Tech Week in Membrillo

>

> 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.
>
> 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.
>
> 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.
>
>

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