of such goods and services.

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President’s Message

by Terry Wise recently, have been ignored.

Hope this le er finds you all well and loving Costa Rica!

In this issue I’ll cover some things you will find important, helpful, and interes ng. I’ll start with replacing your car license plates with the new plates.

Those of you with license plates ending in the number 1 have un l the end of October to get them changed. Officials have set up a schedule of when all plates are to be changed, for instance, those with plates ending in the number 2 need to be replaced in the period between the first of November 2013, and the end of January 2014. Each number has three months to get the plates changed. The process will end with the last number (0) being changed between November 1, 2014, and the end of January 2015. It’s not clear if you can change your plates earlier. Before trying, e-mail the ARCR office at legal@arcr.net to see if it’s possible.

The Caja. This is a Must Do! Everyone needs to make sure they DO NOT miss a month’s payment. If you miss a payment, there will be a fine along with a requirement to start the process of joining the Caja all over again. The amount of the fine has not been published, but the fines have started.

This can be a big problem for those of you who leave Costa Rica for several months at a me. There have been reports from members and others returning to Costa Rica who had missed one or more Caja payments while away, and were denied entrance back into Costa Rica un l they could provide proof of payment. This can be quite a difficult challenge because, as of this date, there is no way to pay the Caja at the airports or border crossings.

If you are leaving the country for an extended period, make sure you arrange with someone to make your payment(s) for you. A very good way to do that is to enroll with the ARCR office; we can make the payment(s) for you using an automa c payment with a credit card. Those of you currently enrolled with the office can do this now.

There is a related issue, par cularly those who are “perpetual tourists” (those persons who do not have Costa Rican residency and leave the country every 90 days to renew their tourist visa.)

Some persons going to Panama have encountered a lot of confusion about what is required to enter Panama, even if it is just to visit. It appears that Panama Immigra on has begun enforcing laws that have existed on their books but, un l

According to mul ple reports, Panamanian Immigra on officials are requiring anyone seeking to enter the country to have five hundred dollars in cash.

(You do not pay this to enter; it is to show you have money to live on while visi ng.) Some persons have reported that showing credit cards or a bank book has worked instead of the cash.

There are also reports that Panama has, at random mes, also required visitors to prove they have an exit cket out of Panama back to their home country – not to Costa Rica - the country that issued the traveler’s passport!

Just to be safe, if you travel to Panama make sure you have proof you are leaving the country. This requirement is usually enforced when entering the country. However, there have been reports that at least one tourist with a valid Panama visa being denied re-entry back into Panama without first purchasing a plane cket to their country of origin. Another tourist with a valid Panama visa was denied re-entry back into Panama because he had not stayed out of the country for three days. Plus, he had to purchase a plane cket to Australia, his passport place of origin.

And remember, Costa Rica has also always required persons entering to show they have proof of a future exit from Costa Rica. This is usually in the form of a bus cket, but that could change at any me.

The bo om line is that if you are a “Perpetual Tourist” this is a very good me to start thinking about obtaining residency. ARCR can help with that process. Send an email to legal@arcr.net for more informa on.

A Tree of Hope. Each year before the holidays the ARCR office has a Tree of Hope located in the main office area.

Its purpose is to get dona ons of wrapped gi s, money, or both, for children in need. Just before Christmas the gi s and money will be picked up by a group from the Children’s Hospital located in San Jose. They will distribute the gi s and money to needy children located here in Costa Rica. Please mark your gi (s) according to age and gender. This is an opportunity for you to make the world a be er place.

One last, but important, thing. Please send me your ideas on how I can improve my le ers to members. Send your sugges ons to legal@arcr.net and they will be forwarded to me.

Take care!

Terry Wise

Contest Update: My Costa Rican Experience I think everyone likes turtles, and this issue Kate Ling tells us of her wonderful experience while going to see the turtles nes ng on the beaches of Costa Rica, really a must see for everybody.

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Press Pass Canadians Can Get Clubbed- Free Bri sh Embassy Press Release: Changes to Passport Services for Bri sh Na onals.

The Bri sh Government is making important changes to the passport service for Bri sh na onals living overseas.

From September 9, 2013, the applica on process will be centralised and Bri sh na onals in Costa Rica should submit their passport applica on to Her Majesty’s Passport Office in the UK. This important change follows reviews by the Na onal Audit Office and is designed to achieve economies of scale, greater security and consistency in decision making. All Bri sh passports have enhanced sophis cated security features designed to reduce the likelihood of iden ty the and passport fraud.

All the informa on required to make an applica on will be found at: h ps://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports Notes: • Before September 9, Bri sh na onals living in Costa Rica submi ed passport applica ons to a regional processing hub in Washington, United States.

• From September 9, informa on on the UK Government website will advise Bri sh na onals on the new passport applica on process.

• Applicants will be required to send their applica ons to the Passport Customer Service Centre in Durham. There will be no change to processing mes.

• Fees charged to Bri sh na onals applying overseas are based on the current costs of providing the service. As overseas volumes are much less than UK volumes it is harder to gain efficiencies overseas. That is why we have taken the decision to repatriate the issuing of passports to Bri sh na onals overseas to the UK. Once this has been completed Her Majesty’s Passport Office will be seeking to create closer alignment between the two sets of fees.

November - December 2013

IT’S FREE!! NO FEES!!

You can become a member of the Canadian Club of Costa Rica and not pay annual membership fees. One less thing to worry about.

You can par cipate in our monthly social luncheons-either potluck or at a restaurant, receive the monthly CCCR Newsle er, take part in a tradi onal Canadian Thanksgiving dinner and join the fes vi es in our annual Canada Day Picnic.

In order to increase our numbers, we would ask you to ask Canadians you know in CR who are not already receiving our Newsle er and who are on your email contact list, to add them to the Newsle er mailing list and send their names and email addresses to Pat at costacoffee2@yahoo.com. Thanks for giving us a boost!

And it’s not too early to think about volunteering for Canada Day. There are many posi ons where help is needed. Email Ron at fincafive@gmail.com.

See you at our next event.

Chronogram for Change of License Plates Ending in 1: July to August - September - October 2013 Ending in 2: November-December 2013 -January 2014 Ending in 3: February - March - April 2014 Ending in 4: May - June - July 2014 Ending in 5: August - September - October 2014 Ending in 6: November-December 2014 -January 2015 Ending in 7 February - March - April 2015 Ending in 8: May - June - July 2015 Ending in 9: August - September - October 2015 Ending in 0: November-December 2015 -January 2016 5

Legal Update

by Allan Garro N.

Fast Track Evic ons Could Be a Sham.

