January - Peace Corps Panama Friends

Transcription

2
La Vaina
In This Issue
Next issue is all
about the music.
Send us the lyrics to
your favorite tipico
ditty, how to string a
ukulele or pictures of
Prince Royce sightings. If it‘s about the
music, we‘ve got to
have it.
9 VAC/GAD
10 World AIDS Day 2012 K Baur/A. Masarir
12 HIV/AIDS Charla S. Watson
17 Seeders
20 Dear Profe
4 Letter from the Director– B. Riley
5 Staff News
6 Medical Office
7 Admin Minutes
8 Disabled into Focus: C. Fabiano
La Vaina articles are solicited from
Volunteers, Peace Corps staff,
agency personnel, and community
members. Articles are illustrated
by artwork and photos highlighting the talents and experiences of
Volunteers.
Editors reserve the right to
edit articles for length and/
or clarity and photography
for print. All material must be
submitted prior to the deadline date to allow time for
necessary changes. Opinions expressed are those of
contributors.
14 An Alternative History E. Miller
21 Poco a Poco C. Weber
23 Voting Discussion A. Mitnik
24 Campo Sky Mall
30 Celebrate Diversity M. Hennessy
30 Success S. Esquibel
32 Dear Clay C. Martin
33 Projects G. Place
34 Grateful M. Rossi
36 Luis A. Eden
38 Sopa A Stypa
39 Rats A. Butler
40 Bed Time Story R. Beitsch
42. Witches C. Cousar
43 Mäkäira T.R. Watkins
44 Happy Holidays E. Heller
46 Horoscopes
47Bingo
48 No Excuses Workout A. Terry
“The toughest revista you’ll ever love.”
Call for staff!
La Vaina is looking for new staff.
Love writing? Have a good handle
on grammar and punctuation? Committed to working hard? This is your
chance to get involved! We are looking for one G71/ 72 Volunteer.
Please send a letter of interest to
[email protected].
(Attn: Andrew Butler) Include your
projected COS date. If you have any
relevant experience or skills, please
include that as well.
Cover: A. Boom-tienda M. Tansey-girl
Contents: A. Boom
January 2013
3
It’s no secret. Scrooge is to Christmas what I am to group
socializing. Basically, it’s a whole lot of Bah Humbug from me. However,
this last Christmas break, I was visited by three ghosts: Socializing Past, Present,
and Future.
The Ghost of Socializing Past showed up in the form of better-off– forgotten photos and reminiscing friends from undergrad and high school. We laughed at ourselves in our neon raver clothes and recalled names of less-than-awesome boyfriends. The Ghost of Socializing Present showed up on Facebook, of all places,
where I could vicariously survive the End of the World party with my Azuero chicas and ring in the New Years atop some random building in Casco Viejo with
Volunteers, known and unknown. The Ghost of Socializing Future was indeed a
grim one. Once again with friends from high school and college, I saw myself
nodding with feigned interest over the recent toilet exploits of someone’s toddler and the office water-cooler gossip of someone else’s fiancé. If this is really
all my future holds, bring on the grave already.
Bored and dreading the mundane life to come in less than two
months, I thought of my fellow Peace Corps Volunteers. Brave,
exciting, unafraid to be totally weird: there may be hope for this
Scrooge yet.
As I write this, I have sixty days left in country. Sixty days of extraordinary friends, bizarre wildlife, and trying new things. Sixty
days to last until the next adventure comes along to shake me out
of the mundane of the “real world.” With this, I say a fond farewell and leave you in the good hands of La Vaina Staff. Until we
meet again, Tiny Tims, Bob Cratchetts, Fezziwig and Co.
-Emma Rose Miller
10. Why dustpans aren‘t more popular
9. Why fanny packs aren‘t less popular
8. How to tell the difference between two cycle and four cycle diesel engines solely by ear
7. Oh my god. Is that Botfly? How do I know
it‘s definitely not Botfly?
6. The incessant honking
5. What type of meat that is—you‘d think all
that hair still stuck on the meat would be a
clue—and what part of the animal it came
from
4. Where I can buy good matches
3. What Panamanians are doing to make
their clothes so much cleaner than mine
2. Why ―Chavo‖ is funny
1. What people mean exactly when they point
their spoon at their bowl and say excitedly
―Now this is some good rice.‖
Letter to the Editor
Dear La Vaina,
When sending in our order for the 2013 PC Panama calendars, I took some time to read
through the latest issue. It brought me up to date on recent program changes in PC Panama... and fond memories. My wife and I were CED volunteers from 2004 to 2006,
so I was sorry to read that the CED program is coming to a close. However, in reflecting on the work we did during our time in Agua Buena, Los Santos, I am not sure that
any PCV assignment classification is all that important. Although my wife was officially assigned to work with the local agricultural cooperativa and I to work with the
ebanistas of our community, we ended up also working on many projects that spanned
the breadth of PCVs’ work categories. The most important task for any Volunteer is to
help meet the needs of your community... regardless of your official designation.
Congratulations to the La Vaina staff for continuing the tradition of bringing together
and informing the PCV community. Congratulations to the Peace Corps administrative
staff for their work in continuing to improve how Peace Corps can help meet the needs
of the people in Panama. And last, to VAC for their continued work in providing funds
for small projects and putting together high quality calendars.
Next summer my wife and I look forward to returning to Panama for the 5th time since
our end of service... this time with our second oldest granddaughter, Aida. Last year we
brought our oldest granddaughter, Ciara, to our old site where she was allowed to attend
school for a day and also see one of the annual Azuero festivals. When we go back, it
is like going home; the community always welcomes us back with warmth and friendship. Panama and Agua Buena will always hold a special place in our hearts.
Sincerely,
Roy Knoedler RPCV
lavainaPanamá@gmail.com
Rebecca Beitsch
TE G70, Veraguas
Emma Miller
TE 67
Guararé, Los
Santos
Editor-in-chief
Andrew Butler
TE 70
La Gloria, Bocas
del Toro
Design Editor
Annie Hines
CEC 70
Isla Cañas, Los
Santos
Editor
Andrew Parker
CEC 68
Barriales, Daríen
Editor
4
La Vaina
From the desk of the COUNTRY DIRECTOR:
Brian Riley
Wow, that doesn‘t roll off
the tongue very easily.
2013? What happened to 2012? Time waits
for no one. Your time as PCVs in Panama all of a sudden seems
to have gone by very quickly and is now coming to a close. Just ask
G67. They recently had their COS conference and I heard many of
the remarks that are somewhat common for PCVs nearing their COS
date. ―The first year went by so slow, but the second year has flown‖,
―2 years seemed like such a long time, I can‘t believe it has gone by
so quickly‖, ―I finally just figured out what my work really is and now
my time is coming to a close‖, ―I hope I have enough time left to
complete everything‖, ―I am thinking about extending...‖
How do you feel about the time you have left in Panama? I encourage you try to put it in perspective and think about whether you are
accomplishing what you came here to accomplish, because it will be
over before you know it. Is your language level (Spanish, Ngäbere,
Emberá) at the level you want it to be? Are you doing everything you
can to improve it? Have you become comfortable in the culture and
does Panama feel like home now? Do you feel safe at home and
when you travel? Are you actively working on projects – ideally within
your sector and possibly within other sectors? Are you busy? These
are just a few questions that you should be asking yourself. If you
answered no to one or more of the above questions, I hope you are
looking for ways to get to yes.
I am a big believer that each Volunteer is responsible for the quality
of their time in the Peace Corps. Ultimately, your actions will make or
break whether you have a ―successful‖ service. I will leave it up to
you to define success. It is different for all of us.
Although you are responsible for your service, remember that Peace
Corps staff is here to support you and help you be a successful Volunteer. WE WANT TO HELP YOU! Please do not hesitate to contact
us. I want you to love being a Peace Corps Volunteer. I want you to
feel privileged to serve your country and Panama. I want your service
to be a launch-pad to the future that you desire, whether you continue working internationally, or back in the States.
So…. Time continues moving right along… Let us know what we can
do to help you find success as a PCV in Panama.
Thank you for your service. I wish you the best in all of your endeavors.
-Brian
Important – Carnaval Reminders:
Per the PCV Handbook, if you
spend the night away from your
site to attend a Carnaval event,
you are required to take vacation.
Please plan ahead.
If you choose to drink alcohol or be
around others who are using and
possibly abusing alcohol, please
maintain control of yourselves and
your surroundings. Remember that
you represent Peace Corps and the
United States wherever you are.
You are not anonymous and you
are being watched by others
whether you like it or not. Be respectful of people and places that
you stay – hotels, hostels, etc.
Safety Tips to minimize risks:
While in large crowds, do not
carry valuables, unless absolutely
necessary. Things like: cell phones,
ATM cards, digital cameras, Ipods,
and jewelry. Do not carry a backpack with all of your stuff in it!!!
Carry a plastic copy of your official passport with the valid visa
stamp and carry your Purple ID.
Make sure you carry those items in
a FRONT pocket, ideally in a plastic
bag that is safety pinned inside the
pocket.
Do not carry a lot of cash, just
what you need for the day.
OJO! Some people use festivals to take advantage of foreigners and may slip drugs into open
drinks. Keep your drinks covered
and do not accept any open drinks
from strangers.
Stay far away from conflicts or
fights.
Stay together and watch out
each other.
Call Duty Officer immediately if you
need any assistance or have any
problems.
January 2013
5
Staff News
¡Feliz Año 2013! Deseo que este nuevo año esté lleno de muchas cosas lindas, nuevos retos y oportunidades y muchos éxitos para todos ustedes.
Queridos Voluntarios, este nuevo año se me ha presentado una oportunidad de desarrollar mi carrera profesional en otro lugar, la cual he decidido tomar. Quiero agradecer a aquellos que de una otra forma compartieron algún momento conmigo, ya sea
para saludarme, compartir experiencias, anécdotas, darme a conocer más sobre sus
proyectos y también en la búsqueda de soluciones a problemas referentes a informática, tecnología y otras inquietudes. Para mí, fue muy especial y gratificante haber podido apoyarles y dar respuestas a sus solicitudes, contribuyendo así con su servicio en
Panamá.
Los exhorto a que continúen esforzándose y trabajando con ánimo, no pierdan de vista sus metas, la vida está llena de pruebas y aunque a veces el camino se vea difícil, al final de ese camino está la recompensa. Disfruten su tiempo de servicio en Panamá. Hasta pronto y si tienen algún mensaje para mí,
pueden enviarlo a [email protected].
Mis mejores deseos para ustedes,
Yaisbeth Ávila
Happy New Year Peace Corps Panama! I wanted to take a minute to
informally introduce myself. My name is Melissa Meno and I am the
new Master Trainer at Peace Corps Panama. Yes, that is really my
title. I have had the pleasure
Background Info
to meet some of you around
Hometown: Southside of Chicago
the office, at PML or IST. For
Favorite food: Chicago style deep dish Pizza those of you working hard at
Favorite band (of the month): Florence &
site, I want to share some
the Machine
things about myself and welNewest hobby: Website development
come you to stop by for a
Countries visited to date: 43
Favorite weekend activities: Hiking around
visit next time you are at the
Panama, camping in San Blas, &
office.
M. Meno
running on the Cinta Costera.
I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer and Technical Specialist in Bolivia from 2003-07. Since Bolivia, I have traveled around South and Central America,
and landed myself in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. I stayed for 3 years working in international real
estate, marketing, and business administration. After 7 years abroad, I travelled back to Flagstaff, Arizona to work on an MBA through the Peace Corps Fellowship Program. My passion for
business has led me to create and manage an array of small businesses from an eco-friendly ecommerce website to a small hostel in the Mayan Riviera. All my past experiences led me back to
the Peace Corps family once again and I am excited to be working in our amazing Training Department. I invite you to email me or stop by for a visit if you think I can help you in any way. As a
RPCV, I have overcome a lot of the challenges that all Volunteers face and can definitely answer
any questions about life after Peace Corps.
6
La Vaina
MENTAL HEALTH
REFRESHMENT
Lourdes Rodriguez, PCMO
Listening Skills
This is one
of the topics that will
become
very handy
in several
parts of our
lives. Not
only as a
Volunteer
will you be
challenged
into helping
a peer, a
friend, a member of your community in a moment of stress, but also
in the different stages of your life
this skill can be used with a family
member, your spouse, or even your
own children.
Your Peace Corps Health Unit
wants to help you do it the correct
way, so here are the steps you
should follow in order to reach your
goal in helping a person to find his/
her own answers. Always keep in
mind that the good counselor is not
the person who gives the answer to
the problem, a good counselor is
the one that helps the person in
trouble to find their personal answers- whether you agree or not.
In order to lead on the road to help
people find a way to solve their
problems you will need to have LISTENING SKILLS. And in order to
have GOOD listening skills there
are techniques you should follow:
Eye contact: You need to look
at the person most of the time.
Caring communication: ―I‘m
with you, I‘m listening.‖
Body language: Be comfortable. Be aware of personal distance. Be aware of facial expressions. Don‘t be a brick
wall!
Encourage: Head nod; sound
words such as: ―mmhm‖, ―I
see‖, ―go on‖; minimal verbal
interruption; don‘t change the
subject
Listen: Don‘t talk. Don‘t share
experiences, ―Oh, I‘ve been
there.‖ You should resist talking during silent moments.
G-67 COS Medical Exams
Group 1 Feb 25 –Mar 1
Group 2 Mar 11– Mar 15
G-70 Midterm Medical Exams
Group 1
Group 2
April 1-3
April 15-17
G-70 Volunteers: please call the
medical office to pick a group
date. First come first serve.
THE SO-CALLED “THREE SEXUAL STRIKES” CLARIFICATION
Your Medical Office was requested
by some Volunteers to clarify this
policy because it seems to be a
misunderstanding.
Here is how the policy is found in
the Medical Technical Guidelines:
TG 710 page 3, states:
―Volunteers who receive PEP
more than once, for causes other
than accidental exposure to HIV
risk, should be discussed with the
CD for consideration of appropriate administrative action‖.
After discussing this policy among
us, we came to the conclusion that
it is more a preventive policy than a
punitive policy because it forces
Volunteers to take very good care
of their sexual behavior, especially
in countries like Panama where the
incidence of HIV is fairly high. As
you were told during training, today
Panama has the 3rd highest Central
America population of HIV carriers.
This is nothing we are proud of, but
this is a fact.
Although it will not assure you
100% safety mostly due to errors in
putting it on, condoms offer a very
good barrier for the HIV virus. Contrary to popular idea, the condoms
are not easy to break unless a
good technique in wearing them
has not been followed. Remember,
you need to put the condom on as
soon as the penis is erect and
should leave the little space at the
top for the semen. When the sexual encounter is over, the penis
must be removed from the vagina
before it shrinks back to normal
size, because when this happens,
the condom will slip and the content will spill over, which is a high
risk contamination source.
STI testing is not a preventive measure; it is really a tool for diagnosis.
Meaning that Peace Corps does
not cover for screening STI tests,
just for those tests that are ordered
by one of your PCMOs in order to
reach a diagnosis of a symptom of
which you have complained.
It is important for you to know that
every time a PEP treatment is
given, we need to inform OMS because this is a serious treatment.
We encourage all of our Volunteers
to have a safe sexual life. In case
you have any questions regarding
this topic; please feel free to call
your PCMO.
January 2013
Hello
Volunteers!
Happy 2013 from all of us in the Admin Department. We hope the New Year will bring successful projects, fulfilling relationships, and
fiscal efficiency!
To that end, admin gets a lot of questions surrounding our financial reimbursement system,
VICA. The most common of questions are :
Why does it take so long to
get reimbursed?
Panama Submission to
When will I get paid?
7
the month-so you can know
at a glance when that
monthly living allowance
(now with increased housing supplement) will be coming your way.
Want to know when admin can submit that medical
transportation reimbursement? Check the calendar
July‘s living allowance? Check the calendar!
HOT DOG!
HQ Date
To that, my friends, I present to
you….drum roll please….. THE
2013 VICA CALENDAR!!!
Money
GUARANTEED in
your account Date
12-Dec-12
28-Dec-12
12-Aug-13
26-Aug-13
The what? Let me explain:
2-Jan-13
18-Jan-13
28-Aug-13
15-Sep-13
11-Jan-13
27-Jan-13
11-Sep-13
27-Sep-13
28-Jan-13
11-Feb-13
19-Sep-13
5-Oct-13
11-Feb-13
25-Feb-13
10-Oct-13
27-Oct-13
28-Feb-13
16-Mar-13
30-Oct-13
15-Nov-13
11-Mar-13
25-Mar-13
12-Nov-13
28-Nov-13
29-Mar-13
14-Apr-13
2-Dec-13
16-Dec-13
11-Apr-13
27-Apr-13
11-Dec-13
27-Dec-13
1-May-13
17-May-13
10-May-13
26-May-13
31-May-13
16-Jun-13
HQ accepts two monthly requests
for allowances, payments, and
reimbursements. That means
that we only have 2 opportunities
per month to submit your requests for processing. Each submission takes approximately 2
weeks to process and arrive into
your account. As such, depending
on when you request your reimbursement, if a submission has
just taken place, we must wait
until the next submission date
and then another 2 weeks for the
funds to arrive in your account.
