I know, I have posted photos of the river before, but maybe not in this spot, at this time of year, on this cloudy day. It’s such a beautiful river and I never get tired of taking photos there!
Joel took a camera too, so to see his photos check out his post HERE
I got a very lucky shot with my camera yesterday!
This is a crested oropendola. At first glance it looks like a crow until you see the bright yellow tail feathers and the white beak. I’ve seen them in the area but haven’t been able to get a decent photo until this one landed in the tree outside my window. I also got lucky when I was looking for something else, and happened across information that told me what kind of bird I’d seen.
I don’t know if it’s called a pendulum bird because of the interesting nests that look like pouches hanging from trees, or because of the interesting displays.
THIS ARTICLE has more information and pictures of the interesting nests.
This is a short 22 second video, and what I usually hear when one is nearby. \
This is a 28 second video of one doing their display.
Another short video. He tried his best but she didn’t seem impressed.
This video is longer (2:39) but interesting because you can see the whole colony with their nests, and listen to all their sounds.
There always seems to be something interesting in Panama!
And, some ordinary things from outside my window yesterday, a beautiful blue bird, an big iguana… ordinary! Only in Panama
As always, I continue to be amazed by things I see every day, and I continue to keep a camera close.
I was out on my bike and rode into some sort of commotion. Apparently there was a family of hawks, at least four, maybe more. They were flying between utility wires, poles, and nearby trees, all the while calling in voices that sounded more like screams.
I came home from my bike ride just before sunset. For the last couple nights we have been hearing very strange sounds from the woods, like whistles. It starts just before sunset and continues for a short while until it’s dark. My neighbors explained that it’s cicadas, and you only hear them for a short time at this time of year.
I took this video at the end of my street. It’s mainly for the sound, but I also panned back and forth in the woods, zoomed down to the pink bananas, and then back towards our house.
And, as I’m writing here, the desk lizard is still on the job.
Yesterday the power went out. I was happy for neighbors with smart phones who were able to get the news. It turns out that most of Panama was without power for a while because of an incident with a main transmission line. Electricity is reliable here so this is unusual.
The water was out too. This is not unusual. There are many days that the water slows to a trickle by afternoon and doesn’t come back on until evening. The neighbors say this is more common in the dry season, and has become more of a problem as more houses are built in our part of town. We have learned to keep spare water on hand and we can manage easily for quite a while.
So, when it’s hot and all the utilities are out, what do you do? Go shopping with your neighbor! We had a good time running around after a few odds and ends. The stores had generators so business was fairly normal. On our way home she got a call that power wasn’t expected back on until 9PM, but when we arrived in our neighborhood we saw lights on.
The power was back on in the late afternoon, but it was a while before the cable and internet service resumed. Finally, about 10PM the water came back too, and all was back to normal.
I certainly can’t complain. I have blog friends in more rural areas and other nearby countries who have a lot more trouble with utilities, with frequent power outages and water problems, and very unreliable internet. I also remind myself of the many people in the world who never have power, and who have to haul all their water from an outside water source. So, stepping away from the desk and spending a lot of the day with friends and neighbors was a good thing. I’ll have to do that more even when there isn’t a power outage.
According to the news, the Panama Canal was not affected by the power outage.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Forward
We found this beautiful variegated dieffenbachia in the woods and brought it home. We planted it under the guanábana tree where it has thrived.
A month or more ago, my husband found another and brought it home. Now it is the dry season and windy. The second plant looked a bit beat up but still had some good leaves. We planted it near the first one, watered it regularly, and waited for it to recover.
As you can see, it did not go well. All the leaves turned brown and died, including the newest leaf which was just emerging. We kept watering it but thought it was probably a lost cause.
Until recently, when we spotted this new leaf emerging!
There is hope! This one says it is going FORWARD in spite of the rough journey it’s had, and we can look FORWARD to new leaves, new growth, and new beauty in our yard.
The little black bee is a surprise bonus.
We were told of the possible difficulties in adjusting to a different country and culture. We have encountered unhappy expats. I have been curious about other people’s experiences, finding neither adjustment problems or causes of unhappiness myself.
My husband shared an interesting blog post HERE and I had one of those ah ha moments. This writer has traveled a lot and lived in other countries, and was surprised to find herself suffering from culture shock. Many of the symptoms reminded me of unhappy expats we’ve met so I decided to do some research on the subject.
What is culture shock? It is the discomfort of finding yourself in a different environment where you can no longer rely on the usual social cues, language, customs, and ways of doing things.
What are the symptoms?
What do you do about culture shock?
What are the stages of culture shock?
Whew! I feel like I’ve been writing a term paper. This is the condensed version of a number of articles I found on the subject.
