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New Year is nearly here and that means a whole new list of resolutions. New Year always feels like a new beginning, and hence a lot of opportunities. Everything seems possible! This is also a great time to reflect on the past year, and understand what needs to change in the coming year. This is a time to make New Year’s resolutions. But, most of us find it hard to keep up with our resolutions. One of the biggest reasons why resolutions fail is setting big goals and then feeling overwhelmed by the pressure of achieving them. But not in 2025! This year let’s set small and achievable goals. For this, I bring you 10 New Year’s resolution ideas for those living in Costa Rica and also some tips on how to achieve them. Let’s get started! 10 Achievable 2025 Goals 1. Exercise More This is one of the most common New Year resolutions people make. But this is also one of the hardest to stick to. For this, start small. Consistency and making small changes are key to achieving your goal. If you...

Umeå University in Sweden invites application for vacant PhD, Postdoc and Faculty Positions, a university in Umeå in the mid-northern region of Sweden, Sweden. Stress response modelling in IceLab: PhD position in computational science to uncover how ecological communities respond to climate-induced stress Application deadline 2025-02-16 2025-02-16 Show description Stress response modelling in IceLab: PhD […]

PhD Scholarships at Chalmers University of Technology, a Swedish university located in Gothenburg, Sweden. 20240633 PhD student position in Network Security 31/03/2025 20240731 PhD student in large-scale design of superconducting quantum computers 16/03/2025 20240704 PhD position in terahertz electronics for life science applications 16/03/2025 20240663 PhD position: Quantum experiments with levitated particles 16/03/2025 20240656 Excellence […]

Wildflower fans love collecting  Santa Lucía  ( Ageratum  spp.) for the home and garden, while visitors to Costa Rica also delight in their pastel-blue flowers, which carpet many pastures around the country. Costa Ricans are fond of Santa Lucía flowers, too, and have an interesting tradition of bestowing bouquets of these flowers to friends during the New Year to ensure prosperity. Another version goes like this: When you receive a bouquet, place a sprig of dried flowers in your wallet or purse, and you will always have a steady supply of cash on hand. By the way, you have to receive  Santa Lucía flowers for this to work; you just can’t go out and pick them yourself. You may be grinning with disbelief, but all I can say is that it sure has worked for me! Santa Lucía is easy to identify by its flowers, which are actually a composite of many flowers bunched together – a characteristic of the aster family. If you look very closely, the “petals” are actually little ...

The Costa Rican legal system offers a robust framework for resolving disputes, reflecting our country’s dedication to justice and the rule of law. Whether addressing personal, commercial, or administrative conflicts, the litigation in Costa Rica ensures transparency, fairness, and adherence to strict procedural standards. The system accommodates both local and international parties seeking to protect their rights. CPG Legal, a Costa Rican law firm with extensive expertise, provides comprehensive representation to guide clients through the complexities of litigation in the country.  Filing a lawsuit is a significant decision that requires careful planning. We have extensive procedural litigation experience, providing comprehensive legal services for individuals and businesses.  Costa Rica’s Legal Framework Costa Rica’s legal system is essentially coded in laws, and jurisprudence is used to interpret and integrate the law.  The judiciary is structured into various leve...

Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino paid tribute to former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who died Sunday at age 100, highlighting his crucial role in returning the Panama Canal to Panamanian control, even as former U.S. President Donald Trump threatens to reclaim the strategic waterway. “His time in the White House marked complex times, which for Panama were crucial in managing to negotiate and agree on the Torrijos-Carter Treaties in 1977,” Mulino stated on social media platform X. “Through these treaties, we achieved the transfer of the Canal to Panamanian hands and our country’s full sovereignty. Peace to his soul.” The Panama Canal, constructed by the United States and opened in 1914, was transferred to Panamanian control on December 31, 1999, following the historic 1977 treaties signed by Carter and Panamanian nationalist leader Omar Torrijos. The 80-kilometer waterway, which handles 5% of international maritime trade, has become vital to Panama’s economy, contributing 6% to the ...

