By Glen Bain

MAY is Water Safety Month in the United States so I wanted to share a few “Best Practices” with you here in Costa Rica. I hope you take these safety tips with you no matter where your pool(s) are located. Contact Costa Rica Pools in Quepos 2777-1700 or in Jaco 2643-3227 for any safety item you want, we import items every month and we have several vendors we work with in the U.S. so there is a good chance we can find what you are looking for. We fulfill special orders/requests all the time.  

Water Safety Tips from our friends at the International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF)

1. Teach children water safety and swimming skills as early as possible.
2. Always brief babysitters on water safety, emphasizing the need for constant supervision.
3. Appoint a “designated watcher” to monitor children during social gatherings at or near pools.
4. Equip doors and windows that exit to a pool area with alarms.
5. Install a poolside phone, preferably a cordless model, with emergency numbers programmed  into  speed-dial.
6. Post CPR instructions and learn the procedures.
7. Keep rescue equipment poolside. Don’t wait for the paramedics to arrive because you will lose valuable life-saving seconds. Four to six minutes without oxygen can cause permanent brain damage or death.
8. Keep a first aid kit at poolside.
9. Install four-sided isolation fencing, at least five feet high, equipped with self-closing and self-latching gates, that completely surrounds the pool and prevents direct access from the house and yard.
10. Maintain constant visual contact with children in a pool or pool area. If a child is missing, check the pool first; seconds count in preventing death or disability.
11. Don’t use flotation devices as a substitute for supervision. Never allow a young child in a pool without an adult.
    Don’t leave objects such as toys that might attract a child in the pool and pool area.
12. Never prop the gate to a pool area open.
13. Don’t rely on swimming lessons, life preservers, or other equipment to make a child “water safe.”
14. Never assume someone else is watching a child in a pool area.
15. Don’t leave chairs or other items of furniture where a child could use them to climb into a fenced pool area.
16. Don’t think you’ll hear a child who’s in trouble in the water; child drowning is a silent death, with no splashing to alert anyone that the child is in trouble. 

Water Safety Tips from the Pool Safely “Simple Steps Save Lives” Program

1. Staying close, being alert and watching children in and around the pool.
   1. Never leave a child unattended in a pool or spa and always watch your child when he or she is in or near water.
   2. Teach children basic water safety tips.
   3. Keep children away from pool drains, pipes and other openings to avoid entrapments.
   4. Have a telephone close by when you or your family is using a pool or spa.
   5. If a child is missing, look for him or her in the pool or spa first.
   6. Share safety instructions with family, friends and neighbors.
   7. Learning and practicing water safety skills.
      1. Learn how to swim and teach your child how to swim.
      2. Learn to perform CPR on children and adults, and update those skills regularly.
      3. Understand the basics of life-saving so that you can assist in a pool emergency.
      4. Having appropriate equipment for your pool or spa.
         1. Install a four-foot or taller fence around the pool and spa and use self-closing and self-latching gates; ask  your neighbors to do the same at their pools.
         2. Install and use a lockable safety cover on your spa.
         3. If your house serves as a fourth side of a fence around a pool, install door alarms and always use them.
         4. For additional protection, install window guards on windows facing pools or spas.
         5. Install pool and gate alarms to alert you when children go near the water.
         6. Ensure any pool and spa you use has compliant drain covers, and ask your pool service provider if you do not know.
         7. Maintain pool and spa covers in good working order.
         8. Consider using a surface wave or underwater alarm.

By Sarah Munro

So WHAT if it ended my last relationship,  this one is working just fine……

I am so excited……… The OFFSHORE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ARE JUST ABOUT HERE.  On the other hand, I’m soooo bummed out because the tourney happens after my deadline.  Can’t win it all I guess.  Otherwise, this chick is headed out for some onshore action and from what I hear – It is Totally hitting.  I’ve talked to a few captains in town and apparently there’s been some massive sea bass and red snapper brought in by even rookie anglers…….That’s makin’ my day…….. how ‘bout yours???? 

Offshore, the action is warming back up.  With a change in weather and currents, the 40 mile line has been coming back in, and guess what – 500 of the best anglers in the WORLD are about to drop lines.  They’ve been arriving low key for the past 2 weeks, testing the grounds, and the numbers are definitely going to give some steep competition……..  I’m not gonna tell ya where I got ‘em, but I’ll tell ya that sailfish numbers are definitely up, and mahi-mahi are starting to run strong.  Marlin are what’s going to win the tournament, and good luck – because they’ve been elusive.  Get one? email me – and be sure to send a time-marked photo, because otherwise, it sooooo doesn’t count.  sarahjmunro@gmail.com  – BRING IT!!! 

