Question and Answer: Cas Style
Bright Meadow’s Cas answered some questions a few days ago… questions that had been custom-written just for her. Perhaps it’s the new trend in memes (wouldn’t that be appreciated?), but instead of randomly tagging people, you wait until people ask to be tagged. So I asked, and she delivered, asking me the following five questions:
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It’s a given that Cas (and Bright Meadow) are the best thing since bread came sliced. But what is the second best thing on the Internet?
I don’t know if it’s because it’s 7:15 in the morning, I’m still in bed, and haven’t had my coffee, or whether it’s just that mind-boggling, but this question is blowing my brain. I’m definitely an Internet junkie, as I blog, participate in several social networks, IM constantly, and even work online. The Internet permeates my life and is probably one of the single most important things in it, as my livelihood is made through my connection.
That said, I think I’ll say that the second best thing on the Internet are people. Friends from high school, college, and various trips around the globe are all accessible. Fellow bloggers whom I may never meet in person, but greatly enjoy reading and conversing with, are my next door neighbors, thanks to my feedreader. Family and best friends are only as far away as an email makes them. The Internet keeps me connected to the people I love and that, to me, is invaluable.
boxers or y-fronts?
I hope it gives you Brits a good chuckle (or whatever it is that British people do), but I had to do some Wikipedia investigations on y-fronts before answering this one! After discovering that what Cas really meant to say was briefs, I came to the conclusion that I prefer neither. And no, I don’t mean that I prefer men to go commando. I prefer boxer briefs because they show off a man’s butt, which is so obviously his best feature.
What are your desert island books (five titles please and reasons behind your choices)?
I am the type of person that can read and re-read a great book, never getting bored. So if I were ever stranded on a desert island and had these five books at hand, I would be entertained for years. [Added bonus: The Others would probably leave me alone, as they only seem interested in the castaways that do weird things like talk, explore, and participate in various other social activities.]
- Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card): I’m going to be a big cheater and say that I’m taking the whole anthology, from Ender’s Game through Children of the Mind. These books are simply amazing, from the first word to the absolute last. It wouldn’t matter if it were my fiftieth time reading the series, I would run the entire gauntlet of human emotion before I finished that fourth volume.
- 1984 (George Orwell): I have read this book at least 10 times, and each time, it just gets better. I’m a huge fan of dystopic fiction and 1984 is one of the genre’s best examples. Even though it was written so many years ago, many similarities can be drawn to our modern society and government, which is fascinating. Also, most importantly (for me), the story is fabulously written and never gets old.
- The Solitaire Mystery (Jostein Gaarder): One of the best fantasy novels I’ve ever read, this book has had me addicted since high school. Coincidentally, part of the story line follows castaways on a magical island, and that would be perfect fodder for my imagination and dreams.
- The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy (Douglas Adams): Again, I’m taking the whole series. These books have never been my absolute favorites, but they’re great for a laugh and when you read into them, you discover little details that make the books so much more complex.
- Harry Potter (JK Rowling): Yes, that’s right, another anthology (it’s still one bound book!). Also, I’m going to wait a few more months until I get stranded, so that my anthology includes book #7.
Anyway, I love these books because they’re so interesting, so detailed, and play on so many different emotions. I could read them again and again without losing interest, and I guess that’s the idea.
What’s your Superhero superpower?
I can teleport. I think that would be the most amazing power to have: breakfast in Moscow, lunch in the States with my best friend, dinner in Paris… ahh, the freedom of being able to travel instantly and for free! Also, my superpower would be so super that I could teleport with me anything that I’m touching. This includes people, antiques that I’ve bought for a song, exquisite flowers, and more. I’d love to be able to do that.
I end up in Costa Rica on holiday. Where would you take me to show me the real country instead of just the tourist spots?
