Posts Tagged ‘Panama’
I’m sure you can relate; for as long as there’s been people on this Earth, there has always been a power struggle for social dominance and, more often than not, the trenches are red-hot with the efforts of two recurring characters who I’m sure you’ve encountered before or currently enjoy their company: The Asshole and The Douchebag. You can find these two anywhere in the world, at any time and at any place no matter what sector of society you find yourself in because these concepts, dear reader, are sadly universal. Why am I writing about these two, you ask? Why waste my prose in such a topic when I could be talking about peaches, LSD, the mythology of Star Wars or something just as trivial but arguably far more interesting? Because I’m an asshole and will do what I want anyway.
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When you live in a cramped, hectic city where it seems that there’s always something happening and there’s not a moment to rest, the yearning for slower, calmer days slithers in unknowingly, creeping up behind you until it’s all you can think of. When there’s an opportunity to let it all go away, to pause and bask in the tranquility of days that appear to be standing still, after dealing with the noise of city life for so long, the only option is “go.” Whether you’re in Tokyo, Paris, New York or any other metropolis, the feeling of being eaten alive by the freight train of modern life is universal. But when you’re in Panama City, unlike other great modern cities, there are affordable and nearby options that will take it all away. For that purpose, let’s talk about Pedasí, deep in the Azuero Peninsula of the Republic of Panama.
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Articles / Panama Tourist Guide
Tags: Articles, buses, corruption, diablo-rojo, juega-vivo, Martin-Torrijos, Panama, Panama Tourist Guide, panama-canal, politics, RCM, Rob-Rivera, society, traffic, tv, university-of-panama
February 16, 2010
Panama is a prime example of how what one person does will inadvertently affect everyone else that lives with him in a society. Since the place is so small, the ripples someone’s action makes can be felt in practically every level of life here, and I’ll give you an example of this right now: I [...]
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Articles / Panama Tourist Guide
Tags: 1989-invasion, Articles, Culture, freedom-fighters, Panama, Panama Tourist Guide, panama-canal, panama-history, Rob-Rivera, SCN, society, southern-command-network, torrijos
February 16, 2010
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 [...]
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Panama Tourist Guide
Tags: arepa, arepa rellena, colombia, fast food, nightlife, Panama, panama-city, tourism, Venezuela, Via España
January 21, 2010
This is less of an informative peace and more of a love letter. I can try to bring you an unbiased report of the mysterious-looking cart that’s parked five nights a week on the corner of Sappore Di Mare and Studio F, out in Via España of the beautiful and dutiful Panama City. I could try. I fear though that my verbose will slowly devolve into an ode to the people’s craft, the sailors and sailorettes burning charcoal and serving bliss in a grilled corn patty in their surely-illegal-but-accredited eatery. I can try to keep it together long enough. I’m not sure if I can, but I will for sure try.
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I’m sure there’s something worth saying about the social validity of the nightclub. I’m positive about it. I guess age is turning a corner with me, though, and the way I’ve found myself enjoying these venues is nowhere near the ways I used to all but 5 years ago. I don’t want this to become an introspective piece of indie movie-like proportions, not unlike every quirky situational dramedy of the last ten or so years; what I will tell you is about the different ways people can get their rocks off in the same space/situation and how the most seemingly insignificant differences can change perspectives faster than you can say “coffee and cream.”
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Blog
Tags: Blog, Culture, how-to-guide, men-in-panama, Panama, Panamanians, Rants, sex, sex-in-panama, society, women-in-panama
January 21, 2010
Believe me when I tell you I can write an encyclopedia on the subject of “chasing pussy” not because I’ve done a lot of it, but because I like to study people. It’s somewhat of a way to entertain my mind with instead of just turning it off when need be. Since I live in a Latin American country [...]
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Articles / Memoirs / Panama Tourist Guide
Tags: 2000, 2010, ASEP, clubbing, love, Oxford International School, Panama, Porto Diao and Friends, Rob-Rivera, writing
January 15, 2010
Over the past few weeks I have found myself in a rather introspective mood; the bloody remains of 2009 already becoming the birthplace of one “twenty ten,” I felt nostalgia’s hand slap me from both palm and back… both a year’s and decade’s end. As it is with every end of every journey, most of us look back at the road traveled with the hope of feeling like it was worth trekking despite its ups and downs and this year it was no different. In fact, for me it held double importance as the last year of this decade was, in many forms, a trial by fire for me. Once I had come to terms to that I unexpectedly went back to how things were ten years prior exercising my Eagle Eye and, lo and behold, the changes from how things were to how things are now are absolutely drastic.
