"retire"
That's it, and many thinking people have stopped using it since I first railed against its use and the whole concept of retirement back in the 1970s. This was originally based on much research that showed retirement was deadlier than most diseases--that people who retired into a so-called life of leisure, often died within a few years, having lost their passion for life.
As a writer, I am lucky to have a profession that has a long history of non-retirees.
When I meet someone new here in Panama, I am often asked if I retired here. A fair question as I have passed the stereotypical retirement age. But like most people in the creative arts, whether it be music, writing, theatre, painting, etc., the word "retire" is not in my lexicon. I am writing more and involved in more projects now than at any time in the past forty years. As a result of all this, my income is entering an impressive upward spiral, and projections are it will increase at least tenfold by the end of 2014.
However, as a sort of objective bystander, I can say that retiring in Panama is a great and affordable adventure. I have a few retired friends who love the lifestyle, the bargain/booming economy, and the tropical climate.
I do have to pay for my prescription drugs, though they are cheaper here--the same for doctor visits. No Medicare coverage or Affordable Care Act here (tho I can fly back to U.S. for any major medical needs under Medicare) and Sara Lee and Stouffer's prepared foods are much higher priced. But the average quality restaurant meal is well under $10, and produce and local meats are cheaper than fast food in the U.S.
Panama can be a great place to live, if you enjoy the things that are very reasonably priced here. But it is not as well-organized as the U.S., or as fast-paced. Anyone who moves or retires here without checking it out with a personal scouting expedition first is a fool. I came for a visit last October for ten days, but was planning to move here in February. I knew, however, that I could easily pack up my two carry on bags and two checked bags and move somewhere else if I didn't like it. I wasn't relocating a family or a whole house full of possessions. And I wasn't planning to retire anytime ever.
This is a great place to not retire to. Even though you can't get a job if you are not a resident or citizen. If you can earn a living through some creative activity you can market online or through agents outside of Panama--or simply if you are lucky enough to have passive income coming in that will let you live comfortably (about $2000 to $3000 per month will do nicely, tho it can be done for half that with a bit of belt tightening), life can be a relaxing tropical dream.
And the biggest selling point is not bargain prices, or a happy-go-lucky culture. The best thing going for you coming to a foreign land with a new langauge to learn is that much research has shown that your brain will stay more youthful and grow more creative when challenged by learning and speaking a new language and being forced to even modestly change your lifestyle in a new environment.
Jerry
Check out my prosperity blog at: http://MoneyloveBlog.com
Monday, September 30, 2013
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
A PONDERING POINT
So now I have to deal with the fact that it's been almost a month since my last post on this blog. The reason for this is simple. For the past month, I have been sharply focused on launching the newly digitalized audio edition of the original 1987 Moneylove Tape album produced by and for Nightingale-Conant.
This was the bestselling six cassette album that became a bestseller. Over it's more than twenty year distribution life, many people contacted me to let me know the profound impact it had on their prosperity. So getting the rights back and turning it into mp3 audio files I could share online was a big deal.
Coinciding with this was the arrival in my life, through a couple of close friends, of some highly respected Internet marketing gurus. So I decided to see, once and for all, if I could get someone to take over the marketing of my Moneylove material, including the book, two cassette albums, and the more than forty monthly audios I have produced so far for The Moneylove Club. I am still working on that one, with about four major organizations in the mix.
A careful analysis by myself and some others has indicated that there is no other prosperity teaching material coming even close to mine--and that much of what is out there is taken, often directly, from my original Moneylove book and the Nightingale-Conant album. So I have had a strong incentive to reach out and let people know that not only is the original audio program now available again, but that I have been producing cutting edge new material for my new audio series, as well as my blog at http://MoneyloveBlog.com I also recently got back worldwide rights to the book.
I've been a bit in overwhelm, doing lots of Skype calls with collaborators, often overseas--as well as going over the first copy I have let other professionals produce for marketing my stuff--and then fulfilling audio orders when customers have reacted by quickly responding to the marketing emails. It's been a whirlwind, definitely more work than I wanted to take on, but exciting, fun, and extremely satisfying to know that today's marketplace still appreciates what I have to offer.
