Campaign Signs

I know the election is over, but here are some photos of campaign signs.

("Chalo" is running for Alcalde, or mayor, of Santiago. Because he is the PRD candidate, he is in the first position on the ballot, thus the "1" with a checkmark. His suplente, or backup, is also listed. And the presidential logo for Bablina/Navarro 09 is included, along with the name and photo of Ruben de Leon for Diputado, which is more or less a congressman.)

Often, utility poles will be utilized by all the parties.

(This pole has a Molirena flag on top, then a Union Patriotica poster for Diputado - which also includes the presidential alliance with Martinelli of Cambio Democratico -, then off the side a PRD flag, a Cambio Democratico poster for Alcalde, and then a PRD poster. The PRD poster says Vota PRD and Vota Plancha, which means vote the party, and shows the Presidential candidate, the Diputado, the Alcalde, and the Representante. There is a "1" on the side, just in case you forgot which spot PRD holds on the ballots.)

Vagaina Monologues

A couple of months ago, two volunteers in our region, Teri and Cassie, used the same funding source we used for our Health Fair to support the Theatre department at the Santiago branch of the Universidad Panama in staging Los Monologos de la Vagina (The Vagaina Monologues). In addition to the play, which was attended by over 300 people on its one night showing, they organized a day of charlas (discussions) for about 30 community members from PCVs' communities. The charlas, on AIDS and domestic violence issues, were led by Panamanians from Mides (Ministry of Social Development) and APLAFA (sort of like a Planned Parenthood maybe?) who are very enthusiastic about helping stop the spread of AIDS and ending domestic violence.

Five women went from our community to both the day of charlas and the play, and then spent the night in a hotel in Santiago. For all of them, it was their first time going to the theatre, and may have been their first night in a hotel. They certainly enjoyed themselves both at the play and with the night away (even if their rooms didn't have TV or A/C, they did have lights and a shower and bathroom).

(Maria Ester, Marlina, Ilsa, Yadira, and Magda, at Los Monologos de la Vagina, as evidenced by the playbill in Maria Ester's hand)

It took a lot of walking and talking to get those five (it was supposed to be six). Initially, we chatted with Cecilia and Maria Luisa (who would have loved to have gone, but felt that others would find greater benefit from attending) about who to ask. They recommended women they thought would be willing to talk about what they heard and/or who faced domestic violence. They selected women from all parts of the island, so that each community would have someone who had experienced the charlas and show. Then I walked around the island, visiting just about every house to deliver an open invitation to all the women on the island to the show, and a special invitation to the selected women for the full day and the night in the hotel.

I received a lot of interest (the name alone makes people take notice), and several of the women immediately said yes they would accept. There were some logistical questions (at one point, I thought I might be babysitting a two-and-a-half year-old all day, but evidently she stayed with a friend or relative) about the event, but with April in Panama City, I think any trickier questions about the topic weren't addressed to me. But when I returned a few days later to confirm their attendance, two backed out. It may have been due to child care concerns, or fears of spending a night out in the city, or it might have been a disapproving husband. Whatever the reason, I ran around to talk with our backups (two kids got colds and moms were unwilling to leave them with relatives; so they said) and called Maria Luisa and Cecilia. I also coordinated with Israel, the corregidor, to use the community boat to take us to port. As we left at dawn that morning to go around the island and pick everyone up, I wondered how many would actually be ready and going. I was pleasantly surprised.

We arrived at port early enough that we didn't need to go straight to the charlas, so I gave each of them their bus fare and told them we'd meet at the terminal at 8:45 to go to the APLAFA offices. When I walked up at 8:40, expecting to wait for them, all five were there, wondering why I was late! Then, instead of taking a taxi, Marlina said they'd walk, since she knew where it was and it wasn't far. I am constantly pleasantly surprised.

They were a bit surprised when I introduced them to Cassie, Teri, and the others leading the charlas and then started to leave; clearly they hadn't anticipated being left "alone". But when I came back at the end of the day, they were a happily integrated part of the class. The only other confusion came when we checked into the hotel. In addition to their three rooms, through the grant, I had made a separate reservation for April and I. But I don't think they realized that, and they were concerned about which one of them was going to have to share a room with me (five of them plus me, with three rooms, meant two people per room). They laughed once they realized the only question was which of them had to sleep alone.

Everyone had a few hours to get made up to go out, and then we headed to the theatre. When the play started, they initially checked with us for our reactions, but soon they were absorbed in laughing along with the rest of the crowd. They clearly had an exciting night, and from conversations with others on the island, they've been sharing their experiences and the fun. Thank you to Cassie and Teri for putting so much effort into making both the day and the play happen.

One other photo from that night:

(Us with the women from the island at the theatre; I don't usually see it when just chatting with them, but every so often, something points out to me that I am a bit taller than most of the folks here.)

