Feliz Navidad

Posted on December 25, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

Today is Christmas, always a fun holiday in Panama. There are signs of Christmas well in advance, particularly in the stores who have decorations and gifts for sale a month or two ahead of time. Later on, closer to Christmas, some of the downtown streets are closed for shoppers and vendors. There is a tradition of eating 12 grapes at midnight, and having fruit available for guests so there was lots of that for sale, along with the traditional holiday bread.

We took a walk one evening down some of the closed downtown streets.
More people enjoy the warm evening and shop
There were many tables and booths selling apples, grapes, and the traditional Christmas bread
One street was closed for an amusement park
With the low light and slow shutter speed, this ride really looks like it’s moving!
I thought this little train was adorable
There was a merry go round and next to it, these bumper cars

As we walked around downtown, we also got to hear a bit of a student orchestra in the park. The director took a pause at one point to talk to the audience about the importance of music and arts in the schools, and to call on everyone to do all they could to support music and art because it does such good things for the kids in many ways.

The tree in the downtown city park
The student orchestra

I love the Christmas lights around town. Some houses have some amazing displays. Here are just a very few examples.

One home nearby had the most incredible thing! There was a whole little city set up in front of the house, and bleachers for people to sit and look at it. There was a recording of the story of Jesus and as the story went on, different parts of the set would light up. I think it covered more than Christmas. We didn’t stay for the whole thing but I did hear one part that talked about Easter and the resurrection. I thought about going back another night to listen to the whole thing and get  better photos but it never happened. Maybe next year.

There were chairs for people to sit, and a sound man and controller on the left.
The set was very beautiful and detailed.
flying angels?

Christmas eve is the big night with festivities, parties, and especially the fireworks building to a climax at midnight. Then, after midnight, it’s time for dinner, phone calls to far away family and friends, and opening of gifts. Depending on a person’s stamina this can be the end of the celebration, or the party can go on until morning. Christmas day is then a quieter day for families to enjoy time at home and rest up from the festivities.

The firework stands are a definitely sign of the holidays for both Christmas and New Years.

Merry Christmas! KABOOM 😀

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Next comes New Years with some of the same, and some new and fun things!

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Crazy Big Lemons

Posted on December 23, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

It’s that time of year again. The tree that makes the huge lemons is producing fruit. When I first saw these lemons I thought they were grapefruit, and big ones at that. But, my neighbor explained that they are lemons and not only are they big, they have a peel that is edible. The flavor of these lemons is a lot like the yellow ones we are used to in the US. The size though, I’ve never seen anything quite like it. I haven’t been able to find out what type they are but I’m glad they have a fair number of seeds. I planted some in the past and now I have a nice looking young tree in my yard, and a few more in a pot on my patio.

Unfortunately this year the tree is covered with some sort of vine so you can’t even see it.
You can certainly see the lemons on the lower branches though, and the fruit that has fallen on the ground.
I took a photo of a couple of the lemons next to an egg carton for size comparison.
Another shot of the lemons and the egg carton.

The tree is on a little dirt road just outside our neighborhood, inside someone’s back yard. Half of it is hanging over the wall on the outside though and no one seems to be using any of the fruit. I’m concerned about the vine covering the tree too. I’m not sure if it would be right for me to remove it, to be tending someone else’s tree but it can’t be good for the tree. Maybe I’ll pull off a little every time I go by, or maybe now that it is the rainless dry season it will die off by itself.

One of the benefits of biking around here is finding hidden gems like this lemon tree. I have also found a number of cashew trees that make nice fruit, and the mangoes are starting to flower and promise fruit in a few months. It’s fun picking up fruit along the road, and usually there is enough to share with my friends and neighbors too.

Posted in food, fruit, Panama | Tagged , | 17 Comments

Catching up – Some Family Pictures

Posted on December 23, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

I am back in Panama but I still have a few more photos from my wonderful visit back to the US that I wanted to post.

My first stop was northern California where I spent couple weeks with my older daughter, her new baby girl, her little boy, and husband. Then, I rushed up to Seattle a little earlier than planned because my younger daughter’s baby came a little earlier than planned. I was there for about four weeks, but for the last few days my California daughter flew up for a visit, so all of us were together. What a wonderful and special time! It had been a long time since I was together with both of my daughters, and now with both of them holding new baby girls, well there just aren’t words to describe how that feels. It is so cool that the babies were born only three weeks apart and Amy, who is now an experienced mom, is a great resource for Elizabeth.

