With great interest I saw a couple of months ago an interview of an American Expat named Jim Thomas - Ponchalos - at one local TV station on the sports news.
He is living in LOS SANTOS province and owns a restaurant in Las Tablas very famous there known as PONCHALOS (knock out - in baseball). https://www.facebook.com/Ponchalos. http://www.ponchalos.com/
The interesting thing that he is a fan and supporter of the baseball team of Los Santos. He is in most of the games the team had a local in Las Tablas. He is known by his battle cry: Ponchaloooooo! and his particular orange hair wig and his face painted black and orange (the colors of Los Santos province flag) This gringo loco is admired and respected by the people of Los Santos. Looks like he is doing well with his small restaurant in Las Tablas. He is already a LOS SANTOS character missed when he is not at the games.
Other interesting thing was that he travelled to USA last year when Panama's Little League Boys where playing there in Maine. While watching the game on TV I was surprised to hear his battle cry when Panama was playing there. He was supporting Panama's baseball team!!! He was making too much noise ( learn this from Panamanians?) that he was not allowed to enter other games. When the boys won the championship he travelled to Williamsport in Pennsylvania to support the little kids from Panama representing Latin America. Also his battle cry was heard that the US TV place their cameras on him and reported that he was an American living in Panama supporting our team.
Looks like this gentleman enjoy living in a very little town like Las Tablas. He loves to be there and have a successful business. That is what I have found about him. I am sure that some people could learn from his experience. I am sure that not everything was a bed of roses but he seems to learn the way to do it accordingly.
His restaurant is becoming so well know that local personalities like boxing champion Roberto Duran visit it.
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Looks like Mr Jim Thomas is doing good in Las Tablas that he is planning to open another Ponchalos restaurant in CHITRE. That is a bigger city so he could have more business there. He is looking for a place to open his new restaurant and hiring people to work there.
Wow, a gringo who did'nt try to change the country to a small piece of the U.S.......a rarity........congratulations to him.......
I could be because he is young and with a lot of energy and for him this is a nice and good experience and he will enjoy it to the fullest.
Thanks for sharing this Roger.