Residente 2014 03

El Residente Costa Rica’s English language newsle er

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March/April 2014

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Contents: President’s Message ................ 4 Ask ACS .................................... 7 - American Ci zens Services

Costa Rica on the Globe ........... 8 Club Corner ............................ 11 Legal Update .......................... 12 - Allan Garro

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

Paradise, We Have a Problem ... 17 - Tony Johnson

Connec on ............................ 20 - WCCR

Learning the Language .......... 21

Editorial Note It has proven to be a very good year so far for the magazine, as we have already received a lot of nice feedback on some changes, although we have only run one issue so far this year.

The first item was that a number of members were very happy to receive the El Residente in digital format, especially because that means they can receive it so much faster and easier. It seems many members were s ll unaware that this has been an op on for about a year now.

Yes, there are also those who s ll wish to get the hardcopy, which will s ll be available for pick up from the ARCR offices in San Jose or in the South, but again not un l they have gone through the print process.

On another side, we received a number of very fast responses to some of our new contribu ons this year, such as Tony Johnson’s issues in Paradise, as well as the new submissions from Allen Dickinson. Oh, and thank you also for the nice feedback on my wildlife ar cles too!

See you in the summer!

Ryan Piercy

- Chris Howard

Wild Side of Costa Rica ........... 23 - Ryan Piercy

My Costa Rican Experience .... 24 - Rudolph Lioi

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

Contact Informa on: 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.

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.

March/April 2014

Published by: Email:

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

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President’s Message

by Terry Wise

What A Great Day! The weather is great, life is wonderful! In this le er I want to share some informa on and reminders I hope you will find informa ve and interes ng.

ARCR now has a Facebook page! Its purpose is to assist ARCR members by answering their ques ons, displaying helpful informa on, and lis ng ac vi es at ARCR and around Costa Rica. The site is available to help future members too, so please let people/friends who may be interested in joining the ARCR know about our Facebook page. You can find the site by going on Facebook then searching Associa on of Residents of Costa Rica; there I found two sites, both worked. As with anything new, it is a work in progress so your construc ve sugges ons and comments are welcome.

For Those American Ci zens needing to receive their absentee ballot outside of the U. S., register to vote, or update their voter informa on, help is available at the ARCR office. In the mornings only, you can come to the office and meet with someone who will have the form and the exper se to assist you to fill it out. Or, you can go it alone by going on line at FVAP.gov. You will need to get it done soon; if there is a problem or ques ons it will be returned for correc ons.

Now for an update on the departure fee. When leaving Costa Rica by car, bus, or walking, the fee is now $7.00, not $5.00. It may be possible, if traveling by bus or on a tour, to pay the fee at the company’s office. This, however, has not always been the case, so ask if you can pay the fee while buying your cket. Another way is to pay the tax at one of the Banco Credito Agricola loca ons before you leave.

Time for a warning to those who have been dragging their feet on ge ng their Residency in Costa Rica. Costa Rica will have a new administra on soon and, as has been the past history of new administra ons, they are going to fix or change everything that needs fixing or changing. One of the favorite areas is the requirements to obtain residency. So, before that happens and the changes/confusion begins, it would be a good idea to get your applica on submi ed to immigra on.

for needy children. Thanks to members and ARCR staff, we were able to purchase one hundred gi s for some very apprecia ve children. The gi s were distributed via two different groups: the Hospital de Los Ninos, who requested and received thirty five, and sixty five were given to the Assocciacion obras del Espiritu Santo. We have received le ers from both organiza ons thanking ARCR for helping make a child’s Christmas be er.

A big Thank You goes out to those members who donated, but please note, while going over the amount of dona ons generated by the Tree of Hope, I no ced the staff at ARCR donated more than its members. I sincerely hope that next year we members can at least match or exceed the amount the ARCR staff donates.

Reminder me: the FFL, also known as First Friday Lunch, takes place every month. On the first Friday of each month a group consis ng of members, nonmembers, board members, and ARCR staff meet to enjoy a meal together, exchange informa on, and make new friends. Currently we are mee ng at K C Hotel and Resorts in Sabana sur at noon. Everyone is invited and if you need direc ons, call the office.

ARCR monthly seminars are a great source of up-to-date informa on. As you have come to know, things change here quickly, many mes without no ce. A ending a seminar will keep you informed. Seminars take place the last Thursday and Friday of the month. More informa on or registra on can be obtained in the ARCR office.

Be careful to avoid any poli cal rallies or demonstra ons.

Tourists and residents are not allowed to even observe, and you can be arrested and deported.

Don’t forget to register with your country’s embassy.

They are trying hard to protect their ci zens. U. S. ci zens can register on line at Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at Travel.State.gov. For those from other countries, check with your embassy.

If you have sugges ons on how to make this le er more helpful to members, please send them to ale@arcr.net or use our Facebook page.

TAKE CARE, STAY SAFE, BE HAPPY. Terry Wise

Here’s a follow up to The Tree of Hope, a charitable effort ARCR conducts every Christmas me for dona ons Contest Update: My Costa Rican Experience Many of you have had to take a trip over the border, either to renew your visa, or perhaps just for a trip to one of the neighboring countries. This issue Rudolph Lioi relates his interes ng experience treking back and forth over the Panama border near San Vito.

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El Residente

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Ask ACS by American Ci zen Services would definitely want to bookmark this page.

Dear Abby, Dear US Embassy The American Ci zen Services Sec on of the U.S. Embassy, in collabora on with El Residente magazine, is launching in 2014 a new column “Ask ACS” which provides an opportunity for U.S. ci zens interested in living or visi ng Costa Rica to ask ques ons about services available at the U.S. Embassy to assist American ci zens when they are abroad.

