There’s a Bug in the Shower

Posted on January 29, 2016 by Kris Cunningham

I woke up this morning to find a huge bug in the shower. I’ve seen one like it in the outside laundry room just a week or two ago and was quite impressed with it then also.

UPDATE – thanks to one of my readers, it has been identified as a peppered roach, or archimandrita tesselata. They are sometimes kept as pets! 

What is it??!

What is it??!

It looks harmless, just really big. I didn’t see any stingers or fierce teeth or anything scary, but I’m still not touching it. I scooped it up in a jar and took it outside. It tried to open its wings in the jar, and when I put it on the edge of the patio it ran to the center.

It's next to a large, heavy duty garden hose here

It’s next to a large, heavy duty garden hose here

I managed to get a couple photos outside before it decided to run again. The last I saw it was heading for a dark corner of the laundry room at a surprisingly fast pace.

When we lived in Florida there were those palmetto bugs that look like giant cockroaches. I always knew when one was in the shower when I heard from down the hall “Mommmmmmm  help!  a BUG!” I think my daughter would have been even less pleased to find one of these in her shower.

Just when you think you’ve seen all the bugs around here, you find a new one to surprise you! As many bugs as there are here though, I doubt I’ll ever see them all.

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Resolution #2

Posted on January 29, 2016 by Kris Cunningham

Following up on my earlier post about 16 resolutions, or thoughts to live by, inspired by this article at Brainpickings.org, here is the second thought. It is by SØREN KIERKEGAARD, and says RESIST ABSENTMINDED BUSYNESS

He writes : “Of all ridiculous things the most ridiculous seems to me, to be busy — to be a man who is brisk about his food and his work.”

He also says “The unhappy person is one who has his ideal, the content of his life, the fullness of his consciousness, the essence of his being, in some manner outside of himself. The unhappy man is always absent from himself, never present to himself. But one can be absent, obviously, either in the past or in the future. This adequately circumscribes the entire territory of the unhappy consciousness.  The unhappy one is absent… It is only the person who is present to himself that is happy.”

Thus one definitely makes me think! I have bought into our culture of hard work, and if you are constantly busy you are working very hard, and this is very good, right?  But, if you never sit still, are you ever present to yourself? Are you constantly so distracted that you never have to look at yourself, never have to be with yourself, never have to think about who you are and what is within?

I have had a very busy life working and raising a family. I signed up for children very much on purpose, and I wanted to devote as much of myself and I could to them. I also signed up on purpose for a demanding profession. But, as the years went by I started feeling more overwhelmed and buffeted by forces outside myself. Then, I discovered Buddhism and meditation and slowly, I started to sense the deep quiet under the waves and storms.

This is certainly not to say I have it all together! I’m very far from that, but I finally have some awareness of the deeper stillness. I think this is a lot of what biking has come to mean for me. When I get out of time on the rural roads, it’s just me, the outdoors, and the beauty around me. I can’t busy myself with a 1000 other things and I just have to be.

I think what this resolution is saying is be careful of being so busy. Being constantly busy is not a path to happiness. Take time to nurture yourself and to be with yourself, because that is what you need.

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Søren Kierkegaard (May 5, 1813–November 11, 1855)

He is considered to be the first existentialist philosopher. He was a social critic, poet, theologian, and religious author. There is a Wikipedia article here, and a lot more links on Google.

This is why I’m so busy. See, there is just too much interesting stuff to get into out there! 😀

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A Lizard, a Snake, a Moon, and some Birds

Posted on January 27, 2016 by Kris Cunningham

How’s that for an unlikely combination of things! But, this is Panama where unlikely things happen. This is just a bit of a day in the life of an expat in Panama.

There is a video at the bottom of the post – nothing to see but you can listen to the cocalacas sing while you look at the pictures.

I caught this baby iguana running out from under the washing machine to the side yard.

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Then, I set out on the bike, heading southwest and then north to cross the highway and make a loop around towards the hills and back to town. I thought the hills and mountains were looking especially beautiful with the misty, hazy clouds covering their tops.

