Last week was a crazy week, good and bad. My boss was scheduled to come do a one-year visit with me last Monday but had to cancel because he was sick. Instead I spent the day in my regional capital (Santiago) doing laundry and working on different things in preparation for our Volunteer Advisory Council meeting on Wednesday.
Unfortunately, while I was spending my day in Santiago, some kids broke into my house. I came back that night and noticed that some things weren't where I had left them. Not long after that I realized stuff was missing. Most of the things were unnecessary conveniences, like a pair of Serengeti sunglasses that my parents got me a few years ago and a gameboy that my little brother gave me for the long bus rides I seem to always be on. It really sucks to lose them, but I'll survive.
The most frustrating things that I lost, though, were my camera, my iPod, and my contact lenses. My friend Pete and I are the photographers of our group- we always have our cameras with us. The most annoying thing is that my camera was 3 years old and still worked awesome. It had scratches and dings but the photos it took were great. It's such a waste of money to have to replace it. Especially since I was hoping instead to replace my iPod, which was 5 years old and didn't hold a charge anymore. The thieves will be terribly disappointed with it. And the contact lenses- well that's just obnoxious. Contacts have no value to anyone other than their owner. I don't have the money to replace them because that would mean seeing an eye doctor, which I also can't afford. And the thieves won't even get anything for them. So frustrating.
All of the windows on my house have bars, as well as the kitchen door. The front door doesn't but it wouldn't be easy to get through. The kids came in through a window in the attached room on the side of my house that I don't have access to. They broke down the connecting door once inside. My landlord has fixed the door, reinforcing it, and will be putting bars on the rest of the windows. I had felt so secure in my house. I suppose I still feel secure but this is the first time I've ever had my home here or in the states broken into and now I understand what people mean by feeling violated. They went through every drawer and broke things and they stole my friend Shawn's ring which has serious sentimental value.
But there is a lot to be thankful for. I wasn't home at the time, which could have been bad. Nobody was hurt and everything but the ring is replaceable. All of the pictures that I had taken had just been uploaded onto my computer, so I didn't lose any photos. And, the biggest thing of all, they didn't take my laptop. It was sitting in the open and they didn't take it. I have no idea why.
Right around the same time that I was dealing with my mini-crisis here there was a real-life crisis going on in western Panama. I hear it's been on international news. There has been a serious storm hovering over the country, dumping buckets and buckets of water everywhere. Rivers have flooded many communities in the Bocas del Toro region and so far 12 people have died. Our volunteers stationed in the area have been evacuated (some of them airlifted) and have spent the past few days working on relief efforts with local government agencies.
The rest of us have been on alert status, but a little over a third of the volunteers in Panama were still able to make it the mountains of El Valle de Antón for Thanksgiving. We rented out a hotel/resort, which was pretty amazing. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures (I miss my camera so much!). Our thoughts are obviously with all of the volunteers and their communities up in Bocas and Chiriqui provinces, and those in Colón, who have been evacuated to Panama City until the flood waters recede.
On another note, here are some pictures from Halloween and a recent parade in my community:
Halloween in Panama City- Captain was a crazed soccer fan, I was a sad clown, and Dennis was a pirate.
José Duarte is my community counterpart. He is one of my favorite Panamanians. He loves his country and helps me with anything and everything I could need in Atalaya. Normally he wears Addidas track pants and a t-shirt but for a recent EcoClub fair he dressed in traditional Panamanian clothes.
November is the month of parades in Panama. Their independence from Spain, Columbia, flag day, and other holidays are all celebrated this month. The kids in the marching bands have been practicing nonstop for the last three months in preparation.
Atalaya is the home of Jesús de Nazareno whose robe is purple. The church is painted lilac and these girls represent the town. They had a dance that they did in sync with the marching band.
Matt and Lisa are my two closest volunteers. They came to watch the parade and go to the fair with me. 
At the fair there were a lot of traditional dances performed. These little kids were absolutely adorable- I got a million photos of the little boy in front. 
The elaborate, colorful dresses and hair decorations are my favorite type of traditional Panamanian clothes. The skirts (which you can't see) are beautiful and called polleras. The tops with the little poofs are called tembleques (I'm not sure on the spelling).
