Living in the Barrio

While many foreigners who came to San Ramon bought lots in ex-pat communities or land in the country, I bought a house in the barrio. Rather than be apart from the culture, I wanted to live in the center of the life that defines San Ramon, Costa Rica. I grew up in Brooklyn, NY and have lived in urban settings most of my life. What seems scary or strange to some has been a wealth of authentic experiences for me.

I’m a 10-minute walk from the central park and the heart of downtown. While many foreigners fantasize about 5 acres separate from others, I had a different plan. By being connected to my neighbors and the flow of life here, I have been changed in ways both profound and simple.

I bought my house in the barrio 3 years ago after renting downtown, near the university for the previous 4 years. How else to learn about my new hometown and become part of it, if I don’t walk the streets and become the newest Ramonense (San Ramon person)?

I was the first foreigner on my street and when I moved in I was quite the curiosity. I felt a bit like an exotic animal at the zoo as my neighbors were happy to have me but perplexed that this guy from the USA bought a house on their block.

Life starts early in Costa Rica. When the sun comes up at 6AM, life begins. Unlike many urban settings, this barrio has the most amazing bird sounds you can imagine. The birds morning songs are followed by kids getting ready for school and family life beginning. A little upbeat Spanish music, the dogs starting their day and then the flow of my neighbors walking down the hill … parents with their kids in their school uniforms, adults heading to work … lots of bicycles, a few cars and motorcycles, but mostly people walking. (It still amazes me how the sexy local women walk in stiletto heels without falling or twisting an ankle. It must be genetic.) There is none of the angst and frenetic pace of North American cities.

Now, 3 years later, I am integrated and known by all. I have always been safe and protected as my neighbors have a sense that their property values will rise by me successfully owning a house on their hill. Most of my neighbors have renovated and upgraded their homes during my time here. Of all my neighbors, I am most grateful to Rosario Vargas who takes care of my house; cleaning and making sure that when I am out of the country my house is looking good, clean and safe.

While the natural world around San Ramon rivals anyplace in the world, it is connecting with my neighbors and friends that has allowed me to discover the true meaning of Pura Vida.

The New Economy and San Ramon, Costa Rica

A new era is beginning. This weeks' United States Presidential election reflected the reality of our challenges, followed by outrage after 8 years of wasted opportunity and finally hope. The folly of living on credit has been exposed. Billions of dollars of personal wealth throughout the world has vaporized over the last few months. Falling real estate values, stocks, retirement accounts, job loss etc. have caused many people to have less.

The houses and property I have bought in San Ramon, Costa Rica have been the best investments I have ever made. The lifestyle they reflect seemed modest compared to the over-the-top lifestyle sought out by many. They now seem smart, healthy and secure. It's hard going against the grain, but at times you must follow your intuition and take the road less traveled.

As we get ready to move into our new house in La Paz, I more fully appreciate my life which is not based on materialism gone wild. I'm thrilled to have no mortgage, $20 a year in taxes and $5 a month phone and electric bills. With no need for heat or air conditioning I'm feeling like I have a small footprint. Behind our house we have an organic vegetable garden as well as bananas, plantanos, avocados, oranges and lemons. My neighbors don't have flat screen TV's, their kids entertain themselves in simple ways, and people's smiles reflect a slower, low stress lifestyle.

Costa Rica, with no military, health care for all and college that is affordable is a country that keeps the poor and middle class secure, healthy and educated. Happiness and balance seem elusive in a hard charging world, but I have learned a lot about life from my San Ramon friends and neighbors. Pura Vida is more than a national motto and I continue to internalize a lifestyle that takes the best from many worlds.

Check out my website www.costaricapm.com for more about San Ramon. It's time to think outside the box since the box has not shown itself to be as strong as promised.

After enjoying Thanksgiving with my family in New York State, I'm looking forward to my next chapter in San Ramon, Costa Rica. One of the cool things is that life in Costa Rica often unfolds differently than planned which keeps you flexible and open ... important qualities in the new world.

Renato

Most people visiting Costa Rica marvel at it's great surfing beaches, volcanos, rainforests, nature etc. Yet, there is another level of beauty. While many people in the USA, or "developed world," are not satisfied though they have SO much; many Ticos exhude a gratefulness for all they have, even those with limited resources. One feels it in the daily life on the streets of San Ramon. People just smile more in San Ramon and move slower through their lives.

Renato is a great San Ramon character. He's an older guy who feels content with less than most people. He says easily, " if I have rice and beans, a pack of smokes, C1000/$2 in my pocket, a tin roof over my head and a water spigot ... I'm happy. " Life can be simpler to enjoy with less possessions to manage.

Renato is scared of doctors and avoids visits if possible. While waiting in the San Ramon hospital in a 1st floor exam room for the doctor to come in, he climbed out the window before the exam claiming he felt much better.

This month's AARP Magazine had an article on lifestyle and longevity. It featured a number of Costa Rican centenarians living healthy to 100.AARP Magazine - Living Healthy to 100

The national expression "Pura Vida" has many definitions. Having a joyful, light Tico lifestyle is one part of it.

I learn a lot about life from many different people and experiences here in San Ramon.

My Favorite and Only 99 Year Old Friend

Wow! Great Great Grandma Inez just celebrated her 99th birthday. She has 5 generations all around her and stands about 4ft. 9 inches of beauty. In this era of botox and plastic surgery, her wrinkles are her loveliness and her mind is 100% clear. She enjoys Janet and my visits and when she hugs us, she holds on and doesn’t let go.