Money in Panama

The money in Panama could be pretty familiar to anyone coming to visit from the United States. That is because the "Balboa" is their name for the Dollar (and is also the name of a popular beer); the balboa has been tied to the dollar since its inception in 1904 after Panama's Independance from Columbia (wikipedia info link), and currently, the paper money is all US Dollars, although stores often use the "B/." symbol instead of the "$".


But while Panama uses US coins, there are also Panamanian versions of the coins as well, and the peso (50-cent piece) is actually used with some frequency. All the coins have the same composition as their US counterparts. I have not been able to figure out yet where their coins are minted however. And they do not seem to mint every year. I have found quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies from 1996 (when the shields got smaller and other design changes were made) and 2001 for example, but nothing in between and only quarters since, with 2003, 2005, and 2008 versions, each with a different design. As they are the same size and have the same value as their US versions, you'd have no trouble spending Panamanian coins in the United States.

(From the top, clockwise: un centavo, un peso, una quara, un real, y diez centavos)

In recent years, the US Mint has begun a program of changing the obverse or reverse of US coins, making your pocket change much more interesting to look at and much more popular with coin collectors, who now try to hoard a copy of each style. Panama has been making small changes for years. Here are some of the versions I've collected in our time here.


Similar to in the states, one cent is called un centavo. But not a "penny".

(One cent pieces, with various front images; Urraca is a historical/mythological freedom fighter, who led the indigenous against the consquitadors in the 16th century)

The five cent piece in Panama is an integral part of the monetary system. Instead of a "nickel", it is called un real. And many items are commonly priced in reales. For instance, if you buy a soda for 20 cents, the shopkeeper will likely say, "cuatro reales", or "four nickels". This is true at least up to items that cost a dollar. So something that costs 75 cents would be "quince reales" or "fifteen nickels", not "setenta-cinco centavos".

(These five cent pieces sometimes have the shield, sometimes the face of Sara Sotillo, a Panamanian educator born around 1900 and instrumental in the development of teachers rights and responsibilities.)

You'll have to refer to the picture above of all the coins to judge the size, but Panamanian ten cent pieces (un decimo de balboa) are the same smallness as US dimes and are probably the most boring of Panamanian coins.

(Panamanian ten cent pieces don't have their own name, like "dime". These two reverses show two shield designs, the newer slightly smaller.)

To me, the 25-cent piece is the most dynamic. Here is the obverse (the Balboa profile) and five of the six reverse designs I have seen (I was missing the Childrens' Hospital, the newest design, that day).

(Panamanian Quarters, with from top left, the original shield design (at least 1966 to 1993), the smaller shield design without bottom fronds (1996 and 2001), the Panama Vieja tower (2003), the Puente del Rey (2005), and the Protégete Mujer (2008) with a Protect Women ribbon.)

While not as changing as the quarters, the peso, or 50-cent piece, is really neat mainly because they actually use it here in Panama. I have gotten one as change numerous times. While the coin holders that the bus drivers and ayudantes use do not have a space for them, they are not at all averse to getting or giving them, and toss them in a box to hold them.

(Half dollars, or medio balboas)

So, if you decide to visit Panama, you'll have no trouble spending your US money, and you'll have something interesting to bring back and share with the grandkids or just the clerk at the local tienda. :)

I did spend a US "gold" presidential dollar at a tienda on the island. One was willing to take it, probably more as an interest item, while another didn't want it and wanted paper. That is one coin that doesn't have a large circulation here. Of course, it doesn't up in the US either. :)

Panama National Election 2009

"Change" seems to be a global presidential theme. On 3 May 2009, Panama held their once-every-five-years elections, and Ricardo Martinelli (millionaire owner of the Super99 chain of supermarkets here in Panama), who started his own Cambio Democratico (Democratic Change) party, defeated Balbina Herrera, of the PRD party, a long standing party which currently holds office with Martin Torrijos. (Presidential candidates can not succeed themselves, so Torrijos did not run.)

But while the global themes of campaigns were familiar to the local campesinos (countrymen) in our area (we were often asked about Barack Obama, who did we vote for, and the similarity in themes between Obama and Martinelli), elections in Panama are much more of a local event. Be sure to watch the video at the bottom of this post.

As I said, elections are held every five years. At that time, citizens vote for Presidente, Diputado, Alcalde, and Representante. The Diputado is like a Representative in the US, serving at the national assembly level. The Alcalde is like a mayor or county executive. And the Representante is in charge of the local level issues (such as attracting the government funding to accomplish things like the solar panels all the houses have in our community, or the sidewalk constructed last year). He (or she; we had two female and two male candidates this year) is generally the first person residents ask when they need help with a project, need building supplies to improve their house, or need a new battery for their solar panel.

So over the past year, newspapers, TV, and radio were covered with ads for candidates (many analysts said that Martinelli could sink so much of his own money into the campaign that it greatly changed the dynamic and methods compared to previous campaigns). Other popular advertising methods include Tshirts, hats, and flags, as well as banners on the street lights, posts and trees. These banners often indicated who to vote for at all four levels. We even had a banner appear on the island that listed PRD candidates for Presidente, Diputado, Alcalde, and the local Representante (sorry, I didn't get a picture). When you see the ballots below, you'll understand how they can indicate who to vote for. But all organized events and paid advertising had to end by midnight on Thursday, 30 April. This was rather nice, as it provided a three day respite before the election. (The sale of alcohol was prohibited in this time period as well, so you couldn't be drunk the day of the election. Unless you made your own.)

