Back at it.

Hello everyone! Thank you for the birthday wishes, although they should have been directed more at my parents- they're much more responsible for me being here than I am. I'm writing from E(scuela) de A(gricultura) de la R(egion) T(ropica) H(umida) University in Costa Rica. We're here until Monday, ostensibly to learn about sustainable development strategies and to network with students with similar interests, but really we just needed an excuse to leave the country to renew our Panamanian tourist visas so we don't have to apply for extended time. The place is pretty fantastic though. It's a 4- year international university with students from all over Latin America, Asia, and Africa, who come to learn about sustainable practices. They study everything from organic chemistry to farming techniques to business and enterprise theory so their ideas will be economically sustainable as well. The whole university is oriented towards environmental responsability, and they have their own banana-stalk paper processing mill, composting plant, biogas converter, and organic farm. Most of the students that graduate end up founding sustainable projects that make huge profits, which is pretty exciting considering that around 70% of the student body is here on scholarship, with many students from impoverished areas from all over the world.
In case any of you are wondering how that whole 21st birthday thing went, I'll brush over it quickly. Last friday we flew back to Panama City on a propeller-plane ride that was almost as exciting as surfing Playa Venao. At one point, the turbulance was so intense that the plane dropped a solid 8 feet- even those of us who were holding our drinks ended up spilling them on the ceiling. Eventually, we landed and drove back to our home stay families. We immediately proceeded to our favorite local casino where we were shocked to discover that the price of cubretazos (buckets of national beer) had risen a dollar since our departure (damn integration into the global economy...). However, upon viewing our disgust (and hearing it was my birthday), our waitress brought me a free piña colada. We left the casino for a quaint little bar/saloon called "unplugged" (pronounced ünplooged), where we danced to American classic rock until we could no longer contain the salsa-craving dance beasts inside of us (there will be pictures at some point). Then we headed out to Starlight, a kareoke/dance club, where we stayed just long enough to see a bottle broken over a man's head, two stools thrown, and a nose (not mine) broken just over my hand so that I could feel warm fluid squirting all over my wrist. This led us to conclude that there were better scenes to be found. Finally, we settled on a salsa/merengue/reggaeton club where we danced until around 4am, well past the end of my birthday, and took a taxi home.
After using the next two days to complete assignments and ponder Independent Study Project topics, we fled west again, this time to Bocas del Toro, a region on the Atlantic side renound for its incredible biodiversity, comparable to the galapagos. We only stayed for one night (long enough to enjoy a night at the discoteca) as we were only there so we could cross the border to Costa Rica the next day, however we'll be returning there for a stay of about 2 weeks in the near future. I hope all is well back home (or wherever else you all are), and thanks again for tuning in. Until we meet again...
P.S. check this out: a man a plan a canal: Panama. no I didn´t think of it.

Forgive me?

