the osa peninsula

Ropa Americanas

I am a very practical person. And I have had money, and not had money. Since becoming a single mother, I have had less than ever, and usually live on a modest budget of about 175,000 colons a month, which granted, is more than some of my neighbors, and less than others. The other day, I checked out a new store that opened in our town. It is an Army/Navy surplus style store, with camping gear, sportswear, and lots of cool stuff. I tried on a really nice pair of Columbia Sportswear shorts. They were comfortable, fit well, and I liked them. Then I looked at the price tag. $34. My mind calculated: that is close to 14,000 colones for a pair of shorts! A few days before, I had been at the Ropa Americana that is run by some Evangelica church ladies in our town. They receive bundles of clothing every few weeks, and it is sometimes a madhouse of local women picking through the goods to find the great stuff. I splurged and spent 12,500 colones. But this is what I got: 3 dresses, 6 tank tops, a linen blouse, 2 pairs of Capri pants, a pair of Levis, and a pair of shorts, plus a Hawaiian style shirt for my son, and a set of sheets. All famous maker and designer brands, in excellent condition.

All my girlfriends here shop at Ropa Americana. We have a great time doing it together, and then we often trade clothes that we think might look better on someone else, and get together to have group swaps.
The only question that has been raised at times is this: aren’t these clothes that come from Salvation Army and Goodwill collections in the states, and are meant for disaster relief in Third World countries? I understand that they help the economy of our town, and make nice things available at a price not only we Gringas can afford, but all our Tica neighbors. We have few retail shops in our town, and fewer that carry the kind of quality of merchandise that is available at a fraction of the price at the Ropa Americanas. This helps the poor and needy, but is it doing so in the way it was originally intended?

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