Waves and Spanish

This week is becoming much like every other week. I wake up, I work, and I try to surf when I can. It is kind of the story of my life and I feel like things are starting to become routine. Things that were once "exotic" are now becoming a norm for me. Fruits like mangos grow on trees here in abundance, and surfing is just a fun thing to do when I can. Speaking and hearing Spanish is also becoming a new normal.

My workload this week provided some extra time to go surfing. Yeehaw! I was able to surf three days in a row now. My body is sore, and I always come out with some physical bump, scrape, or bruise on my body from each surf session.  I have enjoyed my new surfboard, although I have only spent about 3% of my time on it actually standing. The swell this week has been prime for anyone wanting to learn or take advantage of the swell.

The beach by my house is beautiful. I really enjoy it. The beach is relatively short and is really not great to run on or surf. But there are times where you often find yourself only having to share the beach with a few other people. Earlier this week was a prime example of that as the photos of the waves were taken. The waves are usually half this size on a good day. It was lovely!

This week allowed me to brush up on my Spanish. Although my Spanish is very poor, I am finding that the program I am using is easier than I last remembered prior to moving to Panama. It makes sense. I am a very kinetic learner. I love learning and love applying what I learn and generalizing it.

The idea of going back to the United States (or any country that speaks primarily English) baffles me. Pointing, hand gestures, and a horrible accent are very normal for me. I look forward to the day that I can speak Spanish without having to rehearse what I say before I order food or talk to a store clerk.

Although Panama at times feels very lonely, surfing this week and working on my Spanish seemed to help. Panama feels very much like home for me so I do not have any regrets moving. It is just a process. It is just my Panamanian perspective.

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. 

Panama City Adventures

A girl walks into an airport and is looking for a bathing suit....sounds like the beginning of a joke, right? If it is, then this joke was a reality for me. We had to go into Panama City twice this week. We also got to go surfing! Friday was also Labor Day, which meant that most people had the day off and stores were crowded. We ended Friday night with having a goodbye dinner for a friend who spends half her time here, and the other half of her time in her native country. This week went by fast and I think helped me get out of the funk I was in last week.

We went to the city on Monday in order to begin the process for our drivers license. I am still working on completing the process, so once I complete it, I may post a blog on that separately. This trip was primarily for business and immigration purposes. Along the way we got to see a beautiful sunrise. As you may know, the sun rises in the Pacific Ocean for parts of Panama. The picture of the sun rising over the Canal as we go over one of the bridges in the city.

The next stop was Albrook Mall. The mall is a large mall and could easily take a day to browse. The mall even has its own hotel. I know it is not the largest mall, but I have read that it has over 700 stores.

This mall also has my favorite sandwich shop from back in the US. Which Wich has the best sandwiches and has house chips that are simple but oh so good! Albrook Mall just might be my favorite because of this. There is only one Which Wich in Panama. 

We left the mall and ventured into a store called Pricemart. Pricemart is owned by the same company as Costco in the United States. We saw a moving sidewalk that was large enough for the big carts that got you from the parking garage to the store entrance. It was enjoyable to ride. It was a first to ride on a slanted moving sidewalk that was not officially an escalator with steps.

Thursday came and we drove back to the city; we had to pick up documents as part of the process for the drivers license. We were hoping to get our drivers license the same day we got our official documents. That did not happen as we arrived to the center mid afternoon and it was packed. Fortunately, I can go to another location on Monday (Friday was a holiday in which most workers had off).

Because I wipe out often, I find myself showing more of myself than I care to-even with a rash guard and with wearing running shorts. I did some research and found that Calvera Swimwear might be the solution to my problem. There are two international retailers outside of the United States and one happens to be in Panama. Awesome! The catch? It was at an airport. I joked around with friends trying to figure out how I was going to explain this to TSA.

"Excuse me officer, I do not have a plane ticket, but there is a store behind these barriers that I want to shop."

Fortunately, that did not happen. The airport is not the main airport in Panama City that you are likely to fly into (unless you are Canadian). This airport has a total of two non-food stores that are close to the entrance. Luckily I did not have to go through TSA. I was happy to find a swimsuit.

Robert and I went to Albrook Mall again, this time in search for surf boards! Robert and I acknowledge our skill level, which means we know we need a longer surfboard that can float rather than a small, sleek board. We went to the one store that carries surfboards. We found two that may work, but Robert wanted a slightly longer board and I was not ready to commit either. We drove to another mall with the same store. Neither had what we were ready to get at the time.

