So what's been going on? Well I have been...
H arvesting rice! I daresay, this may be my new favorite activity here! *Remember your long sleeved shirts...the rice stalks are a
bit irritating to the skin.
A nalysis meeting. Within the first three months, volunteers are visited by their jefe (boss) and are required to have a meeting
with the community. Mine was pretty successful! Nearly everyone in the agriculture group showed up, participated in my
team-building activities, discussed strengths, weaknesses, and set up a game plan on how to improve in the coming years.
P lanning to get a business seminar in site. As we await the huge watermelon project, I would love it if my ag group went
through this seminar BEFORE being handed a large chunk of money to carry out the project. Some business volunteers put on
a great seminar, and hopefully they can come in the beginning of November!
P robando pujillo...trying pujillo (corn soupy thing), and other corn foods. Corn stands as its own food group here, it's amazing. On September
14, I hung out with a family and we designated the day as 'dia de maiz'..corn day! We harvested corn, milled the corn, and
spent the day making a few of the several things Panamanians make with corn. (We had a theme song for the day and
everything! 'Me levanté muy feliz...hoy es el dia de maiz!' yadda yadda...)
Y ellow...the color of the first of many knee length skirts I bought to please the group of Evangelical women I work with (it's all
they ever wear...EVEN when working in the field..). I shocked them when I wore my first skirt to a meeting. So much, in fact,
that they dramatically told me they didn't even recognize me! That I "actually looked like a girl, and not a little boy running
around in my jeans!" Ayiyiyi...gotta love them...
H elping families start home gardens. Cucumbers, green beans, peppers, oh my!
A ll Volunteer Conference. Oct 13-16, all 150+ volunteers in Panama and all the staff got together in Chitre, in the province of
Herrera. The conference involved HIV/AIDS training, cross sector information sharing, and an over all getting to know people
from other groups. It even included a 'Campo Olympis'...5 on 5 soccer, sardines eating competition, human cock fighting
(chicken fighting in the pool), and water relays...Group 65...ehem, my group...WON! The prize...M&M's and snickers bars,
and having our group name added to the Golden Machete.
L earning to cook more Panamanian dishes...Sancocho, a tasty soup, was my latest challenge.
L ess than 60 days--my family is coming to visit!! I am too excited.
O rganic fertilizer! MIDA came and gave a presentation on how to make organic fertilizer, and since we've been organic
fertilizer making machines! The recipe we used states it can be ready to use in 30 days...I'll let you know how it turns out!
W elcome Chelsea! One of my college friends/roommates has been traveling around Costa Rica, and dipped down to Panama
to visit me!! It was absolutely amazing to see her! We spent a day exploring beautiful Boquete in the Chiriqui province, and
then she came back and spent a couple days in my site!
E njoying the rain--only about a month and a half left of the rainy, winter season. December marks the beginning of the dry
season..aka..summer.
E ntirely let down by vick's vapor rub...(see last post). I tried it on my face, which, unfortunately, only led to an increased break
out. Still searching for a cure! I'm going to see a doctor in Panama tomorrow, so hopefully that should help!
N avy Ship Iwo Jima! So for 10 days, the naval ship USS Iwo Jima was docked off the shores of the province of Bocas Del Toro.
The US Navy, Army, Air Force, and Marines were on a joint humanitarian mission (Continuing Promise 2010)to bring medical
services to Panamanians in need in the area. A few lucky PCVs got to help translate for the doctors/panamanian patients. It
was a wonderful experience. I think for the first time, I felt like I was DOING something that was actually helping people in a
significant way. Moreover, we got to eat some exciting MRE (meals ready to eat) military rations, which, after the monotony
of Panamanian food, were really God sent. AND we got a tour of the Iwo Jima, complete with a helicopter ride back to land.
Awesome.
Did you catch my Acrostic Message?? :) Happy Halloween! and here's some SPOOKtacular photos! (More under the photo link!)
