No Cable Cars Here - San Francisco Treats.

The beautiful San Francisco.

I visited Roxana's site in San Francisco, which is about an hour from me. First I take a bus to Santiago, and then I bus from Santiago to San Fran. She had spoken about how cute her site is, and it really is. I'm just doing my best not to have site envy at this point.

When I arrived we headed to her host family's home, which is too nice - So classic! It's beautifully and thoughtfully decorated and is so clean and lovely. It's what I dream my future grownup "home" will look like. Just clean and smart. No clutter.

Me, Roxana, & Kara overlooking SF

We (the Veraguas crew: Rox, Kara, and I) decided to hike this huge hill in her site. Roxana spoke to her friend and she volunteered to be our guide. That might sound a bit ridiculous, but a guide was essential because our route cut through all these cow pastures with barbed wire, and it was not a direct path. It was easier than I imagined it would be in the heat, since looking up at this hill made me wonder why I was the one who literally had suggested to Roxana that we use our vacation time to "go hiking." Luckily the other 3 gals were still game on, and so began our "cerro hike." En route to the cerro start, our guide, Josie, showed us some of the beauty of her home - San Francisco. The two "water features" photos are in fact actual cascading waterfalls. Stifling my site envy... Back to the hike.

Did I mention it's beautiful?

Admittedly, I haven't done any major hikes in a while, but I do enjoy the workout of it. I had been in the middle of the group, and I moved to the caboose, where I could set my own pace. I realized the hardest part for me this time was just having to stop a lot because the people in front kept stopping and before that.  It was fine - I think they thought that was a nice thing to do? I don't know, but once we got going, it was clear where the trail was, so it wasn't as necessary. And I don't like being right on top of people while hiking, so I left a little bit of space between me and the person in front of me, since sometimes I move faster, and sometimes I definitely move slower, so maybe they thought I was being left behind.   And with all that sweating and huffing and puffing, the last thing I wanted was anyone too close. At the top we got to do some rock scrambling, which was really fun. The whole trip was pretty funny. Pre-hike, I drank a lot of water, made sure to use my inhalers that I rarely use, but perhaps should use daily, since I breathe so elegantly while hiking. I brought my backpack of stuff with me: sunblock, 2 water bottles, umbrella, and stuff for swimming later. The girl guiding us? She brought nothing. Literally nothing, and she was wearing a super cute Tommy Hilfiger looking outfit with matching shoes that looked like Keds. I was wearing hiking boots. I will say though. My boots did a great job. I felt very secure. But compared to the bad ass Josie (our guide), I looked ridiculous.

After hiking, we visited the bakery. We were given a heavenly concoction of tutti frutti and lemonade. It reminded me of the drink I made in college mixing the two drinks in the cafeteria, but this was way more delicious. It had a great zing to it. We hung out and relaxed at the bakery and then toured a little bit more. Jenn (another PCV, not from Veraguas) joined us at the bakery.

We visited a sort of swimming hole looking thing. There were two waterfalls leading into it. It was magical. We got to swim for a long time, which I adored. I swam against the current of one of the waterfalls and it was like I had my own lap pool. My arms were sore the next day.

Where we swam!

Following our swim, we went to Roxana's home and cooked dinner and made some zucchini bread. Rox is essentially the Betty Crocker of the group. But how lucky because I got to get some super yummy bread before I headed home that night. I really lucked out with visiting her site because there is a bus that leaves her house after 7 PM, and my last bus leaves after 8 PM, so I can always visit her and still make it home to my place - should I desire that.

Relieved Exhaustion.

I had a great day seeing my future swimming hole. :)  I'm certainly jealous I do not have my own place to swim nearby, but such is life. Two buses and I'm there!

 You Hate Us, 'cuz You Ain't Us - V E R A G U A S.

1 week in La Pena (Initial Site Visit)

Initial Site Visit.

Rodrigo (my main counterpart) and I met in Cuidad del Saber and we spent almost the whole day together. It was intense. Mostly, because you’ve been wed to this person for the next 2 years. (Read: not literally.) But as arranged marriages often do, this one worked out! He and I were able to chat comfortably in English (woot!) and I learned about his lovely family and actual wife of 22 years, who is a teacher at the elementary school in my city of La Peña. 

We then headed the next morning to my dear La Peña. We drove in his car (luxury!) while the other chumps had to bus with their counterparts. My voyage was 3-4 hours with him, and we chatted the whole time. We even stopped at a fonda for a snack and tour a slight detour to see La Chica, a beautiful mountainous site that he warned me is absolutely unlike my site. Damn Steph! (There is a girl in the CEC group who is located in La Chica now.) So, we continued our happy journey and we finally arrived in Santiago. We had time to kill, so we grabbed lunch and did a driving tour of Santiago. 

