I am getting into a pretty good routine with my family now
(just in time for it to change, go figure).
It started out kind of rough because my family doesn’t really like to
leave the house to pasear much, which makes it difficult to get to know the
rest of the community. I found out it’s
because they don’t particularly get along with the extended family who lives
near us. I’m not sure what exactly
happened, but they avoid each other to what I find to be absurd lengths, but
whatever. Now that I understand a little
bit more, it’s less weird that they don’t go out much. I have started to be better about going out
on my own/with other aspirantes (Peace Corps Trainees).
I have also found that there is a lot of bochinche
(gossip)! I think it has to do with the
fact that 1) it’s a pretty small town and half of the town is related somehow
and 2) Panamanian culture is very ‘indirect’ meaning that they avoid
confrontation at all costs. It is
expected that if you have a problem with something, you will go around it and
tell someone else about it until eventually it gets back to the person with
whom you have a problem so they can avoid being embarrassed by the
‘confrontational’ conversation. It’s
taken a lot of getting used to because as most of you know, I am a very direct
person and find it offensive/rude if someone goes to other people instead of
coming to me if they have a problem with me and I try to show other people the
same respect; except that here it’s rude…oops..
I think this will be my biggest struggle during the next 2 years.
On a totally different note, my host mom’s mom went to the
hospital yesterday. From my limited
Spanish, she had a bubble (may also be a clot) in her heart, and they had to do
surgery to take care of it. Prayers for
her and for her 12 kids would be appreciated.
It sounds like she will definitely be in the hospital the next few days,
maybe longer.
I think that’s all I have for now. I will write again next week, after we find
out our sites and celebrate Carnaval J.
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