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It is the dry season with no rain, so if you want to keep the plants in your yard happy you have to water them. I was out watering and saw something slide through the grass towards the wall and fence.

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This is a baby Fer de Lance viper, one of the most dangerous snakes in Panama. It is said that the babies are even more dangerous because they don’t have control over the amount of venom they give when they bite, and just give you all they’ve got. This photo doesn’t show the head very well, but they have a very distinctive, large, angular head. I also recognize their markings, beautiful as they are, and kept my distance, using the zoom on my camera instead. The snake obviously didn’t want to be near me either, and as soon as it felt safe enough to move it took off.

I’ve talked about precautions many times, and being aware that anything could be hiding where you can’t see. Here’s another example of why precautions are important.

This snake encounter wasn’t a problem, the watering was done, se we prepared to go to a full moon event near Boquete. We set off with plenty of time to get there before dark, being totally unaware that there was some big event going on in Dolega. The traffic was at a total standstill, we could see a parade going through town, and we inched along as the sun set and the sky got darker and darker. Thankfully I had brought my tablet with Waze to help navigate and I had a good idea where we were headed, but I didn’t spot it until we had driven past. We had to drive on until we could find a turn around, drive south until we could find another turn around, and take another pass at it. By then some good friends were concerned and one went out to the road to flag us down so we wouldn’t miss it on the second try.

It was worth the trouble finding the event. It was really nice to see a lot of our good Boquete friends, and it wasn’t long before the moon made its way above the mountains and clouds. What a beautiful sight! I need to go back to this area because at the back of the property, there is a huge canyon with a river below. It looked beautiful in the moonlight, but I want to see it in the daytime too.

The moon shines over the mountains and clouds, and you can barely make out the friends at the full moon tailgate party below.
The lights of David twinkle in the distance
There was a bonfire for anyone who wanted to BBQ or keep warm

Later that night, the cocalacas (gray necked wood rails) had a lot to talk about in my neighbor’s yard. The first time I heard them I couldn’t imagine what was making those strange sounds!! Now I am very familiar with them, but I never tire of hearing them.

There is nothing to see, but turn up your sound so you can hear.

A day in the life of an expat in Panama. Life is always interesting!

 

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What Did You Do All Day?

Posted on January 26, 2016 by Kris Cunningham

Umm…I dunno…  I found the cable provider’s office, bought some art supplies, made lunch… next thing I knew the day was over.

Getting things done in Panama can be a process. Even the Panamanians comment on how much running around it can take. Thank goodness we aren’t working and usually don’t have to be anywhere.

I had a fraudulent charge on my credit card last month. Chase bank took care of it right away, but it meant cancelling my credit card and issuing me a new one. You don’t realize how much automatic billing you have set up until your card no longer works. One of the bills was Cable Onda, our cable and internet provider.

I had a list of errands and the first was to straighten out things with Cable Onda. We made our way through the always fun and exciting downtown traffic, found a parking spot, and went to the office only to find they were remodeling and the office has moved to a temporary spot. Take that street there, go up to Chiriqui Hospital, then four blocks, turn left, and it’s right there. OK, thanks, no problem. We stopped at the art store, checked on some mail I’m expecting, and then set off to find the office.

Of course it wasn’t where I thought it was. So, we stop at the supermarket to ask the security guard. He hollers to the lottery ticket sales lady and soon everyone in the parking lot was having a conference and giving us directions to the place. Go back to Chiriqui Hospital, turn right at the street below the hospital, go a few blocks and its right by something I never heard of before.

Nope, it wasn’t there either. By now it’s getting to be lunch time and Joel is tired of driving around, so we decide to head towards home. After lunch I headed back to town, back to the hospital, back down the street below the hospital. Nope. So, I tried the street above the hospital, and there it was! They are camped out in a building that I believe is a TV station, judging by all the huge satellite dishes behind it.

