It happened at 1:49AM, Saturday, July 4, 2009 according to the USGS. It was about 65 miles northeast of Panama City off the coast of the Kuna Yala province.

This is the first earthquake I've been through. I actually didn't feel it though, but my wife, mother-in-law and son did. My wife woke me up because she felt the trembling and  ordered me to the kids' room because she felt as though the building might fall. Luckily, it didn't! :)

What was strange was that even though it shook things somewhat, nothing in the apartment was displaced. I wish I could have experienced it personally since an earthquake is naturally not something that I wish would happen again.

According to the USGS, there has been no report of human loss or property damage.

Tags: panama, terremoto, earthquake, naturaldisaster

Petaquilla pours first gold at Molejon mine in Panama

So it's time to go south now instead of west. :)

Tags: gold, panama

I don't think the same thing will happen in Panama (even though it's been compared to the Dubai of yesteryear) since the economic crisis is happening at an earlier stage in Panama's economic growth.

Sponsor: Panama City, Panama Contractor

Tags: panama, dubai, comparison, dubaidream, panama contractor, citigroup, panama economy, panama remodeling, burj dubai

Some of the excellent retirement benefits are:

• Importation of all your personal and household goods up to US $10,000 free of taxes.
• Right to import a car every two years free of taxes
• 50% off closing costs for home loans.
• 25% off both international and domestic airline tickets.
• 50% off hotel accommodations Monday-Thursday
• 10% off prescription medicines (which are inexpensive to begin with)
• 15% off dental and eye exams.   [Some places offer an even greater discount. I have seen a recent promotion where the discount is the person's age. So if you're 60, you get 60% off.]
• 30% off bus, boat and train fares.
• 25% off at Restaurants
• 15% off at Fast Food Restaurants
• 20% Doctor visits and Surgery   [There are some local clinics that only charge a $5 consultation fee. Lower than many HMO co-pays.]
• 50% off entertainment including movies, concerts, theater everyday.
• In Panama, all banks (mandated by law) have special express lines for retirees.
• The greatest of all benefits for retiring in Panama is that you can hire a full time maid for less than $300 a month.

There are also tax advantages especially if you invest in the Panama hospitality and tourism industries. I'd be glad to help, if you need it!

Sponsor: consider our Bocas del Toro, Panama builder contractor if you are looking to build or remodel in the province. Busca un constructor, contratista o renovador en Bocas del Toro?

Tags: bocasdel toro contractor, bocas del toro builder, investing in panama, retiring in panama, panama benefits, pensionado benefits, contratista, descuentos para panameños

• The services and services-related provisions of an agreement could yield benefits for Canadian exporters, including small and medium-sized enterprises.
• An FTA with Panama would provide Canadian service exporters with greater market access and better treatment than currently exists under the World Trade Organization (WTO) General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS).
• Bilateral FTAs can also allow for greater trade, innovation and liberalization than regional or multilateral agreements with regard to both the development of rules and the level of market access accorded to signatory countries. These include high-growth, knowledge-intensive and export-oriented Canadian services sectors such as professional services, research and development services, and computer and related services.
• Canadian exporters would also benefit from improvements in rules designed to increase transparency of regulations and to broaden market access for a range of service providers and investors. An FTA would also provide for frameworks for the negotiation of mutual recognition agreements and provisions respecting professional licensing and qualification requirements and procedures.
• Enhancing the movement of business persons would help Canadian firms supply services and would also facilitate investment in Panama’s market. A chapter on the temporary entry of business persons into each other’s respective territories would also be an important complement to the rules on trade in services, goods and investment.

I wonder if Canada will wait until the US approves the free trade agreement with Panama. I hope not.

Tags: canada, panama, freetrade agreement, export, import, agreements

I just came across this excellent article from the Heritage Foundation which provides strong arguments for passing the pending trade agreements with Panama, Colombia, and South Korea. Here's an excerpt:

If enacted, the agreements with Colombia and Panama will result in significant new market access and lower tariffs for America's businesses and farmers; most Colombian and Panamanian products already enter the U.S. duty-free under various preference programs. Because these countries already have preferential access to U.S. markets, any impact on U.S. jobs has already occurred. Instead, these agreements will result in new economic opportunity for America's exporters and the U.S. businesses that support them, opportunity that will grow over time as these countries continue to develop through trade and mature into larger, more sophisticated markets more closely integrated with the U.S. economy.

Similarly, America stands to gain more from expanding what is already a rich trade relationship through an FTA with South Korea than without one. The agreement resolves many of the problems currently thwarting the full economic potential of U.S.-South Korea bilateral trade and establishes formal channels through which ongoing trade concerns can be addressed.

read the rest of the article at the Heritage Foundation website

They convinced me at "If..." :) Let's see if President Obama sees it that way.

BTW, kudos, if you know where the first part of the post title came from!

Tags: obamaadministration, panama, trade agreements, south korea, colombia

Here's some of the items available:

Happy Hour Original Painting - 5x7

Naked Freshness Original Painting - 5x7

Small Panamanian Clay Saucer with Hummingbird and Flowers Hand-painted, 5.75 Inches in Diameter

Small Panamanian Clay Vase with Rainbow Darter Fish Hand-painted and Panama Lettering on Rim, 2.5 Inches Tall X 3 Inches (At Widest Point)

Tags: panamacrafts, mood paintings, ana corea, hand-painted, original painting, free gift, black friday, sales, thanksgiving day sale, pottery, clay, canvas, hummingbird, darter fish, naked painting, nude painting, happy hour painting

So what makes me such an authority? Well, I'm not necessarily, but my Panamanian wife, Ana, and my kids (who go to school in Panama) are! :)

I hope you enjoy it!

Loneliness - Original Painting by Panamanian artist, Ana Corea

Decorative Plate/Saucer with Hand-painted Panamanian Golden Frog

Tags: DecorativePlate Saucer with Hand-painted Panamanian Golden Frog, Loneliness - Original Painting by Panamanian artist, Ana Corea, panamanian craft, painting, artwork, panama

For those of you who've been waiting for a 2nd chance to score some handmade awesomeness, the time is now my friends! It's the November November giveaway, part two! This wonderful batch of handmade goodness is worth $805, even more than last week! And again, it's all going to ONE lucky winner! This is an awesome way to score some gifts for yourself and to hand out to others this holiday season! So, wha'cha waiting for? Enter now!

Modish: The November November Giveaway!! (part two!)

I think I need to contribute a Panamanian Craft for the next giveaway! What do you think?

Peacefulness - Original Painting by Ana Corea

Hand-painted Pollera and Montuno Clay Vase

Tags: panamaniancraft, loveana.com, craft giveaway, ana corea, panama, crafts, handpainted, painting, mood painting, pollera, montuno, panama