Thanks for the input.
When I first moved here, I tended to idiotically fall for those chicas who presented themselves as novices and alone. Not one, so they said, had a boyfriend or a husband. All had K*ds, but the papá was not in the picture, in fact, they had no idea where he was. And he certainly didn't contribute any money toward the K*D.
After a while of viewing WhatsApp pictures and statuses, it seems like 85% of the working chicas have young Tico boyfriends with tats and turned-around caps worn high on the head. I saw one of my used-to-be regulars at SL a week ago. She asked why I hadn't contacted her. I said I've seen the profile picture of your hefty boyfriend on WhatsApp, and I didn't want to die in Costa Rica. Oh, she said, he's not my boyfriend anymore. If I'm here at SL, then I don't have a boyfriend. A few days later, I looked at her WhatsApp profile pix, and there was a picture of the same boyfriend and also a picture of a sonogram showing the very tiny baby-to-be.
Another girl, when I asked about the
boyfriend in her WhatsApp profile said, he's just a friend. Another chica was married and had a K*D, but still was looking for work at the Gulch hotels. Other working chicas I have known may not have boyfriends in their profile pix, but suddenly in the status reports they will be all upset and sad about a boyfriend that had left them.
One working chica I knew had two K*ds by same papá, and she showed me pictures of another K*D with the same daddy but a different mommy. She was proud that her toddler son favored the toddler son of the other woman. Another chica, non-working, said she believed about 80% of the couples in CR cheated on one another.
Who knows, but with all the lovers, boyfriends, husbands, clients
besides me and taxi drivers, it seems like a lot of leche flows in CR! Better to get used to it!! The girls don't seem to mind! Why should I?
I am intrigued by what you refer to as WhatsApp pictures, profile and status. I am a user of WhatsApp and, other than the status options (available, busy, at the movies...etc.) and the little picture that appears with your name (which is optional to have or not to have shown) I do not know of any additional information that could be gathered during a chat with a user. The way you describe the information gleaned from WhatsApp, it almost sounds like Facebook to me.
Could you please enlighten me on what you are referring to in more detail? Thanks!