French Toast

Our second weekend in Panama was spent in El Valle. We arrived friday night and after getting acclimated to the small town, I spent the rest of the evening enjoying the quiet, "weefee", and going to bed early! Saturday brought many activities; the most unique and fun combination of things I have ever done in one day! In the early morning I rediscovered the amazing french toast I had at the hotel the night before and set off to go zip-lining, followed by horseback riding for an hour, then lunch, hiking for 1 hour, and ending the earlier part of the day with a mud bath!

The hike up to go zip-lining was beautiful! It was so interesting to see the "rubber tree" and the "medicine" tree. The Panamanian people use the saps of these trees for things like making baseballs and for those people with cancer etc (respectively).

The waterfally "torro grande" was beautiful! There was a short trail that we took after the final ziplining station that took us to a small bridge that crossed over the waterfalls base. It was so peaceful and green and pictures will never capture all the beauty that Panama's nature does have that I was able to see both on the zip-lining hike and the short hike we took up the Sleeping Indian Mountain.

The mud baths were quite the experience. Kelsey and I decided to do the whole body mud bath experience, and that was very interesting! We could not help but laugh at ourselves, but I believe it was worth it! During our stay at the "warm" we spoke with other visitors from missionaries to business men and even two men down for what I understood to be something like a WHO meeting. For certain their purpose for coming was related to health.

After returning to the hotel I took my first temporarily warm shower since the start of the trip, it was fabulous!

We all went out to eat together as a group at a local Italian restaurant and celebrated Meilssa's 21st Birthday with pastries for everyone :D It was a very satisfactory day.

Before leaving back to Chitre, again I had the french toast at the hotel's restaurant to make a delicious number 4 or 5. After one last glance at the sleeping indian mountain I took a "mental picture" of the panoramic view of the landscape got on the bus and we left.

It was such a blessing to have been able to experience as much of the Panama nature in one day as I was able to. I will continue to sing praises of the experience I had and made of the trip to Panama and would do it all over again given the opportunity!

The End :)

BABIES! :D

Within the second week of clinicals I finally got to experience the pediatric department at monagrillo! As much as i love children an babies and all that fun stuff, I was actually quite nervous and anxious to go over there, suddenly I realized i wasn't going to just hold kids an play with them; I had to use very sharp and dangerous objects around them, my measurements and observations had to be 100% accurate in order to track very important developmental markers, and I had to hurt them with needles. These things made me very nervous indeed.

I quickly got over them, because that's just what you have to do. I double checked my weights and measurements until i was confident that I was accurate...and then still had them double checked! lol

But all the stressors of trying to be accurate and do well was ALL worth it the second I got to hold a little 4 month old. She was the most PRECIOUS baby (just like all the others ;) and I fell in love, nothing went wrong that day let me tell you!

We put her on the baby scale, then measured her, and then she was due for some vaccines and the polio drops. I watched my nurse access her hips and other limbs and then access her reflexes. She also was re-educating her mom about breast feeding and giving her little reminders.

All the babies and young kids that came in that day were just amazing, and every other time I got to be in there was just heart warming ,except of course when we had to give shots, and then my heart went out to them. I became incredibly comfortable with giving shots to infants and children and will ALWAYS remember to aspirate and remember the importance of aspirating just from this trip alone!

What a GREAT experience the clinicals were and I would do it ALL again in a heart beat! :D

PAP Smears!

The very first clinical day came with no expectations, we were given a tour of the clinic in Monagrillo and i was amazed at the compactness of the facility. Having pediatrics, adult care, gynecological care including a mammogram machine, dentist, and pharmacy I was pleasantly surprised.

Within the first 2 clinical days I had already gotten the awesome experience of doing PAP smears with some of the Panamanian women! We started by taking their blood pressures and weights and the nurse asked them many health history questions. The exam is more or less the same as it is her in the states, or at least the technique of it. I was so excited to get to perform it on my own. Our University of Panama professor was with us and assisted us with every one of them but she allowed us to take the examiner's seat. Even performing the breast exams was amazing to me; even with the language barrier I felt I could understand almost everything that she was saying and was just soaking it all in! It was better than I could have ever imagined! those few cases that I did in Panama made the trip worth it! :D I am so glad that we practiced in the lab and I am so happy with my choice to go down!

