Larry's Central American Travels

The Latest From Panama

A Police Arrest In The Park

The other day, early afternoon, I pulled my head out of the computer and walked out on the balcony for a breath of fresh air and a view of park goings-on.  Suddenly a young guy came running off of the sidewalk below me and out across the street into the park.  That immediately caught me attention because no one here even walks fast, much less runs.  Sure enough, right behind him was a policeman with his night stick in hand giving chase.(It was one of the bicycle policemen in the 'bermuda shorts, sneakers, bike helmets' uniforms). The young culprit to a couple of routes through the park, obviously assuming he was going to outrun the chubby little police office - which was wrong.  About the time he changed tactics and jumped up on the park wall to exit the park onto the street, two other bicycle policeman pulled up right where he was headed.  He stopped dead in his tracks and put his hands out to his sides, palm up in sort of a shrug of resignation. Chase over!

This situation is worthy of mention for a couple of reasons.  First, I hadn't thought of it before, but in my 10 months here living in the middle of David, this is the first time I have seen police officers interact with a citizen in a law enforcement mode (other than writing a parking ticket, or beeping their siren to urge someone double-parked to move on).  I have mentioned before the large police presence here, police officers from all the different divisions are constantly visible.  But, the police presence is benign.  Sort of like the 'Irish cop walking the neighborhood beat' type of presence. Policemen on foot speak to people and stop and shoot the breeze, though always staying observant.  The officers on bikes converse with people as they ride by and the motorcycle guys park their cycles and stand around and talk to the street merchants and passer-bys. On karaoke nights when they usually have a good crowd in the little bar around the corner,  the police in the squad car pull in some time during the evening
and come in a have a soft drink and shoot the breeze.  (The lieutenant kids me by calling me "Colonel" because I had on one of my Air Force ball hats the first tine I met him. I counter with a promise that if he is nice to me, I'll get him promoted. His partner, Sargent Lopez, always insists he is going to find me a girl friend, to which I counter that, if he does, I'll get him demoted).

The other thing about the incident in the park was the demeanor of the police officers during and after the apprehension.  Although the officer giving chase had his night stick in hand during the chase, when the culprit stopped and 'gave up',  the officer holstered his club, stopped running and very calmly just walked up to him.  When he approached him he talked to him very calmly, never raised his voice, didn't wave his arms around, never got in his face in any way. The guy surrender the bag he was carrying and then turned around put his hands behind his back, and was cuffed.  The two officers who headed him off had initially reached for their clubs, but didn't pull them out when the guy stopped. And, they never approach the culprit until the arresting officer waved them up a few minutes later after the guy was cuffed. They then walked him back across the street and waited right underneath my balcony about 15 minutes for the paddy wagon to come pick him up.  From my vantage point, I could see the paddy wagon coming for about three blocks, and it worked his way through traffic, never turned on flashing lights or the siren.  The officer in the paddy wagon talked to the officers briefly when he arrived, then talked to the suspect, opened the back door and motioned him to the back seat of the truck.

Not once during this entire encounter did any of the officers raise their voice, or evidence any kind of threatening behavior. And, no one at any time made any physical conduct with the culprit - did not touch him!.  Even when they walked him across the street, no one took him by the upper arm to guide him (which I thought was standard), but, instead one of the officers hooked his index finger over the linking chain of the cuffs and they directed him by gestures and voice instructions. And once while they were waiting, the officer asked the guy something, evidently if the cuffs were too tight, because the officer removed them and after the guy rubbed his wrists for a minute, carefully reattached the cuffs.

None of this is too surprising when you consider a recent controversy over a plan to reorganize the national police force which reveal a lot about the Panamanians' attitudes towards law enforcement.  President Torrijos proposed adding additional divisions to the existing National Police force as part of a big multi-national program against the drug trade, a large portion of which is being funded by the U.S.  The new organization would add new divisions of Border Patrol,  Immigration, and (AND) a secret police force.  Well the public rose up in arms over the plan to the point that Torrijos withdrew the proposal and is redrafting one that will completely reorganize the entire police force, a considerably more expensive option. What were the big objections?  First off, various public interest groups felt that the new organization would resemble too closely the organization structure of the military police during the Ortega military dictatorship years. Yea, the organization structure! But the kicker was the secret police idea.  Their role would have been secret surveillance of people in an effort to thwart the drug trade.  The agency would have had the authority to monitor phones, emails, and business dealings of suspects without judiciary or legislative overview and without prior court approval.  No way, they said.  Too much like Noreiga's "goon squad."  Sound a lot like some of the anti-terrorism measures put in effective in the U.S. post-9/11? 

Panama And The Olympics

Panama is a sports-crazed county. And, unlike Costa Rica where all the sports mania is concentrated on a single sport - soccer (el fútbol), the Panamanian's sports fervor is spread over all types of sports (well, except winter sports). Baseball is the national sport, but U.S. college and pro football, baseball and basketball get a lot of TV coverage here.  A lot of people have their favorite college football teams (predictably in a catholic county, Notre Dame is a big favorite), and NFL teams' logo-ed hats, shirts and jackets are common wear.  The retired major league baseball superstar Rod Carew has a street named after him in half the towns throughout the country, and there are three sports stadiums in the country renamed for boxer Roberto Duran.

