From the Hammock

2009-02-26T10:20:00.002-05:00

I'm trying to wrap my head around the term "re-adjustment", the process I'm supposedly going through by being present in the United States of America. Getting used to living in the States is an adjustment, but is it a re-adjustment? I never really had to get "adjusted" to living here the first time around, unless you call the birth process an adjustment, which I guess it is, considering it's moving from one distinct environment to another.

Coming back, I was prepared for the worst, hearing lots of horror stories about how much worse it is to come back to the States after being away for 2+ years, but so far it hasn't been terrible (besides the initial shock at having to come back, unplanned). Perhaps I'm not stressing out because there's little pressure to actually establish a life here, since I may be going back to Panama for a few more months. My life is on hold, and I don't really have to move forward. However, after a month of vacation, and another month "resting", I want move on, which brings me to the brink of the scary re-adjustment thing.

As I ponder my state of affairs, I find myself reflecting on a question that was part of my motivation for joining the Peace Corps in the first place: What kind of lifestyle do I want for myself? Everyone deals with this question, but most people define their lifestyle by making day-to-day choices, and the lifestyle forms over time until suddenly, "BAM!" you find yourself married with babies in suburbia. Which is great, if that's what you want.

I have to admit, it's great having the chance to start from scratch, the whole world ahead of me, with the freedom and ability to shape my lifestlye according to my values and make choices accordingly. I think if I had lived a 100+ years ago, I would have been a pioneer, excited by the chance to explore the unknown, wander the flat plains, point to a mountain in the distance and declare, "vamos por alla!" Well, maybe I wouldn't have been speaking Spanish, but that's the scene that popped into my head.

I've always been curious about how other people live, especially people with less, because although I love the hot showers and instant gratification that American consumerism supplies, I've always felt weighed down by the responsibility of possessions, and I figure if people can survive with much, much less, then why can't I? So know that I've tried the experiment, somewhat successfully, abroad, am I ready to pursue an "alternative" lifestyle here in the States, or am I going to take off to some foreign land again? Both options are romantically alluring, but the realities of each can be difficult. Am I destined for suburbia?

Well, I am temporarily living in suburbia now, and going slightly insane. I do have to admit I like the concept of this condo-apt place called "City Walk". The idea is to have shops downstairs you can walk to so as not to have to drive everywhere. Great idea. The reality is the shops downstairs are mostlly specialty stores (i.e. a bridal shop and kid's toy boutique). At least there is a coffee shop, which helps maintain a shred of my sanity. I would consider opening an organic co-op nearby, except the rest of the town is stripmall-landia, everyone has to work full time to afford the apartments in the first place and no one actually walks around City Walk. I may have seen someone drive from the parking garage to the restaurant across the street.

Back to my ideal lifestlye, I suppose it is a dream engendered of unemployed singlehood to imagine that I can just find the ideal place and make it work out. I just hope once I land somewhere again, there will be choices available for me to form the my life around the place, like public transportation, a nice little grocery store with good organic food, a library and coffee shop. These are my locale priorities, some of which I've had to live without for years...and I've survived...and even adjusted!

2009-02-05T22:22:00.002-05:00

Positively Itching

I think writing my silly resolutions down may have invited the demons. So far, 2009 has tested my ability to remain positive. I have always been an optimist in the sense that I hope for the best, and generally tend to think that things will work out. Others may see this as an unrealistic lack of foresight, but "optimist" is so much more positive.

For example, in the following scenario, I was fairly convinced, until the last minute, that things would work out (aka I'd get to stay in Panama):

Less than an hour after a hip MRI on January 16th, my doctor called me. I was actually driving home from the appointment when he called. Impressive. Turns out I have a 11 mm stress fracture in the neck of my femur. It's probably been there since the marathon I ran last August (or before, who knows), but really doesn't hurt much at all any more...really. Doctor's orders were: calcium supplements and rest. Basically, "Cuidate!" (He does speak Spanish, but didn't say that, exactly).

So I think, "Cool, I haven't been imagining the pain, and now I can deal." My experience with Panamanian doctors often leaves me feeling literally crazy. A couple years ago I had similar hip pain, and the orthopedist in Panama prescribed me antidepressants. Hip pain = depression?? Back to being positive...

So, dealing the way I know to deal, I flew back to Panama January 19th, arrived in the office the next morning, found out I wasn't medically cleared (the doctor wasn't so positive when he talked to the medical staff) and after busing it across the country to spend a harried day or so in my house, arranging pieces that someone would have to pick up (Thanks Lydia, Allie and Robby), I grabbed the 7-hour night bus back to Panama City, filled out some papers, and was back in my parent's house by January 28th. And breathe...

Even though I'm not sure when I'll be able to go back to Panama, here are the positives:

1. Even though the last trip to Panama was brief, I got to hang out with my good friend Adam on his way back from his South American adventure, and arrange things to prepare for my absence. Technically, I shouldn't have gone back, but this I had subconsciously blocked from my awareness.

2. I added the trip to my Delta SkyMiles account, even though I didn't have to pay for it (it's legal!).

3. Being at home, I have more time to catch up with friends and family. There are some activities that are so refreshingly, wonderfully normal:
-I watched the Superbowl, ate buffalo wings (Thanks, Marina and Herberth!), and actually cared about the game enough to jump up and down screaming a couple of times, even though the Cardinals lost...good game!
-I went to the Zoo with Michelle and saw penguins (and other things...)! The orangutan baby kissed the glass.
-I've cooked, in an OVEN! with ORGANIC INGREDIENTS!
-The bookstores and coffee shops of America are now feeling less economically starved since I've returned from Panama.
-I get to spend a week with Roxy in Utah!

After the next MRI on Feb 20th I'll know more about a possible return to work in Panama. Right now, I'm getting a taste of unemployment, so I can better relate to the rest of America. Even so, knowing that I may have extended free time in my near future makes me restless. Grad school is pretty much set for the fall, I'm just waiting on the location. So, to play the IF game of logic:

IF the MRI is clear, THEN I will (probably) make it back to Panama and stay there til August.

IF the MRI is not clear, I may be prescribed another period of rest, and THEN (possibly) make it back to Panama til August.

IF the MRI is not clear, they may tell me I can't go back as a Volunteer, and THEN I will go back to hang out, but (probably) not til August. And this is the questions I haven't let myself dwell on: how would I squander my meager readjustment allowance for 6 months? Would I seek temporary employment? Volunteer? Road trip the US? Travel South America? Buy that "cheap" ticket to New Zealand? I can't stop gazing at the Deals section of Travelocity.com.

The travel bug's back, along with the maddening Itch to just take off...

In Starbucks the other day, amidst the tacky Valentines junk, lay a book called, "The Traveler." Intrigued, I picked it up. Meanwhile, they brewed my exorbitant "Apple Chai" that I'm convinced is nothing but apple cider, cracked out with extra sugar and nutmeg. I only ordered it because the coffee leaves me feeling cracked out, but the "tea" was only marginally less crack-y. Anyway, "The Traveler" was written like a children's story with cute, simple pictures and a few lines on each page. The plot: a boy has a wonderful life, but one day he gets the Itch, packs a suitcase, an embarks on a trip around the world to find his "place" . Moral of the story: he spends his whole life wandering until he's old and realizes the place he's been seeking is back home. Ok, so kinda cute and cheesy, and considering its place amongst Valentine objects, I could stretch to say a thinly disguised attempt at getting a loved one to settle down (just can't quiet the cynic within)... although I have to admit it stuck a chord. There is no place like home.

But, to continue the cliches, if home is where the heart is, then I'm a bloody mess, because half of my heart is back in Panama, trying to live the life I set up for myself there for over two years: with my friends, my host family, my neighbors, my job and my cats. Which is why I know I'll return, relatively soon, one way or another.

But, in the meantime, I'm positively itching...

2009-01-15T12:08:00.006-05:00

The Best of 2008 - Change in 2009

Happy New Year! Thanks to everyone who encouraged me to keep writing. "Change" seems to be the word of the year already; with a new presidency and a crisis to face, change seem less scary and more necessary. Change can be exciting, and I'm looking forward to facing another year of personal transitions. In order to move forward, I'm going to give 2008 the credit it's due, then move on, using some resolutions as a guide.

2008 Highlights

1. Summiting Volcan Baru, the highest point in Panama, on January 1st, 2008 (Summit, Volcan Baru)!

2. In February, enjoying the "summer"; taking trips to Punta Burica and Las Islas Paridas (Isla Gamez, Paridas, and me at Punta Burica).

3. Celebrating La Semana Santa in my site (My "abuela", Ida, making bollos asados!!!)

4. Roxy's wedding and my visit to the States (beautiful Roxy and Stew in West Orange, NJ)!

5. Hanging out with the new Volunteers during cultural week in Palmira Abajo (Learning about local plant life during a "garden" tour)!

6. The first annual Chiriqui Panama Verde camp, Alto Boquete.

7. Helping translate at Arisia's eye clinic in Santa Fe, Veraguas (Brianna, Holly and I).

8. Group 57 COS fiestas: the party bus.

9. Running the marathon in Panama City (Adelier, Marcial and I).

10. Visiting almost all the Chiriqui Volunteers, and helping Kalli build her mud house (men mixing the mud, Bajo Solis)

11. And finally, coming back home to enjoy the holidays with my family! (Christmas dinner) \

Obviously, 2008 was a great year. I look forward to more adventures in Panama in 2009, and embarking on a new adventure in a grad school somewhere in the US of A in August. Location: TBA. I've loved getting intimate with the country of Panama, and I'm excited to build on the knowledge and experience I've gained during Peace Corps during grad school. Hopefully, I will be studying business and the environment at one of the five schools I've applied to (could be CA, CT or MI).

As I move forward with 2009, writing in this blog will help me to accomplish one of my resolutions:

1. Be communicative
1.1 Answer emails as soon as they are received
1.2 Make more phone calls
1.3 Write: blogs, letters, emails, etc.

2. Be positive
2.1 Learn from mistakes, move on
2.2 Dwell on the positives

3. Explore, with an open mind, as much as possible!

By writing these resolutions, I'll now have to be accountable for them! I wish everyone the best this coming year, and look forward to catching up with your journeys.

2008-08-12T17:42:00.002-05:00

In the past few weeks, my life has changed from basking in the tranquility of my little house in the country to tackling a set of hurdles on the way to fulfilling a new role. The first jump was moving from my site, pop 400 to Chiriquí's capital, David, pop 100,000. During the first couple of days in my new "city" apartment, we hosted 14+ people over the course of two nights. Life has settled down a bit since then, and I enjoy the occasional visitor.

Training for the role of Regional Leader of Chiriquí has been fun, since I have a month of overlap with the current RL, Liz. Thus, we share a house and job responsibilities for awhile during a time of adjustment for us both. This month I've visited several agencies in town, traveled to see four out of seven of the new volunteers in the province, and done a little more paperwork than I'm used to doing.

Finally, I'm proud to say that I finished my first marathon last Sunday! Looking at the results, I'm happy to have finished 14th in the female division, with a time of 4:11:32. It was a fun race, and a nice cloudy morning, although raining for the last few miles! The first day of recovery was rough, but today I can say I'd do another in the future! I heard a rumor they give prize money to the top 12 finishers in each division, so I have a goal to shoot for next year! Thanks to all those who were supportive.

Next on the list is tackling the grad school entrance exam and applications, along with a solid waste/recycling project in towen and other RL duties. It should be a busy few months. I'm looking forward to a month vacation to the States over Christmas. In the meantime, in Panama there remains a new adventure to be tackled daily. Saludos!

2008-06-09T11:55:00.001-05:00

Today I walked into a bookstore and felt deeply apprehensive. The anxiety brewed; a mix of espresso and the overwhelming amount of knowledge around me. Realizing my state of relative poverty, I questioned my recent choices, contrasting my lifestyle to that being pawned by the bookstore.

At times, cultural idiosyncrasies I learned to appreciate while living in the campo reinvent themselves as sources of anxiety. For example, in the campo, waiting for two hours for transportation is acceptable. Few transportation options exist, so arriving late is normal. On the contrary, in Panama City, waiting a devastating two hours inside a taxi (in a rainstorm with the window open for visibility) going to a dentist appointment is unacceptable. Especially when I must spend my day’s salary on the fare. Then, arriving to the dentist’s office late, I find the dentist has gone home. Instead of returning to Chiriquí, I must spend another day waiting for an appointment. The waiting leads me to the bookstore, where I spend exorbitant amounts of money on coffee and gaze at pretty things I can’t afford.

A deeper anxiety underlies my decision to stay in Panama another year. Being in the bookstore unearths stresses emerging from being broke and intellectually starved. Lately, interminable tasks eat away at time usually spent on reading interesting books. During days spent speaking in Spanish out in the countryside, and nights spent alone, intellectual conversations are rare. I miss parts of the lifestyle in the US: coffee shops, bookstores, hot showers and other luxuries that the average American enjoys daily. More than these simple luxuries, however, I miss events like those advertised on the posters in front of me: jazz concerts, charity events, photography contests, yoga classes and lectures led by people with lots of letters after their names. These things exist in Panama City to a degree, but I don’t have the time or money to enjoy them during my infrequent visits to the City. My insatiable thirst for caffeinated beverages is only a symptom of my craving for intellectual life.

