today on from where to here we're welcoming a very special couple Julio and Suzette originally from Panama it was hard in the beginning I want to go back I remember I cry a lot because I don't have my family and here we were Julio and I what I believe all that experience we have and help us to grow like a couple he understand me and I understand him in Panama when you behave like not good we'll call you Raka taka this whole thing with the music come the dancing it's a big part of your culture who's the better dancer me yes here absolutely yeah when I came here I just I remember one word that I know perfectly apple apple when I came here to United State to be honest with you you know I just knew like a what what I Learned pretty much in school like a the colors the the day of the week the the month of the years stuff like that but I wasn't able you know to have a conversation like I having with you right now because we are here because we decided to Sweet Home Alabama hi I'm Alexandra Lloyd a French Canadian who's called Birmingham Alabama home since 2,017 welcome to from where to here the podcast that celebrates the rich diversity of languages cultures in the stories that connect us all each month I'll sit down with inspiring guests from different backgrounds to explore their cultures languages and tackle some fun in our truth there or debunk segment whether you're a language enthusiast a culture lover or just curious about the world you're in the right place let's dive into your next favorite cultural adventure today on from where to here we're welcoming a very special couple Julio and Susette originally from Panama they've built a beautiful life together here in the US after moving 20 years ago their story is one of faith resilience and cultural pride from running their own business for over a decade to rediscovering new passions later in life we'll talk about what they've Learned about blending cultures and how language love and community have shaped their story welcome to from where to here oh thank you for having us it is very special cause it's the first time I have two guests at once so it's such a treat to have you both wow you are lucky gear yes yes uh before we dive into your journey from Panama to Alabama let's start with a little round a game I call truth dare or debunk okay you'll take turns answering okay and we have a bowl here and I'll pass it to you it's filled with cards uh with different colors that mean different things each color mean something different so the blue means truth where you'll share a surprising cultural fact red means dare dare to teach me something in your language black means debunk you'll clear up a common stereotype about your culture so you'll draw one card at a time and then because you're two I'm thinking I might just bounce one of you can pick the card you answer and then the other person can also chime in with their own answer okay does that work that's what okay but I see you already picked one so you're ready maybe we go that route yeah okay um so let's let's start with the first uh Susette why don't we start with you you pick the blue one the blue one yes OK so the blue uh why don't you share a surprising fact about your culture and one surprise fact is that we are multicultural so it's mean uh in my country we have different kind of culture together I remember back in when I was in the school I have a Indian best friend I have a Chinese best friend I have a a Muslim friend and also we have a different kind of people that do it melting it's like a melting pack definitely wow I I love that and you think that's something that people also think yes that it is and it's actually full of different culture exactly because for us when we came to United States it was a different uh kind of people around but in Panama we don't see we don't see race we all say see person and you I can be with a white person I can be with a with a black person I can be with everybody because we are multicultural what do you think makes it that where people in there see you just as an individual as a human what's the difference compared to what you've experienced here because in here we are Latino I ain't Panama we I never nobody call me Latino I or Hispanic we call people and can I dig with one more question about this is what can people do to maybe not to to embrace those cultures more I believe in the way you see others you know um Jesus when he came here he don't he was not talking about races he was talking about how eh what is it what is in your heart people um but in here people see you like a racist is when you go and fill it with a paper the first thing they ask you are you white you black or you Hispanic or you Latino uh in Panama we don't do that we everybody is a person that have a heart and have a wonderful eh way to give something to the to the to the world so this is why eh for for me especially was a shock when I came here and what about you Julio as far as the truth what's a something that people think is true and actually is true about Panama from your experience well I believe the you know the same following what she's talking about is a the people think about Panama like that first the like everybody speak English because we were part of United States because the construction of the Panama Canal not too many Panamanians speak English and is surprised but but it's the the the reality because that happened you know a few generation or like one or two generations ago now people they are in in in other stuff but back in the days that that was a thing but but not now I know and people they think like a because we have been you know so close to the United States for like 100 years they think like everybody in Panama speak English but it is it's not true in matter of fact when I came here I just I remember one word that I know perfectly Apple Apple why apple did you love apple not really but I I like the sound Apple Apple I don't remember when I just start learning it was like oh my god the English is more than apple so you didn't know any words in English no I don't you know me you know I used to have some neighbors in my hometown um that they were older people back when when I was in in the 70s that I was a a little child that they were immigrants from Jamaica or Barbados or those islands or they came to Panama to build the Panama Canal and they were speaking in English and I used to have some kind of communication with them when I came here to the United States to be honest with you you know I just knew like uh what what I Learned pretty much in school like uh the colors the the day of the week the the month of the years stuff like that but I wasn't able you know to have a conversation like I having with you right now yeah and we study English in Panama but I want to make clear in my case I study English just to pass it pass because I I really never in my mind I was thinking I will come to United I I will live in some place that they speak just as English yeah it was just part of the curriculum that's okay I got to go to it and then I just pass and I have my a bye yeah it wasn't part it also wasn't giving you the tools to yeah get out and in the world and and let me tell you I don't know if I can say something but my dad because my family in my dad's side they came from Colombia to Panama they even even though Panama was part of Colombia back in the days but even when Panama was the a country my my grandfather he came from the Valle del Cauca he came eh

04 he was like a 18 years old at that time to work in the Panama Canal my dad he grew up in a what was called at that time the Canal Zone and and he was in an English school there was the American you know all my uncles and aunts they they study actually no I remember I did some no my daughter she did some investigation that I didn't know about it but you know my dad he told me a little bit about it but in the 1930 the senses of the United States my family they were there in the United States 1930 senses in the Canal Zone in Panama like a part of that senses um and my dad he was in the American school until he was like in the seventh grade and and he used to speak perfect English but he never taught me I I remember seeing him you know talking with other people in English and I was amazed do you wish you had thought you absolutely and and and and now you know now that I'm speaking English with you I just imagine I talk with Susan all the time about it you know what a journey what a girl oh how proud he will be the his son because I'm his only boy I'm the only a boy from him because I'm a only child from the relationship between my mom and my dad I have other I have brothers but they are from other dad and I remember the my dad he he always when he was speaking English and he used to tell me like I you know you need to learn and then but he never did the effort you know to is he still alive no no he he he died did he witness you speaking English never never and that's something that that is you know eh because of he died when I was 29 in 1999 I Learned to speak a decent English I would say like I don't know 2,004 five you know probably like four five years after he was born I mean he passed away I'm sorry in my side my dad speak English and he Learned in the street he never went to school to to like a Julio Julio dad he he learn in the street because his family around they speak English uh so he he speak English my dad is 89 years old and he speak with me sometime English and then and and then I and was amazed that my dad speak English and he Learned it himself so but I never care the reality is I never care to speak English so wow that's now but now you appreciate that's fascinating all the effort that that he did to you know to speak like that yeah he's a yeah your dad is amazing thank you alright let's do another one um what's the Julio you can pick another card okay the red one you'll teach me a phrase in your language you know we have a phrase that say like uh in the land of the blind the the the blind man the one eye is the king what is it in your language first so I can try it okay in in in my language so yeah in the in the Tierra del Ciego El Tuerto es el Rey wow that's long en LA Tierra del Ciego del Ciego del Ciego ajá que no puede ver a que no puede eh ajá el el que tiene nada más un un ojo is the king El Rey is that that you know that mean the you know the the the sometimes you know is that you know some people they they they take advantage we use that expression is you know for people that they think though sometimes they are too smart but they are not too smart yeah too smart yeah but they are not really too smart so give me a situation where you would use that for example like a a person I don't know building something and and that person feeling like a I I I and you know I I know how to do this but he's with a bunch of lawyers or accountants they don't know