In addition to all this, I am formulating some prosperity coaching group video sessions, and considering approaches from several Moneylove fans who want to translate and take my work to Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. My plate is full for sure, but I imagine that not all of these projects will fully evolve, or I will just have to seriously consider hiring my first staff ever. And I really don't want to deal with that now, especially living in Panama.
And all that doesn't even take into account the fact that I spent at least three evenings a week in July and August rehearsing a play I appeared in, and then performing it for three nights in Panama--and am working on doing some stand-up comedy performances in the near future. This is one reason I tend to laugh when someone new I meet here asks if I am retired.
But all of that has meant I haven't had much time to focus on other activities, and therefore not much to write about on this, my non-prosperity blog. I would love your feedback as to whether you are enjoying this site, think I should keep it going, or couldn't care less. If you would, let me know at my personal email address at: JerryGillies@att.net
Jerry
This was the bestselling six cassette album that became a bestseller. Over it's more than twenty year distribution life, many people contacted me to let me know the profound impact it had on their prosperity. So getting the rights back and turning it into mp3 audio files I could share online was a big deal.
Coinciding with this was the arrival in my life, through a couple of close friends, of some highly respected Internet marketing gurus. So I decided to see, once and for all, if I could get someone to take over the marketing of my Moneylove material, including the book, two cassette albums, and the more than forty monthly audios I have produced so far for The Moneylove Club. I am still working on that one, with about four major organizations in the mix.
A careful analysis by myself and some others has indicated that there is no other prosperity teaching material coming even close to mine--and that much of what is out there is taken, often directly, from my original Moneylove book and the Nightingale-Conant album. So I have had a strong incentive to reach out and let people know that not only is the original audio program now available again, but that I have been producing cutting edge new material for my new audio series, as well as my blog at http://MoneyloveBlog.com I also recently got back worldwide rights to the book.
I've been a bit in overwhelm, doing lots of Skype calls with collaborators, often overseas--as well as going over the first copy I have let other professionals produce for marketing my stuff--and then fulfilling audio orders when customers have reacted by quickly responding to the marketing emails. It's been a whirlwind, definitely more work than I wanted to take on, but exciting, fun, and extremely satisfying to know that today's marketplace still appreciates what I have to offer.
In addition to all this, I am formulating some prosperity coaching group video sessions, and considering approaches from several Moneylove fans who want to translate and take my work to Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. My plate is full for sure, but I imagine that not all of these projects will fully evolve, or I will just have to seriously consider hiring my first staff ever. And I really don't want to deal with that now, especially living in Panama.
And all that doesn't even take into account the fact that I spent at least three evenings a week in July and August rehearsing a play I appeared in, and then performing it for three nights in Panama--and am working on doing some stand-up comedy performances in the near future. This is one reason I tend to laugh when someone new I meet here asks if I am retired.
But all of that has meant I haven't had much time to focus on other activities, and therefore not much to write about on this, my non-prosperity blog. I would love your feedback as to whether you are enjoying this site, think I should keep it going, or couldn't care less. If you would, let me know at my personal email address at: JerryGillies@att.net
Jerry
Thursday, August 15, 2013
MY FIRST TRUE LOVE
I haven't made a habit of sharing other blogs on this one, but I am compelled to do so today as I think this post, by one of my favorite blog writers, Seth Godin, is profound on a subject that concerns all of us avid book readers and authors.
The End of Books
After reading Seth's post, I started reflecting on the nostalgia that emerges when I think about books, realizing that these were my first true love as a young child. My mother taught me to read at the age of three, which led to my exasperating many early teachers.
My two most exhilarating early experiences were going to Leary's Bookstore just off Market Street on 9th (riding the 11th Street trolley, which stopped on my corner), and walking to my closest public library, four blocks from my South Philly home on Broad Street.
