April 30, 2011

Ever stand outside and have someone dump a bucket of water over your head? That is what the “change of season” rain storms are like here, except the buckets keep going and going and going for hours. Amazing. Wayne and I were yelling at each other the other night just to talk. It rains so hard that you can’t hear each other. If it wasn’t ruining my evening walk, I would have loved it, but it was ruining my walk. Umbrellas are pretty worthless, not because it rains sideways but because it just rains so hard. Rivers form on the sidewalks and streets. Now I understand why the most popular shoes here are Crocs. Then you can wade in the streets during these storms. Amazing though, shortly after a storm, sidewalks and streets are water free. Great drainage.
We were in a government office the other day. Us, along with about 50 locals, all patiently waiting to have our number called to be helped. A woman, who appeared to be a supervisor, came out from a back office and asked a question (in Spanish, of course) in a loud voice. Just about everyone in the room raised their hand. Wayne and I sat there, looked at each other and laughed. Wonder what the question was? She could have been asking who wanted a $10 bill. Needless to say, we still don’t know why nearly everyone raised their hand.
Interesting story about the night before Easter. As I said last week, it is dead in the city because all the people go to the interior where apparently they party pretty hard. In fact, one guy said that he can’t stay at his mom’s house in the interior because the neighbors play incredibly loud music until morning. This past weekend, due to some accident, all the power was out along the coast and in some of the nearby towns. He said it was a blessing! There was no a/c, but also no loud music. It ruined the loud parties.
A pictures of our “McDonalds, will travel”. These food carts are all over the city. This is a high class one because it is moved along by a motorcycle. Some are simply bicycles, some just pushed by hand. People are always gathered around them to purchase food and drinks, although I would be scared to death of stomach problems if I did.

Got a picture of some flowers. I guess this might be considered spring??? The rains are bringing out amazing beauty we haven’t seen before. It also is bringing out a much higher humidity that we haven’t felt before either. However, one of our neighbors never turns on their a/c. They do have ceiling fans (we do not) but still, humid is humid, no matter what kind of breeze you have.

April 23, 2011

Thursday was my first free day from my Easter week off school. So we decided it was time for me to get my Panamanian driver’s license. First stop was at the U.S. Embassy to get my U.S. driver’s license authenticated. To get into the embassy, you have to go through a small building in which only one person is allowed at a time (or a couple or family). It is like security at the airport, but much more. They keep your keys, cell phone, water bottle, etc. Wayne had to roll his pant legs up to show he had nothing strapped to his legs under his long pants. Then, I proceeded to another building to pay $51 to get my Ohio driver’s license authenticated. Afterwards, we went to a Panamanian government office to get THAT authentication authenticated by the Panamanian government. After waiting in line, I was instructed to go to a local bank to get some revenue stamps (like postage stamps). I was told to return three hours later to get the authenticated authentication document back and put the stamps on it. Then, I had to go to another person to get those stamps STAMPED. Meanwhile, I went to get a blood test to determine my blood type, since it is required for the license. NOW, I can finally go to the driver’s license bureau to apply for my license, which is a half day (mostly waiting in line) process. Today, I only had to stand in five different lines (well 7 if you count the two at the blood bank). Also, I am trying to get this all done when I don’t speak Spanish.
Now why did I not go until Thursday? My new school had in-service (8 hours a day) for three days. And we aren’t even under contract yet to get paid. But, most of the 25 new teachers were there, giving up their vacations. What a fascinating three days. We learned about the PYP program which is the Primary Years Program for the IB (International Baccalaureate) program for international schools. I thought I knew about most near everything about education, having been in it for so long. Not so. It is going to be REALLY interesting. The first day we all talked about how many countries we all have lived in. I was at the bottom of the totem pole with only two. Some have lived in 5, 10 or 15 different countries. Can you only imagine how interesting it will be to work with people from all over the world? However, I was at the TOP of the totem pole with years of experience. I was totally impressed with the people they hired. They were from Turkey, the U.S., Columbia, Venezuela, Ukraine, and on and on and on. I was considered a “local” because of my immigration status. Seems funny to be a “local” and from Panama. Every student will have a digital device (iTouch, iPad, or MacBook ). My job is to get the technology integrated into the IB program and get all the teachers onboard and trained. Right now, I think it will be a blast. Ask me later about this.
Apparently when the Americans were here, they controlled the population of the alligators in the local lakes. Since they left, no one is doing it. So, a nearby lake where people sometimes go diving, has had some divers go “missing”. Gator sightings are common among the people that pass by the lake daily. Some fish in the lake, sitting on the bank, late at night when the alligators roam. No comment on that!
The city is dead this weekend. Very little traffic and nothing is open. Good Friday is another day that the country shuts down. Even some of the popular grocery stores are closed. Driving around is real easy on Friday, just no place open to drive to. Most everyone headed off to the beaches.
Saw a police roadblock on the other side of the road when we headed out shopping on Saturday. Wayne knew the police would not be there when we returned, since it would be in the bright sun by that time. You don’t have to worry about cops standing out for long in the hot sun.

