Panama Update #89
November 23, 2008
Yesterday (Saturday) we spent some time at the mall. Nikki wanted to buy some clothes so she looked around at some of the possible stores. I finally bought a reading lamp, but it is only a table lamp, not a standing lamp. It was $9 for what looks like a pretty good quality. The mall was so packed that Nikki didn't buy anything and will plan to go back on a week day over lunch hour when it isn't so crowded. Last night we had dinner at another couple's house who we have become friends with. They live within walking distance of us. The woman has been here for several years, working as a scientist for the same organization as Nikki. She is originally from Germany and researches invasive species of plants that come into the canal on all the ships from around the world. The guy is originally from India and is also a scientist in a different area. He made a traditional Indian dinner, which tasted great. We ate kind of late so I didn't want to eat too much. Another couple was also there. He is a research scientist from England and his wife is a middle school science teacher from Fiji. You can see that there is a real international group here. We had a nice dinner and visit and then walked home about 11:00 PM. They told us we might see some deer on the way. Since we live in an area with a lot of jungle, we do occasionally see different types of animals, but we have never seen a deer before. We did end up seeing one on the way. It was shorter and stouter than the kind we see in the forests in Minnesota. We also were startled to be loudly hissed at by something that sounded like a very large cat. It was too dark to see what it was, but it sounded like it was very close.
Today I made a dentist appointment for Nikki and I for a teeth cleaning in January. It is with someone who was recommended to us. They are supposed to have high quality doctors here and this will be our first appointment since coming here.
