We soak up everything that Lonely Planet, Rosetta Stone and Wikipedia have to offer about our soon to be new home.
In our zeal, we are prone to misgauging our own proficiency.
We are pumped . . . and ready . . . and oh so naive.
Set for swindling.
A big thank you to Jerry of thecultureblend.com. This post is a reproduction of his article, "The Seven Lies of Living Cross Culturally". He expresses the expat situation so well, I wanted to share it with my readers.
There are seven great deceptions and most of us fall for at least five. I have personally tested them all. You know . . . for research.
I lay them out now NOT for the sake of those who are packing up their lives and getting ready to go. That would be like telling newlyweds that marriage is hard.
They just tilt their head and grin at you as if you’re the cute one . . . “yeah, we know it’s hard for everyone else but we’re sooooo in love . . . and it will never, ever be hard for us.” You’re sweet and I would never steal this time from you. Proceed.
But for those of you coming down from the honeymoon (and possibly even some of you veterans) . . . here are seven deceptions which you may or may not have noticed just yet.
It’s perfectly natural when we relocate from one country to another country to focus entirely on those two cultures. Give me a spreadsheet with TWO columns and tell me how our cultures are different.
WE like personal space — THEY don’t.
WE are direct — THEY are indirect.
WE use a fork — THEY use their fingers
BOOM! I got this.
There are tests and inventories and boatloads of brilliant research that can help you size up YOURS and THEIRS. Culture to culture, side by side.
I love that stuff. I could get lost in it but the big reality shocker comes when you realize that living cross-culturally is not simply TWO cultures but it requires MULTIPLE layers of cultural adjustment.
Here’s the kicker — often times the OTHER cultures are more consuming than the one of your host country.
This list goes on.
It’s never just two
Learning a new language is hard. Sure it’s easier for some people than others and no doubt there are gifted learners who seem to have flair for picking it up quickly. The rest of us are . . . what’s the English word?
NORMAL
Regardless, one of the most painful realizations is that a new language doesn’t just grow organically in your brain because you are surrounded by it.
Expats are survivalists first and foremost. We pick up the absolutely essential phrases, we seek out picture menus, we print taxi cards, we download apps and we are shameless masters of hand gestures and charades.
Never has there been a group of people who have worked harder to communicate without learning how to.
In many places, you can be (and you will not be alone) an expat for years upon years and never learn the language. Intentionally choosing the harder option is key.
It doesn’t just happen.
“Culture shock” is a deceptive phrase. The word “shock” insinuates some kind of unforeseen, instant jolt. As if you stuck your fork into an outlet and BAZZZAAAPPP!
“WHOA! Should have used chopsticks! Didn’t see that coming.”
Consequently, when we don’t have the quick sizzle, hair raising, eye-bulging zap followed by the easily distinguishable and obviously dysfunctional meltdown we assume (incorrectly) that we have beat the system. No culture shock for me.
“I am Transition Man! Your culture bolts are no match for my defences!”
But the transition from one system to another system is not a switch that we flip, it is a process that we go through. That process includes the stress of adjusting from the way you have always done it to the way it is now done.
It includes wrestling with knowing, without a doubt that your way is better . . . and then thinking that it probably is . . . and then wondering if it might be . . . and then acknowledging there may be two good ways . . . and then (sometimes) recognizing the new way is better.
For some people, the process is harder, deeper, darker, more dysfunctional. Some people thrive on the instability.
It’s not the same (by any means) for everyone but no one gets immunity.
Maybe you’ve seen something like this:
Tools like this are especially helpful when cultural transition feels like puberty. “Why am I feeling like this?! Why am I acting like this?! GET OUT OF MY ROOM!!”
In the complicated, confusing moments of adjustment, charts like this serve as a sweet reminder of a simple yet solid truth.
“I’m normal??. Waaahh, that’s fabulous. But seriously, get out of my room.”
The problem with the standard culture shock continuum is NOT that it is inaccurate. It is that we think it was designed to be more accurate than it is.
“I feel like my transition had more dips than that.”
“I think my dip wasn’t so deep but it lasted longer than 6 months.”
“I don’t think I ever got a honeymoon phase.”
Yes. Yes. Yes. You are spot on. Your transition is yours. It is dramatically different than the next guys and his is different than everyone else. If you are expecting to fit exactly into the right schedule for adjustment you’re likely to slip back into feeling weird or abnormal or dysfunctional or superhuman.
There are too many variables for everyone to have the same transition.
This was mine.
In human years, expats move from 5 to 16 in about two months. Let me explain.
Expats are uber inquisitive on the front end. “What is that? How do you say this? What’s that smell? Why do they do that? What’s the history behind this? Who? What? When? Where? How? Why? Why? Why?”
Like a 5 year old. We embrace ignorance on a quest for answers.
BUT (and this is where it ALL falls apart): We think when we get an answer, we understand it (you should read that sentence again). Soon we “know” (finger quotes) everything.
Like a 16 year old.
When we have answers, we stop asking questions. This can be a fatal flaw for expats. There is ALWAYS more to it.
“Ignorance is not your problem unless you think that you’re not ignorant.”
-Albert Einstein – should have said this
Embrace ignorance and stay 5 for a while.
For contrast, imagine describing the climate of North America as frigid because you spent Christmas day in Northern Canada. Check out Guatemala in July before you share your expertise.
There is always more to it.
This one is doubly deceptive. It sneaks up on you and you never see it coming. There are no instant, clear cut signs, but one day . . . months from now . . . maybe even years, you realize you’ve been duped.
No one is more excited than the honeymooning newbies to engage local culture.
“We’re going to make lots of local friends and study language, learn their customs, and teach them ours. We’ll share cooking lessons and laugh about idioms. It’ll be great!”