It is well known that the economic crisis affected property values in general, due to oversupply and weak demand. Also many borrowers could not con nue to pay their loans and lost their homes to banks, which in turn had to start selling those proper es at prices below market value. It happened all around the world, and Costa Rica was no excep on to this problem.

For the same reason many tenants could not keep paying their rent, severely affec ng landlords all over the country. Many “smart” brains learned that the Tenancy Act is weak and the jus ce system is slow, so it became easy for tenants to lease a place by paying only the first month rent, wai ng un l an official evic on no ce was signed and then moving out quickly a er several months of free rent.

In order to try to end the prac ce, last September 5TH a new Law called MONITORIO ARRENDATICIO was published in the official Gaze e, crea ng a more expedi ous procedure for evic ons. The spirit of the law is to establish a faster procedure which is basically verbal. It applies to all proper es being rented as homes or for commercial purposes in the following scenarios: a. when the renter stops paying the rent or the u li es, b. when a renter stops paying the management fee on a condo project and c. when the rental term has expired and the renter is reluctant to leave the premises.

This is the way it works: a. landlord submits the evic on request specifying the cause for evic on, b. the judge accepts the case and grants the tenant 15 days to respond or leave the premises, c. if the tenant’s response does not have a valid legal basis, the judge orders an immediate evic on, e. if the tenant’s opposi on has validity, a verbal hearing is set where all evidence is presented, d. right a er the verbal hearing ends the judge provides an oral decree. Once the case is admi ed the judge requires the tenant to pay into Court the amount of rent, otherwise the evic on will be immediately executed.

The requirement to oppose the evic on must be based on valid legal reasons, a big change from the current procedure which allows the Tenant to present senseless arguments to delay the evic on for months or even years. The new law also includes another interes ng factor. It allows the lessor to retain the tenant’s personal El Residente

property as security for payment of rent arrears and allows the judge to make an inventory of the goods in ques on.

Once you read this new law in detail, it is easy to conclude that now everything will improve and that the evic on processes will be very fast. It is true that oral hearings are much be er than wri en, but it is also true that oral procedures are more expensive and our courts are underfunded. We have serious doubts as to whether it will actually happen or if it will be like other laws which were approved to improve things but in reality the opposite happened.

In 2008 a new Collec on Law took effect and brought the same “fast track” promise, including verbal hearings. The law was well wri en, however the Court decided to create specific Courts for Collec ons instead of leaving it in the hands of regular Civil Courts. That was a big mistake that caused the total collapse of the Collec ons system. It is a nightmare for Creditors to go through the hoops required to get their cases admi ed, hugely benefi ng debtors who are reluctant to pay. The new Evic ons Law could go the same way, allowing the crea on of a special Evic on Courts which could cause exactly the same problem.

Another point of concern is a precedent from the Cons tu onal Court. The current law ini ally had the same requirement for the judge to require the tenant to pay rents into court, under penalty of ordering the immediate evacua on, but the Cons tu onal Court said that was the same as pu ng a price on Jus ce and revoked the requirement. It is foreseeable that a tenant will challenge this new law in Cons tu onal Court based on this precedent. If the court agrees to hear the challenge, all evic on cases will be suspended un l the Jus ces come to a decision, which could take a year or two.

Despite the recent approval of a well-inten oned law to improve and accelerate the process of evic on, there is good reason to believe that in reality it could complicate ma ers even more, as has been the case with the latest laws passed. Only me will tell if this law will be for be er or worse.

ALLAN GARRO NAVARRO A orney at Law allan@garrolaw.com www.garrolaw.com 6

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Alcoholics Anonymous Groups meet daily throughout the country; mes and places change frequently. Call for up-to-date informa on. San José 2222-1880 (Anchor club, also serves Narco cs Anonymous) Av 6 Calle 1, 2nd floor Maryland Building. Heredia (Laura) 2267-7466, Puerto Viejo Limon 2750-0080, Zancudo 2776-0012, Tamarindo 2653-0897, Flamingo (Don) 2654- 4902, Manuel Antonio (Jennifer) 2777-1548, Jacó (Nancy) 2637-8824, Zoo Group Escazu 2293-4322. Grecia (Jay) 2494-0578. Southern Zone, mee ngs in English & Spanish, 8634-9241. Puriscal, Fred 8866-0128.

Al-Anon Mee ngs English language Al-anon mee ngs are open to anyone whose life has been/is affected by someone else’s problem with alcohol.

Mee ngs are one hour long and held twice each week in Escazu centro, above the Buena Tierra Restaurant, 25 meters south of the San Miguel Catholic Church. Tuesdays at noon and Thursdays at 10: 30 a.m. Tel: 89 93 17 62 (Rosemary) and/or 22 28 10 49 (Barbara) email: rosemaryzitek@yahoo.com. Also in Grecia on Tuesdays at noon (English), contact Cheryl at 2444-1515.

American Legion Post 10- Escazu The oldest and largest American Legion Post in Costa Rica meets at 12 noon on the first Wednesday of each month at Bello Horizonte Country Club in Escazu. For informa on and map, go to the website at amlegioncr10.com/met_loc.html, or call John Moran at 22321680.

American Legion Post 12- Golfito Mee ngs are held 4 p.m. 1st Tuesday every month at Banana Bay Marina. The Golfito GOVETS have been helping Southern Costa Rica for over 20 years. Contact Pat O’Connell at walkergold@yahoo.com or 8919-8947, or Mel Goldberg at 8870-6756.

American Legion Auxiliary The Legion Auxiliary meets the Second Saturday of each month, at 1300 hours in Moravia. Contact Doris Murillo 2240-2947.

Bird Watching Club The Birding Club of Costa Rica sponsors monthly trips to observe local and migrant birds in various areas of the country. For more informa on contact us at costaricabirding@hotmail.com Canadian Club The Canadian Club of Costa Rica welcomes everyone to join us for our monthly luncheons, and at our special annual events, like our Canada Day Celebra on, no passport required. As of this year there is no fee or dues to pay, just sign up with your email address and we will keep you informed of Canadian Events, so you can par cipate whenever its convenient for you!

For informa on visit our website: www.canadianclubcr.com or email Pat at canadianclubcr@yahoo.com to sign up.

Democrats Abroad Democrats Abroad meets on the last Saturday of every month at the Aurola Holiday Inn, San Jose. Contact Nelleke Bruyn, 22793553, e-mail cr.democratsabroad@yahoo.com. Join Democrats Abroad at www.democratsabroad.org. Register to vote absentee at VoteFromAbroad.org!

