Boquete Community Pulse

Tuesday, July 31 –Milagros Sanchez Pinzón, executive director of Culturama International in David, is the premiere historian for Chiriqui Province and Boquete in particular. She authored the book Boquete, Rasgos de su Historia in 2001 and Boquete: Valley of the eternal rainbow in 2006 -- research and photos illustrating the rich history of Boquete and its founding families. Luz Graciela Joly Adames, Tenured Professor of Anthology, Department of History, Faculty of Humanities, Autonomous University of Chiriqui, will translate. Milagros will bring photos of the early history of Boquete. The speakers will be introduced by Price Peterson, long time Boquete resident and former U.S. Warden for Boquete.

10:30 in the BCP Theater Your $1 admission helps us keep the doors open Tuesday, July 24 – Pat Chan founder of Fundacion Spay Panama will speak. Pat recently was voted Panama’s #1 hero in a nationwide contest sponsored by TVN network. Spay Panama has sterilized over 135,000 dogs and cats since its founding. Spay Panama has also been the model for the Boquete and Volcan spay clinics http://www.spaypanama.org

Tuesday, July 17 – Bud Huber and Marcelyn Jandreau traveled the Silk Road in Central Asia earlier this year when they visited Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. They took many photos, and will share their adventure with us. The Silk Road was an ancient network of trade routes that connected the East and the West. It was central to cultural and commercial interaction between them for centuries. Bud and Marcelyn actually walked along some of the same paths that Alexander the Great, Marco Polo, Amir Timur, and Genghis Khan traveled many centuries ago.

Tuesday, July 10 – Angel Rodriguez, local expert on seismicity will talk about seismicity of Western Panama. Angel was born in Panama but graduated from the University of Washington where he married his wife Carla Black. Angel has been a tinkerer and inventor all his life. In his previous life he made bicycles and computers. Spending winters in Volcan, Panama, Angel started building telescopes. He then turned his attention to making seismometers. He constructed the mechanical parts, designed and built the electronics and wrote the software to create his first seismographs. Eventually he built his own private seismic network. Presently he has a nice electronics lab, several 3D printers, a laser cutter, CNC mills, lathes and all the tools a maker might want. He has a passion for making seismographs, including affordable personal seismographs for your home. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/angelrodriguez/raspberry-shake-your-personal-seismograph

Tuesday, July 3 – Kevin Fisher on “The Internet of People”. In the beginning the internet was an inter-connected group of computers, independent and autonomous. Fast forward to today and the vast majority of internet traffic is processed by centralized servers where your privacy is shredded and your personal details are sold to the highest bidder. In this era of BIg Data, entities like Cambridge Analytics and Facebook have even used your profiles to influence elections. It's time to fight back and the Internet of People is building the infrastructure to empower people over things, people over profits, people over politics. Join us for a look into the decentralized future of the internet. For a sneak peek, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhkTGnGtr1s and visit www.iop.global.

Tuesday, June 26 – DAC Transport of Panama City. This international company has been in business for more than 23 years and would like to introduce their services to the Boquete community. They can arrange shipping and moving services by air, land, and sea. They handle commercial as well as personal shipments. Whether you are a business or want to move household goods, they can provide full transportation service. They will be joined in the presentation by Boquete resident, Saroya Kendrick, who had a career in international cargo transportation in the US before moving to Panama. FREE ADMISSION

Tuesday, June 19 – Glenn Davis is an author, lecturer, college professor, historian, and Boquete resident. He is the author of 4 books available on Amazon.com, three other books published in Japanese by leading Japanese publishers and hundreds of articles on Japan and Japan-American relations. One book is titled "How We Lived in Wellborn before Television" about the small town in Texas where he grew up in the 1950’s. He took note that Wellborn residents were very close-knit and friendly. People visited each other, sat out on their front porches and didn't lock their doors. But that was before TV arrived and changed everything about the small village. People did not visit as much and socialization virtually stopped inside homes as everyone was glued to their new boob tubes. But the world didn’t stop there, with the millennials and others now turning to living double lives: one in the real world and another in a virtual world. Glenn will demonstrate what one of these online worlds looks like and how you too can travel to a destination that does not exist. Are the rules there different from real life? Does living through an avatar change one’s behavior? It is true that real communities are being replaced by virtual ones, to the consternation of some and the delight of others. Where is all this tapping and beeping leading societies? Depressing or enlightening, the audience can choose.

Tuesday, June 12 – Carla Black, Panama’s expert on heliconias, water lilies, and other native plants. Carla's 10th Annual Heliconia Plant Sale is held the end of June this year, and she will talk about how to care for the plants she sells and the ones you already have in your yard, without chemicals. In addition to growing what might be the largest collection of heliconia species in the world, Carla enjoys water gardening. See how easy it can be to have your own water lilies blooming just out the window. Come prepared with your gardening questions and puzzles, and we'll wrap up with a discussion of what's going on in your garden.