As we finally approached La Peña, I became really frustrated at the looks of my new home. It is not the beautiful tropical paradise of my dreams. And I tried to “lock it up” and hold myself together, but it was a struggle at first. I mean, I was cranky and tired, and just wanted to go to my new home for that week for a nap. But then I was carted to the school and was shown off in a few classrooms before settling in a different classroom.

Rodrigo had left me at this point and I was in the care of Dannet, another counterpart. I have 7. We sat in a teacher’s classroom watching videos about the effects of abortion, and I just thought, uhhh – where am I? Then finally – like 1.5 hours later – Dannet and this other teacher and I all got into a car. And we drove to my future home… BUT I hadn’t realized that this teacher I had been in the classroom with was my new mom! Wonder of Wonders! I don’t know if I wasn’t told or if I hadn’t understood. A lot of times things are not communicated well, so it really could be either. I found myself in a house with Dannet and Arlenis (my new Panamom). And out came the guabanana chicha. Mmmm. What a perfect treat. (Like a nice fruit juice.)

And then I met my family: Abuelo (gpa); Joselyn (17); & Josmel (14). We have another brother, Joseph, but he wasn't at home. There's a housekeeper: Marina, and her son Elvin (10) comes over every day after school. (Marina now likes to try to scare me everyday. No seriously. It's kind of awesome, but yet, I do jump on a regular basis! She's sneaky!) She also has another son, Jose who goes to my colegio, and a daughter too there. I haven’t met the daughter yet.  And I learned through my dear pal Elvin that Joseph works in the city (Panama) in the airport or something like that.  I thought something tragic had happened to the father, or they had divorced, but come late Thursday night, someone opened my door abruptly and turned on the light and then turned it off super fast. His eye contact said – AHH!, so I felt comforted by that reaction. I thought it was my little brother and that I’d have to speak to him the next day, but then the next day at breakfast, I see a new man. Hmm – we do have a dad! Again – was I told? Who knows. He works as a teacher in the Conmarca (read: indigenous type reservation) Teachers do not get to choose where they are placed in Panama. It’s a bizarre, bizarre situation. So, my sister is a beauty queen –no seriously – and my brother loves the rodeo. Genetically, it’s unclear how this happened, but it’s pretty great. Josmel dreams of going to Texas for vacation to see rodeos… Joselyn dreams of going to Disney. They’ve been many places in the US already, and Abuelo is very well traveled. 

On my first or second full day, I got up and ready to go according to the schedule, and was taking my time eating because I knew I had time, and Marina said, "Kelly, they're outside for you!" And I freaked because I was not ready at all. So I popped my head outside and requested 5 minutes. They (2 of my 7 counterparts) said that was fine. I have no idea why they were so early. So 2 men and I squeeeezed in to the front of a pimped out truck. (And I mean squeezed.) Talk about first impressions. I've literally just met these two men, and now I'm sandwiched between them as we headed to the colegio (secondary school). Thankfully, it was a short ride, but man - short but awkward. It seems that all cars here are stick shift, so my leg had become a part of the shifting process. Classic first day. 

Later that day, we squeezed into the back seat of another counterpart's car, because she uses the front seat for her school bags. We went to Santiago and did more touring. It was very nice how they took time to introduce me to things. We went to the Panamanian history museum and they just watched me looking at things. That was strange, but I realized that they wanted to ensure I was having a good time and that I would choose La Peña as my site. They seemed scared I would want to have a different site. (Ha! As if I got to choose!) I was asked about my religious beliefs, my political beliefs (ex. did you vote for President Obama? Why or why not?), and my stance on the recent Summit of the Americas. I laughed and told my counterpart who inquired that he was asking quite personal questions, but I answered. I figured, what the heck! Another counterpart inquired if I was "free to marry a Panamanian." I laughed and said, I guess so. He seemed impressed. Maybe he thought I had a family back home? I'm not sure. But another counterpart responded just then- oh you're single, that's why you're so relaxed. I found that hilarious. In case someone out there thinks that was inappropriate - I'm asked ALL THE TIME about my marital status. It's just a question here. My host dad was shocked I didn't have any children. I was shocked he thought I would leave my children to join the PC. 

During the visit I was able to meet Nico (Nick) who was the volunteer in La Peña before me. It was cool to meet him and his gf. They are apparently DC bound, so that’s just kind of a small world reality, even though I do realize it’s not that crazy for RPCV (Returned Volunteers) to be in DC.