El Dia de la Votación was Sunday, 3 May. And it is an event. Many folks are still registered to vote where they grew up, so although we have only about 150ish adults on the island, there were 265 votes cast in each race. (The influence of "outsiders" was greatly discussed, since they aren't really affected by the vote they cast for Representante, which to most of our neighbors, was the most important race.) Each of the four candidates for Representante provided a number of boat rides from port to the island in the days prior, and food the day of. Why food? Because everyone goes to the school to vote (polls opened at 7am) and then hangs out for the day, chatting with friends, etc, and awaiting the close of the polls at 4pm. At which time, the counting begins.

The voting is held in the school, with three members of the Tribunal Electoral (the election board) and one policeman to ensure the security of the process. (There is no vote by mail, or absentee voting, so those four could only vote for Presidente. An odd twist to service towards voting.) On the wall outside the voting room, they pasted instructions on how to vote and sample ballots.

(Fairly simple instructions on how to obtain your ballots - you need your ID card - then how to mark them, and finally how to cast them in their appropriate box.)

(No cameras, video cameras, or cell phones allowed inside the voting room.)

There is a separate ballot for each race. Each ballot has its own color coding to facilitate the process.

(The blue Presidential ballot, with pictures and names of candidates with party names and flags. )

There were EIGHT parties early on in the race. As time passed, alliances were formed that generally held at the lower levels as well. In a drawing of lots, the order of the parties on the ballots was established. PRD drew 1 (the red, white, and blue striped flag) and Cambio Democratico drew 5 (the green and pink "CD" flag). If you wonder why several of the photos and names look similar, that is because PRD formed alliances with Partido Popular (2, green star on blue flag) and Partido Liberal (6, red/white/red striped flag), and CD built alliances with Molirena (3, red and yellow triangles flag, with a red rooster), Partido Panamanista (4, purple/yellow/red flag), and Union Patriotica (7, red with orange stripe flag). A former president formed his own party, something like Vanguard of the Moral Front, and was spot 8 (of the 269 votes in our island, he received 2 sympathy votes from folks who apparently knew Martinelli would win and didn't want the guy to get nothing).

So if you wanted to vote for Martinelli, but were really a fan of the Molirena party instead of Cambio Democratico, you could cast your vote in spot 3, instead of spot 5. Thus your party (Molirena) was credited with bringing support to the alliance, and in the total count, Martinelli got your vote. Then (so goes the idea), when he is president, he will support your party's desires as well and reward your party bosses for the votes they brought to his election.

(The orange Diputado ballot. The pictures and names are smaller, and there are three "open" positions for anyone running as an independant. But the party flags and numbers remain the same.)

By the level of the Diputado ballot, some of the Presidential alliances had broken, and parties were running competing candidates.

(The pink Alcalde ballot. Molirena, 3, did not have an Alcalde candidate or alliance. The blue stamps indicate that this ballot has been nulled, so people can look at it outside of the voting room.)

All of the parties were allowed to have an observer in the voting room. Four of the parties did on our island, and the observers were residents of the island. Each one had a full list of the voting roster (a book with the name, picture, and ID number of each person registered to vote in that voting location). They watched from 7am until the counting ended, about 11pm, and ensured ballots were cast correctly, without coercion, and counted correctly. We did have one blind man vote (he does not live on the island, but I think grew up here; we have seen him before) and he was assisted by someone to mark his ballots, fold them (into quarters) and drop each one into the appropriate cardboard box, one for each race, with the appropriate color across the top.

(Our race for Representante. There were four candidates.)

"Chayo" ran on PRD (1), aligned with Liberal (6); he actually lives off-island, although he has a house in the south and is the brother of several residents. Popular (2) and Vanguard (8), did not have candidates or alliances at this level. Efrain Miranda (the Representante for the past 20 years, or since the new government process was instituted after Noriega's removal by the US and George Bush Sr) ran on Molirena (3), aligned with Panamanista (4). Paula (our first host mom on the island) ran on Cambio Democratico (5), aligned with Union Patriotica (7). We also had one Independant, Vielka, running alone in the pale blue 9 spot; she also lives off island but has a house in the south and family.

At 4:11pm, the workers from the Tribunal Electoral officially closed the voting and taped the boxes closed. The policeman entered the room to ensure the boxes were not messed with. The officials demonstrated all the remaining, unused, ballots to the observers, and then all seven of them walked outside and burned them (so no one could cast an extra ballot). Then they opened the box of Presidential ballots and counted them all out onto the table. 269, which is how many their records showed had voted that day (265 local, plus the three workers and policeman). Then they returned all the ballots to the box. They taped large sheets of paper on the wall, one for each party, each sheet with 20 rows of 15, to record the counting. Then one worker pulled out a ballot, determined how it had been voted, announced it to the crowd (while the party observers were in the room, interested community members crowded the windows and counted along), then demonstrated it to one window, the observers, the other window, and finally handed it to a second worker who double checked that the announced vote was correct and built piles for each party. The third worker marked one vote on the sheet of the announced party.

