Costa Rica Culture Archives - Costa Rica Expat Tours

Costa Rica is An Event-Focused Society

November 26, 2020 by Costa Rica Guy 2 Comments

I guess I could be accused of being somewhat of a “Pollyanna” when it comes to Costa Rica. I mean even the name of my old blog, 365 Reasons I Love Costa Rica, used to invoke nausea in some of my less optimistic perusers.

I mean, some of you are probably thinking, come on Costa Rica Guy, isn’t there anything you don’t love about the place?

Well, my answer to that is sure one can always find things not to like anywhere.

But why focus on those things?

What joy does it bring to your life to focus on the negative?

Anthony Robbins (the motivational guy with the big teeth), whose teachings helped give birth to my unbridled optimism, often does a little exercise where he tells people to find everything in the room that is brown. Then he will have you close your eyes and tell him all the stuff in the room that is green and red and orange and blue, etc. Generally no one can remember those things because their focus was only on the brown…

Ah ha, you see the moral of the story is why would one want to go around focusing only on the brown…

the so-called “feces” of life, when there are so many vibrant and beautiful colors.

That is certainly true here in Costa Rica.

Sure there’s plenty of brown, but for me the vibrant greens and reds and blues (the things I write about in many posts) drown out the brown.

So, to get back to the topic of today’s post, I am writing about an aspect of culture here in Costa Rica that can sometimes be humorous and other times be maddening…just to please those potential readers out there who demand to hear about something that could have a tinge of negativism.

And that is the fact that Costa Rica is an event-focused society. Or, at least the the culture here tends to be “event-focused” to a far greater extent than what most North Americans will be accustomed to.

What is an “event-focused” society you ask?

The best way for me to describe it is with an example.

Take a minor fender-bender for instance. When that happens in the middle of one of San Jose’s busiest intersections, guess what occurs next? The two vehicles involved remain precisely in the position of the accident for hours while they wait on the INS guy (the national insurance company) to arrive on his moped to inspect and assess damages…

In the meantime, the largest traffic jam in the history of the world is occurring, but the principal players in the accident, the drivers, the police and, of course, the INS guy, remain completely oblivious to what is going on around them. I mean women are giving birth in cars and shit.

Why?

Because of their intense focus on the event…the minor fender-bender.

Why don’t they just move the damn cars out of the road?

Because in an event-focused society one does not take action to alleviate the repercussions, or aftershocks, simultaneously occurring due to the event. One remains focused exclusively and intently on the event itself.

Another example are the many fairs (or ferias in Spanish) that take place everywhere seemingly every weekend. It seems that there’s no thought whatsoever put into planning in order to alleviate the havoc that closing off every single potential ingress and egress has on people that need to get from point A to point B.

Why?

Again, because it is all about the event, the feria. What is happening on the periphery of the event is never of any importance in an event-focused society.

I could provides scads of additional examples showing that Costa Rica is an event-focused society. Such as the habit almost all ticos have of stopping their cars, literally in the middle of the road, putting their flashers on, and carrying on a cell phone conversation, or whatever “event” that motivated them to stop…

Of course there are also advantages to this event-focused-ness in that it can make some events all the more engaging.

Hell, you better get engaged because to try not to be is certainly to be swimming upstream! Much better to join than fight.

So there you have it, a “potential” negative about my beloved Costa Rica.

Satisfied?!

What can you do about this phenomenon that Costa Rica is an event-focused society?

Absolutely nothing, but sit back and just chuckle to oneself. It is the culture here and that’s just the way the cookie crumbles in Costa Rica.

My advice is to just smile and “focus the green.”

Pura Vida!

Christmas in Costa Rica

December 13, 2017 by Costa Rica Guy Leave a Comment

Wow, can it really be almost Christmas again?

