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Did you know that Costa Ricans have two last names? When born, children are given first the father’s last name and second goes the mother’s last name. If you come from a non-Latin American country, it’s kind of hard to figure out why Costa Ricans have two last names and what happens when they marry, […]
by Ivo Henfling
Almost everyone comes late for an appointment in Costa Rica. Is it hard to adjust to that? Yes, it is, unless you make the rules. Doctors, dentists, lawyers and salespeople, few have respect for someone else’s time. They are always late for an appointment. In my opinion, that happens because their patients and clients put […]
by Ivo Henfling
Traditional Costa Rican Christmas food is probably much different than what you used to eat during the Christmas holidays when you grew up. Getting used to local food in Costa Rica might be harder than you think, as Tico taste buds are very different than yours (and mine). The use of spices and the main […]
by Ivo Henfling
Christmas traditions in Costa Rica are probably not what you are used to. You can prevent culture shock by learning what Ticos do during Christmas holidays, and where they go. Christmas Eve in Spanish is Nochebuena. Adjusting to another culture is one of the most difficult things to do when you live in another country. […]
by Ivo Henfling
I’m pretty sure you don’t know what a chorreador de cafe in Costa Rica is. In simple English, it’s a Tico coffee maker. The correct verb for using a chorreador is chorrear café = to pour coffee. Ticos swear by a real cup of coffee. Why wouldn’t they, we have the best coffee in the […]
by Ivo Henfling
In Costa Rica, the word Aguevado is kind of the opposite of the well-known Pura Vida. This word is almost as much used as Pura Vida or Mae. So I thought it necessary you include agüevado in your dictionary when you live in Costa Rica. Moving to Costa Rica is easy; adjusting to your new […]
by Ivo Henfling
I learned to speak Pachuco before I learned Spanish. I didn’t have a clue until I started dating a local woman. She thought I was pretty vulgar and I had no idea what she was talking about. When I moved to Costa Rica in 1980, my brother and I started a window cleaning company. Our […]
by Ivo Henfling
In Costa Rica, you will hear the expression Mas Tico que el Gallo Pinto. Literally translated, this means a person is more Costa Rican than a spotted rooster. Does that make sense? Gallo is rooster and Pinto means spotted. Gallo Pinto is the #1 food for the Ticos. It is the famous rice & beans […]
by Ivo Henfling
Any idea who Tica Linda is? You’ll probably say “something like a Miss Costa Rica”? You’re partially right. Tica Linda is the queen of the “festejos populares de San Jose”, but more about that later. This was the start of the use of the word as a designation used by the general population. What does […]
by Ivo Henfling
Costa Ricans use animals quite a bit in their expressions. The tiger is one of them. Pa’l Tigre means not feeling well, feeling sick or not having done well. Estoy pa’l tigre = I feel terrible. Something that is not usable anymore, out of order, esta “pa’l tigre”. Esta máquina esta pa’l tigre. Me fue […]
by Ivo Henfling