The women in the clinic were great and I could not have been more blessed to have been doing our clinicals at Monagrillo! :)

Adventures in Panama

We were lucky to not only be practicing in Panama but we also got to go on many weekend excursions! The first weekend that we were there we went to a beach in Las Tablas and stayed in a resort called La Luna. we all had a great time here we spent our days at the beach playing in the sun. Since we were behind on seminars we actually did some here while in the pool!
The second weekend we went to El Valle which was up in the mountains, so thanks to god it was a little cooler haha. We did split up a couple times but that was because there was so much to do and everyone had different ideas. I choose to go zip lining and horseback riding. The zip lining was awesome and I was such a neat experience and im glad that i got to experience it. the horse riding was a little iffy and i ended up chickening out and walking my horse part of the way. that weekend was great but it wasn't as relaxing as the last only because we all had our projects due that following weekend so we had to work on those.
The last weekend was fun but sad as well. We got to go on a hike where we found a waterfall and then we got to swim and take lots of pretty pictures!
We also go to go and see the villages of the indigenous people but we did not really get to enjoy that only because it was raining so hard! But i still enjoyed seeing there homes and the way that they live. On our last night we got to all go out for a final dinner and we went to a really neat restaurant that was really yummy and that also put on a really neat show with dancing from the Pollera and more!
I loved the adventures that we had and I was glad that there were set up that way because they were great breaks, i also think that they brought us closer together as a group as well.

Looking Back..

Well, overall I must say the trip that we took to Panama was one that I will never forget and I made so many new friends and memories that I can't even begin to explain how grateful I am that I was able to go on this trip. Everything about the trip was wonderful, all experiences that were fun and can be used to gain life lessons and experience from. This trip allowed me to do things that I never would have been able to do by staying in Tampa for the summer taking classes, and gave me the opportunity to learn new skills and a different perspective to skills I have already been taught. The faculty and students in Panama were extremely nice and welcomed us with open arms. I thought that the language barrier was going to be a big deal, but in actuality it ended up being a very small burden.

To sum up the trip into one word, I would say it was extraordinary!

Home sweet home!

The past 3 weeks were indescribable. Our trip to Panama was filled with so much adventure and memories that will last a lifetime. Having this opportunity to study abroad gave me so much more experience in the clinical setting as well as being exposed to a new culture. The fact that we got to meet the University of Panama nursing students and work with the staff at the clinicals was such a honor. They taught us things that they do in the clinical setting that we do not do in the states. We both learned from one another. I did things that I thought I would never do. Zip-linning through the rainforest, climbing a mountain and swimming in waterfalls were just a few to name. My homestay family were so warm and welcoming. I am looking forward to keeping in touch with them. I am so grateful for this chance to experience and explore the country of Panama. I will carry my experiences, my memories and my new friends with me close to my heart forever!!

Weekends!!! =)

The weekends here in Panama have been exhilarating and relaxing at the same time!!


Location: La Luna
The day was basically spent between the beautiful beach and the pool! The hotel owner was very nice and prepared all our meals for us. He was great. It was a nice chill weekend after having such a hectic week trying to get settled in and adjusting to everything.



Location: El Valle
I woke up at the crack of dawn and went horseback riding (I was terrified), mountain climbing, zip lining, and finished the day at a spring. The day was very busy, but well worth it. I have never done either of the things mentioned above and I here I am in another country doing things that scare the crap out of me lol. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I'm so glad I went and did not back down. Zip lining was my favorite part of the day. On our last day I just relaxed. I rested in a hammock and enjoyed the breeze as I read. The scenery here in Panama is absolutely beautiful! The people are friendly and welcoming and make you feel right at home. We do so much fun stuff and entertain one another that we forget about all the stuff that we miss at home.





Location: Rainforest

Spending time with the indigenous people of the rain forest felt surreal. They picked us up via canoe and we made our way into the rain forest where we got to swim in the waterfall (the others swam I watched from a distance because I can't swim lol, but the water felt great). After we had to hurry and get to the village because it was POURING rain! We all got drenched. The people of the village had delicious fruit and food waiting. They explained their history and performed a traditional dance for us. Aside from all the rain I really had fun. I found it amusing when Melissa and I found a fish and called Jaime (Jaymee) over, who decided she was going to rescue the fish! I think she forgot that she's scared of stuff like that because she dropped the fish more than 6 times trying to rescue it. It was hilarious but she was determined.

Now That I'm Home...

