The Armed Forces Network is the television branch of the Armed Forces Radio, which is the U.S military’s official radio channel. The organization’s origins date as far back as the 1940’s, a few years prior to World War II; this wasn’t a government initiative but rather local bases in different parts of Europe trying to [...]
I was with my dad doing the morning commute to the office and while he rambled on about the topics he likes to angrily rant about I kept prying into other cars, trying to tune out the noise. We were in Via España, a 5-lane, one way avenue that is one of the main arteries [...]
The Theatre Guild of Ancon, in its current incarnation, was founded by Alberto Motta and spouse, Ralph Lindo and spouse, Stanley Findanque and spouse, Roy Glickenhouse and spouse and other members of the culturally-conscious amongst Panamanian society in the year 1950, making it the longest-running theater operation as well as the only English-speaking theater company [...]
After carnivals, probably the most amazing holidays in the calendar year where the population throws its inhibitions to the wind in the spirit of Sodom and Gomorrah, the celebration meets a screeching halt in the form of Lent, these brakes properly greased by Jesus and powered by religion. After this break in the festivities then, [...]
After the very real threat of being very raped by a very depraved and very drunk woman while visiting the Queen Wars in Chitré the night before, I woke up Sunday morning with an insatiable thirst for carnival hotness. I don’t know what it was, perhaps it was the 4-hour drive or the lack of [...]
February is a very contradicting month: not only do you have the annual opportunity given to you by Hallmark to tell the person you love that you do (and if you didn’t then oh noes!) but right a few days later you’re granted to a 4-day holiday fueled by debauchery and lack of self control [...]
I want you to take a deep breath. Take a deep breath and think before you say anything. This rant is more of a worldwide scale, but Panamanians fall prey to these shortcomings so I’ll keep the focus on my fellow man; having said that, it’s pretty safe to say that a lot [...]
After a rather upsetting Super Bowl XLI, I’m back to talk about something I’ve been meaning to get around to for about a week and thankfully it’s managed to stick in my head this long so that tells me it’s important that we talk about this. I’m not great with snazzy introductions when [...]
Just when I thought I wouldn’t have anything to talk about today, I am received by a Godsend resting comfortably in my email inbox. Ironically, I was going to publish a piece called “Panamanians and Education,” but then I saw this and I decided it would be a great preface to the article so without [...]
As you have learned from all of the groovy stuff that happened to us as a country in November 1903, you’ll be quick to notice how intricate our ties are with the United States. Now, our feelings about their place in our history are partisan at best; depending on what sector of the Panamanian spectrum [...]
Panama, even if it is the melting pot the gossip tells you it is, is a country very attached to its Christian/Catholic roots. Christmas, unlike most other holidays we celebrate, is not only an excuse to get drunk and do something stupid but it has an inherent sense of goodwill that’s pretty darn infectious; it [...]
There are certain things in Panama that are assured; the start of summer come December, carnivals, our inherent lack of satisfaction with the way things are and finally, the telethon. Orchestrated by the Club Activo 20-30, the telethon goes down every year during the second weekend of December; for many it’s the chance to give [...]
I’ve touched on this topic before here and here, but I want to address this particular stain in Panama’s white dress; the public transportation system that we’ve had in place for the past 50 years is among the most terrible, disorganized cesspools of radioactive filth that the civilized world has ever known. We’re not as [...]
December 8th is a very special holiday for us Panamanians, as it is Mother’s Day. If there’s something you need to know about Latin American culture is that this day is very important to us; probably due to the fact that our mothers don’t kick us out as soon as we graduate high school and [...]
First and foremost, I’d like to wish you a happy Thanksgiving holiday if you celebrate it. For those of you with a passive knowledge of what’s being celebrated today then allow me to enlighten you with my Wikipedia-powered knowledge: Thanksgiving is a holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday every November in the United States, while [...]