Marathon Finished?

Wife and I in Front of Panama City Skyline Last Night

Readers of Frail Deeds have endured my sometimes highly critical description of the process I’ve been through over the past couple years as I attempted to prove to the Panamanian authorities that I am, in fact, married to my Favorite Panamanian and have been so for the past thirty-six years. This was all in an effort to gain a resident visa for my future retirement when I’ll be spending extended time down here. It has been at times almost as comical as it is frustrating. We flew down on Monday prepared for the next round. I planned to stay for the entire week because nothing we’ve been exposed to so far led me to believe this nearly final phase would be easy.

Lair of My Bureaucratic Nemesis

I am therefore shocked that I’m done. We met our lawyer at the dreaded immigration ministry (scene of so many of my bureaucratic battles) first thing in the morning. She’d ridden a bus down from Chiriquí overnight and was one of the first in line to get a ticket to be seen. Barely fifteen minutes after we walked in our number was called. My lawyer excitedly reported that I’d been approved. I was a little taken aback by the fact she was so surprised and delighted. I had thought it was a forgone conclusion as long as I had jumped through the numerous and somewhat mobile circles the bureaucrats demanded.

Dinner Out our First Night in Panama

As with all things governmental and Panama the final decision was rendered in a very flowery proclamation with flowery language and the requisite stamps and signatures. I had to pay another hundred dollars for the right to have my permanent resident status recognized in an ID card. Here the bureaucrats had one more snide little effort. The official at the initial window said they didn’t start taking pictures until 10am, more than an hour and a half wait. Once again my Favorite Panamanian rose to the occasion. She noticed there seemed to be a steady line of people getting pictures taken so she went back and talked to the guy in charge. Ten minutes later I had my picture taken and left the ministry (hopefully for the last time) with my permanent resident card.

A Lesser Capybara

In effect what had I thought was going to take the four days I had planned had been accomplished in a little less than an hour. We walked down the street to the nearby technical college where we had a snack and settled up with the lawyer. While we were walking we saw a strange animal lurking in the underbrush. It turned out to be a lesser capybara and seemed to have adapted to life in the middle of teeming Panama City very well.

View from our Apartment

While dealing with the Panamanian bureaucrats has been a downer the real upside to these numerous trips to Panama has been the chance to hang out with my wife’s fantastic family. We’ve taken a group of them out to eat each of the nights we’ve been here so far. The first night we were all pretty tired and settled for the nearby Friday’s restaurant in El Dorado. We’d last been there in September to watch a Red Sox-Yankees game. Last night was really special though.

With my Wife's Uncle and His Gal on the Causeway

To celebrate my ascendency to faux-Panamanian I wanted to return to one of the haunts of my last days of bachelorhood. Every Sunday when I was a young, single lieutenant my fellow lieutenants would gather a supply of beer and whatever Panamanian ladies we’d come to know over the preceding two days to spend the day on the Amador causeway. It was a long road constructed next to the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal and built on top of debris from the canal construction to reach two large islands in Panama Bay.

The Younger Bunch

Since the Panamanians took it over they have seriously developed the causeway into something special. There is now a four lane road with numerous traffic circles along with restaurants, hotels and marinas. We’ve been there many times and our favorite restaurant has been the scene of many of the storied encounters between my wife’s family and sangria. We pulled into the parking lot after enduring some terrible traffic through some of my old haunts in the Balboa district.

We had a spectacular view across the bay to the incredible skyline of Panamá City which none of these pictures do justice to. We were able to get seats in the open air restaurant with that view and a steady cool breeze off the bay. I was able to catch up with the daughter of my wife’s older sister who is one of my favorite people in the world. She’s working as a customer representative of Direct TV and will shortly transition to working for Best Buy. I’m glad to see all of that telephone work isn’t going to India. It was a fantastic evening where my wife once again met her match with the potent sangria, adding another chapter to the family legend. The younger cousins have coined a phrase from my wife’s younger sister who spontaneously speaks English (sort of) after imbibing sangria. When one of their aunts start to act out they say – she’s been “sangrified”. It did make for an interesting ride back to the apartment.

A Very Fun Dinner

We had a couple quick calls back to the US to talk with granddaughters. The FBR was entirely too busy since she had to entertain her other grandmother who recently arrived. They both looked exceedingly happy to be in each other’s company. When the FBR heard I was calling from Panama she asked to see the pool which was a couple hundred miles west of me. She contented herself with a view of the Panama City skyline. The BRS was back in high mobility mode when we caught up with her. As soon as my son put her on the ground she was off to the races in hot pursuit of Riggins. She eventually caught up with the ABFA who was in the kitchen and tried to pull herself into a standing position. This kid is going to be walking before we know it.

FBR Sighting

My wife and I did our civic duty and voted before we left for Panama. We watched the election results roll in last night as the Democrats regained control of the house while the republicans strengthened their majority in the Senate. I like this because the Republican majority certainly wasn’t working and having two different parties in control may finally, inevitably force them to work together. This is something they always promise during election time but never deliver, always falling under sway of either the far right or left elements of the party. Here’s hoping the result here will be focusing on getting the people’s work done and not solely aimed at thwarting/confronting the White House troll.

I looked into an earlier flight back to the US but that would cost more than $400 so we’re here til Friday. While I’m concerned being across the street from one of Panama City’s biggest malls they do have a movie theater. The biggest win outside of some quality time with my Favorite Panamanian without a single bus or renovation project to worry about is not having to see another Panamanian government bureaucrat for my entire stay.

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RECURRING CHARACTERS

BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law, formerly known both as MEF – Most Excellent Fiancé & MEG – Most Excellent Girlfriend; Wingman – my son in law; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Soxfather - my brother in law; Great Aunt = my elder sister; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involed in planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rdmusquetera (musketeer); Buddy – AKA the Wonder Pooch – family dog, a black lab – hates squirrels, died in 2017; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog, surrogate grandchild while awaiting arrival of the BRS; PanaGals – female relatives/friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member, Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Excellent Boss – my former direct boss at work; Voices of Inappropriate Worth - members of public who come to every Worcester public meeting to complain, all are on public assistance along with demeanor issues