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	<title>nocalcostarica.com</title>
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	<link>http://www.nocalcostarica.com</link>
	<description>San Jose, California to San Jose, Costa Rica</description>
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		<title>Takin&#8217; Care of Business &#8211; Tico Style</title>
		<link>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2012/05/takin-care-of-business-tico-style/</link>
		<comments>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2012/05/takin-care-of-business-tico-style/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 May 2012 20:42:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>No.Cal Refugee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Economy, Employment and Money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Government, Law and Local Politics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.nocalcostarica.com/?p=3077</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I have to give credit where it&#8217;s due. Michael Allen at Doin&#8217; Costa Rica did a video and post on doing business in Costa Rica. I found nothing in his video or blog to disagree with. Go ahead and watch the video first IF you PROMISE, CROSS YOUR HEART to come back and read the<br /><span class="excerpt_more"><a href="http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2012/05/takin-care-of-business-tico-style/">[continue reading...]</a></span>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2012/05/takin-care-of-business-tico-style/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Accidental Slumlord</title>
		<link>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2012/04/the-accidental-slumlord/</link>
		<comments>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2012/04/the-accidental-slumlord/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:20:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>No.Cal Refugee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Economy, Employment and Money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Government, Law and Local Politics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.nocalcostarica.com/?p=3067</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Ever find yourself asking yourself &#8220;How in HELL did I end up doing THIS???&#8221; Well, even if you haven&#8217;t, I have. To tell the whole story would require a book I&#8217;m not ready to write, but here&#8217;s the Reader&#8217;s Digest version. I met Margarita back in 2004. We dated a little but eventually just became<br /><span class="excerpt_more"><a href="http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2012/04/the-accidental-slumlord/">[continue reading...]</a></span>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2012/04/the-accidental-slumlord/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Don&#8217;t Pay the Ransom&#8230; I Escaped!</title>
		<link>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2012/04/dont-pay-the-ransom-i-escaped/</link>
		<comments>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2012/04/dont-pay-the-ransom-i-escaped/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:55:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>No.Cal Refugee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture and Culture Clash]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Government, Law and Local Politics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.nocalcostarica.com/?p=3064</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Old joke&#8230; I&#8217;ve been away from the blog for quite a while. I wasn&#8217;t kidnapped, though, just ran out of things to say, or at least constructive things to say. But recently I decided that in addition to what I&#8217;ve done so far, maybe I will wander off the &#8216;innocuous&#8217; path a little and risk<br /><span class="excerpt_more"><a href="http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2012/04/dont-pay-the-ransom-i-escaped/">[continue reading...]</a></span>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2012/04/dont-pay-the-ransom-i-escaped/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Slumming it in Costa Rica</title>
		<link>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/09/slumming-it-in-costa-rica/</link>
		<comments>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/09/slumming-it-in-costa-rica/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 08 Sep 2011 00:35:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>No.Cal Refugee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Personal Safety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Problems and Education]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.nocalcostarica.com/?p=3035</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It isn&#8217;t hard to do. It may not be a good idea, but it isn&#8217;t hard to do. People who live in the San Jose area have heard the names. Barrio Cuba. Leon XIII. Los Guido. Pavas. The list could go on. I have come to know some people who live in some of these<br /><span class="excerpt_more"><a href="http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/09/slumming-it-in-costa-rica/">[continue reading...]</a></span>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/09/slumming-it-in-costa-rica/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Gringo Gripes &#8211; Caja Health Care</title>
		<link>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/08/gringo-gripes-caja-health-care/</link>
		<comments>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/08/gringo-gripes-caja-health-care/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 24 Aug 2011 07:46:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>No.Cal Refugee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture and Culture Clash]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Relocation, Residency and Real Estate]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.nocalcostarica.com/?p=3013</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Bless you, AM Costa Rica. Once again I have been inspired by my morning reading. Over the past couple of issues there has been a &#8216;dialog&#8217; (if you want to be polite) between detractors and defenders of my adopted country of residence. Since I&#8217;m both a detractor AND a defender, I shall wade in where<br /><span class="excerpt_more"><a href="http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/08/gringo-gripes-caja-health-care/">[continue reading...]</a></span>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/08/gringo-gripes-caja-health-care/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Marcha de las Putas Demonstration</title>
		<link>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/08/the-marcha-de-las-putas-demonstration/</link>
