Phones, Internet, and Communication from Panama

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

One of our requirements is internet. This is how we keep in touch with everybody. Communication was never as important as yesterday when my grandson was born!

This makes me think about people in the past who set out for unknown new worlds, leaving behind people they would probably never see again. I don’t know if I could have done that. How would it feel to watch your children leave, and not know if they even survived?

But now, things are different. Panama has internet. It even has free internet in many public places. It isn’t always reliable or fast, but if you have to get in touch with the world you can go to the city park, the airport, or the hospital parking lot, hookup to http://internetparatodos.gob.pa/ and get connected.

We have internet at the house through Cable Onda. In the seven months I have been here it has not gone down once. We have a mid range plan (Internet and TV) for about $52/month.

I have a cheap Panamanian cell phone for calls in Panama. For the US I have a Skype plan for about $6/month. I have unlimited calls to anyone in the US, and I have a US phone number so I can also receive calls. If I’m not at my desk it will let you leave a voice message, and an email will alert me to go pick it up. I can also video chat with other Skype users which is wonderful. It’s about as close as you can get to being there.

There are other options like Magic Jack that people have used successfully, and I’ve also used Google chat with video which works fine. Many many people here also have smart phones so you can have all this in your pocket.

For me though, this works. It has been an adjustment to not have a smart phone with me at all times. When I was working I needed it and used it constantly. Now it’s different, and giving up my smart phone was almost symbolic of my changed life. I’m not attached 24/7 to my phone, or my work, or my old life anymore.

I will not give up communication though! Yesterday I was able to talk and text message with my daughter throughout the day, talk with my other daughter when there was news, talk with the other grandmother when we needed to support and congratulate each other, and hear the most wonderful news from my son in law when he told me that the baby was here and all was well with both him and my daughter. Today I was able to video chat with my daughter and see both her and the baby (they both look wonderful!) To me, this is more important than anything, to be able to keep in touch with my family. We are so lucky to be living in this age where this is possible, and I’m glad to be in Panama where the technology is available.

Another thing we can do is share pictures, so I had to share just one more. Thank you all for the congratulations, good wishes, and happy messages. The arrival of this new little person in our family is a wonderful event indeed!

Posted in expat, expatriate, Panama | Tagged Cell Phones, Central America, Chiriqui, communication, computers, David, expat, expatriate, grandchildren, International Living, internet, Panama, Science and Technology, Skype | 25 Comments

A grandson!

Posted on May 5, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

On a personal note, if you will excuse a very excited new grandma….

My daughter’s son, my first grandchild, born this afternoon. Mom and dad and baby are all doing fine! We’ve known for months of course, but it’s still almost unreal. Wow

Posted in Panama | Tagged grandchildren | 40 Comments

Weekly Photo Challenge: From Above

Posted on May 5, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

Weekly Photo Challenge: From Above

From Above. Change your perspective on something. Share a photo of a subject which you shot from directly above.

A new banana leaf unfurls

I wish you could smell this plumeria!

Anise flavored basil

What you can’t see in the previous picture is that for some reason, little black bees have taken a real interest in my anise flavored basil. It isn’t flowering so I’m not sure why.

A purple basil

A beautiful black butterfly visited our yard today

The limon tree has been flowering, and today I noticed these tiny baby fruits.

I don’t think I’ve seen one of these beautiful orange butterflies in our yard before.

When I downloaded this photo, I realized that there was a black bee on the other flower.

Posted in expat, expatriate, Panama, photography | Tagged Central America, Chiriqui, Chiriqui Province, David, expat, expatriate, International Living, Latin America, nature, Panama, Photograph, photography, postaday | 11 Comments

Vivero en Dolega!

Posted on May 4, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

I had heard about this plant nursery in Dolega, another town up the road towards Boquete. So, yesterday, we set out to find it (which is course, for us, always involves getting lost and going places we didn’t expect to see!) But, we were persistent and eventually successful, and it was very worth the trip. This place was huge, with areas of plants behind other areas, and still more and more areas! One could come home with a truck load of plants from here!

But, I was good and only bought a few things. We are renting, and how much money do we want to put into someone else’s property?

I also bought a gift for my friend and neighbor, who is good friends with the owner of this house. She is going to ask them if they would ever consider selling it 😀 It’s just a question, but you never know what might come out of a simple question 😉

Meanwhile I have a few plants to put in, – a colorful heliconia, a gorgeous big pink hibiscus, some crazy lacy vine type of plant with pretty little deep pink flowers, some pretty yellow flowers, and a bit of mani (perennial peanut). Yesterday I also planted some guandu seeds, a gift from my friend’s husband.

There was this cute little bat on a support post.

Plants in 10 inch pots were $5, larger pots $12. My mani in little dixie cups were $.25 each, and the yellow flowers in small pots were $1 each. I know how much work goes into propagating and tending all those plants, so I thought these prices were good. All the plants look very healthy and should do well.