It seems like we just got through celebrating 2016. I guess time really does fly when you’re having so much fun. I have always enjoyed Christmas in Costa Rica. It is a magical time to be here. Being in tourism and real estate, Christmas is a very busy time for me. It is considered the “peak” season here not only for the foreign tourists that arrive each year, but also because of all the Ticos that take extended vacations (usually to the beaches) this time of the year with their pockets flush with cash from the “aguinaldo” (the annual legally mandated Christmas bonus that all employers must pay).

Why is Christmas so special in Costa Rica? Well being a predominantly Catholic country, the Costa Ricans celebrate Christmas with an extraordinary intensity. Christmas here is about the kids and children play a special role in all celebrations. There is the festival of lights parade in downtown San Jose with floats that are ornament-ally adorned with brilliant lights. This festival usually draws some 1 million people to the streets. It is quite an event.

In San Jose there is also the festival at Zapote, which is like a state fair back in the states and features all kinds of activities and shows, the highlight of which is the bull run where the people will get into the stadium ring with bulls and be chased around and sometimes brutally gored (sounds like fun, huh?).

The city is always beautifully lit up. There is a spirit of festivity that is in the air and every-one’s mood seems to become a little lighter. During Christmas week, while everyone is at the beach, the traffic in San Jose vanishes and that is always very nice.

But just like in the U.S. the festivities, shopping and gifts have the tendency to distract us from the real reason we celebrate Christmas in the first place. That is, to celebrate the birthday of the King of Kings. God who became man in the form of Jesus Christ and felt our joy and pain and endured the ultimate sacrifice in order to bring peace on earth and goodwill to men.

Nevertheless, still being a “kid at heart” I thought I would take the liberty of posting my Christmas wish-list for 2017 (this is actually a re-make of a 2008 post…with an updated wish-list, of course)……

1. I wish for 1,000’s of readers of this blog who all become Costa Rica Expat Tour customers that make me filthy rich (at least in Costa Rica terms)!
2. I wish that my son would decide to come here and live with me in Costa Rica!
3. I wish that Costa Rica could stay green and gorgeous forever and develop into the number one eco-tourism destination in the world.
4. I wish for the best and most peaceful resolution possible for the daunting political situation in my country of birth that poses an imminent threat to people and planet.
5. I wish that my blog Revolutionary Misfit would inspire 1,000’s of misfits (like me) around the globe to practice impact mindfulness and make this world a better place…..

Feliz Navidad!

Lest We Forget…..

The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel–which means “God with us.”

Matthew 1:23 (NIV)

Costa Rican Language of Politeness

October 7, 2017 by Costa Rica Guy 1 Comment

Costa Rican society is decidedly polite, especially compared to that of the U.S. It might be the biggest area of culture shock one will experience after being here for a long time and then returning to the U.S. At least that has been my experience.

Now there are exceptions to every rule…

Those exceptions generally apply on the streets, avenues and highways around the country (especially its cities). Just put the most polite tico behind the steering wheel of an automobile and it’s like pouring water on a “gremlin” (you remember those lovable little creatures from that early Spielberg flick?).

Yea, they become little demons hell-bent on destruction. But for the most part, outside of that environment, politeness rules.

I am still trying to adapt, because sometimes I just don’t feel like being polite. That’s usually when I’m just too wrapped up in what’s going on in my life at the moment (or in my head) to take the time to try to brighten someone’s day with a simple, disculpe, por favor, or gracias.

Here folks are routinely polite, even when they may not be having the best day. And it’s not as if they’re faking it. The politeness comes natural. In the culture of the U.S., you can readily tell when someone is faking it, can’t you? You know, the so-called “courtesy laugh” at that joke you blew, or the “courtesy smile” when lurking just behind it is seething cynicism.

Now I’m one of those types who tends to wear his emotions on his shirt sleeve. That doesn’t always go over so well in this culture. I’m learning to be polite, because I admit I’m not naturally so, as any of my tico friends would attest. I’m polite when and if I feel like it. The Spanish language of politeness does not roll off the tip of my tongue as easily as…

Gimme 20 of super…and check the oil while you’re at it!

