A component of immersion Spanish was having a host family.  Ours was the Morales Campbell family, Papa, Momma and two kids.  Their names were so hard for us to pronounce, we simply called them momma and papa.  They were great, ever helpful about where to go and with homework when we could not understand the instructions.

The family provided a bed, board and a bike to ride to school.  We had our own room and shared a bath with another student from Switzerland.  We contracted to have two meals a day, and it was standard Panama fare: lots of beans and rice, Johnny cakes with coconut milk, plantains, fried green bananas, and ox tails.  We just could not get ourselves to eat oxtails, although the family pops them into their mouth, mmmmmmmm.   Karen has lost 6 pounds so far.

Momma and papa celebrate their 20th anniversary in a couple months and the oldest daughter goes to university in February.  So, as a thank you gift, we volunteered to take a family photo.  It worked out great, so great in fact, they called their sisters and family over to see the results, and we photographed 5 additional families before we left.  There are no photographers on the island, we could be rich, what a niche.

We learned to have a furnished house with utilities is about $400/month.  A beach house is $500, so we are dreaming about going back to school and living there for 6 months, to really get this Spanish thing down.  That is until we get to Costa Rica and then we love it here too.  We have met several expats who all exclaim it is so easy to get citizenship.  One fella, from Alaska, (and school) bought a beach house for $130,000 and plans to spend 6 months a year there.  He also is a retired fed, who worked for BLM at the same office building with people I know.  Small world.

Nov 3 was Panama Independence day. Our papa, a volunteer fireman, is also the town tuba player and he stands out in a crowd.  Of course, we had to go to the parade and cheer everyone on, the little girls in local costumes are always so cute.