Had a guest in town last night who is buying a building to renovate in Casco Viejo. So we went to Manolo Caracol’s for dinner and then walking around. First, the turnover in staff at Manolo’s resulted in a very different menu from everything I had ever had there. Always an enjoyable experience, but I’m not so sure it stacked up against what it used to be in terms of food. (more…)
I’m writing this on my last night living in Casco Viejo…for now. I’m taking a rather Zen approach about ‘accidentally’ taking the apartment in La Cresta. I said goodbye to Manuela today. I recently looked at the photo of her from last summer and boy has that girl aged. She went grey and now she’s white around her eyes. I told her that I had seen two Springer Spaniels being walked in LaCresta. Bet no one knows their names the way EVERYONE knows Manuela’s name around here. Springers seem very rare down here. From afar and as a result of Manuela, Susan GG up in Bocas provides me with a vicarious thrill of watching a Springer puppy grow up. (more…)
Living in New York City will definitely spoil you. Every block has great food. Pick an ethnicity and you can have it delivered. And it will be the best, not just in the city, but perhaps in the world. Without being that level of superior, a restaurant doesn’t survive. It’s survival of the feasts up there.
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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…)
Well, between friends, food, tv and work…I’m not missing anything anymore. Swamped all of a sudden and just loving HBO on demand. I taped all the Bill Maher shows. Want to tape a few movies I love while here. I’ve had Thai, one of the few remaining truly great bagels, just picked up some whitefish salad from Jefferson Market, my favorite Indian…friends, friends, friends…It’s already great again!
The other morning, a friend phoned from NYC. At one point, she said mentioned that she had opted to stay in the city this weekend and my response was , “Oh right…it’s July 4th.” I love the fact that I had completely forgotten! When I was visiting Panama trying to decide whether or not to move here, people would tell me that, as a rule of thumb, you are either moving to something or away from something or both. I LOVE New York City, but I sure like me a lot better when I’m not in it. I LOVE America, but I sure don’t like the government there. (more…)
NYC to Panama to Ecuador...An ongoing glimpse into my life as an expat.
Photo: My favorite spot in my yard by the Yanuncay River.