Dear ACS, I’m a U.S. Ci zen who just arrived here in Costa Rica, and because I love it so much, I’m thinking of moving here or at the least, spending more me in this beau ful place. With that said, living outside of the States can be rather daun ng, and I keep coming across many ques ons and situa ons where I feel the U.S. Embassy can help me out, but I honestly don’t know what resources and op ons I may have as an American ci zen. When you have a moment, would you please share some of the key resources that will help me as I transi on and become a resident? Gracias.

--- Curious in Costa Rica Dear Curious in Costa Rica: Welcome to one of the most beau ful areas of this earth. We completely understand your reason for wan ng to move here, and to that end, we want to share with you three of the most important resources that will help you as you transi on and se le here in Costa Rica.

The first resource is the U.S. Embassy San Jose Website: h p://costarica.usembassy.gov/service.html. This site will answer many of your ques ons and get you familiar with some of the basic services that we provide such as passports, notaries, federal benefits, and ci zenship for children born in Costa Rica. You can even use this site to schedule appointments and find Embassy phone numbers/emails. You may also consult this site for any other emergency services you may need.

The second resource is h p://travel.state.gov/travel/ cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1093.html. You will find that this site provides a wide array of informa on specifically for Costa Rica. Meaning, if you wanted to know specifics about visas, medical condi ons, crime sta s cs, and exit/entry requirements for U.S. Ci zens, then you March/April 2014

Lastly, you will want to register in STEP (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program - h ps://step.state.gov/step/). By signing up for this free service, you will stay connected to all the news and alerts the Embassy has for ci zens here in Costa Rica. Even more important, enrolling in STEP will make it easier for consular officers at the Embassy to contact you and your loved ones should there be an emergency.

In conclusion, these three resources will answer many of the ques ons you have (or will have) and help you in your transi on to Costa Rica.

Once again, welcome to Costa Rica. We look forward to serving you. Pura Vida!

Contact Info: U.S. Embassy – American Ci zen Services Phone: 2519-2590 Email: acssanjose@state.gov The United States government has no higher responsibility than to serve and protect its ci zens, including those who live or are traveling abroad. To this end, the American Ci zen Services Unit in Costa Rica provides prompt, courteous, and efficient services to United States Ci zens and other clients, consistent with U.S. laws and regula ons.

American ci zens can apply for U.S. passports, document their foreign-born children who qualify as U.S. ci zens, notarize documents for execu on in the U.S., inquire about social security and other federal benefits, and request help in an emergency.

Whether you are residing in Costa Rica or here for a week’s vaca on, please enroll in our Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) so that we may be be er able to assist you in an emergency.

HOURS OF OPERATION Embassy business hours are Monday–Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Note: the Embassy is closed on U.S. and Costa Rican holidays) LOCATION AND ADDRESS Loca on: At the intersec on of Calle 98 Vía 104 in the Pavas Sec on of San José, Costa Rica.

Local Mailing Address: 920-1200 San José, Costa Rica

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Costa Rica On The Globe by Ryan Piercy he who really carried the torch to burn to fortress?

The Hero Of The Na on th

When April 11 arrives, all over Costa Rica, the people will celebrate its greatest hero, Juan Santamaria. Just a young peasant lad of 17, Juan, who was apparently the drummer boy of the mili a, gave his life while se ng fire to the fort where William Walker and his filibusterers were held up while a emp ng to invade Costa Rica.

A er decades of arguments over the deed, it was not un l 1891 that the statue of Santamaria was raised in Alajuela. At that me the government had undertaken to verify the yarn and, through various statements made, collaborated the story. The most compelling of all the evidence was on account of his mother.

This incredible story has been passed on through genera ons, but unfortunately there has always been doubt of the truth of the tale, mainly due to lack of evidence. Certainly, Santamaria’s statue stands proud in Alajuela, where the boy was apparently born. However this statue, as all the others, is just an ar st’s likeness of what he may have looked like as there were no images or photos from which to accurately recreate the poor peasant.

Due to doubt through the years, the story has been put off as a legend or myth, so much so that various individuals have undertaken to do research into the story and available facts.

The story of William Walker is certainly well known.

In 1855, with financial help from the tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt, he had succeeded in his first bid to create a slave-holding empire in Central America and had managed to take control of Nicaragua with his filibusterers. By 1856 he had made himself President and had set his eyes on the rest of Central America, including Costa Rica.

The president of Costa Rica at the me, Juan Rafael Mora, raised a mili a to defeat Walker’s invasion. Stories even go so far as to say he had been pped off by Vanderbilt, as Walker had apparently made a doublecross on the tycoon. The first ba le at Santa Rosa in Guanacaste led to Walker’s con ngent being routed by the Costa Ricans, who then entered Nicaragua and followed Walker’s men to the city of Rivas.

What is known is that Walker’s troops were held up in a fortress at Rivas. During the ba le, the fort itself was set on fire, which caused a turn in the ba le, and Costa Rica was victorious, saved from invasion. At that ba le a young boy named Juan Santamaria fought and later died of injures received at the ba le. However, was it

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Part of the story tells how a few soldiers had tried to burn the fort, but all had been shot down. The young Santamaria offered to go, but only if his mother would be taken care of, he being an only child. Sure enough, documenta on was found from November 19, 1857, in which Manuela Carvajal, mother of Juan Santamaria, presented a request for a pension to the Execu ve power due to the fact that her son had lost his life at the Ba le of Rivas while se ng fire to the fort. The request was approved by the board within the week, which provides strong proof of the acceptance of Santamaria’s great contribu on to the na on.

