Merry Christmas, Happy Channukah, Solistice, Kwanzaa, Jaded Atheistic Nothings, or whatever it is that you are celebrating this time of the year. All is well here in Panamá; I am currently in the lovely throes of a case of bronchitis, which made for a particularly cheery Christmas. It was a pity too, because I was going to play violin for the Christmas Eve mass with Chong, Aleida, Rafito, and various other school friends, but I went to the doctor, who promptly killed that idea. So I spent Christmas Eve mostly just sleeping, until, of course, midnight, when I was woken by a huge and magnificent fireworks display just outside my house and got up to find the family gathered around our cheerfully lit-up Christmas tree, exchanging gifts. I got some jewlery, a set of candles, some Bonny Doon soap, and a magnet for my family, and was kindly recompensated with some brand new underwear (even funnier than it sounds; Maruquel is always on my case about how ugly my underwear is). I don't mind though because more gifts would just mean more stuff I didn't need to have to fit in my suitcase in... just over a month (whaaaa?). As soon as I stop being sick I am going to enjoy summer break to the fullest. My next plan is to watch The Birdcage with Sebastian (I found it at a dollar store!) and bake ¨gay cookies¨ or rather chocolate rainbow chip cookies. Yeah, I love my friends.
I just got back from a super fun AFSy trip to Chiriquí, which is the part of Panamá near the Costa Rican border. We even went into Costa Rica for a few hours. Their side of the border is just as gross as ours! Whoopie! I loved Chiriquí because it was foggy, cold, and gorgeous, although the enjoyment of the cold part was dampered (ha. ha.) by the decided lack of sweatshirt and hot water. It was a good chance to bond with my AFS peeps, although by the end I did want to kill them a little, and I'm glad I went. On the way back at the zoo in El Valle de Anton, I saw a crested caracara, tapirs, and an ocelot! I was so happy. As my mom will tell you, I have been waiting my whole life to see a crested caracara. In a souvenir shop I bought a beautiful wooden braclet with beads carved like roses and leaves with a picture of an angel in the middle. Yay Jesus.
I miss all of you very much but I love Panamá, it is my second home and I feel more at ease here than I ever thought possible. I don't know what I'll do without the rhythms of salsa and merengue and bachata on the radio, or without friends who can dance them with me. I know a lot of you know salsa, but that is the thing we hardly dance here... merengue and bachata are both easier and more popular.
Til next time!
Love,
Laurel
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Monday, December 10, 2007
It's been awhile...
So how is everyone? I am quite well; writing in an internet cafe because my computer is persnickety, and also chatting on MSN with a cute guy I met with Maru's group at a resort.
Which reminds me, the resort. It was most completely excellent; HOT SHOWERS. Also, I ate a ton of delicious food and drank many virgin piña coladas, because they were free. How nice. The food included such delicacies as eggplant tempura, something distantly resembling pad thai, and fish fillet in tamarind sauce. My friend Casper from Norway was there too, randomly, so we hung out some. In the evening everyone went to the discoteca, I danced a ton. I danced bachata, merengue, hip-hop, and, uh, reggaeton. Please shield your mental images for your own protection.
For Mother's Day on Saturday, I went to my aunt Dora's house with Maru and la abuela, which was uneventful, kind of boring, and involved a really gay cousin (although no one says anything). The next day I went with Kate and her host sister to a Christmas parade in Panamá, and it was pretty fun, although it involved a lot of waiting, buses, and walking furiously. Also, they are so obsessed with beauty queens here, even beyond the US.
I am currently in the middle of exams. I had my math exam today and it was very easy. School ends, finally, Friday, so I will be free for the summer! Yay! Sebastian has been lending me lots of books in Spanish, so I have at least something to read.
I'll leave you with this short post.
Love,
Laurel
Which reminds me, the resort. It was most completely excellent; HOT SHOWERS. Also, I ate a ton of delicious food and drank many virgin piña coladas, because they were free. How nice. The food included such delicacies as eggplant tempura, something distantly resembling pad thai, and fish fillet in tamarind sauce. My friend Casper from Norway was there too, randomly, so we hung out some. In the evening everyone went to the discoteca, I danced a ton. I danced bachata, merengue, hip-hop, and, uh, reggaeton. Please shield your mental images for your own protection.
