Las Lajas Beach

As our summer in Panama is winding down and the hectic, busy part is behind us- the TESOL class, it is time to again relax and check up on our family blog. We promised ourselves when we finished the class, we would have a big celebration and head to the beach for a few days. Las Lajas is about 1 1/2 hours southeast of Boquete and off the Pacific Ocean. We stayed at the Las Lajas beach resort. We arrived on a Wednesday and left on a Friday and we never left the resort.

View from the beach

Closer view of the resort. Yes, it had a pool too and a restaurant. The pole on the right is a shower.

While we were at Las Lajas we spent our time sleeping, relaxing, eating, and sleeping some more.

The hammock is right outside our room.

We also spent our time swimming in the pool,

Walking on the beach.

And playing in the ocean.

Or just chatting.

Or just siting and marveling at God's creation.

We had to be careful when we walked the beach because the change from low tide to high tide.

Beach at low tide

Boat at medium tide.

Boat at high tide.

This was a prawn in my seafood soup that still had it's head with antennas still on.

Ahna's claim is that she ate a hamburger at what ever place we spent the night.

We had a great time, and can not wait for the opportunity to get back to the ocean again.

Our Date

The TESOL class is over and we have time again to relax, check up on some sleep and some blogging. one of the Saturdays during the 3 week class Shelley and  I took a well deserved date. Shelley's parents dropped us off in downtown Boquete and we spent our time leisurely walking around, browsing tiendas, and enjoying the views, and the weather. 

Shelley's favorite view. On the bridge going to BCP.

We stopped for lunch at a típico; which is a restaurant that serves typical Panamanian food. I am still not sure of all the kinds of food they have there because they only speak Spanish and the waitress will usually give you only two choice. For our date it was pescado frito or pollo. The plate comes with a meat, salad, bean, and rice with a slice of fried plantain. The plate only costs $2.75 per person.

Shelley out in front of Oasis Inn. Where we stayed when we had no water.

A Saturday street market by parque central. 

Wednesday we off to Las Lajas for a well deserved celebration in finishing the class!

First Day of Teaching

The day finally came! Monday we needed to put our theory and schooling into  practice.  On Monday Shelley, I and Shelley's dad Dan, went into a local public school and taught our lesson in a 2nd grade class! We went in the prior week to meet the class before our lesson, but there was no class because the teacher was sick. In America, if the teacher is sick, a sub comes in. In Panama schools, or at least in Boquete, if the teacher is sick- there is no subs and so there is no class and the students in that particular classroom stay home. We were hoping to meet the students before we teach and assess their level of English if any so we could adjust our lesson accordingly- but did not happen. Our lesson was on introducing the English language by introducing 7 African animals- their colors and what they eat. 

I(Dan) started out the lesson by leading the student on a hunt- I had them find the pictures around the room by saying their name, describing them and yes- pretending to be that animal.  And, somehow I did it without getting the class too wound up. (just barely, says wife Shelley =) )

The most challenging part was how to manage the classroom with student who do not speak English. After trying different things, gesturing, modeling expected behavior, and praising students who were displaying expected behavior worked the best.

And  I am up! after Dan, I Shelley, got to follow the safari with labeling and modeling proper pronunciation of the name of the animals for the students and asking them to repeat it, then after that was done, we got to the colors of the animals..It was awesome and challenging.  We were all on a high that lasted well into the evening, and then we totally crashed. and slept really well!

Here I am trying to explain that a Zebra has stripes.

recapping the names and pronunciation

Here is Dad telling the kids what the animals ate... what expression! He was great!

Here is an adorable student telling Dad that Monkeys eat banana's

Dad, calling on a student!

Overall, it was a wonderful time and we head back there Wednesday morning for a followup lesson.. the kids were amazing and did have a little English.  We all got tons of hugs as we were departing.  So incredible for our first time teaching.

Las Olas

We finally get a break! After the first week of ESL classes all of us headed to Las Olas beach for a the day! A much needed break! Las Olas is 30 minutes south of David and is a beach right on the ocean! It is our first time at the ocean in a long time! We accessed the beach from the Las Olas Beach Resort the only requirement is we had to eat lunch there.

The resort had a pool of turtles and a parrot and toucan in cages.

While we are waiting for the food..... time for the beach!

And after a wonderful lunch, it is back to the beach!!

All right!! This is what I like!!

Finally Daddy, this is the beach I wanted!

We also played in the water, and jumped in the waves. We could not spend a long time in the water because a storm came in and the waves got too big. I wish I had a surf board, and knew how to surf! When the ESL class is over we are spending the weekend at Las Lajas!!!  

ESL Class

We are almost at the end of the 2nd week of the 3 week ESL class; all I can say is- WOW! To be in a classroom as a student again is amazing and hard!  It is full of amazing discovery and surprises.  Discovery of what people see in me, Shelley,  a teacher.  I also am surprised that I am enjoying myself, but I am not enjoying the  classwork and homework; the learning of material is so foreign to me.

The 3 of us discussing classwork.

Dan is really loving it and it is amazing to watch him in his element! He is a very gifted and talented teacher.  We had to do our first lesson plan 2 days ago, and for Dan it was no sweat!!!.... got it done... Myself, a very different story... lets just say if mamma ain't happy (or stress) everyone knows it!  I had to apologize the next day for my ickiness!  It was not pretty-but out of that, I got some tremendous feedback. I taught my first class! YIKES! and was successful!  The teacher said that it looked like a very natural class and that I did a good job! My stress level immediately went down and my confidence grew by leaps and bounds.

The camaraderie between myself, Dan and my Dad has been so great! It is so fun to be learning the same thing and exchange ideas and talk about syntax and methodology!  Who knew that these words even existed! LOL...

Tomorrow we head over to the public school to get ourselves familiar with the school and meet some students, and then I teach my second class.....

I am learning so much about myself, about our family and how much fun we have together, and how we are interacting with Nana and Papa for an extended period of time.

On an entirely different note... we have been in Boquete an entire month and here are some of our discoveries... some good and some well... I will let you decide:

1. Eggs and milk are not refrigerated here
2. The jumbo sizes we find so readily in the states are not found here(unless you go to David and shop at Pricesmart-which is just like Sams Club.)
4. They don't use reusable water bottles or reusable coffee cups here.
5. Hot peppers don't exist.. most peppers here are sweet (poor Dan)
6. Grocery shopping is a scavenger hunt most times, our biggest grocery store here has 4 aisles
7. You can buy most produce and fish off the back of a truck, and it is good!
8.  A lot of produce is organic without the organic price... bought 2 heads of organic lettuce for a buck, a buck for a pineapple, and 12 banana's for a dollar.  Overall we have eaten very well here, and have lost weight!
9. Our gym membership is 25 bucks for a month! Woohoo!!!!! Hopefully when the class is over, we can workout again.