April made a video of this process. I highly recommend observing a part of the participatory election process that takes place in Panama every five years. Can you imagine this kind of interest in the United States? This video was during the Presidential count. You can see the boxes for the other three offices next to the reader.



After this, we walked back to the house, ate dinner, and I walked back again about 8:30 that night. They were in the midst of counting for Alcalde. After each race was finished, the workers summed the totals, the observers gave agreement, and the workers recorded on the official papers the votes per party, total votes, blank votes, null votes, and then they signed and the observers signed. Then they took the ballots and the sheets from the wall, and they all went outside and burned all the papers. No hanging chads around to count later.

The count for the Representante, the race the residents were most interested in, began about 9:30pm. It finished about 11. While Vielka (the independant) started off strong, Chayo collected a streak of votes and then never relinquished the lead. With their alliances only suppling a few votes to each candidate, their totals were: Chayo, 112; Vielka, 82; Paula, 35; and Efrain, 33. Some folks were very happy, some were frustrated, some were confused. Some thought the Representante should live on the island, but obviously even the majority of island voters didn't agree, so it wasn't a conspiracy of outside voters. I talked with Paula later, and she was happy; she may not have won, but her presidential candidate had won handily, and that was enough for her.

It was a long and tiring days for us, and we didn't even vote (we were taking Family Fotos as a fundraiser for the library project). But what an amazing chance to see such interested and enthusiastic involvment in the democratic election process.

Cultural Contrasts 2

A while ago I posted about some of the cultural differences that I have noticed in Panamá. YOu can read it if you like: Cultural Contrasts. I continue to learn about Panama, myself and the culture in the USA through these differences. These are just my observations...and I continue to observe so here is another couple for you to enjoy.

Flirting:
In the States a guy who is interested in a girl has to work up the nerve to come up to her. A guy has to have the guts to face rejection to get a chance. Just whistling at her or yelling "Que bonita" (how pretty) would not work, in fact it would likely work against him. Here in Panama whistling, hissing, and calling out piropos (spanish for calling out comments or compliments at a woman) is normal.

To my ear it sounds rude, like annoying bored construction workers, I would never pay attention. In fact there are times when I swear the next guy to say something will get the best earful of Spanish I can muster and I walk along practicing a good stinger to give. But here piropos are how a girl knows when a guy is interested...they say that it tells them that they are pretty.


Sidewalk etiquette:
In the USA when we are walking along a sidewalk side by side and someone approaches us from the other direction we automatically yeild some space by merging into single file. I wasn't even concious of this action until I got to Panamanian side walks (which are challenging just as sidewalks). In Panama they do yeild...but only the minimal necessary. They will not merge into single file...they just wait until that last possible moment to squish down to let you pass.

Every time it happens to me I swear that this is going to be the time they bump me off the sidewalk...but it is rare that thier bags even brush me. This felt unbelievably rude to me when I arrived, but now I realize that it is just the way things are done here. They don't run into each other...they just seem to have a different (smaller/closer) cultural norm on personal space needed for passing others. I still don't feel comfortable in those passing moments, but I have come to realize it is because I carry a different cultural expectaition from the norm here.

I have more cultural contrasts to offer...but I need to go catch a bus home. Take care on the sidewalks out there.

Kori's Visitor View

April's friend from college, Kori, works at YMCA Camp Willson in Ohio. She came down to visit us over New Year's, right after Tabassum and Linda, and shared some time with them and with Kristin. A woman of few words (unless you catch one of her standup comedy routines or knitting seminars), here are her responses to the visit questions.

(Kori and April at the airport upon her arrival)

Q1: How was Panama what you expected?

I traveled with open expectations. I was humbled by being an "the foreigner" and have a better respect for the International students who travel here for the summer camp employment

(Employing those summer camp attitudes of try anything, Kori competes with our neighbor in a game of pop-the-head-off-the-clover)

Q2: How was it different than what you expected?

I did not expect to see so much influence from the States. I was suprised to see so many movie and tv references in all the communities I visited.

Q3: What struck you about the USA when you returned home?

time, schedules, and busy "Americans"

Q4: What was your best moment in Panama?

Either the "conversation" with the old man on the pony by the river in Sante Fe or the bus ride to the Ruins of Panama City.

(April and Kori in an archway in Panama Viejo)

Q5: What did you find most interesting or most notice about Kevin and April's life in Panama?

Candle-light dinners

Q6: Free response - anything else you´d like to say about your trip and time here.

On our island exit morning, we were waiting for the boat and playing the guessing game for when it would arrive. We had plenty of time to watch the falling stars and the sun rise. Yes, sleep is good, but so is seeing such peaceful beauty.

