Buffalo Bills

Yesterday, I am in Chitre and turn on the tv in my hotel and what is on....THE BILLS GAME! I got super excited until I saw they were losing. But it was a comforting familiar feeling. And it made it me crave pizza and wings. Da Bills.

Weather

The weather in Panama is crazy. During training it was ungodly hot. Now in site its usually comfortable during the day, but I sleep in sweats and a hoodie in my sleeping bag. Oh and the rain. I have never experienced 8 days and nights of solid rain. Pouring rain. So depressing. The mix of heat, cold, and humidity has also ruined my two most valuable possesions in Panama, my camera and ipod. I got a new camera, but I guess its Panamanian reggetone and tipico from now on.

I have started baking. The people LOVE it! I have made a bunch of different kinds of sweets and they think I am nuts, but love to eat them. And this is without a stove people. I have a list of people who want to learn how to make them. Now that I have their attention, maybe I can teach them about cooking vegetables.

I feel like I am contantly stuggling with the need to be a member of the community, and Peace Corps volunteer. Because I honestly feel like you cannot be both. I start to feel normal and in the groove, and bam hey Amy you need to leave for two weeks for training. Hey you need to leave for this meeting or that meeting. And that really is part of my job, to work with agencies and make stuff happen. But at the same time the community members dont really get it either. They just know you are not in the community and not visiting their house.

I have realized that most of my blog posts are totally random but hey when you are rushed for an hour to do all your stuff in a super slow internet cafe. So you get what you get folks.

Community Analysis

For my first three (actually four) months as a volunteer, my job was to observe and listen and learn about the community. Pasear, attend meetings and community events. And it all comes down to the big meeting. And nothing seemed to be going my way. My boss changed the date after I had sent out all the invitations. Then the day before my meeting, a woman in my community passed away. (RIP) My boss showed up late and I felt as though I might throw up. Oh and of course it was raining! But everything went smoothly. Having my boss there really helping and he said he enjoyed my different approach to the meeting. Excellente! Some of the community´s ideas for projects include: eco justa stoves, lombri compost, a chicken project, and home gardens. So we will see what I can make happen!

In other news:

I also visited fellow volunteer Daisy in La Loma Montuosa for spanish class. Another beautiful site and a great visit. It is nice sometimes to get out of the community and see new places. And I was told by my teacher I have a campo accent. She didnt exactly say it as a compliment, but I took it as one.

The community has officially formed a cooperative which is an excellent step in the right direction.

Independence Day from Columbia was November 3rd and there was an activity in the school. Games for the kids and of course arroz con pollo and chicha.

A recent problem, not so much in my community, but communities nearby. Alcohol. There have been at least two fights and the police were called once. Two people in the hospital. Yes there are problems when you drink fermented corn out of fertilizer containers and then have machetes. Who would of thought? But on the good side. People are pissed. They want to stop people selling Seco out of their homes and stop making chicha fuerte for the peons. Hopefully we shall have some community action!

I have aquired some new plants for my garden and will be planting my vegetable garden in the beginning of December.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! :)

Even Cats Eat Rice

La vida campo is usually mas bien, but sometimes it is soooooo frustrating! Things move at such a different pace, much slower than I would like them to. And there is little motivation to advance and move forward and change their  lives.

So in short, I have my work cut out for me. Partly this is my fault. I had to much time to think about PC. I let my idealism get out if control. I forgot how real life is.

But on the upside, my birthday festivities went excellent! I had my host brother bring some meat, we killed a chicken, I made a cake and cookies, and we sat at a table with a tablecloth. I felt super special :-)
I have also discovered suavitel. An incredibly strongly scented fabric softener that keeps your clothes smelling fresh even when they don't dry for a week.

Oliver is still crazy. When I went away last time, he went back to stay with my second host family, except they were not there. He stayed alone with his girlfriend and without food for five days.  Livin on love. He was also fighting and at some point during this time lost part of his tounge.

Finally, I am in my house! Wohoo a space of my own! It's super nice and I am loving buying new things and organizing and making it mine.

Panama. The country, not the van halen song.

•Clothing is ridiculous here. Can I please buy some clothes that aren't skin tight and don't have rhinestones? Please?!

• I don't think panamanians use the bathroom. I seriously never see them use the bathroom. And this observation has been backed by other volunteers.

