back home

Well, I am writing this blog post from Rockville. I finished up my service on November 1st. I left the next day for Costa Rica, spent a few days there, and then arrived stateside on the 5th. I'm very glad I made the decision to serve my country (and the country of Panama) with the Peace Corps. I got to learn a lot about reality, myself, and some new skills as well. I know sometimes people complained that I didn't update this blog enough, but most of what I was living cannot be summed up in words for a public internet space. Thanks to those of you who actually followed this, and now I look forward to catching up in person!

Despedidas

As you know, I have now officially left my community. But, they've had some good-bye parties for me. Some before I left, and a few where they invited me back to enjoy the food and gifts.

In my schools, they had despedidas, and gave me that personalized teacher polo shirt (very official)


One community put on an event for me in the library, giving me that amazing personalized shirt (if you can't read, it says "Abby Rovira (heart) you"



My environmental group put on a farewell party, even gifted me an engraved silver platter.



Then they invited me back to main school I worked at. First, there was a little presentation "acto"




People got to say some words




There was some delicious food (that's my follow-up volunteer with me)



Some dancing



And some gifts (my personal favorites...a garfield backpack and an orange tube top)



Overall, a great time of good feelings and warm memories. Now, before I leave I have to go say the real goodbyes....

a little something I wrote

When I saw that the theme for the next issue would be Gender Issues, I thought many of you would write about helping empower girls in your community, or forcing men to wash their own clothes, or educating about domestic violence or sex ed. But, I have to say....my Peace Corps experience has empowered and educated me. My community had to do a GAD project on me, empowering me from the mousy gringa into my full power of femininity.
When I arrived in my community, it seems every guy driving a truck down the road I was walking on had a great appreciation for my feminine qualities, but the women were less convinced. I'm sure my khaki pants, desire to help with the farm, perceived inability to cook anything besides PB&J, and hopeless hair brought them sadness. Once they saw my in rubber boots and all laughed and asked if I'd bought a dairy farm. Thus, when my first summer rolled around, they began to develop “Proyecto Feminize La Gringita.” They insisted I participate in an INADEH course being offered in the community in manicures and pedicures. I insisted that only Panamanian citizens count in INADEH attendance, but they told me that it wasn't true and I had to come. I thought it was because they needed 15 people, now I feel it was my desperate state that made them insist in my participating. Since it was the summer, I obliged. Better to compartir with the women in the community than to read books, right? So, I sat through many hours of hand massages, nail design, aerobics sessions, and lots of lectures about positive thinking, taking care of yourself, and coming to the class even when your husband tells you you can't. We had to put on a beauty salon. At some point in the summer I went to the river with some community members. I was wearing my Tevas. They were all wearing those jelly ballet flats that were popular last summer. They looked at disgust at my shoes and told me I had to get some like theirs.
But, at some point during the summer, something happened. I walked into Podoroso and bought some bedazzled jean shorts, and some plastic ballet flats for 1.69. When I took those shoes into my beauty school class, all the women admired them. I started buying Avon products from those women entrepreneurs of the community. I received free pedicures (from those wanting to “practice”).
And my community noticed the results and the change. While pasearing one day, a girl told me I had started looking better (se arregla mejor) since being in the class. Now I have carried on 30 minute discussions comparing styles of those rubber Grendha style flip flops that are in style (I personally own like 6 pairs). I have gotten myself a boyfriend. And I have laughed along as a women in my community asked “What's up with those gringas you always see in David in khakis and chakaras?” As I look down at my nice fake pink Puma purse from the frontera, and think how I used to be, I smile. So, my fellow volunteers, does your community need to do work on you? Maybe they don't listen to your advice, not because of your horrible Spanish, but because of your wornout REI clothing and Chacos. My community might not remember all the projects I did, but I'm sure they'll all remember how they helped me out, hoping their project will be sustainable and bear results in the future as I go back in the U.S..

