No hablo español

The minute I stepped out of the car at the Tampa, FL Airport I could feel my stomach start to flip. I was so nervous and excited all at the same time I couldn’t help but let out a little squeal. I had been anticipating this day for months; I couldn’t believe the day was actually here, and by later that afternoon I would actually be in a different country. This being my first time ever flying International, I had no idea what to expect. After getting on the connecting flight in Miami, we were off. On the flight, we were given two forms to fill out that we would need to turn in once we reached customs.  I began attempting to fill in my information and literally stopped to say “uh oh” as I continued to stare in confusion trying to decipher the words on it. Granted, I’ve known for a while now Panamanians spoke Spanish, and I would have to adjust. However, after taking two years of it in high school, in addition to two semesters of it on line in college; I figured I’d be able to get by with the help of the English/Spanish Dictionary I had. Now that I’ve actually spent a little time in the country over the last two days, I realize how sadly mistaken I was. Thankfully, we have teachers and a few other students pretty accustomed to the language that have been very helpful; I’d completely doomed without them.

We landed in Panama around 4pm on May 26^th. The first thing I noticed when getting off the plane was how small the airport was in comparison to what I am used to, and the security measures taken to get through customs are not as intense. On the way out of the airport I saw a women dressed in a beautiful multi-colored bright dress. Unfortunately I was unable to take a picture of her, but I learned there are about 7 different indigenous tribes and different sections here in Panama; and each have their own type of dress. What I saw in the airport specifically was considered Traditional Rural Panamanian Attire.

We took a bus from the airport to The City of Knowledge. Here, we stayed in Villas that used to be part of an old U.S. Military Base until 1999 when it was handed back over to Panama. Around 2003, a group of twelve entrepreneurs approached the Panamanian government about an idea they had regarding the base. The group consisted of sociologists, physicians, engineers, etc. All men from varied specialty backgrounds, but one common goal. That goal was to provide resources to help raise, educate, and build opportunities for the Panamanian people. Being that the government as well shared this goal; they agreed to allow these men to lease the Military base for $1 per building. Today, there are over 45 non-profit organizations leasing buildings there. It was cool to have the opportunity to stay in some of the on site houses and hear the history behind them.

151B: The building at the military base I stayed in
with some of the other girls from the program.

On Day 2, we traveled to the “old” city of Panama. Here, we saw old churches, and buildings that have been around for centuries; many of which were being restored. As we walked around through the streets we saw there were many market stands set up where you could buy hand crafted jewelry, paintings, hats, dolls, etc. I was very surprised how cheap everything was and enjoyed bargaining different prices. Luckily, numbers are a part of what little Spanish I still remember. I ended up buying 2 pairs of earrings, a necklace, beaded key chain, and a painting all for about 8 dollars. There was also a man selling shaved ice on a little cart that has wheels to travel.  I was amazed as I watched him one by one make snow cones by frivolously scraping this huge block of ice on the cart. One of my classmates, Laura even got the opportunity to try doing it by herself.

Just a few.... of MANY construction workers
there, working to restore the area

Amanda and I, being touristy in the "old" city of Panama

Laura working out those muscles on the ice block.
 In the process of making her snow cone. 

Later we visited the Panama Canal and watched, as these huge boats would try to fit through the little space the canal provided. There was also a museum that had a video playing if you wanted to learn more about the canal and a little history behind it; as well as another portion that featured insects, and different types of animals common to this area. At night, we went out to dinner at a place called Pencas. I’ve noticed rice is an extremely popular food here. It is incorporated in the majority if not all, of the meals I’ve seen so far.

Panama Canal

Picture of a boat making it through
 the tight squeeze of the Canal.

Currently, we are on the bus headed to Chiriqui and I’m not really sure what to expect at this point. I’ve really enjoyed my time here so far, so I am extremely excited to see and learn more about the communities. The one thing I’m still very concerned with is my lack of Spanish. It’s been a huge barrier so far, but I am hoping to find ways to work around that and still learn more about the culture. 

