You are here: Home / Archives for General Interest / Community

Benchwarmers at the BCP: “Life is like a box of chocolates”

May 22, 2013 by 1 Comment

As I went to see the rehearsal of Bench Warmers at the BCP last night I did not think I would be quoting, Forrest Gump. However this describes the Boquete Community Players production Benchwarmers,   “Life is like a box of chocolates: You never know what you’re gonna get.”

Bench warmers is not a single play, it is a series of eight short one act plays, packed between two bookends. The plays were  selected from seventy six submissions. There are fifteen actors, five directors, nine writers and nineteen people on the crew. Like any good box of chocolates there are some some nuts, some sweets, some cherries and some oranges, but no lemons here. Depending upon your taste you will enjoy some flavors and textures more than others. That is the fun part, you will not  know what the next will be.

I embraced the comedy, two playlets directed by Dee Harris and one by Lane Saurez. I also enjoyed the human interactions in Canyon’s Edge and Independence Day, they had savory flavors not often found in a box of chocolates, but providing rich contrast to the humor.

It was fun to see both new and experienced faces on the stage,  Julian Bonifiglio with an Australian accent.  Perron-Jones doing something like a tongue twisted Germanic, Argentine Spanish version of English, what was that supposed to be? How computer dating can cause pregnancy in front of your very eyes and how a dense self absorbed tourist can miss the obvious. You will see that love can survive fifty years and how shaking in the bushes can lead to erotic behavior. Beware of the X rated Buzz Lightyear and Barbie sex scene, it might make you roll on the floor. This box of sweets is a pleasing mixture well worth sharing.

Benchwarmers is a group of your neighbors learning, experimenting and providing us the opportunity to enjoy their evolution. It is an entertaining two hours.  I recommend going to see Bench Warmers, sample all the flavors and decide what you savor most. There are tastes to delight everyone. I suspect the participants would enjoy hearing what you like best.

Here is a list of the playlets and the talent in them.


 bw33

Bench Warmers is playing this week at the BCP Theater, with five performances including two matinees you have no excuse to miss the sweet and the savory in this box of chocolates.

Today, Wednesday May 22, 2013 from 2pm to 4pm

Thursday May 23, 2013 from 8pm to 10pm

Friday May 24, 2013 from 8pm to 10pm

Saturday May 25, 2013 from 8pm to 10pm

Sunday  May 26, 2013 from 2pm to 4pm

These are some images from each play.

The only thread between ten plays
Stage Direction a bookend
An Absurd Concept
Independence Day
Schrodinger Takes his cat to the Vet
The Falls
Good talk
Close Encounters
Canyons Edge

 


Filed Under: Community, Featured, General Interest, Happenings

Cinco de Mayo a faux holiday for a good cause

May 5, 2013 by 1 Comment

Today as we served Chili at Amigos Restaurant for the benefit of Buenos Vecinos, a good cause, Mayra, a Panamanian, asked me about Cinco de Mayo. She asked what it was about, my answer was that it was not really a Mexican Holiday but a something celebrated in the US Southwest. I was not able to provide any more details because I did not know any more. So here is a a good link to explain the origins and evolution of a holiday that was never really much of a holiday. LINK. Thank you Lynnie for the link.

Cinco de Mayo is a big day for local Mariachis and this event at Amigos had many participants who donated their time and money cooking Mexican food for the many attendees who came.

Buenos Vecinos de Boquete is a small group of volunteers who deliver food supplies to the handicapped and elderly on a monthly basis. If you missed the event you can make donations at the Tuesday meeting they will help feed people who need help.

I was surprised at the absence of another important community group that usually attends and participates in fund raising for good causes, no Dog Breath Chili from Amigos de Animales, a past award winner. I missed their energy and their chili. It is a shame they were not there.

IMG_1379

Still the food was good, the Panamanian Gene Autry, below, was fun and the food I managed to taste was all done with love.

IMG_1382

Mayra and I dished out some Boquete Green, our local variant of Chili Verde. We did not win any awards, but that was not the reason we went. We were there to support a group that does good things for people who need their assistance.

We the expats in Boquete do some very positive things for our community and those who benefit appreciate the assistance and that was obvious from the increased Panamanian participation in this and other events.

