Pre-Service Training (PST) Week 1: 1/16/12-1/21/12

Pre-Service Training (PST) Week 1: 1/16/12-1/21/12

PST is the 9 weeks prior to our swearing in (in the middle of March).  We spend this time working on our Spanish skills as well as our teaching/technical skills.  We have also gotten more specific information about what our assignment is.  They keep saying our first goal is for the teachers; our second goal is for the students; and our third goal is for the community.  What this means is that we will primarily be doing co-teaching, as this is a more sustainable practice than just having volunteers take over a classroom. I am actually quite relieved about this because I am not trained as a teacher or in English language instruction, but that’s what these classes are for, right?

So my typical day starts with me getting up for school (around 7), showering, breakfasting, and going to class around 8:30 to talk with the professor.  There are only 5 people in my class.  I already feel like between my Spanish class and my host family my Spanish is so much better than it was!  After Spanish class, I go home for lunch at noon and then to the school for Tech classes from 1-5.  This is where we are learning teaching (English) techniques and cultural information about the Panamanian school system.  I am really excited to get to work.  We have been learning a lot about co-teaching because we will be doing a lot more work with teachers than with students (which I actually feel more qualified to do anyway).  In the evening I go home for dinner and mostly just hang out and do some homework.  Sometimes Yuri and I go over to the neighbors´ and play Uno with the kids/volunteer over there, which is always fun.  The other day, there were 10 of us playing!  That´s really all I have time for now, but hopefully I will be getting internet more regularly (cross your fingers).  I miss you all and would love to hear from you (via comments or e-mail...I will get it eventually...lol).

P.S. I am hoping to have pictures to post the next time I have internet.  It was just a little too much work to try and get it together this time...lol.

Santa Rita: 1/15/12-1/21/12

Santa Rita: 1/15/12-1/21/12

Once we left Ciudad del Saber on Sunday morning, we came to our host families. We are living in 2 small towns about an hour away from Panamá City.  [This is a good time to put in a side note that our training class consists of 2 different programs: Teaching English (TE) and Community Environmental Conservation (CEC).  The TE group is living in one town and the CEC group is in another town just a couple miles down the road.]  I think we were all a little nervous and excited to meet our families.  My family is great   I have a mom (Alicia) and a dad (Sixto) and a 16 year old sister (Yuri-pronounced joo-ree) and a 3 year old sister (Alison!).  Apparently the last trainee they hosted was also Allison.  The house has 2 bedrooms: I share one with Yuri and the other 3 are in the other room.  There is a living room, a kitchen, and a porch (where we spend most of the time).  There is a little shower stall out in the back and a latrine.  We do have running water and electricity but it’s not hot water and it goes out sometimes.  Our diet is pretty much some variation of fried chicken and rice at pretty much every meal.  Sometimes there are some vegetables thrown in.  It was super exciting because last night we had spaghetti!  and it was great because even though she made rice to go with it, she asked if I wanted any before she served it, so I was actually able to go a whole meal without rice!  I was pretty excited.

The entire town is within walking distance and there are several other trainees within shouting distance. It’s nice to have them so close.  Also, it means that a lot of the families in town have hosted/are hosting a trainee (we are the 10th training class to be in Santa Rita!).  My family does not have any animals, but several families have dogs, cats, chickens, pigs, cows, parrots, and some other animals that just wander into their yards.  The roosters tend to keep me up at night.  Whoever said they crow at dawn was making an understatement.  They start around 3am and crow every hour for like 12 hours.  I’m starting to get used to it, though.  Also the dogs (and chickens) just wander through the streets.  Some of them have owners, but some of them I think are also wild.  I tend to just play it safe and not pet any of them unless I am at someone’s house who owns the dog.

In other news, there is a river close by.  A group of us went and swam in it on Sunday (our first day here).  It felt so good to be in the cold water!  I am hoping to go back there in the near-ish future.  Also, I saw a monkey on my first day here! But I haven’t seen one since   I have been really bad about taking pictures, but it’s my goal to have some posted next time I am able to get internet.  Anyway, I guess that’s all for now.  I will let you know when I can as exciting things happen!

Staging and Bridge to PST: 1/11/12-1/14/12

Staging and Bridge to Pre-Service Training (PST): 1/11/12-1/14/12

Staging in Miami was pretty uneventful-pretty much what I anticipate, I guess I should say.  It is worth mentioning that I met up with some other Peace Corps people at the airport; we pretty much stuck out like a sore thumb with so much luggage.  Apparently, there was a facebook group created for our training class and they had already planned to meet at a Café across the street from the hotel for dinner, so that was fun.  We had IHOP for our last American breakfast and then staging actually started.  It was basically a big paperwork-fest along with some ‘what are your expectations?’ ‘here are our expectations’ and ‘here is some important safety and security information that you should know before arriving.’  Then we got up super early Wednesday morning (had to be downstairs by 6am) and went to hang out at the airport until our 12:05pm flight.

Bridge to PST began Thursday morning, so we had Wednesday afternoon to kind of settle in at our 4-day residence near the PC office just outside of Panamá City.  It used to be a military base but the buildings have now been converted to several offices, some villas (where we stayed) and a school of some sort; I’m still not sure what grades.  Anyway, this is where we spent 4 days talking about what to expect as well as more extensive logistics, health, safety, and security information.  The best part about the whole thing, I think, was getting to know everyone (there are 54 in our training class) and the villas-they are way nicer than I think anyone was expecting.  We had hot water, air conditioning, and Wi-Fi (although my villa couldn’t get ours to work).  Apparently, there are times we can/will come stay there for a weekend, either for a training or just to get away for the weekend.  In either case, it’s good to know it’s available!

T-minus 5 days!

So five days out and I'm finally starting the blog I have been promising peole for at least 3 months.  I think I am finally in possession of everything I need; now it's just a matter of actually getting it all packed into bags and making sure I didn't forget anything.  Have I ever told you I hate packing?  Last week was full of cleaning out things I don't need so my parents can use my room for something else while I'm gone.  I also worked my last day at Walgreen's on Monday!

Everything the past week or so has been very bittersweet.  I am incredibly excited to finally be leaving.  I have been waiting for 6 months since I got my invitation, and 14 months since I submitted my application.  Talk about a long process!  However, it's sad to say goodbye to people for such a long time.  It's also hard to do when I'm so excited to go and constantly thinking of all the things I still have to do.  It's just hard to believe that it's finally here!

As for my itinerary, I will be leaving Monday morning from Des Moines and flying to Miami where we have staging until Wednesday when the 52 of us who will be training together will fly to Panama City.  After that, I will have 10 weeks of Spanish/Pedagogy training.  Then I will be off to my placement site.  I'm still not sure where that will be.  I will be doing homestay for the first six months in country (3 months of training and 3 months at my site).  My mailing address as a trainee will be:

John/Jane Doe (Peace Corps trainee)

Edificio 240 3er Piso, Calle Victor Iglesias

Ciudad del Saber, Clayton (Corregimiento Ancón)

PanamáRepublica de PANAMA

I am also hoping to be able to write letters back, so if I don't have your address already, feel free to send it in an e-mail or comment before the 11 (when I actually leave the country).  Also, if there are any last-minute questions you want answered, just ask.  I am so excited to go and work with the people of Panama, but also to share my experience with all of you!  I guess that's all I have for now.  I will hopefully be able to write again soon.

Peace,

Ally