Fish like a girl?  I don’t.  Past 5 times I’ve been out I’ve out-fished any boy willing to test his sea legs, and today…….. DUDES THERE IS NO QUESTION.  I am the Queen.  Check out the accompanying photos. 

If you haven’t figured it out by now, you’re HERE, and you need to check out what it feels like to get a BIG ASS FISH on the end of your line.  Whether you’re eating it or tagging and releasing it – it’s all the same, it’s a once in a Lifetime Experience that YOU CAN’T MISS!   And remember……. so what if it ended your last relationship, the relationship you have when you drop a line is more important. 

FISH ON FRIENDS……….. FISH ON!

Sarah Munro is an ex-pat Canadian living in the Manuel Antonio area who has been fishing since infancy.  Rumor has it she gutted her first fish before she was diaper trained.  Her favorite place to hang out is Harley M’s on the Beach, and on the water.

Be sure to check the next Quepolandia, Sarah’s going fishing……… 

To be, or not to be; that is the question:

Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles… 

¿To be or not To be?  That is NOT the question.

¿Ser or Estar?  ¡That’s the question! 

Today it’s not about Hamlet or Shakespeare.  Today it’s about the verb TO BE. 

There are two different ways to say “To be” in Spanish.  Way number 1 and way number 2.  You have to learn both: 

To be #1   &    To be #2

To be #1 = Ser.   &   To be #2 = Estar. 

Thus, there are two different ways to say “I am”, “You are”,   “S/He is”, “We are”, “You guys are” and  “They are” in Spanish.  Way number 1 and way number 2.  Those ways are NOT interchangeable. 

Now, let’s learn the “to be” words, Ser & Estar. 

Ser    =    To be  #1

Soy  I am  #1

Es  you are, he is, she is, it is #1

Son you guys are #1, they are  #1

Somos  we are   #1 

Estar  =  To be  #2

Estoy   I am  #2

Está  you are, he is, she is, it is  #2

Están  you guys are, they are #2

Estamos  we are  #2 

Let’s put everything in boxes. 

Ser = To be #1

Estar = To be #2

Now, let’s put everything together and in the same box.  You only got 10 words to remember.  You will just have to watch closely.  Trust me.  It’s worth it! 

 ¿To be or not To be?  That is NOT the question.

¿Ser or Estar?  That’s half of the question…

¿When to use Ser and when to use Estar?

¡That’s the REAL question! 

We will answer that next month.  In the meantime, you have to learn and memorize the “to be” words.  And even more important you have to realize and be aware that there are two ways, two forms, two different action words, two different verbs which work in the same way that the verb TO BE works in English.  SER & ESTAR.  ESTAR & SER.  

They are NOT interchangeable, sometimes you have to use the way #1 and sometimes only the way #2 is the correct one.  We will talk more about it next month. 

¡Hasta entonces amigos! 

Os is a certified and experienced teacher of español.

Call him… you can start to learn NOW.

SPANISH PURAVIDA     (506)  88-222-936     www.OsCostaRica.com

By Nancy Buchan

Every once in a while I’ll be rudely jolted out of a blissful sleep at like 5 in the freaking morning by the incredibly loud call/song/RACKET being produced by what I call the Maniacal bird.  He mostly hangs out under dense foliage, and apparently likes to walk and talk right by my bedroom window.  He’s got this raspy, rusty-hinge kind of voice for part of his call, then a weird whoop whoop thing and tops it off with a long anguished note that can wake the proverbial dead.  It’s not quite as obnoxious as Woody Woodpeckers cackle in the old cartoons, but it’s definitely in the same category.   I finally saw him one morning, traveling on the ground under a papaya tree and a tangle of hibiscus, and he is about a foot tall, has a long skinny neck, he’s shades of non-descript brown and a pretty clumsy flyer.   I looked him up in my tattered bird bible, A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica, and he’s called a Chachalaca.   Boom cha cha laca laca, boom cha cha laca laca.  (Anybody remember Sly and the Family Stone?)  Anyway, de-forestation of his habitat is taking its toll, and some species in his family are on a fast track to extinction – which would be a horrible thing ‘cause to tell ‘ya the truth I’ve come to enjoy his boisterous concerts,  which is kinda like saying you like the sound of bagpipes  or fingernails on a chalkboard. 

