Its a slow day so I thought I would relate a true story .
I have a American neighbor about 1/4 mile away on the same Panama Island as me . This is his second time he has lived in Panama . He hates Panama but keeps a place here to please his wife who loves Panama .
Now old Ed is always figuring some Panamaian is out to screw him . He hires local help and pays them cash to side step having to pay SSI, med , etc.
Yes Panama does have those added into workers wages . The standard rate is about $1.50 a hour now . If they are "day laborers" you do not have to pay the benifits .
Ed was building a Sea wall at his place and you could hear him from my place yelling at the local help to hurry up and move faster every day . At $1.50 a hour ???????. Give me a break ......These guys are not fast but they get the job done . Nobody is getting rich .
Anyway , one day Ed shows up at my place very early in the morning and needs electrical advice on a wiring problem . AS usual he is complaining about the no good locals . As I am drawing up the wiring diagram for him ,two little local Indian girls about 5 years old bring me my Fresh hot bread delivery . They walk a mile from town to bring it to me hot and fresh and they always leave with a tip . Anyway I tell Ed that is my bread delivery and to hold on while I go pay the girls .
He cannot believe it and states that he sees these little girls walk right by his house every couple days and not once have they stopped to offer him Bread . He is quite put out about it . He is actually getting mad
.
I finally had all I could handle , smile at Ed and say . "They don't stop Ed ,because you are a asshole ".
The look he gave me was priceless but I actually think he learned something that day .
You can't treat people like shit and expect any favors . Everytime I have friends come to Bocas I tell them the same thing . Leave the "American attitude at the door cause your not in America any more" . It could be said for any country we visit but you would be amazed how many times I hear Americans say " In America we do it this way " . Usually all that does is insult the poor local workers intelligence . Its better to show them than to belittle them for the only way they know how to do something . As they say "Actions speak louder than words " .
I have a American neighbor about 1/4 mile away on the same Panama Island as me . This is his second time he has lived in Panama . He hates Panama but keeps a place here to please his wife who loves Panama .
Now old Ed is always figuring some Panamaian is out to screw him . He hires local help and pays them cash to side step having to pay SSI, med , etc.
Yes Panama does have those added into workers wages . The standard rate is about $1.50 a hour now . If they are "day laborers" you do not have to pay the benifits .
Ed was building a Sea wall at his place and you could hear him from my place yelling at the local help to hurry up and move faster every day . At $1.50 a hour ???????. Give me a break ......These guys are not fast but they get the job done . Nobody is getting rich .
Anyway , one day Ed shows up at my place very early in the morning and needs electrical advice on a wiring problem . AS usual he is complaining about the no good locals . As I am drawing up the wiring diagram for him ,two little local Indian girls about 5 years old bring me my Fresh hot bread delivery . They walk a mile from town to bring it to me hot and fresh and they always leave with a tip . Anyway I tell Ed that is my bread delivery and to hold on while I go pay the girls .
He cannot believe it and states that he sees these little girls walk right by his house every couple days and not once have they stopped to offer him Bread . He is quite put out about it . He is actually getting mad
. I finally had all I could handle , smile at Ed and say . "They don't stop Ed ,because you are a asshole ".
The look he gave me was priceless but I actually think he learned something that day .
You can't treat people like shit and expect any favors . Everytime I have friends come to Bocas I tell them the same thing . Leave the "American attitude at the door cause your not in America any more" . It could be said for any country we visit but you would be amazed how many times I hear Americans say " In America we do it this way " . Usually all that does is insult the poor local workers intelligence . Its better to show them than to belittle them for the only way they know how to do something . As they say "Actions speak louder than words " .
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