Bonnie

The wardens have received several requests lately about when the embassy may have an outreach in Chiriqui so as to be able to have their U.S. driver's licenses notarized and save them a trip to Panama City. There are two answers here, and I think they merit repeating and distributing via this forum. 1) The embassy generally announces community outreaches no more than a couple of weeks ahead, sometimes a week ahead. So the wardens know only that far ahead. Just as soon as I receive a notice from the embassy about an upcoming visit, I publish it on News Boquete, CL, Boquete News on Facebook, and Boquete Community Group on Facebook. Be sure you look at one or more of these sides regularly, even daily. 2) Obtaining a Panamanian driver's license cannot be accomplished without a trip to Panama City. The U.S. license can be notarized at an outreach, but the process also requires a trip to the Panamanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs office in Panama City for certification. The full instructions, available on the embassy website but difficult to find except via the Search function, are as follows: "To obtain your Panama driver’s license: Make an appointment online, bring your valid U.S. driver’s license and a copy of both sides to the American Citizen Services (ACS) section. Licenses that are expired will not be accepted by the Panamanian Authorities. The fee for this notarial service is $50. Consular regulations require us to charge $1.00 each for photocopies we have to make in connection with affidavits. Take your valid U.S. license and notarized documents to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for certification. The MFA is located at: Plaza Sun Tower on Avenida Ricardo J. Alfaro (Tumba Muerto) by the National Bank of Panama. Telephone number: 511-4045 or 511-4046. Obtain proof of your blood type, if your driver’s license does not include that information. You must visit a lab certified by ATTT . Bring your residency documents, passport, valid license, notarized documents and proof of blood type to a SERTRACEN service center." Questions to the Boquete wardens about this or other matters should be addressed either to landis.boquete.warden@comcast.net or to me at ridgelandres@yahoo.com.

My son conducts research on and teaches university courses in climate change. He assures me it's real. But I don't think we want to get into that debate here.

You may want to add contact information, assuming that it's not the Newslady who has the dog.

Great info, Marion. Thanks so much.

April 23 Voting Workshop 2018 Mid-Term Elections Are you a U.S. Citizen in Panama who wants to volunteer to help other fellow Citizens register to vote in the 2018 U.S. mid-term elections? If so, the U.S. Embassy is hosting a Voting Assistance Workshop on Monday, April 23, from 1-4 p.m. at the Elks Lodge in Balboa. Participation in the electoral process, regardless of political affiliation, is a right of citizenship that ties us together as Americans. And yet many Americans living overseas do not vote, often because they do not understand the absentee voting process or how to register to vote. Voting overseas is simpler than you may think. Because each state has different requirements, however, it’s important to understand the processes. This workshop will provide participants with the information, resources, and tools needed to successfully aid other U.S. Citizens to participate in the electoral process from overseas. The Voting Assistance Workshop is an interactive, hands-on training session led by a Washington-based official of the Federal Voters Assistance Program (FVAP). When: April 23 (Monday) from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. (Please plan to arrive at least 10 minutes early.) Where: The Elks Lodge Calle Rosas Palacios, Same Building as Bon Profit Restaurant, Balboa *Parking is limited in the neighborhood. Who: All private U.S. citizens living in Panama who want to help other U.S. citizens register to vote. Space is limited to 60 persons. How: Please RSVP by April 20 to Panama-ACS@state.gov. A U.S. passport will be required for entry. We look forward to seeing you at the workshop on April 23! Assistance: U.S. Embassy Panama City, Panama 507-317-5000 Panama-ACS@state.gov https://pa.usembassy.gov/ State Department - Consular Affairs 888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444 Panama Country Information Enroll in Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security updates Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

Actually, I needed to take my dog to the vet. But it would be almost impossible to get there with the parade going on and a critical street closed.

It didn't occur to me to look anywhere other than the calendar for today, April 11. In the above-cited posts, I note that mention of the "desfile" is pretty well buried in the lengthy announcement--in Spanish--by the Alcalde relative to the schedule of a full week of anniversary celebrations. After looking at the calendar and before posting, I did conduct a search under "parade April 11" but came up empty. But I guess I could have been more thorough in my search.

I saw on FB reference to a parade and happenings at the Féria today, but I don’t see anything on the CL calendar. Anyone know if it’s true and, if so, what time?

