Several days a week I teach English to a lawyer at his office. The process to get into the building isn't complicated, but it does take some time, so I make sure I leave plenty of time before class to do the necessary steps - park, get my parking ticket from one person, sign in and give my ID to another, take the visitor pass from another, get my ticket stamped by yet another, etc, etc.
Today, I arrived about 10 minutes later than usual. Mind you, I wasn't late but had arrived later than is customary. So, as chit-chat with the man who takes my ID and gives me the visitor badge, I mentioned that I was "running late". His response was so simple, but in one instant and with a few modest phrases, he summed up an aspect of the culture I have been struggling with since our arrival. "Late - What? You have all day. It's only morning." He said it with such enthusiasm that I had to laugh. I knew this was part of the culture, but to hear it voiced in such a wonderfully positive way, made me realize that demanding chronometry in my life here in Panama, or trying to impose it on the lives of others who I come in contact with or need to work with will only lead me into further frustration.
Funny how happenstance can make such a large impact on one's sense of understanding of the world around him, right?
About Me
- Expat Wife in Panama
- Panama, Panama
- I grew up on the outskirts of a small town that has finally surpassed the 5,000 mark in population. My dream was to travel from country to country finding work where I could, saving enough money to go to the next place and settle again until I could move on. Instead, I did the next best thing and went to college, where I earned a degree in teaching English as a Second Language, something I have done for over 15 years. I always said the world came to me when I was in the classroom. So many people from so many places! I enjoy traveling, learning about other ways of life, and staying active - both physically and mentally.
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