Time, Interviews and Rain. (Tuesday)

Tuesday was totally different because I was not teaching.  We started the day eating at the market - a simple but yummy meal.  Plus there was a fruit stall nearby where we could stock up on yummies.

I had a number of errands to do - for myself and for others on the team, and since I was the one who was free, I had a chance to go do them and explore David a bit.

First, I had to go to renew my data plan so it wouldn't lapse.  Sanchez (our driver) helped me find the mail center for +Movil ("MasMovil") my carrier.  I had to get a number from this interesting display

and then wait.  And wait.  And wait. Finally, my number was called and I found out that to add money to my data plan I first had to buy regular cell phone time, and then pay for the data from that.  

The process was as follows:

1.  Add prepaid time to phone --> Press *166# [code on the card] # Send/Call (depending on the phone)

I had to add $15 USD - so I had to do this twice - once for a $5 card and another time for the $10 card - no such thing as a $15 card, even though this is the standard rate for data)

2.  Now, move money to data plan --> Press *456# Send/Call

3.  A menu comes up with Blackberry (1) or Other (2) - choose 2 then click "Reply" in the upper right hand corner of the screen.

4. Another menu comes up - choose the length of time for the data (30 days) --> Reply" in upper right hand corner

5.  Another menu comes up - discrete purchase (1) or ongoing/continuous (2) - choose 2 and click "Reply" in the upper right hand corner one last time.

!*%#!

Fellow HCI'ers and others, tell me - is this an intuitive process?  I was mighty glad to have someone who could explain this in English while doing it.  I now have it safely documented in my purple book!

Next was the Farmacia for a friend, and then the fun part, a quest for beads.  Unfortunately, almost all of the beads available in Panama are plastic - this is true in Panama City as well - so I had to try several places, but finally, upstairs in a "Sederia" (a store that sells many things - for parties, for crafts, etc.) I found a few (and I mean a very few) stone and glass beads for new necklaces - this time for Maritza and for Sanchez's wife.  Plus some taiga beads - I haven't seen these before so I stocked up.

Back to UTP we sped.  Once I got there, I found out that there were 2 Ngobe-Bugle people - one a student and one a gardener on staff - who were available to meet with to interview.  This was intended to help add context to the research that Aris and Lydia are doing.  We were saddened to find out that they were pretty much assimilated into mainstream Panamanian culture, speaking Spanish in the home, being out of touch with migration patterns, and such.  I totally understand this.  After all, the Ngobe-Bugle are an indigenous peoples who have been marginalized and relegated to remote impoverished places in the Comarcha - a sort of reservation.  But it is also kind of sad to see the loss of their language and culture.  It also underlines the need to actually spend time in those remote areas and to work closely with people who can help us understand what is happening, and also who can help us find culturally appropriate ways to co-design if technology proves to be a useful tool to help provide access, learning, and healthcare.  If.  IF.

And then, the skies opened. Lightening flashed followed almost immediately by loud, booming thunder.

And rain.

Lots and lots and lots of rain.  The torrents were so loud they drowned out conversation.  And almost immediately, they filled the drains and flowed like rapid rivers through campus.

How to get home?  Even with an umbrella, in this downpour of epic proportions, there was no way we were going to get into the Dean-mobile without getting drenched.

Or was there?

Brilliant Sanchez to the rescue!  He had found a place to park under an awning that covered the entire van!  Yes, there was a huge, deep puddle on one side, but the other was only a little puddle (amazing given the downpour) and one by one, we were able to get into the van basically dry - OK, a bit damp around the edges, but basically dry.

Whew!

We wondered if it would be possible to rive, but that was selling Sanchez short.  He negotiated the roads, puddles and all, like the champion driver that he is.

We sped through the night as the rain abated, past villages and schools and homes.

And dogs.  Lots and lots of dogs.  Many were asleep in the now-dry road.  Others were walking nonchalantly across the street, seemingly blissfully unaware of the hurtling van.  Sanchez had his hands full avoiding them all, as the rest of us gasped and applauded his skill.

On through the night we traveled and finally, we reached Santiago, our resting place for the night.

 
And for dinner?  Why, sanchoce of course.

Monday en Español!

It takes a good breakfast to fuel up for the day and ours was great.          