So yes it's been a while, but I haven't forgotten you. We've been traveling through some very rural areas without access to inernet, and we only recently emerged from the "bosque" and are spending the rest of the week in Panama's northernmost province, Chiriqui, which borders Costa Rica. [Before I forget I've posted some photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/Jeffdstein/PANAMA1 . At some point (probably after I return to the U.S.) I'll add captions, but for now they can suffice as evidence that I am in fact alive, and at times even doing interesting things.] So I think I last left you in Panama City.
We ditched the city about 2 weeks ago, when we took a public bus 2 hrs. west to a little farming village called Loma Bonita (comprised of about 60 or so families). In anthropological academia it's actually relatively well-known, as a famous anthropologist lived there over the course of around 20 years, documenting the impacts of globalization, capitalism, U.S. influence, and poverty on village life. It felt strange after reading portions of the book, because we actually met the families described and interviewed. I lived with a family -see pictures of me and a 10 yr old girl and boy (my siblings), a woman with long dark hair (my mother), and any photos involving coffee deshelling/pounding- in a house comprised of 4 cement rooms and an outdoor kitchen made of bamboo. The family has its own farm that supplies oranges (the most delicious juicy sweetness I have ever experienced), mangos, coffee (which I helped deshell, toast, and grind by hand) , coconuts, plantaines,yutca, potatoes, pappayas, and grapefruits, in addition to cattle, countless chickens, turkeys, and duck(ling)s. Dinner is always quite a sight, because that is when all the birds, which are free to wander around the village during the day, return home to eat and roost together. There was also this simply hysterical green parrot (see picture) that would follow my mom everywhere, and when I tried to get it to talk would just laugh in this highpitched diabolical vocalization of mockery (for those of you who know Mr. Woodbury, somthing similar). However, by the end of my 3 day stay, she had finally gotten to know me as "Diego." There are also several large cages (about 10´ x 20´) that house about 20 "conejos pintado" and "ñeques," which are 2 small rodent species bordering on extinction due to overhunting and habitat loss. My father is part of a project founded by ANAM (the National Authority of the Environment) to create a "biological corridor" throughout Panama, and breeds them in captivity in an effort to restore the species´ original numbers. Both the rodents are crucial componants in the maintenance of tropical forests because there are several trees that rely entirely on them to distribute their seeds, and so without them forest can become much less stable and ecosystems begin to unravel, water becomes dirty and scarce, and soil deteriorates.
My father also worked at the village's large farm, which grows pretty much everything (including sugar cane, to which I've more or less become addicted), and I spent a day using a machete to cut down and haul bundles of sugar cane. During our last night, we had what amounted to a going away party, with traditional singing and dancing etc. One of the women in the village (22 yrs old) is a national celeberity, as she was the first woman to win Panama's folk singing version of American Idol, and she decided to perform for us. Her voice was absolutely breathtaking, and I really had no choice but to ask her to dance afterwards. So I danced with the best folk singer in Panama.
The next day we took a bus to Chitre, a small city (about half the size of Middletown) that serves as the shopping center for the surrounding interior (rural areas), but for us was a place to rest and enjoy a free day. I decided to get up at 6;00 the next morning to begin a 4 hr. series of busrides that would ultimately bring me to Playa Venao, Panama's premier surfing beach and international competition site -see pictures of me, the beach, my panamanian surf instructor (tanner skin and standing) , and some Canadian dude camping out on the beach for a week (whiter skin in chair)- where I spent the rest of the day.
After our day of "rest" we headed off to Santo Domingo, a suburb of las Tablas located in the province Ausera (the really big southern peninsula). The community is suburban and a sort of intermediary between rural and urban life, and is famous for the persistance of its traditional customs (music, dance, cooking, and cattle) and for its warm and generous people. The citizens of Santo Domingo and the nearby communities are known as the "leafcutters" of Panama, because they tend to deforest and create pasturland wherever they migrate. My family was unbelieveably friendly and accomodating, and checked on me constantly to ensure I was enjoying myself. When we arrived, we attended a couple of lectures on Folklore and music, visited a maskmaker and ceramic artesan colony (see pictures), and then at night the local youths put on an astonishing dance demonstration. AFterwards, they led a lesson to prepare us for the "baile typica" (community dance) the next night. The next morning we awoke at 3;30 am to arrive at a farm by 4 so we could milk the cows. All I have to say is sensitivity works. At around 7, my father (who accompanied us) told me he was going to leave to bring us breakfast. When he returned, he handed me a bottle and explained the liquid it contained was made from sugar cane. Thirsty and eager to taste liquid sugar, I began chugging immediately. After about the 3rd swig it dawned on me that I was chugging Seco, a national rum notorious for its low quality taste and high alcoholic content. Apparently sugar cane is used in the fermentation process. WE then took a tour of the farm, went horseback riding, feasted on tamarine tree fruits and several others I dont know the name to, and fresh sugar cane. We then helped make the drink that actually comes from crushed sugar cane, first using a grinding machine fueled with horsepower,and later by pushing the revolving arm of the machine ourselves. We then savored a mix of sugar cane drink and seco, blasted Musica Typica (fastpaced accordian-based typical dance melodies), and practiced for the dance that night. We then visited a small cheese "factory," a pinneapple farm, and then relaxed on a nearby beach. The dance was fantastic and lasted until 3am (yes, 24 hrs. after our day began).
The next morning we traveled to a Ngobe Bugle comarca, which is a large autonomous indigenous group reserve. Then we traveled to the province of Chiriqui, where we are currently, and hiked18 km e through a national park. Tomorrow we will return to Panama City. I will post pictures.
ALRIGHT. I realize this outpouring has more or less amounted to a gross instance of verbal diarrhea, but I had a lot of catching up to do and wanted to document as much as possible without exhausting the rest of my funds at the internet cafe, so I had to put quantity ahead of quality. I hope life is treating you all well, and promise to be more disciplined with this blogging business in the future. Much love.

