No Peace

Do you remember the last time the government took away your cell phone service to deter you from demonstrating against their agenda?

The last time the police dispersed unarmed protesters and people were killed from gunshot wounds?

This is not the first time being here reminds me how much I appreciate the USA.

Our staff had sequestered us volunteers to our sites to avoid the protests of the indigenous people with whom I live. They were protesting the unauthorized development of a copper mine and hydroelectric dams on their land. Visit The Prensa website for more articles. Everything has calmed down, cell phone service restored, and I'm free to come and go now.

The (White) Girl Next Door

New House

After five months of living with host families, little to zero privacy or space of my own, I moved into a house generously provided for me by my community. We spent two days fixing up an old log and zinc structure. The men skillfully used machetes, a hand saw, hammers and nails to strategically place hand-sawed wood board and split bamboo stalks to the frame. The women provided food and drink and offered useful suggestions. I wanted shelves and let the women know, and they made sure it got done. The "studio" has a dirt floor and space for a bed and cooking area. It was fun to finally fully unpack my things and decorate. It was also wonderful waking up on the first morning on my own and make my own strong coffee in my french press and cook a bowl of oatmeal.

The house is located pretty much in the middle of town. As of now, I consider my privacy to be increased by 25%. That is, up from zero. So, 75% of my life is watched by peering eyes through the windows or slots in the siding. I've been so cheery about having my own place, though, I've enjoyed having the people around. My lovely sister Kimberly send me some toys for the children that they can play with when the come over.

My best attempt (terrible) at a panorama of the inside of the house

This is the building crew. They're really a happy bunch even if they don't smile for pictures. 

Dogs in the Night


I was sleeping the first night in my newly finished house. It felt great, privacy and comfort. The sounds of radios and roosters still waved outside but for the most part it was peaceful. The excitement kept me awake for a little while but eventually I fell asleep with Dorado snuggled at my side.

Early, early in the morning I woke suddenly in the dark to the sound of fighting dogs just outside my house. Then I shot up in bed to my loosely secured door flying violently open and the dogs fighting beside my bed. Instead of taking the fight outside, these dogs chose to take it inside. My house. As Dorado darted out of bed all I could do was clap and shout, "Vaya afuera!" or "Go outside!". They left and I sat in shock for a few more moments before re-securing my door, tightly. I eventually fell asleep and Dorado reappeared in the morning. For this reason I sleep with my machete close by.

Frijoles


It's bean season here in Duima. I LOVE this season. The fashionable pass-time currently is shelling beans. Since living on my own I've been gifted many cups of beans to cook. Everyone is talking about and eating beans. Guandu, habichuela (kidney bean), and other various types.

Babies in Things

This is a new segment to my blog I'm calling Babies in Things. As the name implies, it will be photos of babies in interesting, unusual, or funny things. Let's get started. 

I call this one Baby in Homemade Hammock. This baby is Rihanna. I'm pretty sure she's named after the recording artist. She still cries whenever I try and hold her. Whenever I see her I sing, "Rum-pa-pa-pum" and her teenage mother thinks it's funny. 

Here we have Big Baby in Small Stroller. 

And this is Baby in Half-Jug. Note that this is the same baby as before. I consider him my inspiration in the community. 

NYRs (New Years Resolutions)

It's a little late to be talking about NYRs. Or maybe it's the perfect time. I've never put much weight into NYRs, but with my free time this year I thought I'd make a positive habit change. 


Dental hygiene is the theme and flossing is the intent. Judge me if you wish (I know you don't floss either) but I've never regularly flossed. I blame the permanent dental appliance my mouth houses. Not only does it require special floss but I feel like I have to spend at least ten minutes doing a mix between sewing and crocheting. In my mouth. 


Since I don't have a 9 AM class to get to or a desk to sit at by 8 AM, I spend the extra time in the morning flossing. And I don't know how I ever didn't floss. It feels wonderful. I've been going strong since January one and am not looking back. 