Inglés, por favor

Usted debe aspirar antes de inyectar! Vamos a enseñar a los estudiantes sobre higiene personal. Usted tiene que completar tres evaluaciones de comunidad. Are you understanding all of this? No? Join the club. I thought practicing new skills was challenging and nerve racking…that was before I had an instructor and patients who speak only Spanish. This is a whole new ballgame. Maybe I should’ve spent some time with Rosetta Stone, after all. Thankfully, I have been put in a group with Elizabeth, who is fluent in Spanish. My experience so far in Panama has been enlightening, interesting, challenging, and fun! Oh, and hot. The Panamanian humidity and heat beats Florida hands down, not to mention we don’t have AC. HOWEVER, I am NOT complaining. One thing I have already learned on this trip is how fortunate I am. The community I work in is called Soloy. So far, we have spent two days walking through the community and meeting the people. Their houses are what we would describe as shacks- mud floors, walls made of sticks, roof made of aluminum and sticks, no electricity, no running water, no bathroom. Many of them struggle to have enough food. It has been an eye-opening, and at times, heart-breaking experience. There is also a problem with having adequate transportation. Most of the people walk everywhere. Some of the patients we have seen in the clinic have to walk 4-6+ hours to get there. Talk about getting a new perspective on life.

Another new experience: being the minority. Growing up in Iowa there wasn’t much diversity. Here, in the Soloy group, I am the only blonde hair, blue-eyed person…..I was quite a spectacle to the Panamanians the first day. Despite my inability to speak their language and my “strange” appearance, the Panamanians have welcomed me with open arms. In the United States, I’m pretty sure if a strange looking student nurse came at a patient with foreign words, shaky hands and a needle, most patients would say, “Get her away from me!” Fortunately, they give me the benefit of the doubt. As a result, I have learned many new things and have been able to practice skills such as, administering vaccinations and completing pediatric assessments. I even got to be present for a child-birth. Speaking of the child birth…lets get into cultural differences. Pre-delivery, the “pep talk,” if you will, consisted of the nurse telling the soon-to-be-mother, “It’s going to hurt on your back, your abdomen, and you’ll feel pressure. There will be no crying. You are not the first women to have a baby and you will not be the last. This is normal, the pain is normal. When it comes time to push, you will push and get the baby out.” A bit harsh by American standards, I’d say. For the birth, no family was present, no pain meds were given, the baby was not weighed, and the mother did not hold the baby immediately after. Very different. Other cultural differences: less documentation, no computers, no sterility, one room hospitals and clinics, no patient confidentiality, different procedural techniques, etc., etc., etc.

Aside from clinical and community experiences, I have had to opportunity to explore Panama City, hike a volcano, swim in a water fall, have a mud facial, swim in the hot springs, shop at local markets and visit the Panama Canal. It has definitely been a successful trip thus far!

I have so much I could go on and on about, but I don’t think this blog is supposed to be a novel. After only four days I have experienced and learned so much. I’m eager to see what the next two weeks have in store!

Adventures in Panama

Markets. Spanish. Shaved Ice. Panama Canal. Panama hats. Hot. Beans. Rice. Scenic. These are just a few of the words that come to mind when I think about our first days here in Panama. The markets are full of color. Jewelry and crafted art filled the tables. My favorite purchase so far was a hand woven Panamanian quilt square that I plan to make into a pillow. It is the perfect souvenir.

I also stuffed my suitcase with Panamanian coffee to bring home to my family and took enough pictures in the first few days to last me the rest of the trip! I am still on the hunt for the perfect Panama hat. The country is beautiful. The Pacific Ocean paints a beautiful view from the Panama Canal and the mountainous rain forest is like nothing I have ever seen. It is going to be difficult to get any studying done on this trip!

I can already tell. The language barrier has been bearable so far. I expect it will be much more difficult to communicate in the remote areas of Panama than it has been in the big city. I’m really wishing I had stuck with my new year’s resolution to learn Spanish right about now! Our first few days have been full of new adventures. All of the students are so great and I can’t wait to share with them what will most definitely be a memorable experience for us all. The adventure continues!

Healthcare Reform the Panamanian Way

This morning I awoke in our 24 bunk room at 5:30 am to the hustle and bustle of nursing students putting on their whites for the first day of clinical out in the rural communities of Panama.  After a filling breakfast of sliced hotdogs with “special sauce” and fried dough squares we were off on our wild ride through the winding Panamanian countryside.   The drive was beautiful as we overlooked the mountains and hanging clouds on what seemed like a desolate rode.  An hour and 40 minutes later we arrived at the village clinic and were met with intriguing gazes from the locals who came seeking health care.  After an introduction with the head nurse at the clinic we soon realized the language gap was just a we bit larger than we expected.