Then . . . over time . . . and one interaction at a time, you take the least challenging option.
It’s frustrating to speak a language you don’t know. You don’t connect with these people on sports or politics or food or fun and it feels more like work than friendship.
That’s how the bubble is built.
For clarity let me just say . . . I love the bubble. Some of my best friends are in that bubble and I like hanging out there.
BUT I don’t want to be STUCK inside of it. To live cross culturally and never genuinely experience (deeply) your host culture is a BIG miss. To be surrounded by people who are SO different and could teach you SO much and never find a friend, is a sad thing.
The lie we believe is that it won’t happen to us. However, without tremendous and ongoing intentionality it almost always does.
This varies dramatically depending on who you are and where you are living. It is painfully easy to mistake cultural hospitality for respect and admiration. “These people treat me like a rock star.”
It’s easy to let that misguided reaction go to your head (much like a rock star would). The result is typically tragic.
This is where cultures get abused and foreigners leave a trail of mess behind them. In their arrogance, they assume that they have all of the pieces — “They smile when they see me, they laugh at my jokes, they want to spend time with me . . . they must love me.”
There is always more to it.
Or maybe they love you.
Point is, you can’t know until you stick around and build a real relationship. That’s where the good stuff is. The real stuff.
If you’ve been duped, welcome to the club. Actually you’ve been here for a while, but none of us wanted to say anything. Welcome back from your honeymoon.
This is where it gets good.
This property is located in the Corazon de Jesus neighborhood of Puerto Armuelles.
Hi, this is Betsy Czark from Living in Panama.
And this is a glimpse of the beach that's in front of this property we have for sale.
This gorgeous property is big:
- 11,000 sq. feet
- Only 70 yards from the beach
- Located in Puerto armuelles,
To get to the charming beach town of Puerto Armuelles,
- Take a short flight from Panama City to David, which is in the Chiriqui Province.
- Then drive an hour and 15 minutes to historic Puerto Armuelles.
What you see here is Puerto Armuelles’ downtown waterfront park.
Puerto was built by Chiquita Banana starting in the 1920s.
Chiquita built a town with a charming look and feel and one that looks different from most other towns in Panama.
Puerto is also unique in that it is one of the only ocean-front towns in Panama.
Up ahead you can see a row of restaurants and bars facing the waterfront park, as well as a statue of the town’s namesake, Colonel Armuelles
On the left, you can catch a glimpse of it’s popular “town square” park, plus a new playground.
Right now, let’s go to 11,000 sq foot property we have for sale.
This beautiful property is only 10 minutes from downtown Puerto Armuelles.
We are almost at the property now. All the beachfront homes, which are to your right on this street are owned by expats.
The property is in a great location.
Not only is it close to downtown, but there are restaurants, grocery store, and a hardware store even closer - 5 minutes away.
This beach neighborhood is a mixture of locals and expats.
The cement building on the corner has now been remodeled to be a garage for the expat who owns the beachfront house across the street.
This is the ample 16 foot wide access road to the property.
Welcome to the property!
This sizable property is both beautiful and quite affordable.As you can see, since I am easily driving on it, this property is flat and ready for your home construction.
Actually, this property could fit 2 or 3 houses on it.
The property is serviced by city electricity and water.
Currently, this neighborhood is not on the city sewer, but our new mayor has vowed to change that. In the meantime, like many beach communities, septic tanks are used.
And as I mentioned, this property is quite affordable.
This 11,000 sq foot property is only $40,500. Plus we offer easy financing.
As we exit the property, you will see how close the beach is.
You can easily stroll on the beach, swim, stand up paddle board, or surf from your property.
It is a wonderful place to live.
I leave you with some views of the beach.
For more information or to tour the property, contact me at LivinginPanama.com by clicking the link.
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Normally, my items would have been bagged in plastic in a blink of an eye.
That morning the cashier just let them sit on the counter.
Suddenly remembering the new rule, I grabbed my few items and left.
Later that same day, I shopped at our Romero (a national chain of grocery stores.) Walking around the store I was surprised at how many people had remembered to bring reusable bags from home. One woman was even filling her's up as she shopped.
Noticing that, I went to my car and grabbed my bags. (Luckily my husband had thought ahead and stashed some there.)
When I returned to Romero a couple of days later, they had displays explaining your bag options (see photo).
So no worries, if you forget to bring your own grocery bags you have options. At least at Romero's.
At Romero, if you forget your bag, you have 3 options:
Before the law went into effect, Romero was selling an assortment of reusable bags. My favorite has a watermelon design. I bought 2. I think they are $2 each. Romero still sells the "watermelon" bags, but not in the checkout area.
I went to a few other stores to find out about their bag situation.
Supermercado Puerto Armuelles. On July 25th, I went back to Supermercado Puerto Armuelles, our mid-size and popular grocery store. It was now offering 2 sizes of their branded disposable bags for 50 and 75 cents, depending upon size. (see photo).
Super Centro Baru, a nearby and smaller grocery store, also offers Supermercado Puerto Armuelles bags for sale and at the same price. That is the only bag option Super Centro Baru offers.
According to the cashier, the 2 stores are not owned by the same people, they are associates.
Disney. I also visited nearby Disney, one of Puerto's long-time grocery stores. Disney offers zero bag options. The women in line with me had brought one of Romero's green-colored reusable bags with her.
However, if you forget to bring your bag to Disney, you can buy one at the stall across the street from it. The stall offers bags ranging from $1 to $3 (see photo).
Produce stands still seem to use plastic bags (see photos), but seemingly not the type that are banned.
FYI: The new law did not ban all plastic bags, just single-use polyethylene plastic bags. Polyethylene is what those ubiquitous “T-shirt” plastic bags that most grocery stores use are made from.
