Skip to main content

Saquito

 Jan 22nd
Before we moved in with our host families the Peace Corps explained to us what household tasks we should expect our families to take care of, and what our responsibilities are around the house.  For example they told us that our moms will wash our “big clothes” but we are responsible for washing our ropa interior (underwear). 

When I got from Panama City today Mama confronted me with my with my laundry bag.  She asked me why I had been hiding my “saquito” of dirty underwear from her.  I explained to her that the Peace Corps had told us that we should wash our on underwear, so I was planning to wash the clothes in my laundry bag once I was running low on underwear.  My mom refused to believe that I had not been trying to hide the saquito of dirty underwear from her.  She kept telling me that she knew I was hiding it because I was embarrassed to show it to her.  I kept telling her that wasn’t the case, I was just trying to be polite. In the end I decided it was easier to give in and tell her I she was right. 

I wasn’t embarrassed to have her wash my underwear, I was embarrassed that she thought I was stowing away my dirty underwear.  But on the bright side I don’t have to wash my underwear anymore.
Location: Los Mortales, Panama

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Welcome to the Darien

August 2013 The Darien is Panamá’s largest, easternmost and least developed province.   It is home to one of the world’s densest and most ecologically forests, some scientist claim that the Darien rainforest is denser and more difficult to navigate than the “deepest” sections of the Amazon.   The due to the region’s geography and biology, the Darien rainforest is the only place from the top of North America to the tip of South America where the Panamerican Highway does not connect.   In fact there is not a single drivable road that connects Panamá to Colombia.   Due to it’s inaccessibility and history the Darien has an almost mythical reputation.   Was written about in great detail when western powers were searching for the best path to build a canal through Central America.   Numerous survey parties went to explore the area and all of them returned unsuccessfully and in horrendous condition or never returned at all. Without an incredibly experienced...
Post a Comment
Read more

Family Vacation

September 10th For the last week and a half my parents and sister came to Panamá to visit me.  It made me really happy to share a little piece of my life in Panamá with them!  We spent the first few days in Panamá City.  During our time there we had the opportunity to visit the Miraflores locks on the Panamá Canal, walked around Panamá City’s historic district Casco Viejo , and went to some fun bars and restaurants.  They enjoyed their time in the city and were impressed by how modern Panamá City is.  If you just spent your time in the city you would probably wonder why the Peace Corps are in Panamá. Next we headed to the Province of Coclé to visit my community, Piedras Gordas.  When we arrived it was pouring outside but that didn’t deter my 2nd host dad from proudly giving us a tour of his home, my home, and the Cooperativa Nazareno’s (the name of the environmental co-op) vivero (tree n...
Post a Comment
Read more

Medical Gira (Tour)

June 2013 As Peace Corps Volunteers we are often presented with opportunities to help other NGOs working in Panamá with their projects.   One of the opportunities frequently presented to us is to work as translators for groups of traveling doctors (usually from the US), which travel to underserved communities to provide free basic health care. Last year I worked as a translator for a group of optomolegists that came to Panamá from throughout the United States through the Lion’s Club, to provide eye exams and free glasses for rural Panamanians.   This past June, Chelsea, a Peace Corps Volunteer from my group, invited a group of traveling doctors to come to her community to provide basic dental and health care.   I jumped at the opportunity to help when Chelsea asked me if I’d like to translate for the medical gira (tour).   Not only is it a very rewarding experience to be able to help people receive the health care that they need, but it was also an opportunity...
Post a Comment
Read more