Learning the Costa Rican language of politeness will get you further. It will open doors that sometimes appear to be shut to gringo expats who haven’t learned it yet. It will develop and strengthen relationships. It will make you feel better because you are making others feel better.

Because in reality life isn’t all about us, now is it?

To refuse to learn to adapt to this culture of politeness is to remain in the cynical and pessimistic world where one always demands that his needs be met and to hell with anyone else.

That does not go over so well down here.

So take a tip from the Costa Rica Guy and make your first Spanish lesson be to learn the Costa Rican language of politeness.

And the “palabra mágica” is…

POR FAVOR!

If you’d like to delve a little deeper into my keys for successful Costa Rica expat living, I recently published an eBook on the topic entitled, Expat Mindfulness: How Expats can Change the World with Impact Mindfulness.

You can get it here on Amazon!

Costa Rican Culture – Ten Things to Know

March 23, 2016 by Costa Rica Guy Leave a Comment

Many hopeful Costa Rica expats are interested in knowing what the Costa Rican culture here is like. As with all Latin American countries, Costa Rica is rich in culture and tradition. Of course, the concept of “culture” cuts across all aspects of life.

Based on my observations after living here for some time, here are ten aspects of the Costa Rican culture that you might want to know about.

Note that I have written about many of these cultural aspects in previous blog posts and have included links, where such exist…

1. Ticos are a very peaceful people, except when driving automobiles (or motos, i.e., motorcycles). They are decidedly non-confrontational. Therefore, even if they don’t agree with you, there may be signals that they do. This can, at times, be a bit confusing for expats.

2. As far as Costa Rican food is concerned, the signature “dish” of Costa Rica is gallo pinto, which is a rice and beans mix that is served at breakfast. Also, the “típico” (or traditional) meal served at lunch is called a “casado” and is a “marriage” (hence the name casado, which means married in Spanish) of rice, beans, a meat of choice, platano maduro (or, ripe plantain), salad and potato or yuca, sometimes also served with a fried egg on top.

3. Ticos are very laid-back when it comes to time issues and punctuality. Hence the often heard phrase, “tico-time,” usually used by gringos to refer to the fact that ticos are routinely late.

4. Like all Latin countries, ticos have their own idiosyncratic and colloquial expressions. The two most noticeable are the use of the phrase “pura vida” and the repeated use of the word “mae” in informal conversations. Pura vida literally means “pure life” and is used most often in greetings…such as in the exchange…”como esta?”…response: “pura vida.” Mae is a slang expression, and is used to represent what in English would commonly be replaced with “man” or “dude,” as in “how’s it going, dude?”…”como esta, mae?”

5. Costa Ricans love their music and dance. The most típico (again, traditional) style of dance is the “swing-criollo” style of cumbia that ticos dance in a way that is very unique to their culture. If you ever get a chance to watch a couple who really know their stuff, it can be quite an amazing sight.

6. Ticos are very family-oriented. The country is small, so you are never too far away from extended family members. Family get-togethers are a frequent happening, especially on the weekends. Holidays are always family-centered events.

7. Tico men are not shy at all about expressing the fact that they believe a woman to be attractive. So if you happen to be the object of admiring glances, or “piropos” (flirtatious remarks), it is better to be flattered than offended.

8. A man can be fooled into believing that due to the sensuality and sexiness of the ticas (Costa Rican women) that their attitudes about sex in general are liberal. That can get you into trouble. The normal Costa Rican lady (note, that I am not talking about the ones found in the “Hotel Del Rey”) is quite conservative, even though not shy about dressing and carrying herself in a way that men find irresistible.

9. Ticos are extremely patient people for the most part. I believe they have had to learn that from enduring endless lines at banks and government run monopolies like ICE (the telephone company). They are also known to administer “lessons in patience” when confronted with examples of gringo impatience.

10. Tico culture is for the most part extremely polite and cordial. It pays to learn to hold one’s temper and learn to say please and thank you. A good example of tico politeness is their non-use of the informal form of the personal pronoun you, which in Spanish is “tú,” opting rather to use the more formal “usted.”

