The Dentist with the Wandering Boobs

I went to a new dentist recently for a teeth cleaning. He came highly recommended by my coworkers. Interestingly enough, he is
Panamanian, but he sounds 100% Cuban. He´s got confidence and swagger that reminds me of the Cubans from Miami...not that I know many, besides "Pitbull" (the rapper). In fact, he told me "I don´t sound Cuban, the Cubans sound like me!"

I get in the dentist chair and instead of the "Cubano", I get a young woman dentist. She tells me that she will be my dentist today. She was easy on the eyes so I didn´t mind. Overall, she and
her assistant did a good job. What suprised me however was that
throughout the cleaning, as she reached over to clean my teeth from
diffrent angles, she put her breasts against my head! I´m not
talking about once or twice, it was like 10 times. I was trying my
best not to laugh!!!

For the record, she was not trying to seduce me, nor did she set her breast firmly on my head. However, they came into contact with my head many times. I don´t think she even noticed.

Donald Trump Comes to Panama...Perfect Time for a Flood

Recently, the new "Trump Tower" opened for business. It is a huge
building that is a mix of apartments and hotel rooms. I´ve been inside one of the apartments. They were very nice, but I wouldn´t rent one. I don´t like the area, because it smells like dirty water in that part of town (Paitilla/Punta Pacifica) AND the streets flood all the time when it rains.

Ironically, on the day they open for business, Donald Trump is here
and the streets flood terribly...right in front of his fancy hotel.
This is because Panama city has a terrible drainage problem.

Whenever it rains hard, the streets flood and the water can get up
to 1 foot (or more) deep. I don´t understand why they didn´t fix
this problem...at least in front of this brand new fancy hotel.

I heard through the grapevine, that the hotel is currently losing
lots of money! Not enough people are renting the place. On top of
that, the building isn´t even finished! They are still doing
construction on the upper part of the building, plus one of the
apartment elevators isn´t even finished....Is it me, or DOES THE TRUMP TOWER LOOK LIKE A...???????

Today I Saw the Strangest Thing...

An ambulance (with its siren blowing and lights flashing) had to stop and and pay a toll.

Call me crazy, but if an ambulance is on its ways to an emergency, shouldn't it be allowed a free pass through the toll?????

In my world, by the time the ambulance gets to the toll booth, the gate should already be UP so the ambulance doesn't even have to slow down!

In Panama or the US, It Doesn't Matter...

because sometimes I feel like the 3rd glass. :)

Online Banking - I Love It!!!!

I use one of the most popular banks here in Panama.

Sometimes things take forever here, but thank GOD for online banking. I pay bills, transfer money, etc. all from the comfort of my home. It may be no big deal to you who live in the States, but here its invaluable when you compare it to standing in line for 30 mins just to pay your electricity bill.

Today, I Was That Idiot Going in Reverse on the Freeway

I'm always making fun of people who drive in reverse on the freeway. My thinking is that its dangerous and stupid. Well guess what I did today?

On my way to Colon, I took the South freeway when I should've been on the North. Not a big deal under normal circumstances, but this freeway has a $2.50 toll which I refused to pay.

As I'm driving in the wrong direction, my buddy sees an opening in the freeway divider. But of course he tells me this when I've driven 200 yards past it.

Well I was left with 2 options, 1) keep going, waste time and get shook down for $2.50, OR 2) put it in reverse and go back. My plata (money) is tight these days, so the choice was obvious.

No one was coming, so I hit reverse and made my move and drove 200 yards in reverse on the freeway. I made it back and went through the opening with no problem. The only scare was the police car that was coming as I pulled onto the "correct" freeway. If it was a police car, luckily he didn't come after me.

Kids, don't try this at home.

Fear of Natural or Curly Hair

Its very uncommon to find women (of all races) who don't straighten the **** outta their hair. I believe the perception here (in Pan City) is that wearing your hair curly (or in an afro or anything that's not straight) is not attractive. Its unfortunate, but I believe the mentality is that European beauty is the standard, so if you don't have that look, you are not: educated, professional, attractive, well groomed, blah, blah, blah.

