Christmas Morning in Panama

Usually, we get up, fix breakfast and open presents.

Somehow, this has lost it's appeal and magic for us...we have everything we want or need...so we decided to skip the present exchange.

Instead we purchased toys at the Dollar store. Yella wrapped them. Other friends also bought these small presents and wrapped them. 700 presents in all!

We met at Dorado Park restaurant and we headed out to the Indigenous compounds to give away presents to the children.

The Indigenous people are migrant workers who are down from the jungle hills to pick coffee. They have almost nothing. They die before 40 years of age from lung diseases caused by burning fires in the sheds with no ventilation. And they have hordes of children.

As we pull into a compound, kids peak out from doorways, shy and timid. Then the first present is pulled out of our bags and the dam is breached!

Kids stream out of the doorways, accompanied by their parents.

We have trouble managing the throng!

It is similar to feeding frenzy for fish off a dock.

Many of these children have never received a gift. Intuitively they know what it is though!

Big grins. Vibrating in place. Jumping up and down like pogo sticks.

And every now and then, a child who never smiles. You wonder what happened to this child. These kids make you want to weep. And try harder to get just a little smile...

Many of the kids double and triple dip but who cares. Then you see a small boy get 2 balls and give one to his brother. Yella tried to give on boy a second ball and he gave the first one back.

Many heart warming moments. And a sense of Christmas giving bigger than the volcano.

Now we are off to a Christmas dinner pot luck with some very special friends.

I think it is a very good Christmas.

Christmas Traditions

I'm a sucker for Christmas.

I have enjoyed the holiday season so much, starting with Thanksgiving going through Christmas, that winter was tolerable.

One of the best parts was cooking holiday dinners...turkey, stuffing, and all the rest...with my daughter.

I don't know how it started but it started when she was just a little girl. Anyone is old enough to break the bread apart for the dressing!

All of this solved a problem. In the early 80's I got sober. Having spent my previous holidays pleasantly inebriated, well many times not so pleasantly drunk, I didn't know how to enjoy leisure time sober.

So I fled to the kitchen and hid out most of the day. Hey, it gave me something to do, and in a strange way, I felt part of the merriment...from the safety of the kitchen.

My daughter joined me in the kitchen as my helper.

When you are out of sorts, awkward and uncomfortable in your own skin, a little kindness goes a long way.

I don't know how she knew I needed this but she did. And for that I will always be grateful.

Every year when I cook, she comes to mind...even though we are 2000 miles apart.

I am cooking 2 days early this year. So much to do with our band playing tonight, parties tomorrow and a wonderful pot luck Christmas dinner on Sunday.

The most traditional Christmas music is playing, glorious holiday cooking smells permeate the house...

With fond memories of Christmas past.

I called my daughter a few minutes ago and shared my cooking via Skype.

It is the same...in the heart.

Peace on Earth.

Someone Called the Police

It is not good to fight with Panamanians!

You will lose.

There once was a restaurant called Culturas. The owner entered into a dispute with a Panamanian neighbor about parking on the street. The place is NO more.

There once was a restaurant called Amigos. It was a favorite but it lost it's lease and had to shut down. The owner would get drunk and fight with the landlord...physically. So, the lease was not offered to Amigos for renewal.

The owner of Amigos found another location in a residential neighborhood. He spent way too much money renovating it, then it opened.

Bands were hired to play music, mainly rock and roll.

We have played there twice in the last week. Last night the police came to register a complaint about the noise. We are a rock and roll band after all and the bar is open on three sides.

In spite of the warning, we continued to play...as requested by the owner.

The longevity of this place will be short. It doesn't pay to fight with Panamanians.

Even though this is a polite, soft culture, they find ways to assert there will. And it is a passive aggressive society so you don't see it coming until it knocks you to the ground.

There is almost no violence against a person. Rare. But it does happen in a few circumstances. Like cheating a Panamanian out of money. Or committing adultery. That is, a gringo cheating on a Panamanian.

As an aside, adultery is rampant in Panama among Panamanians, probably the result of the Catholic church's stand agains divorce.

They have motels called a "Push" where you can rent a room by the hour. With multigenerational families in over crowded homes, it is necessary for married couples to seek privacy in a Push.

But it is as common to take someone "not your spouse" to a Push for a little fling!

It is so important to learn the culture when living in a foreign land.

David!

Panama giveth and Panama taketh away.

Today, Panama giveth!

I have needed to go to the thriving metropolis of David for a couple of weeks. David is the second largest city in Panama at about 125,000 people.

The roads in David are so confusing that it takes about 12 trips to even start to get your bearings. And then about 3 more years to get it down.

But David has about everything.

I needed some shorts so off I went to Ropa American, a second hand clothing store in the heart of the most confusing market district of David. Stop and go traffic, people shooting out into the street--hordes of them in no discernible pattern--taxis darting into the road, and on and on it goes.

But it is so much fun! Vibrant and alive!

I had about 6 stops, all worked out.

Unheard off!

I was back in Boquete in 2 and half hours. Then I stopped at a travel agency and got airline tickets for some friends, then I randomly stopped into a barber shop and got a haircut...all in 30 minutes.

Wow!

Panama giveth today.

I am off in a few minutes to a Christmas show to watch Yella and my friends sing and play Christmas music.

The Christmas spirit is in the air...literally with the music.

Oh, and I had a 20 minute conversation, in Spanish, with my neighbor. This is the guy that hates gringos. He has good reasons to hate us too.

He has been a project for me trying to win him over and I think I might be there. I understand maybe 20% of what he says but it is enough for him to feel we are now friends.

These are the victories that make life sweet.

He told me how important it is for neighbors (vecinos in Spanish) to cooperate and get along.

I agree whole heartedly.

Ah, a good day!

Tuesday Market & Meeting

I've mentioned this weekly event in the past.

Each Tuesday morning at 9 am, a couple of dozen venders--mainly ExPats--set up tables at the Boquete Community Theater And Event Center. This great facility was created from a defunct bar and now has a 112 seat theater, a large lobby and a good size meeting room.

The facility was remodeled mainly with volunteer labor, tons of labor, and it was a labor of love!

Now it has a bustling market every week as well as plays and concerts several times a year.

This morning it was buzzing.

Yella was on one side playing her Christmas CD and trying to sell a few. The Day brothers were set up on the other side playing Christmas music live to promote their Christmas concert tomorrow.

Baked goods, soups and fresh bread were wafting through the air! All sorts of craft jewelry, pottery and artwork was available too.

Christmas was in the air!

When we arrived in Panama 3 years ago, I knew at least half of the people at these events. Now I don't event know 1 out of 10 people.

That is how many new people are here. It is amazing. Who knew?

With all of this activity...me wearing shorts and sandals...I forget that it is now cold in the US in most places. I forget that there is a thing called winter. I forget about driving in the snow and ice, scurrying from the car to the house or work or shops. The mad crowds in shopping malls.

I love the fresh air 365 days a year, the limited shopping, people with enough time on their hands to stop and talk, unhurriedly.

I do love it here!

As I re-read this blog, I realize how woefully inadequate this blog describes what is happening here today. This is a magical place. Most people that come visit see and feel it.

Living in a place like this is such a privilege.

Goodbye to Henry & Tammy

Henry and Tammy started a restaurant called, strange enough, Tammy's.

It was one of our favorites. Specializing in Mid Eastern cuisine.

They also had a Thursday night open mic and became one of the music forces in the community. Henry was a professional drummer for 10 years in New York.

Tammy was Israeli and drop dead gorgeous. Yella tells me that Henry was her equal in the looks department.

They got worn down by the rigors of the restaurant business and sold it last summer.

Now they are leaving. They will be missed.

Tammy and the kids are already gone. But Henry remains until Wednesday.

Henry gave us a big dose of why he is so much fun Saturday night.

We were at Las Ruinas listening to a new band. The drummer had purchased Henry's drums.

During a break, Yella was talking to Henry, who was, how shall I say it, one card short of a full deck by this time. He said he was going to play a drum solo during the break...and he was kidding, of course.

So Yella double dog dared him.