• They think my flashlights are amazing.

• I showed up to a meeting in my PC polo, a skirt, and black rubber boots. Yes as a matter of fact I am that cool.

• So you have read about how much I love rice. But I have recently come to the realization that at least rice is not weird.

• Oliver chases after cars after I can in...it's so sad to watch him running an barking. He also gets mad when I ride a horse.

•My current best friends are a 40 year old woman, a 15 year old boy, and my dog. And I'm ok with that.

• My birthday celebrations have been excellent so far. I was sung to on skype by 4 high school Spanish classes and my family. I ate good food in Chitre. And there is more to come this weekend!

• I finally got all my mail from during training! And am caught up on mail and packages in Chitre. Thanks so much for sending and I try to reply as best I can.

Here are some things I have been up to....

Here are some things I have been up to....

• I got what most Peace Corps volunteers fear. A gusano. What started as a bug bite, turned into home for a half inch worm with an ugly head. We removed it my suffocating it with tobacco and then squeezing it out. I guess its better to get the scary things out of the way first thing.

•On another creepy crawly note, I have seen 4 snakes, two of which were close encounters. One passed right infront of the horse I was riding. The other was right infront of me when I was walking and I only saw at the last minute. Dont worry, no bites.

• I have been bathing in a stream.

•Eating sugar cane is delicious.

•Everyone think that I should get married and stay in Panama.

•Discotecas are super fun but slightly creepy.

• People are never ever on time and often what they say they are going to do am what they actually do are two different things.

• I feel super cool when I walk around in my black rubber boots.

• Everyone is incredibly generous!

•People don't understand why I am not afraid to ride a horse or walk alone or live alone or play soccer with the boys.

• My dog is starting to listen better.

• I can hear howler monkeys at night.

• The whole world stops when it rains.

• Panamanians eat a lot.

• I hate opening my email and receiving a billion emails.

• They have this weird thing where hot and cold things cannot mix. Like you cannot have a cold drink with hot food. And you cant shower of you are hot. I have broken this rule with much difficulty.

•I have yet to completely figure out my cell phone. Partly due to my frustration that comes from the signal constantly cutting out.

• I have become addicted to coffee. If I don't have it in the morning I have an awesome headache midday. And I crave it sometimes too.

•Pretty much everything in some way can "hace dano" aka cause damage. This is also an excellent excuse for not eating things you don't like.

• It makes me feel really good when people say I speak a lot of Spanish. I think they are more surprised I can speak Spanish at all, but it's a confidence booster.

Sent from my iPod

Lot of leavin left to do

I have been thinking a lot about life. And really it there is a lot of leaving...graduations, moving, traveling, different friends. Each time we change something in our lives, it can be really sad. But I just realized that it a good thing to be sad about leaving. Because that means it was amazing and it enriched your life. If you were not sad about the change, to me that means it did not make a significant impact on your life. It is amazing how quickly people and places can make an impact on you. But what is truly important is recognizing that those experiences are now a part of you and helped you grow. And what is ahead is far greater than the past.

La Vida Campo

I think I figured out what stage of the `volunteer lifecycle` I am in...shock and awe. I am not unhappy. Just a lot of change happening at once. New community, new people, new language, new culture. But despite all this, the people are super warm and welcoming and I am pretty sure if I did no projects and just pasear-ed for two years they would still like me.

Here are a few notes on what I have been doing:
-I dropped my toothpaste down the latrine on the second day.
-I got an minor infection from a bug bite in my leg.
-I learned to make bollos.
-I walk. A lot.
-I pasear. A lot.
-I hang out at the school  while the moms cook and then the kids during recess.
-People always give me stuff. If I visit someones house I always come back with plantains, bannanas, or eggs. And people always buy me candies at the tienda.
-Kids are adorable.
-People are amazed that I am not afraid to ride a horse or walk alone or a variety of other things.
-It really rains here, and surprisingly gets cold.
-Chickens are hilarious. Everyone is always shooing them away and then the dogs chase them. Its the new tv.

My favorite thing I have done so far is play soccer with the boys. I dont really like soccer that much. But they invited me one day, more of  a lets see how she will react. And I played. I have enough atheltic abilty to play good enough and am not afraid to play with the boys. Its also a good way to get to know an awkard age group, boys mostly from 12-18 and then a few adults. I am the talk of the town. Woah she likes to play soccer, with the boys? I never really considered myself a feminist. But girls can certainly do the same things as boys, and hopefully a small thing like playing soccer with the boys every weekend can change a few minds.