For Mother's Day on Saturday, I went to my aunt Dora's house with Maru and la abuela, which was uneventful, kind of boring, and involved a really gay cousin (although no one says anything). The next day I went with Kate and her host sister to a Christmas parade in Panamá, and it was pretty fun, although it involved a lot of waiting, buses, and walking furiously. Also, they are so obsessed with beauty queens here, even beyond the US.
I am currently in the middle of exams. I had my math exam today and it was very easy. School ends, finally, Friday, so I will be free for the summer! Yay! Sebastian has been lending me lots of books in Spanish, so I have at least something to read.
I'll leave you with this short post.
Love,
Laurel
Saturday, November 24, 2007
4 new kittens!
Tiny, fluffy, beautiful mewling balls of love, they are.
I had a really great Thanksgiving; Wednesday Kate and I went to Leonardo's, the Italian/pizza place, and had very good food, and a sad attempt at an apple pie. The next day was my school's Thanksgiving dinner, so Maru and I went, in semi formal dress (do you even KNOW how much I hate heels?), and I chillaxed with my homies, as it were, for a very nice evening. The turkey was good too.
Last night I went to a nighttime parade/fireworks display (antorcha), with Carlos. We met up with a bunch of others and spent more than three hours running about the dark, people-filled streets of Chorrera, watching the marching bands play and the various students marching with beautiful, candlelit torches. It was definitely my favorite parade that I've been to so far, and the fireworks were actually pretty enough to nearly justify the horrific noise. Also, I played Super Smash Brothers, which has been the only homesick point for me lately. Yes, you can laugh.
Today I am going to meet with Candice, my AFS friend who is living in Colón, to hang out around Chorrera. I will do my duty as a proud Chorreran and make sure that she tries both chicheme and bollo, unique to my city.
Love!
Laurel
I had a really great Thanksgiving; Wednesday Kate and I went to Leonardo's, the Italian/pizza place, and had very good food, and a sad attempt at an apple pie. The next day was my school's Thanksgiving dinner, so Maru and I went, in semi formal dress (do you even KNOW how much I hate heels?), and I chillaxed with my homies, as it were, for a very nice evening. The turkey was good too.
Last night I went to a nighttime parade/fireworks display (antorcha), with Carlos. We met up with a bunch of others and spent more than three hours running about the dark, people-filled streets of Chorrera, watching the marching bands play and the various students marching with beautiful, candlelit torches. It was definitely my favorite parade that I've been to so far, and the fireworks were actually pretty enough to nearly justify the horrific noise. Also, I played Super Smash Brothers, which has been the only homesick point for me lately. Yes, you can laugh.
Today I am going to meet with Candice, my AFS friend who is living in Colón, to hang out around Chorrera. I will do my duty as a proud Chorreran and make sure that she tries both chicheme and bollo, unique to my city.
Love!
Laurel
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Copied from my journal... tengo pereza.
The heat tongiht is dense, at once dead weight and live animal, not quite mass over volume but just the same exerting some strange force that pushes my molecules closer together. It is la Mes de la Patria now, and while I, the anti-reptile, am warmed into lethargy, the sharp booms and bangs of drums and fireworks sound out endless parades. My classmates were right when they told me that Panameños are a party people.
My host mom knocks on my door, and sees me sprawled American on the bed; one earbud jammed in awkwardly as the other hangs loose, iPod in hand, solitaire on screen. "Ya vamos," she says, immediately exiting as if to underline the urgency in "ya." There is no need to state the obvious- of course we are going to see the parade. I do not bother to change from my pink snoopy flip-flops- in house wear only, por favor- to something more suitable for going out. I am too enveloped in a sleepiness that in most of the world would belong past 1 am, not 7:30 on a beautiful winter evening (those latitudes have never been this warm).
Once in the car, Maru, the host mother, presses radio buttons at random until she´s selected one that chooses a station she likes. Raw, rich lovesongs tumble forlornly from the speakers, the heartache lacquered brightly in mellow pop tonality and trite lyricisms. She rolls down her window, and we are on the one way road, hot wind in our faces, only billboards in sight.
