March 13, 2011

Went to an ACSI educator conference and had a delightful time, although we froze to death with 60’s during the day and 40’s at night. Think I have adjusted to the tropics??? Since being in Panama, I must have been asked 100 times “where was I from”. So 100 times, I have mentioned Cincinnati. Then in Quito, I was asked where I was from and that was not my answer. How strange to say I was from Panama. But I met just so many people that were from all over the world. Most were teaching somewhere in Latin / South America at the time, but many have taught in numerous countries around the world. Most were originally from someplace in the states, though.
I presented (in English, of course) three different times at the conference with three different subjects. Needless to say, it was a bit much. I don’t know just why I volunteer for such things. But it was fun, people seemed excited to have the information and it was certainly a challenge to prepare for all three.
Meanwhile, I took another leap of faith and I actually invited people to my place for dinner the weekend before leaving. That may have been more of a stress. When jumping out of your comfort zone, just DO it. Our guests actually seemed to enjoy the meal and didn’t die, so maybe I might become a cook. I met a great friend here in Panama that is determined to make a cook out of me. Talk about a challenge!
Quito, as you can see from the pictures is absolutely breath taking. How you can be on the equator and see mountain tops with snow is crazy. I will let the pictures tell the story. Also, I met Dave Walker’s daughter who was at the conference from Bogota, Columbia and Mark Beadle’s friend that works with him from Sevenstar Academy. We had some free time and got to do a little touring while in Quito. Thankfully I was hanging around with several that spoke fluent Spanish. Apparently (as if I would know), the people in Ecuador speak a much more refined Spanish than Panamanians. The country is clean (as without any trash anywhere), but apparently, crime is an issue. AND we were warned to not drink the water, even in the hotel. Several of our group had a few “issues” because of the water. While touring the “Old Town” of Quito, there was a robbery right in front of us. We were trying to figure out where we were and getting a taxi during rush hour while it was raining. One of those moments in life where you are scared and miserable, then laughed like crazy once inside a taxi. (And being with other Spanish speaking friends it was much easier.)
Some pictures are posted of the “OLD TOWN”, which was absolutely beautiful. It has one of the highest concentrations of churches in the world and the few that we went into were beyond amazing. Most people were walking around with ashes on their forehead since we toured on Ash Wednesday. Never have I seen churches that are were so elaborate. It was impossible to take pictures since service were going on in all the churches.
Probably my favorite trip was going to the equator. After being in Greenwich England some 20 years ago and taking pictures of our kids at 0 degrees longitude, I always wanted to be on the equator. I never realized how cold it could be though. There was one break during the conference during which all of us from Panama went out to sit in the sun. We were all freezing to death.
The food in Ecuador was wonderful. You will see a picture of a grill with Guinea pigs on it. Apparently, it is one of their special treats in Ecuador. For breakfast every morning on the buffet was shrimp cerviche. I did have it for dinner and it had to be one of the best foods I have ever tasted. But instead of crackers, they serve it with popcorn and corn nuts with some special flavoring. For breakfast, it just didn’t seem right.
Back to school tomorrow. I plan to post more pictures when I get them from my friends.

