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Certified is most likely referring to having the CR consulate in your area affixing stamps and notification of authenticity. That is what is usually meant by certified. It’s a way for the consulate to make money (around $40 a pop I think) and a first line of protection against obvious fraudulent documents.
Regarding security:
I have a home in the Heredia mountains. I have a caretaker, so someone is almost always there.
I have had my cars broken into twice in six years and I live in CR 4 to 8 month a year.
First I do not have bar on my windows. Second, I came to CR to get away from having a bunch of “things.” If you want to live the hyper-technology lifestyle with expensive flat panel TVs etc, then a condominium is for you. My acreage in the hills has a 2 acre meditation garden, river and over an ace of saint Augustine grass with a huge flower garden and producing coffee fields. That’s my wealth – the outside.
My home has some standard kitchen appliances and a 36 inch television and furniture. It has never been broken in to (think I just jinxed myself).
The reason? Most break-ins are conceived by people that know your house. They then tell other people about your lifestyle and habits of coming and going. To prevent break in do not have a lot of young locals or unknown workers at your house for long periods and try to hire neighbors to help with domestic work – they are more trusted, unless you isolate yourself from them by not embracing their culture and language.
My point: Don’t be predictable, and have your caretaker change his routines, IE not always taking Sundays off. I you have expensive tastes by all mean live in a condo. I came here for the outside world – that is the richness here. If all my stuff was stolen out of my house, blender, TV, etc – its “used” value may be $1,000. (I keep my laptop in an indestructible safe box secured in cement when it not with me.) I take it back to the US when I return.
The point is I have lost a car stereo and suffered $200 in car damage in 6 years. Add this to a breaking in (that has not happened) where I get “clean out” of $1,000 worth of stuff (TV etc).
Well that’s $1200 in losses over six years = $200 a year (in reality I an averaging about $75 a year in losses.
My long-winded point: many people spend more money on securing their belonging than they are worth. Let’s say I spend $200 a month on extra security. That is $2,400 a year X 6 years = $14,400. I can replace a lot of loses for that kind of money. and that is with new stuff.
Sometimes security is like renting storage for your stuff. By the time you have paid years of storage rent you could have replaced all you had in storage three times over for what you have paid for the storage unit.
Its another symptom of materialism. If you are coming here to cure your materialism, you will be happy. If you want to sustain it here you most likely will miss the best things in CR – nature and the out door world and the people who think life is for living not only for working to buy more stuff and earning the money to protect it.
People need to get over their emotional victim mindset that goes along with losing some material objects.I came on the board to congradulate Scott on the article giving thanks and appreciation to his CR lifestyle. Not write a 20 minute article – but being that Scott is good hearted I thought I’d do it for his readers.
Re: Zarpe, thanks for the spelling and the replies. Does anybody know the story behind the word? I don’t think Zarpe is in the dictionary, so what are its cultural orgins?
Tuanis, as I hear it being used, seems to mean “cool.” What are its orgins?
I can see the relationship to the set sail analogy, as in “this next drink is going to really set my sails, or make me set sail (set me off/get me drunk). It does sound as if this word may be part of its orgin. Can anybody add more?
Edited on Nov 15, 2006 05:52
Hey Rocky, you were hanging on every word were you?
I’ll join you. Where?
Heck I was investing a lot of time in those posts. Gonna start requesting a pay check from Scott!
I hope Costa Rica becomes a magnate for cultural creative types tired of the same old same old wierd and unatural lifestyles that are being focused on in the US.
Bring back “Fathret knows best” and stop promoting the Al Bundy, Fred Flinstone male buffonery that the Hollywood machine has been churning out. If 911 wakes us up and instigates change in our society than it was worth it.
Whoever dies with the most toys does not win. They are just the biggest boys, not the most significant men. We need men and womwn, not metros and overaged boys and girls. Life is the most important thing, not materials goods. Teach your children well.
Don Diego over and out.
