LESSONS LEARNED OVER AND OVER AGAIN

One thing about stepping outside the box is that you really get to know yourself. This morning, I was reminded one more time of a lesson I obviously haven't learned since it keeps creeping up on me - being content, thankful, and at peace in all things. I've written about how our couches and kitchen table and chairs are daily reminders of this lesson. By the way, we are still eating around the coffee table and sitting on the floor. Our kids love it. Our 6'6"guest, last night...not so much! (Sorry, Dan). As I got dressed this morning, once again, I was reminded of how superficial I can be. Please bear with me.

When we moved here, we each had one suitcase to fill with clothes and personal items. So these items were chosen with great care. My torso, arms and legs are very long. So finding clothes that fit can be a challenge, even in Calgary. (Thank you, Jacob, for your long fitting T-shirts!). I went through my shirts this morning and discovered that 7 of the 10 I brought have holes right at the belly button level. At first I thought, moths. But the holes were all in the exact same location on every shirt. The Team of Women Surviving-Thriving in Panama (or TTWS-TP) think the little holes may be from the dish soap we all use here.



The dish soap comes in a round plastic container in the form of a hard puck. (See photo below). You put water on a sponge, rub the top of the soap with the wet sponge, and wash your dishes. I think this is very popular here because it washes dishes well in cold water. Most people do not have hot water taps at the kitchen sink. Anyways, you'd think I could go out and buy new shirts. Not so. All the shirts here fit like tank tops on me. So, as I stood before my mirror this morning putting on my favorite holey turquoise shirt, I am challenged one more time to be thankful in all things.

:(

Forgive me for my pettiness and superficial revelation! This blog entry was more of a vent for me.

Until I blog again.

Linda

CARNIVAL

One of the many thing I have learned about living here is that the locals love to have a good time. Yesterday was the last day of the Dolega Carnival. Since entertainment for the kids is very limited here, we decided to head out to the Carnival for lunch. Carnival looks like this: food kiosks everywhere serving "meat on a stick". This meat is remarkable good, however you taste the sauce for days afterwards! People at this celebration wear as little as possible because of the heat. Everyone gets soaked by fire hoses, water guns and anything else that can spray water, or beer in some cases. Loud "boom boom" music that shakes houses to their foundations, and crowds of people. This carnival is a little different from the other festivals here. The Dolega Carnival is known for the wet factor. Getting wet and getting everyone else as wet as possible. There is a fast moving canal down the center of town people float down . As you float down, you try to get the people on the sides of the canal wet. The cleanliness of the water is questionable. (I know, I have really lowered my standard! FYI The kids showered right after swimming.) If you are in the gated area you are allowed to spray anyone, except police, and no one can get upset. The local fire truck is filled with water and they spray this hose constantly during the 5 day celebration. Fire hoses are powerful and hurt when the water hits you.

Really, words do not do it justice, here is a short video.

Sydney, Alayna, Josh and Chris floating down the Dolega Canal

Note the fire hose spraying into the dancers!

This was so funny! This lady is celebrating her birthday in the canal. Her whole family, probably around 12 people in all, and the cake in the canal! Her husband is trying to light the candles. Eventually the cake landed in her face!

There are ropes under each bridge that you can hang onto it you want to stop floating down the canal. Here Sydney and Chris are hanging on waiting for Alayna and Josh.

Until I blog again,
Linda

OVERNIGHT GET-A-WAY

Need I say more? Just beautiful!

The kids completed their 4 week intensive Spanish class. As a way to celebrate, we decided to go to the beach and stay overnight. This just happened to coincide with a gig Paul was playing at. The drummer, Caesar, has a condo on the beach and invited us to use his condo pool. We were able to stay in the adjacent hotel. We drove @ 90 minutes down the mountain to the beautiful , yet power Pacific Ocean. We swam in the Ocean and the 2 pools,boogie boarded, had a bon fire on the beach and ended the night with great jazz music and fireworks. Here are a few shots.

