Oh man. Lots of stuff.

So Wednesday was the big day for all of us, when we went to Chorrera to find out site placements. The powers that be thought it would be fun to put that as the last event of the day, so the majority of us spent the hours of 9-3 in a semi-state of panic, or wanting to vomit, or both. FINALLY, three oclock rolled around, and they pulled out this giant map with all these blue and yellow stars on it (blue for EH, yellow for CED) . My name was the second called, and while I can't list the actual name of it on this blog for a number of different reasons, I can tell you that it's in Panama Este, right across the street from a Kuna community and right off the Interamerican Highway. I'm the second farthest east, and I have water, I'm 3.5 hours away from the city, there's a possibility that I can get electricity and it's Latino. I'm so ye-ye. If you want to know the name of the site, ask my mom and she'll let you know.

I am, however, a half a country to a country away from a lot of my good friends, but that's what the public transportation system is for. So anyway, a huge weight has been removed from our shoulders and due in part to that, plus the fact that it was Lisa's birthday, we celebrated with Panamá beer and lots of cheap wine. Good times.

In other news, a bunch of other trainees and I played a bunch of Panamanians in a game of softball. It was close, but in the last inning, we came back with five runs and oh hey, I hit two into left field and made a pretty decent catch in right field. Dad, you would have been proud of my ability to retain those middle school skills. That game was to warm up for our cross-sectoral, cross-cultural softball tournament in October, which we had better win.

Culture and Training weeks are coming up in two days. All the EH volunteers are heading out to David or Chiriqui or somewhere in the west to build latrines for four days, and then we have a sector conference in Veraguas I think, and then I head back the hell out east to the Darién for Culture Week, which is going to be really cool because I get to get painted black by the Emberá. Look up a picture for now, but my mom is being awesome and sending me means by which I can post pictures on this thing, so it won't be too long before you actually get to SEE what is up.

I have ridiculous chiggers all over my legs. You should probably look up what a Bot fly is and the process of removal of a larvae from your skin and then you will have an inkling of the fears I am dealing with on a daily basis regarding the infestation of bugs into my subcutaneous layer. However, in good news, chiggers can be killed by liberally slathering clear nailpolish onto your body, because this apparently suffocates the little shits. I don't know what happens to their carcasses.

Sally Muterspaugh has claimed the month of March as when she is going to visit me, so if you want to visit, you need to do it in a month other than March, or coordinate with her so you're not here at the same time or something, because I am not hosting two people at once, and my mom goes first.

Did I mention I am currently updating this thing from a supermarket? True story. And now I have to be on my way, because I am freezing and because we are never going to get back to Santa Clara at this rate. I love you all!