Que Xopaa

"....tu quieres plata prenda y cosas hermosas."

So, as noticed by my long absence from this blog, I have been off in Panama, being busy.

Few pieces of good news -- I was offered a position with the PR company that I have been interning with over the past few months. I have just started my visa paperwork, which has been an absolute nightmare to get together (my advice on moving abroad: don't do it unless it's REALLY worth it). In my case, as they say, vale la pena.

Also, I am driving! The parental units finally decided to ease their worries and allow me to drive on my own, though I had to wait until the car title was switched over and etc, etc. Surprisingly, the world has not exploded because I am driving, much to the shock of all here. Yes, Panamanians don't drive well, in general, and don't know how to use turn signals. But neither do people in LA, so I'm used to it. And there is traffic here at almost all hours of the day...also like LA....hmmm...

Living in El Cangrejo has had its ups and downs, but, overall, I'm pretty happy here. I go out sporadically with my friends here and try to enjoy life. I've met so many wonderful people that have been nothing but completely welcoming with me. I know that I've never had problems making friends in the past, but I am still surprised that I was able to get to know so many people here in a short amount of time.

My Spanish is getting better and better everyday. I can easily make hair appointments, run errands, and converse more or less well about my life. Oh, and of course, I have to use it at work and at home most of the time. This, most of all, has been the biggest surprise to me. I guess it was inevitable that I would pick up the language quicker while living here, but it still amazes me how much and how quickly we, as humans, can learn.

Weather has been extremely hot (sorry, Northeast US). It's nice not to have to tailor my outfits for the cold. I've stayed in the city most of the time, though I was able to go out to the beach a few weeks ago.

I'll hope to keep this updated more frequently in the upcoming months. The truth is that I have been REALLY, really busy at work, which has been great (if you know me, you know I'm happiest when I'm working) -- but this also means that I haven't given much thought to keeping up on posts and all of my posts lately would have been "Worked a long day today. Am exhausted. Goodnight." Really. But I'll try to be a bit more consistent.

Here's a pic of me and my friend Nadya at Manrey last night, to send off this post --


Oh and some Panama culture --

Cumpleaños!

It's been a while since I updated here and much has happened since early January.

To start, Jorge and I celebrated our birthdays together on February 1st at the house in El Cangrejo. We invited all of our friends for a Taco Tuesday night, with plenty of margaritas. Jorge's mom is amazing and, being the planner that she is, she put together the entire night, even hiring catering service and a few servers to give out drinks throughout the night.





We were showered with gifts of alcohol and have enough spirits to have yet another party. Thanks, friends.

Jorge's been traveling as usual, and I have been working away at my internship, which has been great and very productive. I'm boosting up my resume as the weeks progress and comprehending the language more and more each passing day. I sometimes surprise myself when I actually have conversations. Flora had a manicurist come to the house last week and it was the same girl that did my manicure a year and a half ago for Jorge's cousin's wedding. The manicurist remembered me and told me I had changed so much since she met me. When I met her, I could barely understand any Spanish and could not have a conversation. On Thursday, I was able to share my life story with her and find out more about her. The quick comprehension of the language has made my adjustment that much easier.

Last night, I went out to celebrate my friend Juliette's birthday at her house. It was a great night, but, unfortunately, I had to cut it short because I had to be up at 6 am this morning to run a 5K with my friend Gaby at the Cinta Costera. Waking up was nothing short of misery and I was a hot mess with a hangover, but I loaded myself up with water and popped two Advil, and before I knew it, I was running. Personally, with the headache and bloated feeling, I didn't feel prepared to run, but I sucked it up and, though I wanted to die in the first 15 minutes, the second half of the run was much better as I pushed through the cramps and general feeling of discomfort. But that's running -- sometimes you'll have good days, sometimes you'll have bad days, but none of that matters as long as you keep on running, which I did.

Valentine's Day is this week and Jorge and I are going to Pangea in El Cangrejo because they're having a killer special: every table gets a free bottle of wine tomorrow with dinner. I can't wait to celebrate the day with my love.

Moving to Panama -- great decision or GREATEST decision?

I'll let you decide...

