|
This article appeared in AM Costarica this morning and is something that anyone thinking of moving to CR should read.
I had heard that 70% of expatriates who settle in Costa Rica return home within the first two years. This article would seem to indicate that was on the high side but never the less a significant percentage get disenchanted and return home.
Three elements can bring on culture shock
By Ambika Chawla
Special to A.M. Costa Rica
Those planning to re-invent their lives in the tropical paradise of Costa Rica just might be in for a shock: culture shock.
Canadian anthropologist Kalvero Oberg coined the term culture shock in 1954 to describe the anxiety and feelings of disorientation experienced when people have to operate in an different cultural environment. That's when a person finds that the ways that things always have been done no longer work in a new culture. For example, the transportation, the money used, language, and even the sense of humor change when a person enters another country.
Visitors to Costa Rica are often struck with how familiar things appear on the surface, and upon this assumption many make plans to stay permanently. However, the unexpected trials and wide differences in cultural understanding often make adaptation processes much more difficult than previously expected.
According to Ryan Piercy, director of the Association of Residents of Costa Rica, “an expected 40- 50 percent of those planning to stay in Costa Rica go back. They cannot deal with the inefficiency. Or obtaining their residency takes anywhere from four to six months. They cannot adapt to the culture.â€
Culture shock affects people differently according to the coping strategies each individual employs in order to successfully adapt. Expats who do manage to stay for a long time in Costa Rica do so because they possess patience and flexibility.
A cross section of expats who have lived in Costa Rica for varying lengths of time, in extensive interviews, cited three key cultural differences making life in Costa Rica particularly challenging. These include: different concepts of time, different notions of efficiency and differences in expressing language.
Cultural differences of time:
William Henry Pringle, originally from Canada, has lived in Costa Rica for 49 years and said he believes that he has never suffered from acute culture shock. However, he does continue to be bothered by what he views as a lack of punctuality on the part of Costa Ricans.
“The only thing that angers me is that my Costa Rican friends will say ´Yes, I'll come over Monday morning,´ but they never do," he said. "This bugs me, and it is quite common. Often they are not hours late — but days late — with no excuse- no phone calls – no apology.â€
Eric Liljenstolpe, president of the Global Solutions Group, coordinates workshops and seminars on culture shock for business executives and university students who plan to stay in Costa Rica for extended periods. In his view, different cultures have different notions of time blocks.
“For North Americans, a person is considered late if he/she arrives 10 to 15 minutes after the scheduled time. For Latin Americans, a person is considered late if he/she arrives 30 minutes after the scheduled time,†he said. North Americans often begin to feel tension if a person arrives 15 minutes late, while Latin Americans begin to feel tension if a person arrives 30 minutes after the deadline, he added. Liljenstolpe said he believes that these differences in concepts of time often cause misunderstandings between Costa Ricans and North Americans.
Piercy of the Association of Residents has lived in Costa Rica for eight years. He said he believes that cultural differences in comprehending time can be attributed to the fact that Costa Ricans and North Americans place different value on time.
“In the U.S. time is money. In Costa Rica, time is gold. In Costa Rica, if you run into an old high school friend, you stop and talk and
ask how's the family . . . . Time is for you
'If you are going to take an international move seriously, take your preparation for culture shock seriously. People invest in learning about real estate, health care, transportation, and locations of great restaurants, but they often fail to invest in learning about the culture. This is a grave error because the majority of people who decide to go back home, don't do it because they couldn´t find a refrigerator or a car, they leave because they couldn't adjust to the culture.'
Differences in efficiency:
For new expats arriving to Costa Rica, one of the most frustrating obstacles is dealing with what they view to be a lack of efficiency. According to Carol Marujo, a psychologist and organic farmer who works in the rural community of Tulares, “For the first six months to one year, I kept thinking ´what am I doing wrong? I cannot get anything done. Why does it take six months to go to different offices in order to get medical insurance?â€
She is just one of the many expats who has had to patiently weave their way through the country´s bureaucratic institutions.
Piercy said that in North America there is more efficiency, primarily in the services sector. This makes it particularly hard for North Americans to adapt to life in Costa Rica because they have grown accustomed to the speed and efficiency of services in their home country.
Differences in language:
Culture is embedded in language, and misunderstandings often arise due to the ways in which people of distinct cultures express and understand language content. According to Costa Rican psychologist Julietta Segura, “North Americans are more direct. In Costa Rica, we don't say things up front. It is part of our idiosyncrasy. It is considered bad manners.â€
Misinterpretations therefore arise because Costa Ricans view their North American counterparts as “rude†while North Americans find Costa Ricans to be “indirect†or even “dishonest.â€
Many expats feel that they have had to learn to decode what their Costa Rican work associates and friends are really trying to say. According to Marujo, it is not that Costa Ricans lie more, it is that they are trying to save face. In her words “Costa Ricans don't want to disappoint you. If they don't know the answer, they say to themselves 'I don't know but I want to give my best guess.'â€
"You have to learn to listen carefully and read between the lines,†she said.
Benefits Outweigh Obstacles:
Despite the numerous challenges and obstacles which expats face in their new homeland, those who have stuck it out are convinced that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. The country's strong democratic tradition, innovative environmental programs, museums and cultural activities, and cheaper living costs continue to make Costa Rica a popular destination spot, particularly for tourists and retirees.
According to Julie McKinney, a librarian in Escazú who has lived in Costa Rica for 30 years, “it is important for newcomers to remember that they are guests in someone's country. A lot here is wonderful and the wonderful outweighs the drawbacks.â€
_________________  Pura Vida Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat. Alex Levine 
|
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
Calendar
I guess they want to be known as a family newspaper. 
But after a while one tends to need more. 
