Some Cultural Things

Will and I have been compiling a list of all the cultural differences we've noticed so far...and there are many! We are loving Costa Rica and I'm sure a lot of these will become so normal we won't even notice after a while. We wanted to write them down for everyone back home to see and so we can remember for years to come.

· Don’t blow your nose in public

· Don’t point to people

· Don’t slam the taxi door

· If you iron and go out in the rain, you’ll die

· Everyone gets sick from not wearing shoes…if you don’t wear shoes, you’ll die

· When you have a baby you must stay in your house for 60 days or the baby will get sick & die

· Funny terms of endearment. It is completely fine to call people gordito (little fatty), negrito (little blacky), machito (little blondie) or flaquito (little skinny)

· The people who speak English are very good at it but apologize for how bad it is

· KFC is everywhere

· Dogs are wandering everywhere

· Meals are made from scratch…not much prepackaged things to choose from

· They really do eat rice, beans and tortillas all the time

· Groceries are very expensive…adjusting eating habits is necessary to keep the bill cheap (fruits/veges/rice/beans/tortillas = cheap…meat/preservatives/packaged foods = expensive)

· Saw a dog for sale at the mall for $900! Odd since there are so many dogs wandering the streets everywhere

· There is rainy season which is winter (may-nov) and dry season which is summer (dec-apr)

· The sun is up at 5am and down at 6pm year round

· We are on central time zone but don’t have daylight savings

· You can’t flush toilet paper

· There is no air conditioning or heat in homes (we have fans)

· Must take showers in the morning every day (kids will get made fun of if not)

· Costa Ricans are called ticos and Americans are called gringos

· Spanish is the language spoken in heaven…bc it takes an eternity to learn

· Ticos do not climb trees…they are only for decoration

· There are no ice makers, dishwashers or disposals

· Trash comes twice a week and you just put your bags out on the sidewalk...it can be a problem when dogs and homeless people rip open the bags to rummage through it

· We have a “security” guy named Miguel who rides around the street on a bike who we have to pay, but we’re told not to trust him

· Yes driving is crazy…but it reminds me of how Memphis drivers would drive if there were no police…it doesn’t really shock me

· Cars have to be over 10 years old to be “cheaper” & most are manual transmission because that’s what people know how to work on. Cars are crazy expensive.

· Manual labor is super cheap…had a plumber here for 3 hours…bill was $60…toilet continues to leak…what do you do?

· Electronics are double the price

· You measure a person with palm facing forward, you only tell about the height of an animal with your palm facing downward

· To get a taxi, you stick your arm out and wave with your palm towards the ground

· There are no streets signs or numbers. Directions are all described. Sometimes a landmark is given that went away 20 years ago, but people remember “the large oak tree” that used to be on the corner. That makes it hard for us newcomers

· Stealing is everywhere…it is well-known that Americans take everything they own with them just in case. I never set my purse down anywhere, even in a restaurant

· There are no food permits or ordinances. So Will has plans of building a smoker in our backyard and selling Memphis BBQ pork sandwiches and sweet tea in the park very soon

· Medical doctors and dentists are excellent here and a lot of medicines are over the counter. You can bargain with the pharmacists. I know a missionary who just had lasik eye surgery here from one of the best doctors around for a third of the price as in the States

· We do not have hurricanes here, but there can be lots of earthquakes per month

· You do not toss objects at another person

· To greet women, you lean forward, touch cheeks on the right and kiss the air. It can make for an awkward situation if you go for the wrong cheek. If it’s a man and a woman, the man lets the woman take the initiative to kiss if she feels comfortable. Patting the shoulder is also common. Men shake hands.

· Women should not sit in the front seat of a taxi

· Personal body space is very close between people, and store aisles are very crowded together

· Do not discipline your children in public

· Everyone loves kids. They are not a bother at all and everyone wants to see them, talk about them, pat them on the head and tell you about their kids. I feel much safer out with my kids with me

· Single adults live with their families until they get married

· “there is more time than life” – they are very relational and it is always okay to be late if you’re visiting with someone. It is rude to set an ending time for a party, meeting or gathering

· Drink coffee all day every day…afternoon coffee is called cafecito

· You pierce a baby girls ears at birth…that’s how people can tell if your baby is a girl or a boy. Poor Emma and her unpierced ears

· Quality of items bought here is not very good and some items can be sitting on a shelf for years. A missionary told us they saw cheerios in a grocery store that expired 5 years ago

· Costa Ricans are very polite. Every time I say “gracias” for anything they always say “mucho gusto” (with much pleasure) instead of “denada” (no problem). It’s like being at chick-fil-a every day!

· When you pass people on the street, instead of saying “Buenos dias” (good morning) or “buenos noches” (good evening), everyone just shortens it to “buenos” (I guess that’s just saying to have a good everything!)

· All tips are included in the restaurant bill & taxis don’t expect them

· Mayonnaise is everywhere

· It is expected to have a maid if you can afford it…and all North Americans can

· Ticos are generally shorter than Gringos…which is beneficial when they want to take your purse

· Two people on motorcycles will try to steal your purse

· We have homeless people, people selling things, ice cream man & people asking for money ringing our doorbell every day multiple times…its getting really old…the Jehovah Witness about got slapped by Will

· Something about saying “I don’t speak Spanish” makes people talk louder and faster at you thinking that will remedy the problem

· Women dress either really conservative or really revealing…there is no in between

· Guys check girls out very obviously and don’t care…it’s kind of creepy

· HBO/Cinemax & porn-type shows are on cable tv at night…sketchy commercials are on kids shows during the day…there are pornographic pictures in all newspapers except one

· Across the street from our language school is a Jehovah’s witness language school on one corner and a Mormon language school on the other

· Everyone’s experiences are different, but they swear by them. You have to find out for yourself…you can ask 5 people the same question and they’ll all give you different answers. A taxi driver told us that the city of Escazu here is the number 3 most expensive city in the world…I don’t think so.

· They cook with a lot of oil in food

· Costa Rica does not have a military

· Costa Rica currently has their first woman President