The bookstore with its enticing books about sustainable architecture, novels by Isabelle Allende and Paulo Cuelho, world atlases and travel guides, does not sadden me. On the contrary, I wish I could stay here, page through the books and sip coffee interminably. I feel apprehensive because soon I will return to my solitary life in Chiriquí, where I may be thoughtlessly busy for over a year. I worry the time spent and personal sacrifices made may not be worth the outcome. The deep roots of this apprehensiveness flag the need stop and ponder my decisions. What better place to think than over a cappuccino at a bookstore?

2008-06-02T16:45:00.003-05:00

Written for the Bajareque Times:

“Como estas?” “Bien!” “COMO ESTAS?” “BIEN!”

The shouts of forty adolescents resounded throughout Alto Boquete May 29th through June 1^st as the first annual Panama Verde Regional camp in Chiriquí was underway. The Panama Verde Association, in cooperation with several Peace Corps Volunteers, led the camp, “Leaving Tracks,” held at the Franciscan Center in Alto Boquete. Forty young adults arrived to Boquete from five rural and semi-rural communities in Chiriquí, including Los Pocitos, Alanje, Piedra de Candela, Paja de Sombrero and Bajo Chiriquí. It was the first trip to Boquete for many of the participants. “One of the kids in my group hadn’t left the community [Bajo Chiriquí] for five years until I brought him to this camp,” said the Peace Corps Volunteer from Bajo Chiriquí, a community near the Costa Rican Border. Many young adults in Panama cannot afford to travel even short distances to experience other parts of their country. The camp, sponsored by the Panama Verde Association, The Rotary Club of Boquete, Café Eleta and Café Almir, gave the young adults a chance to visit a beautiful part of the country, meet other youth from around the province, and participate in educational lectures and community service projects.

The Panama Verde Association is run by a dynamic, youthful set of staff and volunteers who focus on youth leadership, social stewardship and environmental conservation. The Association began twelve years ago, when a Peace Corps Volunteers started a youth group in a rural community in Panama. Since then, the Association has expanded to over 30 youth groups spread throughout the country. It is currently the only organization in Panama to focus exclusively on helping young adults develop crucial skills such as leadership and political activism that will allow them to become the future leaders of Panama, and have the environmental conscience to help protect Panama’s fragile environment.

Besides having fun, the primary objectives of the camp, “Leaving Tracks”, were to strengthen the network of Panama Verde groups in the province, to participate in community service activities in Boquete and to develop projects to carry out in the respective communities of each group. These objectives were met with the help of local interest groups, including ReaL Boquete, who gave a presentation about the importance of recycling, and ANAM, who educated the participants about reforestation. The youth performed community service work in the ANAM tree nursery, clearing the area for future planting. Other activities included a debate about the environmental impacts of hydroelectric projects, the development of community projects and group problem solving games. The first annual Panama Verde Regional camp was a success, and we now have a strong network within the Chiriquí province to guarantee more events in the future!

2008-05-17T20:20:00.002-05:00

Upon arrival to my house here in Los Pocitos, I was relieved to find the 40-ft tall mango tree in the backyard still heavy-laden with its luscious fruits. In fact, the mango season had just begun, and the tree had so many softball-sized mangos that I was afraid that this year one might actually make it through the zinc roof during its descent. Only a 15-ft bamboo pole can reach the lowermost branches, so instead of knocking them down, I wait to hear, and feel, the “BOOM”: the impact of a ripe mango on the dusty earth. I rush out to seek out the freshly fallen mango amongst the graveyard of the Fallen, which are already being consumed by the bees and ants. Breakfast is batido de mango con leche.

Tonight marks the first rain in several weeks. It is hopefully the beginning of a delayed and long-awaited rainy season. The past couple of days, thunder clouds rumbled by, but produced nothing but noise here on the coast. This afternoon, I felt the first cool breeze in ages before I noticed the tiny puffs of dust that were lifted up by the first raindrops. Then, the pitter-patter of water on the zinc became noticeable over the sound of the strong breeze that rattled the roof. I felt the dense air of the heat and humidity be lifted from my shoulders as the breeze lifted it away and the rain pounded it to the ground.

In addition to the mangos and the rain, today is even more exciting because the first soursop fruit from the tree in my backyard matured and was captured successfully before it could fall to the ground into a sad heap of its own delicious juices, a fate to which the first few fruits succumbed. Soursop is my favorite fruit for several reasons:

The white, slippery fruit inside is very sweet, creamy and delicious, having some semblance to ice cream, but a bit slimier.
Soursop grow large, sometimes bigger than a basketball (today’s was more of a medicine-ball variety),
The fruit has an awkward shape, not being completely round, but more soft and lumpy looking, green, and with dull, soft, short spines spaced out intermittently all over the surface of the peel. It looks like something out of a Dr. Suess book.

Soursop is a tropical fruit, and the first time I tried it was in Australia during a tour of an organic fruit farm. The farmer was an aging hippie type who lived a subsistence life on his tropical fruit farm, on which he grew tropical fruits from around the world. The tour was impressive to me, first because I discovered the wonderful soursop fruit, among others, but more so because I was immensely intrigued by the simple lifestyle of the fruit farmer and his wife.

Continuing on with the fruit discussion, another tropical fruit obsession of mine are the lychee and rambutan fruits. Here they are called mamones. There are momones and momon chinos. As far as I can decipher, the momones are the equivalent of the English word, “lychee” and mamon chinos are like rambutans. The momon chinos are the juicier, better variety for the following reasons:

Mamon chinos are absolutely covered with long, soft spines, green when unripe, which turn yellow, then deep red as they ripen.
They are fun to eat. You pop open the fairly tough spiny outside, and get squirted by juice unless you know the technique. Inside there is a slimy, perfectly round seed covered in a thin layer of sweet, transparent fruit, resembling an eyeball in size and texture. Suck the fruit off the seed. Spit out seed. Fun.
Regular mamones are stringier and less juicy, leaving your mouth feeling slightly dry. Mamon chinos are irresistibly juicy and grow in large bunches, making them easy to obtain in large quantities. When I was home in the States, I discovered Lychee juice, sold in a huge Asain wholesale supermarket. Score. Further investigation unearthed loads of lychee and rambutan products available in the US of A, a very untropical place for various reasons that I will not describe at the moment. Other products include lychee flavored gummy candy, also obtained at the Asian warehouse in St. Paul, and freeze-dried rambutans, available at Trader Joe’s. The cashier at the Asian warehouse promised an import of fresh lychees at some point during the growing season (around August, I imagine), but I doubt the quality of these fragile imports to non-tropical areas.

The fruit of the tropics is one of the many incentives to stick around Panama for one more year…

2008-03-22T09:26:00.004-05:00

Ahh...the comforts of home. The view out the patio window paints a snowy landscape. I tap away on my sleek new computer, sip on a cup of Cafe de Eleta coffee and bask in the feeling of relaxed muscles after a hot shower. It is almost enough comfort to draw me in, enough relaxation, movies, CNN and conversations about the latest campaign news and de moda clothing styles, to make me forget about the other part of my life that awaits back in Panama.

Yet half of my mind is constantly there, following the daily routines of my neighbors, activities of my friends, weather patterns, the maturity level of my mango tree. I appreciate the comforts of home and the visits with family and friends. It is refreshing to be here, knowing that I will be going back, for at least 3 more months, if not an extension of an entire year. Adapting to life in a new place takes time and effort, and now that I am adapted to life in Panama, it will be difficult to leave, whenever that time may come.

I am conducting a social experiment. I want to know what you consider necessity, to define a standard of living. Obviously, it depends on climate, etc (in MN we need HEAT!), but describe to me a basic setting where all your needs are met so you are not only surviving, but thriving. Shoot me an email with your thoughts!

2008-02-12T12:32:00.000-05:00

"But all other pleasures and possessions pale into nothingness before service which is rendered in a spirit of joy." - Ghandi

My companions and I have two weeks to fundraise about $2,ooo from local businesses in order to hold a youth camp, "Dejando Huellas", for about 50 youths in the Chiriquí province. I spent yesterday in Boquete, hitting up the local Rotary Club, Alcaldía and local supermarkets, and am in David today to finish up some similar tareas. There are few deadlines with this job, but this camp needs to be held before classes begin mid-March. It needs to happen, along with various other things that need to happen before mid-March, when not only classes begin, but I leave the country for a visit home. Deadlines naturally involve stress, something that I have been lucky not to experience for awhile, since the country goes on hold for the vacation months of November - February.

I reflect on this stress and wonder if it is taking away from the joy of my daily life. In essence, it is not, but there are other more significant traits that may take away from the "joy of service" that I strive for. Since my job is virtually self-directed, not only from day to day, but even to the extent of project selection, stress and lack of joy can only be blamed on myself. Stress can be a good thing, in moderation, since it is a good motivator. However, it is necessary to have a balance, or stress will start wearing on the mind, body and soul, which is bound to reflect outwardly on how one reacts to the world, and thus, how the world reacts to said individual. As of this moment, the stress is good, but I look back to life in the States and wonder if it is possible to keep such a balance.

Moving on, I have found that it is not stress, but pride that most negatively affects the "joy of service". Pride slows learning to the point of making true learning virtually impossible, and interferes with potential and current relationships. It can be a mask for insecurity. For someone involved in a service position, humility is absolutely necessary. I write these statments to remind myself of their validity. I look to the next few months as being productive, because my end date mid-July is looming. My number one goal is to lose the mask of pride and spend as much time as possible in my community. Now that the toughest periods of language acqusition, establishing myself in my community, adapting to a new culture and making new friends are over, I have the next few months to indulge in the joy of service, not without a little stress to get the projects done!

2007-12-05T11:13:00.000-05:00

Alto Algorrobo, Chiriqui - A mud house emerges from the red clay earth like a natural geological formation in the deforested hills. Sparse trees provide little shade from the rays of sun that lick the rocky ground, practically still steaming from the drenching rains that departed a few weeks prior. Plodding barefoot up the path with calloused feet, colorfully dressed Ngobe-Bugle women and their sweet, smiling children greet us shyly as we hike up and down steep hills to the local school. Some of the children hike for two hours up and down the steep hills of the coregidora every day to get to the local school where they receive their nutritious crema y galletas for snack and later a mid-day lunch. A friend of mine recounts how in her community nearby, the kids will eat one vitamin-enriched animal cracker for a snack and take the rest of the small government-subsidized packet home to share with the rest of her hungry family.

The poverty in these communities contrasts starkly with the relative wealth of the community I live in, just a few hours away. In contrast to the rich volcanic soil in Alanje, Chiriqui, which provides abundant harvests of rice, beans and corn every year, the ground here is rocky and full of red clay. Some other Volunteers and I debate whether the poor soil here is a consequence of past slash-and-burn agriculture and deforestation, or a natural phenomenon. Either way, the poor soil quality is directly correlated to the poverty of the people in this area on the border of the comarca Ngobe-Bugle, Veraguas, and Chiriquí.

A group of Volunteers and I have been invited to give lectures in two local schools about reproductive health and family planning. This basic education is currently lacking in many areas of the country, since teaching such sensitive topics is up to the teachers to decide, and many ignore it all together. During one lecture to a group of adult padres de familia, many women cover their faces in embarrasment while some of the men snicker and shift in their desks, uncomfortably. However, after a few minutes of our candid talk about how babies are made, many in the room are interested and some even dare to ask questions and thank us for this important education. Although not my main assignment, this event was more personally rewarding than saving a few turtles every now and then. The gift of even the most basic education can change lives.

2007-11-17T10:02:00.000-05:00

Some recent pics...

Diving near las
Islas Secas, Pacific Coast of Panama

Painting for conservation, Panama Verde youth group

An Olive Ridley hatchling

Isla Coiba

...See more pics at http://richmond.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2034986&l=1a6e3&id=15802317

2007-11-13T16:52:00.000-05:00

A conversation with my (real or imagined?) Parasite

Oh Parasite! Reveal thyself!
I know you are in there you sneaky amoeboid
Slyly skirting the microscope's probing eye
Slithering into the oblivion of muddy latrines

Oh Parasite! Give me some peace!
I plead with you as my stomach bulges
And my guts squish and groan apocalyptically
Can't we work out a deal? You take some you give some?

"But that goes against my nature"
You say as you suck on those succulent nutrients
That I selflessly provide al gusto suyo
"Just keep it coming and no one will get hurt"

Oh Parasite! Depart thyself!
I threaten as my hand reaches weakly for the phone
And the med office is dialed once again
My cry is desperate: Will you ever be gone for good?

2007-10-10T16:48:00.000-05:00

Turtle season is at its peak, in conjuction with the downpours that characterize the height of the rainy season. Tomorrow I help host a field trip to the beach through Project AWARE (PADI) with a local diving instructor. We're taking groups of 4th, 5th and 6th graders from two local schools to participate in a beach cleanup, see some baby sea turtles, and try out scuba diving in a pool. It's a great opportunity for these kids, many who live near the beach but most of whom have never had a chance to see a sea turtle (unless by chance it ended up on their plates at one time or another) or know how to swim. We visited the schools today, showing them videos of underwater life, and they're exctatic about the trip.

