Chiriquí Chatter

Most of what I am going to write, I think I have written before. However, since many people never read the archives, maybe it is worth discussing some of these things again. Maybe not, but here goes.

I got to thinking about this because of my lunch discussion with Tom McCormack and some comments I have received recently.

I guess the general topic is adapting to Panama and its culture. It takes time to understand Panama, so it is good if you try to learn what the Panamanians do and try not to stray too far from what they do. After you understand what a native would do, and why, then you are better equipped to make the right decision with your actions.

Helping the needy - There are plenty of needy in Panama. Many are in need of compassion more than money. In fact for many, giving them money is not the best for them. Some examples might help. There are beggars and then there are beggars. If you give some of them money, it will only be used to buy cerveza as opposed to something they should buy.

I saw one such individual outside of McDonald’s one day. He was dirty and smelly and thin as a rail. I know, if I had given him a dollar, it would have gone for boose. Before I left McDonald’s I saw that he was still outside asking for money, so I bought a burger and fries and gave him the bag when I left. I don’t know if it helped, but it helped me and I know where the money went.

You will see a lot of handicapped beggars. They have to beg, because they cannot work. There is one man that you will see often at Super Baru. He is missing a leg. He always appears to be clean. He never asks for money, but he is always appreciate when he receives it. If I have change after I buy whatever I went for, I will see if I have change left for him.

There is a lady you will see often in the area of stores around Parque Cervantes. She is always pushing a crippled and disfigured man in a wheel chair. As far as I know, her only way to support him is through donations.

There are various children’s organizations in Chiriquí. They always need money. You can also donate your time to go and visit with the children. They need love and affection.

You will see a large number of indigenous natives of Panama begging. From what I have seen, it will always be the woman. She may or may not have children with her. I NEVER give money to the children if she sends them to ask for it. I may be wrong, but I feel that it is teaching them to beg as opposed work. I have to admit, that sometimes I feel so compelled to help some of the women, that I do give them money. When you see a sixty year old Indian lady, who you can tell is starving, a quarter will mean a lot to her.

Recently, there was a native Indian that was living in the US that was looking for ways to help his people, The way he wound up doing it was to provide them with seed to plant crops and feed themselves. I think that was an intelligent idea. They don’t need handouts. They need assistance to help themselves and therefore feel better about themselves.

Tom spoke of taking tours of people to a area populated with one of the local indigenous Indians. Many of the tourists asked how they could make donations to help them. He said it would be better to buy the bread that the Indians had made to sell, because that gave them a sense of purpose and worth and that was better than a hand out. He said buy the bread and when you leave feed it to a stray dog if they didn’t want to eat it. I agree. There is nothing worse in life than to feel that you have no purpose.

You will see many individuals selling hand cloths or other small items along the streets. You may not need one, but remember that this person is trying to earn money instead of begging. I have purchased several hand clothes, inspirational cards, pencils, and other items that I didn’t need. I felt it might have prevented one person from resorting to climbing through a window to find money.

A word of caution. If you are driving in your car and someone is selling items such as I just mentioned, or asking for donations do not roll down your window, reach in your pocket and pull out your fat wallet to make your purchase. Get your money first, put your wallet back in your pocket and then make your purchase. The first method has resulted in many a wallet vanishing faster than if David Copperfield had waved his hand. The same is true about giving money on the street. I always keep my loose change in a pocket and never pull out dollar bills in public. Advertising draws attention and if you flash money, you are advertising.

Along with that same line of thinking, never let anyone enter your car or loan them your cell phone. I remember reading of a gringo in Chiriquí, that was selling his car/pickup. I don’t remember which. A person responded to has post for sale and asked to see the vehicle. He drove ot the agreed to location, which was in public, and the prospect looked over the car/pickup. Before the seller left, the buyer asked if he could borrow the seller’s cell phone to check on something related to buying the car. Since the meeting had been normal, the gringo handed him the cell phone. Another disappearing act of both buyer and cell phone. Had it not been in a public place, the car/pickup might have disappeared as well.

Dressing in public - I typically dress down. I don’t dress shabby, just casual. If you are going to a government office, then it is better to never wear shorts. This can sometimes cause you problems, and it is disrespectful of the office. In almost all other locations, nice walking shorts is all right. I am a little handicapped in the wardrobe department since I came to Panama. I lost 50 pounds to come here and therefore had to get rid of all my suits. I guess that is good and bad news.

Be courteous to the locals – This seems like an obvious thing to do. However, I know how frustrating it can be when you are trying to talk to a local, to give or get information, and the communication is not working. Remember, they are frustrated that they can’t understand you as well. Talking louder will not make anything more understandable. Do your best to learn some Spanish. This really helps. A Panamanian will be more tolerant of you and even try to help you more if they know you are doing your best to become a part of the community. Many of them want to learn English, but expecting that they are the only ones that need to become educated in a foreign language is irresponsible. There are many schools to learn Spanish. I took lessons from Darío Quiroz. In a couple of months, I felt better about my ability to fit in. He became a good friend and we have continued to get together. In fact, I am visiting one of his English classes today to allow them to practice listing to another accent speaking English.

The Internet has some good resources as well. http://www.mangolanguages.com is one of them. It is free.

Be Careful Transacting Business or making the decision to move to Panama – Again, this seems like a common sense thing to do. However, I have heard too many horror stories, by gringos as well as Panamanians, about being taken to the cleaners by a person that they thought was their friend.

You need a lawyer that is working for you. Check the references. Even then, some people will have experiences different than others. Panama is a small country. Don’t expect anything to be a secret. Anything of importance will be known by many in an very small amount of time. If you are making a purchase, do your best to pay the same as a Panamanian. This isn’t easy. All gringos appear to Panamanians with a tattoo of a “$” on their forehead. That is why it is recommended that one spends a reasonable amount of time in Panama before deciding to make a purchase.

This serves two purposes. One is that you will be able to talk to more people and learn where the better buy is. The second is that you may not like living in Panama. You need to experience both the rainy and the dry seasons. What could be worse than making a move and finding out six months later that you are absolutely miserable. Don’t come to Panama expecting perfection. If you do, you will be deeply disappointed.

A gringo walking around David or Boquete is like a single flower to be nurtured by a hive of bees. You will attract an enormous number of people wanting to let you in on this one time deal. You will be approached while just walking around. I have seen gringos that have made purchases of property withing the past years for the sole purpose of flipping their purchase. To me these people are like the carpetbaggers that went to the south following the US Civil War. They add nothing to Panama and leave nothing but destruction behind. They don’t care about Panama and they don’t care about the people that are going to be their victims. Just watch. You will meet them.

Obviously, this is one of those posts that can go on forever. Maybe it is time for me to stop. I am sure many comments will fill in other areas or add to or alter what I have offered up.

Now go out and have some fun. I intend to.

Tags: Reflecting