I Should Really Stop with the Counting...

As of today I am exactly 4 months and 2 weeks away from the end of my Peace Corps Panama life. Since my last post I have officially decided to go home in October. But knowing the exact number of days I have left (135) isn't particularly healthy. It's hard not to count, though. Things have started winding down for me here. Many of my friends have left already (we are now down to 23 from the original 42 that came to Panama in August 2007), my community projects are wrapping up, and I'm eager to get started on the next phase of my life. Though, honestly, I have no idea what that next phase involves other than spending at least a few months with my friends and family in Portland.

Anyway, what's new in Panama? The rainy season has begun with gusto. Every afternoon at 4pm there are torrential downpours that are beautiful to look at and listen to. During that time no one goes anywhere. Everybody just waits it out, no matter where you are. Often, if I'm stuck in Santiago at the time, I find myself the only person walking around in the rain, with my bright purple umbrella, while the Panamanians watch me from the store front wondering why the gringa is in such a rush and can't just wait.

There is no rush in Panama, ever. No one arrives at meetings on time because time doesn't particularly mean anything. If you're supposed to be somewhere at 9am you may leave your house at 8:45 but then you have to stop and talk to the neighbor about the weather, and you have to stop at your sister's husband's cousin's kid's house to ask how their baby is doing, and eventually you make your way to the meeting at about 11, which is about the time everyone else (except the American, who has been waiting 2 hours) also arrives. The American, though, has learned. She still shows up at the time the meeting is supposed to start, attempting to set a good example of time management, but she always has at least one book with her for the wait.

Speaking of books, I recently broke the 100 book barrier. When I got to Panama I started a running list of everything I read for a number of reasons. Primarily, I have a terrible memory. I often read books and then can't remember that I read them or what they were even about, let alone whether I would recommend them or not. This is, of course, not true for books that leave a lasting impression but how often do we read books of that caliber? I also had a goal of reading 100 books in two years, which I've now done. But I'll keep reading anyway. There is nothing so wonderful as reading a good book in my hammock during that torrential afternoon shower.

Right now I'm reading The Omnivore's Dilemma, which is pretty fascinating. It's all about where our food comes from and how many steps it takes to get from the farm to our table. I definitely recommend it if only because we should all be more aware about those things that impact our lives to the extent that our food does. I also recently read Atlas Shrugged, which I definitely recommend. Next on my list is Freakonomics, followed by my personal mountain- War and Peace. A friend of mine read War and Peace during our 10 weeks of training back in 2007 and then passed it on to me. It has been sitting on my shelf ever since. I promised myself I would not leave this country without having tackled it and time is getting short...

Other than a lot of reading in my near future, I'll also continue to work with my youth groups. Pretty soon we will start the photo selection process for the 2010 VAC Calendar (which will be available for purchase online with 100% of proceeds going to benefit volunteer projects here in Panama). It's hard to get too pumped about too many new projects, though, knowing that I have so little time left. And then I will be back in the land of my native tongue, with running water whenever I want it. Oh, how nice it will be to have water. (Odd that I so often don't, considering the insane amount of rain that falls everyday).

Anyway, as per my routine these days, I've saved my photos for the end. Hopefully next time I'll have something more interesting to say. I always feel so rushed when I'm on internet. I think my life here is more interesting than it seems in my blog but who knows. Maybe I'm deluding myself... :)

In April we had an All Volunteer Conference where all ~150 Volunteers in Panama get together to participate in different activites. We had round tables and sector conferences, as well as social events to get to know each other better. It was fun, but a lot of work. My BFF CoCo and I were on the planning committee for the event and we were running around like crazy the two weeks prior, trying to get everything ready.

Deb, me, and CoCo on the first day of the All Volunteer Conference (AVC).

During AVC we had a talent show and one of the Volunteers invited a dance group from his town known as the Diablos Sucios (Dirty Devils). Their masks are really colorful and creative and their dance is really entertaining.
At the end of April Dennis turned 24 and we had a small party for him at my house. About 12 people came and we played poker and hung out in Atalaya. Above: Dennis (in his birthday crown), Jen (in her Poker Tour Crown), Franco (in his Las Minas Poker Tour Crown), and Adam (also Crowned).
At the beginning of April I went up to Dennis' site again with Shawn and we walked out to a beautiful river to go swimming. Part of the way we walked along this living fence, which are very common throughout Panama.
This is the river we swam in. The water was perfect and nice and deep for diving off the huge rock in the middle.
Another living fence, this time with palms. It's so tropical looking, I love it.
To celebrate a bevy of May birthdays a group of us headed out to Bocas del Toro, a province in northwest Panama that is on the Carribbean. There is a large grouping of beautiful islands out there and I had never been. The above is a photo of a school in Almirante (the port town on the mainland). I just thought it was cool that a school would have a dock. How cool to go to school by boat.
Group Photo Time! In the trees- Pete, Danny, Franco. On the ground- Shawn, Me, Dennis, Jen (behind Dennis), Whitney, Deb, Mic, Steve, Patrick (on the tree), Lydia, and Captain (on his knees)
Red Frog Beach. The water was perfect.
Dennis and his boogey board.
A red frog! He was tiny (smaller than a quarter) and ridiculously cute.
This is the sick little puppy I wanted to take home with me. He followed us around the beach.
This starfish was pretty big. At least a foot, probably bigger.
Adam, Dennis, Captain, and Shawnito are the Volunteers I spend the most time with. We all live pretty close to each other and are a dysfunctional family. Unfortunately, Captain (in the middle) left us in mid-May to go back to Los Angeles. We miss him.
Manequins in Panama are well-endowed. It's pretty funny. They are also typically very scantily clad.

In Athen's Pizzeria in Panama City a couple of weeks ago D got a huge gyro. It was pretty amazing, I hear.

Ahh, this is the scorpion I found in my bedroom last week. He seriously creeped me out, especially since he was heading towards my bed (which is on the floor) right after I found a gigantic ant in bed with me. I don't have issues with ants but the fact that a huge one had penetrated my mosquito net left me seriously concerned that the scorpion would also be granted access. So, with my heart pounding feverishly, I jumped out of my net, ran for my can of Raid, sprayed the hell out of him (to no avail) and chased him around with a shoe, finally squishing him before he could attack. Drama.

My friend Liz, who visited me last July, recently sent me a package in the mail. She rocks. She sent sunflower seeds (so awesome! They don't sell them in this country), and books, and magazines, and a ton of little things. But the greatest thing was a bag of thread. Three days later I got together with some of my Girl Scouts and taught them how to make Friendship Bracelets, U.S. style. They had never seen bracelets like the ones that we all grew up making so it was a lot of fun to show them how to do it.

My host mom, Gudelia, also got in the friendship bracelet making spirit. She was pretty funny. She tried to do it without listening to the class. Then, when I came over and laughed and had her take it apart she very sternly told the girls, "this is what happens when you don't pay attention. You make an ugly bracelet." She picked it up quickly after that and hers turned out nearly perfect. :) Thanks Liz!!!