 


Filed Under: Community, Featured, Food, General Interest

Caveat Emptor – revisited

April 14, 2013 by 13 Comments

Back in October 2012 I did a post about what appeared to be an new scam in Boquete. The extent of my investigation was to warn the potential victims to tread carefully.

The post quoted several “news” sources that in fact printed a PR piece as news.

“Panamanian-Swiss Billionairess Analiede Gallardo de English Assumes the Title “Richest Woman in the World” with Assets Exceeding $50 Billion Dollars.” YAHOO

I attempted to verify the story and the first thing that leaps out is that is NOT news, it is a press release distributed through PRWeb.

“Anyone wishing to contribute to her charity work may do so via PayPal.com. Donation requests may be emailed to AnnyGallardo@WallStreetList.com for any donations.
Anyone wishing to do business with Sra. Gallardo English may do so for a premium fee. Please submit proposals and joint venture offers to AnnyGallardo@WallStreetList.com (mail to: AnnyGallardo(at)WallStreetList.com). Magazines, newspapers and television shows, may arrange interviews for a fee through the aforementioned email address as well.”

My question in the original post was, why does the richest woman in the world need fees for interviews and help with charity work? Why would she need a fee to do business with you?

Well that all slipped away into the past until a string of comments to the post appeared in my queue for approval to BoqueteGuide.

cavet_emptor

I have blacked out the names of the people threatened except me as boqueteguide.com.

The lower two comments were made from IP addresses on a network in Boquete, the same network. The upper three, all claiming to be from different people, were made from the same IP address in Hospital Chiriqui.

So what is he point, scamsters hate the light of day and when exposed, even in a benign  manner as in the original post, they threaten and harass those who expose them. I never suggested in the original post that any that was alleged was untrue, in fact this is what I said in October.

“Is this release true? I have no idea, but it does not ring clear. I received an email this morning calling it a scam in the making, I have no facts, so my message to all is Caveat Emptor. Let the buyer beware and don’t believe something just because it is published on the internet.”

The those making the threats, this website is hosted in the USA not Panama and I the webmaster have as good lawyer as you and like you I no assets to sequester in Panama, so bring it on!  Your threats make me believe you are indeed people to avoid.

 

 


Filed Under: Community, Featured, General Interest

TCM: Seminar on BoqueteNing.com

April 2, 2013 by 2 Comments

I had several people ask me to do a seminar on how to use BoqueteNing.com I agreed and was surprised by the number of people who were in attendance.

BoqueteNing.com was developed as a community communications tool and has been online for about six years, it has 3300 members and and many more who visit read it daily without ever joining. It is a good source of information for visitors and residents, as well as often a source laughs and entertainment.

The goal from the beginning was a free flow of ideas. Of course children will always be children, regardless of age, so we needed to set some guidelines to prevent food fights and flame wars.

The rules are simple:
“Boquete.ning.com is an open community forum
Neither the admins, nor anyone else posting on this forum is responsible for the posting, ranting, raving or good things posted by anyone else. It is not our intent to censor or delete any discussion relevant to Boquete, Panama. Just keep on topic, Boquete, and do not abuse other members.”

The goal remains No Censorship.

censorship2

BoqueteNing.com is free to all users including business who are encouraged to post activities and things of interest to the community.

BoqueetNing.com has two administrators, Fran Hogan and I, we both work for peanuts or pizza, when offered, otherwise we volunteer our efforts.

The costs for keeping BoqueteNing and this blog online are paid by me. Those costs are subsidized by people who place ads and most importantly by people who make Amazon purchases through BoqueteNing by using the Search Box for Amazon.com on both sites. That is a painless way for people who planned to buy from Amazon.com to keep us online.

If we ever get ahead of expenses I plan to buy a big bag of peanuts and maybe a pizza for Fran without whom we could not keep Ning somewhat sane.

This is a copy of the presentation


Filed Under: Community, Featured, General Interest, Survival Kit Items, Tuesday Mornings

A rabbit free weekend

April 1, 2013 by 3 Comments

I remember the rabbits and the brightly colored eggs, they were Easter to me. The holiday was as secular as Christmas, to a non-christian family, it was a party day. Here in Panama it is not Easter, it is Pascua and there is nothing secular about the holiday. Starting with the debauchery of Carnival through the period of lent and ending yesterday in Churches throughout Panama, Pascua is about the death and rebirth of Christ.