		<comments>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/08/the-marcha-de-las-putas-demonstration/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 16 Aug 2011 19:18:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>No.Cal Refugee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture and Culture Clash]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Government, Law and Local Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Problems and Education]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.nocalcostarica.com/?p=2981</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I arrived at Parque Central just a little after 10 am, the scheduled start of the Marcha de las Putas (Slut Walk) demonstration. What the heck, these are Ticos and Ticas, being a little late was like being early, Tico time. Still, there were already a fair number of people there, and the protest would<br /><span class="excerpt_more"><a href="http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/08/the-marcha-de-las-putas-demonstration/">[continue reading...]</a></span>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/08/the-marcha-de-las-putas-demonstration/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Costa Rica &#8211; Heaven or Hell?</title>
		<link>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/08/costa-rica-heaven-or-hell/</link>
		<comments>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/08/costa-rica-heaven-or-hell/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 09 Aug 2011 15:11:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>No.Cal Refugee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Economy, Employment and Money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Relocation, Residency and Real Estate]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.nocalcostarica.com/?p=2955</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Once again I draw inspiration from the letters to the editor sent to AM Costa Rica. Variations of these letters appear rather frequently on that site. Perhaps the editor feels it his duty to publish all opinion. Perhaps he likes that it&#8217;s free content for his web site. Probably both. In any case, the most<br /><span class="excerpt_more"><a href="http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/08/costa-rica-heaven-or-hell/">[continue reading...]</a></span>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/08/costa-rica-heaven-or-hell/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Story of Dave</title>
		<link>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/08/the-story-of-dave/</link>
		<comments>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/08/the-story-of-dave/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 01 Aug 2011 18:12:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>No.Cal Refugee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Love and Relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Relocation, Residency and Real Estate]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.nocalcostarica.com/?p=2946</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In a way I suppose it&#8217;s all my fault. I was the one who told him about Costa Rica. He came down for a visit and within a year he was living here. Actually, it isn&#8217;t ALL my fault, but I did set the chain of events in motion. Here&#8217;s (part of) Dave&#8217;s story. I<br /><span class="excerpt_more"><a href="http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/08/the-story-of-dave/">[continue reading...]</a></span>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/08/the-story-of-dave/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Escape from San Jose</title>
		<link>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/06/escape-from-san-jose/</link>
		<comments>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/06/escape-from-san-jose/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Jun 2011 23:51:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>No.Cal Refugee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture and Culture Clash]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Relocation, Residency and Real Estate]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.nocalcostarica.com/?p=2924</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I sometimes like to make fun of AM Costa Rica, I can&#8217;t help myself. Today&#8217;s headline is a case in point: President immortalized on new postal emission Postal emission??? But still I read the site regularly. In the June 10th, 2011 edition they had a little article that nicely summarized the good things about Costa<br /><span class="excerpt_more"><a href="http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/06/escape-from-san-jose/">[continue reading...]</a></span>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/06/escape-from-san-jose/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Young and Restless in Costa Rica</title>
		<link>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/06/the-young-and-restless-in-costa-rica/</link>
		<comments>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/06/the-young-and-restless-in-costa-rica/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 09 Jun 2011 19:10:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>No.Cal Refugee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Economy, Employment and Money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Personal Safety]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.nocalcostarica.com/?p=2914</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Let&#8217;s start with a statistic given by Sandra Piszk, Costa Rica&#8217;s Minister of Labor: [translation] &#8220;The country has about 300,000 kids who are neither studying nor working.&#8221; Now that wouldn&#8217;t be so bad in a country of 300 million. But we are talking about Costa Rica, with a population of a little less than 4.5<br /><span class="excerpt_more"><a href="http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/06/the-young-and-restless-in-costa-rica/">[continue reading...]</a></span>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/06/the-young-and-restless-in-costa-rica/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Touch a Butt, Go to Jail! Rob a Bank&#8230; well&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/05/touch-a-butt-go-to-jail-rob-a-bank-well/</link>
		<comments>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/05/touch-a-butt-go-to-jail-rob-a-bank-well/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 31 May 2011 05:34:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>No.Cal Refugee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture and Culture Clash]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Government, Law and Local Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Personal Safety]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.nocalcostarica.com/?p=2902</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Ah, Costa Rica, the land of volcanoes, rainforest, beaches, eternal Spring and whatnot. Too bad about the people that own/run it. I&#8217;m fast approaching the 7th anniversary of the day I first moved here. I like it here. For all its faults I still like living here. Having said that, I have come to the<br /><span class="excerpt_more"><a href="http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/05/touch-a-butt-go-to-jail-rob-a-bank-well/">[continue reading...]</a></span>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/05/touch-a-butt-go-to-jail-rob-a-bank-well/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Hail to the Thief!</title>
		<link>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/05/hail-to-the-thief/</link>
