After all...we're just 1's and zeros

I was thinking yesterday about the good old days, when customer service was more than a hollow mantra and really meant just that....service for the customer, because after all, we need and use a service and like to be appreciated for supporting one service offering over another. The old memory banks allowed me to remember a day in the 70's when I was looking to buy my first car and I just didn't have the money. I wanted a lemon yellow 1970 Karman Ghia that the local BMW dealer had taken in on a trade, and I had walked past the car...several times in fact...and decided this was the new mode of transportation for me. Now the KG is not really a practical car, it's low, it's a bit cramped, it has 2 doors, an anemic 1500cc motor, a stick shift and a bad radio, but after learning to drive a stick through my days at Meyer Pharmacy, I just knew it was for me, and I had no trouble negotiating a sometimes slippery clutch. The dealer wasn't interested in talking about financing and told me to speak to my banker..and I happily obliged. To my surprise, I met the bank manager who knew me, my deposit habits, and current lowly bank balance, standing at the banks front door, and after hearing my plea, he told me to come back tomorrow to sign the papers and he would personally deliver the funds to the dealer...which I did..he did..and I got the car. Now the real point is not about the car, actually it's about customer service, and I drove that car many..many miles with the Beatles booming from the 8 track. Even managed to jam the dog into the cavernous rear fold down seat/storage area, and he was happy to go wherever, as long as we stayed clear of the vet (how do dogs know that you are going to the vet?...must be a built in sensor)
The point is the service was person to person, a decision was made on the spot to help me out, and the bank made their 13% on my loan for the 2 years I had it...worked for both of us.
Flash forward to today..and a discussion I had with a client who owes me for a service I helped her with. She told me that the bank had put a hold on a few cheques she had deposited, and within 5 days (business days) the funds would clear, and I could get paid. Didn't matter that I could have used the funds today, all that really mattered was the bank had a policy which we were both subject to, and it was not up for discussion. Now I have a little bit of experience working for the great Canadian organizations and corporate giants we trust our meager earnings with, and truth be told, the bank could release the funds the same day of deposit, but a few things click in, as the teller can't make that decision (for fear of losing his/her job), the supervisor couldn't overturn the hold (for fear of losing the prestigious position of supervisor and/or his/her job), and the manager couldn't/wouldn't release the funds because it's part of his/her training to overcome objections and fall back on the tried true and trusted line.."it's the banks policy...sorry". My response was "crap", and I told my client so...who's offering service to whom? The bank now has full use of my client's money to over night invest and make a tidy profitable bit of interest on the financial markets, because after all, the bank knows your funds aren't going anywhere...for 5 business days.
When did we become just 1's and zeros?..I blame the IBM computerized bank terminal. It doesn't care you have been a customer for a very long time, that your 3 or 4 digit account number that you have had since Pearson was Prime Minister just won't work anymore, or that you are recovering from heart surgery, or you just got married, or had a birthday...no...to the IBM you are just 1s and zeros. Truth be told, you are also being watched like a hamster in a cage, by a nefarious department that operates like black ops in the bank...charting your deposit and spending habits, just in case you are part of the Medellin Cartel.....you just never know, and the banks aren't prepared to take that chance, and mess up a perfectly good billion dollar profit year! Actually, the banks would prefer you didn't bother them with your private and personal life, they would like you to use an anonymous machine stuck outside the bank, limit your withdrawals, and still hold your funds like before, except this time there isn't a staff member to ask for a second opinion...it's just business..and bank policy...sorry (well...we really aren't sorry..just don't bother us).
I read this week that the government and banks are working on a top secret plan to eliminate paper money all together....you as the happy sheep customer (because they did give you a free pen and mug) would be assigned a chipped card with all your personal information stored on a little piece of gold embedded in the card. You can have your pay cheque direct deposited (you probably do already..minus the appropriate taxes and contribution) and all your needs can be taken care of by a "tap" of the card...gas...coffee...groceries...the cinema...clothing...rent..anything that needs paying can be done through the card, no need for that messy linen sheet we now call cash, and the banks and government have a convenient way to track your life and even calculate (on a running balance) your taxes owed. At tax time your return will self generate and a convenient withdrawal will be made to your account, after the appropriate funds have been held at the appropriate time...believe it, this future is already upon us, there's just too much black market stuff going on, and everyone deep down wants to pay their share...right? In fact I have given up on the system we so desperately cling to which allows us to live our lives in a blissful form as we drive the same way to work...watch the same tv programmes...and wake up each day to do it all again. No, I won't go back to that organized social confusion, and I have given up on any hope that the good old days will return..because they can't, we are too far down the rabbit hole. I must sound like my Dad (if only I knew what he sounded like) and I will try not to embarrass my children, who luckily seem to be thinking for themselves. I will still continue to swim upstream, and feel better for it..just me being me actually.
Soon cash will be withdrawn, and there will be no room left to hide if you are a non tax paying entrepreneur...because we are really nothing more than 1's and zeros. I really don't like bankers, but they are really, really good at saying no...with a smile, and do come back again, we like to hold on to your money.
Cave felem!

The Rainy Season is Just Beginning..

