Megan Unbounded

For the past few weeks, a lot has been going on with the holiday season and trying to prepare for my first charla about La Poda , or pruning, for coffee trees. At the beginning of this month, it was Mother's Day in Panama (December 8) and my Panamanian mother asked me to celebrate it with her and her family. We made chicha, or juice, from freshly squeezed oranges and they had sancocho for dinner. Sancocho has chicken (like all parts of it, feet and all!), name, otoe, and a few other Panamanian veggies in it. When it was time to eat, my Panamanian mother was so sweet and said I am like her daughter now and appreciates that everyone in the community, as well as her family, takes good care of her because she does not like to be alone and cannot care for her house due to her age. Sancocho! My Panamanian mother and her family that came to visit from Panama City. Finally, I had my first charla or seminar about the correct way to prune a coffee tree! The farmers...

To share with those who are wondering what is a typical week like for me, this mainly my schedule (well I do not really have a schedule and just go where I am needed depedning on the day!). Sunday- Saturday: Mornings -I like to do an exercise to start my day like Pilates, yoga, and some strength training -breakfast which is mainly oatmeal everyday! -Read/Arts and crafts with community members (like hats, recycleable art, etc.) -Hike to the hill near the store to check cell Afternoon - Lunch - Pasear with community members -Work in my garden -Bathe while it is hot outside since we only have cold showers! Evenings - Begin dinner -Chat with neighbors -Listen to music and read -In bed by about 9:00  (it is pretty early!) So my days are pretty much the same unless when I need to give a charla/seminar, I will spend most of the day before and the day of preparing for it. Or, if I go to the farm ( finca ), I will go for most of the day until lunchtime around 2:00. Al...

So everyone loved the Thanksgiving meal that I cooked for them (and it was all vegan!) I made them lentil loaf, candied yams, stuffing, cornbread, and pineapple upside down cake! I will be having a cooking class later with the women because they want to learn my recipes LOL And we are just pilar -ing some corn with my host mom to make some delicious Panamanian corn tortillas. These are different than the ones I have eaten before in the USA because they are so much thicker. And one of my members in the community has two and they pigs just had piglets! They are so cute :) 

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 ...