So that's it for photos and everything. Thanks, as always for reading. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. There is certainly a lot to be thankful for, especially Franco. Happy Holidays!
Unfortunately, while I was spending my day in Santiago, some kids broke into my house. I came back that night and noticed that some things weren't where I had left them. Not long after that I realized stuff was missing. Most of the things were unnecessary conveniences, like a pair of Serengeti sunglasses that my parents got me a few years ago and a gameboy that my little brother gave me for the long bus rides I seem to always be on. It really sucks to lose them, but I'll survive.
The most frustrating things that I lost, though, were my camera, my iPod, and my contact lenses. My friend Pete and I are the photographers of our group- we always have our cameras with us. The most annoying thing is that my camera was 3 years old and still worked awesome. It had scratches and dings but the photos it took were great. It's such a waste of money to have to replace it. Especially since I was hoping instead to replace my iPod, which was 5 years old and didn't hold a charge anymore. The thieves will be terribly disappointed with it. And the contact lenses- well that's just obnoxious. Contacts have no value to anyone other than their owner. I don't have the money to replace them because that would mean seeing an eye doctor, which I also can't afford. And the thieves won't even get anything for them. So frustrating.
All of the windows on my house have bars, as well as the kitchen door. The front door doesn't but it wouldn't be easy to get through. The kids came in through a window in the attached room on the side of my house that I don't have access to. They broke down the connecting door once inside. My landlord has fixed the door, reinforcing it, and will be putting bars on the rest of the windows. I had felt so secure in my house. I suppose I still feel secure but this is the first time I've ever had my home here or in the states broken into and now I understand what people mean by feeling violated. They went through every drawer and broke things and they stole my friend Shawn's ring which has serious sentimental value.
But there is a lot to be thankful for. I wasn't home at the time, which could have been bad. Nobody was hurt and everything but the ring is replaceable. All of the pictures that I had taken had just been uploaded onto my computer, so I didn't lose any photos. And, the biggest thing of all, they didn't take my laptop. It was sitting in the open and they didn't take it. I have no idea why.
Right around the same time that I was dealing with my mini-crisis here there was a real-life crisis going on in western Panama. I hear it's been on international news. There has been a serious storm hovering over the country, dumping buckets and buckets of water everywhere. Rivers have flooded many communities in the Bocas del Toro region and so far 12 people have died. Our volunteers stationed in the area have been evacuated (some of them airlifted) and have spent the past few days working on relief efforts with local government agencies.
The rest of us have been on alert status, but a little over a third of the volunteers in Panama were still able to make it the mountains of El Valle de Antón for Thanksgiving. We rented out a hotel/resort, which was pretty amazing. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures (I miss my camera so much!). Our thoughts are obviously with all of the volunteers and their communities up in Bocas and Chiriqui provinces, and those in Colón, who have been evacuated to Panama City until the flood waters recede.
On another note, here are some pictures from Halloween and a recent parade in my community:
Halloween in Panama City- Captain was a crazed soccer fan, I was a sad clown, and Dennis was a pirate.
José Duarte is my community counterpart. He is one of my favorite Panamanians. He loves his country and helps me with anything and everything I could need in Atalaya. Normally he wears Addidas track pants and a t-shirt but for a recent EcoClub fair he dressed in traditional Panamanian clothes.
November is the month of parades in Panama. Their independence from Spain, Columbia, flag day, and other holidays are all celebrated this month. The kids in the marching bands have been practicing nonstop for the last three months in preparation.
Atalaya is the home of Jesús de Nazareno whose robe is purple. The church is painted lilac and these girls represent the town. They had a dance that they did in sync with the marching band.
Matt and Lisa are my two closest volunteers. They came to watch the parade and go to the fair with me. 
At the fair there were a lot of traditional dances performed. These little kids were absolutely adorable- I got a million photos of the little boy in front. 
The elaborate, colorful dresses and hair decorations are my favorite type of traditional Panamanian clothes. The skirts (which you can't see) are beautiful and called polleras. The tops with the little poofs are called tembleques (I'm not sure on the spelling).So that's it for photos and everything. Thanks, as always for reading. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. There is certainly a lot to be thankful for, especially Franco. Happy Holidays!
