Gobble Gobble - Giving Thanks

Well thanks to our American friends we have been gobbling and giving thanks this past week- not once but twice. Had we been out of control, we could have fit in a third. The local restaurants,that cater to the expat community, were offering a traditional North American Thanksgiving meal at various times and costs. I know of seven different dinners, that were being offered in the immediate area.
Our first was at El Rincon de Chef in Coronado, where the social association held its monthly dinner and social. The food was good, though the stuffing not what you would expect. Any shortfall in the menu, the company more than made up for.

Before we left the restaurant, we got a call from our friend Mitch, el shopper supremo, that the new, El Machetazo store was open, so all of us trouped over to check out the new store. It is pretty impressive in its size and scope. It even has an escalator for the shopping carts to take them from the first to second floor...too cool. Can life really get any better???

That meal was Wednesday and then Thursday we went to a little place in Santa Clara with some friends and had more good turkey and homemade pumpkin pie. I sure wish we could have delicious homemade cranberry sauce with orange in it. That is the best! The only kind available here is the canned stuff.

This weekend it's pretty noisy around the pool, as it is a long weekend for Panamanians, another of many independence celebrations on Nov 28.
The next holiday will be Dec 8, Mothers Day in the isthmus.

We are thankful to have met so many nice people to hang out with but truly miss all those we love back in Canada.
Here is a picture taken of us enjoying our pumpkin pie.
Steve, Bev, Mitch, Bob, Chris and Jean

Caminar Contra Cancer... Walk to Fight Cancer

Our group from Playa Blanca and Coronado

Recently we heard about The Caminar Contra Cancer through an email from a local friend, Natasha. Bob and I organized a small group to go with us to Coronado yesterday, where the walk was being held. This is the first year so there was a smallish crowd and one didn't have to find sponsors. You just made a donation to walk and the proceeds go the The Cancer Foundation of Panama. There were a short and a longer route; two friends walked with me and the rest of our group took the longer route. Both routes had the same brutal hill but I made it and really enjoyed the beautiful scenery along the way. I had noticed while in Panama the week before that the pink ribbbon symbol backed by a blue ribbon was prominantly displayed on many buildings and m any people were wearing the pink ribbon symbol in one form or another. I was surprised by the number of businesses, that were participating.

Walk Helpers, too cute with their pink wings

It was great to be involved in a worthy cause and to support new, local charitable activities as well. Everybody seemed to enjoy the fresh air, the exercise and the chance to contribute to a good cause. Hopefully the turn out will encourage a repeat next year. We even got a coupon at the end for a free Yogen Fruz at the new outlet in Coronado. There is also a well-known chinese buffetrestaurant,Don Lee's, that just opened there too, that people say is good. I won't lose any weight at this rate!!!!

This week we are off to Panama City again to buy our appliances and maybe a few other items if they will hold them for a few more weeks. Our closing date inches closer.

El Torito Guapo, The Handsome Bull

Yesterday I went to Anton to check out the local festival, called the Festival of the Handsome Bull, Torito Guapo which started in 1967. Bob didn't feel like going so our friend Mitch and I checked out the local action at the town square in nearby Anton. It was the first time I had been to one of the ferias though Mitch and his wife Jean have been to some including the wildly popular Orange Festival in January. I'm determined to get Bob to go to that one.

It seems as though the whole town had turned out. There were many food booths heaped with all the usual Panamanian dishes, arroz con pollo (chicken with rice), patacones fried plantains, deep fried yucca and more. We even saw a booth for "American Pizza". Lots of guys had little portable charcoal grills that looked like stove pipes with a grid on top for cooking chicken or hotdogs slices threaded on skewers. There were also stalls selling lots of junky souvenirs, sandals, clothes and the usual fair merchandise one sees everywhere. Some of the larger fairs also feature artists, who sell their original work. I bought an orchid root and hope to have blooms someday soon.

The highlight for me was the dance exposition with many troupes of young people dancing in traditional costumes. I got some great pics which I am including here. We didn't stay long but enjoyed it. Next time I'll go really hungry as the food looked and smelled amazing and was really cheap. I could have had a good meal for $3 including drink.

