Saturday, March 28, 2009

Aquí en la lucha

I thought that I would take the time to make this blog a reflection on my experience here and my journey through Peace Corps up to this point...
April 11 will mark 8 months since I have moved out of the United States. Where these 8 months, have gone, you ask? Only God knows. Contrary to the answer you will get when asking my mom or my fiancé if this time has gone by fast, I can honestly say that this time has blown by. Day to day, it seemed slow especially in the first 5 months but taking a step back and realizing that in just 4 months I will have been living abroad for 1 year, the idea still amazes me.
Let´s be completely honest here, it has taken me the majority of these 8 months to get used to living far away from friends and family, to be stripped of all comforts while at the same time being forced to adjust to new ones. I´ve had to get used to living and working in a completely different culture speaking a different language, and I´ve grown close to fellow volunteers from all over the US who are fighting the same battles I am, both physically and emotionally, all over the great country of Panama. I can´t say that I am completely used to everything even at this point but I am adjusted and continually adjusting. Thats one of the many things that I have learned this far. You never really know what you are capable of doing until you try and I´ve surprised myself many times this far reminding myself that. I´ve learned that you can adjust to just about anything as long as you try and of course with my good friend ¨time.¨
On top of dealing with a new life, one thing that has been difficult to adjust to is hearing about friends and family and their triumphs and tribulations whether it be a new significant other, a new marriage, a new job, a new degree, a new hobby, losing a job, losing loved ones.... I think to myself, ¨I´m missing out on so much, everyone and everything is changing without me and I´m missing it all.¨ I´ve had a new revelation recently as I look over these last 8 months: I would be lying if I said that I haven´t changed and I´m the same person I was 8 months ago when I stepped onto that plane to leave everything I knew was safe and secure.
I´ve learned so much more about myself in this process, many perspectives have changed, there has been many times where I stop and either look at the scenery (looking out on the mountains/animals/people as I travel down the mountain from my community to Panama´s main highway -or- resting after climbing/scaling rocks/hiking to look up at an amazing waterfall which makes the pain in my legs worth it -or- waiting at a bus stop for 3 hours but not minding at all because nothing but the beautiful view of mountains and the continental divide surround me and that dirt road, I could pick from a million sights) or stop and think about what a mess I´ve gotten myself into and just laugh because never in a million years would I have pictured myself in a 3rd world country having to deal with some of the things I deal with over here (taking a day trip to the nearest city and after spending the better part of the day on the internet and eating a good meal, making the mistake to go grocery shopping before I look for a fridge and finding out that I needed to go to multiple stores to get the cheapest fridge but now I can´t because my groceries weigh a ton and like hell I´m going to lug all this stuff around OR pay a taxi to take me everywhere PLUS make it back to the bus terminal in time to catch a bus to my mountain entrance BEFORE the last truck makes the last trip of the day up the mountain to my community WHILE at the same time sweating my butt off walking in the Panamanian heat -or- jumping out of bed at 6:15am because the water came today and if I don´t hurry and fill my buckets with water for the next 20 minutes, I won´t have water to cook, wash dishes, drink, or bathe for the next 2 days without having to get water from the creek nearby) . So needless to say, as everything is changing back home, I am going through many experiences over here and growing mentally and emotionally at the same time.
The fact that I only have a year and a half left, you may think it sounds like a long time but with the plans that I have for my community, I now understand why the commitment is as long as it is. I feel like I am barely standing back up on my feet after having everything ripped out from under me and that took 8 months! So even though I am doing well, there still exists day to day frustrations that are quite annoying and there isn´t one day that goes by that I don´t think about home, my family, close friends, and the love of my life but overall, I´m on my feet here in Panama and as we say over here ¨Aquí en la lucha¨ (here in the fight/doing my thing/doing what I can). It has been an incredible experience (these soon to be 8 months) and I can´t wait for what the next year and a half have in store for all of us.
Thanks for your continued support and don´t think that since I am in another country, we can´t talk on the phone. I have cell reception about 95% of the time depending on travel situations. My cell number is posted on the top left hand corner of the screen and for you lazies out there, email works too ;) Below are some photos of random events that help keep us all sane down here on the isthmus. I hope you are challenging yourself in whatever you do because without the challenges, how can you know your true potential?
Much love from Panamá!
-Dor

(above) Friends hanging out during training many moons ago.

(above) Hanging out at the beach hechando cuentas (telling stories).


(above) Celebrating at an Indian restaurant in Panama City after we ¨officially¨ became Peace Corps volunteers.

(above) The guys who dared to go against the ladies in a game the night before are here fulfilling their punishment for losing by wearing bikini bottoms and taking a dip in the ocean.

(above) Celebrating a birthday!


(above) Visiting Dylan´s site and using his hot plate to make tacos because he hadn´t bought a gas tank yet.


(above) Some of the gorgeous ladies of group 62 hanging out on the beach.

(above) Three of my neighbors after I told them to smile big so I could see their teeth.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Me? A Teacher? Who decided that?

Hello my deprived fans. I have been in my site for officially 2 months now and I can honestly say that I am happy to be there. My site is pretty big in scope and divided into several sectors. To get from the sector I live in to the center of the community, I hike about 15 minutes up and down hills. I realize that I haven´t done a great job of hanging out in the other sectors as much as I should but that´s what I´ll be working on over the next year and 9 months, right?

So to get familar with the kids in the community before school starts (Panamanian school year is March-December but for some reason the government pushed the start date to April this year), to be productive and pass time, and to help my name spread throughout the community, I started a short 3 week English course. In the mornings for 2 hours I teach 6-10 yr olds and in the afternoon I teach 11-17 yr olds. My class in the morning averages over 30 kids and the afternoon class averages to 20 students per class.

In latin american culture, its generally acceptable to show up late. If you tell someone to show up at 8am, showing up at 8:45 is pretty normal. They made sure to warn us about this during training since it directly applied to Panamanian culture. I´ll tell you what, these kids are really excited about English class because for my 9am class, I see kids passing my house on the way to my class when I´m standing in my pajamas outside brushing my teeth at 8:20! Its not unusual for some kids to come to my house and hang out while I finish getting ready and then we walk to class together.
(Above) Here is a pic of my morning kiddos.

So although I didn´t come to Panama to teach English, its a great way to get integrated into the community and my original perspective on teaching still remains... not the profession for me :)

You may have noticed that I mentioned my house. Yes fans, I HAVE MOVED INTO MY OWN HOUSE! I won´t dare put photos up until it is properly decorated so you might have to wait until the next post to see it. Having my privacy back after 7 months of being without it is absolutely amazing. Until next time... chao!