Larry's Central American Travels

Greetings from David, Panama

´American Idol´ Panamanian Style

This is a Great Story.  Take a minute and watch this video.  Trust me, you'll love it.

Put This On Your Tourist 'Must Do' List?

A company named Gravity Assisted Mountain Biking, in La Paz (Bolivia)  provides tours for thrill seekers down the Camino de la Meuerte. These tours are quickly becoming the country's leading tourist attraction.  The  Camino de la Meuerte, the old highway east from La Paz - the world's highest capital city - winds dramatically down the face of the Andes, dropping 11,800 feet in just 40 miles.  This narrow dirt track earned its macabre nickname ( Camino de la Meuerte = Highway of Death) for the frequency with which Bolivian buses would plunge off its 3,000 foot cliffs, killing hundreds of people annually.  The new highway was redesigned, rerouted slightly, paved and opened in August 2007, leaving the old dirt path 'highway' to the fun seekers.  Alister Matthews (no relation to me), one of the tour operators in La Paz, says that not 'that many' thrill seekers get killed.  The American tourist who died last Saturday is, he thinks, "only the 12th."

This only strengthens my belief that the only danger one should have to confront when playing tourist is falling off a bar stool.  I rest my case!

Things The Gringo Mind Will Never Comprehend!

In Panama's northern Province of  Ngobe Bugle, two years have passed since the state abandoned the construction of the new Cerro Cruz school and education center. In addition to the obvious problems, the leftover building materials have resulted in injuries to children.  The province is populated primarily by poor indigenous people of the Ngobe Bugle tribe.  Concerned parents, the province's educators and the president of the province's Council of Anticorrupcion have complained repeatedly to the federal government's Minister of Education (MEDUCA).  On Sep. 12, 2007 MEDUCA sent a report to the government Controller saying that they were working on the building and that the project would be completed in 90 days.

Things the gringo mind will never comprehend?  I will know I have been here too long if this kind of stuff ever starts to make any sense.  To add insult to injury, the funding for this school was provided by the USA!

Learning A New Language

I did some research into sign language and was surprised to find that it is not a universal language.  In fact, in many countries there may be several version, even in countries where there is a single spoken language.  My interest was initially tweaked in this area because there is a large group of deaf/mute people who hang around the cafeteria on the ground floor of the hotel, and the town center park across the street. (By the way, if  the term 'deaf/mute' is politically incorrect, I apologize.  I am kind of out of touch.). I have never been able to determine what the 'magnet' is for cafeteria area, but there are 4 or 5 of these folks who work in the cafeteria.  I really got interested in sign language just from watching them converse.  Sometimes they will carry on long conversations with one another across the cafeteria. And, given the animated nature of the Latino personality, it is admittedly 'a hoot' when 20-25 of them gather in the park and get emotional in their story telling.  They sometimes even make fun of the story teller for getting carried away (kidding obvious even to the sign-language-challenged observer).

One of the young cafeteria workers, who is sign language fluent, also can talk, and speaks a little English.  So, I figure, what the heck I am already struggling with Spanish, why not?  Jorge taught me to sign 'hello', 'how are you', and how to respond with a 'I'm fine, thank you'.  One evening last week I was coming back from the pharmacy and there were  7 or 8 of the group in front of the hotel carrying on a single conversation.  So when one fellow made eye contact as I approached, I signed, "Hi."  He stopped everybody and they all returned the greeting.  I then exhausted my fluency, ending the conversation with a  "I'm fine, Thanks."  As I walked on, I saw out of the corner of my eye, that one of the guys was telling something to the group, and then they all burst into laughter.  Since the laughter seemed to be without any malice intended, the next day I asked Jorge (who was part of the assembled group), what the fellow said to draw the laughter.  Alberto had said, "Sometimes it is hard to understand an English accent."  Touche!  Don't you love it?

The Cicadas Are Back

According to newspaper, El Visitante, April is the hottest month in Panama.  April also marks the return of the cicadas and the resultant high pitched opera of their 'singing'. In much of Central and South America the return of the cicadas is the harbinger of autumn.

In China the cicada is considered to be of medicinal value. And, they are considered a culinary item in Asia, Africa, India and parts of Latin America. So, El Visitante dutifully printed the recipe for Cicada Granola Chews.  They also identified a web page where one can retrieve cicada enhanced recipes for a quiche, cheese wantons,  a curry, spaghetti, and a German chocolate cake.  Buen Provecho (Bon Appetit)!

