Servicio con smile: por supuesto¡ (Service with a smile: Of Course!

Hola, hombres y mujeres.

Well, Mark and I have been back in Costa Rica now since the 24th of July, and we are still loving it here! Other than the little "bump in the road" concerning inflamed tendons in my left shoulder - Es la buena vida!   ( It's the good life!).  We can see why Pura Vida is the prophetic declaration they make over one another all day long, because life in Costa Rica truly is PURE LIFE! 💙  This got longer than I planned, but it's a fun recount of our day in Grecia....so get your favorite beverage, sit back and imagine yourself here in Costa Rica with us as I tell you about our fun day doing some very simple things.  

Today, for example, we made a trip to town on the bus-again! It seems there are little things that need constant replenishing, and its not like a quick trip in the car to go up the block to the nearest Walmart. It requires a small hike up Calle Matopalo to the main Cajon Road - about 1/3 mile- catching a bus on the hour, and hopefully get your necessary errands done to catch a return bus back home, praying that you make it  back down Matopalo before the afternoon rain shower!  The Lord has seen fit to help us do just that the last two days in a row! 

That may sound like a lot of work to you, and some days, I must admit, it feels a bit like that to me as well! But it really gives the day purpose while you're getting some much needed exercise in the cleanest air we've ever breathed, and having one-on-one time with the love of my life!  PURA VIDA!  What could be better than that?

We were discussing the other day that we needed to make these grocery runs more often so our bags aren't so heavy on the trek back home.  We plan to get one of those sturdy wheeled grocery carrier carts when we become permanent over here. But for now, we are trying more frequent trips, picking up a few things each time we go. 

That said, we decided to make today's trip to town a lunch date at the Grecia Social Club (GSC) first, and then do our errands. I got in a short swim before we left to catch the eleven o'clock bus into town. When we arrived at GSC around eleven thirty, however, they were not open - AGAIN. Our neighbor/friends here in Cajon, Jen and Greg Seymour, introduced us to this place, and we've been longing for a repeat visit ever since!  We attempted to do lunch there the day that I had the ultrasound of my shoulder last week (on a Tuesday), but they were closed at that time as well!  What the heck???  They have no hours posted on the establishment, so we managed to ask a gentleman passing by on the street, and he was able to communicate to us that they would open at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. A little too late for us to have lunch there as planned, but as they say here in Costa Rica, a lot: Otro dia (Another Day).   

Note to self:  Research the hours of the GSC so we don't keep hitting it on the days they are not open !!!  It's the little things like this in day to day Costa Rica living that cause you to say quite often " PURA VIDA".   Costa  Ricans don't allow the little things like this to upset their day. They are always smiling and happy and in a good mood: Truly!  There are Soda's (Cafe's) all over the place, ranging from small and quaint, to an occasional large and fancy facility, so what's the big deal?  There isn't one - so this is something good that is being established in me during our time here in Costa Rica!  

All these things are working to solidify in me some good advice I received once a long time ago: Don't set your EXPECTATIONS too high, on people or circumstances.  Life is full of curve balls, and when things don't turn out exactly as you EXPECTED they would, you're left feeling disappointed, depressed and discouraged.  I'm still in process of learning how to practice the art of EXPECTANCY, and today was yet another opportunity to do so. EXPECTANCY creates a freedom for everyone to look forward to having a good time together, no matter what that may look like in the end.  TRANSPARENCY MOMENT: Sometimes, I'm a bit like Alice in Wonderland concerning this concept yet: Giving very good advice, but very seldom following it.:( This is when I'm reminded of the words of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:12-14 "I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us." 

BUT I DIGRESS!! --- (LOL - NOT ME!)

To continue our journey for today, we stopped in at Don Pedro's Liquor Store to purchase some wine and and decided to ask the young man working there, who spoke "poquito onGless" (little English), if he could suggest a Soda or Restaurante we might like to try.  He pointed us down the street only about a half block, where we ended up at "la Cosana Griega Bar Restaurante"....right there in a place we have walked by numerous times and have never noticed it.  Could it possibly be that's because we didn't EXPECT there to be an eating place there? But there it was, and they did not disappoint. 

I love that you can see my reflection below the metal canopy in the mirrored windows!  At first I thought "who's taking pictures out that window?"  lol

As you can see, it's very clean and "zen" and modern looking inside, but there were no other people waiting to eat, which made us wonder "are they any good?"  We noticed a mural on the wall with a Scripture of the 23rd Psalm in Spanish, and we were hoping our Shepherd had truly led us to a banqueting table where our hungry tummies could find satisfaction! :) 

It is customary everywhere here in Grecia for the servers in the Sodas or Restaurants to meet and greet you like royalty. They're attitude is sincerely warm and welcoming as they honor you in the manner that is typical of their culture. The waiter was so paitient with us, allowing us to check the place out thoroughly since we'd never been there before, until we found the perfect table to eat at - the one you see Mark seated at below. (Isn't he the cutest 64 year old you've ever seen?)

After passing the entrance (above pic of foyer), there is a pool table.  No one was using it today, but from the sounds of the lively events that take place on the weekends, I'm sure it gets some good use. Our server told us they had just relocated recently from a facility they had been in for a very long time, so people are still trying to relearn how to find them.

From there, you go up a couple of landings to the restaurant on the top floor.  They've fixed it up very cute, I think, and the Barry White music made for a very romantic, private lunch with my Honey today....so things turned out better than I EXPECTED!

 

 The picture below is another dining area, and one of our servers came around the corner as I was snapping this picture.  :)

Between the two orange walls is an open barbecue grille, and we were told that it is open Friday through Sundays from noon until 8 p.m.  After hearing about the barbecued racks of ribs they do with homemade tortillas, among other things, we are keeping this on our list of places to go on a weekend in the future, and I'm pretty sure Jen and Greg might wanna join us!