Here in Costa Rica, and especially along the southern Pacific coast and nearby mountains, we are treated to a daily symphony of bird noises, from the rhythmic head-banging of a Woodpecker to repetitive trills from the soprano section to elaborate 3 part songs.  No kidding – a bunch of birds structure their songs just like us human musicians, with an A part, a B part and a repeat of the A part.  I’ve also heard them do AABA, and ABBA and ABCA, just like we do.  Birdbrains unite!  Then a couple dozen Parakeets will chime in for the chorus part.  The only time it’s truly quiet around my house is in the mid afternoon in dry season.  In areas of sparse vegetation (or during the dry season) the birds are able to see each other more easily, so aren’t using their voices to locate each other as often.  But a morning in mating season almost requires ear-plugs!  There’s a scarlet-rumped tanager in my yard who sings a melody in 4/4 time.  1, 222, 3, 4… 1, 222, 3, 4….. cool triplet and note change on the second beat.   Including Coco’s Island and the nearby Pacific, Costa Rica has 850 species of birds!   600 of them are permanent residents, and there are 200 species of migrant birds who come to CR each year, some from as far away as New Zealand, Antarctica and Siberia.  They’re probably just here getting new music ideas… 

Birds rely on repeated patterns, scales, arpeggios, themes and variations, again much like classical composers or rock musicians.  Scientist types group them as songs or calls.  Calls are more like alarms or ways to keep members of a flock in contact with each other.   Songs are longer and more complex and are associated with courtship and mating, so there’s probably an electric guitar involved.  In the tropics it is more common for females to sing as much as the males, so we get to hear the whole conversation!   Some birds here produce a hissing sound (especially those who nest in tree cavities or hidden crannies) that presumably helps to deter predators or maybe electric guitar players.  

For hundreds of years composers have incorporated bird songs into their pieces.  Mozart threw a lavish funeral for his pet Starling, a bird which has two vocal cords and can sing 2 melodies at the same time.  He wrote one piece that was nick-named The Musical Joke, as most folks thought it awkward and slightly off-key – they didn’t understand the complexity and welcome imperfections of the source, which are bird songs.   Beethoven’s 6^th Symphony quotes the song of a Yellowhammer bird, followed by a Quail then a Cuckoo – the bird used in more musical imitations than any other.  A Goldfinch inspired Vivaldi’s flute concerto Il Gardellino, and Prokofiev featured a bunch of different birds in his great composition Peter and the Wolf.  Handel wrote an organ concerto called The Cuckoo and the Nightingale, using the different stops and settings on the organ to mimic his feathered friends.   Seems like in just about every time frame and culture some mystic was writing a song about a bird, from Indian monks to American Indian medicine men, from Celtic folk songs to Jimi Hendrix and  from Baroque guys in white wigs to the Grateful Dead.   

Several years ago Costa Rican pianist and Minister of Culture, Manuel Obregon, carried his piano into a rainforest near Arenal and played along with the birds and insects and monkeys and such.  Most ‘nature’ recordings are just that – recordings of natural sounds augmented in the studio with instruments or vocals.  Not Manuel, he played and recorded the critters and himself all day long for 3 days, then placed the selected parts in chronological order – morning, afternoon, dusk and night.  Get the cd – it’s called Simbiosis – and you will be amazed at the duets Manuel played with some of the birds.  It is obvious they were aware of him and had something to discuss with him.   I’m thinkin’ if we’d all just spend some time   listening to their calls and their songs, we’d be bound to learn something about global harmony.   

You just might be inspired to write a song about them.  Or steal some licks from them.  Whether you think they are ‘divine messengers from the deities’ (as the ancient Egyptians did) or just pigeons carrying a note across town for food, they are interesting and beautiful and mysterious and have much to teach us about singing.  I’m always nagging about getting out and listening to live music, but spend some time as well in a hammock – just listening to the birds! 

“The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.”             Willie Nelson 

“Birds….scream at the top of their lungs in horrified hellish rage every morning at daybreak to warn us all of the truth.  They know the truth!  Screaming bloody murder all over the world in our ears, but sadly we don’t speak bird.”                                     Kurt Cobain   

“Little birdie come and sing me your sad song.  We’ve a short time to stay here and a long time to be gone.”          John Cunnick

TAURUS

Everyone wants what’s best for you, in terms of reducing the amount of time you are allowed to show your face outside of your house. Your ideals are starting to shape the way you’re living, so congratulations.
RULING GEMSTONE: EMERALD

GEMINI - May 21-June 21

The law may be your friend today, or it might turn round and bite you in the ass. Either way the word “law” is going to crop up. Holiday, it would be so nice…to be on holiday. So why not go for it?
RULING GEMSTONE: ALEXANDRITE