Two of the cats, enjoying the Christmas season (and being remarkably good about not bothering the tree)
We decided to go out for a walk, the two moms, two babies, grandma, and Drew who was very tolerant of a house full of nothing but females, even including the cats!
Matching strollers, jackets, baby blankets…..
almost matching babies but not really. They do look quite different from each other. We can figure out who either one of them looks like either!
There is a spot on our walk where we could see downtown Seattle. I didn’t even look at the trees on the left until I sorted through these photos. They look like some sort of tree witches or goblins!
Two babies, one awake and one asleep
Autumn slept through the whole photo shoot
My beautiful daughters and babies
A candid shot, Autumn still sound asleep
All of us together, documented for posterity
Two babies and a cat names Coos

It was hard to leave but it was also nice to get home. Now we are keeping in close touch with Facetime, messenger, Facebook, and Skype. We are so lucky to have the internet and all this technology! It makes it so much easier. I’m already thinking about my next trip back though.

Meanwhile, we will get back to more news and stories from Panama.

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Celebrating Christmas with Latino and Indigenous Families in Panama

Posted on December 22, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

An interesting article from Habla Ya’s blog about celebrating Christmas in Panama…..

Usually I try to be home for Christmas with my family in the USA since that is the only time I really get to be with them since I relocated to Panama, but duri

Source: Celebrating Christmas with Latino and Indigenous Families in Panama

Posted in Panama | 2 Comments

Home Again

Posted on December 17, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

Just a short post to report that yes indeed, I am now back in Panama. It was a fantastic time with family, and I also have some photos to share of the special time we all spent together, both of my daughters and the babies!

I also took the new direct Copa flight round trip from Panama City to San Francisco, and then flew back from Panama City to David on one of the new domestic Copa flights. Since I picked up a cold somewhere along the way, I was especially happy to spend an hour on a plane instead of a day on the bus. I will share more details of the flights also.

Right now I’m just relaxing at home, trying to get back in the correct time zone and get over this cold. I’m looking forward to catching up with all my friends and activities and, if I can actually wake up before the morning is mostly over, I could even get back on my bike!

So, for all of you who wonder where I am and what I’m doing, don’t worry. All is well and I will be out and about very soon!

Posted in Miscellaneous, Panama, travel | 16 Comments

It’s Looking like Christmas

Posted on December 9, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

It is the Christmas season, and as we’ve learned in Florida and Panama, one need not have freezing weather and snow to get in the Christmas spirit. The season is also evident in the Seattle area where we have been enjoying a bit of the festivities. One fun thing was shopping for a Christmas tree.

Off to Home Depot in search of a tree
This is our tree!
They had a station set up to trim off the trunk, package up the tree in netting, and then a guy was outside to help you secure the tree to the car
Family and tree arrive home without incident
The tree was barely up when the cats claimed their spots underneath. The third cat is hidden behind the tree on the other side.
Coos had a new favorite spot.

The nearby Botanical Gardens had a gorgeous display of Christmas Lights, so we decided to check it out. It rained all day Monday but we got lucky in the evening. The rain stopped, it wasn’t too cold, and it was a perfect evening to go out. I managed to find the manual camera settings in the dark so I could get some photos. I had fun taking lots, and here are a few of my favorites. My daughter told me that the display is all done by volunteers and they did an amazing job.

The baby is a great traveler and has slept through every single outing to do errands and shopping, and tonight was no exception. The lump under Drew’s blue jacket is the baby in a fabric carrier where she slept through the whole visit.

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The cat stands by the tree looking serene and angelic. So far none of them have gotten into too much mischief with the tree. Breakable ornaments are high and out of reach though, just in case.

My other daughter and her baby are due to arrive tonight, so there is going to be even more fun in the house in the next few days! We are all excited and looking forward to this time. Poor Drew! He will be the only male in the house with a grandma, to moms, two girl babies, and three female cats. 😀 Somehow though, he seems to calmly survive anything we throw at him.

Posted in family, Miscellaneous | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Chili Rellenos Casserole

Posted on December 8, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

More vegetarian cooking… I was happy with this, and it could certainly be dressed up and modified to suit your tastes. I like recipes that are good but not too complicated, and this qualifies on both counts.

You will need –

  • 14 oz canned green chilies (whole or chopped, whichever you prefer)
  • 8 oz (2 cups) grated Monterey Jack cheese
  • 8 oz (2 cups) grated cheddar cheese
  • 2 eggs
  • 5 oz evaporated milk
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 tbsp all purpose flour
  • 8 oz tomato sauce

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Lay half of the chilies in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Cover with half of each of the cheeses, then the rest of the chilies. Mix the eggs, milk, and flour and pour over the top.

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Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Pour the tomato sauce over the top and bake for another 15 minutes.