April 15, 2011

So, we were at the mall and I was dying to go eat at a fun restaurant that sells crepes. They have a spinach one that I absolutely love. Went in, ordered it, and they promptly tell me they are out of spinach!! In a country where it grows like a weed??? But then, my friend went to a place Saturday night and asked for a sandwich. They were out of bread, so then she changed her order to a pepperoni pizza. They were out of pepperoni.
Wayne was helping a guy move a bed to an apartment on Sunday. Then, a security guard at the apartment complex got agitated and started complaining to Wayne. Of course, Wayne had no clue what he said. So, the guard had to get someone that spoke English. Well, little did we know (or several other people that we asked), but apparently there is a law in this country that you can NOT move on Sundays. You can drink, you can do any number of other things, but you cannot move. A “day of rest”? But, someone else mentioned to me that it is also illegal to move at night. Apparently, too many people skip out of their apartments without paying their rent.
Oh, does it rain a lot as the seasons change! Not all day, but you can be outside and it just decides to open the skies and let it pour. An umbrella is just literally a joke. Perhaps that is why this is the tropics? But, within a few days after the rain has started, the beautiful flowers and green grass are all coming back and once again we are seeing new flowers that we haven’t seen before. It is amazing to watch God’s creation change before our eyes as the seasons change again. I could really enjoy it other than the fact it gets really humid. You have to have your a/c on part of the day just to pull the humidity out. Apparently, someone told me today that if you leave your car parked for a couple weeks while going on vacation, you will find mold spots in it when you return.
One of my friends lives in the interior. Her house had all the plumbing that you would expect in a house, but the water pressure just doesn’t get the water into the pipes. So she has to have water delivered a couple times a week, put in big tanks in her yard and then she can live normally. Yet, at night they always leave a faucet on, so should the pressure become strong enough (which does happen occasionally), they will know and can get up and collect as much water as they can. I would find that so disturbing, yet she is living just fine with it. And she just moved here from California last summer to marry a Panamanian that she met on a missions trip here 20 some years ago and they reconnected. Not like she is used to this lifestyle.
Ready for socialized medicine? A gal at church had cataracts and was going blind. With socialized medicine here in Panama, you have to first get an appointment with a regular doctor who may or may not refer you to a specialist. You can wait MONTHS for that first appointment. So, while she was waiting, she rapidly was going blind. The church gathered money for her to go to a private hospital and have the surgery. She is fine now, but four months after she got home from the surgery, she finally got the call to come in for her first appointment with the government physician. Scary??? If you are really sick, you go to the hospital at 5:00 am, get a number and then wait perhaps ALL day to finally get in to see a doctor. I have heard too many of these scary stories.