For us Pascua was a trip to the beach near Puerto Armuelles. Four of us went, Mayra, her daughter Johana, her fiancé Dinesh and I. An ecumenical conference of two Christians, one secular jew and one Hindu. We seemed to do fine together, no bomb throwing, no religious arguments, in fact discussing the pristine looking waters and enjoying the fried fish for lunch was our day at the beach.

IMG_1266

At least one local blogger, a good friend would have said it would all have been different if Sheik Mohamed ali-Baba, had been there. Perhaps, because I doubt the Sheik would have joined us in toasting cold Balboas, otherwise I want to believe the  experience would have been the same.

As Rodney King, a true poet, once said,” Why can’t we all get along”. The answer is simple, we are all human, that makes us both imperfect and all knowing. We all are imperfect, we seek to be more perfect through our beliefs. Equally some fringe people in all religions believe that only their belief structure has correct path attain such lofty heights and everyone needs to follow the same path or die trying.

For me the path to enlightenment is education. The reason my children knew eggs and rabbits for Easter is because we believed they should understand all of their cultural and religious surroundings and it was a fun tradition very much a secularization of what ever religious roots it had.

Over the years we visited Synagogues, Churches, played at some Buddhist behaviors and certainly revisited Pagan roots many time.  I admit we never did go to Friday services at the Mosque of the Sheik but if there had been one close we might have. Once you realize all people are just people, life can be much smoother. After death we might know who’s guess was right or wrong on the panoply of gods available to choose from.

Yesterday the Pagan rain gods spoke in Alto Jaramillo, we are out of water. The cabrata that feeds our water system is running dry. We decided prayers are not enough so today in a true ecumenical fashion neighbors of all religions will join in an effort to install new PVC and tap into a new cabrata up in the hills of Jaramillo. Regardless of which god may or may not have responsibility, these mountains are beautiful and today no neighbor will care what church the other attends.  We will all do our part as neighbors to insure potable water, much better, thank you.

 


Filed Under: Community, Featured, General Interest, Survival Kit Items, Utilities

Weekend celebration and then a thank you

March 25, 2013 by 3 Comments

I really dislike going to Panama City, but if you live in Panama the center of the world is in the Capital and at times you must go. Usually I need to go to visit a government Ministry since everything in this country is centralized the offices in the Provinces can rarely do much of anything. This time was different, a better reason and over a weekend.

Via Espana Panama City

Via Espana Panama City

This trip was with Mayra and both of her daughters, Karina and Johana to formally celebrate the engagement of Johana.

Karina, Johana, Mayra

Karina, Johana, Mayra

After a seven hour bus trip we received a room at the Milan Hotel early, and slept to recover from sleeping on the 11PM semi express bus. Then  we did a little shopping, I forgot it was Saturday some of the markets, the kosher markets, were closed. I forgot it was the first day of Passover and Sabbath too, oh well, those little grey cells are overused.We did our spice shopping at Foodie.

Then later went to the engagement dinner at Lung Fung, which I think has the worst Chinese Food in Panama. After the formal meeting of the families, Mayra, Karina and I went out for a drink to relax. It was a formal meeting because Johana is marrying into a Indian family and the Hindu traditions are different than any we know.

Sunday morning I wanted to compensate for Lung Fung, so I took the group to the Golden Unicorn for great Dim Sum. In my opinion, Lung Fung and Golden Unicorn, both in Panama City are the opposite extremes in Chinese cuisine.

Then the trip home, long but uneventful until I hit the rain driving from David to Boquete. Allow me to suggest avoiding that ride at night if you can. Between the detours and lack of paint on the highway it is really difficult to know where you are on the road. It is easy to slide into a ditch.

I avoided the ditches, at least until I started up Jaramillo, up the muddy unpaved road that climbs to my house. My Rexton hit a slippery spot I slid backwards into a drainage channel. What do you do at 8:30PM on a rural road in Panama when you are stuck in a ditch. This is the magical difference in Panama, no AAA, I could have called for a tow truck but they might never have found me or ended up in the same ditch.

