Never wanted to

What am I to do

I can’t help it. – Marlene Deitrich

I think the telltale sign of the possibility that one is falling in love might be the sudden inexorable desire to see about finding work in a particular place. Whether it be within the parameters of the place itself or a certain niche.

Say, for instance, the place that one was falling in love in, or with, rather, was, hmm, let’s say, Costa Rica. Here, for example, the main industry is tourism. Being that I hate tourists, people and most human type things in general, I’m thinking that it would not behoove me in any way to attempt to stay in Costa Rica by finding employment within the tourism industry. It would have to be a niche of sorts, something not widely or easily accessible. Collapsible hulahoops, perfect for travelers and locals alike.  Or something else.

The amount of people who come here, year after year and move here grows each day as I meet more of them. It’s difficult to not be caught up in the thrill of going back to the cold land (which is not always the cold land, but when you’re in the always hot land, it’s tough to remember this) packing up everything, tossing everything, giving away everything, whatever and buying some property here. Apparently you don’t need to be a resident to buy property. You can get residency status, but why? When it’s so easy to leave the country every three months or so.

Sell off everything, buy a little place, step out the door into warm weather every morning, jog down to the very consistent surf and have evening cocktails with the innumerable newcomers to town every week. It sounds like paradise. If there happens to be someone who interests you romantically, perhaps someone local, or a relocated local, all the better. It’s like having a summer romance year round!

When does the novelty wear off? For some, I’m sure it never would. For me, sadly, I think it might within far too short a time. It will be a curious thing if I ever fall in love to the extent that I actually do want to stay somewhere with someone. I prefer to think that they’ll love me enough to come along on the merry adventure. It’s easy to fall in love with a place though. Especially a place such as this, where the livin is easy. As long as you’re a tourist.

A wage of of 1500 colones an hour is not unusual. That’s about 3 bux. If you want to buy a mojito at one of the hotel/bars around playa guiones, it will cost between 2500 and 3000 colones. (The word colones comes from columbus, the nearsighted explorer who was sure he had found india, by the way. I’m not sure if it’s a statement of how colonization and money can detrementally corrupt an entire culture to the extent that they don’t really have one anymore, but somehow I think it’s not so convoluted as that. )

It seems so strange to be cynical about anything in this beautiful place, but the proximity of drunken united statesian voices from the hotel pool next door makes it a little easier. But you know what they say, if you can’t beat them, join them. And since I am here as a tourist for now, and not as a resident. I think I shall walk across the lane, buy myself a 3000 colones mojito and jump in that pool.