christmas

I just want to send out Merry Christmas greetings to all. I´ll be spending Christmas here in my community in Panama. Not quite sure what the plans are. Something about the tropical climate makes it feel not quite like Christmas, but I´m looking forward to seeing new cultural celebrations.
Merry Christmas to all!! Feliz Navidad!!

Development Theory

So, I’m in Peace Corps. Thus, I am in a “third world,” “underdeveloped” or “developing” country. Here’s my International Relations/American University opinion of this experience.
I am not in a “third world” country, in whatever negative, patronizing connotations that might hold. If you think I am surrounded by huts, famines, and big-bellied parasitic children, I am not.
Instead, let’s think of “developing.” Developing countries, in the true active sense of this word, are moving from the rural to the urban. from subsistence to money-making agriculture, from isolated to connected, from illiterate to educated, from poor to middle class, etc. There are many indicators of development. Some of the key elements of “developing” countries are falling birthrates, increasing education, urbanization, professional jobs, and infrastructure. Ports, roads, railways, airports, telecommunications infrastructure are all being developed.
Thus, we come to my site. This was the view from my front door this morning:




That’s right. The road is a coming. Now, my site wasn’t like some where volunteers have to hike in. We had a paved road. It was old and full of potholes, but cars could come through. But, in Panama’s development, new roads are important. Thus, I often heard of this “ruta sur” or road that would connect Cerro Punta and Boquete and would pass through town. This will change travel time from like 4 to 1 hours between the two towns. I spent one week out of site in a training seminar. When I arrived back, about 3 feet of my yard had disappeared. Two days ago, another couple feet were gone. Tubes lay in the streets, dump trucks pass by every half hour. Unfamiliar construction workers holler at me. Heavy machinery and equipment appeared in the streets.
Development was happening.
Now, noise is everywhere. Knick-knacks fell off shelves and my walls shook like I was in an earthquake. As I walked to the store this morning, people in my community had paused mid-morning and huddled together to watch the machines at work.
This road will cut transport time substantially. It will be a much more efficient route between two large cities. Transport in and out of my town will be better. More tourists will begin passing through my town. We will have the opportunity to open restaurants, sell items, and make more money. Yet, the traffic will be higher and faster. No longer will I be able to stroll the streets, stopping to visit my neighbors. My town will become merely a town along a highway.
Development is happening.

A day in the life

People always ask what a typical day is like. The answer is that all the days are kind of the same and no two days are alike. I mean, whenever I try to think back about what I accomplished in a given week, it blurs together. But, here’s a schedule from Yesterday
6:30/7 am: woke up. My puppy was whining outside, but I tried to ignore her. I knew I could sleep in today. I probably slept in until like 7:30. I then fed the puppy and started making my breakfast of coffee and cereal, the normal. I then frittered away a few morning hours sweeping, looking through English teaching materials, reading Jerry Bridges, and keeping alert for any havoc the puppy might wreak.
10 am: caught the bus. I needed to by some screen because tomorrow in the school we’ll be making recycled paper. Since asking at the agropecuaria store in Potrerillos was fruitless, I needed to look elsewhere. I could have gone to David, but didn’t feel like it. So, I decided to just go to Dolega. Luckily, my friend and “comadre” Rebecca was on the same bus so I could chat with her and my “goddaughter” Astrid. We both got off in Dolega. I used the time to buy the screen, some groceries that can’t be found in the local tienda, and call my parents since the pay phone in town in broken.
12 noon: caught the bus from Dolega back to town. I hadn’t wanted to stay out long. Was back in town within a half hour. Made some lunch, which was reheating a tamale I’d bought at a community event the day before. Played with the dog. Started to read a little. Decided to go Pasear before it got later.
1/1:30 pm: left house. Called Marina to let her know I’d stop by her house so she could chain up the dog that has tried to kill me. Walk up the dirt road about 10 minutes to get to her house. Chat with her parents. She feeds me some lunch (my second) and some coffee. We chat about the environmental group and planning a meeting and what she had done while going to the environmental network meeting.
3 pm: leave Marina’s house. On my way down the hill I stop by to talk with Jose and Amarilis. Jose is president of the environmental group and Amarilis is school chef extrodonaire and member of the group. I ask Amarilis the same questions I’d been talking to Marina about. And we all talk about planning a meeting for the environmental group (which they haven’t had since I’ve arrived). While I’m there, it starts to downpour. This means I’m pretty much trapped in the house, plus, rain on a zinc roof ensures we can’t hear each other.
4:30/5 pm: The rain finally stops. After we’re sure it won’t start again, and the approaching night ensures we have to leave anyway, Amarilis and I venture down the hill and I return to my house, where my dog is super happy to see me, and more happy about the food she will be fed.
6 pm: Make myself a delicious dinner of rice and lentils. Enjoy some reading in my hammock. Listen to “Blanco y Negro” the best radio program that is pure 80s rock magic. Take a shower. Then, I went about preparing some screens for the papermaking the next day in the school.
9:30/10 pm: Go to bed