Immigration

There are a lot of things about the entire immigration issue that are complicated.  And by the time you stir in  political agendas, add some ulterior motives, a dash (undoubtable, in some cases) of prejudice and stir with a lot of mis-information it really gets sticky.  But, some things just don't make any sense at all to me.

1. Since Felipe Calderon took office as Mexico's president two years ago, he has put considerable attention and effort into sealing Mexico's border.  Considerably more soldiers and federal police are deployed along the border, and many immigration and military checkpoints have been added in areas adjoining and adjacent to the border. The problem (from a U.S. standpoint) is that this effort is being taken on Mexico's southern border - the border shared with Guatemala.  The efforts are directed to stopping  the flow of Central American immigrants transiting Mexico en route to the U.S.  Note that non-Mexican illegal immigrants coming into the U.S. from Mexico accounts for less than 10% of the total. When questioned about the northern border (with the U.S.), President Calderon notes that Mexico is a free country whose citizens can travel around the country as they wish.  Plus, Mexican nationals attempting to illegally enter the U.S. have broken no laws until they step foot on U.S. soil.  And, that is a violation of U.S. law.  Oh!  Why do I feel like I am hearing the sound of one hand clapping.

2.  The U.S. tax system collects billions (with a 'B') of dollars in federal income, Social Security and Medicare taxes from a class of workers who will not claim a tax refund or have any hope of ever drawing a Social Security check - illegal immigrants.  One government estimate puts the amount that illegal immigrant workers paid into Social Security alone last year at $9 billion. And, according to the IRS Commissioner, many illegal immigrants Will write a check and pay income taxes to avoid undue attention, but few, if any would file for a refund that they were due.  How does this happen?  The IRS estimates that for 2005 (the last year that figures are available for) $9 billion in taxes where paid on $57 billion in wages from people who filed W2 forms with incorrect or mismatched data, a large portion of which are illegal immigrant workers who drew checks under fake names and/or Social Security numbers. 

In addition, for the last 12 years, the IRS has issued Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs - sort of a SSAN for businesses) to foreigners who do not have a Social Security number.  So, if you are an illegal immigrant and don't want the scrutiny of employment or an employer,  you can become a private contractor.  You will need (and can get) an ITIN.  By the way, with an ITIN you can legally do things like open a bank account, get a mortgage and establish over time a record of residency.  In 2006, the IRS Commissioner told Congress that based on IRS estimates, during the period 1996 to 2003, illegal immigrants utilizing ITINs reported tax liabilities of over $50 billion.  The Social Security and Medicare taxes from mismatched W2 for the same period was $41.4 billion. He also reminded Congress that "...the IRS is not in the immigration business.  The ITIN program is bringing taxpayers into the system." 

Economist William Ford of Middle Tennessee State University, one of the nation's experts on the interface between taxes and immigration, says a majority of economists agree that illegal  immigrants are a net benefit for the U.S. economy.  He adds that when you include illegal immigrant's contributions through sales taxes, property taxes and excise/gas taxes, the real impact of their contribution is really significant. His studies estimate the total contribution to the economy of illegal immigrants to be $428 billion annually. He scoffs at the idea of illegal immigrants being a draw on the economy, nurtured, he suggests, by people either oblivious to the facts or driven by a hidden agenda.  He added that from an economic standpoint, ".. if anything we need more illegal immigrants, not less, especially with the baby boomers retiring," and the resultant stress on Social Security.

And we, the U.S., are going to solve this problem by building a wall along the border?

From Reprosa, Treasures of Panama

I am ancient land of legend
In my veins run golden rivers
Gods and heroes tell my story
     I am Panama

Till next time - Pura Vida!

More Happenings in Panama

A Visit to The San Blas Islands Turns Strangely Unique

I recently spent a couple of days on the San Blas islands,  a protected territory of Panama off the Caribbean coast.  The islands are  protected to retain the culture of the  indigenous tribe who are world famous for the Kuna Yala womens' colorful quilt work products called molas. All of the major tourist amenities are basically confined to one island, and if you plan on staying overnight you must have confirmed hotel reservations prior to leaving the mainland.  And, if you are scheduled to return to the mainland on a flight in the evening, the flight will not leave without you - they will come find you and put you on the flight.  The majority of the Kuna Yalas live on outlying island where visitor access is strictly controlled.