I could go on, but I believe the above list represents common aspects of the Costa Rican culture that can help you adapt and have a better experience as an expat in Costa Rica.

Pura Vida!

The Freedom to be Unpretentious

June 20, 2015 by Costa Rica Guy Leave a Comment

I can be critical of developed country cultures (without naming names). Are you put off by that?

After all, I am from the U.S. and I guess in many ways I’m the proverbial pot who called the kettle black.

I admit that, being a gringo, I’m often guilty of pretentiousness myself. It’s my way of denying (to the world and to myself) how average and unheroic I really am.

Pretentious is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as…”expressive of affected, unwarranted, or exaggerated importance, worth, or stature.”

My frequent observation of those from the U.S. that try to make the cultural transition to life in Costa Rica, is that their pretentiousness is not so much in trying to be someone they’re not (that’s what they do at home among friends). It’s in trying too hard to convey that they are from a place that is far better off economically and that puts them in a superior position vis a vis the rest of the world.

It’s the attitude of “looking down” or “talking down” to anyone who does not speak, look, dress, smell, or act just like they do.

The truth is that where you were born, or where you went to school, or what you scored on the SAT, your socio-economic position or any number of other such “feathers in your cap” do not make you better than the next person.

They only make your experience of life different.

Whenever I feel I must don my own “feathery cap of pretentiousness,” I believe that’s just me trying to draw attention away from my unlimited human inadequacies.

And we’re all just human.

My experience of Latin America has largely been limited to my time here in Costa Rica and frequent visits to other countries such as Nicaragua, Panama and Colombia.

With noted exceptions, usually from those of the “higher classes,” the society here is decidedly unpretentious. Costa Ricans are quite comfortable being exactly who they are socially, economically, morally and in every other way.

There is not a sense, at least I don’t feel it, of having to “keep up with the Joneses.”

I have to admit that this competitive aspect of U.S. culture keeps me here in Costa Rica*.

In Costa Rica I can be poor and damn proud of it!

Here what you have, materially speaking, is not the measuring stick of what you’re “worth” and that is refreshing.

Is that 100% true in all cases? No and especially not in certain areas of San Jose, where U.S. culture and influence are very strong.

But San Jose is not Costa Rica and by and large outside of the social and business scene of that city, there is a liberating lack of pretentiousness. No one is going to judge you by what kind of car you drive, or job you have, or how big your house is.

They will judge you by how big of a smile you wear and whether you know how to be polite and, especially, based on your humility.

Being unpretentious means having the ability to laugh at yourself. It is to have an awareness of who you are and to be comfortable in being just that person.

In Costa Rica you have the freedom to be unpretentious and just be yourself…as long as you let others do the same.

Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant than pretend to be somebody and have no food.

Proverbs 12:9 (NIV)

image credit:bayucca (busy) via Compfight cc

Costa Rica Street Vendors – The Walking Walmarts

March 18, 2015 by Costa Rica Guy Leave a Comment

Way back when I first arrived to Costa Rica I was astonished to see these Costa Rica street vendors at major traffic intersections selling all kinds of stuff to passengers of waiting cars. I now know that this is common practice throughout Latin America. Intermixed with the vendors are beggars, but that’s another story.

Sitting in your car waiting for the light to change, you can buy cell phone chargers and holders, toys, all kinds of food (for those of you with the munchies), sunglasses, hats, and I could go on and on and on.

I once purchased a cell phone charger at the busy intersection that I passed through every day back when I was living in Santo Domindo de Heredia, a suburb of San Jose. I didn’t have the money at that moment, so the vendor, who had grown accustomed to seeing me pass by day after day, just let me take it with no payment, telling me “don’t worry, pay me next time.”

What service!

Then there are the guys that will take leaves from a certain green plant (not sure which) and before your very eyes make a “grasshopperish” looking insect for a small donation. These guys are quite talented and are able to fashion a life-like replica before the light turns green. Sometimes they don’t quite make it and you’re left wondering if you should just drive away, or ignore all the honking behind you while he finishes?

