One Month later

Yes, I am still alive and I am still in Panama. I am so busy right now, that I dont even have the energy to think about what to write in this blog entry. Maybe I will get a creative streak here sometime soon.

Until then....peace out.

The tree shimmy-er

Okay...this was competly new for me. Palm trees themselves proved to be quite the novelty for quite some time. I mean, we dont have them in Colorado, and I can remember taking about seven million pictures of the first one I ever saw. Well, needless to say, living in the tropics and all, palm trees have become a daily part of my life. And they are quite multifunctional. The provide shade, they have pipas (like coconuts) whose juice is more refreshing than water, and of course, when their huge pencas (palms) fall off, they can be converted into great sleds for sledding down the big Hills that the Administration building stands on.

However, I never knew exactly how they got all those wonderful pips down from the natural home. I always just delighted in watching them cut it open, stick and straw in and serve it up!

Well, my curiosity was ended.

This is one of our nice palm trees that graces the Church in Balboa with plenty of shade.

Look a little closer. Its like a little kids activity book. Can you see the foot and the man diligently working away?

And then when that diligent worker realizes he is actually a crook stealing pipas, and catches a glimpse of me documenting his pillage on film, well he shimmies right on down and runs!

And that, Ladies and gents, is how it is done!

Keep enjoying...

p.s. check out the April-May-June Newsletter at the link to the right!

I feel loved

My classes started this last week, and after being "on vacation" for about six weeks, I am so ready to get back into it. This session, I will be only teaching 10 classes a week, but also 5 private classes to students. Not to metion, I will be helping out with groups that come down to help in Panama...which will roughly put me at about 120 hours a week. Oh the joys of being a volunteer.

Anyways, yesterday, I made the announcement that I will not be continuing with the mission in Panama. The staff has known for a while, and it was time to tell my students (as well as my dedicated fan blog reading base!) The students in my classes were shocked, but they began asking what they needed to do to get me to stay. Who they needed to write a letter to, how much my salary needed to be raised, and what things needed to take place for me to stay. It was touching.

It also makes it hard to stick to my decision that I will in fact leave the mission. With all my wonderful students, and how much they have made a difference in my life, its hard to know that even after they say that I have made a difference in thier lives, we will all go our own seperate ways.

And after being a part of such a fulfilling work in seeing them improve and grow to feel comfortable at the church, its hard to think what will be when I am not around. This is the part where I have to trust that new people will be brought to their life, to provide for the needs they will have. And while they will always be my friends, we will not always be together to support and enourage, and just trust that God will bring new people into our lives who show his love for each and everyone of us!

When animals attack

Well, I am told that Panama has seasons. How they classify these seasons is beyond me, apart from the obvious that one is the soak season while the other is the hang your laundry on the line to dry season. Well, either way, they are both really hot and humid, but we will leave that distinction to meteorologists more capable than I.

Anyways, the point of this season babble is to say that rainy season also means bug season. And when I say bug season, I mean puddles of standing water that would scare any West nile fearing person ( although here its not WN but Dengue...thats right...I am thinking tszti flies and everything).

Exhibit A. Friday, my free day, day to relax and do whatever my fancy darn well pleases to do, I go to the cabinet where all my precious china is stored. I see a little group of ants, devouring what seems to be some shriveled dried crumb no bigger than a dash of dust. They may have actually been eating dust, I am not sure. But for some reason, whether dust or a little piece of last night dinner, there was an ant farm dangerously close to my plates, of which I was about to use to eat lunch. Dos Tigres Ant and Other "Crawling Insect" killer to the rescue. Unfortunatly, as a few fleed from their posinous death, I notice that they follow a path. Up, up and up they go, to the third shelf, fortuantly out of my view. On a massacaring rampage, I decide to get a chair to pursue the eightlegged foes. I calmy step up onto the chair, and almost as quickly fall off in shock. I hit the motherload. There, setting up a little metropolis, is a colony of at least 10 bazillion ants.

Going crazy with my poisin, I spray, catching hopefully 80% of the population, and covering at least half my dishes in sticky goop. After the desamation and the aftermath that was washing and sanatizing every single dish I own, I felt that maybe a roadmark was reached and a battle was won.

