Difficulties, But Reasons to Laugh

October 20 I officially became a Peace Corps Volunteer here in Panama. The ceremony was in the Ambassador’s Residence in Panama City, and we had a lot of Peace Corps Staff and the Volunteers who helped with training come to the ceremony and then dinner afterwards. Dressed nicely and eating good food, the night was a great way to celebrate the completion of two months of Peace Corps training.

After a few days of relaxation, I arrived in my site, Valle Escondido, on October 23. First, I was happy to get the chance to use the internet in the tourist city, Bocas, to wish Graeme a happy 2^nd birthday! Now, I would say that the first week in site is the most difficult week I have experienced here. Unlike the other weeks during training when we were staying with host families, I was there to stay without the ability to fall back on a conversation in English with other trainees or a guaranteed good meal. Instead, homesickness hit hard and hunger hit equally hard when my jar of peanut butter ran out. With time and new jars of peanut butter, the homesickness and hunger have mostly subsided. At the same time, cultural integration is a continuous process as I am trying to balance my need for personal space and their cultural interpretation of someone alone in their room as being sad. I simply also have to make a more concerted effort to visit many houses instead of only conversing with the families with whom I feel comfortable.

Peace Corps technically allows us two personal mental health days per month to leave our site. I took advantage of this after two weeks in site and I went to Bocas for night. I simply talked with friends and family. It was refreshing to have electricity, internet, and something to eat other than rice. But, I have to admit the importance of being able to share similar experiences from halfway around the world with Brad in Madagascar on a daily basis. This communication and shared understanding has been immensely helpful. For instance, one night I woke up at 2 am because I felt something on my hair and then on my shoulder. I brushed it away and switched it on my flashlight to find a cockroach INSIDE my mosquito net. I then spent the next half hour trying to kill it before I finally succeeded. Halfway around the world, Brad has woken up to a rat scurrying around his house and also to a broken roof that leaked heavy rains onto his bed. Basically, we just have to laugh at some of our ridiculous experiences.

Another experience to laugh at was my last trip to Bocas. When I was trying to get to Bocas on the 7^th I was told that the boat was going to leave at 7 am. Now, in what developing world setting does a boat that says it’s leaving at 7 am leave at 6 am??? Only in Valle Escondido! But, that’s fine because another boat happened to be leaving at 9 am…after slaughtering a cow. So, my boat companion was a dead, skinned cow on top of some banana leaves, and the best part was when the boat slowed down in the middle of the bay so the man in front could chuck the cowhide overboard. I guess it’s biodegradable?!?

Going to break up today's entry, because it is suuuper long!