Leary's lasted 119 years from 1850 to 1969, and I was struck by a sentence in this article from Philadelphia's own Saturday Evening Post, "If you love books themselves, you may have chosen the wrong century to live in." Leary's Book Store
One amazing thing I remember vividly about Leary's was that it was wedged in between two sections of the giant Gimbel Brother's Department Store. The story was that the owners of Leary's refused to sell and Gimbel's had to build around it. I remember buying used hardcover copies of the Tom Swift, Hardy Boys, and Oz books for 35 cents each. Every trip to Leary's was a joy that makes me a bit sad for today's generation missing out on that kind of adventure.
At the library, a milestone for me was reaching the age of twelve, for that meant I could have an adult library card and take out twelve books at a time. I carried a large shopping bag to accomplish this and walked on air the four blocks back home in anticipation of spreading the books out on the living room carpet and deciding which one to begin reading first. That milestone was more important by far to me than hitting sixteen and getting my driver's license.
Books were not only my first true love, but are the main reason I am so grateful that I was born in the last century instead of this one. This despite the fact that I do love my Kindle and all the access the Internet provides to new reading formats like blogs.
Jerry
Do check out my other blog inspired by my most popular book:
The Moneylove Blog
The End of Books
After reading Seth's post, I started reflecting on the nostalgia that emerges when I think about books, realizing that these were my first true love as a young child. My mother taught me to read at the age of three, which led to my exasperating many early teachers.
My two most exhilarating early experiences were going to Leary's Bookstore just off Market Street on 9th (riding the 11th Street trolley, which stopped on my corner), and walking to my closest public library, four blocks from my South Philly home on Broad Street.
Leary's lasted 119 years from 1850 to 1969, and I was struck by a sentence in this article from Philadelphia's own Saturday Evening Post, "If you love books themselves, you may have chosen the wrong century to live in." Leary's Book Store
One amazing thing I remember vividly about Leary's was that it was wedged in between two sections of the giant Gimbel Brother's Department Store. The story was that the owners of Leary's refused to sell and Gimbel's had to build around it. I remember buying used hardcover copies of the Tom Swift, Hardy Boys, and Oz books for 35 cents each. Every trip to Leary's was a joy that makes me a bit sad for today's generation missing out on that kind of adventure.
At the library, a milestone for me was reaching the age of twelve, for that meant I could have an adult library card and take out twelve books at a time. I carried a large shopping bag to accomplish this and walked on air the four blocks back home in anticipation of spreading the books out on the living room carpet and deciding which one to begin reading first. That milestone was more important by far to me than hitting sixteen and getting my driver's license.
Books were not only my first true love, but are the main reason I am so grateful that I was born in the last century instead of this one. This despite the fact that I do love my Kindle and all the access the Internet provides to new reading formats like blogs.
Jerry
Do check out my other blog inspired by my most popular book:
The Moneylove Blog
Saturday, August 10, 2013
SURVIVAL OF THE FUNNEST
I recently posted a comment on Facebook and this new term just popped out, as often happens. What I said was:
I do seem to have run into a bad batch of contacts recently who don't follow my minimum standard of saying what they're going to do and then doing it. These disappointing folks are in the U.S. and Panama and a few other countries. But as I reflect on the meaning of it all, I have come to the realization that this is good news as it leaves me open to new people and new adventures. If all those rotten apples did follow through with their promises, I would hardly have room to breath--so it's really a form of natural selection. In my case, survival of the funnest. Oops, another new term--this may require a blog post.
As often happens when I think I have invented a new word or phrase, Google humbled me fast. Survival of the Funnest is the name of a video game, and grammarians have been arguing for some time about whether "funnest" is a real word. Actually, I am told on good authority that it is the regular superlative of the adjective form of "fun."
It was notably used when Steve Jobs employed it to describe the iPod upon its introduction to the world.
I do note, getting back to my original point, that friends who are in my life for the long haul seem to be the people I've had the most fun with. I don't know if anyone else has made or researched the connection between dependability and fun-ability. But I have observed that people who seem to have difficulty delivering on their promises, difficulty doing what they say they are going to do, are the more serious types. These are often Type A workaholics who fill their lives with so much activity, they can hardly keep up with their own intentions or promises.