And up he went. Played an unannounced, spontaneous drum solo. Very spirited, very LOUD.

Then he stumbled back to our table.

Now that's unusual.

We will miss them...for their food and their spontaneity.

Health Care

Warning: This blog may be inflammatory to some.

One of the big reasons we live in a 3rd World Nation is the massive reduction in the cost of health care...without any loss of quality.

I had a friend who was hospitalized for 7 days for a double hernia operation. Total cost: $7,000.

In the US this would have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

When complications happened after the operation, he had to go to the social hospital for 20 days because he was out of money. He reported that the care was excellent. Total cost: $1600.

Almost every nation in the world has socialized medicine!

I'm going to repeat this: Almost every nation in the world has socialized medicine.

Even Panama.

Here, you can go to a social clinic for $5.

Everyone is thrilled with socialized medicine n Panama. The docs, venders, hospitals and, most of all, the patients!

ALL doctors work first for the social system and they get paid about $60,000 a year for it. ALL docs work in the morning for the social system then in the afternoon they work in their private clinics or the private hospitals. Most make about $40,000 to $50,000 annually from their private work. This combined annual wage is HUGE in Panama and the docs are thrilled with the money and the system.

You can call a doc on their cell phone and they ANSWER. They will make a house call if you are stranded. If they make a mistake...don't fool yourself, all docs make mistakes...they admit it and fix it at no charge!

One of my buddies had a cataract operation in Panama City go bad. The doc admitted his mistake, paid for the flight to PC, a driver picked him up and drove him around for 3 days, the hotel was paid for and, of course, all the medical work was at no charge.

Try that in the US...

All this from a lowly 3rd World Nation.

What and the hell is going on in the US?

You can go to Cuba, Thailand, France, Canada, Brazil, Costa Rica...and the list goes on and on...and get excellent health care for a pittance compared to the US.

Because health care needs increase with age, we knew we couldn't retire in the US unless we had health insurance paid for by others.

No one stepped up to pay our health insurance so off we went to a country where we could handle the cost of health care.

Granted, there are many more reasons to be in Panama but the low cost of health care is a big one.

I am so grateful that something encouraged us to live in this remarkable country.

Even though Noriega has returned...more on this later.

An Incredible Day

I am sitting in gym shorts on this perfect afternoon...no shoes, socks, sandals or shirt. A mild breeze, 70 degree temperature and a partly cloudy sky.

I've just returned from the beach. A short trip to mainly introduce one of our dogs to the beach.

I started the day eating breakfast with friends. I got a call from another friend who asked to go along to the beach with me. This kind of freedom comes from being retired.

So off to the beach we go with the dog, Romeo.

The traffic was light because this is a major Panamanian holiday, Mother's Day. This is a matriarchal society, so mom is king...ah, so to speak.

As we descended in altitude on the way, the temperature went up. We kept the windows open for the dog and us. The heat and humidity was great.

The beach wasn't very crowded. The only downer was the dog who didn't like the beach. Go figure! Our other dog loves the beach.

When I got home, I continued my day off. No studying Spanish, no practicing guitar.

I settled in for a long read of my excellent novel.

Ah, so pleasant.

I lite up the christmas tree and reveled in the Spirit of Christmas confused with the juxtaposition of the tropicals...no snow and other winter images.

Then I got a call from my daughter. We discussed Christmases in the past and re-kindled the magic moments of the holiday season.

What a day!

I love it here!

And retirement isn't bad either...

Motown Music Night

Yella was playing with the Day brothers and a drummer at our favorite restaurant last night.

I was conflicted about the night. On one hand, I wanted to hear extraordinary musicians play with Yella, and on the other hand, I wanted to play too, and didn't get too...nor would I ask to be included because I am not in their league...but somehow I felt left out.

I had big expectations because of the quality of players.

The place was packed. They had been refusing reservations since Thursday because they were reserved out.

These back woods communities are starved for entertainment. And most people are retired so they have a lot of time on their hands. There have been a lot of sold out venues for music on a regular basis.

This was true about theater but not anymore. For the last 2 years, there have been 2 theater companies than presented about 12 events a year.

Too much...people got burned out...over exposed.

So the inevitable has happened with one company folding up their tent and leaving town.

This is starting to happen with music.

There was only one gringo band playing dance music last year and that was us. Now there are at least 3 bands and maybe more on the way.

The local restaurants book bands without checking with each other and they double and triple book entertainment on the same night. Small crowds are starting to happen sporadically and it is a matter of time until people get tired of too much music.

One other quirk from Panama...

One of great restaurant venues may not book music anymore because...it is too much business for them. Panamanians don't understand that gringos want to be served drinks and dinner NOW! They had many complaints about the slow service.

Panamanians take several hours to go out and eat. Slow service is just right for them. So this gringo reaction is beyond there reality.

Typically, if something is too much work, Panamanians stop doing it! So this venue may stop the music.

Back to last night...

As I was sitting there listening, I thought, "How come there is something missing in this music with it being played so well, played with mastery?" "There is no lift or energy." "I am not inspired nor thrilled and I thought I would be!"

I checked with Yella after the gig and she said it was a difficult night because she had to work so hard to drive the energy up. She felt like they only hit one or two songs right.

Amazing...extraordinary musicianship doesn't guarantee top notch music.

In spite of all this, the crowd was enjoying it and the dance floor was full about half the time.

They probably were not conscious of something missing...but I noticed that many people were complaining that the music wasn't really Motown. Problems tend to leak out laterally. With people that tend to patronize the artists, it is sometimes hard to get a good read on the strength of their appreciation.

One thing is clear, they want to dance to Motown music. It is a huge draw to this age group.

Feeling a Little Blue

I have been feeling a little blue for a week or so...

I think it started on Thanksgiving which got abbreviated because Yella played music at a restaurant in the afternoon and evening. We had to leave the party at 2 PM. I spend most of the day watching football, not all that bad, but it's not hanging out with great friends either.

Last year we had simply the greatest Thanksgiving Day celebration with our best friends in Panama. I guess I thought it would go on forever, celebrating with these folks.

But it didn't. 3 out of the 5 couples did other things. I resent them for splitting up our wonderful annual party.

Life goes on...but I don't have to like it!

Then several of our good friends have simply disappeared over the last 10 days. I have made phone calls and left messages with absolutely NO ONE calling me back. Damn!

A little side bar...

People treat cell phones (The only type most of us use.) differently in Boquete. Most people never get their voice mail set up...you have to go to your provided and have them do it for you. Most people don't look at their missed calls either. And most of them don't answer the damn thing anyway.

I do get a case of the ass about the inaccessibility of people sometimes.

All in all, I think I am feeling lonely and ignored.

Wonder what I did to create this.

While I'm on a bitch, here's another.

When someone has an issue or complaint with me, I look for some area of responsibility in the matter so I can do my part in amending the problem, keep my side of the street clean so that the relationship can recover.

I have noticed that most people don't reciprocate. What the hell! Do they think I'm solely responsible for their damn upset? I think not. They have some responsibility in the matter too. It's about time that they pony up.

Why do I have to be the one that makes amends? It's about time someone else helps too.

Oh my, that wasn't pretty.

As I said, I'm feeling a little blue...and mean...and evil to boot.

I'm also feeling left out in the music arena. Yella is playing with the Day Brothers Saturday night. They are doing Motown music! Damn! And I don't get to play. I am not good enough to play with these folks.

But I want too...

Well, I hope this downer blog helps me recover some equilibrium.

Or maybe I have to sit in this and stew in it.

(Note: I re-read this today, Friday, and I was going to pull it off the blog because it was all bitching. But I didn't because I am committed to representing my time here authentically and this is what came up. The good, bad and THE UGLY! Just so you know...I'm back! Feeling good, connected and satisfied. )

Satisfaction

Tired this morning...the good kind of tired...the kind that settles in after doing a good, exhausting job.

Our band played last night at Las Ruinas, our favorite place to play.

It was hot. Swampy, sticky hot.

As we were setting up, I looked around at my fellow band mates and they were drenched. So was I.

