TheExpatJournals.com

Because I lived in Panama for a few years and because I tended to be somewhat outspoken about my observations of life there, I was recently queried by a Panamanian the following: “On foreigners: Ok Leslie, so I will ask you personally. When you said that you would prefer if Americans (not sure if you said Americans or foreigners) would NOT move there, what prompted you to say that? My apologies for putting you on the spot.” So I thought I would share my response there…here: (more…)

It’s almost September 1. And I thought I knew where I was moving. Hmmmm… (more…)

I’m still in Casco Viejo and boy, has that been an interesting place to be during all the protests. I have an admiration for the people on this front. And I still have to say, the cops down here are nice. They’re serious and they mean business, but they’re not mean like the cops are in the US.
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I’m coming up on a year of living in Casco Viejo and boy is this a very different neighborhood from the one I moved into. Yesterday was the most perfect day, a rare and beautiful bright blue sky filled with clouds of all configurations. I decided to go out and take a few pictures as it’s a rare opportunity to shoot with a blue sky rather than a white or grey one. The flame trees are in full, orange-red bloom. Later, they’ll turn to a deeper red, but for now, orange is the more dominant hue. I walked up the Paseo, stopped at the tree where I shot a pelican last summer and know them to roost when the trees are in bloom. Apparently they nest there, too! A large baby pelican was sitting in the exact spot I shot the adult pelican last
year.

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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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It’s been nearly 7 months since I took my apartment in Casco Viejo.To recap, for the better part of a year, I researched Panama and was absolutley smitten from afar. By the time I came down to spend a month exploring, I felt like I knew the place fairly well; it was just a matter of seeing and experiencing the information accumulated in my head, making it real as it were.
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