My name tag had my name (duh) and "2009 Fulbright student alumna" The 2009 is misleading because that was the year of selection and departure, but I just came back! anyway here is a funny conversation (this was in Spanish) between me and the ambassador's wife, Pilar Aleman (PA)
PA: Are you Panamanian?
me: on my father's side, yes
PA: How wonderful. There are so many Panamanian Fulbrighters.
me: Oh? I haven't seen any others yet. I would love to meet them
PA: You didn't meet them before?
me: Well we are from all over so I didn't know there would be others in DC
PA: Yes yes, we invited you all to DC. Do you already live here?
me: Yes, I live in Maryland. I go to American University
PA: oh wonderful, for how long will you be here?
me: Here in DC?
PA: yes.
me: Until I finish my dissertation, but I would like to stay here indefinitely
PA: oh wonderful. It is a great city, isn't it? When did you arrive?
me: to the reception?
PA: no to DC
me: oh I just came back last week
PA: back? from Panama?
me: yes.
PA: Oh I came back last night! How long were you there?
me: 11 months
PA: what? 11 months?
me: yes. I stayed an extra month
PA: Before arriving in the US?
me: yes, before coming back to DC
PA: *looking at me suspiciously * Coming back? where are you from?
me: Massachusetts, but I moved to DC when I finished undergrad.
PA: undergrad where?
me: At Duke. I actually wrote to your husband when I was in Panama because he was listed as the president for the Duke Club
PA: oh Duke!! he will love you! Let's go meet him. But wait, you are Panamanian?
me: on my father's side.
PA: where were you born?
me: In Massachusetts.
PA: you speak Spanish! I thought you were a Panamanian Fulbrighter! oh I was confused.
me: I am confused! lol I won a Fulbright. I was in Panama for 11 months. I just came back last week
PA: *laughing* no! I thought you were a Panamanian studying in the US!
hmmmm maybe that wasn't as funny in the retelling lol but once I realized who she thought I was, it was funny that we were having two totally different conversations with each other. t hee hee.
Soooo no name tag distinction was made between US Fulbrighters who studied in Panama and Panamanian Fulbrighters in the US. I was in a similar conversation speaking in Spanish to Panamanian Fulbrighters studying in the US lol. Fulbright really did pay for others to come to the reception from NY, NJ, NC among other states. I gave my email address to one of the girls studying at Rutgers, just in case she wanted to come back to DC to visit and needed a place to stay.
anyway.
Senator Fulbright's widow was there as well as many higher ups from the State Department, other government agencies and universities. Look at me, sharing breathing room with Washington elite lol.
I was able to meet and speak with American University's Director for the center of Latin American and Latino studies. The center just opened in January so it is still new and full of potential.
fun fact: the ambassador is a proud Duke alum! who hoo and fomer president of the Duke Club of Panama.
The house, with its scenes from Panama, made me miss the country even more. Talking to the Panamanian Fulbrighters in the US made me miss Panama. *sigh * so many things make me miss Panama.
Panama, I miss you.
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| the view from the top of Cerro Ancon! I climbed it on my last day |
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