San Jose Blog

7 Natural Wonders of the World, Second Phase!

May this simply serve as a reminder to all those, national and foreign, interested in making Isla del Coco one of the new 7 Natural Wonders of the World.

Remember, even thou our precious island ranks currently as third within the category of Islands, only if it reached the prime spot for its field could it have a chance to be granted one such great distinction.

In case you haven’t donated your wish, feel free to do so at www.new7wonders.com

Numbers make strength, don’t underrate your input.

Pura Vida and No Fun!

The newly applied regulation that tightens the grip of law upon those caught while DUI has perhaps caused more grief in the population than any international financial crisis. Surely, nobody had seen it coming and it can be understood that under the overly-indulging character of the Costarican state, the possibility of making the one activity that appeared to bond the people tighter than their love for football could ever become “so harshly” punished.

The coming of such needed turn in the road safety premises was more than timely, the carelessness shown by both drivers –reckless and pious alike- as well as by those police officers so accustomed to bypassing the oath of their duties has finally been put to the test by the state. The rigorousness now applied to the code makes it financially unbearable for the average citizen to contest the punishment; for in the text of the new regulation the contemplation of immediate vehicle removal and incarceration are given immediate course.

Perhaps the fun factor for those of us who live by the law is, the contemplation of the laughable spectacle shown by those few silly felons, during the midday newscast: bus drivers caught drinking while in duty and denying the charges when accused by the passengers and the television crews that infuriate them with their expected meddlesomeness, barely legal men and women crying over the sight of their newly purchased cars while being pulled away by the authorities that once before had preferred a petty “buy-in”, the possibilities are endless.

Few have been the experiences in the plethora of Costa Rica’s social development that bring about so much satisfaction, and in reality, exemplified by recent polls, the acceptance rate for the new measures proves the point it struggled to get across. Ticos are thus beginning to comprehend –some may say by means of rough parenting- the meaning of responsible citizenship. Caution may perchance, gain a place in the previously absurd chart of Costarican principles, next to heavy alcohol drinking that is!

President Arias, Genius or Machiavelli Extraordinaire?

We barely even see the guy on television, his brother and word-by-word austerity is what most of us probably will remember for the administration’s public side. Yet, of all presidential figures of the last 2 decades, perhaps none has been as active and controversial.

Of course the Peace Prize pretty much won him the edge he needed to score the presidency. Let’s not forget a huge portion of our country’s electorate – just like in the US- is built from sentimental and poorly educated provincial peoples, and unfortunately for the rest of us, they do care about the seniority hoopla of old political families and their past glories.

In all honesty, my view has always been that of: a liberal capitalist with some humanist balancing. I didn’t initially oppose the passing of the Trade Treaty with Uncle Sam, but in fact supported it, and my speech for the counterfeiting always was that of “I believe in the Impresario Community of Costa Rica, therefore, “que no panda el cunico”. Some of my closest friends hated me for my “fascist” approach and urged me to reconsider my position for the sake of the poor potato growers and disenfranchised underdogs. “Sorry” –I said; “the success or failure in a particular trade directly coincides with its goals, practices and technique”, and added: “If a particular is to die in view of such competition, it isn’t meant to live on anyhow”. HOW CRUEL WAS I, right?

Well, I am certain –in misplaced vanity- newly elected President Arias agreed with me, of course he’d never express himself in the same way, but it can be agreed by most this “prey and preying” mentality was also his own. The man is a financial mogul; his experience in handling of political groups is large and needless to mention his international prestige and pull. Just like Danny Devito said while remotely controlling the Batmovile in Batman Returns –and to Bruce Wayne’s posterior gain- “You’ve got to admit, I played this stinking city like a harp from hell!” . It seems, sometimes in order to run a country in the “effective” manner, certain draconian persona would be required; much more so where corruption had always been the rule of the day and undisciplined people controlled the public sector. Just like Chicago during the 1920’s, a rough kingpin is sometimes the needed fix. He has sharpened the bureaucratic sector, demanded proficiency by his levies, and played a “middleground” guy as is to be expected from the finest politicians. Again, niceness makes Ghandi, not Churchill.

The local media doesn’t quite like his snobby approach to communication, and much less does the quasi-Marxist public UCR entente. Swimming between two oceans is not ever an easy task and wishing to please all will gain all but pleasing anyone? Clear I wish to be in my narrative that, I do not defend, nor would put my hands on fire for such personality, the dark side will always be the dark side, regardless of final results. BUT, sentimentality being the rule of the Costarican common folk, must it really be endured and protected before anything?, is the soul of Costarican politics so fickle and changeable? Moral dexterity has never been a national asset; maybe we should give it a chance?

Costa Rica… and the crisis?

Locals don’t really know how to respond to the question “are you sensing the consequences of the crisis?”, and truth is neither could I. Costa Rica has always been something of a luxury destination, and the real state/mortgage premises of countries such as the US of A in reality don’t apply all that well to the local market. Banks have indeed exploited the weakest salary-ranking individuals and their capitalist hopes; yet, the largest compound of our population has been exposed for SO LONG to financial instability it would seem unlikely the majority of us could have fallen so easy into the Credit traps of the monstrous Money-Dogs.

Despite all of the above said and in common scenario to most other American-dependant markets, the fact that most of our tourists ARE in fact US citizens has had a much broader impact in our largest revenue source: Tourism (surprise anyone?).

The coming of the phenomena has happened so radically fast the Costarican board of tourism has had almost no time to digest the problem or even consider the circumstances in a calmly fashion.