            Finally we heard a language that we could understand as an English speaking Panamanian doctor entered the room and gave us the grand tour.   Within a matter of minutes there was a mouse running across our feet, and if that is what they consider a mouse in this country I would not want to experience a rat.   The doctor was very kind and welcoming explaining the forms he was filling out and translating everything in the conversations between him and the patients.  I could not help to think how much I could learn if the doctors in the states spent that much time conversing with the nurses about their patients.

The most interesting part of the day arose when the doctor explained a bit about the economics of the healthcare system in the local village.  Influenced by politics, and the local votes, the villagers get paid $100 every time they show up to the clinic.  The members of the community get paid up to $300 a month, which allows them to live off the government just for visiting the clinic!  That seems like quite a bit of motivation to seek out preventative healthcare measures, which is a primary goal of the Ministry of Health in Panama.   However, this lack of self-sufficiency in the system causes huge issues, and according to the local doctors leads to the Panamanians expectations of government handouts for life.  The lack of supplies in the rural clinics seems to be just the tip of the iceberg regarding the healthcare needs of the Panamanian people.  Looking forward to what else I can learn, discover, and experience on this trip while trying not to get carsick on the wild ride into the countryside.

-Chiara

Panama City!

Although I have traveled to various places around the world, I have never had the chance to explore Central America.  I arrived in Panama City Friday afternoon, hoping to explore the city one night before meeting up with the rest of the group.   Jen happened to be on the same flight as me, so we shared a taxi to her hostel.  However, they didn’t have an extra bed available, so I took my bags and searched for a taxi.  Because I arrived during rush hour, it was almost impossible to find a cab that would take me to my destination.  After 7 taxis refused to drive me, I finally found one that would take me to my hostel.

Upon arrival to my hostel, I was surprised to see how friendly the local Panamanian women were at the front desk.  They smiled, offered to give me a tour, and set me up in my room.  After settling in, I decided to take a shower.  After waiting a few minutes for the water to turn hot, I soon realized that there was no water heater. Everyone takes cold showers here, especially countries in Central America.  Although the shower felt good because I was sweaty, it took me awhile to adjust. At the hostel, I met up with a traveler from Canada and we went out to eat at a local restaurant.  After dinner, we walked to a casino and decided to play some craps.  Unfortunately, I didn’t win any money.  I should have stopped when I was up!

Panama is extremely hot and humid.  When walking around the city, I noticed there was a lot of construction everywhere I went.  There were beautiful historic buildings in Casco Viejo.  As a group, we traveled through different handicraft markets and bought numerous souvenirs.  We also visited the Panama Canal and watched the large ships pass through.  I thought it was fascinating to learn about the history of Panama Canal, especially the engineering behind different the water levels.  Although I haven’t met a lot of local Panamanians at this point, I’m looking forward to our trip to San Felix.

PanaMANIA

I arrived in Panama City with three of my fellow classmates (Lori, Liz, and Bekah) on Thursday the 24th. After getting settled in our hostel, we walked around town to try to get ourselves somewhat acquainted to the city. Our first priority was food, so we stumbled across a place called Crepes and Waffles. I had a Popeye Pita, which had a bunch of spinach and veggies and egg in it. It was delicious and filling, but not filling enough to prevent me from ordering a dessert crepe. I ordered a dessert crepe that had chocolate sauce on the inside and outside, strawberries and bananas on top, and whipped cream and ice cream on the side. It was delicious and I want another one. Or another several. After eating, we continued to walk around town. After coming across skinny raccoons eating cat food by the shore, a self-proclaimed American "iphoneographer" and some girl giving us dirty looks, we got lost trying to find our way back to our hostel. It probably took us over two hours to make our way back after asking a couple of people which direction to go in, but alas, we made it back safely and called it a night afte planning out the next day's activities. On Friday, Liz unfortunately wasn't feeling too well, so she stayed behind at the hostel and waited for a couple other group members to get into town while Bekah, Lori and I ventured to a place called El Valle de Anton about 2.5 hours from the city. The valley is the result of an extinct volcanic crater. We ended up hiking up a mountain and took a dip in a freshwater natural pool, hiked down and ate lunch at a lovely place called Bruschetta, and then went for mud facials and dipped in the "hot springs" that is actually now more like a hot pool. All in all, it was a fun, adventurous day and it was a nice start to our trip. We took a bus back to the city where we met up with the rest of the group, including Liz, Jenn, Chiara, Amanda and Laura. The eight of us went out to dinner at a placed called Azule, where I had a delicious risotto with chicken. In case you haven't noticed, many of my thoughts are about food because this is very important to me. I love food. On Saturday morning, all eight of us plus Dave crammed into a van with all of our luggage and headed over to Clayton, the City of Knowledge, where we met up with the rest of the group. The accommodations in Clayton were great and we had a nice weekend of doing touristy stuff around the city such as shopping around markets, exploring Casco Viejo, and checking out the Panama Canal. Our drive from Clayton to San Felix wasn't as long as I expected and we arrived in the afternoon at a beautiful compound. The grounds are really nice and although it is certainly a different style of living than what I am used to, I think we are all accommodating well. So far, it has been a good experience. The country itself is pretty, especially when we got into the mountains and countryside. I love seeing all of these random animals on the roads as we travel. Trying to interact with the people is interesting, to say the least. Very few people speak English, so communicating can be very difficult and frustrating at times. Despite this, the people here seem very kind and humble, which is a welcome sight coming from America.