Well first of all, it is great to be back home! I really missed AC, hot showers, and Starbucks! :) Though parts of the trip may have seemed rough to me at the time, looking back I can truly realize what a great experience it was to be able to go to Panama. We take so many things for granted that other people would be overjoyed to have. I was really moved by our neighbor during the homestays. She was not very well off, and enjoyed coming over to our house. Every night, she would come and ask Kelsey and I how our day had been and what we had done. She only spoke Spanish, so sometimes it was a little hard to speak with her, but we could tell she really loved coming to talk to us. She had three young sons, who also liked to come over and talk to us. When we would go away for the weekend, she would even tell us that she was going to miss us and we needed to come back. One night, she offered to go to the store and buy soap just so she could wash our clothes. She also looked at a poster we had made to present to the elementary schools, and saw that there were some pencil marks on it. She went looking everywhere until she found an eraser and erased all the pencil marks off our poster, even though we told her she didn't need to! On the last night we were in Chitre, she took us over to her house to meet her husband. It was her son's birthday, so she had gotten a cake and insisted that we eat some. I felt so humbled sitting in this woman's home, who had so little and yet had been willing to give so much of herself to us. We ended up giving her one of our homestay gifts and some of our school supplies for her sons, and she seemed so grateful.

I know this trip was a clinical experience as well, but I think I learned the most outside of the clinics (although I do think I perfected the IM injection!). People here can be so selfish, and only think about what's best for themselves. We are so blessed with the resources that we have here in the U.S., but so often we are unwilling to share them. If a woman who could barely communicate with me was so willing to share the little she had with me, I should be even more willing to share what I have with others. I left Panama feeling so completely spoiled! I really hope that I never take what I have for granted, and I truly appreciate the lesson I learned from my neighbor.

Clinicals

Clinicals at my clinic site is interesting. They have different methods that they use that we have to get use to; for example how they clean the injection site with water instead of alcohol. It seemed like we would not have any opportunities to do anything at first but as our instructor became comfortable she allowed us give vaccines, pap smears, observe development testing, etc. At times the area where we would give the vaccines became so crowded making it difficult to maneuver and safety becomes a problem.
I enjoyed going to the schools and giving vaccinations the most because we were able to interact with children and it felt good knowing we were do something directly for the community. We gave immunizations and the girls had the option of receiving Gardasil if they had their parents consent. All the kids were cooperative for the most part, but they were scared at first. Once they became comfortable with us they talked with us. They were so fascinated with us, it was so cute. The other student in the clinical site were very friendly and tried their best to be helpful. I am so grateful for Caroline being there for us and translating throughout clincals (even though sometimes you did know how to say certain words...I'm kidding lol ;-). <3 ya and it was very much appreciated). In the clinic, I personally favored the childrens vaccine room. They would get their vaccines and cry and their was a beach ball tied to the ceiling that I would reach up and spin and it distracted them so they would laugh or stop crying. I also think that was the busiest room in the clinic because mothers would bring in their babies early in the morning and stay really to make sure that their child was vaccinated.

Seminar gave us the opportunity to teach our fellow class mates and reflect on the material. Once the information was presented we would have a discussion and for the most part I would learn even more from the discussion because it was all tied into the material.

I know we didn't get the same opportunities as some of the other student in the other clinical sites but I feel I got a better understanding of the Panamanian culture as a whole especially when we worked on the surveys for the women's research group. They were open to doing the surveys and had positive views on pap smears which I think is wonderful. The women are comfortable with allowing students to be in the rooms during procedures such as the pap smears which I think would be a problem with most women in the US.

Back in the US

This past Saturday we spent the entire day at airports on our way back to the US. Coming home was a little bitter sweet because I had an amazing experience in Panama but at the same time I was ready to come home. I learned so much while I was in Panama not only about nursing but also about myself. The trip helped me appreciate things that I tend to take for granted on a daily basis like a warm shower (not that I wanted one with the heat in Panama), air conditioning, a washer and a dryer, and living in a country where I understand the language being spoken. Overall the trip was a great experience and one that I won't forget, it helped me grow not only as a future nurse but also as a person and helped me become more culturally aware which will help in many life circumstances.

Family

My host family is so sweet and welcoming. I feel right at home. There is a language barrier, but luckily the children our age and they are able to translate for the most part to the parents. It gives a chance to work on our spanish and our mom a chance to try out her spanish. I have never said the words "no etiendo" so much in my life! :-D My host mom treats us as if we are her own. She is really sweet. She cooks (the food is DELICIOUS) and washes our clothes when they need to be washed. They took us out to lunch one day when we got home earlier than usual. After we ate we went out to the stores and they gave us a tour of Chitre. I saw the beautiful churches, parks, etc. We got to know one another personality wise so we just went around taking silly pictures and making jokes. My brother's name is Dario and my sisters name is Lau. They have two dogs named Coco and Matia. We didn't get to spend as much time as we would like with them, but when we had free time they spent time with us. On the 1st Friday in Chitre my brother and sister took us to a club called Break. We listened to music and danced all night with other nursing students from the Universidad de Panama and just enjoyed ourselves. My family is awesome and I'm so glad to have met them. They are interested in where we come from and they like to see pictures of our families back home. I feel like I'm apart of their family and they are apart of my family now.