I look forward to another trip to the Island and have looked at flights for the spring.

Kristin's Visitor View

Our friend Kristin went to college with April and has lived near us in Baltimore for several years. She, along with Kori, came down over New Years, just after Linda and Tabassum visited. After Kori left, Kristin then took a short trip to Kuna Yala (accompanied by April "for her Spanish help" - I think it was a boondoggle for April to get some more snorkeling), and then spent two more weeks of traveling around Panama on her own. Her last day in Panama was the night April's folks arrived, and we caught up with her again that day. Here are her impressions of her trip, which, while more free-form, I've tried to group with our questions.


Q1: How was Panama what you expected?

In a way Panama was what I expected but at the same time I tried to keep an open mind. I did have an (apparently good) idea of what to expect, mostly from blog info and from talking with April throughout their time here. I also had been to Peru a few years ago and Panama City reminds me of Lima, Peru. Hot, sprawling and congested, but still with plenty of historical places to see as long as you are willing to sweat while you adventure out.

(The famous flat arch in Casco Antiguo; having stood for hundreds of years, it was deemed a sign that Panama was safe enough from earthquakes to build a canal there)

(Another perhaps not so historical place; worth sweating for?)

Q2: How was it different than what you expected?

I was surprised to learn that water is safe to drink in all of Panama. I really didn´t expect that.

(The water is safe, but sometimes you have to be careful of what your friends tell you to take a bite of. Butt-in comment from April- hey, that is a marañón, the fruit that grows just below a cashew nut. It was a perfectly edible fruit kindly donated for our tasting pleasure by ouir bus driver who had een planning on eating it, this was not a trick taste testing. April tried it as well, just after taking this photo despite seeing Kristin´s reaction.)

Q3: What struck you about the USA when you returned home?

What struck me about the US is that no one says hello to you. In Panama, you say Buenas dias, or some variation to many people all day long. Then you ask how they are, then you say what you need to say. They like the greetings. They look you in the eye. Most of that does not happen here. That will take some getting used to. That's a basic level of humanity I think is lacking here.

But, I do have to say, that when the customs people said "Welcome home", that was nice. Even if I would be shortly facing glassy Baltimore ice, while still itching bug bites and wearing sandals.


Q4: What was your best moment in Panama?

For question 4 I will divide up my answer, since I was in Panama for 4 weeks, 2 with April and Kevin and 2 without them.

Panama With April and Kevin
I really enjoyed the evenings of cooking, playing cards and talking as these are some of the things I've missed the most while they have been gone.

(Cooking shrimp) (Cleaning lobster)




(Salted fish) (Making maracuya, or passion fruit, juice)


I really enjoyed seeing how the people in their community respond to them when they would see them. It's obvious that they have developed real friendships with many people on the isla.

(Kevin and April and several kids in front of the tienda, after English class)

One of the funniest things was on one bus (I don't remember where we were going) it got so crowded, that Kori and I were on one side and April and Kevin on the other and there were so many people in the aisle that I could not even see them anymore. I did get a glimpse at one point and both of them had babies on their laps (whoever is sitting on these buses gets to hold a baby if one needs to be held). I would have liked a photo of that one, but there was no space to get it. (I was on only one other bus that was more crowded, that was on my last day on the way to the canal. I don't think I had space to turn around and even try to count heads. The lady sitting next to me said it was Mal servicio - bad service.)

(Not sure how this didn't rate as Kristin's funniest bus moment - check the rearview mirror)

Other highlights:

• seeing Kuna Yala with April for a few days. That was an adventure just getting there! It's exactly what you think of when you think of a Carribean Island.


• April's cooking on the island, I swear she could pull a rabbit out of a hat. She always has some plan going on in that cabeza of hers...


• Being able to have April and Kevin ask anyone pretty much any question we had. We were much more able to get to know random Panamainians with their conversations. Something someone couldn't do if you can't communicate in the language. People, once you started talking with them were very open and sharing. Witnessing this also made me try it a few times later on my own. I couldn't find out as much information, but I could get some. And usually, it would turn into a random English/Spanish lesson. They seemed as nervous about their English as I was about my Spanish. It was nice when we both made an effort.

Panama Alone
Spending more time in the country was nice. Traveling alone was fine, as I could meet up with other random travelers and find out information about the next place. Plus, I had gotten a crash course from A & K about culture tips.

On my last day in Boquete, I went on one of those tree-top zip line trips. It was about 15 lines, up around 6000 feet. It was a chilly morning and I had on all my layers (2) so I thought I would freeze the whole time. But, then I realized how much work it was, so I was fine. I had gone with another traveler I had met and then we met another family traveling from the US. We all had a good time. In the afternoon, I ended up going with this family to some nearby hot springs. They had a rental car, so it was easy to get there (something I wouldn't have seen otherwise). It was a little too hot out to be sitting in hot springs for long, so we ended up relaxing in the river for most of our time, with a few dips in the hot water.