The clear bags I see produce stands using are made of polypropylene. You can tell because polypropylene bags are clear, polyethylene bags are translucent.
Given how they are everywhere, it seems incredible that those T-shirt plastic bags were only invented in the early 60's.
I bought fruit and veggies on July 20th, and it was put in a large plastic mesh bag. Most likely due to the size and weight of cantaloupe and watermelon I purchased.
A few days later I bought a pineapple from the same stand. They put it in a clear plastic bag. (see photo)
They bagged my pineapple immediately, without asking. I definitely did not need a bag for my solitary pineapple.
A gentleman who was buying some veggies at the same time had brought his own small reusable bag. However, the vendors still put his veggies in a clear plastic bag and then put that bag into the reusable bag he had brought with him. As I mentioned, I believe these clear plastic bags are not banned by the law.
Perhaps over time, the automatic action of bagging produce in plastic will diminish as vendors get used to people bringing their own bags.
It seems that the people and government of Panama are increasing embracing environmentalism.
Perhaps the effect of the new plastic bag law will far exceed its goal of reducing plastic consumption by 20% across Panama.
Just a few days ago, there was another beach clean up in our town of Puerto Armuelles.
As I was writing about Puerto's beach clean up, I thought I should say something about trash in Panama. Panama's litter and lack of garbage service is an obvious and unsightly issue. I intended to write a paragraph or so about it.
I have always considered myself as someone who cares about the environment, certainly not a fanatic, but it is something I consider. I try to use reusable water bottles, cut up those plastic bands that hold 6-packs of soda together, bike instead of drive sometimes, and such actions. Basically, I am an environmentalist when it is convenient to be an environmentalist.
However, my research for that paragraph has opened my eyes and radically strengthened my commitment to the environment. The short paragraph or so I had planned on writing has expanded to this longish article you are reading now.
Puerto's beach cleanup, while commendable, is simply an aside to the bigger issue of trash, particularly plastic trash, in Panama and around the world.
Maybe the information in this article will open your eyes more fully as well.
It can be dismaying for North Americans & Europeans to see all the litter and piles of garbage in Panama and in Central America overall.
One reason you see so much trash here is that the composition of trash has changed. The popularity of processed foods with its non-biodegradable packaging, styrofoam dishware, and the now-ubiquitous plastic bags and bottles have changed the character of litter and garbage.
In North America, this change happened many years before its impact was fully felt in Central America. Panama has not had the time nor education to change their traditional garbage disposal habits.
Back in the day, dumping your trash in a pile, into the ocean or burning it did not have all the negative impacts it has today. Not that long ago, all or almost all the trash was bio-degradable.
Now a big percentage of the garbage consists of plastic bags, styrofoam dishware, and other non-biodegradable packaging and items of all kinds. For instance, styrofoam dishware and building products like M2 have a lifespan of about 500 to 1,000 years. And such products are increasingly popular.
Check out our article about building your house with M2. It includes a discussion of M2's impact on the environment.
Fish and animals are eating our discarded plastics and other toxic substances. The trash is no longer being composted to be part of the earth once more. This problem is huge. Not just for Panama, but for the planet and its animals.
Later on in this article, I discuss ways that the Panamanian government is trying to solve this problem by endorsing zero waste and clean sea initiatives, banning plastic bags, and more.
One of the reasons for the abundance of litter in Panama is the lack of garbage cans in public spaces. If there are no garbage cans and no community-consensus that littering is unacceptable, what happens to empty juice boxes and wrappers? They are dropped on the ground of course.
And even when a city provides garbage cans they are often not emptied on a regular basis. Failure to empty over-flowing garbage cans indicates to the public that the government does not think that piles of garbage are an issue. It encourages an "if the city cannot be bothered to pick up the trash, why should I" mentality.
Garbage pick up from homes is also an issue. Many people don't want to or cannot pay the $4 - $6/month for garbage pick up. And in some areas, especially more rural areas, garbage service is not available.
Lack of adequate garbage service and public health education results in many people in less dense neighborhoods burning their trash. Other people throw it in ravines, into rivers, or another out-of-the-way spot.
A lot of that garbage makes its way into rivers and then on to beaches and then into the ocean.
According to Panama's Urban and Domiciliary Cleaning Authority (AAUD), the country produces more than 4000 tons of waste, out of which some 480 tons find its way into the Bay of Panama. And the Bay of Panama is only one part of Panama's ocean.
Efforts to combat litter and clean the environment are growing. And growing rapidly. Over the last 2 years alone, many more initiatives, pilot programs, and more are being pursued by both community groups and the government.
In January 2018, Panama became the first Central American country to ban the use of plastic bags.
This means that starting July 20, 2019, your groceries will no longer be bagged using plastic in Panama.
Supermarkets, pharmacies and retailers in Panama must stop using traditional polyethene plastic bags by July 20, 2019. Larger and wholesale stores will have 6 more months, until February 20, 2020, to stop using single-use plastic bags.
Starting on July 20th, shop owners are required to replace plastic bags with more environmentally friendly options like containers made of non-polluting materials or reusable plastic. They can sell their customers these reusable bags or containers at cost.
There is an exception. Article 3 of this Law also establishes an exception: "it is not applicable when polyethylene bags must be used to contain processed or pre-prepared foods or wet items and it is not feasible the use of a substitute compatible with the minimization of the environmental impact".
The goal of the law is to reduce plastic consumption by 20% across Panama. Any fines imposed for non-compliance will be used to support recycling programs.
UPDATE: post-July 20th, read how Panama's plastic ban is a success.
About Plastic Bags. In the early 1960s, the "T-shirt" plastic bag which supermarkets use was invented by a Swedish engineer, Sten Gustaf Thulin. By the mid-1980s these single-use grocery bags were used extensively in Europe and in North America. In 1997, Charles Moore discovered the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in the Pacific Ocean. It is a huge floating island mostly made up of discarded plastic bags and other plastic items.
