Thought of the day

We were sitting at a panaderia watching people pass by and enjoying the early evening. A guy walked by with a cigarette. The pungent smell of his cigarette announced him quite a while before he actually passed by. And it lingered around for much longer - he was already a block away, when we could still smell it.

The following thought occurred to me:

We all have an impact on the world around us. Some impact is positive. Some not so much. 

Once you are aware of this fact you can - if you like - be more careful about what kind of impact you do want to have, and what kind you don’t. Thus be and do more of some things, and be and do less of other things…

Le penseur (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thinker?wprov=sfti1)

Ausgemustert - Out of service

I read a newspaper article today in the Salzburger Nachrichten, reporting on an exhibition of photographs with old folks, who have been sent to nursing homes and are basically just waiting there for the end of their life.

It made me very thoughtful!

Ausgemustert - Out of Service!

I'm heading there, too. Or am I there already? I retired. I stopped working for money. I am no longer pursuing my career as software engineer.  am no longer in service the way I used to be!

There are quite a few older expats in the area where I moved to. All but one, actually, are retired. 

But, we're by no means "just waiting to die"!  

View of Pacific from 700m above sea-level - the road passing my home leading to town

The one expat neighbor who's still in her 40s had moved her mom here during the pandemia. The reason was exactly this: her mom was shutting down more and more. From each video call to the next she noticed the decline of her mother. Until it was more than she could take and she picked her up from the nursing-home in the US and brought her to live with her here in Panama. In the two years her mom is now living here her decline not just stopped, but turned around! She is now full of life again, enjoying walking in the large park like garden, singing karaoki, delighting in the food - much of it fresh from the garden. What a difference!

For the retirees of us it's about the same: we are all enjoying our time here on this planet. Panama makes it possible - no matter what condition we're in! While we're still agile enough we can work our own garden, explore the beautiful country, delight in reconnecting with nature. If the garden is too big, or cooking is not our thing, or there's anything else that needs to be done and we're not up to it for whatever reason, there are many people around here, who love to take care of these tasks for us. And it does not brake the bank!

Instead of paying 7,000$ a month for assisted living, here you can hire a live-in caretaker for 1,000$, should you need one. 

Instead of being fully dependent on the grocery store half of the year, here your garden bears fruits and vegetables and roots all year round. You decide how organic you want your food to be. 

Otoe - a root vegetable like yucca - also just 7 months old 

My neighbor and gardener Carlos planted these banana trees about 7 months ago

Instead of feeling out-of-service in the sense of "cast aside", "locked away", here you can feel out-of-service in the sense of no longer having to work. 

Instead of feeling abandoned and lonely and disconnected, here you can reconnect with nature, be taken care of as much or as little as you want or need, and - if you treat your neighbors and caretakers nicely - be integrated again in a village life!

Even more! You can be the window to the world for the neighbors' kids. Through you, they - and their family - get a chance to get to know about another culture, get introduced to different ideas and approaches, and get inspired to learn, grow, and be open for the world!

What a difference! 

There the rest of your life is just wasting away. Here, you are making a difference to your last breath!

There you are a problem. Here you are appreciated and part of a solution!

My neighbor's son loves to hang out with us. Soon he'll start learning english in school. He'll get plenty of opportunity to practice with us!

If you want more information about various topics, here are links to my blog posts about: residency options, learning spanish, the climate, locally grown food. For any other questions, you can ask in a comment, and I'll try to answer or point you to where you can find more information.

Financially, here's the summary: if you're retired you need a pension of 1,000$ (1,250 for you and your partner).  If you're not yet retired, you can invest 130,000$ in a reforestation project for your residency. If you want to buy a comfortable real estate, you can get something very nice for 150,000$. Or you can rent something nice for under 1000$/month. So, financially it is very feasible for almost anybody in Europe, the US, or Canada, Australia, and such... 

If you want to come for a visit to see how it suits you, chat me up, I'll help you plan and arrange if you like... For me, now was the time to be adventurous, but in a safe way. How about you? 

To protect and serve - or - to abuse and harass

(Texto en español debajo de ingles...)

So far, my experience with the police in Panama has been very good. At check points they have always been polite and professional. 

One time, I had missed a 60 kph sign and was pulled over as I was driving 80 kph. (I always set the cruise-control, so I don't have to worry about police. That works really well! The sole point of failure, though, is, if I miss a speed limit sign... Oh well...) 

