Is a stop sign an indication that you should slow down (1 point)? A meaningless roadside decoration (5 points)? Or an indication to come to a full stop while looking both ways (subtract 20 points)?
At some point, you’ve just got to grab the Spanish language by the huevos. I’m sorry, but it has to be done, because if you live in Costa Rica, you might sometimes yearn for sharp cheddar cheese or real maple syrup, but you will never, ever lack for eggs, whether in your kitchen or in the language you hear every day.
On the whole, Ticos could benefit from attributing less to chance and more to human behavior. But I hope we never lose awareness of the myriad things outside our power.
I have seen aspects of Costa Rica that are unflattering, exasperating, and downright infuriating, but there is an unruffled approach to life that does seem rather mysterious, and that I think has gradually worked its way into my bones over the years. What’s in the water?
After 10 years in Costa Rica what I love most about this country is the way it talks. As my initial infatuation with the country has been replaced by a more nuanced understanding of its considerable warts and flaws, this nation’s love for a good play on words has remained a bright spot on the rainiest day.
