One Full Week

So, I am thinking that there will be an added post called: Rebecca's Panamanianisms .....I'll probably just edit it throughout the year!

So my first one:  Panamanians don't go out in the rain!
Mind you it IS warm out here, I have yet to experience temperatures below 70.  Most likely they don't go out because it IS their winter.   But I like being outside as you all know!  So yesterday, Cheryl (my roommate), Abby (the 4th grade teacher), and I all went for a walk on the causeway.  We returned SOAKED!  Our shoes are still wet today from Saturday.....we don't keep our apartment too cold! 

So, the causeway is a walkway that has been built to connect three islands on the Pacific side of the canal.  The causeway, so I have learned was built using all of the land that was dug up in building the canal.  And if you did not know, they are planning on expanding the canal for larger ships in the next couple of years!

Some more Panamanianisms:  Car language, involving the horn, which we learned on the causeway:

1.  beep, bip, bip, beep, bip -- this means: "hi, look at me, I'm over here, how are you?...maybe I'm hitting on you...are you interested?
2.  Beeeeep -- MOVE, Your in my way!
3.  bip, bip --- Do you want a ride? ---usually a taxi
      or
4.  bip, bip -- thank you

And then today at church, I learned about a "superstition":  Many traditional Panamanians do not go immediately from something cold to something hot.  For example, if you are cooking over the stove, one would NOT go to the refrigerator to grab something for dinner.  For this reason, many Panamanians have 2 maids.  One who only works with hot things, such as the ironing and cooking, and one who works with the cold things, such as the refrigerator, or maybe washing the floors.  Interesting huh?