JohnF13

10 hours ago, Bonnie said:

I'm old enough to remember when trash and garbage was a significant problem in the U.S. It took the national "Don't Be a Litterburg" campaign to turn things around. Panama should consider a national push of this type. I recently visited Medellin and was delighted to find so large a city virtually free of trash/garbage and of people actually picking up trash on the sidewalks and roads. It's a black eye for Panama if it doesn't come to terms with this issue.

Incidentally, I've noticed that the trash barrel at the bus kiosk near Alto Dorado is nearly always full to overflowing. This suggests to me that a good first step would be providing more places to deposit garbage.

 

Regarding the trash barrels....i saw that in some areas garbage had been collected from the side of the road into garbage bags but then the bags were just left there with the inevitable dog assisted results.  

I know one problem is the cost of collection, my guy charges me $1.50 per bag, not something a less well off Panamanian can afford and more expensive than Canada.  When I go to the dump they charge me $3 or $4 for a truck load.  My garbage guy is non too reliable as well, one wonders about the alternatives.

Roger,

It is a fact that garbage collection is " not sexy".  It may take some leaps of faith by politicos to get behind a serious attempt at a solution.  Back in Canada I was quite " politically connected" and have studiously avoided it here, obviously because I am not Panamanian.  But, I do try to understand the nuances of the system here and  wonder why, at the municipal level, that more is not done to appease the public.  I wonder, sometimes, if the population is so inured to the system as it is now that change will be very difficult.  I also wonder, after speaking to some of my Panamanian friends, why garbage is not a higher priority.  Most of those I talk to hate garbage as much as me.  I take stuff to the dump ( landfill site would be too posh a phrase) and again, wonder why it is as it is.  Perhaps an existential argument that will never be solved but someone ( other than me) must have valid ideas.

I just do not know the answer and THAT annoys me.

Roger,

Well said.  We came to Panama three years ago intent on a fact-finding trip and just didn't leave.  We love the Country as a whole and, in general, Panamanians are generous and accommodating.  Yes, there has been the odd time when we met someone with nefarious intent, but that is also true of North Americans.  Politicians throughout the World now, unfortunately, are only interested in what the office can bring them.  Sometimes it seems a bit more obvious here but as you said, the Country is just over 100 years old and real democracy needs longer than that to develop fully.

First World, Third World, just names given by an elitist few.  It doesn't matter as long as the people are moving forward and it seems to me that despite roadblocks, the Panamanian people are doing just that.

Does Panama work as a Country?  In my opinion, yes, and quite well.  Sure, there area areas that could be improved but they will be addressed in time.

My only complaint?  In a word, GARBAGE.  I hate what is being done to the Country as a whole as a result of careless dumping of trash.  But that is also easily fixable if politicians would really address the issue and if recycling and proper disposal were taught in schools.

In a nutshell, we love it here and just wish we had come earlier.

Keep up the good work.

10 hours ago, Bonnie said:

No. Sorry. I was referring to JohnF13 and forgot to quote his post. I'll try again below to ensure that he knows the question was put to him.

What I was trying to say, perhaps inelegantly, is that the Boquete expat group seems to me to be a bit closed and introspective.  If you are living within that community and not really interacting with Panamanians, then have you really left home?  Your comment is a perfect example, a passive aggressive response to a simple statement of our preferences.  

Well, we are a bit " different" .  As police and military background people we don't much care about " community" we can happily make our own.  We don't like people much, having seen close up what they can do to each other.  We don't ask much, mostly to be just left alone and quite frankly, find the " Boquete" experience to be a tad too much.  We don't need sugar and spice, nor do we need the " Tuesday experience" .  Those that do, go for it, but have you really left your home place?

I think  MarieElaine is missing the point.  The Panamanian government has made it very easy for folks to get permanent residency in this Country.  Don't know what it is now, but it was only $1250 per month income for my wife and I when we came.  The people who have gone through the procedure don't have a problem.  The problem starts when those who do qualify and those that don't keep doing the border run.  Those people are rightly defined as non-residents -even if they are "spending money" .  Doesn't matter where you are, you will always be spending money.......Permanent tourists are gaming the system and as long as it works, that's fine.  The minute it doesn't, you are out of luck with no recourse.

Dr Anguizola is also my cardiologist.  He is very thorough and most definitely not a pill pusher - he will prescribe what is necessary, but nothing more.  While his secretary is not good in English, just asking for a " cita" will get you an appointment.  When you call, just have the Spanish practiced for "an appointment on Wednesday please" or whatever you need.  He is usually in the office after 3 pm Mon to Fri and I think, mornings Saturday.  Sometimes busy so you may have to wait a few days to see him, but he will make room in an emergency situation.