These days there are also all kids of performance artists, juggling or gyrating their way to a day’s worth of coins.

I often wonder how much these vendors rack up in a given day? It is actually pretty hard (and demeaning) work if you think about it. Standing there for hours on end with the heat of the tropical sun beating down on you.

The vendors of merchandise basically turn themselves into walking Walmart with all their inventory displayed in ingenious manners all over their bodies.

It’s entrepreneurship in its rawest form…Sam Walton move over!

I guess if Package Costa Rica ever goes south, there is a place for me at a traffic light somewhere in the city as a Costa Rica street vendor. Hopefully, the locals wouldn’t mind for a gringo to move onto their turf (although I think I would be a first).

Eat Like a Tico – Costa Rican Food

January 29, 2015 by Costa Rica Guy 3 Comments

You might’ve stumbled across my post on what to drink in Costa Rica. It seems to be one of my most often visited posts…go figure that one…

But, hey, we gotta eat too…right?

So this post will focus on 10 common Costa Rican food varieties that will have you eating like a tico on your Costa Rica vacation…

1. Gallo Pinto – this is the signature Costa Rican dish. While it exists in other countries (Nicaragua, for instance), it is ubiquitous at the tico breakfast table. It basically consists of rice, beans (usually black), with onions, cilantro and lots of salsa lizano. It is usually eaten with eggs, either scrambled (revueltos) or fried (fritos) and a big dollop of sweet sour cream (natilla) is recommended. Ask for a slice of queso frito (fried cheese) on the side and maybe chorrizo (spiced pork sausage), to bring the whole concoction to its peak of artery blocking power.

2. Chicharrones – these are fried pork medallions. They are delicious, but deadly. Great with an ice cold Imperial (or Silver).

3. Chifrijo – a variation of chicharrones, but the dish also adds (in layers) rice, red beans, pork rinds, freshly chopped tomato and/or pico de gallo (fresh vegetables with a dash of hot sauce), and served with a fried tortilla chip.

4. Casado – in Spanish the word means marriage and that is exactly what a casado is…a marriage of food. Because in sickness or in health, till death do them part, the casado will feature a meat (chicken, beef or fish), beans (usually black), rice, usually some type of vegetable casserole (like potato or yucca) and a small salad. It is the signature dish of the countless mom and pop restaurants known as “sodas” that can be found any and everywhere in Costa Rica. A great option for good and cheap comida tipica Costarricense.

5. Ensalada de Palmito – palmito, or heart of palm, is a vegetable harvested from the inner core and growing bud of certain palm trees, notably the coconut palm. Costa Rica happens to be one of the primary exporters of this delicacy. A salad featuring heart of palm, or ensalada palmito, is one of the more healthy Costa Rican treats on my list.

6. Olla de Carne – this is a tipico beef stew that consists of lean beef, short ribs, potatoes, cassava, carrots, corn, green plantain and perhaps sweet potato. Pretty good…in Colombia they do something similar called sancocho, but there it is always cooked over an open fire.

7. Gallos Tipicos – these are bocas, or small dishes (like appetizers) that are often served in bars. They consist of a corn tortilla topped with an infinite variety of choices. You can have a gallo with chicharron, or frijolito molido (re-fried black beans), aguacate (avocado), a “picadillo” with potato or arracache, as well as many other things.

8. Patacones – these are flattened and fried green plantains. Served very salty and often with re-fried black beans (frijolito molido). Great with beer.

9. Empanadas – these are corn dough pastries filled with seasoned meats (pork, beef, or chicken), or cheese, beans, or cubed potato stew, and then folded and fried.

10. Arroz con Leche – finally a dessert! This is a very sweet sort of rice pudding made with, of course rice, condensed, evaporated and whole milk, lots of sugar, cinnamon and cloves. Delicious, especially if you can catch it recently prepared (and warm).

