So we have been happily living in our new town for the next two years for the past week or so. It is GORGEOUS. It is approximately 5-6 hours from Panama City, and 3 hours from Colon, and it is right on the water. We have so far been ïntegrating¨as that is our job for these first three months that we have been there. This means basically that we have been adopting their lifestyle, which is suffice it to say- very laid back. The town is made up of less than about 50 buildings, most of which are just small single-family homes. Most of the people in town work their own land or someone else´s land very close to town, or they live and work in the city of Colon during the week, and come back to town on the weekends. There are anywhere between 100 and 50 people (depending on who you ask), and it is generally pretty quiet. The town is situated near another small town that lies on the opposite bank of a fairly wide river- which makes us getting to our site interesting as we have to take a boat past the mouth of the river on the ocean. So far we have been very lucky as we haven´t had to pay for gasoline for the boat ride as of yet- but as it is getting more expensive I expect that that will change. The town is also in a small, flat cove off of the ocean, and on the other side of the peninsula is a long gorgeous yellow sand beach, which according to Brandon is the most beautiful beach that he has ever seen. It is pretty gorgeous. It is lined with fully mature palm trees, and the beach is religiously cleaned and taken care of. There are only three houses on this beach, which are vacation homes for those living out of country or in the city somewhere, and are rarely inhabited, which makes for a great private beach for whoever happens to be there for the day. Nothing in our town including the amazing beach to the side of town are more than a five minute walk. It is pretty small. The people so far have been amazing. Everybody has the nicest smile, and have been welcoming to us, and open to us living in their beautiful town for two years. We are a bit apprehensive as most of them are very content with the way that life is right now (they have semi-interrupted water and electricity which usually doesn´t prove to be a problem) so there isn´t a whole lot of incentive for change- but there does seem to be a strong interest in an English class- which they will be needing. So far we have heard that there is one Pan-American who has purchased a large chunk of land directly behind the town where he plans on building about 100 tourist cabanas as part of a resort in the town, and another American has purchased the tract of land where the cleaned beach is. In the coming years this little town of ours will be teeming with tourism- they will definetly need the english language skills. As for now, we are very happy and content with our family. They always allow us our personal space (they also have a great house), they help us with our spanish (correcting us when necessary), they are always laughing, and they let me cook! Anyway... my time is running out on the computer, so I will say adios. We hope that you are all doing well, and that you have an amazing summer. We hope that we hear from you soon (as very few of you have been filling us in on your lives!!!)
Lots of Love,
Ashley and Brandon
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Swearing In!!!
So we are officially Peace Corps Volunteers, which means that come tomorrow (*sunday) we will be moving to our new home for the next two years. This is pretty intimidating, but we are very excited. I am unable to write too much as of right now, but I wanted to put some pictures up of our swearing in ceremony which was held at the US Ambassador's Residence in Panama City.
Group 61!
Brandon and I with the World Peace Corps President
Waiting for the ceremony to begin.
The minnesotan of the group and I
At dinner afterwards.
Group 61!
Brandon and I with the World Peace Corps President
Waiting for the ceremony to begin.
The minnesotan of the group and I
At dinner afterwards.
We love and miss you all!
Monday, June 16, 2008
Piquancy for Fodder
Here are a few piquant anecdotes as yours to savor:
At the commencement of our most recent site visit on Thursday, which we are now returning from, the last leg of our travel (the crossing of a river thirty meters in breadth and two in depth at the midpoint of the five kilometer span between our community and its most adjacent neighbor) came to be defined in our redressing of an otherwise botched effort of a bovine transiting straight truck to traverse the same waters in the opposing direction.
It was none less than providence for this less than fortunate fellow whose weighty passengers had spelled his fate that we (Your authors as well as our community’s mayor and his lieutenant in his mid-sized pick-up) as well as a well inebriated horseman happened upon his circumstances. In short strident form the horseman took to loading the hoofed passengers and returning them to whence they had come while seamlessly maintaining aimless inaudible small talk as we, concurrently hitched the unoccupied vehicle to our, allowing now for a successful river crossing. At this, the ordeal was over and all parties resumed their original business. It is our expectation that this none to far from the fold of experiences that we will be audience to in forthcoming chapter of our sojourn.
More briefly enjoy that:
We have yet to dispose of toilet paper in the toilet, needing instead to dispose of our spent, soiled tissue in a trash bin, due to poor water pressure, and that this is emptied only we full of siblings. Expect as well that when said trash bin is emptied, its subsequent home is either a small scale landfill adjacent to one’s home or to be burned. Curiously, the practice of soiled tissue escaping the soiling cavity is transcendent and has carried over to outdoor latrines!?
Hot showers are nearing the realm of mythology as we have only indulged ourselves with such luxury on only two occasions since our arrival here.
It has been discovered by Brandon that the eyes of a fried fish taste deliciously like cooked spinach.
Due to absence and infrequency, we have acknowledged that we have an acute Pavlovian response to the sight of foods containing colors, especially primary colors, as our diet has been otherwise defined by starches in perpetuity whose family of color have failed to breach yellows, browns and whites.
Smiling and nodding is an entirely acceptable manner carry on small talk, native or not.
Your lower lip can serve as an excellent satchel three to five recently expired uncooked hermit crab tails that you intend to use as fish bait.
Without fail . . . expect more to come . . .
At the commencement of our most recent site visit on Thursday, which we are now returning from, the last leg of our travel (the crossing of a river thirty meters in breadth and two in depth at the midpoint of the five kilometer span between our community and its most adjacent neighbor) came to be defined in our redressing of an otherwise botched effort of a bovine transiting straight truck to traverse the same waters in the opposing direction.
It was none less than providence for this less than fortunate fellow whose weighty passengers had spelled his fate that we (Your authors as well as our community’s mayor and his lieutenant in his mid-sized pick-up) as well as a well inebriated horseman happened upon his circumstances. In short strident form the horseman took to loading the hoofed passengers and returning them to whence they had come while seamlessly maintaining aimless inaudible small talk as we, concurrently hitched the unoccupied vehicle to our, allowing now for a successful river crossing. At this, the ordeal was over and all parties resumed their original business. It is our expectation that this none to far from the fold of experiences that we will be audience to in forthcoming chapter of our sojourn.
More briefly enjoy that:
We have yet to dispose of toilet paper in the toilet, needing instead to dispose of our spent, soiled tissue in a trash bin, due to poor water pressure, and that this is emptied only we full of siblings. Expect as well that when said trash bin is emptied, its subsequent home is either a small scale landfill adjacent to one’s home or to be burned. Curiously, the practice of soiled tissue escaping the soiling cavity is transcendent and has carried over to outdoor latrines!?
Hot showers are nearing the realm of mythology as we have only indulged ourselves with such luxury on only two occasions since our arrival here.
It has been discovered by Brandon that the eyes of a fried fish taste deliciously like cooked spinach.
Due to absence and infrequency, we have acknowledged that we have an acute Pavlovian response to the sight of foods containing colors, especially primary colors, as our diet has been otherwise defined by starches in perpetuity whose family of color have failed to breach yellows, browns and whites.
Smiling and nodding is an entirely acceptable manner carry on small talk, native or not.
Your lower lip can serve as an excellent satchel three to five recently expired uncooked hermit crab tails that you intend to use as fish bait.
Without fail . . . expect more to come . . .
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