Plastic bags come from the same source as all plastic: crude oil. It takes approximately 400 years for just 1 plastic bag to decompose. And that plastic bag, on average, is used to carry things for only 12 minutes. It is mind-boggling when you start to think about it. To find out more about the history of the plastic bag, click here.
On May 30, 2018, Panama further committed to a clean environment by passing its Zero Waste (Cero Basura) Policy.
What does zero waste mean? Every jurisdiction seems to have a slightly different take on it.
In general, zero waste is a new approach and philosophy to how we think of garbage, of product design, of packaging and more. One way to describe it is that a zero waste policy seeks to maximize recycling, minimize waste, reduce consumption and ensure that products are designed and made to be reused, repaired or recycled back into nature or the marketplace.
Less consumption, bio-degradable packaging, recycling and composting are 4 of the most obvious ways to get closer to zero waste.
The County of Hawaii's approach (below in italics) on zero waste may be a philosophy that Panama's indigenous population would appreciate. I know the Kuna people of Panama have embraced a similar approach.
"Zero Waste" is a way of life that promotes the goal of reducing the amount of material we throw away and instead reincorporating by-products of one system for use for another system. There is no such thing as "waste" in Nature. In nature, the by-product of one system is feedstock for another system. Only humans have created this thing like "waste." Ancient Hawaiian culture lived this way before the term "Zero Waste" came to be. We can live this way again through small shifts in our daily activities. In this way, we greatly reduce our impact on Hawai'i Island's natural environment, and how much rubbish we generate, protect Hawai'i Island's natural environment, preserve our resources for future generations, and save our community tax dollars.
Zero Waste is a global trend. More cities and countries are committing to zero waste as it is becoming increasingly clear that it is the only way to deal with the world's looming garbage crisis.
I am not sure what Panama, as a nation, intends to do in order to accomplish or at least get nearer to zero waste. I have seen flyers, like the one above, that the mayor of Panama City published. On the national level, I cannot find anything except some dense and jargon-filled statements about it. They are so vague as to be meaningless.
However, Panama's zero waste policy is still new and it is a very complex topic. Stating it as a goal is a good first step. Figuring out how to accomplish it will be Panama's challenge in the years to come.
Panama was the first in Latin America and the Caribbean to join the UN Environment's CleanSeas campaign. The campaign's focus is on fighting marine plastic pollution.
The CleanSeas campaign aims to raise awareness of what plastic waste is doing to our oceans, our wildlife and ourselves. To help reduce plastic pollution, the campaign is targeting the production and consumption of non-recoverable and single-use plastic.
As Erik Solheim, UN Environment’s Executive Director states:
“Our aim is to redefine the world’s relationship with plastics because that is the only way to save our seas. Only by fundamentally transforming the way we consume can we secure the oceans that sustain human life. What we need is a revolution.”
Since it launched in February 2017, 60 countries have joined the campaign with many making specific commitments to protect oceans, encourage recycling and cut back on single-use plastics. Those countries cover more than 60 percent of the world’s coastlines.
Panama, a country with almost 3,000 kilometers of coast in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, is pushing for comprehensive reforms that will improve its relationship with oceans. For instance, Panama is currently drawing up a national plan and legislation to combat marine litter.
In fact, 2 deputies very recently introduced Bill 170 to eliminate styrofoam in Panama. The bill proposes to prohibit styrofoam from coastal areas and in public places in general. As of April 17, 2019, it is under consideration by the Commission of Population, Environment, and development.
You may want to check this video (below) that I found on the Clean Seas website (cleanseas.org). It covers plastic's history, impacts, and the complexities in finding a solution to plastic & plastic waste.
All the efforts to raise environmental awareness in Panama seem to be working. At least, there has been a definite upswing of community groups participating in clean-up campaigns over the last 2 or 3 years.
In years past, people would generally get together once a year to clean up the beaches after the rainy season. Now such cleanup efforts are much more frequent.
This last weekend alone, April 6-7, there were a number of cleanups in Panama. The one I mentioned in Puerto Armuelles occurred on April 7th. You can find out more about Puerto's beach cleanup here.
Another successful cleanup event this last weekend happened at Panama's Matias Hernadez river.
The Marea Verde Association is conducting a pilot program called BOB, which stands for Barrera o Basura. (In English, Barrier or Garbage).
BOB is basically a tied together line of large orange floating buoys (see photo). BOB reminds me of the barriers used to make swimming lanes in a pool, but much bigger.
BOB's buoys are stout enough to capture all the garbage floating downstream.
Generally, they install BOB across a river before a big storm in order to stop any garbage flowing down the river. Then they collect that garbage so it does not end up on beaches and in the ocean.
Most recently, they installed BOB on the Matias Hernadez river in anticipation of last Saturday's storm. This "dam" captured an enormous number of plastic bottles and other garbage.
The Marea Verde Association did a fabulous job cleaning up the river. Without their efforts, all that garbage would now be in the Bay of Panama (Bahia de Panama).
In another part of Panama, the students from the International Academy of Boquete spent this last weekend cleaning up the well-known Quetzales trail in the National Forest reserve. In addition, the Marabuntas Chiriqui group organized a community clean up of the river in Dolega on April 7th.
I'm sure there were more cleanup efforts I have not heard about. And I imagine there will be even more activity on Earth Day (April 26th)
Without a doubt, more and more people are organizing to clean up Panama's outdoor spaces. A commendable community service.
There is also a greater awareness of the negative attributes of littering, a greater desire not to see trash littered on the ground. Even looking around our small town of Puerto Armuelles you will see many more "Prohibido Tirar Basura" (no littering) signs than you saw in years past.
