Wednesday, September 3, 2008
And So It Is . . .
Hello to all! This blog and the one following mark the end of our almost first five months in Panama, the end of our first two months in our community and the beginning of our next twenty-two months as Peace Corps volunteers. Time seems to grind on here in Panama, and as our first months here have been reserved for getting to know our neighbors and the functioning of our community, most of our time here so far has been spent awkwardly trying to think of something to say or ask that won't come off as interrogating in our still rough-around-the-edges Spanish. To add to the awkwardness, most people here are quite comfortable sitting in silence with you for long periods of time, leaving you to wonder if they are just comfortable with you there, or waiting for you to leave. We have actually met and been welcomed by almost everyone in our community- being invited into homes when we walk by, or even feeling comfortable enough to simply walk into someone else's home (as is the general custom here.) Most everyone by now knows who we are, that we are here as volunteers with Peace Corps (and not long-term tourists), and that we will be sharing the next two years of our lives with them- though this last part is still being digested by them (and us). As for our role here in the community, it is still being worked out. Many people, while seeming to understand that we were sent here to work in Environmental Conservation, still have really only voiced interest in learning English. At the same time, we have been participating in a number of activities that lie outside of our environmental conservation scope that will need our attention- the major ones being the local water supply and the local education system. To start, our local water supply is irregular- to say the least. Since we have been here it has come and gone frequently, (with the rains, and not for reasons you may think) and is usually rust-colored or just plain brown. Brandon was able several weeks ago to walk the 2 hour jungle trek to the local water source- a small cascade of water that is diverted into a concrete box, that comes out the other side through PVC tubing that winds 11 times over streams, barely being propped up enough to clear the regular flow of water. After a hard rain, (which happens frequently here) the streams quickly fill with run-off water and debris- rising above the level at which the PVC tubes are suspended and putting enormous pressure on the joints until the piping gives way and breaks open. Thus leaving the town's water supply to join the already strong stream, and requiring someone to walk out through the now very muddy jungle to repair the line. When the water is flowing freely through this obstacle course of PVC tubes, it ends up being pumped into a filter (a large cement holding tank with a filter of sand and rocks) that is situated on a hill next to town, and then by gravity it is pushed into people's homes. The whole system is full of deficiencies, and problems arise quite frequently- leaving people in town to go to a nearby stream or river to bathe and wash clothes and dishes. Last week Brandon and I had the opportunity to observe in the school, a small building where the 17 students all gathered into one room, 1st through 6Th grade and had class for several hours. The students here are taught to memorize things, and in general are not taught to critically think. We are hoping we can somehow help with this situation. Other issues in town include a trash problem, (many people litter and burn garbage outside their homes) sea turtle problem, (many people kill the sea turtles for their meat and decorative shells and also steal their eggs for food) and poor diets (many people live on staples of rice, plantains, green bananas and other starchy vegetables with little protein and usually no nutrient-rich veggies). Brandon and I have been slowly figuring out ways to start our work (in its conventional context) here, and decided to go ahead and start a vegetable garden. While the garden is for our own vegetable production, we thought that it would be a good way to spark the community's interest in home gardens *(as to supplement their poor diets and possibly to sell for additional income). So last week we started our first home garden together. Coming from the Midwest, we realized that growing vegetables here would be a lot more work (as the ground is a mixture of sand and clay- very little organic matter), but didn't realize how much! We decided to use a double-dig garden bed technique, digging 2' deep into the ground to aerate the soil for better root production, adding organic matter to the soil (in our case 'balo' tree leaves, which contain an abundance of nitrogen and chopped up platano tree trunks, which contain an abundance of potassium) as you go. In one day we had dug a 12' long by 4' wide by 2' deep hole into the hard-packed clay ground (which had also been a trash heap in the past, and was filled with half-burned garbage) working 8 solid hours in the Panamanian heat. It was definitely rough work, but we had a great response from the community, with people stopping-by to see what we were up to and why- it was *and has continued to be* a great teaching tool. We still have a long way to go, as we have 2-3 more beds to dig, a fence to put up,shade-providing roofs to construct, plants to sow, and a compost pile to start, but we are definitely looking forward to it. We are now in a transition phase from being students and observers, learning about the history of where we are and the people who live here, to becoming teachers and demonstrators- showing what abundance can be head with little resources and some hard work. It is a difficult line to cross as we are continually defining our own jobs and status in the community, but our little garden has helped to make that transition a bit smother. This upcoming month will see the end of our host family stay, as we have been looking for a house. While our host family has been more than generous to us, after 5 months of living with families we are ready to move into our own home. There are several options available to us at the moment (which is amazing for a town of 40 buildings) , all of which have plenty of space for guests... We will be making a final decision on one of the homes in the next several weeks and hopefully be moved-in by the beginning of October! We hope that all is well with everyone and we hope to hear from you soon. Love and hugs from Panama. Ashley and Brandon.