This table lists both our (Admin‘s)
submission dates to HQ AND the 12-Jun-13
date the funds are GUARANTEED
28-Jun-13
to be in your account. With this
handy dandy table, you will be a
11-Jul-13
better informed and more fiscally
responsible Volunteer as you will now have, at
your fingertips, the calendar that tells all!
Allowances are always the second payment of
Panama
Submission to
HQ Date
Money GUARANTEED in your
account Date
I say, Mr. Mumford, we
are in the money. We are
Peace Corps rich!
28-Jun-12
15-Jul-13
27-Jul-13
Verily so Mr. Wilson Flufferson. To
the city we shall go!
8
La Vaina
SURVEY BRINGS DISABLED
INTO FOCUS
Catherine Fabiano, SAS PTS
Jerry Lutes, Peace Corps Panama Friends
A few months ago, thirty-five of you responded to our
request for information about disabled people in your
communities. Many thanks to all of you who provided
information! This article will present the findings and help us
bring to light the realities of our
disabled community members in
Panama in the hopes of promoting future support on our part to
this often marginalized group of
people.
All survey respondents knew
some disabled people in their
communities. On average, each
respondent knew of eight disabled people.
of their communities makes the existence of government and charitable programs for the disabled irrelevant. For isolated communities, actions that utilize
only local resources seem more realistic. Examples
mentioned by the respondents included improving
accessibility (a ramp to the school latrine) and teaching kids not to ridicule their handicapped peers.
Finally, the survey provides some data on the types
of disabilities Volunteers are
likely to encounter.
Respondents reported 115 disabled
kids (infants through teens) and
about the same number of
adults over thiry years old. The
mix of reported disabilities for
the kids and adults were astonishingly different. 70% percent of
the disabled kids were mentally
handicapped and another 13%
had ―multiple disabilities‖ which
would include some additional
kids with mental handicaps. For
the disabled adults: 54% were
reported to have vision problems
and only 9% were mentally
handicapped. Another 18% had
multiple handicaps.
This contact with the disabled has
implications for our service as
Volunteers. Over our two years,
we are constantly sought out by
community members who are
One possible explanation is that
seeking our advice or support,
our Special Olympics program
often outside of our specific area
exposed Volunteers disproporof work. About one- third of the
tionately to mentally handisurvey respondents had been
capped kids or made the Volunasked to get involved with a disteers especially aware of
abled person in some way –
2002 census courtesy of the Everyman Foundation and the them. Another possibility is
money, advice, caring for, School of Social Services of the University of Panama.
that most people with mental
teaching, or improving accessihandicaps are born with
bility. While our training as Aspirantes attempts to prethem,
while
most
with
other handicaps – blindness,
pare us to work with a diverse group of people, including
deafness, mobility – acquire their disability later in
those with disabilities, often times we are left without
life. While the survey responses are questionable
answers of what other forms of support are available for
with regard to the mix of disabilities in our communithem here in country.
ties they
leave no
The survey paints a grim picture of the resources availquestion
able to the disabled in our communities. About half of
that Volthe respondents knew of some disabled people who had
unteers
received assistive devices like wheelchairs or hearing
en co unaids. About one-third of the respondents knew of some
ter nudisabled people getting training with life skills. Beyond
merous
that, few respondents knew of people who received vodisabled
cational training, cash assistance, transportation, or recpeople
reation.
w h o
need our
Many respondents pointed out that the remote location
Photo provided by Peace Corps
help.
January 2013
Informational Guide
Cerro Hoya
Jessica Fort
El Cortezo, Los Santos
Saludos! The VAC board
would like to share
some of the amazing
things Peace Corps Panama Volunteers have
been doing in their
communities with their
VAC grants.
The VAC grant follow-up forms allow
Volunteers to write
about their success stories and
share photos of
their projects. The
forms also help
the VAC board and
our supporters like
Peace Corps Panama Friends to
see the grant
money being put
to good use. Keep
up the good work!
9
Recycling Initiative
Elizabeth Frailey
Platanilla, Darién
―For the first time in Platanilla, we successfully completed a recycling project. The project started with a
month-long series of seminars in the school explaining the importance of recycling and the dangers of
burning trash. We finished with a trip to
Panama City to sell all of the community‘s recyclable materials to a recycling
center.
―Now that we have the tanks and the
interest in the community to recycle, we
are hoping to continue collecting recyclable material and do trips to the recycling center every other month. The
most important outcome of this project
though is the education in the school
about the dangers of burning trash and the importance of conserving the environment.‖
Artisan Training
Patricia Wilbur
Valle Escondido, Bocas del Toro
―Requested by the Artesanias‟ leader, this
P. Wilbur
Artisan Training Project brought a skilled artisan to my community from Filo Verde, Lucy
Hankinson‘s site, to share her knowledge of
nagua fabrication. This artisan provided advanced training to the artisan group in the
cut and design of naguas.
―The primary expected outcome was improved artisan skills for participating women.
Utilizing Dominga, Lucy‘s community member, to teach in another community, the project built the capacity of both communities.
The visitor developed leadership skills, as she imparted her knowledge and
led the instructional sessions. In turn, my community received tangible skills
important to the indigenous culture.‖
to
―Collaborating with Azuero Earth Project and SOMASPA (La Sociedad
Mastozoológica de Panamá), three
guides from my community and I
recently carried out a study in Cerro
Hoya National Park. The study used
camera traps placed inside the park
for a total of 3 months to survey
mammal and large bird species. The
study generated some amazing wildlife photos and now there is considerable interest from my community
to
learn
J. Fort
m o r e
about the
P. Wilbur
park. I am
also preparing a
training
seminar
for
the
guides in
the area
to become
Eco-Guides on a more professional
level for Cerro Hoya National Park.
―This guide will include the history
and present situation of the park
along with colored pictures of all the
species we captured…‖ Each picture
will include a detailed
description of the species and its importance
to the park. The guide
will end with a positive
message about the
conservation of the
park and a few pages
recognizing its amazing
eco-guides. The guide
will be kept at the Casa
Comunal for public use
and also be a great
reference for the
guides when they have
clients visiting the area and for the
school when learning about the flora
and fauna of Cerro Hoya.‖
10
La Vaina
World AIDS Day Around the Country
Tying it All Together
for Puerto Armuelles’
World AIDS Day
2012
Kate Baur
TE G67, Chiriquí
When Brandon Valentine sent us
an email in September saying that
we only had 176 days left until
COS, I had a moment of panic because I felt like I had not done everything I had wanted to do in my
community. I did not want to go
home feeling like my work was unfinished. Therefore, I decided to do
a final project, something that drew
from all parts of my community,
something that was important to
me, and something that would
have a big impact.
As a GAD representative, I had
been doing HIV seminars in many
communities around Panama. I
made the incorrect assumption
that my town, Puerto Armuelles, did
not have a great need for HIV seminars because it is a fairly wealthy
and well-educated community.
However, as I began talking to community members about the HIV
work I was doing in other areas, I
realized that I was mistaken. They
informed me that Puerto does have
a fairly large HIV problem, and with
further investigation I discovered
that there have been twenty-five
new cases in the hospital since
2009. With this information, I
found the focus of my final project.
I decided that I wanted to do some
sort of musical, educational event
for World AIDS Day on December
1st and began brainK.Baur
storming with community members. I
quickly realized I
would need an organization counterpart to back me up
for the event and
went to talk to folks
at the local Panamanian Red Cross Office, whom I had
worked with earlier
on in my service. The
Red Cross personnel
were excited to help
and we had weekly
meetings to monitor
the progress of the
event planning. I
wanted the main audience to be the local youth, so I began
giving HIV seminars
at the main local
high school, ESPA, to
the 3rd, 4th, and 5th year students
for the two months leading up to
the event. The Red Cross and I put
together invitations for the four
other local high schools, and we
wrote and delivered professional
notes to the local representante
and diputado requesting monetary
and equipment donations. We also
put together a GAD grant proposal
for materials and transportation
costs.
The MIDES office in Puerto also
helped immensely with the planning and organization of the event.
I worked with the youth group of
MIDES to create a mimed skit
about the ways HIV is and is not
contracted. The MIDES team also
put me in contact with two rock
bands and members of an HIV outreach group called Nueva Vida,
who give personal testimonies
about living with HIV.
Despite the endless preparation,
timely delivery of invitations, donation requests, community support,
and daily radio announcements
about the event, when the final
week preceding the World AIDS day
arrived, few things were actually
confirmed. We had not heard back
from the diputado about the donation for the food, nor the representante about the audio equipment,
and the marching band that was
supposed to come to the event had
not given us final confirmation.
I refused to believe that this event
was not going to happen and luckily there was a parade in my town
this same week. I took advantage
of this day by hunting down the
marching band and having them
confirm their attendance. I sat on
the podium with the diputado, waiting for three hours, until he agreed
January 2013
K.Baur
Marching for AIDS Awareness
to speak with me. I spoke with a community member
that worked for the representante and had him take
me to his house to talk with me directly. It all paid off;
both the representative and diputado ended up donating and all 100 members of the marching band attended the World AIDS Day event.
Alex Masarie
EH G71, Coclé
11
The combination of months of planning, the support of
other Peace Corps Volunteers, last minute persistence,
community connections, and grants and donations
from community politicians and the GAD board made
this event possible; and it turned out better than I
could have ever imagined. Over 300 people attended
the event. We had two singing performances by local
community members; two rock bands; a mimed drama
by the MIDES youth; an HIV skit by Peace Corps Volunteers Matthew Hennessey, Laura Geiken, Shane Hanlon, and Kate Baur; a personal testimony about living
with HIV; a condom demonstration; and a candle lit
vigil through the center of town led by the local marching band. I would never have been able to make this
event happen without all the relationships and connections I had been developing over the past two years in
my community. It was the most incredible experience
to be able to intertwine all of these connections to create one final community project that I think, for the
people of Puerto Armuelles and the other's involved,
was unforgettable.
Other World AIDS Day Celebrations
A.Masarie
The GAD sponsored World AIDS Day 2012
in happy, little San Juanito of Coclé will be
forever remembered by the community
mural folks painted on la casita de los Voluntarios... at least as long as the mud wall
stays standing. The day kicked off at 9:00
a.m. with a charla from Vida Sana, Pueblo
Sano facilitated by Voluntaria Lorena
(Lauren Hayes) that was widely attended
by two young women and a five year old
girl. As the day wore on and the arroz con
pollo started to smell better and better,
more folks trickled in until a respectable
size junta ranging in age from five to seventy-four was crowded on the patio avoiding the rain and getting their artwork on
the wall. Five year-old Juan Bautista Hernandez can be credited for laying the foundation of the mural days earlier
as he and Voluntario Alejandro (Alex Masarie) covered the mural spot with white cement. The first addition was a
giant red ribbon painted boldly in rojo intenso. The junta slowly added a Panamanian and U.S. flag, two flowers, a
bright yellow sun, and some grass. When asked, "Que hace falta?" Abuela Chola scratched out an excellent reply,
"Una pareja, claro!" The masterpiece was signed -San Juanito- 1 diciembre 2012 Día internacional del SIDA. The
arroz con pollo was eaten, red ribbons were pinned super-prity on sueters, and as an unexpected treat leftover
from Halloween, fake vampire fangs of various neon colors, which were carefully sanitized and handed out to the
youngsters. To slightly redeem the poorly attended charla portion, a week or so later one of the three attendees
was asked what she learned the day of the mural. After a long, thoughtful pause she replied, “No lo haga con una
persona que no conozca muy bien.‖ A successful World AIDS Day 2012? Cómo no, cómo no!
12
La Vaina
...That Time We Gave an HIV/AIDS Charla to a Few
Hundred SENAFRONT Soldiers
Sarah Watson
EH G69, Darién
In rural areas in the developing
world, the majority of HIV/AIDS
knowledge comes from rumors. In
Malawi, Africa, where AIDS is more
prevalent than Panama, the rumor
that someone has AIDS can prevent infection*. However, gossip
can also spread false information
rapidly. In parts of the Comarca
Ngäbe-Buglé, some locals say that
their indigenous blood is too strong
to be infected by HIV.
It was a rumor in my community
("Duuude, Chonty totally slept with
a girl with AIDS") that sparked my
motivation first to do an HIV/AIDS
prevention charla during a soccer
tournament and then a regional
HIV/AIDS awareness activity. At
first, I had visions of Darién cowboys in their boots and hats attending something not-too-far-off from a
tipico baile and sneaking in a
charla in Metetí. But then I realized
that without Seco and quite a large
fund for food, that that would
S.Watson
probably just be a big fracaso:
so holding an event in the
school would make more
sense. At the Regional Meeting in September, I made an
ambiguous announcement
(mostly because at this point I
didn't know what I was doing)
and recruited the help of Rachel Clifton and Kim Nettles.
A very short while later, the
three of us started to pasear
at local agencies. At first, we
got a lot of, "That's a great
idea! ...But we don't have anything that could help you". After the next couple months of
meetings, radio announcements, November (need I say
more?), and much more
pasear-ing, things were coming together. We had everything we
needed (and then some) besides
the presa, which we paid for with a
GAD grant.
The day of the event, a group of
200 seventh and eighth graders at
the school in Metetí were set aside
to participate in
the march wearing red. Before
we started, we
noticed
some
SENAFRONT
members standing outside the
gates of the
school. Then we
noticed that the
line of them had
no end. We
started with a
parade through
Metetí, with banners (made by
the
students),
teachers,
and
S.Watson
members of Defensoria del Pueblo,
IPHE, Protección Civil, PAN, Alcance
Positivo, and a few hundred
SENAFRONT soldiers. An HIVpositive técnico from MINSA was
speaking on a bullhorn throughout
the parade about AIDS in Panama.
After the parade we continued the
activity at the school with two
charla stations: one by the MINSA
técnico and the other by Peace
Corps- where we covered what is
HIV/AIDS, how it is transmitted,
and how it can be prevented
(including plantain condom demonstrations). Throughout the planning
and execution of the event, we had
a few surprises. Upon asking the
MINSA técnico if he was prepared
to give a condom demonstration he
laughed and replied, "Don't worry, I
have a dildo". We were expecting a
few SENAFRONT soldiers to attend;
we had a few hundred who stayed
for the charla and seemed to enjoy
the activity. And lastly, we were
January 2013
13
S.Watson
Tips for Giving a Successful HIV/AIDS Charla
Sarah Watson
EH G69, Darién
Although World AIDS Day has recently
passed, that shouldn't stop you from doing
some HIV/AIDS prevention charlas in your
site or area. If you want help you can always
ask your nearest and dearest GAD Rep.
Volunteers celebrate a successful charla
pleasantly surprised at the support from the local
agencies and community for this event. I guess not all
HIV surprises are bad.
*In your spare time, you should listen to the "Gossip"
episode of This American Life.
S.Watson
1. Interactive Demonstrations: Ataque del
Virus and the Glitter AIDS demonstrations (found in Vida Sana, Pueblo Sano)
are typically well received and understood.
2. Quita la pena: Talking about sex will
pretty much always make people giggle.
Capitalize on that.
3. Sociodramas: Be as ridiculous as possible with an educational message.
4. Invite local agencies: I'm pretty sure a
few of you just winced or grumbled, but if
you make the effort you will find a few
people who are genuinely interested in
making a difference and supporting your
activity.
5. Aprovechar local radio: If it is popular in
the area, make an anuncio on the radio
about meetings or soliciting donations.
At the very least, someone will donate
some rice.
6. Keep the message simple: Typically, the
three most important topics to focus on
are: basic definition, how it is transmitted, and how it can be prevented.
7. Find out the closest place where condoms are provided or sold: It won't do
much good to tell someone to use a condom if they don't know where to get one.
14
La Vaina
One of the largest cultural differences for Volunteers in Panama is the
local attitude towards gender. Whether as a woman in the heart of el
Emma Miller
Machismo, or as a man among the stoic Ngäbes, the gender-based exTE G67, Los Santos
pectations and customs of the local community can have a large impact
on a Volunteer‘s experience. In this difficult adjustment, we seek support from each other, but true support begins with empathy. Yet, how can we begin to understand the often indescribable, intricately-layered experiences of another person, especially of the opposite gender? Gender discrimination is even encoded in
the very language we use. What if it weren‘t so? What if we could imagine a different, opposite history and see the world
through another‘s eyes?