CANCER - June 22-July 22

All for which you have fought will be lost if you cannot control your wang. Wise words which may be applicable. Dressing as a feline may give others cause for concern today. You’re a mug. You always have been and you always will be. Change, and your friends will stop liking you as much.
RULING GEMSTONE: RUBY

LEO - July 23- August 22

Everyone you know will wear unmatched socks, today. Actually, it’s stranger than you think — they’ll all members of a pagan cult, and this is Sock Swap Day.
RULING GEMSTONE: JADE

VIRGO – August 23-September 22

You will go on a potato binge today. Baked, fried, scalloped, stuffed, mashed, whipped, and hash-browned. Just stay away from the tater tots, for your own good.

RULING GEMSTONE: SAPPHIRE

LIBRA - September 23-October 22

You’ve just finished something, but you’re starting to wonder if it would be better if you tried it another way. Forget it — that way, madness lies.

RULING GEMSTONE: OPAL

SCORPIO - October 23-November 21

Today you will have a sudden and brilliant idea for how to eliminate the U.S. federal deficit. “Let’s all just pretend there isn’t one!”, you’ll say.
RULING GEMSTONE: TOPAZ

SAGITTARIUS - November 22-December 21

You will soon accidentally discover why it is that so many things “taste like chicken.” It’s because they ARE chickens, in clever disguises.
RULING GEMSTONE: TURQUOISE

CAPRICORN - December 22-January 19

You will be plagued by theological doubts today, and will flirt with the idea of changing your religion. Subconsciously, this is because you’re envious of the really cool hats some of the people in other religions get to wear.
RULING GEMSTONE: GARNET

AQUARIUS - January 20-February 18

You will inherit millions, along with a rather elderly butler named Hodgson. You’ll have a nice time.

RULING GEMSTONE AMETHYST

PISCES - February 19-March 20

You will develop a strange fascination with steamed vegetables. Which is OK. Much better than, say, an enthusiasm for steamed toast. (Whenever someone asks me what kind of toast I want, I always say “To Friends, Old and New!”)RULING GEMSTONE: AQUAMARINE

ARIES - March 21-April 19

The best of excuses are those that are plausible (so, not ones that involve you, super-powers and hordes of sexy friends). If you don’t care what the weatherman says when the weatherman says it’s raining – that’s great! Your irrelevance becomes clear today and you will feel a new sense of freedom.
RULING GEMSTONE: DIAMOND

Bienvenidos/Welcome to all you travelers….we are happy to have you visit and hope you have a great time. May is a perfect time to be here with plenty of sunshine and a little rain thrown in..a welcome sight for those of us that have endured the heat and humidity of this past dry season and welcome our vegetation’s rebirth -bring on the GREEN. You will find plenty to do from a tour of our World famous Manuel Antonio Park to white water rafting and an exhilarating zipline or a day on the water as Captain of your own boat..check out Tres Ninas Boat Rentals or one of our Charter Sportfising boats like Luna Tours, Pez Rey, Pez Espada for a great day of world class fishing….you won’t go hungry as we have wonderful restaurants so check the pages of Quepolania for their locations……….we would like to thank Lona Collison of Ontario, Canada for our most beautiful cover shot. Lona and Lloyd spent a few months here and took some great photos..Lona said the helaconia is one of her favorite flowers and from this photo you should agree! Happy Mother’s Day to those visiting from the US & CA..we celebrate on Aug. 15^th here so if we are lucky we get 2 days of recognition! Please take the time to tell our advertisers that you found them in Quepolandia and take a copy home to your friends – you can also follow us on FaceBook and here on our website…..have a wonderful visit and come back soon……..ciao……P

Happy Birthday to our friend, Virginia!

By Shelagh Duncan

The dream of having a vacation property in Costa Rica is something many of us are living, and many others would love. However owning a second home that remains vacant most of the year can be a financial burden if you are still working, or have long-term commitments back home. If you want to be able to make the most of your investment (and still fully enjoy your time here), it is worth looking into renting your home out during the year. 

The rent from your home should be able to cover any wear and tear, utility bills etc., plus commissions and fees to property managers or rental agents. Here are some tips that may help you make your vacation home as appealing as possible for renters, and help you stay cool and collected during the process. 

Curb appeal – this works the same here as it does back home – and it is not just for selling homes. First impressions really do count, so your main picture needs to stand out from the rest. Make it Fabulous! 