Besides all that I mentioned, there was an effigy of the handsome bull that chases the ladies down the street of town, we missed that, outdoor dance venues for the whole family, and other folklores performances. During the weekend the Diablos Sucios, dirty devils of Panamanian lore, show up and there is also a greased pig chase. I think they have covered all the basics for a fun time, food, frolick and family. I'm going again next year!

The bulls head is mounted on a mans shoulders, when he chases the women in the street.

Gratitude

Canasta Buddies

This post is a celebration of friends and family. There were times in the past year when we felt very isolated but since moving to the "playa" we have been meeting people more easily and enjoying their company. We also talk with our close family and friends via Skype, which keeps us connected to them.

I joined the Mah Jong Club in Coronado early on and it was very nice to have such a nice bunch of women to meet with once or twice a week. I'm still not a great player but keep working at it and enjoy the challenge and the company. Bob and I also go regularly to the Playa Community social events that are held once a month to meet and mix with other expats in the beaches area.

The Ladies of Mah Jong

More Mah Jong PLayers

At the condo we have met some very nice people including our landlord, Mitch, and the three teachers at the The Five Star School who live in the next building and we play cards,usually Canasta,with them at least once a week. Our nextdoor neighbours are from Mexico and Germany and their little boy Juan Miguel is adorable.The mom,Diana, and Juan Miguel went with Mitch, Bob and I to an Octoberfest meal at a nearby resturant Friday night. Saturday we went to friends from Calgary for a great Canadian Thanskgiving meal in Coronado.

Denise and Neil, our hosts for Thanksgiving

We miss our family a lot, especially at traditional family times like Thanksgiving,so it is comforting to have met nice people with whom to spend time.
We are grateful for those loving family members in Canada and for our new friends as well.

Lori at El Valle market stall

Lori and MC in the condo pool

Bob and neighbour,Mark Starr at the Terrazas pool

Enjoying our Thanksgiving meal

Back to School

Ms Laura at the school
I haven't forgotten about blogging but have had a busy social life recently so it's been a while since I wrote. The house is coming along, all be it slowly. We now have wiring and switches, cabinets but no plumbing fixtures yet. Part of the lawn is sodded and our hydro meter has been installed. We visited today and found that the electrical box for the bathroom vanity light in the guest bathroon has been installed over the toilet. Sending an email to our contact to request remedial action.

Well it's September and time for back to school. I have met the principal and teachers of The 5 Star Academy, an English primary school in Santa Clara, where we used to live. The teachers are renting a condo in the building next to us and are both friendly and fun. I'm volunteering at the school one afternoon a week, doing art with the kids. I have been a couple of times to the school and the children are great. We have a lot of fun with the projects. The classes are very small as this is a new, private school.

The three teachers at The 5 Star Academy, MC, Laura and Nekia, love to play cards and games so I arranged for a friend to come to our condo to teach us Canasta. Another neighbour, Marc, from New York, also came to learn. We have played several times since and really like it. I'm hoping I can involve Bob too as he is such a good card player.

I also bought Mexican Train dominos and we are going to try this tomorrow night! I hope I can remember how to play (we played it with Jonathan, Joanne and her parents in Canada and had a lot of fun with it.) Our landlord, Mitch, just got in from Chicago, and is joining us for dominos!

Getting this leisure thing down pat......

Balconies

This is the building we are in, Balconies,Torre 3, Apartemento 1B

This past week we moved to Playa Blanca. It was not the move to our long awaited house but almost as good. We moved out of that horrid little house we had been renting and into a lovely three bedroom condo at the beach. It is so close to our house that we can see it clearly from our kitchen window.

View of our house (centre)from the condo. Nice view of the mountains too.