Here’s Today’s Schedule

7 am: wake up. Feed the dog. Make coffee and cereal breakfast. I notice the water is being tempermental, and the faucet is starting to dry out. Thus, I don’t wear my contacts.
8:30 am: I get a later start to the school than I had originally planned, but I carry my screens and head to the school. I plan to use the first couple hours to set stuff up, and then make paper after recess. When, I get to the school, I discover that the school is without water. The construction up the road cut the pipes so the community will be without water the whole day. Without water, we can’t make paper. Plus, the kids will be let out early to avoid the bathroom mess and lack of drinking water. I hang around the school for a few hours helping Amarilis make the crema (fortified drink all school children are given everyday to ensure they aren’t malnourished.) and wash the dishes and shoot the breeze.
11:30am: I leave the school. One girl Paola, that lives across the street, tells me I need to come to her house. I go. It gives me the opportunity to chat with my neighbors, and I end up getting a soup lunch out of it, which was delicious.
12:30: go back home. Play with the puppy a little, read a little
1 pm: I go to visit Rosa and “comadre” Rebecca. Rebecca and I had previously talked about going to church that night so I ask if they’re still planning on going, and if they know what time. Chat a little. I head back home. It starts downpouring rain as soon as I arrive, so I just hang around my house a little.
3 pm: Once the rain has cleared, I put my laptop in my backpack and start walking to “the gringos.” There happens to be another American couple living in my town. They are very nice, occasionally give me family time eating lasagna and watching U.S. TV shows. They also have wifi internet. They bought extra laptops to allow community kids, or peace corps volunteers , to come to the house and use internet. I check my e-mail, send a message to my parents about what we’d discussed the day before, try downloading some stuff on iTunes (too slow).
5 pm: knowing I have to go to church later, I head back home. Cook a little dinner. Feed the puppy. The house is still without water. Luckily, it’s been raining, so the jars a left out and are at least full of rainwater.
6:30 pm: The bus shows up to take us to a church service in a nearby community, about 10 of us go.
10 pm: Leave the church and return to my pueblo. Super tired, and the house still dry, I go straight to bed.

Crocs

I hated Crocs. Along with Uggs, I considered them the ugliest footwear. I could not understand how they could be trendy. Perhaps for 2 year old boys, they were less offensive, but never for an adult. I gagged every time I saw these neon colored, swiss-cheese clogs.
In Panama, cheap clothes and shoes and general knockoffs are abundant. Teva-like flip flops? 2 bucks. Fake crocs? 2 bucks. I noticed these fake crocs were pretty popular, but I just brushed it off as something horrible from America creeping South.
I will now admit that I own two pairs of fake crocs. They are also my favorite thing to wear. Let me explain. Here in Panama, it rains 9 months of the year (referred to as “winter” though I’m sure the temperature is the same). Many roads are dirt and rock, and even asphalt roads have horrible drainage, and basically turn into a swimming pool when it rains. Most of the other volunteers I know wear exclusively rubber boots.




I, being in a “ye-ye” or rich site, with a paved road, don’t need to wear boots too much. I was actually wearing my rubber boots the other day, and my neighbors all laughed at me, asking me if I’d just bought a dairy farm. But, I was getting frustrated in footwear. Sneakers don’t work, because I’m usually squishing around in them or they get super muddy. Flip flops also don’t work, because, while they dry faster, my whole foot gets wet, and I’m sliding around, plus ants can still bite me.





Then, it dawned on me…. These fake crocs might serve for something. I bought a pair on impulse. A few days later, I had worn them over to a neighbor’s house, which involves walking a muddy entrance to get to. She looked at my shoes, and was like “ah, you’re learning.” A week later I bought a second pair. They are great. They’re pretty comfy. They more-or-less (not perfectly) protect your feet from getting wet or muddy, and they dry super fast.
Yes, little changes that take place while living in another country. Who ever would have thought I’d write an ode and blog entry to the shoes I once despised.

