I’m a retired American ex-pat. Living with 3 large dogs, 2 hyper-energetic kittens plus a human being somewhere does not qualify me to describe myself as single. All of us live on a 3+ acre finca outside of the pueblo itself. As with every new stage in my life, I’ve found new and different things to do. One of them is filming–erratically–what I see of interest around me (and can get the cam corder in time for) and in what little traveling I do. But old joys–reading and gardening–still have their prominent places in my life. I enjoy most people but am not social–I can go for long periods of time without seeing another human being and not feel a lack. Ergo, 3 dogs, 2 cats, and only one human. The proportion is about right although a little heavy on the human end.
My socio-political views can be summed up by saying that Dorothy Day is one of my greatest heros.
I’m in the picture up there somewhere. Taken in an Amazon River community in Brasil, May, 2007.
Dear Joyce
Those readers who have trouble finding good books in Chiriqui might want to subscribe to Audible.com. You can download prize winners, classics and best sellers then listen on your MP3. Cost is about $10 per book. I listen while driving, sailing, kayaking or washing the dishes. If you loved being read to as a child, this is a great site with thousands of books on offer.
Hi, Robin,
i haven’t mentioned all the possibilities for audio books, which I should. for instance, I know you can download from iTunes. I’m someone who prefers to read a paper copy, but i may be forced to go to the audio books as well, just simply because of cost. Also, audio books have another distinct advantage, and that is storage space. Lots less than with hard copy!
Joyce
People who put to sea, like myself, are usually great readers.There’s lots of dead time between one port and another and no matter how big a vessel looks from the outside it tends to get very small on the inside after a few days out on the bounding main.
But books have multiple problems. They take up space and they have weight. On multi-hulls where light weight is essential for high performance I actually met one skipper who would tear the covers off of his books to keep ounces and pounds to a minimum. He also cut half of the handles off his tooth brushes, too, but I think that’s getting a bit compulsive.
Books also get wet, the pages stick together and mildew just loves ‘em.
I agree with you, there’s something about a book that can’t be beat. The anticipation you get with a new volume in your hand just before you open it. The sensuous feel of the pages as you turn them.
But, you have to have light by which to read a book, and when you’re on the mid watch (that time between midnight and four a.m. you can’t have a light on because it destroys your night vision, so audible books are the only way to while away those dark hours on watch.
I have an iPod and have downloaded books from iTunes. What a delight it is to actually listen to Charles Kuralt “On the Road” than to hearing him in your mind’s eye as you read.
On one of the boating/cruising blogs I subscribe to someone mentioned Audible.com and how you can download their books directly to your iPod. Audible , in my opinion, is the way to go especially compared to iTunes. Audible has, literally, thousands of titles to choose from, and if you buy into one of their plans you can download at a FRACTION of the cost as the same book on iTunes. In the past couple of weeks I’ve downloaded five books from Audible at a cost of $60 and would have spent $180 for the same offerings at iTunes.
Another positive for audio books is, if you’re living in a country where the language is other than your native tongue, finding good books in your language can be extremely frustrating, but if you can get to an internet connection you have access to books that can keep you entertained for hours.
One thing, though, only download UNABRIDGED versions. Anything else is like having a complete library of Reader’s Digest’s great literature. YUCK!!!
Hi, Richard,
Thanks for the tip about Audible.com. I’m getting closer to doing something radical like that–radical for me, that is. Yes, I can see how living on a boat can cause all sorts of adaptive behavior. I loved the image of being on mid watch and listening to a book on an iPod! And I do remember the sound of Charles Kurwalt’s voice, too–haven’t thought about him in a long, long time.
I intend to check Audible.com out–thanks again.
Joyce
I have a thirst for day to day knowledge about Portrerillos, I invested into this small community 15 years ago when I purchased the land that I developed building our home on last year. The rather large 2 story house on the right side of the road just past the gas station near the fork in the road.
My wife and I hope to be moving in to our home this coming year perhaps after the elections.
We will be eager to establish a dialouge with fellow Americans
Hi, Greg,
I assume you’re talking abut the fork towards Potrerillos Abajo? The Intrapot gas station at Doña Mary’s?
Joyce
Yes mam that is correct, although I’m not fimilar with the names of the locations I will however get up to speed after I arrive.
When I was building the house I offten went to that little cafe and had lunch. I do however recall the name of the young lady that worked there referd to as Jesica.
Additionally I met several Americal folks there as well. They indicated that they lived in the are. One of the American ladies told me that she was an environmental specialist and I also reviealed that I to worked in the environmental field. Although now retired I have a lot of energy and cant wait to get to Panama to set up residence and contribute to the community. I look forward to meeting all of our new neighbors,
Greg Meyer
Hi, Greg–
Take a word of advice and wait until you’ve been here a while before you decide to “contribute to the community”. Say–3 or 4 years.
Joyce
Although your experiences are valued, I also have many of my own experiences to reflect on.
I lived in the CZ for 6 years, been married over 24 years to a wonderfull Panamainan wife from David.
I have almost masterd the language and have absorbed much of the cuture, so yes I know a little about Panama.
I have just as much intrest in establishing with the locals as I do with North Americans, however I believe that finding a balance between them and “listening ” is fundimental. I have little intrest in putting up a fence and hiding from every one.
I have contributed many years of community service having worked on several humanitarian projects throughout Panama and locations around Centeral and South America. I would like to share my emginerring experiences to vest in the community not just open up my walet and hand out dollars, rather engage in a productive and meaningful dialouge including a relationship and life style that promotes good will that and creats solid ties with every one.
