Costa Rican Culture

Costa Ricans are not materially wealthy; they are, however, rich in happiness. Costa Ricans greet friends robustly with hugs, hand slaps, and jokes. They are willing to help complete strangers, even to their own detriment. They value family, friends, happiness, and the nature of their land. Costa Ricans truly take time to stop and smell the roses.

Human habitation can be traced back more than 10,000 years but it appears Costa Rica was sparsely populated and a relative backwater in the pre-Columbian era. There is little sign of major communities and none of the impressive stone architecture that characterized the more advanced civilizations of Mesoamerica to the north and the Andes to the south. When Columbus arrived near Lim¢¢n on September 18, 1502 on his third and last voyage to the Americas, there were probably no more than 20,000 indigenous inhabitants They lived in several autonomous tribes, all with distinct cultures and customs. Costa Rica 's only major archaeological site is at Guayabo, 30 miles east of San Jos‚‚, where an ancient city, dating back to 1000 B.C. and though to

Costa Rica, a country of Central America, covers an area of 19,730 square miles. The capital is San José. Extending from northwest to southeast, Costa Rica is bounded on the north by Nicaragua, along its 185-mile northeastern coastline by the Caribbean Sea, on the southeast by Panama, and along its 630-mile southwestern coastline by the Pacific Ocean.

1) I have been in various amounts of situations where I have experienced a culture shock, but the one that was most influencing my life was when I went to a homeless mission here in Las Vegas for the very first time to volunteer. I have always had a presumption on how the homeless lived and what they were like, but I could never have imagined what I experienced that day.

I have had the opportunity to live in both Montana and Costa Rica, both which are synonymous with anything that might encompass the thoughts of adventure,environment and the outdoors. So much so, that their economy is centralized around eco-tourism. I always had Glacier National Park, the Bob Marshal Wilderness and Corcovado National Park right at my footsteps do to my father being a wildlife biologist.

The most powerful learning experience I had was in second grade when I was acting out in school over not having a family structure. My teacher kept talking to me about making better decisions and finally she submitted my name for the VIP of the month and I was able to eat lunch at a special table with her and the principal. I don't remember her name but from that moment on I knew I mattered enough for someone to notice; so I should make good decisions and from them on I was a model student.

People often call Puerto Rico’s culture colorful. Puerto Rican art students often go to Institute of Puerto Rican Culture in the Dominican Convent in Old San Juan. Santos are considered the most impressive crafts of Puerto Rico. Santos have been produced since the 1500s and are carved religious figures. People who make these are called Santeros. They use clay, gold, stone, or cedar wood to carve the figures. Mundillos is are crafts made of bobbin lace-making. This kind of lace only exists in Puerto Rico and Spain. Torachon is the first lace that was made in PUerto rico. Artists have changed torchon into a delicate art.

Living in the United States shaped my character. When I was young my family moved from refugee. In the beginning life was tough getting adjusted to the american life. At a young age I understood that some people looked down upon me because of my background. I had a hard time getting along with other students because of cultural clash. After a while I was able to understand the American culture. My mom was a single parent with six other children and the only place we could find to live in was a neighborhood that was not safe. My mother would never allow us to go outside because she was afraid that we would get in trouble. It was not until college that I was able to understand all I was missing out in the world.

Growing up in New York City and attending public school my whole life gave me the opportunity to grow up in a diverse environment which in turn has helped to broaden my perspective socially and culturally. These experiences allowed me at a young age to become friends with other immigrants and people whose culture, ethnicity, religion, and experiences were completely different from my own. Friends have taught me things like cultural norms and what is and isn't acceptable in other religions. Another experience that I that changed my perspective was taking the career pathway biomedical science because it helped me see academic courses in a different way. It showed me that school wasn't only tests, solving math problems, and writing essays. In

Cuba has a special culture with great loving people, their way of living, their special recipes of food, local beers and rum. This culture is ready to be explored and there is still so much to offer with their unique sound of music and talented athletes. The energetic spirit is naturally infused through the variety of music they have come to love. The island has joyful upbeat music that is very entertaining music. With sounds of a variety of music such as Jazz, Salsa, Rumba, Cha-Cha-Cha, and much more. The nation has also produce many musically talented artist that have broken out worldwide. Cuba is full of music, hearing music from street corners, from bars or from vintage cars. Beckman states the capital is full of sound she says “Havana

Colombian culture has both European, African and Native Indian influences (Embassy of Colombia, 2012). The country’s unique history and the cultural influences from the three groups (Europeans, Africans and Native Indians) makes its culture very rich and diverse. The establishment of the indigenous cultures in the country can be traced back to the time when the Spanish arrived, bringing with them the European culture (from Spain); and during the Colonial times when the African cultures were imported. These are the basis of Colombian culture. The culture also shares basic features with other cultures of Latin America in incarnations such as religion, dance, music, festivals, dialects and traditions, among others (Santander,

One intercultural experience that changed my life was when I traveled to the Dominican Republic. I had the opportunity to go with a girl's youth group to the poor sugarcane villages in the outskirts of Santo Domingo. It was my first time out of the country, experiencing a different culture.

Latin American countries are American countries that were colonized by the Spanish and people speak Spanish, Portuguese, and French. These are all languages that are derived from the Latin language and are known as romance languages. Latin American countries consist of Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and more. Culture is a very broad topic to discuss, especially for these countries with how many traditions and arts they have. Latin American countries are known for expressing in creative ways what is important to them. They do this with a passion and love.

Costa Rica is located in central America. Its absolute location is 10 degrees north of the equator and 84 degrees west. The relative location is between Nicaragua and Panama in Central America. Costa Rica is partnered next to Liberia, Quesada, Puntarenas, and San Isidro etc., all these places next to Costa Rica are not far away from each other and are also nice to visit. Costa Rica is surrounded by three bodies of water, and these three bodies of water are the Gulf of Nicoya, Pacific Ocean and The Caribbean

Living 18 Years I can confidently say I have learned a lot of things that transformed me into a person I am today. Whether I learned it in school, Sports teams, or at home, I will benefit from these experiences throughout my life. But the most experienced that transformed me would be Moving to the United States. It was hard at first adapting to new culture, language, and new friends. After the first few weeks I didn't want to do it no more, I wanted to move back to Egypt, but my mom was telling me to be patient.