Honorable Mentions:

– Tres Leches – my favorite dessert in Costa Rica, but it also exists in many other Latin countries, so not exactly 100% tico. It is basically a vanilla sponge cake soaked in a three-milk mixture (whole, evaporated and condensed) and topped with a delicious meringue icing. It has about a gazillion calories per single bite, but man is it good!

– Pescado Entero (Pargo Rojo) – this is a whole fried fish (head to tail). Usually will be of the pargo rojo (red snapper) variety. Great choice at the beach, or anywhere, for that matter. That’s me in the photo above partaking.

– Salsa Lizano – Costa Rica’s signature sauce. Very worcestershire-like, but perhaps a bit more “mustardy.” Very good on almost anything.

I know I am missing a bunch of other things that you can eat in Costa Rica (oops, forget to mention my favorite cooling off beach treat…the “granizado” – Google it)…

If you make it a point to try each of the above, you’ll have had a good sampling of the kinds of Costa Rican food that ticos actually eat.

Pura Vida,

Post by CRG

Prostitution in Costa Rica

December 11, 2014 by Costa Rica Guy 4 Comments

How do I really feel about prostitution in Costa Rica?

Well, make no mistake about it, it’s BIG business here.

First of all, I certainly don’t write any of this with even the slightest hint of judgment against anyone who participates, or has ever participated.

I do certainly, however, condemn any form of exploitation of children and applaud the government and all organizations that seek to ferret out and bring to justice anyone who engages in such criminal behaviour.

Here I’m writing specifically about Costa Rican “legal” sex tourism, the kind that transpires every day and night in well known establishments, like the Hotel Del Rey and many others around the country.

Granted, there are no “victims” in this process.

Those girls make a willing decision to engage and I simply don’t buy the argument that it’s their only choice. I believe most hard working Costa Rican single mothers would take strong issue with any argument that these women are compelled to be prostitutes by their circumstances of life.

And on both sides of the equation you have the users and the used.

I’m not going to touch on the religious, or moral, implications of this. For that you can read your bible, or koran, or wherever your faith lies, and come to your own conclusions.

However, this activity does have consequences.

The prostitution “industry” is a black hole for any young lady who would succumb to the allure of “easy” money.

I say “easy” tongue in cheek because that money comes at the very high price of human dignity.

And it’s a black hole from which many never escape.

For the guys, it often comes as a shock that “love” cannot be bought…although many try.

The consequence sometimes being that marriages are ruined and families shattered.

I hate to be a party pooper, but those are the unexpected negative consequences, not to mention the risks of disease, rape, murder, theft, etc., that exist within the whole seedy environment created by the sex trade.

So, there you’ve got Costa Rica Guy’s two cents worth of opinion on prostitution in Costa Rica.

Oh for sure, let the party go on, as it has for thousands of years.

But when it’s over, the hangover always happens. I guess the question is whether the pleasure is worth that pain?

I’ll leave that to individual decision.

Maybe it all comes down to the idea that lives and the bodies they inhabit were created to be cherished, not used.

My advice to the curious, proceed with due caution and at your own risk.

Costa Rica is Pura Vida

August 7, 2014 by Costa Rica Guy 1 Comment

When folks visit Costa Rica they often hear a phrase that may sound unfamiliar, even to those who know a little Spanish.

That phrase is “Pura Vida” (pronounced as POO-rah VEE-dah) and can be viewed as the Costa Rican “national motto.” In fact, if you made an inquiry about one of our Costa Rica Expat Properties, you probably received an email from me that ended using the phrase!

Literally translated it means “Pure Life.”

Contextually, it means “Full of Life,” “Purified life,” “This is living!,” or “Going great!”

Although, Costa Rica has no officially designated national motto, if you asked a tico what it might be, “Pura Vida” is the likely response. No other country in Latin America uses this expression. It is unique to Costa Rica.

According to Wikipedia, Costa Ricans started using the expression after the Mexican movie Pura Vida!, which premiered on February 29th 1956 (director: Gilberto Martínez Solares). During that time only a small portion of the population used it.

