Being an expat in Panama often requires patience and understanding.

1. Panama – Frustration Gets You Nowhere
Panama Has its Customs – You Can’t Change That
Panama is where you have decided to relocate. Good for you. To be honest, a large percentage of people can’t
successfully adapt to life in a new country, even though they try and mean well. But, especially if this is the first time
you’re expating, we would like share some advice.
When it comes to Panama, listen closely. Panamanians do things their way. You cannot change or beat that,
period – nor can you hide. The culture doesn’t care if you like this or not. Screaming, threatening, complaining will
get you absolutely nowhere fast, even if you speak Spanish. The only way to truly adapt to Panama – and enjoy
what it offers – is to take several deep breaths and learn to go with the Panama flow.
We could write a book about specific cultural irritants that may make you crazy, but for the purpose of this post, here
are some of the majors.
Manana. Being late or not showing up without notice is perfectly acceptable. You can do this to Panamanians too
without repercussions.
Truth. Telling a small ‘fib’ is not considered outright lying. If you don’t train yourself to ask the right questions, any
bad info is your fault.
“Borrowing”. In some ways the locals are like children. In this case, they see something that is nice, decide that
they want it and take it. This can be anything from a pen to a potted plant. Getting angry and accusing is suicide.
Ask around nicely about the missing items or buy a new plant. If it is any comfort, Panamanians will borrow from
their own family and friends, so you are actually part of the inner circle.
Persistence. The typical Panamanian can peacefully outwait you forever. If someone comes to your door and says
“buenas”, it’s best to respond and get it over with.

2. Visitors. If someone shows up unexpectedly, or you invite someone to your home, you will be expected to feed
them. Period.
Telephones. You will receive calls where the caller says ‘quien habla’ or ‘who is this’? When you ask who they are,
they won’t say. You have a missed call on your phone, so you call to find out who it was. Often you will get the
‘Hallo’ syndrome. Whoever is on the other end of the line will continue to say Hallo, Hallo, Hallo… If you ask
anything, you will get another Hallo.
Driving. Road courtesy, no turn signals, getting cut off, accidents with uninsured drivers or driving way too fast on
suburban roads? Expect all of these and more. You should also familiarize yourself with the ‘beep’ code. One
beep, I’m close. Two beeps, I’m coming through. Three beeps, watch out. During traffic jams, drivers will blast their
horns forever even though it is obvious no one is going anywhere soon.
Business. Don’t trust anyone – from your lawyer to your contractor to your janitor. If there is a dispute, you will lose.
Best to get good advice and references from other Expats who have gone through what you expect to encounter.
So put your machete and acid tongue away. Kick back and live life the Panamanian way. If you don’t want to – go
somewhere else.
This post was written by
Dennis Smith – who has written 147 posts on .
Dennis Smith earns his living as a copywriter, online content creator & manager, writing business plans for small
businesses and editing whatever is necessary. Dennis is also a certified Inbound Marketer. He lives in Panama
where he acts as a consultant for foreign businesses that want to enter the country. You can follow Dennis on his
G+ profile