Economy « A Broad In Costa RicaA Broad In Costa Rica

Where’s My Bailout Money?

Well, he ain’t no Eminem, but he sure hit the nail on the head:

Pod People

Update: If you are having trouble getting this to play, please read the notes at the bottom of this post. OK, on to the show:

I forced Hal to podcast and here is the result. WAIT. Before you listen, here’s a picture of my voice and his voice:

Even when I’m not shouting, I’m loud and annoying. Nothing like listening to a recording of yourself to make you want to hide from the world.

But do I have the humility to hide? NO. I post it on the www. Keep . . . → Read More About Pod People

During our last trip to Key West, we had dinner with a new couple, George and Izzy. About 15 years longer on this earth than us, they’d been Key Westers longer as well, but we’d never met. That’s rare. In a small town like Key West, you’ve usually met everyone at least once at some gathering or other.

Libertarians, they’d found us through Hal’s blog. George had even run for governor of his home state as a Libertarian! That takes some fortitude and strength of character. They are well-traveled, well-read and know a thing or . . . → Read More About Effect A Spiritual Awareness

Where’ve I Been?

Just now at Volcán Arenal with Mom and Aunt Gay, mom’s baby sister. This was my third time at the volcano, my favorite place in Costa Rica so far. Volcán Arenal is flawless, when you can see it.

Did you know, on a clear day, you can see the top of Arenal from San Ramon, two hours to the south of it? Huge and magnificent, an incredible sight. This picture (right: you click on it to make it bigger, Arenal’s peak is smack in . . . → Read More About Where’ve I Been?

Knee-Jerk Reactions

Jacqueline’s pistol-whipping break-in, along with everything else I wrote about yesterday, is upsetting our apple cart. Not to mention today’s A.M. Costa Rica article about how the I.R.S. is "helping" Costa Rica redefine it’s income tax laws. Because, you know, the U.S. is the expert when it comes to owning its citizens. Apparently, Costa Rica sees this as a good thing.

Back in the discussion of the surprise dollar devaluation against the colón, I totally skipped reporting on the inflation rate. El pais [pie-EESE, country] says it’s 10%. My pocketbook – and those . . . → Read More About Knee-Jerk Reactions

Grabbing 4%

Must be nice to be a government, able to muck around with the money when the mood strikes. Grab a little here, a little there… I would have said "Stealing 4%" but that might sound a little caustic. Slanderous, even.

For instance. Last Thursday – Thanksgiving Day, ironically enough – if I gave someone a dollar, I got 520 colones in return.

Late that same day, without notice, the BCCR (Banco Central de Costa Rica) quietly revalued the colón in an attempt to gloss over Costa Rica’s runaway inflation. When we woke up . . . → Read More About Grabbing 4%

Wrong Question

This morning, I had to admit to Hal that my homesickness has ratcheted up a notch lately. A big notch. So much so that, in my mind, I unconsciously find myself adding "when we go back" to the end of my thoughts. Unconsciously, until this morning when I heard my thoughts loud and clear. It stopped me in my tracks. Why was my mind going there? Why am I so homesick all of a sudden?

Consciously, I don’t want to go back. Our lives are good here. We are comfortable, we know people, we get around, we love the . . . → Read More About Wrong Question

La Carpio

"I’ve worked my way up from nothing to a state of extreme poverty." - Groucho Marx in Monkey Business

Somewhere over the rainbow, there is no place like La Carpio. No place at all. My visit last Wednesday was so overwhelming, I’m having a hard time putting everything into words coherently. You know, like I usually do.

. . . → Read More About La Carpio

A Broad In Costa Rica

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