I just learned a new word, which describes a fairly recently diagnosed mental disorder (we do seem to have more of those today than at any time in human history)--Cherophobia. It means the fear of happiness and fun. Perhaps it's a stretch, but I wonder if those people who can't follow through on what they say they will do are afraid that doing so will bring them too much happiness.
And back to "survival of the funnest," I remember that when I was researching and writing my book, Psychological Immortality, many of the people who went far beyond normal lifespan expectations were those who had a lot of fun in their lives, in both their personal and business lives.
Jerry
Check my prosperity blog:
http://MoneyloveBlog.com
I do seem to have run into a bad batch of contacts recently who don't follow my minimum standard of saying what they're going to do and then doing it. These disappointing folks are in the U.S. and Panama and a few other countries. But as I reflect on the meaning of it all, I have come to the realization that this is good news as it leaves me open to new people and new adventures. If all those rotten apples did follow through with their promises, I would hardly have room to breath--so it's really a form of natural selection. In my case, survival of the funnest. Oops, another new term--this may require a blog post.
As often happens when I think I have invented a new word or phrase, Google humbled me fast. Survival of the Funnest is the name of a video game, and grammarians have been arguing for some time about whether "funnest" is a real word. Actually, I am told on good authority that it is the regular superlative of the adjective form of "fun."
It was notably used when Steve Jobs employed it to describe the iPod upon its introduction to the world.
I do note, getting back to my original point, that friends who are in my life for the long haul seem to be the people I've had the most fun with. I don't know if anyone else has made or researched the connection between dependability and fun-ability. But I have observed that people who seem to have difficulty delivering on their promises, difficulty doing what they say they are going to do, are the more serious types. These are often Type A workaholics who fill their lives with so much activity, they can hardly keep up with their own intentions or promises.
I just learned a new word, which describes a fairly recently diagnosed mental disorder (we do seem to have more of those today than at any time in human history)--Cherophobia. It means the fear of happiness and fun. Perhaps it's a stretch, but I wonder if those people who can't follow through on what they say they will do are afraid that doing so will bring them too much happiness.
And back to "survival of the funnest," I remember that when I was researching and writing my book, Psychological Immortality, many of the people who went far beyond normal lifespan expectations were those who had a lot of fun in their lives, in both their personal and business lives.
Jerry
Check my prosperity blog:
http://MoneyloveBlog.com
Thursday, August 8, 2013
EL VENETO JARDIN BOTANICO
As this photo taken a hours ago from the street in front of my apartment shows, I live very close to The Veneto Hotel and Casino, which is now gaining worldwide attention because of its indirect connection to a top celebrity.
Here's one story from the NY Post
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/
I posted this reaction yesterday on the Panama Forum Yahoo Group:
Obviously the reporters writing all the stories about the Veneto now that it famously is featured in reports about its co-owner being the husband whose wife Simon Cowell got pregnant, haven't been to the hotel or Panama itself. A colorful tourist attraction in its own right, the parade of prostitutes at the casino bar, and interspersed throughout the slot machines on any given night, is a huge draw for the hotel. A large majority of its guests are American men who come specifically because of the Columbian hookers (hardly any other nationalities are represented).
No one knows how many men have the Veneto as their main Rest and Recreation destination, but it is a significant and highly profitable number--both for the hotel and the "working girls." And sex is not the only commodity readily available--many men, visitors and expats and locals, enjoy just chatting with the women, who are friendly, never obnoxiously hustling, and often movie star gorgeous. The Veneto is the premiere destination in the world for men who want to fulfill their Sofia Vergara fantasies.
I must confess here that I thoroughly enjoy the nightly Parade of Professionals at The Veneto. I haven't personally partaken of the goods for sale, but friends have.