They find my account, make a note of my new credit card number, I sign the papers, they make copies (nothing ever happens here without copies!) and I am on my way, quick and easy.

This morning I get an email from Cable Onda. There is a problem with your credit card. The information on the form is correct and other charges have been going through on this card, so I can’t figure out the problem. Back to the office we go. They tell me that it looks like everything is fine, so maybe the email went out before they ran the charges with my new card.

This afternoon I get a statement – thank you for your payment. Whew! OK, all is well.

See, it even takes me a novel to tell the story 😀 But, this is how things often go in Panama. You go to buy something simple like printer cartridges, blue thread, or a cleaning product they had last month. We went to five stores before we found the printer cartridges (but of course now that we don’t need them they have reappeared in the store where we bought the printer). There is a minimum of thread in the fabric store, but plenty in the supermarket (and I have since found other fabric stores that have lots). I am still looking for pumice scouring stick, (but learned steel wool also does well for cleaning the dark deposits in toilet bowls). When something is easy it’s a surprise! Usually though it’s like a scavenger hunt. You need to set out with this in mind so it doesn’t make you nuts.

And, if you are local and need the Cable Onda office, do not go downtown. Go to Chiriqui Hospital. Turn west on the street on the north side of the hospital, and go three blocks. The building is on the far left corner. Look carefully for their sign above the door.

Next week I get to go back downtown to check on license plates for my bike. They didn’t have any so I have a paper and instructions to come back in early February. But, this afternoon I was sitting on my terrace working on a project, and a toucan landed in the tree not 10 feet from me. I must have had a dozen other kinds of birds visit the bird bath today also. Overall life is pretty darn good, and now I’m friends with the Cable Onda lady.

Posted in culture, Getting Things Done, Panama | 10 Comments

16 Resolutions, or Thoughts to Live By?

Posted on January 25, 2016 by Kris Cunningham

I suppose it’s still January so one can talk about resolutions for the new year, or maybe we’ll just call it sharing useful thoughts. I ran across 16 Elevating Resolutions for 2016 Inspired by Some of Humanity’s Greatest Minds on Brain Pickings and liked the article so much I wanted to share. It’s a lot to digest and think about though, so one at a time is about my speed.

#1 Cultivate Honorable Relationships, by Adrienne Rich

The quote is: “An honorable human relationship — that is, one in which two people have the right to use the word “love” — is a process, delicate, violent, often terrifying to both persons involved, a process of refining the truths they can tell each other.

It is important to do this because it breaks down human self-delusion and isolation.

It is important to do this because in doing so we do justice to our own complexity.

It is important to do this because we can count on so few people to go that hard way with us.”

Of all the resolutions I am finding this the hardest to wrap my head around. What does it mean?

I believe it means that we are willing to break down the barriers with another person and to reveal our true inner self, our vulnerable inner core. It is a scary thing to do, but it is also beautiful because with the right person, you can form a connection that is deep and meaningful and there is nothing else quite like it in our human existence. But as she says, you can count on so few people to go there with you.

I think many people go through their entire lives without a connection like this. I have worked with many families and when you look under the surface, so many of them have problems, dramas, broken relationships, and broken people. If you have someone to connect with this deeply, this honestly, you are fortunate indeed.

So, I believe what she is saying is to look for these special people and nurture these valuable relationships.

Adrienne Rich (May 16, 1929–March 27, 2012) was one of the most influential writers of poetry and prose of the 20th century, and a woman of strong convictions. She was the only person to decline the National Medal of Arts to protest the government’s plan to end funding for the National Endowment for the Arts. You can also read more about her at THIS BrainPickings LINK which contains a number of other links to her books and other articles. There is this WIKIPEDIA LINK which has a detailed biography and list of her work. Google will also point you to more ways to learn more about this remarkable woman.

brain_pickings_wordmark@2x

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Just Get Out There!

