I'm still in the midst of figuring out a schedule but this is basically how my day goes:
The mornings are usually different everyday. Sometimes we have projects to work on other times we don't. For example, last week we did a bunch of different tasks; they can include working with kids, helping the handicapped, participating in the literacy program or doing environmental work. My favorite thus far has been going to the orphanage and playing ball with the muchachos and going to literacy and helping the Indian kids learn how to read. I'll add separate posts for those later. I think I'm going to go to the orphanage on Monday and Friday mornings and to literacy on Wednesday mornings. When I don't have anything on the agenda I compose poorly-worded posts for this blog or I look for jobs (I usually don't get very far because I get pissed off that I don't have any skills, experience or advanced degrees and I'm almost 28. -awesome).
So, in the afternoons I head down to David by bus, then take a taxi to the English school where they need a lot of help. I love going there because the students really want to learn. They range in age from 15-45. As Renny, the sassy, sharp-as-a-tack, retired Texan who runs the school says, these are the working poor and it is becoming more and more important for them to learn English. English is becoming more and more important to the economy of Panama. If these students can learn to speak English with some degree of proficiency it can improve their lives tenfold. It's an incredibly valuable skill.
I usually work with students either individually or in small groups, doing pronunciation or conversation. Renny loves having me around because it gives them a chance to listen to how a native speaker pronounces things. My new goal is to create an army of middle class Panamanians who speak English with a thick Long Island/New York accent.
I also like to help out at InglesTec because it gives me a chance to use/improve my Spanish. It also reminds me how freaking ridiculously hard English is. Explaining the intricacies of English through my limited/broken Spanish is no easy task but its definitely fun and interesting.
So, when I'm all finished I head back to Boquete. My colleague Will usually gives me a ride and drops me off at a dingy bus stop where he heads off on the road to Potrerillos. Sometimes I wait there from 30 seconds to 30 minutes for the bus to come by (and I pray it stops). I am also incredibly tempted to pop in the Jardin Tres Estrellas, the crappy, open-air cantina across the street (its the worst-looking place in the world, but it somehow has one of the biggest TVs I've ever seen). By the time I get back to Boquete, its dark. I get some food, read and go to sleep.
Notes: More pictures to come.
Julie yesterday mentioned that she has not had a rude encounter with a Panamanian yet in the two weeks we've been here. Neither have I. They're all incredibly friendly and charming. I can't wait to tell you the story of my Panamanian grandma Abuelita Anita who bought me ice cream yesterday.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Pictures
The view from our front porch. That's sort of the central plaza.
This is the view from our back porch, looking north-northwest. That big son of a bitch in the back there is the Baru Volcano. Should one of these wild parties disturb her, we're all goners. 
Boquete in the morning looking eastward. 
Boquete to the North.
Boquete. Photo courtesy of Angie.
This creature was snapped by Angie in one of the hostels here. It was the size of a teacup saucer.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Interesting Points of Interest, Boquete Ed., Pt. II
Culture (Cont'd) - OK, so the partying...Last weekend was my first weekend here and it happened to fall on the annual Boquete Flower Festival. This is Boquete's busiest weekend and it attracts dozens of food, beer and merchandise vendors from around Panama. They all set up in or around the town's municipal gardens which are on the east side of town. This festival has been known to attract as many as 100,000 people. So, imagine your quaint little hamlet overrun with a boisterous multitude fit for a Michigan-Ohio State game.
The music at the festival is the big attraction. At the north end of the gardens is what they referred to as a 'travelling disco'. It's a series of musical stages, dance floors and DJ booths set up especially for the feria. When the sun goes down that's when the party really begins. They play their music unfathomably loud.
Everything was loud. People. Music. Motors. Whistling. Shouting. Fireworks. At all hours of the night. The parties wouldn't end until 4, 5 or 6 in the morning. The fair was probably a quarter to a half mile away from our house and it literally sounded like a raucous party going on in the party upstairs. The volunteers had to wear ear plugs when they slept because the walls were so thin and there was so much noise coming from the street.