Panama (The clincal side)

I figured since I have talked about the cultural experience I defiantly need to talk about the clinical experience because that is why we are here!

My clinic was called the Centro de Salud Chitre. It was a clinic that was mainly for the uninsured but of course the insured were welcome as well. In the clinic you could get almost anything done. There was two dentists, one for kids and one for adults. There was an adult immunizations, a general doctor, pediatric doctor, gynecology, pharmacy, development and growth of children and children vaccinations. I got to spend a day in each of these minus the dentists and the general doctors. The clinic is really prevention based and no one that was there was sick it was more to get check ups and to continue with good health. Every day was about the same, We had to be there at 730am until 12pm which then we would get lunch and then go back to the school for seminars. There was 6 of us at the clinic with me and then there would also be Panamanian students about 4 to 6 of them, so sometimes it got really crowded.

I think that my favorite part was the kids vaccination room. I thought that I would really like pap smears, and I did, but not nearly as much as the little kids. I thought that vaccinating babies was going to be hard because I had never done it before and there are some kids that just kick and scream! I happen to get quite lucky and I didn't have any toddlers, I got 9mo and younger so they wouldn't cry until you gave them the shot. what I thought was really funny is that the babies would cry and cry but then once you start to clap and say "yay" or show them a ball they had forgotten all about it. So luckily i got to spend a couple days in there. Vaccinations at the clinic are free for 0-18 years old and older then 70. Otherwise they are only about a dollar or two if they don't have insurance.

I also got to do some pap smears which was exciting just because that is not in the scope of my practice here in the states. So I thinks its neat to be able to brag about that in a way. I also learned alot about pap smears and women's health so i really enjoyed that as well. In Panama the paps are free and they are recommended every year or every 6 mo depending on your risk level. The main thing that they are screening for is HPV because that seems to be common. I think that its smart that this is a free resource because it really helps with prevention.

Also some other clinic but not mine have days where they go out in the community and give medication and vaccinations to the elderly, immobilized or really sick. That's something I wish that I got to experience. I did get to go to a middle school though and there we got to vaccinate 5th and 6th graders. We gave them their flu shots, tetanus, and gardisil to the girls. I had fun doing that even thought it was a long process, but it was a bilingual school so many of the kids spoke English and they loved the fact that they could speak to us.

Overall I had a lot of fun and even though it was crazy or really show sometimes that's what its all about, the experience. I feel that i truly learned a lot and in my opinion the US health care system could really learn a thing or to from Panama.

Embera Village

Yesterday, we took a trip to Embera Village to visit the indigenous tribe and learn about their history and the way that they live. It was a really great trip although we had to overcome some obstacles.... lol. Our canoe tipped on the way to the waterfall hike and it was raining but overall it was a really good trip. We hiked to a beautiful waterfall and swam in the pool of water underneath it. We had to leave because it started raining and the hiking trail was getting muddy and slippery but it made for an entertaining hike back. Then we took the canoes back to the first Embera Village where we were greeted by several Emberas. They led us up a little hill to a gathering space where the women were cooking and preparing lunch for us. Then they put out several large platters of amazing fruit. I love pineapple and the pineapple they served us was the best pineapple I have ever tasted! Then they showed us a few traditional dances and explained about their culture. Then we were able to purchase some items that the Embera's make in the village. We had to leave a little early because it started pouring rain and the river was rising so we all headed to the canoes and went back to the bus. We were all soaking wet but overall visiting the village was a really good experience!

Weekend Excursions

Panama has some of the most beautiful scenery! Our first weekend, we went to Playa Obierto to stay at a hotel called La Luna. It was absolutely incredible! The hotel was a huge white villa with a spiral staircase. Our room overlooked the pool and we had a great view of the Pacific Ocean. The owner of the hotel was so nice and he cooked every meal for us. We had fresh fruit juice, seafood caught fresh that day, chicken, pineapples and chocolate, and so much more. We went to a little restaurant down the road that had tiki huts and access to the beach. Other than a little sunburn, we had so much fun laying out at the pool. I didn't want to leave!
The next weekend, we went to El Valle in the moutains. It basically looked like the tops of the mountains were in the clouds! The first day, we hiked up a mountain and most of the girls went ziplining. Then, we rode horses but all my horse wanted to do was eat grass! We also went to a mineral spring and did mud facials. Our hotel had hammocks on the balcony and it was so nice to lay up there and look at the mountains.
Today, we took canoes down a river in the rainforest to hike to a waterfall. It was awesome at first, even though the canoes were a little rocky. When we got to the hiking spot, no one else had gotten there yet and we waited for so long. Finally, our guides went to look for them and one of the canoes had tipped! Once everyone got back, we went hiking and some of it was pretty difficult with slippery rocks. Swimming in the waterfall was amazing though! Then, we went to the Embera Village where the indigenous people live. They made us fried fish and plaintains, and tons of amazing fresh fruit. They also did traditional dances for us and showed us their artwork. I really wished we could have stayed longer, but it was raining so incredibly hard that we had to leave before the current got too strong. We were all completely soaked and freezing and so glad to get back to the bus! Overall though, it was a really great experience.

