Retirement Without Borders by Barry Golson & Thia Golson & Expert Expats

Author:Barry Golson & Thia Golson & Expert Expats
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Published: 2008-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

AMBIENCE

Panama, the city, is the most social place in which you will ever live. Clubs and social organizations of every description thrive: rotary, cultural societies, garden clubs, professional organizations, bridge clubs, community theaters, dance groups, and sports-related clubs. There is a regular concert series as well as numerous visiting performing arts shows in the city.

Depending on your home country affiliation, ethnic interests, and hobbies, you can join a number of clubs and organizations including: American Society, Canadian Society, British Aid Society, Who’s New (women’s welcome club), Panama Historical Society, Ikebana, Rotary, Elks, Kiwanis, Balboa Yacht Club, Navy League, Inter-American Women’s Club, Harley-Davidson Club, Republicans Abroad, Panama Amateur Radio Association, Ivy League Mixer, Democrats Abroad, Association of the United States Army, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Vino (wine) Club, and many more.

In the interior, the pace is much slower. Locals take time to be polite and courteous in their relations. Thus, they greet one another when entering a store, even entering an elevator. Grocery shopping is a social outing requiring time to stop and chat with friends in the aisles whether in the city or in the country.

Panamanians are friendly and welcoming, and generally have a positive response to North Americans. However, in communities like Boquete where foreigners are beginning to outprice the locals, there is a developing feeling of “them and us.” The art of juega vivo appears with the two-tier pricing system: one for locals, one for foreigners.

STANDARD OF LIVING

About a quarter of Panama’s population is considered to have a middle-class standard of living, which can include owning a home or apartment, a car, and modern appliances. These people usually live in Panama City, are mostly of European descent, and work for the government, the canal, in banking, or major foreign corporations. Middle-class families send their children to university in Panama, the U.S., or Europe. While they live and work in the city, they often have beach homes or cabins in the mountains for weekends and vacations.

However, of the total population, a half million live in extreme poverty, primarily in rural and indigenous areas. A recent report on cost of living reported that 70 percent of the population earns $400 or less per month. But in the last four years, unemployment has dropped from 13 percent to 7 percent—a dramatic statistic when compared to most other Latin American nations.

Despite the relative poverty, everyone makes an effort to be neatly dressed and groomed. While it may not be a real Gucci bag or Rolex watch, and the house may not actually be paid for, as long as it can be worn, lived in, and everyone can see it, the person will be thought of as successful.

CULTURE

Panama has more than a dozen art galleries, six museums, and five theaters in the city, and a theater offering English-language productions in Boquete. Various embassies and companies sponsor visiting exhibits and shows, including musical recitals, history and cultural exhibits, and dance troupes from all over the world.

Cities in the interior are centers for the famous national dress, the pollera, as well as for local fairs, festivals, and carnivals.

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