Did you make a resolution? It's January 26th, have you stuck with it? 

Some Photos

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year!

Work and Mom

Let the Work Begin

One Saturday morning I was headed to the shower to bathe. From inside the tarp enclosure I heard a women asking if she could take water. I hadn’t begun the process of bathing yet so I scrambled out and let her go ahead to the tap. The woman and her children, a family from Duima, were filling up jugs. Hmm… I thought, this can’t be good. She didn’t ask why there was no water in her tap, didn’t question the aqueduct. I did, however. I felt a rush of anxiety and excitement like an athlete ready to start a race. Go time. You go fix that aqueduct! There was a problem; I had never been to the toma.

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Gravity Fed Aqueducts 101

A toma is a concrete box constructed around a naturally occurring spring source. It allows for inflow, collects, filters, and diverts water into a pipe towards the tanke, a concrete tank large enough to provide water for the community at peak demand. Of course the toma is higher elevation than that tanke, and the tanke must be at a higher elevation than the highest tap or pluma in the community. The tanke is filled by the toma, and then directs the water through a pipe that distributes it to taps throughout the community.

See, engineering really isn’t that difficult.

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I knew at some point I would need to see the toma to understand the entire water system. I knew it was located… over there (with the wave of a hand in the direction of the hill rising just outside the Duima). Somewhere between that woman’s tap and the toma was an issue that was preventing water from flowing. I marched over to the house of the water committee vice president. [He recently demoted himself from president to vice president while replacing the entire water committee board in the frustration of him being the only board member in attendance at a meeting. Go figure. I still consider him the president.] To my delight he agreed to show me the system on the jungle-y hillside, after I threatened to go alone. Donning machetes and boots we hiked and found a broken pipe right at the toma. Maleantes, he told me. Bad people hanging out near the toma, most likely using it as a place to have sex. We hiked the rest of the system to the tanke, then back down to cut a replacement pipe for the broken section. We cut and formed a new section, hiked back up, and broke the new piece while trying to fit it. So we hiked back down, had lunch, made a new-new section, and hiked back up with a shovel and pick ax. We broke the newest piece as well, but were able to salvage it enough to get water flowing towards the tanke once again. It was a long, frustrating, gratifying day.

I learned much about the water system that day and about my future work. I learned my counter-parts in Duima are hard to motivate but once motivated, are extremely hard working.

A Day for Mothers

Dia de Las Madres (Mother’s Day) in Panama is a national holiday. Children don’t go to school (they usually never do) and no one works. In Duima we celebrated at the school on one day, the teachers put on an activity including games, singing, and performances by the kids, gifts, and speeches. The mothers were so shy in front of the teachers but you could really tell they enjoyed being doted on. On another day one home in the community had a bunch of women over and the men cooked, served the women, and made endearing speeches. I said a few words too about how I appreciated my host mothers, because my own mom is bien lejos (very far) away. I enjoy how much appreciation for mothers the Panamanians have.

The internet is too fussy to upload all of my new photos, but here is one for the road. The rest I will consider my Christmas present to you all, and upload later!

I Dream of Vegetables

I had a dream recently. It was sensual. It made my heart beat quickly, and when I woke up it was all I could do to close my eyes and come close to the imagery my sub-conscious produced. I dreamed of vegetables. It was a farmers market of fresh produce. I browsed and bargained. Green peppers were five for a dollar. Tomatoes were ripe and fresh. The line of vendors went on for a mile. I wished I had plastic produce bags to reuse, but alas, it had been so long since I had bought any produce I was not in possession of any.


The carro de legumbres (vegetable truck) rolled through town today. It's summer now so the cars can easily pass down our muddy road. I'm the only customer in town but I think that's enough to keep them coming back. I bought wilted celery, small onions, and a petite cabbage out of the exposed bed of the truck. I can only hope my host mom will fry them up in some oil to spice up my next bowl of rice.

(Couldn't snap a photo of my rice)