Most adventurous day of the trip :D

Today was definitely unforgettable, to say the least! When we left at 8 am, the weather was beautiful, dry, and sunny, but around 12 pm it took a turn in the complete opposite direction! Juan, our awesome tour guide here in Panama City, took us about an hour and a half out to the Chagras National Rainforest. We took canoes out on the river and did a mini-hike up to a beautiful waterfall. We got a chance to swim in the water, take in the scenery, and observe nature at its best. Right now Panama is considered to be in its "dry" season, so the water level of the river is significantly low, which makes it more difficult to maneuver a canoe through some areas that have a lot of rocks/trees at the bottom. Those who were on the same canoe that I was on learned this the hard way, firsthand :)! On the way to the waterfall our canoe wasn't able to make it through, got stuck in the current, and we all went overboard! Luckily everyone made it safe and sound and I managed to save my camera from water damage in the process. I wouldn't be able to afford another broken camera in Panama! lol... We spent a little time at the waterfall and then the rainforest's down pour began! We started scrambling to get all of our things together and ran back to our canoes. We finally reached the Embera tribe's village and got under cover. For a while I stood by the fire that the Emberan women were cooking at, in order to warm up and see how they prepare their food.

They cooked us delicious fish & fried plantains

and cut up the juiciest local fruits (pineapple, watermelon, papaya, oranges, avocado, bananas, etc.) for us. After we ate lunch, the Emberan people showed us how they make their beautiful artwork and some of their traditional dances (called "monkey" and "eagle" dances)! The rain died down for a little while and then it started down pouring even worse, so we had to scramble back to the canoes asap! We finally made it back to shore where our bus was awaiting our arrival! hah... I was soo excited to get back to the bus because thankfully I left my dry towel there! It was truly a great experience and I had a blast!

Embera Village

In terms of cultural experiences and activities that we've had here in Panama, today had to be the best experience I've had. The scenery, the beauty of God's creation, and a proud and beautiful people in the Emberas' truly made it a unique experience. The journey began with the traversing of the Chagras River in long canoes from the drop off area to first a pathway to a waterfall and natural spring pool. The water was cool and soothing, perfect balance and feel and the waterfall added sound and aesthetics to the scenery. After that we made our way back in the canoes to go to the village itself, where we were greeting warmly and brought to the gathering space of the village. We were then served fresh fruit including bananas, pineapple, papaya, watermelon, the fried tilapia and plantains, all served in banana leaves. After the feast, we were treated to some traditional dances...the monkey, the eagle, and a couple's dance and then we were able to buy some of the wonderful pottery and arts and crafts that were made by the Embera people. On the way back to the bus, it poured down raining, but that just made the whole experience sweeter.

Panama ( the non-clinical side)

ARRIVAL
So we have been in panama for quite sometime now and I have experienced many enlightening and different experiences in both the culture and the healthcare setting. I have been to Honduras almost every summer since I was a little kind so coming to Panama was not going to be that different for me. Once i arrived in Panama though I was surprised that there was a noticeable difference in their culture here. We spent the first two days in Panama City at the city of knowledge and I enjoyed the time that we spent there. We got to go on a tour and see the canal which is such a great experience and I loved the way the panamanians talked about it with such great pride! I feel like I did accommodate to the culture very well because I am latino but it was hard for me to watch others struggle with the food difference and language barrier.
The Panama Canal