In other turtle news, the new hatchery that the Peace Corps Partnership Grant funded is a little closer to full capacity every day! Thanks to the generous donations the community conservation group received through the grant program, we have had no problems with dogs or other predators entering the hatchery this year. Tomorrow's release will be the 12th nest to hatch this year, with at least that many nests still incubating in the sand, to be release later on this month and into November! Each time a nest is about to hatch, we publicize the releases through phone calls, word of mouth and emails. The day of the release, local volunteers and I give a short talk about sea turtle biology and conservation. Then, the participants walk down to the tide line on the beach, and each is given a baby turtle to set onto the sand and race to the water. The walk down the beach is important for the turtle to orient itself. The females will return to the same beach 15-20 years in the future to lay her own catch of eggs. She will return, that is, if she is lucky enough to be one of the few survivors. From every 1,000 eggs laid, it is predicted that only 1 will survive to adulthood. The hatchery is the first step to insuring that a few more will survive, as it protects the eggs from invaders such as dogs, poachers, crabs, worms and bacteria. Our hope is that that community education will insure the survival of more of the species, slowly diminshing the level of poaching and contamination, two factors that affect the mortality rate of this endangered animal.

This weekend, CoToMBa (Conservacionistas de las Tortugas Marinas de la Barqueta) will paint 5 ugly cement barriers that dissuade car traffic on the beach. We will be painting the cement posts wil images of turtles and other sea life, with messages about conservation. Other plans in the near future include installing cement posts every 100m along an area of the beach for better scientific tracking of where the turtles lay their eggs, and the installation of multimedia in the area. We already have several videos in Spanish depicting sea life and turtles, thanks to the national environmental authority, ANAM. Altogether, the project has been a success, although there is still more work to be done! Thanks again to all of the donors. The community and the turtles le agradecen (they thank you!).

2007-10-06T12:45:00.000-05:00

As the rainy season gathers momentum at the onset of October, the dramatic green lushness of the land threatens to overtake anyone who pauses too long in admiration. Most tourists avoid this time of year, preferring to travel during the holidays and the dry season, from late December through March. They come from northern lands, where rain is associated with the cold, gray mists that saturate to the bone. Here, a warm gush of afternoon rain bursts through the suppressive heat of the day, leaving the air cool, crisp, fresh and so alive you can almost taste the chlorophyll. The thunderous, white-noise aguaceros provide some of the most tranquil moments living in this tropical wonderland. Humid, sunny mornings are followed by afternoons meant for swinging in a hammock under cover from the rain, reading and drinking tea. To me, this is the best time of year.

During the verano, literally translated to 'summer', but more accurately described as the dry season, the country fills with backpack-laden tourists, filing along a 'Lonely Planet'-designated route like leaf-cutter ants along a path: from the beaches of Bocas del Toro, down and up again to the coffee town of Boquete (that recently has taken on the look of a vintage Aspen village without the snow), straight over to Panama City, with perhaps a pause to surf the swells in Santa Catalina, shop for local art in El Valle de Anton, or "gitem somma dat culture" in the San Blas islands. These places are simply lovely, but when I can't help but wonder what impression the tourists have of Panama after bus-hopping (or even worse, driving) across the country from one 'destination' to another. When they go back to their homelands, how will they describe Panama?

Aside from jetting out to some rural village and living with the locals for two years, I feel there are ways to get to know the character of a place in greater depth than the guide books describe. Absorbing how the people and their culture fill the beautiful spaces you're moving through in that refreshingly (or freezing) air-conditioned bus.

1. Be okay with being uncomfortable. The desire for constant comfort is the death of any real experience for a traveler. Panama is a tropical country: it's either very hot or raining. This doesn't mean running around and splashing in the puddles (although not at all discouraged), but take a hint from the locals and wait out the rain at a covered street corning, watching the world go by. When the rain lets up a little, walk around, instead of taking a cab. Getting lost is not always bad, but it can be fun!*

2. Take a hint from the locals. You can be almost positive that the woman getting off the local bus isn't heading to the nearest internet café to write about the old smelly dude that tried to sell you superglu and a sketchy-looking magazine at the restaurant down the street. Without being creepy, follow her or the flow of human traffic into the shopping district of the city. Visit the booming almacenes, their cheap plastic wares vibrating off the crumbling shelves from the decibel level of the reggaeton music (actually meant to attract customers, imaginate). Weave your way through streets packed with $1 rubber sandals and cell phone accesories, and you may end up at a local produce stand, bursting with fresh tropical fruits, greens and root vegetables of all varieties. Duck into a local restuarant for some cheap, satisfying chicken and rice and chicha de piña.

3. Get metido in the campo. If you immerse yourself in a gran cantidad of friendly Panamañians, you may be lucky enough to find yourself an amateur local tour guide, just dying to show you around his home or the local sights. If you're not traveling alone, take him up on the offer*. Just be prepared to go out of your way, and do a lot of the 'nod and smile' as the family pegs you with questions and fattens you up with a mountain of rice.

Since becoming a hybrid of tourist-local after a year and a half in this country, I've learned a little about how I want to travel in the future. Stepping out of the comfort zone of always having a plan is one. The more people you meet along the way, and the farther you go off the beaten path, the better. Expect to be overwhelmed by the lovliness of novelty, and refreshed by a sudden, unexpected rainstorm.

*Be smart, safe and use your best insticts.

2007-08-30T16:21:00.000-05:00

There is no average day in my life. I have 2-4 scheduled events that I must attend every week (unless there is something more important to do), which include teaching environmental ed classes and holding community meetings about conservation-related activities. The rest is up in the air, and the flexibility of each day is at the same time exciting and frightening. I was essentially dropped into a community with a general assignment (conservation), with nothing but a sense of responsibility to drive me each day, the only supervision being quarterly reports and meetings.

I own a day planner, not to organize my numerous activities, but to fulfill my Americanized insticts of productivity, and to write something down each day. If this didn't happen, there is a chance that little would be accomplished. Ever. This being said, an average day in Panama may proceed as follows (or be completely different):

6:00 am - wake up with the rising of the sun and noise of screaming neighbor kids or screeching howler monkeys, and debate whether to use the next hour (the only coolish hour of the day) to exercize or continue sleeping

7:00 am - shower and breakfast

8:00 am - read or leave for David city to run errands and visit agencies (once or twice a week)

9:00 am - make lesson plan for environmental ed classes, plan task for current projects, clean the house, phone calls, etc.

10:00 am - teach a class for a couple hours (twice a week)

12:00 pm - lunch

1:00 pm - nap

2:00 pm - visit community members or do work around the house and garden, attend meetings or visit the beach, depending on the weather

6:00 pm - dinner

7:00 pm - darkness falls. alone time reading, playing guitar, listening to music, texting friends, or staring into space, depending on my mood.

For a Type-Aish American, there are some moments when a semblance of structure and routine is sanity, although the hammock is a force that can be difficult to fight.

This is the lifestyle of rural Panama: entirely dependent on the seasons, the weather, the family, and neighborhood gossip. Falling into pace with the culture is to leave the day planner behind and succumb to the forces of nature, whether it be the rain, the heat, a sick kid in a nearby town or the lack of running water for the day. Daily life revolves around these details that become the center of conversation of the day. -"Qué calor, ¿verdad?"
-"Si, va a caller el agua en la tarde..."

The future is a vague hope of winning the Sunday lottery and the past is what got you to the present. Yes often means no, and the word no is simple never used as a response to a request. Mañana may mean tomorrow or next year. Ahora may mean in a few minutes or later this week. The vagueness of these words exemplifies the daily "routine": do what you have to do to make the plata, fulfill your family role, and spend the rest of the day as Dios quiere. Y mañana? Who knows.

2007-08-12T10:19:00.000-05:00

This piece was written as a bit of advice to fellow international development workers. If you find yourself confused reading the following, consider yourself invited to Panama for clarification.

***

The dawn breaks gloriously, bright rays of sunshine penetrating blindingly through the miniscule holes in the concrete-block windows. Howler monkeys sound their strangled "ooooah ooooah" cry from nearby, blending harmoniously with screeching rooster crows. It's 6:04am. Just another day in Paradise. You stretch at the thought of a new day and all its potential of simple pleasures that you now recognize with greater depth and appreciation because you are a Volunteer for peace. Today is especially bright because the Big Town is calling. It's an Agency day.

Coffee perculating perfectly over the steady blue gas flame, you rub your sleepy eyes and gaze at the abundant selection of stainged T-shirts heaped hazardously over the suitcase/closet. Goo!* Suddenly, the spotlessness of the day comes crashing down. There is nothing to wear.

Heart beating frantically with the surge of adrenaline, you attack the offending Pile with the zealousness of a crazed chicken clawing for a tasty bicho. The search reveals. Chaco's caked with foul-smelling, unidentified matter, zipoff pant/shorts stained with orangy campo mud, and an ultralight, sweat-wicking, bug-repellent-incorporated sports shirt torn and shredded by a Panamanian-style washing machine/electrocution device. The only vaina left unscathed by the elements is the swearing-in ceremony outfit, really only fit for a funeral. This will not do.

What to do? Before running off to the nearest payphoe to pedir from your parents a new wardrobe from the latest REI catalog, I ask you to consider Going Native. It's cheap, relatively easy, and FUN! Like, seriously, why remain in the 'gringo tourist' category after all the hard work of establishing yourself as the 'la gringa loca quien vive por alla'?

The benefits of Going Native are endless. Respect, for one. People start kissing your cheeck and saying, "ayja la machina, se ve muy bonita hoy." That's in addition to a ten-fold increase of requests to learn organic gardening and worm box techniques.

Entonces? Como puedo yo 'ir nativo'? Facilito, chiquillo. Below is an illustrated guide, complete with an easy-to-understand currency converter ($1 USD = 2.0 Cervesa Panama (CP)). Time to get glam. Cafe duran Frappucino!

That's 52 CP out of your monthly CP budget (estimated: 100 CPs/month). Not bad. Plus, everyone knows that the best accessory is that monte-slashin' figure you've earned. CPs spent on fashion frio y duro es vale la pena, and preserves your svelte figure from the damage of too many Panama bien fria. Chuleta! Time to hit up the almacenes.

*Thanks, A. Sherm

2007-07-21T14:28:00.000-05:00

“Obligatory quote: ties the literary work together by linking a deep and often spiritual thought of a person (a menudo ya muerto) with the nonsensical rambling that fills the remainder of the document.” -Anonymous*

Flashback: Scrunched up on the “hump” seat of the bus, I am buried by a number of my own recently-acquired possessions, plus a leg or two of the sick, wailing child that continually squirms off the lap of the large woman next to me. She comprises the squishier, more comfortable half of the emparedado de Angela. The hard, unforgiving, window coated with peeling semi-transparent black plastic, rattles against my right arm ceaselessly. El DeeJay directly behind me attempts to blend a grainy, cell-phone version of James Blunt’s “You’re Beautiful” with the radio’s “Dormir Juntitos” while he serenades me in the ear...”yo bootiful”...only pausing to yell at his friend who happens to be seated directly in front of me.

Surrounded. I close my eyes and take a few measured deep breaths. Suddenly, in my head I begin dictating the scene to myself, and soon I see myself from the perspective of the gallotes that cruise over the bus. There I am, my little self below, a little dot in the mayhem of all that is Panama – and I see that I am smiling. Amazing! Everything looks so distorted from above. The scene that a minute ago had me on the verge of tears is now unbearably comical. Someone’s having a laugh al gusto de nosotros.

Looking back on moments that at the time were frustrating, irritating or even almost unbearable, the humor is now apparent. Sitting (or standing) through endless meetings, being laughed at for saying “sí” to everything I didn’t understand, almost crying over hot soup on a scorching day, waiting at the school for a meeting during a vicious aguacero, waking up to kids peeking in my windows at 6am, my cat getting stolen, diarrhoea explosiva...hilarious!
When the irritation begins to mount, I try to look at the situation from the outside – from the perspective of the construction worker psst-pssting above me, and I write the story in my head, a version to be told over a Panama bien fría. Really, when else in my life will I be suck a rock star? So I flip my hair, stride confidently forward, and I smile.

*Warning: Coffee + wine = creative juices overflowing superflously.

2007-06-11T10:20:00.000-05:00

One hundred and seventeen little tortuguitas raced to the dangers of the deep blue ocean during the past month. These baby sea turtles hatched from the first two nests collected this year, and there are two more nests of about 100 eggs each currently incubating happily in the new hatchery. There, they are protected from the crabs, dogs, birds, humans and other predators that are a great risk to these precious lives. The Olive Ridley sea turtle, the predominant species that nests here on playa Barqueta, is in danger of extinction, mostly because of human activities such as poaching and environmental contamination. Volunteers walk (or run) the beach every morning during the rainy nesting season in order to search for recently laid nests that if found are moved to the hatchery to give the little guys a greater chance of survival. It has been estimated that out of every 1,000 sea turtle eggs laid, only one will survive the 15 - 20 years it takes to reach reproductive age. Pobrecitos.

