Monday, March 02, 2015

The Bad Man Punted Baxter!

Fellow PCRV from Guatemala:  Panamanians tell me I don't speak Spanish.
Me:  Yeah, they tell me that, too.  But as they tell me that, I'm thinking, "I'm not speaking Spanish?  You're not speaking Spanish either.  I don't know what you're speaking."
Fellow PCRV:  We're all pretty much speaking garbage Spanish. 

1)  Conversin' with the Locals -- trying to get into the flow of Panamanian Spanish:

Talking about law schools

Talking about religion

Know your numbers

2)  They Do Eat Bush Meat -- wild iguanas are protected, but I found out that there's a demand for them.  Professionals like lawyers, politicians, the local Chinese population are just some of the people who buy wild iguanas in order to eat them.  Iguanas that aren't wild or "domesticated" meanwhile are ok to eat and a Panamanian told me they're quite delicious.

3)  Queso! -- In Cameroon, people don't smile in photos.  In Panama, its half and half:


4)  Environmental Dilemmas -- a) A fellow PCRV gave me some cheese, but it was the cheese where each slice was individually wrapped, b)  after an environmental meeting, the host gave us all lunch in polystyrene containers.   Sometimes, its hard not to look a gift horse in the mouth. 

5)  Old Movies I'm Appreciating Right Now --   Malcolm X, Anchorman, Gattaca,  Galaxy Quest.