meaning making
In Panamá, “pushbuttons” are motels that rent rooms by the hour. You pull into an open single-car garage, press a button to close the door (and conceal your vehicle), and enter the connecting room. All transactions (eg., room charge, drink orders) occur through privacy-ensured sliding openings so the staff can’t see you. Rooms look similar… Continue reading Happy Valentine’s Hour
Found my childhood stamp collection! Here’re some Canal Zone stamps. Heroes commemorated include: President Teddy Roosevelt, who championed the building of the Panamá Canal as a national security necessity.Dr Gorgas who discovered the source of Yellow Fever, which killed workers by the hundreds. Canal construction stopped for a year while they worked to eradicate the… Continue reading Canal Zone: Stamps of a Forgotten American Colony
Pandemic art.
Thoughts on the anniversary of the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.
One cannot have all the lives one desires. A choice is always necessary. ~ Saru Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 1: "Kobayashi Maru"
First, some context. Taxi drivers complained and raised a ruckus to prevent Uber from bringing disruption to Panamá. Other than airport taxis, where fares are regulated, there are no set fares and taxis don’t have meters. If you flag a taxi on the street, you should negotiate price up front. And have in mind what… Continue reading How to Haggle with a Panamanian Taxi Driver
Taboga is a small island on the Pacific side of Panamá. It’s a forty-five minute ferry ride from the Amador Causeway, in Panamá City. I hadn’t been to the island since I was a kid growing on the Isthmus. But it came to mind as I planned my first trip in two years to check… Continue reading Dispatches from Taboga
How to receive a random act of kindness.
“Life Is Like Riding a Bicycle. To Keep Your Balance You Must Keep Moving.”~ Albert Einstein, from a letter Einstein wrote to his son Eduard dated February 5, 1930 Low 60s, 45% humidity. Gorgeous morning in Austin!
“Be yourself, everyone else is already taken”. ~ Oscar Wilde