In case you ever need to pick up your daughter’s uniform for her baton twirling, I’ve taken the time to write out the instructions for you. You can thank me later.
Step 1: Receive a note from the school with the name and phone number of the woman who sewed the uniforms. The note says she lives in a neighborhood in Las Tablas and “behind the school”. OK, this should be fun.
Step 2: Ask the dentist in Las Tablas where it is. She draws you a nice little map to get to the neighborhood from the church.
Step 3: Once you get to the neighborhood, drive around until you find the school.
Step 4: Look behind the school. Because of how the streets are (not) laid out, there could be at least 6 “behind” streets. And it’s very unclear where is the front of the school.
Steps 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12: Ask people you see on the street (or on their porch) if they know this person and where is “behind the school”. This is kind of like the hot/cold game only no one is telling you if you are hotter or colder. Therefore it’s not a fun game. At all.
At this point Daniel and I determined that the reason why Panamanians sit on their porches is so they can give directions to other people’s houses. Who needs addresses when you have people on the porch?
Step 13: When the woman says “Oh it’s just down the street with the red car in the driveway and I know she’s home because her mom is sick today” you know you are getting close. Hot! Hot! You’re very hot!
We find said house and off I go to claim the uniform. Funny thing is that the lady was on the phone when we pulled up. She was giving directions to someone else also trying to find her house. She kept saying “Behind the school. The house behind the school”. However when we are in her driveway we don’t even see the school. Whaaat?
I also picked up Ashley’s uniform to save her mother, Candace, the trouble. Baton moms do that for each other. Unfortunately Ashley’s shirt was too small so the next day Candace had to go back to have it altered. Daniel created a google map (in 3 parts) to show Candace where the lady lives. It’s easy, Candace. She lives behind the school.
Since I’m the Spanish speaker and not driving, I was the one who did all the asking for directions. Daniel amused himself by taking photos. These are not all the people I asked but you get the gist. Good times.