I got to see my future home – needs some work… and I bought some of his stuff off of him. He threw out a number and I just said yes. Honestly, not even sure what I bought. Ha. I trusted him though? He did show me around some parts of Santiago, and I met up with Ben at this youth center, and that was fun to see what Ben is up to, because he lives in Santiago, which is close to where I live.

And then there was a Despedida for Nico at the school, which was really special to experience. A girl sang a song – hilariously it was Kelly Clarkson’s “Because of You”, but the point was that she was singing in English, not that Nico had actually destroyed her self esteem like the song suggests. My counterparts gave me a key chain and adorable handmaid earrings that look like a macaw. Counterparts below (L to R) Rodrigo, Alipio, Nilvia, Dannet, me, Nico, Amarilis, Evaristo, y Rafael.  

And finally, during the weekend - I was fortunate enough to go with Nico (PCV), Dannet (counterpart) and her daughter, Amarilis (counterpart) and her son, and Rodrigo (counterpart) and his wife, son, and daughter to LA PONDEROSA! It was fun. We swam, ate a great meal, played volleyball, and looked at the animals. It's essentially a strange zoo place, but there's a nice big pavilion with hammocks and there's a bar. It's a chill place for great family fun. You do have to pay more to use the pool, unfortunately, but other than that - it's pretty sweet. Honestly, I had a blast. I felt wined and dined by my counterparts, and it was really special for me to meet some of the family members of these great folks. And it was great to have another day hanging out with Nico before he jetted off.

So, after reflecting on my new home I realized at first I was disappointed and upset. It was hot and wasn’t that pretty. BUT the people were nice. They were so nice! So, I concluded that La Peña is my new Ohio. Let me explain. I LOVE going to Ohio to see my family. I find it relaxing, stimulating, and just good ole fun. I always feel cherished and accepted. I eat good food and often get spoiled. Not everyone in the states would love to visit Ohio. There’s no beaches, it looks like other states in the midwest, and the weather is pretty miserable in the winter. But man – there’s some great festivals, some great food & drink, and some great people. 
I am counting on La Peña being my new Ohio. 

Much love to my real Ohio family. 

Panama City Adventure!

Today we went into Panama City to see where certain things are and learn how to navigate the city. For instance, where would we go for lab work and where would we go to the hospital. So we did a lot of walking, which was a nice contrast to days of sitting, but man PC is still hot. I think I feel it's hotter than Santa Rita because in SR, I sit under shade and in PC, there's limited shade as you walk about the big city. Things have developed even more since I was here 2? years ago. They have a metro now. Very nice! Only one line on it but it's great. Reminds me of NYC and DC but better Bc it's so smooth. No jolting! We also rode a metro bus, which was like exactly the same as dc metro buses. Same stop system and everything. And the buses and metros use the same cards - similar to a smart trip! Only difference - you can also use the card to pay the .25 to use the bathroom.
So we did our tasks, stopped at the mall, and we went to a nice grocery store. I'm pleased because they sold various things that I could want to buy eventually. So many Americans there, so that was funny. Then once it all was completed, we stopped near Casco Viejo and we drank and ate at a brewery. I got a mojto. Tom Flynn would approve of it. It was good.
I'm trying my best not to share drinks with people but geez, it's tough since everyone is like - can I try it? It's just a matter of time until we all catch the same illness! I am going to have to get serious on saying no to people asking to share drinks. I'm not trying to get sick!
After the brewery restaurant, I went home with a group around 7. I knew the buses ran til like 10, but we live far from the city so I didn't want to risk not getting home.
During our scavenger hunt - I was in charge of calling in the answers and then I was told by our safety lady that I should be home by 5..... And that I had to text when I got home with my group..... It was nuts. Our curfew on weekends is 11 to our host families and we were never told we had to return earlier. You can't just decide that oh and by the way- you must leave the city immediately.... When that was never told to us in advance. Plus, it's Panama City, not like idk? Tijuana? It's safe and nice and the only concern is transportation,  and we all sorted it out. I actually texted mi mama to tell her I was on my way home and her reaction was "ok." Aka why are you telling me? Ha hilarious.
My host family's daughter is visiting today. My mama's birthday is Monday so I think that's why. She's pregnant! It's exciting! Looking forward to r&r tomorrow!

Chorrera. City of Dreams.

Ha. Not really. It's kind of a dump, but it was fun to go to Chorrera today with the other volunteers.

We had some tasks, but mostly I really loved chilling out with Dana, Luiz and Tim. I didn't talk to Dana much at Cuidad del Saber, and she's very nice, so it was great to get to know her better.

Then after a great day of chit chat and browsing - we actually all met up for drinks at this great little place with an awesome patio area. It was covered and had tons of space. Balboa beer is where it's at. It's like a lager, I'd say. We're not allowed to drink in our host sites, so it was so nice to be able to have a few with the other folks. I can actually say I had genuine fun yesterday. I'm still getting to know people, and I'm still a bit shy, but overall, it was a great fun day!

