tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198436961592644529.comments2009-11-09T21:52:53.606-06:00Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02207338195566102772noreply@blogger.comBlogger101125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198436961592644529.post-35995705100481869192009-10-15T18:20:13.568-06:002009-10-15T18:20:13.568-06:00Hi Anne - thanks for commenting :-D<br />But to clarify, in Costa Rica, &quot;gringo&quot; is not a &quot;n&quot;asty name. It is a friendly way of referring to folks from the USA. It is true, this is not the same for some other Latin American countries, but not something to blink over in Costa Rica.<br />JulieJuliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02207338195566102772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198436961592644529.post-50061356625352476802009-10-15T17:23:48.149-06:002009-10-15T17:23:48.149-06:00sounds like miami. oh, and calling yourself a gringo is rather akin to using the &quot;n&quot; word, just so you know...Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13508713458444310920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198436961592644529.post-50613549468905512922009-09-23T20:46:55.454-06:002009-09-23T20:46:55.454-06:00that&#39;s what I like to hear!<br />:D<br />JulieJuliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02207338195566102772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198436961592644529.post-63342577119760973782009-09-23T19:45:37.165-06:002009-09-23T19:45:37.165-06:00Thanks so much for the help. I am living in San Pedro now and have to visit my friend tomorrow at the mall -- I was feeling a little apprehensive about making the journey, but your directions are going to be very helpful. Cheers - JeremiahAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198436961592644529.post-45102055925998110272009-06-03T21:20:21.208-06:002009-06-03T21:20:21.208-06:00You said: <br /><i>&quot;We so often think that if you are a scientist or engineer, you can&#39;t be artistic...But science and art at their best require both rules *and* flashes of insight.&quot; </i><br /><br />I really agree with this assessment. The stereotype is that nerds can&#39;t write or paint creatively, nor can artists write recursive functions. Though there is one thing I&#39;ve noticed: an artist&#39;s hand often can draw fluidly in freehand something that a more rigidly schooled engineer could not. e.g. I can draw nice 3D perspective sketches, but totally trash a simple outline of a horse.<br /><br />Anyway, wanted to check out your blog after we met today at work.<br />--Will G.WGillickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11406510501348634339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198436961592644529.post-63185462862336480522009-03-22T08:20:00.000-06:002009-03-22T08:20:00.000-06:00This looks to be Tabebuia ochracea, which is found scattered around the country.<BR/><BR/>I asked a botanist about this one, to be sure, and he agreed that is the likelier choice.<BR/><BR/>Cheers!<BR/><BR/>Paul<BR/>==stanhopihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12839779901546284361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198436961592644529.post-5429761989656114382009-03-19T09:42:00.000-06:002009-03-19T09:42:00.000-06:00:-D<BR/>thanks! Cool - exactly the word for it!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02207338195566102772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198436961592644529.post-19197410065967215572009-03-19T08:22:00.000-06:002009-03-19T08:22:00.000-06:00WOW! What creativity you posses. I'm allowing my artsy side to awaken as well. Cool, isn't it?Jenhttp://www.anewlifeincostarica.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198436961592644529.post-50286032231147142832009-03-12T21:07:00.000-06:002009-03-12T21:07:00.000-06:00Thanks for filling in the names, Paul!<BR/>I walked under the purple one not long ago - wow! the scent was *fab!*<BR/>Every time I take that bus ride past all those trees, I feel like I'm floating - how perfect *is* this place!<BR/>ok, I have to have one sentence without an exclamation point...Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02207338195566102772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198436961592644529.post-24264352206357227612009-03-12T21:02:00.000-06:002009-03-12T21:02:00.000-06:00All those flowering trees you show make me wanna be there all the more: the purple jacaranda, the orange poró and the lavendar 'roble' (tabebuia) paint the landscapes in colorful tropic hues.<BR/><BR/>I like the funky bench, too. Costa Rica is so inventive when is comes to stuff like this. Here in the U.S. it is unlikely that anyone would modify (what looks to be) lift station fixtures into a place to sit.<BR/><BR/>Cheers!<BR/><BR/>Paul M.