Lunch snaps me back to reality. Try local things: deep fried pig-skin, fried juca, plantain chips...and that was just the appetizer. Opt for for flour empenada (fried bread sandwich) over tripe with rice. It's hot. My normally huge appetite is at bay. All I can think about is water. Don't get dehydrated, you're thirsty, really thirsty. I arrived with Nestor right on time for lunch. We were meeting everyone else (save Alicia) there. The next people arrived 45 minutes late. Nestor explained about the Panamanian hour, which allows people to come one hour later in many circumstances, and in some cases it is even expected! I would do well here. I run 15 minutes behind schedule constantly in my day to day activities...but down here I'd be 45 minutes early all the time!
My first vocational visit was a smashing success. Sheila, my hostess, invites me to relax on a couch while she has a bowl of soup, before we get into the vocational visit. We begin chatting, and suddenly Kim is in the bookstore, having completed her vocational visit already. Sheila is so interesting, educated, knowledgeable, and passionate, that I did not realize we were chatting on the couch for 3 hours! She is working on literacy programs for Panama, in a real grassroots approach. It is amazing how much a driven person can accomplish.
The evening is upon us, which means our first presentation...OIY. We will be reviewing all of our Rotary Club visits at the end of each country, so you will have to wait!
After the Club meeting, Alicia, and her host Andy, took me to another vocational visit of mine. We end up at a nice restaurant, with a small (10x15) room that is set up with comfy chairs, a couch, and a couple hosting a karaoke night. It takes next to no persuading, and they rustle up a guitar and I play some songs for the room. We enjoy a couple drinks, and some karaoke, and we're off...
I feel great. In bed by 12, first day behind us, great start...
C
No comments:
Post a Comment