Even given that background, you can not even begin to imagine the tense anticipation this entire nation experienced when Panamanian Olympian, Irving Saladino, qualified for the finals in the long jump.  On the morning of the long jump finals, the country virtually came to a standstill in front of TV sets, and a TV crew broadcasting live, was stationed in front of his parents home in the port city of Colon. And about 10AM, when Saladino won the gold medal, it set off wild celebrations all over the country that were still going on here in David at 10PM.  Impromptu motorcades were still roaming throughout the city screaming, honking horns and waving giant Panamanian flags.  In Colon, officials closed off the mid-city streets to vehicular traffic for eight hours concerned about pedestrian revelers safety.

President Torrijos proclaimed Saladino a "national hero" saying that Saladino represented "the perseverance of the Panamanian national spirit."  Torrijos then appointed a cabinet-level committee to organize his homecoming celebration (which is now scheduled for four days, two of which will be national holidays, and will include a nation wide tour allowing for victory parades in all the major cities of Panama).  Torrijos then renamed the big government sports complex under construction, "The Irving Saladino Plaza."

To put all this in historical perspective, Saladino is only the fourth Central American athlete to win an Olympic medal of any variety, the first Panamanian to win a medal in 60 years, and the first Panamanian to ever win a gold  medal.. In 1948, Panamanian sprinter Lloyd LaBeach won a pair of bronze medals in the 100- and 200-meter sprints. And the Poll sisters from Costa Rica won four medals between them in swimming events in 1996.  Claudia Poll's gold medal in the 200-meter freestyle is the only other gold medal ever won by a Central American athlete.

In closing, an interesting side note. In all this clamor about Saladino, it caused me to reflect on the week before when Panamanian Olympian Bayano Kamani navigated his way through the heat qualifying process in the 400-meter hurdles.  By contrast with the excitement about Saladino accomplishments, Kamani's  televised win in the semi-finals (which qualified him for the finals) was met with noticeable indifference. So, as the furor was going on about Saladino, I asked some friends about last week's reaction (or lack of) to Kamani's successes.  I didn't fully understand the answer (Spanish), but the gist of it was, "Kamanai is not a Panamanian, he is an Americano."  Well, that smacks of a prejudice, something that is just not Panamanian in character (see my discussion on 'prejudice' below).  So I looked up the restaurant owner, Jorge, my English proficient friend for clarification.  Well, it is true that Kamani is a U.S. citizen, born  in the U.S. of a Panamanian father.  So, technically he is a citizen of both countries - kind of the reverse of John McCain, who was born in Panama.  But, as it turns out, Kamani's problem with the Panamanian people is not a prejudice or a citizenship issue. Kamanian was also was a member of Panama's 2004 Olympic team, and he prepared for both Olympics by training in Panama with his teammates for the year prior to the games.  When he arrived here prior to the 2004 games, Kamani got a lot of press attention, and when asked why he didn't speak Spanish, he responded sarcastically that he was "in Panama to run", and that he "did not have time to learn a language." Oops, ruffled a few feathers.  He made matters worse a couple of days later when he decided to lecture the assembled reporters, informing them that he "had no use for Spanish in his home state of Oklahoma", and that there were "no Olympic medals awarded for Spanish."  Ouch, now feathers really flew.  Kamani's reaction to the negative press that ensued?  He then refused (and still does) to use even the common Spanish conversational terms that are picked up by most tourists on Day #1 of their visit here, e.g., por favor, gracias, hola, como estas?, etc.  Goodwill Ambassador?  No!  How is that for the Olympic spirit?  The Panamanians are too polite to root against him, if for no other reason he is wearing their national colors. But, that doesn't mean they have to cheer for him.  Hmm.  And, I guess their is no correlation between running speed and IQ - or, maybe there is a reverse correlation.

Panamanian Humor

I had introduced you a while back to the campesinos in Latin America (the Latino version of what we in the U.S. refer to as 'rednecks').  Well, it turns out there are campesino jokes.  A couple of days ago one of the guys told a joke in the bar, and it was a guffawing knee-slapper to everyone. Everyone, but me that is.  Well, maybe it was a translation problem. So, my friend Jorge repeated it to me in English, and the guys who spoke a little English roared all over again.  It goes like this.

A gringo tourist stops a campesino couple who are walking through the park and asks them for directions to Panama City. The lady asks her husband, "Do you know where that is?"  The campesino gent responds, " Sure.  Sir, if I were you, I would start from someplace closer than here." 

OK. ?????  I guess you had to be there.

Prejudice in Panama

One of the really refreshing things about this society is that the Panamanians are virtually prejudice free. And that includes race, gender, ethnic origin, religion and just about anything else you can think of.  The police chief in David is a woman, as is the deputy Governor of Chirique Province, over a third of the Assemble Nationale, two Supreme Court justices, and four federal cabinet ministers. 

