Tranquila

This past week has been phenomenal. We finished out the week at Balboa and I couldn't have asked for a better first week. All of the students were friendly and excited to see a new face and all of the teachers were welcoming and attentive and have truly made Mo and I feel a part of the school.

On Friday, Mo and I went with some new found friends down to the Old Quarter, or Casco Viejo of Panama City to see the sites and the nightlife. Casco was packed, in part because of an art festival down there and part because it was a Friday night. But it was so fun. Everywhere around us there were people dancing and talking and laughing and every place we went was so full of life. My favorite part of all of it was that every bar or club we went into was open air, so you could look up and see the stars and the moon. (Don't worry mom, I was safe. There were cops everywhere.)

On Saturday, Silvio took us to the most massive mall I have ever been in. Seriously, I was exhausted from walking around it all day and we didn't even get to part of it. I loved being able to see all of the people there and Silvio says people come from all over South America just to go shopping in this mall. Mo and I tried to resist temptation, but at the end we both gave in and bought dresses. I'm a sucker for maxi dresses...

This week I feel as though Mo and I have become even more a part of the school. On Monday, one of the ninth grades we both have in class brought us ice cream to class... WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE, STUDENT?! No but really it was so awesome and sweet that I couldn't stop laughing because I was in shock. Later he asked me why I was laughing and I had to assure him that I wasn't laughing at him and that I was incredibly grateful for his sweetness. Today I went on a field trip to the Teatro Nacional de Panama with almost all of the seniors in the school to see a dance performance and it was so cool. The dance was incredible and I got to spend time with a bunch of fascinating students who come from all over. Then Mo and I went and judged one of the rounds of auditions for "Balboa's Got Talent." The kids that auditioned ranged from little babies in elementary to some of my senior students. It was so cool to see all of them performing and I can't wait to see the actual show in about 2 weeks!

As well as feeling a part of the school family, I am definitely feeling a part of my host family now too. Silvio and Erinn have been so incredibly gracious and have treated me like an old friend (they actually introduce me as that outside of school, instead of host student or random person we don't know staying with us.) They take me everywhere from the grocery to the hardware store to school, etc. Anywhere they go, I get to go too. And they have introduced me to many of their friends, with many more to come too. They have truly made this experience that much better thus far and I am so thankful I have them as guides.

Panama has many quirks and cosas distintas that make it very endearing but at times frustrating. For example, the infrastructure here is not sufficient for the amount of cars people own and so there are huge traffic jams, or tranques, all of the time for no apparent reason. There is also a concept here called juega vivo, which basically means to do things that could be potentially dangerous to others in order to gain something for yourself. In the tranques, people will drive on medians, buses will play chicken with cars until the cars move, and there is a general disregard for traffic laws in order to get what is best for the individual. However, I don't mind the tranques or the juegas vivos because it gives me more time in the car to take in the beautiful country side and talk to Silvio. The garbage trucks also come at night here and the honk their horns and since I am a grandmother and already in bed when they come, they wake me up quite often. That does get annoying, but what can you do? At least they take the trash with them.

And so, here I am, tranquila on the patio and writing. I can plan my lessons out here in the hammock and not have to worry about anything. Or simply just read and rest out here too. At this point, it is pretty safe to say that I am adjusted to the Panamanian lifestyle and fully embracing it.

Los primeros días

      After not having anything of particular consequence to write about for the past two years, I am finally back on the blogging wagon as I have embarked on my latest adventure- student teaching in Panama City, Panama. Melissa and I arrived here on Saturday, and thus far, it has been fantastic.

     The trip down here went incredibly smoothly, gracias a Dios, and we arrived in Panama around 10:30 Saturday night. Silvio and Erinn (my collaborating teacher and his wife, who is also the principal) met us at the airport and took us to their home where we snacked and chatted until all of us could barely keep our eyes open. On Sunday, Erinn and Silvio were kind enough to take us on a full tour of Panama City. We went to the Old Quarter, the beach, the causeway, the Canal, and our school. We saw so many incredible things, including sloths. I had no idea this is where they lived, but it was so cool. After we dropped Melissa off, Silvio, Erinn and I relaxed at the house and ate pizza. And went to bed veryyyyyyyy early.

