Megan Unbounded

My community! (click on the pic to see the video) The months are counting down and I made a video of my community to remember it. Also, I am really going to miss my English class and all the fun we have had since the past year and half or so! They were entertaining, especially when we shared American holidays together like Halloween, Valentine's Day, and the Fourth of July. In fact, I am really proud of them because a year before, they could not read or write in English but not they can! We only have a little more time to practice conversation, critical thinking, and more listening practice!  They dressed in costumes, if they wanted, and one was a ghost in a sheet and scared other classmates when they showed up to class for a Halloween celebration!

Have you ever considered eating jerked llama? How about a roasted guinea pig???? These are some of the interesting foods and culture norms you will find in Peru. Of course I had to see Machu Picchu while I was there and the cute mountain town that I stayed at before going was Cusco. They had more to share about their traditions and the ancient Incans than Lima and is worth checking out! ( If you want more travel info and tips, check out my sister website here, theruleofthr3e !) Some similarities between Panama and Peru are the variety of indigenious groups you will find and they dress differently according to their village. They change their hats, skirts, and colors in relation to their group. The day I arrived, I got to see many of them in a parade in Cusco while they danced their traditional dances. I am an agriculture volunteer so I found it really interesting that they grow quinoa, stevia, and thousands of types of potatoes! However, the most fascinating is...

For my birthday, I had planned to go to the movies but decided that I would rather stay in the community and play some traditional American games with some of my community members like an egg race on a spoon, water balloon toss, and three legged race! It was fun and they enjoyed their time. At first some of my neighbors were scared to play and after we got going, more and more people wanted to come toss around the balloons or try to balance their egg on a spoon! After my birthday celebrations, I went to the local clinic near my community to help out a group of American doctors that came to give medical attention and treatments for free. Some other Peace Corps Volunteers that came helped to translate as well and we got to check out the eye surgeries. After the week, we helped the doctors complete over 50 eye surgeries, take of interesting growths on people, and handout medical supplies to the local Panamanians that cannot afford to visit a doctor. I g...

The coconut had a manzana! (or apple) and it has a foamy texture and a sweet taste. To make the coconut milk, first shred the coconut into small pieces with the shredder and put into a bowl.  Next, add water so that it covers all of the shredded coconut and start squeezing the coconut, water mixture to release the milk. Do this multiple times until the water and coconut mix become more and more milky! Now, strain the water and coconut mixture to rid of the small pieces of coconut from the milk and voila! You have fresh coconut milk to enjoy :) Also, once you have this milk mixture, it is very easy to make coconut oil. You only need to cook the milk in a pot for, well quite awhile, until the milk starts to turn into an oil. There will be a white, chunky reside like fat that will start and beneath is the coconut oil! This tree bark tea is so delicious!! And now that you have made the coconut milk, you can start cooking the milk with the tree ba...

Finally I had some visitors from the USA!! My former college roomies came to visit my community and experience Panama! Let's just say that I forgot about some the interesting things about Panama and campo life that I have become accustomed to, like the diablo rojos (buses with crazy designs), 3AM rooster wake up call, and cold showers/bathing in the river. Also, they enjoyed the variety of fruits and vegetables that are easily available in our gardens or found in the jungle especially coconuts, pipas, and bananas.   Iguana! A monkey!