I took the following pictures over our balcony and near our table.  

Here's a peek into the bar.....And yes: There was Imperial (Cerveza-Beer) with lunch!

Some very modern banos (bathrooms) are availabe at the end of the hallway, conveniently located between the bar and the dining areas.

Since they are a Bar/Restaurante/Steakhouse...there was a variety of some higher priced dining options, but they also had a daily menu of some of the basics, like Arroyo con pollo (Rice with chicken...a very flavorful dish that our friend Jen defaults to if she is in a quandry. She said it is always good, and prepared a little differently, though excellent, in each place she has ordered it.)  Casado - plato tipico (the typical plate - which means 'marriage'...so it is a marriage of foods on one plate :), was on the menu, of course. This selection always has a variety of some staples, and as with the Arroyo con pollo, we've never had it prepared the same way twice.  We decided to try this since the price was SO REASONABLE: 2200 colones (just slightly over $4 US dollars).

The salad was shreded white and red cabbage, thin slices of cucumbers, tomatoes and cilantro, chopped chimichury on top and I believe an avocado dressing drizzled on top.  Basmati rice and black beans, of course, a roasted chicken leg (usually it is a grilled chicken breast - Pechuga) but this tasted wonderful as it fell off the bone!  A small pile of pasta with a very light marinara...it was more el fresca (sp?)...not heavy like an Italian marinara.  There are a couple of huge homemade chips on the plate for scooping, and of course, fried plantains that are yummy goodness!

We didn't realize that we got dessert included in that price, though we should have. It seems that when we order the Cosado Tipico, dessert has always been a part of the package.  It is usually something simple, like Flan, but today's delicacy, which you see above was gently sauteed Plantains in what Mark and I think tasted like a Molasses/Honey concoction, cooked to a soft caramelization.  Just enough to clean the palate and make you feel totally satisfied! 

So now that I have you drooling, I will try to end this novel.  You can see why I titled this as I did considering the wonderful service we received at lunch.  But I would briefly like to add two other small, but meaningful things that happened to us as we interacted with the Tico's and Tica's of Grecia today and receiving their good service in return.  

In my previous blog I posted a picture of the cute little lady at the Farmacia who went the extra mile to get me the righ sized sling.  She gave me her Email that day so I could send her the picture I took of her and I together.  I tried emailing her the picrture, but it would not go through. We made a point to stop there today to get the correction to her email so I could follow through with this promise.  She was in the back, so the easiest thing to do was to pull up the picture on my phone to show the other Tica who was working to whom I wished to speak.  She called to "Fenny" that she had someone to see her up front.  When this cute little lady came around the corner, she knew me right away!  It never ceases to amaze me that once you meet someone here, they are your friend for life!  Words fail to describe exactly how special it makes you feel to have them remember you like this. She then leaned over the counter and gave me the biggest hug...asked about my shoulder...and told me she hadn't received the picture.  (She's speaking Spanish, btw, and we are speaking English, but somehow we are communicating. ) LOL

It is just hitting me as I'm writing this that perhaps this is part of the prophetic word that was spoken over us twice at Convergence Church in 2008 -"you will minister to the Spanish community and language will not be a barrier!"  Since this had happened to us once already while ministering in the barios of San Antonio years ago after Mark was newly ordained we knew this was possible again. (At that time the people at Christ is My Refuge Outreach told the pastor to stop trying to translate as Mark gave his sermon cuz they were understanding every word he was saying!) 

God seems to be doing it in a new and different way here in Costa Rica. Go figure God doing something new! :)   There've been many times since our first trip in May through the end of June, and our current stay that we've found ourselves talking away with a local, and I suddenly get tickled as I realize that we are "communicating" in two different languages. -- Only God! 

Having exchanged emails properly, and after another very strong hug and the traditional kiss on the cheek from Fenny, we went on to Peri Mercado (our favorite grocery store) to get a few miscellaneous items we needed before we caught the 2 p.m. bus back to Cajon.  

We couldn't seem to locate the Oatmeal (Avena Integral) where it usally is, so we asked this cute little clerk if she could help us.  Again, we werer communicating pretty well while duelling it out between English and Spanish.  We are trying to learn their language, btw, but they are so gracious with us as we do so.  We also get a charge out of the fact that they tell us they don't speak English very well as they are conjugating verbs and not allowing their participles to dangle!

  

Anyway, she sent us to Pasillo tresero - (aisle 3) where we found ourselves among the laundry detergents and hair products, etc.  Another gringo came along to try and help us find it, and when she saw us still looking for it, she came over to figure out why we hadn't found it where she directed us. (Note:  In the USA you are lucky to find a clerk, and the standard answer you get is "I don't know....")   Come to find out, she thought Mark had said "Horina" - which is pronounced H-O-R-V-I-N-A -which is an oatmeal flour for baking.  She was so adorable as she said, "come, come...." and she pointed to the bag of flour, and again, speaking two languages, we were communicating about our misunderstanding. I took my thumb and pushed up on the edge of my upper teeth - just a humorous way of indicating our difficulty to say AVENA correctly and thus, confusing her as to what we were really looking for.  She laughed so hard when I did that, and she grabbed me in a bear hug and kissed me on the cheeks.  Oh my goodness I love these people!  No wonder they call this place GRECIA, which means "city of Grace".  I know the Lord has called us to impart His GRACE wherever we go, but it would seem that the people of Grecia have beat us to it, and they are pouring it into us in large measure!  

Grace and Peace to you all from Costa Rica,

Jeanie (and Mark....)