Frustrations

When I made the decision to move here, I knew that I would be facing a few (or many) frustrations along the way. Most of these mostly-expected frustrations have happened or are happening right now and they're really nothing out of the ordinary -- things that I prepped myself for, so they weren't really a surprise. Because I promised full (or as close to full as I can get) disclosure on this blog, I'll briefly document some of the current setbacks.

1) Work visa issues. I currently have an internship that is working out perfectly for me. I really love the agency, I love the work, and I love the co-workers. Alas, because it is a Panama-based company, it is restricted in how many foreigners it can hire (the law states no more than 10% of the total workforce can be foreigners). Unfortunately, I have found that many companies based here have filled this quota, so I haven't had much luck finding a paying job. Jorge and I are examining different options right now on how to make our lives easier and it helps to have attorneys in the family. But until we figure this out, I am slightly stuck in what I can do.

2) Car. There basically is no public transportation system -- at least one that I could take safely and reliably. Everyone here drives. That's just a way of life. I knew this when I moved to Panamá. I did not make any plans for buying a car here or selling my car in the States so that I could use that money towards a car here, because I was told that we would have full access to an auto here, with the family. This has been partly true. Jorge has had full access, but, unfortunately, because I do not (yet) have health insurance here, nor am I listed on the car insurance, I am unable to drive by myself. It's been a little restrictive, to say the least. We were under the impression that I would be able to drive here without a problem because another American lived here a few summers ago and was able to drive without a problem -- or so we thought. Turns out, he had his own health insurance (which is a good thing to have in case you get into a serious accident) and while he was not listed on the car insurance, at that time, the law did not state that all cars had to have insurance. The law is different now and I could get into serious trouble if I drive a car without having insurance for it (in my name). This is simply another frustration with the system. For a while, I was frustrated with the people around me, but things weren't explained to me clearly (that's another issue here -- unless you ask about something very specifically, you won't get a clear answer). I know better now, and while I am still frustrated, it's more to do with the system. This has been mostly annoying when Jorge has left town for business trips, and I have to have a driver in the morning. But this is something that should get figured out in the next month.

3) Cell phone. This is one that was recently resolved, but I thought it was worth mentioning. I wanted to get a BlackBerry because it is simply the only reliable way of communicating with others here in Panamá. Jorge ended up getting one on Saturday and then had many problems with syncing it up with his work account. He didn't specifically ask for a enterprise phone at Claro, though he did mention that he would use it for work. Because he didn't specifically ask for that, he was unable to connect with his email and ended up having to return on Monday to switch the plan. Afterward, we tried to get my phone set up but they told us that we would have to wait a few days because the system was not allowing the activation of two phones to one account on the same day -- something about having to check Jorge's credit (though, of course, they did not tell us this right away...Panamanians love to omit information, though one could argue, of course, that we never asked specifically about it). Long story short, we ended up having to return day after day (or, Jorge had to return day after day), from Monday to Friday, until, finally, my phone was activated on Friday.

4) Our stuff. Not much to say here, except that our things have arrived into the country, but are currently stuck at customs until January 31. I was told that I would have my stuff on January 20th. I understand the need to clear customs, and I am merely frustrated that I was told January 20th would be the arrival date, only to have it turn into January 31st. Because I wasn't expecting to be in a work environment so soon, most of my work clothes are in the moving container. I have some work clothes here, but they don't fit me as well as my regular work clothes.

5) Gym. Currently, I do not have a gym membership. To my surprise, gym memberships are incredibly expensive here, with prices that rival those for exclusive clubs in NYC. I'm sorry, but I am not going to pay more than $60 a month to go use a treadmill daily. I thought that I would be able to go use the gym at the Club but that hasn't really worked out for various reasons. I wouldn't mind going to the Causeway to go run daily, but I would like to go directly after work, and I do not have a car of my own to use (see #3). I haven't been too worried about my weight and I've been able to sneak in exercise here and there at the house and an occasional walk, but it would be nice to have a regular gym routine.

I knew that moving here wouldn't be a cake walk. Moving anywhere is never a cake walk. In the grand scheme of things, the above frustrations are incredibly minor and only require patience on my part. In due time, all of this will be resolved.

