Orientation

This week we have been in Orientation classes. We have been told that our experience here in Costa Rica is not just about language learning, but also about learning to live cross-culturally. Today, Dr. Longworth, a former MK here originally from Canada, talked to us about health in Costa Rica--what the hospital offers, what to do when you need a prescription filled, should we call an ambulance or not, what to do when you need vaccinations before traveling on to your country of service, etc.

We also discussed some interesting things about the culture. I shared some of those yesterday, and here are a few more:

Costa Ricans:

prefer to bathe at 5:00 am, and in cold water. It's good for you and invigorating. (This is an aspect of the culture I choose not to experience).

When bathing, prefer to take showers, as sitting in a tub of bath water would be viewed as sitting in a tub of dirty water.

That goes even for their dishes. In Latin America, the choice for washing dishes is using a paste of dishwashing soap that sits in a little container (think margarine container size) on your sink. They never fill the sink up, but have clean water flowing over the dishes as they wash them. Filling the sink up with soapy water would again be leaving them in dirty water.

Latin Americans, in general, place a much greater importance on relationships than North Americans (again, generally speaking). We were advised to speak to each person upon entering a social situation, and before leaving, address each person. If not, it may leave one who was accidentally overlooked wondering what he/she might have done to offend the North American.

Latin American men mostly wear pants, (the only time we've seen them wear shorts is while they are doing yard work or washing their cars), and the women mostly dress up, even while staying at home for the day.

It is considered impolite to point with your finger--many here point with their mouths or noses. Speaking of noses, and cleanliness, public nose-blowing is a cultural no-no here.

Cleanliness is extremely important here. Floor tiles glisten, windows sparkle, cars are detailed on the weekends.

We North Americans puzzle at why they talk so much and don't seem to get to the point and they puzzle at our busyness and rush to activities rather than choosing to spend time with family. We Americans pride ourselves on punctuality and efficiency, and Latin Americans pride themselves on loving families and relationships with others.

I'm thankful for this time of orientation so that we can learn about our cultural differences!