By Monday night, the town was back to normal and was almost disturbingly quiet. It's pretty much been that way ever since.
Panamanians don't party all the time but when they do, they do it right. I went to another party last night at the English school and they did it up big time. Panamaniacs.
Economy- It's hard to tell what drives the economy here. Most of the poorer people here work the land picking fruit or coffee or they are artisans and merchants and sell their wares on the streets. Despite the rockiness of the soil, it must be packed with nutrients because they grow all sorts of stuff here; carrots, corn, onions, potatoes, plantains, and even strawberries and oranges. The people also dabble in a bit animal husbandry as there are a lot of horses, cows, goats and sheep and a ton of chickens that cock-a-doodle-doo all day long. There is an established service economy in Boquete and there also seems to be a decent amount of construction going on. There are a lot of poor people (mostly the indigenous) here but the area is not impoverished. Every once in a while you'll see a flashy SUV cruise down the street. Also, some of the properties in the hills go for $300,000+ (Boquete is also traditionally the vacation area for rich folks from Panama City).
Gringos - There is a significant expatriate community in the are surrounding Boquete. The other day I met a nice woman named Penny who was from the UP of all places and graduated from U of M and the Law School (she said there is another prominent alum in the area as well). You'll see a lot of old white hairs around here because it is a good area to retire because it is so cheap. Supposedly, there are some unions in the States that encourage their workers to move here after retiring. It is kind of disheartening though, to see decent, hard-working, middle class Americans and Canadians having to retire down here because they can't afford it back home.
Food - The food in Boquete is OK. It won't knock your socks off but I like it plenty good. Some of the other volunteers had complained that the food here was bland. However, its mostly chicken or pork and rice and beans which is right in my culinary and gustatory wheelhouse. It's all I ever make or eat at home. You can get a nice big heap of food here with some sweet platanos to boot and it will set you back $3.00.
Beer - Panama has about 5 nacional beers: Atlas, Balboa and Panama (clever name) are the most popular. I prefer Balboa; it tastes like Heineken if Heineken didn't taste like shit. Atlases, Balboas and Panamas are all $1. Beer is literally cheaper than water. One of the newspapers in Panama City conducted a study last year that showed Panamanians drink about 5-6 times more beer than water.
Coffee- It's a shame I don't drink it because Boquete is supposed to have amazing coffee. The agricultural and atmospheric conditions in Boquete make it the best place in the world for growing coffee. Up in the hills the coffee plants are all over the place and even grow on the side of the road. The beans themselves come two in a red, filmy pod. It takes roughly 45 beans to make a single cup of coffee and all the beans have to be picked by hand. The indigenous men pick them all day, load them into gigantic bushels and then walk them an hour into town. So, as you can imagine it might not be lucrative of a career. But, if you want some coffee I'll see if I can send some to ya.
That about does it for life in Boquete. I'll be back soon with a special blog devoted entirely to my fondness for the bus. And I'll post a run down of what I actually do here.
On a side note: Can someone please tell me what the hell the Jets are doing in the AFC Championship Game? Are they really gonna go to the Super Bowl when I am in freaking Panama of all places? There's really no doubt in my or anyone's mind that they are gonna win the whole thing now. You've got to be kididng me.
The music at the festival is the big attraction. At the north end of the gardens is what they referred to as a 'travelling disco'. It's a series of musical stages, dance floors and DJ booths set up especially for the feria. When the sun goes down that's when the party really begins. They play their music unfathomably loud.
Everything was loud. People. Music. Motors. Whistling. Shouting. Fireworks. At all hours of the night. The parties wouldn't end until 4, 5 or 6 in the morning. The fair was probably a quarter to a half mile away from our house and it literally sounded like a raucous party going on in the party upstairs. The volunteers had to wear ear plugs when they slept because the walls were so thin and there was so much noise coming from the street.
By Monday night, the town was back to normal and was almost disturbingly quiet. It's pretty much been that way ever since.