An Alternative History
IMAGINE: Men are tasked biologically with caring for children; they provide the nutrients which the child must receive. Therefore, it has been decided that they must stay in the caves with the children. They sometimes leave to gather berries and root
vegetables near home. The women hunt. Physically, they seem suited to this task as they are slightly larger. Speed and aim are
skills learned and practiced. From childhood, men are told that they are suited best for breeding and nurturing. They are given
dolls to practice on, and stay at home to help their fathers take care of the younger children and the house. Female children
are taken out of the cave at an early age. They run, climb trees, and play fight with other girl children in preparation for adulthood.
Thousands of years pass and the trend remains the same. Societies form. Women, no longer needing to hunt, learn other valuable trades. Men continue to raise the children and take care of the home. In the lower classes, the men must work alongside
their wives in order to earn enough to provide for their families. The women receive and manage their own earnings as well as
those of their men. Women own the land the family lives on. Men, called the weaker vessel by their religion (1 Petra 3:7), are
referred to as the ‗angel of the house‘ and praised when they bring a girl child into the world. In fact, an exception has been
made to marriage laws granting divorces and annulments if the man cannot perform this most important function. Women
work. From the lowliest sheriff to the highest ruling power in the land: women. Nearly every leader, legendary hero, and
scholar: women. There are a few exceptions such as John of Arc who dressed as a woman in order to go to battle, and the
more recent King Emmett, the Virgin King, exceptional for rejecting marriage and ruling on his own. For men, aren‘t their feats
truly amazing? If men still lack inspiration, they may think of western religion. After all, the goddess gave her only daughter to
forgive the sins of womankind and that holy daughter was born of a man. Of course, it must not be forgotten that it was also
man, built from the unnecessary rib bone of woman, who tempted woman into sin and caused the Fall from Grace.
Hundreds more years pass. Democracy replaces monarchy. In America, men have been allowed to vote for 100 years although
we have yet to have a male president or vice-president. However, they should take pride in the fact that 20% of the US senate
is male. Men are now educated alongside women and allowed in the workplace. They make seventy-five cents to every dollar
that women make. Most company owners and managers are women, but a man has access to promotion. As demonstrated in
the media by shows like Allan McBeal and Grey‟s Anatomy, promotion is more easily gained if he either acts womanly enough
to be treated like one of the gals or uses his innate sexuality to make his female workers more cooperative. It is noteworthy
that sometimes women elect to stay at home with the children and the men become the breadwinners for the family. It is perfectly acceptable for men to stay at home, as the burden of providing for the family rests with women. Men may even elect to
be provided for by their parents, sisters, or female acquaintance. The same is not true for women; in most cases society condemns a woman that does not work. It must also be noted that men are now allowed in the military, rarely in high-risk positions. The existence of male CEOs and scholars is on the rise. Really, what wonderful progress has been made.
Fashion has changed to reflect society. Two hundred years ago, men had to keep everything covered lest an accidentally revealed ankle drove a woman mad with lust. It is taken for granted that men are inherently desirable and women are biologically programmed to desire. Rape prevention advice usually places the burden on men, recommending less provocative clothing and better vigilance, as not all women can be trusted to control their impulses. As the years have passed, male fashion has
demanded lower necklines and higher hems. While women dress in ways that suit their work—flat shoes for mobility, pants and
sleeves for warmth—fashionable men wear heeled shoes that put them at a disadvantage should they need to walk/run long
distances or defend themselves from violence. Men certainly have more choices when it comes to fashion. They can adopt the
practical, tough, womanly suit like the females or they can modify it by wearing a revealing blouse and a skirt to show off their
shapely legs and elegant feet. Women have no such choices so their closet is quite boring. If they did want to wear a manlier
outfit, they would be ridiculed by their colleagues.
Dictionary:
The modesty which the past eras demanded of men, so as not to distract Machoist:: advocating civil rights for men equal
women from their work, has been replaced by bold sensuality. Walking down to those of women
the street, you might see billboards of provocatively dressed men, nearly na- Misandrist: one who hates males
ked, with the ―come and take me‖ gaze. Their eroticized silhouettes are avail- Manly : having qualities generally ascribed to
able for purchase in a number of forms in any gas station or truck stop. It is men, such as gentleness and sensitivity
possible, though less likely, to see a half-dressed woman in an advertise- Womanly: having qualities traditionally asment, with her muscles nicely oiled and tanned: the perfect embodiment of cribed to women, such as strength or bravery
strength.
January 2013
It’s now 2013 and you are a Volunteer in Peace Corps
The City:
As you wait outside for a taxi, a group of
women walks toward you. They represent a
potential, though not inevitable, threat because you are alone. They elbow each other,
nodding in your direction. Their eyes travel
from your face to your pecs, lingering on your butt
and moving down your legs. X-ray glasses are unnecessary as
their minds can do what their eyes cannot. You empathize
with steak filets at a butcher‘s market, with rabbits running
futilely away from wolves. As the women pass, you stiffen,
your hand clenching into a fist at your side. As they pass one
of them says ―hello, beautiful,‖ in a deep murmur that is so
suggestive you feel your skin crawl. Yet, they continue walking and you unconsciously relax--the danger passed.
You flag down a taxi, mentally reviewing all the safety tips you
have picked up in your two years. Remember his license
number. Sit behind the driver. Don‘t engage in conversation.
You sit down, tugging your neckline up and attempting to look
natural as you place one arm over your chest. The taxi driver
adjusts her rearview mirror so that she can get a better look
at you.
―Hey there, baby. Looking good.‖
You look out the side window determinedly and tell her the
location of the hostel, verifying the price. She peels off the
curb into traffic, her eyes barely leaving the rearview mirror to
glance at the road in front.
―So sexy. You have a girlfriend?‖
Your prepared lie comes quickly to the mouth even as you
secretly lament the fact that there are no male taxi drivers.
How strange it would seem if taking a taxi didn‘t feel like
throwing yourself into a den of hungry lions every single time!
―Yes. I have a wife. She‘s a soldier but not for the government. Like a soldier, but for private contracts.‖ Yes, you‘ve
just implied that your wife is a mercenary or maybe a hitwoman, but as incredulous as it seems, this is the lie that
works the best.
―But, a long-distance romance? What do you do at night
when you get cold?‖
You watch the billboards pass by, filled by near-naked men
with their rears the main focus, tossing coy gazes over their
shoulder. Only five more minutes before you can get out and
walk into the mostly safe environs of the hostel.
―You need a woman here. To warm you up, baby.‖
You throw headphones on, and even though she continues to
speak to you, you spend the rest of the ride in silence. Luckily, this was a harmless enough ride. The driver didn‘t pull
over to the side of the road to ask you to move to the front
seat and give her a ―helping hand.‖ For this, you must be
thankful. Still, you much prefer the pious old women drivers
who tell you about their grandchildren and tell you that God
thanks you for your volunteer work.
15
The city:
It takes forever to find a taxi. The female drivers
seem more interested in scoping out potential new conquests than picking up your fare.
On numerous occasions, they will pass by you
to pick up a man a few yards down. Or, ignoring
your request to travel quickly, they stop for every man between the ages of 15 and 50 waiting on the sidewalk, to
smile and flirt and offer their services. They‘ll charge the
guy a dollar for his trip, while you get stuck with a bill three
times as large.
The driver pulls up and she pays just enough attention to
you to haggle a price. You hope she caught the address as
the car begins to duck and weave between streets. She hits
a bump at high speed and you crack your head on the ceiling, yelping loudly. She looks back at you and laughs derisively. What a wuss. The car slows down in front of Elite, a
high-end strip club.
―Wanna go inside?‖ You shake your head no; you just want
to get to your movie on time.
―How about an escort? I can find you some, real cheap.‖
Again, you shake your head no. The driver eyes you, suspiciously, as if there is something wrong with you. What selfrespecting woman says no to an offer like that? She shrugs
it off and takes the turn to the mall.
In Site:
At school, the little boys reach out their hands to pet you
before dashing away to giggle at you from the corner.
―You‘re so hairy! Like an animal.‖
No one in their community has arm hair and, though incredibly shy around you, they don‘t hesitate to dart out and touch
you whenever they can get away with it. They are already
learning how to flirt because in a few years, their married
fathers would be suggesting to their wives that perhaps the
American would make a suitable match. Perhaps you would
even bring them to the US.
Though the petting seems harmless enough, it makes you
uncomfortable. Encouraged to leave a dozen blue-eyed babies in the community before you go, you make sure to keep
your relationships with students and adults professional
and appropriate. Yet, no matter what you do, there is always the implication that a romantic relationship is just on
the horizon. Sooner or later, the right man will snag your
interest and you won‘t be able to resist, right? After all, it‘s
only natural.
For a while you insisted that you had a girlfriend back home.
Son after son was introduced and how do you reject them
without being rude? It‘s like rejecting a present that has
been tied up with the family‘s best ribbons. Showing any
preference for a particular son over another could cause
problems in the community: the gossip would spread like
16
La Vaina
In Site:
After being asked the umpteenth time why you
don‘t have a local girlfriend, you leave the teacher‘s lounge.
Today, you‘ve managed to avoid Miss. Ana who likes to tell
you that pretty men shouldn‘t be allowed in Peace Corps if
they aren‘t available to date. You‘ve also given Miss. Carmen
the slip. Well-intentioned and respectful, she always insists
that you are betraying your god-given duty as a man by not
having children.
Walking down the road from school, you raise your hand to a
chorus of hellos from your students. It‘s too hot today to take
the long detour around the road crew that has been building
a sidewalk for the last two weeks. The first woman you walk
by barely pauses to glance at you, and you duck your head
and murmur a firm and curt ‗good day‘. The second woman is
in her sixties, stooped but still strong-looking. She leans on
the handle of her shovel and gives you the creeper eye before murmuring ―Gorgeous, gorgeous, that‘s some good
meat.‖
Good meat?!? You‘re caught between flinging a rock at her
head and cursing her to the high heavens. A die-hard
machoist speech that would set her on her misandrist rear
bubbles up in your throat, but you have been told not to engage. Not to attract more attention. You keep your head
down and walk by as quickly as possible, another worker yelling after you, ―Oh my god, I love you baby.‖.
You wave warmly as you walk past Chago‘s house, your favorite neighbor. While a stay-at-home dad, like most other males
in this country, Chago is an inspiration. When his mother
would only pay for her daughters to go to high school, Chago,
at 16, left home and slowly worked his way through night
school. He waited to marry and have kids until he had earned
his diploma. He wants more than that for his two sons. One is
studying physics and calculus at the University and the other
is the brightest student in his 6th grade class.
Sitting outside on your patio, working on your computer, the
neighborhood drunk sidles up to your fence to inform you
that you can have the honor of being her boy. At the local
store, while all your fellow male neighbors listen and giggle, a
stranger tells you that with all respect, honey, you are so
pretty and pale. She‘d really like to ―get to know you‖.
It gets dark and finally, without guilt, you can go inside and
shut the door. You lean against it, let out a slow breath, and
for the first time all day you feel completely relaxed. For the
first time today, you feel totally safe.
You remember the true friends you‘ve made, the group of
young men who dressed you in the local costume for a parade and rather talk about Lord Gogo‘s newest album than
your love life. You remember the little boys at school, who
soaked up your talk on going to college and seeking out fulfilling jobs. You think about the lessons you‘ve learned and
how a whole world, different from your own, has opened to
you. You remember this and, despite the hard times, you are
grateful.
wildfire and other families might be offended.
The problem with the lie is that no one minded. It
didn‘t stop the parade of boys, the giggling from
darkened doorways. You don‘t lie about a made-up
boyfriend anymore. It‘s too hard to keep all your stories
straight.
Going to the local bar has become an obligation. Early in
your service, you missed a Saturday afternoon session and
the women at the Water Committee wouldn‘t stop bothering
you about it.
―Were you sick?‖
―You just can‘t hold your booze like a real woman, like us.‖
―Why don‘t you go to the beauty salon and find yourself a
gay lover?‖
Inside the bar, the regulars sit around a table drinking. You
nod to the bartender and she brings you a drink. They sit
wide-legged, arms splayed out on empty chairs, their ropey,
callused hands wrapped around beers and cups. You‘ve
learned to copy their style. They never tire of making fun of
your gangliness, tall and thin is an anomaly around your
community full of farmers and cowgirls. It took four months
before they would let you join in the hard labor, not trusting
that your lean, callus-free body could handle the work of
real women. Better off leaving you with the men, to cook
and clean.
Across the room, three nervous-looking men have sat down.
It‘s a rare sight in a bar, and they have caught the attention
of your friends. The studs have arrived. You remember
Brandina‘s helpful hint during training about saying you prefer MEN to breeding animals, but you don‘t want to open up
the floor to suggestions about how many of these men you
should be dating. They‘ve already been picking out choice
options for you from their sons, nephews, and brothers. No
matter how many times you tell them that thank-you-but-nothank-you-this-just-isn‘t-my-thing, they refuse to understand.
It‘s the same with the whistling and catcalls. You know it
doesn‘t work, that no man you could ever be interested in
would respond to that. Your fellow PCVs have made it undoubtedly clear that it makes them uncomfortable. Yet, upholding your principles comes at a price. The other women
in your community make disparaging remarks about your
sexual orientation- behind every joke lingers fear and a hint
of malice. It‘s as if being gay or anything but the traditional
female makes you less of a woman, maybe less of a person.
How do you survive when you must choose between losing
yourself to assimilation and hiding who you are?
You think about the true friends you‘ve made, the group of
young women who helped build your latrine and rather talk
about baseball than your love life. You remember the little
girls at school, who soaked up your talk on treating boys
with respect. You think about the lessons you‘ve learned
and how a whole world, different from your own, has
opened to you. You remember this and, despite the hard
times, you are grateful.
January 2013
17
The Big and the Small of It.
Space for seeders pic.
A. Parker
On a recent trip to Cerro Punta, ascending
the precarious curves in an over-loaded
Coaster, sitting next to the driver with more
cell phones than a drug dealer, I was
treated to that first incredible view of the
sun-gilded hillsides. They were patched together by obtuse plots of broccoli, nestled in
by aslant plots of onions, bordered by linear
rows of whatever else. What struck me most
about these plots was their size and variety.
Accustomed to traveling along the InterAmericana, seeing acres upon acres of
corn, rice, and pineapple, this hillside mishmash of cultivos seemed something out of a
fairytale or some Andean potato village.
Mulling it over on the porch of my cozy bungalow, it all began to click; crops are planted
based on necessity—be it necessity of the
grower or necessity of the land. Beyond necessity lies factors of land stewardship,
population demand, and appropriate technologies.
In the States, many of us are used to seeing
miles of land cultivated in the same crop.
Depending on your
Cerro Punta, where rainbows come from chimneys
Hallie Richard
geography, your interCEC G68, Bocas del Toro
state may be lined
Seeders Coordinator
with waves of amber
corn, of miles of
In the New Year, Jason Carter and
green trellises hiding
Hallie Richard- your Seeders Coordigems of golden Charnators- will be doing Escuelas de
donnay—or here in
Campo around the country. The visit
Panama,
endless
and charla can be cultivated to your
rows of matchstickcommunity needs, and basically covlike trunks of Chiquita
ers: seed source identification, techbananas. Once off
niques in preservation and processthe interstate, you
ing, preparing seeds for planting, and vivero building.
catch glimpses of neat little plots of beans
and corn alongside homes, the odd patch of
If you are interested in home, school, or community gardens,
jungle replaced by rows of yucca and
or reforestation projects, we would love to be a part of it! Conguandú. The obvious difference in these
tact us by email at: [email protected], or talk to your
examples is scale. A family will grow what
Regional Seeders Coordinator to set up a date.
they can eat in a season, and an industrial
corn farmer will grow as much as modern
chemicals will permit. Panama follows the
rule, as does most every other nation
The dry season is coming, and it‘s a great time to same
in the world. Duh.
start up a garden! Check out the Seeders Box for
easy garden starts like beans, cucumber, squash,
and peppers!
Why, then, is scale important? Imagine the
differences between an acre planted in
18
Continued from previous page….
beans, squash, tomatoes, and peppers, to an acre planted in corn,
alongside another, alongside another. A diversity of crops is a natural pesticide. Insects are somewhat
picky eaters, and prefer one plant
over another. So if the insect enjoys a few young
bean leaves—but then encounters a pepper plant-he‘ll be pretty discouraged.
Conversely, if an insect
finds row after row of his
favorite plant, not only will
he gorge himself like it‘s
Thanksgiving, but he‘ll call
all his friends too.