		<comments>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/05/hail-to-the-thief/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 24 May 2011 19:07:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>No.Cal Refugee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Government, Law and Local Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.nocalcostarica.com/?p=2887</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In less than a month two former presidents of Costa Rica were found guilty of corruption. On April 27, 2011, former Costa Rican President Miguel Angel Rodriguez was sentenced to five years prison from his involvement in a bribery scandal. He was found guilty of taking a half a million dollar bribe from the French<br /><span class="excerpt_more"><a href="http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/05/hail-to-the-thief/">[continue reading...]</a></span>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/05/hail-to-the-thief/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Costa Rica Weather</title>
		<link>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/05/costa-rica-weather-2/</link>
		<comments>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/05/costa-rica-weather-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 13 May 2011 07:25:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>No.Cal Refugee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Nature, Flora and Fauna and the Environment]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.nocalcostarica.com/?p=2863</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, so get ready for some MAJOR DANGER. Even though I have a rocket scientist who reads this blog, I am going to attempt to explain the weather in Costa Rica from my humble layman&#8217;s point of view and risk the derision of those who know what they are<br /><span class="excerpt_more"><a href="http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/05/costa-rica-weather-2/">[continue reading...]</a></span>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/05/costa-rica-weather-2/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Where Incompetence is Acceptable</title>
		<link>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/05/where-incompetence-is-acceptable/</link>
		<comments>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/05/where-incompetence-is-acceptable/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 May 2011 01:12:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>No.Cal Refugee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture and Culture Clash]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.nocalcostarica.com/?p=2864</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;m talking about Costa Rica, as you may have guessed. Obviously it has its good points or I would find another place to live, but if you live here or follow the news you can&#8217;t escape the feeling that it&#8217;s okay to be incompetent here. A week or so ago a friend sent me some<br /><span class="excerpt_more"><a href="http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/05/where-incompetence-is-acceptable/">[continue reading...]</a></span>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/05/where-incompetence-is-acceptable/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Holiday Rerun</title>
		<link>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/04/holiday-rerun/</link>
		<comments>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/04/holiday-rerun/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 18 Apr 2011 08:32:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>No.Cal Refugee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Holidays]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.nocalcostarica.com/?p=2857</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Are you looking for the prefect time to explore San Jose and not worry about the insane traffic? Well, may I suggest the coming week? The week preceding Easter Sunday is known locally as &#8216;Semana Santa&#8217; and no, it has nothing to do with Santa Claus. Here&#8217;s the deal&#8230; everybody who has a job or<br /><span class="excerpt_more"><a href="http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/04/holiday-rerun/">[continue reading...]</a></span>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/04/holiday-rerun/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Birthday Party at Harry&#8217;s Bar Poás</title>
		<link>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/03/birthday-party-at-harrys-bar-poas/</link>
		<comments>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/03/birthday-party-at-harrys-bar-poas/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 30 Mar 2011 23:09:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>No.Cal Refugee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture and Culture Clash]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Entertainment, Food and Drink]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.nocalcostarica.com/?p=2852</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[One of my favorite bartenders celebrated her birthday recently at Harry&#8217;s Bar Poás in San Jose. I like the place for a number of reasons. First, you won&#8217;t find a more genial gringo in San Jose than Harry. Second, I can afford to drink there. Third, it&#8217;s only a few blocks from my apartment. And<br /><span class="excerpt_more"><a href="http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/03/birthday-party-at-harrys-bar-poas/">[continue reading...]</a></span>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/03/birthday-party-at-harrys-bar-poas/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Learn to Read Spanish in ONE HOUR!</title>
		<link>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/03/learn-to-read-spanish-in-one-hour/</link>
		<comments>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/03/learn-to-read-spanish-in-one-hour/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Mar 2011 23:26:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>No.Cal Refugee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Learn Spanish]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.nocalcostarica.com/?p=2846</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It CAN be done. YOU can do it (I believe in you!). UNDERSTANDING what you are reading is another story. But by following some simple guidelines, you will be able to pronounce written Spanish. Spanish has far fewer sounds than English, to begin with, and nearly all of the sounds you need to make are<br /><span class="excerpt_more"><a href="http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/03/learn-to-read-spanish-in-one-hour/">[continue reading...]</a></span>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/03/learn-to-read-spanish-in-one-hour/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Pregnancy Deutch?</title>
		<link>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/03/pregnancy-deutch/</link>
		<comments>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/03/pregnancy-deutch/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Mar 2011 20:28:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>No.Cal Refugee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Government, Law and Local Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health and Health Care]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Problems and Education]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.nocalcostarica.com/?p=2830</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Since I don&#8217;t own a car and I live in San Jose, it&#8217;s not surprising that I walk a fair amount. Coming as I do from the USA, and Northern California in particular, I was initially rather amazed at the number of pregnant women I encountered on my daily strolls. Back where I came from<br /><span class="excerpt_more"><a href="http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/03/pregnancy-deutch/">[continue reading...]</a></span>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/03/pregnancy-deutch/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>Then and Now&#8230; 1947 Travel Film</title>