I ended the day by eating at a place they recommended and a type of food I didn't think I would be eating in Panama: Mediterean. Homemade hummus, pita, and falafeal. And just when I was thinking about the cheesecake... they all walked in to have dessert. After, they dropped me off at my hotel. It was a great combination day of working hard, meeting new people and eating good food.

Here's a picture of a meal I had in Cerra Punta. It was freezing there!

* soup w/ zapallo (I recognized this from w/ you guys)
* strawberry shake (the book said you had to have strawberries here, so I did!)
* very good roasted chicken w/ rice and beans. I still love beans.
* a decent salad, and
* lunch time reading.

Q5: What did you find most interesting or most notice about Kevin and April's life in Panama?

As far as your day to day lives, I wasn´t too surprised since your blog is so accurate! Although, reading about a composting toilet and seeing one in action are two different things... :-)

I more understand the process to get things done there (although, I´m sure not even close to completely understanding it). Things seem to be done is small doses. A step here, a step there, maybe several days apart. A little information shared in this conversation or that. From April and Kevin´s point of view, with an end goal or plan in mind the whole time. The planning and patience involved is very high. The satisfaction of accomplishment maybe takes longer to realize.

But the thing I noticed about A & K's lives was the amount of planning everything takes. EVERYTHING. Everything is a lot more work. Many times it would seem a more basic life, without as many complications, but it isn't less work; it's more. April is very organized and has things down, but to get to this point I'm sure it took a lot of trial and error.

Tabassum's Visitor View

Tabassum, a friend from our Maryland Search and Rescue (MSAR) Venture Crew visited us over Christmas with another friend, Linda. Here are Tabassum's reflections on the visit and Panama. Linda's reflections posted a few days ago.

(Tabassum and Kevin in the boat to the island on Christmas Eve)

Q1: How was Panama what you expected?

Well, I think it was definitely the temperature that I expected, with the poverty level and infrastructure that I expected, although at different points I was very surprised by the layout of the land. I expected the mindset of individuals to be more laid-back, and was not disappointed to find a simpler way of life overall, especially within the island community. I also expected food to be cheap, and was not disappointed! :)

Q2: How was it different than what you expected?

I was amazed to orient myself from East to West instead of North to South, because the landscape seemed so diverse, with mountains in the middle of the country and shoreline at the edges. It seemed as though each time we were journeying, there were mountains and water on either side. That was different from the US, even with the MSAR experience.

I was amazed to find rather odd animals on the island and odd sounds with lizards and birds that sang. It really made me feel at peace in a different way than if I had gone out to the woods and wilderness here. Everything looks different, the sky, water, stars, sun, birds, trees, it's beautiful and serene but enchanted was the word that kept coming to mind.

(Tabassum and Linda walking along the sidewalk to the school)

I was also amazed at the reliability of public transportation and and the numerous kinds (and completely impressed with K & A's abilities to navigate them all, that took a lot of work for me to even begin to understand), as well as the distinct markings on buildings (specific colors for a school, government building, hospital). Everything seemed very uniform to me, which was interesting.

I also was shocked at the way things seemed to be so closed riding through the countryside, it gave an appearance of privacy but really fences and gates were supposed to be against danger of the inner city population and crime. I just had no idea what could possibly be more dangerous than Baltimore in the US, and felt rather safe in Panama wherever we were.

On the island, life and people were curiously friendly, which was expected, but a simplistic eagerness to understand and learn seemed to underly each individual that we met. I was amazed to find myself comfortable in a strange house just because kids and adults treated each other with the family values I am so used to, courtesy and respect.

(Linda and Tabassum comfortably playing bingo with community kids and adults)

Q3: What struck you about the USA when you returned home?

Honestly, the pollution and industry really struck me. Because I was in love with the island and the aspect of nature that made me feel completely at home, and of course the weather was a rude shock. Going from 85 to 25 in 10 hours was incredibly shocking.

Our customs of "fake friendliness in the US" made me feel rather isolated. In Panama I would not have hesitated to ask for questions or directions from a complete stranger, whereas in the US, each individual is not working with others in their community on a daily basis. I was pleasantly surprised to be much more laid back about life and time when I got back than I usually am. I also took many more moments to just appreciate being outside and enjoying nature. Time seems to stop on the island, and I wanted to keep a little piece of that to bring home with me.

(Tabassum, "laid back" in a hammock, appreciating being outside)

Q4: What was your best moment in Panama?

My best moments in Panama were definitely looking up at the stars for hours or just being on the beach, completely serene. I really enjoyed anytime we were cooking, cleaning, or creating something, even learning how to skip rocks or sitting in the boat, it made me appreciate the simplicity of daily tasks that we take for granted.

(Enjoying time cooking)

(Enjoying time together, with the results of the cooking)

I loved just spending time with Kevin and April, I miss them a lot. By far my best moment on the whole trip was when I realized that Kevin and April were the same amazingly incredibly beautiful couple that I admired and loved back home. It hadn't hit me until we were on the island that they may have changed. It made my heart smile to know that they had, but that it was for the better, and that what made them stronger and even more in love was this experience.