Make your home inviting. Vacationers (and this probably goes for you, too) are there to relax.  If you have a large home make your main space as welcoming as possible for larger groups. A large dining table and an open floor plan are both great ‘selling’ points. Don’t overdo the decorative accessories, go big – use large art or colourful wall hangings, and try to find metal table lamps, and wood or metal candle holders etc. instead of glass or ceramic. This saves on damage! Window coverings are important to renters for privacy and shade, so make them a feature with economical, ready-made solid colours, or tropical print drapery panels. Coordinating throw pillows and accessories will pull it all together. 

Maximize sleeping quarters. Many vacationers will be looking for the most possible number of beds to accommodate their family or group. If you have multiple bedrooms, put two beds in at least one of them. Even if you have a small one-bedroom cabina, you can still have a sofa-bed, futon or even an air mattress available. Use washable mattress and pillow protectors on all the beds. 

Most important room – The Master Bedroom. Solid furniture, a fresh and pretty paint color, fresh bed linens and perhaps somewhere to read or write postcards are all welcome touches. The occupants will probably be the people making the rental decision so make their room great! 

Update outdoor dining and hang-out zones. If you have been putting off decorating the outdoor spaces, now is the time to take action. Replace those plastic stacking chairs with some comfort and style, and add a couple of planters and some wall art. It certainly doesn’t need to be fancy and expensive, but having a comfortable outdoor dining and seating area is a must. 

Keep a basic but well-stocked kitchen. Don’t break the bank when it comes to stocking fragile items in a rental, but do attempt to keep a simple set of white dishes in stock, along with the essentials for cooking and baking tasks. If you stick to white you will know you can usually find replacements, even if you can’t find the exact same ones again. Stock up on inexpensive but colourful plastic plates and cups for the pool and patio. These will help reduce breakages and increase safety by the pool. 

White linens radiate cleanliness. White sheets and towels are easier to keep looking clean than prints or darker colors, because they can be  bleached. Use the best linens you can afford, because they will wash and wear the best too. 

Make it fun. It is a nice gesture to provide renters with a few fun perks to give them a more personalized visit. You might consider leaving some board games, puzzles, extra beach towels, boogie boards, and frisbees. 

Prepare for the worst. Realize that people will not treat a rental home as if was their own. You can’t control everything that happens, but you can do your best to be prepared. Provide a full set of disposable dishes and glassware in case they decide to have a party, have plenty of coasters around, even on the nightstands, to protect your furniture. Put energy efficient bulbs in your light fixtures, and keep spares available. 

Working with a management company can make your life a lot easier. They will deal with immediate problems so you don’t  have to. They will arrange for the cleaning and maintenance staff to keep everything looking  and working perfectly. 

Consider having professional photos taken. Since most visitors will be booking your vacation home without seeing it in person, having really superb photos is essential. Make your main photo fabulous! Enlist the help of a friend with top-notch photography skills or hire a professional. When it comes time for the photo shoot, make sure the house is clean and uncluttered from top to bottom (put all personal items away), inside and out and add some inviting touches. We ‘stage’ homes for home sales so you should also stage it for your rental. 

Make up a Local Guide Book. You may want to take a few pictures of nearby draws, such as beaches and waterfalls, and even local wildlife, and have business cards from popular local restaurants all together in a binder for renters – noting your favourites! You can include brochures on tours, local attractions and activities, great sunset and happy hour spots, as well as easy maps to get here and there. 

Keep a home inventory and a reference book. A thorough and well-organized vacation home reference binder is worth its weight in gold! Avoid mishaps by clearly recording all inventory in a master list, and provide visitors with ample instructions on everything from garbage pickup to how to work the remote control. Include your WiFi and alarm codes, tide table information, and emergency numbers and contact information for the doctor, vet and even dentist – you never know.  Ensure that any expectation or rules are clearly spelled out here -  no smoking inside, no glass near the pool etc. Anything that is personal should be set aside in a locked closet or spare room. 

You will have to emotionally detach yourself from the property -  this is now a business. Look around your home with a critical eye, test every light, faucet, and toilet, and imagine what you would expect from a rental. 

Now you are ready to let your vacation home help pay for itself!! 

