Tico Tales - Random Observations

Occasional Tales from our Life in Costa Rica



In Latin American countries Sesame Street is called Plaza Sesamo. And Big Bird is a big green parrot.

"Amy" is not a familiar name to most Ticos. Amy is known to the employees at our local hardware store as "Dona Jaime."

We lived here for 15 months before we discovered the button on the remote control that changes dubbed television programs from Spanish to English. Sophie finds "Blue's Clues" so much more engaging now that she knows what Steve is saying! We feel foolish for not realizing sooner that it's possible to select SAP (separate audio program) and switch to English. We should have known. Because we clearly remember the episode of Friends where Marcel the monkey used the SAP function to switch Rachel and Monica's T.V. to Spanish, and nobody could switch it back, and hilarity ensued.

Of course we limit Sophie's T.V. viewing, but it is nice that Costa Rica has a station dedicated to showing "Blue's Clues" and "Plaza Sesamo" and other quality programs for preschoolers. The only problem is that this channel also airs really inappropriate commercials. (We wish they didn't have commercials at all.) If the fast food, junk food, and "glitter make-up diva Barbie" ads weren't enough, they also air a public service announcement depicting a violent street mugging and the message, "Don't carry cash." (Got that, Sophie? No cash!) There's another PSA that shows a kid playing with fireworks and getting his hand blown off. And the hot and heavy Close-Up toothpaste commercial essentially reveals how babies are made! Yep, time to go outside and play.

The suburb where we live is sometimes referred to as "Gringolandia." (Yes, since even before we moved in.) You will find all of the following businesses within 3 miles of our house: Friday's, Tony Roma's, Outback Steakhouse, Hooters, McDonald's, Burger King, Papa John's, Pizza Hut, Cinnabon, Wendy's, Subway, Quizno's, KFC, TCBY, Taco Bell, Curves, L.A. Weight Loss, and Haagan Dazs. Maybe you're supposed to hit up Wendy's and then head over to L.A. Weight Loss? How many of these establishments have we have visited? Just two. (And Hooters isn't one of them.)