Trivial Matters

There are many entertainment options to choose from in Boquete. Since there are so many gringos here, many of them cater to the expat crowd.

There’s a skating rink in Boquete, which seems a little odd in itself, since many of the expats here are retirees. You would think that roller skating is an activity geared toward a younger crowd, since oldsters might be wary of falling and perhaps breaking a hip. 🙂 It was built by an expat on the younger end of the spectrum, and since it’s a large enclosed area, it can double as an event center, as well.

Every other Tuesday evening, a large expat group gathers at the skating rink to play trivia. I had heard about the trivia game while on the relocation tour, and since I was fairly good at Trivial Pursuit back in the day, I had always intended to join in – I just hadn’t gotten around to it yet.

Tim and I finally got the urge to go there a couple of weeks ago. Lots of people (I heard later that there were 83 in attendance) and lots of chatter in an echo-filled building. They also had a snack bar with hot dogs, fries, wraps, and deserts, . Frankly, all the noise and unfamiliarity was a bit intimidating at first, but I quickly became accustomed to the hubbub.

Each table is a team, and has a score sheet with the day’s topics, divided into to two halves of the game. When the “caller” announces the question, the team discusses it and agrees on an answer. One person from the team writes the answer down and takes it up to the person keeping score, who tells them if the answer is right or wrong. 

At the end of the game, there’s a bonus question where the team can bet however many of their points they wish to get their final score. That part is sort of like the final round on Jeopardy.

It’s kind of fun, and a way to meet new people. I’m not totally in love with this activity as a regular event, but it’s good to push myself past my comfort level occasionally and participate in some of the social events around town.