Amor

Love is definitely cultural. Or, por lo menos, the way that we express love is. When we first arrived here, our orientation leader put up a statistic that talked about how often couples from different countries touch. 180 for ticos. For the US? Zero. Couples here touch a lot. Actually, everyone does, but couples especially. It is weirder to see a couple not touching than if they are holding hands, kissing, hugging, or anything else. And there isn't really a difference in location. Park? Sure. House for a birthday party with the family? Why not. It just doesn't faze anyone, unlike in our culture where PDA is a little controversial at times. Even the language is different. It isn't uncommon to call your boyfriend "Mi amor" which translates to "my love". Likewise, a girlfriend is commonly called "preciosa", "mi amor", "mi vida" or any other sweet thing that someone can think of. Names even go a little farther like "mi gordito" or "mi flacito", which translate to my little fat/skinny boy.

Whenever I go out with my tico friends, I get to experience it first hand. They never finish a sentence without a "piropo" or compliment. Furthermore, despite my objections, they refuse to let me pay. It makes them actually mad if I even try.

The biggest difference for me besides being complimented all of the time is definitely the eye contact. I am known for not exactly enjoying people looking me up and down. Here, there is absolutely no stigma whatsoever. People look and even stare without problem.

I really like this part of the culture here. It is different because I´m a firm believer that chivalry in the states is for sure dead. Here, though, if you are someone´s girlfriend, you get treated like a princess. I definitely think that el amor is better here than the love up there.