Heart Worms
I recently had to give up my 6 month old Chihuahua and when I cautioned
her new owner about heartworms, he was surprised to learn they are a
problem. so I guess a general notice to all dog owners in Panama is in
order. Most dogs in Panama that spend a lot of time outdoors will get
heartworms if they are not treated for them. Bear in mind that the
mosquito season in most of Panama is 12 months long, with some months
worse than others. Heartworms are exactly what they sound like; worms
that live in the heart. They are spread by mosquito bites. Cats can get
heartworms as well, but there is no effective treatment for cats. Both
dogs and cats can be given preventative medications for heart worms,
which is far preferable to waiting until they get infected. The
treatment to kill heart worms sometimes kills the dog as well. There
are many websites which explain this parasite and offer advice, but
it's best to ask a local vet and follow his/her advice.
Mosquito Trap
Last issue I
promised to report on the effectiveness of my home made mosquito trap.
After two weeks of operation, I've caught a few bugs, a cricket, one
spider, maybe 50 sugar ants, and there's some kind of swimming worms
living in the sugar water. I have to say that my mosquito trap is a
resounding failure.
Jobs in Panama
This is a repeat of advice from the April 11, 2005 Newsletter. It still applies.
I get inquiries from folks who want to live in Panama, but need to
work. Frankly, that is a very tough nut to crack. There aren't enough
jobs for Panamanians, getting a work permit is expensive and difficult,
and what jobs there are don't pay what most gringos consider a living
wage. On March 26, 2005 La Prensa newspaper (http://www.prensa.com/)
had an article about wages and according to them, 66.3% of Panamanians
earn less than US$400.00 per month.
Panama has a number of major call centers and demand for fluent English
speakers is high, but starting salaries range from $500.00 to $650.00
per month. There are many language training centers looking for
conversational English teachers, but pay is between $5.00 and $17.00
per class hour. The best chance for getting a job in Panama is if you
have some skill that is much in demand for which there is a shortage of
qualified Panamanians.
As a rule, if a job can be filled by a Panamanian, the chance of a
foreigner getting it is near zero. My advice on this question is, if
you still have to work to put bread on the table, Panama is not a good
choice for emigration.
Gas Prices
In finding the old jobs advice, I noticed my lament at ~$2.50 gasoline
two years ago. With prices now at ~$3.50 per gallon, we'd all welcome a
return to $2.50. I guess those were the 'good old days'.
Tempest in a teapot?
All the buzz on the Panama Yahoo groups these days is about Panama's
recent reduction in tourist visas from 90 to 30 days. Old-timers are
not particularly surprised by the change, but among newcomers and
would-be immigrants, the news has generated quite a reaction. They
express surprise and disbelief. “How could the legislature be so
stupid?” is one reaction. Another is “Doesn't anybody in
IPAT talk to legislators?”, and “Don't they realize what
this will do to discourage people who want to come here and stay a
while before committing to moving here?”. There are two answers
to the first question; “Never underestimate the collective
stupidity of government” and “No one's life, liberty, or
fortune is safe while the legislature is in session”. And no,
different government agencies frequently don't talk to each other. I
also doubt that any Legislators gave any thought whatever to the effect
this will have on tourism, or particularly care unless it impacts them
personally.
We old-timers expect the government to periodically and frequently
shoot themselves, and us, in the foot. We also understand that as soon
as they figure out that what they've done is directly affecting their
fortunes, things will change again.
In Panama, the law is a lot like the weather in Texas. If you don't like it, wait a bit. It will change.
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