As you have read, nationally, there has been a much greater commitment to a garbage-free landscape. And there are signs of it in various cities as well. For instance, I have seen public recycling bins in David's Parque Central (central park).
As the public's environmental awareness increases, there must be some infrastructure changes as well. Small, but critical items that will encourage and positively reinforce the growing desire to keep the planet clean.
One of the best ways to change cultural attitudes about trash is in schools. Panama already has various anti-littering programs in schools. Hopefully, expanding these programs and methods will not only help eliminate litter but also improve our environment worldwide.
Education is not enough. Garbage cans and garbage service are 2 critical items that need to be provided. But for the most part, public garbage cans are few and far between in Panama. There won't be an appreciable change in littering until many more public trash cans are provided. And those cans must be regularly emptied before they start to overflow.
Plus, local garbage service should be expanded. Paying for regular garbage service should be encouraged, if not required. For those that cannot afford it, subsidized or free garbage service should be considered.
Given a choice, most people want the city to haul away their trash. It is much easier than having to haul it to the nearest ravine or another unofficial garbage dump. And it is in the best interest of everyone to provide garbage disposal. Garbage dumped in ravines and elsewhere is almost guaranteed to end up on our beaches and into the ocean.
Of course, there are a number of issues not addressed here. For instance, what to do with the garbage once it is collected? Improperly managed landfills are a hazardous issue in Panama. Google "landfill fires in Panama" to find out more.
And what about recycling? Recycling sounds like an easy solution, but it is actually quite complex and is often too costly to accomplish. Now that China is no longer accepting the world's plastic and various other waste, it has become even more complex and costly.
It seems clear, "What we need is a revolution", as the UN Environmental director said. A revolution in the way we consume. A new philosophy that is closer to the "Leave No Trace" motto that backpackers & campers embrace.
In my opinion, a world-wide zero waste goal is impossible to achieve. However, perhaps we should try to get as close as we can.
For that reason, I was really pleased to learn that Panama has eagerly signed on to a number of worldwide and local initiatives to lessen's Panama's negative environmental impact.
We are still in the early days of the fight for the planet's health. I am happy that Panama is one of its warriors.
Bocas del Toro is very casual. Flip-flops, shorts, a t-shirt, or even a tank top is fine.
In Panama City people tend to dress more stylishly than elsewhere in Panama. Business casual is more the norm. Suits and high heels are seen more often, but overall the dress is still casual.
I know I rachet up my wardrobe - slightly - while in Panama City. Of course, all those air-conditioned places in PTY makes getting dressed up a more comfortable option.
The highland areas (eg. Boquete, Volcan, El Valle) also dress casually. However, it is warmer-clothing casual since it is cooler in the highlands. So more long-pants and jeans, as well as sneakers or casual city shoes.
Before I tell you how people dress in Panama, I will show you.
Check out the photos below. Click on any photo to start the slide show.
In general, it's good to look decent when you go out.
Yes, it is casual, but it is neat and tidy casual, not beach bum casual.
Of course, if you are simply on vacation, you can get away with dressing more casually.
However, if you are moving somewhere in Panama, it is a good idea to be presentable.
The truth is that you will likely be judged based on what you wear.
Most places in Panama are small towns, heck the whole country only has 3.5 million people, and they notice what you wear.
If you go out looking disheveled, with short shorts, or inappropriately attired, locals will notice and talk. It is always a good idea to respect the cultural norms of an area, whether you are a traveler or resident.
I'll give you an idea of what I mean by presentable.
For a few years, my daughter Skylar and her friend Bryan, who is also our Panamanian next-door neighbor, were almost inseparable. Each time Skylar and Bryan would head into town, Bryan would make a pit stop at his house. He would emerge transformed.
He would no longer be in a t-shirt and shorts. He would have changed into spotless jeans (maybe long shorts) and a polo shirt, with his hair freshly wet-combed.
Only then did his mother give the okay for him to walk or bike into town. I wish I could say Skylar had been as nicely attired.
A Tip: If you are invited to dinner at a Panamanian's house, dress appropriately. If you show up wearing shorts and a t-shirt, your Panamanian hosts probably won’t say anything, but they’re probably thinking, “how uncivilized.”
In this section, I will try to give you a general idea of what Panamanians usually wear out in public. If you want to fit into the local community, follow these general guidelines.
I am not saying that expats or travelers should dress like a local. However, to be respectful, you should dress so you don't outrage local sensibilities. And given that Panama's dress style is casual, it is pretty easy to dress appropriately.
Business Attire
Also, if you are in business, you might want to take special note of what to wear. You will be given more respect and deference if you wear long pants, polo shirts or button-down shirts, rather than shorts and t-shirts. Think business casual.
Panamanian men typically wear
Older men wear
Panamanian women typically wear:
Older women
Workers
Workers (eg., maids, gardeners) tend to arrive at work in nicer clothes, then change into work clothes. They reverse the process when they head for home.
If you will be going into any government offices know that they have a dress code.
You can be asked to leave if you do not comply.
Dress code: long pants or a knee-ish length skirt/dress/capri pants. Your shoulders must be covered. Men should wear a polo or button down shirt, not a t-shirt. Shoes must cover your toes.
If you wear shorts, flip-flops, and a tank top, you can guarantee you will be asked to leave.
I have been fine going into government offices with over the knee-capri pants, Keen sandals (which cover my toes) and a short-sleeve button-down shirt. Children wearing toe-revealing sandals seem to be okay as well.
Theoretically, banks have the same dress code. But I find it has more to do with the mood of the bank's security officer than with anything else.
I have gone into banks wearing flip-flops (but otherwise complying with the dress code) and have almost never been asked to leave. Usually, I simply forget that I am wearing flip-flops. However, if you remember, it is best to comply with their dress code.