I am a Volunteer.

Its official...and kinda scary. I am a sworn in, real deal volunteer now.

My community is super awesome! It is beautiful and the people are great. But I am not gonna lie... its hard. But in a good way. It is hard to be in a new community not knowing anyone, be a follow up volunteer, limited spanish skills, knowing what my role is and can be. I want so much to start and get going, but I must be patient and understand the community better. I have been pretty much just pasearing (aka awkwardly sitting) and visiting the school. The view, the kids, and Oliver (my dog) help me realize how lucky and amazing it is for me to be in Los Virotales. I feel like I have so much to say, but dont quite know how to express it yet.  So stay tuned.

New address... again

So I have my address for the next two years. So far I have only received one letter from the awesome Panamanian mail system. If you feel the need to write and it is not urgent please do! And maybe I will get your letter ;-)

Amy Stypa
Entrega General
Chitre, Herrera
Republica de Panama
Celular: 6553-2287

Advice

I need help with the following:

1. How to train a dog and what sort of shots and procedures are necessary.

2. Recipes with ingredients that will keep for awhile with out refrigeration.

Sent from my iPod

This is real.

This is real.

Finally! After a year and four months of waiting to leave, and two months of training... I visited my site. It was insanely nerve racking. This is my life for the next two years.

It's super weird coming to a community and putting yourself into their lives. The people are insanely kind and welcoming, but I feel a bit awkward. And they think I speak Spanish really well so they must be crazy.

When I came to panama I was ready for a small rural community. But after the "easy life" in Santa Rita, being out in the campo is definitely a reality check. Waiting 6 hours for a chiva and arriving in the pitch black with no electricity was not exactly how I wanted to do things. The first few days were tough. I am not a super chatty person, so just randomly meeting and talking to people is very difficult for me. When I live by myself I don't think I will ever have to cook. One day I got fed three lunches and five cups of coffee. I am just going to pasear when I am hungry and someone will feed me. I have started a following of kids here too.

One of the girls in my group is my closest volunteer and there is a teaching English volunteer in Las Minas who I met in my six hour wait. Also there is a japanese type peace corps volunteer in Chepo who is working with ANAM. So I will definitely have some people nearby to hang out with when I need a break.

Each day spent in the community was better than the day before. I started to feel more comfortable and met more people. I think that I am going to be really happy there and will be able to work well with the community.

At the end of my visit, the exiting volunteer came back and it was good to chat with her for her perspective on the community and tell me good places to buy things, eat, and Internet. I was also able to attend her despedida. The community had such nice things to say about her and it was really sweet. My favorite thing someone said was, "The best way we can thank her for all the work she did here, is to welcome the new volunteer and work even harder with her. " yup. That's my community.

And last but not least I met my dog! His name is Oliver and is super cute. He needs to be trained more and fixed because he gets into fights so hopefully that will calm him a bit.

And everything is falling into place.

Sent from my iPod

It's not all rainbows and butterflies

I love panama but, there are several things I could do without. And in no particular order.

1. Rice. I really do not need heaping servings of rice twice a day. I told Freddy and I get less now, but usually still twice a day. I am pretty sure I have eaten more rice in this short time then I ever have in my life.

2. No schedules or real routes for buses. The other day we were coming back from La Chorrera and we told the driver where we were going, but before we got there we drove through this random town. And there is no way to tell when the buses will come. And how much they cost is posted on this teeny tiny sign.

3. Cat calls. Like really. Please do not hiss and whistle at me. I am not your love. The only English they know is how to "flirt" with girls. And my Spanish is not good enough to talk back. Panamanians definitely have shame, but not when it comes to hollering at girls. It's super awesome to be blonde too.

4. Machismo. This goes along with the cat calls. I was told by a 12 year old boy that I could not help carry something because I was a girl. It's like the 1950s all over again. Most of the time it's manageable and o can joke about it while still hinting that what they are saying is wrong. But other times it is so frustrating.

