21 Reasons You Might Be a Gringo…
In Costa Rica, non-natives are Gringoes. As far as I know, it’s not pejorative. But then again, I don’t speaka da Spanish, so how would I know? It’s kinda like calling somebody redneck. It’s OK if YOU are a redneck, but if you’re a hipster, it’s an insult.
So as a Gringo in Costa Rica, I offer you
… you might be a Gringo if:
- You refer to your country of birth as “the old country.“
- You drive around a bridge thru a dry river bed because it’s less rough.
- You call the above move, “using the bypass.”
- You volunteer to drive.
- You talk or text and drive.
- You still scoff when they serve a glass of ice with a beer.
- You own a watch.
- You wear a watch.
- The watch works and you look at it regularly.
- You talk in short phrases, and refer to the lapses as “buffering.”
- You refer to water from the tap as “cold.”
- You care about the price of vehicle gas more than the cost of propane.
- You have a “to-do” list.
- You know and use multiple attorneys.
- Your essential technology is GPS.
- You still get pissed off when you overhear a loud cell phone conversation.
- You still get a thrill when you see your seven figure bank balance (in Colones.)
- You say “Como se dice” more than “una cerveza por favor.”
- The last thing you say as you leave the house is “got your passport?“
- “Why?” is still a question you ask repeatedly and expect an answer.
- Instead of shouting “alo” repeatedly into your cell, you say “can you hear me now?”
If you live in Costa Rica, please add your “you might be a Gringo if…” thoughts in the comments.
You might be a Gringa if you expect things to start on time!
Hee. You might be a Gringa if you think there is a “start time.”