When we´ve turned onto the main drag, the exhiliration and freedom of a rural drive, facade though it may be, is abruptly dispelled by the gaudiness of neon fast food signs, here the token golden arches, there a giant spinning cup of popcorn chicken emblazoned KFC with kindergarten name tag boldness. Judging by our turn signal and Maru´s greedily pointed eyes, MacDonald´s is our pre-parade stop. Every once in awhile we make this our custom, with one specific purpose, to eat ice cream. The thought of calorie laden, cold deliciousness spreads through my sweat-drenched body like an elixir. "Un cono, muchas gracias," is my anxious, grateful, overheated reply to the What do you want? that I have been waiting for.
As the car crawls slowly toward the drive through window, progress slowed by the SUV in front of us ("Mira Laura, cuatro por cuatro!"), Maru asks "No quieres un sundae?" and in politeness I respond no- she is paying so I must not burden her. My eyes, however, betray me, lingering a moment too long on the perfect specimen pictured on the lit up menu, drenched just so in caramel sauce, the soft serve ice cream forming a cute little point.
When the server takes our order, Maruquel decides on two sundaes, one caramel, on strawberry. The wait for the orders to be completed is agonizing, silent. Maru and I look at each other with twin expressions of hunger and impatience, and as each moment brings me closer to a spoonful of bliss, another bad love son blasts from the station on the radio, the singer´s voice letting me know that he loves me, that I am home.
My host mom knocks on my door, and sees me sprawled American on the bed; one earbud jammed in awkwardly as the other hangs loose, iPod in hand, solitaire on screen. "Ya vamos," she says, immediately exiting as if to underline the urgency in "ya." There is no need to state the obvious- of course we are going to see the parade. I do not bother to change from my pink snoopy flip-flops- in house wear only, por favor- to something more suitable for going out. I am too enveloped in a sleepiness that in most of the world would belong past 1 am, not 7:30 on a beautiful winter evening (those latitudes have never been this warm).
Once in the car, Maru, the host mother, presses radio buttons at random until she´s selected one that chooses a station she likes. Raw, rich lovesongs tumble forlornly from the speakers, the heartache lacquered brightly in mellow pop tonality and trite lyricisms. She rolls down her window, and we are on the one way road, hot wind in our faces, only billboards in sight.
When we´ve turned onto the main drag, the exhiliration and freedom of a rural drive, facade though it may be, is abruptly dispelled by the gaudiness of neon fast food signs, here the token golden arches, there a giant spinning cup of popcorn chicken emblazoned KFC with kindergarten name tag boldness. Judging by our turn signal and Maru´s greedily pointed eyes, MacDonald´s is our pre-parade stop. Every once in awhile we make this our custom, with one specific purpose, to eat ice cream. The thought of calorie laden, cold deliciousness spreads through my sweat-drenched body like an elixir. "Un cono, muchas gracias," is my anxious, grateful, overheated reply to the What do you want? that I have been waiting for.
As the car crawls slowly toward the drive through window, progress slowed by the SUV in front of us ("Mira Laura, cuatro por cuatro!"), Maru asks "No quieres un sundae?" and in politeness I respond no- she is paying so I must not burden her. My eyes, however, betray me, lingering a moment too long on the perfect specimen pictured on the lit up menu, drenched just so in caramel sauce, the soft serve ice cream forming a cute little point.
When the server takes our order, Maruquel decides on two sundaes, one caramel, on strawberry. The wait for the orders to be completed is agonizing, silent. Maru and I look at each other with twin expressions of hunger and impatience, and as each moment brings me closer to a spoonful of bliss, another bad love son blasts from the station on the radio, the singer´s voice letting me know that he loves me, that I am home.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
No dormimos en Panamá (pero no me importa!)
Things are incredibly awesome here; it´s hard to take the time out to write entires like this. Last Monday Aleida (who has come to be my best friend here) and I baked cookies at my house for an English presentation. The first time around, we added a rotten egg, and it stunk so badly... all of us, adults included, were laughing so hard. We went back to the supermarket and returned the eggs for full refund and bought new ones. At least the cookies were great.
Thursday Kate and I ate Chinese food at the local restaurant, and it was pretty good, although I have to say I am a little disappointed by the thickness of the chow fun noodles here, and the lack of vegetables. Yes Mom, now I want my chicken chow fun with vegetables- novel concept!