That evening I met two couples in the hotel bar (one couple from Toronto, the other from Fresno) who had scheduled a tour to an outer island for the next day, and invited me to join them.  Sure, why not?  They also informed me that the restriction on cameras on the islands is not a cultural thing, it is a economic consideration.  One of the main sources of income for the Kuna Yala is the sales of picture post cards and photo album books.   

Our guide, Henry, met us at the hotel the next morning, and we soon learned that he was also the pilot of our motorized dug-out canoe that would take us to the island.  Henry is a  Kuna man (50-something) who speaks excellent English, as well as Spanish and Kuna.  He explained to the five of us that we were going to attend a community celebration, a rights-of-passage ceremony for a 13-year-old girl and a boy. A what?  Yea, sort of a Kunta barmitzva.

After an excellent fried chicken lunch,  Henry led us through the village towards the community's congress building.  It quickly became a Pied Piper- type parade as all the village kids joined us chattering at us just as if we could understand them. They split us up when we got to the congress building - men and women have separate entrances and sides of the building.  We guys were already seated on low log benches when the two women were escorted in wearing, as Henry explained, traditional ceremonial red cloth headpieces. Just about the time I thought, "Well, at least we don't have to wear scarfs," a Kuna man came by and painted all the men's big toes red.  He was followed closely by several elderly men who had been sitting in the center of the room who blew the smoke in our faces from burning leaves (some of which were tobacco?). Henry pointed out that our presence was getting a lot of attention.  Sure enough, when I looked around I saw a lot of friendly, smiling faces obviously interested in this group of gringos at their ceremony.  When another man came around and painted my nose and cheeks, and many people giggled, I began to wonder who was entertaining whom.

The men in the center of the room stood up and started taking drinks out of a vase-like vessel that were passing around.  According to Henry, the liquid is a fermented cane sugar drink that some of the men had been preparing for several days. They then danced in a circle chanting, then stopped and reversed directions.  On they next stop, they passed the jug around again.  Then the whole process was repeated several times.  Hmm!  Maybe more like the VFW on Saturday night than a barmitzva?

Henry explained later that this ceremony is just part of a weekend-long celebration that will be attended by many of the people on the other islands that make up the Comarca.  The puberty celebration is financed by the family's sale of fish for several months leading up to the big event.  Friends of the young people's families buy fish specifically to help sponsor the celebration. Ironically, we never saw the young people who were 'coming of age.'  They don't attend the celebration.

Stable Utilities?  Oh, Oh.

Looks like I may have bragged prematurely about the reliability of the basic utilities here. Yes, the electricity is reliable (and is 60 cycle 110 volt), and the water is potable.  And those two things alone are a major improvement over my experiences (though dated experiences) in the Pacific.  And from what I read, is not always to be expected in much of the rest of the Americas.  But, it turns out we do have a water situation here in Chirique province.

In David, it is a water shortage during the dry season.  I had been aware from Day #1 that the water pressure was weak at certain times of the day, but didn't give it much thought.  But, during the dry season you have to be careful what time of day you take a shower.  May be no water for a hour or two.  And, on the outskirts of David people are digging wells even knowing that the water will not be potable. Non-potable water is better than none at all.

It is even worse in Bocas del Torro - just plain bad water.  A bunch of folks in the hospital.  A combination of low water tables and snafus at the local water treatment plant.  After the run on the hospital, provencial officials tested the water.  It turned out to be one of those, "I thought you put the chemicals in the tank?"  "No, I thought you did."   The dead giveaway was the bags of powdered chlorine that were stacked up in a place where they were not supposed to be.

The Convenience of The Hotel Occidental

You have heard me talk about how nice it is to live right on the Park Central.  If it is happening in David it is going to be in or around the park. Plus, on the ground floor of the hotel, on the right is the cafeteria with a bakery on the street front, on the left an electronics store.  Next door is a big department store, that if you walk through it to the rear, their rear exit also serves as the side entrance into a big supermarket.  Not to surprisingly, both are named Romero's. The drugstore/pharmacy is on the corner, next door to the Bank of Panama with two outdoor ATM booths.