Concordia University in Canada invites application for vacant Research and Academic Positions, an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Network Systems Administrator Requisition ID: 1824 – Posted on 12/20/2024 – Sir George Williams (Downtown)CUPEU  –  Full-Time Select Action Assistant, Health Services Requisition ID: 1780 – Posted on 12/20/2024 – Sir George Williams (Downtown)CUSSU  –  Full-Time Select Action Senior Business Analyst, HRIS Requisition ID: 1758 – Posted on 12/20/2024 – Sir George Williams (Downtown)HR POLICIES  –  Full-Time […]

This was around ten years ago, so the details of the beginning of the day are a little fuzzy. My wife and I, in all of our kidless glory, were on a no-reason vacation to a goat farm on top of a mountain. We had a few days to explore the area and, as it has been since we started dating, it was up to my wife to layout the plan for the day. She wanted to explore Irazu Volcano, and my response to that proposal was a pure stink face. I don’t know why. I think I was being fussy for fussy’s sake. She wanted to see some sort of green, volcanic-soup lake in the volcano’s crater, and I was simply against it in a way that I now see reflected in my sons’ responses to just about anything my wife and I suggest that we do. Of course, as any married man knows, the correct outcome to such a stalemate is a long drive to look at a lake in a volcano. So we left. The ride up the volcano was mostly uneventful. Our aged SUV struggled up the looping turns, ever upward. At one point just over a little bridg...

Now that the dry season is upon us, it’s a great time to plant and harvest those delicious home-garden tomatoes. Hot, dry days are optimal for growing tomatoes in Costa Rica. That’s because these plants are very susceptible to leaf diseases in the rainy season. Since there’s no rain now, you can plant tomatoes and water the soil, rather than the plants, to get a bumper crop of tomatoes. Try to get your tomato seeds planted now in flats; within a month or so, they’ll be ready for planting in the garden or in large containers around the house. During the dry season almost any variety of tomato will do well, but we prefer cherry tomatoes, which are hardy and resistant to bug attacks. These varieties also do well in large pots, which can be placed on porches and eaves in attractive macramé hangers, to produce a cascade of ripe, delicious tomatoes at a hand’s reach from the kitchen. “Florida Basket” and “Gardener’s Delight” are two excellent varieties. In the garden, plant your tomatoes i...

University of British Columbia in Canada invites application for vacant Postdoctoral and Faculty Positions, a public research university with campuses in Vancouver and Kelowna, British Columbia. Postdoctoral Research Fellow – One Health and Avian InfluenzalocationsUBC Off-Campus Hospital Sitesposted onPosted 8 Days Ago JR19512 Research AssociatelocationsUBC Vancouver Campusposted onPosted 8 Days Ago JR19541 Postdoctoral Research FellowlocationsUBC […]

In a significant boost to Costa Rica’s international connectivity, Avianca Airlines has announced plans to launch direct flights between San José and Miami as part of its broader expansion across Florida. The new route, scheduled to begin operations in 2025, will increase travel options for both business travelers and tourists between the two cities. The Miami-San José connection is one of five new routes announced by the Latin American carrier, which aims to strengthen its presence in Florida. The expansion will bring Avianca’s total direct routes from Florida to Latin America to 16, reinforcing its position as a leading airline in the region. “Florida has historically been a key gateway for connections to Latin America,” said Frederico Pedreira, CEO of Avianca. “These new routes address the needs of our customers and provide an opportunity to offer more direct flights to key destinations in both regions where we already have a strong presence.” The announcement comes as Avianca r...

Here’s a healthy idea for the New Year: make green juices for boosting your health and vitality. Everyone can take advantage of these healthy drinks, which provide many of the nutrients we need for good health.  You can purchase greens in the markets, or better yet, grow them at home. No matter if you live in an apartment or a ranch in Costa Rica, it’s easy to grow a potted Mediterranean kitchen garden on a porch or balcony. All you need to start are planting pots or recycled containers, good potting soil, seeds and perhaps a table to display your plants. Here’s a basic recipe to get started making your own green juices at home . Let’s begin with coriander, known as culantro in Costa Rica. It’s the queen of the garden herbs and is packed with nutrients like vitamin A and C, magnesium and potassium. It also contains antioxidants, which can help to prevent chronic degenerative diseases. This green also helps to remove toxins from the body, such as heavy metals like lead and mercu...