The country is so small that anywhere I take you, you’ll see locals and tourists. Everyone loves visiting the volcanoes (active and dormant), going to the beaches, visiting the national parks, etc. The way we’d keep it un-touristy is by going to tico (Costa Rican) hotels ($20/night instead of $100), traveling via bus ($5 to the furthest-away spots), and eating local foods ($4/person instead of $20). And you’d greatly enjoy it because the ticos are friendly, the buses are safe, the hotels are clean, and your pocketbook would be much heavier!
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So there we have it, all questions are answered. Now it’s your turn: if you’d like me to ask you five personalized questions, leave a comment asking me to do so, and I will. Who’s first?
Haha, since I did Cas’ questions, the verdict is still out on whether or not I can do both. Seems a little redundant if I posted twice on the matter. Or maybe we can make this a weekly between people we know thing. If so, I’m game for it if you like.
Plus, the last Harry Potter book comes out on my birthday. How’s that for a birthday present!
Great answers! I wasn’t sure if I was going to let you have your “five books” - a series does NOT count (unless of course you found an omnibus edition
) - but you had to research for the boxers/y-fronts question so I’ll let you off 
I had fun reading this.
Hahaha! That reminds me of a time when we were chatting on AIM, and you said that a guy with a yummy butt is a plus, or something to that effect.
Don’t forget to take your guests to the local fruit stand for guanabana de aguas!
I’ll take some questions, btw.
Your book choices are superb. I am a huge fan of science and dysotopian fiction myself. In fact, I would have chosen the same books - only replacing Harry Potter with LOTR… I really don’t like the Harry Potter series due to the overuse of cliché and hype. (I won’t read anything that other kids in my class are reading)
omg! me! ask me questions!
and i love you erin
I have questions …
1) How big is your cat?
2) Why did you choose Costa Rica?
3) What do you miss most that you can’t get in Costa Rica?
4) Has Costa Rica been everything you were hoping it would be, and do you see yourself staying?
5) What do you find the biggest difference to be between your country/culture and Costa Rica?
My answers would be -
1) I have two cats and they’re only half grown but well on the way to becoming fat, furry lumps. I managed to re-aquire my original cat stole by the puta in #48, who made the mistake of letting her wander around alone. Sucks to be her kids, but it probably sucked to be her kids before anyway.
2) I chose Costa Rica because a friend mentioned it was nice and my US visa was running out so I had to go somewhere. I’d never even heard of CR a year and a half ago - I last did geography some 13 or 14 years ago, and this is a long way from Australia. At the time I was in Pennsylvania borrowing an office off some friends and they had an aquaintence who’s Costa Rican, we had lunch and an hour later it was arranged that I’d stay with his aunt and her family.
3) Starbucks and salt and vinegar potato chips/crisps/whatever you call them.
4) I came here with no real expectations other than filling in some of the blank spot in the rest of my life. It’s shaping up like I’ll be filling in most of that blank spot here unless some fabulously rich woman anywhere in the world decides I’d make a nice trophy husband.
5) The biggest difference I’ve found is the sense of family. Here families stay together usually until some time after the children are actually married, where I’m from if you’re 20 and you live at home you’ve done something evil in a former life you’re atoning for.
@Ed: Maybe not a weekly thing, but how would you feel about a monthly? Sometimes I need a little inspiration, plus I think that questions and answers are fun!
@Cas: If I had to, I’d rip apart the bindings and rebind them all myself, into a qualifying version!
@Josue: Glad to hear it.
@Troy: You’re right! I should definitely take a guest to the farmers’ market.
@Arthus: About 6 or 7 years ago, I absolutely refused to buy into the Potter hype. Everyone told me to read them, but I refused because I thought they were kiddy books and I wasn’t interested. I eventually broke down, and now I love them.
@Lisa: Love you too
@Ben: Wow! Ok, here we go:
1) Well, I have 2 cats. Ender, the larger fluffy one is 5 years old and weighs about 14 pounds, or 6.35 kilos. Coco, the little one, is 4 months old and I don’t know how much he weighs. I’d guess around 4 pounds (1.8 kilos), but he’s going to be a *big* boy.