Literally at your doorstep, in addition to the snow cone vendors, you can also get a hot dog or the local version of a shish kabob. The taxis are always lined up in front and the shoeshine man is a permanent fixture.  Lottery ticket sales booths are all over the place and any number of folks will let you make a phone call for 15 cents.  Buy a newspaper or a magazine within 30 feet of the hotel's entrance.  And three days a week, this guy checks my blood pressure to insure that my meds are still working.

All types of things are sold right out of the back of trucks and car trunks.  Buy a CD or DVD, or both?  Newspaper, hats, trinkets, cell phones, phone accessories?  All right here.  The fruits and vegetables season(s) are year-round here, and nothing is harvested 'green' because it is only going 'to town' and probably sold the day it is picked.  Imagine, the joy of vine-ripened tomatoes year round.

What Your Travel Agent Does Not Tell You (or May Not Know)

The last time I was in Bangkok, Thailand was in the early 70s.  A lovely, exotic, adventuress place, but the traffic was horrible.  Well, according to a recent article in Time Magazine, Bangkok is now the gridlock capital of the world. The rush hour is literally 24 hours a day, and it's easy to see why. When I was there in 1972,  there were 243,000 cars in Bangkok.  Now there are 5.7 million cars and 2,000 cars a day are being added.  There road infrastructure is basically the same now as it was in 1972.  This is due to the fact that for the last 25 years every major initiative that has been undertaken to improve the situation (all such programs are by nature long term in duration)have been scrapped by a new incoming administration in favor of their own pet initiative. As a result, while in most U.S. cities 20% of the total land area is paved roadways, Bangkok's paved area is 4.4%.

Police in Bangkok don't consider the traffic 'bad' until a car is stationary for at least an hour. Really bad traffic is two hours.  And, many Bangkok policemen carry, in addition to the normal tools of their trade (a baton, ticket book and a smog mask), a tiny umbilical cord clamp.  Hundreds of the police have received basic midwifery training.  Some policemen have also recently begun carrying bundles of gauze and an aspirator to clear newborn' noses because hundreds of babies have been born in traffic in the last few years.

Planning on going overseas.  Do your homework.  This type information is available on the internet.  I recently talked to two middle aged ladies from Baton Rogue who were disappointed in their whirlwind tour of South and Central America. One complained, "No one told us about the dengue fever epidemic in Rio or said a word about the political unrest and street crime in Columbia and Venezuela."  Hmm?   Baton Rogue this is Planet Hooha calling. Come in, over! 

Thank God For Acronyms

We all use and recognize acronyms like ACLU, NAACP, DOD, OPM, CBO, et. al., although in some cases we have to really bear down to identify exactly what the letters represent.  But, the acronym provides for a convenient shortcut.

But, talk about shortcuts!  Senor Edwin Aldeano is the Panamanian government's director of The Oficina National para la Ejecucion de los Tratados de Asistencia Legal Mutua, known by the acronym TALM.  And, Senora Rene Lopez is the head of the government department known as ANAM.  ANAM is an acronym which stands for Departmento de Vulnerabilidad y Adaptacion of the Coordinacion de Cambio y Desertificacion for the Autoridad National del Ambiente. Phew!  It makes me wonder if their business cards are, by necessity envelope sized.  In any case, I'll bet the printer charges extra for the cards.

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Till Next Time - Pura Vida!

Still All Smiles In Panama

My Conversations With Mannequins

My zany sense of humor strikes again!  First a little background.  On the corner, a block down the street from the hotel, sits a big department store, Alberto's. I have occasion to go in there about once a week, because it seems they sell everything there. Due to it's location, I also walk by there practically every day. And, since the store front is right on the sidewalk (on two sides because of the corner location), and all glass, it is not uncommon for a store employee to greet you as you walk by, or even knock on the window and wave.

About three weeks ago, I was in a cab coming back from the other side of town and there was a commotion in front of Alberto's.  Traffic was coming almost to a stop, and cars were honking their horns and waving. The drivers (cab drivers in particular) were saying Hello to the mannequins that had been placed in the front window.  Mannequins?  Now I don't consider myself a mannequin expert, I can't say I've ever paid much attention to them.  But, I can assure you (based on closer inspection), that Los Maniquíes de David are not 'your daddy's mannequins'.  Number one, they are very realistic.  The faces are photo-realistic right down to makeup, real-looking eyes and pouty-lipped smiles.  Both mannequins are Caucasian(?), one blond, one redhead,  and both about six foot tall. And, to say they are well endowed would be a colossal understatement - Dolly Parton comes to mind.  I'm sure you get the picture.