Tuesday, June 5 -- As a celiac diagnosed over 30 years ago and traveling the globe for business, Boquete resident Sharna Kahn quickly had to master how to minimize the risk of eating out at most any restaurant and obtain a gluten free and allergy free meal long before the food industry knew what gluten was. Her institutional food handling knowledge was acquired as a photojournalist and blogger for the emerging gluten free industry in the U.S. via the online Examiner (when the wave started over 15 years ago), a current TripAdvisor gluten free restaurant reviewer (50k plus readers), and consumer reporter for celiac medical research. She also completed a certified course for institutional food handling of allergenic foods. Learn how to enjoy eating out with confidence that your meal meets your dietary needs with a factual and fun filled presentation.

Tuesday, May 29 – Boquete Health and Hospice presents “Being Prepared Part II ”Living Will and Last Will”. Do you need an attorney to develop your living will? Is your last will from your homeland valid in Panama? Juan Contreras, local attorney, will present on the Panamanian living will and last will. Come hear from an attorney what you need to do.

Tuesday, May 22 – Boquete Health and Hospice presents “Being Prepared Part I: Getting started/restarted” How many of your friends know how to contact your loved ones back home in an emergency? Who would you call for help here in an emergency? Do you know medical or end of life decisions cannot be made by a spouse, friend or partner without proper documents? Come to the presentation and find out how to be prepared here in Boquete. We will go through these forms to help you get organized. * 1. Buddy Connection 2. When Someone Dies at Home in Boquete 3. Final Arrangements Check List 4. Information Needed On a Panamanian Death Certificate 5. Important Information Notebook *A packet of these forms will be available at all presentations for a small donation. Also included in this packet is information on the Five Wishes document to help you create your Living Will.

Tuesday, May 15 –Giovy Rojas,Cofounder of Innovation and Entrepreneurs HUB, Action HUB+ (a private corporation with a social motivation) will brief the expat community on how its members can network with other experienced business people and donate their expertise in order to help aspiring Panamanian entrepreneurs. What they are looking for in the expat community is volunteers to act as mentors and coaches. They also seek donations to help fund the incubator program. As of November 2017, AH+ signed an agreement with the Boquete Mayor’s office to work together as a Private-Public Association to increase the social economics of the region, helping people to innovate and create new ventures.

Tuesday, May 8 –Dr. Theo Cope on living in China. The cultural differences with and similarities to living the expat life anywhere (including Panama). Theo and his wife, Shery lived in China for about 20 years, in various regions and doing different types of work. This talk will present some reflections on Chinese history and current trends in Chinese culture and briefly touch on geo-politics as it impacts the western world in general and the future of Panama in particular. There are many misconceptions of China, and this talk will strive to illumine many of the realities of life there, from Chinese friends and personal experiences.

Tuesday, April 17 – Newcomers Informational Meeting (for newcomers and old-timers alike). A panel of “old-timers” will help you with topics such as local norms, including navigating unregulated intersections, how to drive in David, tipping (who, when and how much), jubilado discounts, how and where to find things, and other things like that. The panel will include Penny Barrett and Martine Heyer, both oldtimers, Dianne Heidke author of the “Boquete (Not for Tourists) Handbook” and The Supreme Ruler's Rolodex:Who to Call When you're Clueless in Boquete”, and Hank Landis, U.S. Warden for Boquete.

Tuesday, April 10 -- Javier Madge and Magaly Bustamante are an amazing local couple. They take care of approximately 40 homeless dogs that are awaiting adoption. Their huge fenced yard in Volcancito is the home of the Boquete Dog Camp. Javier and Magaly will tell us about their love of dogs, how they rescue abused pets, and (especially) about the cute puppies that are available for adoption.

Tuesday, April 3 – ACODECO (The Authority for Consumer Protection and Defense of Competition). Margarita Rodríguez and Alexis Ortega from the David office of ACODECO will speak about the history and activities of this governmental agency that is established to monitor prices and protect the rights of consumers in Panama. Learn how ACODECO can assist you in disputes you have with local businesses. http://autoridaddelconsumidor.gob.pa

Tuesday, March 27 -- Did you miss Paul Myers' March 3 lecture "Baru’s Eruptions and Aftermath - A Geologist’s Observations" ? Here is a second chance. Dr Myers will repeat this talk on Tuesday, March 27 at 10:30 a.m. in BCP Theater. Volcan Baru, as a “dormant" volcano, looms ominously on our western horizon. Will it erupt again? Dr. Paul Myers retired geology professor (University of Wisconsin, 1968-1997), with considerable volcano experience will share his ”observations” of Baru and what they may reveal of its violent past, even what they might mean for the future. Why doesn’t Baru “look like” a typical volcano? Why no lava flows? What’s the origin of all the steep-walled terraces and deep canyons? Why all the boulders? How will an eruption affect Boquete? No matter how good you are - in the Boquete area, no one is an “expert”. More questions than answers. FREE ADMISSION

