Seeing as this is my first time to travel internationally, Costa Rica has made quite the impression on me. Both the beauty of this country and the beauty of their culture is truly like nothing I have ever experienced before.
Our first day here our flight got in after the sun had set so I wasn’t able to see the beauty of Costa Rica. The next day however we took a bus from San Jose to Jaco Beach, and this is where I first got to fully observe the scenery of Costa Rica. It was nothing like I had ever experienced before. All of the scenery was green and there were mountains off in the distance and different types of fruit in the trees. It was breathtaking to say the least. Anytime we are on the bus I find myself gazing out the window observing the different styles of houses and the many different flowers. I have seen so many different colors of hydrangeas which we don’t see much of in Texas.
The way business operates in Costa Rica is different from the way business is operated in the United States. I was able to observe this within the first couple of hours of our plane landing. After we all went through customs and left the airport, we headed to our hotel. We put our stuff up in our rooms then decided to head downstairs for a bite to eat in the hotel lobby. There were 18 of us wanting to eat dinner so we all sat down and placed our orders. From the moment we sat down to the moment we paid our tabs, took well over two and a half hours. After we all had finished eating our meals, we sat for about an hour before our checks were brought. The waitress never came back to how we were doing or anything like that. To me this was extremely different from what I am used to. In the United States, most waiters and waitresses are working for tips. Because of this, they are always working fast, turning their tables and checking on their guests. In Costa Rica, the locals like to call it “Tico time” which means take it easy and don’t rush. Very much different compared to what I am used to, let’s just say my patience was tested a little bit this first night. Now though after being here for a couple more days I have gotten more used to Tico time.
One company and cultural visit that stood out to me was Bici Chocolate. I am first going to talk about the cultural side of Bici Chocolate because it really affects the way Andres operates his business. When we first arrived at Bici Chocolate, Andres greeted us with a smile and welcomed us all to his place of work. He then invited the group to all take a seat making a circle. He then explained the importance of the cocoa bean and how it is often seen as sacred. We then performed a ritual and drank hot chocolate to symbolize the power of the cocoa bean. This means we started our new year feeling cleansed. Andres has so much respect for the cocoa and what it provides for him. I could really observe this through the ceremony and how he talked about cocoa. Because of the sacredness of the cocoa, we were really able to see how this impacted his business. In our pre-departure meetings, we discussed Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions. One of the largest differences between Costa Rica and the United States was dealing with motivation towards achievement and success. The scale ranged from liking what you do on one side and wanting to be the best on the other. On the scale, Costa Rica scored within the first quartile of liking what you do. While the United States was 41 points above them, scoring much closer to wanting to be the best. Knowing all of this information, I was able to see it play out with Bici Chocolate. Andres combined his passion for biking and chocolate and really just pursued something he found great joy in. One of the questions the group asked Andres was, “Who is your biggest competitor?” He kind of laughed and said “Hershey’s.” To me, his response wasn’t one of malicious intent. In the United States we strive to be better than the competition. While in Costa Rica they are all striving for their passions. Even in the gift shop, Andres was selling products from friends of his. I have no idea if he receives a commission, but I am pretty certain he would sell them regardless of a commission because that is just the kind of person he is.
I have had a great time in Costa Rica thus far. I cannot wait visit with more companies and more locals and really emerge myself in what is to come.