Do I expect to set a new bench mark or rais the bar, not really however I would like to be excepted and taken in by my soon to be new founded small town community. GM
Hi, Greg,
I’m glad to hear that you ahve experience and have married a panamanian–sort of gives you and edge. and in particular that you know hte language–that is so critical, and too many Americans don’t get far with it.
As for putting up a fence–well, quite frankly, I’m quite Panamanian in that fashion. Just about anyone who can afford one has one. this is not the Canal Zone. Also, it prevents trouble with the law and with other people’s animals. yes, i do keep people out, and I’ll be interested to hear in a year or two what you think about fences in Potrerillos then. This is not the Canal Zone.
I don’t knock altruism. It’s among the finest American traits. But i do get tired of people who don’t know what they’re doing and want me to participate in their ignorance. Those are the people for whom the fences and gates are meant.
I think your goals are wonderful and I hope you achieve them. Good luck.
Joyce
hi joyce,
i just discovered your blog. am wondering how you chose panama for your retirement. i am originally from cuba and would like to retire in mexico or somewhere in central america. i live in lake stevens, just east of everett-a town you may be familiar with. we are having our typical weather for this time of year-lots of rain.
have a nice weekend!
teresa
Hi, Teresa,
Yes, I’m familiar with Lake Stevens! I prefer (or used to) Everett itself and lived there for about a year, but that’s because I like mill towns, and Everett reminds me of that type of town.
We chose Panamá after a long search of both South and Central America over 5 years ago. The story is a long one; the Comments section is not really suitable.
I will say that while we’re happy here and made the right choice for the time, I’m not so sure I would choose Panamá today. At the time, and because we’re established here, it definitely was and still is the right choice for us. But now?
If you’re interested in Mexico, check out Theresa from Merida’s blog (http://theresainmerida.blogspot.com/2007/12/living-like-queen-in-mexico) and contact her for information at least about that area. But then I’m not so sure I would live any other place in Central America except Panamá–I’d head for South America. I think it depends on your circumstances and what you’re after.
Joyce
Joyce:
Don’t know any other way of getting this to you… I know you loved the Patria video and I found another music video you might enjoy yourself and want to share it with your readers.
It comes from a project called “Playing for Change” and it takes a song and it’s recorded by different musicians around the world and edited into one.
This one is beautiful. If it doesn’t raise the hair on your neck or bring a tear to your eye you either don’t have a touch of humanity in your soul or you’re Dick Cheney. Is that statement redundant?
Missing my old little town , living up here in Tennesse now, want to trade , i guess that you wont . I love the solitude of living upthere , many of the people maybe don’t remember me but if you know somebody in his 40′s or 50′s ask them if they remember somebody with a crazy name like Papole. Ok ask Ms Miriam Sagel, Ing Tomas Espinoza , good old friends in my hometown, say hello to everybody . Nice folks upthere good weateher when I was growing up we have the October used to rain for around 15 days in a row , we used to be the 3rd rainest place in Panama that is back in at the end of the 70′s.
Nice to see that somebody have Potrerillos Arriba on the web.
Hi, Greg!
I’ll certainly ask around! And I think that Potrerillos is still considered one of the rainiest places in Panamá.
Joyce
Hi,
I just plugged L. Cripes lat long from his weather station into Google Maps and it put me within 1000 ft of where I know he lives. As before, when I plug in your lat long it puts me east of David near the carretera, so most likely you didn’t get a good reading from your GPS. They should be very close. There is something called a datum that is configurable in the GPS. If it isn’t the right one that that will cause a difference.
Lloyd took our GPS readings with his instrument, so I can’t comment. However, our location by GPS corresponds very closely to our topo map. Lloyd lives in a far more built up area than we do, and Boquete may have gotten more attention. It is a fact that Google Earth is not all that accurate when it comes to Third World countries.
I don’t know what the reality is, but when I get a chance–our power just now went off for the second time in a half hour and I’m trying desperately to finish this–I will hunt up our location on google Earth and post the coordinates it has. The latest GoogleEarth mapping of our area was December 2004/January 2005.
Joyce
Joyce:
Don’t know how to communicate with you directly other than in this “About” section, but since I’ve been named “Music Director” I’ll give you another “Playing for Change” video. This one from the Prophet Bob Marley.
Hi Joyce
Love your Blog and your films.
I can’t find a way of emailing you privately so perhaps you could email me at choosechiriqui@gmail.com
I would like to include some of your material on both
http://www.ecowatch.ning.com
http://www.choosechiriqui.com
I look forward to your reply
Diana
Hi Joyce,
Is there anyway to contact you via email?
Diane, I don’t allow any material of mine to be used on any commercial site–I don’t want that connection. so, yes, I see your Eco Watch site, but I also see you commercial property listing site and I really don’t want to have anything to do with real estate here in Panama. So, thanks, but no.
Joyce
Joyce,
My email is julio.javier.santamaria@gmail.com and my site is about learning Spanish in Panama.
Would it be too much to ask you to drop me a line?
Que tengas un buen fin de semana,
Julio
Julio, I sent you an email last night.
Joyce
My vision is not as good as it used to be but my hearing is still sharp and I hear the sound of lemons hitting the ground as they drop from the trees. It’s been a while since I chatted with you folks thinking that I would look up and see your pick up coming up the driveway but I’m so busy with home improvements that I hardly notice who is driving by any more.
If you are having your lemons going to wais that let us know and I can pay you ladies a visit and check up on how things are going , Thanks Greg
Our Valued Neighbors Joyce and Mary, I am back in the states and will be home soon and felt the need to be my usual friendly neighbor and check in with you folks and see if you needed any thing while I here. I only have a short time before returning so your window of opportunity is small. Never the less I am always willing to help out were I can, GM
Bless you, dear heart, for thinking of us but can’t think of anything right now. Have a good time and rest up!
Joyce