6 months in country

I have now been living in my community a little over 3 months, which was the rough “adjustment” amount of time Peace Corps gives us. I feel like I’ve adjusted pretty well. I don’t yet feel part of the community (hey, I’ve only lived here 3 months), but I feel well accepted. I feel comfortable with people from all the different families and sectors, hopefully transcending small town cliques. I feel respected. I’m not sure the people know why I’m here yet, but they always smile and stop to converse with me, as opposed to the skepticism I originally received.
I don’t think the cultural transition for me has been an U.S. to Panama transition. It’s more of a city to country transition. I’m sure if I had grown up in a small, farming town in the U.S., I would feel like I was at home here (just without a winter and with occasional monkey sightings). But, I came from a city of great unfriendliness, competition, and ambition where I never actually spoke to my neighbors in my apartment building. Conversations revolved around politics and trying to appear cultured and smart. Here, my conversations revolve around the rain, cows, sugarcane, and extensive families where everyone is related. If I don’t greet someone in the street, that’s an affront. My afternoons usually include just wandering around town and showing up at peoples’ doors just to shoot the breeze. Doors remain open so visitors will stop by, and some juice and cookies usually await. The rat race pace of life has given way to a slower pace where I occasionally put off tasks for weeks. And of course, rain is a great excuse to not do anything but take a nap.
One very cool experience I had about a month ago was attending a velorio (wake). I know these exist in the U.S., but this was my first. A guy in town died in Panama City. I hadn’t met him, but I know the family. First, people went around collecting money to help bring the body back (just like they had collected money to send him to the City for the care he needed). The family awaited the body. The night that the body arrived, the street in front of their house was full. Basically the entire town came out to stop by the house just so the family wouldn’t feel alone. Some went inside to talk or pass by the body, but many just hung out in front, and the street was full of people. I only stopped by around 9-10 PM, but apparently people will stay all night. The next day, most turned out for the funeral and then traveled with the people that have trucks for the burial. It was somber, not really social. But, I really felt like part of the community.

My new house

Above you will see a picture of my new house. Yes, I’ve lived with random families for six months. Upon arriving in my community, I started asking around for the house I could possibly rent after the 3 months of mandatory host family ended. People all told me there wasn’t anything, and were generally shocked that a young woman would live on her own (which is possibly why they told me there wasn’t anything when there was). They still act somewhat concerned for my safety, mostly because malientes exist like an hour away. But, after enough asking around, I found some different options, and then my final arrangement. One woman in my town (“La Negra”) actually lives and works in another town, and only returns every couple weeks to visit her parents. Otherwise, the house just sits unused. So, I now have a house. I mean, I’m kind of renting it/kind of permanently housesitting. But, it’s right in the middle of town, and it was almost completely furnished, down to the mandatory Virgin Mary pictures. I’m very happy. I went out and bought a hammock right away for the front porch. Putting my house in order has been a lot of work, but I’m very happy. And a great burden has been lifted as I finally have a space of my own in the middle of my community.

Some pictures

These are some pictures from the school, from our garden. From the organic farm that my environmental group has. From a baptism in the river

news

Enjoy these pictures.
Life keeps moving on. I’m starting to feel more accepted by my community, with friendships, conversations, and plenty of jokes. I get lots of laughter. I like to think my community members think I’m funny. The other side of this is that I’m starting to get some male suitors. My host dad thinks it’s great. I’ve transitioned into this more traditional society where I think my host dad is selling me off for a cow or something. I take advantage of it though. I told one of my friends I should have a pageant/contest, which he named “nacionalizarse la gringita.”
As far as work goes, I’m still looking into my options. This is what I have
-Environmental Education in the school. I’ve done a little of this, but I could potentially transition into a role where I teach like one class a week about the environment in my school. I already have started a school garden, too. I want to make it better, get kids learning how to grow organic.
-Environmental group. My environmental group is a little unactive right now, so some injection of energy and reorganization is needed. I think I could use this group towards their current project of tree planting, some trash management, and some environmental education charlas. The environmental group is also part of a network and we have a huge plot in a nearby community that we’re using as a demonstrative organic agriculture plot.
-Trash management. We do actually have a trash truck in my community, pretty rare for Panama. But, what I’d like to bring in is some degree of recycling and composting.
-Youth group. I’d like to start up a youth group, hopefully environmentally oriented. Youth don’t really have much stuff to do around here.
-Teach English. Yeah, not in my job description, but I might cave and teach an English class one of these days. People keep asking.
-Ecotourism promotion. No real tourists arrive to this area, but a new road will be passing through the area in the near future, and a housing development is being built nearby. There’s also a group of people that have already taken a class for promoting tourism, and want to start up some potential tours and hikes.
-Organic Fair Trade Artisanal Sugar Promotion. This is my BHAG (big hairy ambitious goal). The economic basis of my community is making a hard brown sugar cake called panela. So, sugar cane lines my streets, most men have mills to mill the sugar cane and boil it into sugar. And not bags of white industrial sugar, but real pure brown sugar, like people have made it for hundreds of years. Plus, growing sugar cane is organic. They just plant it and let it go. And all the waste is organic and used for fertilizer or firewood. My community has an association. They want to get health certified, they want to get organic certified. They want things to be better. My dream is to get some tourism, and some exportation into better markets for these guys, so they can make some money. I’m not sure how I’m gonna do it. If anyone wants to help me with this, let me know.

some musings

These are copies of an essay I wrote recently about the region of Panama I live in, called Chiriqui.

