2/10/2012

Hello family and friends from Panama! I hope everyone has been recovering from a wonderful holiday season and January has treated you all well. January has been a month of new sights, smells, and experiences for me.  Although it has been a chaotic past few weeks, I’ve been trying to absorb and appreciate all adventures both big and small. I’m currently writing this post from the couch at my host family’s house.  I live with a middle aged mother who has five kids ranging in age from 16- 28. However, all of her children have moved out and the only person that remains in the house is one of the son’s ex-girlfriends. Although the son doesn’t live here, the ex-girlfriend and my mama have become very close and actually sleep in the same bed.  They offered that if I don’t feel comfortable sleeping a room by myself that I can join them….I have yet to take them up on that offer.  Although somewhat strange to us Americans this offer truly shows how loving and giving they both are. From day one that have welcomed me and truly made me feel part of the family. We spend most of our evenings just hanging out in hammocks and chatting or watching telenovelas until about 8:30pm when I crawl under my mosquito net and go to sleep (I decided the mosquito net was necessary after killing three scorpions I found in my room).  The house we live in is a simple cinder block house with a zinc roof. Although we do have electricity and running water (for 4 hours a day) we don’t have a toilet. But don’t worry, my abuela who lives next door with one of the sons, does have a toilet, which I became quite acquainted with the other day when a somewhat sketchy glass of chicha didn’t sit too well. Although the house is extremely simple, I feel extremely lucky to have such a wonderful and loving host family. It seems as if neighbors are always coming around and there are always tons of people around to practice my Spanish with.

Most of my days are jam packed with language and technical training classes. I spend the morning sitting on a woman’s porch practicing my Spanish language skills with 3 of my group mates and a language facilitator. In the afternoon I meet up with the rest of my CEC (Community Environmental Conservation) sector (22 individuals) and we learn about composting, gardening, and community analysis techniques etc. Most of my work will involve creating community gardens, composts, teaching environmental education in and out of school, and waste management or solar energy projects. My CEC sector is a bit broader than other sectors, which is exciting because almost any type of project is possible. The days are extremely draining, but beyond interesting. This is a thrilling time because we are still learning about all of the different types of communities that exist throughout Panama and we still don’t know where we will be placed for the next two years. (since I wrote this post I only have one week until I find out my definite site placement!)

This past weekend all of the trainees were sent to visit current CEC volunteers throughout the country to understand what life is really like as a CEC Panamanian Peace Corps Volunteer. I took an 8 hour bus ride up the mountains of Chiriqui and stayed with a girl (Di) who lives at the base of Volcan Baru. It was awesome to see more of the absolutely spectacular Panamanian countryside. Her community is one of the highest in the country and the views were mind blowing. We spent the first evening just relaxing in the fresh crisp air (a nice break from the hot and humid climate of my training community- which is located about 1.5 hours outside of Panama City). On Saturday morning we hiked up to a Ngobe (Indigenous) site and brought along lice shampoo to help try to clean the kids. This experience was a huge wakeup call and really brought the realities of poverty into a spotlight. As we approached the “commune” my volunteer told me that within the hut there are about 3-4 families living there; one of which are two sisters who have the same husband and have about 14 children between them. The filth of the children was difficult to see. All were dressed in their traditional Ngobe outfits that were stained and quite dirty. Many of the little ones had snot running down their faces and sores in their heads from bugs trying to nest in them. All of the kids were excited to see another gringa and were absolutely fascinated by my camera. They were so excited to have me that they even lent me a Ngobe dress to wear. As Di washed their heads with the shampoo, I helped to comb the dead lice out. Although I did become more comfortable as the hours passed, I was still floored by how desperate their living situation was. Sadly, the wives just hang out all day with the children while the husbands perform various jobs to support their families. Di commented on how the real challenge is teaching these families the importance of sanitation because they did have clean running water. This was the first time that I saw how difficult it will be to remain patient and understand the cultural differences

The following morning Di, myself and two other volunteers headed to Volkan to work in a medical clinic. I spent Sunday translating for a group of American medical doctors that came down for a missionary trip. Although there were both general practitioners, dentists and eye doctors, I spent my day in the cataract section. Flooded my over 200 people in need to free medical eye care, I helped to give eye tests and prepare individuals for cataract surgery. I was even able to stand in the “operating” room and watch three doctors simultaneously perform surgery. After about 10 straight hours of care, we finally shut down the clinic for the day. The surgeons had performed 33 cataract removals that day. It was really special to be part of such a good cause and I know it will be a highlight of my training.

Overall, I’m really enjoying myself and am hoping once I’m actually in my community I will have more time to contact the states. Sending tons of Panamanian love!

Bridget

Ps. I’m only at my host site for another month so feel free to mail any letters and hopefully I’ll have more time to surf cyberspace when I’m in my permanent site.