You know, to this point I have done all the writing and that is not fair since Linda has been my partner in all this stuff. She recently sent some friends in Aromas a summary of her impressions of our few months in Panama.
Here it is:
" I'm sharing some of my thoughts about Stephen's and my new home here in San Carlos Panama. San Carlos is located on the Pacific side of the country about an hour's drive W from Panama City. For the past 3 months we've been creating our new home, friends and affiliates. All the while doing it in a foreign (to us) language and culture. We're studying Spanish and trying to learn the local culture so as not to offend and to understand. We've met tons of expats from the US and Canada. Most have good stories - some may even be true.
Many expats live in gated communities with only the local contacts being their housekeepers and gardeners. A lot of them are comfortable with that sort of lifestyle from past government careers, exclusive lifestyles and outlooks. S and I were looking to become a part of a local community. Naturally we're looked upon as outsiders but not unkindly. S began teaching at an International School 2 days a week. I'm involved with an animal group entitled, Spay Panama. I'm helping to coordinate a spay/neuter clinic in San Carlos later this month.
I'm finding that change is a little more taxing than I had anticipated. Perhaps it's my age, perhaps my sense of adventure isn't as piqued as it once was... Accomplishing tasks takes far longer than anyone could ever imagine. Sourcing items is far different than in first world nations. A new realization for me is that in the US we have always taken for granted that we can purchase any item we need - and if it's out of stock, we simply order it or go to a different store. Not so here. If you see something you need - or will ever need - purchase everything that is on the store shelf because you may never see it again. Especially in grocery stores. I now have 8- 2 lb bags of brown rice in my refrigerator!
All in all, S and I are still excited and looking forward to exploring our new country. There are only 3 million people here with beautiful beaches, mountains, rivers and forests. To date we've only experienced a tiny portion of what Panama has to offer.
Below are some of my current findings:
Some good news
the US dollar is the local currency
Official retired status gives b/w 10-20% discount on food, drugs, movies, flights, etc.
warm weather
warm water (no wet suits required)
good health care and insurance available at affordable prices
affordable housing
house keepers available for $10 per day
daily laborers charge approx $12 daily
dog leashes never required
dogs can run freely on all beaches
Panama City is cosmopolitan and has nearly everything you could want; however, finding it is challenging
Panama City residents are typically well educated, well traveled and speak at least 2 languages
buses are plentiful, inexpensive and run regularly
household/hardware items are plentiful and inexpensive
And some not so good news:
the US dollar is the local currency
constant warm weather breeds many pesky bugs such as ticks like you can't imagine
most all of the beaches have lava rock beneath the water. Surfing is not for sissies.
house keepers and laborers have very different standards than North Americans
most dogs and cats are not spayed/neutered
Panama City is in such a growth spurt that it's difficult to recognize from month to month and makes driving quite sporting. It currently has more skyscrapers than many US cities.
buses play local music at deafening levels along with air conditioning temps requiring sweaters and scarves
Household/hardware items are mostly cheesy products made specifically for developing nations. By North American standards, most items are worthless.
Locals outside of Panama City are literate but not educated. The educational system here is rote memorization. Students are not taught to think or problem solve. Employees rigidly adhere to rules and are unable to work outside of them. For instance, if an item does not have a UPC code on it, a cashier will not sell it - at any price. Even grocery clerks will not sell the last bag of coffee or only head of lettuce to a customer if the code is missing. No amount of reasoning will change the clerk's mind - even if you can speak enough Spanish&^%$#@!
There are more items in the good news list, so we still are positive about our move. It's only been 3 months and the house is nearly the way we want it. Oh and we have increased our family with a new stay kitten and street dog named Negrita. Two cats and two dogs seem to be a nice balance - for now.
Miss you all and especially discussing books - any books!!!
Linda"
Many expats live in gated communities with only the local contacts being their housekeepers and gardeners. A lot of them are comfortable with that sort of lifestyle from past government careers, exclusive lifestyles and outlooks. S and I were looking to become a part of a local community. Naturally we're looked upon as outsiders but not unkindly. S began teaching at an International School 2 days a week. I'm involved with an animal group entitled, Spay Panama. I'm helping to coordinate a spay/neuter clinic in San Carlos later this month.
I'm finding that change is a little more taxing than I had anticipated. Perhaps it's my age, perhaps my sense of adventure isn't as piqued as it once was... Accomplishing tasks takes far longer than anyone could ever imagine. Sourcing items is far different than in first world nations. A new realization for me is that in the US we have always taken for granted that we can purchase any item we need - and if it's out of stock, we simply order it or go to a different store. Not so here. If you see something you need - or will ever need - purchase everything that is on the store shelf because you may never see it again. Especially in grocery stores. I now have 8- 2 lb bags of brown rice in my refrigerator!
All in all, S and I are still excited and looking forward to exploring our new country. There are only 3 million people here with beautiful beaches, mountains, rivers and forests. To date we've only experienced a tiny portion of what Panama has to offer.
Below are some of my current findings:
Some good news
the US dollar is the local currency
Official retired status gives b/w 10-20% discount on food, drugs, movies, flights, etc.
warm weather
warm water (no wet suits required)
good health care and insurance available at affordable prices
affordable housing
house keepers available for $10 per day
daily laborers charge approx $12 daily
dog leashes never required
dogs can run freely on all beaches
Panama City is cosmopolitan and has nearly everything you could want; however, finding it is challenging
Panama City residents are typically well educated, well traveled and speak at least 2 languages
buses are plentiful, inexpensive and run regularly
household/hardware items are plentiful and inexpensive
And some not so good news:
the US dollar is the local currency
constant warm weather breeds many pesky bugs such as ticks like you can't imagine
most all of the beaches have lava rock beneath the water. Surfing is not for sissies.
house keepers and laborers have very different standards than North Americans
most dogs and cats are not spayed/neutered
Panama City is in such a growth spurt that it's difficult to recognize from month to month and makes driving quite sporting. It currently has more skyscrapers than many US cities.
buses play local music at deafening levels along with air conditioning temps requiring sweaters and scarves
Household/hardware items are mostly cheesy products made specifically for developing nations. By North American standards, most items are worthless.
Locals outside of Panama City are literate but not educated. The educational system here is rote memorization. Students are not taught to think or problem solve. Employees rigidly adhere to rules and are unable to work outside of them. For instance, if an item does not have a UPC code on it, a cashier will not sell it - at any price. Even grocery clerks will not sell the last bag of coffee or only head of lettuce to a customer if the code is missing. No amount of reasoning will change the clerk's mind - even if you can speak enough Spanish&^%$#@!
There are more items in the good news list, so we still are positive about our move. It's only been 3 months and the house is nearly the way we want it. Oh and we have increased our family with a new stay kitten and street dog named Negrita. Two cats and two dogs seem to be a nice balance - for now.
Miss you all and especially discussing books - any books!!!
Linda"
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