This week marked the first casualty of Early Termination (henceforth known as ETing, and appreciate these paranthetical statements, because it's harder than hell to find proper punctuation on this keyboard). It kind of sucks, especially since she was an EH volunteer and losing her brings the female count down one more, as we are constantly and mercilessly surrounded by guys who would like to think they oozed testosterone (whether or not this is actually true is, on occasion, debatable).
This week also marked our first venture into el Ciudad de Panamá. Now, I know I am constantly comparing all of my huge and worldly traveling experience with that of México, but I honestly wasn't that impressed. It was just a bunch of unsightly architecture that was half finished. Thus, we spent most of our time in this ridiculous mall with ridiculously expensive stores for our 3 dollars a day budget. I have to say, I like our host site, in all its rural glory, much better.
Spanish class has come screeching to a halt as my class and the class of geniuses above us embark on projects and abandon our studies. I am the weakest link, language wise, and I am working with three guys (Pete, Nelson and Franco) to construct a compost latrine in a poorer part of our host site. On the one hand, it will be good to pick up technical Spanish, and I'm really sick of spending four hours a day listening to how to construct the grammatically perfect Spanish sentence, but on the other hand, I'm working with three guys, one of whom studied abroad in Argentina and is fluent, and one of whom speaks like four hundred different languages that I refuse to keep track of (that would be Franco, whose blog has thusly been added to the side bar). But intimidation is overrated, so I am just going to listen and build and speak when I know what's going on, and everything is going to be great.
Also, I am not ETing. Because I love Panamá. Seriously.
Next week we Aspirantes (trainees) are embarking on volunteer visits to various sites. I am going to a Comarca in Bocas Del Toro, and I'm pretty excited about it. I keep reevaluating my preferences toward my site in my head, and have come up with a whole slew of new options. We'll see how the site visit goes, and on the 12th I will know where I am going to spend the next two years. Sweet.
On a side note, I've taken up running. Who saw that coming...no one?
That is all for today. Pictures will come when I find my USB cord, which could be never, but I also might buy one of EBay.
WRITE ME LETTERS AND SEND ME BOOKS THAT ARE WRITTEN IN ENGLISH. AND NOT SHITTY BOOKS EITHER.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Saturday, August 25, 2007
We´ve been at our host site for almost a week now, and even though I´ve definitely had thoughts of coming straight back home throughout all seven days, things are looking up "poco a poco." Yes, it´s been hard getting used to peeing into a five gallon bucket set on top a hole in the ground, and yes, my diet consists almost entirely of simple starches with some chicken thrown in, and yes, the humidity is enough to kill us all, but on the flip side of that, I have an amazing host family, I´ve made some amazing friends, and even though I know nothing about building aqueducts and would probably construct something structurally unsound for a community, I´ve definitely been inspired to start thinking of some project ideas of my own. Also, we´ve marched through ridiculous tall grass, and climbed a veritable mountain to the sources of aqueducts around the region and I, unfailingly, asked stupid questions because I don´t really "get it." We also got taught how to use a machete today, so watch out. It´s like arming me with something.
It´s also tough getting used to the constant, accent-tinged Spanish that is unceasingly spoken (and who would expect any differently?). Panamanians don´t use the letter S in their speech, so "mas o menos" becomes kind of a slurred "ma o me'o". That´s pretty difficult to understand speaking Spanish almost exclusively with a bunch of Mexicans, an Ecuadorian and a Spaniard, but somehow, I fooled everyone and got placed into the second highest class, under the native speakers, where, SURPRISE, we went over the preterit and imperfect again, for the 400000 time in my life.
This upcoming week we´re going to visit some volunteers around the country. I am headed out to the Bocas Del Toro region to a Ngöbe comarca, which should be interesting. Then next week, we have our second interview and THEN, our site placements.
Also, I saw a huge ass cockroach climbing around the kitchen the other day, and every night some giant bug that´s trying to kill me flies around in the rafters, beating its ridiculous wings for all to hear. I haven´t freaked out yet, but again, it can´t be worse than peeing into a bucket.
More to come as the days pick up!