A friend that owns a hotel in Manuel Antonio told me that, for the first time in about 10 years, he had not seen the beaches and resorts so desolated and barren. Firings have begun to frighten the population involved and the prospect for the next months seems hardly promising. One thing is true, the new model of Costarican business management has played in recent years a strong role in making the local scene more stable, reliable and fiercer than most our Central-American neighbors. The question remains, may the nation survive the backlashes of the world crisis, and in doing so, create an environment which can in future and seemingly more complex circumstances stand the test of disastrous Republican administration of our largest tourist buck-source.

The presidential term is about to expire, and with it comes-yet- another question. What financial path is our country going to explore? –Or maintain given that the PLN remains in power-. Otton Solis and his PAC adherents are certain to contest the unfairness of the trade treaty with the US, the PLN will surely wish to have the status quo stay –redundantly so- and the PUSC will likely want to push the absurdity of their public image to a jaded population. Seems to me the PAC and PLN will make for fun show of power pull, whatever personalities they choose to lead have but one thing in common: the wanting to represent a much more real and practical popular conscience. The old games of politics no longer work in Costa Rica, and seeing Calderon wishing to promote himself as candidate is so laughable a premise it would drive me to personally punch those who would dare to wave his so personal Red-and-Blue flag. I mean, wouldn’t you?

Seems to me Costa Rica now possesses the stamina and intent to survive a crisis that just some decades ago could have us destroyed and depleted. The generations have changed, even if I hold no faith for my father’s contemporaries, I do have faith in mine.

The Earthquake that shook more than a land

The 6.2 Richter scale quake that shook Costa Rica on January is one that in its handling more than in its factual consequences has exposed a problem much larger than the tectonic line that crosses the country. The epicenter of the earthquake directly affected a town north of San Jose, most houses were destroyed and several hundred families lost just not their inhabiting spaces but also often their revenue sources.

The incident was all over the news: local and foreign. The national media services gave it tremendous coverage and even at times managed to make it there faster than the actual government officials. Things however did get much worse.

Having Costa Rica one of the largest networks of welfare and Crisis/health solving bodies, it wasn’t a surprise it was almost immediate how calls were made to the populace to aid those in need. Fundraisers sprung, private-held associations rushed to donate funds for housing and food and under all common sense: the country showed itself to be as humane and helpful as our National Anthem would call us to be.

Then, some gaps in this finely arranged web begun to be spotted. The news programs ever so eager to exploit the misdoings of all who expose themselves enough found so desirable a victim: corruption had taken hold of the goods that had been gathered to supply those in wanting. Within the immeasurable branches of the National Emergency Council some had already –ever so unscrupulously- diverted even the most basic alimentary items for private gaining and distribution. Part of the funds collected were called by intermediary agencies to have banished in the exhausting bureaucratic process and even some of the workers directly involved in the assistance of those affected were accused of mishandling of resources.

The government has chosen not to open a file of formal investigation on the matter and instead left it in the hands of the “Contraloria” and the aforementioned Emergency agency.  The event can be -to those vivid on international affairs- reminiscent of the disorderly fashion in which the Katrina catastrophe was handled by the Bush administration and even thou it is much smaller in impact, the circumstances are likewise worrisome.

In a few months we are to be witnessing –if the media does not lose interest first- the quality of the work put into the situation. Hopefully, we won’t be entirely disappointed: surely a cherry on the cake of the farewell party for this administration.

The implications of an expensive lunch…

Oh my, I say, if my countryfolk had landed in Normandy instead of US soldiers… not sure if the Nazi land batteries would have stood their ground or shared with us their finely brewed beer. Calderon Guardia surely kicked them out, but, given Costa Rica had been placed where Switzerland lies, our allegiance would likely had shifted perspective. And that is the very core of the issue: the determination of the Tico morality and its backbone.

The news programs –and specially Canal 7- made it sport to exploit the weakness of a group of the Administrative breed of the Social Welfare sector (the IMAS to be more precise, that body in charge of housing the poor). They engaged in a luxurious $1300 lunch on stipends of public funding. OH LA LA, as if it had never happened before, and what seemed the funniest to me: how my people were so eager to judge and condemn where most of them would have done exactly the same. Not that hypocrisy applies only to Costa Rica, but, in so few places is righteousness as well and randomly used as it is here. Had Jesus lived in Costa Rica, and while defending the woman that dared engage in sexual relations with a man who wasn’t her husband, despite “Christ’s” better reasoning many a man would not had even waited for him to finish his kind line before stoning her (makes me think of Monty Python’s Life of Brian).

Sometimes it takes these small demonstrations of public loathing for the larger and governmental entities to change and prove themselves worthy of approval and admiration; but, citing and editing the New Testament again: “It is easier for an elephant to pass through a needle’s eye, than it is for a Tico to enter the kingdom of Heaven”. I wonder often if the quest to punish criminals in Costa Rica serves no other purpose than that to lighten the souls of those who feel –against their better consciences- they could be subversively in the same position. Moral perfection is such a profitable flag here, most wouldn’t reckon buying it from the devil –maybe we owe this to our Spanish forefathers… YIKES!-

Surely, some of those involved in the incident resigned and agreed with the local media to purge the sin by public apology. The woman in charge of the organization even spoke in our congress of her flawless conduct and her disapproval of such pervasive act, while also commenting on how she felt victim of a political scheme by her party’s enemies… yadda yadda yadda, I wasn’t impressed.

Seems to me the advertising spots for the news hours have earned more from this faux pas than the nation did as a whole. Sensationalism was the winning end in this scandal and little else did. Corruption must be purged from the social consciousness before atonement kicks in, and all that social workers now fear is having reporters sneak in their papers as opposed to the people having them accounted for their service. Thoughts anyone?…