nothing about construction but then he feel like uh he's bigger than them because he knows a little you know a little bit about how to do stuff he's talking with people that they don't they don't know nothing about what he's doing and we can use all the way around too you know we can say a lawyer you'll try to to be like at the big thing with a I don't know with a person that is a landscaper okay so then you will say and I will say like a you know that landscaper but I mean the when what's the expression you would say I guess the word the phrase that you mentioned I just wanted to say it again ah okay eh eh en en LA tierra del ciego el tuerto el tuerto es Rey El Tuerto Tuerto significa one eye if you are in a land of everybody's blind and you got a one eye you're gonna be the king yeah because you can see you can see with one eye okay very good that makes sense very good but you ask me I'm spontaneous that's good that's great what about you sister okay I will teach you one thing that you're going to laugh it and and I know for sure you will remember this okay in Panama when you behave like not good we call you rakataka hahaha this whole thing not good rakataka rakataka you mean rakataka you not behave correct like a you you behave without a education you are rakataka rakataka rakataka and what about a shamari I like that the shamari you are rakataka but a little bit more high that oh my god do you say that to your kids and say absolutely my daughter right now so that when she speak with me she say that oh she's rocataka so you just said are you a rakataka exactly maybe I'll start saying that to my husband say you are rakataka oh my god it's you know it's mean it's like a you're not behaving correctly like a um like a culture it's like a educated you're not educated you're not you're not doing this stuff you should you should do what what's the situation of your daughter that your daughter would you would say that to her okay when she is scream and and and and and she is scream and she eh I will brush like ah like this and they said Diana you be hail a rakataka okay got it you be a hail a and also and also rakataka is like a if if I'm here and and I get out right now and I say you know I take possession of this place and I I don't know how to control myself to to be you know like a you know I invite t in in your house but no I I feel like I open the refrigerator I want to cook it but you don't even tell me so said come on and cook it yeah I I just get up we're in the middle of the conversation I go to the refrigerator and I get you know a glass of orange juice exactly and yeah and then I say like a what's up girl exactly you know I got I dare to say that like a what's up girl you know he's so in she's so in love with that that word always mom she act like a rakataka yes she did oh love it okay uh I'll let you pick another me one of you yeah we'll do two more rounds how about that okay debunk I love this one okay what's a stereotype about your culture that is actually not true that people often assume is okay this answer we want to do it together because we were talking about it is being like when everybody thinking about Panama like Panama is just the canal the canal Panama Canal Panama is more than that Panama is a lot of pride people that we work very hard for wake up every time early going time to our our job do we do more than more than the normal for stay in the job people in Panama they normally stay in the job for 25 years 30 years it's a lot of time they be in the job because they care about their job and also they don't care about the littlest stuff like a oh what let's go to say um the the your your Bob say can you stay a little 30 a little more 30 minute more in your your time they don't care they do what they have to do because in Panama they pay by salary it's a monthly payment so it's mean you have 40 hours you can have 43 45 but the same salary is the same so over oh oh eh it's it's something I'm very proud of but I'm my parents teach me to be about what I do it it's me every time I have to do anything and people that know me around here they always say like I said you you are a hard worker yes I am and I every time I have to do anything I always do the best for me I always thinking about it what I want to do because I want to feel proud about me and I want my family feel feel proud for me too so I don't I never want to disappoint in them so this is Panama course love that who do you anything to add or any debunk you'd like to take this opportunity to share with us no you know I'm exactly in agreement you know with Susan you know we are a Panamanian we are proud people and and and we always want to give our best in in everything that we do and and and I know the probably that sound like a cliche because probably everybody think the they they do the same but the Panamanian we got something the the coming you know like a from home the the the the we say like a I don't want to embarrass my family OK I I I want to to do my best and and we work very hard mm hmm and we work if we you know if we have a 40 hours per week and we have to work 60 mm hmm we do it we don't complain we are you know we do what we need to do because we remember where we came from absolutely and that is something though most of us of course we got people with money and very successful in Panama but you know most of the population we are middle class and stuff and our middle class is not like a the United State middle class probably what we call in Panama middle class will be like a a lower middle class to poor exactly I don't know if that makes sense that is what we are and and and we work very hard to to try to better ourselves off that's very admirable yeah thanks for sharing that that is yeah that is what we do Julio one more card I'll let you the final pick here for you and to set to tell us more about the Panamanian culture you can't even move ha ha ha okay okay now that is me can you move okay you see oh my god you keep each other accountable like blue of course blue it is a truth no yes a truth okay something people assume is true and it actually true about Panama people you know this is this isn't gonna be very probably if a Panamanian see this they they don't wanna be too happy about it but so many people think the everybody dance and and I remember seeing in my country a few people with with two legs two left legs and and more now because the younger generation the newer generation oh my god they are the because I don't know probably we gonna get about that after you know a few minutes but I remember our parents always they were you know concerned you know how to dance and especially salsa because you have to have a special rhythm in salsa because you have to have a couple you you are not by yourself but now you got all this like a eh reggaeton stuff though you do your thing I do my thing um we don't have to you know you are in your rhythm I am my rhythm but you know eh people think like uh the the Panamanians they all have rhythm they all have rhythm but they don't is like the older ones but the only ones giving out to that is it what is it due to do you think there's less uh passing along to the next generation you were exactly right and that is exactly you're saying it perfectly that is exactly where it is does your did you teach it to your daughter we did we try hard we did it we try hard but she but but let me tell you oh my god yeah let me tell you what you know she you can teach me I'd love yeah there like that my daughter don't have that spirit to you know she wanted to be American and I love that but when she was in the age to learn she was a little bit embarrassed uh huh to be that's you know Hispanic I imagine because you know the not because in the school that she was she was in Bestavia High School uh oh Visalia in middle school and everything um it wasn't a cool thing to do exactly no it's a phase yeah yeah you know it's like I imagine when she was with her classmate they were listening I don't know Taylor Swift or whatever they were listening or or bad direction or whatever or no one one direction one direction I'm sorry you know I said you know not so much the Hispanic songs and yeah yeah and I'm sorry you know sometimes you know I'm Hispanic I I make mistakes when I speak but you know one direction um you know one direction or or those don't require you to have a rhythm between couples exactly yeah because because yeah because he is a it's easy to dance alone alone you do your thing I do my thing but when you and I we have to have the same rhythm that is a that that that is a that that that require other stuff and one more question about this and that's gonna wrap uh this segment when it comes to dancing with a partner uh huh is this always the man that should be leading me oh yes absolutely when he's a dancing he's like a I'm the man you're I I you know I have to take care of her OK and and you know that's it I this is just the dance yes I have to take care of her and and and I want her and it's not control it's like uh let's do this together but please you know just follow me let me lead let me Lee that's great well that wraps up the truth there our debunk segment thanks for playing along I know you listen to from where to here because you're not into surface level travel you want the story not just the sights but let's be honest breaking the language barrier can be intimidating that's why I created the five phrases that unlock any culture these are five simple phrases designed to pass small talk into real conversations from almost anywhere in the world don't just be a tourist be a connector you can grab it at from where to here pod.comslash 5 phrases that's your shortcut to unlocking real conversations now let's start at the beginning tell us about life in Panama before you moved to the US we were in in college together in the same classroom and I remember this day the the the we were waiting it was like a between classes and I was talking or whatever in the group and for some reason I say something caught her attention we start to talk and whatever and at that time that was in 1990 in Panama was I would say around March April 1990 um uh one of her aunt you know her mom sister was in the hospital mm hmm and she I don't know why out of the blue she told me like hey can you come you know with me to the hospital you know to visit my aunt and then we can I said yeah yeah of course I went with her to the hospital to meet her and the was I don't know having a surgery or something because now we talking about like a 30 something years yeah that 35 yeah 35 years ago I keep the numbers yeah 35 years ago and we were there and everything but for some reason after that we started to do more stuff and and we became you know boyfriend boy and girlfriend you know and that was in 1990 like September 20th mm hmm I remember you see 35 years ago at college together we