		<link>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/03/then-and-now-1947-travel-film/</link>
		<comments>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/03/then-and-now-1947-travel-film/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 Mar 2011 07:37:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>No.Cal Refugee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.nocalcostarica.com/?p=2811</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A friend sent me this link and I had to share. It&#8217;s from MGM in 1947. A few things struck me, one of which is how the shots of downtown San Jose look as if they could have been taken last week. There are, of course, a lot of new and shiny modern buildings that<br /><span class="excerpt_more"><a href="http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/03/then-and-now-1947-travel-film/">[continue reading...]</a></span>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/03/then-and-now-1947-travel-film/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>Arggh! Them Pirates Be Costa Rican!</title>
		<link>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/02/arggh-them-pirates-be-costa-rican/</link>
		<comments>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/02/arggh-them-pirates-be-costa-rican/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Feb 2011 07:33:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>No.Cal Refugee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Economy, Employment and Money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Government, Law and Local Politics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.nocalcostarica.com/?p=2823</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A. M. Costa Rica is a never ending source of inspiration to me. Not as an example of great writing or web design, but they do turn up some items that inspire me to put some spin on things. In this case, it&#8217;s the Feb. 24 2011 issue, page 1. It seems the International Intellectual<br /><span class="excerpt_more"><a href="http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/02/arggh-them-pirates-be-costa-rican/">[continue reading...]</a></span>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/02/arggh-them-pirates-be-costa-rican/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>The Heredia Train</title>
		<link>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/02/the-heredia-train/</link>
		<comments>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/02/the-heredia-train/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Feb 2011 23:57:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>No.Cal Refugee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Entertainment, Food and Drink]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel, Transportation and Destinations]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.nocalcostarica.com/?p=2816</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I had been itching to try out my new slick video camera and wanted to take the train again so I mixed the two together and, voila! A couple of friends and I decided to take the first afternoon train up to Heredia, mostly for the ride (nothing against Heredia, but it has even FEWER<br /><span class="excerpt_more"><a href="http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/02/the-heredia-train/">[continue reading...]</a></span>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/02/the-heredia-train/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<title>Another Good Day</title>
		<link>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/01/another-good-day/</link>
		<comments>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/01/another-good-day/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 Jan 2011 23:40:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>No.Cal Refugee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture and Culture Clash]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Relocation, Residency and Real Estate]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.nocalcostarica.com/?p=2805</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This is getting to be a habit. I hope. At any rate, I had a couple of nice things happen to me today, and thought I&#8217;d share. It started with a problem Saturday afternoon. The worst thing imaginable happened&#8230; my INTERNET stopped working. I called tech support at ICE, although I had been warned not<br /><span class="excerpt_more"><a href="http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/01/another-good-day/">[continue reading...]</a></span>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/01/another-good-day/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>A Glorious Day</title>
		<link>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/01/a-glorious-day/</link>
		<comments>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/01/a-glorious-day/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 07 Jan 2011 04:25:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>No.Cal Refugee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Health and Health Care]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nature, Flora and Fauna and the Environment]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.nocalcostarica.com/?p=2798</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After the rainy season, and after the mini-winter we always seem to get around Christmas, today was SO welcome. It was one of those picture postcard days that the tour operators would like to see every day. And to be honest, San Jose has it&#8217;s share of them, especially from now until May. But today<br /><span class="excerpt_more"><a href="http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/01/a-glorious-day/">[continue reading...]</a></span>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2011/01/a-glorious-day/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<title>Old Timers Disease</title>
		<link>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2010/12/old-timers-disease/</link>
		<comments>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2010/12/old-timers-disease/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 17 Dec 2010 05:34:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>No.Cal Refugee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.nocalcostarica.com/?p=2791</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I got an email from a long time friend of mine regarding something we were going to work on together that &#8216;fell through the cracks&#8217; so to speak. He posed the question of me, as I am about 1 whole year older than he is, if memory loss is something that happens around 60. After<br /><span class="excerpt_more"><a href="http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2010/12/old-timers-disease/">[continue reading...]</a></span>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