After we set up, I went to the restroom to change into performance clothes. I thought, "this is a bad idea, I'm soaked." So I put on the clothes and they were soaked in a minute.

The house was full when we started. And it was hot...sweaty hot and energy hot.

It stayed that way all night.

The audience was fun. Yella was at her best...jumping around, dancing with the crowd, inciting mayhem and mischief.

When Yella is fully on her game, there is no one better. Really! She is infectious, compelling and riveting. Entertainment at it's best!

The band was good too. I was jumping around and apparently making guitarist faces. Maybe I've arrived.

I looked back at the drummer at one point and he looked like a drowned rat, he was so wet.

This is starting to be a magical thing. Everyone was smiling. Everyone was having a ball. Everyone was wet!

We unveiled a new song, "China Grove" by the Doobie Brothers. It starts with a LOUD, dominant guitar, thundering out into the audience. It is one of those instantly recognized guitar riffs. People exploded onto the dance floor, the spaces between tables and halfway into the kitchen.

The owner ran out from the kitchen with a camera to try and capture the excitement.

There are not many things better than cleaving the crowd with a wicked guitar lick and getting everyone jumping with excitement!

We are definitely onto something.

We have distilled the music and performance down to "party, party, party"!!!

I had no idea playing dance music could be so much fun!

Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day in paradise takes on a whole new meaning.

First of all, I haven't cooked in 3 years.

Not a big deal to you, maybe. My contribution to Thanksgiving Day was cooking and I loved it.

For decades, I cooked a big traditional dinner. We had friends and family over for the day. It was always a warm, fellowship day with smiles all around.

One part of the tradition was cooking with my daughter. This became a special event for both of us.

As with all things, it has passed. She grew up and left home, got a family...so we don't do it anymore.

God, I miss it! Isn't it funny how a silly little tradition can mean so much?

Our new tradition is spending the day with a few select friends that have become our new "family". I get to cook the potatoes...not much in the cooking arena but a heartfelt day.

And today is an abbreviated day to boot. Yella is singing at The Rock restaurant with the Day brothers this evening. A great opportunity for her because these are by far the best musicians in town.

Not quite the Thanksgiving Day I'm used too though...

A little quirk here in Panama, turkeys are expensive! About $50 to $70! I remember buying a turkey in the US for $5. They were practically giving them away. That didn't seem right.

Plus another little quirk at our home. The oven goes off at unexpected times. Cooking in the oven takes real vigilance. You have to keep checking to make sure the damn thing hasn't turned off.

No wonder I haven't cooked a turkey since we've been here.

Ok, I'll admit it. I am feeling a little disoriented about this day. Hopefully, visiting and eating with our friends will take care of that.

Even feeling a little off, drumming up some gratitude doesn't take any effort.

How did I get so lucky to live in paradise? To have an abundance of friends? To have a huge part of my life playing music? To hang out with my wife in a relaxed, spacious lifestyle?

Oh, and did I mention, we can afford to do it.

Even though this is The Land Of Unfulfilled Expectations, it is also The Land Of Gratitude!

Let's celebrate!

Gratefully Moving On

I only know it's Thanksgiving Day week because I was watching US TV this morning.

That's how integrated I have become into living in Panama...the holiday season in the US was my favorite season (after summer, that is) and now I don't even remember it without a reminder.

I know the Panamanian holidays because you have to if you are going to live here...everything closes on holidays so you have to pay attention. November is now the month of independence, not Thanksgiving. Parades, drums, more drums, much much more drums, road closures for more parades and on and on.

This is parade month! Not Thanksgiving week.

When I first arrived in Panama, I didn't think I would ever integrate into this place, it is so foreign to the US. Even though I desperately wanted to get here, the reality was brutal. Friends warned us about the long time required for integration.

I arrived from Colorado having just retired as a small business owner. I was used to going a 100 miles an hour, 24/7.

I didn't know this place was a Treatment-Center-for-Type-A-Personalities, an incredibly useful thing for people like me. And most of the immigrants from North America and Europe.

It took almost 3 years to "dry out" from "BEING USEFUL AND HAVING VALUE".

I received an email yesterday from my old partner in business. They are still paying me for my ownership in the business and it has been shaking because the economy is so bad in the US.

I thought I might have to go back and work again to keep my investment in my old company and get paid.

So far I have been blessed with an incredible partner who has made sure I was getting paid over the last 3 years. This was a Herculean effort on his part.

I offered to go back for a few months to help out.

I doesn't look like I will have to do that. When I realized that I can stay here, I was thrilled.

I don't want to return to the US anymore. Nor do I want to work at my old work.

I've moved on.

With the help of an incredible nation...with a gentle way of being, more value on family and play than money and things, perpetual Spring weather, the most amazing friends...I have slowed down and restructured my life.

And, lest I forget, I am now a budding Rock n' Roll guitar player. It's true. I actually played way too loud the other day, the authentic hallmark of guitar player!

How can you beat that!

Sometimes in life, a precious gift comes along. Completely undeserved. Sometimes the gift shines so brightly that it is hard to accept. Part of the W.A.S.P. mentality weaved through the fabric of the US culture.

Enjoying it now is of utmost importance because it could all go away in a heartbeat.

Tuesday Morning Gringo Meeting

Part of what makes this community special comes from the gringo meeting. It creates a strong sense of community.

Every Tuesday morning, there is a market and meeting. The meeting has a different speaker each week.

This last week, Rodrigo Marciacz talked about the history of Boquete. He is a Panamanian who has lived in Boquete since 1970. Rodrigo has a wonderful vision for Boquete and Panama, which includes developing the agricultural industry in Chiriqui. He figured out how to hydroponic farm in this area.

We get the best lettuce, tomatoes and peppers from his hydroponic greenhouses.

Who would think that such a sophisticated agricultural endeavor could be found in a 3rd World nation in the jungle?!

The real Panamanians are the indigenous people. There were essentially wiped out by the Spaniards in the 1500's. Between disease and slaughter, most were killed. The population of Panama was about 300,00 when the Spanish arrived and about 60,000 when they left.

Ah, aren't white men wonderful...

Most Boquetenians are of either Spanish or immigrant descent. Even though there is a significant indigenous population here now, inter mixing is infrequent.

Around the late 1800's, many Europeans, Canadians and Americans emigrated to Boquete. This city is equally founded by Panamanians and gringos.

I didn't know that!

The thrust of Rodrigo's talk was about the immigrant nature of the region. He listed the prominent forefathers of Boquete and there national origin.

Amazing!

Equal gringos and Panamanians.

He said we were all welcome in Boquete...and that this was a continuation of the process started in the late 1800's.

He did encourage us to integrate into the local community. And, he encourages the Panamanians to include us as well.

This is the second wonderful talk I've heard at the Tuesday meeting in 4 weeks. This month they focused on the history of Panama because the month of November is the biggest holiday month...even bigger than December...celebrating not one but two independence days and a host of associated holidays.

Viva la Panama!

Trade Winds

The rainy season typically ends with a gradual tapering off through the month of November, sometimes even going into the first week of December.

Not this year.

The rain turned off in one day on November 2nd. The trade winds kicked up on that day and have blown the rain down toward the Pacific. It is still raining on the coast.

But not here.

Even though it is nice to be out of the rain, it has freaked me out a little. This is abnormal. Who knows what we are in store for in the dry season?

The party season is in full flight also.

Each year between October 31st and New Years Day, both Panamanians and gringos go wild! For us, we limit the number of parties we attend. It gets to exhausting to party every night.

Last Christmas Eve, we attended 3 parties. Way too many! Not this year.

This week, Tuesday we went to the beach with 3 other couples, we attended a birthday party on Thursday and there is another dance party tonight, which I will miss even though Yella is attending.

Dance parties here have really loud music which you can't actually talk over. You can shout at someone but that gets old fast. So if you don't dance...and I don't...and you don't drink...which I don't...there is little reason to go.

Too bad. There will be so many friends there to hang out with...

So tonight I will go to Amigo's to hear the jazz band with a Rock/Blues singer. I have heard he is good so I will go see. A couple of my amigos will be there. Should be fun.

