I guess people break into cars a lot in Costa Rica. Now, I can't claim to have intimate knowledge of the inner workings of the mind of a tico-car thief, but they don't all wait until 7:00 in the morning to try their luck, or do they? My hypothesis is that Ticos just don't know how to use their alarms. Every morning at about 7, those alarms start to ring. For about 5 minutes they scream into the crisp San Jose morning, until finally are shut down. But why do they go off, do the owners of the car try to open them? Are they actually in danger? Are they so sensitive that children and dogs set them off? Also, why do people from Costa Rica push the alarm button on their car constantly? They just walk around with their finger on the button, clicking away, all day. Are they afraid maybe it didn't lock the last 12 times? For this I have no realistic guess. Of course, Ticos also love construction, which means hammering and yelling and ringing metal noises from roof pieces dropping to the ground, 3 stories below, all day, every day since I have been here.

And the sharp little sound sprinkles of course consist of our very own Roosevelt security agent and his safety whistle. He rides a bike for 12 hours a day through our neighborhood blowing his whistle to let us know we are safe. And our cars...and my ears....good thing he has a stick and a bici....

Bored is a relative term. Why do we feel bored, and is there any possible reason to feel that way when we live in this post-modern electronic metropolis? Not only am I confined to utilize the internet from the boring and lonely privacy of my own home, I now can go to the park or a restaurant or a coffeeshop and be social as well as plugged in.

Well, that was before I moved to Costa Rica. Even when I was alone, I didn't have to be. I could get in my car and go to a bar or restaurant, or see a movie, even walk around and shop. I could call up a friend and talk or invite them out. I could even bring my computer somewhere and be alone without being all alone. Now with the absence of a phone and car, at least I have my computer. Ah, what would I do without the internet? Well, I can't bring it anywhere. So here I am stuck in this weird place, gringolandia, the island of English speakers in the middle of a Costa Rican urban sea. While I moved to Costa Rica to learn Spanish, everything I need to do is confined to my four walls, with the exception of 9 hours of class per week.

I can vouch that being a non-native speaker is certainly alienating. However, it is now also pretty obvious that it is possible to function in society with very limited literacy. I am probably 1000 times better off than the aliens living in the United States who have little to no formal education, and speak virtually none of the native English language. I now have much more sympathy for the Peruanos y Guatalmaltecos that have come to New Orleans looking for work, but more than pity, I understand. I understand how it feels to walk down the street and not know whether to say adios, buenas, hola, como está, or if for some reason one of those may be inappropriate or rude even. I understand how it feels to check out at a grocery store and stare in stony silence because I am simply too nervous or tired to attempt small talk. However, at least I can say it, if I have to, if I have time, if I am feeling brave.

Trabajadores que viven en Nueva Orleans ahora, no tienen esa comodidad. Pero los ocupamos para renovar nuestra ciudad y reedificar nuestras comunidades. Sin ellos, una Nueva Nueva Orleans sería imposible. Ellos pueden llevar cosas pesadas, usar martillos y gatear sobre techas. Buena suerte para ellos que no pueden pagar salarios normales a nuestros ciudadanos, y prefieran encontrar gente extranjera para abusar.

So it seems quite funny to me that people who can not speak the language, y no conocen a nadie can leave their friends and family looking for work and worth in a bizarre and prejudiced place - and they just do it. They up and leave - in hoards. And when they arrive, unitedstatians accuse them of taking jobs away from them. But now, to the point - life is virtually impossible, absolutely sad and dare I say alienating - and they are accused of not learning the language and moving in packs. They are accused of sullying the streets of New Orleans with their temporary food carts (I bet those aren't checked by the health department!), and hanging out on street corners. Well I know now that living in a foreign city is difficult enough and I imagine finding work is even more difficult. How would one go about calling on the telephone, reading ads, or finding the place of business without the language? By my approximation, standing on the street corner wearing work clothes may be your best bet.

I have plenty to do. Also coincidentally, I like being alone. It requires much less exertion to sit by myself and write in English. However, I use the word bored as a leftover from childhood. Really I am feeling anomie. Durkheim's anomie, yup that’s it. We all feel it from time to time, but when communication is difficult, anomie is absolutely amplified. I wish I had more friends that spoke Spanish and I could practice and therefore make it in this Costa Rican world. I wish life was easier and more fun. I have the same wishes as anyone who is an alien, a foreigner, what have you. We just want to be able to be able to be able...and survive...and maybe have some fun...

In Costa Rica, President Oscar Arias is currently deciding the economic fate of the nation. The TLC or Tratado de Libre Comercio or in English what we call The Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) has been born out of the corpse of its predecessor, NAFTA to play a game of restructuring with the Costa Rican economy. After what this country went through in the eighties with the World Bank and Structural Adjustment, you can see why so many people are so upset about the possibility of having a collapse again. The middle class almost disappered, campesinos got screwed over as prices fell dramatically, and it even changed the cultural sturcuture of families that had traditionally been large, but now were down to 2 to 3 kids each. If the TLC passes, prices for local produce could change dramatically. Several things can happen, all of which will harm some sector of the population. First of all, some prices could go down for produce, because it can be imported cheaper. However, this would hurt Costa Rica in the long run because the local farmers would have to drop their prices to compete or search for external world markets.

On the other hand, businesses would be allowed to enter that can compete for better prices for services, especially for utilities, which is now controlled completely by a public entity, ICE. However, in 2000, Costa Rica had violent (for this country) huelgas y bloqueos contra del Combo de Ice. El Combo de Ice was the government's proposal to privatize the public utilities company ICE. In sondeos publicos, a majority of the public thought the services remained affordable, consumer service was acceptable and they preferred to keep ICE as a public entity. So if the TLC does pass here, ICE remains private, but will more or less be destroyed as cheap foreign competition moves in.

In my Sociology classes at the UCR, the students are impassioned about fighting the TLC. Just look at what NAFTA did to Mexico, they say. They want to fight against the TLC like their parents fought against ALCOA in 1969. Costa Ricans have a history of winning when its the citizens against the government. We'll see how this pans out.

In my experiences in Costa Rica, I have had the chance to sample all sorts of interesting fruits, like grandilla, maracuyá, limón dulce and cas. However if the TLC passes, all of that stuff may find better markets outisde of Costa Rica, and cheaper fruit may be shipped in. The other day, I bought a new and exciting looking fruit like thing.

My friend Josue who is from Costa Rica, told me is was probably cacao, which it turned out to be! Since 70% of cacao is grown 10 degrees from the equator, the TLC will also affect the price of chocolate, not to mention coffee. I did some research on the internet about cacao beans and fruit and cracked mine open to reveal the beans. First you let them ferment in the heat for a few days. After that you spread them out to dry in the sun. So far we at the stage of fermentation. More news to come.