www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Every once in awhile Fred writes a column about Mexico that is spot on about Costa Rica. Just substitute Costa Rica and Ticos in the appropriate place and it fits perfectly.


http://www.fredoneverything.net/Mexican ... ngos.shtml

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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

As someone who has lived in many countries, I could put this story in Taiwan, China, Spain, Indonesia, Thailand, and the list goes on. Very to the point. Great find, ID. The sad part is, those residing out of the country will say it is just humor. All in jest. Sad.

Americans have always been and will always be like this.

God Bless America!!!!!!!


Its the greatest freaking country on earth

Its more than just having money. Americans deserve to be big shit because they have the balls and drive to do big things. Its still the dominant world culture and most people want to be like us.

The only thing we DON'T have are sexy latinas.

Well, I take that back. NOT ALL AMERICANS HAVE BALLS.

Boorish...yeah, we have our share of aggressive assholes (mostly from the Northeast).

Otherwise Americans are pretty cool, generous people. At least most of my friends are that way.

You seem to have missed the point of the article. It was speaking of gringos who have taken up residences in Mexico (or CR or a dozen other countries you might care to mention) and how they act and are perceived by the local population. "Saying "Americans have always been and will always be like this. " does not make it excusable.

It would seem you never have been an expatriate and with your attitude hopefully you never will be.

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

Irish,
I am not ashamed of being American and will not apologize to anyone. I earned what I have through extremely hard work and I am proud of everything I have. Like I said, most Americans are generous, good people. There will always be a**holes in every culture. No doubt, there are Americans making assholes of themselves in other countries. Its no different than Mexicans who live in the US (illegally), get drunk, drive and kill American citizens (someone I know was killed two weeks ago by a drunk illegal). I don't paint Mexicans with a broad brush and assume that they are all drunks because I know its not true.

No one asked you to apologize for having the good fortune to be born in a country that allowed you to acquire material goods through your own creativity and hard work. You are no different then the majority of people on this board. However, given the way you express yourself in this thread leads me to believe you would indeed personify the "ugly American" should you choose to become an expatriate. I reiterate you seem to have missed the point of the article as shown by your rant against Mexicans who reside in the U.S. illegally. That has nothing to do with Americans living legally as expatriates.

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

Read it again buddy...you missed MY point. There is no rant there. I am just pointing out that it is just as unrealistic to paint Mexicans and drunks as it is to paint Americans as jerks.

First of all he did not paint all Americans with the same brush

Secondly you continue to compare apples and oranges. Fred wrote about expatriates living legally in Mexico while you interject illegal immigrants living in the U.S.

Third if you ever lived in the western suburbs of San Jose you would see those very gringo enclaves he describes as well as meet the non English speaking domestic help he speaks of.

Lastly Fred is combat veteran who served his country well. His writing is not intended to demean the United States but neither is it to sugar coat the behavior of many, not all, expatriates.

You wrote I doubt Fred or anyone else takes issue with that statement. However, that does not mean that there are not citizens of the U.S. who act boorishly when outside the confines of the U.S. I would venture to say there is not a single expatriate who has lived outside of the U.S. for a year or more who can not recite a number of incidents they have personally witnessed of boorish behavior by a fellow expat. Even more prevalent is their disdain, openly expressed, when some situation is not handled in the manner they are custom to in the U.S. Rather then accept the fact that the citizens of the country they are living in as guests handle situations differently they chastise them as to how much more efficiently things are done "back home".

You might try living in a foreign country for 12 or 18 months and the reread his column. I believe your perspective would undergo some changes.

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

Like P4P

Dean

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my first wingman sent me this, how true

" most of the girls down here, lie as a self defense mechanism and to not have to face the truth, thinking most men couldn't accept them knowing the whole truth. Simpler, they may just want men to think they are as perfect as they want to appear to them, trying to hide what they consider to be the ugly truth about themselves. And I may be reading more into it than is there, but I do believe they consider the basis of the lies to be justified."

Fred's question




Well, gee Fred, guess I'd think of him the same way as the mexican that came to the United States and lived here for over twenty years and didn't learn a word (much less 5 words) of english....this is a common situation in beautiful, downtown SoFla.



Fred's hypothesis



Guess again Fred, there are no white people left in Lauderdale, unless you count the homeless dudes.....and besides, Lauderdale house prices are now way, way below mexican house prices.

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The difference between a Sea Story and a Fairy Tale is that a Fairy Tale starts out 'Once Upon a Time..' and a Sea Story starts out 'This is no Shit...'

(export version only, some restrictions may apply, some assembly required, not valid where the sun don't shine...

if you live in the states of Poverty, Darkness or anywhere outside of The Blessings of Civilization Trust, Inc...other rules may apply)

Damm Cali those are some good points. But I do know you like Freds stuff too.

Me, I have a hard enough time with English. That is why I want to retire in PI. But I will try to learn some of the local lingo. I also noticed he talked about the charities that Gringos set up to do good and they succeed, but are still gringo's. I know people like that here. And do repect the efford. I am sure they see us trying and respect the thought. Probably just don't like our smell.

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Take a walk on the wild side.

I have been offshore since 12/08/09. Not the 12 to 18 mos that ID suggests. But still time enough to appreciate both sides of the fence.

What I like:

Low cost of living. About $600 to $1,000 per month covers the overhead nut including mujer de mis hijos, mis hijos (2), private school, y las hijos de ella anterior. Nice 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 living, dining, 2 car garage. Food, laundry, cable, internet, etc all inclusive. No car. Lots of walking. I've lost 30 lbs.

Another $15 per day budgeted for beer and personal extras. Every other month or so a trip to a sin city A.K.A. party town with chicas, bars, restaurants, and discos. $1,000 for the week. It is a bus ride away. Bus ride is under $10 but takes 2 to 3 hours.

What I miss and do not like:

There is a Burger King and Dominoes Pizza in this provicial city. But I miss Subways and speaking English. My Spanish is good but I miss alot and don't like not being able to express myself. I do not like the barking dogs and the crowing chickens that infest mi bario. "We" have one said dog and 5 chickens. 2 are roosters and insist on crowing at the worst times.

The power goes out alot. But we have a inversol system that uses yacht batteries to keep the juice running. Another $1400 investment.

I am the white guy and everyone else is black, brown, moreno, or tanned. Another reason to enjoy sin city were there are lots of Euros, Kanuks, and Gringos for a break from the barrio experience.

Phucking rice and beans every phucking day. But then again, I've lost 30 lbs and feel better. There is also alot of fresh vegies and fruit at hand.

Some guys on a motor cycle stole my camera. My PC got infected with a virous and the systems engineers failed to recover my files.

I am scheduled to fly back to MIA in early May. Maybe I will, maybe I won't. Maybe I will and then fly to another country (place on earth) besides the USA.

Honestly, I can not afford to live in the United States even though I have a US Passport and native citizenship. How Phucked is that?

Elroy...interesting post.

Where do you live?