By Nancy Buchan

While happily slopping through the ankle deep mud at the Envision Festival I started talking with a young woman about why she was there.  It was clear early in our conversation that she was smart and politically active about all kinds of things back in her home turf of Portland.  She was open-minded about music, passionate about social and environmental issues and she was off on an adventure!  She could even play that flute she had hanging around her neck.   I started talking to more of the women there, and found most all of them to be very together.  Creative types of course – their clothes were weird and wonderful and whimsical.  They were adorned with feathers and lace and leather and crystals and tattoos and face paint and pierced body parts, yet they were mostly independent savvy young women who will probably evolve into women of substance.  I don’t go stateside very often and probably don’t hang out in the same world as these females, so I was pleasantly surprised to meet so many funny and hip young things, and am happy about their activism and commitment to global issues.  Me, I was just there to hear some music…..

And there was some excellent music at the fest, much of it being performed by women.  I was thrilled and surprised and proud of how many of my sisters were involved.  A young woman who worked for the festival and I talked about this, and she said the fest purposely hired and presented a large number of female singers, DJs, performance artists and musicians.  It’s part of their manifesto.  We figured that somewhere around 30% of the musical artists were women – an unprecedented amount at any festival, except for maybe Lilith.   There were two sisters called Rising Appalachia who combine all kinds of influences from native Indian chants to techno to world beats and with a little Irish thrown in,  very interesting and creative.  They both played a variety of instruments and I have since watched their very cool videos and love how they bring social and eco commitment into the mix.  There were a bunch of women who gave excellent performances, from Funk to New Age to Indian to Folk.  Andrea Brook played her gigantic Earth Harp, which I am sorry to have missed.  I played there one night with Ben Orton and drummer Richard Abraham, and my teen-age violin and cello students from Ojochol were thrilled to play with some guys from Estonia at the Tea Lounge stage.  These girls were experiencing their first festival and got to be a small part of its music – no matter whether they have music careers or not they will always remember it.    My friend Jennifer Smith, founder of Community Carbon Trees in Costa Rica also found the women that attended the seminars and educational meetings to be interesting and knowledgeable, and said they were creating projects with positive environmental and social impact.   She was happy to meet Julia Hill Butterfly, the woman who lived in a tree for 728 days back in the early 90s to bring awareness about the irresponsible cutting of trees in the northwest U.S.    We both agreed that it was wonderful to see and be around women such as these.  

In the world of Rock and Roll, females make up a very small percentage, and female instrumentalists are an even smaller number.  Just the fact that there are hundreds of groups trying to help women get empowered and ahead in the music business is in itself kinda pathetic and depressing, and says a lot about the industry.  The gender issues in music have always been annoying, and I try not to get too pissed off or be too preachy about it.  I fought most of those battles decades ago – not so much as a feminist but as someone who just wanted to be a working musician in what is clearly a man’s world.  However, women are still expected to dress sexy for the guys, and women singers are regularly paid less than their male counter-parts, because they are considered ‘eye candy’.  Since I am an instrumentalist and I was lucky enough to work with good guys most of the time, I learned early on that playing music was one of the few places where I would be paid the same as the men.  But I always knew that I had to do more than my share of the work, be better prepared and look better than the guys just to get a little credibility.  Only 5 women were among the 25 highest paid musicians last year, and that includes 13 male solo acts and 7 bands, one of which has a female member.  In their 27 years of existence the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has inducted 296 people into their boys club – 40 of whom were women or bands with women in them.   Good grief – even the great Tina Turner was chosen along with her abusive husband Ike – not as an artist in her own right. 

I remember going to a radio interview with a band I was playing in and it was obvious the DJ hadn’t done his homework about us.  After talking to the guys for a bit he turned to me and asked if I was just traveling around with the musicians.   What a jerk he was and oops, clumsy me, I accidentally knocked over a pitcher of water into his lap…..  Now, women can of course make the already uneasy relationship between male and female musicians worse, by pulling diva tricks, or sleeping around with the guys in the band or by thinking they only have to be cute and to heck with learning how to play well.  Chrissie Hynde – great rock player, singer and writer who refused to be stereotyped or used by the male music machine – has a list of rules for aspiring female musicians, and I totally agree with them.    “Don’t moan or whine about being a chick – no one wants to hear it.   Write a loosely disguised song about it instead and make a bunch of money.”   “Never pretend to know more than you do.”  “Make the other band members look and sound good – bring out the best in them – that’s your job.”  “Don’t compete with the guys – one reason they like you is because you don’t offer more competition to their already fragile male ego.”  “Shave your legs, for chrissakes.”     