Since our lease expired, we had been debating a move but hadn't done anything as we just didn't feel like moving twice. Recently, however, we met a couple named Mitch and Jean at the dump demonstration (previous blog) and in conversation we learned that they would be willing to rent their condo for a few months. So we decided to do it. Not only is it just one floor off the ground(easy for taking the girls out) but will be very handy when we start to get furniture deliveries and the like. I haven't found anything I don't like. It is dead quiet during the week but yesterday there were a lot of weekenders here with their families and there was a party that went on to 4:00 a.m. I didn't bother me or Bob though, we mostly slept through it.

Yesterday we took the 5 min. walk to our house to see the progress and found that they had been working on wiring and our nice glass shower doors had been installed. The carport is also installed and you can see the red sticky clay of Panama splashed up against the side of the house. Local artisans make all kinds of pots and planters from this clay soil, which is everywhere. It reminds me of Waimea Canyon on the island of Kauai,where we saw this bright red, volcanic soil for the first time.

Finally, I will add some pics of the interior of the condo and bid you farewell until next time. I should go and hunt for the things we know we packed and have yet to locate from our move. We were so anxious to get out of the house at Santa Clara that the packing was somewhat less than methodical!

Living room of Condo

View of Condo Pool Area (See the ocean at the top between the roofs of the houses)

Walkway to the Pool (Neat as a pin)

Me relaxing on the balcony

Text By Chris, Photos by Bob

Panama, Protests and Politics

On August 2 Bob and I participated in a demonstration at the dump, which is located on the road to Playa Blanca. Since March,2009 residents of Playa Blanca and surrounding areas have been trying to effect the closing of this dangerous dump. The trash, being brought here, is not being buried but piled high and then burned, plastics, chemicals and all. The toxic smoke has been blowing over the resort areas and also the town of Rio Hato for years. There are actually people who live at the dump and eke out a tiny subsistence from what they find in the trash. The vultures and feral dogs do too. There hasn't been any burning but there is no guarantee that this is a lasting change.
There have been several protests and meetings with officials, who make promises but don't follow through. On several occasions, out and out lies were told about the status of the planned sanitary landfill, which is supposed to replace the current dump. The local resorts have even donated a reported $50,000 to get the job done!

Bob at centre holding a sign

One of the people, who has been involved from the beginning, Mitchell Kenoian, summed up yesterdays efforts in an email he wrote:

On Tuesday 8 AM a group of residents, about 20, demonstrated with signs at the dump and Channel 2 was there to cover the event. After the TV crew and some folks went into the dump to document the amount of trash there, we went to Anton where there was a town council meeting scheduled at 10AM. We had heard that the Governor of Cocle Province was going to be there to address the dump issue. We were fortunate before the meeting we met and were able to speak to the Governor and told him what our history with the mayor and the government was. His English is perfect. He agreed that the situation was not handled well by the local authorities and he would take care of it. We all went up to the council meeting and the man kept his word. After hearing a number of council people speak and defend their actions the Governor and his advisor on the issue, Enrique Ho, spoke. Again, after a lot of conversation and posturing by politicians, he closed the meeting by making the announcement that the council had the next 2 weeks to get the Rio Hato dump cleaned up and to simultaneously work on opening the new landfill in Anton. From what I heard it may take a couple of months but the new landfill will be open and there will be no more dumping in Rio Hato. He charged that if the local government did not do this he would send in his equipment to get the job done. The Governor said they should bury all trash until the dump was permanently closed.
Also, the councilman from Farallon spoke at great length and passion and said they should all be embarrassed that it took foreigners to get this problem brought to their attention.
All in all I think we have found an ally to force the mayor to act. I might add, that at the council meeting, the mayor was visibly angry and did not say one word.
Mitchell Kenoian

Mayor at left with Enrique Ho and the governor of Cocle province.

I think Mitchell summed it up very well. We'll see what happens next . One of the other members of the group, Alcides,made the contacts to get the media involved (two tv stations and both Panama daily newspapers) and now has made contact with a woman who has a show on environmental issues. She is very willing to help the cause too. We seem to be making progress so we'll keep up the pressure. The health of all the local residents is at stake and this is a cause with significant consequences. Both Bob and I are seen in the pictures taken yesterday.

Lyn Melso and I in Front of the Dump

Dogs and Vultures at the Dump