Then we hurried over to the first Regional Center of this visit.  I should explain.  The whole reason we are on this journey is because the Deans and their team must conduct an audit of 3 of the Regional Centers (Chiriqui in David, Veraguas in Santiago, and Azuero in Los Santos) for accreditation.  I am along to teach about UX in each location.

In Spanish (en Español)  <gulp!>

So this morning, off we went to the Regional Center in David.

First we met with the head of the center and decamped in his office for the next 2 days.  The team used the space to conduct interviews and meetings.  He had all kinds of interesting things in his space.  On the walls were photos, paintings and a colorful swag of souvenirs.  On his desk was a display case with many different types of currencies - many of them quite old.  It was a lively and colorful office and I immediately liked him!  It was just the kind of office I used to have and, although some would say it was cluttered, to me, it represented a life well lived and enjoyed greatly.  I imagine that each of these things has a story.  Just like life I suppose.

Meanwhile, across the hall, I was teaching. En Español!  OK, so it was broken at many times and there were many errors, and there was help when necessary (I even asked the students/professors to correct me and to feed me words - which they did with gusto), but I DID IT!  Yes, the afternoon session with the students went more smoothly than the morning one with the professors, but I actually managed to communicate, tell stories and even a joke or who - all in Spanish - in both classes!

And, as it turns out, it was also the third "El Dia de Las Trenzas" - Braid day!  El Dia de Las Trenzas is celebrated the third Monday of the year as part of Black Culture month  Some years ago, braids were banned in schools, because they were deemed inappropriate for school by the Minister of Education.  There was widespread discontent, especially in the Afro-Panamanian community was much anger about the ruling.  They launched a campaign to disobey the ruling by sending their children to school with braids.  Eventually, the Minister of Education had to acquiesce.   

Needless to day, after such a day as this, I was exhausted.  I almost skipped dinner but was glad I didn't.  Our whole table ordered the wonderful Panamanian soup,  Sancoche.  Rich chicken broth with pieces of chicken and vegetables with rice on the side.  The perfect "comfort food" to cap such an exciting and exhausting day!  So we were off to bed immediately thereafter.  And I was so tired that I was asleep almost before I made it to bed.

A Very Long Journey (Sunday)

It didn't help that I was up at 5:30 am - not after last night's late bedtime (2 am)

But it didn't seem to hurt all that much either.

I packed and did all those last-minute things one must attend to prior to leaving (except there's no mail here to stop).  And then, shortly before Geralis was due to pick me up, the heavens opened, rent by lightning and booming with thunder and raining so hard I couldn't see out past my own balcony rail.  It was impressive in a kinda scary sort of way.

Luckily, the rain abated at least somewhat by the time she arrived, and we got over to UTP quickly.  The "Dean-mobile" (a small van) awaited us.  We straggled in, and then loaded up to leave.  We had planned to get off by 2 pm but it was almost 3 before we hit the road.  We picked up Eucleades - it was still pouring rain - and then set off.

Slowly, as we progressed to the West, the rain calmed, turned into sprinkles and then stopped altogether.  By now, I know this road fairly well.  It's my 3rd time on it and I am starting to know when to look for things.

 As usual, we stopped in Santiago to refuel (ourselves and the car)  I had Arroz Combination - rice with chicken, ham, and pork - and it was terrific (though copious).  After Santiago, we took a new road to avoid the road works on the main Pan American Highway.  I wish it had been light for it, but it was interesting nonetheless.  Shortly after I mentioned that we would have to be watching for deer were we in Minnesota, there was a plethora of dogs in the road.  I haven't seen any other dogs here - but now, it seemed like every dog in the country was hanging out in the road ahead of us.  We joked that maybe the sign with the cow on it was really a sign with a dog.

The road twisted and turned and rose and fell all the way to the border control checkpoint.  There, we re-joined the Pan American Highway and bumped our way into David.  There was, predictably, a lot of truck traffic making it hard to pass, which made it seem like David was teasing us.  "Come closer," it beckoned, but then there was yet another truck in front of us or, just as it seemed like it would be OK to pass, a truck coming toward us.

And then, seemingly suddenly, we were in David.  Elba and I are sharing a room, and it's safe to say that we were in bed almost immediately.

Early morning tomorrow.  And many miles gone before we could sleep.