Movers and Shakers

In the United States, I would religiously watch the Olympics. With so many different sports, each day would bring new competitions. From gymnastics to baseball to volleyball, I would forward to each event. Okay, maybe I wasn’t such a fan of baseball.

This year in Panama, there is one sport: track and field. And at that, there is only one event: the long jump. Panamanian Saladino’s jump has been on repeat so many times that I think I could now make the gold metal jump. And what an important gold metal it was. In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Panama won its first gold metal EVER. And this metal is the third metal of any kind after a 60 year delay when another Panamanian scored two bronze metals in the hurdles.

So what does this mean to the typical American? Probably nothing. But to the typical Panamanian, the metal is a source of great national pride. So much so, that the President declared a National Holiday on Thursday. A parade greeted Saladino’s arrival as well as festivities in Panama City. His home town of Colon celebrated as well. A popular neighborhood took his name. And he got a fat check from the government as well.

Early Friday morning brought more shaking to Panama as a 5.0 earthquake rocked Chiriqui. Yep, that’s where I live. I woke up to the rumbling of my bed and enjoyed the ride that seemed to last longer than the events in California. It could be that I am just out of practice. You’d think that after living in Earthquake country for a total of 15 years I would be used to them by now. My heart was definitely racing as I hoped that with as minor an earthquake as it was the block house enclosing me was constructed soundly.

My meeting on Sunday brought just seven participants. People told me later that they couldn’t come because of the aguacero. (I guess they forgot that the downpour started more than an hour after the meeting.) Oh but there were dark clouds in the sky… so they must have just known that they would get caught in it, since the meeting wouldn’t start until later because people don’t arrive on time. It was still good number to have, and mostly women, so they listened to me. I got what I needed to get done and can use the information they gave me as a jumping off point for the next meeting. A bit of a surprise came when they expressed interest in fish tanks to grow tilapia. This is an agriculture project, aka not in my sector, but I’ll see what I can do to help them.

I’ve got just one week left with my current host family. I’ll be moving to the other side of town next and am looking forward to getting to know that side better. Plus one of the ladies over there makes delicious plum wine. She’s going to teach me too! Mmmm, I’m salivating at the prospect of sipping the fruits of my labor in just three months.

I don’t think I can end it on a better note than that. I hope you all are doing well and I can’t wait to hear about what you’ve been up to! Shoot me an email or send me a letter at:

Kerry Piper

Entrega General

David, Chiriquí

Republica de Panamá