Thank you for your positive coverage of the Amcham Tourism Forum. I am glad you found it informative.

I enjoy The Panama News immensely...the only place I can get the news straight and not in Spanish to boot.

Have you checked out www.panamainfo.com recently? May 17th we launched a whole new site --- a new design and new technological underpinnings for our 700-plus page site.

Regards,
Nancy

(Editor's note: I did look at the new panamainfo.com site, and it's very good. Congratulations, Nancy.)

Buenos dias,

I am writing to you to thank you for courage to defend the Panamanian democracy. You have reported many things good (the needs of the people) and bad (corruption, legal injustices such as unfair trial by jury of government employees only).

I lived in your beautiful country for five years, and married a wonderful Panamanian woman. That was over six years ago, but I still try to stay abreast of current events about your country, because I feel a very personal connection with the Panamanian people. I can say that I count quite a few as friends and family. I also have a six-year-old son who was born in Panama while we lived there, and I want him to understand about his other country because he is a Panamanian/American.

I thank you again and continue to mention your paper in my prayers.

Name withheld

I don't understand why highly educated people like Aleman Zubieta and Manfredo can not understand that the reason that the US gave up the canal is that it has reached the end of its life cycle. There is nothing left to be gained from it. The only thing that Panama will get out of it is that it will have to maintain the canal and be lucky if it can do it without losing any money. The third set of locks won't help it, the maintenance is high and in short,

Panama got screwed. They have to pay the high maintanance costs and the changing world commerce is likely to bypasss anything that Panama may want to do to improve its prospects in maintaining that waterway. Eventually, they will just have to shut it down. The only thing that will be of value to that waterway is only a very specialized segment of the commercial world.

The costs are cheaper by rail.

Carl Johnson

Your parking situtation as you put in your paper looked just like what happened in New York City some years back. Diplomats from other countries were parking on the sidewalks and illegal areas to park their cars. NY finally put their foot down and starting issuing tickets that the diplomats had to pay after years of getting away with their dipomatic immunity.

Bush really scares me. No way should the US even think about going to war but he will. I think of all of the innocent people that will be killed because Bush has an agenda to complete what his father did not, like the senator from Northern California stated

If we go to war and start bombing areas and there are bombs with germ warefare, the people in Iraq will be killed or most will suffer because of what the bombs can do. It is really scary.

Another note. My oldest brother who left Panama when he was about 11 years old and I want to visit next year. (I came back to the states when I was one.) Do you have a suggestion on what to see? I want to see the rainforest and my brother wants to show me where we lived and where I was born. I also saw some footage on the outer islands where Florida State University is doing research on reintroducing monkeys that have lived with humans back into their natural habitat. Is Panama Jones the only person that can show us the rain forest and the islands.

Thank You.

Kathy

(Edtitor's note: By reputation, Panama Jones runs a good tour guide service, but by no means the only good one. The best things to do and see will depend on when you visit and on your and your brother's personal tastes, but I will note that so many tourists only see the capital and the canal area, missing the Interior's and the Atlantic side's many attractions. If you haven't seen the Chiriqui highlands, you should. For a one-day introduction to the tropical forest, the Smithsonian's Barro Colorado Island tours are very good, but they limit the number of people on the island so you need to make reservations well in advance. Those parts of the Darien and Kuna Yala adjacent to the Colombian border are next door to a war zone, so I'd warn you about them, but it shouldn't keep you from fishing at Piñas Bay or visiting Kuna, Embera or Wounaan communities that are well removed from the fighting.)

The Pan American Organization Pro-Underprivileged, Inc (based in NY) and The Panamanian Association of Boston (based in MA) will be hosting, an excursion to Panama in commemoration of its 100th Anniversary. Come join us to witness this historical milestone.

Also, we put together an activity package which includes five (5) days of events: Welcome Party, Colon Centennial Dance (which includes round trip transportation to Colon), one-night two-day hotel accommodation at the Decameron Resort in the heart of the province of Cocle (all inclusive) and a Panama Centennial Dance. Along with your package, you will receive a free journal and souvenir.

As we prepare to mail out our registration package (which includes airline, hotel and package cost), we ask that you forward your name and address to reserve your seat/package. Periodically, we will send you e-mail reminders and updates.

Sincerely yours
P.O.P.U.P. and P.A.B.
popu-p@yahoo.com

Canadian curator Susanne Iles invites submissions to 2003 International Juried Online Symbolist Art Show, The Mythic Quest. Painting, drawing, printmaking, digital art, sculpture and photography are acceptable media. The distinguished jury for the event includes: Thomas Moore, best-selling American author of Care of the Soul, Julia Kerr, the founder of the online virtual gallery ArtMagick, and Joel Geolamen, Filipino artist and 2002 finalist. The deadline for entries is March 1, 2003, and the event is open to both artists and art students. Complete details are available online at http://www.dracoblu.com/symbolistshow.html

Thomas Moore is a best-selling American author, whose books include: Care of the Soul, Meditations, Soul Mates, The Re-Enchantment of Everyday Life, The Education of the Heart, The Book of Job, The Soul of Sex, Original Self, and his latest The Soul’s Religion. He was a monk in a Catholic religious order for 12 years, and holds degrees in theology, musicology and philosophy. Moore is a leading lecturer in archetypal psychology, mythology, and the imagination. For additional information, please visit http://www.careofthesoul.net

Julia Kerr, originally from Wales, is the founder of the online virtual gallery ArtMagick, which is dedicated to showcasing the work of both well-known and obscure artists and poets of the Victorian period. She has studied in the UK and the former Soviet Union, and is a keen student of 19th and early 20th century art, in particular the Pre-Raphaelite and Symbolist movements. For additional information, please visit http://www.artmagick.com

Joel Geolamen is an artist from Davao City, Philippines, and finalist in the 2002 show, The Dreamer and the Dreamed. Geolamen’s winning entry, Metamorphosis XXVI, demonstrates his pioneering technique of etching on photographs. He is a graduate of the Ford Academy of the Arts in Davao City.

Susanne Iles, comments, "I am very pleased with the calibre of volunteers we have attracted to the panel. Each brings a unique perspective to the show’s theme, ‘The Mythic Quest’, which seeks to symbolically explore our journey through life."

According to the Oxford Dictionary, symbolist art seeks special symbols to express the essence of things by suggestion. It engages the viewer by appealing to the heart, personality and unconscious mind, as well as the intellect. The purpose of this one-of-a-kind event is threefold:

• To promote symbolist art and its importance of leading the viewer’s imagination into the unseen world of thoughts, hopes, and fears. Symbols in art are a catalyst to personal revelation.

• To provide artists from all backgrounds a convenient and meaningful online presence. Finalists and winners will be showcased one year through to May 1, 2004, the date of the next show.

• To help art students gain exposure and bring together a diverse array of inspirational perspectives from around the world.

The International Juried Online Symbolist Art Show is an annual competition, which includes fantastic, visionary and surreal genres. Curated by Canadian artist and writer, Susanne Iles, the current show, The Dreamer and the Dreamed, is online through to May 1, 2003.

For further inquires, please contact me:

Susanne Iles, Curator
symbolistshow@dracoblu.com
http://www.dracoblu.com/symbolistshow.html

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