A few days later, I was in Alberto's, had finished my purchase at the register (in the back of store) and was headed out down the center aisle, shadowed by 'my' two sales clerks (common practice in stores here).  I said hello to two of the young male clerks who I know because they also frequent my favorite watering hole. The, whoops, there were the two mannequins, one on each side of the main aisle about ten feet inside the store.  The David version of Walmart greeters I guess, but with a ,"Hi sailor, new in town?", twist.  I couldn't resist the urge. I introduced myself to the redhead, and she did not respond to "What is your name?"  So, I turned to the blond and said, "And, I suppose you don't like old gringos either?", and then walked out. My two young buddies thought this was hilarious, but I must admit that the reaction of the rest of the employees within ear-shot (mostly young girls) ranged from bewilderment to apprehension. Ha!

Two days later, as I walked by on my way to the internet cafe, the lady who is (I think) the manager of the men's department came hurrying out of the store to tell me something.  Due to my poor Spanish she had to repeat it a couple of times, but I finally figured out she was saying that Adele needed to talk to me. I'm thinking, who is Adele?  My mind is racing, did my credit card not go through last time I was here?  No, I didn't use it.  Maybe I forgot to get my change?  Whatever, I follow her back towards the register, but she stops at the red-headed mannequin in the aisle, points at her (it?) and says, "Adele wants to talk to you."  I look around and see that all the store employees are watching, plus two of them are having frantic conversations with customers, obviously trying to clue them in on what is going on.  OK, I think, let the games begin!  I then had a short 'conversation' with Adele complete with bending over and putting my ear up to 'her' face so only I can hear her quiet responses.  I completed the conversation by writing something on a piece of paper, and saying (in Spanish), "This is my telephone number, give me a call."  I turned, winked at 'the blonde', and said, " Usted es luego" (Your next), and started out the door.  I think it was one of my buddies who started the applause.

Two or three days later, I looked apprehensively into the store before entering and was pleased to see that the mannequins were gone, returned I assumed to the women's department.  While I was digging around in the T-shirts, one of the young salesgirls walked up and said, "Uno momento," and walked off.  Huh?  Well, she was back in a minute, dragging 4-5 of her friends from outside the store.  And she pointed off across the store.  There was the dynamic duo. The mannequins were not back at home in the women's department, they had just been moved farther back on the main aisle and had been turned so that they were 'end-caps' on an aisle. As I am sizing this up I realize that two policemen have followed these kids in the store to see what the excitement is.  And these two are the 'bad hombre' type police guys - all business, no nonsense, machine gun-toting, swat team types. I suddenly realize, I don't need this.  Because, from my vantage point on the hotel balcony I routinely carry on conversations, over the railing,  with the lottery ticket guys, the hot dog man, cab drivers, the park maintenance people, the shoeshine man, the CD hawkers, etc., et. al.   I also have talked to the policemen who patrol the park.  All I need are these two guys to decide, and spread the word to their comrades, that I am so kind of 'wack-job' that bears watching (which may be true, but ..).  So, I just say to the youngsters, "No, Adele didn't call me, so it is all over."  That seemed to amuse them enough to get me off the hook. That seems to have been the end of the mannequin conquests.

I don't know if there is any connection, but the mannequins are now gone to wherever rejected mannequins go. The sad part of this whole story?  Honest, Adele really did never call!

Public Pay Phones

Don't need to be able to speak Spanish to figure out that these are public pay phones. From them you can call any place in Panama for $.25.  However, you may need to speak Spanish (or pay close attention)  to figure out that these guys (pictured on the right) are the 'real public pay phones' people line up for.  Why do these guys get the business?  They only charge $.15 a minute - and that is $.15 a minute to phone in place in the western hemisphere!  How do these vendors make any money?  Well, if you buy phone cards when they are sale, the phone company's pay-per-call  charge is only 10 cents a minute.  So if the per-call sales vendor keeps his phone busy at 15 cents per minute, that comes out to about $3 an hour profit.  And $3 a hour is big bucks down here. And what if you have two phones and keep them both busy all day?  Or, three, four, or five phones?  Isn't free enterprise a wonderful thing to watch?  But, competition is fierce - four or five of these vendors in every block.  These two guys are sitting 10 feet apart, and I could see seven others from where I stood to tale these pictures.