Tuesday, March 20 – Tom Werder presents “Retire with Purpose”. Tom helps retirees access their inner world where they discover a personal mastery that fills their later years with purpose and the joy of continuing contribution. Tom believes there is a hidden master within you and retirement is the perfect time to discover and bring this mastery forward. You have a lifetime of lessons to teach, and now it is time to share your mastery with the world. You can discover your voice and make a massive impact on humanity. This is for the retiree who refuses to idle away their golden years. This is for those who want something more in retirement than reading books and playing games. This is for the person who wants life to be thrilling and fulfilling and a continuous contribution. This is for you! There is FREE ADMISSION.

Tuesday, March 13 – Rainelda Mata-Kelly, well-known Panama City attorney, will update us on legal changes in Panama including immigration and property taxes. Rainelda obtained her law degree with honours from SANTA MARIA LA ANTIGUA UNIVERSITY, PANAMA and a Master of Laws from CORNELL UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL, Ithaca, N.Y., U.S.A. specializing in Commercial & Maritime Law. Over her 30 years in practice she has also practiced in London for 6 years as founding resident attorney for a Panamanian law firm. As of 1989, she has her own private practice in the areas of Corporations, Commercial and Shipping Law of Panama, including civil and administrative matters such as taxes, contracts, real estate transactions, immigration, labour permits, etc. She acts as legal adviser to local and foreign companies. For 10 years she was the legal adviser to the Colon Free Trade Zone Merchants Association and for 5 years as legal adviser to INTERED Panama (Internet Service Providers Association).

Tuesday, March 6 – Stressed? Interpersonal conflicts? Cope better by learning to “Surf it!” Stress is a normal phenomenon of life; without it boredom would set in; but too much of it causes health problems. The latest research indicates that it’s not stress, per se, that causes problems, but one’s attitude towards it. There are many techniques offered to ‘manage’ stress, to avoid or release stress, and a new model of ‘stress surfing’ created by a Russian psychiatrist that offers a way to ride the energy wave of stress and benefit from it. This talk will present research, insights and simple but powerful techniques based on ‘stress surfing’ to help cope better with stress and interpersonal conflicts, which are often sources of stress and challenges. Dr. Theo Cope has presented workshops on ‘stress surfing’ to embassies, international companies, patients, parents and students while living in China and he is part of an international “Stress Surfing” network.

Tuesday, February 27 -- Volcan Baru, a sleeping volcano, looms ominously on our western horizon. When will it erupt and what are the real dangers? Dr. Paul Myers retired geology professor (University of Wisconsin, 1968-1997), with considerable volcano experience, will review recent studies which accurately describe Baru’s long, unique history, and enumerate its most probable hazards . . . especially for people living in the Caldera River valley. Valleys radiating from the Baru summit are potential pathways for dangerous mudflows called lahars. He will close with suggestions for mitigating the deadliest effects of a Baru eruption. Following the talk, Dr. Myers will distribute hand-outs and solicit participants for a March 3 caravan tour of the Boquete area.

Tuesday, February 20 -- Come and learn basic survival command (questions and answers) in Spanish from U.S. Warden Hank Landis. Survival/command phrases will cover topics of: health, security, and personal needs.

Tuesday, February 13 – Glenn Davis, author, lecturer, historian, and Boquete resident. Glenn has been a professor at Rice U. (history), Blinn College (journalism) and Texas A&M (international studies). He is the author of 4 books available on Amazon.com and three other books published in Blues Festival, Glen will speak on the latest book he is writing titled Blood on the Cotton, about the history of the blues in Texas. This presentation is an analysis of the origin of the blues, which started in Texas and Mississippi (most people think about only the latter). It focuses on the blues pioneers in Texas and how they influenced other forms of music, such as rock and roll. It also will show clips from the Internet on early blues performances.

Bus Trip to Nutre Hogar in David Even if you didn't see the great presentation at BCP on Tuesday morning, you won't want to miss this trip. We will leave from the BCP parking lot at 8:30 on Thursday, March 8. We will return to Boquete about 12:30 -- in time for a nice lunch with the new friends you met on the bus. Yira de Alveredo and her sister Judy Tovar will be our guides on this little excursion. There is no charge but a donation to the Nutre Hogar facility would be welcomed. Nutre Hogar takes care of about 40 malnourished children referred to them from the David hospital. They are mostly indigenous children from very, very poor communities. The facility is amazing in what it does for these children and we will learn all about it. You will also have a chance to hold the babies and play with the older children. Please RSVP to Penny Barrett pjbarrett@aol.com so we know how big a bus to order.