Pa-na-ma

So you've probably all heard me talking about Botswana, Ireland, Belize, and Panama over the last couple of months and I've decided to go to Panama for a few reasons.

I finally got to meet with Ran, the director of the Archaeology Field Program and he was really helpful with providing me with info and pictures of each site. All this time I thought they were generally the same environments, but the project in Belize is actually way inland, deep in the jungle... which SOUNDS cool right? I'm sure it is, but it couldn't compare to the beach front house in Panama. The site at Belize is new and has NEVER been excavated before. They found mounds there which could uncover pyramids. They're hoping they are 2nd tier local chiefdoms because there's been little artifacts found.

In Panama, animal bones and some human bones are excavated to determine the subsistence lifestyle of the early inhabitants of the island as well as human impacts. Ran made a point that working with vertebrates may help my potential career in PT in that I will be more prepared in an evolutionary sense. He also introduced me to Dr. Wake, the lead archaeologist of the Panama project, and he told me a bit more about his research. I also asked about volunteering in his lab, spending a few hours every week sorting, cataloguing, data input and whatnot. Doesn't sound like much but I'll be a pro in sorting shells, bones, and rocks in no time. I'll also be more prepared when I get to Panama.

Did I mention beach front house? The pictures were gorgeous. Another factor was the date of the program. It runs from early July to early August, so I'll at least have the option if i decide to take fall semester of CC classes.

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Irrelevant to Panama. Today is Lunar New Year.. not as festive as it usually is. I completely forgot to call my family til 11pm and by then they were asleep. Most of the people who actually wished me a happy new year were non-asian, which caught me off guard. I think I said "thanks" instead of wishing them a happy new year too. What's the right thing to say? Oh well, the day is over and life is back to normal.