My kids making me pose:

updates

Well, for those of you who didn't know. I'm obviously not back in the states yet. My official close-of-service date was June 24. But, I am still here in Panama working with Peace Corps! I decided to extend (for 4 months only) to continue my work as Regional Leader in Chiriqui. I finished up in site the end of June, like planned, and moved my stuff down to David. It was kind of hard to leave my site, but not as hard as could have been if I was leaving for real. I promised the town I'd "dar la vuelta" occasionally to come and visit. I didn't say my goodbyes yet. Moving my stuff was chaotic. I don't know how I accumulated so many things. It took 2 carloads!! Though, that was probably because I took almost everything. I mean, I have to furnish a new house and I still make very little money. So, now I am living in my beautiful home in David with my lovely roommate Joanna. Though, we both travel so much we almost never see each other. Now its time to work and start thinking about reentry in November

being an environmental volunteer

So, I’m finishing up my 2 years as a community environmental conservation extentionist in Panama. But, if I ever felt I could teach these people something about the environment, I’m a fool. Yeah, they don’t really understand how global warming works, but they’ve noticed temperatures and water patterns change drastically over the last few years. They might not understand complex forest ecology and ecosystem services, but they’ve seen how bad drought can be in deforested areas. Since they actually live close to wildlife, they notice wildlife populations dropping. And they might not be granola, organic Whole Foods types, but they’ve seen family members die from cancer from agrochemicals.
If anything, I’ve learned from them. I’ve learned how to get everywhere I want by walking or taking a bus. I’ve learned what its like to not throw things away, to truly fix or reuse anything you have, so you can still use the same TV for 25 years, and store all your food in plastic ice cream containers. And I’ve learned what it’s really like to eat local. I think most things in the typical meal, from the rice to beans to veggies to meat to spices, to coffee to fruit juices, can all be found in my town or at least in my province. I bought a box of “comfort food” Kraft Mac and Cheese, while my neighbor eats her own free range chicken, her own beans, and drinks juice from her own orange trees and sugar cane, and I call myself the environmentalist? Afterwards, she will compost her organic waste. I’ve had to learn how to live in tune with the environment. I intentionally don’t buy plastic bottles. I guard rain water so I won’t waste too much from the town aqueduct. My electricity bill is like $3 because I don’t have a washer, dryer, air conditioning, or washing machine. When it gets hot, you just open the doors for some breeze, and dry your clothes in the sun. Yes, there are some problems people see down here you don’t get in the U.S., like trash in the streets and non-existant emissions standards for cars. But there’s also no dead-zone the size of New Jersey in any of their gulfs, there’s no rivers that run dry before reaching the ocean because of over-irrigation, and there aren’t coal powered power plants.
I just realized I can’t really be a true environmentalist when I go back. I won’t be able to eat local, like I do here. I won’t be able to air dry my clothes (apparently home owner’s associations have nasty rules against that). I won’t have an efficient bus or public transport system to use, and thus will be forced to own and drive a car. I’m a fool if I ever thought I was here to teach these people something. And I can understand why the global south rises up angry everytime the U.S. tries to act like a global environmental leader.

World Map finished!!

Okay, I´ll say its finished. Actually, it could use some detailing, but one thing I´ve never been is a perfectionist-



Now, its time to put it to work. My idea right now, is little soccer balls for every country in the World Cup...Take advantage of something they´re paying attention to

World Map-part 2

The next step is, of course, painting. With oil paints, this took quite a while, with pacience, small brushes, and some diesel to clean up the mistakes.




Then, write in the names and do the detailing.

World Map-part 1

One of Peace Corp's initiatives world wide has been to paint a map of the world onto a wall somewhere in your community. In communities that usually lack educational resources like atlases or world maps, this can help your students learn about the world. A volunteer in the 80s in the Dominican Repiblic originally came up with the idea and created the guide for other PCVs to use.
This first step is drawing up a grid on the wall. The grid serves for later drawing the map.




Afterwards, you want to use the guide grids and your grid to slowly pass the map. No free-handed drawing skills necessary. Just lots of tedious copying. Luckily, I had my family visiting so I put them to work.

