Megan Unbounded

One of the important things about Peace Corps is to initiate change by being the example. Take for instance, my host familys' children would use a stick to chase the dog out the house and sometimes they would not use it nicely.  It did make me sad but whenever the dog came in the house when I was around, I encouraged it to go outside in a friendly voice and he would leave. Now, the young children do the same too without using a stick to harm the dog when trying to get it to leave the house!  Additionally, they did it one evening when the parents were watching and they were shocked that using their words rather than force gets the dog out the house easier and faster. Even though this is a small change, it has showed me that leading by example is one of the most effective methods for change It is a soursop! It is a fruit as big as a football and it tastes sweet, especially as a chicha,  or juice. My host mother served it to me as a dessert one evening and told ...

Two months in site and it is going well! Still visiting just about every house in my community to have a more personal interaction with them and get to their family. I visited one community member's house and they were making these beautiful wooden chairs with a machete and a piece of cardboard! It has taken them a few weeks to make them, carving them from a big tree and slowly peeling the bark off with their machete and a small part of cardboard to protect their hand.  Just me riding around in the community on my house and my best buddy Loki wants to follow me around :D Me and a few volunteers walking part of the way to the Black Christ festival in my region. Many people during the week of October 21 make a pilgramage to Portobelo, Colon! We met some people who had walked from Panama City to Portobelo ( through the rain or hot sun for about 90 miles!) in purple robes and some without any shoes. I saw a few even carrying small platforms with a black Jesus on top of it ...

So it has been almost a month in my site! Updates on my blog will be a little less frequent because I do not live as close to the city and transportation is forever! (-_-) But so far things have been going well and I have been pasear - ing (visiting) to get to know my community and figure out more about their families. My community is about 200 people and the majority of the people that live here are family members. Many have cousins, parents, sisters, and grandparents all living either in one house or as neighbors. I thought this picture was so cute! They are a few of my new best friends here ;) I have started on my little garden, or huerto,  about two weeks ago! I built terraces with a little help from my neighbors which took me about a week to create. I am planning to grow some peppers, beans, zapallo (which is like a squash), and sweet potatoes! Before growing anything, I have talked to my community members which I think is important to know which months are the best ...