Friday Aleida and I perused the department stores in Chorrera trying to find her something to wear for Gina´s impending quince años. We were not successful, but we ate slurpies and laughed hysterically and all was well.
Saturday during the day I went for a tour of Panamá with the other AFSers in Chorrera. It was really fun and I quite enjoyed connecting with the other exchange students in my town. Almost all of them speak German and I am learning to like that language. Now if only I could speak it...
That night I went to Gina´s quince años, which was an enormous party and the most fun I´ve had in a long time. I was out until 3 am, totally safely and soberly, dancing salsa and bachata and hanging with my school friends. Also, if you are trying to dance "modern," it is easier to do so to reggaeton than to techno. Can´t do anything with techno other than beatbox and spin some glowsticks.
Today I woke up at 7 (ouch!) for a big AFS meeting with everyone from Chorrera, Panamá, Colón, Chepo, and Arraiján. It mostly consisted of chilling by the poolside and looking at monkeys, as well as talking to AFS volunteers about how we were faring with our families. I made a new friend, an American in Colón, and had a good time talking about Dragonriders of Pern fandom...
Anywho. Hasta luego!
Thursday Kate and I ate Chinese food at the local restaurant, and it was pretty good, although I have to say I am a little disappointed by the thickness of the chow fun noodles here, and the lack of vegetables. Yes Mom, now I want my chicken chow fun with vegetables- novel concept!
Friday Aleida and I perused the department stores in Chorrera trying to find her something to wear for Gina´s impending quince años. We were not successful, but we ate slurpies and laughed hysterically and all was well.
Saturday during the day I went for a tour of Panamá with the other AFSers in Chorrera. It was really fun and I quite enjoyed connecting with the other exchange students in my town. Almost all of them speak German and I am learning to like that language. Now if only I could speak it...
That night I went to Gina´s quince años, which was an enormous party and the most fun I´ve had in a long time. I was out until 3 am, totally safely and soberly, dancing salsa and bachata and hanging with my school friends. Also, if you are trying to dance "modern," it is easier to do so to reggaeton than to techno. Can´t do anything with techno other than beatbox and spin some glowsticks.
Today I woke up at 7 (ouch!) for a big AFS meeting with everyone from Chorrera, Panamá, Colón, Chepo, and Arraiján. It mostly consisted of chilling by the poolside and looking at monkeys, as well as talking to AFS volunteers about how we were faring with our families. I made a new friend, an American in Colón, and had a good time talking about Dragonriders of Pern fandom...
Anywho. Hasta luego!
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
My... armpits hurt, my feet stink, and I don't love Jesus
I'd like to thank Jimmy Buffett, sort of, for the title of this post, as well as say that I'm actually doing quite fine here. :)
I'm at this exact moment a little worried because tomorrow we're to pray the rosary for an hour and I have neither rosary nor willingness to pray by one. Maru's out of town, and I don't want to ask my grandma. I wouldn't be concerned at all about respectfully sitting it out but I'm afraid that the principal (for an example of her nature, I used her to illustrate the meaning of the phrase "she has a stick up her ass.") will reprimand me, which will lead to the inevitable and honest "I'm not Catholic and I respect the religion too much to pretend to be," which hopefully leads to nothing bad.
Today in PE we got an awesome and gnarly-intense two hour workout. If I did that every day I would be ripped.
On Saturday night I went to the birthday party of my friend Borbua. Everyone was there, the cake was great (of course), and I had a blast, even plus headache and sleepiness (I apparently wasn't the only one... the blasting tipico probably had a lot to do with it). Unfortunately, at 11pm, when the dancing was just starting up, I had to leave, but that's not too horrible because it was mostly bachata anyways and I can't dance that.
Sunday I went to Mireybis' house with Aleida and Rafael and we worked on a display for Science Week, which turned out ridiculously elaborate and required sanding a ton of styrofoam.
Friday we only have two hours of real school because there's another schoolwide beauty pageant, fruit-themed, and we all get to run around the gym and eat free food made from each candidate's respective fruit. Hey, I can ignore the antifeminist implications long enough to stuff myself (I kid, I kid, it does kind of disgust me...).
...and uh, my armpits really do hurt.