We have been coming up against some culture clash issues. One of them I wrote about in the previous blog.

This is another one...

A friend went to the Arrowsmith concert in Panama City last week. The concert was reportedly great. At the end, all the Panamanians left, before the encore! They didn't know that the "end" of the concert was just the signal for a couple of encores.

So, the concert ended early.

It was held at the national stadium 20 miles outside of town. When it was over, there were no buses or taxis for transportation back into town. Remember, almost no one has a car and drives. Everyone had to walk 5 to 10 miles to pick up a bus or taxi.

Panamanians think nothing of this. Gringos, on the other hand, struggled with it.

Cultural differences. When in Rome, do as the Romans!

Tolerance

Tolerance is a wonderful thing...especially if you are the one being tolerated!

We played at Las Oasis last night to a full house, about 140 people, most who were there for dinner and music.

Being a budding guitar player, I make a lot of mistakes. Of all varieties.

I miss chords. I hit wrong notes. And the big one, I bend notes and miss the tone by a little bit resulting in a sour noise that will drive you crazy.

And I still get to play in a damn good band.

Now that is tolerance.

Rock n' Roll guitar demands a lot of sting bending. You hear it all the time but you probably don't recognize the bending because it is so common in doesn't register in the ear. Hell, I don't recognize it when I'm listening and I play that damn thing.

Bending a string takes a lot of getting used to, and strength, if it is going to sound right.

Sometimes you bend a half tone, sometimes a full tone and sometimes you bend a tone and a half.

And, you HAVE to end on a true tone. There in lies the problem! I either don't bend enough or I over shoot and bend to much. No time to evaluate, put in correction and get it right. Too FAST!!! For me anyway.

Well, I'll get it eventually, just not now.

Thank God for tolerance or I wouldn't be on stage with this group. Oh, and a scarcity of guitarist helps too!

We have been having some cultural issues with The Oasis, which is owned and managed by a Panamanian lady. She is an astute Panamanian business lady who owns half the town.

When we play, we draw a big crowd, for here anyway.

This inundates the restaurant with 100 or more people, arriving at the same time, all wanting their dinner at the same time.

Now the cultural problems start.

Panamanians don't mind waiting. They have waited their entire life. It is hard wired into the culture.

Gringos don't want to wait. And they get pissed if they have to wait.

The Panamanians are baffled that waiting is a problem.

The first 2 times we played The Oasis, gringos waited up to 3 hours for their food.

Many refuse to return and were very vocal about telling others about this problem.

The owner took some steps to speed things up and about 80% of the time, it works.

Unfortunately, the final 20% include all the muckity mucks with the big bucks. It is always the big wigs who fancy themselves as a gift to Panama who don't get served in a timely manner.

Wouldn't you know it.

Now we have another 25 people...very vocal, influential people...who refuse to return to The Oasis.

Unfortunately, we may have to stop playing at this venue. I am still amazed that we draw as many people as we do, having had so many people burned. But, this will catch up with us soon or later so we may have to nip it in the bud before our reputation gets crushed.

Too bad, it is a great place to play.

We shall see.

Oh, by the way, it was a great night. Most people had a ball.

An Estrogen Community

Women in Boquete have an incredible amount of fun.

This is a strong female community. They organize all sorts of fun activities.

Movie afternoons, beach trips, wild--incredibly wild--nights out with some sort of dress up theme doing a bar crawl, coffees and it goes on and on.

All while the men sit back and keep a low profile.

Let me give you an example.

Yella invited 13 women for a Sunday morning get together. It started at 10 AM and was so wild that before noon one of them had broken a lamp, end table and floor tile. Now, I'm not implying that these parties are alcohol fueled because most are not...but this one had a couple of sauced ladies in the midst of a majority of sober ones.

I am getting to my point soon...

All 13 women had spouses. All 13 men spend the morning alone. I went to the beach, alone. None of us even thought about calling one of the other men to doing something.

Men are simply socially inept and poorly motivated in the get together realm.

(I'm not writing this from my pity pot. We men have our ways of socializing too. We just aren't pros like the women.)

Women not only have fun but also do the most amazing things that benefit people and the community.

One lady started a spay and neuter clinic that each month handles about 100 dogs. This village used to be overrun with starving, flea-bitten dogs. No more. She powerfully impacted the quality and health of the dog population.

And there are at least a couple dozen other ventures equally impactful.

So, I take my hat off to the ladies of Boquete! Way to go! I am impressed.

An Excellent Panama Day

The sun is shining...I've missed it...maybe the rainy season really is ending.

We came home last night from dinner at the Rock, a 5 star restaurant, a birthday party for a good friend with magnificent jazz...hard to beat this anywhere in the world..only to find no electricity.

Ugh!

A few notes on Panama electricity...

The power goes off several times a day. Sometimes it "bumps" hard, you can actually feel it. All our electric devices have surge protectors and the bigger stuff like the frig has a voltage limiter which cuts off the power if the voltage goes to high or low. And our computers are on battery backups to condition the power.

Even with all this protection stuff gets fried.

If the power goes off for the whole town, we don't worry too much because it will be repaired soon.

But if our power goes off and the town is good, we've got problems.

We live on a short line off the main line that no one at the power company knows about. And calling them to report the problem is dicey because my Spanish is poor.

This morning at 6 AM I called and got a guy that spoke enough English to take my report.

Now the fun starts.

I start getting calls...where are we...how far past the school are we...what side of the road are we on...etc.

All in Spanish.

This is a huge problem for me.

I was in a restaurant having just ordered food when I get the 4th call. I find someone who speaks English and have them translate. I have to rush home and try to find the crew on the way and get them to my house.

Remember, there are NO addresses where I live...it is all done by landmark.

I find the crew, lead them home and they fix the problem. All before 9:30 AM.

Wow!!! Was that slick.

Normally we wait all day and night, only to never get electricity. Then we call again. They pull a new work order. And we wait another day.

This was so fast.

I love electricity! I am for it. Bring it on.

After that, I did a whirlwind tour of town and got an incredible amount of errands completed.

What a great morning!

Anytime you get something done, much less on the day before 3 holidays, it is a wonderful day in Panama!

Drumming Season

Noise, noise and more noise.

And disruption.

November is the biggest holiday month for Panamanians. They celebrate 2 independence days and a couple of days for bloody battles resulting from their independence.

A total of 5 official holidays with a little stretching of the days for more fiesta!

Last Sunday afternoon, I went into town to drop off my trash. No can do...a parade with much drumming was in progress, shutting down many roads, so no trash disposal.

This parade was a warm up for the November holidays.

November is the transition month from the rainy season into summer, windy and dry days.

Most of the parades are in the rain. Kids everywhere, with drums and maybe one or two trumpets.

Always in the rain.

I don't know how they do it. The rain is chilly and can soak you to the bone with the cold.

But it always goes on.

December has fewer holidays even with Christmas, a big deal in a Catholic country. And Mother's Day is in early December. This is also a huge day for Panamanians.

In spite of the Latin machismo culture, this is a matriarchal society, so mom is celebrated in a big way.

All in all, two months of holidays!

Very good for the people but very bad if you are trying to get anything done!

One interesting law...banks can not be closed for more than 3 days. This week the banks will stay open for Wednesday morning, then re-open Saturday morning for a half a day.

A good custom...money makes the world go around.

Stuck Both feet in My Mouth

I should know better.

I am actually aware of a few quirks in Boquete, so I should have avoided this social blunder.

But I didn't.

When I was at the the gym, an acquaintance walked in. He had a little, year-old boy with him that looked Panamanian. He is about 75.

So I asked him if the boy was his grandson and he said, a little indignantly, no this is my son.

Whoops!

There are more than a few old gringos who marry young Panamanian women and have babies when they are in their 70's and sometimes 80's.

This is not a good idea for many reasons but it happens with alarming frequency.

There is the age issue and the fact that the gringo will not be around for the majority of the child's formative life and will not see the kid marry.

But there is another cultural issue that rarely gets considered in the "heat" of the moment.

When a gringo is considered wealthy...believe me, most gringos are wealthy in the eyes of Panamanians...they are expected to support the entire extended family...dozens of brothers, sisters, parents, cousins and on and on. Normally 30 to 60 people.