L,
Nice theory and maybe true. As in Costa Rica life, so too as in your theory, it is theory and has little practical application – people stub lots of toes and even sacrfice limbs following theory when practical application gets the job done in CR.
Men are masculine. Would you challenge that? Women are feminine…
You judge day in and day out. What color do I like best? Do I think that is attractive, do I find this valuable? Is that worth the time etc. How can you live without judging?
I believe we need to devolve and think that is what makes Costa Rica attractive to the many who have the against CAFTA mind set (not wanting CR to be like the US) and tired of a society that continues to grow even more complicated. They make the world so hard, every day we have to keep on fighting. (Bob Marley)
We do not want to be like the US. If evolution means having the current values shown by a large majority of US society, I will take Devolution. Not evolution. I am not sold on the US education and social values, if you have not already guessed. Do you know that 90% of the Amish choose to remain Amish after they have their coming of age party where they are free to engage in hedonistic pagan culture.
Taking a leadership role is hardly domination. More metro male qualities. Metro males take on female characteristic and metro females take on male characteristics. It leads to cross gender activities and gay lifestyles. Which, in my opinion, violate nature. Therefore are violent. And I oppose all that violates nature. It’s unnatural!
Military is not the only way to develop masculinity. Hunting, martial arts, fellowship with other males, even camping and socializing at male exclusive events develop masculinity.
Of course some ACLU NOW member will sue to be included, but..
As far as confidence goes, well a slight variation of our name seems to throw you into a tizzy. Kinda thin skinned aren’t you? Would you consider that a lack of confidence…
Regarding buying me a beer, well that’s a manly thing to do right there and I accept!
You don’t have to get clearance from the little woman now do you? (just kidding – I hope).
Don Diego
PS One more thing, “At the end of all this we are a couple of guys with some opinions about things writing away on a forum on Costa Rica of all things?” isn’t that a judgment?
Cuidite
Regarding my long winded post to Gringo Tico,
Last word on spiritualism:
“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hopethe glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:11-14).
Amen.
Follow the king as a man and recive your inheritance. Redmeption dat is closer than you think.
Gringo T,
I admire you personal honest regarding you wife surgical abilities.
Funny how an honest feeling can inspire oneself an others. If there were more honesty and less political correctness, we would not have run so far from tradition. As in pants and panties.
Metrics on Spiritual qualities: I practice radical spiritualism. I am a follower of the Christ Jesus, but I am flawed and do not do a very good job. But I am His, although weak. However, R.S. is also soul based, feeling based, meditation, visioning, self-leadership. R.S. also requires women to follow men, if their men have spiritual integrity, personal honesty. I am not saying they have to be saint like, far from it. They have to lead. Leading means caring. It’s easier not to lead, easier to follow. Caring means taking time to talk and leadership means standing up to things that you see as wrong. When that bratty kid does something obnoxious in pubic – you sound him. It means not accepting the status quo especially in the mundane events of life.
R.S. is a hard life. You risk a lot. Just like I risk expressing myself regarding abusive feminism and U.S. materialistic society. Americans do not want to hear that stuff. They are too busty trying to pay the bills to think about culture. Got have more you know.
Its pathetic how people judge their self worth by their net worth. R.S. never derives self-definition from money. It derives it from renovating your character. Taking inventory of what works for you, what you feel good with and keeping that. Then releasing the other characteristics. It’s hard to renovate your character if you make no changes or stay in the routine.
You need ideas, and it is easy to have ideas if you are not working all the time.
When you come to know yourself by speaking with others and listening to you inner resonations you see who you are. This self-realization creates a template. Remaining true to the template is consistent character, which shows confidence. Confidence in character is the basis of self-definition. Remain true to your self.
You are you. There is no right or wrong way to be you. It’s like art. It is what you draw your self to be. If the drawing is a true representation of your self, it will be easier to act in-character. If not, you wander. So the image and the person need to be congruent, on the inside. On the outside, life is a matter of strategy, so congruency is not that important as you never want to be predictable, that is if you are a radical spiritualist.