Paul's jazz band

It was a great mini vacation! At the moment Paul is on the Caribbean coast for a few days. Two coasts in one week, life is goooooood.

Until I blog again.

Linda

PICTURES

Here are a few more pictures I thought you all may enjoy! Our Internet is speedy again thanks to Jose and Emmanuel who came by 2 days ago and serviced our Internet.

This is a flower arrangement Syd put together. All the flowers are from Lynda and Ken N's garden. Syd love to go there and put a new creation together.

One thing I just love here is there is always something in bloom. This tree is huge and has bright mustard colored flowers. They are all over David. You can also see different vegetation growing on the branches. So beautiful.

This is a typical view from our driveway in the afternoon rains. Some days we have double rainbows. This picture does not do the colors of the rainbow justice.

Here is a picture of our lazy Sunday afternoons! Me, Macey, Maulin and Syd.
One thing about living in a place with not much entertainment is that the kids become very creative. This "fort" was built by a bunch of kids after church one Sunday. Pretty cool! They played for hours.

This little restaurant serves a big plate of rice, salad, beans, plantains, and either chick, fish or meat (depending on the day) all for $1.75. Can't beat the price! Paul, Ken and Lynda enjoy a quiet lunch.

I am on a roll, Internet is really fast. Better blog some more entries.

Until I blog again.

Linda

DAY IN DAVID

Last friday was a big day for me. Paul was away overnight and woke up early to head out to sea to fish with a couple of friends. I had the car and a to do list that was impressive. Well, impressive for Panama. Dentist, post office, buy a bathing suit, groceries and home. I realize that might seem to be a short list, but let me explain.

David is a 45 minute drive down the hill. I had never been to this dentist before and most places do not have addresses, simply directions like: Left at car lot, right at second big rock, drive a little ways and look for the two story building. We found the dentist no problem and the kids got their teeth cleaned. We also were informed that Syd needs 4 teeth removed and braces. Not a shock to us.

Josh getting his teeth cleaned

Syd getting her teeth cleaned

After the dentist we had some lunch and then went looking for the post office. Two months ago, my sister Judy sent us a package of some home schooling supplies, English kids books and DVDs. All very coveted here. We heard through our small little town grapevine that “the slip” was at the local post office. Great and not so great. Getting “the slip” only means the package is sitting in customs in David. Last time we got a package, it took Paul 3 hours and $35 to receive it. I had planned for a 3 hour event. We had high calorie snacks, water, books, coloring stuff and were ready to bunker down. Not necessary, we were in and out within 1 hour and that included a 30 minute wait as the customs lady was eating her lunch. As well, no cost, not sure why, maybe because I gave the custom lady some jujubes from our package.

Feeling pretty good about the day so far, minus the part about fighting with a sales lady about what size I was,( I will explain later) I headed outside to find a parking ticket on my windshield! I ask the security guy where can I pay this and he tells me where. I actually know where to go. Again, no addresses here. I drive over and line up. I left the kids in the car with the a/c on as it was smoking hot and they were pretty much done. 10 minutes later, parking ticket paid, only $1! Sweet. I am also feeling pretty good about the fact that everyone seems to be able to understand what I am saying or asking. This is a huge deal for me, to be understood, especially when speaking my 4th language. AT this point I am singing “I’m Every Woman ".

Now about fighting with the sales lady. I must prelude this by saying I am not very proud of this moment. I had to get a new bathing suit. No big deal right? We all walk into a store and I ask for womans bathing suits. Now an interesting thing occurs when you walk into a store here in Panama. You basically get a personal stalker. A woman who works there tags you and follows at a very close range behind you wherever you go. A little nerve racking at first, but then you learn to use their expertise. We head to bathing suits with Joshua sighing very loudly and saying “I can’t believe you brought me here!” I see a one piece that looks ½ decent. I grab a medium, my usually size. My personal stalker grabs my medium right out of my hands and says “NO!” She shoves a 2XL into my hands instead. I have to say, I usually do not get caught up in the whole size and label thing, but something snapped in me. I grab the medium and said “SI” and shoved the 2XL bathing suit dramatically back in her hands. We go back and forth , then she brings in reinforcements, tag stalker shopping. I look hopelessly at Syd, she just shrugs. I reluctantly take the 2XL and am lead to a dressing room. My stalker opens the door but then says “No es poco” (It is small) and I get lead to a larger dressing room. At this point I am feeling like a hippo as I slink into the massive dressing room to try on my massive bathing suit. Guess what? It fit, really well. I knew I had put on some weight, but come one, 2XL. We head to the cash and I pay and slink my way out of the store.