Even following the official declara on, arguments have s ll persisted about the truth behind the story.

However, it is one of the most popular tales in all Central America: the story of the unknown peasant boy who became the greatest hero of his me. His statues will con nue to stand in Alajuela and around the country as a proud reminder of what this young man, from this small na on, had accomplished. And finally, his name will con nue to be known around the world by all visitors who have the opportunity to land at the Juan Santamaria Interna onal Airport.

El Residente

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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.

of four produc ons a year offering a choice of modern, classic, 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

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.

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

American Legion Post 10- Escazu The A L Post 10 has relocated the monthly mee ngs to Casa de España in Sabana norte. The next mee ng will be March 5th beginning at 12:00 noon on the second floor. There is an elevator so those with a handicap will not have a problem entering the building or reaching the mee ng area. If you wish to a end please e-mail or call for direc ons. Terry Wise, Cell#: 8893-4021, Outside CR: 011-506-8893-4021, U S # to C R: 904-352-7043. Claudio Pacheco, Cell#: 8876 1394, Home#: 2225 4239.

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

March/April 2014

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.

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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Legal Update

by Allan Garro N.

The Window To Resign Is About To Close Costa Rican Congress approved an annual tax on all Corpora ons registered in the Na onal Registry, whether they are established as Sociedades Anónimas –SAs-, Limitadas –LLCs-, En Comanditas –Silent Partnershipsor Sociedad en Nombre Colec vo – Collec ve Name Companies-. It also includes Foreign Corpora ons that obtained a corporate ID number at the Registry for their Costa Rican divisions. This law was published on the official Gaze e on December 27th, 2011.

The tax started being collected in April, 2012, the first year, then is payable every January. The amount due for January, 2014 was 199,700 colons for Ac ve and 99,850 colons (50% less) for Inac ve corpora ons, depending on the status registered in the Tax Department. If a person owns a corpora on classified as Ac ve when really there are no economic ac vi es genera ng income it is necessary to submit a form declaring it as Inac ve in order to pay half the tax the following year.

Most expats residing in the country have one or more corpora ons to protect assets or run businesses, but this change affected everyone’s budget making it necessary to do some changes, such as merging companies into one, moving assets among corpora ons or dissolving unused corpora ons. One problem is that before any procedure can be registered it is mandatory to be up to date with the tax, otherwise the Na onal Registry will not permit registra on of any changes or the transfer any assets.

The truth is that a large number of companies have not paid the tax since it began on 2012 (approximate 275,000) and the law says every corpora on that reaches three periods without paying will be dissolved by the Na onal Registry. A major concern is that the law states that Directors holding a power of a orney are personally liable for the unpaid tax. However, there is

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a window of opportunity to avoid the problem of facing an eventual collec on suit from the Government for the company’s debts.

Directors or individuals holding a power of a orney are allowed to resign their directorship by preparing a le er of resigna on that must be delivered to the legal address of the company. It is then necessary to appear before a Notary Public to declare that the le er was properly delivered or the reasons if it could not be delivered.

A document is then prepared by the notary and sent to the Na onal Registry where they will eliminate the appointment of the person resigning.

The company does not need to be up to date with the tax in order to file the above men oned resigna on.

This is the fastest way to get rid of a company that has not paid the tax and to avoid personal liability for the debt. It is very important to take into considera on that this window was opened for two years only, and that the term expires April 1st, 2014. Another point of importance is that those directors without representa on or power of a orney will not be deemed responsible for the tax.

Resigning is a great tool for those companies that have not paid the tax since 2012 and don’t have any assets.

The Na onal Registry will proceed to dissolve the corpora on without extra costs to the owner who has legally resigned. Doing so is also less expensive than paying the tax and dissolving the company voluntarily.

Obviously if the company owns any assets it is necessary to pay the tax, and then move the assets before elimina ng the company.

The three year period for corpora ons that have not paid the tax since it began in 2012 expired last January 31st, 2014. The ques on now is: How Judgment Day will take place for all of those 275,000 plus corpora ons?

To clarify this I made a visit to the Coordina on Department of the Registry of Corpora ons where their answer was: We don’t know yet. The answer clearly shows Congress approved the law without checking first with the authori es in charge of applying it.

The person I spoke with in that department told me that even though last January 31st was the date set by law to start dissolving corpora ons that have not paid three periods in a row, the same law opened the window for Directors who want to resign, therefore the registry El Residente

cannot do anything un l a er April 1st, and even a er that date is not clear how they will proceed. According to Herman Mora Vargas, a specialist in Notarial Law this will be the probable scenario at the Na onal Registry: •

•

•

The Registry of Corpora ons cannot simply “delete” the companies or implement a system that will automa cally dissolve corpora ons that have not paid the tax during three periods in a row. They will need to publish an adver sement for each corpora on and wait 30 days according to ar cle 207 of the Code of Commerce.

Because of the large number of corpora ons to be dissolved, the Registry of Corpora ons will need to do it by groups, and that will take a number of months. Supposedly any corpora on should be able to be saved by paying the total amount due right before it gets deleted by Registry.

group consis ng of those corpora ons that own assets, or whose representa ves own assets, because of the personal liability created for those Directors who hold a power of a orney over the company and did not file a resigna on in me.

It is important to take into considera on all the above scenarios in order to make a decision about what to do with an unwanted corpora on. Also, check carefully to ensure there are no forgo en appointments as Directors of corpora ons from the past, as there are people who might have been appointed as Directors or Legal Representa ves of Companies they don’t have any control over or rela on with any longer. The Window opened to resign is about to close.

