Movistar

Movistar is Cable and Wireless' major competitor in cell phones, and I've been using them for years. Aside from a bit of nastiness from the employees at the Los Pueblos office a few months ago, I've never had a problem with them. Until last Thursday. My phone had developed an annoying case of key bounce, so I went into the Los Pueblos office to buy a new one. I selected the cheapest model, gave them the information needed to transfer my number and the $167.00 I had in call time. They immediately deactivated my old phone and about 10 minutes later told me they didn't have the model I wanted in stock. I reluctantly agreed to take a more expensive model, though it irks me to spend money for "features" (a color display) I neither want nor need. They told me to charge the phone for 8 hours before using it. I had the old phone with an identical battery, so I just swapped out the batteries when I got home. That's when I discovered my new phone had $1.00 in calling time and a different number. Although they were able to deactivate my old phone in 5 minutes, for some reason they hadn't assigned the number to the new phone.

Friday morning, I went back to the office, taking 30 minutes to navigate the two miles of bumper to bumper traffic between my house and Los Pueblos, to find out why they hadn't assigned the number. I was given a BS story about how the system was slow, and was promised that the number would be programmed by 3:00 PM. That, as I'm sure you've already guessed, was a lie.

On Saturday morning, I drove to Coste del Este, where the main Movistar corporate headquarters are located. There I was told that I would have to go to a customer service center, but the nice young man behind the counter took pity on me and looked up my account on the computer. He assured me that there was a work order to transfer my old number to the new phone. Los Pueblos is impossible on Saturdays and I didn't feel like driving downtown, so I went back home, resigned to not having my phone for a few more days.

Sunday, I slept in and when I finally got out of bed at the crack of noon, I checked my phone and, believe it or not, I had my old number and balance back. They even added $5.00 to my balance. I guess they thought they could buy me off cheap. It seems to me they are vying with Cable and Wireless for the Poor Customer Service trophy.

You can avoid this happening to you by making sure that any cell phone you buy is an unlocked GSM phone. Then, if it breaks, all you should have to do is take the SIM chip out of the old phone and install it in the new one.

New Digs

We're moving this week. We found a larger office in Costa del Este Industrial Park. Besides being larger and having fewer parking hassles, it comes with free internet access.  Watch the website for the new address.

There will be room for me to (possibly) set up a small computer consulting office. Whether I do depends on how much interest folks here have in dealing with an old Texican-speaking computer geek. I'm thinking of selling a few inexpensive turn-key Linux systems and providing virus/malware cleanup services. I would appreciate feedback on my idea.

Shrimp Dip Recipe

This one is really easy. You'll need;

a pound of peeled shrimp, the smallest size will do nicely and cost less
8 ounces of Cream Cheese
a couple of stalks of green onion (scallions)
two tablespoons of orange juice
salt and pepper to taste
any other condiment you want to add (I use a bit of curry and some MSG)

Boil the shrimp with salt until done to your taste. Chop fine. I use a food processor. Chop the scallions. Add the chopped shrimp, scallions, orange juice, and condiments to the cream cheese and mix well. Makes an excellent dip or you can serve it in those little pastry ceviche cups.

Dining Out

I have recommended Sun Ly restaurant in El Dorado in the past. Unfortunately, our last two meals at Sun Ly were, to put it charitably, less than satisfying. We like Po Po Platters, and on both occasions we were served what must have been recooked leftovers. Nora, who has a Bloodhound's nose, insisted the shrimp roll was spoiled, though Henry 4 and I noticed nothing unusual. The chicken was so overcooked it was almost tasteless, and though it took a long time to be served, the platter was only lukewarm when served. My endorsement of Sun Ly is hereby changed from four stars to 'Not Recommended'.

The Website

The website has been given a minor facelift and a logo. Except for the 'Pictures' and older 'Newsletter' pages there is now a consistent color scheme. The green pages will remain there for at least the near future.

Bring Back the Magic

You may have noticed the phrase 'Bring Back the Magic' on our new logo on the website. We believe that a major life-style change such as emigrating to a new country can put some of the magic back in your life and that's what we hope to help you do; recapture the excitement and sense of discovery that comes with a new way of life. Remember what it was like in the early years, when almost everything was fresh and new and every day brought new challenges? Remember the intensity of a new love?

I'm not saying that you will necessarily fall in love all over again or view the world through magic glasses, but you might. We'd like to help you find out if Panama is the right place for you, so come on down for a couple of weeks and see for yourself. At worst, you'll enjoy a different vacation and get away from the cold.

Service and Assistance for People Who Want to Live in Panama