Highlights: October - November 1

It's Holloween in the U.S.!! I miss it!! no pumpkin by my apt. ...

° AACUE (Acuerdo de Asociación entre Centroamérica y la Unión Europea/
The Treaty between the European Union Central America):

The first formal rounds of the AACUE took place in Escazú at the Hotel Intercontinental, about 45 minutes from the center of San José.

[Escazú, by the way, is a suburban area within the "province" of San José. Several of my colleagues live there and commute into San José. U.S. food and retail chains populate the avenues in and out of the city. The U.S. and British Ambassador live there. Go to this link to find out why the symbol of Escazú is a witch! http://escazucostarica.com/]

For weeks, I had been trying to get an appointment with the Chief Negotiator (RE) from Costa Rica. The appt. was "pending" for Oct. 29th. But then we phoned and found out he was leaving for Belgium for a month on that day. I was reeeally disappointed. We made several more calls, and he agreed to meet with me from 9am to 9:30 in the lobby of the hotel on the last day of the meetings. So we (The Institute) managed to get a UCR driver to take me there. We're half-way there, and I ask the driver, "Aren't we going to Escazú?" (...because the route did not look right!). So the driver says, "Aren't you meeting him at the Hotel Cariari Intercontinental?" Well, the answer to that was, no. It was 8:50 am and we were totally in the wrong direction, sitting in traffic heading for Heredia, by the airport. So...I phone the Hotel on the driver's cell phone to talk with someone from RE's entourage, and explain how embarrassed and stupid I felt, and was there any way I could still meet him. RE had to be back in meetings at 9:30 and we were at least 20 minutes away. Sooo...we get to the correct Hotel, and I literally run through the lobby; find his assistant; and am whisked to his meeting room, where he is sitting with others and waiting for me. As it turned out, it was a great 10 minutes, and he promised a longer appt. before I left for the States. If ever a background in marketing helped me in other situations, it helped me most here. I began my conversation with why I felt he would be interested in the findings of my research as background and context for the negotiations. We talked about infrastructure issues and negotiating styles. I would have loved to have the l/2 hour, but I was grateful for the 10 minutes.

° Weather: The weather is starting to change a little--there are not so many heavy rainstorms in the afternoon. October is the real "winter" here. It actually felt like autumn on some of the rainy days. I am looking forward to a Costa Rican summer, but that will not happen to late November, early December, just about when I have to leave.

Highlights: October 1 - 12

Among the noteworthy events in this time period...

~Oct. 7: TLC (or DR-CAFTA as we know it) passes!! BUT, by a very slim margin. It was a priviledge to be here while the process was taking place; I felt a sort of kinship, as it was a democratic process I understood. No propaganda was allowed all day Sunday nor the day before. I've decided not to discuss this issue and the political ramifications in the blog, but expect to have the opportunity to do so in charlas (talks) when I get back.

~ Oct. 8: I was invited to present a talk on the subject of globalizaation to students and faculty in the Humanities. In the question and answer period that followed, I was asked to comment on U.S. foreign policy, the Bush administration, and more. I wasn't expecting that, but I was prepared! Talking about one's home country in a foreign country from a standpoint of neutrality is quite the challenge. I always begin by saying that in a country of over 300,000,000 people, no one is a representative voice for all. Stereotypical views of the US is another charla that I expect to do when I am back home. The value of the Fulbright, in my view, is that it is an opportunity to present perspectives that are not presented in the news and (hopefully) foster improved understanding between nations and cultures.

~ Oct. 9: Dos Pinos (Cooperatora de Productores de Leche Dos Pinos, in Alajuela). Visited the largest producer of lactose products in Costa Rica and among the top exporters in the region. The facilities occupy about 25 hectares of land (1 hectare is 10,000 sq. meters & 1 meter is 3.28 ft). So do the math to appreciate how big this place is! Its products, from personal experience, are yummy--The bests yogurt I've ever eaten, excellent cheeses, and my favorite ice cream pop is their chocolate with coffee ice cream inside. I met with the Director of International Marketing and the Director of Logistics for the purposes of my Fulbright research. This was a very valuable interview.

~ Oct. 11: Intel (Latin American corporate office, in Heredia). By now certain themes regarding logistics and more are being validated across industries. This means I am ready to start writing research results.

[Oh, about the interview transcripts...I am hiring work study students from
the Institute to type them. So I am up to date. All I need to do is read
through them all and color code for prevailing themes. Lots to do...]

I interviewed 2 individuals: the Logistics Manager and Special Projects (Logistics) involved in all areas excepting raw materials inbound. High security was experienced here going in and going out, and no tape recording or photos were allowed. It's understandable.

I stayed in Heredia that evening and took the opportunity to visit some friends of friends and eat gallo pinto (see "Food"), and torta chilena (a yummy, sweet, filo dough type layered dessert with caramel between the layers.) Of course, Costa Rican coffee accompanied the dessert. By now I've given up on decaffeinated and have succumbed to drinking the real thing because it is so rico.

~Oct. 12: Al Gore receives the Nobel Prize. That felt good for many reasons.