<BR/>==stanhopihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12839779901546284361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198436961592644529.post-15281075650705563852009-03-01T09:31:00.000-06:002009-03-01T09:31:00.000-06:00LOL<BR/><BR/>I have to admit, there *are* some bird "songs" that I've "experienced." When we lived with a family in Orosi, they kept songbirds - two of them sounded *exactly* like a rusty metal gate swinging (or trying to swing) open - now *that* will get you out of bed!<BR/><BR/>And let's not forget that the rooster is also a bird - hah!<BR/><BR/>Well, it's Sunday, and I'm a bit better now (although you won't believe this - the next-door construction guys are *back!*).<BR/><BR/>Paul, I *always* enjoy *your* peeps :-D.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02207338195566102772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198436961592644529.post-42807454944978588812009-03-01T07:10:00.000-06:002009-03-01T07:10:00.000-06:00Well Julie,<BR/><BR/>Consider that there are at least some persons for whom early morning birdsong in CR proves to be an annoyance. (They must be confirmed city folks I imagine.)<BR/><BR/>There was a thread this past spring on another CR BB that ran to threats of physical harm against a certain bird, the yigüirro, which is the national bird of CR.<BR/>It is said that the yigüirro starts calling for rain around March each year and his melodious call starts up around 5 a.m. each morning.<BR/><BR/>I personally like his song and find that it relaxes me, but at least one of the complainers on that other BB actually admitted to throwing an object of some sort at one that was singing in a tree right outside his bedroom window.<BR/><BR/>The downside of that action was that the yigüirro in question simply flew to another tree nearby and continued 'calling for rain'. (Some petitions simply *must* be entreated.)<BR/><BR/>Maybe some drops did thereafter fall, but, well, I suspect in that case they were tears of frustration from the bedroom complainer.<BR/><BR/>BTW, one of my favorite birdsongs is that of the three wattled bell bird, found in Central America. Its call fully validates its name.<BR/><BR/>And after all that, you won't hear another peep outta me on this topic.<BR/><BR/>Cheers!<BR/><BR/>Paul M.<BR/>==stanhopihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12839779901546284361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198436961592644529.post-25687247509770351712009-02-22T19:31:00.000-06:002009-02-22T19:31:00.000-06:00Hey Vince - thanks! However, since this isn&#39;t a list that I invented myself, I think I&#39;ll have to pass. Check out these:<BR/>http://davies-linguistics.byu.edu/personal/spanlex.asp<BR/>http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415334292/qid=1133498133/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-8862684-8773412?s=books&amp;v=glance&amp;n=283155Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02207338195566102772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198436961592644529.post-2548972930094855022009-02-22T18:48:00.000-06:002009-02-22T18:48:00.000-06:00This is a muy bueno top ten list, you can post this to our site http://www.toptentopten.com/ and then link back to your site. We are looking for content and in return our users will track back to your site. The coolest feature is you can let other people vote on the rankings of your list.Vincehttp://www.toptentopten.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198436961592644529.post-64423597621021175492009-02-22T06:48:00.000-06:002009-02-22T06:48:00.000-06:00re: rents - too true! It drives me a little batty when I see ads for $1500/month. All it takes is a different way of looking for a place than we are used to, and a little adjustment in what we are used to expecting. I suppose if you want everything to be "just like home" then you could end up paying for it. But why? :-)<BR/><BR/>re: price comparisons - you also have to remember that these are not just different towns, but are different years as well. In the last year, there was a heck of a hike in the cost of living all over the country. We not only moved to a more expensive area, but general costs are higher now. So, we *are* cutting back a bit, as you will see in part 3 (SP).<BR/><BR/>thanks for the comments, Paul! keep 'em coming!<BR/>JulieJuliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02207338195566102772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198436961592644529.post-29202517415221511962009-02-22T05:30:00.000-06:002009-02-22T05:30:00.000-06:00It's great to see your price comparisons between Orosi and San Pedro (SJ). Yours give a better sense of the cost of living in CR than many others that I have read. Of course it helps if one can adapt to local ways and commodities and not live 'high-on-the-hog', so to speak, trying to maintain all those usual things we were familiar with from 'back home'.