Tico costa rica
Our chats range from how I am feeling to traditional Costa Rican food to the current economic crisis.
Here’s why: Aside from the breathtaking scenery, including mountains, volcanoes, palm trees, & a multitude of flowers that surrounds me whether I am in the city or not, Costa Ricans are some of the friendliest people I know.Įvery morning when I eat breakfast, my Mama Tica, (my Costa Rican host mother), and Tia, (Costa Rican host aunt), sit with me. Fast forward a few days and I’ve declared myself to be in love with this small nation. At that moment I knew that I had arrived in my dream country where “pure life” is not only a greeting, but a life style. And then, I heard it: “ pura vida!”, yelled some Tico man in a blue shirt. The adrenaline circulating through my veins kept me awake for over 24 hours as I ventured into the airport passing through immigration and looking for my checked luggage.
Today she’s talking about her first impressions of her new, gorgeous home!Īt 4:15 in the morning I descended into Alajuela, Costa Rica. Olla de carne: Traditional meat and vegetable soup.Today’s post comes to us from UW-La Crosse and Spring 2019 API Student Blogger Savannah Stanley! She’s enrolled in our Multidisciplinary & Environmental Studies program at Universidad Veritas in San Jose, Costa Rica. Gallito: Light meal made with tortilla, salad and meat.īocas: Hors d’oeuvres that accompany alcoholic drinks. Guaro is also used to talk about any other beverage containing alcohol.Ĭasado: Typical Costa Rican dish consisting of rice, beans, meat, salad and fried plantain. Guaro: Name of the national distilled liquor. Pringar: To splash, sprinkle or stain something.Ĭhanear: To fix or improve the appearance of something. Socar : Could mean ‘to tighten up’ or ‘to hurry up’, depending on context.Ĭhinear: To spoil someone, to treat lovingly or well. There are several “new verbs” to be learned in Costa Rica even by those who are already fluent in Spanish. Hacerse el maje: To avoid responsibility. Jugar de vivo: To act arrogant, to show off. Ser care'barro: Being shameless, barefaced. No sia tonto mae!: No way! That’s incredible Upeehh: Expression used to call when you arrive to a place (if no one has noticed yet) or when you are outside someone’s house. For this reason, when you are told “I’ll get there ahorita” or “I’ll send it ahorita”, it’s always prudent to clarify: Ahorita…right now? Or…ahorita later? This is a measure of time that does not represent a strict nor quantified commitment, and in turn places no limitation on the freedom of action (or inaction) for whoever promises “to do it ahorita”. Curiously, it could mean “right now” or it could mean “in a moment” which could range from a few minutes to several hours later. This diminutive of “ahora” (in English “now”) is a key word used in everyday life in Costa Rica. He laughed for a long time when I explained that people were actually saying, “Siga Recto”, the classical way Tico’s express, “continue straight”. He could not understand how this “Italian cigar” could help him find his destination. Office number 3.” Funny, isn’t it?Ī German friend always practicing his Spanish, was continually confused each time he asked for directions, because he always heard a word that he thought was “Cigarretto”. Due to this, directions are usually given using distance in meters from one point of reference to another.įor instance, typical Tico directions sound something like this: “From the ex-Toyota Building, 150 meters South and 80 meters East, on the two floors house with black fence in front of the mango tree. Chunche: Any object with a difficult or unknown name.ĭirections in Costa Rica are pretty hard, since most of the streets are not named and most houses not numbered. When locals are asked, “How are you?”, the most common answer will be “Puuuura Vida!” In the process of fully speaking and understanding the “Pura Vida language” these are other basic words that you will frequently hear: Pura Vida is used to show appreciation for life but is also used to describe positive people and nice situations. It is equivalent to saying “Everything is great!” or “Life is so good!”. They are joined as an expression of the pleasure and satisfaction about life that is characteristic of Costa Rican citizens. Together, these two words represent Costa Rica worldwide.
The “Tico” Spanish is rich in variations and unique expressions well worth learning. One of the tasks that await us when we visit a new country is familiarizing ourselves with the expressions and nuances of the particular language of the area and Costa Rica is no exception. Tico Glossary : The essentials for visitors and newcomers.