From time to time I see women with a hairstyle other than bone straight and it makes me think "Wow! A woman who has the courage to not follow the crowd." AND If I see a woman with an afro, I am super impressed.

To all the woman out there, ALL types of hairstyles look good. Don't buy into the foolishness! Break free from the brainwashing that society, your parents, of whomever has done to you!

Chiva Party Bus - Adults Only...No Kids On This Bus!

Chiva Party Busses aka "Chivas" are yellow school busses that have been modified:

• Seats have been taking out
• Outside has been painted
• DJ Booth installed
• Full Bar installed
• Hand straps have been attatched to the ceiling
• A few bench seats have been added
• Strobelight added

Chivas are essentially a party on wheels. You and your friends get on the bus, and party just like you would do in a normal club (dance, drink, socialize). The only difference is this bus drives all over the city at 5 mph with the music blasting.

I did it with a bunch of friends for my birthday and it was a lot of fun. It was basically one crowded dance floor that was driving all over the city. The bus stops on occasion for bathroom breaks, but essentially for 2-3 hours you are on that bus partying.

The hand straps are for you to hold onto while the bus is moving. However the bus moves so slow that you don't really need them.

The bus can get quite crowded, so I highly recommend renting one that has AC. Otherwise you will be trapped with 50 sweaty people on a bus. In addition, unless you wanna hear reggaeton all night, give the DJ your music in advance.

Nice Clothes but...WHEN ARE YOU GONNA DO SOME REAL EXERCISE???

I'm putting the Panama YeYes on blast here. (YeYe = people who have or pretend to have lots of money and influence)

There are so many folks that I see at Parque Omar, Cinta Costeira, the gym, CrossFit, etc wearing pretty cool looking workout clothes and matching shoes. The girls will be wearing a brand new color coordinated cute outfit, while the guys are also wearing brand new everything.

One problem my friends, a lot of these folks are NOT DOING ANY REAL EXERCISE!!!! They look nice, but lots of times are:

• Just standing around the whole time
• Walking or jogging super slow
• Talking
• Barely lifting a weight
• Not breaking a sweat
• Run 20 feet and then stop and walk
• On their Blackberrys
• Basically doing nothing OR doing something so lightly that they are not getting any exercise

Its hilarious!

With my athletic, martial arts and sports background, I know what a real workout looks like and most of them are not doing one. In fact, I've come up with a theory:

The fancier the workout clothes, the higher the chance that they are not really do any exercise.

I've had a few come to my martial arts class and not even make it through the warm up!

Jiu Jitsu and Hooters???

In Panama city, there are quite a few Jiu Jitsu academies:

• Spartan
• Gracie Barra
• Carlos Vincente
• BJJ 507
• Panama Fight
• Fight Shape

I currently train with one those academies. I'm still very new to the jiu jitsu scene here, but from what I can see, people seem to be pretty serious. After taking only 10 classes, I entered a tournament here and actually won for my weight class and level (white belt).

The first guy I beat by points. I was able to take him down and escape his submissions with my strength. The second I beat with technique. I got him down and into side control, then I eventually got him in an armbar.

Jiu Jitsu is great, I just wish I had more free time to train.

FYI, the medal I recieved has "Hooters" written on it. The tourney was not sponsored by Hooters, nor were there any Hooters girls there. :(

Paying Parking Tickets - Cute Girls Get to Cut

Its kind of hard to get a parking ticket here. There are not many parking meters around the city and those are the only places I know where you can get a ticket.

Well I got one. I read the back of it and is said that the fee is 25 cents per hour until you pay it. That's nothing if you pay it right away, but if you don't then it starts adding up by $6 every 24 hours. To pay it you have to go down to the one the city buildings and stand in a LONG line and wait forever. Luckily I was with a cute friend, so the security guard let us cut.

While waiting in line, I got to see some of the real people of Panama. Everybody except one person was some shade of brown. My friend told me that this place is a reflection of what Panama really looks like, unlike where I work and live.

