Speak-o Like a Tico!

Hola, 

As I sit here, once again, in a hammock in Sámara on my last day in Costa Rica, I’ve decided that a little education is in order. It seems that an oddly large number of people I know, my parents included, have either recently taken or will soon enjoy a trip to this wonderful country, so I thought I’d make myself and my experiences here useful by providing a Guide to the Costa Rican (Tican) Language. Consider it a 'What I've learned in Costa Rica' post, language edition. “Wait a minute”, you almost certainly just wondered to yourself, “isn’t it called Spanish?” Well, the answer is yes, but only officially. As with every other Spanish speaking country, Costa Rica has it’s own unique set of expressions, phrases, proverbs and sayings that must be mastered in order to truly become one with the people and the culture. Obviously, I initially intended for this to be a complete guide to the Costa Rican Cultural Lexicon – and it certainly approaches that – but, due to time and space constraints, I’ve had to make some difficult decisions and cut some stuff out. I hope you enjoy it and make use of these nuggets on your next trip down here:

• Pura Vida: More ethos and/or philosophy than anything else, Pura Vida, the most important catchphrase to know in Costa Rica, can be used in a wide variety of situations and, literally, means "pure life". Before arriving in Costa Rica I had been informed that everyone uses this phrase, but the only times I had heard 'Pura Vida' during my first two weeks here were on the airplane and from the rafting tourguide; thus, I concluded that it was a contrived and manufactured phrase directed at tourists. However, after a couple extra weeks on the beach here, it appears that everyday people use it quite regularly. For example, Pura Vida is a perfectly adequate response to ¿como estás? as well as the best way to justify any wrongdoing.    

• Tico Time: Though this one is not in spanish it is nevertheless as unavoidable and crucial as the others. The simplest way to explain tico time is via the following anecdote which just took place earlier today. I sat down to lunch with a bunch of friends and, after we ordered our food at 12:15, my friend Ruben said to me 'I bet the food doesn't get here until 1pm - this restaurant is on tico time'. I took the bet and, as it turns out, the food arrived 20 seconds before 1pm! My frustration over the tardiness of the food (classes started at 1:15, so I had to rush) overruled my excitement over winning, but I had already learned that tico time is a very real part of life here and that I'm used to it.

• Mae/Tuanis: These do not mean the same thing, but they often accompany each other. 'Mae' is the Costa Rican equivalent of the Argentinean 'Che' or the english 'Dude', 'Buddy' or 'Bro'. Tuanis is just one word for 'cool', or 'chill'. Thus, together, 'tuanis mae' is a great response to pretty much any question, most notably '¿como le fue?', '¿quibubo?' or '¿que tal?'. 

And, now, a small section on something I hold near and dear to my heart, food:

• Casado/Gallo Pinto/Pico de Gallo/Arroz con Frijoles: They all have different names and may look a bit different, but these are all (with one exception - the Casado often includes other items such as fried plantains, a protein and salad) essentially the same dish - rice and beans - and is served with pretty much any meal in Costa Rice. While many foreigners who travel here often complain about the bland nature of this cuisine, I am personally a huge fan and will hopefully be able to continue eating these long after I've returned Stateside. It must be mentioned that these dishes are never complete without Salsa Lizano.

• Salsa Lizano: This multifaceted and ubiquitous condiment is the perfect complement to practically any meal in Costa Rica, but is especially 'sabroso' with the aforementioned rice & bean dishes. It has an uncanny similarity to the packets of mild sauce that is included with any Taco Bell meal - don't ask how I know this - and it has turned out to be a completely essential part of my month here. I am planning on bringing two big bottles of it back with me tomorrow and hopefully, if you know me and will see me anytime soon, you'll have a chance to try it with..well, anything.

I hope you've enjoyed this and I'll try to be in touch with you all over the next two weeks before I head out on the next part of my trip! And if you are one of the lucky ones who will see me in these next two weeks, see you soon!