On one of the many forums that I read, there was a flyer announcing an Expat Mixer meet and greet, and it was being held in a nearby hotel. Ray and I thought it might be a good chance to mingle with other expats during our stay in the city this week. It was being held at the new Sortis Hotel Spa and Casino www.sortishotel.com
At around six thirty, we paid the five dollars to take a cab over to the hotel. We signed our names, gave our email address, spoke with one man (I will not even bother with names here!), and then we made our way to the bar for 2 for 1 piña coladas, mojitos, wine, or beer. While sitting at the bar, a woman made her way over with her friend and told me she knew me from somewhere. I started to say "maybe you were at a party I was at in Coronado a year ago?", but instead I told her I had just moved to Panama, so I doubt she knew me. At the same time, she hit me in the arm and said she knew me from my blog. She was looking at different blogs, reading Chris Power's blog, Panama For Real, and then she saw my link. She commented that my daughter and I looked so alike, and she introduced us to her friend. We told them where we were moving, what we had done in the day we had been in Panama, and then her friend asked if we knew Clyde and Terry. She had met them at the International Living Conference this past April where Terry was a speaker. So then we chatted about our friends (perhaps their ears were burning last night!). We learned a bit about this woman, exchanged numbers and when she returns to the city in September, maybe she will take a trip to Chame to visit us. Moving along once we finally got our mojito and white wine, Ray and I sat on a big comfy couch and met a married couple (she is Panamanian). Along with this couple, a single man came over and started telling us how this couple in Chame really helped him out when he was trying to settle in Panama (even though he has been here five years, when he stumbled on this blog of this couple he was saying, he learned so much more). We asked if this couple was Clyde and Terry Coles haha So we talked a bit more about them. Meanwhile, we had bought raffle tickets. A 50/50 win. We met the President of the club, and we told him a little bit about ourselves, and he shared that his son moved from Arlington, VA to Falls Church, VA. His son is in the Army. Everyone we told that we had been in Panama for one day, and what we had accomplished were flabbergasted. They commented on our age, our packing it all up, what we had done that day, and they were all very supportive and so friendly. While chatting on the comfy couch, a woman came to me and told me I had been chosen to pick out the winning raffle tickets. (Okay, I wasn't the "hottest woman of the club" this time like at Bobby Mckeys--long story--but this was a big deal. A lot of smiling faces really wanted me to pick their ticket. Pressure was on the newbie!) The winning prize was $118. I was brought up to the mike, the President announced to all that I had been there for one day with Ray (lots of exclamations), and the winner is....the husband of the couple we had been chatting with for the last thirty minutes! I was so happy to have met the winner. And then I selected the second prize winner. And it was time for the tour of the hotel. We chose to leave along our new friends. We exchanged numbers, but most importantly, we were given great advice and also restaurant ideas for this week being in the city. We wandered through the casino, but this one was way too costly :) It was penny slots and nothing more, but the machines were ninety-nine or one hundred lines. Meaning, every time I would pull the bar, I would paying a dollar a turn. Too expensive for this woman on a fixed income's blood!
While waiting for a cab at the entrance of the hotel, our first two new friends (the women that chatted with us at the bar) were just leaving, also. So doing what we are not supposed to do when in a new city amongst new people, we accepted their offer to drive us back to our hotel. Just kidding though. I did not think of them as strangers, I was just letting my mind wander (Caption "2 new expats picked up at meet and greet never to be seen again"). The night ended with Ray and I wandering over to the movie theater at the mall next to our hotel and buying one large bucket of caramel popcorn and a large Fresca for $6. Movie theater food that would have cost us double in the States. AND we forgot to give them our jubilado discount card which would have saved us 15%. Oh well, next time!
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| This is why I went to the gym this morning. |
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