It was good that I tried to familiarize myself with the customs of Panamá prior to moving here, by reading up as much as I could (both online and off-line). Through doing so, I learned that it takes 2 or 3 times as long to get anything done. I learned that because salaries are so low here for so many people, expecting quality customer service was something that I had to give up (totally understandable -- if I was making around or less than $5000/year, I also would not be the happiest employee either, I think).

I'm still stumbling with the language, but I am understanding so much more than I thought I would be. Though I am unable to speak fluently at this time, I no longer think it's some impossible task. I am understanding nearly everything, I'm doing well enough at work taking directions in Spanish, and I am eager to learn more. I really love the language and I feel excited about the prospect of being fully fluent in it.

Needless to say, life would be much more difficult here if Jorge wasn't such a saint. He is going out of his way daily to make my adjustment that much easier. We're both going through many of these frustrations together, so it's been good to have a reliable partner by my side. And he's been so persistent with getting my paperwork through, putting me in touch with important contacts, and making my life easier. I appreciate this more than anything and his care shows me, more than ever, that moving here was completely and absolutely the right decision. His family has also been so welcoming and so fantastic. I feel so incredibly lucky to be here, surrounded by loved ones.

Dandome pose, pose, pose

The weather has been HOT -- cannot complain, it is so nice. Jorge returned from his business trip early last weekend, but, alas, he must leave again tomorrow. So sad, but work trips are work trips.

In very exciting news, I got a BlackBerry. Plans (voice + data) are so cheap here that, even without a steady cash flow right now, it's totally affordable (and they give you the device for free). In Panamá, life is just a little easier with BBM...o, por lo menos, así parece...

Earlier this week, Carolina had a small birthday celebration at her house. We almost died from laughter. Too much fun.



Thursday night, we went out to Casco Viejo to listen to some good jazz/Latin fusion, but it was an early night because we both had to work early the next morning. Last night on the other hand, we went out to a friend's house and then Pure...and somehow did not notice that time flew. We didn't get home until 4am, which was also the time that Jorge's dad was leaving to go hunting. Worlds collide at 4am, apparently.



I'm chilling today, though I hope to get to the Causeway for a walk later with Bella. I need to take some pictures of the skyline here in Panama because it is breathtaking -- at least, if you're into cities, like I am. It's so developed, with towering skyscrapers.

Chu-chu-chumico

Panama has a holiday called Martyr's Day to commemorate the 1964 riots over sovereignty of the Panama Canal Zone. (To read more about it, check out this article.) Because of the holiday, we had no work today and a nice, long weekend of relaxation. On Saturday morning, after a lazy start, we set off to Chumico for some time on the beach. Our friend's family owns some beachside property and we were able to spend some time in the sand and sun.

Her family welcomed us with open arms, solidifying my belief that Panama is the friendliest country ever. We enjoyed drinks and a delicious meal on Saturday night. Sunday morning, Jorge had to leave us as he was departing that day on a business trip. I woke up early, and read and lounged by the pool for a few hours before everyone else got up. We hung out for a few hours in the sun before moving to my friend's aunt's house nearby. There, we ate a BBQ feast, went through many glasses of champagne, and each received affordable (read: $20 for 45 minutes) massages that put all of us in a tranquil mood.

We hung out in the hot tub at the end of the night (it was a bit chilly for Panama, so the dip felt nice). I ended up passing out fairly early (alcohol + massage + hot tub + food = sleep), but others stayed up late and played a fun game. I was hoping that I could wake up early this morning and enjoy some more sun, but, alas, there was mostly rain. Weather has been incredibly strange for summer, and I haven't gotten any signs that it's going to be very sunny anytime soon. At least it's better than the cold...

Aunt's house

Beach!


No, I don't know what our friend is doing in the background.

I took about 4-5 showers this weekend, because there's actually running water outside of the city. The water problems continue here, though I found out this weekend that they are only within homes in Panamá. Apartment buildings have their own tanks and, thus, haven't been affected at all.