This year our team of conservation volunteers is focusing on refining several processes. First, we hope to keep detailed records of each nest collected, including the amount of time the eggs spend developing before the first turtle pokes its little head through the surface of the sand. This will help us to better coordinate the sea turtle "releases" that are an important part of the educational process. Also, we hope to better organize and develop the ecotourism activities that surround the sea turtles, by advertising more expansively, providing more attractions at the beach, and coordinating with other local interest groups.

In order to expand upon the attractions at the beach while keeping the project educational and sustainable, we are seeking funds for various projects:

1. Posting an educational sign near the hatchery that gives basic information about sea turtles and gives an summary of the conservation activities at Barqueta beach.

2. Developing reproducable posters and educational pamphlets to show during lectures on the beach during the releases and to distrubute to local schools.

3. Making a short documentary about the sea turtle conservation process and playing this video and others pertaining to sea turtle conservation in a designated area near the hatchery in order to educate tourists as well as the general public.

4. Developing and marketing merchandise such as T-shirts and hats with images of sea turtles to sell, with proceeds going towards the project's long-term goals, thus keeping the project sustainable by having a running source of income.

5. Hatchery maintenence and expansion.

YOU CAN HELP!
Follow the link above to contribute to our project! Get involved and we'll keep you updated with photos, news on successful releases, etc. Plus it's a tax-deductable donation. Scroll down to "Panama" and click on the project under my name (the link isn't up yet but should be within the next couple of days). The turtles will thank you :).

2007-04-29T18:47:00.000-05:00

The tropical heat was amplified by the fact I was standing on a huge, steaming pile of poo. Literally, it was steaming, as in hot to the touch and radiating upwards as I attacked it with my shovel. Calf-high in horse poo on steroids (aka an organic fertilizer called bocachi), I was happy. The shoveling movements repetetive and soothing to the body and soul, I smiled at my neighbor friend helping me mix the pile. Her little sister of no more than four years gave it a few timid pokes with the shovel and in no time the job was completed.

Considering it costs $20 a sack for chemical fertilizer and anywhere from $0-$1.50 a sack of organic fertilizer (all of the ingredients can be found or purchased locally), I've been pushing the organic variety. Adding in the costs of contamination and dependency the land develops for chemical fertilizer, this locally grown organic fertilizer, bocachi, is the idealistic solution. I'm beginning the revolution poco a poco in the schools, with the students, the one place where there is sometimes have an attentive audience. Plus, we'll have it to use on the new tree nursery and school garden.

All that aside, the revelation that I was happy standing in a pile of poo was made particularly clear due to the dual life I've been living for the past two weeks. Caring for a house of some Americans on the beach at night while working with the locals in town and in school during the day, the contrast between modern luxuries and basic simplicity was pronounced. Having access to high speed internet, washer and dryer, other modern conveniences, and privacy, one would assume that I would be happier here, or at least accomplish more.

Yet, when I'm in my little rural town, I'm surrounded by people, who now consider me a part of their everyday experience. They come over to visit, even when I may want to be alone. They help me when I need it, without being asked or asking for anything in return. They do not know another way of life, racing from one convenience to another in order to cram as many as possible in a day, a slave to a high standard of living. Today, I loved that one of my main tasks was to stick a shovel into a pile of poo and knock it around a little. It was smelly and hot and dirty and real.

This morning, I spent hours getting lost in the internet, accomplishing little but updating a pet project web site (part of me wishes it would have died, like I had thought). I stared at faces of those from far away, and thought about getting in touch with a few. It seems the more time I have in front of the screen, the more lost I become dissociated from reality. I accomplish less of importance and lose sight of priorities, ultimately leading to an unfound feeling of slight depression and frustration. I am glad that my life is no longer that way and it will never be again.

Ten cuidado, convenience can be nothing more than a way to speed through life. Stop and smell the horse poo.

2007-04-24T19:32:00.000-05:00

It was si Dios hubiera querido
The aguacero arrived at tres en punto
Panama Verde meeting postponed
for a sunnier afternoon?

A few months ago yo hubiera estado
In the school, sentada, esperando
Worried that I would disappoint - who?

But now as I lay happily in the hammock
Messily making out with a mango
(first of the season)
Regalar-ed during a previous paseo

I feel very content
And much less wet
Since becoming a bit more
*Panameno*

2007-04-24T13:23:00.000-05:00

In a few days the travel journal web page I built last year will die. During many hours, I learned the basics about html and web page building in the process of making the unfinished page. It served its purpose, I suppose. Yet, I am sad to see it go. Que va.

2007-03-26T13:50:00.000-05:00

Any discomfort from the scorching midday sun was pushed to the back of my mind thanks to the breathtaking beauty of the tropical islands that drifted by as we sliced through the vibrantly blue Caribbean waters off the coast of the province of Bocas del Toro, Panama. During the 3-hour boat ride from Isla Colon to the small indigenous town of Rio Cañas, all I could think of was what may lie beneath the glassy water’s surface: corals, colorful tropical fish, sea turtles?

From March 16-19, four Peace Corps Panama Volunteers and their three community counterparts had the opportunity to accompany Cristina Ordonez from the Caribbean Conservation Corporation (CCC) to Rio Cañas, where she led a hands-on sea turtle conservation seminar. The attendees arrived from various sites on the Pacific coast of Panama, ranging from Isla Cañas in Los Santos, to Puerto Pedregal in Chiriquì. The purpose of the seminar was to train the volunteers and their counterparts in appropriate conservation techniques regarding sea turtle conservation projects. All of the attendees work directly with sea turtle conservation projects in their communities. Upon return to their communities, the volunteers and their counterparts will train other community members involved in sea turtle conservation efforts.

Ordonez, in cooperation with the CCC based out of Gainesville, Florida, has been working in the Ngöbe-Bugle town of Rio Cañas for the past 9 years. There, she conducts night patrols of the 24-km beach in order to analyze the genetics, nesting, and migratory patterns of the three species of sea turtles that nest on the Caribbean coast of Panama: the Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), Green turtle (Chelonya midas), and Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), all of which are in danger of extinction. Over the past 9 years, through educational programs, she has transformed the community into a group of conservationists with a passion for saving the species that frequent the beaches. There are now many community members who help patrol the large beach and collect scientific data that contribute to the conservation project. This is an ideal example of community-based conservation, one that the Peace Corps Volunteers hope to follow in order to set up similar sustainable conservation programs in their communities around the country.

In addition to educating the community members of Rio Cañas about sea turtle conservation, Ordonez and the CCC offer seminars for university students and other volunteers interested in conserving the species. During the 3-day seminar in March, the Peace Corps Volunteers and counterparts received lectures about sea turtle biology, conservation, education techniques, and ecotourism projects. In addition, the attendees were invited on the nightly beach patrols, where important data such as measurements of the animals, number of eggs, and location of nests, are noted for future analysis. March is the first of five months of nesting for the Leatherback sea turtle, the largest of the eight species of sea turtles in the world, on the Caribbean coast of Panama. During two nights of patrols, the attendees took data on eight adult female Leatherbacks who were in the process of laying their eggs on the beach. In the morning, an inventory of the total number of nests was taken. During this time period, about 15 Leatherback sea turtles were arriving to the beach every night to lay their eggs, the largest measuring over five feet long.

The sight of the large, primordial creatures placing their glossy, golf-ball size offerings into the dangerous world was incredible. The mothers breathed heavily, making sounds that one would have expected to hear millions of years ago, during the time of the dinosaurs, an era that the sea turtles have survived. Since only one of 1,000 of the eggs placed into the sand will survive to adulthood, urgent efforts must take place to save the species that are being outrun by their primary predator: the human being. Illegal poaching of the sea turtles and their eggs still takes place, especially in developing countries such as Panama. Increased land and water contamination created by increased population size and economic development also contribute to the decline of the species. Conservation efforts such as those of Ordonez and the Peace Corps Volunteers are crucial in preserving the ecosystems of our world’s oceans.

2007-03-13T10:42:00.000-05:00

The first annual Feria de la playa Barqueta was a success! The highlight was a traditional performance by a dance group. The group of kids travels around the country to different events, where they perform four distinct traditional Panamanian dances. Also represented at the fair were artisans who made jewelry, woodworking, dolls, clothing and sweets. Hopefully next year the fair will be bigger and better! After all the hard work to plan the fair, it was worth it to have people ask me when the next fair would be. The event attracted about 400 people, many of which would not have otherwise come to the area. With our efforts to plan the fair and other events, we are slowly defining playa Barqueta as a respected tourist destination!

This weekend I'm off to a sea turtle conservation seminar in Bocas del Toro. Then, next week, I'll have the opportunity to take some notes at the International Feria de David. I'm hoping to make a trip to Colon at the end of the month, to see a different part of the country and enjoy the Caribbean before the rainy season sets it and I begin teaching again. The summer here is at its close, and classes started on Monday. The weather is becoming more humid by the day, and I anxiously await the refreshing rains that will come in May!

2007-03-03T10:36:00.000-05:00

If you find yourself in Panama the 11th of March, make sure to stop by my beach, playa la Barqueta, for first annual artisan's fair! It's amazing how fast a seemingly crazy idea can turn into a full-blown project once you put your mind to it. I've been working hard organizing and promoting this fair that will take place next weekend, one of many events that will contribute to ecotourism revenue in the area. Fifteen art vendors from the area will be coming to sell their art, in addition to local food vendors, a folkloric dance group performance, and a discoteca dance for all at night. Many tourists (local and international) arrive to the beach, especially during the dry season. We hope to establish a permanent local market in the future in this site.

Some of the proceeds from the fair will go toward the sea turtle conservation project, specifically the construction of a new sea turtle hatchery that we will be constructing before the next nesting season begins in June. I will be posting a link to a website in the near future, for all those interesting in contributing to the project from home. My community counterpart, Marcial, and I will be travelling to Bocas del Toro this month, where the Caribbean Conservation Corporation (CCC) is holding a training seminar about correct management of sea turtle conservation projects. I am excited to finally see some mature female sea turtles! March is the primary nesting month for the Caribbean Loggerhead sea turtle, and the seminar will take us to one of the main nesting sites in Bocas del Toro.

My Panama Verde youth group is going strong so far, although with the start of classes next week there may be a few changes. The kids are excited about all of the activities so far, which have included an ecotourism lecture and visit to the beach, a community garbage clean-up and today an a jewelry-making lesson from a local artisan. We collected shells and decorative seeds to make into jewelry, possibly selling some art at the fair next weekend. I enjoy working with the youth (this group ages 12-20), and they keep me busy with visits and mini-dance parties in my house.

On Monday I'm off to a partner's conference in the province of Panamá, again taking Marcial away from his first month as a park ranger for ANAM. I look forward to seeing my friends again and taking a little break before the fair next weekend! ¡Que va!

2007-02-14T11:14:00.000-05:00

Feliz dìa de amor y amistad!

I took myself on a date to Boquete, to enjoy the cool breeze and excellent coffee. Last month, I was here for the Feria de las Flores y el Cafè, where I visited the orchid house and fell in love with the strange and gorgeous flowers, like the variety above.

The new year has escalated into a frenzy of activities. Today is a breath of fresh air, between yesterday's day trip to the beach with my new Panamà Verde group (Jovenes Guardianes de la Naturaleza - Young Nature Guardians), and tomorrow's paseo to another beach, playa Malena, in the province of Veraguas. At playa Malena, a previous Volunteer helped build a sea turtle hatchery that we would like to replicate at my site on Barqueta beach. From there, I will visit a few of my friends in the province of Herrera just in time to get a taste of culture during the famous Carnavales in Las Tablas.

Winter storms?

In the city of David, the average forcasted temperature for the next 10 days hovers around 95 degrees F. The UV Index today is 9 (out of 10). Walking down the dusty, wind-swept streets becomes a game of finding the nearest patch of shade to duck under. In the afternoon when the wind picks up, the sweat flows that freely from every oozing gland is tossed into the air, immediately vaporized. Last night was so miserable that to fall asleep I splayed out on the 1/4" thick yoga mat on my cool, concrete floor, next to the kitty who was also disfrutar-ing the relative freshness of the piso. It's the antithesis of the negative-degree temperatures I used to experience during a Minnesota February. There, any moisture exposed to the air immediately froze (snot, eyeballs, etc.) . Here, the hot air costricts the throat and dessicates the body. Which is why I came to Boquete for a day. Paradise found.

If it wasn't hot enough already, summer is the time for burning. Hundreds of acres of burning sugarcane fields shoot plumes of brownish soot up into the atmosphere 24/7, creating a low cloud of smog that obstructs the view of the mighty (inactive?) Volcàn Baru. When the winds change, the ash descends to coat everything, including lungs, in a fine film of dust (cough, cough). And they're proposing sugarcane ethanol as an alternative "clean" fuel? One of the next Panamà Verde projects will be garbage management, including offering alternatives to burning garbage. For now, I will enjoy the fresh mountain air!

Que tenga un dìa llena de amor y felicidades.