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

Probably the Registry will have a separate

March/April 2014

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A Day In The Life

by Allen Dickinson

A Tragedy Regular readers know this column is usually lighthearted and up-beat. This one will not be.

Some may know, and some may not, but I lost my lovely fi een-year-old daughter, Barbara, in late January.

She and her boyfriend drowned at one of Costa Rica’s beau ful beaches; they were playing in the surf and were caught by one of the frequent rip currents.

when encountering our invi ng, and decep vely serene and cap va ng, beaches. Consequently, every year in Costa Rica there are several deaths caused by rip currents (in 2013 I believe there were eleven.)

When they occur they are very strong and it is nearly impossible for a swimmer to overcome them directly.

In my daughter’s case, like most who drown from being caught in a rip current, the two were ini ally swept out to sea. In their panic, they forgot what they had been taught, and fought to get back to shore. Eventually exhausted, they drowned.

There ARE rules to survive a rip current and EVERY child and adult who enters the ocean in Costa Rica should be aware of so they know how to respond should they get caught by one. In hopes that something like what happened to my daughter and her boyfriend can be prevented, I present those rules here: A swimmer caught in a rip current should not a empt to swim back to shore directly against the rip. This risks exhaus on and drowning.

For those who aren’t familiar with rip currents, here is an explana on: rip currents occur when condi ons cause fast-flowing water to run away from the shore.

Below is a paraphrased and abbreviated, more complete explana on from Wikipedia: When wind and waves push water toward the shore, that water is o en forced sideways along the shore line by the oncoming waves. This water streams parallel to the shoreline un l it finds an exit back to the sea. As a result, a rip current occurs. Rip currents are usually strongest at the surface which tends to damp incoming waves, leading to the illusion of a par cularly calm part of the sea. The calm appearance may possibly lure some swimmers into the area. Rip currents are stronger when the surf is rough (such as during high onshore winds.)

Rip currents are VERY common to Costa Rican beaches, both on the Pacific and Caribbean coasts. They are not obvious and their existence can be easily dismissed

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While in a rip the swimmer should relax and calmly float or tread water to conserve energy.

When possible, the swimmer should swim parallel to the shore un l he or she is outside of the current. (Depending on the situa on, the swimmer may need to travel a considerable distance parallel to the shore before the current diminishes.)

Eventually the rip will lose its strength and the swimmer can swim away from the current and back to shore.

When a emp ng to swim back to shore, look for loca ons where waves are breaking.

Please, PLEASE learn these rules. Teach your children and your grandchildren about rip currents. Tell your neighbors, friends, anyone who might go to the beach.

And especially, if you have friends or rela ves who visit you from your home country, make sure they know that rip currents can occur here, how dangerous they are, and how to deal with them BEFORE they enter the water that first me.

I cannot communicate the feelings of loss my family El Residente

is undergoing. Barbara was a serious and excellent student, mature beyond her years, and had solid plans for her future. Her absence is deeply felt. Please do not let that happen to someone you know or love.

The following warning has been taken from the US Travellers advisory warning on Costa Rica at travel.state.gov.

“Beach Condi ons Warning: On both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts, currents are swi and dangerous, and the majority of dangerous beaches have neither lifeguards nor warning signs. According to the Costa Rican Red Cross, approximately 59 people drowned in 2012 in Costa Rica due to treacherous rip currents. These rip currents have swept even strong swimmers out to sea.

Visitors should carefully consider the safety of any beach before entering the water. There have been reports that beachside hotels have removed signs warning against dangerous swimming condi ons for fear that they may lose business. U.S. ci zens are urged to always exercise extreme cau on when swimming in the ocean and to never swim alone. Eleven U.S. ci zens drowned in Costa

March/April 2014

Rica in the last year. Crocodile sigh ngs have also been reported along beaches, including those popular with swimmers and surfers. “ In fact, the figures quoted for 2012 have more than doubled, as the Red Cross of Costa Rica have indicated that 2013 saw 118 drownings in the country. Even with all the newscasts and advisories, things con nue to worsen as people take the warnings to lightly.

For a more complete discussion of rip currents, there are several good websites on the subject which also include advice on how to handle yourself in this type of situa on. It is an important topic to discuss with your family and friends who are visi ng. h p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rip_current or h p://www.ripcurrents.noaa.gov/ 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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El Residente

Paradise, We Have A Problem Why Am I So Unhappy Here II Called “the happiest place on earth” in one survey (12th in another), immigrants to Costa Rica essen ally live in a “Nature Special.” Many envy our good fortune, so how could anyone be unhappy living here?

by Tony Johnson Rela onships Meaning or purpose Accomplishments

In short, we might be unhappy in paradise because of our nega ve reac ons to the ups and downs of life here, and because we le behind some or all of these sources of happiness in our former lives; we lost them and failed to replace them here in Costa Rica.

Here again, a tudes may prevent us from making the efforts needed to restore these happiness sources to our lives. If we think “the move to Costa Rica SHOULD GIVE me…”, we don’t even bother to look.

In the last column we explored some answers to that ques on and focused on the self-defea ng mindsets that block happiness. Unrealis c expecta ons about what life “should” give us, for example, set us up for disappointment and unhappiness; we basically make ourselves unhappy by OUR responses to the reali es of existence.

Some mes it FEELS like a setback is the direct cause of our unhappiness. But that leaves out a crucial “step”: our a tudes about some difficulty will determine how badly we will feel about it. If we regard a sunny day as due us, and see rain as the world “screwing us”, we not only suffer an unmet need but also experience a personal injury. This can lead to the feeling, “my needs don’t ma er to the cosmos,” making the rainy day worse and precluding us from looking elsewhere for happiness.