Li le Theatre Group LTG is the oldest con nuously running English-language theatre in Central or South America. The group currently puts on a minimum of four produc ons a year offering a choice of modern, classic,

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serious, and farcical plays. The group’s monthly social mee ngs are held in the theatre on the first Monday of the month from 7p.m. to 9 p.m. and everyone is welcome. Membership: Student C2,500, Adult: C5000, Family: C8000. Also, earn your Wings, become an LTG Angel. For more informa on Call the LTG Box Office 8858-1446 or www.li letheatregroup.org Marine Corps League Meets at 11 a.m. the 2nd Saturday of every month, at Tres Hermanas Rest. big bull statue in front. On service road opposite Hospital Mexico on the autopista. Call Bill Enell at 8812-0126.

Newcomer’s Club Newcomers Club of Costa Rica (for women) meets the first Tuesday of every month, September through May. September mee ng will be an interest fair. Contact: 2416-1111 costaricaporo@yahoo.com or h p://www.newcomersclubofcostarica.com PC Club of Costa Rica This computer Club meets on the third Saturday of each month at Pan American school, in Belen, 830 to 11:30 a.m. Two months Free Trial for newcomers. For informa on call Chuck Jennings.

Phone 2266-0123 www.pcclub.net Radio control Sailing Club Meets at Sabana Park Lake. For informa on contact Walter Bibb.

Wwbbsurf40@yahoo.com Wine Club of Costa Rica Please mark your calendars. The wine club usually meets at 1 p.m. on the last Sunday of each month. Join us to tantalize your taste buds and expand your educa on. For more informa on on upcoming events please contact us. Phone 2279-8927, 2257-2223 Women’s Club of Costa Rica The Women’s Club of Costa Rica is the oldest, con nuously opera ng, philanthropic organiza on for English-speaking women in Costa Rica. Founded in 1940, WCCR now includes over 250 members represen ng 25 countries worldwide, drawn together by the mo o: Friendship through Service. The Club a racts fascina ng women who are interested in serving community needs in Costa Rica, par cularly focused on children’s educa on while, at the same me, making deep, meaningful, personal rela onships.

Along with its philanthropic fundraising ac vi es, WCCR also hosts regular lunches, teas and many special interest groups, including a Professional Women’s Group. Guests are welcome and further informa on and a calendar of planned events can be found at www.wccr.org Women’s Interna onal League for Peace and Freedom Open to men too. English language group in Cariari de Belen, English-Spanish group in Heredia, Spanish language group in San Jose. We work on peace and human rights issues. Call Mitzi, 24337078 or write peacewomen@gmail.com.

Veterans of Foreign Wars: Post 11207 No-host lunch at 12 noon in the Club Colonial Casino dining area, mee ng at 1:30 p.m. on the second floor. All members are welcome plus veterans who served overseas may join. Call Bob Sempell at 2588-1475.

Young Expats of Costa Rica Some Expatriates under the age of 40, and currently living in Costa Rica, have formed a new social club to be coordinated through their website This club will help younger expatriates living in, or moving to, Costa Rica meet other expats in their age group for: friendship, romance, travel and ac vity partners, and professional networking. www.YoungExpatsOfCostaRica.org

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A City Rejuvinated

by Richard Ternouth opera on un l 1956.

The Rejuvena on of San Jose – Our final walk This is the sixth and last in a series of ar cles focusing on interes ng sites and loca ons in areas of greater San Jose. It has been a pleasure being able to guide you on the three virtual walking tours within and around the city. So, for the final tour, gather up your free ARCR map, put on some good walking shoes, and don’t forget your umbrella!

The North-East area Today we are going to start our walk in the North-East area of San Jose and move back into the center of town. We will begin in the El Carmen District which was founded with a chapel dedicated to El Carmen the Virgin, erected in 1845. The existence of the church encouraged people to se le in this area, the neighborhoods of Barrio Amón, Barrio Aranjuez and Barrio Otoya. The major urban growth of the El Carmen District took place a er the 1890s when it a racted the elite residents of San Jose, which led to it becoming an exclusively bourgeoisie area. As a result of the upscale popula on, the government decided to construct a series of new buildings for various ins tu ons, and transform old areas into wide open areas and parks, thereby increasing the value of the land and bringing status and pres ge to the district.

The Customs Sta on Located between Calle 23 and 25, Avenidas 7 and 9 This neoclassic building was constructed between 1889 and 1891 to be used as a warehouse for the Atlan c Railroad terminal. Its area measures some 13,000 sq. ., which required thousands of bricks for the walls while the floor was paved with cut stone slabs. Around 1976, it ceased being used as a customs sta on and was le virtually abandoned. In 1990 there was a failed effort to turn it into a performing arts center. From 1990 to 2003 it has been occupied by a private company that organizes fairs and exposi ons. Today it is again being eyed as a possible cultural center.

Atlan c Railroad Sta on Located on Avenida 3, between Calles 17 and 19 The building was constructed in 1908 of brick in the Victorian style. At that me the Atlan c Railroad Company was the largest rail line in the country.

Arriving in 1939, imported by the Northern Railway Company, Steam Engine N°59 is s ll a part of this historic loca on. There were six such locomo ves in November - December 2013

Please note: This area has so many places of interest, including museums, monuments, and parks, that it is physically impossible to describe all of them in this ar cle.

Therefore, we will list some of those places that we do not have room to write about, but which are close to the places we visit on our walk.

Other buildings/monuments of note in this area: Rafael Ángel Calderón Museum Santa Teresita Church La Aduana Theater Monument to General Tomás Guardia Gu érrez Na onal Park Located on Avenidas 1 and 3, between Calles 15 and 19 This is a public space near the Railroad Terminal. In 1895 it was chosen as the loca on for the erec on of the Na onal Monument to commemorate the Na onal Campaign of 1856-1857. Over me it has become known as Na onal Park, with the following monuments/sculptures some of those which have been placed there: Na onal Monument Monument to José Mar Monument to Miguel Hidalgo y Cos lla Monument to Andrés Bello Na onal Library Located on Avenida 3, between Calles 15 and 17 This building began construc on in 1969. An earthquake in 1990 produced various structural damage to the building and it was closed for nearly two years. On the west side of the first floor is the Na onal Gallery of Contemporary Art. Other loca ons of note in this area: Supreme Elec ons Tribunal The Historic Second Precinct 11

the Liquor Factory, it offered a res ng place for ox cart drivers who were transpor ng to the factory bundles of sugar, used for making alcohol and liquors. In addi on it has hosted circuses, bull figh ng events, and soccer games. The following monuments can be found in the park: Father Cecilio Umaña Rafael Barroeta Baca Andrew Carnagie Tomás Soley Güel Juan Vázquez de Coronado Isabel the Católica

Na onal Culture Center Located on Avenidas 3 and 7, between Calles 11 and 15 This was the original loca on of the Na onal Liquor Factory with the original buildings built between 1853 and 1856. A sundial which was installed in 1941 s ll remains. Prior to its inaugura on in February 1994, the building was put in the hands of the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sports which then created the Na onal Culture Center.

