Hace Rato

Culture Week in my community photos:

We made Bocashi (fast compost) with the Beans group

Meritza taught us how to make the chacra strings from long, stiff leaves.

The plant is called pita in Spanish and kuga in Ngabere. Once harvested the leaf is held against a smooth log and a piece of wood with a sharp edge scrapes off the green layer, exposing the white threds that are then twisted into twine.

It's been a while. The hills smell like warm whole grain rice and the rains move in with the fog a little earlier every day. Must be fall. Fall here isn't that much different from any other season, but my mind and body still know that leaves should be falling and I crave candy corn and cider. It is time to plant beans again. I doubt I will be out in the fields as much this year as I was last year helping them to plant (my host family plans to plant 1000lbs of beans.) I am going to be traveling more within the Comarca, visiting other volunteers. Another volunteer (named Andie, dont be confused) and I are sharing the Regional Leader possition as of November, so that may change the amount of time I have to spend in my communtiy. I think that I am ready for a change, I'm ready for more movement.

I just visted Kate in Bocas. It was great to finally see where my good friend works, and to meet all the people that I've heard so much about. Her patience and resilience as always, made a big impression on me and I left her community feeling so lucky for all this, and all my amazing friends I have here. Peace Corps is never what you expect, but all those things I heard before I came about the amazing friends I would make were true.

In Kate's site we did a PML (a seminar on individual and group organization and self-esteem) and had a birthday party. Both were great successes! Kate lent me her pocka-dot dress and she rocked an amazing pink dress suit, both styles are frequently sported in her community. She looked so professional, and slightly like a flight attendent. "white lights lead to red light..."

Her community really enjoyed pining the tail on the pig and breaking a huge Elmo pinata "what is it?!" everyone wanted to know. "Look," one guy said, "It's a parrot!"

It was a wonderful experience. I would like to write more but I find it harder and harder to sum up life here. I have more commitments everytime I find myself with internet and electricity. I also notice that Panamanian and Ngabe culture make fewer impressions on me. The stories I used to write in my journal about things I had seen no longer register as story worthy. My journal is more of a venting tool that I use to work out things in my mind than a place to write about day to day life. I am trying to rush back to today after too many days away. Ironically, I have very little planned up there. Probably a testiment to the little time I have spent there during the past months. But my kitty is probably waiting for me, and putting off going back up won't make it any easier.