Dengue has posed a public health risk in Costa Rica. The Ministry of Health predicts that by the end of 2024, there will be over 30,000 cumulative dengue cases. This means that 2024 is the second year with an increase in reported cases since 2013, which saw a record high of nearly 50,000 diagnoses. Roberto Castro, director of the Epidemiology Unit at the Ministry of Health, indicated that the anticipated trends of this disease since the year’s start made him predict an even more severe situation. The specialist noted that 2024 started with an atypical surge of cases in Alajuela and San José, prompting him to anticipate a year marked by a high incidence of this illness. “Upon examining the case curve that was shown at the start of the year, it appeared to indicate that it would be a dreadful year, particularly considering that we have experienced slightly more than a year of the four dengue serotypes circulating in Costa Rica,” he clarified. The Ministry of Health has executed various...

Harvard University in United States invites application for vacant Postdoc and Academic Positions, a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, United States. Biomedical Informatics Curriculum Fellow Harvard Medical School The Harvard Medical School Curriculum Fellows Program (HMS CFP) is seeking applications for a Biomedical Informatics Curriculum Fellow (CF) for the Department of Biomedical Informatics. […]

PhD Scholarships at Monash University, a public research university based in Melbourne, Australia. Position Location Level / Salary Closes PhD Scholarship – Modelling the social and political drivers of net zero transitions Clayton campus The PhD opportunity is based at Monash Sustainable Development Institute (MSDI) and will support a research project funded by the Australian […]

Guanacaste Airport, part of the VINCI Airports network, in collaboration with the Costa Rica Tourism Board, inaugurated three new direct flight routes from major U.S. cities on Saturday, December 21. Alaska Airlines introduced two new West Coast connections. The first-ever direct flight from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) arrived at 7:29 a.m., carrying 155 passengers, with a return flight departing at 10:00 a.m. with 136 passengers. The San Francisco (SFO) route landed at 6:03 p.m. with 167 passengers, departing at 6:43 p.m. Both routes will operate weekly on Saturdays. “These new destinations will connect more passengers from the West Coast to the Gold Coast of our beloved Costa Rica,” said Yarelliz Porras, Operations Manager for Alaska Airlines. The airline has been serving Liberia since 2015. Delta Airlines launched its new Boston service with an A321neo aircraft carrying 184 passengers, arriving at 12:39 p.m. and departing at 1:50 p.m. This seasonal route will operat...

At Christmas time in Costa Rica, Nativity scenes, or portales , come in all different shapes and sizes, with just as many variations in the way they are created. The scenes are a material representation of the birth of Jesus and the arrival of the Three Kings, or Wise Men. The Tico Times visited a woman who has a collection of 94 different nativity sets from countries all over the world. A resident of the western San José neighborhood of Rohrmoser, she owns nativity scenes from countries throughout the Americas, as well as Ireland, Romania, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Georgia, Armenia and Spain – and Costa Rica, of course. Each piece is unique, made from materials ranging from ceramics, clay and wood, to silver, pewter and glass. One of the Peruvian nativity sets has a tapir and a zaino instead of the common mule and ox. As Oreamuno’s interest in Nativity scenes became known among her family and friends, they began bringing her portales they picked up during their travels, or sou...

According to Costa Rican health authorities, 2,939 people have presented vape-related disorders between January and October. Adolescents and young adults are the most affected by smoking-related diseases. Data also shows an alarming increase in the use of vapes, driven by the attractive image that the industry has projected onto these products, making them seem harmless. However, Johns Hopkins Medicine has warned about the risks of vaping . Research shows it is harmful to the heart and lungs, as it is linked to chronic lung disease and asthma, among other diseases. Nydia Amador, president of the National Anti-Tobacco Network (RENATA), explained the risks associated with vaping. She pointed out that those who vape can experience different symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, sore throat, nosebleeds, chest pain, and even bronchitis and pneumonitis. Many people who use vapes initially did so in an attempt to quit smoking conventional cigarettes. However, many vape liquids contain mu...