Today as I am writing this it’s actually International Women’s Day, and there are speeches and rallies and hoopla all over the planet in our honor.  There is probably more gender equality in music than in lots of other professions, but we’ve still got a ways to go and apparently plenty more to prove.  Since this is especially true in the rock world, it’s another reason to notice any promoter or music producer who goes out of their way to support female artists.  There are so many capable, talented, creative and spiritual women in this business, but too often they get discouraged by the statistics and lack of welcome into the club.  So encourage those girls who want to play the drums instead of the flute.  Applaud the aspiring singer who doesn’t feel the need to show off her cleavage.  Hire a female sound technician.  Donate to Bonnie Raitte’s foundation that gives young girls electric guitars.   Go listen to live music whenever possible and cheer the loudest for that young woman who simply plays or sings from the heart – because that’s what music is really about.  The Heart.

“As a singer I tried on all these hats, these voices, these clothes, and eventually out came me!”                Carly Simon

“Always be smarter than the people who hire you.”                                                  Lena Horne

“Cherish forever what makes you unique, ‘cause you’re really a yawn if it goes.”                                       Bette Midler

¿How are you guys?  ¿Cómo están?  ¿Did you get some rest during the Semana Santa?  I hope you did. 

Before we start I need you to be sure that you can both understand and say these lifesaving pregunta words.

¿Cómo?    =           ¿How?

¿Qué?    =              ¿What?

¿Dónde?    =          ¿Where?

¿Cuándo?    =        ¿When?

¿Cuál?    =              ¿Which?

¿Quién?    =           ¿Who?

¿Cuánt@?    =       ¿How much?

¿Cuánt@s?    =     ¿How many?

¿Por qué?    =        ¿Why? 

These words are more than important.  We are gonna use them in context and survival questions hoy=today.  Ready? 

¿Cómo se llama? ¿How do you call yourself?  *  ¿How s/he calls her/himself? 

¿Cómo está? ¿How are you?  *  ¿How is s/he? 

¿Cómo se dice…? ¿How do you say…? 

¿Qué pasa? ¿What’s up? 

¿Qué hora es? ¿What time is it? 

¿Qué significa…? ¿What does it mean…? 

¿Dónde está? ¿Where are you?  *  ¿Where is s/he? 

¿Dónde vive? ¿Where do you live?  *  ¿Where does s/he live? 

¿Dónde trabaja? ¿Where do you work?  *  ¿Where does s/he work? 

¿De dónde es? ¿Where are you from?  *  ¿Where is s/he from? 

¿Cuándo empieza…? ¿When does s/he begin…?  *  ¿When do you begin…? 

¿Cuándo termina…? ¿When does s/he end…?  *  ¿When do you end…? 

¿Cuándo llega? ¿When does s/he arrive?  *  ¿When do you arrive? 

¿Cuándo sale? ¿When does s/he leave?  *  ¿When do you leave? 

¿Cuál es su nombre? ¿Which is your-her-his name?  (In some questions about personal info, Spanish uses “which” instead of “what”). 

¿Cúal es su apellido? ¿Which is your-her-his last name? 

¿Cuál es su dirección? ¿Which is your-her-his address? 

¿Cuál es su número de teléfono? ¿Which is your-her-his number of telephone? 

¿Quién es usted? ¿Who are you? 

¿Quién es ella/él? ¿Who is s/he? 

¿Quién es su novi@? ¿Who is your/his/her boy/girlfriend? 

¿Cuánto cuesta? ¿How much does it cost? 

¿Cuánto es? ¿How much is it? 

¿Cuánto tiempo? ¿How much time? 

¿Cuántos libros? ¿How many books? 

¿Cuántas mesas? ¿How many tables? 

¿Cuántos años tiene?  (This is the way to ask someone’s age.) ¿How many years do you have?  =  ¿How old are you? ¿How many years does s/he have?  =  ¿How old is s/he? 

¿Por qué?  =  ¿Why?  ¿Por qué no?  =  ¿Why not?   Porque  =  Because. 

¿Por qué estudia español usted? ¿Why do you study Spanish? 

Porque vivo en Costa Rica.    Because I live in Costa Rica.

Porque sí.   Because, because. 

¿Por qué no estudia español usted? ¿Why don’t you study Spanish? 

Porque no me da la gana.   Because I don’t feel like it. 

Today I have stolen some phrases from a book named:  “Spanish for Gringos”.  It’s a good one, I recommend it 100% to those who want to learn and gain some confidence in Spanish; I hope William Harvey (el autor) doesn’t mind… 

Here are some common preguntas=questions you should be able to answer.  ¡Be brief with your respuestas=answers! 

¿Cómo está usted?

¿Cómo se llama usted?

¿De dónde es usted?

¿Dónde vive usted?

¿Dónde trabaja usted?

¿Cuántos años tiene usted?

¿Cuál es su número de teléfono?

