So this first week in Pesé has brought a lot of new things. It's definitely been an adjustment to living without my other PCV friends in a place that isn't used to Americans. I'm finally starting to feel the fishbowl effect that I've heard so much about - everyone looks at me wherever I go. It doesn't bother me all that much until kids who will be my students start cat-calling at me. Then I glare at them and, as happened once, they cuss at me. Oh well. They'll figure it out eventually when I show up in their class. And if not, I'll call them out and talk to them about it as one of my PCV friends already did - she's awesome.
But I've been able to run a few times this week, which makes life worlds better. Who knew I would ever be so thankful for endorphins? And 9 hours of sleep. My gosh. I've known for a long time that my body likes sleep. But never have I known just how much my mind requires it. It makes worlds of difference on my mental state and ability to cope with all of these new things this experience is throwing at me if I get even just 8 hours of sleep. 9 is really what I need here. So I'm trying to make my bedtime a strict 9:00.
This will become even more important this coming week when I'll be in the primary school every day. I've worked out a schedule where I'll be working with 2 teachers every week for 6 weeks. Hopefully this will work, but if it feels like too much, I'll change it around maybe to just work with one school per year that I'm here.
Primary school starts at 7:20 and ends at 1:00. So it will definitely be taxing! And a great learning experience. I'm looking forward to really getting in there and figuring out how I can best be of help here. Though frequently I do still feel a bit unequiped sometimes. But I'm reading through all of the material PC gave us, which hopefully will help. All of you teachers out there - if you have any tips, feel free to share! Especially about songs. They. love. songs. here. Like for any age. I've had requests from both primary school and high school teachers.
But it's been a pretty productive week: I've met all but one of the teachers, given them my schedule for the next 6 weeks, I've found a possible place to rent after I life with my host family for 3 months, and I've been to Frostee's twice (imagine Mcdonald's meets Dairy Queen, run by a guy from Michigan who has lived here for 30+ years). Emotion-wise it's been up and down. Definitely an adjustment to living with a new family, not yet having my own room (they're fixing one up for me, which is really nice, but it's on panamanian time), and trying to accept that I'm really going to be in a teaching-position-of-authority for the next two years.
But all-in-all, I'm doing alright. I just keep thinking of the verse that was ingrained in me at Greystone: "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." -Philippians 4:13 and working to make my trust in God live up to that. Other things I need to work on: not being grumpy in the morning when my host mom talks to me and I'm sleepy and having more trouble than usual understanding her. God give me strength haha sometimes it's the little things.
Off to a matanza (aka all day feast) today with the family! Should be a fun cultural experience. Also a further lesson in Panamanian time. We were leaving at 8:00 am. It's now 8:40 and no leaving to be had. And we may or may not spend the night. Haha oh Panamanian life.
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