2007-01-24T16:36:00.000-05:00

I got a kitty. Isn't she cute?? Her name is Fantasma, the Spanish word for "ghost", which really freaks out some people in my town, especially since she has one blue eye and the other grey-green. When she's not scratching up my legs by trying to climb me, she's a great companion and source of entertainment. Plus, it gives the neighbor kids something to do on their daily visits.

As I was popping open a can of kitty-formulated tuna the other day, I got to wondering what exactly was in the tuna that made it especially for gatos y gatitos. (What are they feeding you?) The ingredients list didn't give any clues, and judging by the price it's the same as any ordinary can of tuna. I'm guessing they took all the parts that people don't eat and canned them up to sell to people like me who think that they're feeding their pet a nutritious meal. The kitty seemed to like it.

On the subject of food, the book The Omnivore's Dilemma: a natural history of four meals, by Michael Pollan, provides an in-depth examination into the American psyche of eating. Pollan tracks the elements of four meals back to their agricultural roots, a journey that at times is surprisingly long and complex. Pollan takes the reader to Iowa corn fields, the birth of baby greens in California, a self-sustaining Virginia farm and hunting for wild boar, in order to answer oft-ignored questions. If you are what you eat, do you really know what you're eating and where it came from? How much oil got burned to churn that corn into a ready-to-eat processed delight, shipped to be picked up from your nearest McDonald's? What does organic really mean and is it good enough? Pollan calls America out on it's "national eating disorder" and engages the reader with his witty stories and writing style, leaving no choice but to think harder about the impact our food choices make on the health of ourselves and the environment.

So while you're out doing your latest civic duty at the local Whole Foods, I encourage you to swing by the book store on the way home if you want to know what's really for dinner. If you dare.

Kitty couldn't care less.

2007-01-06T14:42:00.000-05:00

From a cloud forest surrounding Volcan Baru to a sponge garden overtaking a wreck in the Caribbean, 2006 progressed into 2007 not uneventfully. After a brief stop in Panama City, Chan and I made our way across the country, where we met up with friends to celebrate Christmas in Cerro Punta, a mountain town surrounded by lush cloud forests. Christmas dinner was prepared in a dark cabin, sin electricidad, and after a few struggles with gas lanterns and Panamanian-style free-range chicken, our dinner turned out to be quite delicious. The coolness of the area added to the holiday atmosphere.

A five hour hike down the backside of the volcano led us to Boquete, where we enjoyed an excellent coffee tour at Kotowa coffee estates, of course complete with a tasting of their delicious shade-grown coffees. Evidently, the cloud forest in the area provides enough shade for the coffee trees that they fall in the category of shade-grown, although they do not grow directly beneath other shade-providing trees.

Grudgingly, I left the cool mountains and returned to my site in Los Pocitos for a couple of days. We spent an afternoon lounging on the Pacific beach before I put Chan to work making a table and doing other household chores.

A trip back over the mountains brought us to the Caribbean Sea and Bocas del Toro. We enjoyed a wreck dive off the coast of Isla Colón. The wreck was surrounded by a range of colorful sponges and corals, and our guide managed to point out a nurse shark resting under the helm of the sunken ship.

Finally, after two long bus trips we arrived back in Panama City, from which we spent a couple days in the sun on Isla Taboga, snorkeling, swimming and hiking. Although of course too short, I enjoyed showing off the wonderful diversity and beauty of Panama.

2006-12-20T14:13:00.000-05:00

Rake, rake, rake is what I do in my yard. Clean yards being along the lines of importance of religion and food in my town, I do the minimum amount of work required to maintain a sense of decency in my community. The big mango tree is currently my enemy; I must wait 3-4 months for it to hechar las frutas and then maybe we can call a truce.

Last night, as the sun was setting, shouts from a volleyball game across the street could hardly be discerned over my labored breathing. My chosen weapon was a heavy metal rake, the strategy to move a gigantic, already mouldering pile of lives from its station beside the house to the side of the yard, about 15 feet away. By the time dusk arrived and the volleyballers had long ago wandered home for dinner, I was almost ready to wave the little white flag. When the mosquitos rose from their moist-leaved depths to devour my dirt-covered flesh I gave the pile a final pound and ran for cover.

I must note that all of this was being done while breathing in not only the allergy-inducing leaf and grass dust, but the smoke of the neighbors´ burning leave piles. Oh, it was so tempting...why not strike that match and burn the pile where it stood? I haven't even given the charla on the evils of burning trash/leaves/crops and contamination yet. However, there are the ever-present eyes, and my own integrity to consider. These little moments are when I really feel the responsibility of being a Volunteer.

2006-12-15T11:43:00.000-05:00

Recently I've latched onto a few projects worth mentioning. First, for the past 2 months or so, I've been teaching English classes: one for adults, and one for kids, both once a week in the nearby school. English classes are secondary, voluntary projects for Volunteers (although after last week's training seminar I wouldn't be surprised if English is a mandatory activity in the future). I've enjoyed getting to know more community members through the classes, and unlike some other subjects, English is something in which I can claim to be an expert. Most often, the classes are informal and fun.

A recent meeting with my community revealed a few potential projects that I've begun researching and developing.
1. Since classes are out for summer (dry season) vacation as of this week, I am planning on starting a Panama Verde group for adolescents who may otherwise be bored over summer vacation. Kind of like an environmentally-focused scouts group, Panama Verde focuses on environmental projects, self-esteem and health education for adolescents in Panama.
2. Also, since there is no trash pickup in town, I am attempting to either organize a trash pickup service and/or educate about the benefits of recycling and composting. Hopefully this will help diminish the currently large amount of garbage being burned every day.
3. Finally, I'm working on a grant proposal to upgrade the dilapidated turtle hatchery on playa La Barqueta. These projects should keep me busy for the next couple months, starting in January after the holidays!

Feliz Navidad!

2006-12-07T15:45:00.000-05:00

After a few days of refresher training courses, I am fried. The brain is working at the rate of a Panamanian sales clerk. The tech classes and advice from current Volunteers were inspiring, the Spanish lessons needed and the ocean swims refreshing. However, this is the first time our training group had been all together since July. Being isolated from all other Volunteers the majority of the time causes us to go on a bit of a social binge when we finally do get together. There was a lot of catching up to do and that we did and then some.

Two weeks until Christmas vacation! Mi novio Chan is coming down to keep me company during my first xmas away from home. I'm excited to do some more traveling within the country. The ever-changing itinerary presently consists of:

Dec 22-24: Panama City - Panama Canal, Casco Viejo
Dec 24-25: Cerro Punta, in the highlands of Chiriquí
Dec 26-27: Boquete, Chiriquí (hiking, coffee tour, Volcán Baru)
Dec 28-29: Los Pocitos, Chiriquì (my site) on the coast
Dec 29-Jan 04: Portobelo, Islas Kuna Yala, Panama City

It will be difficult to stay focused for the next couple weeks!

(The pic is from back during training days)

2006-11-29T09:38:00.000-05:00

My lips were medio-purple I was so cold. It was raining in the cool mountain town of Volcán yesterday, but the parades still marched on. And on and on literally all day and into the night. Marching bands from colegios all over the country slowly moved thdown the street, the students oblivious to the cold rain that soaked their costumes through. After months of practice, they were not going to let a little rain spoil the mood on the final day of the Fiestas Patrias. I, on the other hand, was glad to be tucked under and umbrella, coffee in-hand. The mood was festive, and I fully enjoyed the day of parades, crafts, music, friends and food. A woman who attends my English class took me under her wing for the day. She and her husband brought me up from David to enjoy the festivities in Volcán. Their youngest daughter just graduated from high school and is spending a few months studying English in the States, so I got to be the hija for the day. I stayed with them in David for the night. They made me feel very welcome and I am grateful for their kind hospitality.

David, being one of the larger cities in Panamá, has a higher standard of living than even where I live, only an hour away in el campo. My stay last night in a regular David house made me realize that there are many things I have learned to live without, and others that I have actually forgotten about.

Luxury items: napkins, hot showers, hair dryers, flush toilets, glass windows, electric appliances, anything not plastic (glass plates, glasses, wooden chairs, etc.), tile floors, cleanliness...

Things I'd forgotten about: cream cheese, real orange juice - the kind with pulp, paper towels, those little mats you put in the shower, bathroom rugs, bowls made specifically for sugar, candied apples

Compared to some of my fellow Volunteers, I still live in relative luxury at my site, but I'm glad I am growing to appreciate some of the things that I used to take for granted.

That being said, today I'm going to buy a bunch of cheap, plastic things to put in my house! With the help of my boss, I managed to consiguir una casa and I should be moved in by the end of the week. Excitement! I really do love my host family, and they've treated me very well these past few months, but I will love them more once I have my own little space. Perhaps today I will pick up that celebratory bottle of wine that's been on hold for awhile...cheers!

2006-11-25T10:47:00.000-05:00

It wasn't a traditional place, but the Thanksgiving dinner was not missing any of the essential elements. Cerro Punta was an impressively beautiful place, and the cool climate made the holiday atmosphere complete. I even managed to fully enjoy a couple cups of hot chocolate, topped with fresh whipped cream and cinnamon, the likes of which I've never experienced before in my life. The 100 or so Volunteers that flocked to the Los Quetzales Lodge in Cerro Punta were perhaps a little homesick at times, but surrounded by friends and good food, we were far from being disappointed. Thanksgiving in Panama was another incredible experience that will never be forgotten.

2006-11-17T13:57:00.000-05:00

This entry has no theme. Little educational and/or serious life reflections will be covered, so you're in for a treat! The picture above was taken of the Panama City skyline from Hotel Plaza Paitilla Inn, a hotel with great views for a good deal, in case you ever happen to be in the area.

Walking the streets of David earlier today, my sunglassed, no-nonsense stare and purposeful gait were interrupted by a lot of bulla a few blocks ahead. It was a parade, complete with a band: drums beating and horns blaring loudly, stopping the erratic movement of traffic if only for a moment. Although the display turned my head, this occurrence is not completely unusual, November being the month of the Fiestas Patrias (all celebrations involve numerous, lenghthy parades). However, as I scoured my memory for any mention of a November 17th holiday, I saw the sign. No, not The Sign, but a poster announcing the Grand Opening of the new American Style clothing store. Why wouldn't a grand opening call for an all-out parade? This is Panama, and I'm discovering any opportunity to make noise will be pounced on with zeal. I didn't go into the store, but had a sudden, almost irrepressable urge to run in and denounce the validity of the advertisements that screamed, "Authentic American Clothing!".

Being an American in Panama is interesting. "American" is a class in and of itself, since so many rich gringos have migrated to the area to retire, bringing with them their American-earned dollars and high standard of living. I promised nothing serious so I'll end the commentary there.

The other day I tried sugarcane for the first time. I have to admit, I was slightly disappointed. It was sugary, but far to woody for my taste. Being a chewing gum addict, I can't imagine chomping on thick cellulose for more than a couple seconds, sweetened or un.

In slightly older news, BusinessWeek placed the Peace Corps at #38 out of the 50 best employers for college grads, a little behind big investment and banking corporations, but ahead of Teach for America and the IRS. It's somehow comforting to have someone else (however random) confirm my choice of employer. Or did they choose me? Hmmm.

I'm looking forward to going up to Cerro Punta for a massive Volunteer get-together next week. A Thankdsgiving celebration will be held in the Parque Nacional de Amistad, said to be one of the most beautiful areas in the country (who can rank them, there are so many beautiful places!). I'm excited to celebrate the holiday with some American food and friends, in a cool climate that will provide additional authenticity. Happy Thanksgiving!

2006-11-10T15:11:00.000-05:00

A week in the life of...

Monday night: danced to Shakira on iPod alone in room

Tuesday: finished reading copy of Newsweek. flipped it down on table to see an add featuring Shakira. considered it a sign. texted friends about Shakira concert.

Wednesday: met friends in David for 8-hour bus ride to Panama City. met more friends in Panama City. flip cup. total sleep: one hour.

Thursday: bought tickets. food. Shakira Shakira! total sleep: 0 hours.

Friday early morning: bus ride from Panama City to David on which slept. food. now. feliz dia de indepencia de Espana!

2006-11-05T11:12:00.000-05:00

What would happen if they suspended sales of alcohol in the US during the forth of July weekend? I imagine there would be rioting. At least a fair warning ahead of time and some major stocking up. This weekend is the beginning of the Fiestas Patrias, the celebration(s) of Panama's independence from Columbia, and Panama's flag day. I was in Panama City for the day before this event, and my girlfriends and I were disappointed to discover our much-looked-forward-to free sangria night at a local restaurant had been cancelled. We even tried to sneakily puchase a pitcher of sangria at another restaurant, and almost succeeded with the waitress until someone more knowledgable in the kitchen informed her that no alcohol was to be sold that day (they even had a glass of wine advertised on their nightly special! so close!) Actually, all sales of liquor, wine and beer were postponed for the day before, and the first day of the celebration weekend. Panamanians took this change in stride, as they do with most things. It was the first year that alcohol was prohibited at two of the traditionally alcohol-infused days of the year: fiestas patrias and the voting on the Panama Canal Referendum. And with good reason.