However, the ants have just returned, choosing another beautiful location in my kitchen. Will it never end? I am praying for the rain to continue, but for also an endless supply of Dos Tigres Ant Killer, which is quickly quickly being used up. However, I will keep strong, and have faith. Thats it...fight the good fight. Down with the Ants. Happy Bug...I mean rainy season!

Lets just hope the dishes got washed well...

And the madness approaches

So, you think you have this living in a foreign country thing down. You got some friends, looking forward to your next session of jamming English classes, even figured out how to pay a Panamanian traffic violation (don't ask). You have even had new experiences like handing out a Spanish resume, dealing with flighty Panamanain apartment brokers. You're, as they say here...high to the sky! You feel great. You can overcome anything.

And then you see things that have never happened before. The city empties out, restuarants and bars fill up in the middle of the day, whole TV networks, cable channels and regularly sheduleing programming are interrupted. The whole city seems to be running on Standerd German Time. But this is Panama, right?

Well, now that you mention it, we might as well be in Germany. Thats right. All googling and drooling over the manifestation of years of anticipation. I already mentioned the whole time thing, and now a days we are seeing more German flags than Panamanian. What could possibly be happening.

Two words: WORLD CUP

And being in a country where "I am not a big soccer fan" seems to be as socially accepted as "I am a Republican," my typical response to the "Who are you routing for?" question just seems inapprorpiate.

Actually, being free of all this madness can be liberating. First of all, I have no invested hope in one particular team, so today I can route for France, but when they get the crap beat out of them by Brazil, I can easily become a Converted French man reborn Brazilian. Second, I literally have the city to myself, seeing as how I am the only one of this entire country who doesnt live, breath and digest soccer. Third, my courses are about to get a lot more personal, as I am sure that many students will accientdentally get cuaght up in the furor of the passion that is soccer...

sounds a little fatalistic or bitter. No, not at all. After all, I will have my day when the world moopishly walks away from some painful defeat, and when most will feel the sting of what it is to have hopes and dreams crushed, I my friend will walk through the empty Panamanian streets, enjoying every minute of the peace that is not being tied or affilliated with any one team.

keep cheering...

Panamanian Lazy Days

I had almost forgotten what it was like to wake up on one of those typically gray days and just want to curl up in bed and not do anything. With Panama being such a tropical country, there are very few days when the mornings are not humid and sunny.

Today, was one of those days. I woke up to the sound of pitter pattering rain on my window, and gave into the urge and just slept it off. The rain continued, from about 7:00 (when I first woke up), to a nice drizzle right now as I write (12 noon). At times the rain was so strong, I woke up thinking I was on white water raft. I guess, just as I had forgetten about May snow in Colorado, I had forgotten what real rainy season rain is like here in Panama.

P.S. My friend, Ann, just arrived in Macau for a couple months of missionary service. Check out her blog (theres a link to Ann Basinski to the right) to see whats going on there! Good Luck Ann!

keep lounging..

Back in Panama

I am back! It is so great to see some people that I missed, and getting used to somethings again. I am once again, going to struggle with the humidity for a couple of days.

Just a quick note to say that I am here and that I made it alright. Yeah for Panama!

keep plugging,
Chris

Three Week Wrap Up

So, I sit once again, on the verge of adventure! On the brink of my return trip to Panama, I cant help but feel... well, okay, enough for the dramatics. I am ready and I excited to be back in Panama, but had a great time in the States. While everyone is enjoying their nice Memorial Day Holiday, I will be flying back to Panama! I enjoyed seeing and talking to friends, , filling people in on my wonderful time in Panama, and spending time with family! Heres a picture update of my time in the States!

What trip to Colorado would be complete without the family trip to the mountains. (Actually, due to the lack of car-age, this is really the biggest highlight of my time!)

My struggle with the cooler. Thats right. I was the cooler tote-er. And that shit was heavy. Its complete for any Carter Camping trip. And by camping I mean, well staying in a YMCA cabin.

Oh uh. The secret is out! I knew sleeping in the same room as my sisters would result in some kind of deep dark secret coming out!

Kandice and I hiking to Bierstatd Lake.

And heres snow for all the Panamanians! I had actually almost forgot about this, but was right well reminded of it after nearly falling in up to my head into a snowdrift!

My sisters Kandice and Cassi, just chilling in their shorts in the snow. This is another part of Colorado I had forgetten about...the numskull habit of hiking in shorts. I am a little to tropical at this point to be trapsing through some snow in shorts.