are graduated for accountant so uh when we were together we have the same class every so we see each other all the time and then after we finish college then we decided to get married no I decided to we get married okay you can change it that so then uh we get married and then after one year we have our baby Diana and then after that eh we have a good job and then eh we were close to our family we visit one day my one day is like I get up from work I go on and stop and buy my mom house I sometimes I have a dinner or anything and then after that we went to our house and then we stay in in we have somebody to take care of our daughter so she is waiting for us so she can leave so this is a normal day and then in the weekend we normally go to the eh Panama City Panama we live in colón so colón is like a one hour from the from the main um from the capital capital so then we went over there we love going to the restaurants in Panama of course because it's not the same to be in in our our town and also in the weekend um I'm we go to shores and then we go you go where to church church yes to church uh huh yes and then also um we do a lot of eh activity in Panama something that is normal everybody want to celebrate their kids and they always have party so party party for everything for everything so every weekend you have you'll be invited to go to a party to a party for a fair 1 years old Panama a party for a 2 years old so this is the normal in there in Panama you uh invited to the party for the kids and then after that is the party for the grow so you have to have two food two two food for you have the food for the kids and the food for the grown people and then the the party for the grown people is after let's go to say after six and then maybe you'll be all day all night all night because we party hard in Panama what does that mean to party hard and what kind of food is usually served for kids versus adults okay so the the kids can be have a hot dog hot dog or burgers or French fries for the adult you have arroz con pollo ensalada de papa chicken you have sauce sauce we have escabeche we have what's escabeche escabeche is a uh fish that eh you fry and then you put it some um we put it some curry uh vinegar and then eh a onion so we a boil all of that stuff together and then we put it with the uh with the with the fish yeah escabe escabeche is very Caribbean mm hmm but because the influence of the Caribbean you know to Panama and when I say Caribbean I'm talking about the English Caribbean another Hispanic not Puerto Rico or you know like a Jamaica Barbados Trinidad Tobago and that's the reason why you see the curry because also those Caribbean islands they got like a Indo uh huh influence influence you know the the it's not just the the the the black people that came from Africa Mm hmm but also you know Hindu people they came they were labor also in the Panama Canal in the Panama Canal and in in the Caribbeans and when they came to Panama of course you know they they brought not just them they came the culture their food and everything and that is the reason why especially in my in our own eh hometown the curry it it it is a is she maintain is part of our cuisine because yes seasoning or whatever is a because you know that is a the Indian influence do you know very interesting and then we do ceviches too you ceviche you like ceviche yeah I love ceviche and I didn't know that before but each country or culture has their own way of doing this absolutely absolutely how does yours distinguish from other ceviche we have our ceviche has juice onion onions just that onion and the fish this is what we have we don't have anything here you eh they put a lemon lemon and all that the stuff but of course the normal because the ceviche being is eh the fish going to be cooked and marinate cook with lemon with lemon or with lime lime uh huh so and in here when I go to Isabishia in any um taco truck they put in the ceviche cilantro they put um also cucumber cucumber cucumber yeah and and in some places you know not here necessary but Mexican don't do that but I'm seeing I'm seeing it probably in in in Colombia uh huh that they put ketchup uh huh to the I've never seen that and but let me tell you they put carrots we all do respect you know to you know what they do with the ketchup ketchup with the don't go you know with ceviche I've never heard that one yeah that's an interesting one do you remember when we were in San Andres San Andres is a is a island the eh you know probably that island like a San Andrew but is in Spanish is San Andres that island belong to Colombia but that island is almost close to Nicaragua in the Caribbean but it's a very small island but belong to Colombia and they I remember when I was there they were giving me you know like a ceviche with ketchup and I said like a this is you know I said like a please don't put that to me because for me you know I love ketchup yeah with my French fries or whatever but not with my ceviche you know it's a it's disgusting and I'm sorry teach us on teach us on it's okay it's okay um I'd love to know so you came on a tourist visa and ended up staying how did you navigate that uncertainty building a life while being out of status it was very hard it was hard in the beginning uh I be honest with you I want to go back I remember I cry a lot and but because I don't have my family we talking about that every day I see my family and here we were Julio and I but I believe all that eh experience we have eh help us to grow like a couple because we were he understand me and I understand him and then we have our goal we want our life to be better we want our daughter to be better we want eh the our we want to have the best experience so what we did it and I want to be honest we were like a in a little bubble and my daughter Julia and I we try to be in a little bubble we don't try to go out too much we try to have everything in the house that we can have so we don't have to be outside be exposed to a situations that we don't want to be in um and this is for us I I believe was the eh the best way to do and especially because um eh because we want our daughter to live normal life so we of course we go out like a we um go and take her to Chuck E Cheese she loves Chuck E Cheese what is that oh Chuck E Cheese the restaurant the restaurant and the for the kids and play and and we going to some a parties we celebrate Diana party with with a lot of people but in the same way we we in that moment we don't go to a bars and we we make our own life to be a happy moment or house always happy furniture full furniture and be beautiful because we want every time we come and be and came out and came to the home we feel we have a home so I believe that was the the the the key for our success in United States so it's not like a a I don't I don't want um people to thinking that that we was everything happy but eh because we have a lot of moment of sadness uh especially uh for me when I decided eh we decided to speak English for me was devastated because I had to learn another language eh forced to learn another language so um when I decide in what ways were you forewarned uh because we decided to to don't be a spoke inside to the house we don't watch TV in Spanish and and then we going to shore in English we do everything or or or the people around us eh we try to have a friend that speak English so I can learn better I I was emerged in that yes so thinking about in my mind in Spanish and in English and then 90% before the hmm 100% in like my town but in here eh then I decide we the we decided to learn the language correctly so then was the shock so it's been I remember um when my daughter went to school we had to uh read to him to her every night a book in that moment I don't speak English so Julio take that role and he take Diana and read with Diana every night a book we heard so it was like a a process we try or dad to be very um protective from us so um but was was hard but thank you for that we are the couple we are absolutely you know this is very inspiring a lot of people think that it's impossible to learn a second language as an adult what would you say to people that struggle to learn a second language as an adult what has been key for you to pick up on the language so well okay and with my case just accept that you're in a country that speak another language don't don't impose your language your first language in others it's mean for me is this is the United States of America they speak English everything in there here is labeled in English so just immerse in that accept it with kindness we are in United States you know it's for me was a um a struggle because I want to go back to my country I don't want to accept that so that was a hard thing to do for you at first yes with a moment I accept that I'm not going to go back then I learning and then the other stuff is like uh when I had to take my daughter to the to the doctor I remember the first year I had to have interpreter and then uh or in the school too but then I say what am I daughter going to look up me if I eh always I have an interpreter so she never going to see me like a oh my mom she eh speak English she's the bitch she she eh I'm proud of her she always see me like I have an interpreter so I never forget the day I walk from the um to from the appointment with my daughter and I feel like I the uh interpreted she did not tell the doctor what I mean then I say so said you got to do what you got to do so after that I decided no more interpreter for me so I walk in the in the room with the doctor and I remember Doctor Bolus I love her she um started I started speaking with her and she was so proud of me because I I speak with her in English how long did it take from the moment you said I wanna be able to no longer have an interpreter in the room and understand what the doctor is telling me what the teacher is telling me about my daughter to the moment of you're walking in by yourself yes without an interpreter like what was that time frame it's me I I was two years in United States uh but I was scared to speak I did I Learned but I did not want to speak so then when I decided the fear go away and then I started speaking it's been the next appointment my dad going to appointment every two months so in the moment I decided into the next time I confirm my phone how long took you to do that to learn Spanish no English English I like a 2 years 2 years 2 years and in the moment for me is like I went to this to uh shorts that they teach me Spanish English every Sunday so I went over there and they teach me was a personal um a teacher so they teach me a lot and I try my best to do it eh but I was scared yeah wow this is uh very admirable um and you've come a long way doing that uh Julio I'd like to hear a little bit about you as well um looking back what did those 21 years without traveling home