Panama City condos may not be a bargain these days. But many foreigners are coming to live in Panama City because of the 5 billion dollar Canal expansion and several other multi-billion mega projects. Panama is also receiving many middle class Venezuelans fleeing the Chavez tragedy.  Properties outside Panama City in the beaches and the mountains compare very favorably to comparable properties in Costa Rica and Mexico or anywhere for that matter. 
And yes- Panama has a world class infrastructure compared to any other country in Latin American- better high speed internet than the USA, the best road system in Central America, very reliable telephone and other services, the only drinkable water in Latin America etc.
And the best thing about Panama is the people themselves. They are some of the most friendly, honest and helpful people anywhere.
Are there problems in Panama? Yes, like anywhere, yes. There are infrastructure and traffic problems related to so much recent growth in the city and some worrisome increase in some types of crime (that have nothing to do with tourists.) Panama also has a major problems  with its judicial system. 
But the fact is that both businesses and individuals that can come to Panama and see all this country has to offer,compared to other countries in the region, are choosing Panama. To name a few who have decided to make Panama their regional HQ in the last few months: Caterpillar,Dell, Hewitt Packard. General Electric, Proctor and Gamble and the United Nations.
Nancy Hanna

Thanks for the great e-zine and articles.
Gary Moore

My point is that we all have to join forces to combat the problem. We have to be part of the solution. Many US/Canadian speculators are angry that Panama has changed their tourist visa requirement that reduces the number of days they were allowed to remain and speculate in the country from 90 to 30 days. This issue is being debated for possible r
 eview and change. In the meantime, there is a sense of a developing speculator-counter-attack by those who saw only profits motives for visiting the country in the first place, and are willing to punish it for not seing the issue on their terms. I hope the de-emphasizing the positive and emphasizing/promoting the negative events in Panama City is not part of the author's and publisher's intent in this publication.  Again, let's cooperate in the manner they are trying to right here in Philadelphia, Pa. USA.
tito Johnson

I read your e-zine regularly and enjoy many of the articles. Some have made me laugh out loud, some have me frothing at the mouth to visit the wonderful places that are described, some are simply chockful of interesting information.

However the article "The babysitter": by Steve Rosse has left me feeling uneasy enough to write this letter to you. Mr.Rosse describes the pathos of a child slave from Pompei, immolated whilst trying to protect her charge. He writes with feeling and raises some important questions. However he then turns around and accepts a child slave in his own household! His excuse seems to be that his wife would never understand and that the girl was happy anyway. Are cultural differences and ignorance to be excuses for slavery? Mr. Rosse, unwittingly or not does not paint his wife in a flattering light with his anectdotes of her actions and statements. The criterion for choosing the girl as an unpaid babysitter are tragic. His humorous reference to the amounts of money paid to the family of the girl and his wife's family amount to an admission of the "purchase" of the slave.

Mr. Rosse's article demonstrates that he is an intelligent man, capable of thoughtful analysis and real feeling. I am amazed that he has written this article wihout questioning the further implications of his actions (or non action). I hope that this letter is forwarded to him. Perhaps he will then see his new babysitter/slave's small brown hands in a differnt light. Perhaps he will think of her future beyond some hand-me-downs of his wife's.

I hope so.

Best regards,
Vida Chung

Funny and Poignant, especially the line above. Love shows up in every life, unbounded by culture or economic status. Steve and his wife and their children are blessed to have Pui in their life, and she likewise will have a family that values her.  I would like to hear updates on this family from time to time. 
Bobbi Buchanan

Specific comments on employing minors in menial household roles: There is a similar situation here in the Philippines, only the minor household helpers are typically "working students" working for room and board while attending school near their employers' home, so the issue of wages doesn't come up. Most other helpers are legal adults, or nearly so, and their minority is no obstacle to earning wages. Mr. Rosse's situation - minor child sent to work unremunerated in his home without consulting him - intrigued me; I asked myself how I would handle such a fait accompli and maintain peace with my conscience. My conclusion was that I would open an escrow account for the kid - one that she (and only she) could draw on upon her majority. Then I would just deposit wages into it as if I were paying her. The passbook would be the kid's 18th (or 16th) birthday present. If necessary to maintain domestic tranquility, I would not mention this to the Mrs. until the fatal day.

Best to all, and keep up the excellent editorial work,

Marc

I can walk to every type of store you could imagine in less than 1/2 hour, and if I wanted to go to a mall I have several to choose from. One has 250 shops including a 7-screen theater and a huge supermarket. The busses run constantly and cost less than 20 cents each way! there are also a plethora of air conditioned taxis and they will take a carful for between $2 and $3!!

I have furnished my condo in hand crafted rattan furniture made to my specifications. The breeze flows off the sea through my home so that I have yet to have a need for air conditioning. That is my choice since I have lived both in So. Florida and in the Caribbean since 1974. I have chosen not to be and AC addict so my normal electric bill is less than $2 a month!

With a pocket translator always on me, I  travel around and have no qualms about using local transportation. I have found that if you try to speak Spanish with the locals, they will work with you and correct you in a friendly way. And as I watch English speaking TV (like FRIENDS-with Spanish subtitles) I find I can pick up the language in smatterings, but if one listens to their soap operas (novelas) one can get even more of the language!

So far the only drawback I have found is that at times there are shortages of some items on the shelves of the shops, but to date all the items that were at some point missing are now back. So what's wrong with this place???? I can't say!!! 
Sandi