To which U.S. state can we compare Chiriqui?

Yes, Chiriqui is orgulloso. We have our own flag, and many consider Chiriqui to be its own independent republic. For this reason, I’ve heard many people compare Chiriqui to Texas. To some degree I can understand. In my community, its very cowboy. The average man of Potrerillos saunters through town in cowboy boots, a big belt buckle, and a cowboy hat, traveling either by horse, truck, or tractor. Trucks full of cows and calves drive by my house every hour or so.

I, though, would compare Chiriqui to another state. I feel that Chiriqui is more the California of Panama. Chiriqui is both a tourist and an agricultural powerhouse. Beautiful, cool, mountains and sunny beaches lie within a few hours of each other. Beautiful national parks attract hikers and visitors. Amistad and Volcan might as well be Yosemite, King’s Canyon, and Redwood. And this beautiful land provides other bounties. We don’t grow the staple rice to feed the country, like they do in the breadbasket of Veraguas (aka Midwest). But, we provide the fruits and veggies. Lettuce, berries, oranges, tomatoes, and spinach flow out of Chiriqui to keep Panama in good nutrition. Plus, Chiriqui faces an immigration problem. People are fleeing South to enjoy the mountains and sunny beaches that Chiriqui has to offer for their retirement. Plus, Chiricanos also suffer the constant threat of earthquakes.

Others have another opinion about Chiriqui. For her, Chiriqui has always been the Montana of Panama...It has tons of California (aka gringos) coming into a mountainous paradise and raising the prices for all the farmers, ranchers and nature dorks who were there before them.

Whatever the comparison, Chiriqui is a force to be reckoned with. You can develop your own comparison as you explore, but the West side is definitely the best side.

Not really news, I know. If you want that, well, life still consists of hanging out at school, visiting people, speaking Spanish...the basics.

More goodies

Yesterday, a young girl (that I am in some way “related” to, which is probably true of half the town) and I went to the supermarket close to town. This also happened to be around the time that people were getting off work and hanging out in front. We bought some cookies and left. As we walked out, she just turned to me and said, “Abby, todo el mundo estaba viendote (everyone was looking at you).” I just replied, “Esto es mi vida (This is my life).” I was reading an article by another volunteer, where she said she was the Paris Hilton to the people here. It’s kind of like that. I’m tall, blonde (people tell me all the time that I look like a Barbie), I am perceived as super rich, I have electronic gadgets, I have flown in an airplane, guys hit on me all the time only for my gringaness, and I am a subject of gossip. There are no DUIs, sex tapes, jail time, or Larry King interviews, and I try to keep my conduct super far from scandalous. But, I’m kind of a celebrity here.

No big events or news to announce, but life keeps on moving. Here are a couple more lists.

Things I didn’t like, but now I do:

1. Patacones. These are twice deep-fried, smashed green platanos. They are delicious. If you come to Panama, you must eat them. I will probably keep making them after I return to the States.
2. Being called “the Joven.” I found this insulting, being that I know I look like I’m 15, and it’s a challenge for people to respect me as an educated professional when they think I’m a high school exchange student. But, I’ve since found that Joven means more like a young professional person. I’d still prefer they called me by my actual name, and not “the joven,” “the gringa” or “the muchacha.” Though, when I once corrected some kids to call me by my name as opposed to “teacher”, the other teacher pulled me aside, and gave me a talking to about how she respected me as an educator, and these kids will show me respect.
3. Hojaldres. At first I thought they were boring, but I’ve come to realize how delicious deep-fried dough can be.

Things that are funny to Panamanians that I do or say:

1. I really like Arroz con Pollo, which is basically, rice, vegetables and chicken. Its sort of like the special celebration and birthday dish. I always act really excited when I get to eat it. I think my host dad thinks I go to special events just to eat it. People will tell me in advance that we’re going to eat it just so I can get excited. I also get very excited about rice and lentils.

2. I walk all the time.

3. I tell people I’m looking for a rich old Panamanian man, to balance out all the old Americans here that have young Panamanian girlfriends. Or, they ask me if I’m going to go to Boquete to meet some gringos, and I just reply that all the gringos there are old.

4. I make up Spanish words all the time. I made up a word for surgery. I made up the word for sweeping. Mostly people just nod and smile, but they catch me sometimes. And then its always a good story.

5. I have a really little umbrella that I can pull out of my purse.

6. I am kind to animals, pet them, and pick up all puppies and kittens.

7. And of course, the fact that I often misunderstand them. Hopefully I don’t appear as confused as I really am all the time.