teach you well that the first humble humble me because you know we came here in 2,002 that is when no the internet wasn't what it is right now no Facetime no nothing you know all the communication was over the phone and what shocked me when technology start you know to kick up and and then I start to to to be able to Facetime and stuff and I saw my mom especially my mom because my dad he passed away long time ago but my mom getting age and and then and my sibling because I'm the older one my sibling growing up and and I start to think like uh I'm missing out because my mom is getting older and my siblings they getting older they because when I left in 2,002 they they were my my younger brother he he was no like a kid you know in that transition teenager to be an adult and and my older brother he was like a 20 21 you know my sister was probably in her no 25 something like that but and then I start to see when they were in their thirties all grown UPS all grown UPS and and I was missing out because just imagine all the birthdays all the mother's days and everything how did it make you feel that made me feel you know terrible but you know uh but that was a decision that I I took and and and I did it for my family that mean the I I feel like I the first thing I I told you you know I feel terrible because that was happening in my family and I wasn't there but was good at the same time because I love this woman and and and I love my daughter and and and and I knew that I was doing something I was a man I was I transition from that boy from Panama to a man literally that boy cause he met so young and yeah so long ago and for now I was the I was the man you know here in the United States and and and and I knew that I was doing the right thing that is the reason why I say it's bittersweet because you know I don't want you to be confused of what I told you about you know my mom and my siblings but I knew in my core that I was doing the right thing for my wife and my daughter because they were my responsibility at that time and I as a man I know exactly my role that was important for you now I wanna touch on this um in a way where something you you shared that I think is very fun is you both started a business together oh yes what inspired that idea who do you let me tell you what's because to say because I remember in 2000 you know I was working you know my best friend Jonah Marie that he is a you know a retired judge he was also a you know a state senator um and also he run for to be you know a lieutenant governor here in the state of Alabama you know a a very no person and you know I was working with him and then he was running for the office you know he start to run you know to be a judge and because and he won that mean that I could not continue working with him and then I was you know um unemployed like a for a like a for a month but Susan you know she was working in a company called Professional Home Savers that they were people eh you know it was a company that the core was to negotiate with lenders you know to do a loan modification payment plan for people that they were behind in their mortgage payments most of the clients they were people in in bankruptcy for some reason they were dismissed of the bankruptcy and and when you are dismissed of the bankruptcy all the creditors they gonna come back to you to collect their money and they were freaking out most of the time the biggest debt in in when you are in bankruptcy bankruptcy is your mortgage that is the biggest one you can have a car but I don't but you can lose a car but you don't want to lose your house at that time it wasn't easy for me to apply for a job um and then she said I remember I told her like I do you think that you know you can help me out and and she did she helped me out she talked with you know with her people at that time and they put me in to work because it says it was working you know with Puerto Rican people in Spanish but because they at that moment they realized that I was bilingual they said like hey we can use this guy you know in both both worlds so was it that job that sparked the idea of starting a business together absolutely because you know I was working with her yes in the same company and then you ended up working there for a while and starting they said you know I worked you know I worked so say we're probably close to two years I worked there like a a year year and and a few months but I was talking to her immediately when we were working and I don't know to be honest with you at that time you know I I want the because this is a very important part of this because when we were talking about it to make our own business I I I feel kind of guilty we feel kind of guilty to be competitors of our employers and I remember that I went to talk with my priest you know in my church there was the the father and the Kennedy Irish man from Ireland in my Panamanian you know talking you know with the Irish man and and he was my buddy not not just my priest he was my buddy buddy we used to drink beer and be watching games and everything and I remember you know telling him and I'm sorry if I'm I'm going you know to to long but you know and in one of those conversation I said like a you know eh I need to ask you a question and everything going to depend of your answer I say like we work for this company but we feel that we Susan and I we can do this independently um do you think if we do it gonna be like a betrayal or something to the company we working with and and he told me no Julio absolutely not you know if you think the you you Susan you you are capable to do it just do it that that don't have nothing you know to do and and let me tell you to make a long story short I told Susan you know like you know I talked with Father Kennedy he told me he gave me the green light and I say let's go you needed a a song being bored that no I was like a Rocky when when he won when he was when he asked Adrian like a for his approval to fight Apollo Creed not Apollo Creed I believe was uh Mister t uh Mister t I don't remember that that and when Adrian told him like uh go ahead yeah he start to train hard you know he's like that's awesome and that and that in company we had the company for 30 years what time we were working home so it was a blessing a blessing in the beginning and we were in the in our house we live in Kahava high in that moment all of my office was in my uh bedroom and my bedroom was little so I have a office like is just a desk so I cut my client from there and they Julio eh working because we live in a townhouse so he worked downstairs it was experience tell me more how was it whether it was the company before or the business itself how was it to work side by side as a married couple hard ha ha we go okay let's go to say my background is accounting and and then I'm more in the sale area I know two details but Julio is details and this is was the great part of our success because Julio was the closing part and I was the selling part but then in my part I had to pick up some uh I had to ask the clients forgive me some papers so when I passed the the the file for my husband to my husband he eh won the eh case to be go straight to the bank so then he find eh sometime eh errors in what I did so he then he say oh yeah you should ask decline for this for that for that and then we got some back and forth but not we not we very respectful sure uh so he say me no you have to do this and do this and then he's my husband so I don't take a Julio yet too serious he is my husband so I you're like a please you you you can do it so don't tell me anything so you used to say like OK I gonna I'm going to do it but just the issue that it's only me I get my nerves so I say Julio just and then he he understand and then he do it and then I stop asking her and I say whatever you give me I will do I gonna do whatever I have to to do you know to wrap it up so really you're learning about each other's preferences or working styles exactly exactly yeah but but let me tell you in I I understand what she say and what I say but in general we did a great job absolutely we did a great job I mean 13 years it just speaks by itself saving people house yes you know how many time people call us until now people send me Christmas card and all that the stuff because they happy that we save their house so for us it's a pride moment we did it for thousand of people in in in United States yeah and let me tell you I and I and I met you know we met people famous people that I don't want to say their names but but you know that no no no no no because I have to have a respect that you know their privacy because is a is there the home in the music industry and let me tell you you know is a I'm so proud the the we we were you know able to help those people and they know who they are and we love each other and when we going to Puerto Rico we gonna have fun to Puerto Rico yes yeah Puerto Rico is our main our biggest market yeah because you know we are I see we are bilingual you know we used to do also so Puerto Rico is a big market and then yeah because we remember they're American territory and and they have the same mortgage or laws stuff like that these we were exploding bilingual skills we used to do also Americans here in the United States and everything but Puerto Rico that's great I love that switching gears a little bit faith and community seem to be at the heart of your story how has church work helped you connect with others especially the Latino community the shore has been the key when we start going to the shore we are right now and they don't has Latino people in there right right we almost almost no Latino no Latino and I remember I was looking around and say oh my god but our commitment was to be in a English full English eh eh shorts to learn the language so we start go over there and then we start to see all the Hispanic people Latino people so for us was a amazing to see then and then oh hello Hola and then that help me to eh have a a the motivation motivation to be the more tender hmm to have a little sprinkle of this but to you know uh culture here and there exactly exactly yes and um what was it that was the most fulfilling fulfilling part of leading the Latino ministries at Saint Mark okay for me I used to have that ministry last year and it's has been the most for a happy moment for me in my life I started a we have a Latino and group before uh but we don't do too much that group was is a little like a um meet one day and another one but then um the person that was in charge she she um she decided to don't do anymore and then the group decided to put me in charge they nominated you they nominate me yeah and then I say oh my god because I'm Panamanian and I pray I have a pride and I say oh we have to do it in the right right way so I start to meet with the father I start to do a stuff and I say we want to make