Freeing ourselves of such a tudes opens us to other opportuni es for happiness. We grow from an “I got screwed” a tude to an “OK, how else can I meet my needs?” approach. And, thereby, improve our happiness prospects.

This “a tude adjustment” may be necessary, but it’s not always sufficient. We may also need some ideas about where to look for happiness.

Research points us in five important direc ons, or P.E.R.M.A.s, an acronym that will help us remember the five general sources of happiness.

Posi ve emo ons It’s impossible to feel happy if we never feel good. Joy, gra tude, delight, wonder, love, and so on are essen al parts of a happy life. If such feelings are missing from your life, you might want to consider where they’ve gone. What rela onships, experiences, roles, and ac vi es provided these feelings in your past? Do you need to restore them to your current life?

Are you holding on to nega ve/happiness-destroying feelings like anger, resentment, discouragement, defeat, regret, etc? You may be jus fied in having such feelings, but do they really do you ANY GOOD? Le ng go of a righteous anger does not say, “What they did to me was OK”, it frees YOU of living with the poison of persistent resentment and improves YOUR emo onal state and outlook. A source of happiness may be right in front of you, but you are unable to see it if you are blinded by anger.

Engagement Remember how good you felt totally absorbed in some task, hobby, cause, interest, connec on? When we’re “in the zone” we’re doing something meaningful and exercising our core strengths. Such experiences contribute to our overall sense of happiness. Where has such engagement gone? Where could you find more of it? Ask yourself, what is my “state of engagement” in the big picture of life?

Rela onships

Posi ve emo ons Engagement March/April 2014

Social rela onships are not just a “nice part” of our lives,

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they’re essen al to our well-being. Life is at its best when we are in deep and fulfilling rela onships with others; when we feel accepted, needed, understood, loved. And we feel great when we give that same treatment to others.

So, where do your rela onships stand? Might improving them help you find/restore happiness?

“Ah!” you say, “But THEY need to change before I can have a good rela onship with them.” Probably so. But have you considered what changes YOU might make that could encourage them to make the changes that you need? What change do they need from YOU? Your changing could break the logjam and enable them to change!

Meaning or purpose

Happiness: A Defini on

“Living large” is a key to our happiness. And you know I don’t mean a life of “bling.” We need to feel that our lives are part of something bigger than ourselves: a family, a cause, a religion, a social goal. Then we’re not just one more grain of sand on the beach of the cosmos; we belong and we’re needed by that beach!

So what is this thing called “happiness?” There are a lot of answers to that ques on and the one that I find most enlightening, most useful, indicates that happiness is the innate emo onal reward for living a good life, for thriving, for flourishing. Its nature’s way of saying “You’re living well. You’re on the right track. Keep it up.”

Such meaning and purpose helps us to more easily endure the inevitable hardships of life. Many of us looked forward to re rement saying, “THEN, my life can begin. No more B.S, from the boss. I’M the boss now!”

Yet, that job may have given us more than a paycheck; it gave us a role and significance in an organiza on; a chance to exercise our special strengths. Can any of those sa sfac ons be found in re rement? Do you need to develop an “Encore Career” to reclaim the posi ves of your former profession?

Accomplishments Moving to Costa Rica was a huge accomplishment.

Many dream, FEW act. You did.

Remember the sa sfac ons in the planning and preparing for that move? The challenges met and the progress made leading to your eventual success? A local realtor says, “Everyday is Sunday here.” Forge ng that having nothing to do when you have nothing to do is deeply boring. “Sundays” that are EARNED are the best “ me off”, and they are an important part of a plan for a happy life. Do you need to get “off the couch” and step up to some challenging goal?

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Happiness is the highest good. It’s why we do everything lower down the scale. We get an educa on to have a be er life, to be er understand life, and to get a good job. We get that job to have security, comfort, and accomplishment. Those things bring happiness, a good feeling about our OVERALL life. We don’t seek happiness because it will bring us something else; it’s the end point of our efforts. We may seek riches to be happy, and we may ask, “Yeah, he’s rich, but IS he happy?” but we don’t ask, “Yeah, he’s happy, but is he rich?” If we’re happy, we don’t need riches. We’ve “arrived” at the “sweet spot” of OUR unique lives.

Don’t confuse happiness with temporary, high intensity, posi ve emo ons like joy, which come and go quickly.

Happiness is not the giddy glee of school kids turned loose at recess. Although such moments of joy and glee do contribute to the happiness we feel about our overall life, it’s more of an enduring contentment, a feeling that “I’m spending my very limited existence in harmony with reality and in tune with my special strengths. I’m op mizing my me and efforts to live the best possible life for me based on MY values, needs, and special contribu ons to the world.”

El Residente

Happiness is the complicated consequence of many choices, efforts, and ongoing struggles. No ONE move to ANY WHERE - no ma er how awesome - could ever be enough to produce happiness.

yourself, “What am I expec ng? Is it realis c?” When your expecta ons are unmet, what does that “say” about who you are? Does it make you FEEL like a “failure”, a “loser”, a “nobody”? Is that REALLY TRUE??

Ask a teen “What kind of life do you want?” And the answer WILL be……”Oh! I JUST want to be happy!”

Then ask, “And how will you achieve happiness?” Their stunned reply: “You mean you have to WORK for it??

You mean happiness doesn’t just HAPPEN?”

Once you’ve “checked your a tude”, take a look at how you’re living, look at your daily ac vi es. An adventurous person like you senses that it’s not just where we live, but HOW we live there and what we DO there.

