50 Verbs

I stil have a long way to go in learning Spanish, but the day after I arrived in Costa Rica my son had a Spanish teacher waiting to give my wife and I some lessons. I studied French in school so I had to start from scratch, learning how to pronounce the alphabet. After a few weeks our teacher gave us fifty verbs to learn, and we learned how to conjugate them in the present tense. I still remember the feeling of power I had with my fifty verbs. I set out talking to everyone I could about whatever topic would fit into my fifty verbs. Sometimes I would talk about the oddest subjects because I wanted to use one of my verbs. I would turn a sentence on its ear until I found a way to say it with my fifty verbs.
All I can say is that I have some pretty patient friends who put up with my broken Spanish and ridiculous subjects of converstaion. Three years later I still have a long way to go in learning Spanish. My greatest strength is my ability not to get embarrassed. I do not mind corrections or people commenting, "Do you know what you just said?" Now I can have simple conversations - in the present tense. And I owe it all to my patient friends who quietly listened to me for three years.

Ticos Don't Want a Gold Mine !

Image via Wikipedia Up by the Nicaraguan border in Costa Rica, a Canadian company works the Crucitas gold mine. The problem is that 80% of the Costa Rican people are against the gold mine. Why? It is an open mining project, and it is wreaking havoc on the environment, and don’t forget this is a very ecologically conscious country. They are proud of their natural beauty. The gold mine is destroying trees, scattering wildlife and making a general mess. The previous president Oscar Arias permitted the mining. Now people want the sitting president, Laura Chinchilla, to stop it.

Opponents of the gold mine are pushing the president to close the mine. Protesters walked from San Jose, the capitol, to the gold mine by the Nicaraguan border. In good conditions this is a five hour drive. To walk it is quite a feat. In mid-July the group handed Chinchilla a written request to close the mine. Chinchilla said in a press conference that she would “analyze” the decree. It was later decided to leave the future of the mine in the hands of the Judicial branch of government. They will decide on the legality of the decree issued by former president Arias, permitting the mine.

This shows three things about Costa Rica. One, they are really serious about the environment. Two, this is a true democracy, where people can disagree, protest and demand. Three, Costa Rica is truly a land of peace. Everything is done without fighting, mayhem and most of the time without raised voices.

Plazas, Plazas Everywhere

Image by Wha'ppen via Flickr In Costa Rica every town has at least one church and across the street from the church is a plaza, or square or in American parlance a park, the size of a square block. The plaza is all grass with sidewalks through it. Trees are scattered around it, and benches sit in shady spots and in the sunshine. People utilize the benches. Young couples sit holding hands. Old men play chess. Young mothers chat while children romp in the grass. I usually sit in the shade and read. All around the square are shops. You can get a hamburger, an ice cream or your dog groomed.

You can sit in these parks without feeling self-conscious because everyone does it. If you sit in the park long enough, you will meet someone you know. The plaza are a throwback to another time and an imitation of European style. Nevertheless they are a reminder to slow down, sit down, think, pray and maybe even make a friend.

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Hoops on the Equator

Basketball in Costa Rica is making a big push to become the nation's number two sport. Soccer still reigns as number one. We have eight teams in our Costa Rican first division basketball league. We have good players, some from the US, who can drive and dunk, like Rohel Wilson. The three point shooting is improving too. They play in sports complexes that accommdate one to two thousand people, ready to make noise and cheer their city's team on. People really seem to love it, and I find going to the games a fun time. The arena I go to is nearly full for a good game.

This league is semi-pro. Some of the players do not get paid. Yet, I judge them to play at the level of a Division II college team. Right now the league’s biggest problem is the lack of parity. The four top teams dominate and there are a lot of blowouts. They are working on that problem. Also funding is a problem for many teams. The team from the city of Barva is last year's champ, and they are 16-1 this year. They are well funded because of their popularity, but businesses are not as generous with struggling teams. If Costa Rican basketball can overcome these problems, we should be in for some good family entertainment for years tsso come.

No Third World Here !

It makes my skin crawl when I hear someone refer to Costa Rica as the Third World. It is usually because of something minor, like their steak was overdone, so they figure they are in the Third World. Anyone who has traveled at all knows that Costa Rica is way up there among first world nations. It is a stable democracy in the midst of many troubled governments. Their economy is among the best in Latin America. Because of the US commitment to protect them, Costa Rica has no army - and consequently no enemies. The money saved on an army is put back into education and health care. Everyone in Costa Rica has access to health care. The World Health Organization ranks Costa Rica's health care right next to that of the USA. Everybody has a home in Costa Rica. There is no homeless problem. Everyone eats. The middle class does not live in the style of the US citizens, but here it is not necessary to live that way. They seem content with what they have.

Costa Ricans think beyond themselves. Their land is so beautiful that twenty-five percent of the country is protected in National Parks. They have a woman president here. Discrimination is not allowed, nor is the mistreatment of children. Signs in the airport remind visitors that it is a crime to have sex with any Costa Rican under eighteen. Costa Ricans are making movies, running day care, teaching in universities and a former president won a Nobel Peace Prize. Parliament has just passed a bill with specific laws regarding solid waste management. Everybody here recycles. Public transit is convenient and inexpensive. So the next time your steak is overdone, remember that you are in Costa Rica, a classy, First World country.