Indiana University in United States invites application for vacant Postdoc and Faculty Positions, a public research university in Bloomington, Indiana, United States, its largest university. Postdoctoral Researcher in Ice-Sheet Dynamics The Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Indiana University invites applicants for a post‐doctoral research position under the supervision of Dr. David Lilien. The […]

The University of Luxembourg in Luxemburg invites application for vacant PhD, Postdocs and Academic Positions, a public research university with an international university in Luxembourg. Job Title Contract type Manager of the LCSB Disease Modelling and Screening Platform Fixed Term Contract Associate Professor (promotion track) of European Law Academic – Permanent Postdoctoral Researcher – RiGA […]

Tempere University in Finland invites application for vacant PhD, and Postdoc Positions, is one of the largest and most popular universities in Finland. Job title Application period ends Faculty/Unit Doctoral Researcher (Extended Reality and Media Architecture) / Väitöskirjatutkija (Laajennettu todellisuus ja media-arkkitehtuuri) 2025-02-10 Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences Doctoral Researcher (Intersemiotic Translation in […]

Driving to the Universidad Nacional in December was a family tradition for my daughter and me. Under the solstice sun and trade winds, Allison and I walked around the forestry school’s Christmas tree nursery in Heredia, north of San José, until we found a sapling with the right height and form. Back at home, decorated with ornaments that were family heirlooms, our tree sparkled with colors and brought a wonderful aroma to the house. Like us, thousands of families in Costa Rica take the trees into their homes as a requisite for the Yuletide celebration. But I wonder how many of them know that our Costa Rican Christmas tree boasts a fascinating history and an ancient symbolism that go beyond our borders. One of the first fascinating, albeit curious, aspects of its history is its scientific name, Cupressus lusitanicus . The epithet lusitanicus in Latin means “from Lusitania,” or Portugal. Yet the tree isn’t from there, meaning the scientist who named it made a fair-sized mistake. Two e...

Costa Rica is home to 93 species of sharks and rays, representing 8% of the global diversity of these marine animals. However, over half of these species (56%) are endangered. Locally, they face challenges such as high fishing pressure, lack of information, illegal fishing, and limited resources for monitoring and control. On Tuesday, December 3, 2024, LCI Veritas University, in collaboration with its BIOMOL Laboratory, hosted a scientific event to address shark conservation in Costa Rica. The event brought together leading experts, students, and the public, highlighting the urgent need to protect endangered shark species and safeguard marine biodiversity. Mario Espinoza, a biologist and researcher at the Center for Marine Sciences and Limnology Research of the University of Costa Rica (CIMAR UCR), presented an updated overview of the threats facing sharks in the region. He underscored the importance of sharks in maintaining healthy marine ecosystems and the critical need for regiona...

Christmas one hundred and seven years ago meant Christmas trees with real candles, women in long skirts and petticoats, and men with waxed mustaches and pocket watches. In the Christian world, it was a time to celebrate. But in the 27 miles of trenches crossing France, it looked to be a dismal holiday. The war that would one day be known as World War I was only four months old, but it had already produced casualties. Life in the trenches, six feet deep in frozen mud, was far from comfortable. Soldiers had to endure snipers, machine-gun and artillery fire, and a condition known as Trench Foot from standing and walking in ice-cold water at the bottom of the trenches. In some places the opposing armies were only thirty yards apart. Still, Christmas was meaningful even to the troops in the trenches of both sides. Packages from London and Glasgow and Berlin and Dresden arrived for sons, brothers, husbands and sweethearts along with letters of cheer. They could at least enjoy plum pud...

