Final Week, 2008

This past week has been packed with interesting site visits and many great times. Some of our visits have been to the Smithsonian Institute Observatory, Grupo Mundial, The Autoridad del Canal de Panama, Albrook Mall, Dell Panama, and the Colon Free Trade Zone.

Studying abroad in Panama has been an invaluable experience. All the knowledge we've gained in class and the excursions and site visits have provided us with the chance of a lifetime.

This is a picture of two BBC students and our academic advisor at the Smithsonian Observatory.

HSBC Presentation in CDS

Today we returned to CDS to hear from a former VP of HSBC. He talked to us about the banking industry, his experiences as a biologist, and the importance of emotion in business and life in general. He provided valuable insights and a different perspective on peoples' motivations. It's hard to believe we've passed the half-way mark of our study abroad, but we are making great progress in our learning of Spanish language and the globalization of world markets.

El Valle, El Tecno Parque

Buenas! This weekend was awesome! We spent Saturday and Sunday in El Valle, a volcanic crater (3 by 5 km). Saturday, we flew through the canopy of the rain-forest on zip-lines, which was nothing short of amazing. We also stopped by a hot spring where we played in mud and bathed in the pool; later we rode on horseback through the mountains. Once back at our hotel in El Valle, we relaxed and talked outside on the top floor in hammocks. Yesterday morning, some of us left early for a several hour hike to an altitude of 1,300 meters atop "The Sleeping Indian" (a mountain that resembles an Indian woman laying on her back). We traveled with our local guide and Dora the Explorer - his perrito - up and down the mountains, stopping only for pictures and a brief swim in a waterfall. Later, some visited the marketplace and later the zoo which houses some of the last surviving yellow tree frogs in Panama (among other animals including sloths and penguins).

Today, we resumed classes and returned to The City of Knowledge (CDS), where we learned about a specific component of the City - El Tecno Parque. Home to a business incubator and accelerator, Isabel Donato explained to us that the Tecno Parque currently assists fourteen innovative companies with forming connections with other CDS-affiliated organizations through a supportive relationship from CDS. Formerly US Ft. Clayton, CDS serves Panama by offering housing, infrastructure, tax breaks, and venture capital for young companies.

Hola! This afternoon, we returned to La Ciudad del Saber to visit the business of yet another successful Panamanian USF alumnus – Guillermo “Billy” Inchauste, VP of Telecarrier (a Panamanian telecommunications provider) and former USF College of Business MIS-major. Billy explained to us how La Ciudad del Saber provides both invaluable contact with other City of Knowledge organizations and businesses and significant tax breaks for their work in the innovative tech field of telecommunications. Telecarrier functions as a data center serving clients from a secure, specifically-designed building (the only of its kind in Panama) that was approved prior to even the opening of the City of Knowledge. It was fascinating to learn how the post-9/11 awareness of the need for stronger systems security created the demand for data centers such as Telecarrier. This business is yet another example of how USF COB graduates are taking part in the exponentially rapid globalization process, specifically through technology.

Well, as classes continue, we visit more local Panama businesses in an effort to gain a broader perspective of the impact of globalization on Panama businesses in various sectors.

Monday, we had a chance to visit USF Health's Office in La Ciudad de Saber, where Dr. Calvo (a USF alumnus) presented to us about their operations. "The City of Knowledge" is a government-subsidized Panamanian institution that acts as a continuing education facility, research park, and small-business incubator for organizations that undergo a rigorous selection process.

Tuesday, we visited Firm Solutions Panama, Inc. (FSP -- see picture), a Tampa-based corporation that serves American law and financial services firms in the real-estate industry by offering to increase their typically narrow profit margins by outsourcing the back-office operations, converting unpredictable HR expenses into a single fixed cost. We learned a great deal about how outsourcing plays a crucial role in the recent and ongoing globalization process through an understanding of how FSP accommodates the needs of companies located within the US.

Thursday, Sra. Maria Kosmos - also a USF alum! - visited our own "Doing Business in Panama" class to speak to us about her own residential cleaning materials (chlorine) production and wholesale business that she operates with her husband in Panama. Then, we visited Dr. Tinta, a printer ink and toner refilling business that is operated by a few young Venezuelan entrepreneurs with a modest staff. Very recently, the business has adopted a network marketing strategy and continues its pursuit of a greener environment through recycling.