Keith;

switch to another platform.  Windoze no longer owns the playing field.

I have been approached once or twice around the National bar in the past few months.  A firm NO does the trick for me, but I am a big guy, might be different for smaller people.

Yes, I huess the predictions of a late rainy season were wrong.  It has been raining pretty much every day in Potrerillos for the past three weeks.

Un- urned critisism

I drive past the one in Acequia nearly every day, I think I have seen a truck in there once....it was backed up to a bay door but it could have been a decoy....

Too many protest groups get away with stuff because they make outlandish claims that " x" causes " y" without any proof.  But when proponents want to go ahead the protestors claim that proof is needed from them.  Level the playing field, if you want to claim that emissions cause cancer or whatever, state your case along with peer reviewed proof.  That works both ways, but the responsibility lies with the group making the original claim, not the other way around. 

There is always someone around who can do task "A" better than you can.  The trick is to find them and encourage them to stay with your organization.  Easy to say, hard to accomplish.  A lot of times, the ego of the owner/manager gets in the way and the promising person gets canned.  In my working life I always encouraged my staff to do better than me and darned it, most of the time they did that.  There are two types of manager, those that think all of their employees are idiots and those that encourage challenge.  Challenge equals improvement, IF you as a manager can handle that.

There are so many restaurants to choose from in Boquete.  Some charge high prices and live or die at the whim of the monied crowd.  Others start off well but staff turnover or unexpected costs drive down the quality of the food.  My favorite complaint on this subject is restaurants not changing their cooking oil often enough.  The between change periods get longer and longer and that imparts bad flavors into the food.  Others fight with you over the jubilado discount, a sure way to drive off customers.  But, I think the big thing is the number of eateries, not even the high number of us in Boquete can support them all.

My Canadian accountant included my health insurance premium in my tax return this year, it got me back an extra $1200.  Worth bearing in mind if you are considering local health insurance.

I am using Edwin Urriola from Boquete.  Recommended by Diane Heideke.  Very good, not so fast, but I'll take good over fast any day.

Don't know about hay, but my local guy has alfalfa cubes, $20 or so for 40 lbs.

Bud, if you decide to bow out, I'd be interested in your gear

I think that because of the current " be frightened of everything" phase that most sheeple are praying to, they are worried that your antenna will do many things, including increasing cancer, causing Alzheimer's, lowering property values, being an eyesore and affecting TV reception.  Have you ever asked them why?  Don't forget, you cannot prove a negative - if the claim is cancer, you cannot prove it won't....Not being a particularly neighborly person, I would suspect my action in the face of sheepleicity would be to put the darned thing up.  It's your property.

Seems to me this is a business opportunity for someone.  I dont understand how EShop, MBE etc can get stuff here at a "reasonable" price but cant get items back out again.  Those companies are the experts, they should be able to figure something out - unless they have a no-compete clause with DHL.  Maybe the demand isn't there, but there has got to be a way.

My P.C. Guy has the same problems, he tells me it is a one way street, in and done.  He says to biggest problem is the required paperwork and customs stuff.  I wouldn't have thought that would be much of a problem returning stuff with a return authorization but apparently it is.

It certainly seems as though there is a "Panama surcharge".  I have always known DHL is expensive - both for getting documents into the Country and out.  I know an importer in Panama City, I'll talk to him and see if he has any ideas.  

Renewables always promise big and woefully underperform, to the extent that conventional power stations need to be available for backup when they fail.  In Ontario, Canada, the government has "invested" heavily in renewables and still they only produce a fraction of power needed, usually at times when it is not needed.  In the US., look at Solyndra or Ivanpaugh, both heavily subsidised by government and both huge money losers.  In Europe, most governments are backing away from renewables, realising that the only way they work is with the input of billions of tax dollars.  Is there a future for renewables?  Likely, yes, but on a more community or individual house basis.  I ran a home off grid for 5 years in Ontario quite successfully, but the time and effort needed would dissuade 99% of the population.  Thats why they call crazies like me the 1%!  

Until reliable battery systems come along, IMHO renewables are just dreams..Harsh, but true from someone who has done it.  One last comment - did I save money being off grid?  Well, if you dont count the cost of the equipment, my time and mechanical abilities then maybe, yes.  If you do count those things, then it was an exercise in losing money.

Is there a club or a loose affiliation of people?  I was looking at this solution while back in Canada, but life happened and nothing got done.  Are licences required here, is gear available?