     Today was great. I met my students and the majority of the teachers at school. Everyone has been very welcoming and excited that we are here and the students, as always, have had tons of questions for me. Everything from how old I am to what sorority I am in to if I have a boyfriend (you're already famous, Shelby), to why I want to be a teacher. The school has a great environment with a fascinating student population. So far, students have told me they are from Texas, Brazil, England, Peru, and Canada, as well as Panama. I am so excited to learn more about this school and all of my students.

    So far, Panama has proved to be very interesting in itself. There is a pretty significant American influence here due to the Canal, however Panamanians have infused that into their own culture. For example, they use American dollars here, but all prices have to be posted in Balboas, the Panamanian equivalent of the dollar. The construction of the Canal has shaped this area so greatly and yet there is an incredibly high sense of patriotism and pride in being Panamanian. Every Monday, the school performs a Panamanian flag ceremony because the Ministry of Education requires every school to perform an act of patriotism once a week. I really enjoyed watching it this morning and I can't wait to learn more of the intricacies of this place.

All Who Wander...

Look who's back... long time, no see, eh? While I should be doing my lesson planning for the rest of my life, I mean summer, I decided to start the good ole blog back up as a form of relaxation... Lately my life has been slightly chaotic and stressful and I feel like it can be best explained through my sense of direction.

So for those of you who do not know, I just recently moved to Cincinnati to work for the summer. I like to consider myself a fairly intelligent person (please do not tell me if you disagree), but for some reason I just cannot figure this darn city out. Seriously, I've found myself having to leave an extra ten minutes earlier than I already do because I get myself so turned around. I've been late for work, meeting people, lost in not-so-great parts of town, and to a grocery store that I still could not tell you how I got there. It is absolutely absurd and one of the most frustrating experiences of my life.

And I realize that this lack of direction is not just a literal lack of direction anymore. Ever since returning from my adventures abroad, I  have just been kind of wandering. My job hasn't really gotten in to full swing yet and I really have no idea what to expect from that. I'm not really sure what the future holds for me in my personal life anymore either. Things that I thought I had figured out are now completely mixed up and things just keep coming out of left field. I feel like I am constantly on my toes, which is, quite frankly, exhausting.

However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I can now successfully get to northern Kentucky from where I live and work without the direction of any other person. And I am hoping that is what I will get out of this summer. A little more direction, even though I have an idea that it will not be nearly the direction I was thinking it would be.

What's the moral of this story? Stay tuned. I am actually going to keep this up over the summer, for those of you who care, to share my stories and hopefully find my way in life. I pray to God more successfully than I have found my way around Cincinnati.

Just Gotta Get Back Up on That Horse

Alright, I realize I've gotten in to the nasty habit of only blogging once a week, but honestly, it's because I would so much rather be in the sun and by the river than on a computer typing inside... oops. However, I will give the update on my life.

So last week was just one of those weeks. It started off on Monday which I talked about in my last entry and the rest of the week just kind of followed in the same fashion. I am not saying it was all bad, but it was just one of those things where I would be having a pretty good day and then I would just get pushed down by something. Overall it wasn't a bad week. I had an awesome time at practicum as usual, it was just kind of exhausting. I was worn down by the time Friday rolled around. But as my grandpa always says, when you get knocked off the horse, you just gotta get right back up on it. Fortunately for me, we were going to Málaga on Friday to help me get back on the horse!

Now, I am currently exhausted, so I am going to let the weekend speak for itself through pictures. Let me just say that this was one of the best weekends of my life. My friends and the Mediterranean got me out of my funk and I am completely ready to start a new week. So this was my weekend in Málaga in pictures.

Granada!!! AKA Really Awesome Weekend

So much to update on... I will try not to be long winded.