In Panama, except at the beach, it is illegal for men to be shirtless in public. This no shirt law also applies while you are driving a car. You occasionally will see a man shirtless in public, but not often.
It is always illegal for a woman to be shirtless in public in Panama - even at the beach.
You should have a light jacket. There are many places where the air conditioning can be freezing.
Also, the temperatures in the highlands are lower, sometimes making a jacket a good idea.
Plus, elsewhere, particularly near the ocean, it gets cooler and breezier in the early mornings and evenings, especially in the rainy season. At those times, you may appreciate a light wrap.
It really is.
And WhatsApp is one more reason to get a smartphone. That is if you are someone still stubbornly holding out on getting one.
Find out about your cell phone options in Panama
WhatsApp is a messaging app that allows you to send and receive:
Free, But Need Internet
In order to use WhatsApp, you do need wifi or data on your phone, but otherwise, it is free.
And it is not limited to your phone. You can use WhatsApp on your computer too.
Encrypted & Secure
Also, WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption so your communications are secure. Not even WhatsApp's employees can read the messages that are sent across its network.
In Panama, it is common to see WhatsApp contact numbers everywhere from business cards to advertising campaigns. People not only use it to message their friends, but also doctors, lawyers, plumbers, and maids.
In the US, a common expression is "Google it". In Panama, it's “Mandeme un WhatsApp”, the Panamanian equivalent of "give me a call".
WhatsApp groups are another good reason to use the app. WhatApp groups are very popular.
For instance, my neighborhood in Panama has one. There are also WhatsApp groups for expats in my town of Puerto Armuelles (and in most towns). It is a great resource to get questions answered, to announce get-togethers, to ask for help, and more.
A Tip: Make sure you turn off the auto download setting. If you don't, all the images shared via these groups will automatically be saved to your camera roll. You can still save the ones you want.
Voice Messaging
Voice messaging is a very popular way to communicate via Whatsapp. You will often see people with their phones in front of their face, talking into the phone. They are sending voice messages.
Myself, I much prefer the voice to text function - for both sending and receiving. I'd rather read a message at a glance, esp since you cannot listen to voice messages just anywhere, at least not without headphones. Although, it is nice to hear a person's voice sometimes.
WhatsApp is not only popular in Panama, but in most of the world. Its initial attraction was due to SMS text fees.
In the US, texting usually is unlimited and is packaged with your cell phone service plan. But in many other places, the fee for texting is an issue. Which is where Whatapp's free service steps in.
Since it started in 2009, WhatsApp has become the primary social network in many countries, including Panama, Brazil, India, and in large parts of Europe.
It is so popular that you will often see advertisements from local cell phone carriers offering free data for WhatsApp use. It undermines their own texting services, but it entices people to chose their company for data.
You know it is a WhatsApp number if it starts with a plus sign (+).
A WhatsApp number follows this format:
+ then country code then cell phone number.
About Phone Numbers in Panama: There are no area codes in Panama. Cell phone numbers in Panama are 8 digits long and always start with a 6. Landlines are 7 digits long.
Here is some information that is helpful to know before you download and set up your WhatsApp app.
Your WhatsApp number will be whatever your cell phone number is at the time you download and set up the app. If you download the app in the States, it will be your US phone number.
As long as someone also has WhatsApp, they can WhatsApp your WhatsApp number regardless if they are in the US, Panama, or Egypt - for free.
How To Change Your WhatsApp Number
If you want, you can easily change your number on WhatsApp. For instance, say you put a new SIM card into your phone when you get to Panama. You can choose to make that your WhatsApp number, not your US number.
To change your WhatsApp number, simply open WhatsApp, click settings, then Account. You will then see an option to "change number". Follow the simple instructions.
It is easy and has no repercussions.
You do not need to notify all your contacts to let them know you changed your number. It is seamlessly done. They can continue to contact you at your US WhatsApp number and you will receive it. They never need to know you changed it. Your text threads will remain unchanged. (However, if they have never Whatsapped you on your old number, I believe they need to use your new number to successfully contact you.)
No Need To Change Your WhatsApp Number
The wonderful thing is that you can still use your original WhatsApp number, even if your cell phone number subsequently changes.
I switch SIM cards when I go to the States and again when I go back to Panama. This means that although my phone number changes, my WhatsApp number stays the same regardless of which country I am in. Unless I decide to manually change it, as I explain how to do above.
Whether you are traveling or moving to Panama, it is a good idea to come armed with WhatsApp on your phone. Download it today.
And, just as important, ask your friends and family back "home" to download it too. That way, you can continue to communicate with them via your phone. It will almost be like you are still there. Well, except that you will be in a tropical paradise, and they won't.
In future posts, I will discuss other essential apps to have in Panama
Don't forget to read about your cell phone options in Panama.
My daughters explain how to preserve your bananas and more in the video above.
Betsy: Welcome to the 2nd video in our "Fruit in Our Yard" series.
By the way, our yard is in the charming beach town of Puerto Armuelles, Panama.
We are producing these videos in alphabetic order.
Join us as my daughters show you the Bananas In Our Yard.
[I'm Betsy from Living in Panama, the place for information and advice on being an expat in Panama. Interested? Click subscribe, and hit the bell. So you don't miss a video.]
Skylar: These are the bananas in our yard. They're a little past their prime on the tree.
We've been picking them slowly.
Normally, if you wanted to preserve the entire bunch and ripen them at your leisure, you would chop it here and hang it from a sort of a rafter or any high place you have. Then put a bag around it to protect it from the birds that might want to get at it before you.
Blaise: And what you can also do is, you can leave actually them on the tree and get some mesh bags to cover it.
And as you can see, some ripen at different times.