Frankfurt School of Finance & Management in Germany invites application for vacant Academic Positions, a private university with a right to award doctorates, recognized under Hesse’s Higher Education Act. Programm-Manager (w/m/d)Executive EducationBerufserfahreneVollzeit IT-Systemadministrator (m/w/d) mit Schwerpunkt M365 Cloud und InformationssicherheitITBerufserfahreneVollzeit Full-Stack Software-Engineer (f/m/d)ITBerufserfahreneVollzeit Programme Assistant (f/m/d)Executive EducationBerufserfahreneAbsolventen / BerufseinsteigerVollzeit Website Assistant (f/m/d)MarketingWebsite ManagementBerufserfahreneAbsolventen / BerufseinsteigerVollzeit Planning […]

When we moved to Costa Rica 12+ years ago, my new job managing a small non-profit brought us to a little beach town in Guanacaste. Life here has been good. Stunning beaches. Abundant nature and wildlife. Beautiful culture. Nice people. Delicious food. An overall slower pace of life. However, there are some things that are lacking in Guanacaste. An embassy. A children’s hospital. Medical specialists. Museums. Decent shopping. As a result, our little family has had to make more than our fair share of San Jose trips over the years. While there are several options for making this trip, including a domestic flight on a tiny plane (no thanks says my anxiety), public bus (a very bad, very long Greyhound experience in the US scarred me permanently from this option), or a pricey private transfer, we generally opt to drive ourselves. We make the trek about a dozen times a year, and I’ll share a few highlights of our lessons learned after more than a decade of traversing the InterAmericana and H...

Humboldt University of Berlin in Germany invites application for vacant Students Assistants and Research Positions, a public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin, Germany. Besondere AusschreibungenAttraktive Führungsposition: Expert*in für die Digitalisierung von Verwaltungsprozessen und SAP gesucht! Vizepräsident Haushalt, Personal und Technik – Stabsstelle Digitale Verwaltung / SAPKennziffer : AN/299/24Bewerbung bis: 15.01.25ProfessurenW3-Professur für Bodenkunde Lebenswissenschaftliche Fakultät, […]

The Costa Rican fishing industry faces significant challenges as the Comptroller General’s Office (CGR) reveals serious deficiencies in the controls implemented by the Costa Rican Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture ( INCOPESCA ) and the Costa Rican Petroleum Refinery ( RECOPE ). These government agencies are responsible for providing fuel at competitive prices to the national non-sport fishing fleet, a critical resource for supporting the livelihoods of coastal communities. During the study period, INCOPESCA granted subsidies to 1,393 beneficiaries, while RECOPE delivered a total of 40 million liters of fuel, corresponding to sales of ₡15,338 million (approximately $28.5 million USD). This benefit is essential for Costa Rica’s coastal regions, where fishing drives local economies and employment. However, the CGR report highlights weaknesses that undermine transparency, control, and the efficient use of this subsidy, jeopardizing its intended purpose. The CGR uncovered evidence of...

Amnesty International (AI) stated this Tuesday that no one is safe in Nicaragua from the “repressive model” imposed by Daniel Ortega’s government, which threatens human rights in an “unprecedented” way.”Repression in Nicaragua leaves no one safe,” said Ana Piquer, AI’s Americas Director, quoted in a statement. “From indigenous leaders, journalists, human rights defenders, and anyone seen as a risk to government policies, the authorities continue to consolidate the climate of fear where dissent is punished with imprisonment, exile, or disappearance,” she added. Since the anti-government protests of 2018, which Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, consider a U.S.-promoted coup attempt, hundreds of people “have been unjustly imprisoned” and thousands have been forced into exile, AI stated.At least 300 people died in the protests, according to the UN. The humanitarian organization urged Ortega’s government to “immediately stop all repressive practices,” guarantee human...

The European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Germany invites application for vacant Postdoctoral Positions, a molecular biology research institution in Germany. Research Scientist – Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Staff Member at Rome, Italy Closes 31 December 2024 |  Grading: Commensurate (Monthly salary starting at €3,846 after tax but excl. pension & insurances) + benefits Research Technician/ Laboratory Officer Staff Member at EMBL […]