March 4, 2011

So, we know I don’t cook, but now I have yet another reason not to. Trying to find ingredients here is beyond crazy. I needed brown sugar one day, ran into the store after church while Wayne waited in the car since finding a parking spot is about as difficult as finding anything. Found the sugar section, lots of sugar, sweetener, and things associated with sugar. But, no brown sugar. Scanned all the shelves close by, no sugar, so left the store. While complaining to someone later on in the day, they told me at THAT store the brown sugar was on the other side of the store near the ice cream (???). So the same thing happened again when I went looking for baking soda. Found the baking powder, found the baking supplies, but NO baking soda. Then I found it in another store, someplace completely out of the way among things that it didn’t belong with. You have absolutely no logical method to finding anything. If there is a spot, they apparently put it where ever.
Traffic, as mentioned before, is totally nuts around here. Out driving today (the last day of the month) is particularly crazy. Locals get paid on the 15th and the last day of the month. Everyone is out those two days spending what they have. Every place is mobbed. There are long lines at the banks. So now I get to experience Carnival this coming week. Panama apparently shuts down as the entire country becomes one great big party. The celebration goes crazy from Saturday through Tuesday (the day before Ash Wednesday). Then, every place is still shut down on Wednesday because apparently most are hung over and don’t go to work. Then things turn back to normal again, or so we hope.
This is Friday night and I am writing. We have always gone out on Friday evenings, but decided to stay in because we have heard such horror stories about traffic on the day before “Carnival” week. Apparently, everyone goes to the Interior (any place outside of Panama City) to celebrate and with only two bridges, that obviously can be problematic. The city reportedly becomes deserted. So, anyway we took a walk tonight and it was almost scary. NO noise, except for the sounds from the jungle, no kids screaming in the park, no cars, no soccer games, no nothing. Really eerie! I guess what people say is rather true. But, the word is that this is a “dark” time of the year for Panama. People party like crazy. Many pregnancies occur, people get drunk and their kids run loose. A couple of missionaries from the school hold camps for some of the youngsters to keep them busy. But, on the other hand, I guess that driving in the city is wonderful for those few days while people are out of town. We have also been told not to go any place without our passports and identification cards, since they have lots of roadblock set up looking for drunk drivers and illegals but obviously not for broken tail lights or outdated license plates.. So anyway, it should be interesting to say the least. The city shuts down.

February 26, 2011

I was sharing Wayne’s “car inspection” story (in a previous blog) with someone at my school. She started laughing. Like Wayne, I guess she might perhaps be one of the few in the country who is trying to be legal with car inspections. Anyway, she took her car in and the garage only had one license plate renewal sticker left. However, it was apparently going to the highest “bidder”. She was told if she didn’t get her car “realigned” then too bad, no deal. She was fighting it, since it was really not necessary for the inspection and the car would be out of alignment by the time she got home after going over a dozen speed bumps and numerous potholes. But, she got her car aligned anyway, but then drove away with her tail light STILL as broken as it was when she went in. You keep your license plate here forever and just replace the stickers. However, some people are still driving with a 2007 sticker.
Guess street demonstrations are a very common way to express opinions in Panama. Right now, there are numerous protests about a huge copper mine they are trying to develop. Indigenous Indians, university students and environmentalists are blocking some of the major roadways, particularly the Inter-American (sometimes called the Pan American) highway which is the main road connecting Panama City with the rest of Panama and with Costa Rica. This major four lane road can be blocked for three to six hours, which makes it really tough for trucks, buses and anyone trying to get to the other side of the country by car.
A local newspaper article (translated) said Panamanian students (in public schools) are fourth from the bottom in the WORLD in reading and science. In math, they are second from the bottom. Doesn’t it appear that their public education system stinks? And with all the money they get from the canal, you would wonder why they don’t improve the schools. Needless to say, that is why there are vast numbers of private schools all over the place. Big, beautiful private schools, but they are expensive. While teacher salaries are horrible (whether public or private), tuition at some of these private schools is even more than what CHCA charges ON TOP of having to pay an $8000 fee JUST to enroll. Thus, the typical Panamanian family simply can’t afford to send their child to a private school. My school allows missionary kids to come and the tuition is quite low compared to other private schools, but they can’t handle any more kids. The waiting list is way too long.
Sitting here Saturday afternoon, watching it rain. Weirdest dry season ever, so people say. Wonder if it has anything to do with the strange weather you are having in the North? But our evenings are amazing. Windy and low temperatures. We sleep with the windows opened and can’t believe it is February.