This of course does not occur to the starry eyed, horny gringo. Even though they appear to be intelligent, successful men...judges, district attorneys, airline captains and others.

But believe me it occurs to the young lady and her parents!

Families in Panama are extensive and close, frequently living in adjacent houses with more than one family unit in each house...crowded by our standards but completely normal to them.

They will be a little bit better off financially after the marriage of their daughter to the fossil-bait, old codger.

So, there will be a few young children without their gringo father running around this community in the future.

But, I didn't have to make the social mistake and rub it in this guys face.

Sun!!!!

14 days without any sun...socked in, foggy, drizzle, rain and torrential rain...and cold, for here.

This is unusual weather. Even in the rainy season, even in the rainiest month of October, we get sun most mornings and rain later in the day. In October, it rains almost every day.

But we get sun in the morning.

Not for the last 2 weeks.

A breeze is in the air and sunshine with bajareque (cloud forest mist) pushed down the continental divide into the upper reaches of Boquete, leaving the rest of us in sun.

This is our summer (December through March) weather...too early really. But I'll take it.

This morning was a paradise morning.

Breakfast at Olga's with a friend that I rarely see in the morning.

Then I left Olga's and ran into a friend out on the street so we got caught up on everything.

Then a walk around the village...in the SUN!

As I passed Amigo's, I saw the owner and his wife...so of course we talked.

This required some time because he just this last Monday re-opened after being closed for over a year for renovations.

Yes, that is Panama. Nothing happens fast here.

They have an incredible new facility.

Their open area is on the opposite side of the wind! For 4 months of the year, wind is a big issue here. Now they have the ONLY open area, covered from the rain and protected from the wind.

And it is HUGE!

It must seat about 150 under cover. Incredible! And there is a raised stage for the bands with a large dance floor.

We discussed our first gig at this new facility. Can't wait! Should be a hoot.

I continued on walking, through an area of town that I've never walked.

This neighborhood is a couple of blocks off the highway so the noise from the trucks and the marching bands and every other way of producing LOUD noises...which is the Panamanian way...is blocked from the houses.

Lush jungle foliage, bright yellow houses with brick red roofs. A beautiful area of town. And I've never seen it.

A delightful morning!

With SUN!!!

And it is snowing in our old home of Colorado. That makes it so much better!

Smiles

We played at Las Ruinas, our favorite venue, last night.

We were a little worried because we haven't played a gig for 2 months and it is the heart of the rainy season when the fewest people are here.

We had a couple of rehearsals prior to the gig. Basically, they went well but, oh man, there is a difference between rehearsal and LIVE.

Our worries about the rainy season were unfounded. We had a full house from the first note and the crowd held for our entire 3 hour night.

We were a little rusty with the music though.

We are getting old and it shows. Memories are not what they used to be. Attention span is somewhat reduced. Focus is a little harder. And it takes it's toll physically standing up for 3 hours and pumping out the energy.

But, all in all, things were pretty good in the quality area...I don't think they could hear the problems.

The audience was special.

About half the audience was new. Where do all these people come from?

I looked up several times during playing and made eye contact with someone smiling at me. The eye contact was held and beamed out.

Making eye contact is not unusual.

What was unusual was the warmth and length of the eye contact. I have never experienced this. I asked Yella is she had the same experience and she did.

These people were having fun. And a lot of it. And they weren't the drunken sort. No one seemed to be overly intoxicated. They couldn't stop smiling!

This was pure fun!

I had a blast!

In spite of all the things that went wrong. The fun, the joy of the audience transcended all the issues.

Great night!

The Rainy Season

I love rain.

I lived in a semi-arid high desert for 32 years, missing rain all those years.

I love the rain!

So I didn't think the rainy season effected me in a downer way.

I went to the beach today. There is something about the beach that is magical. Surreal. Calming and grounding.

I looked out at the horizon and noticed the darkness of clouds building to a big rain in the distance. There was a low overcast of thin clouds with half sun and half shadows under the clouds at the beach.

Then I noticed a slight depressing feeling with the dark distant clouds and the lack of full, bring-it-on sunshine.

It occurred to me that the rainy season is slightly depressing, even for someone who loves rain.

That shook me up. I didn't think the rainy season got to me like so many of the people that complain loudly about it.

I was at the beach with a friend...Yella couldn't make it. She wasn't all that enthusiastic about going to the beach because she can't go in the water yet with her wound still open.

So I went with a friend, the drummer in our group.

We walked up the beach toward the building clouds on the horizon, collecting a beach dog on the way. The dog was a large lab that was chasing the sand crabs and following us. I enjoy watching a dog have fun.

On the way back we stopped at the Las Lajas Beach Resort, a big name for a small 10 room resort with a pretty good restaurant, right on the beach.

We stopped for coffee and got a carafe of coffee for $2 total. What a great way to hang out at the beach.

The rest of the day was wonderful.

The sun came out full on bright. We boogie boarded, ate a true Panamanian fish lunch. The fish is deep fat fried whole...head, eyes and all. It was delicious although I don't think it is very healthy.

We got back to Boquete about 5:30 with no rain anywhere alone the way.

That is a big deal in October, the rainiest month of the year!

I Retired from Band #2

Getting old isn't for the faint of heart.

In an effort to master the guitar, I joined 2 groups. I know, I know...if anything is worth doing, it's worth over doing.

The first group is with Yella and is a Rock n' Roll band with a big sound. The second group is a vocal duet with two ladies that is more a folk rock group with a lighter sound.

As I practiced to develop the music for these two groups, my left fretting hand started to get problems. Like arthritis and tendonitis and several other itis's.

In an effort to find out what the problem was, I limited my guitar playing to 30 to 45 minutes a day for a month with small improvements. Then I quit playing for 3 weeks and the hand healed up.

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that I suffered from over playing and "getting older."

Today, I called the members of group #2 and quit. Very hard to do. Given the enormous amount of work that goes into rehearsing a band that can play for 3 hours. And they were great people to play with too.

They were all understanding and I don't think there will be hard feelings. The piano player did say that he thought band #2 will have to add another player before they perform again. He doesn't want to carry the total instrumental load which I understand.

Good luck to them for finding someone.

I have been playing all week for 30 to 45 minutes a day. My hand is still in good shape but I can feel it on the edge of slipping back. We rehearse tomorrow for 3 hours so that will be the litmus test.

I can't wait to try out my new toys that I bought will in Colorado!

And it will be fun to play with the band again!

Steve Jobs Died Yesterday

Why would I blog about Steve Jobs in this blog?

Because life in a remote, 3rd World nation is made easier through technology. And Steve Jobs impacted this technology more than anyone I know.

I was a died-in-the-wool PC user my entire career...up until the last 3 months of my career.

I used PC's because the software available was geared to business and that's what I did, business.

Six months before we moved to Panama, I bought a new PC notebook, with Microsoft Vista on it. I was so angry at the impossibly bad operating system that I ran out and bought a MacBook.

Best thing I ever did in the area of computers!

Once I used an Apple product, experienced the intuitive ease of operation, the stability with no re-booting required, no viruses, and all the incredible software like Garage Band, I was hooked for good.

No way will I go back to a PC...although I hear that Microsoft 7 is good, very Mac like.

When we were visiting Panama before we moved, with a PC I would try to connect to a WiFi service at the various restaurants and fail. My friend who was using a Mac would connect, automatically with no extra effort. I would have to hire an IT Tech to set my machine up FOR EACH WiFi spot.

That pissed me off.

Steve Jobs was clearly a genius. A visionary. And probably a little bit crazy, a requirement for true social changers. Sanity is over rated anyway.

As I watch CNN this morning, and hear and see all that Steve Jobs impacted, I get a little weepy from the loss. People like this can not be "replaced". They are unique...a one of a kind.

Rest in Peace Steve Jobs...

Rain!

The rainiest month of year has started with a vengeance.

It has rained every day this month, although today the rain didn't start until 2 PM. So, not too bad...if you like rain.