If you want to visit, I made the MAP so maybe you won’t have to tour more of the town than you wish to! The nursery is in a residential neighborhood and looks like it is also their home. It is very close to a school, and there is a sign out front which will help you spot it.

Posted in expat, expatriate, Flowers, gardening, Panama | Tagged Bocas Town Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui, Chiriqui Province, David, Dolega, expat, expatriate, Flower, Garden, Home Gardening, Horticulture, International Living, Latin America, Panama, Plant, Plant nursery | 4 Comments

Gringos at Gringos

Posted on May 4, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

Thursday we went to a gringos meeting at the new Gringos Restaurant, and had a lot of fun. We heard about the meeting from the yahoo group, Gringos in David Panama. We went to the Gringos Restaurant when we were in Bocas del Toro and had a very good dinner, so we figured (rightly) that the food would also be very good here since it’s the same owner. If you want to take a drive maybe 20-25 minutes west of David, I would recommend this place.

The meeting was very well attended. We had been to another not long after we arrived, but this one had twice as many people. We also heard comments from others about the big turnout. We had the good luck to sit at a table of fun people, a fellow blogger friend, a guy we had met in the tennis group and his wife (who we learned live quite near us), and a couple other new and interesting people. We didn’t talk with anyone else since everyone pretty much stayed at their own tables but that’s OK. I didn’t need to talk with some “negative nellies” I’d met at the earlier get together.

Look for this sign on the highway.

Lots of gringos!

We were all in this very nice outside area.

You can also see this large water wheel from the road.

The grounds behind the restaurant are beautiful. Notice all the plants growing on the roof of the gazebo.

As I left I took this photo and noticed it also says hotel. When we go back I’ll have to ask them about this.

The food is Mexican style, made with as many local, fresh, organic ingredients as possible. The menu was in English but the staff spoke only Spanish. The owner, Edward Satterblom, is American though, married to a Panamanian lady. We had guacamole and chips first, then I had enchiladas, Joel had a tostada, beer for us both, and I had a yummy mango and ice cream dessert. Our total was about $32. If I remember correctly meals are around $8-10 a plate.

Apologies for the photos. My Nikon is so big I didn’t want to take it, our beloved little Panasonic quit working, so I got my old Canon Powershot out of retirement. The Canon may not be much by today’s standards, but it was with this camera that I first started to love photography. So I have kept it and it’s twin (Joel’s camera) all this time.

Posted in expat, expatriate, food, Panama | Tagged Central America, Chiriqui, Chiriqui Province, David, expat, expatriate, Food, Gringo, International Living, Latin America, Panama, restaurant | 11 Comments

Number 200

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

I written 200 posts already?! Apparently I tend to be a bit talkative 😀 It doesn’t seem like that much, and it also doesn’t seem like I’ve been here almost seven months. Time flies when you are having fun!

I am having fun. The blog has grown and evolved. I’ve met fellow bloggers from everywhere, and I’m honored that so many people visit my blog. I’m also contacted frequently by other people interested in moving to Panama. I remember how excited I was to hear about the experiences of others who came before me, and now I am one of the ones who are here.

Now that it’s just the two of us (since my husband’s mother moved back to the US), we plan to explore more places and do more things. I will have new experiences to photograph and write about. I also want to work on the website, fill in the parts that have nothing and upgrade the pages that are there. If I get really ambitious I can start learning about search engine optimization and other techy things. I think as more baby boomers reach retirement age, there will be more and more people looking for options and information.

There are also huge things going on in my family. My younger daughter has earned a PhD in physics, so we will be celebrating her graduation in a couple weeks in Texas. Then she and her husband are moving to Seattle, her to work for Microsoft and he to work for Redfin, the exciting on line (and on the ground) real estate business. In the same week (do you believe this?) in California, my older daughter is having her first child, my first grandchild. I’m thankful that her husband’s mother will be with her for that time while I will be glued to my computer here and on my way to Texas. We will be there with her after the graduation.

I have some other goals and ideas, nothing really new – study more Spanish, garden projects, learn some more technical aspects of photography, try and learn that relaxing is not wasting time. The last one may never happen but I do have a hammock and enjoy sitting in it now and then.

Overall, when I think of the time that has passed since my first blog post, life is good. The move is a definite success. We are really happy here. The time I have spent blogging has also been well worth it. It has allowed me to connect with so many people I wouldn’t have met otherwise. Through their eyes I’ve seen new parts of the world and learned new things, and I’ve also been able to share my experiences with others. The internet, and life in general is interesting. You just never know where it will take you!

Posted in expat, expatriate, Panama | Tagged Baby boomer, Central America, Chiriqui, Chiriqui Province, David, expat, expatriate, International Living, Latin America, Panama, Travel and Tourism | 7 Comments

Our Cost of Living in Panama – April

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

It is the last day of April, and I am totaling up our expenses. I didn’t post anything for March since both of us were traveling out of the country for part of the month but for April, except for a few days in Bocas del Toro, this should be a pretty accurate accounting of what it has cost us to live.

