Update from Panama!

Hi all, Mrs. Judy and I are writing an update for Kevin. By no means will we do as good of a job describing the adventures and experiences that Kevin has already had in Panama, but hopefully we can let everyone know how he's doing and what he's up to! - Judy & Nancy

As some of you may have seen on Facebook, Kevin had the opportunity to run (technically - hop on a chiva and then a bus) to Santiago, Panama last week to pick up a few necessities. He has been in his location, Buenos Aires, for a month now and has certainly had to make a few adjustments to his routine, but is finding his new home welcoming. Right now Kevin is learning more about the culture and people in the city as well as the way the community operates. After learning about his new home, he will decide how he is best suited to assist the people of Buenos Aires.

Kevin talks fondly about his community and his excitement in helping them. One of the most inspirational things for him is the unity of his community. Despite their differences, the people of Buenos Aires are all dedicated to their community.

He has already become active in the community using his knowledge gained from Future Farmers of America (FFA) in high school and his involvement in the Boy Scouts of America. He has been asked to work with a Boy Scout troop in the area. Using the skills he honed in FFA, he has helped evaluate the growth seedlings in a nearby greenhouse to determine if they were strong enough to be transplanted to another community for planting. Kevin has also found that he will be able to use his accounting and finance skills to help his community and has even bought a new accounting book!

Kevin has learned some new trades while in Buenos Aires, one of which is washing his clothes by hand! He said that on his first try it took him about four hours to wash his clothes in the river near his location. No worries though, his second round of laundry went a bit faster...there's only room for improvement!

New Address
There is a new address for Kevin posted on the Contact page of his blog. If you send any packages his way, let him know via email so that he can be prepared for a pick up! He's certainly looking forward to getting more pictures and letters.

Community Entry Conference!

This coming Tuesday, I leave for a Community Entry Conference where I will meet a counterpart from my community. For a little over one day, there will be information covered ranging from community expectations of the volunteer, volunteer expectations of the community, planning the first three months of service, and planning for the week long adventure. This will be my first opportunity to meet someone from my community!!! Then, on Thursday morning, I will leave for my community with my counterpart, and I will spend about four days in the community learning about it and getting a feel for my next two years. In addition, I have the opportunity to take luggage/supplies (such as a water filter) and leave it there in the community until I return at the end of the month, which will help immensely since I packed way too much and have already acquired an amazing more amount of stuff like books.

What are my expectations from my community? That is a good question. At this point, I just hope for patience as I advance my language proficiency, but this question is also something I need to seriously consider this coming weekend and translate into Spanish. Otherwise, for the one week, I hope to meet as many of the different organizations as possible. Also, I will investigate where I will live for the next three months, whether with one host family or three, and where I will live afterwards. Finally, I will also be able to determine whether there is anything else I need to buy, for example more warm clothes since it is at a significantly higher elevation, but really, I am just hoping to have some questions answered. The closer I get to the end of training, the clearer my next two years begin to look. Soon enough, I will be in my community and can begin the integration and trust building process necessary for my next two years of service!

In addition, tomorrow the CED trainees of Group 66 will present a community analysis done together in the training community that we have been living in since our arrival in Panama. It will entail a seasonal calendar, gender roles analysis, priority needs assessment, and SWOT analysis. It is truly amazing how the Peace Corps can recruit such talented people, and it is even more amazing how these same people are willing to give two years of their life to simply helping other people, especially since the process feels like jumping off a bridge without knowing whether you have a bungee cord attached!

It has been an insanely busy past 7? weeks, and it has also flown by. In the process, I have already experienced so much. I can´t wait for this upcoming week! So many questions will finally be answered!!!!! ( and a few more!!!!!!)

Site Announcement!!!

So it happened today. I received my site announcement, and I couldn´t be happier. While I am not going to be in a Ngóbe indigineous tribe, I will be in a Bugle indigineous community of approximately 1,000 people. In addition, the community I am going to has a lot of interest in help from a volunteer in a lot of cooperatives, and there are about 5 agencies that are working in the area to stimulate the economy. While it does have a paved road that leads up to the community, the last 1 hour of travel is done in the back of a chiva!
In addition, there is no house identified for me to move into after my first three months, so I may have the opportunity to build one! Tambien (mix in a little Spanish, lol!), from the paperwork, it appears as if the community will be supporting me when I build the house. However, even if I don´t end up building my own house, it is still going to be an amazing experience.
I don´t have electricity, but I do have running water!
I´ll post more information as time progresses, but as for now, I am out to celebrate with fellow trainees! In addition, my weekend will be filled with learning Spanish!

First Month!

