I don't know how it gets better than this...

And so it begins

Fhdsjkchdskfjeos!!!!! Yes. That basically describes how I feel right about now… When words hardly come close to expressing what you want to express… However, I shall do my best:

I spent the last week visiting my future site, and I am now a sound believer in the Peace Corps process—the interviews, the follow-up interviews, the pages and pages of paperwork about myself and interests…they do a really great job at matching volunteers to certain sites (at least in my case, and from what I have heard from others in regard to their site visit). I love Calobre.

At the beginning of last week, all the volunteers went to a conference in Cocle, where we met a counterpart from our community. (Oh how the nerves were flying! However, they were immediately calmed when I met my lovely counterpart. Amazing woman) We spent a couple days going over information, and getting to know our counterpart before departing for our communities. On the 16th, we left for our sites. My cheeks hurt so bad during the last leg of my bus ride into Calobre—I was in constant smile mode. Just beautiful. All the trees…all the mountains…AH! Within the first day, I met the police, the school director, the VET!, people of MIDA (ministry of agricultural development), the corregidor, all the members in the women’s group, and so on and so forth. Circling Calobre, in more rural areas, are several smaller communities, and you can walk around and see most in about two hours; I’m lucky—I have 5+ communities to work with! El Alto is where the big farms are, and I spent a couple days out there working with two different groups on two different farms; planting rice and cleaning a corn field. I met my host families for the first three months and talked to some people about beginning the construction of a little house for when I can live solo! I went to a fun recycling seminar each night (which was basically like a big arts and crafts class!), and learned to make some corn goods (thick tortillas, bollos, chicha). I also may or may not have found a four legged companion. (I tried really hard not to get attached, but when you know, you know, right?! Cutest puppy) To top it off, all the people I have met are so phenomenal.

Between helping out in two different schools, working with the farm groups, and with MIDA, there will clearly ALWAYS be something to do, so I am pretty excited. I go back the 3rd of July and from there, the two year countdown begins. Yikes.

I am now back in Santa Clara for a little over a week, and while I am excited to really start my service in Veraguas, and be done with training, I hate having to leave my current host family. I am only 4ish hours away, so I can visit, AND they have already told me they are going to come visit ME in February (for my birthday!!! So sweet!!).

The swearing in ceremony is Friday. A day we’ve been looking forward to for a long time—the aspirantes finally become REAL Peace Corps Volunteers. Yay! Training officially ends the 30th of June, so we get a couple days free until we have to be in site. May do another beach trip.

It is all really happening. Thanks to everyone for continued support! I miss you all and hope you are well.

P.S. July 3rd is also pretty special because my amazing friend Nicole (who happens to have Panamanian roots!) is getting married! Congrats to you, my dear, I wish I could be there!

P.P.S. World Cup is also going on right now, and that is pretty cool, since it isn´t that huge (at least I think..) in the U.S. You guys at home watching?! You should!

Drum Roll, Please!

"Calobre is a serene mountainous region most famous for its coffee and sweet watermelons. The town of Calobre itself is a nice little developing town where everyone knows your name and it makes you feel like family. After getting to know the bustling streets and lowland heat of Santiago, head up the mountain highway past Calobre, where you´ll find cooler temperatures and a serene lake surrounded by pine forests and mist shrouded peaks in La Reserva Forestal La Yeguada."

I AM GOING TO VERAGUAS!!! My community is called El Alto, part of Calobre (as described above!) in the province of Veraguas. Ready for a description of my site? Cool:

"El Alto is a sector of the community of Calobre. Calobre is a Latino community of about 856 people. Your community is defined as El Alto because Grupo Emmanuel, the group of female farmers that requested a volunteer, have collective farm in El Alto where the main work is. El Alto, Buena Vista, Manzanillo and Laguna are marginal sectors that do not have electricity in the majority of houses. The people in El Alto are welcoming and friendly!
The main agricultural activities are the production of chicken and pigs to sell. They are sold in the town of Calobre. Grupo Emmanuel is producing organic fertilizer, bocachi, as a group activity, as well as working on chicken projects. The group wants to increase their chicken production and start pig projects. To do this, they need to install an irrigation system in their collective farm. (YES!) For subsistence, they produce corn, beans, rice, platano (YES!), yuca, among other crops and fruits.

Your potential work includes: facilitating the improvement of the Grupo Emmanuel chicken projects and organic fertilizer projects, facilitate analysis and decision making on the options for an irrigation system that is needed, facilitate and work with Grupo Emmanuel to implement sustainable pig projects, work with the Granja Sostenible on their chicken projects and the traditional crops projects, as well as overall SAS support, i.e. soil conservation, crop rotations, integrated pest management, etc, and teaching English classes.

You are going to be the first volunteer in El Alto. People are looking forward to working with you!"

I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER!!!!!!!!!!

YES! Amazing location. Centrally located in Panama, close to the Caribbean, close to Cocle, close to Colon, Herrera, the Azuero, Comarca, Chiriqui, relatively easy to get to, awesome projects, loads of community groups in a small community of just over 100 people, animals all over...I could go on...I am so excited.