I met the gardener this morning and got him working, then I went into town to eat breakfast at Olga's.

I ate alone until one of my favorite couples came in to eat.

He is 92 and she is in her early 80's. Not only are they function but they are also vibrant.

She is a Texas girl and he is a southern gentleman. She speaks her mind without any editing which I find delightful. He keeps his council inside, while enjoying her outspokenness.

She is famous for saying about a new woman in town, who made everyone her enemy in about one week, "Someone is going to kick the shit out of her!"

Gotta like that straight talk...and she was right. The new woman fled the country in about 3 months.

I had no intention of sitting at Olga's for 2 hours but they are so much fun, I let myself drift along for a while.

When I got home, the gardener was using his machete to trim the grounds.

Why the machete?

He had our Weed Whacker repaired over the last 4 weeks. When he tried to fire it up, it broke again.

This is probably a gardener's nightmare...having to use a machete all day.

Now that is work.

I took him back to town because it was raining and we found another repair shop for the Weed Whacker.

I hope this one does the trick. Or he'll be macheteing for a long time.

Metamorphisis

It's the rainy season.

It rained this afternoon...naturally. I like the rain.

Now, it's a little after 6 PM, the daylight is limited. The fog has lifted and I can see across the valley to the base of the volcano and I can see down toward the ocean past David.

I just walked out on my porch to get a better look. Gorgeous! Lush, verdant green, wet and soft.

I have this thought, "This is where I live, this is where my home is, this is my country."

(Not that I have abandon my US citizenship or disowned the US in any way. It is possible to have 2 countries as "home")

But, now, this is my country.

And I love it!

I am acclimated to the humidity and spring like temperatures. The driving here now seems normal...unthinkable when I first arrived. I have great friends and more.

This is home.

Yella is still in the US until Friday, so I talk to the dogs. Am I going crazy? They are great listeners. And Emmy will talk back to you too.

So what do you do on a rainy afternoon...

I fired up my new Digitech multi-stompbox pedal for my guitar. This thing is a computer, just what I needed, another computer. But, oh boy, it does the job.

I am playing with it each day so I can become automatic using it. When you are on stage, everything will go wrong if it is not automatic. The smallest things de-rail you. Like no light on the guitar neck, or a perfectly good cord goes "bad" and you never really know why.

I am starting to feel like a real guitar player. Hmmm????

I am so grateful that I have this opportunity to live a retired life, in a place of adventure and explore new hobbies.

It took almost 3 years to feel "normal" in a foreign country.

But I made it.

Yay!

Home!

I don't recommend traveling sick.

I was up before 4 AM yesterday and today to catch airplanes. Hanging out in either over air conditioned buildings or humid walkways and taxi cabs. That really bites.

I arrived in Panama City last night at the hotel by 8 PM. My friend was staying at the hotel for some business so I was greeted by him leaning over the restaurant balcony and waving. That was nice.

I sat on the balcony with him. It was hot and humid and I had a fever, sweating and trying to be civil. I didn't do a very good job. I went off to bed at 9 PM.

Finally, I arrived home at 9 this morning. The dogs went nuts. I was grateful to be home!

I don't think I physically feel any better but I am so much more comfortable at home.

I am having trouble adjusting to the humidity. I'm sure, in a day or two, all will be normal.

Traveling sick is no fun.

I already have 2 invitations to go out tonight. I think I will stay home and vegetate.

I picked up the guitar a few moments ago. Man, am I rusty. I haven't played in almost 3 weeks. My hand feels good but my fingers won't do what I want them to. What do I expect, huh?

Even though the travel was difficult, things went very well. All my flights were on time, all my luggage made it home, all my rides were there and I was able to find a taxi to hail at 5:30 this morning, not an easy trick in Panama City. Couldn't have asked for a better trip logistically.

Ahhh...it is good to be home.

Now I just need to get well.

Bitter Sweet US Trip

Getting seriously sick for the better part of the trip was a definite bummer. But it did point out something that wasn't very personal for me in the past.

I have always had health insurance. Not now. At least in the US. We do have insurance in Panama.

So if Yella or I were to get hospitalized, we would go bankrupt. One little stay and procedure in a hospital now runs in the $100,000's.

That is a huge deterrent to returning to the US. I don't want to risk our small nest egg for a visit under that potential disaster.

So returning to the US will be rare.

That is too bad because I have many wonderful friends and family in the States.

All of that is depressing.

And it makes feeling warm and fuzzy about the US difficult.

Just to give you a frame of reference, major open heart surgery in Panama would run between 20 and 30 thousand dollars. Not cheap but not a disaster either. Of course this would cost well over a half a million in the US.

I really didn't want to get off on a dissertation on the health care industry in American but I now find that it dictates our relationship to the US more than anything else.

Shit!

I loved seeing my friends and family. That was the great part of the trip.

I won't get to see them much in the future and that sucks.

How can one industry control so much of life? It doesn't seem fair.

Ya, I know, life isn't fair.

Thanks to all my friends and family for a heartwarming, loving visit...in spite of the health stuff.

A Much Needed Blog

I need to write a blog but sure don't want too.

As soon as my feet hit US soil, I started to feel bad, physically sick. This progressed into one of the worse illnesses I have had in my life. I was locked in the motel room for 6 days, no sleep, no food, no joy.

A strange thing has hit me over this mess. My emotions have been raw and on my sleeve.

I was so bored, and sick and tire of being sick and tire, that I watched The X Factor, for gods sake!

The last contestant of the first night of The X Factor was a kid 70 days out of rehab. He had the glow of joy of the newly sober...a deeply moving though fragile and tenuous state.

He launched into a hip hop song that he wrote. It was so humble, authentic and exuberantly joyful that tears were streaming down my cheeks. The judges were beside themselves with appreciation. This was a truly magical event. I wish this kid well.

I have to confess that the next night I watched, gasp, Charlie's Angels. Take it from me, even if you are bored spit-less, it's not worth it.

The little time that I have been able to get out, I have been re-connecing with my old friends, some of them going back 30 years. Each meeting was heartfelt and inspirational. I love my friends. And, absence does make the heart fonder.

Yella had an accident at the storage shed and tore her leg open to the bone. It has required daily treatment for a week. Needless to say, she is not getting much done either.

We are one worthless pair.

It is almost like the universe is telling us we don't belong here anymore. I long for home.

I am used to a proud, cocky US and I return to find a subdued, confused one. So many homeless wandering around the streets. So many people worried and baffled. Most people won't even talk politics...it is simply so ridiculous and bazar that it isn't worth it.

This is going to sound strange and may offend some people, but the level of wealth, even in such a severe recession, is beyond most countries in the world. Believe me, I am not ignoring all the hardship but I offer this perspective.

The US is one wealthy nation compared to the rest of the world.

Well, this has been a disjointed blog for sure. Let's blame it on illness, OK?

Back in the USA

It's starting day two in the US.

Arrived to a rain storm of legendary magnitude for Colorado...over 4 inches of rain the evening we arrived. In Panama during the rainy season, we get 4 inches most days. But, this is Colorado, a high desert, so the rain was needed and caused problems.

It is also cold by our standards with a high of 53 degrees yesterday. Feels like the holidays to me.

I just looked out the window at the incredible view of Pikes Peak covered with snow! We couldn't see this yesterday because of the low hanging clouds and rain. What a view! I do love Colorado in the summer. The rest of the year sucks and I mean sucks...cold and grey for 8 months...blah.

What's my impression of the the US after being gone for 2 years?

The roads are as wide as football fields and COMPLEX. I have to re-learn how to navigate the proper lanes to get where I'm going. Very confusing, and the traffic is FAST!

So many businesses, mainly the mom and pop variety, are no longer in business. Every time I try to meet someone at an old coffee shop or restaurant, I arrive to a closed business.

That is sad.

And the tension!

I forgot how fast I lived when I was here. It's kind of like sticking your fingers into an electric socket...a constant buzz.

Some of the old twitches and tension mannerisms have returned already. I have a sore neck from tensing it.

I had no idea how much the pace of life in Colorado impacted me. I don't care for it anymore.

The best part is seeing friends and family.