The homogenized mixture of the my neighborhood in the central city appears to be a reflective microcosm of the country. My friend Jorge, the owner of the Restaurante Orly (and a hotel and a disco), is a Bolivian immigrant whose father is Japanese.  His brother-in-law is a Tico (Costa Rican).  The Orly's assistant manager is a Venezuelan.  The big taxicab company next door is owned by a Mexican and a Honduran.  The Chinese restaurant across the street is also the home (upstairs) to the Chinese family who immigrated here two generations ago.  A kosher bakery is in the same block, about a block from the synagogue.   The Italian restaurant, Tamburelli's, is 3-store chain, founded and run by a family that immigrated here from Sicily. 

The mixture of after-work 'semi-regulars' at the Orly is representative as well.  The Panamanian contingent includes a lawyer (who spent his teenage years in the U.S.), a local banker, the assistant manager of the electronics store, a police officer, a couple of cab drivers, and three construction workers (a plumber, an electrician and a carpenter).  Add in a Tico cab driver, a Colombian who is the here as the rep for a Columbian electronics firm, a Honduran agricultural consultant, a Dominican who owns the biggest bakery in town, an outboard motor mechanic from Peru, and a Nicaraguan long-haul truck driver - to name just a few. And it is not because immigrants are absorbed into the culture so that they lose country-of-origin identity.  As soon as a Spanish-speaker starts talking, everyone with in earshot call tell what country they are from, maybe even what part of that country they are from.  By the way, about once a week 'the boys' are joined by Madeline, who owns three beauty shops and is as close as you will ever get to the Latino version of Roseanne Barr.  Occasionally, she is accompanied by her sister, a woman that - well - makes Janet Reno look like a Playboy model by comparison.  As you might guess both of these women are a hoot!

Those times that I have thought I had seen an indication of prejudice, it turned out I read the tea leaves wrong.  There is a big (6'5") broad shoulder, real handsome young guy that comes in once in a while. I overheard him being referred to as China (Spanish pronunciation - 'she nha'), and initially thought was a racial reference. Well, his father is Chinese, but it turns out that China is an affectionate nick name they tagged him with years ago, and he even introduces himself as China. And, down here terms that would be considered slurs elsewhere - China (applied to all orientals regardless of country of origin), Tico, Nica or Gringo - are merely used as descriptive terms. And the black guy who hangs around downtown and flits in and out of the Orly, is referred to rather disparagingly as Negra (black).  Turns out the disdain is not because he is black, but because he is a a wacko blow-hard.  I have also listened to people express dislike of both Colombians and Nicaraguans, yet when you pursue it a little you find something different.  They all have friends and acquaintances (maybe relatives) from both countries, and they are really expressing a frustration about something much different.  Most of the crime in this country is concentrated in Panama City and Cologne, mostly drug related, and with almost 80% percent involving Nicos and Colombians - people who often as not  also illegal aliens.  That is what they are really talking about.

Another Olympic Note

U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps' performance in the Olympics was phenomenal, but my vote goes to Dara Torres. The 41-year old Torres, a five-time Olympian and the oldest American swimmer ever, added three silver medals in the Beijing games, raising her career Olympic medal total to 12.  Her first Olympic appearance was at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.  That happens to be the year before Phelps was born!

Words To The Wise

"The things we subvert to our subconscious, often return in the future - accredited to fate"
Karl Jung

Stranger Than Fiction Revisited

Robert Kearns died of cancer in 2005 at the age of 77, four decades after perfecting the automobile intermittent windshield wiper design in his basement workroom.  Though he was granted several patents for his mechanism, he spent two decades waging an obsessive crusade against the auto industry, which he accused of stealing his invention. He ultimately filed lawsuits against 26 companies. Although many of these suits were tossed out of court, he won separate judgments against General Motors and Chrysler (this suit went all the way to the Supreme Court), that ultimately brought him more than $30 million.  Various sources reported that his legal expenses over the litigation years exceeded the amount of the judgments awarded.  Even more ironic, Mr. Kearns had been offered out-of-court settlements on numerous occasions that exceeded the $30 million, but was adamant that he wanted a court ruling confirming that the companies had stolen his creation.

The stranger than fiction part?  The idea came to Mr. Kearns from the irregular, and uncontrollable, blinking of his left eye, which eventually went blind. His eye was damaged when struck by a champagne cork on his wedding night. So, add this to the list of possible bad outcomes of a wedding!

The Sno-Cone Economy

As you can see, competition is intense.

But, it isn't good to have a flat tire.

You can also make some extra $$s by renting out ad space to political campaigns.

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The park is beautiful at night.

And, the only time it is peacefully quiet is right before dawn.

.

Till Next Time.  Pura Vida!

The View From Panama

News Bites From Panama

- I had commented before about this country's obsession with festivals.  Well, the big festival last week - complete with costumes, floats, bands, a parade and a concert in the park - was  La Fiesta del Pollito. That's right, a festival about baby chickens.  Go figure.  By the way, Panama has a federal agency of festivals.