At Home Empathy Fun: The Shower
For all of those missing us back in the states, we have thought to mention some way for you to be here with us without having to travel. The Shower: our site has quite the irregular water supply that is out as often as it is in order. Therefore, bathing and the like become a more interesting affair than what one is accustomed in the states. Adding to this, the electricity can also be temperamental. The state of the electricity is relevant since the oppressive heat of the sun during the day as well as the consideration of sunset at seven in the evening; it is preferable to shower after dark.
To bathe during the periodic circumstance when both utilities are nonfunctional we follow these steps:
To begin, our host family maintains a reserve capacity of approximately 250 gallons of water, which is acquired via rain-catchment. Principally, there are two 55-gallon plastic tanks and a 130-gallon plastic tub; the rest of the water is stored in five-gallon containers. The 55-gallon tanks are for the sink and toilet, the 130-gallon tub for washing clothes and the five-gallon containers are those used for bathing.
Note, in despite of the fact that the reserves are derived from rainwater, at times the water may contain enough suspended solids to leave it with a translucent consistency; this is, however, consistently vastly clearer than the water derived from the stream-sourced water supply and at many times the water is quite clear.
Now to the supplies: As most of you in the states will not have been maintaining a rainwater reserve the best alternative is likely to be your home’s outdoor faucet; this should give you the approximate water temperature as well as allowing the opportunity to walk it back to the shower. In the shower is a five-gallon bucket; this should be filled completely. Hoping that you have the luxury of being in possession of some form of headlamp or lantern, find a form of battery operated light that could be hung from someplace in the bathing cavity, as we will be showering with the lights out. Next, grab a pack towel if available or head towards the garage to fetch a super shammies if you have one (both are approximately the same); if not your regular towel may be substituted. Finally, and for your enjoyment (AJ we are speaking to you especially!), find the nearest whip cream container and empty it to your hearts content; this will become your shower ladle. Finally, be sure that you have all of you typical bathing products with you. You are now ready to enjoy the shower!
If any should be so adventuresome to try this, you may be surprised at how easy this mode of bathing can be and how well it rinses; the control over the water is rather effective and we are also only in need of using about two-thirds of the bucket for either of our showers in despite of Ashley’s long hair or the fact that I also wash my undergarment (but that’s a another story). Finally, we will note that given the temperature here, the cold water is refreshing many times and this may of course not be the same for everyone in the states. However, Ashley for one really loves the solar shower that has been sent by her mom and this is used whenever there is the opportunity!
To bathe during the periodic circumstance when both utilities are nonfunctional we follow these steps:
To begin, our host family maintains a reserve capacity of approximately 250 gallons of water, which is acquired via rain-catchment. Principally, there are two 55-gallon plastic tanks and a 130-gallon plastic tub; the rest of the water is stored in five-gallon containers. The 55-gallon tanks are for the sink and toilet, the 130-gallon tub for washing clothes and the five-gallon containers are those used for bathing.
Note, in despite of the fact that the reserves are derived from rainwater, at times the water may contain enough suspended solids to leave it with a translucent consistency; this is, however, consistently vastly clearer than the water derived from the stream-sourced water supply and at many times the water is quite clear.
Now to the supplies: As most of you in the states will not have been maintaining a rainwater reserve the best alternative is likely to be your home’s outdoor faucet; this should give you the approximate water temperature as well as allowing the opportunity to walk it back to the shower. In the shower is a five-gallon bucket; this should be filled completely. Hoping that you have the luxury of being in possession of some form of headlamp or lantern, find a form of battery operated light that could be hung from someplace in the bathing cavity, as we will be showering with the lights out. Next, grab a pack towel if available or head towards the garage to fetch a super shammies if you have one (both are approximately the same); if not your regular towel may be substituted. Finally, and for your enjoyment (AJ we are speaking to you especially!), find the nearest whip cream container and empty it to your hearts content; this will become your shower ladle. Finally, be sure that you have all of you typical bathing products with you. You are now ready to enjoy the shower!