this this a Latino group in that moment in a a a place that the Latino community can come and feel welcome that I don't have that experience when we started the show yes so then I say I remember I said that I tell the father eh that I would like to do this and this and this and then he say yes so I we started to grow the Latino ministry the little group in that moment and then the father say you're not going to be any any any Latino group you're going to be a ministry so then after that the father for the first time in the father for the first time he decided he want to do a buying with us and the day of the eh old label of Guadalupe so it's a December 12 so that was our star in the in the shores and what your biggest achievement yeah my biggest achievement is that the Latino the the a lot of Latino coming now and then now they had the opportunity to be in a group that speak Spanish and it's for me how I feel so proud it's a full um how do you say like a full turn moment or because you were there yes like years ago and then you're helping lead the way on how I I didn't because and I'm sorry for interrupt you but it's like um now there there are Hispanic in that area that they feel comfortable to be part of the church because remember you know our church is in Grayson is a high class you know place uh you know Brook Hyland Grayson and I'm thinking a regular Hispanic sometime probably with language barriers stuff like that can feel a little bit uncomfortable but when he see or he or her see there is a Hispanic group in that church say like oh my god let me try it's representation what else do you do that is helping them oh we have now a Bible study for the first time ever in the show in Spanish and also and we have we met every eh the second Thursday of the month with sister Emma and sister Emma is a Spanish eh a sister and in that moment we do the rosary we eat to eat we um eh she teach us a lot of stuff so every is eh Hispanic they want to go that day to meet Sister Emma and it's has been an experience so this this uh eh ah also let me tell you what we do eh we cook for the for the teenagers they have a meeting every uh

00 so I decided to uh us to cook for them one day of the month so we make I do Panamania food my older friends do Mexican we they do a different kind of food from their country and we bring it to the through the group how many people do you cook for so it's like a 50 50 people uh huh 50 people that's a lot so it's like a every remember they cooking is 12 people in the year you know because it's one day so it's been like a hey I want to to to to cook Cuban food has been a beautiful experience and the the um the teenagers they are happy because they see another another kind of food that they know they ever see it because they like a my Panamanian food they don't sell it here so for them to see this food for them is like a blow their mind and then the Mexican food it's not a traditional like you going to the restaurant no the Mexican food is from somebody homemade from their house yeah yeah it's like this is another level exactly and then we also help in the in in summer we have a a like a Wednesday night life that they do a like a um Bible study and they have a dinner before they start so we held in the dinner also to serve the people so they see us a lot so it's a lot of a lot a lot of activity we have so it has been like a oh my god right now we have a winter uh in winter drive and that they donate and new clothes for the uh for up to us and then we're going to give that a clothes to La Casita in Hollywood this is a organization for eh for Hispanic people that we're going to donate all that eh clothes to them so it's eh can it's really close now it's can be eh eh socks um it can be glove scarf eh um and a how you call this the um the a pants blankets blankets blankets yes well we'll make sure to add the link in the show notes um if people wanna make a donation absolutely absolutely feed the church directly or even to the non profit I mean the the uh the feast of our lady of Guadalupe we have a dinner after that and everybody had to reserve before they go because we want to know how many people go so in there we have a eh we're going to put music mariachi and all that stuff and we do the flowers of half way so it's a it's oh my god it eh and now I was asking for a a assistance OK it's it's getting too big getting too big and then you like a it's a lot because you know it's a lot of necessity in the Hispanic community it's like a you want somebody you want to go and ask somebody for pray for you and this is the spiritual necessity that's what I'm talking about it's like a it's you have a group that that day you feel sad because you miss your family you can we can have a chat and then you can say please pray pray for me and we all together pray for you for for that encourage and this is what we have right now for me has been a wonderful experience and I and I delight that the father um the father has been a support to us and he always looking for something new for helping that's beautiful I love how everyone is supporting each other and then you're in a place where it's your turn to give back exactly and because and it's it's not be perfect because right now it's my husband and I uh we are when my daughter live so we have I had the time to do that so before I empty nest that empty empty nesters empty nesters is it what's the best part of being empty nesters you really wanna know don't say it no it's we go into the home and it's empty spicy it's nothing in there spicy empty whatever words come to mind that going like a no no we are free we are free let us go that do like that Panama is known for its mix of cultures Julio you mentioned a little earlier how does that diversity show up in your traditions food music or celebrations it's everything because I'm coming from colón colón is a is a city in Panama is the actually the second more important city in the in the country is in the Atlantic side of Panama the the we call the Caribbean Sea but is the Atlantic Ocean because of that we got so much influence from the Caribbean like I told you before because the Panama Canal the the Spaniard colony and all that stuff we have different cuisine than the rest of the country we are more based coconut stuff because all that Caribbean stuff is like a for example in the rest of the country they wanna make a rice in Cologne we made the same rice but with coconut to give another flavor and also with the spicy stuff like the hot sauce in the rest of the country they use another hot sauce but we use the Caribbean hot sauce that is with the Scotch bonnet pepper what is it that's a type of pepper yeah that it is like a the habanero but it's called you know Scotch bonnet Scotch you know you can look look it up it's like the Scotch the French Scotland but bonnet like the bonnet the woman using their head and that is a kind of pepper but it's just grew up it's coming from the English Caribbean countries like in Jamaica is summer tan and and let me tell you that pepper is so delicious that is amazing and that give our cuisine in Cologne where where we come from an amazing flavor to every food and then we cook different than the rest of the country and and that is a and that is a thing now to promote our our city you are from Canada if I have to make a comparison is like a will be you like a Montreal Montreal no I imagine because you are French in in that country you got food you got custom you got stuff that they are different than the rest of the of the country and then the when somebody is in the West Coast in British Columbia but they know about the flavor of Montreal and that is what is colon in in Panama that we got distance you know provinces because we don't call states you know we are same in Canada it's provinces yeah provinces yeah and but they know you know more town because we have the cuisine is so flavor are you flavorful yes it's a oh my god it's different you're going to eat in Cologne a a rice the rice is different that the rice in in in the other other part yeah and then you got a a stew in Cologne because all that Caribbean seasoning and you got it in another place in Panama completely different and I don't want to sound arrogant or anything like that but you know we got flavor yeah we got flavors so spices herbs spices and and and all the right amount of salt and pepper you know everything you know is a when I go to Panama the one thing I bring all the tell us I wanna know your listeners our listeners this is let me tell you we got something called the one on one the one on one is like a a fry bread or you do like a the the bread dough the regular you know dough but instead to put it in the oven you fry it mm hmm but you fry it in pieces and and then we do an a stew of uh the lungs uh huh of the of the cattle uh huh like the the cow or the bull the the lungs we use that meat and we do you know some stew and and we mix that with that fry bread and we eat it and it's delicious and we call that 1 0 1 1 0 1 yeah I hold on yeah and then what about the sauce Julio oh the sauce the sauce is the the the pig feet people here you know they throw it away we don't throw away anything and let me tell you it's a it's a very hard meat that that mean that you have to tenderize it uh huh you have to give it a lot of heat you have to boil it for long time to tenderize it but let me tell you the sauce is the big feat but we don't do it we do in the stew also but the sauce is to do it in a some kind of a vinaigrette uh huh stuff with eh with lemon vinegar onions cucumbers cucumbers would be like a some kind of a ceviche but of quick freeze do you cook all that at home oh yeah we do it but but not like uh all the time because you know it makes it's extended work exactly and to be honest you know we eat American uh huh oh actually you know probably you this gonna be a shock for you or for many people but in Panama we eat American uh huh we eat American most of the time most of the time when when we see we telling you you know all that tradition is like a we doing it like as on on Saturdays or but when we are working the everyday stuff she's doing like a spaghettis and we eat spaghettis you know with meatballs or mashed potato with steak chicken we eating we in Panama we eat American uh huh that that is something and that will be good also for stuff that people don't know about Panama that they think like we eat tacos like because we are Hispanics and no we eat American in food we don't have too much when they ask us about the what are you cooking Panama the same the same thing Sisa you talked about seasoning what are some of the key seasonings Panamanian seasonings okay we have oregano the the Rosemary Rosemary we use Rosemary and also the thyme the thyme we use um let me see the UH1 one thing I was mentioned before the coriander coriander yes we use coriander I got turmeric