February 18, 2011

Wayne had to get a new sticker for the license plate today for our car. Apparently, the license plate number is associated with your car forever. In fact, the license plate number is etched in the windshield. Selling the car means the license plate number gets transferred to the new owner. Thankfully, he had a friend of ours (that speaks Spanish) go with him to help him through the nightmarish process. Three hours later, he had the car inspected, sticker ordered and on his merry way. But he was laughing as he saw the way the people inspected the car. Part of the inspection was to test all the lights. But it seems that most of the cars on the road have a missing light or two (or more), so apparently MOST of the cars on the road don’t update their stickers or get their cars inspected. But heard that by going to the “right” inspection facility, it is easy to pass an inspection.
Parking is quite the challenge. Land in the city is so expensive that there just are not many parking lots. So that means people park just about anyplace. You have to be creative. On Sunday we were driving to church on the two lane road (highway?). There was a rather large bicycle race happening and about 100 cars were parked on the side of the road while their owners got their bikes off their car racks while standing IN the road. We had to slow down to about a mile (km) an hour to just maneuver through the mess to get past them. No one seems to care. Another guy was riding his motor bike up with his bicycle tied to the back end of it (??). Oh, I wish I had my camera ready when I saw that one!
Our walks in the park have been so unique lately. Apparently, many come to Panama to bird watch. Never thought of ME a bird watcher, but lately I have seen such amazing colors of birds here that even I am taking to time to look for them. We found a bright turquoise bird nearby on several occasions. Amazing. Also, there has been a cricket tournament in our park the past two weekends. Rather interesting to watch, but hard to understand the rules.
Really though, I am still amazed at the international community this is. Just tonight I met a couple in the park that had lived in Sri Lanka, USA, here, there, everyplace. Met a nine year old girl (rather Ace met her and we started talking) that was born in Switzerland and had lived in Australia, the USA and is now here in Panama.
I had an opportunity to go to an Interactive Board demonstration this past week. It was held at a Jewish school downtown. The school is very old school, very beautiful and attended by children from very wealthy families. So we drive up to the school and it was nothing but a high cement wall, very plain. After walking through a fortified gate to get in, handing over immigration card (which they kept until I got out), giving my passport number, I then wandered through a large parking lot and entered the school. IT was a beautiful school with a huge outdoor courtyard, all hidden behind the high walls! So, I am in a country where I DO finally know the names of the men and ladies bathrooms in Spanish, but this school had them in Hebrew. I had to find someone to take me to the restroom! I had NO clue! That was about as bad as a restaurant I went to last weekend with a bunch of ladies. It was called the Beirut Restaurant. Menu was in Lebanese and translated into Spanish. Needless to say, I knew neither one.

February 12, 2011

The movie is from our mall at one of the three food courts within the mall. Well over a hundred stores and they are building more stores. But, still can’t find anything for me to wear. I don’t really like the clothes. And they are made for short people, too!
A friend told me at school on Friday that starting this Monday, traffic was going to get bad around here. Like has he never been out driving in the past eight months we have lived here and seen the horrible traffic? Good grief, how much worse can it get? I guess they are going to start construction on a metro system here in Panama City and dig up some of the main streets. Also several major intersections are getting “roundabouts”, overpasses, etc. You think I-275 is bad. This place is just plain crazy, particularly since the problem still continues with one of the only two bridges that cross the canal. Should be nice when it all get done (if that ever happens).
Panama is known for not having earthquakes, tornados or hurricanes. That is one of the pluses for people coming here I guess. But that was proven wrong last Wednesday. Guess there was an earthquake about 50 miles from here. Very very rare in this country. Of course, they never had flooding conditions either, until we moved here. One of my friends lives on the 27th floor of an apartment building. Guess she certainly noticed the earthquake as her building swayed. Unfortunately, they likely did not build everything to be earthquake proof.
We went to the mall today. Funny to see all the back-to-school sales going on right now. The local schools (not the international ones) get off January, February, and part of March for “summer”. So they are gearing up to go back. All the international schools (mine included) follow the American style schedule.
I guess there is a very large copper deposit that they are trying to develop in the Interior and they are now passing laws to allow mining. Many of the Indian tribes are against it; the environmentalists are against it and of course the college students, who support all such causes. Subsequently, there have been a number of demonstrations that require riot police and tear gas. Most of the riots around here occurred in front of the University of Panama down in the city. They cancelled class this week to try and stop the kids from rioting.
I am loving this dry season. There are some afternoons that I would like to see some clouds, since the afternoons can get really hot. Sky is totally clear and the sun beats down. If you are in the shade, you are fine. But then about 5:00 pm when the sun starts to go down, it is just as beautiful as you could ever imagine. Cool, windy and just incredible. I would never have thought that was possible in the tropics. I guess that is why this is also the high season for tourists, lots of cruise ships, can’t get a hotel room near the beach (if you can you pay the price). The overcast days in the rainy season are nice, but it does bring humidity. I have lunch duty most every day and it is just plain wonderful. Our cafeteria is outside, kids can be as loud as they want and the noise just dissipates out into the jungle, probably scaring the critters out there.

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!