:)

Tech week was pretty cool. We were in Veraguas, but on an agricultural high school campus, so not much of the province was actually seen. (soon...very soon!) Learned a lot on rice tanks, fish tanks, goats, cows, chickents, pigs, tree grafting, pasture management, water systems, etc etc. Visited Santa Clara beach in Cocle on our way back to the training community, and that was beautiful. I will add photos of the trip next time, don't you worry!

eeee!!! El Alto! (the stop...or the tall? either way, I LIKE IT!!!)

dance dance!

I have been in Panama for about one month. It feels like it has been one year, yet at the same time, like I arrived just yesterday.

Technical classes full of sustainable agricultural information, language classes full of silly (sometimes serious) Spanish conversations, watching the rain, playing in the rain, laying in a hammock, planting yucca and piña in my backyard, etc etc, and family time filling in all the gaps. I love this.

So, I attempted to learn some typical Panamanian folklore baile/dance. These dances are generally for grand celebrations or weddings. The women wear beautiful flowy dresses (pollera), elaborate headpieces (tembleque), complemented by a lot of gold jewelry. The men wear adorable suits and zapatos blancos y negros. I love watching these dances - so lovely. I wish I could dance. No, I wish I could dance well. Regardless, I want to get married and have a big folklore fiesta in Panama. Alas, it has become my mission to get these dances down. Here is a look at my first dance lesson:

Dios mio. I am pretty great, no?! Once I get I my hips to work, I think I’ll be ok. Right now I kinda just wiggle my whole body around…Yeah, I have a long way to go. Ha.

Next week all 18 of us SAS people are getting split up and sent to different parts of the country for a whole week of specialized technical training. I am going to a city called Divisa, which is in the province of Veraguas, really close to the borders of Cocle and Herrera. Fun fact: Veraguas is the only province that connects to both the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean; this led to its name, which literally means ‘to see water’. If that is a million dollar question for any of you one day, I want 5%. Kidding. Anyway, we are going to be focusing on building and maintaining fish and rice tanks, irrigation/water pumps (la bomba!), and doing some work with sheep and goats. Should be a great time! We also have a free day next Sunday before we have to return to Santa Clara, so I think the 7 of us going to Veraguas are going to try to do a beach day! Ecstatic.

The Wednesday following our return to Santa Clara, we all find out our future homes for the next two years! Eeep!!! Are you excited? I am, too!

FUN

WITH

PHOTOBOOTH!!
=)

Hi! Ok, some more pictures are up from the Darien...check them out!

In other news...I TAUGHT MY SISTER TO KNIT!!! She actually asked and thinks it´s cool...I felt less nerdy. She is already a pro, and completed her first project! A little head band thing. I love this!

Anyway, just a quick one to say hi & throw them photos up! MISS you all!!!

besos!

with an oink oink here and an oink oink there!

Before I jump into the beautiful details of my volunteer visit:

-Happy Mother’s Day! (tarde, lo siento) I love you, Mom, and am SO grateful for your support and love. I miss miss miss you. Hug & kiss from Panama.

-To those taking finals, good luck! My brother graduates high school on the 20th- Congratulations, Chris.

-Aunt Linda, hope first Fridays went well- I made French toast the other day, and actually knew what ‘canela’ was, remembering one of your art pieces!

-----

For the past few days, I was lucky enough to visit a wonderful volunteer, Sharon, at her site in the Darien region. She lives and works in a community called Tamarindo (which is also a delicious fruit). It was actually a Latino site, yet very awesome, all the same.

The first day, we borrowed some horses and rode pretty far up a mountain to visit Sharon’s first host family. I got the tour of their current crops and projects going on at their farm, and helped plant some new cacao trees! (yay chocolate)

her parents took us out into the junle, and we saw loads of monkeys. they were making a ton of noise, yelling, or singing..whichever you prefer.

also, out in the forest, rubber trees! that stuff is collected and used in the making of...rubber items (duh)

in the days that followed, i got to see a good chunk of tamarindo. we did a lot of visiting with sharons other host families and friends, and we took a long hike to see the aqueduct that provides water for the community. did a great deal of eating, as every family you visit will invite you in, and have a meal and coffee in front of you within minutes..yes coffee..hot coffee--even though it is always crazy hot outside. these panamanians are intense. many visits also included frozen duros, though-officially my favorite treat in the world. i strongly believe a duro a day will keep the doctor away. and there is nothing wrong with two a day. sorry, apples, you have been replaced. hah i need to take a picture of one so you guys can put an image to the name and understand what i am talking about when i refer to them.

we did more horseback riding, aaaand painted ourselves like the indigenous embera and wounan people. you use a fruit called jagua (it is a soft j..and i am not sure if i spelled it right..sounds like agua..) basically you just cut open this fruit, submerge the seeds in water, and paint with the water. the next day, it turns dark blue. fun. you cannot eat this fruit, though..just for painting..which makes me wonder about who first discovered this...hmmmm...

i also learned how to use a lasso! here you see my first successful capture of a practice log...

THEN...this lovely boy lassoed up a calf for me to practice on..i felt bad at first, but the calf was a good sport, and i finally got the hang of it! yo soy una profesional!

i loved this house because it also had pigs and piglets!

