A Week of Firsts

This week has all about been firsts for me. While much of this experience in Panama is about a lot of firsts, this week in particular was far from shy of first time events. The big three were that I have officially lived in Panama for three months, I had my first doctor's visit, and I got my first surfboard.

Living in Panama for three months, one quarter of a year. Wow that goes by fast! May 4th marked the anniversary. Panama allows you to live and drive legally on a tourist visa for three months. After that time period, you need to have obtained a residency card and a drivers license. If you do not, then you are here illegally. I got my first license for Panama.

The repeated theme of Panama (which is frustrating for me at times) is that you sort of have to know where you are going without fully relying on GPS systems or any technology. Naturally, when I tried to look up the location of the office (which is like the DMV) I found three different possibilities it could be. My GPS on my phone was no help and neither was the Facebook page for the licensing page.

GIF link

I found a blog that stated where the office was and it had a picture. I went with this one since it was off the main highway-what did I have to lose right? Sure enough, I found it! I went into the building anxious about the language barrier. Fortunately the woman who took my information seemed very patient. I think at the end she was happy that I could move on to my sight and hearing tests. After all, who does not know their height and weight? I do, but not when I convert my heigh from inches and feet to meters and my weight from pounds to kilograms. The woman gave me a number in meters and asked "mas o menos" -more or less. My height is 1.8 meters on my license. Sure, I'll add 6 inches taller with heels if I am lucky.

First go to the left and then wait for your eye test on the right

The process was over within two hours and I was able to go home without having to explain my living status to anyone. My license expires in four years just like other Panamanian licenses. It is nice to feel some sense of belonging in a place where I often feel out of place.

I also got to experience my first doctor visit this week. There is a clinic in town with a female doctor who speaks English and was reportedly good. I walked in, wrote my name on a sign in sheet (although not everyone did) and waited. There was no nurse or receptionist.

When one person walked out of the hall, the next person went in. The process of seeing who was in the waiting room before you and who came after you helped know whether or not you were next. The office also has a dentist, which added to the "chaos". ,It was kind of amazing how orderly it all was and how the "chaos" was not that bad. 

The doctor spent about 30 minutes with me, asking about my daily habits. She told me to go to a lab as she had an idea of what it might be. I paid her $7 and went on my way. The lab for the blood work was $50 which included three blood tests and a urine sample. The next day I got the results and took them to the doctor. It turns out her suspicions were right: I am not drinking enough water! She gave me some perceptions and told me to drink more water. This follow up visit was free.

I was amazed to find out that there is a large discrepancy in pharmacy prices. The doctor said that some pharmacies can charge $15 for a medicine while another will charge $45 for the same medicine. Part of this has to deal with the buying power of the pharmacy. I went to a pharmacy about 10 minutes away. I walked in, got some pills, paid $20 for two medications and went on my way. Another surprising thing? Getting my medicine in a bag!

This week also marked the week when I got my first surfboard. Doing this meant I had to drive to the city by myself; Robert was unable to go with me. My phone's GPS capabilities are not always very reliable, so when Robert and I go together we use both our phones (just so I can see how mine varies compares to his when we use the same ap). Robert helped guide me the way he would go. 

The drive was relatively easy and so is getting into the city is easy, driving in the city is not until you get used to the quick turns on roads. Once I got into the city it only took me minutes to get to the mall. I went in, got what I wanted, and came home. I could have spent more than the 20 minutes I did in the mall (after all, it did take 90 minutes to get there), but can you really do anything carrying a 7 foot anything? I didn't think so. 

I got home with my very generic surfboard. This board will be memorable in many ways, just like my first car. We've all got to start somewhere, and my starting off is with a 7 foot foam board. There are smaller boards and ones that are made out of different materials, but I think this should work for me for the time being. Buying the board was great and will at least help me with the basics for now.

Waxing the board on the other hand required some muscle usage. Wax is used to to create bumps on your board so you can grip on a slippery surface in the water. There are varying brands, and colors, and (to my surprise) scents! In ways, I felt like I was using a giant crayon to color most of my board trying to make sure I got plenty of bumps. 

3/4 of a stick of a stick later...

My board is to go out in the water

This week caused a lot of milestones for me in Panama. Some of these experiences were frustrating, while others more exhilarating. Despite some of these challenges, there is not a day that goes by that does not make me thankful for them. It is a gift to be able to live such an incredible place and take advantage of these experiences and opportunities. All of this will cause me to be a better, stronger person and a better world citizen.