Other buildings/monuments of note in this area: Inter-American Apartment Buildings Mexican Embassy Plaza Espana Apartment Buildings Casa Amarilla (Chancellery building) The Family Monument We are now entering the area of Barrio Amon, commonly thought of as the Bohemian area of San Jose. In addi on to the historic sites described, there are many great restaurants, bou que hotels, art stores, cigar shops, and other specialty shops and places that invite inves ga on. The area has a European flair with interes ng backstreets, and we encourage you to explore all the area has to offer.

Graduated Schools (The Metallic Building) Located on Avenida 5, Calle 9 Inaugurated in 1896 this edifice was to serve as the San José Graduated School for Boys and Girls. In 1917 the girls’ sec on of the school was given the name Julia Lang, and the name Buenaventura Corralesa was given to the boys’ sec on. These schools are an example of the metal structures that became common a er the 1889 Interna onal Exhibi on in Paris, where the famous Eiffel Tower was inaugurated.

Morazán Park Located on Avenida 3, between Calles 5 and 9 Part of this area was once a lagoon which was used to extract mud to build adobe homes. The park has seen many transforma ons including the installa on of the small Japanese gardens, to make it feel like a throwback to the beginning of the 20th century. There you can also find The Music Temple, a kiosk built in 1920, which is excellent for concerts and performances due to its acous c quali es. Other sculptures and monuments which can also be found in the park include: Teacher Marcelino García Flamenco Simón Bolívar Bernardo O’Híggins

The Jade Museum Located on Avenida 3, between Calles 15 and 17 The Jade Museum is moving, but it is currently located on the lower level of the Na onal Insurance Ins tute (INS). It holds the largest collec on of Pre-Colombian Jade in the Americas. The collec ons contain ar facts cra ed from ceramic, stone, bone, shell, and wood.

España Park Located on Avenida 3 and 7, between Calles 9 and 11 Established in 1862 as a place for ac vi es related to El Residente

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Mauro Fernández Acuña Julio Acosta García Francisco Morazán Domingo Faus no Sarmiento

Adjoining Bar Key Largo is a restaurant which is open 24 hours and caters to “gringo clients” with some of the best American food in the country, including a great breakfast buffet for $12.

Other buildings/monuments of note in this area: Las Acacias Homes Anderson Family Building Maroy S.A. Building Residence of the Jiménez de la Guardia Family French Alliance House Ofelia María Coto Cubero Home Mariano Álvarez Melgar Home Alejo Aguilar Home Joaquín Tinoco Granados Home Luis Ollé Home Moor Castle Children’s Museum Cecil Vernor Lindo Home (now Bar Key Largo) Note: We would be remiss if we did not men on that Key Largo is part of the Del Rey Hotel complex. For those who do not know, the Del Rey, although it is a legi mate hotel, also boasts San Jose’s most famous “hooker bar”.

This brings us to the end of our last virtual tour of some of the interes ng sites in San Jose. There is s ll much more to see, one is the new China Town. It is worth a visit, although it will take another two or more years to fully develop. We have not discussed the eastern part of the city, the area of Los Yosos, whose architecture is quite different from other areas of San Jose, nor have we men oned San Pedro, which is home to at least five of San Jose’s Universi es, San Pedro Mall, and some great ea ng establishments and complexes.

November - December 2013

Hopefully this series has inspired readers to venture out to some of the loca ons on their own. We’d welcome your impressions and descrip ons of those explora ons.

Please send them to: info@arcr.net with the subject line, “El Residente”.

Thank you for reading and great touring!

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A Day in the Life

by Allen Dickinson

Tips for single men As many readers are aware, I am married to a Tica.

This has proved to be an interes ng and rewarding experience. VERY interes ng! (And usually, very rewarding) Through my personal experiences and what I have learned from others, I have gained some insight into cross-cultural rela onships that I would have never had otherwise. (Things that I would have never guessed ahead of me) Therefore, it is the purpose of this piece to pass on some of the things I have learned to others who might be considering developing a long term rela onship with one of the local women. Or, to others who are curious about what such a rela onship is like and what difficul es one might encounter. Please understand that my intent is to simply pass on some ps about things that I wish I had been made aware of earlier.

This should not be construed as a warning against finding and establishing a solid cross-cultural rela onship; it IS very possible to find good ones. But like any prudent explorer who enters new territory, it is advisable to know as much about where you are going, and the inhabitants, as you can before you take the first steps.

Okay, disclaimers over.

Without a desire to make a broad generaliza on, I must acknowledge that there are some Costa Rican women who will see an expat man solely in terms of his money – they perceive that his resources can provide them an opportunity for a be er life. Don’t mis-read; it’s not just in Costa Rica where that happens. In many places in the world persons who strive to improve their lives will, in an effort to do so, say and do anything to move up a rung on the financial ladder. This is, sadly, one of the facts of life – when you are poor and some mes hungry, “true love” takes a backseat to things like food.

So, recognizing that it can happen, it is important to follow the advice of that a orney and determine what’s behind the woman’s stated emo ons.

(A word of cau on here: Ignore all the movie hype of “Pre y Woman”. Unless you are Richard Gere, your chances of doing what he did in the movie are only slightly be er than those for winning the lo ery. So, choose your roman c interests carefully.)

Of course, most Ticas are not like that. Many local women look beyond the purely financial aspects and see men from other countries as much more emo onally mature and stable, men who want long term commitment and have more respect for their partner than is some mes available from local men. This may or may not be true, but it is the percep on of some.

Ah, maturity. I did men on that didn’t I? The truth of the ma er is that “mature” men are o en a racted to women who are more youthful. This may be a manifesta on of a “mid-life-crisis” or it may simply be that the man doesn’t feel his chronological age and wants to live a life that is younger than his age.

Another reason a man may be looking for younger companionship is to provide him with care as he gets older. And in the most shallow cases, he may be seeking a “trophy.” What I am saying by this is that there can be things besides youth that a ract older men to younger women.

A wise a orney once advised me, “Don’t marry any woman un l you have known her at least two years.

That gives you me to determine who she is – what her mo va ons are, her true emo ons, and real her personality.”

Excellent advice in any culture! And possibly even more valuable here.

El Residente

Like many other areas of the world, many Costa Rican women do not see an age difference as a nega ve factor. In fact, a mature man is o en viewed as a be er “catch” because of their maturity. Some women who are a racted to older men have one or more children and look for a man who will treat them and their offspring with kindness, responsibility, and respect.

Again, mo va on needs to be determined.