These men tell me that their experiences are always relaxed and respectful, and they get the feeling that the Colombianas really like pleasing them, in all sorts of ways. Perhaps we should assume that all Colombian girls are raised to be superb actresses, little mini-Sofia Vergaras, with warmth and a great sense of humor. But back in California, a young Colombian friend of mine told me that she and all girls in Colombia are trained from an early age to serve men--that this is the way to true happiness.
We could get into a long discussion about whether this is sexist and just plain wrong, but we have to first deal with the reality that adult Colombian women are not going to change this deeply imbedded cultural attitude. My own observations have informed me that these "working girls," (and it also seems to be true for many Colombianas with normal jobs, termed "civilians" by the hookers) look and sound and seem happier than a lot of women I know in the U.S. who are independent and consider that every relationship has to be an equal partnership.
I'm not recommending this outlook and approach to any woman anywhere. My own preference is to be with a strong-willed woman who is completely in charge of her own life and is not here to take care of me. This way of life, however, doesn't always lead to happiness. In fact, I have personally found that the happiest connections I have with a woman come about when I am committed to, and willing to, give her everything she wants.
It certainly is not just about sex, though one very successful frequent visitor from the U.S., a charmingly pleasant man who has three ex-wives, recently told me he frequents the women at the Veneto for the simple and stress-free reason that, "They always say 'Yes!'"
As a seminar leader and self-help author, I can't help thinking that these "working girls," which is their favorite way to describe themselves, have a lot to teach us. Maybe a seminar and/or a book with a title something like, The Wisdom of Panama's Hookers. They have a lot of information not available to most men and women living in more sophisticated societies. But this will take a great deal more Spanish proficiency on my part to discover. What a nice incentive to begin to hablo espanol.
Meanwhile, I will continue to enjoy the scenery at The Veneto. My title for this post comes from the fact that I see it as a collection of beautiful and colorful flowers. And like any great botanical garden, you don't have to pluck a flower and take it home to enjoy the experience. Jerry
Check out my prosperity blog at:
http://MoneyloveBlog.com
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/
I posted this reaction yesterday on the Panama Forum Yahoo Group:
Obviously the reporters writing all the stories about the Veneto now that it famously is featured in reports about its co-owner being the husband whose wife Simon Cowell got pregnant, haven't been to the hotel or Panama itself. A colorful tourist attraction in its own right, the parade of prostitutes at the casino bar, and interspersed throughout the slot machines on any given night, is a huge draw for the hotel. A large majority of its guests are American men who come specifically because of the Columbian hookers (hardly any other nationalities are represented).
No one knows how many men have the Veneto as their main Rest and Recreation destination, but it is a significant and highly profitable number--both for the hotel and the "working girls." And sex is not the only commodity readily available--many men, visitors and expats and locals, enjoy just chatting with the women, who are friendly, never obnoxiously hustling, and often movie star gorgeous. The Veneto is the premiere destination in the world for men who want to fulfill their Sofia Vergara fantasies.
Despite all the references to the many breast and butt enhanced hookers hanging out at The Veneto in newspapers around the world, I couldn't find any photos of the subjects. Perhaps this is because, like most casinos in the world, The Veneto frowns on picture-taking on the premises. However, not being known for obeying rules, I managed a couple of candid shots on the casino floor.
I must confess here that I thoroughly enjoy the nightly Parade of Professionals at The Veneto. I haven't personally partaken of the goods for sale, but friends have. We could get into a long discussion about whether this is sexist and just plain wrong, but we have to first deal with the reality that adult Colombian women are not going to change this deeply imbedded cultural attitude. My own observations have informed me that these "working girls," (and it also seems to be true for many Colombianas with normal jobs, termed "civilians" by the hookers) look and sound and seem happier than a lot of women I know in the U.S. who are independent and consider that every relationship has to be an equal partnership.
I'm not recommending this outlook and approach to any woman anywhere. My own preference is to be with a strong-willed woman who is completely in charge of her own life and is not here to take care of me. This way of life, however, doesn't always lead to happiness. In fact, I have personally found that the happiest connections I have with a woman come about when I am committed to, and willing to, give her everything she wants.