<BR/><BR/> Another thing that I feel is very useful for the person wanting to come to CR to cut costs somewhat, is that you have shown here that rents can be had for decent places for well under US$300 per month. It always concerned me that everything I was seeing online for rentals was around $400 and up.<BR/> <BR/> Eventually I found a place in Alajuela for only US$236 per month that I am quite happy with. I had always felt that there had to be decent places at reasonable prices as the Ticos have to live somewhere, too, and not at gringo-based rents either. Being patient and keeping an eye out proved that was correct.<BR/><BR/>Cheers!<BR/><BR/>Paul M.<BR/>==stanhopihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12839779901546284361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198436961592644529.post-62666274965830314982009-02-21T10:11:00.000-06:002009-02-21T10:11:00.000-06:00Good idea, Paul! Will do...Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02207338195566102772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198436961592644529.post-36760790066743685802009-02-21T09:32:00.000-06:002009-02-21T09:32:00.000-06:00Nice to see you posting more frequently, Julie. Your 'bus-timings' between places and the routes involved might should oughta be a more regular feature. I find them helpful. They also seem like they'd be very useful in demystifying the bus-riding process, especially for the newbie to the Central Valley.<BR/>Cheers!<BR/>Paul<BR/>==stanhopihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12839779901546284361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198436961592644529.post-27299843612434129152009-01-21T12:14:00.000-06:002009-01-21T12:14:00.000-06:00I made this again (I'm getting addicted!); You definitely don't need the lemon juice. And more pecans are *great!*<BR/>I also tried the foil trick, and it works much better - bake at the 210 C setting with foil on, for 30-35 minutes, then remove foil and brown topping 5-10 minutes. The mango filling comes out hot, but not mushy. It's good served right away (gotta try it with ice cream), but it is also good after refrigerating.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02207338195566102772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198436961592644529.post-72601318644782422932009-01-13T15:34:00.000-06:002009-01-13T15:34:00.000-06:00Can´t wait to read it! HAH - no pictures tho, please...Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02207338195566102772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198436961592644529.post-30150819409369287382009-01-12T11:02:00.000-06:002009-01-12T11:02:00.000-06:00You know what you have to go thru to get the good stuff like internet.... oh my, that will make a good blog post!!!!Saraticahttp://profile.typekey.com/Saratica/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198436961592644529.post-50780525336048764712008-12-29T08:57:00.000-06:002008-12-29T08:57:00.000-06:00Another article, with some more details (and a picture): http://insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2008/december/29/nac05.htmJuliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02207338195566102772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198436961592644529.post-39549722393063600592008-12-19T15:58:00.000-06:002008-12-19T15:58:00.000-06:00Hi Paul -<BR/>Linda has an on-demand water heater that works great! She started w/ a low-power one ($200), then upgraded to a German one ($400). You might contact her about details :)<BR/>Our new (larger) tank works well for us - haven´t run out of hot water yet! x´d fingers...<BR/>re: blankets - we had our comforter on our list to bring, but it was a casualty of our minimal packing :(<BR/>JulieJuliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02207338195566102772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198436961592644529.post-87053609088501494922008-12-18T15:14:00.000-06:002008-12-18T15:14:00.000-06:00We're trying to catch up w/ folks, but it is a slow process - gotta take care of all the "settling in" necessities as well. But Norman and Isabel have Sunday afternoons off, and La Sabana was a *great* place to meet! Reasonable drive for them, and reasonable bus rides for us...<BR/>Isabel says that a *lot* of people play w/ Nico's curls :-D.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02207338195566102772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198436961592644529.post-40688381157300279082008-12-18T09:49:00.000-06:002008-12-18T09:49:00.000-06:00That must have been a pleasant surprise. Nico's looking like a real cutie - those curls are adorable.Arphttp://tinygrass.comnoreply@blogger.com