Isaac and I just returned from our first visit to the town where we will be living for the next two years. Deep into the deforested heart of the Ola district of Cocle province where our spanish is only understood by children under ten years. The landscape is dramatic with craggy mountains in the distance and steep grassy hills all around. The region is truely poor and their needs are far stretching. However, I believe there are some folks there that will make the experience.
We have been cautioned many times about the comfortable silences that we will become accustomed to, and that Panamanians consider time together sitting and just being there. Our commnity seems to be the opposite, My head is still whirling for the all of the very fast, campo style Spanish that we were flooded with this week.
I spent much of the week with quite a cold and people offering all kinds of remedies to fix me up. One of our guides (Anayansi - an amazing women) had asked the mother of the family that we were staying with to make some lime tea for my throat. She did and I drank it and it had little flavor if none at all. The next day she was so incredibly embarrassed when Ana told me she had completely forgot the lime part of the tea and had just given me hot water, because she was so so nervous to have us in her home. But really the women are incredibly motivated and active within the community. Which I feel lucky to have the oppurtunity to work with the women in the fields as much as the men (not a common situation).
We did a lot of visiting of the community, stopping into peoples homes explaining who we are and what we are going to be doing (which we are still too sure of). It is Mango and Avocado season and we would return from each visit with a handful of each. You would not believe all the mangoes rotting on the ground. We walked to the towns water source (the only forested area as far as the eye can see) an amazing cascading waterfall, where we saw this cute little blue frog. We requested a mini town meeting to introduce ourselves and ask for help with getting to know the community. It was a good week with ups and downs. For now we are heading back to Santa Clara for our remaining two weeks of training and the little birds will fledge their nests all on their own (or in our case- the two of us).
Here are a few pictures of the week: one is the kitchen and the other the sink area at the house where we will be staying
3 comments:
I am so excited for you guys and can't wait to follow your journeys for the next two years! You are both amazing and I wish you the most wonderful experience. I was remeniscing about your wedding yesterday and how much I miss you... much love Rickie
Rotting Mangos?? Unbelievable. You two look great, your introduction sounds like a whirlwind. The kids under 10 are the hardest to speak spanish with bc they speak so stinkin fast!! And "despacio/lento, por favor" doesn't seem to mean much:)
Have a great time, that community will be so lucky to have the both of you! Hugs and kisses~Kristin
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