5. Roosters. I think I have said this before but oh man they are so annoying crowing all night.

6. Manners. In the professional world everything is very formal and appearance is super important. But the kids are not like that at all. I am not sure if it is just because they are more comfortable with me or what. But they use the command form (ex come here) way to much, and rarely say please or thank you. Also they will yell someones name until they respond. I have recently started saying thing indirectly about this also.

7. Sweating. I think the only time o am not sweating here is when I am in the shower. I would have lost so much weight via sweating, but the rice is counteracting it. I am not sure how people deal with this heat all the time. The only really good thing is that it is always a topic of conversation." Que calor" can be said at any time and even multiple times in conversation.

8. Gossip. It is small town talk to the max. Everyone knows everyone's business. And the community all gossip about us. Sometimes it is difficult to really think about everything you say and do, because if it wrong everyone will know, and can really hurt your work in a community. I of course would never to anything wrong... This is for others :-)

9. Bugs. I think there is some sort of thing that attracts bugs to me. My host mom says that it looks like a bomb went off of my legs.

10. Most people are short. This is inconvenient for buying shoes an using an outdoor shower. They should only have the big sizes left right? Wrong. And there definitely needs to be more coverage around outdoor showers. I have to hunch over so no one can see me.

Of course the things about people do not apply to everyone, but definitely happen enough for me to notice. Something's I cannot do anything about, but hopefully I can change a few minds.

Sent from my iPod

My New Home...Los Virotales, Herrera!

Today is another step toward my Peace Corps journey, I found out my site! I am headed to Los Virotales, Herrera in the Azuero peninsula, about an hour outside of Las Minas. It is beyond perfect for me!

There are about 250 people in the community with a small school of 35 students ranging from 1st and 6th grade with two teachers. The majority of the people are farmers. No electricity and supposedly the aqueduct has been completed. According to my site info there are 5 community groups and 3 governmental organizations working in the community. Also I am a follow up volunteer, following a sustainable agriculture systems volunteer. Potential projects for me are working in the school and with youth groups, working with the women´s groups in home gardens, eco stoves, chicken projects, and teaching english.

My boss said that the people and the place are absoultely beautiful! I am in the mountains which will hopefully be a bit cooler. I have easy access to the site by chiva but in my site it is a bit more hilly so I still get my hike!

Now all of this is from my packet and word of mouth...so hopefully this will all be a reality! I meet my community guide next Wednesday and then go visit my site for a week and come back for a bit more training before I leave for my site for good!

I am so excited, overwhelmed, happy, and pretty much every positive emotion there is!

Here we go!

A la playa

A la playa

At last free days! Don't get me wrong I am loving my host family and training, but it is exhausting. Having almost two whole days not worrying about homework or having to think a lot before I speak was wonderful.

There was 11 of us that went to El Palmar. We stayed at this ridiculous house... Casa de Jay. Jay was born in Panama but his dad is American. He is this hippie surfer dude who just hangs out and parties and let's people stay in his house for crazy cheap.

Two days at the beach swimming and sunning were exactly what the doctor ordered.

Sent from my iPod

Tech Week in Membrillo

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> This week I supposed to give us more hands on practice using all the tools we learned during tech week. We taught two classes, held an Eco-fair, did a community analysis and learned more about waste management and Eco stoves.
>
> My host family here rocks! I have been insanely lucky with host families. They have hosted two volunteers before. They talk nice and slow, and we have really good conversations. Plus there are two daughters close to my age and they are super cool. And it is insanely beautiful in Membrillo.
>
> The teacher I worked with this week was incredible! So as part of our program we are trying to implement these government environmental guides into the schools. Our maestra loved the guides and asked us how to get a copy. She loved our interactive methodologies and the kids seemed to like it too. The first day was super hard. We had to help review the excretory and reproductive systems. Sex Ed in Spanish. Oh yea. But we did manage to throw in some environmental themes and really by just using a different methodology than write on the board and copy, it's moving in the right direction. Day 2 was much easier. We had the kids design a t-shirt with different types of forests found in panama and then write a message about how to protect the forest. Then they had to present to the class. It was really rewarding to see how much the kids knew and to see some of the shy kids talking.
>
> I mentioned all this was in Spanish right?
>
> I would just like to take a minute to say that our education system in the states in amazing. Here sometimes teachers just don't show up. Often times there is only a primary school in a community. You might have to travel to go to middle or high school. And not all families can afford to send their kid every day on a chiva. One of my host sisters goes to Penonome every day for university to be a nurse. All her classes are after lunch and she goes until 10pm. She doesn't get back until 11pm. Someone has to meet her up at the chiva stop and walk the 30 minute, hilly and slippery road home. Education here takes serious work and I totally give her props.
>
> Our last day in Membrillo was so nice. We drive into another community and then hiked for maybe 30 minutes or so to this little waterfall. It was fun to just hangout, swim, and jump off the rocks! And my family made me this awesome baston aka walking stick which wad super useful, especially when crossing streams.
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> In the afternoon, we had a despidida to say thank you to the community complete with piñata, chicha, and dancing. My family gave me this sweet hat that I wore to the party.
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> There is one person from our group headed to this site. My family told me that they wanted me to come back and work there for two years. Even through the stress and frustration of this week, all it comes back to is how important it is to make a positive impact on someone else's life. And that is what makes all this worth it.
>
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Quick update