The officer was polite and informed me of my wrong doing. But then he kept talking about "we can fix the problem right here, it doesn't have to go to the national registry". I didn't understand, but Iris told me, he's looking for a bribe. After giving him 20$, he smiled, and sent us on our way without a ticket. That was - so far - the only negative experience.

However, lately I observed a police action that made me very sad and worried!

A police officer approached a young man who was riding a skate board. He took his backpack and threw it on the ground. Insulting the young man during the whole process, yelling something like: "I'm so hoping I find something on you!". He searched his pockets and padded him down, spending an excessive amount of time fumbling around the young man's genitals, while smiling provocatively in his face, as if saying "so? What'ya gonna do about this?". He treated the young man really, really badly - the way I'm used to see police in the US treat black men.

He didn't find anything, though! The young man had learned his lesson...

A year or two ago, he and his girlfriend were caught with a small quantity of marijuana. He was arrested, and spent the night in jail. Also, the justice of peace sentenced him to community work. He helped with a beach cleanup and served his sentence. Since then, he stayed clear of marijuana. Getting handcuffed, and spending a trial night in jail was severe enough an experience for him to decide not to go down that road again.

Since then, however, police treat him like a criminal. At any time, they descend on him, treating him very disrespectfully and provocative. Throwing around his stuff, delighting in padding him down, knowing how angry especially young men get when offended in this way. Yet, there's nothing the victim of this police digression can do. So he just lifts his arms and lets the procedure pass over him. Silently delighting in the disappointment of the officer for not finding anything.

Apparently, there were only two older officers doing this originally. However, the younger, newer officers are watching and learning. And the corruption of the senior officer is taught to all the junior officers working with him.

Now, double checking known offenders is a good practice. Of course! However, only if it is done in a respectful manner! Then, it serves as reminder to the person, that it is better to stay on the right side. 

But, disrespect and offensive, provocative behavior by the police officer is causing the opposite effect! It stirs up anger, resentment, and disrespect. Initially, it doesn't show, as the victim of the abuse is aware of the power of the police. However, you never know when the last straw is added onto the camel's back, and the victim explodes - and explosions always cause much, much destruction and damage!

Aside of the situation really being sad and upsetting by itself, it really makes me even more unhappy that it is happening in Panama - my new country of residence, the place where I would like to spend the rest of my life!

The pattern is very similar to what's happening with the police in the USA. I am guessing, that when the US invaded Panama to rid the country of their dictator Noriega, they then proceeded to train the newly formed police. Teaching them good techniques, but also planting the seed of corruption and abuse. 
And, just like in the US, where police is treated with suspicion at best and plain hate and disgust by many, police here seems to not enjoy the respect and trust of the population either.

And that is the real problem!!! If those who are supposed to ensure that the rules of community are upheld, thus ensuring a peaceful and safe living together, if those are not trusted because they themselves are not upholding the same rules, how can they be effective? How can such a society be peaceful and safe?

Looking at history, the Universe always finds a way to fix issues, to improve situations, to affect change. So I'm sure, this situation will at some point be resolved well as well. (Here probably sooner, than in the US, as there it is much deeper ingrained, and those who would be able to affect change seem to not be able or inclined to understand the problem.) 

The question is just, how much suffering and further destruction of trust and respect in police still has to happen until the situation improves?

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Para proteger y servir - o - para abusar y acosar

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Hasta ahora, mi experiencia con la policía en Panamá ha sido muy buena. En los puntos de control siempre han sido educados y profesionales.

Una vez, me había saltado una señal de 60 kph y me detuvieron cuando conducía a 80 kph. (Siempre configuro el control de crucero, así que no tengo que preocuparme por la policía. ¡Funciona muy bien! El único punto de falla, sin embargo, es si pierdo una señal de límite de velocidad... Bueno... )

El oficial fue cortés y me informó de mi mal proceder. Pero luego siguió hablando de "aquí mismo podemos arreglar el problema, no tiene que ir al registro nacional". No entendí, pero Iris me dijo que está buscando un soborno. Después de darle 20 $, sonrió y nos envió sin boleto. Esa fue, hasta ahora, la única experiencia negativa.

Sin embargo, últimamente observé una acción policial que me puso muy triste y preocupada.

Un policía se acercó a un joven que andaba en patineta. Tomó su mochila y la tiró al suelo. Insultando al joven durante todo el proceso, gritando algo como: "¡Espero encontrar algo sobre ti!". Buscó en sus bolsillos y lo acomodó, pasando una cantidad excesiva de tiempo hurgando en los genitales del joven, mientras le sonreía provocativamente a la cara, como si dijera "¿entonces? ¿Qué vas a hacer con esto?". Trató al joven muy, muy mal, de la forma en que estoy acostumbrado a ver a la policía en los Estados Unidos tratar a los hombres negros.