Panamanians don't party all the time but when they do, they do it right. I went to another party last night at the English school and they did it up big time. Panamaniacs.
Economy- It's hard to tell what drives the economy here. Most of the poorer people here work the land picking fruit or coffee or they are artisans and merchants and sell their wares on the streets. Despite the rockiness of the soil, it must be packed with nutrients because they grow all sorts of stuff here; carrots, corn, onions, potatoes, plantains, and even strawberries and oranges. The people also dabble in a bit animal husbandry as there are a lot of horses, cows, goats and sheep and a ton of chickens that cock-a-doodle-doo all day long. There is an established service economy in Boquete and there also seems to be a decent amount of construction going on. There are a lot of poor people (mostly the indigenous) here but the area is not impoverished. Every once in a while you'll see a flashy SUV cruise down the street. Also, some of the properties in the hills go for $300,000+ (Boquete is also traditionally the vacation area for rich folks from Panama City).
Gringos - There is a significant expatriate community in the are surrounding Boquete. The other day I met a nice woman named Penny who was from the UP of all places and graduated from U of M and the Law School (she said there is another prominent alum in the area as well). You'll see a lot of old white hairs around here because it is a good area to retire because it is so cheap. Supposedly, there are some unions in the States that encourage their workers to move here after retiring. It is kind of disheartening though, to see decent, hard-working, middle class Americans and Canadians having to retire down here because they can't afford it back home.
Food - The food in Boquete is OK. It won't knock your socks off but I like it plenty good. Some of the other volunteers had complained that the food here was bland. However, its mostly chicken or pork and rice and beans which is right in my culinary and gustatory wheelhouse. It's all I ever make or eat at home. You can get a nice big heap of food here with some sweet platanos to boot and it will set you back $3.00.
Beer - Panama has about 5 nacional beers: Atlas, Balboa and Panama (clever name) are the most popular. I prefer Balboa; it tastes like Heineken if Heineken didn't taste like shit. Atlases, Balboas and Panamas are all $1. Beer is literally cheaper than water. One of the newspapers in Panama City conducted a study last year that showed Panamanians drink about 5-6 times more beer than water.
Coffee- It's a shame I don't drink it because Boquete is supposed to have amazing coffee. The agricultural and atmospheric conditions in Boquete make it the best place in the world for growing coffee. Up in the hills the coffee plants are all over the place and even grow on the side of the road. The beans themselves come two in a red, filmy pod. It takes roughly 45 beans to make a single cup of coffee and all the beans have to be picked by hand. The indigenous men pick them all day, load them into gigantic bushels and then walk them an hour into town. So, as you can imagine it might not be lucrative of a career. But, if you want some coffee I'll see if I can send some to ya.
That about does it for life in Boquete. I'll be back soon with a special blog devoted entirely to my fondness for the bus. And I'll post a run down of what I actually do here.
On a side note: Can someone please tell me what the hell the Jets are doing in the AFC Championship Game? Are they really gonna go to the Super Bowl when I am in freaking Panama of all places? There's really no doubt in my or anyone's mind that they are gonna win the whole thing now. You've got to be kididng me.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Interesting Points of Interest, Boquete Edition: Part I
Boquete is a very charming place to say the least. It's a small town but it feels very busy and it attracts lots of travellers, both of the upscale and backpacking variety. The surrounding area is very beautiful as well. I would absolutely recommend a trip here. I really should get some pictures up so you can see. But, without further ado, here are some facts about this place:
Geography: Boquete is nestled in Panama's mountainous central ridge. We have mountains to the north , east and west. To the south is a sort of high plains area that leads down to David, the swamps and eventually the Pacific Ocean. There is also an active volcano, Volcan Baru, just northwest of town. The whole area was shaped by volcanic material and there are rocks everywhere. The small yet powerful Rio Caldera runs through town bringing water that drained from the upper mountainous regions. There are lots of hiking trails, natural pools and waterfalls in the areas outside of town. Boquete is at an elevation of about 4,100 feet making for a very salubrious climate. The air is perfect-remarkably fresh and clean. It's cool and dry and the sun shines almost directly overhead. I have to go to David everyday which is near sea-level and I would say there is a 15 degree difference. All the precipitation comes from the north and it's cool to see it spill over the mountains as it approaches town. Sometimes gusts of wind barrel down the valley and shake the hell out of our house.