Overall, these site visits have been very informative, and I know I now have a much deeper understanding of how and why businesspeople choose to do business in this unique country.

Las plantas son hermosas

Hola! Si. Si. My spanish is getting a little better because I think my ears are getting used to the language. Well, if you are a plant person, like me, there is no doubt you'll fall in love with Panama. It has a huge variety of plants and animals!

My favorite tree is the mango tree because every time I see one, it always seems to have fruits on it. I want to go grab one from the tree itself but I probably need to have permission first. The coconut trees are also very abundant. I think I heard someone say that some trees that we passed grew cashews. There are banana trees full of bananas which is so tempting because I want to pick and eat them. I've never seen some of the plants in Panama before. Guava, papaya, and pineapple also grow very well. The rainforest was my favorite place so far because of the wildlife and peacefulness! Today, we met small business owners and learned about how they functioned and became successful.

Teng Vang

BBN Student

Recap of Sunday, June 8th!

To begin our excursion last Sunday, we took a bus ride out to the area of the Emberra tribe. It was about a 30 minute ride but when we finally got there, we jumped into dugout canoes to ride to the closest spot to a waterfall!! Our tour guide, Octavio, said it was supposedly a short hike to the waterfall, but apparently our definition of "short" was entirely different! We had to trek through some dangerous conditions to get there, and most of us had to take our sandals off! We went through mud, water, over rocks, and up and down steep hills. Some of us ended up falling on our rear ends, but most of us made it through the hike, there and back, okay!! By the time we arrived at the waterfall, it was well worth it!! Some of us jumped into the chilly water and got a massage while sitting on the rocks under the waterfall! After swimming, we all piled back into the canoes to visit the village of the Emberra tribe! It was amazing!!!! First, they made us lunch which consisted of fresh pineapple, bananas, fried plantains, and fire-grilled tilapia!! They served it to us in a banana leaf folded into a funnel. Then we got a presentation on some of the native materials they used for building and crafts. They also explained to us how they made their houses out of several different types of palm fronds. Then they painted tattoos on most of us and we got to shop around in the market! They sold all their hand-made crafts for really cheap and there were some of the most beautiful items to buy! After this, they showed us some native tribal dances and invited us to dance with them! It was SO much fun! We learned some sayings in their native language as well. One of them was "hola chava," which means "hello brother" and "biaboa," which means "thank you." I'm not exactly sure how they are supposed o be spelled, but that's how they sound! On our way out, we visited with "Bon Bon," their pet monkey and then got a ride back to our bus in the canoes. By the time we finally sat down in the bus, we all were exhausted! We all had a blast!

A recap of our visit to the Panama Canal

I just want to apologize for not blogging earlier, but I was experiencing internet connection issues. So the group took a trip to Panama Canal on June 7th, which was pretty interesting! Did you know the canal was opened on August 15, 1914? It is a German design which still functions today! The width of each passageway is 110 feet, leaving only 2 feet of clearance on either side for the biggest ship to pass! The largest ship allowed to pass through is called a Panamax ship, which can be 106 feet and 1000 feet long. The visitors' center was across from the Miraflores Locks and boats heading from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean start there. It takes about 8 to 10 hours for a ship to make it completely through the Canal due largely to the slow process of the water filling up the locks. The water relies solely on gravity to fill the locks, which is absolutely unfathomable to realize that water can move such a massive Panamax ship! There is construction in progress to build a third canal, which will be straighter than the previous passageways. It will use a water reserve system to recycle 60% of the water to move the ships, and is planned to open up in 2014. We learned so much information about the Canal that I just don't have enough room for it all but now you'll have to visit for yourself! Later, we went to visit the older part of Panama City, called Casco Viejo. Here we saw the several different types of architecture left behind by the contributors in the construction of the Canal. French, Spanish, and Barbadian influences highlight the city, which is quite evident even though many of the buildings need restoration. This area also included the portion of the city in which the United States bombed when Noriega was in office. We also visited the Amador Causeway that was created by using the excess materials from the excavation of the Canal in the early 1900s. The excess materials from the third canal is being used to extend the coastline in order to create room for a park and native vegetation. Stay tuned!