14

will spend much me together, suppor ng and sharing with others in the family circle.

To give a sense of the meaning of “extended family,” I offer the following personal experience: I, my wife, our kids, and my wife’s parents once a ended a birthday party for the brother of the sister married to the son of the sister of the mother of the son who is the father of one of my wife’s daughters. (Try figuring that rela onship out!) We were treated as if we were all family and to this day we have a strong rela onship with them all, occasionally visi ng and spending a day with some or all of them.

Just like in a same-cultural rela onship, a huge factor in the success or failure of a cross-cultural rela onship is the basic cultural difference. This goes well beyond the ability to communicate across two different languages (although that is very important) and includes such things as differences in educa onal level, social class, and background. All these things can make a large impact on a rela onship. A few examples:

That closeness can, however, lead to problems if, say, one family member loses his job. In that case the more able in the family are expected to help out, which can include him AND his whole family expec ng to move in with those who have a be er life situa on.

Even if you can avoid suddenly having semi-permanent house guests, there are other major differences.

Someone who expects large family gatherings to take place once or twice a year may have a problem in this

Mandatory schooling in CR ends at sixth grade. The outlook of someone with a college degree and a grounding in the scien fic reasons for the things in the world around them, can be vastly different from someone without an advanced educa on. Where one person has a factual understanding of something (like earthquakes, for example), and the partner is supers ous and believes in folk lore, there is an opportunity for conflict.

An example of social differences might be if one partner likes classical music and the other partner has no background in anything beyond hip-hop. That dichotomy can lead to difficul es.

Differences in the level of social class can appear in the development of the social graces (politeness, courtesy, and respect for others.) For a person used to being polite and courteous, living with another who was never taught to be polite or have respect for others can be a huge adjustment.

Another possibility for conflict is in the Costa Rican propensity for ghtly knit family. It has been said that “when one marries a Tica, one marries the whole family.” That is pre y well a truism. All classes of Tico society value the extended family and expect that they November - December 2013

15

exclama on point intended.) Most expat men are not condi oned to dealing with large quan es of Drama!

La n women, however, love it and use it extensively.

Anything and everything can be a Crisis. If you don’t know what I mean, here are a couple of examples: “I have a sore throat. It’s probably cancer and I am going to die!” “You dropped the egg and broke it. Now I have to clean house for hours and we’ll have nothing to eat for a week!” “You smiled at the waitress. I know you are going to leave me. I hate you!”

culture where visi ng with family members (which can extend to large groups of twenty or more) can be a mandatory Sunday experience. Being the only English speaker in such a group can make things difficult.

Another area of poten al cross-cultural rela onship concern revolves around the laws of CR. This country has some very strict laws about spousal abuse. These laws are wri en so that all it takes is a complaint from one person who is a co-resident of a home (the par es need not be married) against the other for puni ve ac on to take place. In the instance when one person has complained, the police will be required by law to remove the one who is alleged to be abusive from the premises (this is almost always the male) – o en with li le more than a has ly packed suitcase. It can even happen that the removed partner is incarcerated for an indefinite period of me. Addi onally, such a complaint can result in Imigracion blocking the man’s Passport, making it impossible for him to depart the country un l the situa on is legally resolved, which can take years.

This has happened to more than a few male expats in Costa Rica whose “house mates” declare them to be abusive. It may happen in the heat of an argument where a phone call is made and the police come and physically remove the man from the premises. It does not ma er if the allega on is patently untrue, that the two are not married, the man may be the legal owner of the property, or even if the woman recants, he is required to leave. Further, the man may compelled by the court to provide the woman with all the resources (rent / housing expenses, food, u li es, etc.) as if he was s ll living there, for the dura on of the evic on – which can be months or more. There can be specula on in each of those cases of whether the woman planned the strategy or not. Just be forewarned that it can happen.

A less dire cross-cultural issue is Drama! (capital D and El Residente

Ah, I can hear you laughing, and to expat sensibili es it can be funny. (But when it happens to you, it usually is not.)

A way to get a feeling for the La n propensity for Drama! can be go en by watching a Spanish novella (soap opera) or two on TV. You don’t need to understand the dialog to see what I am talking about, just listen to the background music and watch the events unfold. If you intend to have a long term rela onship with a Tica, you be er prepared to live in a soap opera because you WILL encounter those kinds of outbursts. I suggest growing a “thick skin.”

Space prohibits going into some of the other less common pi alls of a cross-cultural marriage. I hope this primer has been enough that any man considering entering such a union will thoroughly and completely examine their own mo va ons, as well as those of his poten al partner, before “taking the leap.” And, Good Luck!

Allen Dickinson is a member of ARCR. In 2006 he re red and relocated to Costa Rica. He holds a Bachelors Degree from the University of New York and a Masters Degree from the University of West Florida. He can be reached via email at: allen@humphree.net.

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November - December 2013

17

My Costa Rican Experience

Just Back: Costa Rica’s Turtle Coast Rushing through narrow rainforest canals in darkness so substan al I can almost touch it I look up at the great banner of stars above and wonder why they don’t shed more light. Disembarking and stumbling through the underbrush in blind faith that I won’t squash an angry snake, I soon find myself on a swathe of black beach.

by Kate Ling

Only one in a thousand turtle hatchlings survive into adulthood, so you have to wonder how this species has survived since the me of the dinosaurs. The truth is they nearly didn’t. On the way back Alonso men ons that his family were among the first se lers here, and that their business has always been turtles. Up un l him however that meant meat and shell; his line are predators turned protectors. There can be as many as five hundred tourists along this 22-mile stretch of beach on any one night during high season and while when you’re forming a ght ring around a wild creature in a crucial moment it may seem intrusive, the truth is that it is the tourism itself that ensures their survival. This wilderness would not exist if it wasn’t profitable. Like so many things these days, in the end it all comes down to economics.

(This is the final ar cle from our 2012 contest entries, but don’t forget, we are now taking submissions for our 2013 contest via email to r.piercy.0@casacanada.net.

Please use “contest” as the subject line. Tell us one of your experiences in Costa Rica!)

Alonso, our guide, illuminates this world in red as if for the first me, and there she is – a Green Turtle, so much bigger and more ancient than anyone could imagine – right at our feet. The group stand in silent reverence, heads bowed as if in prayer. We’re not to speak while we’re this close to her. Bringing his light down to her tail Alonso affords us a glimpse of her eggs – a precious cache of ping-pong balls. Soon she begins the process of covering them, moving her hind flippers in a gracefully tender dance before sweeping mighty fore flippers and showering us with black sand. We have been told that while she is nes ng she is in a kind of trance, akin to the single-mindedness of all mothers I suppose, her only mission to ensure, as far as she can, the survival of her next genera on. For this reason he can’t shine his light on her face, so it remains veiled by the night, only a figment of our imagina ons.

