Monday afternoon, I tried to find the Metroplitan National Park. I got myself to the bus terminal near my house and rode it past the park because it didn't really look like a good place to get off. I stayed on the bus for awhile till it looked like I was in a central sort of transfer spot. I walked around a bit, got myself orientated in a McDonalds and headed back on the metro, laughing on my way about how unsuccessful I was.
Once back I headed out to what was supposed to be a "school activity." It was supposed to be a brewery tour. I asked the server at the bar about it, she said it would be the next day, but then spoke to her manager who came over and gave me a "tour." I say that in quotes, but it was actually quite interesting, he didn't really show me around but I did learn a whole lot about the chemical processes of brewing beer.
In the end, I spent over 3 hours talking to the manager who is a transplant from New Mexico and has been down in Latin America for the past 13 years or so. Just this last week, he married a Colombian woman who he had been with for 3 years or so. Now for the first time (he is around my farher's age) he is considering the possibility of having kids. Life can certainly take interesting twists and turns...
He basically talked my ear off. He asked some questions of me but didn't really listen long enough to really hear the answer. Makes me wonder that even after being down here so long and being fluent in the language it might still get a little lonely every once in awhile. In the end, he gave me his card and told me not to hesitate to call him if I ever needed something. Very sweet...
Having spent the evening in yet another American run establishment, it makes me wonder about the American influence down here in Panama City even after we've given over control of the canal already 15 years ago. I'm realizing that down here in Panama City especially the Casco Viejo area, the places I've felt drawn to are all successful American owned and run business. And so it seems that the place to live out the American dream for US citizens is actually Panama City.
The cafe I most often frequent, this brewrey, my Spanish language school, and my new hostel all businesses started by US citizens. But what makes them so successful?
In comparing my hostel this week to the one last week, the biggest difference is ambience, cleanliness, and attention to little details. The little touch of having patterned and colored sheets at the American run hostel as opposed to the questionably cleaned white sheets at the Panamanian run hostel...
The American run cafe offers me a reliable and relatively quiet retreat from the regular busy hustle and bustle of the city. Even this brewery has a more comfortable and welcoming ambience than other bars in the same area. Even McDonalds, another American run business or rather corporation, is a reliable and comfortable retreat. More than any other city I've been to thus far, i regret to admit that I fall back on it as a place to regather. But I am not alone, it is always filled to the brim with Panamanians using it for the same purpose.
When I'd first arrived in Central America I'd appreciated the simplicity especially in regards to kitchens. They didn't need the best appliances or granite countertops.... But now I am recognizing the importance of creating ambience in making things more comfortable for people. And this sells. It's one of the reasons Whole Foods is so successful, they create a warm and inviting shopping experience.
So why haven't the Panamanians caught onto this? Is it funding, education, or something else? Do Americans have a more engrained entrepreneurial spirit?
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