- And, in case you missed it, July 22nd was " El Día Nacional de la Sirvienta" - The National Day of the Maids. No, I didn't make that up!  One of the purposes of the day is to "call upon citizens to assure correct registration of domestic employees in social security."  In addition, the government using the occasion to 'remind' everyone about the specifics of the legislation covering adequate compensation and standardized labor hours for domestics.

- A quick review of the newspaper classifieds reveals that new condos in Panama City get pretty pricey.  And the price appears to be more a function of location and view than square footage. And, although most of them list maid's quarters as a feature, the really pricey ones feature a separate bathroom in the maid's quarters. Think $500K and up.

-  The Hash Harriers are hosting an international 10K race in August to celebrate their 25th anniversary of 'hashing' in Panama. The philosophy of the harriers is to have a good run, try not to get lost en route (lead runners have been known to move, or remove directional signs to divert the runners in the pack), and to slug a lot of beer at the end. A strict requirement of the group is to wear old shoes.  Anyone who shows up in new sneakers is subject to any one of various harrier-style punishments - all of which involve a beer bong. The group describes itself as "a drinking club with a running problem."  Yee Ha!  Sounds like my kind of club.  Well, except for the running part.

Considering Overseas Travel? Do Your Homework!

One of the side benefits of staying in this hotel in the center of town, on the town square park, is that I meet a lot of interesting tourists, many of whom are just passing through David as part of their Central/South American travel itineraries. By osmosis I get information about a lot of places in this part of the world from the perspective of tourist, often considerably different than what one would learn from travel articles in your local newspaper or magazines.

However,  I am constantly amazed at the number of American tourists who launch off on a trip to foreign countries who obviously have not done even basic research on the destination countries.  I'm serious.  A few weeks ago, a couple from Baltimore explained that they had changed their plans to visit Columbia over concerns about crime, and went to Argentina instead.  They were disappointed that they felt like prisoners in their fancy hotel in Buenas Aires that just happened to be in a part of town where it was not advisable for a tourist to be out walking around. (Buenas Aires has one of the highest crime rates of all major cities in the world.  By comparison, since the three-year-old government crackdown on crime, Colombia has one of the lowest crime rates in Latin America.) Likewise, a couple from Montana expressed surprise about the political unrest in Caracas. I am not making this up. (Hello. Does the name Chavez ring a bell?)  I can not tell you the number of people I have talked to that show up down here totally unaware that they came during the rainy season. (You mean if we came in the January-July time frame that there would be no rain?)  But the topper, was the two spinster-ish sisters from Omaha who were frustrated because they had been here a day and a half and still had not been able to find any place to exchange their U.S. dollars for the local currency. How does one tell these nice ladies tactfully that the U.S. dollar is the national currency?  (By the way, they did not believe me until it had been confirmed by others.  It is scary to think that they both probably have drivers licenses.)

My point is that 15 minutes on the web can provide a person with all the information they need, both to make travel decision and what to do/not do when they get to their destination.  A Google of 'Tourist Information Panama' provides all the information you need just on the first page of the search results. Every source from the Panama Tourist Bureau's official site, to tourist agencies, travel companies, and first-person information on blogs is readily available.  You can then go the the U.S. State Department's site and study the 'bad news', if any, about the country. In addition, there are English language newspapers practically everywhere.  Their web sites can provide the local flavor.  In 30 minutes, I put together the information below on a possible U.S. tourist destination.

The country in question is in a virtual war on illegal drugs.  The nation's capital city, long known world-wide as virtually crime free, has watched crime statistics soar off the charts for the last two years. Across the country, there have been 2,400 drug related killings for the year through July, - up from a total of 2,500 for the entire year of 2007. A congressman (and former mayor) has been posted to a government position outside the country after federal officials learned of a plot to assassinate him (he had survived two previous attempts). Drug related assassinations this year include the National Police Chief, the head of the organized crime unit of the Federal Law Enforcement Agency, the top customs official at the international airport, a federal judge presiding over a major drug case, the president's cousin (presumably a warning to the president), and about a dozen mayors and provincial governors. In addition, the top anti-kidnapping government official was kidnapped and presumed dead (his successor in that office met the same fate).

The country in question?  Iraq? Pakistan? Nicaragua?  Zambia?  No, the country is Mexico!  And, in the border towns of Tijuana and Juarez, kidnapping of American tourists has become a cottage industry. This has generated so much turmoil that hundreds of residents of those cities are pleading for asylum in the neighboring U.S. border towns. I don't know about you, but for me that takes some of the gloss off of those flashy travel brochures trumpeting the wonders of Cancun!

Russia Attacks Georgia?

I was having lunch in a restaurant when the the news flash about the Russians invading Georgia came across the TV.  Since the broadcast was in Spanish, it took a few seconds before my Spanish-challenged mind processed what was said - in fact, it took the announcer repeating it before I understood.  My first thought was of my two dear old aunts in Atlanta.  Duh!  It gave new meaning to a memorable observation by satirist Ambrose Pierce.  A few years ago he described "war as God's way of teaching geography."