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		<title>The Gringo Lament</title>
		<link>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2010/12/the-gringo-lament/</link>
		<comments>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2010/12/the-gringo-lament/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 14 Dec 2010 05:26:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>No.Cal Refugee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.nocalcostarica.com/?p=2784</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My morning ritual starts with reading any email I may receive, then I take a look at Inside Costa Rica and AM Costa Rica. Most days it&#8217;s a rather futile search for real news about Costa Rica, but there are just enough tidbits now and again to keep me coming back. In the process of<br /><span class="excerpt_more"><a href="http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2010/12/the-gringo-lament/">[continue reading...]</a></span>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<title>Gunfire and a Business Opportunity</title>
		<link>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2010/12/gunfire-and-a-business-opportunity/</link>
		<comments>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2010/12/gunfire-and-a-business-opportunity/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 09 Dec 2010 01:32:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>No.Cal Refugee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture and Culture Clash]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy, Employment and Money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Holidays]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.nocalcostarica.com/?p=2735</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[What do those two things have in common? Well, other than being in the title, nothing really. Let&#8217;s start with gunfire and things that sound like gunfire. &#8216;Tis the season here, as &#8217;tis throughout Christendom. The Ticos love this time of year for reasons both sacred and profane. The sacred is self-evident. The profane would<br /><span class="excerpt_more"><a href="http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2010/12/gunfire-and-a-business-opportunity/">[continue reading...]</a></span>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2010/12/gunfire-and-a-business-opportunity/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
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		<title>Day Tripper</title>
		<link>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2010/11/day-tripper/</link>
		<comments>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2010/11/day-tripper/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 29 Nov 2010 20:40:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>No.Cal Refugee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Travel, Transportation and Destinations]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.nocalcostarica.com/?p=2745</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[San Jose is not Disneyworld. Now, you can take that a lot of different ways. We don&#8217;t have (a lot of) people dressed up like cartoon animals, for example. We don&#8217;t have rides, we have casinos. After you&#8217;ve seen the gold museum (yawn) and the jade museum (ditto) there&#8217;s really not a lot left. And<br /><span class="excerpt_more"><a href="http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2010/11/day-tripper/">[continue reading...]</a></span>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2010/11/day-tripper/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>When the Honeymoon is Over</title>
		<link>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2010/11/when-the-honeymoon-is-over/</link>
		<comments>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2010/11/when-the-honeymoon-is-over/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Nov 2010 18:21:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>No.Cal Refugee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture and Culture Clash]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Relocation, Residency and Real Estate]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.nocalcostarica.com/?p=2733</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It&#8217;s Thanksgiving Day as I write this, so I&#8217;ll start by giving thanks. I am thankful for the weather here. It may rain too much sometimes, the wind may howl and require me to put on a sweatshirt once in a while, it may get so warm I perspire even with the fan on once<br /><span class="excerpt_more"><a href="http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2010/11/when-the-honeymoon-is-over/">[continue reading...]</a></span>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2010/11/when-the-honeymoon-is-over/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<title>Applying for Social Security at the US Embassy</title>
		<link>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2010/11/applying-for-social-security-at-the-us-embassy/</link>
		<comments>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2010/11/applying-for-social-security-at-the-us-embassy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 17 Nov 2010 23:53:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>No.Cal Refugee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Relocation, Residency and Real Estate]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.nocalcostarica.com/?p=2721</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[For those who follow such things, &#8216;Pensionado&#8217; is one of the residency statii (statuses?) a gringo such as myself can have. Currently I am &#8216;rentista&#8217; which means I put a big chunk of my net worth in Banco Nacional in order to prove I wouldn&#8217;t end up begging on the streets like some of the<br /><span class="excerpt_more"><a href="http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2010/11/applying-for-social-security-at-the-us-embassy/">[continue reading...]</a></span>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2010/11/applying-for-social-security-at-the-us-embassy/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<title>After the Floods</title>
		<link>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2010/11/after-the-floods/</link>
		<comments>http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2010/11/after-the-floods/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 09 Nov 2010 18:14:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>No.Cal Refugee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Government, Law and Local Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Personal Safety]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.nocalcostarica.com/?p=2654</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It&#8217;s been a wet year, and the recent set of storms delivered the coup de grace, leaving death and devastation in its wake. I had the misfortune to have been involved in a flood a little over 10 years ago, and was forced to stay in a shelter (a nice one due to the fact<br /><span class="excerpt_more"><a href="http://www.nocalcostarica.com/2010/11/after-the-floods/">[continue reading...]</a></span>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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