But by 1970 everyone was using the expression on a daily basis because the words conveyed the state of happiness, peace, and tranquility that political stability and freedom bring to Costa Ricans.

Nowadays, “Pura Vida” has become so popular and widely used that the expression has been added to Costa Rican Spanish dictionaries as an idiom to greet, or to show appreciation.

Even Tim Ferriss of 4-Hour Work Week fame uses it on a regular basis.

Pura Vida is a word that is very significant and meaningful to Costa Ricans. Basically, it is a “cultural identifier” and signifies what it means to be a tico. The phrase has become widely known in the USA and Europe, due to Costa Rica’s having become a popular tourist destination for those countries.

Although, some foreigners may view the phrase as an expression of a leisurely lifestyle, of disregard for time and wanton friendliness, the Costa Ricans use the phrase to express a philosophy of strong community, perseverance, good spirits, enjoying life slowly, celebrating good fortune, whether small or large.

Pura Vida is used in a wide variety of contexts such as “I am doing alright”, “I’m doing perfect” and even “Thank you.”

As an expat, one sure way to win your way into the hearts and minds of the ticos is to learn the proper usage of the phrase and then actually use it, frequently. I have noticed that as a gringo, if I use Pura Vida I generally get a big smile in return. It is an acknowledgment of the Costa Rican attitude towards life and it is good to show that you are on the same page with them.

Here are some ways to use “Pura Vida” correctly…..

To Greet Someone….
When you see someone on the streets, shake hands, or just to say hello you would say, “Pura Vida!” In fact, the phrase can be used as a substitute for “Hi,” “Hello,” “How are you doing?” and/ or “What’s going on?”

To Say Good-bye….
When you leave a place, you want to say good bye, you could also simply say, “Pura Vida.”

To Show Appreciation (for a person, object or situation)….
If you want to express that a situation, object, or situation is great, cool, abundant, joy, and/or fun. You would say something or someone is Pura Vida. “Usted es Pura Vida!” means you are AOK.

Got it…not too complicated, ey? Perhaps the easiest Spanish language lesson you’ll ever receive..

Costa Rica is Pura Vida!

Next lesson…Mae.

Cumbia Dance in Costa Rica

August 4, 2014 by Costa Rica Guy 1 Comment

Since coming to Costa Rica I have become a lover of latin music and latin dance.

After many lessons and a lot of practice, I have become what I would consider a functional to adequate dancer of salsa and merengue. However, I am most interested in learning the Cumbia dance like a tico, which they generally call here, “Swing Criollo.”

I was once at a bar/disco in the little Southern Pacific beach town of Dominical. I spotted this very lovely latin girl and I was trying to muster up the courage to ask her to dance. However, before I could make my move a local guy grabbed her and wisked her onto the dance floor. For the next half hour or so I sat mesmerized as I watched these two dance in Cumbia style. It was almost like watching an olympic gymnastics routine. By the end of their dancing I was even sweating from watching the display.

I decided then and there that I had to learn to do that. I am still learning, slowly.

Cumbia is a form of music that is popular throughout the Latin world. It originated in Colombia.

However, ticos dance Cumbia in a style that is unique to their culture. It requires a lot of hopping with complex turns (see video below). I have tried to learn it, but I have a long way to go to match what I saw on the dance floor that night.

I was relieved that I did not ask that young lady to dance….what an embarassment that would have been!

The Cumbia dance here is folkish and spirited. It reminds me of the clogging they do to bluegrass music in the mountains of the state where I was born, North Carolina, but a lot more complex.

To me it is the music and dance that best embodies the spirit of Costa Rican culture.

A culture that is in many ways unique in the Latin world and one that reflects a joy of living.

I guess that is why only in Costa Rica do we say, pura vida, or pure life.

Life here is indeed pura vida and the dancing shows it.

image credit: ★ FANTASMA ★ via Compfight cc

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