Ralph Nader for President, Again

Yes, Ralph Nader is running for president again.  Even though he only got 0.4% of the popular vote in 2004 (down from 2.74% in 2000), his latest strategy revolves around getting on the ballot in 45 states - he was only on the ballot in 34 states in 2004.  Most people probably see his candidacy as little more than a sideshow of some kind.  Well, consider this.  If you will remember Al Gore lost the 2000 presidential race to George Bush - the final blow, and what decided the race, was Gore losing the state of Florida by 37 votes.  Ralph Nader, the then-Green Party candidate, received over 97,000 votes in that Florida race!

You Have To Know What Is Really Dangerous.

The Center for Sports Injury Research at the University of North Carolina just released a report on a 25-year study on injuries in high school athletics.  Not surprisingly, football led the pack in total injuries of all types.  What was surprising was the statistics on catastrophic injuries - injuries resulting in death, permanent disabilities and serious injuries such as skull fractures.  In the catastrophic category there was only a one percentage point difference between the leader (male football players) and female cheerleaders. Of all catastrophic sports-related injuries suffered by female high school students, cheerleaders accounted for over two-thirds of the total.

Chavez Revisited

On Wednesday, August 6, there were massive demonstrations in Caracas as much of the country was reeling from the impact of two dozen radical 'decree-laws' issued by Venezuelan President Chavez.  The 26 decree-laws contained many of the elements of the sweeping constitutional reform program that Chavez had proposed earlier that was rejected by referendum vote by the electorate.  The decree-laws cover matters as diverse as housing, social security, banking, the armed forces and the national transportation system.  The most controversial of these is a substantial modification of property rights. The government now will have the right to seize any private assets it deems strategic without consulting parliament, or any form of due process, or paying fair compensation.

How could Chavez do this by decree?  In February 2007 the parliament (which Chavez controls) granted him legislative powers for 18 months.  The 26 decrees were enacted on July 31, the last day of the so- called 'enabling laws', but were not publicized until August 5.

Coincidentally (?) on August 5, the supreme court (also controlled by Chavez) ruled that the state auditor was constitutionally empowered to bar politicians accused (accused!) of administrative irregularities from running for elected office. Not surprisingly, the auditor's current blacklist contains over 200 names, mostly opposition leaders, many of whom are leading contenders in crucial state and municipal elections scheduled for November 23.  Interestingly the majority of the administrative irregularity suits were just recently filed literally, overwhelming a court system that already had a two year backlog.

Passports Follow-Up

In my very first blog post (Feb '07), I recommended that every one get a passport before you need it (you never know).  Since that time, the State Department's passport agency has started issuing tourist cards. The tourist card can be used in lieu of a passport to travel into Mexico and Canada by land, and Caribbean locations by cruise ship. However, you must have a valid passport to enter/exit the U.S. by air.  The problem with the tourist card is exactly the same as the scenario I described back when you could enter Canada and Mexico with a only valid government issued photo ID.  What happens if you have a bad accident or your car breaks down with a serious mechanical problem on your weekend getaway in Toronto.  You are stuck.  You can't jump on an airplane and come back home.  No passport.

Last week, a couple from Florida relayed a real horror story.  About 7-8 times a year they take advantage of their Florida location and jump on a cruise ship for the weekend. On their last outing, he developed a medical problem en route and the ship's doctor admitted him to the hospital in Nassau. It turned out the medical problem was a false alarm and he was discharged from the hospital the next day, about two hours after the ship sailed without them (the ship did have their luggage, however).  The cruise line offered to fly them home (which as I understand it, is common procedure), but neither of them had passports.  Oops! And the next ship from their cruise line that came into Nassau was full - no vacancies.  They finally got back home on Wednesday, two days late.  He missed a court date (he is a lawyer), she was supposed to chair a teacher´s conference on Tuesday.  Not happy campers.

Till next time. Pura Vida!

THE BEAT GOES ON (SALSA?)

The Panamanian Government Says Duuuuh

The government of Panama has been eagerly anticipating approval of the Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with the U.S.  Ratification of the agreement by the U.S. Congress has been held up primarily because Pedro Gonzalez, the president of Panama's Asamblea Nacional, has a U.S. warrant for his arrest for the murder of a U.S. serviceman in Panama a couple of years ago.(He was acquitted of that offense by Panamanian courts.)  However, Gonzalez is scheduled to step down as assembly president, raising the government's hopes that the U. S. congress will then approve the NAFTA agreement.

What you may not be aware of is that there are intense and prolonged negotiations conducted between the involved countries  in finalizing these agreements.  The U.S. required, among many other things, that the Panamanian government establish "clear rules in government procurement procedures that focus on the principles of non-discrimination, transparency, and due process."  (Cynics call this "The Make It Against The Law" rule - if you can't clean up corruption, at least make it visible and against the law.)  The agreement specifically sets a $193,000 limit on government contracts that can be awarded without public competitive bids. In addition to the anti-corruption implications of this provisions, it also opens up some of these contracts to U.S. companies.