ha ha we use kurkuma what is that kurkuma is I I believe is like a like a in here is I honestly mix up my the name of my spices in French and English so I also I'm not the right person to ask but tumeric yes so it's the other it's like a it's like a like a brother of the coriander yes but it's not it's Indian it's a little spicy and you get you get those from Panama oh yeah cause they're more flavorful than oh my god you don't have no I heard that so this is this is different it's like a the sun and the and the moon I and now when I go into Panama frequently I bring all my seasoning from there because we got all those descendants of those people they are still in Panama and they continue their tradition you know the garlic it's so different from here different and let me tell you something in Panama because we are four four million people you know and people they like to be have the seasoning they cannot sell any any any no seasoning stuff because they're going to be broke so the the the um the main business they know they have to have a good seasoning in their stuff to be set we seasoning everything and especially important in color yes it's a you know when you you know something about Panama is that you know we got flavor but it is but it's because like a a game and I I'm sorry for repeat myself but you know we are a melting pot melting pot and and and because of that is that we are so proud of our cuisine and everything that we do gonna be flavorful tell me now what's one Panamanian tradition you've kept alive here in Alabama okay we every Sunday we cook together we dancing we put the radio from Panama we have a radio from our town colón that we listen every single Sunday so a lot of people they will ask me what what day you going to show Saturday because Sunday for us is a if a if or bombing to remember about where we coming from and for remember how about culture it's mean like a in Panama right now last week was the independent day so over there they have a march and all that a Celebration over there we want to hear about it we put the TV and hear the the the march and also when we are in in Sunday it's like a example we going to clean the house if you ask a Panamanian Sunday in Sunday in Panama they will tell you that they cleaning the house with music because music helping you to not be so mad because you have to clean so cleaning music dancing but but let me tell you I gonna go deeper in in in that part where where that come from is like a everything's come from blue collar people in Panama people used to work hard like especially you know poor people middle class from Monday pretty much to throw to through Saturday and then Sunday is off exactly and then you know people used to do family meals for Sunday because everybody is so busy from Monday through Saturday that they don't have time to eat a big food when I say a big food is like a the lasagna the stuff that we gonna do and in in Panama you know on Sunday we say like a okay our grandmother great great grandmothers they used to to cook the big foods you know for Sunday and all the family come together yeah come together but also we have modified that with years you know the we we say like we're gonna do the big meals but also we're gonna clean the house because you know that is a is something because we are working every day and and we don't have time to clean the bathrooms the the carpets stuff like that and but also because of that customs the radio station people they play the best music that day because they know what the people are doing at home and they want like a people doing those stuff at home listen them play the music and and everything is like at the perfect Storm you know and Julio have a tradition and Julio call the radio station and he always say oh please eh eh eh telling the radio that we come we are we are listening the radio station right now from Birmingham Alabama oh you call the radio no no I I text them because you don't remember you know with the technology you know now and you know I don't know and you use WhatsApp you know it is a WhatsApp is one like a messenger stuff yeah so you can text them and text them they can give you a shout out yeah I text live yeah shout out say I said like a hey I want to report sintony you know Susan and Julio Fernandez from Birmingham Alabama yeah and then they say on the radio like oh my god you know Susan Julio you know and have a good time they say old that you know and and also and we do like a we request yeah the music like a hey you know play this please you know when you got a time and they say like a okay you know now that we got time we gonna play this song for Susan and Julio Fernandez in Birmingham behind Alabama you know I'm a limited and we start to dancing and everything everything everything so we doing more now because before when my daughter wasn't home she she she's she eh she don't know about that she don't know about salsa we put it in there and then always she say like a always and the music oh is the same no no no no no no no no and then I and I say we tried to be respectful but now we how emptiness we are emptiness you what is uh the the channel for the radio we have FM but in the one though high stereo high stereo is uh you go on the internet it is in the internet it is in the internet and I okay yeah I don't have to die like uh the old fashioned stuff is a that is the reason why I don't remember but I believe a hot stereo is a a 102.3 FM in Panama we can add those in the show notes too if people are interested to yes well Sundays sound so much fun at your house um you can talk with your husband if you want one day and we have fun you know it's a but you know that day you know ISA you're gonna you're not gonna look me like this I gonna be in shorts you know like casual yeah casual you know I gonna be you know like yeah ISA yeah because working yeah yeah yeah um and then with the music come the dancing that is a big part of your culture salsa merengue reggaeton bachata bachata reggaeton not really reggaeton no let's reggaeton yeah yeah because you know remember we are older you know okay who's the better dancer me absolutely yeah I love that I think you agree that's good Julio did your mom's rule about knowing how to dance stick with you absolutely you know she was the the one that that was like a her mission in life to make every one of her kids and and that is a in our hometown you said that you were the only boy too eh yes but that's with my with my dad because I'm a only child of the relationship between my dad and my mom I'm the only boy of my dad but with my mom I got two more brothers and a sister and that is I grew up with them my mom she was a for her was very important that we were dancers that we we know how to dance because for her was like a something about pride and also like I don't want anyone of my kids to embarrass me I'll be in a party in a Celebration or whatever in Panama we call you know to have to left legs that mean that you can't dance you can't that that is another that is a I don't know if that that makes sense in English but to have both of my legs are left you know I don't have right that mean the you know like a I'm doing something that you know and I remember that she used to and that was like her mission in life their mission I'm telling you she used to put me you know like a like you know in in I'm sorry you know in we won't be able to hear you we won't be able to hear you I'm sorry yeah it's okay it's okay I'm sorry if you can describe it yeah in in her food in her feet I'm sorry you will step on her feet in her feet and she will move and then yeah she was you know like a telling me how I have to do it and that's when I was little and and then you know I was growing and she said like a you need to perfect it and she used to and I and then I was heavier but she she want no but you have to do this and you have to do that and then she used to say like a just copy me and I say like you know I was at that time but let me tell you I was at that time so angry you know like a what the hell she's doing what but let me tell you that hell me in life because now I can dance I can do stuff but everything is because that woman she took the time and she say like you don't understand me now but you going to understand me in the future but in my case my dad my dad teach me to dance my dad he sure did it in the same way and and her mom teach him that I I had to be in his his step and then he danced with me and I remember Sunday it was Sunday he put the music loud and then he started dancing with me and he teach me my dad teach me and my mom too and let me tell you in Suzette case her dad he used to have a lot of technology because he used to work in a company they they used to be distributor of a brand called Sanyo I don't know if you remember but that was a a Japanese brand but they used to do all the music stuff the equipment at that time we used to call what is like a 3 in 1 mm hmm there was like a the to play your records to to put your cassette and the radio and also the radio was like a three in one and let me tell you you know they used to have all the technology in the 80s 70s and 80s they were like a superior than other people because her dad used to work in that company I just want to to put that she was in in advantage was it typical for your parents growing up to dance in the living room absolutely all the time I see I grow like that every Sunday every Sunday my dad eh if we're not going to uh to my grandparents'house my my grandmother eh she live eh in front of the beach so eh always Sunday my my dad he want to to fish because my dad loves to fish so we going over there to fish and all that the stuff or we going to my and my mom's side we going to the lake so it was a Sunday but when we are staying home my mom put my dad put music loud so everybody can everybody in the in the neighborhood that is you know that is something loud loud you know you you you have to to understand that it's not just like a the music that we are listening loud loud it it is a it's so loud though your neighbors they can both of the neighbors they doing the same thing they doing the same they yeah everybody is yeah it was like our custom you know it's a I don't know why but I cannot tell you why but the music is part of us exactly it's you know the but the salsa meringue now a little bit of bachata bachata yeah but but at that time was more you know it's right now it's like I going to take I take my car when I go to my car I put salsa music I put a radio from Panama yeah you know that's the reason why you know Panamanians we identify a lot with the Hispanic but like a from Puerto Rico and and also you know Dominican Republic because we have pretty much like a the same we actually Panamanian we adopt their music because Cubans there was a mix in there yeah they were the originals but yeah we we adopt their their