La Vaina
industrial crop, tilled year after year
by huge machines, sprayed harvest
after harvest by all kinds of chemicals. The soil is brittle and the air
has long since forgotten the chime
and buzz of living things. A smaller
garden plot, nestled in among forests and other crops, is tended by
land for the costs incurred. A
farmer providing for their family will
take the necessary precautions to
maintain the surface soil by building terraces and drainage.
What is the labor like in these two
farms? Who plants the seeds and
how? Who harvests the
produce and where does it
go? In a larger farm, labor
must be hired out, seeds
often planted mechanically, and many applications of supplements happen before the produce is
harvested. In a process
like this, it is easy to lose
touch with the very land
with which you work. In
Imagine all the birds, bees,
smaller farms the same
and other winged pollinafamilies that will be contors about—plus the
suming the produce are
friendly insects wandering Would you rather have the dust of agricultural death in your
the hands planting, caring
around the garden floor. mouth?
for and harvesting it.
Smaller plots of cultivos
While a strong connection
don‘t require the use of so many
the hands of the consumers: its
to the soil, elements, and plants is
chemical based pesticides, fertilizcrops rotated in and out—season
by no means necessary, it does
ers and fungicides. To walk through
after season—insects and birds
foster a certain ethic of appreciaan industrial plantation, the silence
coming back year after year. The
tion and understanding in the conis shocking, no birds, no insects,
difference in this case is stewardsumers.
and no life.
ship.
While reading over what I‘ve writA. Parker
An industrial acre
ten, I realize that these two scenaris home to no one,
ios are in no way the ultimate and
and
is
often
only way agriculture is approached.
thought of as disHere in Panama, as many Volunposable, where a
teers have witnessed, even small
plot alongside a
family producers are not practicing
home is considthese basic ideas. And many large
ered part of the
farms do, indeed, understand the
home,
and
is
importance of land stewardship. So
cared for as such.
think of these as examples on opA family providing
posite ends of the agricultural
the vegetables for
spectrum, and how divergent they
their table, on a
are from each other. After glimpslimited amount of
ing the tidy little plots in Cerro
Or have bolsas full of maiz nuevo?
land, has more
Punta, my inspiration has been reincentive to maininstated to investigate the different
tain the fertility of
ways in which Panamanians are
the land- just as
using their land—and their relationan industrial comships to it—to open up the dialog
Now imagine these two examples
pany is motivated to take the largabout techniques they use and
of cultivation over many years. An
est harvest possible—charging the
why.
January 2013
Importance of Seed
Jason Carter
SAS G68, Ngäbe Buglé
Saving
La importancia de preservar semillas explanations in Spanish to share and answer community members' questions on
why they should preserve seeds.
Costo – si uno pueda conservar sus propias semillas no necesite comprar semillas cada año. Entonces baja los costos
de producción de cultivos.
Maneja de Calidad – tiendas a veces
maltratan las semillas (las guardan en
malas condiciones, en lugares húmidos, o
en sol directo) y las venden sin avisar al
consumidor. Cuando el tiempo viene a
sembrar, el agricultor descubre que las
semillas no nacen. Si uno pueda guardar
sus propias semillas, se pueda controlar
como y donde las semillas estén puestas.
El agricultor sabe que nada mala ha pasado a sus semillas y que ellas nacerán.
Preservación de características deseadas
– el agricultor puede seleccionar las semillas de las plantas que le gustan. Si él
se prefiera un ají bien rojo, un ají que es
muy resistente a plagas, o de repente con
bastante picante, se pueda seleccionar
semillas que rinda las características que
a él le gusta. Entonces cada año se pueda ver cultivos más deseados
(personalmente) y cultivos que no se encuentra en las tiendas
Preservación de semillas locales: el agricultor pueda preservar semillas que son
criollas de su finca y que de repente tengan unas significancias culturales en el
lugar- o semillas que se use en artesanías
o comidas típicas por el área. Por ejemplo, palmas para hacer sombreros.
Negocios: si un agricultor preserve semillas que los miembros de la comunidad
querrían pero no hayan preservados para
sus mismos, se pueda hacer unos negocios de vender de semillas o plantones en
bolsas a sus vecinos.
Autosuficiencia: el agricultor que preserve
sus semillas se queda independiente de
los cambios en el mercado. Si una tienda
no tenga semillas de tomates un año, los
agricultores que dependen de la tienda
para comprar semillas no van a tener
tomates. Pero, el agricultor que preserve
sus semillas cada año no estará impactado por ese problema. El agricultor es
más seguro con su mismo y sus habilidades de cuidar para sus plantas y semillas.
19
Better Huts and Jardíns
Matt Manupella
CEC G68, Panama Oeste
The best way to figure out if
something grows where you
Last November, in the pursuit of fresh are is to just plant a few
produce I began a ‗Square Foot‗ style seeds and see what happens
vegetable garden beside my home in La
Bonga Abajo, Panama Oeste. It is easy to maintain, visually attractive and productive for a small-scale home garden. Since it is a raised garden, it is protected from run off and can be used in a less-than-ideal gardening space.
To make this garden you need four wooden boards: two boards that are four
feet long, two boards that are eight feet long, a hammer and nails, a shovel, two
sacks of coffee husks and a sack of gallinaza (rice husk mixed with chicken
excrement).
You start by making the frame for the garden by taking the boards and creating
a four by eight foot box, about a foot high. The length of the garden is not important but the width should not exceed four feet, since you don‘t want to have to
step inside and compact the soil. Once you have nailed the frame together, put
it on a flat piece of ground. Fill the frame two thirds full with some fresh aerated
soil. Then fill it to the top with a couple sacks of partially decomposed coffee
husks, and another large sack of gallinaza. Mix the contents lightly with the
shovel and then let the soil rest for about a week.
When the soil is set, use sticks or strips of bamboo to divide the top into square
blocks; you can make these one, two, or four foot square depending on the
space you have and the plants you choose. Dividing the planting space keeps
things organized and allows you to utilize your space more efficiently than
would be possible with a traditional row garden because you can utilize all the
space. You can easily rotate the spaces as harvests come and go. It‘s a breeze
to keep weed free and the organic fertilizers make it very productive.
The last thing you need to do is build a barrier around the garden to protect it
from chickens. The cheapest and quickest solution is to attach the sacks from
the coffee and gallinaza or black trash bags to the sides using wooden stakes
that you nail to the sides. It is still low enough that you can easily reach in and
weed, plant, harvest, etc. Be vigilant, the one time I let my guard down a band
of roving gallinas ate every pepper I had on the vine.
With my garden I have consistently had luck with green beans, cherry tomatoes,
small ají peppers, chives and basil. I‘ve had mixed results with less traditional
Panamanian crops. Zucchini grows alright—the plant itself gets huge, but for
some reason the fruit never got bigger than six inches before it started to rot on
the vine (baby zucchini are still delicious). In April, I had great results with mixed
greens and turnip greens, but when I tried to plant a second rotation in July the
seeds didn‘t even germinate. Right now, I‘m trying acorn squash and yellow
summer squash, and we‘ll see how that goes.
Your community members are a great source of information as to what works
and what doesn‘t, but don‘t believe everything you hear! Keep experimenting;
you never know what you‘ll come up with!
This style of vegetable garden is ideal for a Peace Corps Volunteer. It‘s manageable, not overly ambitious, and a great teaching model. It‘s an attractive looking
garden; so all community members are going to want you to show them how
they can make one.
20
La Vaina
Dear Profe: Advice for English Teaching
Do They Ever
Stop Laughing?
-A Teachable MomentAndrew Butler
TE G70, Bocas del Toro
A. Butler
Still, I couldn‘t shake
the notion that—try as
I might to join in the
fun—they
weren‘t
laughing with me. It
was with pointed fingers, lips bared back,
as if I stood in the
center of a cage, in
clothes three sizes
too small.
A. Butler
In the school, the kids
are brutal. However,
it‘s easier to feed it
back
to
them.
Ngäbere phrases are
met with English.
Using laughter.
It started in my host family‘s house
with chicken bones. My host mom,
laughing at me picking the meat off
a chicken neck as if I was Tom
Hanks in Big, baffled by the
baby corn. The rest of the family crunched through, some
with a mouth full of sharpened teeth, and they all
joined in the laugh. At first,
no matter the barbarity of
the act, the laughs bothered me. A mispronounced word would produce unbridled chuckles.
Ngäbere barked at me set
women cackling. Even something as simple as kicking a
soccer ball had half the
town in stitches.
I tried to talk myself
through it. ―I‘m different. Nothing to cry
about.‖
―If we can‘t understand each other,
there‘s no reason to
speak.‖
They laugh at
‗who‘ (meaning
house
in
Ngäbere) and I
use it my advantage.
―Remember it that
way.‖ I exaggerate
Total Physical Response (TPR) by
blubbering like
an idiot to demonstrate sad. I
show them my
mean face for
angry. The bigger fool I make
of myself, the
better
they
learn.
―I may not speak Spanish well, but
at least I try,‖ I tell them. ―How
about you?‖
They might never stop calling me
‗Baranyobre‘ and I may never figure out what it means or why it‘s so
funny. When one of them discovered what ―Quieres chupar?”
meant in English (no thanks to
me), everyone over twelve was
shouting it after me. However, even
now, kids still yell out, ―Hungry!‖ so
that I rub my stomach; ―Cool!‖ and
I pretend to tip a pair of sunglasses.
Will they ever stop laughing?
Probably not. May as well don the
monkey suit, dance, and laugh
when no one is looking.
January 2013
21
Poco a Poco
He shrugged. ―Es que no
sé.‖ I don‘t know how.
Chelsea Weber
TE G67, Los Santos
The words vibrated between my ears. You don‘t
know how to read and
you‘re seven?
I was
abashed. How could he not
know how to read? Jose
had bounced around for
the last year between two
fighting parents who evenDrawing what we read.
tually separated and his
grandparents‘ house (my
neighbors), where he usually
gin. I was at a loss.
stayed when neither of his parents
could take care of him, which was
In the following days the reality of
beginning to be more and more
reading in Panama truly hit me.
often. Perhaps last year, his first
New books in Panama are very exyear of elementary school, was lost
pensive relative to the budget most
in the chaos of a breaking home.
households have to manage.
Maybe he never learned because
Adults do not read because of the
there was no one at home helping
lack of available literature and kids
him. I sat down next to Jose on the
do not read at home because their
porch and tried to help him sound
parents do not like reading and
out the words, to no avail. ―Poco a
there are no books. I remembered
poco, Jose.” Little by little, just try,
my time as a young reader in kinyou‘ll start to see the pattern. He
dergarten. My parents read to me
would stare back at me blankly and
ever since I could remember and I
shake his head. He simply didn‘t
have such fond memories of readknow and had no idea how to being that I never imagined a kid
could feel otherwise about books.
Then, while complaining to a friend
C. Weber
about how my neighbor couldn‘t
read, my friend corrected me.
―He‘s what, in first grade? Of
course he doesn‘t know how to
read.‖ Again, I was abashed. I
knew how to read by the time I was
five. ―You learn to read in first
grade here. In kindergarten all kids
learn how to do is trace letters and
recognize them. You have to do
that before you read.‖ So Jose
wasn‘t behind. He was normal. It
turned out I was up against a much
bigger monster than I thought—the
system.
Early last year, I sat in my hammock reading one afternoon after
school and my seven year old
neighbor waltzed up to my porch.
Could we play, he wanted to know.
―No,‖ I told him, ―I‘m a little tired
and relaxing from a hectic school
day. If you want to read with me,
though, you can grab a book from
inside and join me.‖ I keep a small
box of story books in Spanish in my
house in an effort to encourage
kids to read on their free time.
Since the other kids on the street
had been interested, I knew Jose
felt comfortable walking in and
grabbing a book from the box. He
sat down on the porch next to the
hammock and began to lazily flip
through the pages. I noticed he
wasn‘t looking at the words.
―Jose,‖ I said, ―you have to read
the words. Why don‘t you read out
loud so you can practice?‖
Jose, the young reader.
C. Weber
I have been working for over a year
trying to get the kids I know interested in reading. Thanks to a donation from the U.S. Embassy, one
22
Continued from previous page…
La Vaina
Jenny and I realized we had clumsily stumbled on a formula that
worked. Poco a poco, I thought,
and I thought of Jose.
Jose‘s two-year-old sister comes
over, puts her hands all over the
books and mimics what she sees
the older kids do (she calls it
―studying‖).
As the
school year progressed,
C. Weber
Jose slowly began to
bring home work that
would lead him to reading. I listened as his
grandmother (who is
my neighbor) painstakingly drilled him on phonetic combinations.
of the two public librarians and I
began hosting story hours in the
library and inviting the
small students from the
elementary
school.
Over the past year, attendance has fluctuated and the story
hours have morphed
but they have kept on,
and my moment with
Jose reminded me that
what we are doing is
important, even if most
of the time it is small.
Around mid-year we
started encouraging the
kids at story hour to
draw about the stories
we read to them, and
then encouraged them
to help us read the stoA couple of neighbor boys helping each other read.
ries, which turned out
to be a way to motivate
kids to actually read the
C. Weber
words rather than look
at the pictures. One
Saturday, as we closed
down story hour and
the kids made to leave,
one asked, ―Can I take
this book home with
me?‖ He wanted to
draw more.
I paused, somewhat
shocked. ―Of course
you can. They‘re for
taking home. Tell Jenny
and she‘ll tell you when
you have to bring it
back.‖
A chorus of replies
Yes! Checking out books.
sounded, ―You mean
we can take these home?!‖ It had
The flood of kids in and out of my
never occurred to me to explain to
house is continuous but they have
the kids that this was how the linot lost interest in the books. Each
brary worked. I assumed they just
has his or her favorite. In fact, Eduknew. Almost every kid at story
ardo, who everyone calls Pipe, achour that day checked out a book.
tually hid a book under my fridge
Finally, after a year of rocky starts,
so no one else could read it. Even
In October, Jose‘s silhouette appeared in my
doorway. ―Chelsea, que
haces?‖ I was on my
way out to the porch
with a book. ―You want
to listen to me read?‖
Of course I do, I said.
Jose marched proudly
to the book box and
grabbed the book The
Little Tin Soldier. He
curled his knees up,
balanced the book on
them and began to
sound out the words,
realizing that what he
read corresponded to
the pictures. His little
sister shuffled in and
grabbed a couple of
books, too. She plopped
down on the ground
and opened a book upside down. Her grandmother called her from
next door, clearly worried she was trying to
grab something breakable.―Dona!! What are
you doing?‖
Dona, in her tiny voice, squeaked
back, ―Estudiando.‖
Poco a poco, I thought. And I let
Jose‘s shaky words and Dona‘s
made-up ones fill up my porch.
January 2013
23
Voting Discussions
hands when I asked who will vote
in the next elections.
federal and state elections. They
It‘s 12:05 PM, fifteen minutes after
listened enthusiastically and
English class was supposed to
shared with me when I asked them
start. Yet here I am, outside
their opinion on Gay Marthe classroom. The door
riage and Legalized MariAbe Mitnik
has been locked and no TE G70, Chiriqui juana. They resoundingly
one can get in, students
disapproved of both, and
and teachers left out in the
were taken aback when I
not-so-cold summer afternoon here
asked why?
They responded,
in Panama. Even with the slight
―Because in the Bible it says these
lack of ordinary, I cannot help but
things are wrong.‖
smile as I follow this class of thirty
eleventh grade students out back
When I told them the importance of
of the school under some coconut
having an opinion about a topic
trees and I begin my charla on votand respecting other people‘s opining and the results of our U.S. elecions that may differ from your own,
tion the week prior.
I was impressed by how some of
the students appreciated the inThe complete lack of normalcy and
sight about respecting each perorder here in Panamanian schools
son‘s point of view. A student came
doesn‘t even bother me anymore.
to me after we had finished the
Classes never start on time, teachdiscussion and said, ―Thank you
ers come unprepared, and the Engvery much, Teacher. That was a
lish proficiency level of my stuvery interesting topic today!‖
dents—who have been taking English classes for most of their school
For them, politics, religion, sex, and
career—is low. I have long ago
racism are topics not generally disstarted to look beyond those simcussed in Panama. So as we disple bench marks that we in the
cussed the importance of voting in
United States take for granted as
elections, I rebeing a standard education strucminded
them A. Mitnik
ture. No. Today, I feel invigorated
that next year
and excited because I literally held
they will all be
my English class from a stump un18 so they can
der the shade of some coconut
legally
vote.
trees.