Well, last week, with U.S. approval of the NAFTA agreement still pending, the Asamblea Nacional passed a procurement law allowing the government to award contracts up to $300,000 without putting them up for public bid.  Huh?  The explanation is that "members of the legislature apparently were unaware that the changes violated the NAFTA provisions."  Note that the assembly just a few months ago debated at length the NAFTA agreement before approving it.  And now, not one member, or staffer, or legal adviser stood up and said "but, this violates the NAFTA agreement?"  Go figure.

A Visit to The Koran

Last week one of the TV networks here (I think it was the overseas version of CNN) broadcast an hour-long show entitled "Inside The Koran."  The goal of the show was to enlighten non-Muslims on how there could be so many divergent interpretations of the Koran in the Muslim world.  How can Sufi pacifists and Shiite suicide bombers draw their inspiration from the same book?  How can a woman be head of state in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim nation, but not even be allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia, the home of the religion's holiest sites?

The most fascinating (and enlightening) portion of the program addressed scientific investigation of the oldest known Koran manuscripts, discovered in Yemen in 1972.  They were written in the eighth century without diacritical marks, the little dots and accents that in many languages change the pronunciation of the word. However, in Arabic diacritical marks also change the meaning of words and entire phrases. Some scholars believe as much as 20 percent of the words in the Koran have been mis-identified.

So the Koranic sentence that is widely understood to promise martyrs an eternal romp with virgins - "we have paired them with dark eyed maidens" - could, with the insertion of diacritical marks, actually refer to the promise of a bunch of grapes - "comfortable under white crystal clear grapes."  How would you like to be a suicide bomber, all strapped in your dynamite vest, with the school bus full of the hated infidel children in sight, and your cell phone rings with a call from your inam. "Achmed, this just came in.  We misunderstood the Koran. It it is NOT six dozen virgins, it is a bunch of white grapes. Didn't want you to be disappointed when you get to the beyond."

By the way, the scholar who explained the 'white grapes' interpretation on the TV show, wisely did so with his face in shadows and his voice disguised. Last year a Palestinian historical scholar of Islam  was thrown out of a second-floor window by his students for similar statements.

After a fascinating hour of watching this show, the only thing I could say was "Jesus!" (pun intended)

The Book Store

Every Sunday morning at 7AM this guy parks right under my window and sets up shop. Only bad part is that as soon as he gets set up he starts his sales call - a chant kind of in between an "Extra, extra read all about it," and an auctioneer's chatter, repeating the same thing over and over. There is no sleeping through that, plus I could never figure out what he was saying.  Sounds like, "ah doe lah, ah doe lah, ah doe lah" - all run together. And, I have not paid any attention to him once I determined early on that he did not have any magazines in English.  But, last Sunday, after 10 months, I figured out what his hawking chant is.

As I walked by his stand coming back from the pharmacy I saw that he had a Suduko magazine in the center of the windshield (if you are not hooked on Sudoku, don't go there).  Sudoku books are hard to find here and usually are expensive when you do find them ($5-7).  So I stopped and it turned out he had three. So I bought all three - total cost, $3. He even threw in a fourth for free (Sudoku heaven!).  As I walked away it hit me - "ah doe lah" - the Spanish pronunciation of  "a dollar" if you say it fast. Phew,  another of life's big mysteries solved.

Interesting Notes

A recent Time Magazine poll revealed, among other things that, 80% of those polled knew that U. S. TV broadcasts will switch from analog to digital in 2009, but 77% did NOT know who the chief justice of the U. S. Supreme Court  was.

Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin were born on the same day, Feb 12, 1809. 

In Zimbabwe, where the inflation rate is measured in the thousands of percentage points, President Mugabe last week devalued the currency by loping seven zeros off the currency. So, a ten million dollar note became a single dollar note.  Problem solved?  Well, you couldn't buy a loaf of bread for $10,000,000 before, and you still can't buy it for a $1.

An Agave Problem?

Agave, a natural sweetener produced in Mexico has caught on as a healthy alternative for other natural sweeteners, due to agave's low glycemic index - lower than sugars and honey.  There were 176 new products containing agave introduced in the U. S. in 2007, and agave sweeteners are already available in some major supermarket chains, including Kroger and Whole Foods. Agave sweeteners are also being sold to restaurants, bars (as a cocktail syrup), and to granola, ketchup and ice cream manufacturers. There are also a myriad of new agave products in development, and that is what generates 'the problem'.

Sweetener products can be, and are being, produced from several of the different species of agave.  However, now some product manufacturers have targeted the blue agave plant as the basis for their products.  Though it is true that sweeteners derived from the blue agave have a more lingering taste, the real motivation is to put a 'designer' twist on their products.  Huh?  A what?  Well, blue agave is the core of tequila. Some brands of tequila use other agave species in their formulas, but a tequila has to have a certain percentage of blue agave in it, or it can not be labeled tequila. In addition, premium (read expensive) tequilas are 100% blue agave based.

