Tonight was a perfect example of Tico hospitality. I had to ask my neighbor for a copy of one of my utility bills so I could open a bank account. She gets all the bills. I caught her as she was on her way to town, so she grabbed a bill and took it with her to copy. She said she'd deliver it to me later. I did this all in (surely broken, horrible) Spanish, by the way. That's a pretty big accomplishment for me, I think.

She just dropped it off. She also handed me a loaf of pan dulce (sweet bread) and explained that it was for me, for coffee tomorrow. I couldn't thank her enough. All I know to say is "muchas gracias" over and over. I don't know how to deal with people that are this nice!

I also don't know if this means I should invite her over for cafe tomorrow. You see, the nuances of Tico etiquette are still beyond my comprehension. "Please" and "Thank you" are universal. But other social graces are a bit more complex. There's more to living in a different country than learning the language.

Labels: costa rica