It certainly is not just about sex, though one very successful frequent visitor from the U.S., a charmingly pleasant man who has three ex-wives, recently told me he frequents the women at the Veneto for the simple and stress-free reason that, "They always say 'Yes!'"
As a seminar leader and self-help author, I can't help thinking that these "working girls," which is their favorite way to describe themselves, have a lot to teach us. Maybe a seminar and/or a book with a title something like, The Wisdom of Panama's Hookers. They have a lot of information not available to most men and women living in more sophisticated societies. But this will take a great deal more Spanish proficiency on my part to discover. What a nice incentive to begin to hablo espanol.
Meanwhile, I will continue to enjoy the scenery at The Veneto. My title for this post comes from the fact that I see it as a collection of beautiful and colorful flowers. And like any great botanical garden, you don't have to pluck a flower and take it home to enjoy the experience. Jerry
Check out my prosperity blog at:
http://MoneyloveBlog.com
Friday, July 26, 2013
A SHORT BUT NECESSARY BORDER CROSSING
So thanks to lots of detailed advice from friends, friends of friends, expat forums such as the Yahoo group, Americans in Panama, and the Facebook group, Tropical Cowboys and Cowgirls, I just did the mandatory exiting of Panama within 180 days to renew my visa.
I was warned that things can change quickly, and this proved to be so, though it all worked out well since I didn't stress out but just went along with the program, including lying to a Panamanian customs officer so I'd be allowed to reenter Panama.
The first change was at the Gran Terminal, the national bus terminal, located adjacent to Allbrook Mall, the largest in Central America. It's got a great food court, glitzy shops and puts most U.S. bus terminals to shame--even the Banos (bathrooms) are clean, though they do charge a quarter to enter.
My new friend Sonny Davis, told me the easiest way he discovered to do the crossing was to take a Frontera overnight express bus, which he told me leaves at 10:30pm and arrives at 5am.
The one catch is that you have to buy the ticket the day of your departure, so I spent 7 hours grazing the several food courts at Allbrook, people-watching (made more pleasant as about 8 beauty queens walked by at various times with sashes representing South Africa and other nations. They walked so fast, and had several people each with them, that I didn't get a good look at the sashes, but did get a very enjoyable good look at the girls themselves...they could have been anywhere from 17 to 21.
I was told when I got my ticket at 4pm that the express Frontera bus left at 11:15 and I should be there by 10:30. I thought of seeing one or two movies, but found out the only English language films at the Allbrook cinemas are not shown before 10pm, not even English subtitles before then.
Luckily, I got to the bus waiting room a bit before ten, as they suddenly switched busses and put us on a Tica bus, more modern and usually more expensive. If anyone showed up after 11, they were out of luck. Luckily the bus had a functioning bathroom as it did not make the stop in Santiago scheduled by Frontera.
We arrived at the border at about 6:20, perfect as the Panama customs windows don't open until 7am. I was told by everyone that I would have to fill out customs claims forms leaving and coming back into Panama, but that is no longer so, at least not today. But a new twist was that you had to go into a room and put your luggage (or backpack in my case) on a table to be searched before you could check out. The Costa Rican customs windows did require the claims paperwork but no search.
The only other potential hitch in a very smooth double crossing was on leaving Panama. The customs officer said that in order to go back into Panama, I needed a ticket showing I would be going back to the U.S. in the next 180 days. I did have a Tica ticket for January from Panama City to San Jose, Costa Rica, which everyone said would do the job.
This particular customs agent said that had changed. Here's where the lie came in, as I told him I had checked with Immigration in Panama City and they told me the bus ticket would all that was required. He bought it, though he also gave my new friend, Tony from Mexico, the same hard time, but relented when Tony told him that no one had told him that new rule before he arrived at the border. This almost immediate backtracking leads me to believe the custom agent may have been making it up as he went along.
I don't know if it was this one customs agent, or it was a one day rule, or an actual change in policy, but I definitely breathed a sigh of relief at not being stuck in Costa Rica. As it was, Tony and his lovely wife and I were finished with everything at about 8:15am. Sonny Davis had said I should then walk down to the bus stop and buy a ticket back to Panama for the 10:30am bus.
