My first impression of the global business program was that it was very well organized with planned activities to fill us with the knowledge and culture of Panama. When we first arrived in Panama City, I was in shock. It was so beautiful; I had never imagined that Panama looked like that. It is very modern, and it is not given enough credit for how much the city has evolved. It has one of the most beautiful skylines I have ever seen. Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio could never compare. One of the similarities I saw between Panama and the United States is that they use the same currency, the dollar. As well as that, there is a lot of technology implemented in the city, like security cameras. Another similarity is that a lot of businesses have their headquarters established in the city. Est?e Lauder is established in New York and Panama City. As well, there are islands here that you have to take a ferry to get to, and they are beautiful from what I have seen. A difference is that people are cold here in the sense that they don?t greet you and say you are welcome a lot. As well as punctuality, this is not a form of disrespect; in fact, in various presentations, the presenter was late, and instead of leaving, we would stay, and they would act like everything was fine. Another difference is that food here is mainly plantains, rice, and fish–they are the main dishes wherever you go. Another difference is that here they drive very aggressively and don?t really follow traffic restrictions like in the United States, where you can see cop cars on every corner to stop cars that are not following directions. I really love Panama, and I would definitely visit again to see how it has improved and visit its beaches.
