I admit it.  I’m tired.  Physically and mentally.

But, I have phone and internet installed in my new home. And it’s starting to feel like a home, rather than just a stark duplex filled with boxes.  We installed 7 new bookshelves in my new study (loving it).  Have a room dedicated to computer, books and papers.  And all nicely put.

So, I have a nice little 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom duplex, with a little garden, some fruit trees, a lovely terrace, and a nice location.  Tato has offered to take care of the terrace, with 2 hammocks and a pool table.  I’m excited about the potential for relaxation.  In the evenings we get the cool breeze right off the forest since we are less than 1 KM from the Metropolitan Park, which cannot be touched since it’s part of the Canal Basin and therefore protected.

Today I had breakfast with Berta at Manolos at 6.30 a.m. and by 7.30 a.m. we were at the Hotel El Panama, signing up for a seminar in Coaching.  Spent the morning listening to a real interesting trainer and the afternoon doing an “acting out” of the technique we were being taught.  What an eye-opener!  We did an acting out called TOTE (Test, Organise, Test, Exit) looking at a situation that you don’t know how to deal with and a parallel TOTE with a situation which you have handled successfully.  So, we did the acting out and I was completely floored about what I learnt about myself and my management skills through such a simple exercise.  And just realising how I can use this with other staff in my office, can work through issues that the staff have, without telling them “this is how you are going to fix this”.

Then, straight in the car to come to the Masters, where we are talking about world economy, financial markets and the growth in China and how to avoid inflation with the growth int he Chinese markets.  With all the events of the week, this Masters is just fascinating.  It seems so important to be up to date at the moment.  Tomorrow we are going to review economic and then Saturday have an open debate of “where to from here” with respect to Panama’s economy.  While feeling completely overwhelmed and tired, it is all so interesting.

With my other Masters, I’m looking at mergers and acquisitions and having to study why companies acquire other companies that are in financial difficulties. Which, in this current financial market and what has happened with Merrill Lynch and Bank of America, and the purchase of Lehman Brothers assets by Barclays, is just as important as what we are looking at in the other Masters.

I feel like I started studying at just the moment, otherwise, I think I would be freaking out completely with the financial events of the last two weeks, trying to figure out what on earth is going on.  Not that I know any better, but there are 15 other people in class with me that are just as worried.  And understanding the effects of investment and inflation makes it all a little more palatable.

Anyway, this class should be finishing soon and I am oh… so… tired…