A Neighborhood Meeting

Jarimillo, a major area on the eastern slopes of  Boquete, held a neighborhood meeting this morning.  We now rent in Jarimillo and our house is being built in Jarimillo.  I attended with a Spanish speaking friend.  The meeting was held to discuss the deplorable condition of the roads.  

Even using the word "roads" is a misnomer...maybe track, rut, stream, obstacle coarse, disaster, ditch or just plain aberration...but not "road."  Crying out load, I had to buy a 4Runner just to get to my house.

We were on time so there were only 5 people in attendance.  The meeting started on time, I have no idea how that happened.  Over the next 30 minutes most of the people arrive and were equally shocked that the meeting was in progress.

Now, here is funny part...

Everyone had a cell phone...on.  And, they answered them and held their discussions in the meeting over the person speaking.  Nobody seemed to mind, even the gringos.

While someone was translating, the Panamanian leading the meeting dialed his phone and started talking to someone...over the top of the translator!  I guess he thought it was a good time to catch up on some business.

Each person that arrived late, yelled out for all to hear:  Buenos Dias!  Effectively stopping the meeting, over and over again.

This was a real 3 ring circus.  Somehow, it all went well and, in a strange way, it was charming.  If I was in the USA, it wouldn't be charming by a long shot but here it was.

After the meeting was concluded, someone called the mayor, who said he would come.  Didn't anyone tell him the meeting was over?  Didn't anyone invite him in the first place?  So we wait for the mayor who arrives in about 20 minutes.

The mayor should have been there first because he had the real information and the entire discussion was negated by him.  And, his information was a lot more positive than what we discovered without him.

It was interesting to hear what a city is up against in Panama.  I thought building a house was trying but it is no where near the problem involved with public improvements.

The mayor said that they would get a road 24 feet wide with  7 inches of asphalt approved and paid for in Panama City.  The contractor would build a 10 foot wide road with 2 inches of asphalt and there was no recourse for the city.  

This is not Kansas anymore, Toto.  (I  know, that is the second time I've used this expression in the blog, but it just seemed to fit)

Several people said they heard that a major road was approved and funds were allocated, so why hadn't it been built.  That got a big laugh from the group.  The mayor said that yes, the funds were approved and allocated but that didn't mean anything because they had not been RELEASED.  More laughter.  

This is a sophisticated version of "the checks in the mail."  

This culture has more ways to stop progress that a lawn has blades of grass.  You just know that someone is getting rich in this system.

I must say that I enjoyed the meeting.  I learned a lot, met many people including some Panamanian mucketymucks and had a few good laughs.