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.