While seniors in the USA live in retirement communities, assisted living and nursing homes, Inez lives in the same neighborhood where she grew up in downtown San Ramon. Women are the glue in Costa Rican culture with Mommies the stars, Inez is a matriarch for the ages. She told me she has 6 children, 22 grandchildren, 45 great grandchildren and 2 great great grandkids. The childless 52-year old man that I am stands amazed … I guess the 2 of us balance out populating the planet in some wild way. As we hung out on her porch, lots of family walked by composing many generations shouting their affection.

Both of my dead grandmothers were born in 1900 and lived until 95. I could feel my grandmas Sonia and Rachel’s energy nearby when I visit with Inez.

Inez’s sister is still alive at 105 and lives directly across the street. She swears that drinking Guaro every day is her secret. (Guaro is a clear liquor made from sugar cane and is the national drink of Costa Rica in the same way that tequila is the drink of Mexico.) I have a few shots myself every day and it has helped me retain a Pura Vida Costa Rica vision of life for the last 6 years.

Inez somehow went to the University of Costa Rica to discover a bigger world, rare for a woman of her time. She became a teacher and taught in El Empalme for forty years, which strangely is where I have my organic coffee farm. She rode a horse 45 minutes every day to get to work while I make the 8-minute drive on a regular basis. She earned 75 Colones a month as a teacher. That was when Colones had real value!!! (The current exchange rate is about 500 Colones for $1.) 5 Colones isn’t worth squat today, but then it was paper money rather than a worthless coin.

Her husband was part of the Costa Rican Revolution in the 1940’s whose leaders were from San Ramon. As she shared her story, an alcoholic female neighbor passed by and Inez went in the house to get a loaf of bread to give her and said her style is to still try to help everyone when she can. I jokingly asked her if she had a boyfriend these days but she told me she didn’t want the obligation.

Her vision is fairly simple. If you have enough food to eat, your health and family around you … it’s reason to be happy and not obsess on more complex desires. This joy has consistently revealed itself to me in San Ramon while in the richest country in the World, people often focus on what they don’t have.

Inez is a beautiful woman/person in every way and I’m proud to call her my friend. It’s pretty easy for me to whine about what I wish was different. A visit to my 99-year old friend Inez, keeps life in a healthy perspective.

Back in San Ramon

It’s a relief and pleasure to be back in San Ramon after 3 weeks in snowy, freezing New York State. My body was stiff, cold and never really relaxed in the cold winter weather. But more than that, the vibe is so different in my 2 hometowns. Life in the USA feels under pressure 24/7 in some way that you can’t quantify but certainly affects everyone there. My first day back in San Ramon it felt like someone took the pressure out of many aspects of life. My daily walks to town keep me balanced and living life at the proper pace. It is easy and normal to return to Pura Vida …

The daily 80-degree weather overwhelmingly affects my mental and physical well being. My neighbors and friends are not rushing around and their greetings and smiles are real and infectious. The nearly 4000 ft. altitude, daily sunshine and moderate temperatures make life easy to embrace.

Eating fresh shrimp, mussels and fish in my favorite restaurants for under $2 a plate nourishes me. For under $5, I returned from the ferria/farmers market with a total bounty of fruits and vegetables; a quality not available at any price in the USA. I got 4 cantaloupes for 75c, 2 pounds of vine ripened tomatoes for 19c, a pineapple for 60c and similar juicy bargains on mangos, spinach, papaya, etc.

Our contractors did a great job while we were away and our ocean view house is looking good and ready for sale. It was reassuring that Christopher and the crew’s actions matched their words ..working hard and working smart. This has not always been my experience in Costa Rica and we’re happy to have people we can trust.

The final word is that it’s hard to explain the differences but easy to feel them. With all the money, privilege, and material possessions in the USA, my friends and neighbors in San Ramon smile more and take the time to enjoy life and each other. I thank my lucky stars that fate brought me here and immersed me in this wonderful culture.

My Dinner With Juan

I met Juan a number of years ago when he was the head teller at Banco Popular. At 25 years old, he was half the age of many of those working under his supervision. Juan would help me in English in order to practice. Over time, he would be anticipating my bank stops, saving up lists of words and idioms for translation.

Now he works for Proctor and Gamble in San Jose, a prestigious job in Costa Rica, and during our dinner we both spoke about the challenges of living in two cultures. There are huge and numerous differences that we both see from our outsider vantage point of a foreigner living in another culture.

When he calls Cincinnati, and asks his suppliers how they are, they often respond with, “Not too bad.” There are only two answers for most Ticos to “How are you?” … Todo Bien or Pura Vida. For a Costa Rican to even have the word bad in your answer is socially unacceptable,

Juan was trained at P & G to give great service to “go the extra mile.” This is a new concept for him. In Costa Rica, “No Hay” is the most common response when a worker doesn’t have what you ask for. It is rarely followed by an explanation or a further attempt to find out more specific information.

At Banco Popular, Juan’s co-workers routinely kissed each other on the cheek to say hi and touched each other playfully and jokingly. He learned at P & G that this could be considered sexual harassment at a large U.S. company.

There is no right or wrong here, just 2 different cultural realities and norms. In order to best live in a foreign culture, it helps to understand the paradigm shifts. I’ve seen many non-Costa Ricans here filled with frustration and confusion when situations defy their logic and past experience. It’s been a long journey for me to flow smoothly here and has required a premium of patience and openness…and few shots of Guaro.

My Dinner With Juan was cool for both of us to discuss and laugh about our observations from living in each other’s cultures.

Living in the culture is an expression of eco-tourism.