Basics:
House rent $385
Cable/internet $55.02
Electricity $47.27 (no air conditioning)
Food $261.37
Other $360.40 – ($65 for a car battery, about $105 at Do-It center for more shelves, tools, and misc stuff for the house. about $130 at PriceMart for liquor and other household supplies, $32 for more phone minutes, $15 for a lunch out, $9 at the pharmacy. )
Total $1109.06

I also went to the dentist – $250 for my new crown.
Which brings the total to $1359.06

If you add our expenses for the Bocas trip of $439.07 (For details about those expenses see this post HERE.)

The Grand Total $1798.13

For more information about where and how we live, see my first cost of living report HERE.

We will be traveling to the US again in May so I won’t post an expense report, but there should be one coming again in June.

Posted in cost of living, dental care, expat, expatriate, food, Panama | Tagged Central America, Chiriqui, Chiriqui Province, cost of living, David, expat, expatriate, International Living, Latin America, Panama, retirement | 14 Comments

Monthly Peace Challenge – Children

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

this month’s peace challenge will focus on children

This is an interesting subject for me at the moment since my daughter is expecting her first child, my first grandchild, in less than 3 weeks. He is breech and today is the day her doctor is going to try and turn him, so everyone cross your fingers that it is a success!

But peace, and children? How do we teach our children about peace?
How do we teach children about anything?
I think children learn a lot by example.

If parents relate to others in a peaceful and tolerant manner, children will think this is normal behavior and try to behave in the same way.
If parents relate to their children in a peaceful manner, children will see how conflicts are resolved and how differences are handled.
If parents practice tolerance and understanding of other races, other nationalities, and other lifestyles I think children are less likely to have an US vs THEM mentality which makes peaceful relationships difficult. If you can make opportunities for children to interact with different kinds of people, travel and experience other countries and cultures, that’s even better.
I also think that it’s good to limit children’s exposure to violence on TV, in movies, in toys, and other exposures to the violence that is so prevalent in our society. What you see and experience becomes normal, becomes a part of you. I never saw cartoons as a kid and was horrified by them as an adult. Instead, I watched a lot of Mr Rogers and Sesame Street with my kids.
I think it is also important to be a positive person in your world. Form ties with others in your family and community. Give time, attention, and help where it is needed. Put relationships above money and power. Try to put good energy out into your world.

Both of my daughters are loving, gentle, caring, and kind women. Maybe I taught them something? I don’t know. I do know they are intelligent women who have made their own decisions, and I am proud of who they have become. Their children will be fortunate to grow up in peaceful, loving homes and that is where it starts for all of us. It is easier to learn to be peaceful when you start with a loving, peaceful foundation.

I found a few articles that I thought were helpful. An internet search is likely to turn up even more information by people with more knowledge and expertise than me.
Focus on the Family
Learning Peace
Yes Magazine
ABC Teach (teaching materials)

Posted in Bloggers for Peace, Panama | Tagged B4Peace, Peace | 5 Comments

The River, revisited

Posted on April 28, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

We hadn’t been down to the river for a while, so it was time for a visit (with camera in hand, of course)

We walk across the street and head into the woods, past the huge banana trees.

It hasn’t rained that much yet, but already the woods are looking greener. Grass is sprouting, heliconias and growing new leaves, and bits of green are popping up everywhere.

A beautiful spider is lying in wait at the base of one of the trees.

A plant up in a tree has a most interesting flower.

The water is very clear and calm today.

The beauty and tranquility of the river always makes me happy to be here.

Here at the river too, things are looking much more green than they were just a short while ago.

A man is making his way up the river with a very long bamboo fishing pole.

We saw some birds, and many tadpoles in the shallow water along the bank.

Other than the fisherman, we were the only people here on this quiet afternoon.

We have been told that there are spots even more beautiful than this, but I’ll always love this place!

Posted in expat, expatriate, Panama, photography, travel | Tagged Central America, Chiriqui, Chiriqui Province, David, expat, expatriate, forest, International Living, Latin America, nature, Panama, Photograph, photography, river, travel, Travel and Tourism, water | 8 Comments

Weekly Photo Challenge: Culture

Posted on April 28, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

Weekly Photo Challenge: Culture

I am living in a different country and a different culture so there are many things I could cover here. One thing that has stood out to us is how kindly and gently the children are treated in Panamanian families. Fathers are very involved with caring for the children, and it seems typical that if the family is out, it is the father who will be carrying the child.

We went to the feria last month (which is a colorful part of the local culture itself) and my husband took a number of photos of fathers and children. He has kindly given me permission to use them in this post. We were there at night in the midst of a big crowd so the photos may not be remarkable, but the pictures of father after father gently holding their children is very remarkable.

The children here seem very mellow, well behaved, and calm. I wonder if some of that has to do with the gentle, loving hands of their mothers, fathers, and extended family who are all very involved in their care and upbringing.