October 2, 2010

Being the beach people that we are and to walk along the beach is one of the most pleasant things we can do, I am surprised we haven’t done that since arriving in Panama. Come on, no place in this country is more than 50 miles from an ocean! Granted, we often go to the causeway to walk, sit, eat overlooking the entrance to the canal, but that isn’t a beach. So on Sunday after church, we drove to Vera Cruz to visit a nearby beach (20 minutes). Large beach, great for walking, but no one was swimming and few were walking or even sitting on the beach under an umbrella. Most were sitting at a beach bar / restaurant. Guess few in Panama swim. Few walk. Many drink. We did get stopped at a check point on the road for an ID check. Thankfully, they only asked for Wayne’s. Who knows who they are looking for? If for illegals, they check everyone in the car; if for someone else, it is just a glance into the car. I now carry a letter from my lawyer saying they are working on my visa, just in case. It is just strange to have check points where they stop your car, especially when one of the policemen is carrying an automatic rifle. I am getting used to it though.
It was an OK beach, (check out the pictures), but most of the really nice beaches are an hour or more away. I guess the best ones are on the Caribbean side, but along with more rain and bugs. The tide was so far out when we were there. But, it was partly sunny and windy and just perfect for being outdoors.
About immigration. I had to go to the lawyer’s office to sign more papers on Wednesday morning. The lawyer wasn’t there, since he was delayed at a doctor’s appointment. So the meeting was basically with his two secretaries who spoke NO English and the lawyer on the phone. At one point, he needed to talk with his secretary. I asked which one and he just said, “Oh, she is the FAT one”. I was really taken back by that comment only to realize after talking with others that “fat” is NOT a big deal here. It is really an endearing comment! It is NOT an insult. Thus, I guess that is why all the women at the mall that are quite heavy wear clothes many sized too small. It is just the culture. Many Americans would get really put out when a Panamanian man calls you “gordo” (which is fat). Yet, they really think you are pretty and they are attracted to you. This information was from the single girls from the states that I teach with. So, the immigration saga continues. What we have to do is almost insane. Like who is escaping from the US to come to a third world country? Why do they make it so difficult? Eventually, according to several at school that have done this process, we can expect a multi-hour interview where Wayne is in one room, me in another and they ask us the same questions and compare answers “just to see” if we really are married and he isn’t trying to sneak me into the country. Good grief! One gal said immigration actually showed up unexpectly at her door step on Saturday morning. Again, the fascination continues with being in a foreign country.
We have a favorite pizza place that we occasionally walk to for dinner. We have had several different pizzas, NONE with sauce. I guess that is a custom here. No sauce. Tonight, several people sitting next to us were all eating various pasta dishes. Again, no sauce. I had a terrific Greek Salad. It was really good, yet I bet it had maybe a tablespoon of lettuce in it. All green peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, etc. Different.