Panama Pitfalls
Erin Gonzales, M’12
I spent the summer in Panama as part of the Tufts Global Health scholarship program. It was a wonderful summer with interesting clinical experiences, welcoming and kind host families, and many trips to various tropical beaches. There were, however, a few things that took some getting used to: the cockroaches, cold showers, and catcalls.
Within minutes of arriving at my host family’s home, I opened my dresser drawer only to find a huge cockroach was already occupying it. After that, my encounters with cockroaches were a weekly, if not daily occurrence. Perhaps the most memorable one was when a cockroach flew over my head, and I let out a high-pitched shriek loud enough to wake my 84-year-old host dad, Papa Pablo, sleeping in the next room. I chased the airborne monster around the room with a can of Raid, and emerged victorious over my unwelcome roommate.
The cold showers were the easiest to conquer. It was hot outside and once you actually stuck your head in and shivered for a few seconds, you got used to the temperature.
Kind of.
Perhaps the hardest thing to get used to was the constant catcalls. Not only did we get the traditional shouts and whistles, but we also walked down the street to a cacophony of car horns and hisses. Dressing conservatively diminished the attention only somewhat, and it was impossible to leave the house without somebody yelling something. (Full disclosure: I couldn’t help but be a little flattered when “Hermosa” or “Bonita” was the catcall of choice).
Once I got back to the U.S., I couldn’t wait to take a hot shower. But the hot water seemed too hot, and it took a few showers before I was really used to it again. I even started missing the catcalls when I would go out for my run and the streets would be silent. But I can’t say the same about those cockroaches.