It was closing in at 4:00 which explained the traffic; people were getting off work and others were heading for the beaches as Friday was Labor Day and many people had the day off. We returned home without surfboards which meant we would rent them our next time out.

What amazed me about driving out of Panama City were all the vendors in the middle of the road. People were offering sunglasses, along with food and drinks. Many of them would have their ice chest filled with drinks on an old baby stroller, while food was raised in one hand. Food included churros, plantains, and cashews. We bought two packets of churros for $1. It was a perfect treat to hold us over until we got home.

Last night we had dinner with a friend. She eats primarily vegetarian, which makes cooking fun. Last night's dinner was filled with sharing memories of our pets and camping. Many of the memories Robert and I have revolved around camping with friends back in college before we started dating. An evening filled with laughter is okay by me. 

We went surfing today. The swells have been having a lot of people talking-some saying this is the best swell of the year. Robert went out to the bigger waves, while I enjoyed some of the white water waves (this is when the wave turns white when it gets close to shore). I was there right along the 12 year old kid who also seemed to be learning. I eventually paddled out with Robert, but mostly to practice paddling. Robert was in the water for three hours. 

Today was a perfect day. This week will be another busy one with plenty of things to do. At the end of the day, I go to bed happy and at peace. Life is good and there is no other place I would like to live. 

Girlfriends and Casco Viejo

This week was a busy work week, but in a good way. It first time that I realized how big of a language barrier my Spanish speaking skills are, and how much I miss some of my friends. We had to go to the city for a few things, which meant I had time to explore! It was busy, but over all pretty good.

I went to a trip to the grocery store this week, and a clerk asked me something. For whatever reason, that moment made me realize how my Spanish speaking skills lag. It caused me to wallow in self pity realizing how bad my Spanish speaking skills are and how much I miss speaking with my friends and the world without it being a struggle.

Friends. There are only two people I regularly communicate with in person-one being Robert, and another whom I see one time a week for an hour-none that I would dare consider having a girl talk with. I miss those friends in person. Robert reminded me of the similar struggles I had when moving to Arizona. To clarify, I was not missing Arizona or Oregon...or the US for that matter. I think I was just missing having a close girl friend I could talk to/hang out with in person and also being able to efficiently communicate with the outside world. It was a good reminder that if Spanish is a barrier, go talk more! I know this should be easy, but it is not uncommon for expats who have lived here for years to speak minimal Spanish.

Tuesday was our big day for Panama City. We drove people we knew to the airport and also needed to get a towing hitch put on our car. This made for a long day. We woke up at 3am and began heading for the City, passengers and all by 4:15am. The drive took over three hours to the airport-something for any visitors to look forward to! The tow hitch was going to take approximately four hours to complete. Robert and I decided to get a ride to the nearby McDonalds for breakfast.

Their menu was more simple than I last remember seeing it (not that I frequented McDonalds in the States). No matter, I always get my usual Egg McMuffin with no ham. People often ask if things like McDonalds tastes the same as it does back in the US. I can say that my breakfast tasted the same. One thing I found unique is that McDonalds sells chicken beyond the chicken nuggets!

Eating here did not take long. Robert and I were tired but ended up exploring an old town of Panama called Casco Viejo. A hotel in this area was used during the shoot of the James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace, which was dubbed to be Hati and Bolivia. This little piece of Panama City was founded in 1519 by Spaniards and the Catholic church. However, Captian Morgan sacked the original city in 1671, and it was rebuilt and founded a couple of years later. Casco Viejo, spanish for "Old Town," can be identified by its beautiful brick roads and old buildings-many which are being restored. It is also known for it's cathedral, which was abandoned until a major renovation began in 2003. 

Although many restorations are occurring, you can still find original walls that were built with the intentions to detour pirates (Maybe Johnny Depp will pay a visit?). You also get stunning views of the main part of Panama City along with the view of ships heading into the Canal. 

A scenic bypass followed by ships in the distance. The difference between high and low tide on the Pacific side can be as much as 20 feet.

This area also offers the perfect opportunity for anyone looking for a souvenir. There is an abundance of shops that offer something for everyone. There is a row of tables, which made me think of somebody in particular who could spend hours in this spot alone!