I could go on and on but am way off topic.
“When that’s the slant of everyone but you, who is the slanted one?”
I hardly define what is correct by what the majority believes. The majority follow the lead cows. It is the maverick, the stray bull that has the independency to cut a better trail. The other cows are to busy following the lead cow – to the slaughterhouse. It’s the maverick that slips the killing floor.
A bit too civil means that you exercise political correctness at the expense of you true opinion. Which is at the expense of your self-definition. That affects ones confidence.
You and I judge people all the time and if you don’t you should. Then judge yourself and them by the only criteria you have, your particular value system. If you see skewed results, change your value system. You sure are not going to change theirs. What you can do is call on your self to change.
You equate arrogance with masculinity. All metro males do, as they have been taught to see being masculine as being arrogant. Take your rightful place as a man. Claim you masculinity and lead. If you do not, you have been neutered. A unic.
Hey, it’s much easier to crawl back to the wifey after an emotional slap and ask for another. Hell, let her slap you to sleep and then let her slap you for sleeping. But you have to answer to your self definition, eventually. That is if you have personal honesty. So, I think most men are dishonest with themselves and defer to the little woman to keep peace. I don’t want peace. I want fairness. I demand my seat at the head of the family table.
Also. I take the time to write because I care. I try to be provocative to inspire replies, but its a fine line and I am not apologizing for it, I am merely serving spicy food for thought.
Loutus, What say metro man. Don’t listen to that Diego, or we will all have to act like leaders and then, who knows we might even have to make hard choice and get our women mad at us Oooooohh, beware of that Diego. Don’t pee like a puppy if you are going to read what the big dog writes. And don’t forget to put the seat down. I prefer to p*** outside.
The media created your great leaders. American are in for the big fall unless something dran=matic happens now. They have taken away are rights to self defense and neutered the males. Next its the economic destruction of the middle class. If you do not think the elite are waging war on the middle and lower class, you are walking around with your eyes closed. San Fransico values have also helped weaken the US society. The media needs to be the first to go, Do not participate with it. Blow up your television! Do not pay for cable and do not buy product advertised on TV.
Do not let your kids think watching television is normal!!!
Let them know that the producers are evil and that celberties are foolish. Paris is a slut and Donald’s greed id evil.
“More pervese” That is like asking which fruit is more rotten? Perverse is perverse and rotten is rotten. Single acts of destruction and mass acts of war are both perverse. You condone one and oppose the other because one is against your nation and the other is not. That’s nationalistic views.
Feeling is underated. Its done through the heart. Its not emotions, there is a big difference.
With feeling one is graceful, showing undeserved favor and forgivness. Spiritiual qualities.
Uncivil regading the gender advantage? Tone is left up to the reciver interpretation. That’s your slant. I used no foul words. If you want to see uncivil catch me when I am up on the ranch with the boys or detaining bail jumpers. According to the TV values I see, women seem to be the most uncivil and watchihg the everyday occurences I see women treating their kids and husbands like dirt. They lack tradition and want to be like the girls (I dod not say women) on “Sluts in the City.” Metro males are passive neuterd beings that are lowering the quality of life because they cannot say no to the self proclaimed ruler of the house. If men talked to men like I see women talking to men, they’ed get punched out. Women are continually hiding behind the skirt, Do you see women acting out in CR? I don’t.
I think you are a bit too civil and men need to be men, strong leaders. The military helps with that, Have you ever been in the military? This secular progresive anything goes tone of yours erodes tradition and family. Legalize drugs? Hmmmm. OK, I got it! I think you need to think about legalizing testosterone.
We hav a lack of leadership. Unfortunately voting will do little, but throwing all the incumbents out would make a statement. There replacements would not be much better.
If you had to build a new wall and all the bricks available were cracked, it would not make a big difference which set of bricks you chose.
Same with our Gov. The leadership pool is stagnant.