These are very small, just starting. These are green and these towards the top get more sun and are ripe. Like here, they are ready on this side.
Skylar: Yes. These here have been all picked and some of them have been eaten by birds.
Blaise: Like these and that.
Skylar: This is what happens when you don't preserve the bunch. So if you wanted to preserve it, as we said, you put a mesh bag around, either on the tree, or take it off and hang it somewhere for it to ripen.
[Note: you can use plastic or any other opaque bag to cover ripening bananas in order to keep birds from eating them.]
They usually ripen better off the tree actually.
Blaise: And we can show you one is still green. It has not been covered, over in our front yard.
Skylar: Okay, so this is across the yard from the earlier bananas that we showed you. But these are not quite ready to be picked or even for the birds to want them.
It's quite a beautiful bunch, honestly.
Blaise: As you can see, up there, it is starting to ripen a little bit on the higher branches.
Betsy: Where? Oh, yeah.
Blaise: You can see a little yellow. And so that is normally the time you should probably start bagging.
Actually, if you remove some of the leaves above it, it can help it as well.
Betsy: Help it what?
Skylar: Ripen more quickly of course.
Blaise: And grow.
Skylar: Yeah.
Blaise: And in the next video we'll probably be showing you how to use bananas and plantains in dishes.
Skylar: Yes, how to cook your bananas or plantains - for beginners.
Skylar & Blaise: Bye. Thank you for watching. Subscribe. And like. And share with anyone who might be interested. And click the notification bell. Have fun.
Betsy: Please click the link below for more information about Puerto Armuelles. Thanks for watching.
Our next "Fruit In Our Yard" video will feature the cashew tree.
Colorful town signs have been popping up all over Panama.
After much anticipation, Puerto Armuelles has one of its own! (see photo above)
Our beach town is coming up in the world!
Panama's national tourism agency, Visit Panama, is promoting Puerto elsewhere too.
I was able to photograph its banner promoting Puerto Armuelles (see photo).
The banner was hanging on an overpass outside of David, on the way to Puerto Armuelles.
It is not at the roundabout.
Many people assumed that the Puerto Armuelles sign would be installed on our new roundabout.
The roundabout, the only one in Puerto, is near the entrance to town. It was installed as one of the final parts of the road expansion from a 2 lane to a 4 lane road.
It seemed like this wide round expanse of lawn was custom-made to celebrate our town's sign.
Safety Issues Determined Location
But the design aesthetics of putting it on the roundabout lost out to safety concerns.
Not only would the two-word high sign hamper visibility, but that location would put pedestrians in harm's way.
There is no parking nor sidewalk at that location. People would have to cross the circle road, on foot, to take a photo of themselves by the sign. It is not a busy road, but there is enough traffic to make that potentially dangerous.
In fact, the sign was up for only a few hours and people were already climbing all over it to take town-proud photographs.
We are very much looking forward to taking a group picture by the sign ourselves.
I have been impatiently waiting for Puerto Armuelles to get its own colorful 3-D sign for quite some time now. I am quite happy that we finally have it.
Sign Location
The sign is located on the main road - past the roundabout - as you head into town.
More specifically, it is in the Los Angeles neighborhood, between Restaurante Enrique and ESPA.
There is plenty of space for pedestrians and cars to hang out by the sign. No need to endanger yourself by dashing across the street to take a photo.
Feel free to post your photos of the sign in the comments below.
M2 construction panels have the advantages of ease-of-construction and cost savings.
And one huge disadvantage, damage to the environment.
M2 is a popular building material. It is made of Expanded Polystyrene foam board (EPS for short) encased in a wire mesh.
EPS or Styrofoam
Most people know EPS as Styrofoam. Styrofoam is a brand name for EPS.
Styrofoam is created from polystyrene beads. Polystyrene beads are a petroleum-based plastic. The polystyrene beads are processed using chemicals that are steamed, causing them to expand, and creating the substance EPS.
We see EPS used every day as packing materials, coffee cups, to-go containers, and more.
M2 building materials
M2 is an increasingly popular building material. As I mentioned, M2 is EPS (aka styrofoam) panels sandwiched between 2 layers of wire mesh.
M2 building panels are versatile, sturdy and cost-effective. They can be used for a wide range of building elements: loadbearing walls, floors, roofing, stairs, partitions and curtain walls.
The wire mesh allows concrete stucco to be easily sprayed onto the panels.
This system provides a strong wall with a smooth concrete finish.
M2 in Panama
In Panama, M2 is commonly available as styrofoam panels.
The panels come in various thicknesses (2", 3" & 4" thick) and sizes (4' x 8', 10', 12'' & longer panels). (For a stronger house, it is best to use 4" thick panels.)
I have observed the use of M2 over the last 2 or 3 decades, both in the US and in Panama. Recently, I experimented with it in our Living in Panama model home.
Initially, I was attracted to the styrofoam panels because of its speed of assembly.
The panels allow for much faster assembly of concrete walls than is possible using concrete blocks.
Much faster than the typical concrete house construction, which stacks & mortars individual concrete blocks with rebar. Then the cement stucco is applied to the concrete block walls.
(Note: We actually used both M2 and concrete blocks in our Living In Panama House model home, so that we would have a side-by-side comparison of these two construction processes.)
With M2, instead of assembling hundreds of concrete blocks, one at a time, we simply had to:
Using M2 greatly reduced the assembly time compared to any concrete block construction project that I had previously participated in.
For the same sized wall, the cost of the M2 panel materials is higher than the cost of the concrete block materials. But the savings in labor and time more than make up for the higher materials cost of M2.
In short, it is clear that it costs less to build with M2 than with concrete blocks.
However, even before I had tried building with M2, I had had a nagging suspicion that it couldn't be good for the environment, especially at the beach.