Dry Cleaners - Oh You're Fancy Now

I'm fortunate to be able to live in a nice area of Panama city. One of the luxuries of living in this area is having easy access to many conveniences (gas station, pharmacy, shopping mall, restaurants, dry cleaners, etc).

Near my place, there are 3 dry cleaners. Two of them are Chinese "hole in the walls" and the other is pretty modern and high tech. I used to go the the Chinese ones because the prices were about $1 per shirt. However, I noticed that they didn't do a good job of pressing my clothes. In other words, my clothes looked rumpled and a little wrinkled once they gave them back to me.

After many disappointments, I decided to try the higher end dry cleaner. This place is more expensive and charges about $2.40 per shirt. The benefit of this place is they send you a text message when your clothes are ready AND they have a 24 hour self service window. With this self-service window, you enter your code and then the machine finds your clothes and delivers it to the window.

I could see something like this being in Japan, but never expected to see it here. I never even seen anything like this in the US.

Casinos - It Ain't Vegas

There are lots of casinos around Panama City. From the outside, some of the casinos look huge, but when you go inside, they are not that big. I've been to Vegas and even some local casinos in Washington, and they are all way bigger than the ones here.

Most casinos will have slot machines and some card tables. Some of the casinos have dance floors and live performances. Some casinos are more for locals (Fiesta), while others are a mixture of tourists and prostitutes (Veneto).

I'm never been a big casino person, but I'm not impressed by the ones that are here.

Car Repair - Dirt Cheap Here

If you can find a local mechanic to fix your car it should be pretty cheap. You mainly pay the cost of the parts, and almost nothing for the labor.

Another perk of this town due to the underpaid workforce. :(

Throwing a Party? If Don't Want it to be Dead, Listen Up

In Panama, lots of people have to work Saturday (usually 8am till 1pm). I've learned through trial and error, that if you want a to plan a party or event do it either Saturday night or Sunday during the day.

Because people work Saturday, most folks will not want to go to or stay long at an event on a Friday night. For that same reason, Saturday during the day is a terrible time to host an event.

Your best bet is to throw a nighttime party on Saturday and throw a daytime event on Sunday. Keep in mind, that there are always unknown factors that can ruin your plans (such as rain, the city's water has been shut off, family obligations, etc.)

Disappearing Employees - Another One Quit Again?

The employee turnover in Panama city high!

There is a Texaco gas station by my house. I'm not kidding when I say that every month, the person that works behind the counter has been replaced with a new face.

This is very common in many places of service oriented business (restaurants, gas stations, department stores, toll boths, etc). Some get fired, some quit, some just don't get paid enough to care. I'll let a Panamanian tell you the reason why, but I'm just stating what I've observed on MANY occasions.

It would be a nightmare for me if I ran a business where I always had to hire new employees.

Car Washes - Great If You Don't Mind the Wait

To get your car washed, its about $4 to $6 for inside and out. A great deal and they do a good job (they even armor all your tires and interior). The only issue is that you have to wait about 30 minutes to an hour for them to clean your car.

If you make time for this, then its not a problem, but if you want a quick last minute wash, forget it! In other words, I've yet to find a place where you can just drive in and wash your car yourself in 10 minutes by dropping a bunch of quarters in a machine. Nor do they have a place where you drive through while spinning brushes and machinery wash and dry your car.

Those things doesn't exist here...manual labor does.

So if you are in a rush, or you want to wash your car at night...too bad for you!

Where Are the Active People Over 30???

I've been noticing a trend...

The active people around here are mainly under 30 years old. By active, I mean:

• Going to the gym regularly
• Running in the park
• Training martial arts/crossfit/etc.
• Dancers (including bboys)
• People who go out to nightlife social events

Where I lived in the US, I was used to people being very active in their "Dirty" 30's. It was very common to find people who were 30+ doing all of the things (and more) from the list above. Here not so much...

Whenever I participate in various activities and events here, I'm usually one of the oldest people. In fact, a few weeks back, I entered a Jiu Jitsu tournament and because I'm over 30, they wanted to put me in the "Senior" category!!!! What??? (FYI, I entered the regulary category and beat the 20 years olds that I "fought" to win first place).