People: Panamanians are a good-looking bunch. The country of Panama is fairly diverse; most of the people are mestizo but there are considerable populations of blacks, whites and Indians. In Boquete, however, there seem to be fewer blacks and whites and much more Indians. The
Latins and Indians have such beautiful and exotic features and some of the women are downright beautiful. There are a lot of children here and they are incredibly cute, particularly the Indian kids. Indian children will stare at you like you're a freaking giraffe. They gaze at you with these gigantic, unblinking, almond-shaped, onyx eyes taking in every photon of your bizarre appearance. Sometimes I can't help myself from cracking up a bit but they just keep staring at you. If I was some type of elderly aunt-like character I would have squeezed every nino cheek in Boquete to the bone by now.
Culture: I hate to use the cliches "colorful" and "vibrant" to describe their culture. I feel that those are patronizing terms used by crusty, white people to describe any culture that is different, poor and less developed. However, at the risk of sounding crusty and white, the culture here is colorful and vibrant. Panamanian culture is simultaneously both more enthusiastic and more relaxed than ours. Most of the people I have come in contact with are somewhat shy, even laconic. I think it is considered a virtue to be reserved. As one of my students wrote in a practice sentence "I would not suggest talking a lot". However, collectively, their culture is much more expressive.
I know I'm speaking in generalities here but its true. I'll explain more later.
And good God do these people know how to party...
That's all for now, I have to get back to the house and see what we are doing today and then go all the way to David this afternoon.
Geography: Boquete is nestled in Panama's mountainous central ridge. We have mountains to the north , east and west. To the south is a sort of high plains area that leads down to David, the swamps and eventually the Pacific Ocean. There is also an active volcano, Volcan Baru, just northwest of town. The whole area was shaped by volcanic material and there are rocks everywhere. The small yet powerful Rio Caldera runs through town bringing water that drained from the upper mountainous regions. There are lots of hiking trails, natural pools and waterfalls in the areas outside of town. Boquete is at an elevation of about 4,100 feet making for a very salubrious climate. The air is perfect-remarkably fresh and clean. It's cool and dry and the sun shines almost directly overhead. I have to go to David everyday which is near sea-level and I would say there is a 15 degree difference. All the precipitation comes from the north and it's cool to see it spill over the mountains as it approaches town. Sometimes gusts of wind barrel down the valley and shake the hell out of our house.
People: Panamanians are a good-looking bunch. The country of Panama is fairly diverse; most of the people are mestizo but there are considerable populations of blacks, whites and Indians. In Boquete, however, there seem to be fewer blacks and whites and much more Indians. The
Latins and Indians have such beautiful and exotic features and some of the women are downright beautiful. There are a lot of children here and they are incredibly cute, particularly the Indian kids. Indian children will stare at you like you're a freaking giraffe. They gaze at you with these gigantic, unblinking, almond-shaped, onyx eyes taking in every photon of your bizarre appearance. Sometimes I can't help myself from cracking up a bit but they just keep staring at you. If I was some type of elderly aunt-like character I would have squeezed every nino cheek in Boquete to the bone by now.
Culture: I hate to use the cliches "colorful" and "vibrant" to describe their culture. I feel that those are patronizing terms used by crusty, white people to describe any culture that is different, poor and less developed. However, at the risk of sounding crusty and white, the culture here is colorful and vibrant. Panamanian culture is simultaneously both more enthusiastic and more relaxed than ours. Most of the people I have come in contact with are somewhat shy, even laconic. I think it is considered a virtue to be reserved. As one of my students wrote in a practice sentence "I would not suggest talking a lot". However, collectively, their culture is much more expressive.