the birthday

Well, I recently passed my 25th birthday...my third here in Panama. My first was during training, and included a serenade from some other trainees. Last year's was pretty uneventful. I can say this year it was great. The night before, a woman in my town stopped by my house at night to inform me that she had made me a birthday cake as promised (I don't remember her ever making that promise) and it was in her house if I wanted to come eat it with her or to take it and eat it somewhere else. I thanked her and let her know I'd be there to eat it the next day. I could tell things were off to a good start. On birthday day, I worked as usual in the school, where the kids sang me happy birthday and I got a hug from the teacher. I then went to David. The bus driver even remembered that it was my birthday. In David, I met with 2 other volunteers for some nachos and ice cream. Then, I picked up the trainee that was here to visit and shadow me for the weekend to get a taste of volunteer life. We got back to site, and I whisked her along to go visit my second family, where they had a great dinner of arroz con pollo and potato salad (birthday food) waiting for me. It was almost as if I was celebrating with my actual family, and hey, that rice and chicken dinner was just as good as going to Ruth's Chris. We then left there to continue our visits and go and enjoy some birthday cake. I did assure the trainee that not every day was this good.
It was all simple, nothing extravagant or over the top. But I felt very loved, and I guess that's all someone could want on their birthday. And as I reflected on being in the town for two years and having the experience I did, it really warmed my heart. Almost made me forget how old I'm getting.

Things I will always remember fondly

-The amount of people in my town that have said I was like a daughter to them.

-Having a Panamanian goddaughter

-Being with my (short-lived) girl scouts group, and looking up to see 5 toucans in a tree in my yard. One girl proudly informed me the toucans were here because they knew I was an environmentalist and they were safe here.

-After two days waiting around Panama City for my friends to come from the U.S. and they missed their flight with Delta. I got a call from my friend, and she told me to just come back. I was all distraught, and said, “but its 7pm, I’ll get into David at like 2 am.” Her dad drove down to David to pick me up at the bus station, and let me know that I was like family to them, and just like they would pick up their own daughters at 2 am, they would do it for me.

-My counterpart told me she’s never asked me for a picture, because she knows I’ll come back after I leave. I told her I’d still give her a picture, so she can remember me young, beautiful, and skinny.

-Interacting with people from other communities or areas and hearing them say they want to take me with them.

-My first birthday in Panama, during training. My host mom made a big dinner and bought a cake. Later that night, a few other volunteers showed up with a guitar to sing me Happy Birthday.

another Peace Corps moment

Another typical Panama story. My dog got hit by a car a few months ago. She was bloody, cut up,couldn't walk, and I really thought she was going to die. A couple days after the accident, she was alive but suffering. While talking with a neighbor, someone else stopped by in their car, and heard about her as well. All of them starting mentioning medicinal plants that I could use. When I later arrived at my house, this is what greeted me…



Yep, the guy had gone, found the necessary plant, cut me off the branches, and left me the instructions. I used it (as well as some penicillin). My dog limps, but she’s alive and kicking!

Peace Corps moment

Here’s a story that I like to share. It happened when I had only been in my community less than a month. I had met a few ladies from a small town up the mountain who had invited me to come to a Bingo they were putting on that Sunday. (Bingo is super popular is Panama). I told them I’d like to come, but I’d never been to the community and wasn’t sure how to get there. A few days later, an older gentlemen, who was kind of my neighbor, I think, asked if I was going to go to the Bingo the next day. I told him that I wanted to, but I didn’t know the road, or how long it would take to walk, or if there was a bus. He told me, “Don’t worry, we’ll arrange some transportation to take you.” I said that’d be great, and I’d be ready the next day at noon.
The next day, I got back from working tilling ground and planting yucca, and started cleaning up quickly to be ready. I heard the guy call from out the door, and I walked out to find him on his horse, asking if I was ready. I looked around for the truck, but said, sure. He asked if I’d ever ridden a horse, which I have. He just said, “great, I got an umbrella in case it rains, let’s go!” He meant…me and him sharing the same horse! Well, I couldn’t say no…So, I got on the saddle, and he got on behind me (by the way, he’s like 70 and maybe 5 ft tall). We then rode through town, every town member pointing and laughing at me. At least I was in front, so I could just laugh at myself without him seeing.
I later found out the word got out real fast about my ride. The next day, at the small town store, the owner told me, “Abby, next time you need to go somewhere on a horse, I have one I can loan you!”

The morning commute

I remember sitting on the bus in DC going to work one morning (yes, the lovely commute). I looked up and saw this Peace Corps recruiting poster that had some lovely picture and said something like....Wanna change your morning commute? I just smiled to myself because I had already applied, because the answer to that question was a definite yes.