Needless to say, I fell in love with the old charm feel of this area. There seemed to be a lot of urban/chic and upscale dining options. I will definitely come back to visit, but moving here would not be an option. After walking and exploring, we decided we had our fill and wanted to go back to check on the progress of the car. It was done soon after-just in the nick of time to get ahead of city traffic making our arrival time at home close to 5pm. 

Panama has new license plates for cars every year, which means you have to register your car every year. I have been told that people who do it themselves sometimes only do it once, as it can be a time-consuming and stressful endeavor. There are locals that are familiar with the process that can be hired to renew the registration for you. Our car needed to be registered so we could legally drive our car without the worry of it being impounded. It took a few days to get (and some minor hurdles) but it was kind of cool to have a new license plate. These license plate numbers stay with the cars, so it is important that the numbers from your old and new license plates match. Here are some plates from previous years:

Over all, life is still good. We continue to get more and more rain, which is very much needed at this point. Unfortunately the waves have not been very good for surfing, which marks about four weeks since we have gone out. I am going crazy and am hoping surfing is like riding a bike. The upcoming week will require us to go to the city in order to proceed with getting our drivers license. That should be another exciting adventure since driving in the city always is. 

The First Rain and Cake!

This week was pretty low key. The highlights of the week included a power outage, the first rain, and a trip to the mall. No surfing this week, although the surf has been perfect.

We have had multiple power outages this week. Some are sporadic and remind me of somebody playing with a light switch; they did not last long. Tuesday our power went out for six hours. It is fortunate that we have candles and flashlights. I am not sure what caused the outage. Talk about bad timing! It was right in the middle of me making dinner and doing laundry. The clothes had to be re-washed and dinner had to be postponed (making it in the dark, I messed up anyway).

The first rainfall since we moved down here began. It was wonderful. The rain here is a lot like the monsoons in Arizona; it will pour for 20-30 minutes and be clear and sunny the rest of the day. I recently learned a new word for a lover of rain, the air was crisp and clean. The fields that were burned smelled like rich soil. The beach was moist, and the flowers in our yard were sprinkled with water drops. It is hard to imagine anyone who isn't a Pluviophile.

Robert and I had to run a few errands at a town about 40 minutes away from where we live. Because we were out that way, we figured we may as well go to the mall. I figured since we were there I would go into the Levis store and buy a pair of jeans. 

One of the store clerks attempted to help me. I spoke very broken Spanish, apologized for my horrible Spanish.  

As I was ready to check out I said "Yo soy listo. Uhh Estoy listo pagar." I am ready. I am ready to pay. 

Etoy and Soy both mean I am. I know in the Spanish language they mean different things, but differentiating them for me is still difficult. As I write this, I realize how I should have used 'estoy.' Lesson learned and on to the next mistake I make in Spanish. Can I at least get an A for effort for all of you who can think of 5 other ways I could have handled the situation?

The mall has a movie theater, which we were considering going to Fast and Furious 7. When the movie first came out, the movie had Spanish subtitles. Now the only versions at this theater are dubbed over.  It is good to note this as I am a fan of the Hunger Games and have yet to miss seeing the movie opening weekend.

We got lunch instead. We usually get pizza, but I was curious what the Taco Bell was like in Panama. I am always curious what American restaurants taste like in Panama. I am not sure if this is an occurrence in the United States, but at least in Panama, you get fries with your combo. The fries were surprisingly good and reminded me of eating curly fries from Arby's. Yum!

The best got saved for last. There is a dessert place that has cake like I've never tasted. I have blogged about it before. This time Robert got a honey cake desert and I got almond. Yumm!

The outing at the mall was probably the most exciting thing this week. I would like to make it a point to go see a movie in Spanish at some point, but deep inside I wanted to know what was going on in Fast and Furious 7. As I mentioned before, no surfing lately, but I am hoping it will change soon; all of my bruises are fading! 

Easter and Pedasi

This week marked our first Easter in Panama (remember the anticipation from last week?). We also took a little trip to a town called Pedasi, which is about three hours away from where we currently live. This was an adventure since it is in a fairly rural area (population 2,000) and also has a growing expat community. The dogs got to come too!

Easter, while I would like to say it was out of the ordinary with all these "new" traditions, it really did not seem that way-unless you count all of the traffic heading back into the city. Good Friday was the holiday that got my attention the most during Semana Santa, which was discussed in the previous blog.