I know I'm speaking in generalities here but its true. I'll explain more later.
And good God do these people know how to party...
That's all for now, I have to get back to the house and see what we are doing today and then go all the way to David this afternoon.
So Far
It's been going pretty well so far. All the other volunteers are pretty cool and interesting and we all seem to like it here. This week we've done various projects and I've gone down to David in the afternoons for the English program. Going to David can be a huge pain in the ass. You have to take a bus then a taxi and it takes about an hour or longer. Plus, English I forgot how ridiculously hard English is. So, by the end of the day I can't speak English or Spanish. English is really tough for some of the students but they do very well for the most part. I will try to get more into the nuts and bolts of the programs later on.
Disclaimer
I apologize for my lackluster blogging skills. I don't really like going on the internet and I'm the only knucklehead here who did not bring a camera or a computer. Plus, I don't really have much time so all my posts are hurried and haphazard. Despite all this I'll try to do it once in a while and get some pictures up.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Boquete, Day 1
So, I made it. I actually made that connection from Tocumen Airport (which is out in the middle of nowhere) and Albrook airport. They are a half an hour apart, my flight was to leave at 4 and at 2:30 I was still literally in the back of the plane waiting to get off. Customs was like 10 feet from the gate. I waited on line for a little bit and then spent literally 10 seconds at the desk. The agent rifled through my docs, stamped my passport vigorously and uttered a sharp and terse "Bye" and that was the only word she said.
My cabbie made mad moves and got me to Albrook where I was sweating it out waiting to check in. Luckily Air Panama doesn't seem to give a shit about all this checking-in-an-hour-beforehand nonsense and if you get there with 10 minutes to spare they'll board you no prob. There I met up with April, another volunteer heading to Boquete. It was nice to see an American face among the whirlwind of rushing and confusion.
We arrived in David and took a bus ride up to Boquete. The bus had about 70 people in it, it took about an hour and cost $1.50. Ha! Everything here is incredibly cheap.
Boquete is a lively, happening town. This week is a huge festival here so there is party and noise all night long. Anyway, it seems pretty cool. I'll add some more later but I have to get my act together.
My cabbie made mad moves and got me to Albrook where I was sweating it out waiting to check in. Luckily Air Panama doesn't seem to give a shit about all this checking-in-an-hour-beforehand nonsense and if you get there with 10 minutes to spare they'll board you no prob. There I met up with April, another volunteer heading to Boquete. It was nice to see an American face among the whirlwind of rushing and confusion.
We arrived in David and took a bus ride up to Boquete. The bus had about 70 people in it, it took about an hour and cost $1.50. Ha! Everything here is incredibly cheap.
Boquete is a lively, happening town. This week is a huge festival here so there is party and noise all night long. Anyway, it seems pretty cool. I'll add some more later but I have to get my act together.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Panamo-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh!!!!! Interesting Points of Interest About Panama
Despite claiming to be an expert in history and geography, I realized that my knowledge of Panama was largely confined to hats, canals, Van Halen and Mariano Rivera. However, it is a land of contrasts. Mira:
1) Panama City, the capital, is located at 8 degrees N latitude and 79 degrees W longitude, putting it roughly due south of Buffalo, New York and at a latitude similar to Lagos, Nigeria. This will probably the farthest I will ever go without leaving the Eastern time zone.
2) The national currency of Panama is: the U.S. dollar. Surprisingly, Panama uses the U.S. dollar, which makes life easy for me. It is also the hub of Latin America's banking industry. Much of the country's economy is based on an advanced services industry similar to the U.S.
3) Because it is a center for banking, it is one of the richest countries in Central America. Much of Panama City is extremely modern and new and would probably interest brother Jimbo immensely.
4) During the 1980s, Panama's banking industry was maligned by rampant money-laundering schemes involving much of Latin America's drug dealers (i.e. in the 2001 movie Blow, Johnny Depp's character George Jung deposited all his ill-gotten gains in Panamanian banks). However, they have sinced cleaned up their act, meaning bad news for guys like Jung.