Sleeping Beauty

So the rest of the week went fairly normally last week. I taught a little bit in my classes on Thursday, and it was really fun. I think they understood me... They told me I talk really fast which blows my mind because I am intentionally speaking slower. I think I just get nervous. Thursday night Holly, Marcy, Eric and I went out after class and that was a really fun night, but pretty laid back. On Friday, we had to be at the University at 8:30 in the morning. I was totally going to be on time, but then I left my camera in my house and of course I needed that. So then I had to take this long adventure of walking and riding the bus to the University because it is 30 minutes away from my house. I was the last one there, but it was okay because all my friends saved me a seat on the back row with them! All five of us were sitting in one row, it was precious.

On our way to Granada, we stopped at this rest area and it was complete madness. Everyone was crowded around the counter, there was no line, and you just shouted your order to the waitress. I felt really bad for everyone behind the counter, but they were obviously pros and got all the orders out super fast. After that we were on our way to Granada again! The way in to Granada was beautiful, we drove through the country side. One thing about my friends is that they all think that I live in the boondocks. Every once in a while my country accent slips and so they think I am from the middle of no where. When we were driving to Granada, there was one house in the middle of this field and Eric turned to me and said "Oh you live somewhere like that, right?" Sooooooo funny. When they come visit me, they will be shocked to see that I live in a city and wear shoes and don't eat fried chicken all the time!

Once we got to Granada, we were dropped off at the hotel and we had a little break before lunch. I took a long hot shower and did not feel guilty about it. When I'm at home I try to be in and out of the shower as quick as possible because water and electricity to heat it are very expensive here. It was kind of nice to just let the water run and not worry about how much I was costing Eva. Then we had this awesome Spanish buffet, full of all kinds of typical Spanish dishes. Of course we looked like fat Americans, but it was worth it.

Alhambra

After lunch, we went to Alhambra, which is the last palace of the Muslim kings in Andalusia. It is considered the last hoorah of the Muslim kings and a kind of demonstration of their art and culture before the Christians conquered them. It was absolutely breathe taking. It is up on a hill to where you can see all of Granada and the gardens were so beautiful, even without flowers. Plus, Granada is surrounded by mountains, so that added to the beauty. After we went through Alhambra, we walked back down to our hotel and that was a really cool way to see more of Granada. It was weird walking on hills again because Sevilla is so flat. We went in all of these really small shops and found some really awesome hand made gifts there. Then we went back to the hotel to rest for a bit before dinner.

Granada has this really awesome deal where if you go in to a bar, you order a drink and they bring you a free tapa with it. So naturally, we took advantage of this deal. We went to three different bars and had drinks and food until I was about to bust, and then we went back to the hotel. We were all pretty exhausted from walking around all day, thus the short end to the night.

TDP Group!

The next morning, we got up early and had a big breakfast. We all got on the bus and we were dropped off in the middle of a historic neighborhood in Granada at the top of the hill. This neighborhood was honestly one of the coolest things I had ever seen. It had long winding streets, per Muslim city planning, and bright white buildings with all kinds of tile designs. Our tour guide told us that it is the "hippie" neighborhood now, and she was fairly accurate. A lot of dreadlocks, baggy pants, and the smell of weed all around. But it was such a relaxed environment (possibly from the weed) that you couldn't help but love it. We came upon an overlook where there were all kinds of vendors selling homemade jewelry and other things. It had a beautiful view and I did not want to leave there. But as we kept walking, we passed a convent where claustered nuns live. They bake sweets to sell to the public, but since you cannot see the nuns, the baked goods come out in a lazy susan style door and then you put the money after they give you the food. It was such a cool process to see and to see the trust demonstrated by them by giving you the food first. Also, everything was delicious, I think God had something to do with it.

We kept walking until we arrived at Capilla Real, or the Royal Chapel, which is where Isabel and Ferdinand, as in the Reyes Catolicos are buried. IT WAS SO COOL. I felt like such a nerd for getting so worked up about it, but not only did we get to see their tombs, we got to see Isabel's crown and bible and Ferdinand's septor. It was amazing to see.