I'm at this exact moment a little worried because tomorrow we're to pray the rosary for an hour and I have neither rosary nor willingness to pray by one. Maru's out of town, and I don't want to ask my grandma. I wouldn't be concerned at all about respectfully sitting it out but I'm afraid that the principal (for an example of her nature, I used her to illustrate the meaning of the phrase "she has a stick up her ass.") will reprimand me, which will lead to the inevitable and honest "I'm not Catholic and I respect the religion too much to pretend to be," which hopefully leads to nothing bad.
Today in PE we got an awesome and gnarly-intense two hour workout. If I did that every day I would be ripped.
On Saturday night I went to the birthday party of my friend Borbua. Everyone was there, the cake was great (of course), and I had a blast, even plus headache and sleepiness (I apparently wasn't the only one... the blasting tipico probably had a lot to do with it). Unfortunately, at 11pm, when the dancing was just starting up, I had to leave, but that's not too horrible because it was mostly bachata anyways and I can't dance that.
Sunday I went to Mireybis' house with Aleida and Rafael and we worked on a display for Science Week, which turned out ridiculously elaborate and required sanding a ton of styrofoam.
Friday we only have two hours of real school because there's another schoolwide beauty pageant, fruit-themed, and we all get to run around the gym and eat free food made from each candidate's respective fruit. Hey, I can ignore the antifeminist implications long enough to stuff myself (I kid, I kid, it does kind of disgust me...).
...and uh, my armpits really do hurt.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Welcome to the new bimestre
So things are pretty good here; exams are over, finally, and I now understand how I'm supposed to organize my schoolwork in order to get full credit (how nice). My new haircut is very indie boy, and this pleases me. I feel like I'm rebelling without having to do anything sketchy and I don't get in trouble, which is a-okay with me.
On Sunday I went to my aunt's house in Panama City for her birthday party while Maruquel was at a Christian retreat. It was really fun and I kept getting invited to drink with the men. I didn't, but I was still entertained. I ate the most delicious ceviche ever there, not to mention some highly decent cake. All the birthday cakes here seem to be really, really good, and I don't know why but I am a fan.
I'm currently working on a watercolor painting for Sebastian (my awesome friend), because his 17th birthday is tomorrow. I was supposed to go to Panama with him on Saturday but it didn't work out because my family thought he would take advantage of me, which is actually hilarious if you've ever seen this guy... But that's okay, I'm sure I'll get a chance to go at some point.
Weeeell, hope all is well in your various locations.
Love,
Laurel
On Sunday I went to my aunt's house in Panama City for her birthday party while Maruquel was at a Christian retreat. It was really fun and I kept getting invited to drink with the men. I didn't, but I was still entertained. I ate the most delicious ceviche ever there, not to mention some highly decent cake. All the birthday cakes here seem to be really, really good, and I don't know why but I am a fan.
I'm currently working on a watercolor painting for Sebastian (my awesome friend), because his 17th birthday is tomorrow. I was supposed to go to Panama with him on Saturday but it didn't work out because my family thought he would take advantage of me, which is actually hilarious if you've ever seen this guy... But that's okay, I'm sure I'll get a chance to go at some point.
Weeeell, hope all is well in your various locations.
Love,
Laurel
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Exams are fun! (not.)
Here I am, in my favorite internet café (I´ve been through a lot with them, namely power outages), not writing my impossibly intense history investigation, like I really should be. This week, along with the Thursday and Friday of last week, have been entirely exams, which is nice in the sense of getting out of school at 10:30 am but not so nice in the sense of being forced by the principal to complete tests in subject material I haven´t learned (the 16 or so types of conscience) or have completely forgotten (organelles... yeah Heather, shoot me) in a language that I am just starting to get a handle on in a conversational sense (technical vocabulary? forget it!). I did get a 5.0 (perfect) in Informatica Aplicada, aka write out equations in the right format for Excel class, but that didn´t surprise me. Today was the only day where the exams really made me want to shout expletives, for entirely different reasons. Half of the Ethics and Morals final was about the innate differences between man and women and why they should be paired in marriage at all times.... Well, you can see how much I liked that.
Things have been mostly good. I am cutting my hair tomorrow at a really good (and not bank breaking) salon tomorrow with my friend Roxana, if all goes well. I tried the most amazing drink on earth, chicheme, and all I want is more. Also, at my uncle´s birthday party I got to try a bunch of traditional panamanian food that nobody makes in my house, which was both very tasty and a refreshing change.
Maru is still a little ridiculous, but I´ve been learning more about my host grandma and she is fascinating... she has been through so much crap and continues to go through it, and she has the best attitude she could have while still accepting the bitter facts.
Love,
Laurel
Things have been mostly good. I am cutting my hair tomorrow at a really good (and not bank breaking) salon tomorrow with my friend Roxana, if all goes well. I tried the most amazing drink on earth, chicheme, and all I want is more. Also, at my uncle´s birthday party I got to try a bunch of traditional panamanian food that nobody makes in my house, which was both very tasty and a refreshing change.
Maru is still a little ridiculous, but I´ve been learning more about my host grandma and she is fascinating... she has been through so much crap and continues to go through it, and she has the best attitude she could have while still accepting the bitter facts.
Love,
Laurel
Friday, September 28, 2007
Telephone? Please?
So I've called some folks and not called others, and I was thinking that if any of you want to spend some money on me, I'd be beyond wonderful if you called, even for like 10 minutes. Anything longer than that and I recommend a phone card; they are wonderful and easy to use from your home phone.
My number is:
011-507-253-3664
If you call, it's best to call in the evenings, no later than 9 o'clock my time, please! (that is 7 PST)
Thanks so much!
Laurel
My number is:
011-507-253-3664
If you call, it's best to call in the evenings, no later than 9 o'clock my time, please! (that is 7 PST)
Thanks so much!
Laurel
Monday, September 24, 2007
yay, internet cafes!
My poor computer is sick with a virus so I´ve made the trek in the rain to an internet cafe, fairly succesfully. I´m slowly getting comfortable navigating here, especially now that I can weasel my way out of the house alone every once in a while. This is majorly nice and allows me to walk everywhere as I am accustomed and not pay for taxis like my friends here usually do.
Things are going pretty smoothly here; I feel like I am finally starting to adapt to the way of life. Relations with the family have improved drastically, and my grandmother apologized to me about the whole deal with Jaime, which I appreciated. Maru let me sleep through Church on Sunday, too. School is good; the classes are still boring but I am making more friends and am having way more to do after school. Also, politeness seems to dictate that boys should buy girls things. Hey, I´m into free ice cream.
My hair is still not quite long enough for a ponytail, but does go into cute little pigtails rather nicely/disturbingly. I have to buy more hairties though because I only have one, and pigtails implies two. When I wear my hair down I have I Rio-style pseudo-mullet, which might work fine for Rio but just looks like 80s style death on me... Oh well, what can ya do...
Today I think that I don´t have school, and hope that everyone was telling me the truth, or else I´ll have fun explaining stuff tomorrow. I still haven´t actually had a full week because these people party so damn much. No, really, anyone will tell you so.
Tuesday I start choir and Wednesday my flute gets back from the repair shop so I will hopefully start band.
Miss you guys!
Love,
Laurel
Things are going pretty smoothly here; I feel like I am finally starting to adapt to the way of life. Relations with the family have improved drastically, and my grandmother apologized to me about the whole deal with Jaime, which I appreciated. Maru let me sleep through Church on Sunday, too. School is good; the classes are still boring but I am making more friends and am having way more to do after school. Also, politeness seems to dictate that boys should buy girls things. Hey, I´m into free ice cream.
My hair is still not quite long enough for a ponytail, but does go into cute little pigtails rather nicely/disturbingly. I have to buy more hairties though because I only have one, and pigtails implies two. When I wear my hair down I have I Rio-style pseudo-mullet, which might work fine for Rio but just looks like 80s style death on me... Oh well, what can ya do...
Today I think that I don´t have school, and hope that everyone was telling me the truth, or else I´ll have fun explaining stuff tomorrow. I still haven´t actually had a full week because these people party so damn much. No, really, anyone will tell you so.
Tuesday I start choir and Wednesday my flute gets back from the repair shop so I will hopefully start band.
Miss you guys!
Love,
Laurel
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Movies and Swear Words, Oh My
Well, life goes on here in La Chorrera, same as always, I guess. My mom and grandma are furious with Jaime, my brother, and I don´t know why because with raised voices, fast speech, and intense amounts of swearing it´s hard to glean any content from what they say. Therefore things are a little stressful here at home, and kind of leave me confused.
Last night I went to the movies with some friends from school, including a kind of attractive Chinese guy who´s favorite singer is Alanis Morissette. The movie, Invisible, was actually good, so I enjoyed myself. The night before I went to another movie with Kate, my American AFS friend, which was not really my kind of film. I had a great time anyways because Kate is awesome and it´s always a relief to hang out with somebody who has any kind of clue what you are dealing with on a daily basis.
Today Maru tried to give me chicken sausage and I told her that I didn´t want any and she started yelling at me about how it is still chicken and how there is NO difference between that and any other chicken, blah, blah, blah. My grandma interjected feebly, "We already know that she doesn´t LIKE sausage," but to know avail. Then Maru said, "She´s not vegetarian, she´s just a weird eater!" and I interrupted in my `icy voice of steel´ that I am vegetarian, I do not normally eat chicken, and I am only eating chicken here so that I do not starve. She looked shocked and said, "Really?" and I thought, how many times have my mom and I told her this already?
Similarly, last Sunday we were at Mass and she was telling me what to do in Church and I told her that I didn´t feel comfortable crossing myself, etc., because I respect Catholicism and thus do not want to imitate it without belief. The response: "You´re not Catholic?! You never told me!" Yes, I did Maru. More than once. Do you actually hear a single word I tell you or do you hear what you tell yourself?
School is boring but okay. People are nice, but I wish that my classes were challenging in any way, shape, or form. Also, my chemistry teacher keeps giving me zeros because I´m not on his class list or because he supposedly can´t read my name (which was quite legible, thanks, I asked my classmates) when, uh, he has to ADD ME to his class list because I´m a NEW EXCHANGE STUDENT. D´oh.
Whatever. So in some ways things are great and in others they are stressful as hell and not so great. If anyone wants to send me books, cds, or rainbow things that would be very appreciated.
Love,
Laurel
Last night I went to the movies with some friends from school, including a kind of attractive Chinese guy who´s favorite singer is Alanis Morissette. The movie, Invisible, was actually good, so I enjoyed myself. The night before I went to another movie with Kate, my American AFS friend, which was not really my kind of film. I had a great time anyways because Kate is awesome and it´s always a relief to hang out with somebody who has any kind of clue what you are dealing with on a daily basis.
Today Maru tried to give me chicken sausage and I told her that I didn´t want any and she started yelling at me about how it is still chicken and how there is NO difference between that and any other chicken, blah, blah, blah. My grandma interjected feebly, "We already know that she doesn´t LIKE sausage," but to know avail. Then Maru said, "She´s not vegetarian, she´s just a weird eater!" and I interrupted in my `icy voice of steel´ that I am vegetarian, I do not normally eat chicken, and I am only eating chicken here so that I do not starve. She looked shocked and said, "Really?" and I thought, how many times have my mom and I told her this already?
Similarly, last Sunday we were at Mass and she was telling me what to do in Church and I told her that I didn´t feel comfortable crossing myself, etc., because I respect Catholicism and thus do not want to imitate it without belief. The response: "You´re not Catholic?! You never told me!" Yes, I did Maru. More than once. Do you actually hear a single word I tell you or do you hear what you tell yourself?
School is boring but okay. People are nice, but I wish that my classes were challenging in any way, shape, or form. Also, my chemistry teacher keeps giving me zeros because I´m not on his class list or because he supposedly can´t read my name (which was quite legible, thanks, I asked my classmates) when, uh, he has to ADD ME to his class list because I´m a NEW EXCHANGE STUDENT. D´oh.
Whatever. So in some ways things are great and in others they are stressful as hell and not so great. If anyone wants to send me books, cds, or rainbow things that would be very appreciated.
Love,
Laurel
Thursday, September 6, 2007
The end of another week draws nigh...
Things are going pretty well here, especially schoolwise. The math and physics we are doing here is all stuff I have been doing since 6th or 7th grade, so I want to teach myself calculus. Tomorrow I audition for the choir, which should be interesting, to say the least. After the 12th I start playing in the band, so we´ll see how that goes.
There has been some family drama, because I am always sleepy and cannot eat enough (ME, not eat enough!), but for the most part I really like my family and cannot imagine changing households. Turns out that half the problem anyways was that I was eating cereal for breakfast instead of oatmeal... My grandmother in particular is basically made of awesome, and we get along. We are both kind of uppity people, and thus we understand each other better than Maru and I, who get along but are of entirely different mindsets.
Hopefully not this weekend, but next, my friend Aleida and I are going into Panamá City to buy me some clothes... I´d like to have a few more things to wear and according to my compañeras, nobody shops in La Chorrera.
This Saturday all of us AFSers in Chorrera and our families are going to the house of María Elena, the coordinator, to have a party. That should be fun!
Oh, mom, if you check this, could you send me the enchilada recipe? Thanks.
Anyways, miss you guys A LOT and talk to you later.
Laurel
There has been some family drama, because I am always sleepy and cannot eat enough (ME, not eat enough!), but for the most part I really like my family and cannot imagine changing households. Turns out that half the problem anyways was that I was eating cereal for breakfast instead of oatmeal... My grandmother in particular is basically made of awesome, and we get along. We are both kind of uppity people, and thus we understand each other better than Maru and I, who get along but are of entirely different mindsets.
Hopefully not this weekend, but next, my friend Aleida and I are going into Panamá City to buy me some clothes... I´d like to have a few more things to wear and according to my compañeras, nobody shops in La Chorrera.
This Saturday all of us AFSers in Chorrera and our families are going to the house of María Elena, the coordinator, to have a party. That should be fun!
Oh, mom, if you check this, could you send me the enchilada recipe? Thanks.
Anyways, miss you guys A LOT and talk to you later.
Laurel
Thursday, August 30, 2007
School!
I might even have friends.
There are awesome people, a band, a choir, and they call religion class "orientación."
Looks like I now have an excuse to both play flute and sing soprano- SWEET.
The uniforms are sweaty and uncomfortable for the weather, but at least everyone else look equally sweat-drenched. (well, okay, I get the short end of the stick because I´m the color of porcelain, but that´s how it goes.)
On the downside? Starting in the middle of year on chemistry and physics. Chemistry I like, but it´s confusing without background. Ah well, c'est la vie.
There are awesome people, a band, a choir, and they call religion class "orientación."
Looks like I now have an excuse to both play flute and sing soprano- SWEET.
The uniforms are sweaty and uncomfortable for the weather, but at least everyone else look equally sweat-drenched. (well, okay, I get the short end of the stick because I´m the color of porcelain, but that´s how it goes.)
On the downside? Starting in the middle of year on chemistry and physics. Chemistry I like, but it´s confusing without background. Ah well, c'est la vie.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Arrived!
I´m here in La Chorrera, sweating a ton and smiling because of the swarms of newborn kittens in the backyard.
Maru, my mom, is very friendly. We went to the grocery store and the clothes store (for the weekly raffle), and I was astonished at how low the prices are here for the same stuff. O´Neill shorts which are $30 in California are $3. It´s remarkable.
Apparently I will be eating chicken all the time, which I can deal with, but it´s weird.
Also, everyone knows everyone, seriously.
Love,
Laurel
Maru, my mom, is very friendly. We went to the grocery store and the clothes store (for the weekly raffle), and I was astonished at how low the prices are here for the same stuff. O´Neill shorts which are $30 in California are $3. It´s remarkable.
Apparently I will be eating chicken all the time, which I can deal with, but it´s weird.
Also, everyone knows everyone, seriously.
Love,
Laurel
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
My address!
I have an address; feel free to write to me. :D
Espinoza Family
Barriada Revolucion, calle principal
Chorrera
Panama
Please do not send any kind of package that requires a box (versus an envelope), as my family will be taxed for this.
Espinoza Family
Barriada Revolucion, calle principal
Chorrera
Panama
Please do not send any kind of package that requires a box (versus an envelope), as my family will be taxed for this.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
I'm off!
Tomorrow I leave for Panama for the semester. This will be my monthly or so blog with photos and other tidbits (oh, I love that word) of my adventures... So keep watching!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)