www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Hey you guys, lighten up on Detroit.....it was just fine growing up there...45-50 years ago, before wide spread heroin, cocaine, and crack use.
San Jose never seemed that bad after coming from Detroit

Maybe so 45-50 years ago. Was there 25 years ago and it was absolutely scary. long story but after coming back from dinner in Windsor and wanting to leave the hotel for a drink, not by myself a group of 5 guys, when walking by the newspaper loading dock the guys there told us to go back to our hotel. They were no wise guys they were concerned for our safety. On the way back to the hotel a police car pulled up and advised to also go back to the hotel.

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Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

you could say that about MOST of the USA cities Diablo ...

A couple additions to this thread...

One...the word "GRINGO" has different traditional roots in various latin countries. In Mexico, the common use and meaning goes back to the US invasion of Mexico back in the 1800s with mexicans seeing their uniforms as green and wanting them out of their country. GRIN GO HOME is what they would chant. I;ve never had one latino tell me (and I asked a number if they knew the roots of the word) that is was akin to "griego" or Greek. Thats a whole other slang down here.

Now it has turned into one of those expressions or words that can be neutral, positive, or aggressive in conotation. I would GENERALLY say that the traditional American/gringo is "tolerated" more than loved in these countries. (I have lived 3+ years in both Mexico and Costa Rica...and now almost 2 years in Panama). They like our dollars, our charity, and obviously many of our cultural icons of fashion, music and the like. At the same time, they find us very cold, calculating, unforgiving, and naive when it comes to their cultures. They make no apology for taking advantage of us...and gringos like our Nebraska attorney friend here are lightning rods for whole families...even neighborhoods...especially in poorer families or areas. It is no surprised he was so alienated in that setting. Yet lets not forget gentlemen that Escazu and Rohmorser are not where your typical Tico lives...so in a way our friend had the most REALISTIC experience of what Costa Rica and its culture are all about.

It also should be no surprise that his wife would feel totally out of sync with Gringlandia and its culture. It is VERY different...and not all in positive ways. Thus...it is difficult for these types of bi-cultural marriages and families. I wish him...and his Tica wife...best of luck being back in Lincoln Nebraska...especially when those cold winter winds start rolling across the plains...

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All that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts...

ID-
The Detroit police have always been helpful. I remember 1967 bringing a bunch of college fraternity brothers from Albion down to Brush St. one night--yes, alcohol was a factor. Here we were a bunch of white K*ds down in the ghetto after midnight looking for luv, and the cops pull up and ask us what we were doing. Of course we said " nothing, officer ". He replied " I can see you ain't doing nothing... but if you were looking for drugs, they are in such and such house, and if you are looking for hoes they would be in such and such houses". We thanked him for his public service and went directly to the hoe house...our tax dollars at work

Heard that's a myth or else the Mexicanos were colorblind because during the Mexican-American we had blue uniforms.

For the longest time I believed this myth... Then wikipedia came out...


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gringo

I think we have established elsewhere on this board the Wikipedia aint necessarily the final destination of substantiated truth ...

Im just telling you what the Mexicans I KNEW told me about the history of the word in their country. But...if its in wikipedia...well they must have been lying

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All that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts...

I agree, Wikipedia isn't the end all and be all...


BUT. I grew up in Mexico, and heard that story for years, and believed it until about a year or two ago...

The wiki answer is probably more correct...

I agree, Wikipedia isn't the end all and be all...


BUT. I grew up in Mexico, and heard that story for years, and believed it until about a year or two ago...

The wiki answer is probably more correct...

GRINGO... I thought it meant "white man with mucho bucks looking for latina love'. I guess I was wrong the entire time.

Berk....

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FRUITCAKE... and you thought it was something you eat! Not on CRT!

Myths have a way of hanging around until they are perceived as fact and the farther timewise away they are from any actual event the easier to believe. Witness most of the BS about US history that was in the textbooks as I grew up from the 50's on. So what someone of a particular culture believes about a particular thing from the past does not always mean it is gospel truth, come to think of it, a lot of "gospel truth" is bullshit if you do diligent research. Most certainly Custer and Sitting Bull had different views of the same event as did the Texicans and the Mexicans at the Alamo and San Jacinto, the Mexican cadets and the US troops at Chapultepec, and on and on. Gringo- where did it come from? My first explanation was that the origin was the song "Green grow the rushes ho" which was a marching song popular with the US Army during the Mexican- American war. I kind of think that's a more plausible and simple explanation, especially as the uniform back then was not green as has been pointed out. It fits human nature better than all the academic word derivation approaches.

Back to the original subject, why the hell would you try to live in the ghetto if you had the money to live in a decent part of Costa Rica? It certainly did not accomplish anything other than an eventual return to the US, and apparently the immediate family lived in Guanacaste. I have had more experience than I care to with the "cousins" who live in the poverty stricken, drug and crime infested barrios of San Jose. If you want to destroy any hope of a real relationship, get involved with that situation.

Goetz

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In heaven there is no beer, that's why we drink it here!

Hey guys - Desamparados is a "middle-class" neighborhood - it gets much worse in other parts of SJ, like Barrio Cuba

The wife insisted on living in Desampa due to the high number of tios, tias, primos, primos, etc., all within a very short walk.

Hey brother, you don't need to explain yourself.

Based on what you have seen there first hand, maybe you should consider trying a different area. I know that there are problems here in Costa Rica, but it seems there might be areas that might be more safe for your family.

Just something to consider. Don't do it because of any of the "experts" here say so.

Best ..........

I'm sorry, I'm not trying to give you a hard time, but Desamparados is not what most would consider a "middle-class" neighborhood, it's downright poor.