5) Despite it's wealth, Panama has the 2nd most unequal income distribution in Central America. It also has terrible rural-urban and education gaps. Literacy is 90% or higher in the cities, however it falls to roughly 60% in rural areas. These are some of the reasons there are volunteer groups throughout Panama, like the one I will be with in Boquete. Overall, though, Panama has made great strides in poverty reduction over the last 10 years.
6) Boquete is a small mountain town in western Panama, about an hour from the Pacific and three hours from the Caribbean. I was under the impression that Boquete was something of a quaint mountain town. However, it has a population of about 20,000 making it slightly smaller than good ol' Rockville Centre.
7) In 1671, Captain Henry Morgan led 200 of his buccaneers across the moutainous, mosquito-infested isthmus towards the beautiful, shiny new Spanish settlement of Panama City. The land and heat took their toll on the men, forcing them to eat dogs and even their own belts. However, right as they were on the brink of mutiny, they stumbled across an abandoned outpost that had been vacated by someone who had heard of their approach. However, they left it stocked with grain, eggs and chicken which the weary, hungry pirates ate with gusto. Morgan then led the newly-invigorated men into town and proceeded to raze the shit out of the place. The beautiful city was burned to the ground and rebuilt 5 miles down the road. The ruins of Panama Viejo are still a popular attraction in PC. The bloodthirsty, gold-hungry, scallywag Morgan is one of the most fascinating figures in New World history. The Spanish colonists were so terrified of him they literally thought he was an incarnation of the Devil. As a hairy gringo with the last name Morgan myself, I am curious to see how I will be recieved.
8) In 1903, Panama gained independence not from the dastardly Spaniards, but from their whacky southerly neighbors, Colombia. The U.S. was very helpful in their quest for independence and as recompense were essentially granted full control over the Panama Canal. The canal is undergoing a massive expansion. Construction on a third set of locks began in 2007 and is expected to be completed in 2014.
9) I had heard that Panama was a very safe place for travelers and my old pal Wes confirmed that for me as he has traveled to the area several times. Unfortunately, according to the State Department, Panama now is designated with a 'High' crime warning. They said the eastern border with Colombia is particularly dangerous (FARC even operates inside Panama) and most of the violent crime in PC can be traced to Colombian narcotrafficking. Luckily, I'll be in western Panama, near Costa Rica which is kind of like Canada (I'm guessing, compared to Colombia at least).
10) Panama hats actually originated in Jamaica. They were popularized by Jamaican workers who brought them and wore them while working on the canal. I have no idea why "Panama" by Van Halen is called "Panama".
So, there it is. Now you are ready for your trip to Panama. I'll see ya later. The next time you hear from me I'll be in Panama. Wish me luck and I'll catch you later.
1) Panama City, the capital, is located at 8 degrees N latitude and 79 degrees W longitude, putting it roughly due south of Buffalo, New York and at a latitude similar to Lagos, Nigeria. This will probably the farthest I will ever go without leaving the Eastern time zone.
2) The national currency of Panama is: the U.S. dollar. Surprisingly, Panama uses the U.S. dollar, which makes life easy for me. It is also the hub of Latin America's banking industry. Much of the country's economy is based on an advanced services industry similar to the U.S.
3) Because it is a center for banking, it is one of the richest countries in Central America. Much of Panama City is extremely modern and new and would probably interest brother Jimbo immensely.
4) During the 1980s, Panama's banking industry was maligned by rampant money-laundering schemes involving much of Latin America's drug dealers (i.e. in the 2001 movie Blow, Johnny Depp's character George Jung deposited all his ill-gotten gains in Panamanian banks). However, they have sinced cleaned up their act, meaning bad news for guys like Jung.
5) Despite it's wealth, Panama has the 2nd most unequal income distribution in Central America. It also has terrible rural-urban and education gaps. Literacy is 90% or higher in the cities, however it falls to roughly 60% in rural areas. These are some of the reasons there are volunteer groups throughout Panama, like the one I will be with in Boquete. Overall, though, Panama has made great strides in poverty reduction over the last 10 years.