Posted on January 23, 2016 by Kris Cunningham

We all know exercise is good for us, but we also have those days when we just don’t feel like it. I certainly have had a lot of encouragement to get out there this week though. I’ve been propositioned by three different men! Talk about making an old gal feel good 😀 There was a taxi driver, some well dressed guy in a new truck on his way to the supermarket, and a cop who had stopped under the same tree for a bit of shade.

It’s funny how we often want what is new and different. I remind these guys that Panama has absolutely gorgeous women. But, they don’t want that. They want a gringa with white skin and lighter eyes. I’ve heard that cultural differences can make such relationships challenging. Gringo men and Panamanian women are often successful, but Panamanian men and gringa women, maybe not so much because we’re not so good at the more traditional gender roles that are more common here. I haven’t had any success discussing this with the Panamanian guys though. They can’t imagine that a gringa gal will be a pile of trouble! Explaining that I’m married and don’t need another guy seems to work much better.

Another motivation for me to get out there is the beautiful scenery which I never seem to tire of. Now that it’s summer there are different trees in flower and other interesting seasonal changes.

Here are some of the many views of Volcan Baru below, our nearby active volcano and highest point in Panama (don’t worry, it is quiet and hasn’t done anything in 400+ years)

There is a good viewing point down the road from us
It also looks good across the field
I think this was from another point across the field
There is a new housing development going in northwest of us, and Baru towers in the distance
This is just some other mountains seen from my favorite route through the hills
The same mountains from across the field. I thought they looked so interesting this day with the hazy clouds covering their tops

And, a few other photos from this week around Chiriqui

These trees with tiny white flowers are blooming all over town, and when you pass them it feels like going through a cloud of sweet fragrance
I stopped under a palm tree and this grackle was making a lot of noise above
I’ve seen a few of these other yellow trees in bloom
Pretty yellow flowers
This very interesting moth spent a night on my patio

Tomorrow is Sunday, a good day to be out because there is much less traffic. But, that means there will be less men out there to pull me over and ask for a date. 😀 I know people complain about Latin men who show their appreciation for an attractive woman, sometimes in ways we think are rude and disrespectful. There is a difference between admiration and disrespect though, and I have never felt the latter. Maybe if I actually was young and cute it would be different, but at this stage of my life it’s not so bad to be appreciated.

Posted in culture, Panama, photography | Tagged , , | 14 Comments

Who Follows the News?

Posted on January 21, 2016 by Kris Cunningham

I think in the US, you feel like you have to keep up with the news. Our nightly ritual was to eat dinner in front of the evening news on TV. There are also multiple sources of information on the internet, so there is no excuse to be uninformed and unaware. That would make you look pretty ignorant and stupid, right?

But, how useful is all that news, really? I recently came across an article – Is There Any Reason to Keep Up with the News?  that brings up some very good points. Why do we keep such a close eye on news? What do we get from it?

The news is truth and reality. But, is it? It’s only a narrow version of someone else’s truth and reality and if you believe everything you see and hear, the world is a very bad and dangerous place.

We will have more empathy and compassion. When this was studied it was found that we are able to have empathy and compassion for an individual. But, when it’s about a lot of people, especially far away people from other countries and cultures, it’s more than we can deal with so we tend to just tune out.

We are well informed so we can take action on important issues. How many times have you actually taken an action because you saw something on the news? Chances are if you did, it wasn’t very often and your actions were prompted by your own research, conversations with others, and many other factors beyond what you saw on the news.

In reality, news is mostly entertainment. It’s exciting. There is drama, action, suspense, comedy, and it can usually get your blood pressure up. Sometimes they talk about good things happening but more often it’s disasters, death, destruction, and with the upcoming US elections, politicians behaving badly.

I have cut down on the news a lot over the years, and since coming to Panama I follow almost none of it. As the years go by I have become more and more careful about what I put in my head. I think it all becomes a part of you in some subtle way. If there is something big, someone in my circle of friends and family is sure to mention it. I’ll scan a couple sources for local news (and Spanish practice). Otherwise though, if I feel the need to know about something I can do my own research. Most of the news doesn’t add anything positive to my life and I feel a lot more peaceful without it.