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Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top and serve (or, I put it back in the oven while I prepared the rest of the dinner to keep it warm and melt the cheese well)

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This recipe could be modified in a number of ways to suit your own taste so feel free to experiment. Enchilada sauce could be used instead of tomato sauce. You could use more or less cheese, or different kinds of cheese. You could add black olives, jalapeno peppers, or other types of peppers instead of or in addition to the green chilies. You could add ground beef or chicken. This is a tasty dish and a great starting place for any number of yummy, creative dinners.

Posted in food | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Tofu Parmesan

Posted on December 8, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

I am currently in the Seattle area with my vegetarian daughter and family, so we are exploring vegetarian recipes. This is like eggplant or chicken Parmesan, but with tofu. It’s easy to make and very yummy. You will need –

  • a package of tofu
  • 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
  • 5 tbsp parmesan cheese
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • olive oil for frying
  • jar of your favorite pasta sauce
  • 4 oz (1 cup) grated mozzarella cheese

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mix the bread crumbs, 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese and the oregano in a bowl

slice the tofu in 1/4 – 1/2 inch slices, coat with bread crumb mixture, and fry in olive oil until golden brown (on both sides)

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Put a thin layer of pasta sauce in a casserole dish, then add the fried tofu. Spoon over more pasta sauce until covered. Top with the mozzarella cheese and the rest of the Parmesan.

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Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and sauce is starting to bubble.

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Let cool for a minute while you get the rest of dinner together, serve, and enjoy!

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This was our dinner last night. I put the broccoli with a sprinkle of water in the microwave for 4 minutes. (if it isn’t cooked enough, put it back for another minute).

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Photographing some Scenery

Posted on December 5, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

I’m still in the Seattle area. It’s chilly fall weather but still very beautiful here. We have been biking or walking almost every day. The last few days have been more cloudy with a bit of rain, but also quite a bit warmer so it is more pleasant to be out.

We have biked to a few different lake side parks
The birds looked like they were standing on something just under the water so they could unfold and dry their wings.
It wasn’t swimming weather but the swimming area was still pretty
I like the reflections of the clouds
more pretty lake scenery
My son in law’s commuting bike is on the left, and my daughter’s bike is on the right, which she has been kind enough to let me borrow.
more pretty reflections
we passed these bushes loaded with berries on our walk
we biked through this pretty nature area on our way to Mercer island
Crossing the bridge, the sky in the distance was beautiful
it was pretty in the other directions as well
some yards have this beautiful grass with the big plumes
a little park in my daughter’s neighborhood
there is a spot on our walk where we can see Seattle and the mountains in the distance
these very strange mushroom type of things are growing beside the driveway

The new parents have been doing very well and the baby is growing quickly. It’s hard to believe she is three weeks old today already, and I only have another week here. We have also been keeping in touch with my other daughter and her baby is also doing great. She will be here for a visit in a few days and it’s going to be a fantastic time to have all of us together.

Posted in photography, travel | Tagged , , , | 21 Comments

Learn Spanish!

Posted on December 1, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

I have recently learned of a great new opportunity that I must pass along. Yaira, my former Spanish teacher is now offering classes on line. You will have video, audio, written chat, and the ability to share files so this works out very well. You can take classes from anywhere with an internet connection.

I believe if you are going to live in a country, it is important that you learn the language so you can communicate. I know it’s difficult and it takes a lot of time and effort, but it is so worth it. There are publications that say English is widely spoken in Panama but do not believe this. In areas known for expats and tourists where you will find more English speakers but in general, you will need to know at least some Spanish. Even more important, there are wonderful Panamanian people but to get to know them, you need to be able to communicate and the vast majority of the locals speak only Spanish.

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This smiling face will be waiting for you on your computer screen.

So, here is a great opportunity! I have spoken many times about my teacher, how much she helped me, how I thank her every day for my ability to communicate, how kind and patient, yet competent and professional she is, and how she has become a good friend.

If you are like me it’s very helpful to have a teacher. You are more likely to do your homework if you know someone is going to ask for it tomorrow. I like private lessons because you can go at your own pace and ask questions. I also appreciate Yaira because she is Panamanian, so she can also answer questions about the culture and customs. She usually doesn’t admit to speaking much English, so you are forced to step up and use your Spanish for everything which feels awkward at times, but this really helps you progress. But, for a novice, she has learned enough English to work with you successfully as well.

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Living the life in Chiriqui!

At the moment she is only charging $10/hr. If you have priced  the respected schools you know this is a good value. Contact her while she still has some time and flexibility in her schedule. Buy a package of lessons for a special someone who could use a very useful Christmas present. You can contact Yaira at yairatutoria@gmail.com

I know I am going on a bit, but I know what a difference this teacher has made in my Panamanian life. And, learning a new language is very good for your brain!

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My adopted Panamanian family

 

Posted in culture, Getting Things Done, Miscellaneous, Panama | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments