Sé Honesto y Despiadado

1)  Garbage on the Front Page  -- it all starts with admitting there's a problem.

2)  NPR Stories --  I don't know why, but its only now that I've started reading NPR's website.  A lot of interesting stories.  For instance, they have an article about how turning off smartphones will supposedly make you think better.  So does that mean that smartphones make you dumb and dumbphones make you smart?  This is an important study, given that I have a dumbphone.     Another story is about the growing popularity of street vendors selling food using redesigned bikes as food trucks.  Sorry to break it to you, NPR, but they already do that in Panama:

 Selling a coconut drink

3)  Third Goal -- Interviewing a former Queen of the Manito Festival (La Reina de la Festival del Manito) for a Peace Corps video:

4)  Book Review -- I'm not saying its because of less time spent on the internet, but I've now finished another book, George R.R. Martin's A Dance with Dragons.  I started it a few years ago, but got bogged down by way too many details in the story.  I thought the book could've done with a bit more editing.  Overall, the book was ok, but I'm wondering if it would've been better if Martin had stopped with A Storm of Swords. The subsequent books have paled in comparison after that classic.

5)  Feeding Time -- every afternoon, the fish vendor throws out his leftover fish in the lake, by the bridge.  That's when the alligators show up …

¡Todos Estan Pasando!

1)  Take me to the River

2)  Mosquito/Scorpion Net -- Found a scorpion hanging on to my mosquito net:

3)  Pretty Surreal  -- I was recently in an air-conditioned, multi-storied mall in Panama City.  The song Freebird was playing in the background.  I had just bought coffee and a brownie for $2.65, paid with US dollar bills.  There was a Calvin Klein store nearby with a giant poster of Justin Bieber.  There was a commercial for one of Michael Bay's films playing on the nearby television.  Sometimes, Panama feels exactly like the US. 

4)  Diversión -- This video makes me want to pick up the guitar again.  Or go to a karaoke bar. 

 

5) Como se Dice 'Tinnitus'?

Heading back to post in a Panamanian party bus.  Well, seems like one.

Estoy Salao

1)  Bien Integrado --  PC staff came by the office to talk to my counterparts and one of them didn't know that I was a PCV.  He thought I was a Panamanian staff member.  "Parece Latino."  ("You look Latino").  Integration complete. 

2)  Panamanian Sayings  -- A colleague at the office said "Echar pa'lante", a shortened version of "Echar para adelante" which he said means someone is proactive.  Literally, it means "to throw oneself forward". 

Another one I learned is "Estoy salao", a shortened version of  "Estoy salado".  Literally, it means "I'm salty", but its supposed to signify, "I'm unlucky."  I was wondering where the phrase came from.  Maybe from the story of Lot's wife who turned to salt.  That's pretty unlucky, right? 

3)  Flag Football -- Where Do I Sign Up?  And can I count it as part of my physical therapy?

Bill Walsh's West Coast offense in Panama City.

4)  The Journey is Better than the Destination -- Fellow PCRV William and I walked to the Biomuseum in Panama City, not knowing that the museum was really far from the hostel.  It took us about 2.5 hours to get there.  On the bright side, we got some interesting photos from the walk.  It was also good cardio.

Boats and skyscrapers

birds above the fish market

View of the rascacielos from the museum

As for the museum, it was ok. As they say, "The journey ..."

5)  Bikes in Panama -- there's no shortage of bike aficionados in Panama:

In the capital

Bike race at post

Perro Salchicha

"The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you're uncool." -- Almost Famous

1)  The Town Fair -- my town is currently having a 5 day fair, called La Feria de San Sebastian.  Its your typical fair with rides:

music:

educational demonstrations (here's a guy talking about the awesomeness of yucca, aka cassava):

and of course, a dog show:

Perro salchicha

My counterpart organization also had their own stand/booth at the fair:

I created a Three R's pamphlet as well as a pamphlet
holder (thanks, internet). My pamphlet literally stands out from the rest.

Requisite photo of me with a counterpart

My counterpart organization's booth

2)  Uncle Chan's Redemption?  -- Is Ken Jeong's documentary about the walk-on Notre Dame kicker, Reggie Ho, enough to make up for his "Uncle Chan-ish" role in The Hangover films? 

3)  Incertidumbres -- I've been to the capital 3 times recently because of my shoulder injury and there was a lot of uncertainty about what treatment I would need.  But the results are finally in and I'll just need some physical therapy.  No surgery needed.  On the bright side, being in the capital allowed me to drink root beer and buy some habanero peppers, the seeds of which I just planted at post. 

4)  Landfill or Incinerator -- the recent NY Times article about incinerators and the problems associated with it made me want to comment a little bit about the topic.  Whether you're in the "developing" world or in the "first world", the problem of garbage essentially boils down to this:  people can reduce the amount of garbage they produce.  Many people just choose not to.

Just take a look at Zero Waste Home and (as the NYT article points out) cities like San Francisco and Portland.  If more people did what they were doing, we wouldn't be debating whether or not landfills or incinerators are the better choice. 

Garbage collection at post

5)  "And hey, I met you.  You are not cool." -- I just saw Almost Famous for the first time even though the film came out in 2000.  Can't believe I've never watched it before b/c its pretty awesome.  And not just because Jimmy Fallon, Marc Maron and Mitch Hedberg were in it.  Not to mention the guy who cut off Jamie Lannister's hand. 

Tranquilo Como un Pepino

1)  You've Been to Guatemala? I've Been to Guatemala -- 

In Boquete with William, a fellow PCRV
in Panama and an RPCV from Guatemala

Joel, I would've worn the San Antonio shirt, but it was in the laundry hamper. 

2)  Panoramic Videos -- I don't know how to take panoramic shots on my camera, so I end up taking 360 degree videos instead:


Cinta Costera, Panama City

3)  Book Reviews -- Since drastically reducing my internet usage recently, I finished 2 books.  Sorry, Luke, the nativity scene is taking longer than anticipated.  Anyway, the books were Joe Abercrombie's Red Country and Jeff Olson's The Slight Edge.  I liked both books overall.  Both easier reads than Plato's The Republic in Spanish, which I've put on hold.  But I'm still undecided about the ending of Red Country.  My first reaction was that the build up to the big showdown fizzled.  Its an unconventional ending though, I'll give the author that. 

4)  No Picante  -- Say what you will about Cameroonian food, at least it was spicy.  Desafortunadamente, in Panama (ie, the town where I'm posted), the food is a tad bland.  Even if you wanted to grow habanero or jalapeño peppers, you won't find any seeds being sold in town.  Hmm… Did somebody say 'secondary project'?  I think so. 

5)  Poco a Poco --  One morning, I was trying to plant some seeds in the backyard, but the soil was very hard since the dry season already started.  I told my neighbor I should've planted the seeds during the rainy season.  She then said, "Poco a poco, se puede ser."  (Little by little, it can be done).  She was right.  The soil was ready later that afternoon.  Poco a poco.  Kinda like development.