May 28, 2012

It has been an interesting trip so far.  The first word that comes to my head is "Hot".  It is extremely humid and hot.  In addition, it rains every evening around 3:00pm. I had the opportunity to tour the city and see the different areas people live in. Yesterday I went to Casco Vijo.  It's an old historical area of panama. We go to see workers restore the old buildings in an attempt to preserve them. I also went to the Panama Canal and veiw two ships attempting to cross the canal.  It's amazing the engineering and thought that went into the project. Also, I walked through the small museum and it was interesting to see the years and hard work it went into the Panama Canal.

It is a beautiful country with a lot of things to see and do. I'm looking forward to the next three weeks and experiencing a different part of Panama. I've notices a big economical class difference so in small towns I can imagine that poverty may be worse.  Well, off I go up to the country side, up the mountains on an 8 hour bus ride with my group.

Culture, Coffee, and Communication

Transitioning from American airports where I can read all of the instructions, directions, and signs to Panama has been an intimidating and enlightening experience. We arrived in Panama City yesterday afternoon, only to discover that you are forbidden to take pictures within the airport-I was reprimanded in a foreign language.. 

'Forbidden' photo of several of the ladies as we wait for customs.

You will have to forgive me for the quality; I had to take a picture of a picture. I forgot my camera cord. The Panamanian people are very open and are not afraid to do what they set out to do. During our tour of the city today I had the privilege of observing their community and living conditions; they certainly have a different culture than myself. I have begun to discover that not only do I notice their culture, but I am becoming significantly more self-aware of my own culture and traditions as well. The city has beggars; similar to America, old and young alike seeking for something to live on. There are different class statuses and different ways of dress and clothing. There are carts that sell hotdogs and carts that sell wonderful hand-made 'snow cones'! They do not call them snow cones, but they are a traditional drink that sells here in the city for 50 cents.

Myself and Brittany enjoying passionfruit and pineapple flavors!

We visited hand-craft markets throughout the city and I experienced another new portion of their culture; bartering. And I was pretty awful at it. In America the price tag is almost always the final say, but with the hand-craft markets here you are expected to barter. I successfully haggled off two dollars from a hand-stitched beauty.

My hand-stritched bird, and some amazing coffee!

Attending dinner tonight yet again opened my eyes to a new cultural experience. I am beginning to get the feeling that Panamanian culture is event-oriented instead of time-oriented. What a difference from the busy, precisely timed American way! We had 7:00pm dinner reservations and did not make it home until about 11:00pm. Wowzas. 

Overall, I am intimidated by not having a voice. By not understanding the language it is confusing, a little scary, and intimidating trying time and time again to communicate what I need to say [and being unable to say it]. I am looking forward to the challenge that Chiriqui will bring as we set off to begin the eight hour journey to the jungle tomorrow! Clinical begins soon, and I am intrigued to learn about the Panamanian culture in regards to healthcare. 

As a last thought, the coffee here is quite possibly the best I have ever had. If it is a large part of their culture, I look forward to drinking lots more of it!