Sappy Nonsense

Thats a picture of my extended host family above. I had a great time staying with them, and they even got me a hammock as a going away present. I´m definitely going to come back and visit... Now that our ten-week training session has come to an end I thought I’d reflect on some of those very 1^st experiences that I didn’t have time to write about at the moment. Training was intense, but lots of fun. At times it seemed like it would never end, but now it’s over and I feel like I just got here. After one of the very first days of classes we all went to play soccer with some of the locals. I’m not the best futbolisto but I hope to improve while I’m down here and was happy to hit the ground running (literally). As the sun was setting over the green field in hues of pink, purple, and blue I knew I was exactly where I wanted to be. The very next day we went down to a nearby waterfall and swimming hole. It’s surrounded by jungle, small rocks to dive from, and you can go sit under the 6 foot falls. Just knowing that beautiful little places like this exist all over the country confirmed my decision to be here. One of my favorite local snacks I discovered in the early days of training is a small fruit called pifa. It’s kind of shaped like an acorn, but about the size of a lime, and has a pit in the middle. They’re boiled with lots of salt in the water and come out tasting like a very salty sweet potato. I think they’re delicious and they’re sold on the side of the road 5 for a cuata (quarter).

Once a week during training we would take a chartered bus to the nearby city of Chorrera for all day sessions on medical and safety issues. We saw slide shows on bugs, burns, rip tides, rapists and other dangers to avoid. Generally we looked forward to these days because the conference room was wonderfully air conditioned, the food included green vegetables, and coffee was available all day long. The only downside were the sometimes painful vaccinations we received, but it was worth it in the end. (I hear yellow fever isn’t too much fun).

One very memorable experience from training was learning how to kill and cook a chicken. I simply watched all the activities as I hear these tasks are usually the women’s job. This is how it’s done: 1^st you must catch said chicken and tie him upside down by his feet to a tree branch or something similar. This is so the blood goes to his head, making the cleaning process much easier later. Then you slit his throat, let the blood drain out, and finally lop off his head. When you do that last part he’ll start flapping and moving around (like a chicken with its head cut off) as the last nerve and spinal cord connections are severed. The 3^rd step is to briefly dip the whole chicken into boiling water to open his pores so the feathers can be removed. Once that’s done he’s ready to cook. That day we made sancocho which is basically just like chicken soup with lots of cilantro, and ñame (a root crop). I expect similarly prepared sancocho to become one of my mom’s new signature soups upon my return.

Our first chance to explore more of the country during training was our visit to current volunteer sites for a weekend. I traveled with a few other trainees to a town more or less on the Panama-Costa Rica border. We got to learn more about the everyday lives of volunteers, the co-ops they worked with, and the local friends they made. We went to a talent show at the elementary school and received our first exposure to a typical Panamanian social event. It’s probably not that different from what you’d experience in the states; just imagine everything five times more hectic. The hora panameña dictates that everything starts later than expected, usually a half-hour to an hour. The noise-level was off the charts with kids screaming, music constantly blaring, and the MC’s trying to get everyone’s attention to announce the next act. It was fun though and good practice for all the parties I’ll be attending over the next two years.

The best part of the weekend was a beach bash the volunteers organized for us. We got to meet even more of our fellow volunteers, jump in the ocean for the first time, and see how PC Panama parties. The place we stayed at had dorm beds for $5 and a chalkboard where you put tally marks for every 50 cent beer you took from the fridge. I was honest as far as I can remember.

The last thing I wanted to mention was that one day we got to meet the U.S Ambassador here in Panama, William Eaton. He is a great supporter of Peace Corps Panama and extended an open invitation to us all to celebrate Thanksgiving at his house. Overall, training was enjoyable because it gave us a chance to get to know each other better, and ease into life here in Panama as a group. Some people didn’t find the adjustments as simple and so our original group of 42 people has been reduced significantly. Two girls missed their boyfriends, one guy wasn’t into the work, and two more guys were “medically evacuated” under controversial circumstances. We’re hoping the last two will make it back here, but right now we are 37 strong and ready for war (or peace).