All in a good days work

Yesterday, I think that I had my best Peace Corps work day of my entire service. I have to brag about it. Everything worked out!

So the day was filled with our 17th recycling day at the school, a visit with a group of individuals interested in starting a recycling project in their community and their Peace Corps volunteer Alex Boom who also came with our Supervisor for Peace Corps Panama's Environmental Conservation, Francisco Santa Maria, and a meeting with parents about the field trip next week(!).

I showed up at 6:30 at school to set up the recycling tanks in the center patio, I set out tables, and got the cookies and crystal light ready for our recycling volunteers and for the visitors from Piedras Gordas. Our counting volunteers distributed the notebooks and starting counting, while committee members set up a table with all of the things that we have "re-used" in the community. They displayed their crochet bags, their vases, baskets, mirrors, picture frames, flowers, bags made out of lays chip bags, and "cutarras" traditional sandals made out of newspaper and cardboard. The group of visitors showed up and the principal of the school expressed very nice words about the project.

We hosted the group for about an hour and a half. One of the greatest things was that Sara and Judi, our committee's President and Vice president were responding to the questions. The group asked so many questions about our volunteers, how did they get involved? are they paid? They just do it out of the kindness of their hearts?! Do we have support from ANAM (environmental agency) and MEDCUA (Ministry of Education), yes we do! We also have had support from Peace Corps (Volunteer Advisory committee grants) and the PCPP (incredible support from back home).

While we were hosting and explaining the project, parents continued to count and separate the trash. The group even got their hands a little dirty and helped us separate the recycling. We were able to coordinate days in which Sara, Judy, and I would visit Piedras Gordas for recycling education charlas for the community and a re-utilizing seminar.

Shortly after they left, the pizza arrived for the kindergarden class that had the most amount of recycling for the day and the recycling truck arrived to take the recycling. Everything worked out. It was absolutely incredible. We had volunteers, a group of visitors, wonderful hostess', pizza on time, and a recycling pick-up all on the same day. Thank you universe and karma, son increible.

As Alex was leaving, he told me that its one thing to hear me talk about our recycling project in Membrillo but it is quite another to see it. And he told me to brag about it all I wanted, what we have is amazing.  My supervisor concurs.

Anyone who is interested in seeing it, our 18th recycling day, the last one this school year is on December 10th. Come on down.

Thanksgiving Fun!

I have recently been commenting to friends that I am overdue for a funny blog. So here goes:

1. I have begun making Spanish sounds when I react to things. For example, if I am surprised by something or something drops to the ground my noise of choice these days is "ayyyyyyyy." I no longer say "ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh." how ridiculous is that. It's the same if I pause when thinking about something, instead of saying "ugh" it's become more of an "ahhh." I have also been forgetting English at a very scary rate, the other day I had to describe white out to marissa because I couldn't remember how to say it in English. Just imagine how embarrassing this will be 7 months from now, or whichever masters program I get into. Ayyyyyyyy. 

2. I have become a  tad frugal. As my friends can attest, I am a yeah- yeah volunteer, which means I act like I am a peace corps volunteer with money. When I am in panama city I love to splurge on aged cheddar cheese, salami, and wheat thins. And then for the last two weeks before our next pay check I enjoy an overdose of Top Ramon. But recently, purchases that should seem like common sense decisions, I have refused to buy. i.e. I was traveling in Bocas del Toro last month and realized the first day in that I had run out of deodorant. But I knew that in my house (10 hours away) I had several deodorants. My next thought was that I could wait until I got home and not have to buy a new deodorant. It was four days, I would just have to take lots of showers. That rationale can only be the influence of a  peace corps budget. I didn't think deodorant would make me infinitely happier, so I opted out of purchasing it. Ayyyyyyyy.

3. I have begun to seriously consider serving one more year in panama. Gulp. I have been offered a response position to recreate my recycling project in multiple schools in Chitre, Panama. I would have a free place to stay and an extra year to serve the united states of amuuuuuurica. Thoughts? I would still be traveling for 2 months next June after I finish my service in my community and then return to panama for one more year. Ayyyyyyyy. 

As always thanks to those who read this. Happy thanksgiving! I am headed to Cerro Punta, Chiriqui to celebrate with 100 peace corps volunteers. 

Grateful list: if theLA Times makes a grateful list every Thanksgiving, i figure i shouldmake one tooObama's win, Gay marriage in 3 more states, proposition in CA that will help out our educational system, fifty shades of grey, the daily show with Jon Stewart, packages from the United States,  great peace corps friends--- special shout out to Matt, Beth, Bri, and Drea, an amazing peace corps community (I love you Membrillo), great family, great family friends, amazing mentors, incredible ,beautiful, and perfect sisters ( I carry your hearts), rock star parents that never fail to provide me with incredible support and love. I am so lucky and grateful.  Happy thanksgiving to all. 

Feel the rhythm, feel the rhyme, gather up! It's thanksgiving time! 
Peace and love, Sonia

Lots of Action Down Here

This past month has been amazing. My PCPP was fully funded by 8 individuals and families in 8 days!!!  I was able to spend a week with my twin sister, I was able to visit the beautiful island of Bocas del Toro with several friends, and I enjoyed election night at the United States' Ambassador's home in Panama City! Que Viva Obama! Ohh and as a bonus,  I also became a godmother!