As we walked by an empty Frontera bus, however, the driver said he was leaving for Allbrook Mall at 8:30. Tony said we should go for it, though when we were the only three passengers as the bus pulled out, I did wonder if this was a ploy by a gang of bus bandits to kidnap expats and take them into the nearby mountains. More sighs of relief as several stops allowed more passengers to climb aboard. Back at Allbrook at 4:40, exactly 8 hours after the bus left the border, and I was home a half hour later. Going, the fare was $14.40 for the overnighter, coming back, $16.90 (though the ticket I bought for January was $41. one way on the more expensive Tica line).
I'll share this with my expat friends as it includes this new information which may or may not be true if they do the same round trip visa run.
Jerry
Check out the best prosperity blog online: http://MoneyloveBlog.com
I was warned that things can change quickly, and this proved to be so, though it all worked out well since I didn't stress out but just went along with the program, including lying to a Panamanian customs officer so I'd be allowed to reenter Panama.
The first change was at the Gran Terminal, the national bus terminal, located adjacent to Allbrook Mall, the largest in Central America. It's got a great food court, glitzy shops and puts most U.S. bus terminals to shame--even the Banos (bathrooms) are clean, though they do charge a quarter to enter.
My new friend Sonny Davis, told me the easiest way he discovered to do the crossing was to take a Frontera overnight express bus, which he told me leaves at 10:30pm and arrives at 5am.
The one catch is that you have to buy the ticket the day of your departure, so I spent 7 hours grazing the several food courts at Allbrook, people-watching (made more pleasant as about 8 beauty queens walked by at various times with sashes representing South Africa and other nations. They walked so fast, and had several people each with them, that I didn't get a good look at the sashes, but did get a very enjoyable good look at the girls themselves...they could have been anywhere from 17 to 21.
I was told when I got my ticket at 4pm that the express Frontera bus left at 11:15 and I should be there by 10:30. I thought of seeing one or two movies, but found out the only English language films at the Allbrook cinemas are not shown before 10pm, not even English subtitles before then.
Luckily, I got to the bus waiting room a bit before ten, as they suddenly switched busses and put us on a Tica bus, more modern and usually more expensive. If anyone showed up after 11, they were out of luck. Luckily the bus had a functioning bathroom as it did not make the stop in Santiago scheduled by Frontera.
We arrived at the border at about 6:20, perfect as the Panama customs windows don't open until 7am. I was told by everyone that I would have to fill out customs claims forms leaving and coming back into Panama, but that is no longer so, at least not today. But a new twist was that you had to go into a room and put your luggage (or backpack in my case) on a table to be searched before you could check out. The Costa Rican customs windows did require the claims paperwork but no search.
The only other potential hitch in a very smooth double crossing was on leaving Panama. The customs officer said that in order to go back into Panama, I needed a ticket showing I would be going back to the U.S. in the next 180 days. I did have a Tica ticket for January from Panama City to San Jose, Costa Rica, which everyone said would do the job.
This particular customs agent said that had changed. Here's where the lie came in, as I told him I had checked with Immigration in Panama City and they told me the bus ticket would all that was required. He bought it, though he also gave my new friend, Tony from Mexico, the same hard time, but relented when Tony told him that no one had told him that new rule before he arrived at the border. This almost immediate backtracking leads me to believe the custom agent may have been making it up as he went along.
I don't know if it was this one customs agent, or it was a one day rule, or an actual change in policy, but I definitely breathed a sigh of relief at not being stuck in Costa Rica. As it was, Tony and his lovely wife and I were finished with everything at about 8:15am. Sonny Davis had said I should then walk down to the bus stop and buy a ticket back to Panama for the 10:30am bus.