Here is a picture of my current morning commute. The commute may change in a few months....I´m not sure to what

What will I miss from Panama
-Seeing an amazing amount of stars and the Milky Way up in the sky
-Getting free meals (even to go) everywhere I go. (I'm sure looking too skinny doesn't hurt either)
-Fruit trees everywhere. There's so many varieties of fruits just for the taking.
-Speaking of Fruit....Guava, Guayaba, 50 cent pineapples, Mangoteen, Maracuya, 15 different types of bananas, Mangos, Mamones,
-A full meal for 1.75
-Having everyone say Hi or call out your name when you walk by
-Being seen as an expert (by some) and treated as a child (by many)
-Great Coffee
-Mixing up treats using Cacao from other volunteers communities, and raw sugar cakes and fresh cow milk from my community. Or oranges from my back yard.
-Eating the chicken that was just walking around. Talk about eating local
-Making my own schedule. 6 am to 10 pm running around one day, laying in the hammock reading the next.
-Visiting other volunteers, which allows you to see the great work being done by volunteers and their pioneering counterparts
-My dog, Lula. I speak to her in Spanish though I'm not sure she understands or obeys a single thing I say
-Staring up at a Volcano every day

news

Well, I'm in the middle of my Regional Leader duties. Visiting potential communitites for incoming volunteers and planning for the regional meeting. I'm keeping pretty busy this January. The family was just here for 10 days. We got to visit both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts and enjoy both the tropical sun and tropical rains.





Overall things continue to go well here in Panama. Wierd to think how things are winding down and how in 5 months, I'll be done here. In some ways I feel I've been here forever, but in others, like I just arrived. And certain projects are only now just getting off the ground. But, noone's really here to save the world. All we can do is give little nudges in the right directions.

For those interested, what I'm working on right now:

Painting a map of the world on a school wall
Developing future sites
Helped put on an Ecological Camp
Helping at a Leadership Seminar for Volunteers and their counterparts
Working on a tree nursery with the community group to plant trees near streams in cow pastures
Trying to bring in funding for my environmental group to put on a project like reforestation or an orchid nursery.

Being in Panama

-Where when someone jokingly insults me or does something silly, I can respond purely with “tu si eres” (translated, you sure are)
-Where I sing along with reggaeton songs on the radio in the bus…I started doing that back in the U.S. before realizing I looked insane
-Where I, the environmentalist, think the best thing development-wise that can happen for a town is to get a road. That’s right, all you hippy international development workers. Let’s go back to the 50s. Infrastructure is what is up.
-Where I can get heavy things carried for me or get rides so I don’t have to walk (chauvinism is not all bad)
-Where my blue eyes enchant and are considered super sexy
-Where when I try to leave someone’s home, they plead “no te vayas, espera la comida” (don’t leave, wait for the food), and if I decline they give me the insulted sad face or what? You don’t like my cooking?
-Where when it gets too hot, you should just go jump in the river

Holiday wishes (slightly late

I had emailed this out and posted on Facebook, but in case you don't get either of those and do check this....

I just want to send you all a quick e-mail from here in Panama wishing you all the best for Christmas and New Years. I will be spending (my second) Christmas here in Palma Real, Panama. I’m sure it will be very laid back. I’ve enjoyed this year down here immensely. I feel like I’ve had some more work, more projects coming along. My environmental group went from never meeting at all to developing project plans and starting a tree nursery (though I won’t take too much credit for either of those). I’ve also ran a recycling material collection campaign at the school as well as teaching environmental classes and computers (and a little English). This year I was also involved in a planning committee for cultural events throughout my district. And, this year I also got promoted to being the Regional Leader (for my province Chiriqui). I’m enjoying the new job and responsibilities, which include visiting and supporting the volunteers in my region, developing new communities for future volunteers, and coordinating with the government agencies. It keeps me busier, but I find it rewarding. I also even managed to make a trip back to the U.S. this year in September, and I enjoyed seeing a few of you (the week went by way too fast).
So, I wish you all the best in this holiday season and in the upcoming year of 2010. This will be the year I appear back in the States, and who knows what I’ll be doing then. As I sit here in my little home enjoying the sun, palm trees, and the 70 degree heat, I miss you all, but I don’t actually miss the “white” Christmas idea that much.
Keep in touch and let me know what you’re up to.