2) I chose Costa Rica because I studied here when I was younger and fell in love with the country. It’s safe and beautiful and had everything I wanted. Also, I had friends here, which made my transition easier.
3) There isn’t really food that I miss, because I like that all the cookies and candies that made me fat at home aren’t available here. Not an answer you’ll probably enjoy, :D, because this is a girl thing, but just about every North American female that I know misses OB tampons. Ticas don’t really use tampons (it’s a cultural thing) and they’re excruciatingly expensive here, as well as awful for the environment (because they produce so much waste). So that’s what I miss!
4) Costa Rica is more and less than I thought it would be. Certain things bother me that I didn’t expect, but at the same time, so many things are more than I could have imagined. And yes, I see myself staying forever.
5) I know this is going to come out wrong, but Costa Rican culture is much less politically correct than US culture and I don’t think people try to cover up their racism. I have to remind myself not to be shocked when I hear negro or chino spat at someone, especially when the “chino” is actually Korean, Japanese, or of some other ethnicity. I have trouble with the overwhelming anti-American sentiment. I can’t count the number of times I hear playo (gay) shouted at a fútbol game. All these things are *completely* unacceptable at home, but the standard here.
Are you deliberately misleading, or are you really ignorant of social customs and mores here? You are factually incorrect about food prices, bus prices, safety etc. Google tourist attacked limon costa rica if you don’t believe me.
I don’t really know which part of my post is misleading, Bill. I live here, these are my experiences, and the food and bus prices are certainly correct, as I ride the bus and eat here several times a day. Case in point: I usually pay between ¢1500 and ¢2500 ($2.89 and $4.82) for my meals and a bus, for example, to Manuel Antonio (Quepos) currently runs you ¢1670 ($3.21).
Furthermore, I don’t live in Limón, but in the capital, so I won’t claim to be an expert about that region. I’m not sure if you live here or have just visited, but San José is just like any other city: exercise caution and common sense, and you probably won’t encounter problems. Yes, it’s possible that you may, but it’s the same as any city in any part of the world.
If you would like to leave another response, please feel free, but I will remind you that this is my blog and I do not allow personal attacks. State your point, but refrain from calling names or being condescending, as that is not the type of interaction that is welcome here.
First things first. I am well aware that this is your forum. You are interperting my tone as a personel attack? Why? Presenting contrarary points is un-welcome interaction?
San Jose to Quepos is one of the medium length bus trips. Golfito to San Jose is c4,972, (I know this is fact as the truck ate a piston Friday night near Rio Clara and we had to return via bus from Golfito).
Regarding food prices, a Big Mac, fries and a Coke is around $5.00. Casados can be cheaper at a soda, but generally speaking the cost of food here is relatively high and going higher every month, (a common complaint around the kitchen table last night). And the cost of some other things, (such as pork, chicken and beef), will soon go up, as Ticos import corn for feed from the U.S. and corn prices have gone up substantually due to the increased use of corn as a fuel. Gas and diesel prices are also high, higher than in the U.S. and the highest in Latin America.
The comparative danger in San Jose is somewhat different than in the U.S. for several reasons not the least of which is the lack of adequate law enforcement, a drug epidemic and gang violence, (ie organized crime). But also an endemic problem related to an barely controlled illegal alien immigration problem and corruption. There are many cities that are more dangerous than San Jose, Ciudad Guatemaula comes to mind, but San Jose ranks up there with some of the most dangerous.
If you wish to discuss homosexuality or morality in Latin America and your, (in my opinion), lack of understanding of the tolerence displayed here, please email me. I will try to give what insight I can.
I apologize for being so long winded. One other point I wish to make, the “locals” you refer to, some of them are my family. Some by blood, some by marriage.
If you had presented contrary points, that would have been one thing, but in fact, you called me ignorant and failed to provide any information or even indicate what, exactly, you were in disagreement with.