I will continue to vote though. I feel strongly about that. I may not live in the US but I’m still a citizen of that democracy, and what goes on there affects me and mine.

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Quilts at the Boquete Library

Posted on January 20, 2016 by Kris Cunningham

The last time I was in Boquete, my friends and I decided to stop by the library to see the exhibition of quilts.

The library is a pretty building right on the main street as you come into Boquete
Here is the main floor sitting area and children’s library.
There is also a coffee shop
Upstairs is a nice area for reading
There was some children’s art on display
As you climb up the stairs there is a very interesting view down through the building
At the top of the stairs was this piece of art and views of the town and hills beyond.

The top floor of the library had a very nice space for exhibitions. On this day it was full of quilts by the Volcan Quilters. I found their website HERE. The main purpose of this organization is to teach local women to sew and quilt, and give them a skill they can use to earn money. I talked with Sherri Jones from the organization who told me that it is going very well, and some of the women are supporting their entire family with their skills.

I thought it was very interesting to see these quilts – something we have all seen, but here with the artistic skill and taste of these Panamanian women. The first thing that struck me were the bright, vivid colors that made the entire room come alive! There were some more traditional designs, and also a lot of original and creative designs, some I never would have thought of seeing in a quilt. There were quilts to put on your bed or wall, as well as bags and purses, all reasonably priced when you consider the materials, skill, and considerable time it takes to make one of these creations.

If there is a exhibition of these quilts in your area I think it’s worth the time to go see them. And, if you are able to support them, buy something beautiful and/or help them with money or materials. There is an easy donation button on their website, or instructions on how to send supplies on their “about us” page.

Posted in Miscellaneous, Panama | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

A Big Bee

Posted on January 19, 2016 by Kris Cunningham

Last night, a very large bee was attracted by my desk lamp and spent a while hanging out by my computer. I have my macro lens back thanks to some new batteries for my Nikon, so I was happy to get it out and try for a few shots.

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I think the bee looks more interesting in the enlarged photos than it does in real life.

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Check out that face!

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The wings sparkled like glass in the lamp light.

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It looks like a soft and cuddly toy.

And, while we are at it, here’s a macro photo of a tiny but beautiful moth that also landed on my desk.

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Posted in insects, Panama | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

A Muñenco, A Funny

Posted on January 18, 2016 by Kris Cunningham

There is a New Year’s tradition in Central America of making muñencos. They are effigies full of fireworks that are set on fire at midnight, sending all the bad things of the last year up in smoke, and hopefully bringing good things and wishes to people in the coming year. I wrote a post about them in the past with some pictures and of course google will find you more information.

Unfortunately this year I didn’t see muñencos around town, but there was one great one in our neighborhood.

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Yes, it’s Donald Trump, and his sign says “Vote for Trump”.

We were elsewhere and missed the burning on New Year’s Eve, but the next day this is all that was left of him – a hand, a shoe, a sleeve, and a pile of ashes.

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This is my favorite picture because that black ball down in the ditch – the head of Donald Trump 😀

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Since leaving the US I have come to realize that rest of the world is very aware and keeps a close eye on what goes on in the US. I hope I am not embarrassed by the choices we are going to make this November. If only we could reduce all our problems to a pile of ash at the end of every year!

A couple asides…. one of my readers saw the post on the iguana and told me that it was a very pregnant female who was probably on the ground looking for a place to lay her eggs. Sometimes iguanas in this state are very docile, so perhaps this accounted for her behavior. I hope so, and I’m very glad we got her out of harm’s way. Wouldn’t it be totally cool if she laid her eggs in my yard? She probably went into the quiet woods, but it’s common to see babies around here so whenever I do, I will think of her.

Since deciding my blog will be less service oriented and more for my own entertainment, it’s been a lot more fun and I’m quite happy with my change of direction. Also, my Nikon with the macro lens now has new batteries and is ready for bug pictures. You have been warned 😀

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