Branching Out the Isthmus

Last week I had another adventure. Some guys came in from the United States to do a tour through the interior of Panama, playing and teaching, and they invited me to join them. This meant that when I returned from Taboga, I would be swept away to rehearsals all week. We rehearsed for hours each day and then hung out together in the evenings, having dinner and good times. I didn’t know at the start what an adventure we would have together but I now have three new friends that are going to be friends for life. Thank you for the great week Mario, Josue, Luis, and the best boss ever, Isaac. 

On Wednesday, Isaac and I met with the Ministry of Arts and Culture to talk about funding for the program. The meeting went really well and the Director came to visit the project to see what we were all about. When he arrived, I was teaching a group brass class, and when he left I was teaching a private cello lesson. He was very impressed with what we had so I hope that means the foundation will get funding! My fingers are crossed!

Thursday we left to start our mini-tour. Our first stop was Natá where we taught master classes at the library and then went back to the house we were staying at to get ready for the concert we were going to give later that evening. The concert went really well. The youth orchestra for the town played a couple songs for us first and then we played the concert for them. We played in the old church which was really beautiful. At the front of the church there was a huge hole in the floor because they had just recently discovered a tomb under the church and had decided to excavate it. I did not get the whole story behind it though- some things are still lost in translation. The concert was quite long and we decided to cut some pieces after intermission. It was exceptionally hot in the church. They had all of the doors closed so there was no breeze and, of course, no air conditioning. By the end of the concert, we were all drenched in sweat. Then when we got back to our house, I discovered that the shower did not have running water. We had to fill up a bucket with a hose and use that water to take a shower. Another eye opening experience. Needless to say, I chickened out and decided to wait until the next stop of the tour to take a shower.

Then we went to dinner at a small restaurant. I ate a pan fried fish plate with platanos and a salad. It was delicious. The restaurant was a very interesting place because the owner is a painter and the walls were full of his work. It is actually a great idea-have a restaurant and sell your paintings at the same venue. Free gallery and free decorations. Naturally, I bought a painting that I was staring at all through dinner.

When we left, the entire town was dead. It was a ghost town—no one home. Then we heard some salsa music in the distance and decided to go check it out. Right by the new church, there was a town party going on. The venue was a fenced off area with barbed wire at the top of the fence. There was a bouncer at the entrance charging a $5 entrance fee and right inside the fence, small vendors under tents were selling Balboa beer and Bud Light. There was live salsa music and everyone was on the dance floor. When the song was over, everyone exited the dance floor, drenched in sweat from being in such close proximity to one another, and went to one of the vendors lining the fence to drink a beer. Everyone went, including the musicians which meant that some people outside of the fence turned their fantastic stereos on in their beat up cars and started blasting reggaeton. When the beers were finished, everyone made their way back to the dance floor for the next song. Meanwhile, outside of the fence, street vendors were grilling some kind of meat on makeshift grills made out of cans and the slatted grill tops and stray dogs wandered around looking for scraps of food, hoping to get lucky with all of the drunk dancers. It was an amazing cultural experience.

The next morning we made our way to Santiago. When we arrived, I taught a two hour master class to a group of beginner to intermediate violin students with Josue's help. We played some songs and then I taught them my Spanish version of “Naughty Kitty Cat”—“Gatito malo”. We played games and the kids seemed to have a really great time. After lunch I taught another class to students from a different local area and did pretty much the same master class again. The students loved it! It made my day to see them really enjoying playing music. Later we went to dinner at a Lebanese place that served burgers, pizza, spaghetti, gyros, enchiladas—everything but rice pilaf. Then we played a small concert for the board members of the youth orchestra of Santiago.

The next morning we hit the road again and went to Boquete. This place was a dream land up in the mountains. There were so many beautiful plants and flowers. This is the place where they grow very special and delicious coffee. The hotel we stayed at was beautiful. I was in awe the entire stay. We played at a very nice library as a thank you concert to the owner of the library for donating to the foundation. This was the best concert we played yet. In Boquete, there are many North Americans and so everyone speaks English and Spanish, except for some of the North Americans, sometimes they only speak English. It was nice to hear English in passing though. Besides that, the weather up there is also fantastic. It is only 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and at night you can enjoy sleeping under a light blanket. So nice!

The next morning we had breakfast with the owner of the hotel. She invited me to come visit anytime. Then went to see some coffee shops and a nice house up on the mountain. Please see the pictures of the house. It was absolutely amazing. There are no words to describe what I saw.

Then our tour was over and we headed back to the city. It took us eight hours to get back and when we finally got out of the car in Panama City, we were met with the trademark hot and humid air. I was ready to get back in the car and go back to the mountains. But it is nice to be back to the familiarity of the city and my regular students.  

Everywhere we went, it became more and more evident how important it is for me to be here. I am here to not only help the students here in the city but also to help promote music education throughout the entire country. Everywhere I went, I became a sort of celebrity. Every place wanted me to come work for them. I may even return to Natá to give monthly master classes to the violin students. I really hope to go see Boquete again before I leave.

This was such an amazing experience. I hope to tour again someday. 

