October 2, 2007

Celebrating Seniors: President Oscar Arias (center) yesterday celebrated International Older Persons' Day with a trip to the Melico Salazar Theater, where he praised this sector of Costa Rican society for its contributions.

Playtime: Children and adults in downtown San José yesterday broke in six new pieces of exercise equipment donated by the Chinese-Costa Rican Chamber of Industry and Trade.

Mónica Quesada | Tico Times

First Costa Rican Ambassador to China Presents Credentials

Scotiabank Costa Rica Completes
Transformation of Interfin

By Peter Krupa
Tico Times Staff | pkrupa@ticotimes.net

Scotiabank Costa Rica officially completed its integration with Corporación Interfin yesterday with a dramatic inauguration ceremony at its new headquarters in Sabana Norte, on the west side of San José.

The bank acquired Interfin last year for around $300 million and completed the merger in September 2006. The completed integration means Scotiabank has finished converting Interfin's 25 branches to the Scotiabank brand.

It also means Scotiabank has moved into Interfin's headquarters north of La Sabana park, as the sea of red-shirted employees and the cutting away of a shroud from the building's brand new Scotiabank logo demonstrated yesterday morning.

“Right now we are witnesses to a very important moment in the history of private banking in Costa Rica,” said Scotiabank Costa Rica manager Luis Liberman.

Scotiabank entered the Costa Rican market in 1995. The acquisition of Interfin makes it the largest private bank in the country, holding $1.93 billion in assets, $206 million in equity and $1.45 billion in outstanding loans.

After moving into Interfin's infrastructure, Scotiabank now operates 42 branches and 80 automatic teller machines, all run by 1,300 employees. Liberman said the bank plans to add another 15 branches during the next few years.

Exercise Equipment Gets People
Moving in Downtown San José

By Amanda Roberson
Tico Times Staff | aroberson@ticotimes.net

A playground of sorts for kids of all ages attracted passersby yesterday in downtown San José, thanks to a donation of six pieces of exercise equipment by the Chinese-Costa Rican Chamber of Industry and Trade.

The yellow and blue apparatus are stationed in the Plaza de Garantias Sociales, behind the giant Social Security System (Caja) building. Many resemble machines one might find in a gym or see advertised on late-night TV infomercials, but they're simpler, made out of metal and powered totally by human force.

“It's fun because you get to do exercise,” said 12-year-old Diana Madrigal as she hoisted herself back and forth on a contraption resembling a rowing machine.

Madrigal was one of a gaggle of children who yesterday discovered this new urban attraction and enjoyed it as if it were a playground built just for them. Nearby, cars honked, vendors hawked snacks and lottery tickets, and life went on as usual in this busy city.

Lottery vendor Juana Picada took a break from her table to try a piece of equipment with a disk and handles that make its user twist and turn when standing on it.

“It's nice, but I don't have enough time for it,” she said, laughing and twisting away in her frilly street vendor's apron.

The chamber donated the equipment to the San José Municipality as part of San José Possible, an effort to “rescue” the city and turn it into a safe, attractive place to spend time, according to a statement from the municipality. It came from China and is based on the principals of Tai Chi.

If this project proves successful, the municipality says it will consider installing exercise equipment in other spots around the city.

Vice-President Debates CAFTA

By Gillian Gillers
Tico Times Staff | ggillers@ticotimes.net

First Costa Rican Ambassador
to China Presents Credentials

Costa Rica's first ambassador to China, Antonio Burgués, presented his credentials to Chinese President Hu Jintao yesterday during celebrations of the 58 th anniversary of the People's Republic of China.

Burgués expressed excitement over his new post, and Hu said he's just as eager to see bilateral collaboration between the two countries. Burgués will preside over Costa Rica's first embassy in China; the two countries established diplomatic relations in June (TT, June 8).

Hu offered his assistance with anything needed to prepare for the visit of President Oscar Arias to China Oct. 22.

During Arias' visit, he's scheduled to sign eight agreements on a viability study for an eventual free-trade agreement, investment, development of commercial zones and other matters.

China hopes Costa Rica will serve as an entryway into Central America. Many countries in the region maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan; Costa Rica broke ties with this country when it partnered with China in June.

Costa Rica seeks to export high-quality coffee, banana, processed food products and ornamental plants to China.

“With 17 investment agreements with various countries and about 20 free-trade agreements, Costa Rica offers optimal conditions to become a base for trade operations for China in Central America,” said Costa Rican Foreign Trade Minister Marco Ruiz.

In 2006, Costa Rica exported $1 billion worth of goods to China and imported $618.

-ACAN-EFE

Grow Your Own Bug Repellent with Citronella

Common Name: Citronella grass

Spanish Name: Citronela

Latin Name: Cymbopogon nardus and C. winterianus

Family: Poaceae

Geo-distribution: Originating in southern Asia, citronella is a fragrant grass that has adapted to most tropical countries around the world. It grows well in the coastal and mid-range elevations of Costa Rica.

Botanical Description: Both citronella and lemon grass are members of the Poaceae family and are similar in appearance. However, citronella has a stronger aromatic scent, which most of us are familiar with as citronella oil. Citronella grows much taller (two meters) than lemon grass, and the stems are red at the base of the plant. These plants produce long, flowering stems, which produce seeds annually.

Uses: Citronella oil is obtained from different Cymbopogon species. It is also present in several other plants, including geraniums and basil. The principal compounds of citronella oil are geraniol and citronellol, which are used in perfumes, household disinfectants and soaps, as well as insect repellents. Taiwan, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Brazil, China, Sri Lanka, India, Argentina, Ecuador, Madagascar, Mexico and the West Indies are leading producers of citronella oil.

Preparation:

Household cleaner and disinfectant. Boil several chopped stems of citronella and three lemon rinds in two liters of water. Cool, strain and use for kitchen cleanup and general household cleaning.

Insect repellent. Finely chop one stem of citronella and one small cactus pad (known as tuna in Spanish). Add to one liter of alcohol in a clean glass jar with a tight cap. Shake the ingredients once a day for three days. Strain the liquid into a new container and discard the pulp. Apply generously and frequently to the skin to repel insects.

Citronella candles. Add several finely chopped citronella stems to one liter of melted candle wax. Simmer for several minutes to extract the citronella oil from the stem. Pour the melted wax into your favorite candle molds and discard the chopped citronella stems.

Notes: Citronella plants are sold in many nurseries across the country, or you may come across citronella growing in your neighborhood. In this case, carefully dig away several of the stems and their roots, which grow from the base of the mother plant. Be sure to trim off the leaves, while leaving the main stem intact.

You can plant these stems in plastic nursery bags full of good, fertile soil, leaving them in the shade for several weeks until they begin to form new growth. After several months, they can be transplanted to permanent sites around the house or garden. Citronella does well in full sun and partial shade.

Citronella plants can also be grown in large pots around the home or apartment to help repel mosquitoes. These hardy plants have no significant pest or disease problems and require no special attention.

For more information on tropical gardening, visit www.thenewdawncenter.info or e-mail thenewdawncenter@yahoo.com. We have books and seeds to share with you.