We took a chiva there and then a diablo rojo home and then a taxi. Overall - woohoo.

Some pics of new friends:

Tupac- I found you! 

Here he's been - hiding out on a diablo rojo all this time.

First "Real" Day! (of Training)

 <--- Toyo the loro. I'm trying to win him over...





We have 2 parakeets and 2 dogs: Osito (L) and Rockie (R).  I swear they're alive.

2 de Marzo 

Daily schedule: 

Wake up and shower (we are actually told to shower at least 2x here....)

Classes start at 8 - literally about 5 steps away from where I sleep, which is funny & convenient. Funny b/c if I ever "stay home from school," I'll actually be able to hear and talk to the other students at school. Side note: Classes are divided by skills and I am in the lowest level, and we all live over here in the boonies. But we are intermediate low and CEC has people in even lower classes. Language class ends at 11:45. After that I have lunch at home and then I walk to tech classes. It's like a 15 minute walk in the hot hot hot sun. Luckily, it's all under cover once you get there. They are from 1-5. Yeah. 1-5. It's nuts. After that, I have a little bit of time for myself, but we basically have to be near our house before it's dark, unless we're in a group. Dinner is served whenever I get home, so it's kind of nice.

 

So last night I took my first malaria pill. My eyes burned so bad, and I thought it was from the freakish amount of animals at my house: like 10 chickens/roosters, 2 parakeets, 1 parrot (named Toya), 2 rabbits, 2 dogs, and 2 "agoutis." Anyway, I'm not sure about the eyes, but I will be confident next week, after I take them again. If it's the pills, obviously, I'll ask for different ones. I just want to be educated before I make such a request. Agoutis is the English name - Their name is different in Spanish, but I can barely say it, much less spell it yet. My host sister repeated the name to me like 10 times, and still I was like uhhhh?

                                        Agoutis are below. Cute! But poss will be our meal...?

Today I met Grace. She’s the girl I will spend a few days with during site visits. She seems very nice, but I’m still nervous. I’m really lucky to meet her prior to the site visit though, since she gave me some tid bits about the journey. And hopefully it will be a little less awk to spend time with her since she sort of knows me now me & I her.

Today was also my first language class with Kenia (mi profesora) y los otros aspirantes: Dillon, Randee y Natalie.

It was pretty good. Yes, we are the lowest of TE volunteers, but we’re speaking, so that’s good! I like my family. They’re Catholic, too. We chatted about saints that we like tonight. I brought two cards with me: Therese of Lisieux and Our Lady of Perpetual Help. I don’t think Therese is big here, because she had never heard of “the little flower”.  I guess I could look it up later. I’m understanding them better but not that well. It’s definitely a different accent than in Costa Rica and when my Papa talks – he doesn’t open his mouth fully, and I find myself like uhhhhh what? The words: “No entiendo” y “Que?” could drinking game if my life were a reality show. I can’t help but muse about my final placement, and I’m starting to think about my wants/must haves:

1.     electricity

2.     shower/toilet inside. Yes, I am a princess.

3.     Isn’t too HOTTTTT. Apparently there are “cool” places here… so hell yeah – I’m gonna see what’s up with that!The heat def scares me. But it  hasn't been so bad here in Santa Rita? Let's hope it's not a fluke!

 Below: 4 AM nemesis

Day Four: Site visit & Lord of the Flies

Site Visit:Today we TE folks visited Chelsea in her school and home communities. It's Saturday, so school was not in session, but for some reason we still were told to dress up, and then it was weird because we sort of hiked around and my dress shoes were not appropriate. Mixed messages! Chelsea and other volunteers were super helpful and kind. Everyone seems to really try to ensure we're understanding stuff. It's almost too much hand holding but since I prefer that to none, it's okay. Joel and Isabel (the TE directors) joined us today, and I really enjoyed seeing them out of the office. Chelsea's mama prepared an exceptional meal of chicken, rice, and plantains. I ate it with a spoon. The chicken was so fresh that it wasn't a big issue! The host family was preparing some pork to sell? at an upcoming dance. Not sure I got that but I did see this guy - yes, that's exactly what you think it is... a dead pig's head hung by it's ear.
And of course the chicken's family wasn't too far away, either. Overall, a good day, but I'm excited to experience life out of the dorms and in my own room, even without wifi.  So begins the real training! Spanish, skills, etc. Ahhhhh! Buenas Noches!
Also, here's our outrageously good looking TE G76 group in all our glory. (24 of us total + Joel, Isabel, and Tyler)