April 9, 2011

All of sudden, it started raining and it didn’t stop all day. Ok…I get it, the dry season must be over. Totally stinks. Funny, I am not used to this type of seasonal change. What fun to experience something so different than what I am used to. Rain is nice, providing it doesn’t interfere with my walks.
Someone was coming to our house last night and was delayed quite some time. Of course, traffic. Apparently, once again, roads were shut down due to the local university students rioting and blocking one of the major streets in the city. This time, it was because busses to the interior raised their fares 20% due to increased gas prices. The bus fares have been the same for over 10 years, which is about 25 to 50 cents within the city and only about $15 to $20 to go halfway across the country. Having a riot is just a normal pastime. The students generally have them under an overpass that crosses a major street because it is shady. So, if the riot police can get there quickly and keep the students away from the overpass, the riots generally end sooner because it is too hot in the direct sun. Meanwhile, these latest riots have resulted in classes at the university being suspended indefinitely.
Attached are a couple pictures of our newest friend. I see these frogs with big eyes popping out in all the souvenir shops in Costa Rica and Panama. This guy has been on our porch every night for the past week when we take Ace out. He is so adorable. He hangs on the railing for the steps and stares at us. Sometimes he attaches himself to the wall. Pictures are bad because he won’t come out in the daytime when we can take a good picture. But we are anxious to see him every night.
There are some pictures of the Canal Administration building. We were told there were beautiful murals on the inside about the building of the canal, so went to see them last weekend. After walking up the 130 steps or so, we found out it wasn’t opened on the Sundays. Anyway, beautiful shots of the city from high up (and you can see the McDonald arches as well).
I had to go to immigration last week to get my pictures taken since my status had changed. Our lawyer told us to be there at 7:30 since they were opening at 8:00 now. So we had the opportunity to stand in the sun for an hour before they opened the doors after 8:30. Then had more opportunity to stand in line inside for another 40 minutes before the guy that takes the pictures showed up. Then got my pictures taken and had another opportunity to stand around until they put plastic on the card. My five minute pictures taking session lasted well over 2 hours. Our lawyer’s assistant was with us (who speaks not a word of English) and I am always amazed at his handshake. Limp! Then, I talked with the kids at school about cultural differences. People down here just don’t shake hands. Most everyone greets with a hug and a kiss (although the kiss is kind of in the air). So the locals will shake a gringo’s hand since that is what “we do”. Needless to say, they have never learned “how” to shake hands like in the U.S. On the other hand, I have had to learn not to be uncomfortable with everyone hugging with a kiss as well.
Our neighbor invited us into this apartment to see his newly remodeled kitchen. He still had the original cabinets, but wanted new knobs for all the doors and drawers. However, he had to order them from the states. You can go to the hardware store here and find a wide variety of knobs, but none of the stores will have more than four of any one type in stock. You can find most everything here you want, just not much of it. The rule of thumb is: “if you find it, buy it immediately”. It may not be there tomorrow or for weeks on end.

March 31, 20100

Been married for almost 35 years and Wayne has seldom expressed his desire to do something strongly. But he really wants to stay in Panama, so we have made a decision to stay. I miss my job in Cincinnati. Miss my friends, my connections. CHCA has been my second home for 19 years and I can’t imagine not being there. But on the other hand, Panama has it pluses too. It is great here. I love the school I am at, the kids, the teachers, the WEATHER, new friends, the church. But I was looking for more of a challenge. After saying that, I was offered a job at a brand new school that is just opening next year in Panama. It is an international school and will be totally infused with technology. They needed someone to set up their technology program, develop the pedagogy, work with teachers and teach a few classes in a lab. I am so excited, needless to say. Every kid will be given a device (iTouch, iPad, or MacBook) upon entrance to the school, so someone has to figure this entire thing out. What a challenge. So, with that opportunity, the decision to stay was sealed. And on top of that, I decided to “retire” (sort of) and I told them I only wanted a four day week. Anyway, I want my fifth day to do volunteer work with the church in the slums (again trying to set up a program with technology) or going back to my current school and helping out some of my friends with the computers there. So after months of wondering “what should we do”, decisions are finally made. Of course, this opens up an entire new spectrum of problems. Wayne and I have been stretched every which way since coming here. We are different people now. Taking risks has been difficult and wonderful. But taking risks has certainly made life more interesting to say the least.
Guess that means we need to find a more permanent place to live. I need to get a driver’s license, but we certainly don’t need to worry about winter clothes, boots, socks, or gloves. We will have more long lines to stand in, traffic jams to endure, more government bureaucracy to deal with, but lots of sunshine! I am scared to death, yet really excited about these new challenges. Really, who would have ever thought 18 months ago we would be doing this??

