In Panama for 2 weeks now

(Panama is SPECTACULAR!!)

Wow, it´s been 2 weeks now and SO MUCH has transpired. I was amazed at how fast I can get here to Panama from the States. I arrived in Panama City on May 30th, stayed at the Sheraton hotel (beautiful...wanted to spend more time there), and then took a flight to the city of David on Sunday morning, May 31st. I was greeted there at the airport by Jaime, one of the employees of Habla Ya school where I attend. From the moment I got to Panama, I was amazed at how welcoming people are, particularly with my limited level of Spanish. Anyway, after being picked up from David, we headed to Boquete - about a 40 minute drive. The beauty of this country is simply astounding! The exquisite variety and beauty of flowers, the coffee, the trees, the culture, the people, the food.....

(Friends at our weekly student dinner - this one was hosted by my host mom at the home I stay at)

(An afternoon with other students and "profesoras" at "Mi Jardin es Tu Jardin" - a beautiful flower garden in Boquete)

I was greeted by my host mother, Ali, and later met the rest of the family - my "sister" Nilena and my "grandpa", as well as the 2 dogs, Johnson and Brandy. I live in a modest home with my own room. I couldn´t have received a more welcoming and loving family! They are so great! Ali and Nilena wake up early every morning and have breakfast prepared for me. I then walk only a few blocks to my school and have language training classes for 5 to 6 hours a day. It´s been pretty good so far, but wow, it can get mentally draining, too. The staff at Habla Ya (where I study) are simply amazing and very professional! They are a lot of fun to work with and learn from. They also serve excellent Panamanian coffee all day every day free of charge...an added bonus. The school has also been a great place to meet folks from all around the world! I usually have dinner with my family in the evenings and either do weekend excursions (i.e. hiking) or simply relax (like this weekend). So far I´ve done the canopy zip line tour (amazing magnificent views!), a coffee tour (Cafe Ruiz) - very interesting to learn the whole process of how the best coffee in the world is made, and a day hike. I have yet to do the horseback riding tour, the beach island tour, and the hot springs tour.
(This is me on the canopy zip line tour - top and bottom pic)

(And this is my facial expression after stepping off a tall platform - a free fall and then a swing with amazing views of the mountain and volcano)

I´ve been attending the Rotary club meetings here in Boquete, and I am truly impressed at the level of service of the Rotarians. They are a WONDERFUL group of people (mostly from the US, actually) who have some really great projects going. I´m trying to network with folks about possible research opportunities while in my 3rd year of my Phd studies (for my dissertation). By the way....if you haven´t received the news....I´ve been accepted to a PhD program in Health Education in Illinois and begin my studies this Fall. There are many indigenous Indian groups here in Panama, and one project that is in the works is helping the mothers with nutrition, as there is an outrageous percentage of babies being born with deformities due to lack of proper nutrition, as well as other things (i.e. exposure to toxic pesticides). So we´ll see what turns up. I had the opportunity to visit 2 schools last week with 2 Rotarians to deliver school supplies to the children. It was great!

Okay, the internet cafe here is about to close...so I´ll have to write more later. Unfortunately, my laptop was stolen from my house on Friday. So I´ll have to make frequent trips to the intnet cafes to do my work and keep my blog updated. There´s SO MUCH more to tell. In a nutshell, I am so blessed to be sent here and am honored to represent Rotary! I´m having a very wonderful time developing relationships with GREAT PEOPLE IN PANAMA!!!