Quepos was flooded last Saturday, all the locals walked around in ankle high water, but I was in San Jose looking forward to a day at the Canadian Embassy to replace my stolen passport. Surprisingly the process was fast and very simple, all except the 10 block (short walk) jaunt to have my picture taken again. Anyway, it's done and I wait, luckily I am not a temporary visitor looking forward to a real cup of Tims coffee (CR coffee makes Tims taste like the dishwater it really is). Used the Grayline bus service to go to SJ and return, 3.5 hours each way, nice air con shuttle bus with only 2 other passengers each way. Stayed at the Don Carlos again and they even gave me old room #14 again in the basement level....comfortable, not fancy, but the bed was comfy and the breakfast very nice with eggs, fruits and real toast! Back here in Quepos, the new cat in my life has decided to climb a tree and sit there...its been 2 days now and hunger hasn't motivated her enough to come down, and so I wait. Herman Meza is making a return visit, I need his translation skills to settle a little feud with Banco CR in town, as they have limited my interac w/ds to $100US...not very practical when the service charge is a couple bucks....so Herman can state my case for me. Layla, my chef and housekeeper has made a great meal for me again with the chicken empanada that she does so well. Not much to complain about other than the humidity, but the pool certainly deals with that. So for now life rolls on and I have work to do to pay the rent...and the deals still come. More to write later, as this is a work in progress. Ciao

The Story So Far

Each day that passes I realize I am "not in Kansas anymore", as the rhythm of the day progresses..calm in the early hours...heat rises and settles in at 8-12...then a period of breezes cool things down....more calm in the afternoon...finally the rain that roars on into the night. temperatures rarely stray from 24-28 degrees. Sunday tends to take on its own calm, as not much goes on in town, all the shops and businesses rest and the Catholic churches fill. I have taken in a cat from the Animal Rescue League, a female mostly calico of about 8 months of age, she kept me awake last nite as she tries to understand who I am. The food and water will help her adjust, and she is stretched out on the couch (little more than some cloth covered foam that hides the odd scorpion) and sleeps the warm afternoon away. I still haven't adjusted to the heat and humidity, but time will tell. I don't use the air con in the house, as it was designed as a Tico house with lots of open windows and doors. Yesterday I watched in amazement as millions of dragon flies flew over me, up the valley and on to who knows where...today it was red harvester ants that paraded in front of me and marched off into the grass. Didn't receive a bite as I guess I was too large a meal to drag with them. Still find lots of colourful butterflies, some yellow, some orange, some iridescent blue, and birds of amazing reds and greens. For the first time on my walk down the rock road of hell I took the time to look at plants with leaves of all shapes and sizes...strange to a city boy from Ontario.Things will be better when I get the old suv, cash being the determining time...business is progressing, and life is still pretty good. This is a work in progress..

A Life Here So Far

Well, despite what we (North Americans) think, the mosquitos aren't big enough to carry us off, and with the exception of a small scorpion, and 2 nasty looking but harmless spiders (as big as your hand spread out) I haven't encountered any super bugs. Waking up each morning is fun as I have usually been nipped by one or two, but I sleep deep, there's so much oxygen in the air. The roosters start about 4, and after 6 there isn't much point in staying in bed as the heat begins to build. But all is not well as I had my prized laptop stolen, all my pics and pirated music, mortgage files and personal notes....all gone...plus, the perps wripped the safe from the wall and got my passport ($150.00 and a trip to San Jose please..), my deactivated blackberry (Rogers...$1568.00 please...) my bus ticket to Panama for my 72 hour reentry to CR, my real Seiko, pics of B and S, and misc stuff...PLUS $2800.00US I had been squirreling away to bu a truck/suv!....ouch!! Visited the local equivalent of the FBI (I can't pronounce them...O-E-Hoto..) who took a statement and visited and took pics AFTER the door locks were changed and a new safe installed. This time I will fill it full of rocks and trust my "stuff" elsewhere, maybe dig a hole in the yard. Herman and Ana visited, was nice to have a little company, drinking caffeine again, and enjoyed a bunch of nice CR cigars (shop guarded by a tiny Chihuahua..."Cubee"). Doing a lot of reading, trying to blend in with the 5 foot 5 average and not dripping from the armpits Tica and Ticos, not doing a good job, but I was asked for directions...and of course it has finally sunk in that I am here for gallo pinto until December...and enjoying a less stressed sans Crackbery life. Those of you thinking about living away from your comfort zone, just do it and find that part of who you are that you have forgotten about. Miss a few like crazy,...you know who you are...not interested in finding a new "significant other" down here, but they are always trying, a little flattering, but sad. Going to hit the road when I get my 1988 Izusu Trooper next week, 5 speed with the crappy 2.6 Mitsubishi motor I sold at Chrysler, but seems to run OK, and at $3500.00 it was a bargain, as stuff costs 3-4 times what you're used to.
 Back to the web to work a new deal, I pray all of you back home stay well...me?,...I think the pool first!
This is a work in progress

Days 1 to 12

Decided to spend a few days in San Jose, met up with my good friend Herman Meza (super guide) and we toured the town, and went to Castros with a few friends and karaoked the nite away. I was still in a delayed shock as I finally realized this would be my home/host country until year end. The city of San Jose is beautiful, full of architectural treasures, lots of good food and places to eat, a few places to be wary of, moderate weather (never goes over 30), and opportunities abound. I had rented a home on the hill in Quepos, said good bye to Herman, and took a NatureAir flight on Sunday Aug 1st. Thru the rain, over the mountains, and a safe landing where I met Tom Barron, my new property manager. He was good enough to get me settled, up a long rock road, to a comfortable tico home with a small pool, sporadic internet, and now Layla to cook and tidy up allowing me to concentrate on the future. The problem is...I don't know what I want the future to look like, but then again, if I could read the future I would be at the track. This blog won't have any real revelations I think, but perhaps a few suggestions to other 50 somethings planning to set down roots. So far, pretty good, coffee's great and addictive, cigars more so, and I think it's time for a swim. More later, this is a work in progress.