Well, school has started again after two weeks of vacation. I used the time to try and meet more people and I stayed pretty busy. I got invited to a lot of different meetings. I also visited Cerro Punta and Boquete, the two mountain towns that get tourists (or retirees). Panamanians of course refer to these places as “really cold.” The day we went to Boquete, where it was probably about 60, my little niece showed up in gloves, scarf, and hat. (Photos of Boquete above).

one month in

Things are still going pretty good. I have a month in site now. In some ways, it feels like the time flew, but there were definitely some long days involved. I do feel like I’m getting more integrated, though. I mean, now people will wave at me, or call out Abby, or ask me how I am, as opposed to stare at me and whisper. The pace of life is very different from DC (polar opposite maybe). I mean, they try to warn all the volunteers about the slow pace of Panama in comparison to the U.S., but of course, DC is more fastpaced and overcharged than the average U.S. town. I was feeling bad about the occasional afternoon that I sat in the house (studying), until I found out that the most common afternoon activity in my town is napping.
To help people understand my living situation, I’ve created a couple of lists (surely to be augmented with more time in country).

Most commonly asked questions, with answers (translated for your understanding):

-Do you like it here? A: Yes, its fresca, the climate is perfect.
-Do you like the food? A: Yes, others complain, but I love Panamanian food. Lentils and rice, Rice and chicken. I love it. And I “gracias a dios” haven’t gotten sick at all.
-Have you been here long? First time in Panama? How long are you here for? A: 4 months in Panama, 1 month here. My first time. I’ll be here for two years. I’m just starting. (Side note, when I say I’m here for two years, people do like to mention that I might get married and stay here forever. I tell them its not in my plans, but hey, in two years, quien sabe).
-So, you are teaching English here in the school? A: Right now I’m just in the school getting to know the kids and the community. And no, my program is not to teach English, but to work with the environment, so I’ll be teaching environmental education in the school. (Answer useless, they still think I’m here to teach English)
-You know Anita (other white person in town), right? You live with her? A: I have met her.
-You are studying here? A: No, I’m here with Cuerpo de Paz to work and live in the community. And I’ve already graduated from the university (they are shocked because they thought I was 17).
-You’ve been to Boquete? A: Not yet (also met with shock, because I’m a gringo and I haven’t been to Boquete aka Gringo-landia)

Signs that my site is ye-ye (or nice)

1. We have paved roads and sidewalks.
2. We have a bus, it runs every hour. People are shocked when I walk somewhere instead of taking the bus. But, it gives them something to talk about (ella le gusta caminar). We also have taxis.
3. Lots of people have cars, or motorcycles, a 4 wheeler, or a tractor. (Note, many people don’t though, and a horse or the bus is also common transport).
4. Though I am sending this from an internet café, I don’t have to hike into town to get into one. In fact, there is an American family in my community, and they have internet, and I can go there and use it.
5. It is a one hour direct bus ride to get into David, second biggest town in Panama.
6. There are lots of extranjeros around.
7. I can drink the water.
8. Novelas and Vive la Musica (Panamanian American Idol) are commonly discussed topics, because everyone has a TV.
9. I have been in peoples’ homes that had computers.
10. There’s plenty of food.
11. When I meet someone, instead of telling me where they live (because they probably aren’t home a lot) they give me their cell phone number.
12. The dogs appear to be well fed, and you can’t see their bones.
13. My house has a toilet. And a shower.

Signs I am still in Peace Corps

1. I have to dodge cows while walking on the sidewalk, or when going to someone’s home.
2. People stare at me. Or whistle. Or tell me they love me.
3. There are chickens running around in everyones’ yards. These chickens are also dinner.
4. Everyone speaks Spanish
5. I ran into a (dead) Boa.
6. I eat a lot of rice
7. People are shocked to know the countries I’ve visited and ask me if its scary to be in a plane.
8. The malaria meds are making my hair fall out.
9. It is completely normal and not alarming at all that men walk around with machetes

some moments

Here is a picture of my host father killing a chicken. I helped pick off the feathers and watched and learned. Sorry, there is no picture to show that I was wearing a skirt at the time. I am one step closer to achieving my goal of killing a chicken.
Mostly, I just sit around. But, here are a few moments when I felt like I was doing something, or that I was in Peace Corps:
-The kids at school and I picked up trash in the backyard so we could plant our garden
-I convined my host father to use an organic method and not chemicals to kill the leaf-cutter ants (or arrieras)that are eating his yuca. So far, we´re trying neem and bread soaked in tabasco.
-I chewed some sugar cane. It was delicious
-I used a machete to cut down some platanos. They were delicious.