Then I asked
them if they
The best part is, as I stood outside
thought voting
surrounded by these thirtywas important. I
something Panamanian students, I
reminded them
could not help being inspired by
of the importheir versatility to take in stride the
tance of voting:
fact that to them the idea of holdif you do not
ing class outside under a tree is
vote then you
even an option. That is the beauty
cannot complain
of Panama. As we discussed poliwhen you distics in the United States, they were
agree with that
engaged in topics like Gay marpersons policies.
riage, legalization of Marijuana and
By the end of the
Statehood for Puerto Rico. All
discussion they
headline issues of our 2012 U.S.
all raised their
That is the amazing thing about
being here in Panama: I never
know how my day is going to end
up. If I will have English class, or if
it will be outside. It is the kids that
keep me coming back every day,
because even under the most difficult circumstances, I can see in
their eyes the desire to learn. They
want a better education. They want
to succeed. So if there‘s only one
small thing I can accomplish here
in Peace Corps, I am happy to continue to teach outside, or to do
what I can to remind these kids
that where there is a will, there is a
way! If you work hard at something
and believe, then you can succeed
in life wherever you are. The power
of education is endless, Panama is
ripe for change, and we are ready
to prove they deserve to have a
chance. For them it‘s not about
learning English; it is about their
future, having a job here in Panama, a house and food to feed
their family. Like the rest of the
world, we all need the opportunity
to pursue happiness.
24
La Vaina
In our town, a used fridge was not an option.
Everyone uses things until they fall to pieces.
We had a new one delivered, and the box
came with a Styrofoam top and bottom to protect the fridge. Since we didn't have any furniture, we decided to make the box into shelves.
We cut off the front and used that cardboard for
the shelves. We tied strings back and forth between the two sides to support the shelves.
The shelves weren't stiff enough with cardboard only, so we stuck one piece of Styrofoam
under each one and it works fine. The top of
the box was a problem in that it sagged too.
We solved that by attaching two cardboard
right angle brackets, one to each side. We attached each bracket to the side of the box with
some coat hanger wire. We folded another
piece of cardboard to act as a support and
mounted it over the brackets. It has lasted
from June and we are hopeful for the next year.
We don't put a lot of weight on it, as the lower
right front started to buckle. We use our two
medical kits to
H&S Bailey shore it up.
H&S Bailey
I chose a small symmetrical,
sturdy twig with lots of
branches . I placed it in a recycled vitamin container with a
few stones to act as a weight. It
works well because it keeps the
dangly earrings from tangling
up.
4298230-SECONDHAND SHELF
$399.99
4564575-H&S EARRING
HOLDER $1299.95
*Additional shipping charge applies.
www.peacecorpsskymall.pa
January 2013
You ought to be able to find
most of this in a decent store
(Rey, Super 99, etc.)
-Mixing bowl of some kind
-1 cup of instant tea (not
sweetened and not
lemon)
-1 1/2 cups sugar
-1 package of lemonade mix
-2 cups of Orange Tang or
whatever orange drink
-2 teaspoons of cinnamon
and 1/2 teaspoon of ground
cloves
Mix ingredients in the bowl.
When it looks well mixed put in
favorite mug, add hot water,
and drink.
25
Pop 1/4 cup popcorn kernels with oil in a covered pot and lightly salt to
taste. In a second pot (a nonstick pan works well) heat 1/4 cup sugar and
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, stirring constantly, until the sugar melts and
begins turning more brown (caramelizing), between 1 and 3 minutes. Don't
go too far or it'll burn. At this point, stir
Optional: Add salted pea- the sugar mixture into the popcorn
nuts or peanut butter while until evenly distributed. This works
stirring in the caramel best with a pot or bowl at cool temperature- if it's still warm from cooking
sugar.
the popcorn you'll get a lot stuck to
the pot.
2435346-KETTLE
CORN$127.88
1225700-TANGY
CLOVE INSTA-TEA
$1856.99
26
La Vaina
Do your knives not cut like they used to? Like a light-saber
through Ton-Ton sausage, you say? Was it able to slice a plantain with little to no effort? Was it able to debone a chicken
with the deftness, ease, and precision of a surgeon‘s scalpel?
Was it the katana of pig-stickers? Yeah, but there‘s nothing to
do about it now…
1. Grab a coffee cup. Don‘t give
me lip. Grab one. Now!
This is so easy your mind will be blown by its simplicity
and will leave you wondering why you never thought of
this, questioning your own mental capacity. Don‘t worry,
this was invented by Shaolin monks, and you know they
hardly talk—let alone give away this kind of life altering
info—except when they are already whooping butt.
Dude, my knife is crazy sharp now! Yeah that is what I
thought. Now go cut you some plantains and make some
patacones. Cut open that can of sardines, maybe even
shave with it. If you‘re brave enough.
2. Turn said coffee cup side down.
Don‘t look at me like that you‘re
the one with dippy, dull knives that
do a Mickey Mouse job of even cutting the crust off your PB&Js.
3. Acquire your lame knife.
4. Now pay attention because this
is the part that sounds crazy but it
is the important part. Rub your dull
edge on the lip of your upturned
coffee cup. Say what?! You heard
me. Rub it on that cup for a little
while.
*Credit does go to Jason Carter for showing me this
trick. How I went this long without knowing this truly
put me in crisis.
21342314-KNIFE SHARPENING $23.99
WITH COFFEE CUP $299.85
January 2013
Make many holes in the plastic lid
of a large peanut butter jar with a
hot nail or wire. It should look like
a sprinkler head. This jar will be
your tool to make the daily rinsing
process easier. Soak a few tablespoons of beans or lentils in water
in the jar overnight and drain. Put
in a cool and shady place in your
house and rinse and drain immediately with fresh water twice daily
for 3 to 5 days. Sprout size depends on the kind of bean. The
traditional Chinese bean sprout is
made from mung beans, a small
green bean that's hard to find
here, but many beans work well.
You can use them in salads, stir
fries, or soups.
27
There are lots of great things about
living in Panama, but having cucarachas in your house is not one of
them. Those little critters can be
very annoying and hard to get rid
of. We tried lots of things, like
spraying with Raid, which of course
is not great for our health either.
The problem with trying to poison
them is they run away from it. We
found a very simple way to control
them and now we hardly ever see
them around the house. In a small
dish, we put a mixture of sugar
and baking soda. The sugar attracts them, the bicarbonate kills
them. They are even considerate
enough to go back to their homes
and die so you don't have to clean
up their cadavers.
A quarter cup of sugar and an
equal amount of bicarbonate
should get the job done. They
don't eat much! As an added benefit, ants also like this mixture and it
has the same results.
24242424-BEAN SPROUTS $16.33
0330042-CUCARACHA CONTROL
$199.99
28
La Vaina
Has too much white rice given you a llantita? All that yucca sticking to your thighs? Wish you
could do something about it, but can‘t find a gym in the campo? Unlucky for that tacón, you can
make your own gym! Follow this exercise routine and not only will you have a smoking bod, but
your backyard will be cleaner, your house free of mice, you‘ll have fresh fruit almost every day.
All the kids in your community will be at your house all the time because, let‘s face it – the
gringo is the best form of entertainment in town.
A. Butler
Needed: A latrine
Needed: a sharpened machete, a dirty yard
In your dominant hand, hold
the machete handle firmly.
Going from out to in, swing
the machete, holding the
blade as flat to the ground
as you can. Cut the weeds
until your desired area is
free of monte.
Do not
switch sides unless you are
ambidextrous. Machete-ing
with your non-dominant
hand is always a mistake.
(Reps: 10; Sets: until your
yard is clean)
A. Butler
The last thing you want is
your butt to touch the
latrine when you‘re using
it (because that‘s how
you die), so you‘re going
to want to squat. Hold
this hover as long as it
takes.
Needed: 2 cubos and a site
with a water schedule
Needed: An area clean of weeds
and a pick ax
Whether making a magic circle or
a garden bed, digging a hole for a
tree or for your trash, this exercise
is perfect for anyone. Begin with
the pickax over one shoulder,
bend your knees, and swing the
ax over your head into the ground.
Perfect form involves not only the
upper back and biceps, but also
the quads and glutes. (Reps: 15;
Sets: 4. Switch sides if comfortable.)
Fill your cubos with water. With
one in each hand, walk from
the water pump to your house.
Repeat until you have enough
water.
232354-THE MACHETE SWING $24.99
234235-PICKING AXES $37.50
424265-THE LATRINE SQUAT $12.34
230099-THE WATER‘S OUT $23.37
January 2013
En Panamá, existen especies de hierbas y flores que, si
agreguen al agua caliente por sus propiedades
terapéuticas y cosméticas, agregársela al agua caliente
antes de someter el cutis al vapor pueden hacer maravillas para la piel. Yo he descubierto unas de estas hierbas
y aceites esenciales, que fueron extraídos de estas
plantas y flores. Si se expongolas al piel los vapores son
absorbidos por la dermis y tambien en las farmacias.
Esta lista de plantas las pueda encontrar en los áreas
del campo, solo pregunta y también en las farmacias.
Cuando estamos en el campo a veces nos olvidamos
que nuestra piel se lastima por la humedad, sol, entre
otras cosas, estas plantas son naturales y la pueda utilizar, dependiendo de las necesidades o las problemas
de la piel.
Antes de usar estas plantas (o las
hojas) lávalas bien. Luego las corten
o muelen en trocitos pequeños para
a sacar más de las esencias. Si no
las consigan frescas, pueden encontrar hojas secas en las tiendas de
productos naturales o farmacias.
Tengo un secreto Panameño y lo
compartar é con ustedes estos productos que he encontrado algunas
mujeres usan para mantener una
buena piel.
29
Para el acné: Yerbaluisa, Manzanilla
(camomila), Junípero (enebro), Alcanfor,
Madera de Cedro.
Furúnculos: Limón, Tomillo, Mirra.
Para la piel agrietada: Geranio, Manzanilla (camomila), Caléndula.
Dermatitis: Salvia, Hisopo, Benjuí.
Para combatir el eczema: Salvia, Hisopo, Junípero (enebro)
Para la piel madura: Amaro, Salvia,
Ciprés, Neroli, Patchouli.
Para la soriasis: Menta, Lavanda.
Pieles sensibles: Jazmín, Neoli, Rosas.
Yes!
No, Thanks
ACT NOW!
Name_____________________
Address___________________
Phone____________________
Angela Basurrto Solutions takes
no responsibility for injuries sustained due to use of products.
2345456– UN BOQUET DE BELLEZA
6 MONTH TRIAL– $4.99 12 MONTH $37.50
30
La Vaina
think we would be missing a great
opportunity. Surely the experience
of being a Volunteer in Azuero is, in
many ways, notably different than
Matthew Hennessy
the experience of those assigned
TE G67, Veraguas
to an Embera site in the Darién.
And admittedly, the daily routine of
For a country the size
a TE Volunteer conof North Carolina, it‘s
N.Alcantar
trasts with most
incredible the diversity
SAS
Volunteers‘
that exists within Palifestyles.
But
nama. From the Afrosomehow, instead
Caribbean influence up
of unifying around
in Colón, down to the
the amazing divertraditions
of
the
sity of experiences
Azuero, out to the cowwe have in Peace
boys in the Darién, and
Corps
Panama,
then back to the undersome have decided
served but beautiful
Supporting each other .
to classify and
Comarca Ngäbe Buglé,
stereotype, to crePanama is a microcosm of cultures
ate categories of ―us‖ and ―them.‖
and traditions. Geographically
speaking, the diversity is equally
We are all Peace Corps Volunteers.
impressive. Just in Veraguas, one
can go from bundling up in a
We are all here because we were
hoodie in Santa Fe to surfing on
granted the privilege to serve and
the beaches of Santa Catalina
help improve the lives of the peowithin just a few hours. And as
ple in this country. We all left our
Peace Corps Panama, we are no
families and friends for 27 months
different in our range of diversity.
and we all checked that box that
Some of us are engineers living in
said, ―I will go anywhere and do
remote indigenous villages working
anything.‖ And so here we are,
on aqueducts, while at the same
sweating together in this beautiful
time, others are education majors
isthmus nation.
training teachers in schools the
size of other volunteers‘ entire
The lifestyles and jobs of Peace
sites. We work with a variety of loCorps volunteers are literally as
cal acronyms, from MEDUCA to
diverse as the
ANAM to MIDA to
world itself. As
APLAFA, and our imVolunteers,
we
pact together on the
The lifestyles and are not united by
people of this counthe degree of our
try, while poco a
jobs of Peace Corps hardships, but by
poco, is profound.
our common goal
Celebrating Our
Diversity
“
of development
We celebrate the Volunteers are literally
work wherever we
diversity of Panama,
can lend a hand.
so why not celebrate as diverse as the world
Let‘s accept that
the diversity of
every Volunteer‘s
Peace Corps within
experience
is
itself.
Panama? If we are
unique and differnot going to support
ent, and every
each other‘s work,
Volunteer has his or her own perno matter the sector or province, I
”
sonal set of challenges. We are not
here to judge and categorize; we‘re
here to support each other through
the roller coaster of emotions that
Peace Corps inevitably is.
I sincerely thank every Peace Corps
Panama Volunteer for their service
and hard work in this wonderful
and sometimes confounding country. Throughout my service, I‘ve
found so much inspiration for my
own work by talking and collaborating with other Volunteers. When
groups 72 and 73 arrive in country
in the following months, I hope they
find a welcoming Volunteer community waiting for them by the picnic table at Urraca, in the RL‘s
house in Penonome, on the dance
floor at Aqua Lounge, in the ice
cream line at Riba Smith, or wherever Volunteers meet when seeking a brief refuge from site and a
little encouragement to keep on
keepin‘ on.
Sharing Success
Sonia Esquibel
CEC G68, Coclé
As a start to the New Year, we all
have a number of resolutions I'm
sure. They may be to run off that
Peace Corps 15 and cross our fingers that after reading Born to Run
we will be encouraged to do so.
Perhaps we will try to maintain our
personal hygiene. Or pasear to at
least ten houses a week. One resolution that I would love to encourage is to recognize successes and
share success stories. I was a little
discouraged when I asked a Volunteer what her greatest success had
been so far and she said that she
didn't feel that she had experienced any success. She had been
in country for over a year and didn't
consider any of her relationships,
personal growth, language skills,
environmental assessment, or any
January 2013
of her work successful? Little did
she know that she created a foundation for my greatest success
story. She struggled with Spanish
and with relationships in her community, but her groundwork led to
the phenomenal success that I
have experienced.
My Successes:
The former Volunteer in my community encouraged and trained two
kiosks to recycle. This led to community members asking for a community wide project ―para mejorar
el manejo de basura en la comunidad", to the credit of the former
Volunteer.
The success of the community‘s
current waste management project
is great. Membrillo now has a Recycling Committee that has hosted
18 recycling days. The committee
hosts recycling collection days at
the community‘s local school every
two weeks. Community members
are encouraged to bring all of their
recycling items which are counted,
separated and transported to the
local recycling center just south of
Penonomé. The committee has a
contract with Recimetal and pays
for the transportation out of the
recycling money earned, which
earns anywhere between 43 and
104 dollars. Typically, more than
ten community volunteers help
count and separate the recycling.
Classrooms and students are reS.Esquibel
Recycling Tanks and Center
warded with small prizes
for their participation.
The biggest prize this last
school year was the option to participate in a
science field trip to Panama City for the forty
recycling stars that recycled the most during the
school year.
Our "most valuable recycler" last year was five
year old, Roderick Chavez who happened to recycle over 5,000 items
including batteries, aluminum
cans, tetrapak, newspaper, white
plastic bags, and food/milk cans.
One class of pre-kindergarteners
recycled over 19,000 items last
school year. The culmination of all
of the recycling committee‘s success this last year was the science
field trip that the committee held
on December 4th, 2012. A group of
sixty students, parents, and teachers attended our first recycling projects "Recycling Super Stars Science Field Trip." We left Coclé for
our first museum, the Smithsonian
at Punta Culebra. Just crossing
over the Puente de Las Americas, I
wished everyone could have seen
the pure excitement on the students‘ faces. Touching the star fish
and sea cucumbers, learning about
coral reefs, and watching the students interact with the museum
docents was absolutely incredible.
After our tour, all sixty of us traveled to the second museum for the day, Explora.
The group enjoyed three
hours at this wonderful
discovery museum that
teaches about Newton‘s
laws, how a twister forms,
deforestation in Panama,
the importance of conservation, and so much more.
The students were absolutely captivated by every
station we went to. They
especially loved the planelavainaPanamá@gmail.com
31
S. Esquibel
tarium and the gravitational pull
room, which shifts individuals‘ centers of gravity. They were so happy
and eager to participate. These
students and their parents‘ hard
work had significantly reduced the
amount of waste in the community;
they have become well versed in
waste management and I hope will
continue to participate in the project for years to come. Their level of
consciousness has changed and
that is one of my greatest successes. They are now aware of the
small change they can each individually make to protect our community‘s environment, as well as
the communities that surround us.