I am currently in hotel restaurant in penonome on my way to technical training week. Last weekend we went to an amazing beach in San Carlos an also to a farm of freddy's brother. It was a really awesome weekend that turned into kind of a rough week. Loads of presentations, spanish interviews, and unfortunately we had someone leave our program. But I ran an activity where everyone had to say nice things about each other. It went really well and I think everyone felt a little better, I know I did. And I went up a level in Spanish booya!

Uno

I busted out the uno cards....and that is literally all we have done for the past two days. Play uno with these tiny little cards with trying to cheat kids. Last night we probably played for about 3 hours. At one point there was about 15 kids hanging out on our porch. Then I busted out the ipod and speakers. I only have one song that is all in spanish, Loca by Shakira. We listened to that one about 5 times. But I was pretty cool for having an ipod. Freddy told me that I can´t become Panamanian if I can´t dance. She doesn´t quite get the whole I´m white deal.

Current least favorite thing about Panama....Roosters. Whoever started this whole idea of roosters only crow in the morning is on my list. They crow all day and night. The 2 AM calls are my favorite. Oh and especially when the dogs join in. Asi es.

Volunteer Visit

I am back from Cocle and more pumped than ever to get going!

So I went to a campo community outside of Penonome. I had to take a bus from where I am into Penonome and then a chiva (little bus/van thing), and then hike up 30 minutes to the school where my volunteer met me. I visited with Jake, the same person we went to visit as a whole group. I had mixed feelings at first about going back to someplace I had already seen. But on the flip side, I felt more comfortable traveling, and had really already seen about the projects, and was able to spend more time really getting to see how he integrated in the community. And really that is what I want to know more about. Projects come and go, but the impact you make personally on people is what is most important!

It was soooo nice not really having a schedule and just hanging out. On Saturday we worked at the school, helping finish a basketball court. It was really interesting watching the pace of work and the inginuity of the people. As the day started, I was not really sure that it would happen, but every problem was worked through and the hoops were put up! It was totally a real live PC project in action, with all the ups and downs. On Sunday we went to La Pinta for a festival which was really fun. Google it. Its a cool place. Lovely story about travel on Sundays...its nearly impossible. There was one chiva running. One. And on the way back we accidentally got on headed toward Penonome. Oops! So we got a bit of a ride. The joys of travel in Panama!

Pasear-ing was awesome! People were a bit shy about talking to me at first, and I was the same way. But once I got in with the kids...I was golden. One of the little boys Adrian was so stinking cute. We whistled back and forth and played which hand has the rock for hours. I started to feel more confident and was able to talk and joke with the family. I was really sad when I had to leave. I feel like we do that a lot in the Peace Corps, form relationships and then have to leave.

It was also really nice just to talk and have a real conversation. We have been so busy training and spending time with our host families, that we really haven´t had time to really talk about why we are here and what we want from this personally. I know that everyone here is similar to me, but to talk to a volunteer and just get that reassurance that what we are doing is pretty awesome and we are all on the same page.

Two final things that I learned from my visit....I will have a hammock and I will have a dog.

Muy Cansada y muy pumped!