You need to do more than inquire. There were some posts in the past about a vet who, when questioned by a client, claimed to be a graduate of a very prestigious U.S. vet school. It sounded suspicious to me that a graduate of that school would be practicing in Chiriqu when there clearly would be better opportunities elsewhere. I contacted the records department of the vet school in question and was told they had no record of him. Trust but verify.

Sorry, but I just don't see a change. Panamanians have been taking advantage of gringos at least since I arrived 11 years ago. They love having us here to take advantage of economically. Boquete now enjoys the same minimum wage as Panama City and David, so the locals clearly have benefited in this regard, as well as with increased employment opportunities. Panamanians I have spoken with are grateful for this. I'm inclined to attribute the isolated incidents of rudeness to bad apples and to expat misbehavior. And if the Panamanians are, in fact, becoming xenophobic, they certainly are not alone. At this moment it's a worldwide trend.

And my reason for posting was to share that I have not experienced any "changing in the attitude toward expats" by Panamanians. I think your experience was an isolated one.

Given all the dust from ongoing road projects combined with the dry season, everyone's vehicle is dirty and car washes and washers are working overtime. I wonder if any of the volunteer groups always beating the bushes to come up with ways to make money have given any thought to sponsoring a weekend car wash. It might be a challenge to find just the right location, with the requisite space and water supply, but, given wide advertising of the event, I can't help but think it would raise a decent amount of money. Back in the States, car washes are common fundraisers in the summer months, particularly by youth groups, and are very popular.

Returning for a moment to the original post, the one that initiated this discussion, I have never experienced what Marcelyn described. I'm sure there are isolated incidents of discourtesy, but I have found Panamanians to be almost universally polite and helpful in a way rarely experienced back home. There was the woman who chased me down in the parking lot of a grocery store in David to return the cedula I had left at checkout, and there was the driver who led me in his car to my destination all the way across David when I had simply asked for directions. The incident I recall most fondly is the young man who sprinted across the street from Melo, unbidden, to bodily remove my husband from our car and carry him into Dr. Chen's clinic when I was unable to do so. I don't doubt that expats and their financial resources have engendered a degree of resentment, but I have never seen it manifested in the behavior of Panamanians.

One could argue that the homes of indigenous residents here are on par with those of the homeless in Hawaii. In that sense, homelessness is Panama is widespread.

I could use a little more information about what this is, what it's designed to accomplished.

I use Smart DNS Proxy and overall am very happy with it. One things puzzles me, though. Periodically, without any notice, the IP address requires updating. I find this out only when I can't access my Roku or, bewilderingly, when I can't access Amazon online. It's easy to do by going to the website and clicking on an Activate link, but it's just so curious to me. Can any of you computer types explain why this is? And, as it took me a while to learn what was wrong and how to rectify the problem, I'm wondering how many other users have the same problem and may have spent money on a serviceman to solve it.

I've heard that tape gums up some of their sorting machines, i.e., the tape is scraped off in the machine and clogs it. If that's the case, they need new machines, IMO.

I got all excited for a minute, thinking the asphalt might be headed toward Boquete.

I think it would be foolish for the new owners not to try to retain Calixto. He is a great draw to the restaurant because of his good service and familiarity with customers and their preferences.

We got a small, noisy shaking at my house about ten minutes ago. The dog’s didn’t react, but the cat sure did.

Dra. Chely does indeed genuinely care about pets. When we came to Panama 11 years ago, we brought with us a female pit bull named Chyna. She was a sweetheart but, admittedly, formidable looking. The first time Chyna and I visited Dra. Chely, whether for routine stuff or an emergency I don't recall, it was memorable. Following her ministrations, Dra. Chely took Chyna's face in her hands and noisily kissed her right on her bulldog lips. I don't believe many people would have done that.

Yes, the same Chris from Big Daddy's--plus others. The site is the former Oasis.

It occurred to me that expats may be in a unique position relative to blood donations for a couple of reasons. First, of course, many of us are over 65 and/or frequently travel outside the country and therefore are ineligible to donate to other expats. This contrasts with Panamanians, most of whom are parts of a close, extended family network with a ready supply of relatives willing to donate blood. In a sense, Panamanians have their own "blood banks." This might help to explain why community blood banks are not a pressing issue for them.

Sorry. I read your post before I read Bud’s. I also should have used the Search function before the original post.