Just coming to grips with...

[HPF Bob]

...realizing that now I am stuck with the J.J. Watt-less Texans and the Beijing Rockets for the rest of the winter. Gonna be a long offseason.

[chuck]

Do not despair. Local baseball is about to kick into gear, a junior league and an adult league. The teams from Chiriqui are usually pretty good. Games will be on TV regularly, and you can always boogie on down to Estadio Kenny Serracin to take in a game in person. It's fun, but I recommend a pair of earplugs. (Not kidding.)

[HPF Bob]

To those outside Panama, if you see a MLB cap on a Panamanian's head there's about an 80% chance it will be a New York Yankees cap. Most of that is due to native son Mariano Rivera and the near deity reverence he receives from the people here.

So, I was surprised when I stepped into a taxi with my groceries during the ALCS and the driver asked where I was from. I said Texas. He asked what were the baseball teams there. I said the Astros and the Rangers. Then he said "No me gusto Los Yankees". I reacted with shock. "You're the only one in Panama", I joked in my broken Spanish. "What about Rivera?"

He said he didn't like Rivera either. "He doesn't do enough for Panama" was his response. I honestly could not respond intelligently to that because I don't know how much/little he does for Panama. When I reached my apartment, we traded "Viva Los Astros!" and he drove off.

Chuck, have you ever had mondongo? My landlords saw the roof of their new house completed and it is part of the custom to have a party with mondongo stew (like beef stew but the beef is tripe). I also had my first Panamanian beer (like a weak Miller Lite). My education continues.

[chuck]

Lots of people complain that Mariano doesn't do enough for Panama. He never played for Panama in any of the WBC tournaments. And he spends most of his time in the US. He's from a coastal area close to where I am, so people around here and people from the city are more likely to be drawn to him, while people from Cocle are more likely to be drawn to Carlos Lee, and people out where you are are sure to be fans of Carlos Ruiz. I bet if you pay close attention you'll see plenty of Phillies hats around.

I am not a tripe lover, but I do have more than a passing familiarity with Panamanian beer.

Another thing you'll probably run into one day is something that is pronounced 'sow,' but, I eventually found out, is spelled 'sauce' or 'saus.' It's basically pork trotters, pickled. Also not my favorite thing. Although it is often served with a cucumber salad that is infused with the vinegary porky juice of the 'sauce,' and as unappealing as that may sound, the cucumber salad is bizarrely delicious. I personally just don't enjoy gnawing on the fat between a pig's hoof. But that's just me.

[HPF Bob]

As you probably know, "sauce" in Spanish is "salsa". I have a bottle of Teriyaki sauce and the bottle says "salsa de teriyaki" But I also have a bottle of "salsa de tomate". Americans know it as "ketchup".