Where were you during Obama's inauguration?

I was at La Luz restaurant, in a hotel outside San Jose, reporting a story for the Tico Times. An American owns the place, and put on an event for expats and interested locals wanting to watch the festivities on a big screen. An interesting group, including the American ambassador to Costa Rica, who, despite being a Bush appointee, seemed genuinely moved and excited about the day's events.

It's not the complete version (won't be out until Friday) but here's an excerpt:

A couple minutes past noon Eastern Standard Time yesterday in Washington, D.C., Barack Obama placed his hand on the Bible and was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States of America.

Cheers erupted from the approximately 75 Ticos and U.S. citizens gathered in La Luz Restaurant outside Escazú, where the inauguration was projected on a giant screen.

“Personally, I just felt it was a very terrific moment in our history,” said Timothy Lattimer, regional environmental officer at the U.S. Embassy in San José. “It marks a new beginning, and I think that it sets a great example of how our democracy can renew itself.”

Some grew emotional at the sight of Obama, the nation's first African-American president, assuming its highest office. Obama acknowledged this feat briefly in his inaugural address, noting that a “man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.”

“For me, as an African-American, seeing this opens a world of possibility,” said Gregory Toussaint, from Miami, Florida. “It shatters the highest glass ceiling.”

For many throughout the world, the inauguration also highlighted anticipation for a new era of relations with the United States.

President Oscar Arias told the daily La Nación Monday that the new president must close the prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and step up its efforts to bring peace to the Middle East.

For many Ticos, though, yesterday was largely business as usual. While millions around the world sat glued to their television screens to watch the ceremony, San José was much more subdued, with patrons casually glancing at newscasts in sodas over lunch.

“We just have to wait and see if there will be any change,” said Jaqueline Malegro, a waitress at one corner restaurant. “We don't know anything yet."