To see more pictures of Natá and Santiago, and Boquete please see the pictures pages to the right.

The Island by the Isthmus: A Trip to Taboga

After a long week of working and planning, we had a federal holiday today for the Panama Canal's 100th birthday so, to relax, I tagged along to visit an island off the Pacific coast called Taboga. I woke up at 5:30 am to finish packing and met my ride at 6:30 am. Then we drove to the pier and bought tickets for the boat to Taboga. The line was very long so it was quite a wait, but it made the journey an adventure. Luckily it has been a beautiful day, so other than being extremely hot, it has been very nice. The boat ride was very fun. I listed to the Lumineers as I watched the horizon to prevent sea sickness. By the way, the horizon here is gorgeous— peppered with little islands and boats of all sizes. The air smelled liked the sea and there were fork-tailed sea birds flying overhead. Where I was sitting in the boat I could see the bow and was able to go up front to take pictures and enjoy the wind in my face.

When we arrived on the island, the military security guys had their dogs come smell all of our bags. The dog almost stopped at my bag but, luckily, he kept walking—fwew! The island is very beautiful. The houses here are all so colorful. It reminds me of Greece, I guess, but if the houses were pink, orange, blue, red, yellow and coral colored. The streets are lined with pentas, vinca, and bougainvillea and there is another unknown flower that has a great scent. Every house has one out front so walking through the streets is like walking through a fragrant flower garden. Meanwhile, salsa music fills the air and dogs and cats scamper about as you pass.

My friend’s beach house is by the church on the island, and only a very short walk to the beach. So naturally, after we got settled in, I put on my swim suit, grabbed my towel, and hoofed it to the beach. It was not very crowded and I met with a friend of mine from the office of the foundation. We talked and enjoyed the sun. The water was clear and cold—very refreshing. I even got goose bumps at first! I fell asleep in the sun for an hour or so and probably got enough sun for today… my poor nose. Hopefully it will turn into a tan by tomorrow. If nothing else, I will have a great tan when I come back in December.

The sand on the beach is kind of coarse and right by the edge of the water there are little sea shell parts. But they are not super sharp so you can still enjoy digging your toes into the sand. The sea birds were circling above us and some dogs were running around and jumping into the water, playing with the beach goers. Island life is the life for these dogs. The water is mostly clear but there are some things floating in it like coconuts, tree parts, seeds, and a little trash on the side of the beach that faces the mainland. But I saw all kinds of fish swimming under my feet and around my legs. It was pretty magical.

When I came back, I went to wash the sand off of my feet at the back of the house and I met a new friend. A rooster. They have been cockadoodle-doing all afternoon. I imagine I will have a pretty early morning wake-up call tomorrow. Panama never ceases to amaze me. Everywhere I go I see strange things. I am still overwhelmed every time I leave my house but I am sure I will get used to it eventually.

I went back to the beach after some lunch and a little out-of-sun relaxation in a hammock. Since the sun was going down and a storm was brewing off the mainland, it was much cooler out this time. I went to a different beach this time and I have decided to name this one "Treasure Beach" because combing for shells turned up all kinds of treasures. After a while, I went back to the other beach. Everyone that was there before had left and the tide was coming in. There was a dog raiding a trash can and the birds had taken up their positions scouring the waves for fish caught in the tide. This beach is called La Restinga because during high tide, the two seas touch over the isthmus. Of course, I stood right in the middle as the tide came in. Another magical moment on the island... 

After helping some ladies pitch a tent, I went back to the water and enjoyed the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. Tonight promises a delicious Panamanian dinner and maybe some margaritas at a local place afterward. 

I will probably hit the beach again tomorrow morning before we head back to the mainland and my magical little vacation is over. But for now, I am enjoying the island life. 

 View of the Island from the mainland as we were driving to the pier. 

 The boat that would take me away to a magical island called Taboga. 

 Some views from the boat deck.

 More views. 

 Bye-bye mainland!

 One of the many boats in the bay waiting to go through the canal. I wonder where these boats have been before and where they are going next...(after the canal, of course.)

 Half way there!

 Three-quarters of the way there!

 Hola Taboga!

 Hola playa! The beach was ready for us to come hang out in the sun. 

 The church on the island. Very beautiful. I wonder what it looks like on the inside. 

 Hi there Treasure Beach, though when I took this picture I did not know what the evening would bring.

 Such a beautiful island!

My little friend that will wake me up in the morning. 

 A doggy playing in ocean. He was chasing the birds into the sea. 

My haul from Treasure Beach. I had so much to choose from... there was even a car bumper further up the beach....  

La Restinga- I found another isthmus! 

 A cool hotel view from the beach. 

 All of my birdie friends hoping to get the catch of the day with the high tide. 

 A storms a brewin'

 I'm creating an isthmus!!!

 This is so cool!!!

Call me Gand-jessi. Isthmus created. 

