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.