There are expats who have been here for many years but they still unhappy, unable to speak the language, and spend the majority of their time with other expats. We went to an expat gathering when we first arrived and another expat warned me about the Panamanian people who can’t be trusted, and about boredom that will lead to excessive drinking, and about lack of safety of people and property in this country. I have seen a surprisingly large amount of bickering and complaining on internet forums. I’ve encountered expats in stores who either refuse to acknowledge a greeting, or see it as an invitation to complain about something. I know culture shock can’t account for all of these unhappy people, but maybe it is a factor?
For me personally, my biggest experience with culture shock was moving from New York City to Fayetteville, Arkansas. I was used to the 24/7 activity, noise, lights, multicultural population, and availability of everything you can imagine. I went to Arkansas and couldn’t sleep. It was dark and quiet at night – very creepy. People talked differently and couldn’t understand me either. Everyone was white. There was no Jewish deli or bagels. The Klu Klux Klan was not just something in a history book. We were asked – what are you yankees doing down here? I felt like I had been dropped into another world. I think the worst part of it was the surprise. I had given no thought to this part of the country being so different. Yes, in time, I adjusted. I was a new nurse and had my first job. I was pregnant and had my first child. There were happy times but those first few months were a bit rough.
Here, it has actually gone much better. We visited, we read, we talked to people, we did all the research we could. I had already learned some Spanish, and then I seriously studied Spanish with an on line teacher for months. My teacher is a native so she is also able to teach me a lot about the culture and people. My husband also studied every night with his books. This transition has been far easier than others I’ve had made within the US, and I think the preparation is a big part of it, and looking forward to the differences.
The blog post my husband shared with me had some good advice. “Whenever you’re frustrated about something, rather than judge people, think about and ask yourself why they might do things that way” We couldn’t figure out why people drive towards the center of the road, which looks very disconcerting when they are coming towards you. Then we realized that there are so many pedestrians and bicycles on the road, and the vehicles are only trying to share the road safely. It’s better to stay toward the center and move over when you need to.
So, these are my thoughts on this subject for the moment. Some of the Zemanta links highlight another related idea. Returning to your home country can bring a whole new set of similar challenges as you readjust to the culture there! I’m traveling to the US soon and it will be very interesting to see how that feels after all these months here.
These are some articles I read for information – Worldwide Classroom, San Diego State University, Government of Canada, University of Toronto, Wikipedia
It was a beautiful evening, so I thought I’d share a few photos.
Many people are looking for information on this subject, especially people who are considering a move to this area. Money was a big factor in our move and of course it is a concern for many others as well, especially with all the economic problems in the US.
We are in the city of David, Chiriqui Province, Republic of Panama. This is only our experience, our information. Other people do things differently, live in other areas, and make other choices so their costs will be different. Keep in mind that many professional Panamanians in our area (eg; teachers, nurses) make $500-600 a month, and many others live on much less than this. If you live like a Panamanian you can have a good life here on less money than in the US.
This is our house. I’m guessing it’s about 1000 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, living room, dining room, kitchen, the carport you see here, a laundry room behind it, and a good size patio behind that.
Our House
Looking up our street.
This is our street, a nice quiet middle/upper class neighborhood with mostly professionals – teachers, lawyers, business people, tradesmen, etc. It is on the nicer side of town, 5 minutes from the Pan American Highway and an excellent shopping area. This neighborhood is considered desirable and very expensive by many of the locals.
Our rent is $385/month which includes water and trash pickup. The house was rented unfurnished (which means no appliances).
Electricity last month was $49.45 for 421 kWh which I think is about what we can expect monthly. We do not have air conditioning.
Cable – TV and mid range internet (about 5MB, not the fastest, but not the slowest, and it has worked out just fine) $53.52 / month
Gas for the kitchen – we buy it by the tank. It’s about $65 to buy a tank (you will probably want to have two) and $5.12 to refill it. A tank lasts us about a month. We cook almost everything from scratch and don’t eat out, and have an on demand water heater so we use a fair amount of gas.
Food – last month we spent $339.31 for two adults. This month we have spent $319 and there is a week to go in the month. But, this includes $30 of fish and about $30 of chicken, much of which is still in the freezer, and maybe $50 in bulk items from PriceMart. So far this month (about 3 weeks) we have spent $68.35 at the produce markets. This includes ALL our fruits and vegetables, and also some eggs, and corn for tortillas (I have only used a can opener once in the 4 months I have lived here). We have fresh fruit at every meal, and fresh veggies every day.
Food is a big variable. You can get almost everything you are used to in the US, but you will pay US prices and maybe more. You can get produce in the supermarket but you will pay a lot more, and it won’t be the wonderful quality of the markets. If you eat out, prices also vary widely. A Panamanian lunch at the corner hang out is maybe $3 – $4.50. If you go to a restaurant, it could be $6, or $10, or $20+ depending on where you go. Fast food is available but you will pay US prices and more. If you eat like a Panamanian you can keep your costs down a lot, and eat better and healthier food.