What's the problem?  Due to the booming world-wide popularity of tequilas over the last ten years, Mexican agave producers were already concerned that they could not keep up with the demand for blue agave.  In my case, as someone who does not use artificial sweeteners but does use tequila, I don't think that this it is a big problem.  It is a crises!   Forget gas prices, somebody do something!  Drill off shore, or something. Or find alternate sources - alternate sources for sweeteners that is, not tequilas.

A Big Celebration In The Park

Till Next Time.  Pura Vida

Hello Again from Panama

The 'Blue Collar Comedy Tour' Panamanian Style

One of Panama's biggest annual live performance shows is now playing in Panama City.  Los Cuentos del Campesino, literally translates  to 'Tales of the Peasant' but that does not really describe the campesinos concept.  Campesinos in Latin America are what we in the U.S. would refer to as 'rednecks'.  And although the composition of the campesinos group varies slightly in Latin America from country to country, in Panama the group includes the country's farmers, ranchers and cowboys. Panama's campesinos have, among other things, different expressions and ways of talking, unique music, distinctive clothing (particularly hats), rodeos Latino style, and a cuisine all their own. Think, "Hey how you, Bubba," country/western music, cowboy hats and BBQ - they haven't discovered NASCAR yet.

Check the hats.

Parade through David during Rodeo Week.

A campesino beach party?

Los Cuentos del Campesino is a stand-up comedy and skit production that spoofs campesino idiosyncrasies.  This is just the show's fourth year, but it has become so popular that when the tickets went on sale back in April, the entire two week (two-a-day) run was sold out in less than three hours.  As I had mentioned before, Chiriuqi province (where David is located) is the agricultural bowl of the country, and therefore the 'campesino capital' of the country. The campesino block raised enough of a ruckus about lack of tickets that, for the first time, six shows where scheduled here in David. And when it was revealed that the majority of the tickets for the shows in David were purchased by people in Panama City (a 6-7 hour drive from David), the National Assembly, responding to the campesino lobby, arranged for and partially funded, six additional shows here in David.  The tickets for these latest shows can only be purchased in person (limit 4 tickets) at the National Lottery office in David and the purchaser must present documents proving Chiriqui Province residency. Proof positive that you do not mess with the redneck population.

A Follow-up On Democracy Latin American Style (see last week's posting)

In an article this week in The Miami Herald, by Andrew Oppenheimer, the paper's Latin America expert, he notes that the governments in most Latin America countries have swung back and forth from leftist to populists leanings as if on a pendulum for years.

In Venezuela, even though President Chavez lost his referendum to become 'President for Life', he has now taken steps to prohibit opposition candidates from running in key November elections for governors and mayors throughout the country- 272 have been barred to date.  President Moralez, in Bolivia has called for a referendum on Aug. 10 to consolidate his power. When told by his own Justice Department that what he was proposing was illegal, he called on lawyers to accept that "politics is above judicial issues." In Ecuador, President Correa has proposed a constitution that would allow him to stay in power until 2017, dissolve Congress and take over the independent Central Bank.  Honduran President Zelaya announce last week that his country had become a "full member" of Chavez's Bolivarian People's Alternative bloc. And in El Salvador, leftist FMLN candidate Mauricio Funes is leading in the polls for the March 15 elections.

However, Oppenheimer notes that "Chavez's leftist authoritarian model is suffering big internal and external blows."  In Venezuela Chavez's popularity has plunged due to a 30% inflation rate, massive corruption and nepotism, and a growing resentment over Chavez's petrol-dollar 'give-aways' including his ego-boosting trips abroad.  In Bolivia and Ecuador there is increasing and organized resistance to the president for life initiatives.  In Argentina, one of Chavez's key allies, President Kirchner has lost her aura of invincibility after a key piece of legislation was overturned by an opposition party initiative that was led by her own vice president.

The major indicator that the region is going to move back towards the center, says Oppenheimer, is that Latin America's pragmatic-democratic bloc - led by Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Chile - is becoming increasingly pragmatic and globalized.  This group already accounts for more than 80% of the region's economy, and more than 90% of its foreign investments.  And, Oppenheimer speculates that this bloc will probably "move closer to the U.S. once the highly unpopular (in Latin America) President Bush disappears from the political scene."

Rodo's predictions  in the early 1900s about the future of democracy in Latin America look even more amazing the more I look at it.

Cheeto Art ?

A lady in Denver last week found a cheeto in her lunch bag that resembles Christ on the cross, or, in my opinion, more precisely a crucifix - I saw no resemblance to Jesus. (I'm not making this up).  She decided not to auction it on Ebay.  Instead, she decided to have a glass display case made and is going to put it on display in a Denver location so it can be viewed by (quote) all the faithful (unquote).  What I can't figure out is who wins the "Get A Life" contest.  The people who drive across town and stand in line to view a cheeto?  The TV crew, producer and station manger that airs this kind of stuff (talk about a slow news week)  Or the person who examines and studies the cheetos in the bag.   I figure the next guy they will interview is the manager of the 7-11 that sold her the bag of cheetos.

