TheExpatJournals.com

Well the weekend is here. It’s a very different experience living in Panama and working this hard. My work revolves around the school year, so I’m pretty wound down by May and then in September, I become a slave all over again. I had a partner for ten years, but differences in direction forced the seperation at the beginning of 2004. And now, I can work really hard for awhile and then take a decent chunk of time off. But I still hate it when I’m working this hard. I cease to be anywhere but in the work. I can barely take in the ocean outside my door or the flowers that now fill my balcony, though after a relatively strong wind yesterday afternoon, I did at least notice the sunset-red carpet of verenera (bougainvilla) that covered the Paseo. (more…)

So indeed, dog tired, I arrived back in Casco Viejo Tuesday night missing both the opening day of post-season baseball and the vice-presidential debate. I had arrived in NYC in the middle of the Republican Convention. Those two flights couldn’t have been more poorly timed if I had tried. At least it wasn’t boring when I arrived and thank God the flight didn’t have a lot of people on the return. I think I’ll try to always book flights on Tuesdays in this direction.

I don’t think I will ever get used to the overpowering blast of humidity when you open the door at Tocumen. Even before that, the smell of mildew is present from the time you deplane. (more…)