www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Last year at this time El Lamero swore to me he didn't have the ability to learn a foreign language. Now he's dropping words like "mirador" into his posts.
See what a little time with the Pimsleur CDs will do for you?

You go, boy!

Regarding the anti-Semitic thing...
My guess is that your average Costa Rican has not met many Jews firsthand, and my general feeling is that most Ticos have no strong feelings towards them.
There is a small Jewish community in Costa Rica (actually that might be best described as two groups), whose members are involved of various facets of Costa Rican society including some prominent local business enterprises.

Are Costa Ricans lazy? That's certainly an interesting notion. That is very relative to other countries. Not as lazy as Dominicans or Panamanians (in a broad generalization), but not as hard working as say, Salvadoreans. Ticos are seen as more 9 to 5 types; they will work hard but only until they have to.

As for the race thing, I don't think it's a skin color issue as much as a social class issue. One interesting change over the last 10 years is that you see a lot more people from Limon in the Central Valley (sportsbooks and call centers have boosted the need for persons who can speak English). Still, the country is 93% "white".

Hey hey........I'm offended... Nicos is too close to Ticos........
They're Nicas...
The rest is cool...

P.S ....My first post....of many I'm sure.

I am late posting to this because I have been working this week end for Uncle Sam.

Since I am married to a Tica and have Ticos as family this topic is some what true.

I don't belive that Ticos are lazy though! One of my brother inlaws gets up every morning from Monday to Friday and drives from Cartago to San Jose and has to open the shop by 5:30 AM. He works until 3:30 and works hard.
Ticos being raciast, If you look at all of central america and south america you can say this. Look at Panama city very few Neagros (Blacks this is what the average black CR likes to be called.) The town that the Neagros live in is in the uper western side of the country just like Limon is for CR. This is because of the slave trading days and they migrated to these areas. As for the Nicos (there is no Nicos or Nicas like CR it is only Nicos my mother inlaw always calls her neagro friends Neagro as a respect.) The ticos have a issue like the Gringos have with Mexico and that is boarder issue except much more devistating for CR since they are smaller country. Do ticos discriminate? Yes just like in North America how ever ticos have balls! In the U.S. we are politicaly correct, which is the only country that has this saying!
Regarding womens issues. This has changed in the last 10 years a lot. Women have a lot more rights than they have in the past and when it comes to real estate my brother in-laws would tell you they were at risk of losing their homes to their ex wifes. If a women has rights to the home it is like in the U.S. the tico can lose his home and K*ds.
How ever when it comes to the thought process of women this is true if you have girl friends it is ok in the society. One of my brother in laws have had so many girl friends while he is married it is a joke amongst the family. I would have to say though that the tica's stick with their husbands for the family and will over look this not like in the U.S. where divorce is the answer for everything. When it comes to Machoism we gringo's have lost our balls and found our feminan side hahahahha.
Again this is just one view, a gringo's view from viewing and talking to my Tico family!

Junkyard Dog & Ciaociao32001

On my 2nd trip to SJ in April/2006 I also met Georgio.

I was walking along the Ave Central and decided to sit down and watch the Chica's stroll by. And of course I sat right down next to Georgio who struck up a conversation with me along with chatting with another friend. It was around 1pm and he had just finished his shift at the Telephone coy. He appears honest and very generous with his time/information about CR. A local CR ambassador of sorts I would suggest.

After chatting, we walked to a local Tico bar and enjoyed a few beers. He is well versed in CR politics and helped me understand how the different levels of gov't work. He asked for nothing more then for me to buy the beers. I fully enjoyed his company and he also learned about my country as we exchanged info. The most memorable item I remember was his opinion about cops. He stated that if your a loser with zero skills and can't find any other type of job...then you get a job as a cop

Later that night we made plans to meet again and he took me out to the Idem & VIPs. I was a little nervous walking the streets at 9pm at night, but Georgio assured me all is ok with him as my guide. He was right. No problems. At VIPs he introduced me to a chica he new called Michel. I ended up taking her for TLN at $50.00 plus $10. propina. A great GFE experience I must admit.

Georgio also invited me to visit his house and family. I declined the offer, but would accept now that I know him a bit more.
I plan to look up Georgio on my next trip in Jan/2007.

_________________
GO Winnipeg JETS!

Myrivers,
I agree with you that Georgio is an ambassador of sorts.
Reading your post reminded me of other matters I discussed with Georgio. Yeah-he told me that police are not particularly well trained or well regarded. However, while we were walking, he ran into a police friend of his and told his friend that he was educating me that the new generation of police are much better trained!
Georgio also speaks very loud. You can hear him a mile away. And the more beer, the louder. He taught me that when you walk into a neighborhood tavern, free food comes with every beer you buy. Don't know if that is the truth. He seemed to enjoy introducing me to anyone that he knew. I think he likes being associated with Americans.
He showed me around the gran mercado and had several vendors give me samples of their wares. The vendors seemed to know him and like him.
Despite the fact that he appeared trustworthy, I still could not bring myself to take him up on his offer to take me on a more wide ranging tour. Perhaps it was because I feared an elaborate hoax or some such irrational thing. I did tell myself that I would ask you guys about him and see if he was legit. I am surprised at how many of us met Georgio and had similar nice experiences with him.
Ciaociao

TIcoyo...good post, but I have to differ with your perceptions on Panama vs Costa Rica on racism. After 4 yrs in Costa Rica and now 6 months in Panama...racism is MUCH more obvious in CR. THe number of Panama blacks are much higher than in Costa Rica, yet, you dont notice as much "wariness" between races here that you do in CR. Panama City is predominantly black compared to San Jose, yet, you dont really sense any problems as a white person. Sure, like anywhere, there are neighborhoods you dont go to as a visitor of white person...but overall, my sense is its much safer and secure here than San Jose. Now if they only had a Delrey ...

Ciaociao,

I was very reluctant as well to take Georgio on some of his offers. But at the end of the day, all worked out ok. He provided a view of a 'typical' working tico. When I'm down in SJ in Jan, I'll again park myself at the same location and see if Georgio drops by. He would make a great tour guide and of course I'll provide the beers

_________________
GO Winnipeg JETS!

Yes you are right about more blacks in Panama City and that is because in the size of Panama is much larger than CR and Panama City is much larger than San Jose. This could have changed since the last time I was in Panama City was in 1999. How ever you know that the largest population in Panama of Blacks is not in Panama City but in David or Cheroqe.. I know the spelling is off on that city. This is because of the slave trade days and its like Limon for CR. How ever I remember when I was there we had some of our African American men discriminated in the strip clubes and some times they would not let them in. Some times we would go to porto bello dinner club and they would not let them dine there.
Hey is the Solid Gold still there or Jospheines? There also was a disco clube a couple of blocks from Jospheines that was owned by a gringo from MN.

Uh, that's not right. Costa Rica and San Jose ae larger than Panama and Panama City respectively. CR has about 1 million persons more than Panama.

Also, I'm not too sure about tman's assertio that Panama is less racist. It is certainly a a more heterogenous society with sizeable Caribbean, Asian, Jewish, even Greek groups. But I would be pretty comfortable in saying that the upper class Panamanian is more racially snobby than the upper class Tico.