Q5: What did you find most interesting or most notice about Kevin and April's life in Panama?

I definitely found the incredible diversity and culture of the people of Panama to be the most interesting. I loved seeing the pride and identity of the wonderful groups spread out across our travels, and would love to have been able to appreciate that even more. I notice most the simplicity of Kevin and April's life, and loved each moment I was able to share that simplicity. About K & A in particular, well, let's just say that being with them and in their dynamic just made me even prouder of them and infinitely harder to leave.

(Tabassum in the airport, managing to leave anyway)

Q6: Free response - anything else you´d like to say about your trip and time here.

I really enjoyed making the calabasa bowl, even though mine cracked on the way home, RIGHT where Cecilia said it would :(

(Tabassum watching as Cecilia's oldest daughter takes over the cleaning of the outside of her calavasa)

Linda´s Visitor View

The following Visitor's View was written by our good friend Linda, from our Maryland Search and Rescue crew. She visited over Christmas (I know, we're trying to catch up from visitor sets two, three, and four!) with Tabassum, whose reflections are in their own separate post.

Q1: How was Panama what you expected?
It mostly was. I definitely expected it to be a mix of developed and undeveloped states and a culture that was mostly latin with some American influences. Other things I expected: seeing open air markets, seeing a contrast between money and poverty, and being stared at for being Asian/American.

(Linda and April in the boat to the island on an amazingly smooth Christmas Eve)

Q2: How was it different than what you expected?

The cost of living was cheaper than expected, the cities were smaller than expected, and the food was really salty, but the water really is safe to drink ;)

I was also surprised to find that Panamanians don't eat much veggies.

(Linda with a plantain bunch; Panamanians do eat lots of fruits)

There were also parts of Panama that felt like they belonged in Europe, like the touristy place (was it called Panama Viejo or Casca Antigua?) where cruise shippers go shopping. It was a pleasant surprise. I was not expecting something like it, but perhaps because I wasn't really expecting to spend much time in Panama City. Speaking of cities, the cities definitely did not feel like cities to me, perhaps because they're smaller than what I normally consider a city. Santiago felt more like an urban town, like a smaller city that spread in two-dimensions instead of three.

(Kevin, Linda, Tabassum, and April in the ruins of Panama Viejo)

Culturally, Panama was different from what I expected because there was a bit more diversity to it. I had no idea about the existence of so many different ethnic groups in Panama.

(Linda and Tabassum in a trendy part of Casco Antigua, with traditional ethnic Kuna Yala handicrafts displayed behind them)

Q3: What struck you about the USA when you returned home?

Things are much more regulated back home. There's better customer service, and there is an established system for everything. In Panama, it seems like you may not always get what you thought you're paying for. Example: In Panama, who knows if a taxi ride someplace will cost $2 one day or $6 the next? Or what could possibly be done if the postal service lost your mail? Prices and services are not well-defined, which bothers me a lot. At home, they are, and when things go wrong there is a system in place to right it (like when our luggage didn't make it back home with us. Eventually it was shipped back. I suppose this is comparable to the Panamanian postal service losing the mail, except you'd be lucky to ever see that lost mail.)


Q4: What was your best moment in Panama?

Hmm... I'd have to say it was towards the end of the trip, when we were at Tocumen International Airport. We were playing games, like Alien Baseball and the people at the airport were looking at us like we were crazy people. Normally I'm self-conscious and don't like doing things that draw attention to me or make me seem unusual to others, but I learned to just enjoy doing things in life with people I care about because people are free to look and think what they will. (Not that we didn't draw enough stares already).

(Linda at the airport to leave, behaving herself)

Q5: What did you find most interesting or most notice about Kevin and April's life in Panama?

Compost Toilet. There's a psychological barrier that I think would have to be overcome before people could use the compost from a compost toilet for their garden, and from a practical standpoint it makes sense to use it. From the standpoint of a slightly germ-phobic person like me, that barrier is pretty tough. After seeing (and using) the compost toilet and the compost pile in the yard though, I am a lot more comfortable with the idea of eating food grown using that compost.

(Linda and the machete, chopping down a banana tree to add to our compost pile)

April and Kevin's ability to rapidly speak in Spanish also struck me. I would have to say that being stuck on an island and having to use a language that I had only started to learn months before is a pretty impressive feat.


Q6: Free response - anything else you´d like to say about your trip and time here.


Amazing trip with amazing people. I just wish we had more time =) Oh, and the culture shock wasn't bad. It's interesting to see that Americans really are prudish compared to other cultures, but I find it interesting that violence (editor´s note: Linda may be refering to the fact that movies here tend to favor the violent themes.) and interesting fashion are both ok in Panama.

