downtown

One weekend at the end of October, we decided to stay put in town and do some shopping downtown. It was just before the first of the November holidays, so people were buying silk flowers for the cemetery, and flags for the patriotic holidays had just started to pop up. I decided I'd hold my breath and venture into the meat area of the market so we could buy some fish, but we were too late, and it was already packed up for the day. Next time! We did buy a $1 pineapple from the sweetest man with an entire pickup truck full. I wonder how many he was able to sell! The girls were excited about the flags and hair bows we bought in preparation for the week's parades.

Oh, and before we left the house that day, we worked to rescue a gigantic moth that was trapped in our window. It was at least 6 inches wide and tough to catch!

Chitre

In October, we took a day trip to Chitré, a town about an hour away from where we live. It was really clean, colorful, and charming. We explored around the plaza, where there was a stage and we saw a few groups sing or perform before we ate lunch. On our way out of town, we spotted a mini Riba Smith, a high end grocery store that sells a lot of US-made products. We found cottage cheese and a pumpkin, so I'd call it a success!

Panama City and City of Knowledge

To me, one of many benefits of working in a foreign country is seeing sides of the country that you might not see as a tourist. My host institution is a national bilingual initiative based in the capital, so our meetings are often held near its headquarters in the City of Knowledge. It sits directly across from the canal and is an area of the former canal zone that has been converted into schools and business related to education. I love the architecture mixed with the landscape here. It feels like a city within a city.

One night after a meeting, some of us were invited to dinner at our textbook consultant's beautiful house. The views of Panama City and the Pacific were gorgeous. I wish I had been able to sneak some photos of her house. It was magazine-worthy! And quite a contrast from the rural side of Panama that is my everyday. From 53 floors up, I was able to appreciate the city's modern architecture and a completely different view from the one I had admired earlier that day.