Cars – used cars are surprisingly expensive here. Major brands of new cars are readily available. We paid $5300 for a Hyundai Atos from another expat who was returning to the US. When I first got here I paid $4000 for a 97 Mazda 323. My friend’s mechanic sold me his wife’s car because he said he couldn’t find any other decent cars in my price range ($3-5K). Other people here have told me similar stories about expensive used cars. But, the insurance on the Mazda is about $95/year, and on the Atos (full coverage) about $550 for the year. Since I’ve been here, gas has ranged from $3.85 – $4.10 a gallon for 91 (which is the lower octane rating here).
If you want to save money, use public transportation. There is an excellent bus system that goes everywhere. A ride is maybe $.25 – $1.00 depending on where you go. Even an all day ride to Panama City is $18. Taxi’s are everywhere and inexpensive, maybe $1 – $3 in town. They charge more for more passengers, or extra packages and baggage, as well as for distance. Bicycles and walking are other very common forms of getting around. we have found biking easier here because drivers are used to sharing the roads with bikes and pedestrians, so they are very considerate.
Alcohol – Local beer is $.48/can (and really good!), less by the case at Pricemart – $.40/can. Rum (2 liters – decent local brand) $10.89 at Pricemart, maybe a couple dollars more in the supermarket. Seco (2 liters – local rum type product) $8.69 at Pricemart, again a bit more at the supermarket. You can get decent box wine, $2/box/liter, and good bottled wine for less than $5/bottle. There is a decent wine selection in the supermarket, and a very nice wine store in the nearby shopping center with a good selection and personal service to help you choose.
Entertainment – we spent $7 for two at the movie theater, evening showing. Another day it was only $5 for both of us. We didn’t buy snacks though, so not sure what they cost.
We found a tennis group, $25 each to join, $5 monthly dues. Tennis balls however are $8/can. If I understand correctly, golf is also available at the same location for $30/month.
We bought bicycles, $265 each for good bikes, 21 gears, shocks in the front. (I don’t know how this compares to the US).
Health Care – a visit to the doctor will cost $20 – $40 basic charge. A visit is as much time as you need. A visit to the dentist is maybe $30 for a cleaning or filling, more for other procedures. I am getting a crown for $250. I have found health care here much more affordable and the quality excellent. I was a nurse in the US, and I am very happy and thankful to be here. There are various options for health insurance but this is not a subject I’m qualified to talk about. We have decided to pay as we go.
>Also, keep in mind that that jubilado or pensionado discounts lower costs of many things even further, for those who qualify. More info HERE
Moving expenses – this is a one time expense, but people are understandably curious so I will give you my $.02 worth. This expense can also vary greatly. If you want to save money, move as little as possible. Come down here with whatever you can bring in suitcases. It’s cheaper to buy what you need here than move it. Do not bring a car. From what I understand it’s complicated and expensive, and older cars cost more than newer cars to import. If you want to move stuff that involves shipping, expect to pay thousands. If you want to move the entire household of stuff, you can rent a container so with enough money it is possible.
Getting settled – another one time expense. For us, I saw this unfurnished house that I really wanted, so I had to do some major shopping for appliances, beds, dishes, everything! But, this is not as difficult as it sounds. There is a large variety of options. You can get a little $100 stove, or a $900 stove with all the bells and whistles. I think decent mid range appliances are comparable to what they cost in the US, and you will see many familiar brands. I lived in Florida before, land of wealthy people where you can furnish your house with great second hand stuff. Here in Panama though, there is little used furniture and it’s expensive. New furniture is available all over town but it costs probably as much as new furniture in the US, though that is hard for me to say since I never bought new furniture. Or, it’s also possible to rent a furnished place. Some have everything down to the spoons and towels.
Whew! I think I have covered all the basics. Thanks for hanging in there to the end. If you see incorrect information, have suggestions, questions, or anything else please leave me a comment!
I didn’t know what I was going to do for this one until we were eating breakfast outdoors, watching the hummingbirds, and this pair gave us the perfect photo op. Usually the hummingbirds are busy chattering at each other and chasing each other away from the feeder. It was unusual to see a pair like this. They spent quite a bit of time on the fence together, and then they flew around the feeder together in a show of happiness. Finally they settled down to get a bit to eat. Thank you hummingbirds for giving me just what I needed for this week’s photo challenge, and than you Joel for taking the great photos of the pair on the fence.
Our office area looks out to the side yard, so we’ve been putting the fruit scraps out there. Today we moved things around so I’m sitting next to the window. What fun! This is what I saw just today. The papaya peels seem to be the most popular with everyone.
The Panama Adventure 