Post Site Visit and First Night Out of Site

So, at this point, I am probably considered a ´site rat´ because I don´t leave site very often. In fact, tonight will be my first night that I don´t sleep on the same table, in the same dirt walled & floored room, listening to the same roosters crowing and music blasting, and smelling the same scents that come with living in a remote village in the hills of the Comarca since I moved there two and a half months ago. And right now, I am wanting to run back home to my community. It is familiar, and where I am right now isn´t. In addition, it is a lot hotter here. It is probably 10 degrees warmer than my site with temperatures around 90 degrees farenheit here. So why am I out of site....not by choice, but because I have my first regional meeting to attend. I am really excited about it, as it will be my first opportunity to see many volunteers that I haven´t talked to in the same amount of time. Since moving to my site, I have had two volunteers visit my site, not including a relatively close volunteer (which I call vecino) that Í run into occassionally in my community.
So how has it been? AMAZING!!! My last post concentrated on my ever looming Site Visit, which I have come to realize was all needless concern. My site visit went great, and I feel so much better now that it is over. In addition, having the boss visit was really a great day and not a day of stress like I thought it would be. She helped me with a seminar I had, and she arrived with chocolates and apples. Plus, she bought my lunch (all $1.50 that it was)! Also, it was really refreshing to receive a ´pat on the back´ and appreciation for what I have been doing. Overall, I wish she would come more often, but it won´t be for another year that she makes a trip to my site.
Now, I have six month goals. I will continue the business analysis I started with the women´s (and two men) artisan group, I will train two people to teach basic computer skills, Word, and Excel which will in turn teach at least one class during this time period, and I will teach English classes tailored toward selling good to a person who can speak no Spanish. In addition, I will continue my primary job duty, which I call helping whoever wants help. Plus, today I introduced a really simple project to one of my community counterparts, and he was really excited and wanting to start on it immediately.
So where am I heading? Besides the goals set during my site visit, I also have a hiking trip planned for next week. I am going to hike 20 kilometers with a group of boys and girls (Boy Scouts) to the top of a mountain that I look at each day with amasement and desire to concure!
Oh, and I forgot my major accomplishment yesterday! My ´junta´ went amazing well, and we finished putting up the dirt/straw on my walls within one day! Now, I have 1 month to build two doors, two windows, run water, constuct a bed and table, get approval, and move into my new house! (The walls need 1 month to dry thoroughly, or otherwise, it is really cold and causes illnesses.)
I wish I could upload pictures, but my camera and the internet connection does not allow. However, imagine a group of six guys (Panamanian), one gringo, and one gringa in a circle with arms locked stomping mud in a giant mud pit! This was yesterday and the building of my house!
Right now, the only problem I have is my language. I find myself not thinking about what I am saying as much, and I end up accidently speaking English in the middle of a conversation! ¿Por que?

Swear-In

So, I currently sit in an air conditioned room, on an ex-military base now filled with ex-pats, and I type on my laptop while using wireless internet. All of this after eating a wonderful Italian dinner with other great Peace Corps Volunteers. My first few hours of being a volunteer.....
Swear-In ceremony was a great experience, and it was again inspirational. The ceremony was held at the Ambassador of the United States' house, and the President of Panama Ricardo Martinelli was present. I come to realize the President Martinelli is a very personable guy, probably because he got a college degree from Arkansas. Overall, it was a wonderful ceremony.
In addition to swearing-in, I also received the official results of my language proficiency exam Wednesday, and I am proficient enough to swear in unconditionally. Also, I have spoke with family and friends the past few days, and I want to again thank everyone for the support from home. These words of encouragement help to push me through the challenges I face each day.
My first few hours of being a volunteer are not what I am expecting for the next two years. In fact, after a two day stint at the beach to celebrate, I will be in my site for the next three/four weeks without leaving for anything. All the way until Thanksgiving! One month without internet, TV, electricity, or English .... it's going to be an experience of a lifetime!
Anyways, I just wanted to update everyone and let them know I am alive. In addition, I am now a Peace Corps Volunteer officially! YAY!!!!!

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....")