THE FAMILY
Once we arrived in Chitre I knew that it meant we had to get down to business. I got to meet my host family and everyones else's as well when we got there and I was actually surprised that many on the families did not speak english so I was not sure how that was going to play out. When me and Renee meet our host mom she was no nervous because she doesn't speak english but when she heard me speak spanish to her she told me it was like a weight was lifted off her shoulders. My family consists of the mom, Yasmin, the dad, alex, their four year old son, alex ivan , and the nanny, natalie. Everyone is super sweet and super accommodating. For the longest time i never really got to spend anytime with my family because we would have clinical and then seminar and then for a couple night we actually had activities planned like a sports day, pizza party, going out to a dance and stuff like that. And then most the free time i had was spent sleeping or working on my seminar. But then one day the actives were cancelled so i actually got to go out with the family. So they took us to the pottery stores so we could buy gifts and then they actually bought us one and put our names on each one! it was so cute! we also went to clothes stores, two parks that both had really pretty churches and then also an artificial beach that still confuses me. So my family is been so nice and warm to me and me and the mom always have so much to talk about. the dad always tried to practice his english while renee her spanish so that is always a trip to watch. I also like the area that my family lives in because there are four other families that are close so we tend to all get together at Lilya, Caitlin and Melissa's house when we can so that we can hang out. one of Liliya's posts actually has a picture of all of us at their house.

THE UNIVERSITY

As for the university of Panama they have really nice and helpful to us. They are always inviting us to actives and always trying to bring our nursing school and their together . So far we have had a pizza night with them( which he had invited them to) an we had a really good turn out and everyone really mingled with each other. Also there was a party at a club called the break that they invited us to and only half of our group went but i had a lot of fun with the students. oh yea and we had a sports day where we were supposed to play soccer but then it turned into volleyball some how so we did that and they had an egg relay and egg toss. Then also this past thursday we went to a queen party that they held but we weren't there for too long because we did have clinical in the morning and it was so packed! Tomorrow we are having a cultural fiesta with the students and they are going to do a traditional dance and song for us and we are supposed to do the same. so we are thinking of doing the Cha cha slide and the cotton eye joe. so ill let you know how that goes.

So far I have been having a great experience with the family home-stay and the connection with the panama students and I have made it this far with only a week left!until Next time!

Cultural Night

Tonight was so neat! The University of Panama nursing students planned a cultural event to share various dances, songs, acting, and traditions of the Panamanian culture. They first performed what appeared to be a popular dance to modern music. They then acted out a mime-style play. The actors wore black, red, and white and had painted their faces white. The next couple acts seemed to be traditions of the people. Each act involved a single guy donning an ornate costume and dancing a unique style. The first guy wore an orange outfit with a dragon-like face mask and feathers. He had wooden shoes on and wooden clappers in his hands that he shook to the beat of the music. The next guy resembled a pirate figure and danced around with a cane. He was clearly the comedian of the group! There was also a traditional dancing involving a girl and two guys. The girl wore a hand woven white, flowy dress that was accented with green, red, and yellow. The two guys wore white long sleeved shirts with straw hats and black pants. They performed two dances that told a story. The first was of the two men vying for the attention of the lady. They ¨fought¨ for her affection by having a dance-off. After she had made her pick, the succeeding dance was of two intimate lovers. In addition to these acts, there was also singing and a slide show.
After their presentations, it was our turn to show them various dances that represented our culture. We started by explaining to them that the U.S. is composed of various cultures. There is not a single predominate culture with long standing traditional dances or songs. We then performed the electric slide which the Panamanian students instantly recognized and participated in. Next we did the cupid shuffle and encouraged the students to dance along with as well. I had so much fun. It was neat to experience the traditions of the Panama people and it was also neat to include them in on our dances. I enjoyed witnessing and partaking in the integration of two very different cultures.

El Valle

On friday we drove to the beautiful town of El Valle. The second we arrived I was mesmorized by the beautiful sites around us. The hotel we stayed at was very interesting in a sence that there were hammocks on the top floor that overlooks the town as well as WIFI in the common area. The village around the hotel had many fruits and vegetables as well as hundred of handcrafted items to buy. On saturday, we all started the day with an all american breakfast and then we went zip linning through the rainforest. Followed by the zip lining we went horseback riding and finally a hike up a mountain. We ended our day at an Italian restaurant which had fabulous food except that it took an hour to get drinks. On sunday, Renee and I decided to take a 3 hour hike up a mountain as well as went swimming in a waterfall. Let just say we are indeed extremley sore. Once again every city we travel to in Panama brings wonderful new experiences and new chances to learn about the history and culture of Panama.

El Valle

This weekend we drove over to El Valle and it is absolutely gorgeous here! Yesterday we woke up early and went ziplining, which was really fun! At first we were all a bit nervous, but we ended up having a really great time and got some really good pictures! After ziplining we went horseback riding for an hour, which was also really fun... but at times I feared for my life! That was the first and last time I will be on a horse! Later on we went for a hike up the Sleeping Indian Women mountain... it was a pretty rough hike, but we got to see the waterfall and that was gorgeous and we got some more great pictures! To relax, we went and swam in the natural spring and got mud facials! The hotel has these awesome hammocks, on the top floor, that overlook the mountains! It is so relaxing up here and a great view! Right now we are all just hanging out on the hammocks, listening to the rain :)

Chitre!!