The problem is the media.
The media is the enemy no doubt about it.
They sensationalize until you are so hardened to what they say (with good reason) that you don’t believe there is a crisis even if there really is one. Do you not remember the last Israeli invasion of Lebanon? CNN called it the beginning of WWIII.
That was to grab your attention so you would watch. Do you think they give a rat’s a** about the horror they were spreading in peoples minds?
No.
Presidential debates are handled like title fights; they are not debates that includes people who have the most innovative ideas.
No, its a debate that features the contestants that are most saleable, that have the most story and history behind them that can be spun into some competitive hype, such as Ali Frazier title fight!
Forget about the media giving anybody else but the status quo participants a shot at actually getting enough exposure to bring some solid bricks so we could build a strong government.
We have the most decrepit congress and the most appalling president I have ever witnessed.
What is to come is only more.
Why? Because the media has to make money at the expense of the very people that provide the cash to pay for their security – that’s you and me! We should sack the media, especially the dips that determine what is news. The ones that saturate TV with stories about murder and rape and war. The Nancy Grace types and especially the editors of the local nationwide affiliates.
Their work is abysmal and does tremendous psychological and cultural damage to our society.
You could make the same argument for both legal and illegal drugs, they have been exporting we have been consuming. I think the buck stops with the producer not the consumer.
“Furthermore, a resistance based on extremism, violence, and total immorality, if successful, will only produce a governing regime which mirrors its beginnings.”
“Total immorality” Obviously you have never been to war, War, any war is total immorality. According to your logic, the Israeli government would me one of the worst.
I think you are caught in the same emotional trap that the US marketing machine, film industry and government uses to snare us each time, Nationalism. Put the country before what’s right. This was the theme of a decent movie – A Few Good Men.
It is disgraceful that we produce such a trash-filled society full of self-centered consumers who praise money and have no time for their children.
Money is NOT the root of all evil.
The Love of money is the root of all evil.
It’s the money lovers you see in the news frequently, Enron types, gambling types, porno types etc who all perform there duty for the love of money by fostering abuse.
Your nationalistic view do nothing but mask the problem by justifying that we are better than they are and if they are going to consume it, we are going to produce it.
Try some soul searching. Your comments lack feeling. More heart/less mind.
PS regarding my tone, it has always been civil; I believe it is internal reaction to my words that cause people to think otherwise.
Gringo Tico,
If you back a docile dog into a corner you should expect it to bite. We have been shoving ouu values? down the worlds throat for decades. Finally someone had the cajones and cash to say this is enough, hell of a way to make a statement, but it sure got everybodies attention! Leave other cultures alone, that should be our goal and the globalization that hopefully Costa Rica will resist (CAFTA) is just more folly that will come back to bite us, Ruff, Bark, Ruff Ruff
“Their actions are so much more perverse”
I believe our culture created “their actions” as when people are forced to act, they cannot be held at fault.
I did not write the post to create a debate about who perpetrated 9/11.
It happened period.
I wrote the post to exposes how the Columbus mentality” is pervasive in our culture.
What can we do to prevent terrorism? Start acting like moral people.
That means questioning consumerism, violence, pornography and gambling as legitimate and acceptable topics to be inundated with through the art of television.
There is a TV show called Sunday morning on CBS, it is one of the few decent and thought-provoking television shows on the air. If our culture used its superior technology to create such programming, we would not be having this problem. What do the Hollywood money lovers do – they give us Donald Trump and Parris Hilton. Money and Sex.
Our actions are subversive and insidious through passing our culture around the world. Just like the Europeans spread measles to kill the indigenous. We are poisoning minds with the TV medium, relentless consumerism and lack of tradition.
The Chinese sailed the new world with their treasure fleet(Book / 1421 the year China discovered the world). They exchanged ambassadors and gifts. Killed no one. Then returned to China. We are an extension of the European mindset of domination and perversion hence Columbus Day. What a shame.
