In the summer of 2000 we took on the challenge of painting the outside of the house.....Jimmy, being the artist of the family, chose the colors. My Job? translate what we wanted done . Sounds easy, huh? Uuuummm Not so much. Having chosen to call myself "Maria", these two fellows must have called upon "Maria" hundreds of times in that summer. But, looking back on it, I now realize we didn't just pay these fellows for work, I received a lesson in " How to communicate with your workers.... when they speak NO English."

Having learned all the textbook terminology and even using the dictionary to look up words, I soon realized that , once again, Costa Rica has its own language. I don't believe a college professor could have much better luck than I did when I first started trying to tell Jenier and Luis exactly what Jimmy and I had in mind for the work we needed done on the house. So, this is really a hub more about language than work.

Being an artist, we relied quite a bit on Jimmy's artistic ability. When my language ability failed, Jimmy could get out the old drawing tablet and get a "nod" and a look of, "Oh, yeah, I understand what it is you want." Believe me, learning a language, or using a pocket translator will NOT get the job done. Communication is more than a word; it is UNDERSTANDING vs. MISUNDERSTANDING. And when one is trying to fix up a house, and especially with limited funds, it is imperative that the worker undertands exactly what it is that you want painted, or how you want it painted, or how you want something repaired. I have learned that most Costa Rican workers are quick to tell you WHAT you need done. And, generally their ideas are based on their vision of the project, not yours. If you are not careful, you will find yourself looking at a final project that is twice as expensive or not even close to what you had pictured. I highly recommend mixing an art teacher with a Spanish teacher!

So, here are some of the terms that we learned the hard way. Through many repititions, hand gestures, and finally with the project drawn out by my dear husband. "Ay, si, si, ahora entiendo". Oh, yes, yes, now I understand. (and a few other terms are thrown in for fun.)

PILO (pronounced like "peelow"): This is the word for PENCIL. When we were at our wits end and could not make Jenier understand, he kept asking for a "pilo". Having learned the word "lapiz" in my 30+ years of teaching Spanish to high schoolers and community college students, I was pretty sure I had a handle on that word. Of course, "pilo" comes from the brand name "Pilot". Cool, huh?

TRAPO: This is the word for "rag". Suggestion: Have tons of these on hand. Trapos are a tool for work and also very usful for the people walking around in 100 degree heat. If you see anyone in a tropical climate in Costa Rica with what looks like a washrag, it is not for washing the face. It is probably perfumed and is used to mop up sweat. Sometimes it is also used on top of the head in place of a hat. Very smart use for a rag, don't you think? So, "trapo" is not "trap"..... no, no.

FRESCO: This word looks like the word for "fresh". Well, maybe it could be associated with that word ..... It comes from the word "refresco" which is usually a fruit drink made in a blender with fresh fruit. Geez, Costa Rica is WONDERFUL for its FRESCOS. Don't buy a soft drink! Sample "Mora" (blackberry), "Sandia" (watermelon"), "Limon" (lime), "Cas"( a type of fruit that makes a whitish liquid...delicious!), "Guanabana"(once again, tropical fruit, whitish, and sublime), "Pina"(pineapple), ...... And, as I write this, I would plead to the makers of TANG , who offer all these flavors in packages, just mix with water, to PLEASE TRY to get them on the market in the United States. I always bring back a sack of packages of Tang - Limon, oh yes, MANGO, STRAWBERRY, ORANGE/CARROT, .....UUUYYY so delicious

PAPA: Another characteristic of Jenier is his desire to teach me Spanish. He never shuts up. It can be very irritating after hours of supervising his work (which is necessary because he has a tendency to "get off task" and talk with anyone walking by). One day when Jimmy came out the door, Jenier looked at him and made the observation, "La papa de Jimmy es mas pequena". OK, if you look up the word papa in the dictionary, you will find the word "potato". Or with an accent mark on the last "a", it could mean "Father". What? Jimmy's potato was smaller? Or his father was smaller? After more gestures, we learned that "papa" is a slang term for DOUBLE CHIN. Yes, Jimmy was losing weight, and his neck was getting smaller. Whew. But we had a good laugh.

PAPI: I can't count the times I have heard mothers or fathers look at their children and say, "Venga, papi". Come is "Venga". I understood that part, but....PAPI?? I had always thought that Papi was a term used for "daddy". Yes, "Papi" is used contstantly- maybe it is kind of like the word "honey" in English. An endearing term. And always said with love.

BOLSA: When you go to the local supermarket, or small store, you must pay for the plastic bag. Yes, it has been that way in Costa Rica for ten years. (or more, I guess). My first trip to buy something at the local store PALI, I stood like a dummy with all my drinks, foods, etc. I wondered, "Uh, how am I supposed to carry this stuff?..especially since I was on my bike. Lesson learned that day: you have to ask for the number of plastic bags that you want to purchase. Thus, now I always estimate the number of "bolsas" I might need to hang on the handlebars of my bike. This word has also been a MINDBLOCK for me as I am a "pocketbook" lover and I purchase a new one everytime we go to San Jose. (I recommend "Totto" brand!) The word for pocketbook is BOLSO. got it???

FRANCES: After being asked, "Tiene Ud. un frances" Do you have a Frenchperson?(literal),I shook my head , once again, with complete and utter misunderstanding. What in the world??It turns out that this is the word for "adjustable wrench". I do not know how this came about, and believe me, I asked. But, sooner or later someone may give me an explanation.

FILI: This is another tool. Now I know it is "Phillips head screwdriver". It seems that many English words are shortened and made to fit the language of the handymen. (The word for "screwdriver" is just what you find in the dictionary, thank Heavens. Who knows how this might have been changed!)

WUACHIMAN: This word I saw in our beloved daily paper Diario Extra. Hey, it is the word for "watchman"! Speaking of the newspaper, Jimmy actually found his picture on the front page one day! We were coming back from San Jose with all our bags, backpack, etc. and we saw a big crowd down next to the pier. It seems a crocodile was swimming in the ocean. The photographer from the newspaper didn't realize we were what we like to call ourselves "Locals" and he captioned the picture "Tourists gather in the crowd to watch the ten foot crocodile that came down the river". We never knew he was taking the picture. But it was a hoot to see Jimmy on the front page! (I'll have to get that out and post it on a future blog".

PAN CALIENTE: This really means hot bread. It is the slang term for anything that someone else might steal. A good example is a ladder. We had to put our ladder in the HOUSE every night because it was considered "pan caliente". The down side to that was: I propped it against the door and the next morning when I came down to open the door, I slid the ladder across the wall and it fell on my foot, breaking my left foot. Actually, both feet turned black. Luckily, we only had a week left in our trip, so I just waited to see a doctor in our home town. I did have a stress fracture and my left foot has given me trouble since that morning. But, wow, at the time I was HAPPY. It meant I COULD LAY ON THE BED, READ, AND JIMMY COULD DEAL WITH THE END OF THE PAINTING.

Oh, yeah, there's more to tell. But, ..... my left foot is getting numb!