Looking Ahead…

There’s much, much more to explore in each of the five P.E.R.M.A.s. Maybe you have been protes ng, “BFD! This approach works for rainy days, but what about for serious, severe, and persistent misery?” We’ll look at that next me.

March/April 2014

Again, I look forward to your comments, disagreements, ques ons, and ideas for future columns.

I can reached at: paradise.we.have.a.problem@gmail.com

Today’s “take homes”: (1) If you’re unhappy, do an “a tude check.”

(2) Have you neglected to “pack” the P.E.R.M.A.s in the shipping container that brought your possessions here?

Did you think, “Everyday will be Sunday so I don’t need to work to be happy?”? Try looking for local versions of the five sources of happiness.

Ask

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Connec on

by The Womens Club of Costa Rica

This Year In The WCCR The Women’s Club of Costa Rica is one of the oldest philanthropic and social organiza ons in Costa Rica. Our mission includes empowerment through educa on and self awareness, and promotes intercultural friendship and expanded educa onal opportuni es for Costa Ricans. WCCR’s slogan is Friendship through Service!

schools. The ¢6,000 ($12.00) prin ng costs are underwri en by corpora ons, founda ons and non-profit organiza ons including WCCR. This effort has made an impact. In 2013, 26,671 children received the textbooks, an essen al tool to help their learning process.

This year, WCCR has donated and distributed text books to over 1,000 elementary school children mainly in the rural areas of Costa Rica.

WCCR has awarded scholarships for the 2014 school year to nineteen full me students a ending all five of the public universi es and INA (Na onal Learning Ins tute) in many parts of the country. In partnership with ASOBITICO, Associa on of High Schools with the Interna onal Baccalaureate (IB) Program, four gradeeleven students enrolled in the IB program in public high schools will also receive a scholarship.

To support these programs, WCCR receives dona ons from individuals and corpora ons. Fundraising events are also organized throughout the year. This year, WCCR’s major fundraising event is:

DANCING IN THE RAIN!

The 2014 focus for WCCR’s community service programs remains the Text Book Project and the Scholarship Program.

In 2010 it was es mated that more than 270,000 children and youth in Costa Rica a ended class without text books in their hands. To address this issue, the newspaper La Nación (Grupo Nación) ini ated “Libros para Todos” and commenced produc on of economical so cover text books in color for elementary

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Saturday, March 29, 2014 -- 6:00 pm Cariari Golf & Country Club Auc on of fabulous painted umbrellas and more Plus Dancing and Delicious Food Tickets ¢15,000 or 2 for ¢25,000 Available from Board and Advisory Commi ee members or dancingintherain@wccr.org Addi onal informa on on WCCR and its events and programs is available on our website, www.wccr.org. If you have ques ons about the above programs, contact textbooks@wccr.org or scholarships@wccr.org.

Jeannine Hurd President president@wccr.org El Residente

Learning the Language

by Chris Howard

Medical Assistance This me around Christopher takes a look at various expressions related to near death experiences. Very important to have good Spanish vocabulary in case the Angel that comes to meet you only speaks Spanish in this part of the world.

Burlar la muerte – to cheat death Casi se palmó – to almost die Colgar los tenis – to die Desafiar la muerte – to defy death Es de morirse – Its to die or kill for (good food or anything else that is worth having, ect.)

Escuchar las arpas celes ales – to close to death Estar a las puertas de la muerte – to be at death’s doors Estar con una pata en la tumba – to have one foot in the grave Estar más allá que acá – to be more dead than alive Excavar su propia tumba – to dig one’s own grave La Pelona se quedó con las ganas – the ángel of death didn’t get her way Hacer el muerto – to play or act like one is dead La vio cerca – saw death up close La Pelona – the angel of death or Grim Reaper in Costa Rica Morir en el intento – to die trying to do something Morirse de frío – to be dying of the cold (figura ve) Morirse de hambre – to be dying of hunger (literally and figura vely) Morirse de ganas por + verb – to be dying to do something Morirse de risa – to laurghing like crazy Morirse de vergüenza – to die of shame Morirse por – used figura vely …to die for something like good food.

Muerto de hambre – a poor person (insul ng) Robar oxígeno – to be robbing oxigen, to be old or near death Revolcarse en la tumba – to roll over in one’s grave Levantarse de la tumba – to rise from the grave Tener los días contados – to have your days numbered Una muerte lenta – a slow death Vivir horas extras – to be living on borrowed me Tiquismos (Costa Rican expressions) of the week: o que no mata, engorda – What won’t kill you, will only make you fat La muerte es como un ladrón, nunca se sabe cuando llega – Death is like a thief, you never know when it will arrive Mala hierba nunca muere – Literally means bad weeds never die. In this case, evil people never die.

Morir al pie del cañon – To die with your boots on

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Wild Side LXXVIII

by Ryan Piercy

Creepy Crawlies Almost everyone is aware of the masses of beau ful bu erflies, and their mothly counterparts, that Costa Rica boasts. However, few really stop to consider the equally numerous types of caterpillars that that also reside in the country. Costa Rica has an es mated 1250 species of bu erfly and 8000 different types of moths, leading to an equally amazing variety of simple caterpillars.

exactly something you want to go picking up in your hand!

The Saddleback Caterpillar is a slug caterpillar, which actually looks somewhat like a ny stuffed animal. It is far from cuddly, however. Sibene s mulea carries a venom in its ny li le brush hairs that can cause a painful swollen rash, and even nausea in some humans.