To begin: if you read the question, Cas asked about where I would take her in the country. Golfito is hardly a tourist destination, with most of its visitors coming to take advantage of its tax-free status. If a friend came to visit, I’d take her to Manuel Antonio, the Nicoya Peninsula (¢2430), Poás (¢1145), or Cahuita (which, at ¢3060, does cost slightly more than $5).
With further regard to the un-touristy CR trip, I do not think that a McDonalds meal falls into that realm. I was, indeed, referring to “typical” foods at “typical” restaurants. There are plenty of sodas and small restaurants all over town that offer huge meals at the prices I quoted. If you’d like some advice on where to find them, I’d be more than willing to relay that information to you. Also, I can’t and won’t claim to know very much about the prices of meat, as I eat mostly vegetarian products with the occasional foray into fish and chicken. I’ll take your word that those prices are going up.
Regarding San José’s safety, there are certainly problems here. But I stand by my belief that many of these problems are the same as you’ll find in any city. Yes, there are drugs. Yes, there is corruption. Yes, there is inadequate law enforcement. Just like in my “hometown” of Philadelphia. However, San José lacks the violent crime that many other cities boast: you may get robbed, but you probably won’t have a gun pointed at you during the process.
Lastly, I can’t understand your problem with the term “locals” (if that is why you enclosed it in quotation marks). Dictionary.com defines it as “a local person or resident,” which is exactly as I intended it. And the people to whom I referred — whether you call them locals, ticos, residents, or some other term — are my friends, loved ones, and family, as well. And my discussions with my tico friends, as well as readings by several tico and non-tico authors on the subject, has highlighted to me that there is a difference between what is acceptable in the U.S. and what is acceptable here in Tiquicia. Racism exists in every corner of the world, and unless we are someday all of one color, I believe it will always exist. What changes is how and if we express it. In my experience in the U.S., people are more apt to cover their mouths and edit their thoughts. Here, not as often. That doesn’t mean the ticos are more racist (you could even argue the opposite), just that the culture is different. If you disagree with that, then I’d certainly be interested in hearing your thoughts on the matter.
Hey! This sounds like fun. Count me in.
holy crap erin! 13 comments?!?!
You have quite the discussion going on here =)
Congrats!
Erin, I am in love with you simply for your choice of books. 4 of the 5 books would have to compete to be on my list, excellent choices all around though. To be a perfect match you should have chosen boxers, sadly it just won’t work between us. But don’t fret, not everyone can have me
Now I need to get an RSS reader and add you, I’ve been slacking in my dutiful reading duties.
I just read your last post about the books you would take… You read the same stuff my son Ryan would love and I’ve never heard of your books! Keeping Ryan in reading material is practically impossible. He’s now reading romance novels that someone sent me… I can’t even read that crap, but he’s insatiable.
So I just ordered the first three books in a boxed set: Ender’s Game, Ender’s Shadow, Shadow of the Hegemon. Unfortunately, it’s hard to know which books come next in a series like this since they aren’t numbered… will you tell me which are the next ones? These three will keep Ryan occupied for exactly three days. I’m going to order the Solitaire Mystery and Hitchhiker’s guide as well… he’s read the others.
I will take any and all book recommendations for my 14 year old teen boy!
Hope all is well with you. I will call you one day and we can meet up - see you. Thrilled to have these book recommendations!!!
@Oscar: I’ll email them to you when I get home!
@Danny: Haha, isn’t 13 an unlucky number?
@Chris: Aww shoot, and here I was planning our wedding.
@Sally: There’s almost too much to say, but if these are the kinds of books that Ryan likes, I have plenty of suggestions for you. Also, have you ever tried BookCrossing? It’s a great way to exchange books around the world for free. My neighbor does it, and she gets probably 5-10 books per month. Also, perhaps you’d like to exchange books with her, as she has a huge library and loves to swap. Lastly, have you checked out Goodlight Books in Alajuela? They have a great selection and will even order books for you.