

What is the difference between Panama and the Netherlands?

I often get the question, "What do you love about Panama?" I can answer briefly: Everything is beautiful. To the question, "What are the differences between the Netherlands and Panama?" I can also answer briefly: Everything. Not because I don't feel like answering or want to exaggerate, no, really everything is different.
I looked around me during my trip in Panama to see if there are similarities with the Netherlands. But actually no. Some things are the same, but no. The culture, the food, the nature, the architecture, the electronics, the objects. Everything is different. No doubt I am forgetting categories, but really everything is different. And not everything is an improvement. Read this as a sneer at Dutch culture. My heart is in Panama.
The architecture in the Netherlands is different from Panama. You could kind of compare it to the skyscrapers in Panama City. All the houses have glass in the windows. And we like to keep the doors closed. We have to heat our house in the winter (December/March). During my last trip, I saved a lot. I came back and saw that I pay 5 euros/5 dollars per day to heat my house. In the summer (June/August) I don't have to. Then I have to cool as much as possible. But because I have windows that don't open well, it can be pretty hot at the end of summer. But I like that. It's his Panamanian temperatures. In the streets we have small gutters. That's where the rainwater drains into the sewer system. In the summer when there are downpours in the evening (because the water evaporates during the day and falls down at night) sometimes the gutters can't handle it. But often it is not a problem. Now with the changes in climate it can become a problem. With us, then, everything is filled up. We call some gardens "paved gardens" these are gardens where there are only tiles, and not a single plant can be found. Furthermore, we fence off our gardens, often with large fences. Privacy is a big thing. We often have no contact with our neighbors. There are even TV programs of neighbors having conflicts over the fence, which is 5 centimeters wrong. My apartment has no garden or balcony. I have my front door of my apartment on the inside of the building. I have not seen my neighbors this year. There are 4 others living on my floor. I see them maybe 10x a year. So totally a difference from Panama.
As for electricity. I am getting used to power outages in Panama. In the Netherlands this happens very rarely. The past few days the power has gone out somewhere in the Netherlands. This is reported separately in the news. In case of a power outage of more than 4 hours you get compensation from the power company. Furthermore, in the Netherlands we do not have 100 volts, we have 230 volts. The devices don't get so hot while charging. The cable to the houses are underground. It makes for a safe and tidy streetscape. Only the high-voltage pylons disturb the landscape. The trains resemble the subway in Panama City. The trains are almost all electric. They are connected by electricity. In winter, when the overhead wires are frozen, you can see sparks when the train is running.
As a summary, I can say that in the Netherlands we have many luxuries and rules. We are selfish and on our own. For example, there are stories of people lying dead in their homes for 6 months. Bills are paid automatically because we have benefits. With a positive bank balance, you can lie dead in the house unnoticed. Because people have no contact with neighbors, they are not missed. This happens maybe once a year or more often. It's not a habit, but I don't think you can lie in Panama and rot away in your home unnoticed. The togetherness in Panama ensures that you are not missed. There is always someone who misses you.
Since the golden age (the century when we started looting other countries) we have gained much prosperity culminating in the period after World War II where prosperity increased, and we can buy anything we want. A downside is that the culture in terms of interconnectedness has crumbled and we decide for ourselves whether to kill fetuses. If we feel our life is complete, we go to the doctor and our life is ended. The Netherlands is the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage. These changes in society result in churches being empty and closed. We no longer need God because of this prosperity. We are our own God and in a selfish society we do not have to consider our neighbor. As children in school, we used to say "Me, me, me and the rest can choke."