We watch as she camouflages her nest in a way she has been perfec ng all her long life, even digging a false hole in front of it to divert unwanted a en on. Then she heads home, pulling herself to the sizzling ocean, her pale hind quarters achingly vulnerable beneath her great shell. Although it seems the waves may tumble her they don’t, her design has been streamlined over eons and she glides out in perfect ergonomic control.

El Residente

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November - December 2013

19

Wild Side LXXVI

by Ryan Piercy

Sharkbite While not easily enjoyed, the underwater wildlife Costa Rica sports is just as fantas c as that found on dry land.

Under the local waters dwell creatures as interes ng, and as colorful, as those above. So who is the most dangerous predator in the oceans?

When I think of the ocean, the first fish that come to mind are sharks. With their powerful bodies and jaws they are the fearsome predators of the deep. Though sharks in general tend to ins ll great fear, they are truly sleek and graceful creatures. It is a shame that people consider them dangerous when, in fact, it is we humans that are a threat to their existence. Sharks have survived far longer than most land creatures have existed, for about 420 million years. Today, the descendants of these first sharks number over 470 different species around the globe.

In a previous ar cle we covered the spectacular Whale shark. Costa Rica, however, is host to over thirty other species as well. Among the more frequently discussed are the ger shark, white p reef shark, bull shark, and hammerhead shark.

The Tiger shark, Galeocerdo cuvier, is a solitary, mostly nocturnal, hunter. Its name is derived from the dark stripes down its sides, resembling those of a ger. It can reach up to five meters in length. These sharks are nomadic creatures and are o en found near the coast following the warmer currents. Their diet is widely varied, including fish, seals, turtles, crustaceans, squid, birds, dolphins, smaller sharks, and apparently, almost anything it can swallow, including discarded objects, hence its nickname “the garbage can of the sea.”

The White p Reef shark (Triaenodon obesus) is a smaller member of the species that reaches up to 1.6 meters. It is easily recognized by its wide head on a slender body and, of course, the conspicuous white ps on the first fin and upper tail. Normally it will hang out near the bo om, about eight to forty meters in depth, in clear waters. During the day it o en rests and can even lie on the bo om, for it is unlike most sharks which must keep in mo on to breathe. It too has nocturnal feeding habits and will emerge at night to feast on bony fishes, crustaceans and octopus. They are rarely aggressive towards humans.

The Bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) is also known as the Nicaragua shark. It is able to survive in salt or fresh waters and is found along coasts and in rivers. They are as unpredictable as its namesake and are well known for their aggressive nature. Its body is stocky, like that of a bull, with a broad flat snout. This is the species of shark found in Lake Nicaragua (Carcharhinus nicaraguensis).

These sharks were originally thought to be an endemic El Residente

species trapped by geological events. In 1961, however, it was found that they have the ability to swim far up river and even jump the rapids of the San Juan River like salmon. Tagged specimens have been found to travel between the lake and ocean in as li le as seven days.

The Bull shark is a solitary hunter that prefers brackish water where it is likely to avoid detec on. Its preferred diet consists of bony fish and other small sharks, but will also eat s ngrays, birds, turtles, and so forth.

Hammerhead sharks are truly an unusual sight and, with their odd protruding eyes, need no further descrip on.

Costa Rican waters are known to host two different types: the Scalloped Hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini) and the Squat-headed Hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran).

Unlike most sharks, the Hammerhead is o en found in schools during the day while hun ng solitarily at night.

They are known to eat a large range of items, including fish, squid, octopus, crustaceans, and other sharks.

When hun ng prey, they will actually use their head like a hammer, pinning down a ray and ea ng it while it lays in shock. It was determined recently that the evolu on of the head may have been in part to improve the animals’ vision. The eyes, which are mounted on the sides of the “hammer”, gives them 360-degree vision as they roam, being able to see above and below at all mes, a great aid while hun ng. Cocos Island is well known loca on for sigh ng some of the larger schools of these species. Unfortunately, though most sharks are threatened, the hammerheads are par cularly sought for their taste and are on the endangered list.

Costa Rica is a par cularly good place to view several of the many species of sharks, but sadly it is also a wellknown hun ng ground for finning (a prac ce where the sharks are killed solely for their fins, considered a delicacy in some cultures.) While the global number of human deaths from shark a acks is only about ten per year, studies show there may be as many as 100 million sharks killed in finning and other fishing techniques, annually. So I ask again, who is the most dangerous predator in the oceans?

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November - December 2013

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Costa Rica on the Globe by Ryan Piercy this beloved pope. His speeches here were delivered in Spanish, one of the thirteen languages he spoke.

Upon his arrival, the Pope first kissed the soil, as was customary, then with then president Jose Alberto Monge at his side, spoke to the crowd. “I feel welcome in this first stage here in Costa Rica, whose warm hospitality I have begun to experience immediately upon my arrival to Juan Santamaria Airport . . .” He went on to say that his visit to Central America was greatly focused on the next countries he was due to visit, with a call for peace, an end to the war and violent deaths, and to implore reconcilia on and banish divisions and hatred.

Joannes Paulus II. Juan Pablo II. El Papa Peregrino. El Papa Viajero. The Traveling Pope. These were all nicknames given to Pope John Paul II as he was in La n America, traveling over 1,167,000 km and visi ng 129 countries. His goal was to bring a message of peace and unity to the world and his journeys drew some of the largest crowds assembled in history. His ul mate goal was to create a new alliance to bring together Jewish, Muslim, and Chris an people into a great religious armada. And he a ained success; his charisma and efforts helped to draw together many religions over the en re globe. He is considered one of the most influen al leaders of the 20th century and was certainly one of the most travelled in all history.

“My words are for peace, for harmony and hope. I come to speak with love to all . . . Trus ng that protec on from above warmly bless every child of Costa Rica and other na ons that I will travel to during this apostolic visit.”

This year is the 30th anniversary since Costa Rica was blessed by the visit of Papa Juan Pablo II. His Alitalia flight touched down on March 2nd, 1983, at 3:20 in the a ernoon. From the outset, mul tudes of Costa Ricans turned out to catch a glimpse and to hear the words of

Widely loved and very popular with the young of the world, things were no different here in Costa Rica. On the following morning he appeared early on the balcony of the Nunciatura in Rohrmoser where he would reside during his visit. The excited crowd welcomed him warmly with constant shouts of “Viva El Papa!” Upon El Residente

22

his departure at 8 AM, his first priority was to visit the Hospital Nacional del Niños to show his support for all the sick children there. Along the route the “Papamovil” was showered with flowers and, during his visit, he was moved to bless the children.

