Bonnie

USTVNow via Roku or IPTV with good Internet speed (both). We have both. Neither is perfect, but generally one of them is working if the other is not. I have not tried Slingbox, but some folks here have and maybe will respond.

Try finascomidas@gmail.com. My typo.

El Gato Picante is Beth Corwin. She cooks out of her home in El Salto and sells at the Tuesday market. You can contact her at fincascomidas@gmail.com.

Bob, could you please tell us who the current board members of AAC are? I looked on the website, but the last entry I saw was dated September 12 of this year, which said, "[W]e are in the process of installing a new board of directors."

And ham is best when accompanied by sweet potatoes. We're experiencing a rare food bonanza.

I have one more question of Bob. Does Franc have a work permit? (I ask because, if he does not, he runs the risk of being shut down by the government, leaving his clients in the lurch.)

Ha, ha. I think the restaurants, particularly those right downtown, are catering to the tourist trade rather than to residents.

In fact, Deborah, I do believe that AAC has a moral obligation to do its best to hire a bilingual Panamanian. Good jobs for Panamanians in Boquete are few and far between. I find it hard to believe that there isn't a qualified Panamanian who would love to have this job, although I'm gratified to hear that AAC at least made an effort in this direction. As to Rodny's choice to leave AAC, there are, as you know, two sides to the story. I tend to think that Rodny's is the more credible. In any case, it is Rodny who has made the emergency hotline a reality and a success, and I believe he deserves the community's continued support rather than the support of a competing, less qualified expat (however much we all like Franc). Just my opinion.

Our Tuesday lunch group went to Baru today for the first time in months only to find that the price of all menu items has nearly doubled. Sandwiches and burgers now are $9.90, and it goes up from there. The same thing happened at La Posada earlier in the year, and we marked it off our Tuesday lunch list. Baru is now off, too. I don't mind paying $10 to $15 for a really good meal, but I'm not going to pay $10 for a sandwich or a regular hamburger. So disappointing. Oh--the service also left a lot to be desired. We had to chase the waiter down to order, to refresh beverages, and to pay the bill.

I think Penny may be wrong about the work permit issue, but I have raised this in the Employees category as it has wider implications. See Link.

In response to Judy's post about the money issue, I would suggest that one look beyond the cost. I don't choose to gamble with my safety. I'll stick with Rodny because of his skill, experience, and contacts. In an emergency, this can be a matter of life and death. Also note that, while it is not entirely clear from the post, AAC does not appear to offer non-emergency help or translation services as Rodny Direct does. I think it is important to carefully compare the two programs before choosing.

Got it (although it's pretty complicated and counter intuitive). Thanks.

I want to separate this issue from the post in which it was raised, the Alto al Crimen announcement of the appointment of Franc Lugo as its emergency operator, because it would have more widespread implications. Penny posits that if one is hired as an independent contractor, there is no requirement that that person have a work visa. I don't believe this is true. I understand that the employer is relieved of having to pay seguro social for an independent contractor, but I have never understood this to mean that a visa to work in Panama would not be required. Does anyone have any information to add to this?

Sorry. It's a typo. I meant AAC.

This is interesting news. I know Franc, like him, and assume he has a work permit. However, I have to question the wisdom of AdA hiring an expat to compete with a handicapped Panamanian, especially one who has worked so hard to establish a business and build a better life for himself and his family.

For some reason, there is no option of replying to John's topic about water plants. Most of the water lilies in people's ponds here come from Carla Black's and Angel Rodriguez's ponds and gardens in Volcan. (They also have a wide variety of heliconias, gingers, and other plants.) Carla's contact info is carla@volcanbaru.com.

Betty's sweet potatoes are the orange variety. I made a sweet potato casserole out of some of them for Christmas, and it was delicious--just like I ate growing up in the South (U.S.).

It's been a while since I've been to the restaurant at Finca Lerida, but the last few times I was there the food was fabulous (though expensive). Does anyone know if they do a brunch on Saturday or Sunday? (I telephoned but got no answer.) I'm thinking this would be a nice time and place to celebrate something special or just get together with good friends.

While standing in an interminable line at Romero yesterday, I heard two newcomers ahead of me discussing their new lives in Boquete. After moving through several topics about which they knew very little but thought they knew a lot, they started on healthcare. One said that she and her husband couldn't afford health insurance. The other said she and her husband couldn't either so she was glad they had Medicare, and she made it clear in subsequent statements that she anticipated using Medicare here in Panama. (I would bet that they can't afford to return to their home countries either when they discover that hospitals, even Regional, want money from expats and that Medicare is worthless here.) What kind of research do these people do before moving abroad? And what kind of financial planning?

And that's what this post is all about.

My guess is that someone has complained to the Corrigedor that the dogs are being a nuisance. There's a neighborhood behind Noble's that they may be frequenting, and a resident there may not be a dog lover. It's hard for me to understand, but there are some people who just don't like dogs.

The following was on Facebook in the Boquete Community Group today:

I was part of the group today that went to Retrogusto today. What Carol says is true. It was a fabulous meal, reasonably priced.

Thanks, Mike. This is a treat for those of us who don't often get out at night.