I Graduated from MasterCard University

An investigation by the big daily newspaper, La Prensa, determined that 12 of  the 78 members of La Asamblea National (one house of their congress) misrepresented or outright lied about their academic credentials  The personal biographies of government officials is, by law posted on a government web site.  The personal biographies including educational accomplishments and  degrees awarded.

Of the 24 legislators that claimed to have graduated from Universidad de Panama,  only 16 had.  Another legislator claimed a BA degree in a special program area that the university he listed does not even offer courses in that discipline,  much less grant a degree. (Gives new meaning to the term 'not doing your homework', doesn´t it?)  One of the legislators, when confronted with the discrepancy in her records replied, ".. makes no difference, I have a lot of experience."  A spokesman for another offered, "There is no law  against falsely claiming to have earned a degree."

The Mexican Education Minister was interviewed by La Prensa, and when asked if Mexico had a similar problem said,  "... it very rarely occurs. But, then in Mexico we would consider such behavior unethical."  Ouch!

Delayed School Openings

We are three weeks into school year and nationwide 223 schools have not yet opened, effecting over 25,000 students.  There hundreds of schools that required major repairs during the vacation break,  600 for fiberglass contamination alone (30 of those still to be completed).  The Panamanian Ministerio de Educacion tried to ally parents concerns by going on nationwide TV to announce that the time could be made up quite easily by conducting classes on some of the scheduled school vacation days. But, both the teachers unions "say no way, find other options!"  Yes, they have teachers unions here. Strong ones!

The whole national system is also suffering from severe teacher shortages.  However, graduates of the Education Department matriculating from  the country's second largest university can not be hired.  The grades do take the required teacher competency tests and score quite well.  But,  Department of Education has not yet accredited their program. According to the newspaper, La Prensa,  the accreditation  application package was was filed over 18 months ago. A government spokesman responded with,  "approval is pending."   Senor, posiblemente mañana?   Want to hold your breath on that? Right!

The World's Greatest Salesman?

The big retailing chain, Romeros', just updated their in-store ATM machines.  Romeros' is big business throughout Panama.  In David alone they have four mega supermarkets (three are open 24/7), two upscale department stores, a couple of more moderate stores (K-mart type), and a  Wal-Mart type store. Some salesman made a sweet commission on a 'new ATM machines' deal of this magnitude. 

The new machines are big, modern and sleek.  Easy to read logically laid-out screens, fast operating, and outfitted with the obligatory multilingual menu option. They are also the type that you swipe your card, so you don't have to worry about the machine eating your card (or leaving to quickly and leaving your card behind).  So, why is all this even worthy of discussion?  And, what is so amazing from the sales standpoint?

These new machines have an electronic eye on them which triggers an audio step-by-step 'how-to' program.  Now, keep in mind these folks are not real adept at ATM operation to start with.  Lines move slow because it seems that everyone has to scan their card and enter the information three times before they complete  transaction. And, it is not unusual to see two people at a machine with one of them conducting ATM 101 for their companion.  About every other time I go to an ATM the person in front of me must be doing their income taxes on the machine. 

Since there is always a line at the ATM, the thing never shuts up!  I find the audio thing distracting, at best.  And it seems to totally befuddle many of the local.  The employees of the store in the area close to the machine just roll their eyes when you ask about the new machines.  But, the real kicker is that the audio is in English.  And, it is not a not a menu choice - it is English.  No mute, no volume, no choices.  From the minute some poor little old Panamanian guy (who was dumbfounded by the old ATM machine) steps up to the machine, it is babbling a string of English at him non-stop.  Can you believe it?  Some whiz-bang sales rep convinced Romeros' management that this was a 'must have' item!  What do you suppose the salesman's clinching 'close' was?  "It will teach people to speak English, so you can write off the machine cost as an educational expense?"  And/or, "Plus, you'll get all the gringo business!"  Wow, sign me up!

La Celebración Grande (A Really Big Celebration)

We just had the celebration to end all celebrations (at least until the next one).  It went on for almost a week.  I'm putting together the story on it for my next posting.  You would never in a million years guess what the catalyst of this hoopla was. Trust me - never imagine.  Till next time.

