Natalie Vartanian's Blog

Living with the Ticos

Well after nearly THREE weeks, I finally figured out why they call them Ticos! While having a beer with Marvin and Dorothy the other day, I asked my newly adopted neighbors and Marvin explained it’s because of the way Costa Rican’s speak. For example, instead of “Ratito”, they say “Ratico”. Another example is “Gattico instead of Gattito”. Hence, Tico. Voila!!! I feel like I am in the know now. Where other countries use the name of the country to distinguish the people, i.e. Nicaraguans are referred to as Nicas, Costa Rica tends to do it differently. My kind of peeps, obviously.

So far everyone we have met has been super genuine, kind, interested, in not only you as a person but your story. Then again, there was that ONE guy who threw shit at us on the beach as we were walking one night when we first got here, but he seemed clinically crazy. He was yelling nonsense. We won’t count him. Of course, in any social setting you are going to find those that are comfortable with their circle, their community and are not interested in being anything more than cordial with you. There are those type here too. Majority ruling though: Ticos really do live up to their reputation of being inviting and just good old fashioned sweet natured folks.

The general sense I get too is that everyone is just content doing their thing. Everyone is usually smiling and in a pleasant mood. Then again, if you use a phrase like “Pura Vida” as a greeting or salutation, it’s pretty obvious you get the simple beauty that life has to offer. There is a pride that is felt amongst the locals about their country and for the most part, they are more than willing to share its gems with you. Usually does not taking much inquiring either; one question is all it takes and you can sit back, enjoying your beer and listening to the various stories being offered. My favorite part of conversations with people, namely my neighbor Marvin who owns a horseback riding tour company in town, and the caretaker of the property we live on Miguel, has been all of the information about the weather, the land, the animals, etc. They both are from around here. Marvin grew up in a small mountain community and tended to animals on the ranch. When you live in nature in such a way, you become SO in tune with the way it operates, the rhythms, cycles. For example, the howler monkeys that live in our backyard get louder than usual, sounding like a symphony of sirens, to signal a storm is approaching.

We also talk about, Marvin and I, the state of the country and where it is headed. This week is Semana Santa, or Holy Week according to us Gringos. However, the locals consider it Drunk Week. They take it as an opportunity to leave town and go to the mountains and beaches to party. There is also a law that there is no drinking on Thursday and Friday of the week – but all that does is force people to stock up on Wednesday to tide them over and it allows illegal selling to take place. A ridiculous tradition that is still in place from the Catholic Church administration days, according to locals. Don’t worry, we made sure to buy our bottle of wine the day before “prohibition”. Ha ha. Tourism is another topic we broached recently. It is most definitely an industry Costa Rica thrives on, yet Marvin brought up the dichotomy of tourists coming here expecting First Class service at Third World prices. He made a good point and I agreed: Costa Rica is definitely NOT a Third World country, and in order for a country to evolve and grow, services or products must be improved and that usually comes at a cost, typically by the way of increase in rates for the customers.

Maybe I’m the person that sees the glass more full than empty, but I have not once felt “out of place” here. We have locals offering rides, neighbors sharing food, people filling you in on where you should go and what you should do. It feels like small town hospitality and it’s been prevalent. As most of you know, I’m the kind who prefers to hang out with the locals over the tourists. I want to know what it’s like living here, working here, playing here. I want to feel like I actually live here too, or at least have a taste of what that would be like. My verdict: It’s been an instant sense of community in Costa Rica and a welcomed approach to cohabitating. A breath of fresh air for sure.

Oh and for an update on my Spanish: Muy increible. Tengo muy divertido practicando mi Espanol con los Ticos. Puedo hablar mas que quando llegamos! Que varvarro!

posted by Natalie Vartanian @ 11:36 AM