We got to meet our week old granddaughter, hang out with our daughter and her husband, and I've visited with a friend. These old relationships are steep in history and warmth.

Plus, we went shopping. So much we can't get in Panama or it is too expensive to ship it to Panama. We have saved up to buy this stuff.

When driving through Colorado Springs, I notice how much land is dedicated to shopping. Huge, vast tracks of land for miles and miles dedicated to big box stores, the same ones in the same groups occur every couple of miles.

How in the hell do they stay in business?

I'm getting ready for todays adventure so adios.

Rhythms of Life

Friday night I attended a show at our local theater.

This show was produced and directed by a friend of ours. It was a variety show with one act plays, monologues, skits and a few songs.

Overall, it was enjoyable. The house was sold out and the audience loved it. Gave them a standing ovation at the end.

Yella was in one of the one act plays and sang a song. She did great!

As I was sitting in the audience, I was thinking about the need in our community for live entertainment. We don't have a movie theater, TV is limited, the local DVD rental shop is sparse.

It feels like we have been thrown back to a time before all that.

Plus, the kids wear uniforms to school, the dogs run free...no lease laws here...people walk everywhere.

You know, I don't miss all the "modern" stuff. Sitting in a theater with more than a hundred people, actively participating in a presentation, chatting with friends before, during the intermission and after, seems so much more vital than new things.

Last night we went to Las Ruinas to eat and listen to our local jazz band. They were amazing. It blows me away to have this caliber of music in the jungle.

All this was on Friday and Saturday night.

This brings me to my blog point.

It is difficult to know what day of the week it is here. The old rhythms of life are gone.

No more getting up and going to work 5 days a week. No more holidays...at least US holidays.

Granted, we still have to have one eye on the days of the week because life still revolves around the day of the week...what is open, when to bank, when to shop.

But...

If you ask me what day of the week it is, I have to pull out my cell phone and check.

Sometimes, this is disorienting.

Sometimes, it seems so natural.

Learning Spanish

When I first got here, I asked each gringo if they spoke Spanish and how did they learn it. All except a couple of people told me they tried, went to school for 60 to 120 to 180 hours and just couldn't get it.

I judged them severely. How could they insult this country by not learning the language.

Then I tried to learn Spanish. I now have well over 100 hours of schooling. And I am a poor Spanish speaker. And frustrated with it too. And feeling like a failure.

Yesterday, I went for a walk. On the way home, a Spanish man was walking with me. We had a conversation for about 10 minutes.

I was flabbergasted!

I understood about half of it...enough to communicate. And I heard him and responded.

Wow, where did that come from?

As it turns out, there are four distinct things to learn in a language...all very different.

You speak, of course. You listen. Very, very different activities.

When you speak, you can take the time to formulate your sentences. When you listen, it comes at you with speed, allowing no time to think.

As it turns out, for me, reading is the easy part. About 30% of the words are similar in spelling to English. The pronunciation is VERY different so hearing it takes all new learning but reading is easier.

Then there is writing...I'm not even approaching this yet.

Oh so slowly, I am learning this language.

After reviewing my learning experiences, I am going back to Rosetta Stone.

For raw communication, vocabulary is most important and Rosetta Stone is the best way for me to learn vocabulary.

You see, if you know the words, and your grammar is really bad, they still can understand you. But if you have great grammar and don't know any words, there is no communication.

The schools focus on grammar. About 90% of the time is spent conjugating verbs. In Spanish, a very complicated endeavor. I left the last 60 hours of school more confused and less able to speak then when I started the 60 hours.

I'm going to focus on vocabulary now.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Getting Old

Retiring in Panama is an adventure in re-inventing yourself.

As you know, I got into acting in theater a couple of years ago. That came out of left field because I have never had any interest in acting, especially in the dreaded community theater arena. I avoided it with a passion when I was in Colorado.

But I did it.

How? They couldn't find anyone else to take the part.

Then I decided to become a lead guitar player and enter the dubious world of Rock n' Roll screaming guitarist.

If anything is worth doing, it is worth over doing. So I practiced and rehearsed too much for this time of my life.

Enter now...old age.

My left hand...the one that frets the guitar...has developed major problems with tendinitis and every other -itises.

This is disappointing because music is a passion for me where as theater is not.

I am going to have to quit my second band, I've already stopped my guitar lessons and I have minimized my practice for the first band.

All in an effort to rejuvenate my hand.

I hope it works! I love to play guitar and rock n' roll.

Why did I have the abundant opportunity to play in 2 bands? They couldn't find anyone else to do it.

The point of this blog is more about the nature of retirement than the specific activities I've been involved in.

Retiring in an exotic place has afforded me opportunities that I don't think would be available in the States.

Not many bands would let me play with them because my skills are too weak. No theater would even consider me because they have plenty of aspiring thespians in the US.

I recommend finding a place that has a shortage of skilled people to draw from for retirement. There will be more opportunities to try new things.

Via la Panama!

Panamanians Love the Elderly

I was walking into the Tuesday Morning Gringo Market and Meeting...more about this later...and I saw a Panamanian lady helping an old gringo lady.

The local woman was about 40 and the old lady is in her 90's. The lady was holding the old woman's hand, smiling and talking to her in a gentle, affectionate way.

The old lady looks up and asks, "Where are you from?" The local lady says, "I'm from Boquete."

This indicated that they didn't know each other and had never met.

Yet still, the Panamanian lady acted as if the stranger was a family member or long lost friend.

That is the way of Panamanians.

They respect, honor and appreciate the elderly. And children, in the same way.

This is one of the most endearing qualities of the Panamanians.

The culture has a built in admiration for grandparents and children. They are treated tenderly with love.

How I would like to have this quality too!

Another quality of Panama is CHANGE.

Always change. It can be so aggravating.

Just about the time you think you know what to do and expect, it all changes.

Grrrrr!!!!

So frustrating, but that is the way it is.

The Gringo Market used to be huge. Several different types of unique bread, all kinds of jewelry, homemade soups, jams, pot pies and more. Organic vegetables galore.

That all changed when the local officials started to demand health certificates and inspections.

Out of the blue, this came charging down on the market.

Most vendors where not interested in the extensive training and hoops they were going to have to jump through.

So now, the market is less than half what is used to be.

Why? Boquete saw a way to make money off the gringos. All this health stuff required licenses and training which cost a lot of money.

Panama is obsessed with extracting money from people because their taxes are insufficient to run a city or county government.

I don't begrudge them the money but the red tape is mind numbing.

Here's a tip of the hat to the lost great Gringo Market. May it rebound and prosper in the future!

The yin and yang of Panama.

Panama giveth and Panama taketh!

Discourse on Standing Ovations

In my life, I've had 3 standing ovations.

All of them were totally unexpected.

I think everyone should get at least one in their life. It is definitely a peak experience.

My standing ovations were not for my virtuoso performances or magnificent talent.

The first, when I was in the 8th grade, happened while I was performing at the oh-so-dreaded annual kids piano recital. No one wants to attend one of these. Hours of sitting through laborious, young talent.

I was playing piano on one of those rickety old fold up stages used in schools in the 50's and 60's. They were so unstable and wobbly that I am sure no one uses them any more.

There were 2 huge potted plants on the stage with an old, heavy upright piano and me. I was playing a bouncy song called The Donkey Serenade. The left hand had to bounce up and down the key board, causing my body to sway vigorously.

I was not skilled but enthusiastic. As I played, the potted plants started to sway, more and more violently as the song progressed, requiring 2 people to lunge at the stage and catch them before they toppled. This all happen with my thunderous end of the song. Long on enthusiasm and short on skill but...

A standing ovation.

The second one was during a performance with the first band Yella and I put together shortly after we got married. We were playing in the Ozarks at a resort. Our guitar player was not only very good, but a little bit of a prick.

I was playing congo drums and he was playing guitar. He kept speeding up the song, trying to run me into the ground. I was utterly caught up in the moment, banging on those drums to save my life.

Ultimately, he couldn't play fast enough to make me look stupid.

The audience erupted in a standing ovation. More to acknowledge me succeeding in the face of his mean spirited challenge than my talent.