music that is the the reason why you know I just in the cultural way is like a for example with Mexican you know I enjoy a good mariachi I love to hear you know mariachi but I'm not too much in the eh what they call northenia music you know like a northern music that is like a the band like Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom you know I I I don't like that too much because I didn't grow up with that I grew up with the salsa so when uh I have one of my best friend and she's from Puerto Rico and every time we going to her house in Christmas or in uh New Year yes is dancing is salsa music so we were dancing over there like a weird home yeah like a weird home and then the Puerto Ricans they do something the the we love but but we don't do too much in Panama but I love when they do it it's like a Puerto Ricans they like when they are like a interacting like a we are right now they bring instruments oh yes they bring you know like a the maracas maracas is like yeah yeah and then you know it and and also they bring a tambourine yeah so all the Caucasian all the Caucasian stuff and and and they want to have and we are here we are you know having some drinks and whatever but we are playing you know music playing music dancing well such a great way to bring people together and to have a great time and build memories that stick Julio I wanna talk about the language learning um you've spoken passionately about learning English before and not just to survive but to thrive and I think you both are just great example of taking the challenge of learning a language you've never mastered before and then being able to speak it and work in that language and and live in it what do you think mastering English or why do you think mastering English matters so much for immigrant success yes so you say it perfectly I believe though you know in order to to be successful here in the United States or in any other country you have to to learn the language properly in order to to be successful eh I remember the when we came here in 2,002 and we used to live in the Center Point area and one day I was in a gas station I was here just like a no at that moment yeah I was you know a few month here um and I was in in this close to the yeah intersection with the Interstate 59 in in what is a certain point and I was in that gas station and I was having trouble to be able to pump gas and I went inside to the clerk and I I imagine I was talking in a broken English and there was a lady she was very rude with me and she embarrassed me because she told me like uh she didn't understand me and but she was she wasn't like a the person that was trying to understand me she was the person that told me like a you have to get out of here because I have no idea what you're talking about and let me tell you I was 32 years old at that time this mean that I am I'm not dummy you know I I am you know I believe that I'm smart and everything but I just at that moment I didn't know the language but she treat me like I was a dummy man and and and and let me tell you I want I remember I not wasn't able even to tell her what I want to tell her just get out of the gas station I went back off in my car with my tail between my legs and got dark you know and I went and and I went to another gas station that was just across the street and I pumped the gas but at that moment I feel I I remember I felt so embarrassed with myself nobody knew what's going on just me that I said like a this never gonna happen to me again because the next time that I have to go inside to a gas station you know at that moment that's what I was thinking I was able to tell the lady or the man whatever he is the clerk hey I need $20 to pump gas or or or I want to fill up you know my my tank and let me tell you that was one of my motivations because I said like I don't want to going through this again because at that moment I was like a because I know me and at that time affect me so bad that I was for days in my mind remembering that stuff and I was like I'm kind of like a depression you know like just thinking about yeah in my head I was repeating you know watching the the the face of that woman talking to me in in in in that way and and I said like that never gonna happen again and let me tell you never again happen so that would that became your motivation what was the next step that you took from that moment how did that evolve into you learning English to walk us through just kind of that process once when when I was in that stuff I remember the something the success say that I say like a because I was you know the Panamanian I said like I wanna learn every day a new word and I have I used to have a dictionary there was a that Webster dictionary and I said like I wanna learn every day you know five words five new words I don't know how to put it together in a sentence here I mean a sentence yet but I gonna learn words what that means and and and I I was doing that stuff every day every day every single day learning a new word and then once when was like after a year two years doing that stuff every day I said like a you know I I knew like a OK because I don't want to talk you know like a the the Indian in the cowboy's movies I said like I have to put all this in sentences and then I start to learn how to conjugate verbs and stuff like that and then and I and I remember that I told Susette the also I didn't want to work with Hispanic people but not because you know I have any I actually you know I love my my my people but I I wanted to work with American people because I wanted to be out of my comfort zone my comfort zone was to speak Spanish and I said like I don't want to speak Spanish because that is natural in me I want to be you know with the southern people from here talking me like a hey hold up come on man you have to go up there and do this and and that's what I did my first job was in a fireplace company working in a small eh family business fireplace stuff people from here from Alabama Southern people then and let me tell you they embraced me and I remember at the beginning I was having a hard time to understand them because they got this country you know southern accent but little by little you know I work for them like a six years I Learned and let me tell you that was you know my introduction you know to Alabama he started saying hey y'all and and let me tell you and how I I I realized that I was learning the language I start to dream in English I was sleeping and I was in my dreams I was speaking in English because now I knew you know I got new friends new people you know I wasn't just talking in English with people in Panama I was talking in English with my friends here I was dreaming about for example with you I was talking in English with you I was talking with Ronnie with Ratney you know the people that and I say like when I used to wake up I say that oh my gosh I was speaking English in my dream how fun did he did he ever wake you up uh dreaming in English I don't remember well he he been he been telling me like I now I um I dreaming in English I say good for you I know in that that area yet was this how was this experience for you of learning English was it a similar journey for you or no no what's that because my first job I was a waiter in Golden Corral Golden Corral was is a restaurant and all the kitchen was Spanish so I cannot practice the English that way over there so um and then um remember what I say about in the beginning I was fighting with myself to learning I I saw Julio that he was oh my god he can communicate it and he can do all that the stuff but in the same way I feel I felt uh frustrated I felt like a oh my god I'm 32 years old and I have to learn I know that language it was frustrating but then when I decided to do it then I Learned it but then when we are um because I work in Golden Corral for seven year who lose six as seven and then when we start to work together in the in the household we speak Spanish so then Julio's eh continue to um have friend that speak eh English and then I have friends I speak Spanish but in the same way we don't speak we don't see TV in in Spanish so that thing help me my dad speak full English I speak with him in Spanish so I wasn't fighting to to do but now when I decided we decided to eh start our our careers eh my eh when I work is full English so I feel I I saw myself now like oh my god you really speaks English because I'm being communicated with them in eh eh all the time and I and I drinking English now so it's been different and then you know woman have different in in the house you have to to do eh in my in oh we I cook eh I had to be organized the house I had to do all the um grocery by the grocery by everything that the house have been ordered so we have another worries that the I mean the men going and they they going and work I work but in the same way I have another thing that I had to do I had to make sure the house is clean I had to make sure my daughter was going to school I had to make sure she had the the homework done and in the school car I was in another area of my my life you know so when she left the house then they say oh my god I have I can do something and then and let me tell you something very interesting in this point so I was a um my career my career but at we I studied accounting yes so I remember I take accounting because my mom said oh you will take accounting it's easy you have a job so I did that and I say but I never was passionate about it but I was pride I always study and I try to to pass the the eh school uh so for me was like OK but then now with my job I discover that I really like accounting so I like a when you you give me a you say su eh su set please do a PNL or balance sheet I love it I love it that is something I discovered now because when I was in Panama was not my thing it's like okay I'm not accounting but it's not like a oh Pero now I love to do it so I discovered myself in all these 23 year we here I discovered that myself in different stuff so uh for me now I know I I I speak English haha I laughing but it's the true when I go to my country when my um my family around we went to a place that they speak English I can interpret it for them or if we can see a video I can tell them oh this is what they say so I feel proud of myself in that in in in in the English but I'm not that obsessed obsessed about it eh is I can speak Spanish eh even I speak Spanish like is I call a TNT and and they say one for English and two for Spanish I going to put two yeah OK OK I I don't do that what do you do I do English English you do English English you challenge yourself I I yeah I always want to be out of my comfort zone you know I'm a little bit like that in the sense that I would do that in Spanish I had to call Amazon I think or or something of service I was like oh let's try it and the person on the phone was so kind