¡Sin embargo, no encontró nada! El joven había aprendido la lección...

Hace un año o dos, él y su novia fueron atrapados con una pequeña cantidad de marihuana. Fue arrestado y pasó la noche en la cárcel. Asimismo, el juez de paz lo condenó a trabajos comunitarios. Ayudó con la limpieza de una playa y cumplió su condena. Desde entonces, se mantuvo alejado de la marihuana. Ser esposado y pasar una noche de juicio en la cárcel fue una experiencia lo suficientemente grave como para que decidiera no volver a tomar ese camino.

Desde entonces, sin embargo, la policía lo trata como a un criminal. En cualquier momento, descienden sobre él, tratándolo de manera muy irrespetuosa y provocativa. Tirar sus cosas, deleitarse en acolcharlo, saber lo enojados que se ponen, especialmente los hombres jóvenes, cuando se los ofende de esta manera. Sin embargo, no hay nada que la víctima de esta digresión policial pueda hacer. Así que simplemente levanta los brazos y deja que el procedimiento pase por encima de él. Deleitándose en silencio con la decepción del oficial por no encontrar nada.

Aparentemente, solo había dos oficiales mayores haciendo esto originalmente. Sin embargo, los oficiales más jóvenes y nuevos están observando y aprendiendo. Y la corrupción del oficial superior se enseña a todos los oficiales subalternos que trabajan con él.

Ahora, verificar otra veces a los infractores conocidos es una buena práctica. ¡Por supuesto! Sin embargo, ¡solo si se hace de manera respetuosa! Entonces, sirve como recordatorio para la persona de que es mejor quedarse en el lado derecho.

¡Pero la falta de respeto y el comportamiento ofensivo y provocativo del oficial de policía están causando el efecto contrario! Provoca ira, resentimiento y falta de respeto. Inicialmente, no se nota, ya que la víctima del abuso es consciente del poder de la policía. Sin embargo, nunca se sabe cuándo se agrega la gota que colma el vaso y la víctima explota, ¡y las explosiones siempre causan mucha, mucha destrucción y daño!

Además de que la situación es realmente triste y perturbadora en sí misma, realmente me hace aún más infeliz que esté sucediendo en Panamá, mi nuevo país de residencia, ¡el lugar donde me gustaría pasar el resto de mi vida!

El patrón es muy similar a lo que está pasando con la policía en los Estados Unidos. Supongo que cuando Estados Unidos invadió Panamá para librar al país de su dictador Noriega, procedieron a entrenar a la policía recién formada. Enseñándoles buenas técnicas, pero también sembrando la semilla de la corrupción y el abuso.

Y, al igual que en los EE. UU., donde la policía es tratada con desconfianza en el mejor de los casos y con odio y repugnancia por parte de muchos, la policía aquí tampoco parece gozar del respeto y la confianza de la población.

Y ese es el verdadero problema!!! Si aquellos que se supone deben garantizar que se respeten las reglas de la comunidad, asegurando así una convivencia pacífica y segura, si no se confía en ellos porque ellos mismos no respetan las mismas reglas, ¿cómo pueden ser efectivos? ¿Cómo puede una sociedad así ser pacífica y segura?

Mirando la historia, el Universo siempre encuentra una manera de solucionar problemas, mejorar situaciones, afectar el cambio. Así que estoy seguro de que esta situación también se resolverá en algún momento. (Aquí probablemente antes que en los EE. UU., ya que allí está mucho más arraigado, y aquellos que podrían afectar el cambio parecen no ser capaces o inclinados a comprender el problema).

La pregunta es, ¿cuánto sufrimiento y más destrucción de la confianza y el respeto en la policía todavía tiene que pasar hasta que la situación mejore?

(traducido con la ayuda del traductor de google )

The trouble with local real estate

 There are two types of houses that are available in Panama, based on what I found when searching:

Homes built for locals, and homes built for foreigners.

The homes built for locals are quite affordable - but there's a reason for that: the quality standards and designs are not really up to what a typical foreigner would find acceptable.

Today I encountered one of the very typical problems also in Iris' house: the toilet drains tend to get clogged. I can't count how many local toilets I visited where signs of "Don't throw toilet paper into the toilet" are tell-tales of this issue!

