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We are in Boquete, which is in the Chiriqui province in Panama. After being here for almost a month now, we’ve gotten a pretty good feel for what makes the people tick. The locals are starting to nod at us. Maybe that’s what prompted Clay to buy a shirt with the lettering, “Soy Chiriqui.” The locals think it’s funny. Can’t tell if they’re laughing with or at.
What Everyone Is Like
- Attitude
Chiriqui people are laid back. No worries here. Take your time, hang out on your stoop, and enjoy life. People smile at each other. A great example of what the people are like can be found at the grocery store. When I get groceries at around 5 or 6 (when people are getting off work), the lines can get crazy. There are no shopping carts, so it’s not that people are loading up. It’s just cashiers and customers taking their time. People chat with each other. Everyone seems to know each other. Absolutely no native of Chiriqui is in a hurry.
- Fashion
Everyone, and I mean everyone, wears pants at all times. Only white people don’t wear pants. If you wear cargo shorts, you might be a gringo. Clay and I workout in shorts. Panamanian guys workout in jeans.
If a girl walks down the street in a skirt of any kind, she’s probably a hooker, or American. (Author note: American girls on vacation are pretty much hookers anyway). Girls either wear jeans or those awesome ripped jeans.
- Life
In the last post I mentioned Bocas del Toro. It’s maybe 3-4 hours from here. I’ll venture to say less than 10% of the people in Boquete will ever travel there. People in Panama just don’t travel. The cost of living versus wages just does not allow it. I am really lucky to be able to do this. Panama is cheap for me.
What Kids Are Like
- Kids are kids anywhere in the world. They get into trouble, throw stuff at each other, and play sports. Soccer is the game of choice, but stick ball seems to be popular also.
What Teenagers Are Like
- From what I’ve gathered, teenagers are pretty much the same too. They hang out complaining that they have nothing to do. Which of course leads to drinking alcohol and doing funny or stupid things depending which side of sobriety you’re on. The drinking age is 18, but they start much earlier than that.
What 20-Something’s Are Like
- All the girls we have interacted with have complained about the guys. The girls say they don’t pay enough attention to them and they are too wrapped up in getting drunk with each other and playing sports. They apparently have no sense of romance. Boqueten women would be happy just going for a walk with a guy, but the guys wont do it. My take: Panamanian girls watch too many American movies.
- Most young people I know desperately want to get out of America and explore. Most young Panamanians dream of traveling to America. If they could get a visa to live permanently in the United States, they would go in a second. Instead, it’s nearly impossible for an average Panamanian to get a visa to even visit the USA.
What the Middle-Agers Are Like
- Older men and women, from 30 up to 65, work hard. It’s tough to make a living in a country where the cost of living keeps rising. So, there are the ones that are unhappy (the minority) and the ones you make the best of it. The weekends are a big deal for the older folk. Friday night sees the borachos out in full force.
What the Oldies Are Like
- The really old people live at home with their families. They cook and clean if they’re able and enjoy sitting on their stoops and watching the day pass slowly. Families take care of the elders because they can’t afford to send them elsewhere. There aren’t any old folks homes to pass your old, wrinkly baggage to.
With all this being said, keep in mind that life in Chiriqui is significantly different from anywhere else in Panama. It’s just like America - I’m nothing like Southerners. Meaning, it’s pretty easy to tell if someone is from Chiriqui and if someone is from Panama City.
The overall impression I get: the people of Chiriqui work hard, live slow, and live happy.
Finally!
c’mon, your blog is a source of entertainment for me. but “all american girls on vacation = hookers”?
isnt that a little simpleminded?
(ha, perhaps i am biased! i think not tho)
I counted 3 diesel Toyota 4 doors. You really need to bring one home with you. Why don’t you guys drive me home one of those bad boys.
^^^^^^^^That was me^^^^^^^^^
Anna - I’m glad you’re reading. That’s awesome. You’re awesome!
American girls, on vacation, far away from home, far away from their judging peers, far away from the social institutions that keep them from letting loose…c’mon!
I second the notion that all american girls are hookers
Yeah, like I want another truck in my driveway. LOL!
keep em coming..
p.s. working out in jeans, BOOO
so its merely “social institution” that keeps girls from acting like sluts..strongly resisting our true sluttttty slutty nature?
(eyebrows raised, hand scratching chin..)
i applaud the objective eye you have towards the people you meet abroad, but a default chauvenistic perspective towards a huge group of people isnt quite fair, is it?
Anna, this is why it never worked out between you and me.
Hey Derek,
I got a fortune cookie message tonight at dinner that said I would be smiling if I visited somewhere south. Panama is south of us; right? Just kidding. Maybe I’ll make Dad make the fortune come true!!
To be fair, if anyone knows anything about hookers abroad it’s definitely Anna. On that note, feel free to give me a call next time you leave the country.
ROSS
Another good post! So question: What is the makeup of the population age-wise. Like what percentage of the population is 18-15, 30-40 etc.
Also, as an idea for a future post…What are you guys doing for fun down there? Im anxious to hear about local sporting events or bars and the fun stuff.
update!!
“Chiriqui people are laid back. No worries here. Take your time, hang out on your stoop, and enjoy life.”
This is precisely the reason I became addicted to life in Quepos, Costa Rica. It was so refreshing to interact with a group of people who, even when in a rush, would always take the time to stop and greet you, and ask you how you were. And beers on the stoop? Always a good idea!
As Americans, I wish we could see that there are more important things than being on time, and crossing everything off a pointless to-do list. It’s interesting how, at an educational level, Americans are taught to think critically about the material that is presented to them, and are much better capable at doing this than, say, their Asian peers, who are taught to respect the teacher’s word and not question it. Yet, it baffles me that despite the fact we may be able to think critically about an argument presented in an essay, we cannot think critically when it really counts…you know, in deciding what we choose to do with that thing called our lives?
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