This go go go training is wiping me out! Up early for spanish class, lunch break, technical classes and more spanish in the afternoon, then still thinking/talking in spanish with my family. The other day I had my first bad day...it just all caught up to me. I just did not want to do anything. But then on my walk home I saw my host sister, and then some neighborhood kids happy to see me. And I realized that this is not just about me, it's about them too. So while I will have my bad days, I know I want and need to be here. Also watching a really bad bootleg copy of Fast and Furious 5 helped too :)

Tomorrow I leave for the province of Cocle for a volunteer visit. Basically I just hang out with a volunteer for a few days to check out their site and see what there day to day life is, how their site is, and to understand more what I want in a site. I am super pumped!

Address update

Cuerpo de Paz Panama
Amy Stypa
Edif 240
Calle Victor Iglesias
Ciudad del Saber, Clayton
Panama Repulica de Panama

Anything you already sent is fine, but the office just moved. So please send anything further here.

PHOTOS

https://picasaweb.google.com/amystypa/PanamaTraining?authkey=Gv1sRgCJ6yjKzgl4OXmgE&feat=directlink

A Normal Sabado

Saturday was one of the most fun days I have had so far. We did a short hike, for old people and kids, through the first National Park of Panama. It was cool and fresh and relaxing. Best part ever...we saw a SLOTH!! In Panama barely a week and boom wildlife....so awesome.

Then comes party weekend. There was an insane amount of parties in town, a 21st birthday, a quincinera and just generally hanging out. My neighbor did my nails, bright blue with white tips. I guess it looks good since I am muy blanca. Then it was bingo and the aunts house. I had kids help me because I could not keep up with thinking between english and spanish for the numbers. They were more than happy to help!Afterwards, we paseared for a little while and checked out what was happening. I went back to the bingo house and the party was really started. Just hanging out, playing cards, dancing, soccer with family and friends. It is so nice to feel welcomed by everyone!

I am currently writing from the mall in Panama City. We had an adventure in the city for more practice on how to use the buses and find important things in the city like the hospital and a check in point for the emergency action plan. Panama is one of the safest coutries for PC volunteers in Central America. The crime rates are so low. And the health care is excellent, Panama is the regional MEDIVAC center.

Adios for now!

Mi Familia Panamania

My host family rocks! My mom, Freddy is 31 and she has two kids Victor, 12 and Cielo, 10. Freddy is so outgoing and loves to make jokes and thinks I am crazy for not wearing shorty shorts and spagetti strap tops. It has been really great to practice spanish with them. And dont worry I am not living in squalor or anything. I have running water, electricity, tv, washing machine, and microwave. Only downfall...only a curtain for the bathroom door.

My spanish is getting so much better. woop woop. There are four levels of spanish and I was placed in the second. I am at intermediate low and need to be at intermediate medium in order to be sworn in. I have seen how much I have progressed in the past week and it feels great! My teacher said I was placed in a class slightly above my level based on the recommedation of the tester. She said the I am doing great. oh yea.

Positive reinforcement is something that we definately get alot of which is amazing! The staff is fantastic and are really making this transition so much easier.

My host family has alot of family in our community and a really fun thing we do here is pasear. Which basically means to go visit others. Just to hang out, have a chat, drink some chicha. Its great!

The kids in my neighborhood are super cool. They are always looking for me and waiting for me to come play. Freddy called me Hannah Montana and all the kids are my fans! LOL The kids have really become my favorite part of being here!

I will try to post some photos soon but its hard without my own computer or regular access to internet. I gotta fill my time by publishing for my loyal following. Ok more so you guys know Im still alive.

Please feel free to email me or write comments and I will respond as quickly as I can.

Volunteer Visit

Today was an amazing day! It was our first field trip to check out a current volunteer site. We visited Jake a current CEC volunteer who is doing really great things in his community. School gardens, composting, more efficient ovens, and assisting farmers are just some of the projects he is working on. It felt really good to see how well he integrated into the community and how much progress he has made. It is really reassuring to see the progress and confidence that former volunteers have.

The best part of this so far has been how welcoming the panamanians have been! Part of the reason I chose the PC is that we are invited into the country and into the communities. They have been incredibly appreciative and kind.

Tomorrow we are leaving panama city and heading to our training community and host families. It is super exciting and nerve wracking!

Development is love in action

Time is flying by so fast here! It seems like so long ago I left, but really its only been a week! We have been super busy with sessions and getting ready to go to our host families. Today most of the discussions was on what it is like to live with a host family and strategies for dealing with new situations. First shot of my trip....yellow fever and malaria medications we handed out today. I got this really awesome medical kit which truly has everything! And my mosquito net, which shall be interesting because I have no idea how to set it up. Fun fun!