she was like oh cause I told her ahead of time that I I picked that for learning the language and she was like oh yeah I'm happy to like kept going in Spanish if you want cause I think at some point I was looking for my words and uh just so kind I think sometimes people don't realize you're just trying to immerse yourself and if they know like they if unless they they are in a hurry or something like they I find that they will take the time in the beginning I used to be like that you know I used to you know to tell them like I hey I want you to know the you know English I mean English is my second language I don't know how to speak well but I want to you know to try and they used to be very you know when I used to do that introduction they were very welcome you know with me you know it's a and they used to to help me but I but I used to do that you know to challenge you know myself in in my case when they um I say I want to speak do you have a interpreter or you have somebody to speak in Spanish this is what I say and they say no I say don't worry about it I speak English and I imagine they like a but sometimes you want to just get your task done absolutely and you don't want to have to bother no speaking of yourself no the only thing I'm thinking about the um that the Hispanic people have a jobs because if we start to not speak Spanish that's very important they don't need it so they're going to not looking for yeah so this is what I always try to do in Spanish I'm building this yeah I need selfish you know I'm sorry you know I'm sorry you're studying law at 55 not everyone would be I mean you talked about being willing to get out of your comfort zone this is another thing you're doing to get out of your comfort zone I mean what made you decide to go back to school let me tell you what's up the Amari family you know they are all at almost everybody is an attorney and my best friend was you know the the head of the family but you know his son uh he gave me you know a proposal to say somehow uh and he told me like I you know you can't work a part time with me and I gonna pay you this you know we agree you know the payment and everything and then he told me he was the one he told me you know what you can do this and use this you know to go to law school mm hmm and when he told me he's the same school that he graduated and when he told me that I say like and I remember his dad I don't know I never got that conversation with him I don't know that coming from his a conversation that him with his dad that he's my friend but to make a long story short he offered me that and I said like a OK let's do it and he's paying me that money is like a scholarship mm hmm you know that I don't have to take any money from my household you know stuff no loans no loans no nothing you know the what he pay me is enough you know to pay my tuition um my boots and and everything um and that is the and and and that is the motivation you know at the beginning because you know he told me to do that but also you know when he gave he sold me the the idea I realized that I'm 55 and because you know my immigration situation all this year I I don't have you know four 1 k IRA or anything and I said like I need to do something very you know quickly to have a immediate you know good incomes you know to have a better life and I realized the was doing this this is my retirement plan retirement plan because uh I night when I start to practice law you know that my intention is to be a judge uh huh hmm isn't that longer to become a judge no no not not not not really you just have to be an attorney of course you know it's so serious you know and and you have to run for the office you know for the office you know here is a an election stuff I I don't know it's gonna be possible but that's what I want to do well I I hope it will at the end of the session how do you think um your legal knowledge will help others in your community I believe that you know I've been doing that you know before to be an attorney because I I've been with a a married family for 20 two years uh huh you know and helping people eh Hispanic people and me as an interpreter uh huh and learning from the attorneys every time that I'm interpreted that's amazing so Seth I'm curious what do you think of Julio I'm so proud about him he and when he told me I remember he say um I want to go to the um to the law school and of course it's a sacrifice for the family because and for three days in the week I don't see my husband oh I going to sleep and maybe I because I'm and eh getting old ha ha ha ha so then eh

00 so I don't see Julio and then in the morning when I wake up and I try to always say hi bye whatever but it's three day that I don't see him and like any way we see him before so it's a sacrifice also you know the stress to be in law school is something different that I I uh experiment before and and because Julio is a now he had to study more time he had to have more time alone and I understand that part so the good thing about this is that he put always family first so the his mission is to finish law school and then because he thinking about retire eh that going to help us to have a a senior years and with comfortable economy so for me I am so proud and I always I've I told Julio that I'll be supporting 100% 200% 300% so whatever he need and he know that he tell me I cannot do this and this is why eh before we go into everybody but now I go I represented the family so I go into the parties and I and I told people like I all my husband he knows the story right now so he not be um he had to emerge in his school you're a team I mean you're being a team player that's what I told her is to say we are a team all the time all the time all the time that's exactly you know easy no that's so important yes because you have a vision for what you want for your family and you're making I don't say that it's easy because before I can call my husband all the time and I've been telling telling him like a a joke or something now he's not in the joke area anymore but it's still uh I um I understand I really understand I love that um I have a question for both of you I'd like your own answer to that one um looking back if you could talk to your younger selves that couple arriving from Panama in 2020 and 22 what would you say to them now in my case I would say you know to let's say the 21 years old Julio I would say like uh take it easy man you know everything gonna be fine you know because at that time I was so nervous uh huh anxious I used to have a lot of anxiety uh huh and and thinking about you know like and now you know when I see back I say like uh chill out man you know everything gonna be alright uh huh just like you know everything gonna be alright mm hmm good what about you Susan uh you know I'm I'm almost like who you say the only thing I can add is that I will say to Susan eh pay attention more about your rounds live the life you're living now don't the future is the future I don't know you're going to be in the future so you just have to be more um I can say like a more in the any moment and eh I remember I always was thinking about what we going to do tomorrow but and I um I can say that I I lost a lot of moments to be thinking about the future in that moment it's me like a I was I want a it's a it's a party maybe I not feel it 100% in there because I've been thinking about the future and I not enjoy the moment the moments so stay in the moment so or is it stay in the moment yeah that's a good thing Mommy yeah that's a good thing now what does home mean to you today Panama Alabama both Alabama for me is Alabama is I you know I was born in Panama of course I love Panama I remember always you know my childhood and everything but when I think about home it's Birmingham Alabama and let me tell you my heart everything is here and and and to be more I don't know if this is the right expression but to be more extreme I I would die here uh huh do you know and I wanna be buried here you know it's like this is this is home you know actually when the last time that I was in Panama I remember that I was with my family and we were in Christmas time and everything and and then in a moment I remember that that I said like a it's time to go back home uh huh uh huh and home was here come back here uh huh absolutely and I was in Panama the place that I was born and everything but I wanted to come back here absolutely I always remember the um one of the time I went to Panama alone and I come back eh and the immigration eh officer asked me where are you going and I say I go home and I never forget that I say I go home because this is my home this is my home I I see every moment when I'm in here especially in my my my home we did this together we did every furniture in the home everything in our life is here so I will not say anything you know a lot of people they say like a oh we want to retire in in or back to our country I don't see myself in that and I respect them but I not see myself in that I see myself that I want to be like Julio Cebary here um in in Birmingham Alabama wow that's making me a little emotional to hear you to speak yeah that's a good well really you're reminding us that home it's not just a place it's a it's what you build through love through hardships through experiences and you've done that together excellent yeah and we have been here for 23 years almost 24 and you know it's a long time here you know and and we have you know learn how to to love you know this place you know and that's the reason why we are here mm hmm you know is that and and and to be honest with you you know I want to elaborate a little bit more in that this like I don't want to pretend that that that we are more Alabamian than people that were were born here but you know sometime is the reality of of things you know people they were born here they they they have to be here we are here for election absolutely we elect to be here we we we decided to be here and we enjoy ourselves being here mm hmm nobody have obligated us to be here exactly you know this a and and and and that is something that you know that is powerful uh huh because we are here because we decided to Sweet Home Alabama well on this perfect note Susette Julio muchas Gracias por todo it was a pleasure having you thank you very much for your time thank you for having us thank you for having us and if you enjoy this episode make sure to follow from where to here and in the meantime keep exploring thank you for tuning in to from where to here if you enjoyed this episode be sure to hit subscribe leave a review and share it with someone who loves discovering new cultures follow us on Instagram at from where to hear pod for exclusive updates behind the scenes moments and a peek at upcoming guests until next time keep learning keep connecting and keep celebrating the beauty of languages and cultures adiós