there was three months of training: visiting new places, going to the beach, taking classes, hanging out with 45 other trainees. But, now training is over. I’m off in my site by myself beginning to integrate into a community. But now, the real job and adventure is beginning. So far, its been pretty overwhelming. There’s about 500 people to meet. Lots of Spanish to be spoken. And of course, I need to start helping them protect the natural environment.
But, it has its moments too. I usually go to the school in the morning, get to know the kids (and hopefully they’ll introduce me to their parents). I’m also pretty much a celebrity at the school. As soon as get nearby, all these children run out of their classrooms screaming “Abi!!” and I get a lot of hugs. And a lot of little notes welcoming me to the community and telling me how much they love me. I’m not sure what the reason is for loving me, other than being that skinny gringa that comes to school. But, the enthusiasm of the children is highly appreciated. My second day, we already started working on school garden. Sadly, the reconstruction of the septic tank means that we are currently on a hiatus. But, I have plans.
There are otherwise lots of other moments. Mostly I’m just hanging out right now. I mean, I’m working on the community analysis.  But, I meet new people everyday. People I’ve never met know my name. I usually have to clear up the fact that I’m not here to teach English. But, all the moms see me here by myself and want to take care of me, and the Principal of my school calls me “mi niña.” Poco a poco, I´m getting somewhere.

In other humorous stories. I was sitting in the kindergarten class in my school. The teacher asked the students the different between boys and girls. One boy stood up, and in true Kindergarten Cop style, announced that boys have a penis and girls have a vagina (teaching me some new words in Spanish). The teacher just nodded in approval, as well as all the other students. Nice to know they´re teaching the basics.

Service Begins

Tomorrow I begin my Peace Corps Service for real. I'll arrive in my community to my new home, and start integrating into the community and figuring out my work for the next two years. We had a good swear in. It was in the Ambassador's Residence and happened to also coincide with the 45th Anniversary of Peace Corps in Panama, so a lot of returned volunteers also came. So, it was pretty nice and formal. The (world) Director of Peace Corps, The Ambassador, and two Panamanian agency heads were there presiding. The only problem was that while reading through all of our names, the guy forgot me. The mistake was remedied, but it was pretty funny, and I got a lot of apologies and pitty comments. Right now we're in celebration mode. We went out that night and currently all of us (new) volunteers are at the beach enjoying some last moments of luxury and togetherness before we take off to our respective sites. Tomorrow will have some sad goodbyes, but I am looking forward to beginning my service.

as a caterpillar becomes a butterfly....

I'm back in Panama City, staying in the same place where we started when we arrived in country and attending a few last sessions of information as a trainee. That's right. Tomorrow is our Swear-In ceremony, which will be at the Ambassador's house. The Ambassador, as well as world director of Peace Corps will be at the ceremony. This is where we change from aspirantes (trainees) to voluntarios (volunteers). Then, a couple of days at the beach as a last hurrah, and then off into the real world of our sites. Hanging out with the other 45 volunteers will be coming to an end, and the trial by fire of speaking Spanish all the time and trying to integrate into my new community will begin.
We've been having our final interviews and final assessments. I got to Advanced High level of Spanish (very generous grading in my opinion). Really, I'm ready to go. I've enjoyed training a lot, I've gotten to see lots of the country, learn lots of new techniques, and meet so many cool people (American and Panamanian). But, I'm ready to go. It's time to start putting everything to work and get the feet on the ground. It's intimidating, but I want to get started.
It was hard leaving my host family in the training community. We got a long really well. They told me (didn't ask) that I was going to come visit them, and they're still convinced that I will marry their nephew and stay in the family (likelihood, very low). I know its going to be hard to say goodbye to the other volunteers, also. Tomorrow will be the last time we'll all be together. Enough of that, these are happy times...

Site Visit

After a community entry conference to meet our community guides and prepare for site entry, I finally visited the town I’m going to be living in for the next two years. It’s a really nice town. High enough in the mountains to not be hot and humid, but not so high as to be rainy and cold. Almost the whole time I was there it was sunny, clear, and a good temperature. Apparently, it usually rains a lot, but I didn’t see that. Overall, it seemed a little bit more like the American Midwest than a tropical paradise. Its pretty flat, not too many palm trees, plus its Big Ag country. As opposed to small subsistence farming, there’s two big companies (see logos in picture) that employ a lot of people, bring in money, and use up the land. There’s about 400-500 people in the community, plus I should also be working in a nearby community of about 250. That was the most intimidating part for me: walking by all the houses and knowing I needed to go meet and talk (in Spanish) with all those people. I’m not totally sure about work, but there should be potential. There’s already an environmental group in the community, and a women’s group, so I’ll probably work with both of those groups. Also, I should teach environmental education in the schools. I met both the school director and the representante (local leader). Both were really enthusiastic about raising environmental consciousness. I even got invited as a guest of honor to the Father’s Day celebration at the school. The director talking about how I was “solita” and “jovencita” so they should welcome me with food and open arms.
One surprising thing was that, being Chiriqui and near Boquete (or Gringolandia), I ran into some older retired American gentlemen. Married to Panamanian women. Living much cheaper than they could in the U.S. Panama (and Boquete in particular) is supposedly one of the hotspots for retirement. So, I did have some conversations in English, though it was sort of like listening to your grandpa talk about the good old days.
In other news, I finally got my cell phone from the U.S. to work. Yep, rather than buy a new phone, I managed to get a SIM card and unlock the thing. Having a Cell phone: Peace Corps isn’t what it used to be. So, I’m going to need people’s phone numbers (sadly erased). Also, please send me some kind of message and I’ll give you my phone number. And you should get a plan that lets you make cheap international phone calls (hehe).