The third one happened last month while our band, Anything Goes, was playing at Las Ruinas.

It was a magical night...great audience, in one hot set of dance music. We introduced a new song, Oye Como Va by Santana. Great song, fun night.

I had worked on the song for 8 months and was finally ready to play it in public. So off we went.

It was a great song, we played it hot and fast, the crowd was ready to party and I got through the damn thing.

It wasn't a real standing ovation because everyone was already standing and dancing...the entire place, inside in the restaurant and outside in the parking lot, were up and jumping around. The ovation went on and on, with many cat calls of encouragement.

So what is my point?

None of the performances that caused the standing ovations were for great performances but they acknowledged success over adversity, or unbridled enthusiasm or playing over my head.

My reaction to each one was the same...I was surprised and caught off guard, physically knocked backward to the edge of the stage, and awed, and humbled.

It is a grand privilege to be involved in something like that.

People love seeing success over adversity. They love to root you on.

Yella's Birthday

Yella was in a play on her birthday so we waited a couple of days to celebrate.

We decided to go the The Rock, the most upscale, high end restaurant in Boquete.

I have avoided going there because of my experience with the restaurant during their Grand Opening over a year ago when we presented the play, Sylvia. We actually did the play in the restaurant to a max crowd of 60 people each night, for 6 nights. We sold out every night.

The management was so stupid about everything, and aggressive and angry to boot, that I vowed to never eat there.

This place is owner by a German company out of Panama city. Germans are reputed to be difficult to deal with and my experience validates that reputation.

Aggressive, unreasonable, belligerent people.

Well, never say never.

This last Monday night, John Day was playing jazz at the place so we decided to go and support him.

We almost didn't get a seat, the place was full...on Monday night...only part of it was the draw of the music...they have been pretty busy for over a year.

The service was impeccable. The food was beyond description. I really don't know how anyone gets food to taste that good. Couldn't be good for you!

Add the music, a light rain, a room full of people we know and the quality food...

A wonderful night!

One Hell of a Night and Morning

I attended another Chiriqui Players production last night, "Trip to Bountiful". Once again, a home run for the troop...this time with an added twist...music.

John Day--an internationally renowned musician, composer and artist--wrote, directed and performed the music in this play. The songs were old protestant hymns and gospel.

This is not my music, for sure!

Yella was the lead singer with 2 other ladies doing the harmony and one playing harp. Paul Day played bass.

Yella told me about the rehearsals for this music. She is a 40 year pro and she was being challenged constantly about minor--oh so seemingly minor--bits of timing with the singing.

The result was nothing short of spectacular!

Emmy Lou Harris, Linda Ronstadt and Dolly Parton move over. There is a new trio in town!

The vocals were so tight, it sounded like one magnificent voice.

At one point in the play, I thought I was listening to recorded music but it was live. It was that good.

The rest of the play was as good as the music portion.

This morning, I rode my bicycle into town. I haven't done this in a year.

It was a gorgeous day for a ride, so off I went.

When I got to town, I toured the local gathering places and landed at Olga's, of course!

I had coffee with the director of the play who is a friend a well as a remarkable director. We yukked it up about life and rehashed the play. Fun!

Then the male lead in the play showed up, he is a young guy (about 30 years old) and told us he was meeting his twin brother and a bunch of traveling co-eds for breakfast.

They all showed up and the place got a lot more energetic. Let the hormones flow!

I also ran into our keyboard player and his wife so we talked about music for a while.

On the way home, I ran into some friends that had seen the play and they were blown away. They said, "We had no idea these plays were this good!" I said, "Where and the hell have you been? This has been going on for over a year."

I also didn't know how many people love these old hymns.

I missed it. I was raised Catholic and we had different music that I would prefer to NEVER hear again.

Kinda Like It Here

Change can be challenging.

A fact of life, for sure. Everything changes.

Most of my thoughts about living in Panama are positive and pleasant and satisfying.

Here's an example...

This morning I stopped into Romaro's supermarket. It's Saturday, big time local shopping day and the place is mayhem. The isles are jammed with customers and product stockers...don't know why but Panama stocks its shelves during the day when the place is packed.

As I'm standing in line for the cashier, I think how pleasant it is to have nothing to do but wait.

Relaxing.

Now that is definitely a non-gringo thought!

Maybe I am going native.

It helps to have a good mindset.

Being gringo, I am definitely a go-getter. I love to have a sense of purpose and something to accomplish.

You know, "Getter Done!"

And I do have a couple of big things in my life down here.

Learning how to play lead guitar is making a dream come true. I didn't even know I dreamed about being a lead guitar player. It became evident as I started to learn.

I was hooked on guitar playing the night we played Santana's Oye Como Va and everyone in the place and all those in the parking lot were smiling, dancing and yelling their appreciation at us.

That did it! I was hooked!

The accomplishments and milestones playing the guitar give me joy, and at times, move me.

Nothing better than being moved by life!

The other activity is starting a business in Colombia.

This is an intellectual endeavor. I like to use this most questionable part of me, my mind. As always, the mind is a dangerous thing...something to be avoided at all costs.

But it is fun to use! And I am learning about aspects of the world that are truly amazing.

So, my life is full of satisfaction.

Maybe that is coloring my outlook on living in Panama.

Who cares.

I love it here!

Too Many Trips To Take

My good friend finds/buys used cars for gringos.

He solves a big problem for most of us. Panamanians don't keep up maintenance on their cars ...it's just not in the culture, probably because they don't have the money for it, among other things.

Buying a used car is dicey because there are so many hidden problems with the lack of maintenance.

Plus, most of us don't speak enough Spanish to conduct a multiple thousand dollar transaction. My friend is proficient in Spanish.

He has been a wonderful resource for us.

Everything is different here. Mechanics, although very cheap, don't buy their own parts. So you not only have to speak to the mechanic, but you have to go buy your own parts...in Spanish.

He is going to the Caribbean side to buy a Hilux pickup next week and needs a driver. It is a great trip over the continental divide plus we stay the night in Bocas del Toro which I love. And he pays the expenses.

Can't beat that!

Now, I have a trip to Colombia shaping up for next week too.

I have never been to Colombia and I want to go.

Plus, I am starting a business in Colombia. This trip is for the business.

I will get to see one of the most beautify countries in the world and advance my prospects of making some money.

Ah, but these trips conflict.

Hmmm????

I don't want to give up either one. But, business come first.

If it comes together, Colombia here I come.

Little Things Are a Big Deal

There is probably much in common with Boquete and small towns everywhere.

If something is scheduled during a week...like a chili or mexican cook off, a play, live music at a restaurant, etc...it is the talk of the town ALL week.

Anticipation is rampant!

Then, when the event happens, a big portion of the community shows up.

I learned this about small towns by accident in the 70's.

I was in rock band which played all original music. That, of course, meant we didn't get any gigs because people wanted to hear what was popular, not some unknown band's original music.

One of our members had family in a small town 3 hours from our "big" city. He put up two--and only two--posters announcing a dance that we put on in this small town.

We rented a couple of off duty cops for security, a meeting hall for the dance and we took a few friends to man the doors and collect money.

We had no idea what would happen.

We were busy setting up and doing sound check for a couple of hours before the doors were opened. We had not looked out to see if anyone was coming. We were busy.

When we opened the doors, 400 young people rushed into the place.

We were blown away!

Where did all these teenagers come from?

They loved us even though we played nothing that they recognized.

That's when I learned about an event in a small town.

It doesn't take much to get a lot of people out.

Oh, by the way, this band continued to set up dances in small towns for a couple of years, continued to play original music and made more money per gig that the most successful bands in the "big" city.

Now, how is that for entrepreneurship!

So last night, a jazz band played at Las Ruinas, the best venue in Boquete.

Jass is not a type of music that is a big draw. Most People don't listen to jazz.

Doesn't matter here.

Big, enthusiastic, appreciative crowd.

The music was spectacular!

Believe it or not, one player was internationally known and revered. He is now living in Boquete for a couple of months.

Aren't we lucky!

Sitting in a 3rd World nation, in the Jungle.