If any should be so adventuresome to try this, you may be surprised at how easy this mode of bathing can be and how well it rinses; the control over the water is rather effective and we are also only in need of using about two-thirds of the bucket for either of our showers in despite of Ashley’s long hair or the fact that I also wash my undergarment (but that’s a another story). Finally, we will note that given the temperature here, the cold water is refreshing many times and this may of course not be the same for everyone in the states. However, Ashley for one really loves the solar shower that has been sent by her mom and this is used whenever there is the opportunity!
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Our City Adventure- One Month In
Hello all!
We have officially been in our own site for a month. Four weeks solid of being completely immersed in the culture and lifestyle of our new town- which also means four weeks without e-mail, groceries or modern amenities like hot water. Needless to say, we have been looking forward to ¨getting out¨ for a couple days for the past few weeks now, slowly preparing our list of things to do when we get to the city; the least of which not being to take a nice hot shower! So Brandon and I have ventured into the city for the first time since our öfficial¨ Peace Corps duties began- and it has been great. We showed up on Friday and went straight to the office to use some free Internet and pick up love (aka packages and mail!). We then spent the rest of the evening taking advantage of the hot water and watching Food Network (one of the few English-without-subtitles channels (plus it is just great to see that there are people making great food out there!)
Most of Saturday was filled with grocery shopping, as we don´t have a grocery store within about 3 hours of us (not to mention the boat and bus ride), and we won´t be back out of our site most likely for another month or so. Buying groceries for a month and a half, and knowing you will have to carry them all on your back is a quite difficult task. It really makes you think about what is most important- as for me, I made sure to grab a sugary bag of chocolate cereal with marshmallows and 4 boxes of ultra-pasteurized skim milk. Our community and area and most of the country for that matter are sadly lacking in their variety of vegetables for consumption. What our community members call ¨vegetables¨ include: ñame, yucca, otoy, and platanos or bananas (of the unripe green variety). These are all basically equivalent to our nice starchy potato- from which little nutrients are found. SO, we also get to carry on our back a meager amount of fruits and vegetables to try and even out our nutrient intake (while trying not to destroy them in transit). One of our favorites so far, is Broccoli as it is about the most dense, rich, dark green thing that they sell in the supermarket, which our host mom doesn´t like in the least. We have started several seedlings so far of onions, lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, and some spices, hopefully to which we will add a bunch more and make our list of vegetables to buy in the city almost non-existent.
After all of that shopping and walking around yesterday (I´m pretty sure that we walked about 7 miles...) we decided to go out to dinner (thanks to the great folks in the Bennigans headquarters for realizing that some people want American type food everywhere, even in Panama) and then go to ¨The Dark Knight¨--The new Batman movie. We had originally decided to do this at the mall with which we are most familiar (Albrook), but we had heard of a theater where you could order food from- where else, Bennigans- and sit in a fully reclining ( and I mean fully reclining) LazyBoy of a chair (overstuffed and all). So we decided to go there, but hitting up Bennigans before going to the movie, so that we could make the most of our free time. At the restaurant, Brandon had decided to order a Burger to make up for the lacking of beef and American cheese (plus just it being a sesame seeded bun was a great piece of Americana for him), and I decided to order what I thought was a club sandwich. However, when it came out, it looked more like someone had accidentally dropped my sandwich (which was sans any type of vegetable) into a crazy Iowa State Fair deep fat fryer machine, and then they decided to, just for good measure, coat it in powdered sugar and give me some raspberry jam- just in case there wasn´t enough sugar on my ¨club sandwich¨. Needless to say- Brandon ate more of it than I did, and we brought the other part back to the hotel to eat for breakfast. The movie however - did not disappoint. It was fantastic to be able to watch a western drama (as our host sister watches Barney non-stop (literally) all day long, and very loudly might I add). The story line to the movie was fantastic, and in the words of Brandon it spoke to bigger issues than just the characters or the movie itself¨.