6) Boquete is a small mountain town in western Panama, about an hour from the Pacific and three hours from the Caribbean. I was under the impression that Boquete was something of a quaint mountain town. However, it has a population of about 20,000 making it slightly smaller than good ol' Rockville Centre.
7) In 1671, Captain Henry Morgan led 200 of his buccaneers across the moutainous, mosquito-infested isthmus towards the beautiful, shiny new Spanish settlement of Panama City. The land and heat took their toll on the men, forcing them to eat dogs and even their own belts. However, right as they were on the brink of mutiny, they stumbled across an abandoned outpost that had been vacated by someone who had heard of their approach. However, they left it stocked with grain, eggs and chicken which the weary, hungry pirates ate with gusto. Morgan then led the newly-invigorated men into town and proceeded to raze the shit out of the place. The beautiful city was burned to the ground and rebuilt 5 miles down the road. The ruins of Panama Viejo are still a popular attraction in PC. The bloodthirsty, gold-hungry, scallywag Morgan is one of the most fascinating figures in New World history. The Spanish colonists were so terrified of him they literally thought he was an incarnation of the Devil. As a hairy gringo with the last name Morgan myself, I am curious to see how I will be recieved.
8) In 1903, Panama gained independence not from the dastardly Spaniards, but from their whacky southerly neighbors, Colombia. The U.S. was very helpful in their quest for independence and as recompense were essentially granted full control over the Panama Canal. The canal is undergoing a massive expansion. Construction on a third set of locks began in 2007 and is expected to be completed in 2014.
9) I had heard that Panama was a very safe place for travelers and my old pal Wes confirmed that for me as he has traveled to the area several times. Unfortunately, according to the State Department, Panama now is designated with a 'High' crime warning. They said the eastern border with Colombia is particularly dangerous (FARC even operates inside Panama) and most of the violent crime in PC can be traced to Colombian narcotrafficking. Luckily, I'll be in western Panama, near Costa Rica which is kind of like Canada (I'm guessing, compared to Colombia at least).
10) Panama hats actually originated in Jamaica. They were popularized by Jamaican workers who brought them and wore them while working on the canal. I have no idea why "Panama" by Van Halen is called "Panama".
So, there it is. Now you are ready for your trip to Panama. I'll see ya later. The next time you hear from me I'll be in Panama. Wish me luck and I'll catch you later.
Panamania, Part II
A lot of people have asked me why I'm going to Panama. To make a long story short: I had some time, I had some money and this seemed like a unique way to help people in need. I don't know how much help I'll be but we'll see. Plus, it will be a great opportunity for several other reasons. But, for the most part I don't really know what to expect.
Meanwhile, tomorrow is going to be rough. I leave from NYC at 6 AM. I get into Panama City at 2 PM at which point I have to get my bags, get through customs, get a cab and get to Panama City's other airport for my other flight which leaves at 4 PM. That's the last flight of the day so if I don't make it I have to spend the night in Panama City and try to get a flight the next day. The odds aren't exactly stacking up in my favor. But, some of the other volunteers are in the same boat so I may meet up with them tomorrow night.
Meanwhile, tomorrow is going to be rough. I leave from NYC at 6 AM. I get into Panama City at 2 PM at which point I have to get my bags, get through customs, get a cab and get to Panama City's other airport for my other flight which leaves at 4 PM. That's the last flight of the day so if I don't make it I have to spend the night in Panama City and try to get a flight the next day. The odds aren't exactly stacking up in my favor. But, some of the other volunteers are in the same boat so I may meet up with them tomorrow night.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Panamania
In the pre-dawn glimmer of Monday morning I heard the USS Jimbo fire up and shove off from our driveway. I peeked out the window to see it sputter towards the Great Midwest and thus ending Jimbo's year of exotic adventures.