Dennis and Ginna's Visitor View

The following Visitor's View was written by Kevin's parents Dennis and Ginna. They were our first daring visitors back in June of 2008...oh soo long ago it seems now that we must type 2009. Anyway, we didn't get on the ball and give them questions until recently, so it is our fault that this is only just now being posted. Dennis and Ginna live and work in the beautiful (and currently cold) mountains of western Virginia. They are afficianados of coffee and wine...neither of which we provided in quantity or quality. But they survived anyway, but I will let them tell you about it in thier own words.

Q1: How was Panama what you expected?

(Ginna, April, Kevin in Peace Corp office)

Panama was about what we anticipated, especially in the more rural areas. Although we had no initial expectations, based on what information K&A offered in their blogs and pictures, the rural areas were pretty much like what we had seen. Panama City was bigger and more urban than we thought with traffic heavier and noisier than expected.

(Panama City with new construction)

We were also surprised at how far behind that major city was in infrastructure, such as sewer and water. Also surprising was the amount of construction going on. We were impressed by the public bus transportation system, not that it always ran on time, but that it always ran and that the driver would stop and pick people up anywhere along the way. Buses were crowded and noisy either with chatter or loud music. The people were friendly and beautiful.

(Boarding a bus with all our gear after shopping for supplies)

Q2: How was it different than what you expected?

The climate was even hotter and more humid than we anticipated. I (Ginna) often felt that it did not take long for me to appear worn out and in need of another shower.

(Ginna and Dennis after a long, hot walk)

However the Panamanians living and working in the same climate always appeared clean and well dressed.

Den thought there was more trash in the city than expected, Gin disagreed. It is always surprising to see so many “American” companies and eateries in a different country (Dunkin Donuts, Target, Subway, etc.)

I don’t think we could really get a feel for the island and those who lived there until we were actually there. Where were the comfortable chairs? You can only last so long in a hammock, but people there did not seem to miss “stuff” that we are used to. We were very impressed by the cleanliness of the people in such a warm climate – children in clean school uniforms every day.

(April and Ginna doing story time – Where the Wild Things Are)

And tales and pictures of beautiful, elaborate costumes for special occasions and parades.

(N’gobe Bugle woman in traditional nagua dress)

We always felt “safe”, whether in a big city or small town – I did not anticipate this, and it may have been because we were with K&A who were familiar with their surroundings and able to communicate.

Q3: What struck you about the USA when you returned home?

All the English-speaking people – it does not take long to get immersed in a different language, not that we picked up any more than a few words of greeting while in Panama.

All the “stuff” and the high cost of things, especially food – although we had probably anticipated this reaction.

(April in open air market in Santiago)

Q4: What was your best moment in Panama?

We did enjoy getting to see the Canal and Panama City and learning more about some of the history of the area.

(At the Panama Canal )

Even more we liked the smaller towns where we were the only “gringos” and got to see everyday Panamanians and some of the beautiful scenery of the rain forest.

(Ginna in the rain forest)


But I think we would both agree that our favorite time was on the island – to have a chance to see what our kids have been doing, how they have been living, how they interact with their community, and to have an opportunity to get to know some of their neighbors, especially the children – and even to take part in a small way in some of their projects.

(Kevin and Ginna helping April with English lessons in their kitchen)

Q5: What did you find most interesting or most notice about Kevin and April's life in Panama?

We were very impressed by the inventiveness and creativity with which they renovated and furnished their living space. We were amazed that they were able to bring large, heavy articles to the island in a small boat and then get them ashore – things like concrete blocks, sinks and bed frames.

(Doing laundry in above mentioned sink)

(Filtering water by candlelight for the visitors)

As inveterate recyclers, we are used to re-using and recycling, but they go to the next degree. Nothing is wasted – there are multiple uses for 5 gallon containers and plastic bags and bottles. With limited tools and supplies, they were able to complete multiple major undertakings.

We were also impressed with the way they have adapted to their living conditions and their ability to communicate and make their way in a different culture, both on the island and in the city. They appear comfortable navigating personal communication and travel arrangements, if not with total ease, then at least with confidence. We felt very comfortable with them as tour guides and hosts.

(Using a Spanish language map)

Q6: Free response - anything else you´d like to say about your trip and time here.


Other things that impressed us:

• Compost toilet was all that had been promised – non-aromatic, efficient and easy to use


• April’s efficiency in cooking on a propane stove in the dark


• How white, tall and skinny Kevin looked next to everyone else


• K&A’s ability to manage with no electricity


• Ginna’s ability to manage with no hair dryer


• Everything that a machete can do
  
  

(Yes, a machete cut this tree!)

• K&A’s ability to joke in a foreign language


• The wide range from apparent poverty to civilized comfort in the country (of course, this could be said of the US also)

Of course, the best part was just spending time with Kevin and April. Our visit really gave us a feel for what they are doing and experiencing. We (and all of their friends and family) miss them, so we feel very happy and fortunate that we were able to make this visit and have time to just talk and do things together, while learning more about Panamanian culture – and our own kids.

(Using “sunbrellas” on the boat ride from the island)

(Dinner in Bocas del Toro)

(Dinner in Casco Viejo)