GUADALUPE, FRESAS Y CREMA

Going into the first day at Guadalupe, I was nervous because I am still developing my Spanish skills and I didn't know how it would be trying to communicate with the kids or families. We began the day at their school where we got to play soccer, volleyball, basketball, and frisbee. Along with this we did a name game as an introduction. I found this as a helpful way to start off the week. When we didn't know a word or phrase the kids would help us and in turn, we helped teach them things such as how to hit a volleyball properly or where to stand when it was their turn to serve. I began to become less nervous of my Spanish skills because I saw how anyone I met at Guadalupe was willing to work through our conversation and help me when I needed it. Throughout the rest of the day, I got to see how important community was to Guadalupe. When we would walk around the town, everyone would wave, ask each other how they were doing, or even do something as simple as honk their horn when they drove by. This made Guadalupe feel like one large family where everyone was there to support one another. After lunch, we got to learn how to do traditional Panamanian dancing. We got to wear their traditional skirts and were shown how to do the dances by some of the kids we had during the camp earlier that day. It was cool to see how dancing was such an important part of their culture and how much experience even the young members of the town had because in the United States we don't really have any traditional dances that are important to our culture. Throughout these activities I got to see how culture is woven into their everyday lives and the importance it has in the whole community.