June 19, 2011

I usually don’t have any problem “leaving”, but I really hate to be “left”. And that is what life is like being an expat. People are always leaving. The beauty is that new people are always coming, but it is tough to say good bye to friends. The last day of school was this week. There were several leaving. It was a good year. I wasn’t challenged as much as I like to be challenged, but the school was great, the teachers were great, the kids were great. All in all, it was a good experience. Looking back, I can’t believe the year is over.
I spent Thursday afternoon with a friend who has lived in Panama for many years. Interesting, as I discovered several thing about the working culture. It seems as though the country almost rewards laziness and irresponsibility. If you are fired from your job, you get a great severance package. If you quit, you get half of that package. You can be just a totally irresponsible worker and it is difficult to get rid of you. Someone said you had to miss six Mondays in a row before they have grounds to fire you without severance. Granted, the severance packages appear good, but the salaries are so low that they really aren’t that much.
A few of us walked to a local “fonda” near the school on Monday for lunch. Fondas are little restaurants run by the locals, usually in a simple small building or shack. You are “taking your stomach in your hands” to eat at one, though. On the way, we noticed a few trees growing up right in the middle of the sidewalk. Looks like the road had been torn up to lay some pipes yet, when they got to the sidewalk, they must have just dug under rather than cutting through the sidewalk and repaving it. So, eventually the sidewalk collapsed. Then, a few weeds must have started growing in the mess, yet no one ever bothers to pick up or dig them out or even repair the sidewalk. Needless to say, over the years trees have developed. Anyway, the food was absolutely delicious at the fonda and CHEAP. Yet, you are still taking a risk. There are absolutely NO HEALTH codes, no inspections to make sure food is prepared safely, at these places.
So three days of vacation are over. Like every summer break, time FLIES. Most everyone that goes to the states has already left. This place really clears out so quickly. With only 6 weeks of “summer”, people scatter almost immediately.

June 12, 2011

Can’t believe we have been out of the U.S. for almost a year now. Can’t believe my year at my new school is over now. What a year it has been, too. We often reflect on everything that has happened and how we have tried to live in a new culture, with a new language and everything just so different. Friday night, there was a great party the school had for all the teachers leaving. It is so interesting that at CHCA where the 20, 15, 10 year awards are given and there are several of them. Here, there is about a 30 percent turnover each and every year. A 5 year award is something, while a 10 year award is rare. There are only a few at the school who have made Panama their home for life. The young teachers come for a 2 or 3 year adventure and then head off to other places. Some of the teachers have taught in several other international destinations as missionaries. Seldom do you find a teacher who was born, raised and still living in Panama. Of course, at this school you have to have perfect English skills, so someone born and raised here probably wouldn’t have them unless they were raised in the Canal Zone. Many people we have met were born and raised in the Canal Zone, left for college, marriage and career in the states and are now returning.
Another interesting thing is the “talk” at the end of the school year. At CHCA, people are always asking each other if you are going “anyplace” this summer for vacation. Here it is “When are you headed to the states?” People scatter within days of the end of the school year. Many stay away for the 6 weeks we have off before returning. The question is never “Are you going?”, but “When are you going?”. Some missionaries need to go back to raise support, others are young and head off to visit their families. Just an interesting mix.
We are anxious to return to the states for a couple weeks as well and see our families and friends. We “wonder” if we changed? How could we not after an experience like this and taking a step of faith by stepping outside our comfort zone.
I certainly hope the Midwest gets some good weather before returning. A couple of my younger kids at school were just terrified about going to the states this summer. All they have seen on American TV down here has been tornado related and they are just scared to death. Nice that here, there is no worry about tornados or hurricanes. I guess we are too far south for the hurricanes, and obviously no big changes of weather for tornadoes. Earthquakes are still a question. We certainly don’t have the number of them that Costa Rica has, but like in Ohio, they “say” there could be a big one eventually.
Now, we have to figure out how to deal with the humidity when being gone for a while. Folks that leave for six weeks come back to mold. Apparently if you park your car and don’t get in it for 6 weeks, you can find mold on your steering wheel. Two weeks apparently isn’t an issue, but six can be. Stuff (just about anything) grows like crazy here.

June 5, 2011

Today is our 35th wedding anniversary. And what was cool is that after church and Sunday School, we ran off to a barbeque put on by my new school (school next year). They know how to throw a good party. We have one occasionally,, which is really fun to get to know the new people. But we had a map (a map is really strange down here to say the least), but the party was at building 9A. Wayne, being the brilliant navigator that he is, came in from the “other” end of the street. So we passed three building that were marked with a “9“. We had no clue which one it was. Finally had to call. The correct “9” was at the other end. So the addresses went from 63 to 8 (next door) then 9. Then they changed numbers until there was another 9. WHO numbered these houses???
We went to the high school graduation last night for my current school. Our school had 21 seniors graduating. It was the first graduation that I have gone to in 15 years that attendance wasn’t required OR that I had to wear a cap and gown. Interesting to say the least. Some things better, some worse , but many the same. If only I could take the best of both, there would be a great graduation!
Wayne went to the cable office on Friday to cancel our cable at the “old” place. We have cable at the new place, but needed to cancel the old service. Unfortunately, the cable office had not a single person that spoke English. They used the computer and the Google translator to try to manage their way through the transaction. Wayne got really worried once he got home fearing that the ”correct” message just didn’t get across and that he had cancelled the service at the new apartment. Dealing with the cable company in the states is bad enough, even if you are all understand English. So one of our “Spanish “ speaking friends told us Friday night she would meet us there Saturday morning to make sure everything was done correctly. Arggggg, the frustrations of living in a country where you can’t speak the language.
Just a week of school is left. Time is flying.