So, I left with increased excitement for my future site! However, for now, it’s back to classes all day. I did end up getting a cell phone! My Panamanian number is 6528-2116 …just in case you come across an international calling card and feel inclined to drop me a line!

ciao!

P.S. Dunkaroos—Remember them?! The amazing childhood snack that was in stores one day, and gone the next?! Well, please inform everyone that the search party can be called off; I have found them. I guess they just decided the needed a vacation, and decided to kick it in Panama. This made me smile..

Bienvenido a Panama!!!

At long last, I say ‘Hello’ from Panamá! I can still hardly believe I’m here! A few thoughts I had once I stepped out of the doors to the aeropuerto and into the world of Panamá:

-HELLO, humidity!! It smacks you in the face, figuratively speaking (at least for someone coming from a place with absolutely no humidity)!
-DIOS MIO!! (oh my goodness!)
-and, It really is gorgeous here. Green green green, and it was so fun to see all the rivers and ocean as we flew in

Some Peace Corps Panamá staff picked us all up at the airport and shuttled us off to the Ciudad del Saber (City of Knowledge). It’s an old American military base, and where the PC Panamá main office is located. Time there involved more administrative stuff-getting immunizations squared away (so far Yellow Fever & HepA…and there’s still a list of 8 or so to come. Gross), safety talks, meeting with project leaders, Spanish placement interviews (bleh), etc. We finally met with our ‘sector advisors’ (i.e. for me, SAS-Sustainable Agricultural Systems advisors) and that totally did me in, as far as excitement goes! FINALLY got some more direct info on probable projects and where I might be! After meeting with them for the first time, I have been told I am, indeed, doing animal husbandry work, and it seems I may be on a CHICKEN farm! Eeeeeee!!!!! They said most farms have at least A cow, goats and/or pigs, as well! (I’M SMILING REALLY BIG RIGHT NOW!!) Whether that goes through, or not, my enthusiasm is rising at an exponential rate, and I know I’ll love anything under this sector!

SAS group took a field trip to an old volunteer’s site in Las Gaitas, still in the province of Panama (Oeste). It was great being off the base and getting a taste of real Panama… beautiful beautiful beautiful…tropical, rainforesty…amazing. We toured a farm and all the projects the people had going on, i.e. fish farming, rice farming, cute little greenhouse, etc. Awesome stuff. There were chickens and dogs and a couple cats, goats… (I’m smiling really big right now…this is constant, really…my cheeks are killing me). We helped them plant a rice field, and I took a crack at de-shelling some already collected rice they had grown.

I got mi machete. I feel official.

After a couple days in La Ciudad del Saber, we were sent off to our host families! I’m in a little town called Santa Clara, and my family is pretty sweet. They have two kids, a 17yr old boy and 13yr old girl. After a brief language immersion freak out, I really think I’ll be ok…even after a few days, I feel my Spanish is heaps better. Still pretty silly, though. Story: My brother is a touch timid, and wouldn’t really talk to me much. The other day, it was crazy windy; I guess when it’s really windy, a smell of fish wanders over Santa Clara…because of some nearby island…I really don’t understand the whole thing, nor do I smell the fishyness…But they hate it, and brother was trying to tell me about it…he was waving his hands in the air, pointing toward the sky, and I caught the word ‘PESCADO’…naturally, the first thing that comes out of my mouth is ‘Hay pescados en el cielo?!’ (There are fish in the sky?!) He cracks up, and since then is no longer afraid of me. I guess it’s ok to sound like a fool, sometimes. He’s taking a lot of science classes. He whipped out his Spanish periodic table and my heart just jumped with joy. We like science.

It’s also begun raining a TON. I was dancing in our yard singing my own Spanglish version of ‘if all the raindrops were lemon drops and gumdrops…’ Sister taught me the Spanish version, AND pulled out a book of childhood songs for me! So I’m singing Spanish (old mcdonald, 5 little monkeys, bingo was his name-o) ALL the time now. I love this.

Food…I love plantains. I love mamey. I love guava. I love rice & lentils. I’m eating chicken and fish and eggs and cheese. My stomach gave me a piece of her mind at the beginning, but I’m getting used to it, and I love this. I dare say, I am going to gain 40 lbs.

The other aspirantes (aspiring volunteers) are amazing! It is wonderful to be around a whole mess of people who are just pumped to be here! The staff is beyond incredible, so, simply stated, I’m in a great environment. Busy busy with technical training 8-12 and Spanish lessons 1-5, however it makes for a great night’s sleep. Next week, we are all going on a site visit for 4 or so days..I am going to the Darien providence...to an Indigenous site. SO EXCITED!!! (yes i am smiling really big right now!!) cannot wait to tell you how it goes!

Hmmm…I think that covers most for now…I found it so hard to write this, and it’s sort of all over the place; There’s just SO much going on and SO much I want to share and SO little time at this Internet café. AH! Loved ones back home, I miss you, love you, and thanks for continued support!

gonna see if i can figure out how to put my pictures up with this panamanian computer..hmm

Hasta luego!