Instead I called my neighbor. As I waited for Carlin, Kent and Phyllis, other neighbors drove up and offered to help. Eventually using Carlin’s winch and his jeep tied to Kent’s pickup I was extricated. Then Carlin tried backing down the hill and ended up in the same ditch. We extracted him and with Carlin leading in the jeep and Kent walking by my side I backed down to a point I could turn the car and return to an intersection and use a paved road up the hill.

There is a message in this monologue. Panama is a country of diversity, a melting pot. Panama has attracted some great people along with the losers. I know my neighbors, we rely on each other, this is a lot different than my life in Arizona. I knew I could call any neighbor when I was stuck, I never hesitated, they also know they can call me if they need help, when that has happened I never hesitated either. This is a very different than my past life, I prefer this life. Thank you to Kent, Phyllis and Carlin, all of you are reasons I love living here in the boonies.

 


Filed Under: Community, Contrasts, Featured, General Interest, Lodging, Panama City, Panama City, Restaurants

Weights and measures and loss of hectares of native vegetation

March 18, 2013 by 5 Comments

Panama is a small country and changes can be made rather quickly, when desired. It usually it takes forever to change things because the average Panamanian like all people everyplace resists transitions unless there is a force pushing hard. The change to the metric system has been fast because the government has leverage with businesses and the people need to adjust. First it was weights, no more pounds, now grams and kilograms. Romero, in an effort to dull the effect shifted their signs from pounds to 454 grams, leaving prices the same. In time they will follow other businesses and move to grams and kilograms, it takes time for the public to understand change.

Between now and some time in April the gallon will go extinct in Panama. Some gas stations are already making the change.

Prices in Liters

Prices in Liters

This Delta station is not selling discounted combustibles, they have switched to liters, there are about 3.7 liters in a US gallon. The gallon, the mile, the yard, the foot, and the acre are going extinct in Panama. Panama is joining most of the rest of the world in abandoning the imperial system of measurement for the much more logical metric system. Will the United States realize it needs to make the change too, or will people refuse the change saying it is being dictated by the outsiders, a plot to internationalize?

Speaking of acres or really hectares, I took this photo of Volcan Baru this morning in a clear moment. You can see some of the areas of deforestation on the slope facing Jaramillo. We need to stop the destruction or whether it is measured in gallons or liters we will not have sufficent potable water for much of anything.

Volcan Baru

Volcan Baru deforestation


Filed Under: Community, Featured, General Interest, Shopping, Survival Kit Items

Sitting Outside the Box

February 24, 2013 by 6 Comments

After much anticipation I visited the Food Box in Volcancito, Boquete. Many people have been singing the praises of the location and I wanted to see if the praise was in line with the reality.

weekender1

The Food Box is located on the road to Volcancito, a lot closer to Boquete than stores in David. They are not a typical mini market although they do sell most of the same things as a typical market they also have some things you cannot find in other Boquete markets.

weekender2

They have a wide range of spices and chest freezer full of goodies like imported beef, ground pork and lamb. To find these in other places you need to head to either El Rey or Super Baru in David. So if you are not up for the drive to David and crave a good steak the Food Box is the place for you.

weekender3

As you can see from the prices below a good steak does not come cheap. However I do not know another local resource for the quality of beef and other offerings that are available at the Food Box. In addition there is a value in being close, with fuel at over $4 a gallon, a trip to David for a steak is far more expensive.

weekender4

My post Food Box weekend was limited to a visit to Amigos for some great jazz and their traditional monthly Birthday Bash. Mayra was one of the people who celebrated a birthday in February so she was there for the cake cutting and a free bottle of champagne; gleefully consumed with friends.

weekender6

What I did not understand is why Amigos was not packed? The music started at 7pm and ended a bit after 10pm, too early for the Panamanian party time but very much in line with expat expectations. Free Jazz in anticipation of the pending Jazz Fesitval next weekend and still only half full of people enjoying themselves.

weekender5

I do hope the Jazz Festival has more support than this singular event. One of the things that makes Boquete unique in Panama are the cultural events enhanced by the expat community. Over they years as the expat population has grown the involvement of newer immigrants in these events appears to be dissipating. Maybe I am being overly critical of my peers and my observations are totally subjective but it gives me pause to wonder.


