Life in the campo

There´s a saying that goes around volunteers here. It´s a slight modification on another saying everyone knows. It goes as such:
¨An optimist sees the glass and says it´s half full. A pessimist sees the glass and says it´s half empty. A Peace Corps Volunteer sees the glass and says ´Hey! I can take a bath in that!´¨
Haha. Funny right? Well last Sunday I learned just how true this was. In one of the torrential rains and proceeding landslide, a giant rock knocked out a pipe at the top of the acueduct. So we didn´t have any water. Now, it´s not the firs time this has happened. But the other times the water has gone out it´s only been for a few hours. No big deal. But this time, it didn´t come back by the evening like normal. I got home from the fair in Antón and discovered that there was still no water to be had. And since we have a really good acueduct system that rarely faulters, we also don´t have a lot of rainwater collection tanks and back-up water waiting, like most other communitites. We´re a little spoiled. So all I had was what was left in my Nalgene from the day before. Now yes, this is a little more than half a glass, but still. Give me some credit! I would´ve just held off on the bath but I was all sweaty and sticky from a hot day at the fair. So yes, I can now say I´ve bathed from a Nalgene bottle. Luckily on Monday we found some large pots and a small collection tank to catch rainwater in, so we were good for the next few days until the acueduct was fixed. And now we have water again. Woot.

I´ve started wearting close-toed shoes. Two reasons: I´m really bad at remembering to put on bug spray and my poor feet are just scarred with bug bites. So I figured I should let them heal and prevent getting more. Also, snakes. A woman down the way got bit yesterday and is in the hospital. Now I know thin shoes aren´t necessarily going to protect me if a snake does bite, but they´re better than sandals. So there ya go.

I can now say I´ve cut down a tree with a machete. Me! Alone! A tree! Yes, a small tree, but still. With a machete. Damn those things are used for everything.

I took $20 out of the ATM the other day and got a $10 bill and 10 $1 bills. I didn´t even know ATM´s carried $1 bills. Another time I took out $50 and it came all in $5 bills. So there ya go. One of the little differences between life in the States and life in Panamá. :-p

So I won´t be moving into my own house until after the new year. So two more months with the host family. Why? you ask? Well, simply because the house isn´t done yet. Yes, there is a bedroom that is done. But the rest, the living-area, doesn´t have a floor. And there´s no front door or windows. And there´s no area to set up a stove and kitchen area to cook. And there is a latrine, but it doesn´t have walls so it´s just in the open. And there´s no shower. And the only water comes from a spout outside. So while technically liveable, there´s really no reason to move there yet when I´m in a perfectly fine house with a good host family. Who wants me to stay until the house is finished by the new year. So there ya go. That´s the new plan.

Ok, I´m about to run out of time so I think that´s all for now. Miss you all! Hope all is well up there! I heard Bush actually said the words ¨World War 3.¨ True? ¿Que Pasa?