Life's Little Rewards - Or Are They Little?

One of the things I was thrilled to find in Panama that is non-existent in Costa Rica? - 1000 Island dressing.  I know, I know, you are thinking  "Get A Life." But, I love 1000 island.  So much so that I really don't even have a second choice.  I'll sometimes eat a salad with no dressing if 1000 is not available.  And in Costa Rica - Nada!

When I got here, one of the first thing I spotted in the cafeteria on the ground floor of the hotel was what looked like 1000 island in a bowl on the salad bar.  Actually there where two dressing that resembled 1000 island, but one of the employees point out the 'real' 1000 island.  The 1000 island is the one that doesn't have the little bits of some vegetable cut up in it. Bliss!  I end up eating a salad every day.

Well, after eight months it had to happen. "What, you are out of 1000 Island?  No mas?"  So, after considering all the known dressing alternatives, I decided to give the stuff that looks like 1000 a try.  Voila!  The little unknown bits in the mystery dressing?  Jalapenos.  Was not Hot hot, just tangy.  1000 island with jalapenos.  If you like 1000, try it. You heard it here first.  If everybody but me already knew this, sorry. Ha!

Process versus Product

I have mentioned before that many businesses in this part of the world are often totally focused on 'their processes', and any results of their efforts (the product) are of secondary, even incidental concern. For example, in a restaurant/bar setting the bartender does not set your beer in front of you and then put it on your tab.  Oh, no! The paperwork has to be straight before the beer is delivered.  And this process may involved several steps, another person, multiple entries (or all the above), plus multiple interruptions. And, when you get ready to check-out, by the time your tab is checked, double checked, re-checked, audited, etc., by seemingly half the staff, you wish you had asked for your check yesterday.  So you can imagine the frustration generated in dealing with a government bureaucracy.  All to often about the only way to get anything done involves $$$s - pesos, colones, dollars, whatever.  Here is a classic example.

The last time I was in Golfito I talked with a Canadian who had just been put threw the wringer.  Alex is a 45 year old from Vancouver whose job schedule allows him to travel the world about four months a year, which he has done for 20 years.  Having been all over the world, he is certainly no rookie when it comes to visas and immigration, etc.  He thought he had seen it all. Not so.

Alex had gone to Jaco, on the Costa Rican Pacific coast to spend some time ocean kayaking, a hobby he has indulged in most of the world's large bodies of water.  The owner of the kayak operation in Jaco, when he found out Alex's next stop was David, Panama, asked if would be interested in delivering a new kayak to one of his customers in David.  The details were worked out, processed out of Costa Rica and Alex strapped his surf board across the bow of the kayak and set off south in the coastal waters of Costa Rica.  Three weeks and about 300 miles later, after spending numerous nights on deserted beaches and uninhabited islands, Alex arrived at the marina/port in Pedregal on the outskirts of David. And, his first stop was the marina's immigration office to process in the country, routine stuff.  Oops!

"Senior, I need to see the paperwork for your boat." (If you enter the country on a boat you present your passport and all the registration paperwork on the boat.  And, yes you are going to pay a fee for bringing the boat into the country)

"Paperwork. That is not a boat, it is a kayak. Just like a surfboard.  There is no registration paperwork."

To make a long story short, you cannot process into the country at one of the ports without boat paperwork.  So Alex was escorted to the immigration office here in David where this drama was replayed, the discussion when round and round a couple of times, plus Alex made a couple of calls to the Canadian embassy in Panama City.  To no avail.  Alex was then taken to the Panama/Costa Rica border crossing at Pasa Canoas to the 'big' immigration office, in handcuffs. Gulp.

The bottom line, to enter the country legally you can come into the airport, cross by land into the country at one of the border crossing, enter at a port with the proper boat paperwork, or on a cruise ship where the cruise ticket serves as boat paperwork - period!  So Alex had two choices.  They would stamp his passport and he could just walk across the border and process back into Costa Rica.  Fine, that is where he was going anyway.  Oops, one problem.  Panama immigration was going to stamp his passport showing that he had been deported from Panama.

"Does that mean I can't come back to Panama?" Alex asked. "That is no big deal, you people have pissed me off anyway."

The immigration officer then showed him a full-page list of countries that, due to reciprocal agreements, would bar entrance to their countries based on his deportation from Panama.  Plus, there might be questions every time he processed in/out of Canada. Just what a world traveler needs, right?

"So what is option #2?"  They would process him into Panama on a 'Special Situation' with normal processing paperwork and he could proceed into Panama, or process him in and out of Panama and he could proceed into Costa Rica, his choice.  Nothing unusual in his passport - end of problem.  So with just one additional piece of paperwork and one additional stamp on immigration's part and $385 out of Alex's pocket, problem solved.  The $385 figure came off a printed schedule in the immigration office.  Do you suppose this has happened before.  And, no, Alex did not get a receipt?

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Till Next Time.  Pura Vida!