July 10, 2010

Have yet to see a lawnmower down here. Seems like there should be some, but in the fields at the park we see LOTS, I mean LOTS of guys weed whacking. These fields are large, yet they seem to keep everything trimmed with multiple weed whackers. Wonder why, seems like lawn mowers would be so much more efficient?
I am beginning to feel like I am back at college. I seem to spend a large portion of my day studying. I am learning pre-algebra to teach to my youngsters, preparing for my new job (starts in two more weeks), and I try to spend at least an hour a day with an online Spanish program. (OK, I really didn’t work this hard in college). Why is learning so much more fun now than it was when I was in college? Since we still don’t have cable, we can’t waste our time watching TV. It has only been on order for 12 days. It gets dark by 7:00 so aren’t out walking much past then.
I was given the names of a couple great doctors (hopefully we don’t need any) that speak English. BUT apparently NO one has a receptionist that speaks English. SO if you call for an appointment, you are out of LUCK if you don’t know how to communicate some.
One of our neighbors knocked on our door to point out to us several brightly colored toucans and a sloth in the area behind our house. How cool is that! The sloth, being so high up in a tree was hard to detect. We would never have notice it ourselves. The toucans were fun to watch and we could see them moving around, all from our patio! Now that is so cool, but I really hope I do not experience the critters that slither along the ground. They can stay PUT as far as I am concerned. A new friend told me she has never seen one in the five years she has been here EXCEPT for a 5 foot one that was in a parking lot one day. I really don’t want THAT experience.
When looking for a car, several have suggested getting a SUV because they could get though the water that collects in the streets. Seemed rather strange to us until today we were driving around exploring and ran into one of Panama’s famous tropical downpours. Parts of the road got so much water so quickly that it is difficult to navigate a small car (our rental). Ok, NOW we understand. Interesting about the rain. You get a massive downpour, then the sun comes out shining brightly. No gloomy days that last all day like we experienced up north. It pours and then it is over.
Spent the evening on the Amador Causeway that juts out into the Bay of Panama (see the pictures in an earlier blog link – July 5th), eating dinner and then walking and watching the ships enter the canal. We only ordered in Spanish (and less than two weeks here). We butchered the language, but the waiters helped us out. They seem pleased that we at least try. I “think” they are laughing with us, not at us.