Training the Mentors

Since Monday, VVPA has led intense training sessions for the mentors in the program.  We have about 22 mentors who come from various professional backgrounds.  There are lawyers, consultants, directors of organizations that work with small and medium enterprises, economists, and marketing folks. 


The first day was an overview of mentoring - what it is and what purpose it serves.  The mentors also discovered their working styles according to the DISC test (DISC = Dominance, Influential, Steadiness, and Compliance).  The test demonstrates what work ethic they prefer, and how they might clash or mesh with their mentee.  All mentors had to take the test to be eligible for the program but have not received the results of the test yet. 


It was interesting to hear them discuss the different personality types.  As a quick summary: 

D=demanding, forceful, good with solving problems, can be egocentric  

I=convincing, social, can be manipulative, emotional, enthusiastic, warm

S= like harmony and security, calm, don't like changes, unemotional

C=like structure, rules, do quality work the first time, careful, exacting 

The majority of the women related to either D or I and everyone spoke very negatively of the Cs comparing them to "cold" Germans or accountants.  Not to worry, my German and accountant friends - I know y'all are legit. 

Evidence of my participation 

These reactions definitely reflect the Latino culture, which is very open, boisterous, and not necessarily a fan of rigid policies or rules.  It's no surprise then that they preferred the social butterfly, domineering types over the more reserved, stickler-for-the-rules types.  The truth is though, a lot of the women actually scored high as a C.  It's useful to understand the difference between how we perceive ourselves and how the world perceives us.  Fact: I scored very high on S and second highest on C (WHAT??! me=exacting??)  I was told that I must work on developing my "D" qualities, which I think is true. 


Another interesting topic we went over was how to get to know your mentee.  I liked how much the facilitator, Lourdes Navarro, emphasized getting to know the mentee before learning about her business.  It's a very different point-of-view than the U.S., as, almost always, the second question we ask someone new is, "what do you do for a living?".  I don't think asking about someone's job is necessarily bad; assuming the person chose the job because it's something they like, it can reveal interests, passions, and life goals, which can be very personal. 

It shows once again where Latin American values lie, which is very clearly with the individual.  Information like, family, hobbies, faith, and where people come from is sought out much more than work details.  In my personal experience, I've never been asked what I do for living upon first meeting someone.  If I am asked that, it's after they've heard all about my personal life.  It's always, "Married? Kids? Do you like Panama? How does your family feel about you living here? Do you like to dance/go out?" etc.  The juicy stuff. ;-)


The training sessions have been dynamic and thought-provoking so far.  More to come tomorrow! To see more pictures, click here.

The RUSSIANS!

So the Russians were on Isla Contadora this past weekend. 

View from the Shah's crib

Apparently, Isla Contadora has hosted Survivor multiple times.  Survivor has not elevated Isla Contadora to a hot-spot tourist location, but it has benefited the local economy.

It is, however, a hot-spot for some high-profile individuals like the Vice President of Panama, the exiled Shah of Iran, and the Representative of Christian Dior.

Unfortunately, we only interacted with the eliminated folks, and even more unfortunately, they could not speak English.  There were about 4 women and one guy among the bunch - all of them were beautiful and looked ready to cause drama.  Too bad they were kicked off the island so soon. 

The Russian Survivors (the small specks in the sand)

Oh yeah, I ran into some models too. 

Meal of the Week - 1st Week of August

The meal of the week was definitely in Isla Contadora, Panama. 


Isla Contadora is the island where the Spaniards would count (hence the name contadora) pearls that were Europe bound. 

Nowhere else in the world can you find a more delicious Piña Colada than in Central America.  The pineapples are so sweet and ripe - they just don't compare to the ones flown up to the states.  After adding the delicious Caribbean rum (most likely Abuelo) and the condensed milk, you're sippin' on a drink that tastes like paradise. 


Now that I've got the most important part of the meal out of the way, let's talk entrée.  Shrimp!  Big, beautiful, and fresh shrimp right off the boat.  They're so tasty, they hardly need anything but a little bit a butter (not a la Paula Deen), parsley, et voilà!  Throw some salty, fried-to-perfection yuca on the side, and you've got yourself the meal of the week.