After all our sessions were over we went to the mall and bus terminal. Woah. First of all, there does not appear to be schedules. And there are lots of Rojos Diablos aka old school buses with crazy paintings all over them. So bus travel in definitely going to be a learning experience. The mall is HUGE! There are so many stores and restaurants. Lots of chains and cheap clothes.

This afternoon there were great discussions about what is development and the Peace Corps approach. It felt really great to hear that PC policies are in line with my ideals. Empowerment of people and capacity building. And my favorite was a quote from Roland Bunch,"Development is love in action." So simple, but so powerful. Amen Roland!



 

Espanol es mi vida

I just want to start by saying that blog updates will not be very frequent, but these past few days have been the exception. The retreat villa is very plush...ac and internet...which won't last for much longer.
 
The weather here is definitely an adjustment. From cold Buffalo to hot and humid Panama my body and hair are not really thrilled. Also we are entering the wet season so it is likely to rain most days. And it isn't your light sprinkle, its downpours with thunder and lightening.

Today we had two interviews, one for language and one for site placement. The placement one was great to talk more about what I want out of the Peace Corps and what sort of expectations I have about my site. The language one was...challenging. But honestly, I did much better than I thought. The staff is great and helpful and really push you to succeed. The staff is amazing and helpful and it feels good to be moving forward after waiting forever to hear from them! One of my goals in Panama is to become conversationally fluent and today marks the first day of my learning spanish adventure!

In order to practice I shall only post in spanish! Just kidding :)


 

Peace Corps Family

Even though I left behind many friends and family, I have a new family...my Peace Corps family. There are 44 trainees from all over the US, but mostly fresh out of college. We are now starting this incredible journey together and I really can't wait to get going!

I have had two really long days on a row. First was departure day. I really have awful luck with flights. My plane got changed and I only arrived 15 minutes before we started. But I wasn't the last to arrive so that's all that matters ;)We learned more about general expectations of Peace Corps and got to know each other better. It feels good to be with people as idealistic and motivated to make a difference as I am!

Then another early day to get to Panama. No worries with our flights and we were met by our program directors right outside the gate to take our first group photo. Then a short drive to Ciuad del Saber at the old Fort Clayton for more orientation. It is reassuring to hear more about the programs and what is going on.

So....I am in Panama! Wooooo!

This is actually happening!

I remember the first time I started thinking about Peace Corps my senior year at Brockport and now the time has finally come for me to leave for Panama! Once I made the decision to send in my application, the Peace Corps has pretty much been all I could think about for the past year. As everyone graduated from college, got jobs, and married, I was waiting (not so patiently) to get my invitation. And while some might think I'm crazy, leaving the US and my comfortable life and not getting a "real" job after graduating from Columbia to live and work with those less fortunate than us in a whole new country....too bad. I could not be happier! I know that at this time in my life, the Peace Corps and Panama are what is right for me. I know that this is going to help me figure out what I want to do with my future. And that I am going to have an awesome time doing it!

What exactly am I going to be doing? 

Not sure! But what I do know is that I am going to be a community environmental conservation (CEC) volunteer. According to my letter, "The purpose of the CEC project is to assist Panamanians in learning techniques which will help them in reducing their impact on their local environment, especially in and around the sensitive ecosystems of protected areas and important river watersheds." Possible assignments could include: supporting school environmental education activities, promotion of environmentally responsible practices, and working with youth groups.

What are my next steps?

• Staging in Miami: Pre-departure orientation which includes intro to Peace Corps and Panama and paperwork.
• Aspirante Retreat in Ciudad de Saber: A few days getting acclimated to Panama. Shots, language placement, and expectations.
• Training in a community outside of La Chorrera: About three months of intense language, technical, cultural, and safety training. I will be staying with a local family during training.

I will try to keep up with emails and the blog and much as possible, but snail mail works too. It might take awhile to get to me but it will be much appreciated! The address below will be good until July 7th.

AMY STYPA

Cuerpo de Paz/ Panama

Edificio 104, 1 er Piso

Avenida Vincente Bonilla

Ciudad del Saber, Clayton

Corregimiento de Ancon

Panama, Republica de Panama

This has been a long journey so far and so much more to come!