Americana abroad

Have you ever found yourself wanting a “McCafe?” Do you ever just wish you could relax and surf the “McInternet?” Because here in Costa Rica, sadly, you can do both. In the mornings, I wake up to the sound of tropical birds, and I grab a quick bite of papaya for breakfast. On my walk to class, I look up to see the mountains and volcanoes that surround San Jose. I hear nothing but “Tico” Spanish –the dialect spoken in Costa Rica – in the streets, and as I stop to say a quick “¡Buenos días!” to a few familiar faces, I think to myself how lucky I am to be here. Then I walk into my university. There’s a TV on in the entryway, and there are students gathered underneath to hear all about the latest misadventures of Britney Spears. \nDear Lord, it’s happening. \nSo this is globalization, huh? It’s not very glamorous, I’ll tell you that much! Everything here seems to be a mixture of old and new. Case in point: During halftime at soccer games, Costa Rican cheerleaders do flips and pyramids to the sounds of Jock Jams, while famished spectators go to concession stands to buy gallo pinto, a traditional local dish made of rice and beans, to go along with their french fries. Almost nothing, it seems, is sacred anymore. \nStill, I remain confident that individuality will eventually overcome Harry Potter movies, which are among the favorites here. Despite the influx of cheap imports because of less-than-fair trade agreements, I remain optimistic that local cultures will soldier on and, to some extent, maintain their own, separate cultures. \nAlthough L’Oréal and Pizza Hut have become part of the vocabulary of urban Costa Ricans, I’ve noticed that there is not a single Starbucks here, and I’m pretty sure any attempt to build one would be met with widespread resistance. Coffee has long been a principle crop here, and companies like Starbucks make oodles of cash by labeling their “exotic” brews as “Colombian” and “Costa Rican.” \nWell, guess what? In Costa Rica, all the coffee is Costa Rican. Besides, Costa Ricans would never buy macchiatos and frappuccinos with as much sugar and other nonsense as Starbucks generally puts in them. In fact, they probably wouldn’t even consider it real coffee at that point. \nSo yes, there are encouraging signs of cultural continuation and stability here. Instead of painting their streets and buildings with offensive graffiti about people’s moms, Costa Ricans tend to express their political views instead. In fact, the most common thing I see spray-painted on sidewalks and walls is “No TLC,” which refers to “Tratado de Libre Comercio,” a free-trade agreement that many think would both worsen the economic position of Costa Rica and jeopardize its cultural solidarity. And after only a few weeks here, I’m starting to think the cultural consequences of such an agreement would be just as devastating as the financial and trade implications are.\nSo let’s show a little respect for individuality and culture and traditions and keep Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan where they belong: in rehab, and definitely within U.S. borders.