We obtained a canned ham for an Easter meal. Sorry to all of you canned ham eaters, but this was one time I was thankful I am a vegetarian. Amazingly enough, Robert managed to turn the ham into something that looked some-what appetizing.

Other dishes included me making baked beans for the first time, which turned out pretty decent, if I say so myself. Drinks included lemonade with coconut milk/water that I had left over from when I made coconut whipped cream, which was used for part of the dessert dish. Over all, our Easter was quite and enjoyable. 

Lemonade with coconut

Pineapple with coconut whipped cream and pistachios. 

We also took a trip to Pedasi and brought the dogs. On our way to Pedasi, we came to a very rural village (population maybe 100?). The beach was a hidden jewel with nobody around. Although the waves were not good for surfing, there were plenty of tide pools for me to explore which only made the beach that much better!

Our next stop was Pedasi. We stayed at a bed in breakfast that allowed pets. It was quite the experience for me. Why? I've never stayed at a hotel in Panama before and I've never stayed at a bed and breakfast. The room we got was fairly inexpensive compared to other rooms in the area. It was basic and very small; not including the bathroom, the room was probably 10 feet by 12 feet-just wide enough to have space on each side of our queen size bed. While there was nothing in the room besides a small night stand, a bathroom and a bed, it was all that we needed. 

The beaches in Pedasi were tranquil, but also fairly busy. There is limited beach access which meant the few spots in Pedasi that were accessible had others along with you. The beaches seemed clean and reminded me of a nice fishing village maybe ten or fifteen years ago. The destination is also popular as you can get a 20 minute ride to a nearby island that has good scuba diving and snorkeling.

Pedasi gave me a chuckle and a memories from my childhood. I got a small bag of cookies in which I found a pog! I've seen a few kids playing in grocery stores. Ahh nostalgia!

The highlight of the trip was going to Playa Venao, which is a good 30 minutes outside of Pedasi on a good but rural road. This beach is where the DaKine ISA World Junior Surfing Championship was healed back in 2012. The wave sizes vary, just like the swells. From what I have read, this spot can be great for beginner and amateur surfers, and it can also be fun for more experienced surfers. It has been about a week since I've surfed, and these waves only increased the urge.

Despite the picture, the beach was actually very crowded

Pedasi was enjoyable. It was a lot of driving and I think the dogs are happy to be home. The highlight for both Robert and me was paying a visit to Playa Venao. The longer we spend in Panama in a beach community, the more I begin to feel like home and the more I begin to realize how amazing and beautiful Mother Nature really is.

Semana Santa and Good Friday

This week was Holy week, or Semana Santa. We got to witness our first Good Friday in Panama, which was a special experience. It is estimated that about 80% of the population in Panama is Roman Catholic. Because of this, Semana Santa is hard not to avoid.

Yesterday marked Good Friday, which is a big deal in a predominant Catholic population. Yesterday alcohol sales were prohibited. The liquor isles in grocery stores were taped off, the sale of liquor in restaurants were restricted. It was amazing and actually pretty cool to see. The restriction of alcohol for any period of time was a bit of a culture shock. You're telling me that State and religion can coincide peacefully!? 

The owner of the house we are renting told us about the procession that occurs on Good Friday and encouraged us to try to watch this event which began around 9pm, causing some street roads to be closed off. In essence, the procession is when clergy and church members gather and walk in the community praying. This is supposed to symbolize the final day of Jesus.

The route was by our house so we just happened to get outside at the correct time of when the church clergy and parishioners began to walk passed our house. Small floats were created and were part of this walk-each having unique symbolisms. The most iconic float that we saw was a glass coffin with Jesus inside and men dressed as romans with spears walked alongside this float. I wanted to embrace what I was seeing and I feel like that can get lost by taking pictures. I did find some pictures from the internet to help capture a bit of what we saw.

Photo link

Photo link

The spots that the clergy stopped and prayed. All of the parishioners walking behind the clergy stopped also.
Photo link

I have been told that Easter, in many ways is spent with family and going to church. Easter eggs and the Easter Bunny are becoming more popular here, but mostly because of the influence of expats (just like Thanksgiving is becoming popular here and so is Black Friday). I am not sure what tomorrow will bring as far as Easter egg hunts or beach goers, but one thing I will probably count on is that tomorrow will be a very big day for church goers.