How to build an Isthmus

On Saturday, I completed my first week of teaching in Panama. It just so happens that there is a lot more that goes into making an isthmus of music than you would think. The foundation I work for is trying to recruit more students and raise money. But in order to raise money we need to make a product, which for us, is creating musicians. In order for the public to see all of the good we are doing, we have to have recitals and concerts. In order to have concerts, we have to teach the students how to play and give them music. For this, we need teachers. (Is this starting to sound like If You Give a Moose a Cookie yet?) Luckily we have teachers, but in order to keep them we need to be able to pay them and for that, we need money. Back to square one.

All of the cookies aside, this is definitely turning out to be a fantastic adventure. This last week I taught a trombone lesson, a couple violin lessons, a basic theory and recorder lesson, and I was able to help teachers with new ideas. I also came up with a lesson template (in Spanish) and reworked the weekly schedule. It has been a busy week but I can see why this foundation is such an important thing for this country. It is giving students the opportunity to learn how to do something with their hands that teaches them the importance of community, working together, and mostly, working hard to accomplish your goals.

I impressed the teachers and the students with my knowledge and ability to play many instruments from every family. I think I ignited a new hope for many of the students-many of them want to play more than one instrument and now I am a part of an opportunity for them to learn an instrument well and develop good practice techniques so that they can go to college-maybe even come to the United States. By opening the door to the possibilities that LSU offers, the students can see some of the benefits of coming to the States to study. They can then take all of their new knowledge and come back to make their country even better.

Here are some pictures from the foundation on Saturday. These kids are amazing. They really want to learn and it makes my job much easier. I look forward to creating activities and lessons to make this learning opportunity really fun for them. Starting this week, I will be teaching trombone, violin, orchestra, string sectionals, percussion and percussion ensemble, and anything else the foundation needs me to teach. I will also be helping the teachers come up with activities for their own classes. I am very excited for the opportunity to be creative in my teaching.

This is the basic theory and recorder class with Professor Ceballos. 

In this picture, Maestro Flores is working with the second violins and the violas on a song called Brazil for the final concert in December. These kiddos feel complex rhythms in their bodies already after having grown up surrounded by salsa and other complex Latin American rhythms.

Here is the all-star brass section of the orchestra. This weekend the orchestra was a bit small because there was something going on at some of the schools in the area. 

Maestro Flores plays Clarinet and Flute and directs the orchestra. He is a very talented musician and a great teacher!

Even though the kids feel the complex rhythms, syncopation is still hard sometimes, as is counting through long notes! Even Panamanians have to count!

The orchestra and I showing off our Tiger Pride! Geaux LSU!

Journey to Panama

On Monday, I started my journey to Panama. I have to admit—I was kind of a nervous wreck traveling by myself. The fact that I was leaving everything behind also hit me like a lead balloon right as I got to the airport, but after a quick pep talk with myself, I was excited to be going again.

The plane I rode on to San Salvador, my connection, was quite tiny as far as international planes go. At least for my experience, but then again, I have only taken planes to Europe, so there you go. Eye opener number one. The flight was good. We only hit turbulence right when they were handing out the on flight meal—of course. The layover in San Salvador was ok. I was worried that I was not going to make my connecting flight until I realized that El Salvador is an hour behind central time. Then everything was ok. Fwew! I could use the bathroom after all—though I was very glad I had my Chlorox wipes handy for that expereince... The airport was a bit hot and stuffy but not unbearable. This is definitely something I will have to get used to. I have not been silver spoon fed necessarily, but I have always had air conditioning. I am so spoiled!

I arrived very late and was very tired, but there were many things to see. Panamanian supermarkets are open 24 hours so I was able to get a big bottle of water right when I landed in the middle of the night. 

I am staying at a house instead of at the nunnery, like originally planned. It is nice though. I have my own room and bathroom and my very own fan to combat the heat. I do not have air conditioning, which seems to be a theme for residences and many stores, and the weirdest thing is not having any hot water. Before three days ago, I do not think I have ever taken a truly cold shower. I think it was the fastest shower I have ever taken… hacía frío!

I am now all settled in at my housing and at my job. I definitely have a lot of work to do but it's a good thing. It is keeping me busy for sure. I have also already been given a contact for an equestrian trainer here. I am going to try to meet him this weekend to talk about lesson possibilities. 

Here are some pictures. Panama is a beautiful place and very different from any other place that I have been. This is going to be such a good experience!

When I arrived in the middle of the night, we stopped at a supermarket (which are open 24 hours here) and I got a giant bottle of water for 69 cents. This is what was behind the market. Pretty cool!

My bedroom. I now have a fan which is a super life saver. J Also, I am a little tall for my bed. I guess I am tall here, I am taller or as tall as most of the men here. LOL

My blue bathroom. No hot water here- eek! Cold showers are going to take some getting used to.

The living area. I sit at the table there to do work on the computer.

Kitchen. Gas stove is very nice J

My front porch.

I work in the red and cream house on the left. This is in Casco Antigua which is the antique town or the old town. It is a very beautiful place (when you are looking in this direction-the other way is kind of a rougher part of town, but they are renovating it)

The house that I live at J It is very cute and close to everything I need.

My first Panamanian Dinner- Meat, rice, beans and potato salad- a very typical dinner here.

View of the City on the way to work.

A street market on the way to work.

My first grocery shopping trip in Panama!