After the chapel we had lunch and hopped on the bus. Once we got back to Sevilla, my friend Emily came and watched movies and spent the night with me in my house because Eva was out of town. It was really nice to have her here because I was tired and a little sad, so she helped cheer me up.

Parque Miraflores

Sunday morning, Emily and I went out to breakfast and then we got to witness part of the Sevilla Marathon! The course ran down the main road right next to my house, so we got to see all of the runners suffering, I mean doing awesome. Apparently the guy who won it finished it in 2 hours and 15 minutes. Yes, you read correctly. My mind was blown when I heard that. I would be lucky to finish a marathon in 10 hours, that is if I could even finish it. But anyways, after that all of us went park hopping. We started in one park close to Emily and had our sack lunches there. Then we went exploring in Macarena, Emily's neighborhood and saw some really cool churches and plazas. Then we went to a huge park really close to me, Parque Miraflores, where we just sat and laid in the sun. It was actually warm so I finally got to wear a dress! My face is starting to get tan, but the rest of my body has been so covered in clothes that it definitely does not match. But it's okay, I'm in Spain! It was a really wonderful day yesterday, full of relaxing and not doing homework.

Today, on the other hand, was a slightly different story. I woke up this morning not feeling so hot, both mentally and physically. Apparently it was obvious because one of my professors asked me if I was okay because I wasn't smiling as much... Oh the international form of communication... Anyways, then I broke my converter for my computer at which point I just broke down and cried. Luckily, I have awesome friends here who help me problem solve when I am incapable of doing anything else, and that problem was solved. I started to feel a lot better and the day started looking up. And tonight we are going to this awesome place called Cien Montaditos where we can get two huge jars of beer and nachos for two Euro. Woo! Looks like today is looking up after all.

I think I ended up being long winded...

First Day of Practicum... Oh and Valentine's Day Too.

This week marked my first time in my classroom for my practicum!!! Before I went, I was super nervous because I am in a class of the equivalent of freshmen in high school... Yikes. I was really worried that they would know English grammar and concepts better than me, and they most definitely know how to speak Spanish better than me. I got to the school in the morning and went to the teacher's lounge, where I awkwardly sat with a few other teachers and waited for my teacher to come and get me. My teacher, Isabel, came after a few minutes, and she is super sweet. She brought me to my first class, where all of the students were leaning out the door looking and waiting for us. After we set all of our stuff down, I stood up and introduced myself in English and it seemed like they all understood. I asked if they had any questions, and there was dead silence. They were so quiet, not just for me, but for Isabel too. It blew my mind, but it also could have been because it was 10 in the morning. Who knows? But then Isabel started on the lesson and I sat and followed along in the book. They teach British English here, so I end up learning some new vocabulary too. I couldn't help but giggle whenever Isabel would start teaching in English, because she would be speaking to me in a ver Sevillano Spanish, and then she would switch to a proper British accent in English. I found it very amusing.

After that class, we had a thirty minute break where we went and sat in the teacher's lounge again. A bunch of other teachers came in and started speaking very loudly and excitedly, like most Spaniards do when in large groups. Needless to say, it was very interesting to listen too, but at the same time slightly overwhelming because it was such a confined space. I did meet one teacher who was from Ireland, and she came here to teach because her boyfriend lives here. She was really nice and was telling me how when she teaches English, it is really easy, but sometimes if she is tired or not feeling well, teaching in Spanish is really hard for her, so that made me feel a little better. Everyone at the school was super nice and made an attempt to talk to me, even though I was slightly tongue tied because of how overwhelmed I was, but hopefully they will realize I'm not an idiot after a while.

Then Isabel and I had our second class, which was very, very different than the first. They were super talkative and from the moment I walked in, they were asking me my name and where I was from and all kinds of things. I got through my introduction and then asked if anyone had questions. Four or five hands shot up with questions like "Do you have brothers and sisters?" "Do you have pets?" "Do you know anyone famous?" and my favorite, "Do you have a facebook?". I loved it though and I was relieved to see that they were actually intrigued by my presence in the class. The lesson was the same as the first class, so I was able to participate a little more since I knew what was going on. Then at the end of the class, Isabel told me the lesson for next time and said if I wanted to participate and teach part of it I could. Woo!