My sister Cassie and I get in a fight about which way the trail actually goes!

Cassie, Courtney and I at the top of Alberta Falls, trying not to fall off.

Ohh, JBock...this one is for you. Isnt it so cute. Yeah, until it bites you, takes off a finger and gives you rabies...

A picture perfect sunset to remember my trip by!

Write to you all from Panama! Blessings!

keep enjoying life!

Viene el Señor Presidente

Another quick story to help me not become homesick...

Like many important events in your life, we approach certain moments, unware of the signifigance they hold. My friend Rosie and I had one such moment. Let me share.

My friend Rosie was in Panama during the first week of May. We had met at orientation last year and have been doing our own seperate things the last year in our ouwn countries - Rosie in Venezuela, and me in Panama. Rosie came to Panama for a little visit. We had a great time. Needless to say, we were both unaware of the happenings that would luanch us into the reach of fame that fateful day.

We were just taking a little tour of Casco Viejo, the old part of the city. This also serves as the seat of the government in Panama, as all the official buildings, like the State Department, Foreign Relations office and even the Presidental Palace (the Panamanian equivalent of the White House) are located in Casco Viejo.

We were walking past the Presidental Palace. Follow the picture story to see the events of that life changing day.

Ahh, the Presidental Palace. Unlike any kind of Governmental building in America, you can walk right up to the door and peer in. In this picture Rosie and I are admiring the bueaty of the Palace, simply taking our time strolling around in front of the building.

As we make our way past the palace, these guards, in full attire I might add, come out of the woodwork. Seroiusly, there was like 15 of them that came out of nowhere. They all started strapping their bayonets to the guns. We were both a little concerned at this time. A guard walk over to us, and being the only tourists around, we were both a little scared. He told us we needed to move to a corner about ten yards away. When we asked him what was going on, he said those fateful words , "Viene el Señor Presidente" (The President is coming). While our insides were bursting with emotion, we calmly acknowledged the presidents coming-ness and walked quietly to our onlooker corner.

And here comes the motorcade. This was the first SUV after the three motorcylce police escort. At this point in time, Rosie, our photographer, realized that she didnt know what to take a picture of. Our little on-lookers corner became a mess of "What do i do? "Which one is he?" questions.

This is the presidents car, as it almost runs us over. Its not that hard to figure out which car the important person is in in Panamanain Motorcades. As all the other cars had the windows down and guys carrying large semiautomatic weapons were hanging out the windows, its not hard to figure out which one the president was in. At this point, I am screaming (in a calm, whispering kind of voice) Take a picture of the tinted one! THE TINTED ONE!!! to an inquisitive Rosie.

The crowd of gaurds salutes as the body gaurds open the doors. The moment we have been waiting for for the last two minutes is finally here. And out comes...a little white kid with red hair? I didnt know the President had adopted from Ireland. Then another little kid, who looked a little more Panamanian and finally the president. You can see half of the presidents face behing the right white column.

And here is where the conspiracy theory comes in. This happened on the same day that we had visited the canal and saw a group of Chinese digantaries getting a behind the scenes tour at the canal. Wanting to take their tour, we tried to follow them. Needless to say, after the president went in, up walk the Chinese Dignataires to the Presidental Palace. We might have just been a witness to Panama selling the canal to China. JUST KIDDING! Although, there were official Chinese dignataries. Humm....

keep being amazed at our luck...

Panamanian Funnies

Hey everyone! I am still in the States. I will have some pictures of my recent family trip to Estes Park. Lets just say, I had forgetten that snow existed.

Anyways, in an attempt to not feel homesick, I decided to pass along a Panamanian funny. I cant take credit for this one, as it comes from Rosie, about something that happened when she was visiting in Panama May 3 to 8. For more info on Rosie and her work in Venezuela, and just some funny stories from her time in VZ, visit her blog at www.regreg.blogspot.com.

Rosie says:

It is not uncommon for Latin Americans to play music quite loudly. Today we were at a lutheran church in a town called La Chorrera. The service was held outdoors.

Right as the national pastor began speaking the words of institution, guess what song came on down the road?

(>>loudly<<)Red, Red Wine.

It was soooo funny! Perhaps it was a calvinist attempting to sabotage the real presence? Well, probably not. But quite entertaining, regardless!

Thanks Rosie!

keep laughing...