Marissa DeSimone

BBC Student

Indigenous Village on the Rio Chagres

Long time no blog! Or, should I say, "Hola, mis amigos!" Yes, as Teng blogged, today was our first day of classes, including basic Spanish immersion and "Doing Business in Panama," but yesterday we traveled back in time to spend a day with the

descendants of the original settlers

in Panama. We ate their authentic food, danced their authentic dance, even played with their authentic monkey! On the way, we

stopped and swam at a nearby waterfall, which rivals the most beautiful sit

es that I have ever seen. Our excellent tour guide, Octavio, provided valuable insights into the tribe’s culture and practices. Despite a few notoriously hilarious slips in the mud (*the victims know who they are), we still had an amazing adventure into the heart of the rain-forest and are fortunate to have had the opportunity to peer into the window of time and experience a landscape unaltered by modern technologies.

Check out these and other photos by joining the Panama Business Facebook Group! (On Facebook.com, create a profile - if you haven't already - and search for "USF Panama Business")

Our First Class

WOW! Today we had our first class session and it was a little rough... if you didn't know an ounce of Spanish, like me, you'd know what I'm talking about because the Professor spoke strictly Spanish. The downfalls for me were that I have never taken a Spanish class a day in my life and I already know three other languages: English, Hmong, and Sign Language. The Professor's strategy is excellent except that she spoke too fast for me to separate and understand each of the words. Hopefully things will start to unravel and I will just magically start speaking Spanish. We also visited La Ciudad del Saber (the City of Knowledge) where the Health Department of USF has its own building. Doctor Arlene Calvo, a USF alumni and director of the Health Department in Panama, gave us a lot of information about Panama and its advantages. Also, she told us about how La Ciudad del Saber was formed and what the USF Health Department did. I learned a whole bunch of new things... lucky this is only the third day here because I want to absorb as much of Panama as I can before I come back home.

Teng Vang

BBN Student

First Day Tour in Panama City

Hello, again! Today marks our first official day in Ciudad de Panama(Panama City). We started the trip off the right way by touring the city; first, the Canal, then other areas including the second-largest banking district in the Americas - second only to Manhattan, NY - and neighborhoods under reconstruction from past wars. Interestingly enough, we passed the site where the new 007 (James Bond: Quantum of Solace) film was shot; if you Google or search on You-Tube for it you will see the exact location. In other news, the food is very delicious yet surprisingly inexpensive, and it rains 4-5 times per day. Tomorrow we travel to an "Indian" (as in - native Panamanians who live without modern technologies) village. I look forward to telling you all about it.

This photo is of me at the Panama Canal as a ship called a 'Panamax', or the largest of ships able to pass, completes its passage through the set of locks that we visited.

David B.

BBC Student

Hello, everyone! My alarm is set for 3:30... a.m. and we will be flying to Panama City (early) in the morning. I think I speak for all of us who are taking part in this program when I say we can't wait to see what things Panama, being the economic center of Central America, has to offer in terms of educational opportunities, professional business experiences, and, of course, fun! I look forward to relating all the great and exciting activities we do, but, more importantly, I look forward to doing them. Don't worry -- I will stay in touch.

Study Abroad in Panama

We're off to Panama! From June 6-27, eight BBC and four BBN students will venture to Panama City for study abroad.

Doing Business in Panama is an introduction to the successes and challenges of doing business in Panama, a small Central American country, in an era of rapid globalization. This three-credit course features:
Overview of the business environment in Panama and its relation to Tampa Bay
Lectures by USF Dean of International Affairs, Dr. María Crummett, and local experts
Introduction to Spanish language and culture offered by second course, Panamanian Culture(GEB 2035); Site visits to government agencies, multinational enterprises, and local firms including the Panama Canal Authority, Dell, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Excursions to areas of cultural interest to supplement business and government visits
Course topics include:

• Panama’s strategic location between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean
• Trade relations between Panama and the U.S. including the U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA)
• Trade, tourism and economic development
• The role of culture in international business

Join us as we give you the tales of our Panama experience!