Well we have less than a week left in this beautiful country and we have all had a great time regardless of any small inconveniences we have encountered during the 2 weeks we have been here! Chitre is a lot different than my home in Florida, but it has been a great experience! Being without the things you are typically use to having at all times, really opens your eyes to appreciate things more! I definitely won't take internet, phone, air condition, or hot water for granted ever again!! The family that I am staying with is very nice.. the mother is a nurse and the father is a medical doctor. They have one little girl that is 5 years old. At first, the language barrier was an issue because they speak very little English, and I speak very little Spanish! Day by day it gets easier and you learn new ways to communicate! This has been a learning experience for both myself, and the family.. as they have had to learn some English and I some Spanish! The picture above is Shannon and I with our house mother Eudy :)

Deliciosas Comidas!

Since food is an extremely major part of each of our days, I thought it would be significant to capture several of the various meals that we've had so far, here in Panama. In fact, I thought it was so important that I figured I would devote an entire blog post to it. Since I stick to a diet mainly comprised of raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, baked legumes + grains (oatmeal, barley, etc.), & chicken + seafood (typically prepared on grill only), I thought it would be a little bit of a hassle to find this type of food in restaurants of a country that typically eats beans, rice, and fried plantains for every meal. So I made sure to pack an abundant supply of nuts, dried + raw fruits, and bars just in case I really had trouble finding food at first. I was pleasantly surprised with how I've been able to find food that accommodates my dietary needs! The following will show a variety of different meals that my classmated and/or I have indulged in :) ...

Sauteed chicken and veggies for fajitas!

Mussels, clams, shrimp in a red sauce on top of spaghetti!

I expected that Panama would have delicious varieties of fruits that aren't readily available in the US, which is most definitely true. For example, they have all different sorts of mangos (I've tried 3 different kinds already) growing all over the place, along with coconuts, guava, and bananas. I love the fact that much of the fruit that is sold in the local markets was most likely just picked off of the tree not too far away. This is great because the fruits that are common here are sold for so much less than in America. For example, yesterday I bought about 20 bananas for less than a dollar! Also, while I was doing my homecare visits during clinical one day, our taxi driver picked a bunch of mangos, grapefruits, and coconuts from the patients' homes (with their permission of course) and gave me a bag full for me to take home. It was great! I had fruits to last me all week! The pineapples here are indescribably juicy and sweet. I wish I could bring some back for everyone to taste the difference.

Coconut!

Mango!

Sauteed pineapple with coco powder and chocolate syrup dessert!

I was a bit disappointed with the flavors of some of the vegetables. I was hoping that they would be equally as yummy as the fruit. However, I have yet to be impressed with specifically the carrots, broccoli, lettuce, or cucumbers. The tomatoes are pretty much the same as ones we eat in the US. I had the most delicious soup and salad at, what I believe has been, the BEST restaurant that we've eaten at in Panama, "Bruschetta Restaurante". It's an Italian place in El Valle. I ordered a Greek salad with grilled salmon (+ yummy Panamanian feta cheese), fresh vegetable soup (loaded with fresh green peppers, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, etc.), and green tea all for less than 10 dollars. Now that was a great buy and nearly impossible to find in the states.

BEST ensalada ever! :D

BEST vegetales sopa ever! :D

*Ohh another meal (that I didn't want to forget to mention) which I've enjoyed for lunch soo much for several days, in Chitre, has been beans (either kidney beans, lentils, or some other sort of legume) and broiled chicken at the Universidad de Panama. It is such a delicious combination; almost like a stew when put together in a bowl! hehe

Mi "Mama's" cooking; fried plantains stuffed with chicken, tomatoes, onions, and peppers and broccoli + grape salad on top of lettuce! :p

How hungry are you now? Come to Panama! :)

Mi Nueva Familia!

As with every upcoming new experience, I didn't really know what to expect from being placed in a home with complete strangers whom I had no prior knowledge about, other than the fact that they were somehow associated with the University of Panama. I never had the experience of going to sleep-away camp and this is my first time studying abroad, so all of this was new to me. I definitely thought about the many negative possibilities/outcomes and was just hoping and keeping my fingers crossed for the complete opposite to occur. I took into consideration and was apprehensive about many things including communication barriers, total change in living conditions, safety, lack of available resources (supermarket, phone, internet, etc.), and general comfort. Fortunately, much of my anxiety was quickly put to rest when I met Edy and Raoul (my Panamanian adoptive Mama y Papa).


