Day at Santa Clara.....

It was time for another beach trip.  It was the first beautiful day in a while, so we left early and come home late.  I, needless to say, am burnt.  Lovely day, lovely friends.  School tomorow.  

No Blanco Para Tu

Today was supposed to be the day we did something outdoorsy... alas Panama weather had other plans for us.  Instead of outdoors we settled for a huge mall.  Jodie and I went with the purpose of finding clothes.  While at a department store Jodie wanted to try on a white shirt and a cream-ish dress.  When we got to the dressing rooms the attendant TOOK HER CLOTHES, told her "no blanco para tu.... otro colores"  Then proceeded to take the clothes Jodie picked out and came back with other colors...  We found this strange but just laughed about it.  Get this, EVERY store we went into told her no white.  One went as far as NOT LETTING HER TRY IT ON.  Weird, right?  Maybe it's some weird law, you have to be a certain shade on the color scale to wear white.  Thank God I wasn't trying to wear it..... Jodie looks hispanic next to me.

Friends!

Here are few of the new friends I've made here in Panama. Most of them are teachers at the International School of Panama, but two of them are Panamanians that we've met! This is the reason that I'm having fun here!

It's a desk!!!!!

I feel like a proud new mother.... my furniture has finally arrived.  Mind you, it only came after I went and fulfilled my "bitch white girl" role.  The nice men came and put it together for me.  Now if I could only get things put up on the wall then I'd be happy.

This weekend I believe I am going hiking, so I'll try to post some pictures.

If we're all chiefs then who are the indians?

So I am halfway through the second week of school.  The kids are adjusting as well as can be expected to lots of new rules from a new principal and new teachers....  The hot weather and the fact that I run up down the hallways in it are beginning to get to me.  I am worn out by three o'clock and then add to that I am getting up an hour earlier than I used to and getting home almost an hour later.   I know that eventually my body will adjust.  

On another note, I am entertaining the idea of working with a group that helps educate local kids that are HIV positive on how to prevent AIDS.  Our school sponsors a group and I thought that this may be a good opportunity to make a positive impact because God knows, I am not making a difference teaching these kids music.  At least not here.  

I had dinner with a fellow american tonight and we were discussing the personalities of all the international hires here.  It's an interesting situation.  We all have HUGE personalities and all desire to be the big chief but no one wants to follow.  Amazingly enough, if you know me, you will be surprised to hear that I am (for right now) the most mellow and reserved.  I am the one who doesn't quite fit in.  I am more conservative than most of them and I have different ideas of fun.  

I, to my astonishment, have become an indian.......

The Case of the Missing Furniture

Almost two weeks later and no furniture.  They swear to me everyday that they are coming and I come home and wait and waste my afternoon and they never come.... (not that I have plans or friends or a life or anything.....)  I want my desk.  Or I want my money.  One or the either.  And I can't tell them this because I don't speak spanish well enough.  Lame-O.  

On another note:  School was ok today.  The kids still feel like they can do as they please but I am going to give it a few weeks.  Jodie, my roommate, says that she thinks there is no way the new addition will be done in three weeks.  I hate hearing people say that.  It makes me sad.  I want a classroom.  I am running up and down the hallways (outdoor hallways) that are hotter than sin and sweating and being all icky.  I hate icky.

Sal Se Puede

Today was the third day of school with students AND the first half day.  Every Wednesday is a half day with the afternoon devoted to staff development (and coincidentally time for SACS preparation....)  The morning flew by with every minute taken up with classes.  The kids were a bit better, not much, but a bit.  Because of their upbringing I believe that teaching them they are not in charge and cannot do as they please will be a difficult task.  

After the students left and I sat through an excruciatingly long meeting about God knows what and then it was almost time to go.  This afternoon it was like a saying here (and also what they a call a road leading into and out of the old city) "Sal Se Puede"  Get out if you can.  We were all on a mad dash to get out of school.  It's not felt like actual teaching yet because everything about my situation is so impermanent.  It makes me feel like a visitor.  I am enjoying the longer class time with the older kids BUT I am finding the long classes with kindergarten TOO much especially because I see them twice a week.  That is almost twice the attention span of a 5 year old and then add in the fact that most of them don't speak english well, if at all.  I am still completely fascinated by the many different nationalities represented in my classes.  In my fourth grade class alone I had 11 different countries represented.  It is amazing.

Sadly and much to my amazement, the board has asked me to remove my nose ring.  Even though there are four other teachers with them AND I had it when they hired me.  They say that mine is more noticeable because of my small nose and light skin.  I, however, had a meeting with them in which I have agreed to look for one without a stone and that is a bit smaller.  I told them that if, when they hired me, they had told me about this I may not have taken a job where I had to change something about myself. Hopefully, this solution will appease them.

At home: my roommates and I are getting along.  I am so glad Jodie, the girl from RI, is here.  She makes me feel a bit more at home.  We have hired a maid to come twice a week (never in my life have I had a maid) and I have LOVED coming home to a clean kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, clean clothes that are ironed and put away, and mopped floors.  It makes it more possible to relax.  I love it.  I love her.  I may ask her to run away with me.... ok maybe not, but you get the point.

Things are going fairly well here.  I am still adjusting to being here but I feel I will be ok.  I miss everyone at home and I miss familiarity but that's part of the reason I am here.  To make change easier for me.

So, for now, I am here to stay and to make it work.... but find me at 3:30 in the school parking lot and it's "Sal Se Puede".