back from the road

I have finally arrived back “home.” After two weeks on the road, my training community was a very welcome site. First, we had “culture week.” The 7 of us trainees that are going to the province of Chiriqui went to the mountains of Chiriqui for one week to learn about its culture.

It was a pretty relaxed week in the district of Boquete right below Volcan Baru. Despite the downpours and the cold, the area is absolutely gorgeous. Plus, it’s a part of Panama that still has lots of trees and dark volcanic soil.

I I didn’t get to visit my actual site, but I’m looking forward to it. Some highlights of the week include, milling sugar cane, drinking really good coffee, teaching in the schools, and walking back from a neighboring community in the pouring rain.

I didn’t get to visit my actual site, but I’m looking forward to it. Some highlights of the week include, milling sugar cane, drinking really good coffee, teaching in the schools, and walking back from a neighboring community in the pouring rain.

After a free night in Chitre, we arrived for “tech week,” to practice technical skills in the field. This week was in the beautiful mountains of Herrerra, which after the rain stopped, were very beautiful and enjoyable.

We taught in the schools, helped with a youth group meeting, visited some farms, and did some more hiking. I also learned how to pilar corn (picture shown) We also had a going away “despedida” on our last night, which included the selection of a king and queen.

For our free night returning from tech week, we went to a “surf camp” in Rio Mar. There ended up being about 20 volunteers there, including all of the CEC group (just proving how much we like each other). After two weeks in the mountains, it was nice to be on the beach. I finally arrived back at my house in time for a big party. I’m exhausted and starting to realize that there isn’t much time left in training

News, for now

OK, here are a few more pictures to entertain all of you. Sorry, I´m still not taking a lot. These are my boss riding a horse in the cow farm we went to visit (as well as some of us standing around), my house, and another shot of my birthday.

As far as those of you wanting more information

on my site, I haven´t been there yet, so I can´t tell you much. But, it is on a road, there´s electricity, and stuff like that. Apparently, not authentic Peace Corps. I leave tomorrow for two weeks, technical and cultural week, out in Panama.

Site Announcement!!

Well, I finally know where I´m going. Province of Chiriqui. Pretty close to Boquete (huge tourist place, I´m sure you can get info on it). Mountains, coffee country. I´m gonna be doing some education, working with environmental groups. I´m pretty excited. I don´t visit the actual place for a few more weeks, but I think it will be a good next two years.

Good News....and waiting

This blog is going to be all praise and good words. Things are going really well on the Peace Corps Front. Last weekend, I went to visit another volunteer at their site. Peace Corps does this as “demystifing” to show you how volunteers actually live, and it allows you to find your way across the country using public transportation by yourself. Some other volunteers came back with stories of being dropped off on the side of a highway at 3 am, awkward bailes, two hour hikes uphill in the blazing sun, and sleeping in barns while eggs hatched. My weekend was not like that at all. It was a great experience and full of idyllic peace corps moments. I visited a volunteer named Cassandra, who seriously lives about 15 feet from the beach in the province of Veraguas. We took long walks on the beach, went horseback riding, helped build a hatchery for sea turtle eggs, went around “pasear”ing (or wandering through neighborhoods chatting with people), picking fruit from trees in an abandoned lot, and sat in on a community meeting to help raise money in an environmentally friendly way. Whether I was strolling the beach, riding a horse on the top of hills with great views, talking with the people, or looking up at the sky at night (seeing the most stars I’ve ever seen in my life), I thought everything was idyllic. All the other volunteers pretty much hate me now whenever I talk about the weekend. To top it all off, when I got back to my host family, they had bought a puppy.


