Bee's 3 Step Guide to Going Abroad: LIVE!

Step 3---You made it! And so...

First thing’s first. There is a good ol' saying from Sierra Leone, that the people always tell the JCs ( a term for newly arrived visitors, especially those Sierra Leone natives living abroad). They say "Nah for put u rights nah u pocket." In translation, put your rights in your pocket. In translation again, forget about all them rights and rules and essentially all the order that you know to exist in the western world. It’s a serious thing, though, we laugh at it. But it is one thing I recommend for travelers. It speaks to the ability to adapt to your local environment. This will help you stay calm and not become frustrated in certain situations. Take it easy, take the country for what it is, try hard not to compare it to what you know and you will be able to get the best experience out of it. Do I like brushing my buttocks against passengers as I squeeze to through the cramped aisles to find a seat? No. Do I look forward enduring the odor of someone’s long day of hard work? Um, not exactly. But do I like paying only .25 cents to get somewhere?  Um, yes. $3.00 to the beach. Um, yes. So I take it for what it is and sacrifice. Learn how to do this and you are half way to having a blast! And truly delving into what the country has to offer.

-Check into a hostel, couch-surf, or stay with a friend in town. Some people look for places to live before hand. I would recommend crashing somewhere until you are hired or have established an area that you want to be in. You should get a feel for the country and decide where you could see yourself living. I stayed at a nice hostel in the older section of Panama City upon arrival. And I am actually planning to move back there in a few weeks.

-Once you arrive, ask where you can get a small/cheap cell phone with a local number. This should be done almost immediately.

-Once you get yourself a number, add your new local number to your cover letter and resume and then re-send your cover letter/resume to your list of school contacts. Watch the magic happen!

-Ask about ways to get around and start checking out the locations of these language schools. Get some copies of your package printed and then hand deliver them to schools/businesses. This shows that you are serious and the reality is that down here and in other parts of the world it is highly likely that you will not get a response via email. I won’t even begin to go in to the many reasons as to why non-response should be expected. #aintnobodygottimeforthat

-Be patient. Again. And Again.

-Go out. Meet people. Network. Tell them what you are doing. Indulge the people who will spend minutes and minutes talking to you you about how they are investing in some weird project and even the people who say they have been traveling for 7 months and are just passing through. Just indulge them. You might learn a thing or to, or find someone with whom you share similar interested. And besides, you never know what connects they might have.

-Don't be usin’ all your money juuuuuust yet. (Yes, I said it like that. It was appropriate)

-Make a list of things/experiences you want to have while in country.

Deep Ish:

Make a list of what you didn’t come here to do. And every time you find yourself trippin' look back at that list.

For me, I didn’t come to panama to work excessively, to be stressed, to have that day-to-day stress of office job-ness and I didn’t come here to drive. I came here to walk as much as I could and be driven. I also came here to write more, live more, and self-reflect about how to build my future.

And so far, I have done those things. I’ll be honest and say that I do get stressed, but it’s a different kind of stressed than when I was in the States. I have had a lot of time to do just those things. However, I am almost ready for what’s next. Stay tuned.

But in the mean time, start your own journey.

Get back to Y.O.U. (Your Own Unfulfilled dreams)

Just G.O (Get Out!)

And

LIVE!

The 'La Negra' Experience: Part 1

Well, I am L-I-V-E in Panama and who would have thought, that my being black would actually be a thing? I imagined that, since there are obviously people here of African descent, my presence would go almost unnoticed---not.

Lol. A task as simple as walking to the go grocery store for me is met with hollering matches between construction workers, taxi drivers, and quite frankly almost any guy that’s on the street. Yeah, I know what you are thinking---I’m an international showstopper...jk.  But this show stoppin’ deserves analysis. Here, I am called 'La Negra,' which literally means the black girl/woman, black and feminine. Sometimes I get 'morena,' which is brown girl. To-may-to, to-mah-to.

I will say that I was prepared for the 'la negra' experience because it happened to me in Spain and my host mom explained to me that it was a term of endearment. Call it what you want, but I still have some reservations about the deeper meaning of being objectified by your skin color AND womanhood. But, I am in another country and I have always despised when people complain about a country they are visiting. I will live this experience and use it to my advantage by writing about it.

On two separate occasions, I have felt extremely uncomfortable with taxi drivers because one kept purring over how beautiful my skin was and the other kept explaining how much he loved my skin color. The last one even went as far as rubbing his head on my arm…errr?

Yes, people will say that it’s normal here for women of afro-descent to be referred to as ‘negra’ or even ‘morena.’ Yet, I find it peculiar that I have to be referred to as ‘la negra.’ Yes, in the Spanish language they often refer to people as exactly what they are in a sweet (?) way. They might call a cute, chubby little girl, ‘gordita’ or a cute, black little girl, ‘negrita.’ They even call the people from East Asian countries here, ‘chino,’ #straightlikethat. But even in a place where there are others who look juuuuuust like me, my skin is still made to be something exotic.  Something tells me that there is more to this. I have a couple of theories; we will delve into them later on in the journey.

All this to say that, while I expected that my seemingly African looks would stand out a bit from time to time, I didn’t expect the rave reviews that I am receiving from men and women alike. With the men, it is as though I am a forbidden fruit. Or rather, the forbidden race, whether they look like me or lighter. With the women, I can't exactly read all of them, but I have noticed a sense of disapproval/ridicule based on their facial expressions/body language. I am just assuming that it may because of the way I wear my hair, (haven’t seen anyone with natural hair here) or wrap my head when I don’t feel like engaging in a war entitled Hair vs. Comb. One day as I enjoyed my Saturday ritual of ceviche de langostinos* at the Mercado de Mariscos*, a woman asked me why I didn’t perm my hair...that my hairstyle must be an "estilo africano*." She really meant no harm, I guess. The way I look, the way I dress [some days], my style, jewelry, and even that dramatic (but natural) walk that people love to hate... it screams culture...it screams...black...it screams Africa...and I am beginning to think that some folks here, just aren’t ready to open up their ears and hear my silent audio. We shall see…

This topic is one that we will revisit at various times throughout the journey, as I am sure that it will come up pretty often. So don’t worry. Race, culture, travel, and perception--- it’s only right. 

*Ceviche made with Jumbo Shrimp or Prawns

*Seafood Market

*African Style

Up next: Hopping the border to Costa Rica...buckle your seat belts. Yes, it's the law, even here on Bee's Backseat :) Stay tuned for the Carnaval experience!