Filed Under: Community, Featured, General Interest

Caribbean Tobacco in Bugaba Panama

February 20, 2013 by 3 Comments

If smoke cigars or not, I suggest you visit the Caribbean Tobacco Company in Bugaba Panama. You will be treated to a tour that takes you from the piles of tobacco, all grown in Chiriqui, through the process of rolling and finishing a cigar.

IMG_1157

If you go to the Tuesday market you have probably seen Dave selling cigars. You might not realize he is the manager of the local facility that makes the cigars. Caribbean tobacco in Concepcion, Bugaba is located on the highway to Volcan.

cigars8

They have been the resurrection of the local tobacco industry. Condemn smoking if you wish but tobacco was once a major cash crop for the farm in Chiriqui. Mayra who went with me for our visit was fast to notice the tobacco plants in from of the facility. She recognized them because her father was a tobacco grower in the past.

cigars9

Now there is a new market for tobacco in Chiriqui, cigars. All the tobacco in cigars produced in Bugaba is grown in Chiriqui, except for the outer leaf wrappers, they come from Nicaragua.

cigars3

 

Mayra with a wrapper leaf below. Our tour guide with a pile of filler above.

cigars4

 

Rolling cigars is an art. The gentleman below has been making cigars for fifteen years. Not that his hand is literally a blur. He explained by rolls five hundred cigars in one day. I have video links below of him doing slow rolling for us to see.

cigars5

If you are wondering what he is using to glue the leaf together, I wondered, it is a potato starch glue.

Cigars and not just for men, women who smoke cigars are very erotic. Look for cigars from Panama and support your local farmers.

cigars7


Filed Under: Chiriqui, Community, Featured, General Interest, Travel in Panama

Carnaval, Bid4Boquete and a Tequila Mocking Bird

February 9, 2013 by Leave a Comment

This is a big weekend in Panama, Carnaval, it has a slightly different twist in Boquete. Carnaval Panama’s version of a religious festival in anticipation of lent began yesterday with parties in much of the country. Although Tuesday is the only paid holiday for the private sector, government workers are off until Thursday. They did work extra days in compensation, but this makes for a five day party time for many.

There are places like Boquete that do not have Carnaval celebrations, others like Las Tablas that revel in the event. Carnaval in Panama is a party for the young in body and spirit. It consists of rum, seco, beer and lots of water. You traditionally ingest the rum, seco and beer and are sprayed with the water. Local news channels have been building the expectations for a few weeks showing people buying special Carnaval   clothing mostly very short shorts and tee shirts. Consider Carnaval in places like Las Tablas a massive wet tee shirt party. The closest Carnaval town to Boquete is Dolega, so if you want to experience Carnaval Panama style you now know were to go. If take a camera make it waterproof because and wear a too be wet tee shirt.

It is politically significant as well as an acknowledgement of the party that that MINSA, the health ministry will be distributing free condoms at Carnaval events. I wonder how many will be used as water balloons?

While Carnaval is happening in Dolega Bid4Boquete, the annual fund raiser for Boquete charities is having their main events. Today they started with a art and home wear show in the BCP. I was there buying some art this morning, you should too. The money goes to good causes and there are good things there.

Bid4Boquete at the BCP

Bid4Boquete at the BCP

Bid4Boquete at the BCP

Bid4Boquete at the BCP

Tonight is the annual Wine Tasting, it sold out before I bought tickets; I never plan far enough in advance. Tonight is also the live auction of some really nice stuff.

Tomorrow in the Arco Iris room of the Fair grounds is the main event for the entire Boquete community, more auctions, silent and more. Lots of food, events for children and who knows what more. The doors open at noon and the worker bees are preparing today.

If you do need a little of the Carnaval experience a little closer to home Tuesday is the day, Fuzion Grill is the place. For music, drink and jambalaya, New Orleans style. The ban Tequila Mockingbird is mixing free drinks for the first on the scene and the Boquete Jazz and Blues festival will have hurricanes and food for those who make a small donation.

Tequila Mockingbird Boquete Panama

Tequila Mockingbird Boquete Panama

In all these should be a few fun days in all of Panama, Boquete included. Just be careful driving the roads will be shared by both the intoxicated and police with breathalyzers. They have been warning people more than a beer or a shot and you will receive a fine if caught.


Filed Under: Community, Featured, General Interest, Happenings, Night Life, Outdoor Activities
«Older Posts