My Latest You Tube - See It Right Here (Turn Your Sound On)

Don´t Forget My Grand Daughter, Ashlee´s Project

Here is the link to her site.

http://www.active.com/donate/tntmida/runamatthews

Till next time - Pura Vida

RANDOM MUSINGS ABOUT PANAMA

What's With These Birds?

I have mentioned before that my room in the hotel overlooks the park.  By the time I get ready to go to bed, the town center noises have pretty much died down, so I usually open the windows. (The mornings and evenings here are beautiful - boringly gorgeous day after day.  The 85-90 degree heat is confined mainly to 3 or 4 hours in the afternoon)  If I wake up in the middle of the night it is so quiet I can hear the security guy walking his rounds in the park (caps on his heels). 

The park is quiet except for one thing - birds singing.  Birds singing in the middle of the night?  I had asked several people about these crazy birds that don't know that birds sleep at night, and got nothing but blank looks.  They looked at me like it was a silly question. Last week there was a Panamanian staying in the hotel who had lived and worked in Texas for about ten years. When I asked him, he gave me that same look, but he had the answer.  The park is so brightly lit, the birds don't know night from day.  He went on to add that if you had been born and raised in David you might not even know that birds only sing during the day and sleep at night.  I wonder if  birds in Spanish speaking countries sing the same songs as English speaking birds?

Coming to Panama?
Cultural Differences That You Have To Get Used To

Honking Horns.  Come on admit it, anyone who honks their horn at you is irritating.  Well, imagine an environment where everyone is honking constantly. On second thought you don't have to imagine it, just come to David.  Drivers honk to say hello as they go by, or goodbye as they pass.  Taxis coming down the street honk at pedestrians to let them know they are empty and available, and/or as a warming that they are coming through. Some taxi drivers honk as they come up to every intersection as if to remind everyone that they have the right-of-way.  All taxis, and most drivers honk at anyone who pulls out in front of them even if they are a block away.  They honk at cars as they pass them, and to hurry up the person in front of them.  And if traffic backs up for some reason, all hell breaks loose.  (Something like this tie-up, everyone, even cars 8 or 10 deep in the backup start honking and don't stop until traffic starts moving.)  They don't hesitate to honk at police vehicles they think are dawdling.  About once a month the tourist oriented newspapers even print a 'Honking Guide' so visitors will know what the various honking patterns mean (yes, there are honking protocols). As a result of all this, my location right on the town center park is not a tranquil place most of the day - not by our standards at least.  You just get used to it.

Inconsiderate Behavior?  I had never reflected on, and as a result had never realized that what is considered rude or inconsiderate behavior is very much a cultural thing. Is the person at the next table carrying on an extended conversation across you with someone on the other side of the room being rude?  Would you expect the lady you hold the door open for as she comes out of the supermarket to at least acknowledge you?  Will at least one of the people who are walking three abreast coming towards you on the sidewalk yield before they get to you?  Would you expect that the two people who meet on a jam-packed-full sidewalk, who decide to stop and talk, would step off to the side so the foot traffic can pass? And, the cashier that is checking you out won't stop and carry on a conversation with her friend who is passing by?  Well, you better get used to these things and more. It is not just we gringos that are invisible, everyone gets the same treatment.   But the real killer is cell phones!  It seems like all Central Americans think you have to holler on a cell phone.  So at the restaurant, everyone in the place has to listen to one end of the conversation, and no one ever considers stepping outside to talk on their cell phone. On the flip side of the coin, a friend of mine gets upset with me because I stand in lines.  He insists that viejos (seniors) are not supposed to stand in line, and many of them don't. But, I just don't feel comfortable going to the head of a line.

Things That Are Easy To Get Used To

Pasta: I have never been a pasta freak - was never the guy that went straight to the pasta page of the menu.  But, I tell you these Panamanians do pasta up right, and they eat a lot of it.  All the pastas you are familiar are included. It's never overcooked, never starchy or sticky - just right.  And, it is not just the 3 or 4 Italian places. The cafeterias, little snack bars (called Sodas), regular restaurants - all great pastas.  Panamanian Pasta.  Go figure.

Dollar Stores: The Dollar Stores here are just that - don't think there is anything in any of the three stores near the park that is priced more than a dollar.  You would be amazed what you can buy for $1 - pair of flip-flops, bath towel, a whole pack of ball-point pens, etc.  They also have two stores within 2 blocks of the park that are kind of  hybrid stores.  One the one hand they sell new stuff that they buy in bulk from closeout and overstock distributors.  They also have used clothing kind of like a Good Will or Salvation Army store.  I bought a new Hawaiian-style shirt and a pair of cargo shorts last week for $5 total.