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Articles / Popular
Tags: aim to misbehave, complex, complications, country, Culture, gringo, misfit, Panama, Porto Diao and Friends, portodiao, relationships, tourism
October 19, 2009
I live in a country without borders. A place where I can’t tell where one boundary ends and the other one begins. A land beyond belief, not only for its beauty but also the people living in it. A small pearl; a newly-discovered gem that, despite it being within a hard shell of intolerance toward the outside, has been brought to the limelight for all to see, admire and enjoy. Like every other diamond in the rough, though, there are very hard edges. Smudges, marks that denote a sense of character and a path traveled. There is still much to walk, I think. I live in a country where its people are so culturally diverse that it runs from the constant risk of losing its identity. I live in a country where being proud of your heritage is an excuse to go out and get drunk without really knowing what is being celebrated.
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Memoirs / Panama Tourist Guide / Porto Diao and Friends / Rants
Tags: everything, fear, hate, labels, life, Life on Mars, love, non-relationship, Panama, Panamanians, Porto Diao and Friends, portodiao, sociology, the universe
July 7, 2009
To put it in lamest terms, lately I’ve found myself with an acute lack of inspiration to write anything worth reading. Looking back at it, I could attribute this resignation with being tired from taking care of Porto and all the wonderful things he does, or recent work troubles, or somewhat personal issues; maybe it’s all of the above. Of course, since it’s in my nature as a writer to be an observer of human behavior, I find myself more interested in how other people’s actions (or lack thereof) affect me. If you’re looking for an informative piece on Panama or Panamanians and how they operate, I guess you’ll find something worth taking with you in this piece. If you want to read the musings of a jaded columnist with some snark and hilariously bitter social commentary, you’ll get a kick out of this joint. If you’re looking for news, get the fuck out of my porch.
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Articles / Popular
Tags: Allay, Casco-Viejo, Desliz Sonico, events, Indigo, Indigo All-Stars, la-casona, Llevarte a Marte, Music, Panama, Porto Diao and Friends, portodiao, Sonic Slip
May 12, 2009
This inaugural Slip is very special not only because it doubles as the release party of Porto Diao v3.0, but it also marks what will go down in Panamanian history as a once-in-a-lifetime performance by three bands that complement each other in ways no degree of wizardry could’ve crafted. Why do I say this? Because somehow the universe conspired to allow us the privilege of setting up this event with some of the most talented individuals in Panama’s music scene, who are part of bands that are the hotness at the moment.
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Blog
Tags: Banos Publicos, Casco-Viejo, El Cantante, Hector Lavoe, live music, Music, Panama, rencilla, Skraped Knees, youtube
May 9, 2009
After checking in on the Naso at the Cathedral plaza a couple of times, my friends and I eventually landed on this crazy little nook located on one of the corners of the adjacent Herrera plaza, the same one where La Casona is. I had never given it a chance for some reason or other, [...]
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I bet that, like me, It’s taken a lot of you some time to be aware of the problem happening to the Naso people, at the west end of Panama in Bocas del Toro, near the border with Costa Rica. Details are scarce (in English) so I’ll give you the Cliff Notes version to put you up to speed; time is precious for these people, so any help you can provide in the matter would be greatly appreciated by them.
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Collaborators / Memoirs / Non-Fiction / Panama Tourist Guide / Video
Tags: Across the Universe, Balbina Herrera, Beatles, Cambio Democratico, Come Together, Obama, Panama, politics, PRD, President, Ricardo Martinelli, trust, Tu Politica, United States, vote
May 5, 2009
The concept of voting for governments started out being all-powerful and integral to a healthy society. There’s an inherent trust in the people, granted by themselves, to know what’s best for them. It’s very meta, and perfect since there really is no omnipotent sheep herder to tell us what to do; most of the world has grown enough to make such pivotal decisions on their own. It seems to me that throughout the decades, centuries even, leaving us to our own devices in a social system that encourages self-growth without a ceiling, policed by ourselves, has made this fairly-simple system a convulsed affair.
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Blog
Tags: booty-call, Culture, Latin America, one night stand, Panama, religion, sex, society, stigma, taboo
May 4, 2009
Weekends where there’s nothing to do will force you to be creative when it comes to having fun. I’ve never had a booty call in other countries where the culture is (arguably) more open-minded but in my current base of operations, things such as booty calls and one-nights stands are not as common as you would think. Panama has a reputation for being a place where you can get anything as long as you ask the right people, but like many other things that are grossly misunderstood, it doesn’t quite work that way. There are loopholes, yes, but it seems to me that no matter what shortcuts you take there will always be some degree of penance for it; not in the karmic way but in the real world. Society has to balance itself out somehow, I suppose, and something as ultimately miniscule in the worry scale as the “booty call” suffers from it in the most ridiculous of ways.
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