¿Cuál es su correo electrónico?

¿Quién es el presidente de los Estados Unidos?

¿De quién es esta Quepolandia?

¿Qué tipo de música le gusta a usted?

¿Qué hora es?

¿Qué día es hoy?

¿Cuál es la fecha de hoy?

¿Cuál es su animal favorito?

¿Cuáles son sus colores favoritos?

¿Qué tiempo hace?

¿Cuáles son tres partes del cuerpo?

¿Cuántas hermanos tiene usted?

¿Qué hay detrás de usted?

¿Dónde está el baño?

¿Dónde está su cama?

¿Cuánto cuesta una botella de agua?

¿Cuánto es la cuenta? 

Let me ask you two more questions guys.  En inglés. 

¿How much time do you spend with the language?

¿How many hours per day do you spend with the language? 

Let’s define what “spend time with the language” DOES NOT mean.  It DOES NOT mean: 

Sit in a classroom.

Answer questions or drills.

Review grammar rules.  Review list of words. 

Let’s define what “spend time with the language” means: 

To be with the language.  To play with the language.

To read things that are written in the language.

To listen to songs that are sung in the language.

To watch telenovelas=soup operas, cartoons or movies (if you can), that are in the language.

If you have friends who speak the language, spend time with them, even if most the time you are just listening because you don’t speak well enough to really say very much.

Do something you like to do, for example:  Drink with the language.  Do “pillow talk” with the language.  Just joking. 

¿How much time do you spend with the language?

¿How many hours per day do you spend with the language? 

Not enough guys…  Not enough…  Try to spend MORE TIME with the language.  Everyday guys…  Everyday…  At least ONE HOUR…  Doing what you like. 

Os is a certified and experienced teacher of español.

Call him… you can start to learn NOW.

SPANISH PURAVIDA     (506)  88-222-936     www.OsCostaRica.com

Marinade Ingredients (Makes about 1C enough for 2 lbs Pork) 

• 1 to 2 lbs pork tenderloin
• 1 shallot OR 3 green onions, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp ginger, minced
• ½  tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp cayenne OR 2 tsp srirachi (more or less to taste)
• 4 Tbsp fish sauce
• 1 Tbsp lime or lemon juice
• 1/2 Tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1/3  cup liquid honey 1/3 
• 1/2 cup coconut milk 

Peanut Sauce Ingredients: (Makes about 2 C)

• 1 cup peanuts, unsalted
• 1/3 cup water
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• Culantro
• 1/2 tsp. dark soy sauce
• 2 tsp. sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 to 2 Tbsp. fish sauce, depending on desired saltiness/flavor – Vegetarians substitute 1.5 -2.5 Tbsp. regular soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp. tamarind paste OR 1/2 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, OR 1 tsp. Srirachi (more or less to taste)
• 1/3 cup coconut milk 

Prepare the Marinade:

1. Cut the pork into 1 to 1½  inch cubes.
2. Combine all other ingredients to make a marinade, stirring well to dissolve the honey.
3. Taste-test the marinade. This marinade should taste predominantly sweet & salty for the satay to be its best. If you’d prefer it spicier, add more srirachi.
4. Pour marinade over the pork. Stir the meat well and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours is best. Freeze any leftover un-used marinade if you have. 

Prepare the Peanut Sauce:

1. If using wooden satay sticks, soak them in water while you prepare the peanut sauce (this will keep them from burning).
2. Roast the peanuts on a cookie sheet in the oven or in a skillet on top of the stove until they start to darken. Be careful not to let them burn. Let them cool a little.
3. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend or process until sauce is smooth. If you prefer a runnier peanut sauce, add a little more water or coconut milk.
4. Do a taste test, adding more fish sauce (or soy sauce) if not salty enough, or more cayenne if not spicy enough. If too salty, add a squeeze of fresh lime juice. If you’d prefer it sweeter, add a little more sugar.
5. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: This sauce tends to thicken as it sits – just add a little water or coconut milk to thin it out, as needed. Leftover can be frozen. 

Grill the Pork:

1. When ready to cook, put 3 to 5 pieces of meat on each skewer so they barely touch. It’s a good idea to position the meat on the end of the stick, leaving the lower half as a handle for turning.
2. Brush grill with oil & then lay pork skewers on the grill for 5-7 minutes, or until meat sizzles &  browns.
3. Baste the pork with leftover marinade & turn the skewers to grill the other side another 5 minutes, or until cooked but still tender.
4. Serve pork on hot or cold noodles or a green salad & top with the peanut sauce.