Surprises that is. First surprise, Panama has a chapter of University of Pennsylvania Alumni Club - didn't think to ask anyone why, so it remains a mystery (to me). Next surprise, the entertainment that pops up in little ole Panama - this time a performance by the Penn Glee Club, sponsored by the alumni as a fund raiser. The Penn Glee Club was founded 147 years ago and has performed in 37 countries on 5 continents - pretty amazing. Sounded interesting so . . . Read More...

Tags: Culture • Music • Story

Except for my three plus year stint in the Army I can't recall ever having attended a Memorial Day Ceremony. But, for some reason (perhaps because we now live in foreign country) it seemed appropriate that we make the effort to attend and show our respect to those who have contributed so much to securie the freedoms we tend to take for granted. It was a short ceremony (45 min), at the Corozal American Cemetery, with several speakers, including the U.S. Ambassador to Panama and music by a small U.S. Air Force band, in a gorgeous setting. It was a nice ceremony and I'm glad we took the time to attend. Read More...

Tags: Special

I've had a couple of people ask how we get our mail in Panama and what our address is, so I thought I would tell you about our "system". Be warned - it's not easy to explain so this post is WAY longer than this subject might be if I could just tell you "send our mail here".

First a couple of interesting (maybe) tidbits - Panama has a postal service, but they don't provide mail delivery to your home (might sound strange - but that's what we had on St. Croix, even with the USPS). You can get a box at the local Post Office, if you have one nearby (we don't) and they have a box available (not likely, because of the demand). We don't really have "normal" street addresses - no 435 Main Street type addresses in Panama (gee, just like St. Croix, again). Panama, like many countries in the world, has never instituted a traditional address system, even in the big cities. It's much more akin to the rural areas of the U.S. where directions are given using landmarks. Lastly the "courier" business in Panama is big, correspondence (and bills) are all delivered "En mano" - by hand. Read More...

Tags: Tech • Services

If you are a frequent visitor you may have noticed that the sidebar has moved from the right to left side on this page. It also remains in a fixed position as you scroll the main content - something I've been trying to accomplish for some time. Occasionally these kind of changes have unforeseen consequences so please let me know if you encounter any display issues and what browser you are using. Also. if you have a strong preference - old vs new layout, let me know.

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Tags: Tech

We just returned from the National Theater where we enjoyed a concert by the Panama Symphony with guest performers the BDB Duo. This was the first time we had heard the full symphony - they were very good. The Spanish Embassy sponsored the evening and although you needed an invitation, it was free - just had to e-mail the Embassy and then stop by to pick up our invite. This was probably the sixth concert we have attended at the National Theater and they have all been free, amazing!

Lest you think we have joined the "high society" set in Panama with all these theater outings. Read More...

Tags: Culture • Music

Time has another article on Panama - Panama's New President - if you are interested.

Tags: Politics

I've done a couple posts on Panama's famous (infamous) Red Devils but Time Magazine just published this article - Panama City Tries to Exorcise its Red Devils. You might find the article interesting, but I think they came up a little short with the accompanying picture so I've included this short video.

Take care.

Tags: Culture • Street Stuff