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    The Golden Gringo Chronicles: Part 2
    The Golden Gringo Chronicles: Part 2
    The Golden Gringo Chronicles: Part 2
    Ebook94 pages1 hour

    The Golden Gringo Chronicles: Part 2

    By Bob Normand

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    About this ebook

    Dudley Bodoh flew to Costa Rica for retirement in 2008 after an initial attempt at driving there had failed (see Part 1). Within a couple of months he had found lodging and settled into a routine that included enjoying the beach and smoking cigars. The use of cigars would end soon and abruptly when he encountered a major health problem. Fortunately, his first encounter with the Costa Rican health system proved to be positive and life-saving.
    After a few months, our hero, who had become the Golden Gringo or GG, began the process of obtaining official residency. He engaged a Costa Rican intermediary that had been recommended by a friend to help with the process. The person turned out to be sometimes unethical and at other times incompetent. The process would turn out to be tedious and time-consuming and getting his residency would not happen until his approval happened more than three years later, and then only after he pursued through his own personal effort.
    In the meantime GG would be required to make excursions across the border every 90 days to renew his visa, resulting in him becoming a “perpetual tourist”. This gave him the opportunity to visit several locations in three other Latin American countries and learn about the region. He would see parts of Panama, Nicaragua and an island owned by Colombia.
    GG also learned about the differences in climate and environment in Costa Rica. Living in the rainforest meant not only more rain but heavier downpours. Just after learning hurricanes don’t happen in Costa Rica because it is too far south, he would experience what the locals called a fifty year storm event. That happened in 2010 and wreaked havoc on trees and telephone polls as well as washing out sizeable parts of major roads and causing flash flooding in low lying towns along the coast. Also in the first two years he would be introduced to “terremotos” or earthquakes, something completely new to him.
    But most of the time was taken up with learning and experiencing the culture that is Costa Rica. He came to accept the differences between Tico/Latin thinking, based more on emotion, and the gringo emphasis on efficiency and productivity. He came to understand the people to be open, warm, helpful and kind even as they might be perpetually late and have a penchant for over-complicating simple tasks and transactions.
    Within a few months of arriving in Costa Rica GG pursued learning Spanish by taking lessons from local teachers but soon realized that at the age of 65, things were different. He had made a good effort to learn French in his early thirties while living in Brussels but now he was much less able to retain what he absorbed than he was when in his thirties. Distinguishing sounds was another problem he hadn’t had before. But he wouldn’t give up and eventually GG developed a facility that allowed him to express himself adequately.
    When he was not writing the Chronicles or taking Spanish lessons he would enjoy the beautiful, wild beach called Manuel Antonio and sample the food at the 50 to 60 good restaurants in the area. He helped form an association called the ROMEO Group (Retired Old Men Eating Out) and they made it their duty to evaluate at least one new restaurant per month. Tough work, but some had to do it.
    GG was now settled in and enjoying retirement in paradise.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBob Normand
    Release dateMay 1, 2014
    ISBN9781311104601
    The Golden Gringo Chronicles: Part 2
    Author

    Bob Normand

    Currently retired and living in Quepos, Costa Rica, Mr.Normand currently writes a monthly newsletter called the Golden Gringo Chronicles about being an ex-pat living in one of the most beautiful countriies in the world.Professional background: Mr. Normand has served as principal management consultant to more than 100 businesses ranging from $500,000 to $50,000,000 in annual sales and has owned and operated several small businesses of his own in diverse industries. Mr. Normand’s small business philosophy is premised on the belief that small business management skills can be developed by busy entrepreneurs using readily available information, tools and procedures not found in business schools or formal degree programs. His direct industrial experience as an executive includes chemicals, plastics, computer systems, office furniture, financial services, banking and small business management consulting.Academic: B.S. University of Massachusetts, M.S. Villanova University, MBA Program Ohio University. Past Adjunct Professor of Small Business Management, Northampton Community College. Author: Entreprenewal!,The Six Step Recovery Program for Small Business.

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      Book preview

      The Golden Gringo Chronicles - Bob Normand

      The Golden Gringo Chronicles

      &

      Rudimentary Guide to Retirement in Costa Rica

      True Stories from a U.S. Ex-Patriot

      Living in Latin America

      Novel in Three Parts

      This is Part 2: The Early Years

      By Bob Normand

      The trilogy:

      Part 1: Leaving the Homeland

      Part 2: The Early Years

      Part 3: Becoming Tico, Maybe (July 2014)

      Smashwords Edition

      Copyright 2014 Bob Normand. This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return toSmashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author

      Contents

      Synopsis to Part 2

      Chapter 1 – Pura Vida and Puros or So He Thought

      Chapter 2 – Visa Renewal Time

      Chapter 3 – Tormentas and Teremotos

      Chapter 4 – Language Challenges

      Chapter 5 – Beaches, Lifeguards and Backhoes

      Chapter 6 – Using Buses and Taxis

      Chapter 7 – Pursuing Official Residency

      Chapter 8 – Food as Culture

      Chapter 9 – Exploring Costa Rica and Beyond

      Chapter 10 – The Chronicles Come of Age

      About the Author

      Other Books by Bob Normand

      Synopsis to Part 2

      Dudley Bodoh flew to Costa Rica for retirement in 2008 after an initial attempt at driving there had failed. Within a couple of months he had found lodging and settled into a routine that included enjoying the beach and smoking cigars. The use of cigars would end soon and abruptly when he encountered a major health problem. Fortunately, his first encounter with the Costa Rican health system proved to be positive and life-saving.

