Family pics

My father wanted to take some family pictures to send to a friend in Peru from his teen years. So I thought I might share them with you.


This is my father with one of my brothers, Tito, he is the middle sibling.


Mom, Dad, Tito, me and my niece Abigail.


Mom, Dad, me, Abigail, my oldest brother Alvaro and my nephew Alvarin. I think my nephew doesn't like pics very much. He is in his teens, so I guess he is going through that phase.


Dad and Mom.


Alvarin, Mom, me, Abigail, my sister in law Edi and my brother.


Me and Abigail


Dad and Abigail


Me and Abigail

Some Math (it may surprise you)

Only good for this year...2005. Try it.

Please follow the instructions:

1. Number of times per week you would like to go out for dinner.

2. Multiply it by 2.

3. Add 5.

4. Multiply it by 50.

5. If your birthday has already passed add 1755. If it hasn't add 1754.

6. Substract your year of birth....for example if it is 1955...substract 1955 from the total you had previously.

7. You should get a 3 digit number.


The first digit should be the number of times you would like to go out for dinner and the last two should be your age.

George W. Bush visit to Panama

I'm following up with my previous post. He came and everything was fine, at least it wasn't a mess like when his father came. Security was extra tight, people here in Panama (some at least) were pretty upset about it. Some major roads were closed, so public transportation and traffic couldn't get through them, so it was very difficult for people to get to where they needed to go. I did not encounter any of it. When I got out of work I didn't even find traffic. I think his trip to Panama wasn't as tense as his trips to the other two countries (Argentina and Brazil) and that he could actually relax a little when he was here. He went to the Canal and took the controls of the Panama Canal on Monday, voicing support for plans to widen the century-old waterway. He got a tour of the locks nearest the Pacific Ocean and pulled levers allowing a Maltese cargo ship to pass through. Earlier, he called the canal a "marvel". And he said it's "wise" of Panamanians to plan a $10 billion expansion. The canal, handed over to Panamanian control five years ago, still carries 14% of US export and import traffic. But more and more cargo ships are too big to use it. So he had a very busy morning here in Panama...he went to the "Palacio de las Garzas" which is our Presidency here in Panama, went to the Canal, had lunch (yummy!), meeting with our President, meeting with government people, meeting with businessmen, visited an American cementery here in Panama and the last thing he did was stop at a baseball diamond on a former US army base. He tossed a pair of pitches and posed for pictures with half-dozen Panamanian players in the US major leagues (including Mariano Rivera...yeah!) and a pair of Little League teams.

I thought it was extremely funny that the people who wanted to demonstrate against him...had the opportunity to do it...but when he was already gone!!! Since I don't agree with the way they demonstrate I thought it was hilarious. So nothing new...some people were against his visit, some people agreed with it.

I have become lazy...

...about blogging. I think that is the reason why I haven't written in such a long time. There is always so much to do or I am just tired so I keep putting it off. I've been doing well and working a lot. These months are specially high at work and lately we have been having a really, really, really high call volume. But I don't complain, of course when you get out you are very tired, but at least I have a job when there are many people in my country who don't.

These days were holidays here in Panama, but I've had to work them, which is good for me because they have to pay me more as I am working a national holiday in which everybody else is off. We are celebrating our independence...we consider November as our patriotic month as there are many holidays in this month. November 3rd...separation of Panama from Colombia, November 4th...Flag day, November 10th...Independence of one of our provinces (but is given as a national holiday), November 28...Independence of Panama from Spain. This week people many people traveled outside of the country or to the countryside because of the holidays. Some people worked until the 2nd Nov. at noon and then they don't go back to work until Tuesday Nov. 8th. Public offices and the government were given Monday off because of President's Bush visit. Well, that is something that I never thought I would write about. President's Bush visit to Panama. When I heard about it I could not believe it. I found it strange that he wanted to come. Some people are suspicious that the US wants to establish a military base or something of the sort in Panama again. I don't think the people would allow it, but if you ask me I have no problem with that. There are a lot of people here who have no problems with Americans, but there are others that dislike them immensely. There are already people announcing that they oppose the President's visit and that they are going to march against him or something. I do hope everything is done peacefully if they indeed do something. I don't remember much about what happened back in 1992 but Bush senior came that year and it was a mess. I hope and pray it won't be like that this year, or that at least police can get people under control. Back then the invasion of 1989 was very fresh in everybody's minds, let's see how it goes now, because as in every Latin American country we have cells funded by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and they will surely want to cause a riot or something. I imagine security will be extremely tight and some people will not like that either. I believe President Bush will be arriving on Sunday nov. 6th at night and he will leave the next day in the afternoon. I'm still surprised he is coming to Panama.

Changing topics, I have another test at work to become a medically certified interpreter, so pray for me please I would really appreciate it.