Pura vida! Is a typical saying that literally means Pure life, that expresses being wonderful, being cool. It is a motto in the Costa Rican life. Apparently a successful motto, because someone told me this nation has the highest life expectancy of all. I haven’t been able to Google it, but I will take it because it is not a crucial part of my story. Now I wonder where is the ”Pura Vida” when going against the traffic? I almost got my head shopped tonight by a taxi driver half way through the street. I didn’t hear the details of his scream, but I am sure it was not “PURAAA VIDAAAA!!” It must have been good, because I was forced to do a U turn to comply with the signage, right in front of the cops and they only laugh. I didn’t look at them to hard either, because I could have attracted negative forces and gotten a ticket for being an idiot. I must say in my defense that the road signs in Costa Rica are pathetic, well worse than that… there aren’t any at least not in the right place and definitely not at the right time.
That reminded me one more irony of the language in Costa Rica, “Con mucho gusto” it means “with delight”. It is usually said after a service and when one says “Thank you” I have experience that every time I go to a store I get an intense look with almost an annoyance feeling. The non-verbal language I get is this: “what’d u want?” ” is that all?” ”and now…what?” “hurry up and pay” then I say “thank you” and they say “Con mucho gusto” which I think means in their non verbal language “with delight I am done with you”
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