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I know many of you out there living in CR are from some other country.
You all write about the friendly CR people.My question is….are they friendly to Americans, Canadians, Italians, Brits, Germans etc. I had a home in Kauai and the locals did not like foreigners even though they liked the tourist and investment dollars.
Thanks for any comments you might have. John cdn
The Costa Rican people are incredibly NON-confrontational (which can drive you up the wall sometimes) but this means that they are as pleasant to Canadians as they would be to Italians and most others.
With some people – after you have got to know them well which can take some time – you will find some resentment towards Americans but from what I am told, it is nothing to do with their investments in Costa Rica and everything to do with their foreign policy which some might describe as ‘misguided.’ That would a typical British understatement.
Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.comPS. There’s note about confrontation at [ https://www.welovecostarica.com/members/518.cfm ]
Centaur5: I have lived here permanently for fours years and agree with Scott. All the Ticos I have ever met are definitely non-confrontational. I have let workers go from my job site for one reason or another and the next time is see them, it’s pura vida.
I’m told they like Canadians the most though:)
I have an Israeli friend who belongs to a “Kibbutz” type of community in Costa Rica. This group of some two dozen friends, before leaving Israel to another country, explored the possibilities in several places, two of which were New Zealand and Costa Rica. I believe that one of the reasons they chose Costa Rica was that the culture that would surround them is a supremely tolerant one.
They run a resort and their chef once remarked to me that she calls Costa Rica the country of “mas o menos”. There is not the mania with exactitude you might find in Germany or Switzerland; the scheduled buses may not run like clockwork, friends may not show up on time at a party and you might never get a direct, straightforward answer to a question from a Tico if he believes the truthful answer might disappoint you. But there is such a level of gentle politeness everywhere, that even if the Ticos do have criticisms of a particular nationality, I don’t think they would ever express it in word or deed. I really like Costa Ricans and have never, ever been treated rudely by anyone there.
Edited on May 28, 2008 05:22
Ticos hold fast to the concept of “quedar bien”, with means that they try to not displease anyone, if at all possible.
That’s one of the reasons that most Ticos will gladly offer driving directions, even if they have no idea where it is that you want to go, they can’t stand the idea of not being helpful and don’t want to appear to be unfriendly.
It’s a great attitude, and very endearing, as long as you remember as a non-tico that at times you might need to re-verify the answers and “help” that you’re receiving!
Thanks Scott and the others that answered. Locals in Kauai were getting upset because
taxes,food & real estate were going up so fast that they could not afford the increase. I was afraid that might also happen in CR.I know the Americans are having a rough go of it right now. We all wish them well and hope that change is on the way.
Best Regards, John
Costa Rica has to be the most diverse population per capita in the americas. Ticos are naturally helpful and non-judgemental. Of all the nationalities I have run across in CR, I would say the germanics are the least approachable. All the latin cultures tend to be friendly and gregarious by nature, which includes italians and portugese. France is its own animal and an island of conceit.
grb1063: I have to disagree with you on this one. Ticos are helpful, but they are just as judgemental as the rest of us. As for the germaincs and french folks in Costa Rica, I have met many, all approachable and helpful.
Here’s a tip: A persons approach, elicits a certain response. If you change your approach, you will find all nationalities are approachable, even Americans.
I agree, VB. It is human nature to be judgmental of others, of those who are different.
Some cultures suffer temporary insanity reacting to economic downturns and permit the normal judgmental attitude to develop into a nasty bigotry. In some cases, the temporary insanity metastasizes into long lasting racism and bigotry. A good portion of the U.S. culture still suffers from this. I don’t see any of that in Costa Rica so far.
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