Beach Bumming

This was the view from our little beach hut equipped with hammocks and a beach chair. The little slice of heaven we called our own for a day was on Santa Clara beach on the Pacific coast of Panama, an hour or so West of the canal. This was a relief from days of eating gefilte fish and matzos in between naps at my parent's place in Panama City.

The next day my brother had an interview in Colon, which is a free trade zone in the Northern side of Panama on the Caribbean coast. So we found an even better spot - Langosta beach - to rest our weary tummies. This little bay even had a small reef to explore with our snorkeling gear. And we even met a guy from Canarsie, Brooklyn!

Panamaniacs

We're in Panama City, Panama with my parents for Passover. It is quite humid here, and it has been pretty cloudy since we got here on Saturday, though yesterday it didn't rain. Weather forecast for the rest of the week looks the same - cloudy with chance of scattered showers. Oh well, so far we've been pretty much hanging out: sleeping, eating, TV, chatting, pool, etc. I've decided to get back in shape starting this week, so I'm doing laps in the pool and some stretching/yoga.

Last month we were in Las Vegas for a wedding. We stayed at the Wynn Hotel, which for all its hype was just OK - not worth the money. The wedding - Connie's junior high school friend Kathy & her long-time beau Ming - was cute. We got to help last-minute as the impromptu keepers of the cash (part of a more general welcoming committee role). The only safe place I could think of was my rental car's baggage compartment (the boot).

The day before the wedding we drove out to the Grand Canyon, since I had never been there before and I really wanted to see it. It was roughly 5 hours each way, so a lot of driving (and NOT on historic Route 66, but the super-fast Arizona highway - screw you, Disney!). The canyon was great. We hiked a bit on the rim in different locations and took pictures at a few great spots. I look forward to returning there for a proper visit including getting down to the canyon floor itself.

We also got a chance to do a brief Hoover Dam tour. It was pretty cool and they let you take photos and video of the entire thing. Security is somewhat tight on the road getting there, but it seemed fairly lenient, given we were right on top of the generators on the Nevada side. The thing is massive and it was built really fast, considering the location. Why can't America execute such projects anymore? Or are they going all around us, but not as interesting? Well, right about now would be a good time for something like that, given we are clearly in a significant downturn. I mean the whole Iraq occupation is massive and interesting, don't get me wrong, but if we could only use the money and manpower for some impressive domestic works. Like China and its ongoing Three-Gorges dam project, or Iran and its Uranium-enrichment facility at Natanz. These countries know how to spend their money properly...

I'm Still Here, Just A Bit Fazed

Sorry for the pause in posting. I hope to make up for it in the next few weeks.
My excuses are numerous - studying for a Chinese phone test for the Foreign Service application, wedding in Las Vegas, volunteering for four days at FIRST's annual New York Regional Robotics Competition, and writing papers for the three Global Affairs courses I am taking. But the overriding reason for my silence has been my concern for my father's health, which took a turn for the worst at the end of March. I found it hard to blog due to my concern over his condition, out of respect for the man, and from a bit of guilt as well...
I am looking forward to seeing him along with my mom, younger brother, and cousin. He is in a relatively stable condition, recovering from his ailments. Luckily, I do not have to wait for long as I am going on a short 1-week visit to Panama with my wife over the Passover holiday next week. I have to finish all of my papers before we leave so I will likely not post too much this week, but keep tuned in as I catch up on all the happenings of the past few weeks soon, including one big news item...