What are the Pros and Cons of moving to Costa Rica?

Brazilians tend to be butt people. They usually think American fascination with breasts is odd (and the ideal American breast is something they consider to be unrealistic and tasteless).

This is changing and Brazil is not the second country in the world in terms of breast implants (behind the US) but the largest implant they use is about the size of the smallest implant typically used in America.

Sir Mixalot's anthem ("I like big butts and I cannot lie.....") is appropriate for Brazil.

So with this in mind, I say with all the subtlety I can muster that you should remember that Brazilians are traditionally butt people.

Do you mean what I think you mean?
Unlike Sir-Mix-alot, I've always preferred thin to model thin women (I know, I'm part of the anorexia problem, sorry) and from what I remember; she fits the Bill. Without digressing into my inner pig... there is obvious attraction between us... so an honest answer to my question above may prove helpful. :wink:

I thank you for the support Soz! :wink:

(uh, oh... I'm getting Emoticon crazy again )

Yes.

Wait, last time I agreed to that without checking I ended up naked and.. nemind. I really think I mean what you think I mean.

Popular knowledge here says Americans are breast people because their mothers fed them with the bottle, so they miss breasts all their lives.

Damn it Jim... I'm a doctor not a magician! My date can not find a sitter for tonight ... so we've rescheduled till tomorrow night. I suppose this means I have to bring one of those candy hearts or something. A first date on Valentine's Day? I wonder if any good can possibly come of that.

I apologize to the author for the soap opera morph.
Oh yeah, that's me. Apology accepted.

All this California dumping, gee. My neighborhoods and my friends were all friendly, I insist.

Yeah, but you were around Venice, right? Venice is a world unto itself.

Yes, Venice. (Venice IS a world, encompassing everything from long time gang territory to multimillion dollar beach houses.) When my ex and I first lived there though, we bought our house in a redlined area, as in banks-don't-lend-too-dangerous-for-them. It was the first place I ever lived where I knew every family (etc.) on the block and further than the block.

I did live up in Brentwood for a few of my teen years, where we had bought a house and then could barely make payments and eat too since my dad was unemployed for long stretches - not that you should feel sorry for me, but that our financial situation plus the coldness of that particular neighborhood made it a long term visit to outer space.

I also have grown from a shy kid to someone who looks around and talks to virtually anybody who looks alert, so part of it may have to do with changes in me.

Pulling this conversation together, I am still friends with a Venice neighbor (he has visited me up here, 900 miles away to stop on by) who goes to Brazil at least once a year and his friends from there come up to Los Angeles to visit him. Some of them work for Varig. I am sort of in their email loop...

I've tried to get my neighbor friend to join a2k, as he writes wonderful summaries of his times in Brazil, but he has what is to me the world's - s l o w e s t - computer. I plan to keep trying.

bookmarking...(hi!)

(hi!)

one way of making a real good living in central-america (and some other places) seems to be to work as a teacher for an AMERICAN school. daughter of friends of ours (she would now be about 50 years of age) signed up as a teacher with a company that hires teachers under contract to teach in foreign countries some twenty years ago. she is being paid in u.s. dollars and even has some kind of a retirement plan. once a year she is entitled to a paid return flight to canada (or the equivalent payout). she has tought in colombia, peru and korea. she took a two year leave of absence, but now is planning to return to peru. i've spoken with her a number of times over the years and she told me, that she would find it difficult to return to canada and settle here again. she never gave up her canadian citizenship and seems to be able to enjoy the best of both worlds - living in a warm climate under relaxed conditions and good pay in u.s. dollars. she did admit, that it took her a couple of years to get used to the extreme poverty of the "ordinary" people in those countries.( she teaches in a private americaan school and is used to only the best). she said that she tries to help the "ordinary" people whenever she can to justify her own relative wealth. she also feels, that by bringing some western/modern/social ideas to her private school students, she helps bring new ideas to these students, which is probably true. hbg

That sounds wonderful HBG! I don't think I'm qualified to be a teacher in a country with such a high level of education to begin with. Craven's idea of tutoring folks may be more up my alley. In all likelihood, I'll be sticking with my proven talents and do neither. But it is a romantic thought.

As you all know; I'm going to Costa Rica again at the end of this month. I intend to file the necessary paper work to bring things in to sell. Right now; I'm looking for where I can buy the cheapest 100 Personal CD players I can find. In the future, if all goes well; I plan to ship containers full of various electronics, but I want to start new relationships out by giving away CD players. Does anyone know where I could get them CHEAP? Best I've found so far; is $12.88 each. Any and all help would be appreciated. (I've started a new thread for this topic Here, but I'll be monitoring both threads so it doesn't really matter where you answer). Thank you!

Just my 2 cents but have you thought of checking out Belize? Great place as long as you stay out of Belize City.

I've read this with great interest as Costa Rica has always been on my list of 'must visits'. After my current Asian Odyssey, I'd love to visit - so let us know when and where, Occom! I think the benefits of low/no tax are applicable to most of us from the Western world! And I believe there are more species of bird in C R than in the whole of the rest of the Americas.

Clary: Finishing up with my business here is taking longer than expected. I'm hoping to schedule my next trip 2 or 3 weeks from now. If all goes well, and I don't change my mind, I should be spending at least half my time there in a few months. If you are planning a vacation sooner; I can recommend a hotel, restaurants and activities. I couldn't recommend it more strongly!

Thanks Occom B, As you may know I'm currently in Phnom Penh in heat and dust and traffic fumes so Costa Rica's greenery appeals more than somewhat.

Is it all full of tax exiles, like the Cayman Islands? If so it's probably too smart and expensive for me!

So far only 1% expatriates. No income tax.
Phnom Penh... Cambodia? Well I imagine it will be tough to find someplace cheaper to live than that! I'm seeing $1,600 per capita earnings for Cambodia... Costa Rica's latest report is $8,300 (using GDP per Capita). Wow... it never occurred to that that might be considered high to anyone (stupid American). I'm told Belize has much in common with Costa Rica, and it's definitely cheaper there...(still $4,900 earnings ). Well, I hope saving the money isn't the biggest factor, or you're looking at a pretty short list. (I'm filthy rich in the Congo!).

Anyway, no, it's nothing like the Caymans. Prettier mind you, but costs perhaps 10 to 20 cents on the dollar to visit. 1/3 of the land is natural and protected. The natural beauty in so stunningly apparent as soon as you leave the city, that you kind of feel kinda guilty just for being there. All with the means should check it out. Of course, if that happened it would likely turn into an overpopulated Sh--hole like much of South Florida.

O'Bill, you should check out Clary's current travel diary. Fascinating reading.