This is why we don't have nice things.

Peace Corps Volunteers become used to living with no amenities. So when you give them too many nice things at once, for example doors, someone is bound to get locked in. And that someone happened to be me. At our close of service conference in Panama City, I got locked in the bathroom. The door handle was broken and when I shut the door to use the bathroom, it did not re-open. After a hot half hour, and some PC ingenuity, a butter knife, and some pliers...I was free! Luckily they saved me a plate of lasagna :)

Chepo

Check out this website created by fellow Peace Corps Volunteer Steve Bailey. It is for a community called Chepo which is about a half hour car ride or two hour walk away from Los Virotales. This is where the closest electricity is and where there are "bigger" stores and 2 restaurants and where many students go to middle school.

http://chepolasminas.org/index.html

We did it!

Project complete!

25 stoves and 25 families later we are done!

Thanks again for the support from all my family and friends! Check out my facebook or ask my mom to see photos of the finished projects.

After lots of organizing and walking (you wouldn't believe the walking) and at times frustration, I am beyond pleased with the end result. It has been great helping to organize and execute a project that will stay in the community for many years to come.

Hospital

Don't be scared by the title, I was not in the hospital, a Panamanian friend of mine was. And let me tell you if you are seriously ill in Panama go no where but a hospital in Panama city.

We showed up at the emergency room around 3 pm and he was admitted right away. An infection in the foot. They let me fill out all the paperwork (I have to fight to let the doctor talk to my mother.) And this hospital looks like it was from the 70's. Old design, outdated equipment, outdated system. After about 2 hours they called me and told me they were going to hospitalize him. So they let me back into the room (again not family) and told me what was going on. They did pretty much nothing except put an IV in, they didn't clean it or anything. He had to wait until the next morning around 10 for someone to clean it. Dinner had passed and luckily I was there to go get food because otherwise he would have to wait until breakfast. Before it was cleaned and bandaged, he got up to go to the bathroom and it started bleeding. It took 4 hours and asking 3 times for someone to clean it up. They would not regularly check on him, leave the IV hooked up unnecessarily, and just not great care in general.

But you get what you pay for. I am not quite sure how the health care system works here, but from this it seems to be the government pays for coverage. You will never guess how much an emergency room visit and 5 nights in the hospital cost.......$5!!!! That's right folks $5. Think about that the next time you get your insurance or health care bills.

The G-word

Gringa.

White girl.

You would think after a year and a half people would stop calling me gringa. Or at least I would get used to it. Neither of these things have happened.

At first it didn't bother me. I called myself a gringa. It was a joke. But seriously people. You know my name. And if you don't say joven (miss) or muchacha (girl). I know I live in the campo but that is no reason for ignorance. I don't say hey panamanian. It just doesnt make sense.

Oh and gringa most certainly is not my first name. "Hola gringa" is simply unacceptable.

End rant.

I could have been a vet...

Ollie is what you would call a typical male. Fighting, eating too much, chasing the ladies, jealous, and aggressive  I finally decided to put an end to this troublesome situation.

Months ago I tried to get a vet to neuter him. I wanted a sedative and painkillers. After back and forth, the vet finally came, but I wasn't there. I got tired of the shenanigans and decided to do it campo style. But my plan was to grab the dog and let the guy do his job while I was far away unable to see. Unfortunately this is not what happened.

I am the only one who can grab my dog without him getting mad. So I did. Then they told me to put him on his back. So I did. Then I had to close his eyes so they could put a y-shaped branch on his neck so he couldn't wiggle his head too much and bite. So I did. All a mistake. Then I had to hold down his chest and grab his back legs while the guy cut. And with my close proximity to the situation I had to look. It was a lot quicker and smoother than I thought it would be. I have never heard a dog cry like that. I honestly didn't know whether to cry or vomit or both. Luckily I did neither, but I did not eat dinner later that night.

Ollie is fine and healing up. He stopped bleeding quickly and has only some minor swelling. They tell me him licking it will heal it.

I helped, but next time I think I'll leave it to the professionals.

Stove Update

We are moving along on the stove front. 10 completely built and 6 bases built with many more work days planned. And 3 stoves already being used!

The process can be slow but seeing results is amazing!