We arrived in Chitre on Wednesday, May 26th, to the Universidad de Panama, to be warmly welcomed by several staff members and introduced to and picked up by our home stay parents. Caitlin, Melissa, and I were greeted by Mama Edy and Papa Raoul. They were waiting, and waving miniature Panamanian flags, which they handed to each of us. They were so welcoming, friendly, and quick to accomodate us. I could tell right away that they were both more than delighted to meet us and have us stay with them in their home. They took us "home" to drop off our luggage and went with us to the supermarket to make sure we would be situated with food that we wanted for the next couple of days. We had a wonderful time getting to know each other the first night! Our new family "clicked" so well right away, including Edy, Raoul, Caitlin, Melissa, Dukay (taco bell commercial Chihuahua look-alike), Shalon (Dukay's older brother), and of course myself.


I am so grateful for my home stay family and truly enjoy their presence in my Panamanian experience for many reasons. For example, "Papa" gave us a cell phone to use in order to readily get in contact with him. He calls to check whether mi hermanas and I are safe and sound, and have a ride home after our clinical/school day is over. They allow us to have our friends/classmates over at any time. They gave us a key to their home! We always have the most interesting conversations; enjoy learning how to communicate in order to always be on the same page, and are constantly teaching one another each others' language. "Mama" and "Papa" are extremely patient people. Especially "Papa"; not only is he patient but a very brave man, because he has never had a daughter before and all of a sudden he went from living with one woman to living with four! When they came back from going out of town for the weekend, they brought beautiful souvenirs for each of us which even more so shows their genuine generosity! They are just amazing people, always wanting to help in any way that they can. Whether it is laundry, class assignments/presentations, fixing the internet, or preparing meals with us, they are more than happy to be there! Here are some pictures that show some of what I've mentioned above! :)

Greetings from Panama!!!

From the moment we flew into Panama, it has been an adventure from the very start. The first part of the week we were in the City of Knowledge. We stayed in little villas within the community. We had an amazing tour throughout the city which included a tour through ancient catedrals, a tour about the Panama Canal and a closer in depth look of where people live. The food here has been very interesting in a sence that we are not all use to eating rice and chicken everyday two meals a day. Our spanish speaking ability is not up to par it seems. Ordering food and catching cabs is always a challenge but we always somehow make it through. Overall the challenges we have had to endure over the past week or so have made us better people and I have learned so much more about a culture and a country I thought I would never in my life ever get to experience. I feel very grateful and honored to have recieved the chance to experience the country of Panama.

First Day at Clinicals

Today was an interesting and different first day experience at clinicals. Upon walking in to the site, the instructors and the patients were all speaking so fast in Spanish. It was very different to our clinics because there was a whole room full of patients waiting already at 7am. This room was very open and just had rows and rows of benches and no air conditioning for the patients. Many patients travel by foot to the clinic and some live far from the clinic. Luckily, Jean was there for us to translate from Spanish to English. We were able to meet students from the University of Panama and interact with them. I was able to work with Jean on blood pressures and weight in the adult immunization portion of the clinic. I communicated a lot with hand signals and pointing. It was difficult at first with the communication barrier but after a while you were able to understand.

Interesting fact: Penicillin is still widely used here but in injection form because it is cheaper than over the counter. If a patient needs this medication, they have to travel to the clinic to receive it.

After clinicals, we were able to travel back to the university on the bus and have lunch over there. It was interesting seeing all the students and how they interact with one another. I truly love it here. The people are very friendly and kind. They love to help us and are always willing to help us with our Spanish. It is beautiful here but hotter than Florida!

Panama

The thing that has struck me the most about Panama is the difference between their culture and ours in the United States. I think they are a lot more open and trusting of each other. Most of the houses don´t have air conditioning and they leave all the windows and doors open. Neighbors and friends will just walk in and out at any time. At first, this really freaked me out because I´m used to locking all my doors, even when I´m at home. Once I learned that this is the norm in their culture, I felt a lot better about it. Also, I think the general public trusts medical professionals a lot more. We´re used to being questioned about everything, and we worry about being sued for the smallest thing that someone thinks we did wrong. Here in Panama, I have noticed that they are more accepting of what nurses say and tell the patients to do. For example, not one person has turned down a vaccine for their child. They are even vaccinating children for H1N1 right now even though it´s not flu season. In fact, I am writing this from a school where we are giving vaccines today because we haven´t had much internet access to the blogs! The main problem for me has been the language barrier, because we don´t have any translators except another student Jean, who is amazing for helping us out so much on the trip! It´s hard to communicate with the families we are staying with, and also with our patients. I´m trying my best though! Sorry this is so short, but other students have to write posts now too.