Cultural Events « A Broad In Costa RicaA Broad In Costa Rica

Extraños en la Noche

Extraños en la Noche [x-STRAH-nyohs in lah KNOW-chay] is Strangers in the Night in Spanish. Go ahead, try it… couple of extra syllables, but works pretty well. It’s one of the songs The Vargas Brothers, er, Los Hermanos Vargas performed Friday night at J.R. Ribs. That was a fun night!!! Extraño, muy extraño… but fun.

Last week, just before Christmas, I saw an ad in a Costa Rica online forum. Seems a band . . . → Read More About Extraños en la Noche

Melancholy Holidays

That was my excuse last week… I’m not good with holidays. Too much pressure of how it’s supposed to be. Feeling guilty because I don’t do it right. I am SO programmed. And not just with holidays. I’m programmed with all the ways "things are supposed to be." With schooling and expectations for the boys. With how our marriage is supposed to proceed. I hate to bring up politics, but I have been programmed by my government to be afraid of everything and look elsewhere for instructions on what to do next. Come holiday time, I’m just terrified I . . . → Read More About Melancholy Holidays

Sarchi with Mom and Gayle

Sarchi* is about an hour’s drive from here. The town is famous for two things: wooden furniture and oxcarts. The town is also known for arts and crafts, but it seems to me they make stuff to sell to tourists… not like they were going to make the stuff anyway. You know? Like oxcarts.

The oxcarts they make anyway. Tico farmers still use oxcarts to transport goods from the farm to market, complete with oxen. I see them walking down my street, loaded for bear. On my early morning walk, I pass . . . → Read More About Sarchi with Mom and Gayle

Oh Crap

I think my Muse died. At the very least she’s on vacation ’cause the little cabin in the woods (in my mind) is empty. I’ve gone knocking, but the lights are out and nobody’s home. No fire in the chimney, no Patsy Cline wafting throughout the compartments, helping along the synapses. [As you read the synapses link, understand that I love this kind of talk. Without Thalia, this is likely how my blog will read. NOW are you taking this seriously?]

I’m all alone here at the keyboard. . . . → Read More About Oh Crap

The Bad News Just Keeps Rollin’ In

Saturday morning, 8am, checking my email with the CBS News on… so far, a young man fell thru a hole in the ice while snowboarding and they can’t find him, another guy was caught trying to kidnap two young boys (’cause he saw how well it worked out for the other guy?), a travel company went out of business losing all the money for a school trip. A Catch Me If You Can wanna be just got sentenced to 303 years in prison. And, of course, ho hum, more people dead in Iraq.

Now, I’m watching that commercial . . . → Read More About The Bad News Just Keeps Rollin’ In

Christmas in Costa Rica

Like small Catholic developing nations everywhere, Jesus is big in Costa Rica. So his birthday next week is cause for celebration and pageantry. Huge is too small a word. In fact, there are fireworks going off down in the valley as I write this. (Fireworks are legal here.)

In the states, we shake our heads sadly when Kmart puts on their Christmas push before Thanksgiving. Here, store decorations are up mid-October, before Halloween. Which is NOT big here, though steeped in scary legends. And, with no Thanksgiving, there is nothing to get in the way . . . → Read More About Christmas in Costa Rica

Pura Vida M&Ms

We live in a strange and wonderful world. I live in it with my not-so-strange and oh-so-wonderful friend, Jan. Who has kept me supplied with the essentials: Triscuits, fuzzy socks, romantic novels and, now, personalized M&Ms. Who’d a thunk it?

Jan and I met in Los Angeles when we both worked at the Oar House (a bar) and Buffalo Chips (the attached hamburger joint) back in the ’70′s. I fondly refer to those as my wild party girl days: I would drink 3 entire [name your liquor concoction here], giggle relentlessly, . . . → Read More About Pura Vida M&Ms

Officially Pho-toed:

Jimmy Dean is over but the fun just keeps comin’! These photos were taken by a local enthusiast… he must be a professional, they look really good and sharp. Meet the gals and guy I spent the last eight weeks getting to know. Lovely people, every one. I’ve been hanging out with a nice crowd, eh?

I’m A Believer

No, I’m not writing about The Monkee’s song. As great as it is.

I’m writing about the Cosmic Trigger Event happening next Tuesday, October 17, 2006. Fascinating. How do people figure this stuff out? What makes them look? I’m not clear on that at all. No matter: I’m marking that day on my calendar. Maybe if we all send positive thoughts, send that energy out into the world, wars will cease. Hunger will end. Tibet will be freed. Darfur will… I can’t even talk about Darfur.

But a whole day of Cosmic Triggering has gotta . . . → Read More About I’m A Believer

Oh Romeo, Romeo, dónde está, Romeo?

For my birthday celebration tonight, we watched Franco Zefferelli‘s Romeo and Juliet. The boys are diving into a little Shakespeare in homeschool and this movie burned a place in my heart 38 years ago. I remember the first time I saw it like it was yesterday. Was I more in love with Olivia Hussey or Len Whiting? I saw it at least 10 times. It took my breath away. And did you know that Laurence Olivier did the narration?

We all enjoyed it tonight, even the . . . → Read More About Oh Romeo, Romeo, dónde está, Romeo?

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