Nadine Hays Pisani

UPSIDE DOWN VIEW

By Nadine Hays Pisani| 2018-04-15T18:19:31-04:00 August 26th, 2012|Categories: Tourism|Tags: canopy tour, excursions, zip line, zip lining|

Costa Rica Cost Of Living Update: 10.9 ounces of cottage cheese— $5

When people visit Costa Rica, they immediately plan on zip-lining. My sister and her family are here for a couple weeks and this excursion is first on their list. My nieces can’t stop talking about it.

Zip-lining should be the country’s designated excursion. I’ll go as far as to say it should be printed on all Costa Rican flags and possibly their currency as well. When I sit and have coffee in Tamarindo, inevitably someone at a neighboring table is discussing all the fun they had while flying through the air on a cable. (more…)

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I WANT A JOB IN TOURISM

By Nadine Hays Pisani| 2018-04-15T18:19:31-04:00 July 17th, 2012|Categories: Tourism|Tags: charity, opening minds, teaching English|

Costa Rica Cost of Living Update: A Quart of Motor Oil— $15.18

As I look over the children’s’ assignments that are taped to the wall, one stands out. A ship drawn on the ocean with a bright orange sun shining in the corner. “I want to get a job in tourism,” it reads, signed by a boy named Justin. At such a young age, Justin already knows there are more opportunities available to him if he can learn computer skills and conversational English. He will raise himself out of poverty by going to his weekly classes at Opening Minds (Abriendo Mentes). Justin’s future will look different than his parents.

Drew Ragland had an idea three years ago. He noticed that many people in Potrero, Costa Rica were not getting the better paying jobs at nearby hotels and resorts. Since the local work force here was lacking in computer and English skills, hotels were hiring people from outside the area to fill the positions. Knowing that he had the ability to teach English, Drew set up a simple whiteboard in a small open air restaurant. He started writing English words on the board and people came to learn. Soon, he was teaching not only the adults but the children as well. (more…)

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LIFE’S A BLOCK PARTY

By Nadine Hays Pisani| 2018-04-15T18:19:32-04:00 June 20th, 2012|Categories: Neighbors|Tags: block party, neighbors, party|

Cost of Living Update: One bottle of something that resembles Windex—$3.20

My husband loves to talk about block parties he had as a kid growing up in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. The men would race with balloons between their knees, and kids would bob for apples. None of it was very complicated or expensive. The main goal was to get everyone together to encourage a strong community.

Living in row houses may have been congested, but if you were running low on salt or sugar, you could easily get a cup by knocking on the wall and calling out to your neighbor. Everyone helped each other out, and the evenings were full of people sitting in their yards together enjoying glasses of lemonade. (more…)

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PRETTY WOMAN

By Nadine Hays Pisani| 2018-04-15T18:19:32-04:00 May 27th, 2012|Categories: Nature|Tags: sunsets|

Costa Rica Cost Of Living Update: 6.6 pounds of mangos—$2

The sunsets lately have been amazing. There is an afterglow of purple and pink colors that up light the sky just as the sun disappears. I like these more than the typical golden ones; these have panache.

People often “ooh and aah” on the beach as this display unfolds. It occurred to me that Costa Rica is much like a pretty woman. One so gorgeous you stop what you are doing to watch her saunter into the room. You might even get lucky and catch a whiff of her perfume as she passes.

Or maybe Costa Rica just makes everything seem prettier. I’ll remember that the next time a flying beetle gets caught in my hair. They might be pretty as well, but I can assure you, they never smell like perfume.

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DO YOU HAVE A TWENTY?

By Nadine Hays Pisani| 2018-04-15T18:19:32-04:00 May 5th, 2012|Categories: Cost of Living|Tags: fruit, groceries, vegetables|

Costa Rica Cost Of Living Update: One week’s worth of produce—$19.68

This is what we brought home today. A week’s worth of produce for under $20. We will use the vegetables to make plenty of homemade stir fry dishes. The mangos and the big bag of oranges will be our fruit for the week.

For another dollar, we could have bought a pineapple but they were a little too green. I like them when they are more yellow. If you catch them at the right time, they are so sweet they taste like Jolly Ranchers.

I feel good eating this way. Now that my diet is full of fruits and vegetables, I feel younger. Furthermore, when I feel younger I start to believe I look younger.

And to think… I did that without any Botox.

(Remember to follow me at https://www.facebook.com/happierthanabillionaire where I post new pictures everyday!)

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About Nadine Hays Pisani

UPSIDE DOWN VIEW

I WANT A JOB IN TOURISM

LIFE’S A BLOCK PARTY

PRETTY WOMAN

DO YOU HAVE A TWENTY?

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