This year, let's encourage success,
whether it‘s something that is tangible or intangible. Perhaps successfully using the subjunctive or
pluscuamperfecto or making a reservation over the phone at Urraca
can be a success. Being able to eat
anything that is placed in front of
you can be a success. Helping a
close friend build a compost latrine
or successfully growing tomatoes
are successes and should be recognized as so. Doctor Paul Farmer,
of Partners in Health, believes that,
"lives of service depend on lives of
support." So let's support one another this year and inspire one another by sharing and supporting
each other‘s successes and or failures. We have two years; let's
make the most of them.
32
Dear Clay, it’s
You, Clay
Clay Martin
SAS G68, Bocas del Toro
How have you evolved and transformed since becoming a PCV?
Think about the myriad of new and
diverse experiences that you have
encountered since entering Peace
Corps. Now, envision what you will
be like after Peace Corps. I‘m confident in assuming that one of the
most common thoughts floating
around PCVs‘ heads is, ―What will
life will be like post Peace Corps?‖
For the RPCV, this twenty-seven
month, life-changing journey beholds an unfathomable amount of
new habits, values, opinions, skills,
hobbies, passions, and influences
all readily available for the rest of
your life. For this article, I will call
all of this ―newness‖. Peace Corps
has served us this smorgasbord of
―newness‖ on a silver platter; will
you continue with it after COS?
For three months, we were trained
in a wide array of themes that
would be expected and available to
be put to use in
hopes for positive
outcomes for the
rest of our service.
Just as PST, the
―newness‖ acquired
through one‘s service can be advantageously available to
be put to use for the
rest of your life.
My service had provided me with a
great amount of
―newness‖ of which I
have deeply enjoyed
with great relish. Of
course, we all enjoy
La Vaina
the altruism aspect and that, hopefully, will be part of our personal
arsenal forever, but I‘m talking
about the little things—many of
which are the influence of diverse
pool of PCVs. To name a few of
mine: being resourceful, healthier
diet/cooking, improved world view,
environmentally friendly, introspection, avoiding over consumption,
self education, patience, composting, yoga, podcasts, exploring new
music, reading, writing, associating
myself with many different types of
people, and staring at the wall (you
know you enjoy it, too). I am constantly thinking about how I have a
strong desire to continue many of
these: which I consider to be antidotes for a healthier lifestyle filled
with diversity. Additionally, much of
what we learn and practice in
Peace Corps can lead to a better
society. Continuing all of this post
PC is easier said than done. From
2008-2010 I had the privilege to
serve in Ecuador. After my service,
I returned to my old ways and lacking the ―newness‖ that I had
gained in Ecuador. Some habits
that I retained, however, won me a
lot of strange looks. To name a few:
while on a first date, I picked up
two cents I saw on the street; while
working as a busboy, I used the left
over water to regar the restaurant‘s
outdoor plants; and I tried to kiss
women on the cheek the first time I
met them.
As my COS approaches, I am constantly thinking about how much I
desire to continue many of this
―newness‖ for the rest of my life. I
realize how challenging this will be
so I thought of a way to help me
put this plan into execution. I wrote
myself a letter, explaining how content I am with the ―new me‖ and
then I laid out the new habits that I
have taken up and gave advice for
how I can continue that in the future.
I sent the letter to my parents and
told them to give it to me when I
am finally ―settled‖.
I guess what it all comes down to is
that I enjoy myself a lot more now
due to this vibrant assortment that
I have incorporated into my life. I
say dig your days deep in diversity
and evolve, or get buried alive in
monotony. Write future you an inspirational letter and tell yourself ‗I
say hello and buena suerte‘ with
the RPCV life.
M. Tansey
Bocas Volunteers hanging out.
January 2013
33
Projects Encebados
George Place
SAS G71, Ngäbe Buglé
G.Place
During the November festivities I enjoyed my first
viewing of the „palo encebado‟ tradition. Two poles
were cut and completely
smoothed on all sides. A
cow was killed and its
freshly removed fat was
rubbed over all surfaces of
both poles, which were
then set into holes so that,
from ground level, one
pole stood over seven meters high while the other
stood at five meters. Each
pole had a small Panamanian flag at the top, which
upon recovery fetched
$15 for the shorter pole
and $25 for the taller.
Immediately following the
parade—can‘t get enough of that
catchy drum rhythm: bum da da
bum da da bum bum bum—the
kids went to work on the short pole
and the men on the taller. All of
the men were already quite drunk
and their effort seemed very much
like a circus comedy act. I was vying for my neighbor Rufino who always found himself at the bottom
of a collapsed effort. At one point,
a stack of three men standing on
each other‘s shoulders were on top
of Rufino. The men were using ash
and rags to clean off the fat. The
third drunk in the stack, much too
heavy to be so high in the air, became fatigued and shifted his
weight, causing the second drunk
to step directly on Rufino‘s head.
My neighbor‘s neck buckled and
the whole fermented, human totem
pole came crashing down. As the
flag waved in the late morning
breeze, far from being reached,
and the pile of drunks lay groaning
at the base of the pole, it dawned
on me that this was what Peace
Corps is all about.
No, I‘m not talking about the
Thanksgiving celebration. Specifically, the palo encebado challenge
is completely symbolic of the stage
of development where PCVs engage. After hours of exhausting
effort towards climbing to the goal,
an unforeseen misstep or group
fatigue results in a total collapse
(sound familiar with any of your
community group projects?). To an
outsider it may seem that no progress has been made. Of course,
this is a false perception since
each effort and collapse results in
a pole that is much easier to climb:
much like the group projects with
training and capacity building
throughout the project‘s developlavainaPanamá@gmail.com
ment. Subsequent efforts get a
little closer to the flag. Capacity
building is like cleaning fat off a
pole – maybe I‘m taking the metaphor too far.
*
Other aspects of the tradition seem
all too familiar. The men seemed
to do worse as the afternoon progressed while the kids had captured their flag by early afternoon (I
think that I‘m going to focus more
of my time on projects that enhance youth capacity).
I also
thought about the women in our
community. I think they would
have captured the flag even sooner
than the kids but tradition seemed
to discourage their participation.
34
La Vaina
“Friendship is
always a sweet
responsibility,
never an
opportunity.”
-Kahlil Gibran
Atlaya’s magnificent Christmas park
Junior High cheerleaders
Melissa Rossi
TE G67, Veraguas
A princess who
brightened my day
Showing my community what Trick or
Treating is
Christmas cookies to
spread Christmas cheer
Marley making Sarigua a little
better for the 5th graders
January 2013
35
4th graders preparing for
the 2nd annual English
week 1 mi. race
One of numerous birthday
parties
Cheese making with the
cheese lady
Whether that
responsibility is being
the token gringa at a
birthday
party
or
leading the entire
patria parade in front
of the diputado and
alcalde, what an
My dog spreading peace and
love
honor and joy it has
Fashionable 5th graders
been to work
for an
organization
whose goal is to
spread
peace
and friendship.
Adorable neighbors teaching
me how to dance pollera
Going a little too far for a small town
Christmas?
36
La Vaina
hours to get to. After all, wouldn't I
want for my own mother, who has
sewn and hammered her flip flops
back together, to be able to afford
a new pair? Wouldn't I like to eat
until I'm full? Yes, of course I
would. You all would, too. So no, I
can't disagree with Luis' definition
of progress, but I don't entirely
agree with it either.
This Is Not A Story About Luis
Ally Eden
CEC, G68 Los Santos
When a stone falls into a pond it
creates a series of waves, or ripples, that propagate through the
surface of the water, displacing
floating leaves, sticks, and other
small particles. When two stones
fall, however, the ripples from one
pulse collide with the ripples of another, producing a phenomenon
known as interference. Constructive interference occurs when two
opposing waves produce a displacement in the same direction;
whereas, destructive interference
occurs when two opposing waves
produce a displacement in the opposite direction. In the latter case,
the effect of one pulse on any
given particle is destroyed, or canceled out, by the effect of the other
pulse, but interference is only temporary. That is to say that two
waves will collide and generate a
new ripple resulting from their net
effect, but eventually each wave
will continue propagating in the
same direction as it did before the
point of interference.*
One stone represents the so-called
developing world. Another stone
represents the developed one. Me,
a particle, is riding out the interference between the two of them. To
promote development, to foster
progress: this was my noble mission, but these waves are big- and
it's hard to determine just where
this journey is taking me.
Progress for you or me might be
running water, a new bridge, or a
lower infant-mortality rate, while for
Luis, the subsistence farmer, it
might mean getting a season job
as a migrant laborer that earns him
more money than he's ever earned
before—a whopping $14 a day.
And with that $14 he can buy a few
cement blocks each week to upgrade his family's mud hut, some
milk for the kids, a bus ticket home
every weekend, and a handle of
Seco to accompany him as he
catches up with friends and family.
I was walking with him the other
day when he looked at me and
said, ―You know, with all the projects and government programs
that come through here, there's
still no progress. There's still no
one getting any richer‖. Progress,
Luis implies, means money. How
can I argue with that definition,
knowing full well that I too would
prefer a comfortable life with conveniences such as a refrigerator,
accessible education for my children, and nice clothing to wear
when I go to town? I would be a
hypocrite to judge Luis for wanting
to send his daughter to a school
that she doesn‘t have to hike three
I do believe that progress, by another definition, has come as the
result of projects and programs in
my community. I see that our water
supply is clean and accessible. I
see that the cooperative is handling a hefty grant to start-up a kidney bean business, that children
are much more educated than
their parents, and that there is
food for everyone—although it may
be less than enough or less than
nutritional. But the lenses through
which I view my community's progress are tinted. Luis sees it differently and there's most likely a
whole lot of other people in developing countries around the world
who agree with him.
Then what's my role in development as a Peace Corps Volunteer?
If I'm supposed to be promoting
progress, whose definition of progress should I promote? Should I
be helping Luis to get what he
most wants—money—by infusing
A. Eden
Luis- a subsistence farmer.
January 2013
him with skills and knowledge that
neath, like Luis, who sees a world
will enable him to acquire a paying
filled with affordable medications,
job? If he's successful, he'll have
new toothbrushes, zinc roofs that
to leave behind the quincha house,
don't leak, and a sense of selfthe dogs and pigs and crops, so
worth that shows. But you and I
that he can move to a city. There,
and most everyone we know, we're
he and his family will rent a small
looking at it from a different place.
room in a shared complex. they'll
From here, it starts to look a little
have electricity, the school will be
like a beast. We've all seen the adon the same block, and once all
verse consequences capitalism
the food is purchased, there might
has had on the richness of culture
even be a few bucks left for those
and natural resources: neighbors
nice, new $4.00 flip-flops. In an
whose names we do not know but
ideal situation, Luis and his family
whose cars we recognize, black
would then be able to move back,
Fridays, oil spills and oil wars, for
bringing new money and knowlexample. We can name men and
edge to the campo. But in the real
women who've become slaves to
world, they probably
won't. Instead, he'll
probably give up a perfectly fertile tract of
land, throw out his favorite sombrero pintado to
rock a Playboy baseball
cap, and forget about
that good ol' campo
courtesy that I find so
endearing. Instead of
pasearing, his children
will probably binge on
telenovelas; his 6-yearold daughter, Gissell,
will probably infer from
mass media that her
body is neither the right
Luis’ family home.
size nor color; and the
stories that his grandmother spun late at night by the
credit-card debt, others who are so
glow of the kerosene lantern will
gluttonous and indulgent that it's
probably be replaced by enthralling
repulsive. We know that everything,
Disney plots. But those are just
even progress itself, comes at a
side-effects. What's important is
price.
that their lives will be more comfortable. Another day, another dime
Acknowledging this reality, I accept
towards a pair of Nikes, and Nikes
that my job as a development
mean you're not poor. Nikes mean
worker is neither righteous nor
progress.
prestigious. Please don't get me
wrong. I am certainly not suggestIt's hard for me to feel warm and
ing that the capacity building asfuzzy about advocating that definipect of being a PCV is immoral; the
tion of development. Capitalism
work that we do is mostly benefihas a shiny side that's all too easy
cial, highly appreciated, and always
to become fixated upon when
well-intended, but there are inadyou're looking at it from undervertent consequences to an imlavainaPanamá@gmail.com
37
proved quality of life. So how do I
justify my role as a development
worker then?
Here's how I have come to terms
with this moral dilemma. I contend
that most things in life (like development or capitalism, or even my
morning oatmeal) cannot be
thought of as exclusively good or
bad. Opposites exist—sadness and
joy, birth and death, scarcity and
abundance—but the majority of
things fall somewhere along a
spectrum. If it weren't a spectrum,
if life was just joyous, for example,
then joy would mean nothing. It is
the sadness that gives
A. Eden joy its value, the inevitability of death that
makes birth so special, and the existence
of poverty that makes
wealth so desirable.
To eliminate one end
of the spectrum would
not only diminish the
value of everything
which falls on the
other half of it, but
from a logical standpoint, it would be absolutely impossible
because this duality is
innate in everything.
So, no, I don't think I
can ever hope for a
day when there is no poverty, no
sadness, no death, no despair, no
gluttony, and I don't think that I can
―fix‖ this world by being a Peace
Corps Volunteer.
That being said, I do have choices.
I can be content to stand idly by,
watch life unfold as it will, and attempt to remain emotionally uninvolved with development. I can become disheartened and sulk as I
focus on what I cannot resolve
about this world- or I can choose to
be part of the process by focusing
my energy on embracing desirable
38
Continued from previous page...
changes while trying to ease the
turbulence that comes with negative ones. I don't know about you,
but as for me, I choose the latter.
Two stones fell in a pond. I did not
throw them, but my life here revolves around their overlapping
waves. Maybe there's no saving
the world happening here; maybe
it's just a lot of interference, and
where it falls on the spectrum between constructive and destructive, I don't always know. What I do
know is that the natural pattern of
development, like ripples from a
stone, will eventually continue in
the same direction no matter what.
I also know that, although I am just
another small particle suspended
in this water, I can choose my path
through it and the more of us who
choose to actively navigate this
interference the more readily we
will see and feel life's positives
changes. And as for those inevitable negative ones, we will be able
to latch onto the experiences,
knowledge, and perspectives of our
fellow riders for support and guidance.
So in closing, here is my personal
New Year's Resolution: to continue
to learn from the ups and downs
produced by these colliding waves;
to recognize that even when the
product of my work seems powerless, my presence is not, and on
those stressful days of my service—
of which there are many—to kick
back in a hammock and remind
myself that the most beautiful part
of this trip is neither the scenery
nor the destination, but the fact
that for this one fleeting moment,
I'm here alongside my good friend,
Luis.
*www.physicsclassroom.com/
class/waves/
La Vaina
Cucharadita de Sopa
Amy Stypa
CEC, G68 Herrera
I was having a bad day. I didn‘t
want to go to bed feeling down,
so I was wandering aimlessly
around my rancho looking for
something to cheer me up
when I found a book my
grandma had sent me a while
ago: A Little Spoonful of
Chicken Soup for the Soul. I
thought, this could do the
trick…and it did. The very first story aligned perfectly with my troubles.
One at a time!
A friend of ours was walking down a deserted Mexican beach at sunset. As
he walked along, he began to see another man in the distance. As he drew
nearer, he noticed that the local native kept leaning down, picking something up and throwing it out into the water. Time and again, he kept hurling
things out into the ocean.
As our friend approached even closer, he noticed that the man was picking
up starfish that had been washed up on the beach and, one at a time, he
was throwing them back into the water.
Our friend was puzzled. He approached the man and said, ―Good evening,
friend. I was wondering what you are doing.‖
―I‘m throwing these starfish back into the ocean. You see, it‘s low tide right
now and all of these starfish have been washed up onto shore. If I don‘t
throw them back into the sea, they‘ll die up here from lack of oxygen.‖
―I understand,‖ my friend replied, ―but there must be thousands of starfish
on this beach. You can‘t possibly get to all of them. There are simply too
many. And don‘t you realize this is probably happening on hundreds of
beaches all up and down this coast. Can‘t you see that you can‘t possibly
make a difference?‖
The local native smiled, bent down and picked up yet another starfish, and
as he threw it back into the sea, he replied, ―Made a difference to that
one!‖
Don‘t let the nay-sayers get you down. Poco a poco, you are making a difference. Whether it be in the life of one person or 100 people; everything
you do is important. Nothing you do will turn out perfectly (this is Panama
after all) but that you are trying is what counts.
We like to fill buckets here in Peace Corps, right? RIGHT! So I hope after
reading this story your bucket is a little spoonful fuller.
