Greasy Palms
Things are settling back down and sorting themselves out. I think I've found a new mechanic, a gringo owns the joint. I was able to speak to the Tico manager in English as he grew up in the US. I bring the Merc in Tuesday when they'll do the tests based on what I told them yesterday, and they assure me they can get the parts. Bad news: I've got a bad lifter. When I decide to fix that it'll cost a pretty penny.
It's incredibly difficult these days to start a business here in Costa Rica without plenty of cash and big plans. You read about corruption in Latin American countries, but you have no idea how pervasive it is in the culture. I've read plenty of dispatches and reports about Iraq and other points Middle East, and how business is done there, but it dawns on me that it is not much better here. With my current experience I have a new appreciation for how hard it is to do business as an American in Iraq, and what kind of a job it's going to be to get them to change their ways.
In the States it would be totally out of line to be a worker at the DMV to offer a license to somebody as a favor. If caught, the perpetrator would at the least lose their job, and probably face other charges. Here, it's a matter of pride to be able to offer such a service. My girlfriend, a native Portuguese speaker, failed the written test badly, but was offered a pass if she'd go out to dinner with the guy administering the test. Thankfully (from my point of view) she declined. The tester wound up taking his second choice out.
But that's not the end. She made friends (as Brazilians are wont to do) with a woman that works as a secretary for one of the big shots. Two weeks later she took the test again in pencil, got an even worse score, and passed. I bought a bottle of 18 year old Johnny Walker Gold (which I didn't even know existed-and for you other ignorant folk out there there's a green label as well) as a gift. Next Friday she'll drive 100 meters for the practical portion. No muss, no fuss. The big guy also has other friends in high places, namely at Migracion, which could also come in useful.
It's also difficult for a foreigner to open a bank account here. I've been trying for 8 months. After the second former President was indicted for graft (skimming a cell phone contract from a foreign firm), the banks got together and tightened the rules for foreigners in order to avoid the legislature passing a real law. But, of course, there is competition, and some banks are finding a way around things. I now have two letters of recommendation in my hands that attest to my upstanding ways, which I will parlay into a bank account sometime next week. I also now have a 'friend' that works at one of the airlines, which translates into cheap seats.
A report was just released by the World Economic Forum that criticizes Costa Rica's business practices, including the graft. As a matter of fact, pretty much all of the criticism can be brought back to the problem of graft. Costa Rica placed 64th in the rankings, right behind El Salvador. It was in 50th place last year. I certainly picked the wrong year to come.
Back in the day, this might not have been as big a problem as it is now, reason being that prices are high. It's typical to pay 150% of US prices, or more, for anything from a television, to a computer, to a car. A thirty thousand dollar car will run you $45-50K, and to import one yourself in the end will cost you double the US price, plus the cost of plates, which are based on the price of the car (at the higher import rate). This also translates into thievery (as my loss of laptop, camera, cell phone and sunglasses a couple of weeks ago will attest). My three-year-old, 2-Megapixel Powershot camera, which new cost a couple hundred bucks, will fetch at least a hundred bucks now at the local 'flea market.' And there is no shortage of willing buyers, even though every one of them will know that it was stolen.
Be that as it may, I'm here until at least May first, which is when my lease expires. I've broached business propositions with three or four people, none of which have panned out. In this climate you can't go it alone until you know the ropes, which could take years, and a black eye or two. Problem is, trust is hard to come by as everyone expects everyone else to be out for themselves. Long term thinking seems to be in short supply, and it's all about the quick buck, before somebody else makes that buck off of you.
