Relationships with the host family
At first, my first host family called my volunteer to tell him they could no longer host me, so he, along with other family members—my grandfather and grandmother—decided to keep me for the entire year. From the very beginning, I got along very well with everyone because they are open-minded people, and I can talk freely about any problem. I also have no issues with other family members who don’t live in the house.
Relationships with the host community and friends
When I arrived, people who saw me were happy to meet me and always asked me many questions, although I could only answer a few since I couldn’t speak much. I got to know not only local kids whom I can talk to and sometimes hang out with but also adults whom I chat with when I see them around.
My school performance, both from the point of view of profit and in regard to interpersonal relationships (with classmates and teachers)
At first, my brother (who is also my volunteer) told me that the school principal had some prejudices against me because of previous exchange students. Despite this, I was welcomed very well by both my teachers and classmates. All the teachers treat me very well, and I speak freely with each of them. I also met other staff members with whom I built a good relationship. I always got along well with my classmates because they have always tried to include me even when I didn’t understand much. Regarding academic performance, I do homework and tests like all other students and always try to do my best.
My leisure time
In my free time, I generally try to bond more and more with my family: I help my grandmother cook or spend some afternoons talking with her about anything, or I help my grandfather with chores around the house or talk about history with him since he likes it a lot. However, I believe the best relationship I’ve built is with my brother because I do many things with him: I help him cook dinner, talk with him about anything, go for walks, or watch movies together.
The things that particularly impressed me in this country (both positive and negative)
One negative thing that struck me is the high level of pollution (and other related problems such as the lack of recycling and sewage that flows into the river or sea) because the places I have visited are really beautiful, but they get ruined this way.
A positive peculiarity is that when you walk down the street, everyone always greets each other. I remember when I went out with my friends and a lady said to us: “God bless you.”
3 words that describe my experience so far (explain why I chose it)
- Adaptation. In a country like Panama, there can be various problems related to the climate: when it rains a lot, the water supply is cut off, making it a bit difficult to do most things like cooking or washing. Also, you have to do homework that you don’t have in Italy, plus people treat you somewhat like a child until you turn 18.
- Unity. The family is very close: every time I go out, they tell me to be careful even though they know I’ll be back soon. As soon as I return from school, I hug my grandmother and greet everyone, and when I get up in the morning to have breakfast, we ask each other how we slept. Most things are done together with the family.
- Sociability. People, regardless of their age, always talk to you—from my brother to people you meet on the street and see for only a few minutes.
Anecdotes/Open Commentary
Panama is a very beautiful country, but like all others, it has its problems, big or small. However, this doesn’t mean you should have certain prejudices, as they can influence how you see things.
