These are copies of an essay I wrote recently about the region of Panama I live in, called Chiriqui.
To which U.S. state can we compare Chiriqui?
Yes, Chiriqui is orgulloso. We have our own flag, and many consider Chiriqui to be its own independent republic. For this reason, I’ve heard many people compare Chiriqui to Texas. To some degree I can understand. In my community, its very cowboy. The average man of Potrerillos saunters through town in cowboy boots, a big belt buckle, and a cowboy hat, traveling either by horse, truck, or tractor. Trucks full of cows and calves drive by my house every hour or so.
I, though, would compare Chiriqui to another state. I feel that Chiriqui is more the California of Panama. Chiriqui is both a tourist and an agricultural powerhouse. Beautiful, cool, mountains and sunny beaches lie within a few hours of each other. Beautiful national parks attract hikers and visitors. Amistad and Volcan might as well be Yosemite, King’s Canyon, and Redwood. And this beautiful land provides other bounties. We don’t grow the staple rice to feed the country, like they do in the breadbasket of Veraguas (aka Midwest). But, we provide the fruits and veggies. Lettuce, berries, oranges, tomatoes, and spinach flow out of Chiriqui to keep Panama in good nutrition. Plus, Chiriqui faces an immigration problem. People are fleeing South to enjoy the mountains and sunny beaches that Chiriqui has to offer for their retirement. Plus, Chiricanos also suffer the constant threat of earthquakes.
Others have another opinion about Chiriqui. For her, Chiriqui has always been the Montana of Panama...It has tons of California (aka gringos) coming into a mountainous paradise and raising the prices for all the farmers, ranchers and nature dorks who were there before them.
Whatever the comparison, Chiriqui is a force to be reckoned with. You can develop your own comparison as you explore, but the West side is definitely the best side.
Not really news, I know. If you want that, well, life still consists of hanging out at school, visiting people, speaking Spanish...the basics.
2 comments:
Enjoyed our visit this evening...still looking for pictures of the surf!! Can't wait to see you in January. Love, Dad
Abby, I found 3 months to be the breaking point for me with German. After about 2 months I could understand most of what was being said, but all I could say was "My pencil is yellow." Never did find an appropriate occasion to use that... Then around 3 months I could say meaningful things. Good luck with the Spanish and teaching English (ha ha!). I see you are keeping your spirits (sarcasm) up as you will need to in order to sustain your motivation. Love, Beth
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