I had installed a toilet a while ago - a provisorium. We didn't have running water yet, but we simply refilled the toilet-tank from a bucket after flushing. No problem...

The toiled drain in the other bathroom was plugged with some crumpled up cement bag - originally, so no debris falls into the pipe and causes problems later on. Lately, also to avoid gases from the septic system to come up through open hole.

Well, after tiling the whole bathroom, and grouting most of it, as well, I got ready to install the toilet here, too. Trying to remove the paper was very hard. It seemed to be soaked, and had lost any cohesion! Once I finally got the paper removed, to my great surprise, I found a "soup" sitting in the toilet-drain.  (Explains the moist paper plug! Yuck! 😝)

Soup sitting in drain is an unpleasant surprise in many ways

Apparently, the self-proclaimed "specialist" had glued the pipes together with a inclination instead of a declination! So, part of what was flushed down on the one bathroom, ended up flowing down the pipe to the other bathroom!

I have encountered many problems already in this house, and fixed them, or found a work around. But, how the heck, am I supposed to fix this one?!?!

I decided to break the finished tile-floor again, and using the jackhammer, open the concrete floor, and see if maybe the pipe can be lifted a little bit. 

Well, obviously, that didn't work out! A 1cm (1/2") pipe is a little flexible. But a 10cm (4") pipe doesn't move a mm on such a short length!

3 hours of work to dig out that pipe again

It looks, as if the pipe is forking off the pipe of the other bathroom, using a Y piece. And, 30cm after the Y and 60 cm before the end where the toilet is going to be sitting, the foundation of the wall between the bathrooms is fixating that pipe. It is in the wrong position for good! Cast in concrete, literally!

So far I have not been able to come up with any idea as to how to fix this problem! The only thing that might make life easier with a constantly clogging toilet, is a cleanout access close to the toilet. So, when the pipe is clogged, it is possible to insert a pressure hose without having to uninstall the toilet each time... So, if no better idea comes to me, I'll be cutting the pipe and inserting a 5cm (2") fork and letting that 5cm pipe lead all the way to the bathroom floor and put a plug on that. Not pretty. But kind of hidden a little by the toilet bowl, so you don't immediately see it, when entering the room. 

How the heck to fix that!?!

Well, we're about to go on another vacation to Austria. The hole will stay there until we get back, and whatever the best idea is going to be by that time, I'll implement...

Now, just to be clear: The issue of incorrect declination of the sewer pipes is a problem as well of many homes that were built for foreigners! One more reason for me to be present all the time and to double check everything while I am having my house built!

Canine Distemper - a terrible disease

 I made two mistakes around my pet during the last year. The same mistake, twice, to be correct. The first time, I guess, the shocker wasn't enough for me to learn my lesson. So this time I got a real big one!

But, let me start at the beginning...

Last February, while visiting my family in Austria and before really emigrating to Panama, I mentioned to my sister, that now I might be able to finally have a dog myself, too. I have been travelling a lot throughout my worklife. This kind of life doesn't suit having pets. It would be rather unfair towards them...

My sister just laughed and told me: Just wait! A dog will find you and adopt you soon!

And so it was.

When I arrived back in Panama, my friend Kyle, with whom I was staying most of the time when in Panama, lamented about a dog who had shown up about 2 weeks before I arrived. And she wouldn't let him chase her away! He didn't feed her anything, even shot with his slingshot metal balls at her! To no avail! She would just keep on coming back.

While he was telling me this story, there she comes running down the driveway, onto the terrace where we were sitting. She totally ignored Kyle and came straight to me, putting her chin on my knee, looking at me with those beautiful brown eyes, as if she was saying "What took you so long? I've been waiting for you!"

And so it was, that I was adopted!

Weibi - happy to finally get some food and love

In order to stop myself calling her "Kerlchen" (which is Austrian for little fellow, I decided to name her "Weibi" - which is Austrian for "little woman". 

With her I made the first mistake.

I was so busy looking for land, purchasing it, dealing with the legalities, and then later helping Iris with the construction of her house, that I never found the time to take her to the vet. I had no clue whether she was sterilized or vaccinated. I just embraced her in my life, without taking care of her needs!

Well, that was in April. By October she became very "fat". And on 15th of December last year she gave birth to 7 puppies. 

We had just come to Camarón Arriba, Chiriqui, and were living in the container, which I had purchased a few months before and remodeled into a workshop/storage space and a little living area, with mattress and fridge. That morning, around 4 am I woke up from her making a strange chewing noise.

