I'm officially Panamanian because. . .

1. I have killed a chicken.  Yes, I seriously have.  Gallina de patio (aka the chickens that people raise in their "yards") are really popular, and killing chickens is a big part of life here.  So, one afternoon, my two good friends taught me how to properly kill, pluck, clean, butcher and then make pollo con macaron (chicken and noodles in a tomatoish sauce, quite delicious).  I thought I was going to wimp out, but I managed to go through with it, and still eat the chicken afterwards. 

 



2. I now pronounce pescado as pescao . . .pintado as pintao . . .aka have developed feo spanish. 

3. I consistantly use the phrase "si dios quiere" when I don't want to do something. . .most recent usage - " Will you be my girlfriend one day?" my response "si dios quiere."

4. I am now dark skinned. . .haha ok even though I am the tanest I have ever been in my life I will NEVER be mistaken for Panamanian.

5. I know how to, and have now successfully made, two sombreros!

6. I LOVE yucca, especially with huevos de patio (aka the eggs that the gallina de patio's lay).

yucca unpealed

yucca, eggs and peppers. . .yum

 

7. I wear jeans even when it is 90 degrees out.

8. Any time their is a lag in conversation I just bring up the weather. . ."hace calor!" "Brisa fuerte!" "Sol fuerte hoy!" "Me encanta la brisa."

9. I can pilar with two hands!

 

 

10. I can squeeze myself into any full bus or pick up truck and I have no shame sitting on random people's laps or forcing men to stand on the bumper so I can have a seat.

11. I lip point. . .what is lip pointing you ask? Just what it sounds like, instead of pointing with your finger you point with your lips.

12. A rope holding up my hammock broke and sent me crashing to the cement patio floor.  According to people in my community this makes me Panamanian haha.











A Quick Update

A ginormous apology for my lack of blogging.  I could spend forever writing all of my excuses but instead I will just try to give you the highlights of what's been going on in the last few months. 

Panama Half Marathon
On December first, along with a bunch of other volunteers, I ran in the Panama Half Marathon! It was HOTTTTTT, but a lot of fun.  A friend of mine got 2nd female foriegner and I got 3rd. 

Eco Stove Project
So what most people in my community wanted was more eco stoves.  Traditionally people in Panama cooking using the "tres piedras" method.  Another words they balance their pot on three rocks and create a wood fire underneat.  This is not very efficient, emits a lot of smoke, and is dangerous for children and animals running around.  It also contributes to deforestation because of the amount of wood needed to keep the fire going.  There are many forms of eco stoves being built, the type I am doing is called an eco-justa and made out of bricks.  The stoves are pretty pricey, but last up to 20 years if cared for correctly, use a lot less wood, keep the fire contained, and emit less smoke.  After writing a grant in english and in spanish and going to a seminar with a member of my community I recieved a grant to help build about 24 stoves in my community! The community members have to contribute things as well.  Now I am working on organize the transport of materials etc. 

Family Visit!
My family, mom, dad, brother, sister and her bf, came to visit over Christmas and New Years.  It was a lot of fun to see them and to play tourist a bit! And to have hot showers and eat out.  They even came to visit my community for a day. Here's a pic of my host mom and family!