As we walked by an empty Frontera bus, however, the driver said he was leaving for Allbrook Mall at 8:30. Tony said we should go for it, though when we were the only three passengers as the bus pulled out, I did wonder if this was a ploy by a gang of bus bandits to kidnap expats and take them into the nearby mountains. More sighs of relief as several stops allowed more passengers to climb aboard. Back at Allbrook at 4:40, exactly 8 hours after the bus left the border, and I was home a half hour later. Going, the fare was $14.40 for the overnighter, coming back, $16.90 (though the ticket I bought for January was $41. one way on the more expensive Tica line).
I'll share this with my expat friends as it includes this new information which may or may not be true if they do the same round trip visa run.
Jerry
Check out the best prosperity blog online: http://MoneyloveBlog.com
Sunday, July 21, 2013
DO I THINK I'M SMART?
I was reflecting and pondering various things earlier today and I suddenly pictured myself being interviewed and someone asking me if I thought I was very smart, fairly smart, or not so smart at all. I realized that I really couldn't give an authentic answer to that question.
I think I am exceptionally brilliant in certain specific areas, and pretty dumb in others--and somewhere in-between in still other aspects of life. Three ways in which I think I am very smart:
1. I can write about almost anything at almost any time without ever having writer's block.
2. I can get up and speak to a large audience with no fear and go on spontaneously for hours at a time.
3. I can see the humor in almost anything, and can come up with a gag or quip or witticism on a moment's notice.
And here's where I am most brilliant: I have chosen to focus most of my life's activities on professions and careers that those attributes are best suited for. As a broadcast journalist, speaker, and author and comedy gagwriter and stand-up comedian, I have been able to tap into the things I am smartest at.
On the other hand.
1. I am a technological idiot. Really. The only thing that allows me to stumble forward in my computer and Internet activities is that I spent at least an hour a week for three years at The Apple Store in San Francisco, using the fantastic One-to-One $99 a year service, and sometimes asking the same dumb questions two or three times before I sort of figured it out.
2. I am really not good at business and marketing, and am always looking for other people with those talents so I can focus on my own talents at creating content.
3. I am still often clueless about women, who continuously mystify me. Remnants of my very shy teenage self remain. Despite this, I have been blessed to have had great friendships and relationships with amazing women who are beautiful inside and out--and even that sometimes mystifies me.
I think most of us are smarter and dumber than average in certain things, and the trick is to know which is which.
Jerry
Despite not being a "business person," I am often cited as one of the best prosperity teachers, mainly because I have studied the emotional arsenal needed to be successful and am able to teach a lot of this to others. You can check this out on my prosperity blog at:
http://MoneyloveBlog.com
I think I am exceptionally brilliant in certain specific areas, and pretty dumb in others--and somewhere in-between in still other aspects of life. Three ways in which I think I am very smart:
1. I can write about almost anything at almost any time without ever having writer's block.
2. I can get up and speak to a large audience with no fear and go on spontaneously for hours at a time.
3. I can see the humor in almost anything, and can come up with a gag or quip or witticism on a moment's notice.
And here's where I am most brilliant: I have chosen to focus most of my life's activities on professions and careers that those attributes are best suited for. As a broadcast journalist, speaker, and author and comedy gagwriter and stand-up comedian, I have been able to tap into the things I am smartest at.
On the other hand.
1. I am a technological idiot. Really. The only thing that allows me to stumble forward in my computer and Internet activities is that I spent at least an hour a week for three years at The Apple Store in San Francisco, using the fantastic One-to-One $99 a year service, and sometimes asking the same dumb questions two or three times before I sort of figured it out.
2. I am really not good at business and marketing, and am always looking for other people with those talents so I can focus on my own talents at creating content.
3. I am still often clueless about women, who continuously mystify me. Remnants of my very shy teenage self remain. Despite this, I have been blessed to have had great friendships and relationships with amazing women who are beautiful inside and out--and even that sometimes mystifies me.
I think most of us are smarter and dumber than average in certain things, and the trick is to know which is which.
Jerry
Despite not being a "business person," I am often cited as one of the best prosperity teachers, mainly because I have studied the emotional arsenal needed to be successful and am able to teach a lot of this to others. You can check this out on my prosperity blog at:
http://MoneyloveBlog.com
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