They are mostly green in the center with brown ends, and have a li le round dot in the center. Various parts of the body hairs secrete the venom.

The caterpillar is the larvae form of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising bu erflies and moths).

This is the second stage of the lifecycle as they progress from eggs to larvae, then to pupa, and finally become bu erflies or moths. Mainly they are herbivores and many are considered pests in agriculture.

It can o en pay off to search among the plants and leaves and bark in a quest to find living things. There, many different li le bugs live and blend in with their surroundings, just wai ng to amaze. Among them there are hoards of caterpillars which exist in many shapes, sizes, and colors. Some larger ones can be as long as your hand. But please be aware that some species can be quite poisonous, so it’s not wise to touch any unfamiliar types.

Another species carrying bodily toxins is the Swallowtail caterpillar whose coloring leaves it to resemble bird droppings. Not exactly the tas est looking dish for most predators.

While of course there are many kinds of caterpillars that may be OK to pick up, it would be best to exercise cau on and remain more safe than sorry.

So if your bird watching or other wildlife expedi on is going a li le slow, take some me out to turn over a new leaf; the number of species of caterpillars you may find there, just wai ng to be enjoyed, is incredible.

Most o en the poisonous types will show brilliant colors, or be covered with brushes, or hairs. This is a warning for predators, and brushing against one provides a feeling like touching ne les.

Amongst the worst are the Costa Rican Hairy Caterpillar and the Io moth caterpillar. Their venoms are released at the slightest touch and can be very painful. Not March/April 2014

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My Costa Rican Experience To The Border I arrived in Costa Rica last March with the intent of making it my permanent home. On a previous journey, six months earlier, I had purchased a car, go en a Costa Rican driver’s license and established a bank account.

I also pe oned for temporary residency with all the necessary papers in proper order, and in return received my comprobante with a processing number about a month later. The procedure for approval of residency, as many of you know, can take anywhere from a few months to forever. But I figured things were moving along anyway; at a Costa Rican pace, of course.

by Rudolph Lioi Inter-American Highway. I heard it would be busy and I also heard some horror stories about the bureaucracy crossing into Panama and back into Costa Rica. I am not one to take the trodden path anyway, so I decided to go to the li le-used border crossing near Saba lo, south of San Vito. Friends told me it is less busy and the drive is more a rac ve, although very hilly with many turns.

San Vito is in the Talamancas and has great vistas of Valle de Coto Brus. What could be be er?

Off I went, early on a cloudy Saturday morning. I got

I had been told that with my comprobante and its allimportant processing number I did not have to exit and reenter the country when my visa expired in order to renew my visa for another ninety days.

Well, just before my visa expired I decided I should renew it anyway, since I was planning a return trip to the States a month later and didn’t want any difficul es.

If there were any, I expected I would have them with the airline rather than Costa Rican migración, but difficul es are difficul es and I wanted to avoid any and all.

So I du fully went to the government regional office in San Isidro, the day before my planned run to the border, to get the necessary papers permi ng me to take my car out of the country and bring it back in. No problem.

In and out in about 30 minutes. It was smooth sailing and I was feeling good.

Since I live down south in San Isidro, Pérez Zeledón is the logical border to cross is the Panamanian border.

The major border crossing is Paso Canoas on the

through San Vito and into Saba lo without incident and asked a passerby for direc ons to the frontera, like a dumb gringo, instead of asking for migración. I was directed down this rock road, and I mean a real terrible rock road. I thought must be the worst in this country of many bad roads. I traveled on it for a couple of kilometers and as I went I became more concerned that it was going to lead me nowhere. I could see absolutely nothing but fields. Then out of the clear blue a gas sta on came up on my right, standing in the middle of nowhere. But this is Costa Rica and I am a newcomer.

What do I really know about this country? I therefore passed it by and kept going. Then I saw another road running parallel to my rock road, just across a ditch on my right. Then I realized that the other road was paved, and that maybe that was where I should be.

Down the paved road I came upon what looked very much like an official government building, due to the coat of drab green paint that seems to be required on all outposts of officialdom in La n America. Lo and behold, a man in uniform was entering the building and in my best Spanish, which is not that good, I asked him where the border crossing was located (not frontera, mind you, but border crossing). I could only vaguely understand what he told me but did gather from his response that I had to turn around.

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El Residente

If I have learned nothing else during my brief stay in Costa Rica, at least I know that when one asks for direc ons and one’s Spanish is as bad as mine, it’s best to get a second opinion. At this point my fuel was low so I decided my best opportunity for that second opinion would be found at the gas sta on I’d passed a li le while back. I pulled in and was greeted courteously by the a endant. I had him fill it up and asked for direc ons to the Panamanian border. He looked at me a li le strangely but collected his thoughts and informed me that I had just crossed the border when pulling into the gas sta on. I was in Panama! To my u er surprise, the border was the ditch I had crossed. There were no markings; no signs, no fence, not one thing to indicate I had entered another country. I then looked at the gas pump and no ced it was not registering the sale in colones; it was chalking it up in dollars. All I had in my pocket were colones. However the a endant said he took both currencies, but I shouldn’t try to pay for purchases with colones away from the border. I had no inten on of straying too far from the border anyway, inasmuch as I didn’t really know where it was.

I got new direc ons from the a endant: Go back to town and turn le at the first intersec on. Okay, simple enough.

I headed back to town following his instruc ons and got on another rock road, this one worse than the one I was on before. I asked direc ons again to ensure I was on the right path because this road was so bad cows would not use it to head to greener pastures. I covered eight to ten kilometers at five to ten miles an hour to get to this li le community I figured was on the border; the border of no recogni on. I pulled up to a building which indicated migración only to find out it was Panamanian migra on — I’d crossed the border

again. Rio Sereno boasted a store, a bus stop and a soda plus a few nondescript, one-story houses, but I couldn’t be sure which country any of these buildings were in.

