Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes Did I learn Spanish before moving here? No, I didn’t. And that was stupid. I’d never do that again. Before I moved to Costa Rica, there was so much to do and I had no time to take Spanish classes. I did not realize how important it was to learn at…
Estimated reading time: 4 Minutes This picture got your attention, didn’t it? Well, that was exactly my intention. Further down the page, I posted another one for the ladies. They say that you learn basic Spanish best with a native. I can only confirm that affirmation because that’s what I did. Most people don’t pay…
Amazingly, you’d be surprised how many “gringos” treat Ticos like shit. Because they’re stupid, they’re ignorant, they’re uneducated, dumb, or idiots. First, Ticos are not like that; even if they were, you should be ashamed of yourself if you’re one of the name-callers. I know I shouldn’t use bad language, and I apologize for the…
Estimated Reading Time: 3 Minutes If you say no me toquen el pito in Costa Rica, make sure you’re sitting in your car. If you are not, this can become quite a misunderstanding, especially if you are a male. Tocar el pito means honking. Another way to say honking is tocar la bocina or tocar la…
Estimated Reading Time: 3 Minutes Qué vaina is one of those expressions your landlord might use when you complain about a leak in the roof. Or when your coffee maker stopped working and you’re asking for another. In this case, the translation is “what a problem”. But. instead of qué vaina, it is also possible…
Have you ever tried to pull yourself a cake or jalarse torta? That doesn’t make a lot of sense in English, but it does in Spanish. You really wouldn’t want to pull yourself a cake, believe me. That’s why learning a new language can be so difficult for many. You cannot just translate word for word…
Did you know that a rooster is a very important animal in Costa Rica? Wherever you turn, you’ll hear people talk about the rooster. I’m sure you all know about Gallo Pinto (no, not Pinto Gallo Kathy!) and más Tico que el Gallo Pinto if you follow my weekly blogs. If you’re a good Catholic, you’ll…
When the weather is hot, you need to order a granizado, also called a copo. Summertime in Costa Rica is around the corner although we really have an eternal spring. The December winds are making overtime and we’re almost in Easter week or “Semana Santa”. Therefore, we still have a lot of winds. It keeps…
Speaking bad Spanish is better than no Spanish. If you want to live in Costa Rica and you want to communicate with the locals, do not be afraid of speaking bad Spanish. Most people, when they are learning a new language, they are afraid of making mistakes. When I started learning Spanish, I used to…