“In my visit to Costa Rica I did not want to miss having a mee ng with you, dear sick children in the hospital.

I greet you with a warm hug, which also includes all children who suffer at home or in other hospitals of this or of the other countries I will visit these days . . . With these hear elt wishes and hopes impart my Apostolic Blessing to you, the sick children, sick adults, to your families, physicians and support staff and all those present. “

over 95% Catholic.

John Paul II only visited Costa Rica one me, but his e to the na on has now become a footnote in history.

Before he was even buried in 2005 there were public cries coming from all over for “Santo Subito” to declare him a saint. Having been bea fied by the Church in 2011 for having said to have cured a French Nun of Parkinson’s, shortly a er his death, this year the Va can declared his canoniza on a er a second miracle was confirmed right here in Costa Rica.

In April 2011 Floribeth Mora Diaz awoke with extreme pain in her head and was taken to the Calderon Guardia Hospital. The forthcoming examina ons revealed a brain aneurism that threatened her life. The doctors determined there was nothing to be done, diagnosing her eminent demise. It was then that this believer from Cartago, with her husband at her side, prayed fervently for the intercession of Juan Pablo II. On May first, the same day that Juan Pablo II was bea fied, Mrs. Mora discovered her afflic on gone. A miracle had occurred.

On April 17, 2014, El Papa Viajero will be officially declared a Saint, connected to Costa Rica for all eternity.

Following his emo onal visit to the hospital, the Pope traversed the city for a short visit to the Casa Presiden al where he was warmly welcomed by President Monge and his family. Then back across town to Sabana Park where more than a half a million ci zens awaited him for a special mass. Numerous ill and wheelchair-bound people a ended, and some of the crowd had spent the en re night in the park awai ng his arrival.

No one knows who started it, but as the Pope arrived at La Sabana thousands were waving their banderas. But rather than the tradi onal red or blue, they were waving flags of white and yellow, the colors of the church. And again, showers of flower petals rained down on the vehicle.

During his sermon in the park Pope John Paul II spoke of the Church, but also of the importance of peace and jus ce. It was a sermon that was excep onally well received in the country, which is both peace-loving and November - December 2013

23

Children Are Our Future With A Li le Help From My Friends Saturday, October 12, Marcos Garcia Salazar, a talented indigenous Cabécar high school student, played his guitar and sang an original composi on in the Cabécar language while two non-indigenous friends from the Orosi Valley held microphones to help with the amplifica on. His music was part of the closing ceremony for the first phase of the Cabécar Project Educa onal Pilot. To me, this symbolizes both the pilot program and the partnership between the two par cipa ng schools, CTP Orosi in the Orosi Valley, and Liceo Rural Fila Carbon II (Alto Quetzal) in the mountains above Turrialba. This was the closing day of a three day visit by Cabécar students to CTP Orosi, the last visit this year as part of the educa onal pilot of the Cabécar Project.

The Cabécar Project began in 2009 when I and a small group of companions visited and delivered 20 children’s books, donated by the Women’s Club of Costa Rica, to Escuela Paso Marcos a mul grade Cabécar school on the bank of Rio Pacuare in the mountains beyond Turrialba.

The first few trips were recorded in the September/ October, 2010 and the May/June, 2011 issues of El Residente magazine.

by Martha Rollins approaching the Cabécar high school, Rural Fila Carbon II, commonly called Alto Quetzal, for the pilot partner.

The rest is history!

The educa onal pilot, a new approach supported fully by the Ministry of Educa on, INTEL, ICE, CRUSA and other ins tu ons, has completed the first year of success, focusing on Language and Social Studies. The purpose of the pilot is to develop future leaders who are proud of their own culture while respec ng that of other cultures. The vision is to foster respect for cultural values, language, and iden ty while developing cri cal thinking, presenta on skills, and technology through the use of joint social and scien fic projects. Partner schools are used to achieve this goal. For example, CTP Orosi, a non-indigenous rural high school in the Orosi Valley, has for the past year had an educa onal partnership with Liceo Rural Fila Carbon II (Alto Quetzal). Eleven Cabécar students and three teachers together with fi een Orosi students and three teachers are members of the pilot. They have visited back and forth conduc ng computer training and plan ng trees appropriate for the region on the Alto Quetzal school grounds. ARCR donated the money for the seedlings.

MEP sent out a Press Release on October 11 about the project. h p://www.mep.go.cr/no cias/estudiantescomparten-intereses-medio-intercambio-cultural

We were later joined by other volunteers, including individuals from Post #10 of the American Legion and individuals from the Women’s Club, who gave dona ons and accompanied us on our trips to the isolated area.

We con nued our work, providing much needed food, books, clothes, medicine for horses, and tools to create vegetable gardens for Escuela Paso Marcos, Escuela Sikua Ditsö and other indigenous schools in the Chirripó Indigenous Reserve. Members of the group hiked up and stayed overnight, camping in our sleeping bags on classroom floors and cooking by candlelight on a propane stove in the school comedor. Teachers at the school joined us for dinner and breakfast. The project began to grow as Café Bri and others became our faithful donors.

A er delivering a dona on of Cabécar-Spanish Dic onaries I discovered that the word Kölbi, used by ICE for their cell phone adver sing campaign, is a Cabécar word for a medium sized frog that goes to the top of the trees and sings. Upon learning that, Isabel Arias, Directora of CTP Orosi and I decided that we definitely should approach ICE for a dona on of intelligent cell phones to use in an educa onal pilot project for Cabécar students! Isabel, who had been with us on a prior trip to the region, Marian Zerpa, who had helped us locate the dic onaries, Armond Joyce, a re ree from NASA, Adrian Gonzales, an engineer from INTEL and Gail Nystrom, founder of the Costa Rica Humanitarian Founda on, joined the team. The Ministry of Educa on suggested El Residente

Implementa on of the Language and Social Studies por on of the educa onal pilot began a year ago with a three day visit by indigenous students from Alto Quetzal to CTP Orosi for computer training. While there the students stayed in a cabin donated by a local hotel and ate at the school. Alto Quetzal reciprocated by hos ng a three day visit by Orosi students to celebrate the comple on of a new school building and plant trees on the grounds. Alto Quetzal is remote and many families of students live far away in the mountains. Because there are no hotels in the area, Orosi students slept in sleeping bags at the school.

24

On October 10-12, 2013, Alto Quetzal students again visited Orosi to par cipate in a Feria Intercultural to celebrate the differences in cultures in Costa Rica.