For me and my friends back home, 30's are the new 20's, but here, 30's seem like the new 40's.

Some might argue that the mentality here is more of "get married and start a family soon" than it is in the US. While I know it might be a little harder, what law says that you can't be active if you are married or have a family???

Cold Showers - Better Here Than in the US

One of the perks of being in a tropical location is the weather. Its always warm here. That fact really can make a difference when you are put into certain situations that would piss you off in other places.

Case in point:

Months ago, my water heater stopped working. Translation, no hot water for anything in my apartment. Not a big deal for washing clothes, dishes, drinking, etc. However for showers, that could really suck!

For 1 month, I was forced to take cold showers. Well ironically, whenever I took a "cold" shower, the water was still a slightly warm. It wasn't great, but it was tolerable. If this would have happened at my place back home, a cold shower would have meant a freezing COLD shower, but not here!

To this day, at times I take a shower and I turn the hot water off, because the cold water is fine.

Sometimes you just gotta appreciate the little things.

Free Pay Per Views - Boxing, UFC, etc...

One of the things I love about Panama City, is that most major boxing or UFC matches are shown on TV for FREE!!!!!!

Yes, the Pay Per View events that cost $60 in the US are shown for free on regular TV!!!!

Just last Saturday, I was in my house, watching my simple TV (fyi, my TV does not have cable and barely gets 3 channels). I turned to channel 4 and the Mayweather vs Ortiz PPV boxing match was on!!!

To watch UFC events, you need to have cable, but once you do, you can watch the UFC events through a Mexican channel. Which still...is a steal! Because you are already paying for cable, but now you get $50 UFC events for free every month.

My First Two Car Accidents in Panama - Yes I Hit a Pedestrian

The rules of the road here are followed...when convenient. From time to time, you will see people:

• Driving on the wrong side of the road
• Going in reverse on a freeway (yes you read that correctly)
• Honking if a car doesn't take off 1 millisecond after the light turns green
• Driving the wrong way on a one way street
• Not stopping for cops at police checkpoints
• Pulling into the middle of an intersection to block traffic so they can turn left
• Etc.

I'll admit, I'm guilty of at least 4 of those...

You think there'd be tons of car accidents all the time, but ironically, there is not that many.

I was doing pretty well for the year+ that I've been here, up until 3 weeks ago.

ACCIDENT #1

3 weeks ago, I was trying to force my way across a busy street (Juan Diaz) so I could make a left turn. In doing so, I pulled up too far as a cab was passing and swiped the side of his car. No one was hurt, and the only damage was the cab's dented/scratched fender and head light, while my car had yellow streek and cracked headlamp case.

The cabbie said it would cost $70 to fix the damage. I thought about going through my insurance but then I did the math: Wait FOREVER for the insurance guys to show up and pay my $200 deductible OR pay the guy $70 and bounce! You do the math.

ACCIDENT #2

A little background first...

Pedestrians here in Pan City don't always walk on the sidewalk. A lot of times they are walking in the street or the side of the street, but still in the car lane. In fact, it quite common to see them walking in the street with their back to traffic (so they can't even see when cars are coming).

Yesterday while driving on my way to work, a car was on left, and a man was walking on the right side of my car lane. I thought I had enough space to fit between him and the car to my left...nope! I hit the guys arm as I passed him. I think it was probably my mirror that made the contact. I heard a loud thump and thought "Oh sh*t!!!" I looked back and they guy was still walking. He wasn't cursing or yelling at me, to my surprise.

Call me a bad guy, but I kept on going...

Diablo Rojo

A "Diablo Rojo" here in Panama is an old school bus that has been decorated with elaborate paintings, murals and lights and is used for public transportation.

(the bottom picture was taken from my car)

The "Diablos Rojos" are all over the place and cost .25 cents to ride. Lots of local Panamanians ride the bus, however some people say they aren't safe. I've ridden on one before and it was fine, except for a woman who pulled a knife on me. Actually, she had a knife in a grocery bag full of stuff and it started poking out towards my leg.

