days eighteen and ninteen.

long update:

1. friday night turned out to be fun. one of the family´s cousins came over as a surprise visit for two reasons. 1, because she wants me to come to her school as well. she´s in high school, so it´ll be for older kids--and just once or twice, not constantly. 2, because she wanted me to go to a parade with her. so we went. and the parade? only one float that circled the central park about twenty times. i found that very hilarious. but that was my fourth of july parade even tho it was not the fourth and there was only one float and again the kindergarden girls had too much make up on. but there were fireworks as well! and those were fun and made me nostolgic for the fourth, even tho it didnt matter to me too much that i missed the holiday.

2. saturday morning i woke up early and went over to another volunteer´s house to help her with her fourth of july celebration for her town. we made water balloons and had a toss, played with a beach ball, played red rover, and then gave the kids chalk and told them to paint things from the US. (ive learned to be very careful not to say ámerican things´over here because they are american as well. we are north american, or from the US**) the kids in this town absolutely loved the water balloons. we even had prizes, like playdoh, stickers, and candy for them. afterwards, we made staple food from the US--none other than peanut butter and jelly. they loved it, and i definitely loved it as well.

3. after this celebration we took a bus into chitre, the large town about 45 minutes away from where i live. we stayed the night at my host-cousins house. seriously, the people here just take us in and love having us. i say this because my 3 other friends were going to stay at a hotel and instead the family made them stay with them, even tho they have hardly any money and not enough space. they did not want us in a hotel. 7 of us squeezed onto three single beds. it was tight, but i was tired and slept. the cousins had taken us all over town. we went shopping everywhere, even at an american resale store where i found super cute american eagle jeans for three dollars, and i bought them just because i do need more jeans to wear now. we got some ice cream, then went to the supermarket to get some food to cook. went to their house, cooked, and then got ready to go out. i hadnt worn makeup in the last three weeks, and so it was nice to put on and feel decent once again. then we went out dancing and to a bar slash casino. it was a very nice bar--definitely even nice for US standards, and therefore expensive even for us. the volunteers have realized that people do not want to show us their normal outtings, they want to show us what they think we like. (i personally would have loved a local bar). but the girls introduced us to their friends, and everyone is just so nice, that of course i had fun anyways.

4. came home this morning. the other volunteers saw a mcdonalds on the way home and just had to stop and eat some. how disgusting. even tho i really hate panamanian food, i didnt want to ruin this cultural experience with mcdonalds. but i guess these volunteers are in smaller towns with nothing to do or eat, and barely any electricity or running water. i have all of this, so i am not as stuck in rural panama. so i sat while they ate mcdonalds. they really enjoyed it to say the least. and i had air conditioning for a while, and that was nice. then we just got back on the bus, and now im home from the weekend. its nice catching up with my family. my host mom made my basked mostaccoli dish that i had made for them, so that was super nice of her. im exhausted, and just gonna read and watch some tv. ive already finished two of my three books, so im trying to pace myself. i definitely did not realize i would have so much free time! but school finally starts again tomorrow after this long break i have had. i have a four day week, and then leave friday to go to El Valle--all of the volunteers are meeting there for mid-point break.

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more cultural fun:

16. the women here wear their hair in huge curlers as a style. im serious. they think that it is very stylish to roll their hair up in the curlers, but never actually take them out. ill try to get a picture of someone on the streets, because it is very common, and very hilarious to me. i still have not gotten used to it. i keep thinking that they are not done with their hair.

17. the water just goes on and off whenever the town wants. in the last three or four days, i have gone about half the time without running water. i take showers whenever it is on, to say the least.

18. panamanians do what they want, when they want to. for example, if i am sleeping in my room, but they want something from the room, they just go get it. they don´t think this is rude. they do not care if i am in their way, or if i want to cook while they are cooking--just do it. everyone makes room for everyone else. this kinda drives me nuts, actually. but im trying to get used to it. (for example--the very loud jesus music very early in the morning, waking me up... oh well)