We are all hot and sticky, I am a little flustered from the bathing suit experience so we decide to go out for a coke. (A bib deal for my kids) The lady at the coke counter asks me if I want Coke Zero. I say no and she looks really surprised and reluctantly passes me a sugar laden coke. To add insult to injury, I headed to Reys (a local grocery store) to get a few odds and ends. In the check out line I meet a lovely lady and we start up a conversation. During this conversation, we somehow we end up talking about plastic surgery. She gives me her plastic surgeons name and location!

So, my self esteem got a little shaken, obviously not too much because I just finished an ice cream and it is 10 pm! Maybe that’s how I got to be a 2XL! Saying that, the sizing here is very odd. A wee friend of mine is normally size 7 and she had to buy a size 14! Needless to say, the tags on my new bathing suit have been cut out!

Hope this gave you a good laugh.
Until I blog again.

Linda

BEFORE AND AFTER

Some days the kids pack up and head over to the aquaponics farm Dead Wheat is working on. Because it is dry and windy, the kids always come back flithy but oh so happy. Alayna sneezed after this first picture was taken and black boogers flew across the room and landed on my arm! Ewwwww!

After working on the farm. Zion, Josh, Alayna, Syd, Ellie and Paul

Clean as a whistle.

Sorry internet gone again. Every since the week of severe winds our internet has been "ify". Will be sure to put on more pictures soon. Hope all of you are doing well!

Until I blog again.

L

MOBILE SPANISH CLASS

I had a very interesting "start" to my day today. We've been experiencing a wicked storm here in Boquete, in fact, throughout most of Panama, for the last week. Gusty winds and rain. So much so that electricity, phones, water and internet has been out for 6 days in some areas! We've only had 2 days without electricity. We've been fortunate. Our Internet has been intermittent and the cellphone coverage has been poor. Huge trees - with 10 feet diameter root systems - have been uprooted. Roads have been blocked because of fallen trees. Electricity poles have snapped under the power of the wind. The power of the wind is quite amazing. A few times, especially at night, it has felt as though our roof was going to lift off. Our trampoline actually got some air one night. We woke up one morning to find it balancing precariously on the fence and half in a tree. I was so relieved that it wasn't too badly damaged.

Anyways, all that to say I was driving after dropping the kids off at Spanish school this morning and saw this wee little woman with her 2 wee children walking into the gusty wind going no where fast. I stopped and offered them a ride, which they gratefully accepted. Of course, I didn't realize that this agreement meant dropping off the children at grandma's and saying "hi" to Grandma! "Elsa" told me that they had been waiting for 45 minutes as there had been no taxis all morning. This is unusual as taxis typically drive up and down the major roads all the time. Probably a big tree blocking the road. So, I started picking up as many people as I could fit in my car and drove them into town. It was a hoot. People crammed into my car turning my 5 seater vehicle into a - well, more than a 5 seater - as I practiced my Spanish and everyone else is practicing English. We all introduce ourselves and everyone smiles and nods when I tell them my name is Linda. Linda means beautiful in Spanish and blond hair and blue eyes are unusual here. Hands are flying, sound effects everywhere, people pulling out pictures of their children, Moms and Dads. I am confident they all think I am crazy! It was a great way to start the day!

Practice Spanish: Checked off the list. Now must deal with laundry and dirty floors!
Until I blog again.

Linda