After we finished the roof deal we had to go looking for Fernando at his house. We settled on a 6′x 8′ block room sitting directly over a concrete two-stage septic tank feeding a small leech line. The room would include an enclosed shower as well as a sink and toilet. He would install the [...]
Archive for September, 2008
36. Upwardly-mobile Civil Servant
Posted in Panama, consumerism, culture, government, tagged Add new tag, civil service, Panama, rural economics, shopping addiction, village life on September 30, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
35. Contracting woes
Posted in Panama, culture, government, real estate, travel, tagged building repairs, Panama, rural craftsmen, scam artists on September 27, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
The gov’t had picked someone to do the job and he sent a labor estimate of $900 “minimum” (that means: 2/3 of the way through the job he would stop work and demand more or walk) plus a request for $400 more for cement, blocks, reinforcement rod and hardware (for a roof?). So Wilma got [...]