Jimbo will be in St. Louis for the next year finishing up his architecture degree so he asked his big brother to take over the ol' CCB blog. I'm leaving for Panama on Friday to volunteer in a small mountain village for 5 weeks. I think Jimbo figured that Boquete, Panama is a little more exotic and provide a bit better material than St. Louis, Missouri which he refers to as 'SLo Mo'.
My blogging abilities differ from Jimbo's in many ways. For example, I don't know anything about architecture, even less about music and my photography skills are non-existent. The last time I took a photo of something it was with one of those disposable cameras that probably don't exist anymore. And eventhough I hold an English degree from one of our most expensive (and therefore best) universities, little Jimbo, an architard, is a better writer than me. This is a source of deep personal shame as it puts me third (out of 3) on the sibling depth chart.
However, Jimbo and I are similar in that we both have gigantic Godzilla-like calves that astonish Asian people on subways. Wait til the Panamanians get a load of these gams.
I'll try to keep everyone updated on what goes on in Panama. I'm not sure how much computer access I will have there but they want us to keep a journal so I will try to use CCB as journal when I can.
Jimbo will be in St. Louis for the next year finishing up his architecture degree so he asked his big brother to take over the ol' CCB blog. I'm leaving for Panama on Friday to volunteer in a small mountain village for 5 weeks. I think Jimbo figured that Boquete, Panama is a little more exotic and provide a bit better material than St. Louis, Missouri which he refers to as 'SLo Mo'.
My blogging abilities differ from Jimbo's in many ways. For example, I don't know anything about architecture, even less about music and my photography skills are non-existent. The last time I took a photo of something it was with one of those disposable cameras that probably don't exist anymore. And eventhough I hold an English degree from one of our most expensive (and therefore best) universities, little Jimbo, an architard, is a better writer than me. This is a source of deep personal shame as it puts me third (out of 3) on the sibling depth chart.
However, Jimbo and I are similar in that we both have gigantic Godzilla-like calves that astonish Asian people on subways. Wait til the Panamanians get a load of these gams.
I'll try to keep everyone updated on what goes on in Panama. I'm not sure how much computer access I will have there but they want us to keep a journal so I will try to use CCB as journal when I can.
Monday, January 11, 2010
USS Jimbo
The return journey to SLo MO begins early tomorrow. It will be long. A 16 hour drive with a stopover somewhere in Ohio. My green Nissan Maxima from back in the day at Hobart (Senior year) just got refurbished, it sounds like a boat so we can call it the USS Jimbo. Lets hope we make it! Luckily ill have Vaclav (from WashU + Helsinki) for the ride. Perhaps unlucky for him!
Friday, January 1, 2010
1.1.2009 - 12.31.2009
I'm ending 2009 right now in ironic fashion to how I lived the entire year; Static on the couch of my parents house, battling a schizo cold, and stable sinus congestion. Apparently the air in New York has a lot more in it than Seoul.
Like expected I was hoping to run and gun it in New York City this evening and see many people and many places, capping the year off victoriously, but unfortunately my state has immobilized me. Which I find quite OK actually. Maybe suitingly, like all long journey's at the end they require rest.
2009 was epic.
I'll raise my shot of Sudafed to toast the year...
Thanks to all the dedicated followers of CCB.
Cheers to the suspense in life that comes from uncertainty.
I hope the future brings a new map to navigate.
Thanks Mom + Dad.
Thanks Pie.
Thanks Russ Chimes. http://www.myspace.com/russchimes
Thanks Seoul.
Like expected I was hoping to run and gun it in New York City this evening and see many people and many places, capping the year off victoriously, but unfortunately my state has immobilized me. Which I find quite OK actually. Maybe suitingly, like all long journey's at the end they require rest.
2009 was epic.
I'll raise my shot of Sudafed to toast the year...
Thanks to all the dedicated followers of CCB.
Cheers to the suspense in life that comes from uncertainty.
I hope the future brings a new map to navigate.
Thanks Mom + Dad.
Thanks Pie.
Thanks Russ Chimes. http://www.myspace.com/russchimes
Thanks Seoul.
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