About an hour ago, a government truck came by with water, right to our door. We were all flabbergasted at the sight of it; nothing like this has EVER happened here in Panamá (a city-wide water problem). Though this problem is temporary (I want to stress that -- this is temporary), it's still a big shock to have government trucks come by with water rations. Incredible.

Still, I'm not too bothered with the water issues. I'm putting it in perspective. I could be crying alone in my car on my scary snow drive to work every morning (which happened to me in Pennsylvania about a week before my move). So, really, life's not too bad.

On a separate note, last week, we had a small party that Jorge's sister organized. It was a great get-together with lots of food and wine (I think that my life, thus far, in Panamá has had a steady theme -- can anyone guess what it is?).

This week -- back to work and possibly, just maybe, jazz festival.

New Year's on White Beach!

I've been trying to put up a post about spending New Year's at the beach for 2 days now. We were in Playa Blanca until Sunday night, when we left around 9pm and didn't get back into the city until 11 because of the traffic. Been so tired the past two nights, that I couldn't muster the strength to upload pictures and write.

Playa Blanca was incredible. I had wanted to go on the beach since I arrived to Panama, but due to weather issues, we weren't able to get out of the city until Friday. On the way to the beach, we saw a ton of muñecos by the roadside, which are these life-sized dolls that people in Latin America make out of sticks and firecrackers. The dolls sometimes represent people that might have goofed somehow in the last year (for example, in the States, we might have a Lindsay Lohan doll). At midnight on New Year's Eve, you light the muñecos in celebration and also to say goodbye to last year's transgressions and gaffes.

Playa Blanca had some darker sand, for some reason. I kept calling it Playa Negra. But I think that was mostly the tide coming in and dirtying it up. We stayed in this amazing resort area with beautiful houses and the biggest pool (or second biggest) in Latin America (you could kayak on it).

Friday, the 31st, we spent most of the day at the beach. Toward the evening, Jorge and I drove about 25 minutes to another nearby beach community to visit his friends who were having a party (with lots of champagne & a DJ). A little later, we returned home to friends and family cooking risotto with seafood. We were incredibly lucky that one of our friends is a chef trained in Barcelona who enjoys cooking amazing food. We were in heaven. The risotto was a bit improvised because it was really difficult to find most of the ingredients the recipe called for, but it was delicious nonetheless. Once we drank and ate, we headed to the beach with our cooler of champagne and a huge bag of grapes -- another Latin American tradition. At midnight, we enjoyed fireworks on the warm beach and we each popped 12 grapes into our mouths, each grape representing a different wish we had for the next year.

Jorge and I passed out early because we're viejos, but it was all for the best, because I was able to wake up early the next day to go for a brief jog along the giant pool. Afterwards we spent most of the day at the beach and then at his college friend's house, which is near to where we were staying. We had BBQ chicken and vodka slushies from their slushie machine.

Muñecos!

This dead fish washed ashore and hit Jorge in the leg.

Nina, the best little chihuahua (didn't bark ever!)

The next day, we spent another long day at the beach, though it rained most of the day. I only got a bit of color over the weekend because I piled up on the SPF. With my internship starting on Monday, I didn't want to be a cooked little chicken.

Speaking of which, my internship is going very well. I really enjoy the work and the agency. It's completely in Spanish, yet somehow, I'm managing and taking project assignments without any problems with understanding. It helps that my supervisor is clear with the directions she gives me. I've been doing 8-6 the last two days, being a little worker bee. Check out the agency here: Stratego. I'm helping to translate this website as one of my projects.

Last night, we had a delicious family dinner out because one of Jorge's sisters (along with her friend) left today. I had a drink with Pisco, a Chilean alcohol, and calamares rellenos with risotto. Just can't escape it.

The rain from last week has caused some problems for the city's water plant and we were without running water for the last few days. It's meant bucket showers (which are actually not terrible and make you realize how much water you waste with a regular shower). I've been a trooper, especially since everyone tells me this will pass and that's it's a ridiculously uncommon occurence here. But I was a bit cranky this morning. Thankfully, it seems that all is better now (or at least, improving) and we have the water back.

I have so many more pictures but I don't want to overload Blogger. I promise to start a Flickr account soon -- as in, tomorrow.