Panama Update #17
July 31, 2008
Nikki received an email last night saying that today we had to change apartments in the dormitory to the one upstairs. We had no idea why since the apartments are identical. We went in to the office to ask and we still didn't understand the explanation but the housing director was very insistent we do it. She told us the upstairs apartment is less humid because of the roof of the building. Nikki has to leave town very early tomorrow morning (6:00 AM flight) on a geology field trip so she asked if the move could be delayed until she gets back early next week. The director agreed that it will be OK to delay for a couple of days, so now my job for the weekend while Nikki is gone is to move our stuff. I don't think it will take too long, but I am guessing about a half day. all the packing and moving I did to get ready for the move to Panama, I am not too excited about doing it, but I think it will be pretty easy. There is no furniture to move, simply a lot of personal items and organization. I hope to finish up moving by the end of the day so there will be some time on the weekend to see a movie and try one of the vegetarian restaurants. I also want to go back to the Riba Smith Supermercado when I have more time so I can explore some of the items. We can stay in the studio apartment at the dorm until December 31. Whenever an apartment in the area opens up that we like, we can move out. In the meantime we are only paying $340 a month. It is going on Nikki's bill and she can pay it all at once with a debit card. It is more carefree living in the dormitory but no one seems to understand the reasons why people get switched or how long they can stay. It reminds me again of the Ashram in India. You never knew when you were going to be moved. I guess this is practice in nonattachment. We are starting to realize that finding an apartment in this area is very difficult and you really have to know someone who is moving out to inherit it, so whenever we hear of one we like, we will plan to move.
We also met with someone today from the blank who helps employees with their visa issues. It is all very complicated, but a tourist visa only lasts 90 days, so we would have to leave the country every 3 months to renew it. The other option is applying for a work permit, and someone would help Nikki wade through the forms and make appointments with imigration. I would be a spousal dependent on that kind of visa, but we would not have to leave the country. We will probably end up going with the 90 day tourist visa since the paperwork is much less complicated and Nikki will be leaving the country at least twice for conferences- Houston in October and San Francisco in December. I am already scheduled to join her in San Francisco, and if I joined her in Houston, we would only have to go on one more trip in March to Costa Rica or the Galapagos to renew the visa.
