How to Build a Sit(ting)-House

Although we're still waiting for the grant funding to complete the community latrine project (go to: http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.projdetail&projdesc=525-068 if you wish to donate!), we were able to build a few using the donated materials mentioned before, as well as some borrowed cement from a local community member. While we dont have pictures of the latrine floor at this time (just picture a cement slab with a hole in the middle) this is our first latrine house, and almost completes this latrine save for the roof which will come when we get the money.




First you must locate a good site for your latrine sit-house. Here we use the age-old art of divination, but instead of a forked stick, we find that a live chicken held upside-down works best.


















The fun starts. Once the site is located a three-meter deep hole must be dug by pick-ax and shovel. It is unbelievably good exercise, but can leave one wanting for the heavy machinery we are so used to in the States. There aint no backhoes hea!















Amanda paying her dues in the mine shaft...er, latrine hole. In this picture she is about two and a half meters down and loving it!
















After the hole is dug, you must pour the cement floor (we apologize for the lack of cement floor pictures) and then harvest the posts and wall materials for its enclosure. Here Amanda hauls a 20-yards length of bamboo to the worksite. While she may look relaxed in this picture, the bamboo-hauling stage was possibly one of the more greuling stages of the whole process; they are very heavy and usually found deep in the jungle from where they must be carried out by hand.







The bamboo is split with a machete into roughly meter-length pieces. In the background you can see th wood frame of our latrine house.

















One by one, side-by-side, the walls go up.
















Almost there! Brian and Felix Jr. ("Polo," just like the fragrance, in Ngabere) put the finishing slabs one the latrine's rear wall. Note how skinny Brian has become and how his pants no longer fit well. Great picture...just great.

















The (almost) finished latrine house. Only lacking the roof, the latrine is immediately usable for the duration of the dry season (the roof will allow more comfortable rainy-season usage) and should last 10-15 years at this location. With the cement floor, we included some heavy-duty handles that allows the whole thing to be moved to another future hole once this one is filled, extending the overall lifetime of this latrine by 15-20 years more.








Finally relax, satisfied with a job well done. Felix, our community counterpart, taking a rare breather from working hard with his nephew, Aldemar.

Pulling Palms

Well, quite a bit has been happening over the last several weeks, which partially explains why we haven't updated the blog recently. However, thanks to modern technology we can save our memories indefinitely and show them to you later...like uh, now.



Here we, along with a few community members, are helping to cut and drag huge palm fronds from several trees out in the mountains. The fronds are commonly used in our area to roof houses, and this is exactly what we are helping to make with them once they are cut, dragged, dry, and ready.

















Yep, thats me with the blue shirt on, about 50-60 feet up hacking at 50-60 pound palm fronds with a razor-sharp machete. My ladder can be seen on the left, consisting of only a bamboo stalk which is shimmeyed up with nothing to catch you below but prayer and dirt. Anyway, I made it (down too).

















The whole work site. Here you can see the three trees from which we harvested the palm, and the blue-shirted dot looking down at a job well done.


















Amanda carrying a load of palm up to a local house for two weeks of drying in the sun. In all we cut and carried abour 50 of these things, and despite their lightweight look, they are quite heavy when freshly cut, and were dragged two-by-two up about a quarter mile uphill to the drying site.















Brian, taking his turn dragging palm. Note the fabulous hat that was recently made for him by one of the locals.

Happy Easter!

I hope everyone is having a very blessed Easter. Brian and I are spending yet another holiday in a new way. Today for Easter we are quickly finishing up work on the computer before having to heading back to our site.

Brian and I along with about 50 other PC volunteers from our side of the country just spent three nights together on a skinny peninsula for our tri monthly regional meeting. Unfortunately it rained almost the entire time, which made the 1 1/2 hour boat ride quite interesting. We spent a total of 5 nights out on the peninsula for additional language classes and for our regional meeting. We were able to see what life was like out there for other volunteers who live in raised huts over looking the ocean. Brian and I enjoyed the first two days in sunny weather. One day we took a canoe out with the language teacher and a couple other volunteers. The second day I decided to stay back while the others, including Brian went fishing. I was glad I chose to stay behind when I found out from the returning volunteers as they chuckled back that Brian not only threw up but fed the fish 7 or 8 times!

Overall things in our site are feeling more and more comfortable. I can say we have adapted and can find comfort in our little cabin. I have really had a good time being creative with our dinners as I’m always trying to think of new things to cook without refrigeration, electricity or variety of veggies. It has been easier than I would expect.

We have a new pet named Spot. He has been our little bug disposal now for about a month or so. He lives above our door and eats any cockroach, spider, scorpion, or other critter we put in his web. Yes Spot is a huge spider. He looks a little dangerous but is actually harmless, (so we’ve been told). Spot has more than doubled in size since he has come to live with us. Brian loves watching him eat and experimenting with putting new critters in his web. I’m sure our family just thinks us even weirder, they just laugh.

The dry season is coming to an end. Originally we were dreading it, but have come to appreciate it more than the rainy season. We have enjoyed out time down by the stream washing clothes and bathing because it is quiet, cool peaceful and surrounded by a beautiful thick tropical forest. There is no mud and our clothes don’t mold.

Next week Brian and I will be heading off to Panama City with our counterparts to begin two new projects. Even though we are still waiting on our funding for the latrines, we will begin planning two new projects that we have found the community in great need of. Brian will be working on ways to improve our poorly functioning aqua duct system and I will be planning construction and funding for a library for our elementary school.

Brian and I have been able to get our hands dirty as we have built our latrine and helped our host family with a new kitchen. For me labor has been an awesome way for me to get a little recognition from the men in our community that I’m there to work as well and not just as Tochi´s (Brian’s) house wife. I think my labor has spoken louder than me trying to communicate verbally in my cave man Spanish.
Anyway, I found out that I love to dig. Brian and I dug about 3 meters deep with just a pick, shovel and bucket for our latrine. Then we spent a day cutting and caring 5, 15-20 yard bamboo we than spent the next several days cutting and using for our latrine walls and new dish washing station. Another several days we spent cutting and carrying huge palms for our host family’s new kitchen roof.

Our family has introduced us to many new fruits since we have been here and our new favorite one is the marañon, which is the fruit that cashews come from. You can eat the fruit and then take the seed that grows on top of the fruit, roast it, crack it open and then eat the cashew. I made stir fry once with them. They are sooo yummy!

Brian and I are continue to have good health and are well. Brian did get kicked by a horse the other day while they were both reaching for marañon. The horse did a side kick to his elbow which was quite swollen for a few days. His elbow has healed and he probably won’t try to compete for marañon with the horse anymore.

Brian is eagerly waiting to start studying for the LSAT. He will be getting his study books in about a week. In September he will take a week trip to the East coast to take the exam. I think it will bring him the type of outlet he has been missing.
I have found my outlet in daily yoga and scripture reading. I wake up early before anyone else and stretch for about 20-45 minutes and then read for about the same amount of time. I feel more alive, healthy, and clear minded. I have found the extra time to stretch, pray and read the Bible have been so amazing for me. It is my favorite time of the day. One of the verses I’ve been meditating on is 1 Thessalonians 5:8, ¨In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.¨ It has been refreshing for me to go back to the basic teachings of Jesus and meditating on them. I must say I have missed going to church, but I have found a new sense of focus and peace that I’ve gotten in silence without sermons or study groups. It has been very fulfilling.

We keep all of you in our prayers and thoughts. Please email us, send a note in the blog or even write if you get the time because we love to get updates on everyone at home. We miss you all tons!