When it Rains it Pours

Very much true in the rainy season. But when the rain stops, the sun comes up and dries up and the landy-landy. Enter summer. Read 4 months of heat and dryness. What´s more treacherous, traversing the slick stones and mud of before, or now this loose, crumbly dust? The aqueduct is drying up. I count the creek among my friends cuando no hay agua. It´s been fun explaining to the people that we can´t work on the springbox until May when they were promised February which is BEFORE the water is all gone by March. But that´s how it goes when you don´t have funds!

Nevertheless, I´ve been busy. For a few weeks, every day I was booked solid with everything from community meetings, replacing water tubes, teaching english, making a garden, writing PC reports, in-service trainings, and talking water conservation. Luckily things are returning to a more sane pace but work doesn´t like to space itself out--the when it rains it pours principle. Who knew there would be stress in the PC?

That´s alright, poco a poco, I´m figuring out what I need to know. I´m getting used to this. The other day I was running errands in the city and I got to thinking about my site and it struck me--hey, I live there. That´s my home and the people know me as Mesi Tolobo. The next day, instead of returning with my usual sigh, I had an anxiousness to get home. Just had to laugh at myself when I went for the light switch . . . no hay Mesi!

Stuck in a Hole with You

DISCLAIMER: It is not my intention to offend anyone, point fingers, or idealize PC practices with the following piece courtesy of the boss. It serves only to provoke thought and bring light to the challenges inherent in development work.

¨A Panamanian falls in a hole, and upon realizing he is stuck, he calls out for help. A missionary comes along and hearing the cries, comes over and calls down--what´s wrong? I´m stuck in this hole--responds the captive. So the missionary throws down a bible and says--the power of the Lord will save you. The Panamanian reads the bible, is delighted, but remembers he is still stuck in the hole. He resumes calling out for help and a USAID worker hears him. What´s wrong?--asks the worker. I´m stuck in this hole--responds the captive. Oh, well here´s $10 to go buy yourself a ladder--offers the worker. The Panamanian is grateful for the bill, but he´s still stuck and shouts out again. A PCV hears him and asks whats wrong. I´m stuck in his hole--responds the captive. So the PCV jumps in the hole. The Panamanian exclaims--Why did you do that?!--Now we are both stuck in the hole!! The PCV says--I know. I´m going to help you figure out how to get us out of this hole.¨