San José and Atlanta - a comparison

What's Different

• The weather.  It's basically the same everyday - highs in the upper 70s to lower 80s with rain in the afternoon.
• The language.  Even though Spanish is Enrique's first language and I am bilingual, Costa Rican Spanish is different than what we learned so sometimes we don't know what people are talking about.  For example, for croissant, we use the French word or crescent roll.  Mexican Spanish says "cuernitos" (little horns), but here they say "cangrejos" (lobsters). 
• Security.  There are security guards everywhere - at the bank, in the KFC parking lot, at the entrance to our street.
• Holidays.  August 15th was Mother's Day and Labor Day was on May 1st.  This Friday, September 9 is Día del Niño (Children's Day).  The schools have big parties and parents give their children presents.  September 15 is Independence Day so there'll be more partying then too.
• Cost of living.  While many Americans choose to retire in Costa Rica, it is expensive to live here when compared to other Latin American countries.  Coffee, produce, and the water bill are cheap, for example, but most everything else is imported so packaged food, clothing, and furniture are expensive.
• Religion.  The official religion of Costa Rica is Roman Catholicism.  "Every village, no matter how small it is,  has a church facing east, on the west side of the central plaza, and its own saint’s day, which is usually celebrated with secular fervor. Every home, taxi, office and bus has its token religious icons. The Catholic marriage ceremony is the only church marriage with state recognition, and so, Catholicism is the official state religion as mandated by the Constitution of 1949." (http://www.infocostarica.com/culture/religion.html)

What's Similar

• The language.  Our "target audience" is highly educated and, therefore bilingual, since many of them graduated from colleges in the US or Europe.  When I can't remember how to say "yucky", "monkey wrench", or "entertainment center", I can say it in English.  Our church even shows one of Andy Stanley's sermons in English every Monday night at a theater.
• The restaurants.  Costa Rica has lots of their own restaurants, but there are plenty of American restaurants that you can go to to get your fix.  Within a half mile of our home are Wendy's, Taco Bell, Quizno's, Applebee's, Pizza Hut, and McDonald's (We live off of a main avenue.).  There's also Tony Roma's, Outback Steakhouse (my favorite!), and others nearby.
• Technology.  Many places have wi-fi and everyone has a cell phone.
• Skin color.  My grandmother recently asked me what Costa Ricans looked like, if they all have dark skin.  There are people of all colors here and it's hard to know who is American and who is Costa Rican.  Not that there are that many Americans here, but many Costa Ricans could easily pass for Americans.  I am tempted to speak to them in English, and then I hear them speak and am surprised that they are Hispanic.  Costa Ricans can have blond hair and blue or hazel eyes, red hair, fair skin, be tall or short, thin, very athletic cycling or running down the street, wear shorts and T-shirts and tennis shoes, or be darker skinned and look African American.
• The human condition.  "The God-setting-things-right that we read about has become Jesus-setting-things-right for us.  And not only for us, but for everyone who believes in him.  For there is no difference between us [Jews] and them [non-Jews] in this.  Since we've compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us.  Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself.  A pure gift.  He got us out of the mess we're in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be.  And he did it by means of Jesus Christ."  -Romans 3:21-24