About two weeks ago an electical glitch on a bus in Panama City caused it to suddently burst into flames. Eighteen people died in the inferno; a tragedy. The day-long-prohibition was called in honor of the families of the victims of the bus accident, and it truly was a day of silence. I'm sure a few more tragedies were avoided during this day of sobreity, and only small disappointments felt upon being deprived of sangria.

2006-10-31T09:33:00.000-05:00

I've been pasear-ing to different places this past week. Being away more than usual has made it a little easier to bear with still living with a host family, even though I technically could move out any time now. If only there was a house ready to move into...

Wednesday I had the opportunity to go on a trip to the Comarca Ngöbe-Bugle. The comarcas are areas independently goverened by the indigenous tribes of Panama. The poverty level is greater in these areas, however the beauty is astounding. The Ngöbe and Bugle tribes were two independent tribes that combined to rule the area just north of the province of Chiriquì. I went with a group from the national environmental authority, ANAM, to observe and assist with a day-long training of new ANAM volunteers from the Comarca. The day was interesting and inspiring, meeting many people living in poor conditions, yet were motivated and excited about developing more environmentally sustainable ways to live. For example, traditional farming in Panama involves a lot of slash-and-burn agriculture methods, and in the Comarca the burning is relatively uncontrolled, sometimes spreading to virgin rainforests as well as polluting the air with thick smoke. The farmers of the Comarca Ngöbe-Bugle are interested in learning about other ways to farm, such as making organic fertilizer, and investing in reforestation projects.

A lot of work goes into a cup of coffee, as I found out on Friday I went to visit a friend's site to help with a small coffee harvest and roasting. Coffee is abundant in the mountains of Chiriquì, where some of the best coffee in the world is grown, some of which has been sold for over $50 a pound. My friend and I hiked around the gorgeous coffee fincas in a valley of Volcan Baru, many of which use sustainable shade-growing techniques, and some of which are organic certified. After the hike, we headed to tostar some green coffee beans. The beans are red when on the tree, and are first dried for about at week in the sun, and then de-shelled using either a traditional mortar and pestle method, or on a larger scale, taken to a coffee processing plant. We were roasting a small batch for a local family, so I worked to smash the dry beans, removing the husk but keeping the green beans whole. The husked were then separated completely from the beans by shaking the mixture on a flat board before picking away husk remnants. Finally, the beans were roasted in a large pan over an open flame for about two hours, being stirred constantly, until they were roasted an even, oily black. I drank a lot of very fresh coffee during that trip.

A couple nights ago my friend came to visit, and we spent a night patrolling the beach, looking for nesting sea turtles. The search was unsuccessful, but there will be other attempts! Today I'm heading to a Halloween party in Santiago, a town about half way to Panama City, before going to the city itslef for a few days. Maybe my house will be ready to move into when I return to my site this weekend!

2006-10-23T16:49:00.000-05:00

No big surprise, the expansion of the Panama Canal passed with almost 80% approval.

2006-10-22T11:01:00.000-05:00

Today Panamanians vote on the future of the Panama Canal. The expansion will most certainly go through...read the speculations:

Read articles from:

The Scoop

La Prensa

BBC News

In other news, a small article was written in the national newspaper La Prensa about the sea turtle releases at my site, La Barqueta. I was interviewed, and they spelled my name horribly wrong, but if you can read Spanish, it's a good summary.

2006-10-16T14:55:00.000-05:00

I can't leave the house without getting my feet dirty. There is earth everywhere. Not imported, transplanted, water-sucking lawns, but dirt: dusty, muddy, dirtying. It gets on my clothes and doesn´t come out. It becomes caked on my sandaled toes, to be brushed off before entering the city landscape, where only manufactured gasoline-exhaust dust is socially acceptable.

Around my house grow trees and plants that from this same dirt that produce edible items ranging from the mundane root vegetable to sweet, juicy, tropical fruits. Stores do exist for luxury items like milk and the oil that my host abuelita uses to fry everything in sight. I tend to seek out the grocery stores more often than the locals, not quite weaned off of their abundant wealth of imported choices. I enjoy feeling an attachment to the earth, and I am truly excited to begin an organic garden, compost pile and composting latrine when I move into my own little place.

There are endless ways to become re-attached to your own parcel of the planet:

1. "Live Consciously, Buy Wisely, Make a Difference" - Check out the New American Dream.
This is a comprehensive site of ways to "green" your life. Save fuel resources by buying from local merchants (find your closest stores and markets with this map!). Turn the Tide by making nine simple lifestyle changes, including replacing one car trip a week with an alternate mode of transport.

2. Don't know any alternate transport methods? Find them and become an advocate for public transportation. It will not only contribute to the health of the environment, but an improved tranport system can improve your own health as well. If you can't get there by public transport, think about carpooling or ridesharing. Of course, there's always walking or biking, if you are lucky enough to live in such a place where such things are possible without risking your life. If there are no sidewalks, form a group to lobby for better walking conditions!

3. Turn waste into yummy foodstuffs. Fancy bins aren't neccessary to compost organic wastes, and there's even indoor non-smelly wormbox methods if you don't have space for a pile. No better organic fertilizer to be found (except maybe the future compost from my sawdust bucket toilet that will most definitely make for some extra-juicy tomatoes next year).

These are just a few options to quench that Earth-Zen craving you didn't even know you had. There are a world of ways to break those Wal-Mart Superstore-inspired habits, even inside the confines of the ultra-comfy cushions of the American consumer society. Be inspired by the dirt.

2006-10-09T11:35:00.000-05:00

Querida the talking parrot was there to greet me with a loud squawk upon my return from Panama City last week. My host abuelita asked me if I was going to buy a parrot when I move to my own place next month. She is very concerned about my living alone and lejos, even though the house is just around the corner. I have developed a certain attachment to the bird, and will be back to visit and converse with it once the move is made. For now, I´m waiting for the owner of the house to return from his work on a nearby island so he can begin finishing the place. Right now it has no sink, shower, latrina...virtually nada.

I was comforted by the parrot´s greeting after an exhausting week in the city...a nice welcome back to the tranquilo lifestyle in the campo. I made the 14-hour round trip bus ride with intentions of getting a little work done in the office headquarters, and seeing some friends that were in town for a conference. Both of these goals were accomplished, but the change of lifestyle from 9pm bedtime to going out with friends in the American-esqe cuidad left me without much energy for our regional meeting in the mountain town of Boquete. Nonetheless, the meeting went well, and I was encouraged by meeting some of the veteran volunteers. The director of the entire Panama program came to my site the next day, and I may have been deliriously tired. Remembering the day arrives to my mind in snapshots, like a dream, one of which is the parrot singing his greeting to me as I stumbled in the door, forgetting to pay the taxi driver in my excited and tired state. What amazes me as I reflect on this day is that arriving to my host family`s house after almost a week away actually felt like coming home.

2006-09-29T13:33:00.000-05:00

It looks so easy, the business of being a kid. What synapses in our brain die as we age? We stop growing, eventually (except our noses, ears and waistlines: the uglier parts), learn and move at a slower pace. The older we get the more pruned our brains become, shedding the "unneccesary" connections. Essentially, what appears to be simplicity in childhood is actually complexity, unrefinement, the happiness of a brain yet unformed but forming by a small world of experience.

Yesterday I spun in circles with my arms out until I got so dizzy I fell down. The second-grade girls next to me fell down a few seconds later, while my head spun in a spun-drunk dizzyness, the nauseous feeling finally fading about an hour later. The girls got up right away, ready to invent some other game involving a tennis ball and a pair of plastic flip-flops while I sat in the grass wondering if I ever truly thought that game was fun and needing a small helping hand to get up. Evidently a few of the nerves connecting my enlarging ears to my brain have died, making the sense of equilibrium harder to acheive after a good spin. If I spin like this every day can I re-learn to not get quite so dizzy?

2006-09-26T15:41:00.000-05:00

Mental health is important, and in a new, foreign environment perhaps more difficult to maintain than under "normal" circumstances. Every couple of weeks my fellow Chiriquí volunteers and I get together to share stories, speak English and bounce ideas off of each other. These reunions are, of course, strategically planned to be located in interesting areas. The city of David is not so fascinating to me anymore, but our home base city was fun to explore during our first get-together. Playa Las Lajas is known as one of the most beautiful and best surfing beaches in the country, so in order to fully be knowledgable about our region of Panama, we had to visit this place as well. Boquete (aka "Gringotown") was a great escape into the mountains for some cooler weather and great coffee.

This past weekend, our group ventured to Isla Boca Brava, an island situated in the Golfo de Chiriquí. The islands in the area are densly forested and vibrant with life. It turned out to be the most nature-filled weekend any of us have yet experienced. One morning, we woke up to a group of howler monkeys climbing over our cabaña. That day, on an excursion to a white-sanded island (pictured above), we oohed and aahed over a humpback whale that glided nearby our boat. While on the island, a group of these whales breached repeatedly in a breathtaking show. I explored the coral reef nearby, a shelf dominated by P. damnicornis coral and small, brightly-colored reef fishes.

These outings are a terrific way to get to know the area as well as develop a vital support structure of friends for the next two years. Each leaves my spirit lighter and more uplifted and my mind filled with images of paradise. Anyone up for a visit to Panama?

2006-09-18T10:13:00.000-05:00

Every day here is a humbling experience. Struggles range from basic communication (questions like "what did you do yesterday?" to "what is your opinion about the expansion of the Panama Canal?" can throw me into confused blubbering), to running a 13K through the heat of a Panamanian morning.

Saturday I completed my second carerra in Panama. I was proud to come in fourth place in the women´s category; fourth out of five women, second-to-last in the entire competition. In the States, coming in behind almost everyone would most likely have ended my competetive running career. There are a few reasons that my pride was not completely destroyed. First, races here are attended by a small number of "elite" athletes. Sure, two of the women who beat me were in high school, but they have trainers! Seriously, I was asked who my trainer was by more than one person before the race. The other woman who finished out of sight, far in front of me, was most definitely a marathon runner, as were most of the men who competed, including my friend, Marcial. Marcial runs 20K on the beach every morning, and most afternoons bikes another 40K or so. I told a few people he was my trainer since a couple times a week I trudge along next to him for a portion of his sandy workout. Also, although I had goosebumps the morning of the race, by around 8:30am when the race began (a half an hour behind schedule, true to Panamanian time), the sun was out in full force and it was HOT. There was one water stop along the way, and the people with the water decided that they would drive their car about 200m in front of me, pacing with one guy, who had full water priveleges for the remainder of the race. I watched from behind, unable to catch up, panting, struggling, thinking I may pass out before I reached the end. However, I was motivated by the one person behind me (a 14-yr old girl), determined that I would not come in last, or at least that I would finish. And I did finish, completing the last torturous lap around the center of the town amidst staring and sometimes clapping Panamanians who were fascinated by the gringa with the reddish-purple face who was giving them odd looks because clearly she didn´t know the route of the race and there was no one there to give her directions. The best part was the brindis after the race. The Pepsi and hamburger were not traditional post-race fare, but they were awesome! Why didn´t the race people in the States think of this? Who wants a dry, bready bagel and some bland Gatorade when you can have syrupy soda and a greasy, mayonaise-smeared hamburger right after you run 13K?! No better way to rehydrate!

The first race I competed in here was a 5K, where I was almost lapped by the men running (3 laps around the fairgrounds) and actually did come in last because the one other woman running with me dropped out after one lap. So actually I won first prize, two Precious Moments coffee mugs, which truly are precious to me. The mugs are an emblem of the energy that keeps me going through these competitions, a concentrated form of the persistence that pushes me through each day. In the races especially, I am on exhibit, like the monkey on a leash at the agriculture fair... a strange species... a white woman who runs in races!!! The same qualities that place me in the minority status here in Panama (often attracting unwanted attention in the cities) project me to the celebrity class at my site. This can be a daily struggle for an introvert such as myself (read the article behind the link...it´s terriffic!!!). However, being in this environment is like an accellerated class in life lessons... the importance of persistence and humility for starters...just the experience I was looking for when I accepted this assignment. I have to admit, however, that I never imagined I´d learn from sweating gallons, feet pounding on a flat, sunny road through the sugar cane fields of Chiriquí.

2006-09-12T11:46:00.000-05:00

This week I started teaching in a couple of the nearby schools. I helped organize a clean-up weekend for this coming Friday and Sunday, so the topic of the classes was environmental contamination. We played a game, sang a song, I attempted to say a few words. During today´s class the director made a few comments to the students about how they should pay extra attention to me when I speak because I have an accent and say things differently (and accidently called a niño a niña - called him a girl, to the amusement of his peers). All in all, the classes went well and I look forward to working with both schools in the future.

The kids make the whole experience of embarrassing myself worthwhile, defining the expression of laughing with me, rather than at me. Their innocence, interested questions and energy are a welcomed relief from the sometimes condescending and impatient adult world. If I ever feel lonely, I will go to one of the schools and immediately be surrounded by kids yelling my name and not feeling bad when I have no other answer than "hola" because there are so many and their names are spoken to me in shy whispers; different names hard to grasp and even more difficult to remember.