March 27, 2011

Just came back from a visit with a couple who are good friends and that were “house sitting” this past week. The house is RIGHT on the beach with a fabulous view of the mountains. That must have been a “terrible” sacrifice to have to live in that house for one entire week!!! But we went to spend the day with them on Saturday and I don’t know if I have ever been in a more beautiful, comfortable spot in my life! Ace even had a terrific time running on the beach with no leash and with four other dogs. Only problem is that no matter how safe it is during the day, night time can be a problem when the “bad guys” roam the beach looking for places to rob. That is a problem in a country where there is such a discrepancy between the people that have many things and people who have nothing. But I suppose it is a problem in the U.S. as well. But here you can have bars on your windows and doors, which I suppose would not be allowed in U.S. due to fire codes. Everything here is built with cement block or poured concrete, so the termites can’t eat it. Building anything out of wood is crazy around here. But looking at some of these buildings here, they could withstand any tornado or hurricane, yet no worry about those here in Panama.
Wayne and I were taking a walk along the beach and met a Panamanian couple with two very large dogs. Apparently, I showed concern for Ace, my little 11 pound mutt, and they looked at me and said there was no reason to worry., They joked that their dogs were Panamanian dogs, therefore did nothing. Poor commentary on the country I suppose. But we had a wonderful day and marveled at the beauty of creation.
Last Tuesday, I had an unexpected day off school. I guess a beloved Vice President from years ago passed away. The President of the Panama called a national day of mourning and all business, offices, schools, etc were to shut down for the day. However, one construction company got permission from the government to continue working and did so. Well, the residents in a local neighborhood nearby demonstrated (common occurrence in Panama) because it was to be a day of mourning and the residents went into the streets to block traffic. The police had to come and arrest several people. Riots / demonstrations seem to be a form of entertainment for many here.
One thing we have noticed around here is the lack of automatic dishwashers! Never really gave it much thought until recently, but you just don’t see them in many places. We haven’t missed one because there are just the two of us. Wonder if it is the fact that many people have maids (really inexpensive to hire around here). Kitchens in most places are really small (unlike in the U.S.) as well. However, many houses and condos have a maid’s quarters. In the States, you wouldn’t buy a house without a dining room, but here you wouldn’t buy a place without a maid’s quarters. I still do not have a maid. Can’t imagine having one unless they cooked!

March 19, 2011

Lots of pictures on facebook from Quito should you want to see any. Beautiful country.
So this week, my immigration status changed from something to something else. Who knows what the heck is going on for real, but Wayne had to take my passport and my current temporary immigration ID card to the lawyer today for what was supposed to be a three day procedure. Anyway, the lawyer said it was now a two week procedure. The lawyer has no idea why, no law has been changed, no new rulings or anything. Just someone said it now took 2 weeks, not 3 days. Guess it has just been a frustrating week (3 weeks? 10 months???). I really don’t understand WHY things take forever down here. No one seems to want to move fast (except behind the wheel of a car). Our house phone has been out for 3 weeks. We have people call the phone company for us (language problems) and they are either “on their way”, “it has already been fixed”, “we will have to put in a new work order”, “will do it tomorrow”, or “it will take a week for a new request”. Ahhhhhh, life is easy for them. Who is in a hurry??? So anyway, there is nothing anyone can do about it. It just IS.
Anyway, how cool is this picture. We were driving to church last Sunday and this is the sight we encountered when leaving the neighborhood. We saw, as we have frequently, a cruise ship going through the canal at the locks that are close to us. Yep, I would have loved to be ON the ship heading for a cruise, but just seeing something like this is way cool as well. We have gone to the Panama Canal visitor’s center right next to the locks across the street from us, but only saw a container ship up close. It is fun to stand and wave at the people on the ships when you are that close.
Check the green bean picture. I went to the local produce store the other day (my little Chinese market) and saw what I thought were green beans??? I asked the clerk what they were and she said something or the other (which I obviously didn’t understand). I asked her if they might be green beans and she said, YES. Wonder if she really understood a word that I said or not. But they were long. I did measure one and it was 30 inches in length. Looked like green beans, tasted like them. Haven’t clues what they might be though.