January 2013
How (Not) To Kill a Rat
Andrew Butler
TE G70, Bocas del Toro
The first rat came as if we split the rent. The kind of
roommate who never pays his half on time (or ever),
leaves chewed ramen strewn across the living room
and bite marks in tennis shoes. Out all day, up all night
except I wouldn‘t have worried if he didn‘t come home.
―You should get a cat,‖ my neighbors said, ―a female
that won‘t run out at night to chase tail.‖
Another roommate was the last thing on my mind. I opted for poison instead. He ate it without coaxing, clawing up the walls like a thing possessed, just short of spewing green. Yet he soldiered on
and smartened up. Even poison spiked peanut butter globs wouldn‘t entice him
after that.
I considered a traditional trap but once I saw him, I knew it would never hold. I wasn‘t ready to be awoken in the middle of the night by a half-dead, ferret-sized rat
dragging the trap to my bed, scratch-scratch-scratching like something out of a Poe
story. Glue paper was the next option.
I left for IST and when I came back, expecting a stench, the glue turned up empty.
Instead, there were two baby rats clinging to life. They died by the end of the day
on their own. Mama never came, never even bothered to catch up on rent. Never
sent for alimony either. If she did, I‘d take her all the way to Maury, just to hear,
―You are not the father.‖ We never even kissed.
The new rat is more considerate. She, or him, or let‘s say, Shirm, doesn‘t eat anything thanks to an investment in plastic storage. Every night, at the same time,
there‘s a scurry up my wall. I sleep through the night, safe inside my mosquitero.
Around seven, Shirm leaves, giving me a nice awakening on the way out like a friend shaking my
shoulder—―Dude, don‘t forget you have that thing today.‖
Thanks, Shirm. Now I won‘t. Of course, I‘m always waiting for Shirm to take advantage of my hospitality and move the family in. But I‘m willing to give him/her/it the benefit of the doubt. Just like
people in Panama, it‘s easy to demonize based on not only stereotypes but past experiences. Putting up walls is safe, but spare the barbed wire and crocodile moat. No, I won‘t lend my neighbor a
hammer when he still hasn‘t returned my scissors. However, I will talk to him over coffee on subjects ranging from witches (they‘re real) to the size of the U.S. (it‘s big).
In other words, Shirm can leave when Shirm is good and ready. Still, as soon as the rice goes missing, I‘m borrowing a cat. In the meantime, the landlord has started to complain about the other half
of the rent.
39
40
La Vaina
A Bedtime Story with Rebecca Beitsch
TE G70, Veraguas
If you give a Panamanian family a visit, they’re going to hop up
and give you the best seat in the house.
Once you are seated, they will worry you might be thirsty, so they’ll run to get you a
nice, big glass of chicheme.
After you have drunk your chicheme, they will see that you are still tired and sweating
profusely, so they will offer to take you to a nearby river to swim.
But they won’t want you to get your clothes wet, so they will run and borrow clothes
from a neighbor who they say is just about your size, though not quite as tall.
Once you get to the river, they will show you the best place to jump in, where the water
is bien ondo.
Once you all get back, they will worry you are tired, so they ask you to take a rest in
their hammock.
But after you’ve rested, they’ll guess that you’ve worked up a big appetite while swimming, so they’ll make you a big dinner.
While you’re eating, they’ll tell you lots of stories and ask you about your family.
But then they won’t want you to walk anywhere in the dark, so they’ll insist you spend
the night.
And they’ll want to make sure you’re
really comfortable, so they’ll pile more
blankets onto the mattress.
R.Beitsch
In the morning, they’ll get up extra early
to make you a big Panamanian breakfast.
But before they serve it to you, they’ll
want to make sure you’re sitting in the
best seat in the house.
A hug from first person
January 2013
Black Mud (The Black Keys)
Hammock Rehab
Andrew Parker
CEC G68, Darién
My Peace Corps site is
Annie Hines
CEC G70,Los Santos uniquely difficult to get
to despite its comparative luxuries. Between a terrible road, finicky bus
drivers and the tides, leaving my site is always an
adventure. An adventure I love, but sometimes, I
wish I didn‘t have to bring a change of
clothes ...just in case.
The first time I arrived in my site, the tide was
halfway between high and low. I asked my friend
if this was high or low and he said low. I didn‘t
realize ―low‖ meant it was still getting lower. The
little fishing boat wove in and out of the mangrove
forest, until it opened into an estuary. Mangroves
covered each side with a forest on the inland side
of the island. For a girl from California, it took my
breath away.
A few weeks later, I got in the boat, ready to catch
the 7:30 bus to our provincial capital. At the dock
at 6:50 on a Sunday seemed like enough time,
right? Until I looked at the water level. I had to
walk. Well, crap. I took off my shoes and rolled up
my pants, slowly stepping into the mud. I sank.
Not knowing the pathways, I sank a lot. Wow, that
sounds like a metaphor for Peace Corps Service!
41
That red line. We all have one.
The point where our eyes constrict, our guts feel light. Before
Peace Corps, I lived for that. Adrenaline, you were, are, my
muse, my fury, my addiction, my fall and ruin.
Adrenaline, my red line. You are the line that divides symmetry
and chaos.
The razor thin edge of those two infinites. Neither side ever
gets to touch you. Asymptotic. Infinite yet never intimate.
You are that yellow line running down the asphalt in the late
night horizon. Pushing to see how fast I can go.
You are my recklessness. My lead foot.
White knuckles, constricted pupils, that cold sweat, the hair
standing on the back of my neck.
All around, you make me feel electric.
You are the last breath before the downhill. You are in the embrace of gravity. You are the sudden silence, flying through the
air. My tires spinning, no traction, only you and momentum
carry me. You are the landing. Shocks squeezing, knees bending, hands gripping the handles, terra firma. You are the oncoming trees and switch backs.
You are the mud and sweat in my eyes. You are the bruises I
take into work on Monday.
You are my busted ribs after a vacunadera. I saw you in the
eyes of that bucking, roped bull.
Breathless and bruised, you picked me up. But you left me in
the night- leaving me with pained tossing.
You are so ephemeral yet so concrete. Abstract and askew but
tangent to all things. You are, to me, a complex complexity. A
chemical reaction with no precipitates. A dissertation does you
no justice.
A. Hines
I finally fell into the groove. Ask anyone with a
hike-in site, and they‘ll say it‘s a mixed blessing –
though some like it more than others. I wouldn‘t
change my site for anything, hiking through the
mangroves at low tide, chitra bites everywhere; I
might hesitate before professing my love. I can‘t
impulsively decide to go to a baile in town, but I
never get drop-by guests. My space is my own. I‘m
the only gringa on the island and I like it that way.
The challenges discourage most expatriates, so
I‘m completely immersed in Panamanian culture. I
wouldn‘t trade it for anything in the world.
Adrenaline, you are my drug of choice. You make my brain itch.
You tickle the roof of my mouth. You deaden my fingers but
prick my toes. A total embrace from you would be a certain OD.
God knows where I would end up-the news probably. Yet you
bring me back every time from the dead and the damned. You
are with me in all my
near-death experiences.
Adrenaline, I am in withdrawal down here. Slow and tranquil.
The Panamá campo. My two year methadone clinic. Detoxing
from you. I have to deal with the slowness, lack of conflict, lack
of hurry and stress, tranquilo y calma, one day at a time. It can
get pretty restless down here.
Kicking it out every night in my hamaca.
To my adrenaline, my fix, I‘ll send you post cards. Maybe we
can relapse when I get back to the States…
42
The
Witches
on the
Roof
Catherine Cousar
TE G70, Panama Oeste
Sarah walked home in the gathering
dark. The dirt path was uneven and
muddy beneath her boots. She kept
her headlamp pointed at the ground
so that she would not stumble. She
could hear the bugs and the birds
beginning their nighttime chorus
along with a neighbor's rooster
crowing noisily.
The wind shifted and blew fat raindrops from the branches above
down onto her umbrella. She had
meant to be home before dark but
she had been visiting a neighbor
when the storm hit and had stayed
for dinner. If she had learned anything during the past year teaching
English in a small Panamanian
community, it was that it is always
better to wait out the rain.
The power was out, as it so often
was, silencing the television and its
nightly installment of Canta Conmigo. Her hosts had had no choice
but to eat their chicken and rice by
candlelight and talk.
Sarah asked the two oldest children
if they wanted to go with her the
next day to visit another neighbor
farther up the mountain. The children, a boy of seven and a girl of
nine, agreed eagerly. Their abuela
shook her gray head. "No, mejor
visitar el día después. Mañana es
un mal día."
"Porque?"
La Vaina
The small gray-haired woman
sipped at her coffee, "Mañana es el
día antes de viernes sagrado. Hay
diablos."
Sarah nodded but said nothing. She had never heard
about the Thursday before Good Friday being
unlucky but she was still learning Panamanian customs.
The mother, Maria, leaned over and
nudged her arm, "Presta atención.
Manana es un día del mala suerte.
No conduzcas su bicicleta, ni cruzar
el rió, ni nada peligrosa."
Sarah looked at her friend, unsure if
she was joking or not. With Maria
she could never quite tell. The
woman had a tricky sense of humor. She had once warned her to
beware of the Tulipuerca, a pigfaced woman who roamed the night
seeking revenge against all those
who ate piglets.
Three days ago, Maria had also told
her that she had witches on her
roof and very seriously warned her
to sleep with her shirt turned inside
out. Sarah had laughed but when
she returned home that afternoon,
she found three buzzards perched
on top of her rancho. That night
she'd slept with her shirt inside out.
"Tengas cuidado cuando regresas a
la casa," urged the father, Gustavo,
looking out into the fading storm.
"Mi casa se queda cercita. No se
preocupe."
Maria gave me a playful grin, "Y que
va a hacer si encuentras una bruja
o un diablito?"
Sarah rolled her eyes, " Les invitaré
a mi clase de ingés." It was a running joke. Whenever young men
who came to her for "help" with
their English homework, she would
invite them to her community Eng-
lish class. That always weeded out
those not actually interested in
learning.
"No es una broma," said Gustavo,
his face uncharacteristically grave.
"Estoy bien. No tengo miedo de las
brujas," she said. She stood and
reached for her umbrella.
"Tengo que salir, ya viene el agua."
So she left and began her late journey home. The moon was just beginning to break through the thin
clouds when she turned from the
narrow path to her home. The buzzards were back, hunched together
on the palm fronds of her roof like
three crones. They watched her with
small beady eyes as she undid the
combination lock to the wooden
door.
She lit the electric lantern on her
table and turned back to bar the
door. The lantern threw shadows
across the small room, sending a
gecko up into the rafters clicking.
The rancho felt like a wooden boat
adrift on an unquiet sea in the fading storm.
She undressed, hanging up her
damp shirt to dry and slipping into
shorts and a t-shirt to sleep. She
crawled under her green mosquito
net and settled back to read until
she grew tired. Her watch read one
minute past midnight when there
was a knock on the door.
She remained frozen with fear beneath her sheets. No one had ever
knocked at her door after sunset
before. Maybe it was just the wind.
After a moment the knock came
again, this time a determined
pounding.
"Buenas," she called, her heart in
her throat.
"Buenas," called
woman's voice.
back
an
old
January 2013
Hesitantly she stood and unbarred the
door. Three singular old women sheltered under her porch. They were
dressed in ragged black dresses with
their bare feet poking out beneath like
talons. Their beady black eyes glinted in
their age-lined faces, as their noses protruded like buzzard beaks and their
gnarled hands curled into talon-like
claws.
"Estamos aquí para su clase."
"Qué clase?" she asked weakly. Nothing
in her Peace Corps training had prepared
her for this.
43
Mäkäira
(tarekäre)
Thomas Reid Watkins
(Jochi Sürübo)
SAS G71, Ngäbe-Bugle
"La clase de ingés," said the lead bruja.
Sarah remembered her rather brash
statement earlier that night. She took a
shallow breath.
"Mi clase esta el miércoles a las cuatro y
media."
"Nosotros no podemos ir durante el día,
solo en la noche después del doce."
The bruja pushed past her to enter the
small house. Her touch was like an icy
wind. The other two brujas followed the
first inside.
"Ustedes tienen cuadernos y lápices?"
asked Sarah desperately. She had sent
away students before when they arrived
at her class without their materials.
"Si." All three old women held up battered copybooks and chewed pencil
stubs. Sarah knew when she was beat.
She tugged her plastic chair and three
upturned buckets that served as guest
seats over to her small table. The brujas
sat and set down their notebooks on the
table. They watched her expectantly.
Saraf took a slow steadying breath,
"Bienvenido, vamos a empezar. Witch,
signifique bruja en inglés. Repite conmigo, w-i-t-c-h."
Amne ame ti täi ñongwane
ti mä tönibiken? Mäbe.
Mobe. Kaibe bore.
Nede,
metre tribe ngwen
käkubuye, känenbtä
btä mdabtä.
Nun nin kren Biareye aune
tuen mden
nun tö btä kä jürä arare,
Ne ngawne nunkwe kärekäre
köbö kwatire kwatire, kä kratire
kratire
And where will I be
when you want me near? With
you.
Far from you. Alone like this.
Here,
carrying the truth
of two years, those past
and those to come.
We look from Now and see that
which
we most want and fear,
Our eternal present
each and every day, each and
every year.
◊
44
Every year, it seems that
Christmas comes earlier
and earlier. As soon as Halloween hits, Christmas
decorations are on the
shelves and every other ad
you see is about Christmas, even in
Panama. Thanksgiving doesn‘t
even seem to get noticed by society at large (unless you‘re at Cerro
Punta, of course!). We all know
Christmas doesn‘t begin until the
25th of December, but I wonder
how many people know that Christmas is twelve days long (until January 6th, aka Epiphany) or that there
are about twenty-five days/four
weeks of Advent preceding Christmas that serve as a time to count
down and prepare for the real intent of the day–Jesus Christ‘s symbolic birthday. (I should add that no
one really knows what day he was
born but it was put at this time of
year to coincide with the pagan
La Vaina
was established in the 4th
century when the church felt
a need for a season of preparation. Originally it was forty
days like Lent, representing
the 4,000 years the Hebrews
patiently waited for their
promised Messiah, but at the
beginning of the 7th century it was
changed to four weeks. Advent now
begins on the nearest Sunday to
November 30th, or four Sundays
before Christmas.
There are many ways one can prepare for a birthday or celebration,
but my Lutheran church
traditionally counts down with two
Winter Solstice and the coming
of light into the darkest time of
year.) Advent is actually the
beginning of the calendar year
in the Christian church. However, it was not historically established until after Christmas
“ Advent is actually the beginning of the calendar
”
year in the Christian church.
January 2013
* Unlike Christmas, Hanukkah
doesn‘t fall on the same date
every year. This is because the
Jewish calendar is lunisolar (based
on the Sun and Moon) and doesn‘t
follow the standard Gregorian calendar. Hanukkah always starts on
the 25th of Kislev – the month on
the Hebrew calendar that usually
coincides with November or December.
* The custom of playing dreidel
dates back well before the
BCE/AD changeover. The original game of dreidel was used
as a means of subterfuge by
students illegally studying torah. When the oppressive ruling soldiers would raid a study
group, the students would
gather around a spinning top,
acting as if they were gambling.
* Somewhere around the 2nd century BC, a Jewish rebel group
called the Maccabees fought
against a much larger army made
up of Greeks and Macedonians.
Thus, Hanukkah.
45
things: a wreath and a calendar.
The wreath is usually made of evergreen which represents eternal life.
It has four candles – one to represent every week until Christmas.
The four themes of the candles are
hope, joy, peace and love. We reflect on each candle‘s meaning
until a 5th white Christ Candle gets
lit in the center on Christmas Eve.
In addition to the wreath, the Advent calendar is used to count
down each day in Advent to Christmas. These calendars are usually
colorful depictions of the nativity
scene of Christ‘s birth with twentyfour doors or
windows with
a picture and/
or short scripture verse behind each. I
personally
enjoyed doing
all of these
things, especially introducing the kids in
my Catholic community to the calendars as they had never seen
them before.
December 25th finally comes. Is
Christmas over as soon as you‘re
done opening presents? Not at all!
E. Heller
E. Heller
There are twelve days we get to
celebrate Christmas, representing
the twelve days that the three wise
men or kings traveled to come and
pay homage to the Christ child.
Just like the beloved ―12 Days of
Christmas‖ carol, you can count
what blessings or gifts you receive
each day of Christmas until Epiphany comes.
As I said earlier, there are many
different ways to prepare for and
celebrate this time of year. If you
keep in mind the true intent of the
holiday—to take time to appreciate
loved ones and give thanks and
celebrate—then you won‘t get
caught up in the rush of holiday, or
crash and burn in depression and
disappointment after your sugar
coma wears off. Happy New Year!