It´s also tough getting used to the constant, accent-tinged Spanish that is unceasingly spoken (and who would expect any differently?). Panamanians don´t use the letter S in their speech, so "mas o menos" becomes kind of a slurred "ma o me'o". That´s pretty difficult to understand speaking Spanish almost exclusively with a bunch of Mexicans, an Ecuadorian and a Spaniard, but somehow, I fooled everyone and got placed into the second highest class, under the native speakers, where, SURPRISE, we went over the preterit and imperfect again, for the 400000 time in my life.
This upcoming week we´re going to visit some volunteers around the country. I am headed out to the Bocas Del Toro region to a Ngöbe comarca, which should be interesting. Then next week, we have our second interview and THEN, our site placements.
Also, I saw a huge ass cockroach climbing around the kitchen the other day, and every night some giant bug that´s trying to kill me flies around in the rafters, beating its ridiculous wings for all to hear. I haven´t freaked out yet, but again, it can´t be worse than peeing into a bucket.
More to come as the days pick up!
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Hey everyone!
I've been in Panama for two days now, and it's already so amazing. My co-Peace Corps people, the staff, the country, the food...it's great, and simultaneously exhausting.
Yesterday we got in-country at around 9:00pm, only to be told that there was a tsunami scare due to an earthquake off the coast of Peru that registered as a 7.9 on the Richter. Luckily for me and too bad for some other people, the wave went toward Hawaii instead, so no worries there. The flights, however, were surprisingly easy, which is hilarious considering I am the worst flier ever, but I think the fact that I was going to Panama for two years overshadowed any fear I had about dying in a plane crash.
Today was ridiculously busy. We had a Spanish test to place us into whatever group of Spanish we need to be in, and we also talked to our sector directors about site placement. I'm not going to lie...I requested a Spanish speaking site and told them that if I had amenities, I definitely WOULDN'T be disappointed, which is contrary to what everyone else wants. Also, my skill set lies almost exclusively in the area of HIV/AIDS and hygiene education, so I'm probably going to end up being a teacher for the next two years, and learn to pour cement on the side.
The people I'm here with are SO great. Everyone is from all over the country, and from all walks of life. I've already made some pretty close ties with a lot of people, and have already acquired the new nickname "Melmo," which is an amalgamation of Jon Zande's "Mel" and the Loyola girls' "Mo." Also, apparently my last name is easier to pronounce by those who speak Spanish than by those who speak English, and they've pronounced it perfectly every time.
Today I am exhausted because we had this swim test, where we swam a whole length doing the breast stroke, a length of the back stroke, and a length of side stroke, then swam ten minutes straight, and THEN were instructed on how to remove our clothing while in the water and create a flotation device out of the legs of our jeans, meaning I had to jump in a pool fully clothed. It was hard as hell, but I guess a good bonding experience.
The food is good, but I have had rice and either beans or lentils twice today already. Also, I don't have to get a smallpox vaccine! Just yellow fever and some other random one. That's good.
Finally, it is hot as balls here, and really humid too, but surprisingly tolerable. We all have to wear business casual (or business cas, or biz cas, or bc depending on who you're talking to) to everything, so I've been sporting my black Gap dress that looks like I'm pregnant. However, it is so humid that every time I walk outside from our airconditioned apartment (because yeah, we have a/c right now), my glasses fog right the hell up.
So, in ending, Panama is thus far amazing, the Peace Corps is thus far the best decision I have ever made, but I still miss you all. REMEMBER TO WRITE!
Buenas noches!
I've been in Panama for two days now, and it's already so amazing. My co-Peace Corps people, the staff, the country, the food...it's great, and simultaneously exhausting.
Yesterday we got in-country at around 9:00pm, only to be told that there was a tsunami scare due to an earthquake off the coast of Peru that registered as a 7.9 on the Richter. Luckily for me and too bad for some other people, the wave went toward Hawaii instead, so no worries there. The flights, however, were surprisingly easy, which is hilarious considering I am the worst flier ever, but I think the fact that I was going to Panama for two years overshadowed any fear I had about dying in a plane crash.
Today was ridiculously busy. We had a Spanish test to place us into whatever group of Spanish we need to be in, and we also talked to our sector directors about site placement. I'm not going to lie...I requested a Spanish speaking site and told them that if I had amenities, I definitely WOULDN'T be disappointed, which is contrary to what everyone else wants. Also, my skill set lies almost exclusively in the area of HIV/AIDS and hygiene education, so I'm probably going to end up being a teacher for the next two years, and learn to pour cement on the side.