So yesterday will be the anniversary of my first month in country, and it is truly amazing how quick one can adapt. While I still cannot communicate on a sophisticated level with Panamanians, I can communicate to a point (like I can tell Panamanians that I can´t communicate), and I seem to understand more of what is being said each day. But besides language, using a pit latrine with no toilet seat no longer bothers me. I take bucket baths when the water is out, and it doesn´t ruin my day. While Panama will never replace my home in the states, I still look forward to the end of the day and going home to sleep in my bed in Santa Clara (and not the one on the beach). In addition, I look forward to seeing my Panamanian mom, complimenting her on her cooking, enjoying her cooking, and playing bingo or watching TV with her and my host brother (I won a´peso´ last night, which is a half dollar, and I quit playing when I was down to just that). I also enjoy sharing the American culture, while learning about the Panamanian culture at the same time. For instance, where I live, no one really cares or keeps up with the weather, neither the temperature, 7 day forecast, nor even if there will be a rain shower later in the day (except if they see a cloud). I remember being constantly in tune with the weather on my cell phone while living in Arkansas. Granted, I may not always know the 7 day forecast, but I could ask someone close by and they would. Now the weather is always a surprise. In fact, at night, I no longer keep the fan on all night because it feels cold. After only a month, I enjoy the food of Panama. I even have a standard routine each day. I don´t sweat as much as I used to, and I consider it a luxury to have a dry towel after a shower (because I never do). Again, it is not that I am or ever will truly be a Panamanian, but I feel like I may someday not stand out. (Well actually, my pale skin and blue eyes will always make me stand out, but I won´t feel like an outsider.) One month, a lot learned, a lot missed, a lot more I now have a stronger appreciation for, and a lot I know I will miss when I leave in 26 months.
As for my plans, tomorrow I will work with a small group of fellow Peace Corps Trainees, and we will talk to a group of kids about gender roles in Panama. In addition, on Sunday, I will leave for another one week adventure in a Ngobe community. What I am supposed to pack, a sleeping bag because it is high in the mountains and gets cold at night. I still don´t believe it, but I will take my sleeping bag. How could it get cold in Panama?
(By the way, thank you to everyone who is commenting on my posts! It is good to hear from you even if it is through a brief post!)

Volunteer Site Visit!

So this prior weekend, I had a wonderful time visiting another volunteer´s site. It gave me perspective into a typical site of a volunteer in an Ngöbe community, and I enjoyed it. I have tried to upload two pictures to give perspective, but it is impossible to do so with the internet speed I am working with, plus to capture the culture, sound, smell, or overall feeling you have when you are staying in such a community is impossible. It is something truly amazing! I was even lucky enough to see a dolphin while riding in a dugout canoe! (I will upload photos when I am in a internet cafe or hotspot with a good speed. Otherwise, my blog posts will most likely remain imageless).

Also, I have been continuing to learn Spanish, but I still have a long way to go. I do feel as if I am making progress though because I can communicate on many different topics with my host family, including my American family, when I am not feeling well, how wonderful the cooking is, and ask questions about past events (yes, I have started dabbing with the past tense, which feels like an accomplishment.) I am staying healthy, but Panama still doesn´t feel quite like home.

As far as training, I had one of my most enjoyable sessions/days this week. We, Panama Group 66 - CED, had an introduction into Panamanian culture, including work culture and dealing with agencies. It was very interesting. To provide a few examples: Panamanians point with their lips and not their fingers (it is kind of like blowing a kiss in the direction you are intending), letters are still very customary (including a letter that introduces yourself to agencies/groups and thank you letters), it is okay to be late and walk around the group saying hello to every single person while the presentation continues, and they are still very particular about dressing professionally (which includes clean shoes and a collared shirt) when going to town (even if you have to hike for hours to get there). As far as Ngöbe specific, the word for "good" is "queen" (which is pheonetic spelling because I have no idea how to write it).

As far as what I have upcoming over the next week, I have a language assessment interview on Monday (which I am hoping goes well), and I will be leaving at the end of next week for a one week, in-site, technical training. However, I will not know where I am going to spend the next two years helping people until early October.

To all my blog readers (you don´t have to be a follower), what have you experienced in another culture that would seem weird/different in the United States? (Honestly, the telling everyone hello individually even when you are late for a meeting would be very rude in the U.S. But as they say, "when in Rome....")

From Panama City

Just to update some of you,
I currently sit in an internet cafe located in the largest mall I have ever seen, and it is located in Panama City (Albrook). How did I get here? Diablos Rojos!
I know the picture is a little blurred, so I would Google Diablo Rojos to get a more accurate picture. It is really interesting where American culture is present and where Panamanian culture is. It is definitely a different culture overall here, but it isn´t what I was expecting.
So far, I have experienced some pretty amazing things. I consider myself lucky to be doing what I am. I wish you could all enjoy the same experiences. As everyone had warned, there are up days and down days, but the overarching direction is purely up. I am starting to learn Spanish, and I hope that I only continue to do so more quickly.
As far as pictures go, it is lacking. I have been so busy with training that there is little time to do much else. In addition, I have been devoting a significant amount of time to studying Spanish. However, I promise to add more photos later in my journey.
As for my host family that I am staying with these first 10 weeks, I don´t feel as if I could have been luckier. Mi Madre Felicia is a wonderful cook and does everything she can to make me feel at home. She cooks everything from carne to rice to yucca to cornmeal mush (which reminds me of home). In addition, I have now bought a cell phone because it seems as if every Panamanian has at least two. Who would have guessed? (Feel free to call me if you like. Just send me an email, and I will respond with my phone number next time I am near a cafe. Remember though, if you call me, then it is on your dime) I am actually starting to hope for more isolation from technology, though, so be forewarned that I may not have cell phone signal. I can´t wait for this upcoming week!
On Wednesday, I am making a trip out to the Bocos del Toros region of Panama, which is located in the north western part of the country. The purpose is to get a better experience of a volunteer´s life and community, so I will be spending about four days there. As part of the trip, I have a 20 minute boat ride to my destination. Yes, the only access is via a 20 minute boat ride! Amazing, right?

Panama

So the invitation came this past Saturday (Panama), and I don't know where to begin......not just with this post, but also with my preparations.

So much to do.....So little time. However, I will say that I have a lot of support from co-workers, friends, and family, even if all three will be sad to see me go.

Today, it is finally starting to settle in. For 27 months, I will take myself away from everyone and everything I know. However, it will all be worth it, and it will hopefully bring me closer to understanding what it's all about.

As for now, mail off my passport, provide another copy of my resume, write an aspiration statement, and take advantage of every moment I have with those I love and care so much about. Oh yeah, and learn Spanish! (Why did I ever take German in high school?!?!?!)