Most of us have witnessed washed up styrofoam on the beach somewhere in the world.
Today styrofoam waste is everywhere on our planet. Not a pretty sight. This styrofoam waste poses a tremendous risk to our and our planet's health
Let's talk abit about the elephant in the room.
"What do we do with the off-cuts of M2 that we don’t need for the project?"
"How about the styrofoam "dust" that is created when you cut M2?
At our job site, I saw M2's fragile, crumbly, “styrofoam” nature first hand. This started me thinking hard about whether I should build with it again.
However, what made my decision not to use M2 again final was a family trip to the Chiriqui Mall in David. At the time, they were expanding the Chiriqui Mall to house a department store called, City Mall.
Chemical Snow
As I stood outside the half-completed building, I noticed an accumulation of about an inch of white, styrofoam particles in the gutters. Then I saw that the wind had blown the styrofoam bits into the parking lot and beyond.
Even the light gusts of winds produced by passing cars were enough for the ultra-lightweight styrofoam particles to swoosh and travel through the air.
Clearly, this “chemical snow” was a result of having sawn, ground, or otherwise cut the numerous M2 panels required to build the new City Mall.
It was also quite obvious that there was no plan on the part of the builder, or any other entity, to contain or dispose of this M2 debris.
In short, all these millions and millions of fine lightweight particles were free to be blown, or floated by the next rain, to the nearest drainage culvert, and then into streams and rivers (see photo). No doubt, within 1 or 2 weeks, much of this fine, polystyrene “snow” would be in the ocean. Where it will stay forever. Okay, maybe not forever, just a million years or so.
Obviously, this situation is not limited to Panama. The problem of disposal of EPS waste is worldwide. It is a great equalizer among nations since super lightweight EPS finds its way literally everywhere on our planet.
EPS/Styrofoam's Negative Ripple Effect
Although using M2 to build your home will save you time and money, it does have a negative and compounding ripple effect on the world around you. Check out the bullet points below to get a sense of EPS/styrofoam's impact on us, animals and our planet.
There is a surprising amount of waste using M2.
What do you do with all the window and door cut-outs of your M2 panels?
If dumped in a landfill, over time this fragile styrofoam will be pulverized into small particles. From there, wind and rain carry those styrofoam bits into the ocean.
What to do with any unused or extra M2 panels?
What about all the tiny powdered styrofoam in the grass on the job site?
Of course, you could store the unused M2 for future projects. However, this would begin to mitigate some of the cost savings. You must now also pay for the transport and safe storage of the M2. Or, you would have to give it or sell it to a responsible builder who knows how to handle the product safely.
It seems questionable to give it away to people who are not educated about the environmental dangers of the exposed styrofoam. Without proper care, this styrofoam will definitely make its way into our rivers and ocean.
What about remodeling and demolition of M2 walls? We all like to think that our work is “timeless.” However, the truth is that remodeling of existing homes is constant and shows no signs of letting up.
What happens when you sell your M2 home, and the new homeowners decide to remodel. Let's say you live in your M2 home for 40 years. That is a long time. However, in Styrofoam years, 40 years is only 30 seconds. All the M2 debris from the new owners remodeling your M2 home still has 999,960 years left to contaminate the environment, from top to bottom.
To be perfectly frank, the awareness among many Panamanians of the permanent environmental consequences of their actions is not very high. Just as Puerto Armuelles, feels like a beach town of 50 years ago, so too the environmental awareness movement in Puerto is far behind that of North America.
Concrete Block Construction Advantages
Cement block is the traditional method of building here in Panama. Builders here are reasonably competent at it. Concrete block is strong. With careful attention to detail, you can build a high-quality and reasonably-priced concrete block house.
Plus much of the waste from concrete construction is sand and gravel. Both are natural materials. This means that their disposal will have almost no impact on the immediate environment.
What’s more, it is easy and cost-effective to use any leftover sand and gravel to re-top your driveway or level the ground at the construction site. These materials ‘blend” seamlessly into the landscape, without causing any environmental harm whatsoever.
Negative Impact of Cement
Yes, cement products also have a negative environmental impact. For instance, cement production is responsible for 5% of our greenhouse gas emissions.
However, M2, also uses cement. M2 panels must be covered with a cement stucco to retain its integrity. So not only does M2 use toxic EPS panels, but it covered with cement.
Our Future Use Of M2
After using M2 and doing a lot of research on the product, we have decided not to use M2 again.
I believe that concrete block is currently the most ecological, economical way to build a house in our area.
We are happy to report that our next Living in Panama House will be built entirely of quality concrete blocks. We will use traditional steel reinforcement, grout with a solid concrete slurry and employ a vibrator to remove air bubbles to assure a high-quality result.
However, I always keep tabs on eco-friendly alternatives for building houses in the tropics.
There have been small-scale tests of straw and grass blocks and panels for construction in Europe and North America. Although, these products are probably not suitable for our humid, tropical climate.
However, it is just a matter of time, before more eco-friendly products are developed that are well suited for the tropics. Unfortunately, the oil industry tends to buy up any potential - non-petroleum-based - products that are developed. Therefore, it may take some years until alternative technologies for eco-friendly construction can become widespread.
However, it would not surprise me if bamboo can be used successfully to build excellent, affordable, and eco-friendly houses. It is being used successfully in nearby Costa Rica. (Check out our article on bamboo houses in the tropics.)
Perhaps someone in Puerto Armuelles will discover the next affordable eco-sustainable building material.
If you have any information to share about alternative building methods in the tropics, we would love to hear from you.
If you are an alternative builder who wants to move to the tropics, by all means, come and check out Puerto Armuelles. Perhaps you can help us to develop more eco-friendly housing solutions.
Thanks for reading,
Reyn
Check out our other "building a house in Panama" articles