The Rojos are not comfortable to ride because its quite common for the bus to be jam packed (sitting and standing). A female Panamanian friend said that if you are a woman, there is a good chance you'll get groped while you move through the sea of people.

These busses go all over the place, but you better know where its going before you get on. If not, you might end up some place you don't belong. My only real complaint about the Rojos, is about the drivers! They don't believe in defensive driving. They cut you off, pull out in the middle of the road, block traffic and practically do whatever they want!! This would not be a big deal if they were driving a car, but they are driving HUGE machines full of people without seatbelts. I can only imagine if one actually had a big accident. I do remember seeing a newspaper article and picture of a guy who was run over and killed by a Rojo.

Love them or hate them, they do serve a purpose.

A Reason to Love Soccer...Even If You Don't

One word..."Supermarket"!

I'm not a big soccer fan, but I do enjoy it when countries are playing each other. Here in Panama, it seems like each week there some new big game on. Today it was "Real Madrid" vs "FC Barcelona". These are two very popular teams, but since I'm into country vs. country, this game is no big deal to me so I went about my normal routine and went to the supermarket.

The place was empty!!!! I shop at "El Rey" and the place is usually hectic. Lots of people (rich well kept wives, kids running around with their mini shopping carts, old ladys, etc), no parking spaces and long lines are the norm here on a Sunday. Not today!

I now have a new reason to like soccer.

Foxies, an Actual Hip Hop Club!

Two weeks ago I finally made it to Foxies, a hip-hop club in El Dorado. Me and my buddies rolled in their around 11pm. They played mainstream hip-hop for most of the night and then switched to Reggae as it got late. They had "hype man" on the front stage who was pumping up the crowd while the DJ spun. The crowd was mostly local Black Panamanians in their young 20s. This place is far from fancy like Calle Uruguay and Zona Viva. Everyone in there was vibing to the music and having a good time. Its the kind of place that "some" people might be afraid to go into, because they assume its unsafe...the place is fine.

I was all over the place that night because I was so happy to hear hip-hop music all night long and be in a crowd that appreciated it. I'll definitly go back...too bad its on a Thursday nights.

My only small complaint is one girl gave me a look and started going off on me because I asked her to dance. She started yelling something in Spanish about "I don't know you". Another woman thought I was Brazilian until I asked if she spoke English. Apparently I look nothing like a Panamanian which can be good and can be bad...

Beer Bottle Under the Tire = Get home at 6:30am

Was out with some friends...LATE night. As we were leaving the parking space, we ran over a bottle. Some ********* intentionally put a bottle under our car tire so we'd get a flat when we left.

My friends are Panamanian, so I asked "What about a tow truck?" Apparently either they don't exist here or my friends didn't know of any OR they didn't want to spend the money. We put on the spare, but of course it went flat right away too (bad luck that night). At this point in the night, the only option was to get a spare from someone OR take a ride with the flat tire to a 24 tire guy who would fix it. We got a spare from my friend's dad, but of course it was too small. Luckily, there was 5 of us, so some stayed back to watch the car while we continued the madness (apparently its not a good idea to abandon your car in certain areas and come back in the morning). We finally take the original tire to a 24 tire shop and get it fixed. After all this fiasco, I get home at 6:30 in the morning. Ironically, I was ready to go home around 1:30am.

Moral of the story, when out partying late night, check your tires before you drive off and make sure your spare has air in it.

The Panama Schmooze...Get Used to It

As much as I hate to admit it...its a fact! In Panama, it's all about the schmooze (aka networking).

It so click-ish here that unless you can schmooze your way into a network, you might be stuck on the outside looking in. Let me break it down.

Here in Panama city, its not about how talented, attractive, smart you are...its about WHO YOU KNOW. You could practically offer a service for free here and folks would still rather go to a place they know (or their friends like) and pay full price. I'm not exagerrating.

Unfortunately, its common here for people to just follow each other or only do whatever the "IN" thing is. To get ahead here, you have to get to know people...lots of people. To do this, you HAVE to schmooze. In other words, when someone invites you to an event...GO! By going as someone's friend/guest, you are introduced to that inner circle. Once you're introduced, you have to schmooze and make contacts. These contacts will help build your network, which you will need if you want to start a business, organize a club, get support for an idea you have, go out to parties, etc.