So that has been our city trip this time. Today we will be ¨shipping out¨ leaving quite soon to go to the bus station and catch the first of our buses to our site. We have been very happy to hear from those of you that have written e-mails to us, and are thankful that it sounds like you are all healthy and doing well. Once again- I would like to remind you that we would love to hear from everyone (fill us in on what is going on in your lives) and you can also call us!! Just find an international calling card, and give us a call. Our cell phone number is 011.507.6406.0177, we usually have reception all the time- and the call is free for us! (We would LOVE to hear from you!!!)
We love you, and will respond to all emails next month on our next city adventure.
Love,
Ashley and Brandon
We have officially been in our own site for a month. Four weeks solid of being completely immersed in the culture and lifestyle of our new town- which also means four weeks without e-mail, groceries or modern amenities like hot water. Needless to say, we have been looking forward to ¨getting out¨ for a couple days for the past few weeks now, slowly preparing our list of things to do when we get to the city; the least of which not being to take a nice hot shower! So Brandon and I have ventured into the city for the first time since our öfficial¨ Peace Corps duties began- and it has been great. We showed up on Friday and went straight to the office to use some free Internet and pick up love (aka packages and mail!). We then spent the rest of the evening taking advantage of the hot water and watching Food Network (one of the few English-without-subtitles channels (plus it is just great to see that there are people making great food out there!)
Most of Saturday was filled with grocery shopping, as we don´t have a grocery store within about 3 hours of us (not to mention the boat and bus ride), and we won´t be back out of our site most likely for another month or so. Buying groceries for a month and a half, and knowing you will have to carry them all on your back is a quite difficult task. It really makes you think about what is most important- as for me, I made sure to grab a sugary bag of chocolate cereal with marshmallows and 4 boxes of ultra-pasteurized skim milk. Our community and area and most of the country for that matter are sadly lacking in their variety of vegetables for consumption. What our community members call ¨vegetables¨ include: ñame, yucca, otoy, and platanos or bananas (of the unripe green variety). These are all basically equivalent to our nice starchy potato- from which little nutrients are found. SO, we also get to carry on our back a meager amount of fruits and vegetables to try and even out our nutrient intake (while trying not to destroy them in transit). One of our favorites so far, is Broccoli as it is about the most dense, rich, dark green thing that they sell in the supermarket, which our host mom doesn´t like in the least. We have started several seedlings so far of onions, lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, and some spices, hopefully to which we will add a bunch more and make our list of vegetables to buy in the city almost non-existent.
After all of that shopping and walking around yesterday (I´m pretty sure that we walked about 7 miles...) we decided to go out to dinner (thanks to the great folks in the Bennigans headquarters for realizing that some people want American type food everywhere, even in Panama) and then go to ¨The Dark Knight¨--The new Batman movie. We had originally decided to do this at the mall with which we are most familiar (Albrook), but we had heard of a theater where you could order food from- where else, Bennigans- and sit in a fully reclining ( and I mean fully reclining) LazyBoy of a chair (overstuffed and all). So we decided to go there, but hitting up Bennigans before going to the movie, so that we could make the most of our free time. At the restaurant, Brandon had decided to order a Burger to make up for the lacking of beef and American cheese (plus just it being a sesame seeded bun was a great piece of Americana for him), and I decided to order what I thought was a club sandwich. However, when it came out, it looked more like someone had accidentally dropped my sandwich (which was sans any type of vegetable) into a crazy Iowa State Fair deep fat fryer machine, and then they decided to, just for good measure, coat it in powdered sugar and give me some raspberry jam- just in case there wasn´t enough sugar on my ¨club sandwich¨. Needless to say- Brandon ate more of it than I did, and we brought the other part back to the hotel to eat for breakfast. The movie however - did not disappoint. It was fantastic to be able to watch a western drama (as our host sister watches Barney non-stop (literally) all day long, and very loudly might I add). The story line to the movie was fantastic, and in the words of Brandon it spoke to bigger issues than just the characters or the movie itself¨.
So that has been our city trip this time. Today we will be ¨shipping out¨ leaving quite soon to go to the bus station and catch the first of our buses to our site. We have been very happy to hear from those of you that have written e-mails to us, and are thankful that it sounds like you are all healthy and doing well. Once again- I would like to remind you that we would love to hear from everyone (fill us in on what is going on in your lives) and you can also call us!! Just find an international calling card, and give us a call. Our cell phone number is 011.507.6406.0177, we usually have reception all the time- and the call is free for us! (We would LOVE to hear from you!!!)
We love you, and will respond to all emails next month on our next city adventure.
Love,
Ashley and Brandon
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