Panama's Verbal and nonverbal communication styles?

Show all answers

Earnest T. PhD/THC

Thieves typically stab you in the as$ just below your back pocket and then remove your wallet from below your pocket !!
Why? I have no idea, but that is what they do .

Instead of clapping or high-fiving for a comment that they agree with, they hold their thumb to the tip of their middle finger. . . and shake their hand vigorously enough to create a 'snapping' sound !! Why ? Again I don't know .

Certain peole of Caribbean heritage of Panama, tend to get very loud and near fighting when arguing a point . They get real animated about the topic, call each other names, come close to fighting. . . . and then it's on to another topic .
Strange, but true .

They open packs of cigarettes on the bottom, not the top .
Why ? Because there's many diseases in Panama, and if you were to borrow a cigarette, then they simply pull it out from the bottom, thereby never having their fingers on the 'butt end'.. . the part you put in your mouth !!

As a replacement for saying 'hello' or 'how ya doin', or what's happening', instead they say 'whap-ping mane', a loose translation of 'what's happening man'

I lived there for 2 years .

EDIT* - As a Law Enforcement Officer in Panama, I can tell you that every single word I printed is true and verifiable . Perhaps Monica(see below) lives in a different section of the country . But what I published was very common in Colon and Panama City !!

EDIT #2 - I can see that there's touchy people here . But don't let their hurt feelings, get in the way of the truth . Besides, nothing that I printed was intended to show dismay for the Panamanian people. . . that's ridiculous, because I plan on going back for a visit, and I too have considered moving there someday . It's a very beautiful country, with very beautiful and unique people !! But I wonder how many of these other answerers have ever walked the streets of Colon !! I'm beginning to think that they are either too young to know, or just don't live around the poor people in the ghettos of Colon and Panama City . Also, conjunctivitis(pink eye) was a very common infection in the years that I was there . And I ASKED Panamanians why they opened cigarettes on the bottom. . . and that's the reason THEY gave me . Funny how we let our love of country , get in the way of the truth sometimes !!

cool.panamania

I'll describe it to you like this.We are loud and blunt.Some people find us offensive at times but we mean well. "Whaping-man is soooo early 80's,the new way to say what's up is "Que sopa?" whch is "Que paso?" backwards. I've never heard of butt stabbing and my brother in law is a policeman.

Fushia

I do not recommend to use Earnest's comments for your summary. If he spent sometime here it probably was within the US bases.

Monica gave you good info. I would like to add we are very espontaneus and friendly. You should not surprise if anyone calls you "amor" or "mami" (love or honey) without personal implications. We knock at the neighboors door without appointments and without shame. We are very but very musical, kids learn how to dance as they learn how to talk. We have an hour delay for everything, the "hora panameÃ±a" is well known meaning that the appointment will take time an hour after the scheduled time.

Good Luck!!

Monica A

We do not have "many diseases" and we open our cigarettes at the top. And I've never heard of butt stabbings.

This is a tricky question, since one cannot generalize. There are great differences in the communication styles, depending on levels of education, social status, etc.

What I can tell you is that, like most Caribbean people (our culture is Caribbean even though geographically we are central american), we can be very warm and familiar. By this I mean that we tend to touch people when talking to them, we talk loudly when we are excited, we laugh loudly, and we use our hands a lot when we talk (we gesticulate), among other things.

Again, this is a descriptive generalization. I'm not going to laugh like crazy and wave my arms wildly during a job interview, for instance.

Verbal. We talk very fast, so we tend to cut words. We drop the middle and final "s" of words, of substitute them for an "h". Example: The phrase Muchachas bonitas (pretty girls) would sound Muchachah bonitah. Or "QuÃ© pasÃ³?" (what's up) would sound "QuÃ© pahÃ³?".

Thespiana

Go to

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/EspaÃ±ol_panameÃ±o

It has lots of good information.

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: