During the meeting China’s Foreign Minister, Yang Jiechi, Costa Rica’s president, Laura Chinchilla, is following the steps of her predecessor and mentor, Oscar Arias, sticking out her hand for more money from the Asiatic giant.
China is already building the new national stadium, an us$80 million dollar plus donation to the people of Costa Rica. China has also donated some 200 new police cars made in China and for use by the Fuerza Pública and many other donations in the last three years since Costa Rica and China restored diplomatic …

Ok, this is it, my mind is made up, I am not going to change it – I am giving up my addiction to the US dollar. From now I will only deal with the Costa Rican Colon.
Why, you ask?
The Costa Rican currency has proven itself to be stable and durable. It is not affected by any outside forces, like the threat of a war. It has also proven to be strong against the greenback.
But most of all I am just tired of the ups and downs of …

Closing the San José – Caldera is perhaps a prudent move on the part of transport officials, but what are now to do, go back to the old road, the monte de Aguacate or the Cambronero? No way, I think I will stay home until they re-open ruta 27 completely.
Why you may ask?
Well, like a kid with shiny spanking brand new car, it is hard to go back to the old clunker. The San José – Caldera, although there have been numerous incidents, including one death due to …

You know Costa Rica is in trouble and the nation’s top cops are out of ways of curbing growing violence and insecurity in the country, when they turn to “Hollywood”, in the form of actor Steven Seagal, for help. Of is it just media hype?
Nothing against Mr. Seagal, he is a fine actor, a skilled martial artists on film, in addition to being a writer and producer, he is also a Reserve Deputy Chief of the Sheriff’s Office in the community of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana.
So, what does Mr …

The Arizona immigration law controversy is spilling into others states, like Alabama where gubernatorial candidate Tim James, in an attempt to boost his ratings in the polls, by coming out with a television ad “we speak English in Alabama”, promising that driver’s license testing in that state will be only in English is he elected governor.
This recent act of xenophobia brings out the question how does a small country like Costa Rica with the many languages spoken here.
Of course, any American visiting Costa Rica knows well that Spanish is …

With the obsessive traffic fines and sanctions, foreigners living and/or working in Costa Rica are best to get a Costa Rican drivers license and avoid getting fined for driving without a license, for you see any foreigner outside of their “visitors” visa is required to do so. The fine for not following this regulation is ¢68.100, plus 30% for PANI (Children’s welfare agency) and 3% a month late fees.
The rules for foreigners calls for anyone outside of his or her “visitor” stay (90 days for North Americans and Europeans, …

At 9am this morning, Tuesday, May 4, 2010, Oscar Arias, with only a few days left in his presidency, will be placing the cornerstone of the new Casa Presidencial building, which is to be located across from the Asemblea Legislative.
But, there is one catch.
The government has yet to purchase the land made of 13 parcels that is still in the name of the original owners, according to a verification by the La Nación and confirmed by the government’s press office, that negotiations for the purchases is still ongoing.
The project …

The workers of the state telecom, ICE have joined the national strike today by teachers of the APSE and municipal workers, all without notice or fanfare. The doors to the ICE agencies are closed, no one can get a new telephone line or make changes to the existing. No, it is a day rest for ICE workers, as if they don’t have enough already.
Odd is that, during the live television broadcasts and photo ops by various print media, there was not one yellow shirt – the symbol worn by …

The Chinese these days are busy building sports stadium, in Costa Rica and now China’s largest sports park in. Construction began in December for what will be China’s largest sports park, the Hangzhou Sports Park.
It’ll be green, sustainable, and will span around 400,000 square meters.
Did I mention how it looks like a space city?
The mind boggles as to why this wasn’t built in time for the Beijing Olympics two years ago, but with a completion date projected for 2013, I guess these things can’t be hurried.

Foto …

Although Oscar Arias has yet to leave office and Laura Chinchilla has to take her place in the history of Costa Rica, there is already talk about who will follow her in 2014.
Could it be Rodrigo Arias, brother of president Oscar and current ministro de la Presidencia?
At least that is the latest gossip coming out of the Arias administration as it winds down its mandate on May 8.
The gossip is fueled by the fact that Rodrigo is taking a bigger public role in the last weeks in office, possibly …