I personally like to be a "ninja". In other words, stick to the shadows and pop out when I FEEL LIKE IT. Uh-uh! That doesn't work here. Panama city is really small and unlike other places, if people don't know you, they rarely go out of their way to get to know you. I'm learning that I've got to do Panama on Panama's terms, not mine. You've got to be a visible and a schmoozer here.

Beer Pong in Panama

Got invited to a Beer Pong party. Never been to one cuz I'm not in a White fraternity (or a Black one either). An American friend invited me so I decided to check it out (on my way to watch the Strikforce PPV at the Sportpage restaraunt).

If you don't know what Beer Pong is...look it up on youtube, google, etc (I did).

Side note: I've realized that Panama is small and not a place where people go out of their way to be your friend...so if you wanna get to know people, you have to insert yourself into whatever is going on and make an effort to meet new people and try new things. As an outsider, if you don't take iniative, you'll find yourself BY YOURSELF. :)

The guy hosting the party had it on his rooftop apartment. The place was nice and the people were cool...I made some new contacts. The crowd was mostly Americans or Panamanians who spoke perfect English.

The host had 3 beer pong table setup in an empty living room. People were playing and getting into it. Not being a beer drinker, I just watched and networked a little (I learned some info about Panama that I can't repeat on here, but I can tell you in person).

At one point, 4 girls were talking about their "bitches" (little dogs) and how they're are trying to breed and raise them. Then the same girls starting "slamming" beers. AKA punching a hole in the side of the can and then drinking the entire can.

Oooooooookay...so that what its like at a frat party...interesting. This was the first time that I actually felt like I was in the US, here in Panama.

A Popular Politician Dies, Panama Declares Instant Holiday

Popular ex-vice president Billy Ford died of heart failure this past weekend.

A national holiday was declared two days later for today, Tuesday, March 22nd.

As you can see from the picture, in the past he was beaten in the streets for his political views. Apparently, he is well like by the Panamanian people.

I need to do my research about him. In the meantime, I'm gonna enjoy this surprise day off from work.

Hooters Panama

Went last night to watch the UFC fights.

Hooter Girls --> they were okay, but not very many.

Food --> you don't go to Hooters for the food (my burger and fries were decent).

Lots of TVs, showing the fight so you could see it from anywhere.

I expected the place to be crowded with rowdy UFC fans...nope. There were a few fans, but the energy sucked. I was the only one yelling during the fights. The place wasn't even packed.

Side note: The drunk Colombia guy next to me, kept harrasing me to go to "Portros" with him. He kept saying "There's lot of Colombian girls and they take their tops off!" I'm assuming it was a strip club... No, I didn't go with him!

Crocs! They're everywhere!

It's just my opinion, but I HATE these shoes. However, lots of Panamanian's love them. You will see lots of rich, poor and middle class people wearing them.

To be clear, I'm referring to the basic style (like in the photo with the cat).

Now I can make an exception for these ugly shoes if you are at the beach, washing a car, or anything wear your feet will get wet. I can even understand wearing them if you are running a quick errand. But an adult getting dressed up,and wearing them out in public to the mall, school, etc???

Truth be told, I shamefully bought a pair to wear once!!! For the record, I had no choice, I was in Las Tablas getting sprayed with water during caranaval. My shoes got soaked, so I wasn't gonna wear them the next day. So I bought a $6 pair of imitation crocs that I ONLY wore during carnaval while getting sprayed with water.

I want to throw my pair away, but I feel guilty being wasteful.

Pray You NEVER get into a Serious Car Accident in Panama City

Yes it happened to me! I was in the car with my girlfriend.

We were waiting at a red light, then BOOOOOM!!! An idiot taxi hits us from behind. Again, we were STOPPED at a traffic light and had been waiting for at least 30 seconds.

• It took me 10-15 mins to flag down a police officer (even though we were in a high traffic part of the city (Calle 50).
• The policeman takes the report, but lets the taxi guy go before the insurance company arrives.
• Our insurance, they don't show up for at least an hour.
• The insurance calls the ambulance, they don't show up for an hour an half.