In other good news, Tuesday was my birthday. I wasn’t sure how it would go, being far from home and friends and all that, but I got lots of pleasant surprises. My host family had been looking forward to the day since I’d told them when it was. They had a big dinner and a cake ready for me. Plus, once the word got out about the cake, lots of the nieces that live nearby also showed up at the house. Later that night, my host mother called me to the front door, where about seven or so of my fellow volunteers, and my instructor were waiting with guitars and a harmonica to serenade me with happy birthday. The surprises didn’t end there. Thursday, we ended Spanish class early and walked down to the cultural center, where there turned out to be another party for me, with a cake and a piñata and other volunteers. Sorry there are no photos of these, but they were surprises. It was all very nice and I feel very loved on my birthday week.

Now, I wait for May 14th, when I’ll find out my assignment.

Here are some photos of my cake, including my host family

This is my host sister studying with the puppy nearby

Training begins

I have now been living in my training community for one week. I’m living with a host family. They have two daughters, 15 and 11, with whom I share a room. They have already proved themselves very hospitable and helpful. For example, right after arriving, I discovered that some shampoo in my bag leaked, and they helped me clean up. This accident will also explain why there aren’t any photos on this blog. Yep, my camera is currently out of service. I’ll try to remedy the situation soon. The next night I got a bloody nose. I felt their concern again. Plus, I get three large meals every day and the opportunity to practice my Spanish. I am fast becoming fluent in Spanglish.
The days of training are very full. I have Spanish class and technical training. About 8 hours everyday. 8 am to noon, and 1 pm to 5. Not very much time to relax or process. My host family all get up around 4 am to commute into Panama City, so lights out is usually around 8:30 or 9. I need that much time to sleep though since I often get woken up by dogs, busses, or roosters (don’t be deceived, they do not only make noise at dawn to wake you up) But, I’ve already learned how to use a machete, make compost, host a environment movie night, navigate the bus system, and plant trees. Plus, we get to meet lots of current volunteers and hear about their projects. We won’t find out our own sites and projects for 3 more weeks, though I think my director already knows. I asked him a question the other day and he referred to “your site” since he has apparently already picked it out. I’ll try to get the details out of him. The highlight of this training week was going to Chorrera on Friday. Usually, a long day of listening to presentations on safety, tropical diseases, and regulations would not be interesting. BUT, we sit in air conditioning, get to eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, and have coffee around all day. Such luxury. Plus, afterward, we had the opportunity to go have pizza and beer and make telephone calls. No wonder they call Peace Corps Panama Posh Corps

So, today, the group of us in Community Environment Conservation (there's about 18 of us) went out to visit a volunteer in the field and see what life is really like. He lives in a community near the coast and does mangrove reforestation. So, we walked around a mangrove forest for a while. We didn't have to plant any trees, but we got to see the forest and also the places where "carboneros" make charcoal from the trees. We also got to enjoy a nice lunch, visit a (tree) nursery the community has, and see some typical Panamanian dancing by children. One kid even got me up there to dance with him, but he wouldn't look me in the eyes, so I'm pretty sure I was atrociously horrible. Afterwards, on our way back, we bought machetes. So, I now have a machete, anti-malarials, and a mosquito net. Welcome to Peace Corps!
Tomorrow, we leave our compound and actually begin training. I'll be living with a host family in a small, rural community about an hour from Panama City. These posts will start becoming much less frequent since the town has no internet (though it does have electricity).

In Panama!

Well, I am finally in Panama! We arrived in Panama City this afternoon. We were then whisked away to the "Ciudad del Saber" (or City of Knowledge), which is basically the old military base Ft. Clayton next to the canal. This is for our "aspirantes" (trainees) retreat for the next few days. So, there's still AC and even WiFi, which I'm using right now. The hardships of Peace Corps Service won't come until I little later. But, we got to meet the Country Director and finally start learning all the Panama specific information (as opposed to Peace Corps in general). I'm very excited. Apparently, this is one of the best country programs.

I haven't used my camera yet. I promise I will and then I'll post some photos

contact info

Here's my address

Abby Furnish
Cuerpo de Paz/Panama
Edificio 104, 1er Piso
Avenida Vicente Bonilla
Ciudad del Saber, Clayton
Panama, Republica de Panama

Once I get an address at my site in July, I'll let you know.

Otherwise, e-mail still works. Either my hotmail or my gmail.

Once I get a phone/phone number, I'll let you know that too

the countdown begins

Alright guys, We are now inside a week until I leave for Panama. Here's a hint of my schedule

April 14th, 8:25 am: Board a plane for Miami
April 14-16th: Staging in Miami with the rest of Group 61
April 16th: board plane for Panama City
April 16th-20th: Orientation in Panama City
April 20th: Depart to my training site and host family.

I am currently packing up my belongings in my apartment. Then I need to pack up the rest of my stuff into 80 lbs worth of luggage. and say goodbye to everyone. Oh, the challenges
Here's a few photos from my going away party Saturday night