      After a few months, our hero (who had become the Golden Gringo or GG) began the process of obtaining official residency. He engaged a Costa Rican intermediary, recommended by a friend, but who turned out to be sometimes unethical and at other times incompetent. The process would turn out to be tedious and time-consuming and GG would be forced into the role of perpetual tourist until his approval happened more than three years later, and then only after he pursued in on his own.

      In the meantime GG would be required to make excursions across the border every 90 days to renew his visa. This gave him the opportunity to visit several locations in three other Latin American countries and learn about the region. He would see parts of Panama, Nicaragua and an island in Colombia.

      GG also learned about the differences in climate and environment in Costa Rica. Living in the rainforest meant not only more rain but heavier downpours. Just after learning hurricanes don’t happen here because Costa Rica is too far south, he would experience what the locals called a fifty year storm event in 2010 that wreaked havoc on trees and telephone polls as well as washing out sizeable parts of major roads and flash flooding low lying towns along the coast. Also in the first two years he would be introduced to terremotos or earthquakes, something completely new to him.

      But most of the time was taken up with learning and experiencing the culture that is Costa Rica. He came to accept the differences between Tico/Latin thinking, based more on emotion, and the gringo emphasis on efficiency and productivity. He came to understand the people to be open, warm, helpful and kind even as they might be perpetually late and have a penchant for over-complicating simple tasks and transactions.

      Within a few months of arriving in Costa Rica GG pursued learning Spanish by taking lessons from local teachers but soon realized that at the age of 65, things were different. He had made a good effort to learn French in his early thirties while living in Brussels but now he was much less able to retain what he absorbed. Distinguishing sounds was another problem he hadn’t had before. But he wouldn’t give up and eventually developed a facility that allowed him to express himself adequately.

      When he was not writing the Chronicles or taking Spanish lessons he would enjoy the beautiful, wild beach called Manuel Antonio and sample the food at the 50 or 60 good restaurants in the area. He helped form an association called the ROMEO Group (Retired Old Men Eating Out) and they made it their duty to evaluate at least one new restaurant per month.

      GG was now settled in and enjoying retirement in paradise.

      Chapter 1 – Pura Vida and Puros or So He Thought

      Our hero, Dudley Bodoh, arrived in Costa Rica to begin his retirement in September, 2008. (See Part I for the complete story of the trials and tribulations of making that move) After some time, he dubbed himself the Golden Gringo for being both in his golden years and lucky enough to have retired in Costa Rica. He now earnestly wanted to learn the culture of his adopted land.

      Costa Rica does not have a national motto, but Dudley quickly learned that most Ticos and ex-pats alike would agree that the unofficial slogan universally used by Ticos, Pura Vida, could be it. Though the origins of the phrase are not definite, Costa Ricans reportedly began using the expression after watching the 1956 Mexican movie titled Pura Vida! By 1970 the phrase was widely used throughout the country and continues to this day.

      Pura Vida has become so uniquely Costa Rican that using the expression will always identify the speaker as Costa Rican. Throughout the country, the expression is used to express satisfaction, happiness and peace. It reminds Costa Ricans of their country’s beauty and the warmth of home. Today, pura vida has many idiomatic meanings and has been incorporated into everyday use in different ways.

      Pura vida literally translated means pure life, but pure life in proper Spanish would be vida pura. Yet, the way it's commonly used, the meaning is closer to plenty of life, full of life, this is living!, going great, real living, or cool! It can be used both as a greeting and a farewell, to express satisfaction, to politely express indifference when describing something or even to say thank you.

      Some foreigners view the phrase as an expression of a leisurely lifestyle, of disregard for time, and of wanton friendliness. However, Costa Ricans use the phrase to express a philosophy of strong community, perseverance, resilience in overcoming difficulties with good spirits, enjoying life slowly, and celebrating good fortune of magnitudes small and large alike.

      A Tico might use pura vida to greet someone: When friends meet on the street, shake hands, or wave hello, it is common to say pura vida! In English, this is similar to greeting someone with Hey, how are you? or What’s up? A response of pura vida! implies that all is well. One might also use it to say good-bye. When Costa Ricans leave a restaurant, friend’s house, or

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