February 6, 2011

This is interesting. We have this tiny lot right next to our converted army housing of four apartments. The lot sold at an auction a few months ago for an unbelievable price. So these people are building a house on the lot (gotta be a small house), but they are having local laborers do the building BY HAND. Wonder if they really plan to move in this decade? Anyway, the laborers dug and installed a foundation, mixed the cement, etc. which has taken at least two months. Again, all by hand. Last week, we saw them chipping away at the solid cement to rough in the plumbing. Guess they didn’t do it before putting the cement in. Planning???? Guess not. It is funny to watch the workers during the day, because apparently there isn’t a foreman directing them all the time. Progress is slow since they frequently take breaks by laying down in shade, but then it does get really hot during the day. When the owners show up, you have never seen so many hard working men. Probably nothing different than a similar type of job in the states with no foreman. (Now this paragraph is written days later. I was at an event this week and met an American business woman that is the owner of a construction company. I related this story to her and she just smiled and said “THAT” is the way it is done here. NO planning. Again, a cultural thing)
I am still waiting on my visa. When we had our “interview” to see if we were “really” married or I was just hanging out with Wayne to get into the country they mentioned it would be two months for something or the other. Being that 2 months has long since passed the lawyer checked on the process. Nobody knows anything. Apparently that is “good” news because had there been a problem we would have had to return to immigration. Perhaps there is a reason that my “temporary” card was good for a year? So am I legal?? Or illegal??? I still don’t know. Just know that I am leaving the country in a few weeks to go to a conference in Ecuador and hope that I get out and back OK. Could be an interesting trip.

We are in summer right now. Or what the Panamanians call summer since there is no school in the local schools. One of the teachers at my school is also on staff at a Life Camp going on in the interior for the orphans and indigenous. One little boy wonderingly asked if they were going to have three meals a day for the week, then began to cry because his parents only get one meal a day. Yes, there is definitely a difference between the rich and the poor. A story in the newspaper a couple years ago spoke of the deaths in the interior from malnutrition, yet many of the people that died were quite heavy. But the heavy consumption of white rice (which is their main food staple) doesn’t give you much nutrition.

It is interesting after being at CHCA and the Vineyard and service is part of the culture. Here I get the feeling that the Expats believe that and serve. I don't see that with many locals. Again the "class" difference. I don't see that in the US.

I have mentioned weather isn’t discussed here since it seldom changes, although lately the conversations have often been on the weather in the states!