The people I'm here with are SO great. Everyone is from all over the country, and from all walks of life. I've already made some pretty close ties with a lot of people, and have already acquired the new nickname "Melmo," which is an amalgamation of Jon Zande's "Mel" and the Loyola girls' "Mo." Also, apparently my last name is easier to pronounce by those who speak Spanish than by those who speak English, and they've pronounced it perfectly every time.
Today I am exhausted because we had this swim test, where we swam a whole length doing the breast stroke, a length of the back stroke, and a length of side stroke, then swam ten minutes straight, and THEN were instructed on how to remove our clothing while in the water and create a flotation device out of the legs of our jeans, meaning I had to jump in a pool fully clothed. It was hard as hell, but I guess a good bonding experience.
The food is good, but I have had rice and either beans or lentils twice today already. Also, I don't have to get a smallpox vaccine! Just yellow fever and some other random one. That's good.
Finally, it is hot as balls here, and really humid too, but surprisingly tolerable. We all have to wear business casual (or business cas, or biz cas, or bc depending on who you're talking to) to everything, so I've been sporting my black Gap dress that looks like I'm pregnant. However, it is so humid that every time I walk outside from our airconditioned apartment (because yeah, we have a/c right now), my glasses fog right the hell up.
So, in ending, Panama is thus far amazing, the Peace Corps is thus far the best decision I have ever made, but I still miss you all. REMEMBER TO WRITE!
Buenas noches!
Monday, August 13, 2007
Sunday, August 5, 2007
I'm back in Michigan, which is too bad, and my immense dislike of this state is only punctuated by the fact that it's been raining all day today.
More than that, though, it would appear as though my dad didn't know that I am leaving on the 13th, and went and admitted himself to the hospital for medication change, with the understanding that he'd be out in ten days. Hilariously, ten days translates to three weeks at the VA, so he's not going to be out to see me off, most likely. I mean, and that's cool, I'd rather he take initiative to get himself healthy again, at least relatively, but it still sucks that the last time I'll see my dad for two and a half years is at the psychiatric ward of the VA hospital. Depressing.
ANYWAY. I decided that I'm not staying in Michigan for any duration of time once I'm out, and that I'm moving back to Chicago, to do God knows what with my Really Marketable Degree. This'll probably translate to keeping my loans in deferment while I take classes at Truman or something.
Gifts for my host family = acquired. A coffee table book full of pretty beautiful photography of Michigan (which can be gorgeous mainly if there's no NASCAR race in town), a puzzle if there are some little kids and Uno if there are older kids. I figure that covers the spectrum pretty well. Also, my mom is really excited about the prospect of sending me "educational supplies" that she finds at the dollar store. Like flashcards for multiplication tables.
If someone knows how to assign power of attorney for both financial and medical purposes, without getting forty dollar forms off the Office Max website, can you let me know?
Just one week left.
More than that, though, it would appear as though my dad didn't know that I am leaving on the 13th, and went and admitted himself to the hospital for medication change, with the understanding that he'd be out in ten days. Hilariously, ten days translates to three weeks at the VA, so he's not going to be out to see me off, most likely. I mean, and that's cool, I'd rather he take initiative to get himself healthy again, at least relatively, but it still sucks that the last time I'll see my dad for two and a half years is at the psychiatric ward of the VA hospital. Depressing.
ANYWAY. I decided that I'm not staying in Michigan for any duration of time once I'm out, and that I'm moving back to Chicago, to do God knows what with my Really Marketable Degree. This'll probably translate to keeping my loans in deferment while I take classes at Truman or something.
Gifts for my host family = acquired. A coffee table book full of pretty beautiful photography of Michigan (which can be gorgeous mainly if there's no NASCAR race in town), a puzzle if there are some little kids and Uno if there are older kids. I figure that covers the spectrum pretty well. Also, my mom is really excited about the prospect of sending me "educational supplies" that she finds at the dollar store. Like flashcards for multiplication tables.
If someone knows how to assign power of attorney for both financial and medical purposes, without getting forty dollar forms off the Office Max website, can you let me know?
Just one week left.
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