Thank God it wasn't too serious, or we would've just died there in the street.

I heard there are private ambulance companies. These are worth investigating, because they might be your ONLY HOPE if you need immediate medical attention.

(I wish I was exaggerating all of this, but I'm not) :(

Avoiding Dealing with the Cops - My Advice to Visitors

If you don't have a Panama drivers license:

-> Only drive on the main streets.

-> Only carry your country's drivers license and a copy of your passport.

-> Keep your MONEY seperate from your ID.

-> Do NOT SPEAK Spanish, even if you speak a little.

The cops will hassle you for a second, but then they'll let you go once they see your passport and they know you don't speak Spanish (very important).

I would tell you my story, but its too long to write here.

FYI, if you live here, getting your driver's license is a huge ordeal, but once you have it, its worth it!

Cell Phone Fiasco - My Battle to get a Proper Cell Phone

FYI, this is gonna be long...

There are four cell phone companies here: Digicell, Movistar, Claro and Mas Movil.

(They will be referred to as Company AAA, BBB, CCC and DDD in no particular order)

My story:

-> Bought a $15 pre-paid phone with a sim card from Company "AAA".

-> Bought phone cards (with cell phone minutes) and use them on phone.

(one month later)

-> Got tired of texting and the limits of the above phone, so I bought a full keyboard Chinese (fancy Nokia imitation) cell phone and put in Company AAA's sim chip. This phone becomes my new pre-paid phone.

(after a while)

-> Decide that I want a Blackberry cell phone because many folks *NEVER* have minutes on their phone, but they communicate through free Blackberry instant messages.

-> Blackberry phones are $300 and up, so I refuse to buy one. Instead I consider signing up for a contract and getting the phone for free or around $40.

-> Company BBB comes to my job and offers cell phone plans. Their plans and prices seem high, so I pass.

(one month later)

-> Company BBB comes back to my job again. This time their prices have gone up even more. So I wait.

(some time later)

-> I lose my Chinese cell phone and now I'm back to the basic $15 phone.

-> Company AAA comes to my job and offers cell phone plans. Their plans seem okay so I give them my info and tell them I want a contract. The representive assures me that he will come back on Friday with the phones and contracts to sign.

-> He does not come back on Friday.

-> He does not come back Monday.

-> Even though he says he will, never comes back. After 2 weeks of calling and waiting I give up on him.

(moving on)

-> Now I start checking into Company CCC and Company DDD.

-> After waiting for 1 hours in the store, Company CCC tells me I need to work for 6 months in Panama before they'll give me a contract. Even though, I have a formal letter from my job saying I'll be working in Panama for 2 years.

(so I try Company DDD)

-> They say yes! Great! No, not great! They won't accept my the proof of employment letter because its addressed to Company CCC.

-> I go home and "White out" the name Company CCC, then take the EXACT same letter back to company DDD. Company DDD unknowingly accepts the letter (the refused yesterday) and gives me a cell phone.

That folks is all the hoops I had to jump to just to get a cell phone plan here in Panama.

Parque Omar - Little Oasis in Panama City

Parque Omar is a straight up "cool" place!

Its in the middle of the all the hustle and bustle of Panama City, yet when you enter you get away from all that madness.

Here's what you'll find:

• Good jogging path
• Pullup bars (my favorite)
• Situp benches
• Swimming Pool (but you have to get a Dr's note before you can swim) :(
• Small weight room
• Lots of greenery
• Juice Bar
• Vegetable Stand
• Lots of people jogging (in the evenings)
• Very safe (well at least there are lots of police)
• Extravagant decorations (for holidays)
• They even have recycling receptacles!!!!! (Uncommon for Panama)

On top of all this, you will still find SOME Panamanians with brand new matching exercise outfits and shoes, but BARELY doing any exercise. To them its more about the outfit than the exercise. :) They can also be found at the Powerclub and walking on the Cinta Costeira.

If they ever came to my class, they wouldn't even make it through the warm up. :)