Students are so used to simply copying from the blackboard and listening for hours on end that any mention of a hands-on activity immediately wins over a class. I feel like the grandparent or cool aunt, going to the school once or twice a week and spoiling the kids with fun activities and leaving most of the discipline and hard work to the teachers the rest of the week. However, it´s the fun activities and songs that I remember most from school, so I have no doubt that expanding the limits of the Panamanian educational system´s techniques will do much harm. Perhaps the teaching I dreaded will become my favorite part of this experience here in Panama.

2006-09-05T15:44:00.000-05:00

PROYECTO DE ECOTURISMO, LA BARQUETA

There is a need to organize and further develop the conservation and tourism activities of playa La Barqueta. Today, tourists from around the world travel to Barqueta beach to enjoy the calm beauty of the area. There are independent measures being taken by members of the community to conserve and protect the marine turtles that arrive to the beach and clean the area of garbage. To better and further develop these activities in order to serve the community and educate tourists, it is necessary to work together with every interest group to establish a sustainable ecotourism project on Barqueta beach.

Barqueta beach, located within the coastal zone of the Gulf of Chiriquí, is an important nesting site for the Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys livaceae), Loggerhead (Caretta caretta), Green turtle (Chelonia agassizi), Leatherback (Dermochelys coriaceae), and Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) sea turtles, five of the eight species of sea turtles that exist in the world, all of which are in danger of extinction. The wildlife refuge La Barqueta serves to protect these turtles. Also, the area possesses a significant amount of mangroves, bird nesting sites, and forms a part of a route for migratory birds.

Gains from ecotourism can amplify available funds to contribute to conservation measures in the area. More support is necessary to protect and conserve the sea turtles of La Barqueta. Many threats exist for the turtle mothers that arrive to the beach to deposit their eggs in nests dug into the sand. Dogs bite the fins of the turtles, killing them indirectly and slowly because they will not be able to swim when they return to the ocean. Humans plunder the nests, removing the eggs and selling them in the black market for US $0.50 - 1.00 per egg. The myth that turtle eggs are an aphrodisiac is slow to fade in Panama, and the eggs are ingested at local bars along with the local brew. Sea turtle is still eaten in this area of the world, and turtles at this beach are sometimes killed for their meat as they lay their eggs.

The Comité de Ambientalistas de Alanje was a group formed in the eighties to protect the sea turtles at Barqueta beach. During their years of operation, the group collected approximately 11,000 eggs per year, freeing around 9,000 hatchlings each year. With the arrival of a hotel and other tourism operations in the area, conflicts arose with the environmental group, and it is now in a state of stagnancy and degredation. Local volunteers (aka. one of my assigned partners) patrol the beach every morning to collect the eggs deposited over night and move them to protected viveros. The national envionmental authority, a youth group called Panama Verde, members of local universities, and a few local volunteers give educational talks to the community, hold turtle liberations where the neonates are release from the vivero, and organize beach clean-ups.

Development of an ecotourism project requires support from both the community and local agencies. It is necessary to organize an ecotourism committee to manage the conservation and tourism activities, and to find and train potential guides. Further considerations are the marketing and money management aspects of the project. There are several interest groups in the area, including the national environmental authority, local businesses, schools, youth groups, and universities, that can organize to develop a sustainable project. These groups, with help from the national tourism committee, can form a powerful business enterprise.

Why ecotourism at Barqueta?

1. Increase the amount of beach patrols. Currently, one man alone patrols 20 km of the beach every morning (he runs). Also, the national environmental authority patrols the beach off and on, fairly unreliably. With more funds and heightened interest through education, members of the community can work together to patrol the area every night, and serve as guides for ecotourists. One potential activity could include night walks with tourists, to watch for turtles coming to lay their eggs and protect them from predators.

2. Minimize poaching activities. Some of the profits from ecotourism will be used to pay members of the community to bring the eggs to viveros, rather than sell them on the black market in David. An increased number of beach patrols should also help to decrease poaching.

3. Increase education about sea turtles on a local and international level. With organized conservation activities there are many opportunities for education. In the community, field trips to the beach to participate in beach clean-ups and neonate liberations can be a hands-on supplement to lectures in class. Ecotourism attracts tourists from around the world, increasing consciousness about this topic on a world level. Attention to the area will potentially attract support from international organizations.

4. Keep the beach clean. To have succuess with a tourism project, the beach should be cleaned frequently, using a regular schedule. This serves to provide a more beautiful view and also protects the turtles, as many die from ingesting garbage floating in the ocean. A favorite food of many turtles, the jellyfish, looks uncannily like a plastic bag floating in the water (I´ve made the mistake before myself!). If there is interest, ecotourists can be included in keeping the beach clean, picking up trash items during night walks.

5. Promote scientific study of turtles in the area. Organized conservation measures open the door to scientific studies. The development of updated databases will show the level of success of the project, and also attract international respect and support.

The majority of training of guides and economic development can be given by local agencies and organizations. Already there are many tourists that arrive to Barqueta beach to stay in the local hotel, cabanas, and enjoy the restaurants. Further advertising is necessary to attract more tourists (of the eco kind, especially), on a local and international level. Suggestions include development of a web page and contact with the local tourism agency. The majority of the expenses of the enterprise fall in the categories of paying members of the community as guides and compensating for eggs brought to the viveros by would-be poachers. Without getting into details, a small suggested donation per tour most likely will not enough to compensate for the current market price of the turtle eggs. Outside funds must be found, such as soliciting funds from nearby business enterprises (aka the hotel), or from outside environmental organizations. Perhaps an adopt-a-turtle project. I don´t know...I don´t know if we´ll have enough time...

With the multitude of natural resources in the area, there are many options for other ecotourism activities that could be advertised in packages. For example, the wildlife refuge La Barqueta offers the unique experience of a boardwalk through the mangroves where birds, monkeys and other animals reside. Guides could bring ecotrourists through the boardwalk, or through the mangroves on boats, and offer their knowledge about the local flora and fauna in addition to a refreshing coconut picked right off the tree. Also, there is great fishing in the area, both in the mangroves and deep sea. Kayaking, surf lessons...the options are endless. If the preliminary project is successful, it would be great to have some 4WDs for the less hearty to enjoy the tours. Or helicopter tours...that´s always cool. And skydiving into rice fields. We´re starting small.

(Loosely interpreted from my spanish...hehe)

2006-08-31T14:36:00.000-05:00

A walk through the mangroves in the wildlife refuge adjacent to my site provides a shady respite from the fuerte sun that beams down every day. The Refugio de Vida Silvestre La Barqueta was created to protect the fragile mangrove ecosystem, including the migratory bird species that come to rest in the trees´high branches for months at a time. Right now, hundreds of elegant, long-necked white egrets crowd the mangroves and the nearby rice fields. Other bird species include a variety of hummingbirds, ducks, hawks, vultures, pelicans, and yellow-breasted songbirds that sing fantastically.

Monkeys also reside in the mangroves and nearby forests. A friend of mine spotted one yesterday on the way home from a meeting. Locally known as the "cariblanca" (white face), this cute monkey was swinging from the branches as we drove by its tree. Stopping the car to watch for a moment, the driver compared the appearance of the monkey with norteamericanos. The driver then proceeded to explain that it was a very intelligent species, often chastised for stealing bananas and other delicacies off of occupied tables. I think they may also throw things at people, although I`ll have to ask a friend of mine to testify to this fact (he was attacked by a crap-slinging group last year). The driver may have been more correct about the white-faced monkey than he could have fathomed.

2006-08-22T13:26:00.000-05:00

Fallen calabazo in a rainstorm in the backyard

2006-08-17T10:29:00.000-05:00

***I wrote this sitting in a yeye cafè, chuckling to myself as two gringas behind me ordered the same spinach quiche and cappucino as I had just polished off with pleasure. In the States, I love my imported mangos, coffee and wine.***

My host father in Santa Clara works six long days a week at a chicken factory outside of Panama City. ¨Chicken¨was the one English word my host brothers knew upon my arrival. Over a simple, tasty lunch of pollo y vegetales one day, my host mother casually remarked that even though Panama has a fairly large commercial chicken production business, the choice cutlets get sent to the United States. I hadn´t known the US imported chicken; I assumed most was ´grown´in the States, since driving by the smelly Midwestern chicken farms in my youth. Actually, Panama exports about $433 million of goods to the US yearly, neary one half of its total exports. The relationship of the US with Panama is an ongoing pirate´s tale of invasion, politcal unrest, and the search for true freedom.

During the free trade negotiations at the beginning of 2006, the agricultural minister of Panama resigned, citing worries about more lax health standards on US imports (1). Whether this is true or not remains negotiable, yet represents just one of the many high-pressure negotiations between the two countries. Exports of goods from Panama to the US began in the early 1900s with the conception of the United Fruit Company, a US-based banana plantation, located on Isla Colòn in Bocas del Toro. The successful construction of the Panama Canal under the supervision of President T. Roosevelt further complicated political relations between the two countries, ending in a treaty that handed over full control of the Canal to Panama in 1999 . Tensions reached a pinnacle during Operation Just Cause and the removal of Manuel Noriega in the 1980s, when the US invasion resulted in a greatly disputed number of civilian deaths (300-4,000).

Currently, the gorgeous country of Panama drips with alluring economic potential. Panama faces global pressure to expand the Canal, an issue the country will vote on in an October referendum. Advertisements blatantly insist the economic benefits of this expensive investment, backed by President Martin Torrijos. If managed with care, this project could be a boon to the economy, and even the environment, if measures are taken to carefully analyze the impact and allocate funds to environmental restoration as necessary (2). The tourism industry is growing exponentially, propelled by a flood of US retirees (3). I have already met quite a few of these friendly norteamericanos, many who live in the nearby mountain town of Boquete, and a small group who settled on my beach, La Barqueta. Finally, the US-based company Occidental Petroleum seeks to plant a new refinery on a portion of Puerto Armuelles, at the end of the peninsula that stretches into the Pacific near the Costa Rican border.

As development increases in Panama, the job markets change. Large-scale projects such as those mentioned above employ thousands in construction and tourism-based jobs. Many Panamanians are moving to urban areas to take advantage of the booming markets. However, as half of the country prospers, the other sinks deeper into poverty. Panama has the second-highest income disparity in Latin America, behind Brazil, with 37% of its residents living below the poverty line (2). If a current proposal to dam the Indio river for the expansion of the Panama Canal goes through, an estimated 3500 campesinos will be forced to give up their land (2). Advocates of the expansion rebut that the project will employ many thousands of Panamanians.

However, taking away the land for many of these poor farmers is stealing their right to choose the life they want to live. Others are forced into poverty by competition from larger (often foreign) coorporations and sell their land at a cheap price, only to return months later, broke and begging for a job from the same hotel/restuarant/spa owners that previously bought their land. The oil refinery at Puerto Armuelles will undoubtably boost the economy of the region (much more so the economy of the company), but at the price of the environment and the health of those who live nearby.

Yesterday, I sat in the back of a press conference about the proposal of the new US-owned refinery, held by a group of envioronmentalists from the Chiriquí region. I watched as slides from places in the US were shown as examples of what not to do when managing an oil refinery. A woman gave a passionate speech that brought tears to my eyes about the lack of sustainable options for the poor in the area of the proposed refinery. I have expressed discontent in the past, but for the first time in my life, I was ashamed of my country. A slide flashed by displaying the worldwide impact of air pollution from the US, a red cloud of toxins spreading over the northern hemisphere. I thought of the rejection of the Kyoto protocol and hunkered down further in my seat, avoiding the eyes of any cameras that may pass. I do not feel responsible for companies such as these, but as a norteamericano, I cannot remove myself from the masses, the consumerism that propels these companies to exist in the first place.

The fact is, I am not outright opposed to all large corporations and international development. There are many businesses who due their share to improve technology to be more environmentally friendly, and many rich who dedicate their lives to courageous projects. I am opposed to greed that preys off of the resources of other countries without giving back a fair share. In terms of percentage of GNP, the US falls short of all industrialized countries in terms of foreign aid, only recently moving up from last place by one (4). This is embarrassing. I am against those who blatantly take advantage of the world´s poor and the environment in developing countries where the infrastructure is not developed enough to stop such activities (and are sometimes blatantly encouraged). Panama´s tropical lushness is a fragile environment of intricately intwined ecosystems that daily are being destroyed. Ganadores clear rainforests to produce meat for the world´s fast food hamburger cravings, hotels spring up and erode away pristine beaches, and imports of goods wrapped in plastic fill the streets and air with their harmful biproducts, in a country with no infrastructure for garbage removal or recycling. The fact that many of these unsustainable practices are being done by Americans makes me immeasurably sad...and ashamed.

Living in this beautiful environment is a privilege I cannot possibly take for granted. I feel a huge amount of responsibility being an extranjero from the States. I wish to change the image of our country to one that encourages sustainable development, rather than being labeled as coming from a country that siphons the best of the world´s resources into its own bottomless pit of greed. Of course I can´t do this on my own. Build gardens on your city rooftops, buy locally grown organic produce, make an effort to use less gasoline, and por favor, don´t buy McDonald´s hamburgers. That´s all.

