Unlike other countries where you celebrate "Independence Day", in Panama we have the entire month of November to honor our homeland and we call it "El Mes de la Patria".

Yes, you have it right. If you know anything about us Panamanians, is that we take our holidays and festivities very seriously. In fact some people say that partying is the only thing Panamanians really take seriously. We party hard. No excuses needed. I guess we just love to celebrate life.

And if you know anything about Habla Ya, you'll know that we're very proud Panamanians. You'll hardly find anyone more enthusiastic about our traditions, values and what makes us truly unique. We're in love with our country, with its raw natural beauty, and we're crazy about all the extraordinary people that call this land home.

Now, if you're familiar with the history of Panama, you'll also know that one of the defining elements of our nation, if not the most defining one, is our very particular geopolitical position, practically in the center of the entire world.

Amongst other things, this has created an extraordinary mix of races, cultures and religions from all over the world. We're as cosmopolitan as you can be. And being Panama a country of transit, first in pre-colonial times with immigration movements from North to South America (and vice-versa), then the Spaniards moving all sorts of goods from the Pacific Coast of South America back to Europe - and let's not forget the slave traffic during these centuries -, afterwards with the construction of the first transcontinental railroad in the mid 1800s which was the main route for adventurers to reach California during the gold rush, and finally in the 20th and 21st century with the Panama Canal, you'd struggle to find a country more cosmopolitan than Panama.

Why do I bring all of this up?

This complex diversity is what makes Panama the extraordinary country that it is today. In this diversity and mixture of cultures from all over the world is where lies our greatest potential.

Without any hesitation I can say that here at Habla Ya we've immensely benefited from being in contact with people from all over the world. You've helped us want to become a more eco-friendly business. You've helped us realize what's really valuable and attractive to our visitors as you come here to experience our stunning natural beauty encouraging us to protect it no matter what. You've inspired us with practical examples about how getting involved in local politics can change a country's energies policies. You've made us dream of what is possible.

And this is without mentioning all the nonprofits sprouting all over the place led and with the help of expats doing an unimaginable amount of good and tourists joining these organizations to give back during their vacation in Panama. From animal spay clinics, fundraisers, sea turtle conservation and feeding those without a meal, to starting recycling programs and leading initiatives to tackle our waste disposal issues, many expats and tourists work by our side to make Panama a better place for everyone.

This is how it's always been but now we have the chance to really make this count for each and every Panamanian.

Do you really care about your new Panamanian neighbors? Do you really know them? Do you really want to help them?

With so many educated citizens from all over the world, useful experiences, and different ways to see life, we now have all the ingredients to take Panama to the next level... for everyone, including each and every Panamanian.

But to get there, we need to all be able to communicate. I speak from my own experience in the rural communities where I've lived during the last 10 years: Boquete and Bocas del Toro. There is a strong desire for many expats to affect positive change and we're totally aware that there are many areas with plenty of room for improvement within our country. But if you really want to make an impact, you need to speak Spanish. More people will listen and you'll get more respect.

If you want to truly help make Panama an even more amazing country, you need to not only learn to speak our language, but you really need to get to know us. This country is a community. If you want to take care of Panama's nature, fight inequality, corruption, improve waste disposal, grow more of our own food, consume less, or whatever is it where you can help, then you need to learn Spanish and you need to get out there and start making more Panamanian friends if you want your effort truly count.

We'd like to thank each and everyone of you, regardless of where you're from, for helping us make Panama the amazing country it is today.

As you can see at least we're passionate. We might fail to make total sense or show the connection between all the parts in this blog post, but the bottom line is that we want to invite you to learn Spanish and get to know us, the Panamanian people....

We're always looking to offer the new residents of Panama the very best price we can, and during the month of November, "El Mes de la Patria", we have Spanish teachers available at our Spanish schools in Boquete and Panama City, so we're offering an AUTOMATIC 25% DISCOUNT OFF Spanish Lessons to anyone who lives here in Panama and wants to learn Spanish, and help us make Panama an even more amazing country.

At Habla Ya you'll not only learn Spanish: you'll get to know Panama and fall in deeply in love with it just as we have.

¡FELIZ MES DE LA PATRIA!

FIND MORE ABOUT LEARNING SPANISH IN PANAMA... »

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