Visi ng Cabécar students were each paired with an assigned a local compañero, and stayed with the family of their compañero for the dura on of the visit. The day the Cabécar students arrived, the Ministry of Educa on sent out a Press Release describing the pilot. It can be read at: h p://www.mep.go.cr/no cias/estudiantescomparten-intereses-medio-intercambio-cultural The first evening, October 10, as part of the cultural exchange of experience which is one of the project’s primary objec ves, students and teachers from both schools, accompanied by Orosi directora Isabel Arias and Alto Quetzal director Chris an Hidalgo Avila, enjoyed an evening at the local mall. The ou ng included a viewing of Hamburger Rain 2, an animated movie about vegetables with personality, and enjoyed a typical teenage meal at the mall. Cabécar students were par cularly fascinated by the escalators, a brand new experience for them!

The Feria Intercultural was held on the second day of the visit, October 11. Opening ceremonies included speeches by our partners and donors. Vice Minister of Educa on Mario Mora expressed the ministry’s support for the project, including le ers that have been sent out by the Minister of Educa on to MEP Departments and affiliated ins tu ons, reques ng their full coopera on and the incorpora on of the pilot into other MEP projects. Adrian Gonzalez, team member and engineer at INTEL, formally delivered computers from INTEL for both schools. Awards of apprecia on were given.

Representa ves from ICE, Omar Dengo, WCCR, UCR, CR Humanitarian Founda on, ARCR, The American Legion, and the President of the Indigenous Development Associa on for the Chirripó Reserve, a ended. UCR Editorial provided a table with indigenous literature, and Café Bri provided coffee and cookies.

Cabécar students created a display table with tradi onal hun ng weapons, musical instruments, tools, kitchen implements, art objects, and medicinal plants.

Explana ons were given for each item and visitors were encouraged to try the bow and arrow, an implement used for drilling holes to make kitchen bascóns, much like our colanders, and were given the opportunity to taste the plants (in small amounts).

As a part of the feria the Cabécar students provided theatre and music. The students re-enacted the story of crea on of the earth, first in the Cabécar language, then again in Spanish, followed by an explana on of the story. Another treat was a prize winning regional dance group who performed dances from the Orosi region of Costa Rica.

There was also an extensive “Food Court” where Orosi November - December 2013

students provided booths with foods from every ethnic group in Costa Rica, including China and Nicaragua.

My favorite was the homemade pozole, a spicy stew made with pork and hominy, and a fresh and refreshing mandarina refresco. A formal lunch was provided, but we all were too full to eat!

Gree ngs in the Cabécar language filled the air throughout the feria. Orosi students have been enthusias c about learning the language under the leadership of Jórge Calderon, a teacher from Alto Quetzal. In turn, the Cabécar teachers and students, led by CTP Orosi teacher, Manfred Morales, are busy crea ng an on-line verbal Cabécar Dic onary. The dic onary, which demonstrates correct pronuncia on of words, is available at: h p://proyectoquetzalorosi .blogspot.com/p/diccionario-cabecar.html.

Manfred presented his project at the Microso Conference for Innova ve Teaching September 20. For more on this, there is an ar cle on page 21A of the October 12 issue of La Nación describing the project, and a video from La Nación can be seen at: h p://www.nacion.com/vivir/ ciencia/Diccionario-cabecar-linea-acerca-colegiales_0_ 1371662882.html.

Some students at Alto Quetzal walk up to 5 hours to get to school, crossing rivers that become extremely dangerous during the rainy season. An alterna ve solu on for students is to receive instruc on via Internet. To this end, a student from CTP Orosi delivered a presenta on on the use of the technology which can provide classroom instruc on for students who cannot a end school because of illness or bad weather. All Cabécar students and teachers, including the head of the indigenous associa on, a ended this session.

The day concluded with students trying to break a piñata filled with candies; crazy, wild swings threatened the structure of the wall supports. To close the day, CTP Orosi Directora Isabel Arias brought out a special cake to celebrate the comple on of the first year of the Cabécar Project Educa onal Pilot.

Students and teachers returned on Saturday for closing ceremonies and goodbyes before the Alto Quetzal students le for home. Both schools shared in the closing procession with a representa ve of each carrying the Costa Rican and CTP Orosi flags. And Marcos Garcia sang and played his farewell . . . with a li le help from his Orosi friends!

Next year the pilot will enter the Science and Technology phase with implementa on of the NASA/Omar Dengo GLOBE program. There will also be ongoing and addi onal projects assisted by UCR, ITCR, CeNAT, and other educa onal and research facili es. We are grateful to CRUSA for providing a dona on to allow us to proceed with this por on of the Cabécar Educa onal Pilot.

25

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AtlĂĄntica Medical Supply Company

Giro Canadian Dollar Euro Swiss Franc Nicaraguan Cordoba Danish Krone Norwegian Kroner Swedish Krona Honduran Lempira Bri sh Pound Argen ne Peso Columbian Peso Mexican Peso Dominican Peso Brazilian Real Guatemalan Quetzal Korean Won Japanese Yen Venezuelan BolĂ­var Hong Kong Dollar Taiwan Dollar Bolivian Peso Chilean Peso Russian Rouble Peruvian Sol Polish Zloty Australian Dollar Chinese Yuan

1.53408 1.02940 1.35260 0.90470 24.49750 5.51360 6.01300 6.41240 20.46000 1.61360 5.79200 1,911.45000 13.17400 42.54500 2.23350 7.93550 1,074.64000 97.73000 6.29210 7.75470 29.63000 6.90950 504.99000 32.41290 2.77800 3.12880 0.93380 6.12090

Libor Rate 1 month 3 month 6 month 12 month Prime Rate

El Residente

0.17885 % 0.24885 % 0.36850 % 0.62940 % 3.25 %

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Holidays of Costa Rica Wednesday, December 25th Christmas Day - Na onal holiday, ARCR Closed (Dec 21-Jan 6) Wednesday, January 1st New Year’s Day - Na onal holiday, ARCR Closed (Dec 21-Jan 6) A Touch of Wisdom “Slow and steady wins the race.�

- Aesop 620-560 BC “The worst prison is a closed heart.�

- Pope John Paul II “Vessels large may venture more but li le boats should keep near shore.�

- Ben Franklin (1706-1790) Funniest One Liners...

Nobody’s perfect. I’m a nobody.

Ask me about my vow of silence.

The hardness of bu er is directly propor onal to the so ness of the bread.

The last thing on earth you want to do will be the last thing you do.

Diplomacy is the art of le ng someone else get your way.

If ignorance is bliss, then tourists are in a constant state of euphoria.

If at ďŹ rst you don’t succeed, don’t try skydiving.

If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?

November - December 2013

" # " #$ %" $ $" ( ! " # " " # " "! "$ # #%) $ "

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El Residente

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