Submitted by Chloe Hundley on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in Panama sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures…
This past week in Panama has been one of the best weeks of my life! I have already learned so much about this country’s culture and history that I didn’t know before and I am improving my Spanish every day by speaking with local people. I was so nervous to come here at first because I have never left the country before, but my host family has been so accommodating and I am experiencing so many unique things.
After a day of getting settled in, we went to a beach called Praia to have lunch as a group and do some sight-seeing on the way. It was a great opportunity to practice our Spanish with each other and prepared us for the next day, when we went to Casco Antiguo and had to ask local people for help finding things during a scavenger hunt. Although I still struggle, especially with understanding what other people are saying when they speak fast, my Spanish has gotten better every day because of how much I use it here. My host mother and sister are both trying to learn English, so it is interesting to give each other advice on how to learn the languages better. A lot more people in Panama are learning English than I expected; almost every Uber driver that I’ve had has talked about how they went to Canada or the United States to study English. Talking to Panamanians, especially my host family, has been my favorite part of this experience so far because I have so much to learn about this country.
On Saturday, we all took a bus to Las Tablas for a festival and I have truly never seen anything like it before. All of the women and young girls wore hand-sewn dresses, elegant jewelry, and beautiful make-up and danced down the street while we got to watch, try local foods, and shop around for things similar to what they were wearing. All of the men wore traditional Panama hats and danced in the street as well. Another holiday we were here for was the 9th of January, which commemorates the many lives that were lost over the battle between the United States and Panama for control of the Panama Canal. There were no classes that day and no one had to work because it has such a strong impact on the country’s history.
Besides these trips, I have also had the opportunity to go to various beaches, Panamá Viejo, and the national park. All of the beaches are beautiful and completely different from the Delaware beaches that I normally go to. They all have palm trees and other tropical aspects, but are surrounded by mountains and have a distant view of the city’s skyline. Panamá Viejo was incredible as well because we got to see the ruins from the original capital of Panama and go to a museum about the origins of Panama. I have already gained so much from this experience and can’t wait to learn even more in the next few weeks!
