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About Nadine Hays Pisani

Nadine is the author of the best-selling series, Happier Than A Billionaire. Join her as she navigates living as an expat in the sometimes confusing, always beautiful, country of Costa Rica.
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HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?

By | 2018-04-15T18:19:37-04:00 August 23rd, 2011|Categories: Cost of Living|Tags: , |


Costa Rica Cost Of Living Update: Landline phone bill that includes excellent DSL internet service-$45

As I sit here watching two baby monkeys wrestle one another outside my window, it reminds me how lucky I am, how rich I feel. It doesn’t cost me a dime and can’t imagine how a material object can replace the feeling I have now. My life (ironically… with less possessions than ever), is so abundantly full I can’t think of anything I want. So it got me thinking…how much is enough?

Why would a billionaire—someone with all the resources to live a life of insane privilege—steal another couple million.  For example, take Tyco. That CEO made over 100 million dollars a year but had the company pay for his extravagant lifestyle. And it wasn’t just private jets with cute flight attendants serving chocolate covered strawberries. He went the extra mile. He had the company pay for a $6,000 shower curtain and a $15,000 dog umbrella stand. But just when I thought this guy really knows how to live, for his wife’s birthday (disguised as a shareholders meeting) the party featured an ice sculpture of the Statue of David urinating Stolichnaya vodka.  I can do without that umbrella stand, but a urinating ice sculpture is as close to heaven as you are going to get in my opinion. (more…)

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COSTA RICA HEALTH CARE: PART THREE…THE SURGERY

By | 2018-04-15T18:19:37-04:00 August 15th, 2011|Categories: Cost of Living, Uncategorized|Tags: , , |

Costa Rica Cost Of Living Update: Hernia surgery-$0

On the day of admissions, we reported to an office and filled out paperwork. It lasted no more than 10 minutes. I was not sure if it was fast because that was the actual process or because we couldn’t understand anything.

We were directed to the emergency ward where Rob was instructed to go into a utility closet and change into a pair of scrubs. He walked out wearing an ill-fitting ensamble with numbers stamped across his chest. The pants were too short and the top didn’t even cover his navel. My husband looked less like a surgical patient but more like a gay prison inmate. (more…)

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COSTA RICA HEALTH CARE: THE SURGERY CONSULT (CONT)

By | 2018-04-15T18:19:38-04:00 August 8th, 2011|Categories: Cost of Living|Tags: , , |

Costa Rica Cost Of Living Update: 8 ounce package of imported mushrooms-$6

After a couple hours of waiting on the side of the road, a woman dressed in white scrubs opened the gate and we all filed in. We started forming a line directly in front of the reception window.  I glanced at a piece of paper taped to the wall which said the doctor would only see six people today. Our lack of Spanish made it difficult to understand why there were 35 people sitting here totally unfazed by this news.

“That can’t be right,” I told Rob. “What doctor treats six people a day?” I pointed to the sign and asked the person in front of me if that was true. The woman nods her head in agreement. “That sucks, there are already six people in front of us.”

“I don’t care, I’m not going anywhere. We’ve been through stuff like this a dozen times. You can’t give up right away,” said Rob. And he is right. It’s amazing how often I want to wave the white flag. But people immediately like my husband and hopefully the doctor remembers she told him to come back today. (more…)

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“I THINK I NEED A DOCTOR”- AN INTRO TO COSTA RICAN HEALTH CARE

By | 2018-04-15T18:19:38-04:00 July 30th, 2011|Categories: Cost of Living|Tags: , , |

Costa Rica Costa Of Living Update: Three heads of garlic-90 cents

A lot has been going on behind the scenes at Happier Than A Billionaire. Unfortunately, there has been a few not so happy times. My husband needed hernia surgery and I chose not to write about it until I knew he would survive. I’m nice like that—I prefer to have my husband alive and well when I write about all the embarrassing things that happened to him while infirmed.

And since he is convalescing, he has less ability to reach the computer to read about it and less of a chance to yell at me for talking about him on my blog.  

So here it goes. A three part story on my introduction into the Costa Rica health care system.  Grab some popcorn and hug your Blue Shield card…it’s going to be a bumpy ride. (more…)

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