Turns out, she had delivered one puppy and was trying to bite open the placenta-bag. She wasn't successful fast enough, and we didn't notice early enough, so the puppy died. But, when the next puppies came, we were alert, and Iris knew what to do. As soon as the puppy came, she opened the bag around the mouth of the puppy, so it could breath.

Two of the ultimately five already there

Over the whole morning, one puppy after the other was born. The 6th around mid-day. Since there was nothing happening anymore for hours, we thought she was done birthing. But, by 16:00 (4 pm), the 7th puppy came - again unnoticed by us. Again, the bag wasn't removed quickly enough, and it died.

So, here I was, having to take care of a mother with 5 babies!

Tiny furballs - eyes closed only sleeping and nursing

about 2 weeks old - eyes still closed

What to do with them? Who could I entrust any of them? The locals don't treat dogs the way we in Europe consider to be well. And the foreigners I knew all already had a dog! Aye aye aye!

nothing but a handful of cuteness

Nursing is very exhausting, it appears

Growing up soooo quickly!

Just like human babies - no care in the world!

Trusting that everything will be taken care of for them

She must be thinking: What did I get myself into with that! How did that happen?

I read up on puppies, and promised myself to take them all to the vet as soon as they are ready for it. And I did for the first visit. Weibi was sterilized, and the young ones dewormed and whatever else is done on the first visit. But it was still too early for them to get vaccinated.

By the time vaccinations were possible, we were back in Santa Catalina, Veraguas. To reach the vet, it takes 2.5 hours of driving each direction. The dogs - both the mother, as well as the babies - get car sick and throw up. It's a torture for them. And a lot of work for us to clean up the car afterwards. Also, I had "guest-workers" from Chiriquí here, who wanted to maximize their income and worked from 6:30 (am) to sometimes 19:00 (7:00 pm) or even later! Every day, except Sundays. I needed to be there, so they knew what to do, and to answer questions and make decisions when they arise.

And I postponed the vet. And I postponed. And postponed, and postponed.

Then we went back to Chiriquí. The dry season has almost ended, and I didn't want to wait another year to get the slap for my house done. During the rest of the year it starts raining almost every day by 13:00 or 14:00 (1 resp. 2 pm) in the afternoon. A slab needs to be cast in one sitting - so this is only possible during the dry season.

Having up to 14 workers there again every day, Monday through Saturday, was very exhausting again. And, it prevented me from going to the vet... (check out "kindergarten - herding cats - fighting bad old habits and ignorance" to understand the dilemma I was in).

This is an explanation, but no excuse, of course!

Well, last week, I got my second lesson about the same topic...

Thursday evening, I noticed Patas Blancas to be kind of low key. Friday, he didn't eat much, but was just laying around looking miserable. Saturday, realizing that Monday is a holiday, I decided to face the 2 1/2 hours of driving in the heat, with dogs puking everywhere in the car (they didn't want to stay in the back, where I had placed a sheet of cardboard) and take them all to the vet: checking out Patas Blancas, and vaccinating (finally!) all the other ones.

When Iris asked me to come inside to hear what the vet has to say, I thought, that doesn't sound good.

And, yes, it wasn't good at all! The symptoms of Pata Blancas pointed strongly at Canine Distemper , about the most terrible disease for dogs. Highly infectious, and in 99% of the cases deadly.

There was no sense in trying to vaccinate any of them at this point. We got some medicines - for Patas something to ease the pain and discomfort. And for the others immune strengtheners and other stuff. Iris is very good with that - I am terrible. I don't want to take pills myself, and have a hard time managing 4 medications for 4 dogs 3 or 4 times a day. But, Iris handled that situation very well! So glad she is in my life! She complements me so well, filling in where I am weak, and supporting me even more where I'm strong!

Patas got fluids and some IV medications. When we drove home, he appeared a little better, and we got a little hope. But, that dissipated quickly, when we tried to give him some food he had absolutely bo interest in it. He tried to drink some water, but through it all up again 5 minutes later. It was terrible to watch!

And I couldn't get the picture out of my head, when we were in Chiriquí just 2 weeks earlier, and the three little ones followed Weibi roaming the fields, barking at some of the cows and horses, and just frolicking around. As they were walking through the high grass, the little ones were jumping rather than walking to be able to get ahead. all of them happy, full of life and energy!

I felt really terrible having wasted their life so carelessly by not making it a priority to go to the vet. It's too late now. There's nothing more that could be done...

Iris sat up with Patas until the early morning, when he finally fell asleep and never woke up again!