After practicum, I had class, which was fine. I didn't feel as stupid as I did last time, which was nice. Then after class, we all went out for pizza for my roommate's birthday, which was delicious. Then, the five of us went to our new favorite tapas place and got chocolate mousse for dessert as a Valentine's day celebration. All day I had been trying not to remind myself what day it was, just because I didn't want to miss Alex at all. But with all of my friends around me, I couldn't feel sad. Also, you know your friends know you well when they all agree to keep a close eye on you on Valentine's day in case you are super sad. I wasn't, but I thought it was really funny that they made that pact. What would I do without them? Dessert was awesome and so was conversation, so it was the perfect end to a good day.

Then today, I GOT MY VALENTINE'S DAY PRESENT FROM ALEX!!!!! I started crying happy tears in the middle of the study center I was so excited. Which that is a testament to how emotional I have become here, I have only cried happy tears probably twice in my life. It just doesn't happen. But the present was super sweet and thoughtful and it was just what I needed. He even put in some American movies, HOORAY! And shout out to his sister for helping him with some of it, Elizabeth's the best. As for the rest of the day, I will be doing homework! It feels like I have a lot here, but I know it is just because I chose to occupy my time exploring and doing things as opposed to doing my homework. Fortunately, grades don't transfer. :) (Don't worry mom, I will still pass!) I guess I just have different priorities over here, and I think that is a good thing. You can't learn everything in a book, after all.

La Barbacoa

Today was an absolutely wonderful day. We woke up, got ready, and then we all packed in to Eva's car to go to the barbecue. We had it in this house with a huge back yard that Eva and all of her friends rented out. By the time we got there, Eva's mom and aunt and cousins were there ready to start setting everything up. It was a little chilly out, so we set up all of the tables and chairs in the back yard in the sun. Then it was time to get out the food. To begin with, there were all kinds of cold cuts, small empanadas, olives, and bread. I was starving by this time, so naturally I gorged on those, when little did I know how much food was to come. People started trickling in slowly and then by 2, pretty much everyone had arrived and the food was almost all cooked. There was shish kabobs, jamon iberica, vegetable casserole, tortilla, soup, sausage, hamburgers, basically anything you could want. After everyone had eaten a really good amount, the band showed up and we started dancing. I am a really terrible dancer, however I still gave it my best effort. I did know the dance that Eva and I learned earlier this week, and they played it probably three times, so that was my redemption. We danced and ate, danced and ate, for the majority of the afternoon. I even won a game that was similar to musical chairs, only when the music stopped you had to find your partner and strike a pose that someone with the mic called out. Naturally, my partner and I won (not competitive at all). That was a really good way to kind of break the ice and get people to talk to me more.

After a lot more dancing, we all sat down and started talking in our groups. Most of the people there were a lot older than me, so it was still really cool talking to them about where they were from and their lives and what they liked best about Seville. Then, out came dessert. There was chocolate cake, pound cake, and apple tart, which of course I tried all of them. There is a reason that the image of the fat American exists. Oops. Anyways, it was all delicious, not surprisingly. We danced a little more after that and then it was time to clean up and come home.

Besides the fact that the food was so amazing today, the reason today was so much fun was because of all the people I met. It was kind of hard at first to integrate myself and start talking to them, but once I opened up and they opened up to me, it was much easier and I even started to feel like myself. That is one thing I have noticed while here- personalities do not translate through language unless you are 100% completely without a doubt fluent. It is really hard to express yourself in the same way in one language as the other and I think that is part of the reason that I have been kind of frustrated while here. I feel like people don't know the real me because I am incapable of expressing the real me. But hopefully after what I saw today, it will become easier and easier to be the real me and truly express myself.

Also, as a side note, I have been here a month. It is crazy to think that it has been that long, and it is weird to think that I only have three more months left here. Better go make the best of them!