Week 2.5: I hope.

So I´m not entirely sure what happened to my last entry, but if you´re reading this it means that it worked. Anyways, I´m currently living with a family in Panama City (specifically, the suberb of El Dorado), where I will be for the next 3 weeks. My first night here, my 20 year old brother and his girlfriend took me island hopping (2 sundays ago). We enjoyed ¨freezies¨ on the waterfront, and then spent the rest of the night at a casino. The legacy of 150 years of American military presence (we´ve established bases and invaded around 20 times) is readily apparent, and being a US citizen here is somewhat strange. On one hand we built Panama´s number 1 economic producer (the canal), but we also have a history of killing their innocent civilians and even students, devestating their environment, manipulating their government, etc., so I´m never quite sure how people will react I tell them where Im from. Still, everyone has noticably affable, and more than eager to answer my questions and help me out when I´m utterly lost. My classes are at the ILISA language school and SIT office, which are both located in what´s called ¨The City of Knowledge¨- a former U.S. military base in the canal zone re-designated as a centralized network of international and educational institutions (including UNICEF, public health organizations, the Spanish embassy, and countless others). Nightlife here is somthing we in the States should aspire to, as the standard is to go to discotechs wed-sat, and then spend sunday recovering at the beach. really not a bad life. Also, partly because of Panama´s role as a facilitator of international trade, everything here is rediculously cheap. Discotechs cost $10 at most to enter, 6 bottles of beer cost around $3, $60 jeans go for around $8, meals don´t cost more than $4.00, and as a student moving around it´s wonderful because taxis are practically free.
We have yet to begin the intense field study that defines the SIT program, but we´ve started preparing by taking day excursions to research rainforests. Also, we´ve heard lectures from some of Panama´s leading development and conservation professionals, and will be conducting interviews with illustrious officials at various development organizations. Oh, and one more thing. There´s this potentially lethal disease transmitted by mosquitos called Dengue. There is no vaccine. According to the front page of the newspaper, we´re on the verge of an epidemic. Bueno.

Week 2: Panama City

I made it.

Hey! So after packing until 3:30 am and then leaving for the airport at 5:30am, I managed to make my way to Panama. Most the program group (a grand total of 8 ppl) flew into Panama City tuesday evening, and then checked into a hotel for the first night while the others were still arriving. When we got to the hotel, the recptionist informed me that they no longer had the key to my room, as the previous occupents had taken it with them. One of the hotel workers let me into the room with a master key. As I backed into the room (carrying the world´s largest trunk/suitcase strappd to my back ), I turned around to find a completely bewildered, balding man, wearing nothing but a towel, sitting on the bed. Apparenty the ´previous occupants´ were not scheduled to leave until Thursday. We shared an intimately awkward moment before I stammered out an attempt at an attempt at an apology, and fumbled my way out of the room. The hotel manager compensated me for the error by lodging me in a two-floor, penthouse sweet complete with a couch with dollar bills printed all over it, a spiral staircase, and a king size bed. As the one other male on the program had yet to arrive, I had the room to myself for the evening.
This week is meant to be an ´orientation´ before the actual program/home stay begins. We´re currently staying at a lodge up in the mountains, where there is a perfect balance between warm sun and refreshing breeze, which makes for fantastic hammock naps. One of the final orientation activities is a ´drop off,´ in which each of us is abandoned in a different community that we are supposed to acquire information about, and then find our way back to the orientation site (they give us 8 hours before sending out a search party). Today is also the last day we´ll be allowed to speak English, so if thse reports become increasingly incoherent, it´s because my mind is convering to Spanish. I hope all of you are enjoying the bountiful joys of American winters, and I´ll be in touch. Until next time, when hopefully I´ll have somthing actually worth writing about.