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I'm American and I loved Panama! It has nice areas, and not so nice areas, just like everywhere else. It really has some beautiful scenery! I found the Panamanian people to be very warm and friendly. I really loved it there, and plan to go back.
if you don´t like Panama, Why you don´t come back to your perfect USA, in USA there are a lot of serial killers that murder and kidnap children. and also many young people kill their classmates in their schools.
there are a lot drugs, prostitution and many destitute people on the streets. here in Panama we have a lot of beautiful places and many other things that anybody can enjoy. we know that we are not perfect, but the good thing is that we don´t feel thet our country is perfect like you.
The OP says he is from Panama. No se si es verdad o no.
We need more of these posts. It's hard to get the real deal when so much expat- directed literature focuses on the good points of living overseas - especially as many of those authors have vested financial information in a) getting wealthier people to invest/live there and b) sell more literature.
Articles about 'life changing experiences in tropical paradise' are far more likely to lure the unsuspecting then the truth
btw, I think Costa Rica is way overrated. It is basically a thirdworld cesspool too
I agree.
Even as a long-term expat living outside of the U.S. there are occasions I consider Panama/Costa Rica, only because they seem so popular with Americans, and I assume there must be something there for that.
However, whenever I actually start re-researching it again, I quickly find posts like this, or photos of Panama/Costa Rica that quickly put me back in check.
I mean, I EXPECT Latin American countries to look Latin American. But sometimes the marketing campaigns for moving to Panama make it out to sound like a slice of Manhattan in the Tropics for a fraction of the price.
Is Panama still considered to be better (more developed) than Chile, Uruguay, Argentina or Costa Rica?
I've been to Chile and Argentina, and how can people say they aren't developed?
What does that mean to be not developed?
When you are in Santiago or Buenos Aires, we're talking about very functional cities with whatever you'd expect to see in a European city or wherever else.
FYI: I was born and raised in Panama and I have lived in Panama for decades. ???
Sure....
Quote:
Originally Posted by Atenea11
I went to the Human Resources Dept. to ask how I could apply for a job as a professor, I was told that I had to "find" a professor who is already in to recommend me for a position, there was no other way. Validating transcripts is a nightmare that could last months and months... Just to give you an idea, I enrolled last year for a second bachelor's degree and stopped going after the first month.
This OP just thought he would arrive to Panama and people would kiss his behind for having an American passport. What kind of university would hired someone as ignorant, biased and unqualified as this OP? He has a bachelor's degree and was applying as a professor?
Just wondering if you still are miserable or adopted the new lifestyle? Can't be that bad. Remember who's country it is. You sounded a little stuck up. In Costa Rica they have pura vida. Basically, take life as it is. Stop tripping and enjoy it. Hope things are better now. Sounded like a little culture shock. Make some friends there and have them show you around. And the lack of feminist bull**** is what I like about Latin America. Men can be men and women are not afraid of being a woman.
I believe the OP is a native Spanish speaker. No native English speaker makes the kinds of grammatical and spelling mistakes in that text.
And the mistakes are very typical of a Spanish native speaker who has learned decent English.
I would like to add a few observations to the rant on living in Panama. First off, it made me laugh because a lot of it I have seen.
Customer service is the worst. These people don´t care about anything or anyone. I believe it is beyond the majority to see past their noses. It is getting worse, too. Too much money has come in the country too quickly. The government corruption hit an all time high with the previous administration. The new administration is working hard to combat what it can. We can´t expect too much and real motives are never clear. At any rate, this new administration has a lot on it´s plate.
Panama has recently been rated as the 5th most violent nation on Earth. I believe all the top 5 are in Latin America, 3 of them in Central America (drug trade, obviously).
My biggest rant has to do with government workers. It doesn´t matter what ministry or agency. Min Salud (DEPA), ANAM (reforma agraria), Customs etc. They are all clones. They look professional, many times, courteous but have no qualms about lying to your face. The popular phrase I find is not so much "I don´t know" but "that´s difficult" meaning they won´t even try or just "NO" each time you ask for something. If it isn´t something they are used to doing every day, they will not venture away from their comfort zone. This is true not only in the public sector, but private.
I have been here a number of years, my wife is Panamanian and I enjoy the life away from the city for the most part. Panama (outside of the city) can be a great place to live. However, to enjoy it properly, it is best to have steady income from outside Panama, to have your own vehicle, yes driving is a challenge and frustrating (these people can´t drive either, worse at night as they all keep their high beams on even on rainy nights, blinding for sure. Truck and bus drivers tailgate on purpose), Try to have as little to do as possible with the government institutions and you will probably be fine. As for banks, most foreigners prefer Banco General, keep away from Banistmo. They often have huge line-ups with only 1 or 2 tellers open (saving money, I suppose).
As for me, I have 6 years trying to set up a coffee business. Our packages from China have been in Customs for over a week now. The main reason is that the inspector didn´t bother approving the release form for 3 days. There was a problem, which was settled days ago, but was only released today. DHL Panama has not been impressive. They are aware of the difficulty and although they have the ability to deliver the packages today, they didn´t programme it until tomorrow. That is Panama service. The needs of the client mean nothing, all that matters is the company´s convenience.
So, yes I agree that Panama will never be a developed nation. It could have billions of $ spent on infrastructure every week, but the mentality of the people does not allow for progression. That is due to the super rich and powerful who only promote their own interests and corporations. They want a nation full of employees nothing else. It is not structured to promote small or midsize companies. It is very difficult to set something like that up. That is design.
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Panama, not easy but...