For those that have since gone to the Peace Corps Contribute page to make a donation, fear not, the project has already been fully funded. On December 4th, I will be taking 48 students, 2 committee members, 2 teachers, and 6 parents on our very first Recycling Super Stars field trip. I have been marking down the days on my calendar. I have been coordinating with the museums and all looks good for the 4th, I have received confirmation emails from the museums. The recycling committee will be hosting our 16th, 17th, and 18th recycling days this month. We will also be hosting a school wide celebration on December 11th.

Spending time with Marissa was amazing. "If I forget to tell you later, I had an amazing time this week." Marissa paid for the two of us to go to Costa Rica and we had such a great time! I hadn't seen her in 10 months. We got a little teary eyed when we met at the airport.  And then we embarked on our "I carry your heart twins Costa Rican Trip 2012. We managed to visit three places, Monte Verde, La Fortuna, and Puerto Viejo. I highly recommend the Lonely Planets, Central America on a Shoe String travel guide.  Monte Verde was beautiful and has a really great canopy tour equipped with a super man zipline and a tarzan swing. La Fortuna was a great place to relax, we stayed at a 5 star hostel and enjoyed massages, hot springs, and a volcano tour.  The Costa Ricans are very nice and their hospitality is incredible. I think its also very advantageous if you speak Spanish, so many people in Costa Rica speak English, but I felt like Spanish really helped navigate.  At one point I had my very own "Only You" moment. For those who haven't seen the movie, Marisa Tomei plays a helpless romantic who believes in destiny. Her character played with a weegie board when she was 12 and found out that the love of her life was "Damon Bradley." The movie unfolds when someone calls to tell her that they are an old friend of her fiance's that can't make it to the wedding but wanted to send his congratulations, he happens to be catching a flight to Italy, and right before he hangs up the phone Marisa Tomei asks his name and he says, "Damon Bradley." She immediately leaves for the airport but by the time she makes it to the plane's gate the plane has already been fully boarded. The flight attendants do not allow her on the plane even though she tells them that "the man she loves is on that plane."  She ends up taking the next flight to Italy and falls in love with Robert Downey Jr. A similar event unfolds at the airport in Italy, although this time when she arrives late to the gate and tells the Italians "the man she loves is on that plane," the Italians stop the plane and run her onto the tarmac and up the stairs and the movie ends with her and Robert Downey Jr. lip to lip on the plane as all the Italians cheer.  My Costa Rican experience included me leaving the ATM machine without my card the day before I was supposed to head back to Panama. I walked around for a couple hours after that, Marissa and I went for lunch, and then we went into this really cute clothing store, and as I went for my credit card I finally realized that I had left it in the  ATM. So I turned pale white and headed straight for the bank. Marissa said it looked like I wasn't breathing for about 10 minutes. Once we got to the bank I talked with several of the security cards who said they had seen a Bank of America card and had turned it into the bank. The bank however was closed and their was nothing that could be done until Monday morning at 9 a.m. This was Friday night. "Shit" I thought to myself. Marissa didn't say anything as if she was letting me work this out in my head. I was starting to think it would be okay for me to stay until Monday, I would just sleep outside and eat  one meal a day (Peace Corps mind at work). Then finally Marissa jolted me back to reality and encouraged me to find the people in charge. 5 minutes later, 2 official bank managers exited the building and I went to talk with them. They listened to my sob story, I just kept saying, "I know this is really stupid. But I really need that card." These guys could have easily said "sorry" and walked away. But they didn't, they called San Jose for authorization to go back into the bank. After 45 minutes of patiently waiting outside, the 2 bank managers took a copy of my passport and handed me back my B of A debit card. Call it Karma, or maybe we can attribute this story to how kind the Costa Ricans are. These managers went out of their way to help. Marissa made her way back to LA the following day and I made my way to Bocas del Toro.

Bocas del Toro, as a friend of mine says,"Is a different country." Backpackers paradise. I met up with several friends for a birthday celebration and also to celebrate halloween. The beaches are a boat or bus ride away. The hostels are full of Israelis, Europeans, Americans, and Random internationals. The food is also incredible, ranging from Sushi to Bagels to Mexican. And each bar hosts Ladies night every evening, where ladies drink for free. Its a party every night of the week. And Happy hour starts at 9 a.m. Gringo Paradise. I had so much fun. I probably had more fun in those 4 days than in my entire service.

Once I got back to Membrillo, my host sister and counterpart had her baby. Her baby was born on November 4th, she weighed 5 pounds and 9 ounces. Although she hasn't been baptized yet, I am so excited to be her godmother!!!! She hasn't even been named yet but I love that little girl.

Also, Election night. I spent election night at the Ambassador' Jon Farrar's home with 1,000 other guests. It was very fun. The president of Panama Martenelli walked in and shook my hand! At about 10 p.m. I headed back to the hostel to watch the news with about 15 other volunteers. At 11:30 we heard word that Obama had won. And we all waited until 2 a.m. to hear Obama's speech. "Ain't no power like the power of the people because the power of the people don't stop!" is what I was chanting as we waited for Romney's concession speech. Thank you Ammmmmeeeeerica.

Next on the agenda is training the Environmental Health volunteers about my waste management project next week. And then the field trip!!! Thanks for all the donations again!

That's all for now.
Lots of Love, Sonia Esquibel