The Panamanians directed me to the other side of the street, and there was the Costa Rican migración. I went through the mo ons at both migra ón offices, with no other customers there but me. These offices could have been li ed right out of a bad movie and had the same stereotypical atmosphere. There was some pleasant conversa on and much stamping of papers and my passport. I had, according to my passport, exited Costa Rica and entered Panama, but I couldn’t reenter Costa Rica right away because it was lunch me. I had to come back in one hour.

I decided to have lunch at the soda (in Costa Rica) and discovered the guy running the place had spent six years in Philadelphia. He has an American wife and a child there and he cannot get back to the States to be with his family. He overstayed his U S visa and his efforts to get another have proven fruitless.

We had a good conversa on, and in English too. He talked about how hard it was for him to learn the language. He thought he had a good handle on it un l he boarded the airplane for the U.S. and could not understand the flight a endant’s safety briefing. He arrived in the U.S. and could not understand a word he heard — he could read it well, but could not comprehend the spoken word at all (sound familiar?). He said it took him a good six months to grasp spoken English well enough to understand it.

Hearing his experience gave me newfound hope that my Spanish will improve with me.

I asked him how to determine whether I was in Panama or Costa Rica. He said that if the road is paved, you’re in Panama; if not, you’re in Costa Rica. That’s the only way to know where you are. No signs, no border guards and no fences.

Later, I went back to the Costa Rican migración to “reenter” the country. The fact that I just had lunch at a Costa Rican soda was of no consequence. I had crossed and re-crossed the border several mes that day and no one asked for anything. I only had to hand over my passport for the sake of formali es.

It rained all the way back to San Isidro, which capped off a most interes ng trip.

March/April 2014

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Exchange rate of the Costa Rican ¢ to the US Dollar August September October November December January

510.03 505.57 506.02 505.13 507.80 519.63

Basic Interest Rate August September October November December January

6.55 % 6.55 % 6.55 % 6.55 % 6.50 % 6.55 %

Exchange rate of other currencies to the US Dollar

3 8 !

AtlĂĄntica Medical Supply Company

Giro Canadian Dollar Euro Swiss Franc

Nicaraguan Cordoba

! $$% & Danish Krone

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Norwegian Kroner

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Swedish Krona

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Argen ne Peso ( ) *+, +- --$ , ./ Columbian Peso 0 ) * $

1 2 3 2 !

# #

4 4 5 6 7 + 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 '&+%#- 3511-8 31'%+#-+343 +/ 034# +%# 3+/%'

Ostomy

-'#3' %0/4#%4 53 #4

052 3402' /5.$'2 02 %0/4#%4 052 #/#)'2 Wound Care &+2'%4-8 #4 02 (02 120('33+0/#- 3'26+%'3 %#-- 53 #4 52 '.#+- #&&2'33 +3 +/(0 #4-#/4+%#.'&+%#- %0. #/& 052 3402' +3 Incontinence %0/6'/+'/4-8 -0%#4'& /'#2 4*' 031+4#- # #49-+%# "' #-30 0:'2 *0.'

Dermacosmetics 6+3+4#4+0/ 3'26+%+'3 ( 805 #2' %0/%'2/'& #$054 35/$52/ 31043 12'.#452' #)+/) #/& '6'/ 3,+/ %#/%'2 +/ 034# +%# 1204'%4 80523'-( 7+4* 777 +(% 31#+/ %0. 120&5%403 *'-+0%#2' +3 4*' .034 #&6#/%'& /#452#- 1*040 +..5/01204'%4+0/ 35/3%2''/ +/ 4*' 702-& #/& 7#3 &'6'-01'& #4 #26#2& '&+%#- !%*00- ! #4 052 3402' 40 #-- #/& 4*'+2 (#.+-8 .'.$'23 52%*#3' #/& 2'%'+6' # &+3%05/4 0/ 8052 152%*#3'

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

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1.53420 1.12100 1.35070 0.90500 25.49850 5.52450 6.28890 6.54620 19.90200 1.64750 8.00600 2,019.56000 13.43680 42.93500 2.43000 7.81750 1,080.97000 102.22000 6.29210 7.76700 30.32600 6.90950 554.00000 35.17550 2.82100 3.15050 0.87070 6.06120

0.15650 % 0.23660 % 0.33630 % 0.56540 % 3.25 %

El Residente

Holidays of Costa Rica Friday, April 11th Ba le of Rivas - Na onal holiday (ARCR Closed) April 14th- April 20th Easter Week - Na onal holiday (ARCR Closed) Thursday, May 1st Labor Day - Na onal holiday (ARCR Closed 1st & 2nd)

A Touch of Wisdom “He that waits on fortune is never sure of a dinner.�

- Ben Franklin (1706-1790) “Honey catches more ies than vinegar.â€?

- G. Torriano (1666)

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

" # " ' $ "# & '# ! " # % %# ## &

“Never bet your money on another man’s game.�

- unknown Funniest One Liners...

It’s been Monday all week.

Gravity always gets me down.

This statement is false.

Eschew obfusca on.

They told me I was gullible...and I believed them.

It’s bad luck to be supers ous.

According to my best recollec on, I don’t remember.

The word “gullible� isn’t in the dic onary.

Honk if you like peace and quiet.

The Big Bang Theory: God Spoke and BANG! it happened.

March/April 2014

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El Residente