The first lecturer was an entrepreneur. He explain to us that there are ample opportunities available, you just need to find them. In early Costa Rican history, there weren't as many job opportunities and most people worked for their families. Things changed, in 1982. The socialist party made changes to the economy. Costa Rica had the mentality of utilizing what they had in the country, instead of importing their goods. The Central American Free trade agreement, signed in 1968, was the first document of its kind signed in the world. As I mentioned before, things changed for Costa Rica in the 80's. It was a very bad time for Costa Rica; the economy crashed and caused the interest rates to rise to extreme amounts. Luckily Intel saw potential in Costa Rica and built in the city. This caused other large companies to gain interest in the country. The new business helped the Costa Rican economy recover. P&G built a facility here as well. All of the operations of the firms world wide are done here. Our speaker wanted to teach his sons about business. Therefore, he helped them build a small online business called Ticoshopping.com. Their business model is extremely simple. You can request or buy Costa Rican products, they find them, and ship them to you. This business is extremely profitable, because there are no accounts receivables or inventory.
The second speaker talked about Costa Rica and explained why Costa Ricans are the happiest people in the world. Despite being a small country, .03% of the country, CR has 6% of the planets diversity. The country is one of the biggest suppliers of fruits and vegetables in South America.Their exports have nearly tripled in real terms. Real growth was 6.6% average per year, during the 90's. Today, their exports are smaller than their imports. So the question is, what is the key to happiness in a country whose income is relatively low. This study looked at how individuals regard their lives, in general. She used Sligman's definition of happiness. It consist of three things, the set range of positive emotions that we inherit, or derive from our temper, the set of circumstances you face in life and those factors under your voluntary control
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Basically, CRicans feel good about themselves. They are built upon tight knit family, most don't leave home for college. These people feel very safe and believe they are provided with the things they need from the state.
Our third lecturer always wanted to be a humanitarian. She joined the Peace Corps and eventually ended up in the poverty ridden community of La Carpia. Most poverty communities do not have a steady source of water. People can't afford to wash their clothes or take a shower. They have to choose between shampoo and food for the day. It a cycle that never ends. She believes it's societies fault, not the persons.
Poverty communities don't have a steady source of water Within these communities, most families do not have a father figure, therefore the kids are the only sense of joy the mothers get. These women have given up and have no hope. So to fix the problem, what do you do?
Step 1: Start with the children
Step 2: Bond with the mother.
Step 3: Find a core group of women and invest in their future- self esteem workshops, therapy, education, etc
There have been improvements. In modern day, you are now seeing more young couples.
There wasn't as many children, so they had to close down a kindergarten. These people don't want to borrow money, so the start off small and build their businesses. Hopefully, this allows them to get out of poverty in one or two generations. La Carpia's citizens are becoming more educated and are now being included in the vote.
The fourth speaker was the Dean of University of Costa Rica. By profession, he was a chemist. He told us pura vida was a saying that originated in Mexico, but CRicans took over. His favorite writers were Poe, Hemingway, Shakespeare, etc. They gave him joy, by allowing him to learn about the culture. He also talked about when an ethic group becomes a nationality.
The last speaker showed us an image of a couple. Within that picture, there were dolphins. He told us that children see the dolphins, but as adults, we're programmed to see the couple. Therefore, you should always look for the "dolphins" or underlying meaning in things. He also taught us about the origins of different groups, especially the afrodescendants. Each group has a different style of living, ranging from their homes, jobs, and family life. By knowing each person's heritage, you can learn a lot about their past as well as their future.
We will be spending the next few days in Tamarindo. Today we relaxed on the beach. Tomorrow, I am going deep sea fishing. I'm really excited. That's all for tonight. Beunos nochas, Costa Rica!
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