May it be your best one yet.
“ Is Christmas over as soon
as you’re done opening presents? Not at all!
Advent Calendar
”
46
La Vaina
Your
Panamanian
Stars
The Sloth
(Capricorn) Dec. 21– Jan. 19
The world should be yours this month.
Move over Martinelli, the new jefe está
llegando! Of course, as the slowest
member of the Panamanian Zodiac,
you’ll have COS-ed, used up of all
your readjustment allowance, and
made a permanent dent on your folk’s
couch before you manage to write your
campaign slogan.
The Manatee
(Aquarius) Jan. 20– Feb. 18
Who’s la reina de la fiesta now? Unfortunately, not you. Like Patty Simcox,
you can pile on the extra curriculars,
and bake cookies for your agency counterparts, but you will always stay second-mejorana to the likes of Sandra y
Shakira. Acceptance is the key to superficial happiness.
The Sea Turtle
(Pisces) Feb. 19–
March 20
They say Peace Corps
is all about self-discovery. Hamaca be
praised. Because, nena, you have absolutely no clue who you are! Don’t
worry, when you are fishing your only
house key out of the latrine for the 15th
time, or telling your community that
no, you really should NOT be the progenitor of a giant brood of blue-eyed
Ngäbes, you will get pretty cozy with
the intimate ins and outs of your Peace
Corps PTSD psyche.
The Harpy Eagle
(Aries) March 21– April 19
It’s time. The Ultimate Decision.
Harpy’s choice. Do you go to the Alfredo baile until 2 am or get a good
night’s rest for your mid-morning
meeting at the school. Yep, time to
choose between fun and work. It may
seem like a drag, but giving up a few
social obligations for the sake of PROGRESS is exactly what you need to do
this month. And if you get bummed,
just remember: Sacrifice is Sexy!
The Iguana
(Taurus) April 20– May 20
It’s all about organization,
practicality, and productivity this month. How boring! So instead, think about
this riddle from Emily
Dickenson.
I am, in truth, a yellow
fork
From tables in the sky
By inadvertent fingers dropped
The awful cutlery
Of mansions never quite disclosed
And never quite concealed
The apparatus of the dark
To ignorance revealed.
The Tamarin Monkey
(Gemini) May 21– June 20
This month is all about your passionate quest for knowledge and enrolling
in new classes and programs. Hmmm.
Seems a bit unlikely given the fact that
you’re the only teacher giving classes
in the summer. Oh well, no one ever
said you couldn’t enroll yourself in
Playa Scouting 101 followed by a rigorous schedule of Slapping Mosquito
Modules and a What Will My Stove
Burn This Time lab.
The Howler Monkey
(Cancer) June 21– July 22
Two 5 ounce jars of jalea cost less than
one 10 ounce jar! Yes, I know, it is a
topsy-turvy world and its just getting
worse. Perhaps stranger than anything,
you actually have a shot at a real romance this month. Don’t muck it up
by calling her linda (her
name is Becky) or making
those unattractive kissy
faces when she passes by.
Trust me, it’s just not cute.
The Jaguar
(Leo) July 22– Aug. 22
You have three days to
find a new house before your dueño
moves in with his three cousins and
their assortment of children, pets, and
Precious Moments figurines. Surprise!
It may not be that bad, but try to ex-
pect the unexpected. Impossible, I
know, but they didn’t pay me enough
to finish Fortune Telling College so
that is all you get.
The Capybara
(Virgo) Aug. 23– Sep. 22
Mujeriego/hobreiega? Psh. Don’t listen
to the town bochincherosa. She’s just
jealous that you dance tipico like a native. Luckily, your partner is faithful
through and through. You, however,
are the one we have to worry about.
Job opportunities abound and you
might end up leaving your sweetheart
in the Panama mud.
Blue and Yellow Macaw
(Libra) Sept. 23– Oct. 22
Balance and harmony, Macaw keeps
everything on an even keel. You don’t
get brava, but you’re not going to let
the kids break your new computer either. Diablito on the left shoulder and
angelito on the right. At least with all
those voices, monophobic Macaw will
never truly be alone.
The Bat
(Scorpio)
Oct. 23– Nov. 21
The stars are saying
you are getting more
mature and responsible. Basically, a polite way of saying
you are getting old and boring. A point
pounded in by the fact that all of your
friends are popping out children, buying condos, and getting married. Try
to look at your newfound adult-itude
as just a step to the next big adventure.
Besides, once you leave Peace Corps,
you’ll be homeless, jobless, and
adrift once more!
The Quetzal
(Sagittarius) Nov. 22– Dec. 21
Apparently, you are at your zenith of attractiveness this
month. Did you shower? Finally
take the antibiotics for that flesh
-eating bacteria? A double-edged
sword, you might attract the looney
toons along with the white knights.
Remember to use your mojo magic
responsibly and a force for the good.
January 2013
GIARDIA
TUBERCULOSIS
47
BURN
CHOLERA
DIAGNOSIS
UNKNOWN
SUN SICKNESS
SNAKE BITE
BROKEN BONE
DIAHRREA
RABIES
E. COLI
AMOEBAS
FREE
SPACE
DENGUE
LEICHSMANIAISIS
SPIDER BITE
ENNUI
WORMS
MACHETE
WOUND
IMPETIGO
BOT FLY
EPIC PUBLIC
FAIL
CHAGAS
HANTA
INFECTION
48
La Vaina
No Excuses PCV Workout
Amanda Terry
Many of us know staying in any sort of reasonable shape in Peace Corps can be TE G67, Ngäbe-Buglé
difficult. Maybe you were never previously in great shape, and given the limited
diet, lacking ice cream and cheese, you have suddenly turned a new leaf and become the new you. If so, congratulations to you! For the rest of us who have taken the consumption of patacones and arroz con pollo to a
new high, here are a few moves and tips to keep you looking your Peace Corps best. Luckily, these moves
won't draw the attention of your neighbor‘s sister‘s fiance's single cousin who has been eyeing you on your
runs; indeed they are simple moves you can do in the comfort of your own home/ hut.
First off, don't underestimate the benefit and importance of weights. Not only do you burn more calories in
using them in your workouts, you also improve your muscle memory (i.e. how your body remembers how you
used to be at your fittest). When I say weights, don't go running out to your nearest Super Extra to pick yourself up a set of overpriced weights, as you‘re hiking them back into site you will be thanking me. Instead, look
around. The campo is filled with natural or man-made weights. These can range from throwing a few coconuts into reusable Romero bags to actually making dumbbells out of concrete, filling empty latas, and sticking
a piece of bamboo between the two. My personal favorite is sand, which is easy to find and heavy. Fill up varied sizes of empty bottles with sand and a few rocks,
It's important to keep switching things up. Variety if sand is too hard to come by use the gallon water
is the spice of life, no? For instance, if you are the
lucky individual who was placed on the InterAmericana, and can run daily, make sure you do
cross training with weights at least once a week.
Your runs will get better, you will get stronger and
your knees will be happy campers with stronger
muscles to support them!
containers.
Here are some cross training moves you can do. To
finish things off, add some cardio moves such as
jumping jacks, high knee runs, box jumps, double
knee jumpers, butt kickers or what I call burpees…
jump up as high as you can, landing softly, and shoot
back into pushup stance, then bring knees to chest
and jump high again. It‘s important to keep your abs
engaged throughout all of the workouts to reduce the risk of injuring to your back. So add some of these
moves into your daily hammock time, stop eating Ngäbe-size portions of carbs and play soccer with the kids
and you will feel great in no time. Next time you are missing home and depressed, go do some exercises.
Once you master these moves, teach them to some people in your site. You would be surprised how receptive
Panamanians are to the idea of working off those few extra pounds.
Also, I used to be a fitness instructor/ personal trainer so if you have questions or want some more challenging moves, email me. [email protected]
January 2013
49
Legs:
Squat: we all remember this one. It's important to stick your butt out and make sure that
your knees don't come in front of your feet which are hip width apart. To change it up, try
using your newly made dumbbells and incorporating an overhead press as you stand, or
try jump squats- jumping up and landing back down in a squat position.
Single leg squat: this one you can do using a chair or without, with a chair place one foot
on a chair and walk forward until your leg is somewhat straight, then from there squat.
Same rules apply: no knee over foot. Squat down and then with your opposite hand
reach down and touch your toes. Remember squat as deep as you can, first, then touch
your toe, and slowly return to standing.
Lunge: step out as far as necessary until your back leg is straight and lower. Remember to
use your booty to do all the work, helping take pressure off your knees. Keep your upper
body straight, abs tight, and repeat.
Abdominals:
Hammock swing: everyone has a hammock, and if you don't you should stop buying Maggie ketchup
and buy one immediately; it will change your service. Place your feet in the hammock with your hands
in plank position. Walk out until your legs are straight and use the swing of your hammock to bring your
knees into your chest and slowly back out again. Try not to use momentum, go slowly keeping your
stomach tight. More difficult move- hammock pike- same position, pike your butt as high in the air as
you can while keeping your legs straight bring your feet towards your hands, and back down again.
Once again, slow and steady.
V-ups: sit with your hands just behind you, knees tucked in to your chest. Extend
legs out and lean back. Bring legs in to your chest and sit up. Lift one leg in the
air and lower, switching each time like peddling a bike to challenge yourself.
Hip lifts: lie backside down and bring your legs
straight up in the air above your hips. Straighten legs
and keep feet flexed and pick a spot on the roof
above your hips. Then lift your hips and try and
touch that spot with your feet. Slowly bring your hips to the ground and repeat. Try and not use momentum as you lower and lift and to make it more
difficult pick a spot further away from your head, and reaching with your
feet to that spot.
50
La Vaina
Arms:
Like I mentioned earlier, a lot of the time arms can be combined with legs by adding a press or extension at the top
of each squat or lunge.
Double arm rows: standing feet hip width apart grab weights at waist and lift to your chin, with elbows extended,
higher than your hands.
Push-ups: everyone hates them but they are great because they target multiple muscles in
one move. Try doing yoga push-ups, with your hands under your shoulders. For the really
brave, do diamond pushups with your hands on the floor in a diamond shape. To make any
of these moves easier, go to your knees to do them, just make sure you keep your butt
down and back one straight line to your knees.
Pull-ups: before you laugh and think, ―I can't do them- never have been able to, and I don't
have a bar,‖ humor me. No bar? Find bamboo, and a nice strong crossbar in your house. Tie
some rope to one end of the bamboo and throw it over the crossbar, adjusting it to the height
you want, and then tie it to the other end of the bamboo. If you still "can't do them" grab a
chair, and using one leg or two, place it on the
chair as you lift-
helping your arms out.
Chair dips: grabbing a chair, sit on your hands and walk your legs out.
Once you are just off the chair, dip down keeping your elbows parallel
to each other, when your triceps are perpendicular to the ground, lift
again.
Patacon Quiche
Ingredients:
2 platanos
6 eggs, beaten
2 pieces of garlic,minced
1/2 an onion, sliced
2 green peppers,sliced
oil
Hannah York
Vegetables
TE 67, Darién
Peel and slice the plantains into one inch
pieces and fry them in hot oil. Take them
Fruits
out after about 3 min and squish them
down to make them flat (just like which
Dairy
you are making patacones). Cover the bottom of a frying pan with the half cooked
Meat and Fish
patacones.
Sprinkle garlic, onions and peppers on top of patacones and then
pour the eggs over the patacones and vegetables. Put the pan on
low heat and cook for about 10-15min. Cover the pan half way
through. You will know its done when you jiggle the pan and
the eggs don‘t move.
Enjoy!
Beans and Lentils
Oils and Sweets
RICE and Grains
-Heather and Steve Bailey
January 2013
51
Stove-Top Pizza
Kim Nettles
TE G70, Darién
This stove top pizza will change your life. Ingredients:
2 tbsp Aceite de Oliva
In a (preferably non-stick) frying pan, 1 cup Harina
mix together the oil and water. In a 1 ¼ tsp Polvo para Hornear
separate bowl, combine the flour, bak- 1/4 tsp Sal
ing powder, and salt. Add the dry mix- 1/3 c agua
Pasta de tomate
Queso Mozzarella
Especias, si quieres (oregano, pimienta negra, pimienta roja, cayena, etc)
Other toppings of your choice!
ture to the oil/water mixture in the frying
pan. The dough will appear very sticky—add more water if needed-–and simply form it around the bottom of the pan
to resemble a pizza base. Spoon the tomato paste onto the dough and spread to cover. Use as much (or little) as
you like. I prefer just enough to cover the top of the dough, all the way to the edge. After the pasta sauce, add the
spices—pepper, oregano, red pepper flakes—whatever your heart desires.
Now for the cheese: I usually use about 2 slices of mozzarella cheese, and break it up into pieces and place them
over the tomato paste. Beware, I do not mean queso blanco – that stuff does not do the trick (nor does it even
melt). I have been told the pasta de tomate con queso can satisfy the cheese need, but if you can get your hands
on mozzarella, you‘re golden. After the cheese you are home free to create whatever kind of pizza you‘re hankering
after, whether your toppings are veggies or chorizo or if you‘re making a scrambled egg breakfast delight.
After you have sprinkled on the toppings, cover the frying pan with a lid and cook on medium-low heat for about 10
minutes. The pizza should slide right out of the pan when it is done. Although tempting to dive right in, let it cool for
a few minutes before cutting it into wedges to serve.
-Katie Von Der Leith
-Anna Ortiz
-Margaret Gray
-Jeremy Wierenga
-Drea Roberts
-Abby Fried
-Emma Miller
-Chelsea Weber
52
Kate Baur Rachel Clifton JaFranqui Abigail Fried Erica
Brandon Gibs Margaret Gray
man Matthew Hennessy
Simone Labonte Joshua
Emma Miller Nakesha Mincy
Alyssa Ramsey Andrea RobDeidre SilviaMaya SrikrishTerry Renee Thessing James
den Katherine Von Der Lieth
Walker Alanna Warnick ChelMeghan Yetman Hannah
York Kate Baur Rachel
Clifton Jason
Cox Andrew Foster Eric Franqui Abigail Fried Erica Gallegos Casey Galligan Brandon Gibs
Margaret Gray Shane Hanlon
Kenneth Hartman Matthew
Hennessy Heather
Kaczmarczyk Simone Labonte
Joshua Lamstein Douglas Martin Emma Miller Nakesha Mincy
Kathryn Mulligan Anna Ortiz
Alyssa Ramsey Andrea Roberts
Melissa-Maxi Rossi Deidre SilviaMaya Srikrishnan Laura
Talley Amanda Terry Renee
Thessing James Tiderington
Von Der Lieth Jessican Vranas
nick Chelsea Weber Jeremy
nah York Kate Baur Rachel
Eric Franqui Abigail Fried Erica
don Gibs Margaret Gray Shane
thew Hennessy Heather
Joshua Lamstein Douglas Martin
Melissa-Maxi Rossi Deidre SilviaAmanda Terry Renee Thessing
Erden Katherine Von Der Lieth
La Vaina
son Cox Andrew Foster Eric
Gallegos Casey Galligan
Shane Hanlon Kenneth HartHeather Kaczmarczyk
Lamstein Douglas Martin
erts Melissa-Maxi Rossi
nan Laura Talley Amanda
Tiderington Jennifer Van ErJessican Vranas Maureen
sea Weber Jeremy Wierenga
Teach English: Completed Phase 1
Subjects: 39
Result: Successful
Recommendation: Continue with Phase 2
and Phase 3.
Notes: Subjects exhibit abnormal behav-
Shane Hanlon Kenneth Hartman
Kaczmarczyk Simone Labonte
Maya Srikrishnan Laura Talley
James Tiderington Jennifer Van
ior including twitching of the mouth and
wagging fingers. Side-effects not fatal
but awkward. Prepare for disposal.
Jennifer Van Erden Katherine
Maureen Walker Alanna WarWierenga Meghan Yetman HanClifton Jason Cox Andrew Foster
Gallegos Casey Galligan BranHanlon Kenneth Hartman MatKaczmarczyk Simone Labonte
Maya Srikrishnan Laura Talley
James Tiderington Jennifer Van
Jessican Vranas Maureen Walker
Alanna Warnick Chelsea Weber
Jeremy Wierenga Meghan Yetman Hannah York Kate Baur Rachel Clifton Jason Cox Andrew
Foster Eric Franqui Abigail Fried
Erica Gallegos Casey Galligan
Brandon Gibs Margaret Gray
Matthew Hennessy Heather
Joshua Lamstein Douglas Martin
Melissa-Maxi Rossi Deidre SilviaAmanda Terry Renee Thessing
Erden Katherine Von Der Lieth

January - Peace Corps Panama Friends

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