Hot Dogs:  Panama is the only country I have ever been in where you can get a real, legit U.S. ball-park style hot dog.  About dark:30 every evening the hot dog carts begin to surround the central park. Hot dog and drink = .$50, complete with every condiment you can think of (except chili, Sob!).  One guy even has a stainless steel rig with a butane warmer built into the back of his station wagon.  One of the carts occasionally parks one street over (off the park) next to the open air bar I frequent.  The bar waiter will go get the hot dogs for you.  Since the vendor-provided drink is no longer part of the equation, the price is now six hot dogs for $2.  Is this living or what?

Dry Season Showers

It doesn't take much of a shower during the dry season to distrupt things.  Since it is not suppose to rain, people are not carrying umbrellas, so it is not business as usual. This sudden afternoon shower literally cleared the town center park in a matter of minutes.

The Easter Holidays in David

Needless to say, in this festivities oriented society, the park was a busy place during Easter Week.  Parades, childrens shows, music, etc.  The country pretty much shuts down on both Thursday and Good Friday.  As I came out of the drugstore on Thursday afternoon, a big crowd had formed in one corner of the park, so I went over to investigate.  Just as I got the edge of the crowd they hoisted three guys up on crosses - the fifth crucifixion reinactment in three days.  As I got my camera out,  a gentleman nearby cautioned me (very politely) that I shouldn't take pictures.  I surmised that the word he was using was Spanish for sacrilegious.  The irony of this situation was that he, his wife and his daughter were all eating a hot dog.  And his son was bouncing a basketball, much to the annoyance of some people in the area.  Reverence is as reverence does?

Update on The Bus Problem in Panama City

There was another serious bus accident in Panama City involving the infamous Diablos Rojos (see last week posting below).  Two people were killed and 31 injured.  That brings the total just in the last 12 months to 67 people killed and 700 injured. So the government has formed a study group to "address the problems with the public transportation system."  A couple of revolutionary ideas have surfaced already.  Some think there should be safety inspections for the buses covering things like lights and brakes. Wow!  It has also been suggested that drivers should have photo ID licenses that would be posted on the bus.  One of the bus drivers involved in the latest fatal accident was "too young to operate a bus, and had several incidents on his record."

You Can't Make These Things Up!

Last Wednesday mid-morning I was sitting in a quiet alcove of the park reading a book when I realized I had company.  A young mother and her two daughters had moved in on the bench across from me.  The younger girl (about 5 years old) was bouncing around and started talking to me. Handicapped by my limited Spanish, I was only catching about half of what she was saying so I redirected the conversation.  She was all in pink, from the bow in her hair to her shoes, so I commented that she must like the color pink.  That really started her.  As she rattled off a list that I recognized as clothing items,  I realized that she was telling me that when she grew up and could select her own clothing, she would be all pink every day.  Her older sister (9-10 years old) interjected, " People will think you are a punta" (prostitute).  The mother looked like she was going to have a heart attack, the lttle girl started crying, and the big sister looked at me and asked for my confirmation of her statement.  I ducked that question by  insisting that I no hable Espagnol.  As the embarrassed mother drug the two of them off, my stomach hurt from the efforts of managing not to laugh. Out of the mouths of babes .......

Reminder About My Lovely Grand Daughter´s Project

My lovely grand daughter, Ashlee (top picture) is an alumnus of Piper High School (Kansas City, Kansas), and a recent graduate of Pittsburg State University (Pittsburg, Kansas). She recently decided to join the Team in Training for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. This means she will be running a full marathon, 26.2 miles in San Diego on June 1st 2008.

Along with the marathon, she is raising money to help support the group's honored patient. Her name is Rachael (bottom picture) and she's 22 from Overland Park, KS. She was diagnosed with a  form of Leukemia at age 20. She has been through countless treatments including a full bone marrow transplant. She's currently doing well and is continuing her education at Kansas State University while being treated. Please visit Ashlee´s website for additional details.  You can also donate straight through the website with a credit card.  Click here:   http://www.active.com/donate/tntmida/runamatthews

Thanks in advance, from proud Grandpa, for helping out!

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