2006-08-12T12:10:00.000-05:00

Every night at 7:15 the sun sets and the land is ruled by two types of creatures of the night. Much of Panama, including the community of Los Positos, slams their doors against the mosquitos that come buzzing in droves, and as their abodes are secured against the first creature, the gente turn to stare into the big, ugly eye of the other. Slowly relaxing into well-worn cushions and plastic chairs, they stare, and it blinks back, not menacingly, but seductively. The creature and the people gaze into each other´s eyes until they are as one.

This interaction frightens me more than the risk of malaria and dengue fever, more than the huge waves that can sweep you a mile offshore, and much more than the tormentas that sometimes sound as if they will pound right through the zinc roof at night. It makes me shudder to the depths of my soul to watch this spectacle, that occurs even in the poorest of houses.

The televsion commercials are loud and cheesy, advertising for things that people in the campo don´t need and can´t possibly afford. But yet I watch as people buy them. First program of the night: the extremely sensationalized news shows the images of every dead body the camera could get its eye on that day. At 7, the novelas begin. Amplified soap operas show Latin Americans living as if they were in Beverly Hills or the OC. Myself not understanding the Spanish makes the terrible acting all the more comical, but doesn´t overshadow the psychological devastation.

As my new family watches the Spanish-dubbed movies that never made it in America, I wonder to myself what they did before the TV arrived. Due to the literacy level, very few people enjoy reading for pleasure, so I imagine it was more of the banter about the weather that goes on all day long. I don´t mourn as much for my host abuelitos, who are well into their 80s and would probably be in bed if not in front of the TV, but for the young Panamanians. They see the same wasteful lifestyles as the kids in America are enticed into desiring, but have even less of a chance of actualizing these emtpy wants.

My host mother in my training community confided in me her worry that her three boys would never further their education and get good jobs because they preferred to sit in front of the TV over studying. In Panama, the average education level is 6th grade, because in some places it is too difficult or expensive to transport children to high school. Although it is a law to attend school until the 12th grade, there are not enough high schools to make this enforceable. To those who are more fortunate, such as my previous host family, what a shame to see the opportunity for education go to waste because of the distraction of the TV!

In many places, nature still rules here, covering old house foundations with flourescent green moss and vines after just a few months. Fruit trees burst with their offerings in every other yard, and gardens and local fincas still provide most of the food for those out in the country. But as the TV brings with its intense stare the message of a "modern", urbanized, prepackaged lifestyle, fewer and fewer people appreciate the surrounding land of plenty. I search for insights on how to kill the creature who dominates Panama´s sticky nights.

2006-08-08T14:06:00.000-05:00

A series of reactionary essays written shortly after 9-11, Barbara Kingsolver´s ´Small Wonder´is full of passionate reflections about the world, the environment, and peace. The fire within me burns more strongly these days, inflamed by this book as well as the events unfolding around me. Some of these things are beyond control - the ongoing fighting in the Middle East, the daily realization of a world of inevitable inequalities. Others, such as the local fight in my site between a few locals and the owners of the nearby resort, are becoming more within reach as I learn about the area and the people involved. I have to keep reminding those around me that I am not here to fight, but to establish good working relationships, to be diplomatic, and to encourage communication between the community, local agencies, and other outside groups such as the owners of the resort. This is my goal for the next two years, and with a firey spirit, I prepare myself to entire the lucha for peace.

2006-08-07T12:52:00.000-05:00

Chocolate-brown eyes question my every step. What am I doing here? I can give the textbook answer: to raise environmental consciousness on a grassroots level, through projects in environmental education and youth groups, ecotourism, and sea turtle conservation. In theory, these ideas and projects are well-developed. However, how do I explain this to the eight-year-old who curiously inquires why I traveled far to visit her pueblo for the next two years? This week I am beginning to learn the value of building relationships, bridging the gap of language and culture, a sometimes frustratingly slow process. Hours will be spent talking idly about the weather, moments of misunderstanding and awkwardness will pass, and ultimately I will be able to call Los Positos my home. I am in Panama to be an ambassador of peace, and perhaps teach a few things along the way. I am already in debt to these people for the amount I myself have learned.

(The photo was taken during a day at Isla Taboga, and island near Panama City, during a brief vacation before arriving to my site)

2006-07-28T08:58:00.000-05:00

The most rewarding experience from the two - month training was eating a spinach salad, freshly picked from my host family´s organic garden, my first experimental project. It is the most fantastically fresh and tender spinach that has ever entered this mouth. A sprig of the plant was generously donated during a visit to the Los Santos province, and carried back in a plastic bottle (pretty much the only way to recycle in Panama is to re-use). Now as I make my way to my site, I carry a sprig in yet another bottle, taken from the now fully-grown vine that resides back in the garden. If it dies in-transit, it may be impossible to interpret as anything other than a bad omen.

2006-07-21T19:03:00.000-05:00

A tremendous thunderstorm, complete with hair-raising electrical activity, marked my last day of Spanish classes during training. Next week I will be sworn in as a Volunteer under the supervision of a few important people, in the Panama Canal Museum, and then tossed out into the country as if I knew what I was doing. My site visit last week both was both encouraging and overwhelming.

One night a storm knocked out the power in the house I was staying at in my site in Los Positos, and without the fan I could hear the sound of the large, strong waves that break on the shore of the nearby beach that resides just past a few bright green rice fields. Unfortunately, the waves aren´t the best for surfing, but I´m sure I won´t be able to resist the urge to jump in for a swim when the tide is low. The luxury resort, Las Olas, resides on Playa Barqueta, a 30 min jog from my town, so if anyone wants to visit and not sleep in a hammock, a room can be arranged at the resort. However, the presence of the resort and its wealthy owners creates an interesting dynamic in a town of rice farmers, a political situation that will most likely be unavoidable.

Saturday afternoon, I suddlenly found myself speaking on an environmental program on radio Chiriqui, a station broadcasted to the entire province. This was the result of a long series of confusing events, and the last place I ever thought I would end up. The week of my site visit was fast-paced, full of meeting people and being led around almost as if I were a celebrity, and as if I could actually understand the rapid Spanish that was thrown at me from all directions.

I both dread and look forward to returning for a daunting two years to the land of lush vegetation, fruit trees weighed down with their gifts, soothing ocean breezes, and many people with their many expectations.

2006-07-05T12:50:00.000-05:00

It´s about a twenty-minute walk from my technical class in the rainforest, up the gigantic hill through Santa Clara, to my host family´s little blue house. This morning, I stuck out my tongue to catch the salty drops of sweat that cascaded down my face and dripped from my nose, drenching my clothes in minutes. Ducking into the house with a quick "Buenas!" to greet the family, I ran into my room to change, attempting to avoid the comments about how red my face was from the hike. Before the door closed completely, my host mother beckoned me, and as I poked my head out, I was greeted by a large, naked, recently plucked chicken that just this morning was running and squawking contentedly around the yard. The laughter of my host mother gave away my shocked expression, and soon the entire family was gathered around to watch my reaction to this odd, somewhat disturbing sight.

As I learn more about the people of Panama, and the work I will be doing, I am increasingly excited about the next two years. The last two weeks of training were a blur, as a small group of us were temporarily relocated to a site near the beach for more specific cultural and technical training. I especially enjoyed technical week, journeying to Isla Iguana- a protected island surrounded by coral reefs, Isla Canas- an island known for its "arribatas", when hundreds of sea turtles come to nest in a night, Pedasi- a chill surfing town where we learned about ecotourism and mangrove reforestation, and Playa Venua - the gorgeous, laid-back surfing beach where we spent our free weekend.

I await my first visit, next week, to my site in Los Positos with great anticipation.

2006-06-14T17:27:00.000-05:00

LOS POSITOS, CHIRIQUI
province will be my site for the next two years! A 15 minute bike ride from the beautiful beach La Barqueta, and an hour away from the mountains and Volcan Baru, I can´t resist to brag that I have the best site in Panama. The Chiriqui province, one of the westernmost provinces on the border of Costa Rica, is known for its beauty and diversity. My work will most likely be distributed between environmental education projects in the nearby town of Guarumal, and a sea turtle conservation project on the beach. Other potential projects include ecotourism development, beach clean-up and work in the nearby mangrove-filled wildlife refuge. I can´t begin to describe the excitement I feel.

The next two weeks I will be training with others placed on coastal sites, back in the town of Canas, Los Santos. The first week will be cultural training, and the second advanced technical training, both conditioned to coastal areas in Panama. The six of us coastal trainees will undoubtably be a tight-knit group by the end of training!

2006-06-01T12:35:00.000-05:00

Ah independence! Traveling with a group of 34 gringos can be quite tiring after a couple of weeks. Today we were let loose on the country of Panama in small groups to visit sites around the country. The excitement of an airconditioned bus and chaperone-free travel has left me feeling slightly giddy (as well as the anxiousness of missing my chiva ride to the next city due to an urge to find an internet cafe).

I´m traveling with two others to a town in Los Santos, the southernmost, peninsular province in Panama, and tomorrow morning heading to the Pacific coast on my own to visit a current volunteer in Las Canas. I don´t know if I´ll be able to resist the urge to plunge through the mangove forest into the cool waters of the ocean...

Highlights so far: seeing squirrel monkeys jump through the trees, hiking through the jungle to get ´fertilizer´from the nest of leaf-cutter ants, building an organic garden with my host family, learning sustainable farming techniques, hearing a swarm of African flies buzz over our Spanish class, crossing the Puente de las Americas, coconut ice cream...

2006-05-26T12:48:00.000-05:00

Hola! Finally a few minutes at a computer in Chorrera...We have a day in town today for meetings and limited time for shopping, etc. It´s a nice break from the heat, humidity and family in Santa Clara. There are 3 brothers (9, 13, 14) in my family, and their attention (especially from the 9 year old) is constant. It´s tiring to speak Spanish right now, but I´m anticipating a time when I´ll not only be able to understand people in my family and the community, but respond coherently with full sentences! Tech and language training are intense, 4 hour sessions, long, but necessary. So far, an enjoyable yet overwhelming experience!

2006-05-20T17:54:00.000-05:00

Panama! After a few days in country, I got my first real 'Panama' experience today during a visit to a rural community a few hours from Panama City. We hiked up Cero Cadaiguana (Zero Iguana face) mountain, where we were treated to a spectacular view of the communities below. The hazy expanse of the Pacific Ocean loomed in the distance. The site gave me a taste of what type of work I may be doing as well, from teaching in a school a few days a week, to reforestation and ecotourism projects. Tomorrow we leave from El Ciudad de Saber and go to our training community. I'll meet my host family for lunch tomorrow! Time to go practicar mi espanol....

2006-05-12T18:32:00.000-05:00

Panama is an exciting place for a nature freak such as myself. Spanning two continents and two oceans, the small strip of land is a collision of species diversity. The country boasts the largest diversity of bird species in the world, including the exotic tucan, and the harpy eagle, a magestic bird with a 6-foot wingspan. Personally, I look forward to snorkeling (and hopefully diving) two oceans, separated by only miles of land! Unfortunately, Panama was one of the countries reported to be affected by the most recent Caribbean coral reef die-off, with bleaching affecting 70% of the monitored coral. Nonetheless, my snorkeling gear is a top priority on my packing list.

2006-05-11T19:17:00.000-05:00

Looks like I left Florida just in time!

Soon I will evade the telephone number trackers and travel to a place where the #1 item on my shopping list is a machete. The authors of this list were gracious enough to mention that I purchase the machete after arriving in Panama, and not bother trying to find one before leaving the states. Dang, I was hoping I could throw mine into my carry-on at the last minute...

2006-05-09T12:18:00.000-05:00

The countdown is on.

May 15-17th: Washington, DC
May 17th-July 28: training in Panama City
July 28, 2006 - July 31, 2008: work in my assigned community (not yet known)

The last couple of weeks were a flurry of events. Moving out of Pensacola, traveling to Phoenix and the Grand Canyon, and finally returning home, to spend some time with the parents. Preparations that I should be making, such as packing and reflecting on my task ahead, have been largely postponed so far, as my time is mostly occupied by attempting to make my web site function and researching a new digital camera. I ultimately decided on the Canon A520, and splurged on an underwater casing. Even if I won't be doing much diving or snorkeling in Panama, I figure the case will protect the camera from the extremely humid conditions. Or so I tell myself to justify the purchase of a fun new toy.

2006-04-20T13:53:00.000-05:00

I decided to create a blog site to update while in Panama. I was convinced this was the logical thing to do, considering it can be updated from any computer, anywhere in the world. However, I'm more attached to my own web page, which is currently in development. It is my new obsession. The page is by the same title, but contains links to pictures and stories from past travels. I've found the internet to be the most reliable source of storing information so far, as my own techniques have proved quite less resilient (computers crashing, backup CDs getting scratched and ruined...). If you're so inclined to actually read this random assemblage of file storage and respond, I will be more than happy to reply.

2006-04-13T15:39:00.000-05:00

Starting a blog site...