Saturday, August 27, 2011

Amazing Host Family!

So, I´ve been in Los Mortales, Panama for almost a week, and I have been loving every minute of it. First off, the other 16 Environmental Health volunteers keep me laughing all day and my host family is absolutely fantastic. The typical day consists of waking up before my alarm at 6:30 am for a quick, cold shower. Depending on the time of day, the shower is from running water, but the community only gets water two times a day at approximately 7 am and 1 pm. After the shower, breakfast can consist of many things, such as corn flakes (which I am lucky to have, because most food is fried), fried bananas called patacones (soooo good), fried salchicas (which are really fried hot dogs), toast, or fried dough that looks like a funnel cake without the powdered sugar. My host father and 16 year old sister are usually already gone because they work and go to school, respectively, in La Chorrera, the bigger city about a half hour away.

So, from 8 to 9 am, I am supposed to work on self-directed language study. Besides doing activities in a text book, I think that watching Discovery Kids with my 11 year old host brother is a good way to learn Spanish as well. From 9 am to noon, I have structured language classes with two other volunteers. I then return to my host family´s house, which is beautifully decorated with rose bushes, brilliant colors, and hammocks on the patio. Lunch and dinners usually consist of a meat, typically chicken and occasionally red meat, with rice, noodles, or mashed potatoes. I´ve also had a delicious soup that incorporated beef, bananas, rice, and yuca. Sounds strange, but it was delicious. After lunch, we attend technical classes designed specifically for the Environmental Health Sector. This past week, we have focused on the filling various roles of a volunteer, working as a facilitator, and performing a community analysis. Peace Corps Training Staff has done an excellent job of giving us specific tools to use while introducing and integrating ourselves into the community in order to uncover the communities needs.

After four hours of technical training, I like to visit the tienda, the little store with snacks and sodas in the community. And, dinner is usually on the table between 5:30 and 6 pm. I have yet to find a food that I do not like here. I mean, I hope that I don´t get too much fried food, but I am enjoying trying the new foods with a variety of sauces here. My host mom thinks it´s funny to ask me if I like it because I always respond with an emphatic ¨Yes!¨ During dinner, I often have very interesting conversation with my host mom and other parts of the family. My host mom speaks incredibly clearly, and she is exceedingly patient with explaining words to me. Often the evenings are very relaxed. My sister is doing homework and my brother is playing soccer with a mini goal on the patio. When the sunsets, we tend to move inside and watch some TV. While some volunteers have enjoyed watching the soap operas, or telenovelas, my family often has an American movie, the Discovery Channel, or the Disney Channel on in Spanish. After some Spanish TV and a bit of Spanish homework, I am in bed by 10 pm. I am loving this schedule! Bed by 10 pm is wonderful! In summary, life is good, and I am really enjoying getting to know my host family and fellow volunteers.
P.S. Please pardon the spelling mistakes and weird punctuation, because I am on a Spanish language keyboard.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Arrival in Panama!

I don't have too much to post, but Peace Corps Panama Group #69 has arrived in Panama! It's been a great time meeting the other 16 Environmental Health volunteers. These volunteers come from all over the US from Washington to Florida to New York. I'm constantly laughing.

As of right now, Peace Corps is easing us into the Peace Corps life. While I have internet, A/C, and electricity, my shared "villa" has roaches in the kitchen. Regardless, the first day has been fantastic! As of right now, I'm thoroughly enjoying Spanish class. I'll let you know how it goes when language training turns into 4 hours a day, 6 days a week. I've been asking so many questions to the current volunteers, and it's great to finally be getting some answers. Today involved a lot of very general presentations, which amazingly are interesting because of the novelty of the Peace Corps. Tomorrow we head to the mall, so I hope to have a SIM card by tomorrow. All I have to say is that I'm living the life. :)

Just wanted to keep everyone posted, and let you know that I made it to Panama.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Staging and Departure

To introduce my blog, I want to start with a brief explanation of my title. I can thank my sister for the following wonderful explanation of the benefits of the naming and branding, "Potties in Panama":

1) This title bring my personality to life -- and sets an expectation for the tone of voice and the familiarity with which you will be reading about my work and your personal experiences.
2) It's catchy and easy to remember -- making it easier for people to return to the website because it remains top of mind.
3) Makes what could be seen as a mundane or even off-putting topic (composting latrines), more approachable to readers -- increasing people's likelihood to take that first read.
4) The title is well suited to my target market (family and friends) -- we all have a bit of silly in us (and love a good potty joke :) ). 

On family vacation this past week, her argument won me over. In the end, I have a market-approved title, and if the title doesn't bring you back to the blog, I hope some of my stories will.  

That being said, I leave tomorrow for Panama to begin training as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Environmental Health sector. My volunteer position is as an Environmental Health Extensionist. In other words, I will most likely be building latrines, constructing water systems, promoting hygiene, and doing whatever project my host community wants me to do. As you can see, the questions about my next two years abound, but I'm excited to find out the answers in time. I'll keep you posted. :) As of right now, I really only know that snail mail can be sent to:

Cuerpo de Paz
Tricia Wilbur
Edificio 240, 3er Piso
Calle Victor Iglesias
Ciudad del Saber, Clayton
Corregimiento de Ancón
Panamá, Rep. de Panamá

Over the next two years, I will also be working on my Master's thesis as part of the Master's International Peace Corps Program in Environmental Engineering at the University of South Florida. I'll be conducting interviews and observing multiple communities in order to gain a better understanding of the perceptions and user knowledge of composting latrines. While these latrines can produce a nutrient-rich fertilizer, composting latrines often go unused because of the higher maintenance required for the latrine. Hopefully, this thesis can lead to a more appropriate solution that meets the social, environmental, and economic needs of the rural Panamanians. Sounds a bit idealistic, but what new Peace Corps Volunteer isn't a bit idealistic as a "save the world" type, even if their dealing with poop?

Anyway, I'm very excited to get down there, and if anyone is interested in living in a hut for a few days, I'd love to have visitors. Well, thanks for reading and I hope to entertain you with stories and maybe some potty humor in the future. :)