1 month in Panama
A month has gone by fast (doesn't it always?). Nevertheless, so many experiences fit into this month. To be honest, I already feel quite settled in. I can orientate in the city, have some easy conversations in Spanish and I know what to expect. Panama is kind of easy to learn, I think. Naturally I still know only the tip of the iceberg, but I feel I know much more than I did after my first month in Dubai. Even the city is easier to learn.
What I have also noticed about myself is that I am not as excited and full of emotions about living in a new country as I was the first time (in UAE). Maybe it's because international lifestyle has become sort of a commonplace for me, maybe I've got older and wiser, maybe the local culture is not that different from mine as compared to the Middle East. 
Don't get me wrong - I'm loving every minute of it and I do am excited about being here. Just the emotions were more powerful the first time. Maybe its one of those "first time" things... the first trip, the first kiss, the first roller coaster ride, the first.. whatever ...were kind of special and you had very powerful emotions that you still remember. I would be curios to hear comments from my international minded friends about that.
Panama is a cool place. Its lively, up and coming. Lots of opportunities are coming up. Real estate is booming like nothing else. That and the expansion of the canal are brining in lots of investment and creating jobs. I've identified some potentially profitable opportunities for myself as well, let's see how that goes. Job market is 
really hot. Bilingual people (Spanish+English) get jobs really easily. Getting job interviews is almost effortless. I've tried to find jobs in several countries in the course of my life, and no other country comes even close to Panama right now (or maybe Estonia would be the same at the moment, the job market is hot there too).
I like Panama City too. It has the old town (Casco Viejo, where I live) and the new town. The history and the future. It creates this dynamic, this tension between the old and new which is ... life.
Tonight I am leaving for a city called David, meet up with Sarah there and head towards Costa Rica. We'll stay there for a week at some paradise beach. See you later.
Pictures: some random city views
3 comments:
Hey Peep,
Yeah, there is a bit of "first time" thing going on, from my experience. Sometimes, if you are lucky, you'll have grown/changed enough between visits or experiences that you still get that "woah! this is way cool" feeling again. I find that living in the present really helps with this in that you experience everything, anywhere, at anytime, as fascinating.
Matthew
I remember when I was younger and visited Frankfurt for the first time, this was also the first time in my life when I saw real skyscrapers. I was amazed, blown away, I felt how big in scale things can be and some way it also broaded my mind. This year I visited New York and before that, I believed that I'd also be amazed by the scale and amount of skyscrapers there. Ofcourse, it felt very big and vibrant city, but the first wow feeling was already left behind, to that very first trip in Frankfurt. That's probably the way it is, because you grow each time these things happen.
Wow...I really like your blog spot..am kinda new here..so u've probably noticed how boring mine is but anyways am glad u passed by..thank you
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