Playing Catch-up

Things that happened in the last month (in order that I remember them).

I got sick this morning. I had 5 visitors in my site last week who I met down here. I added a few friends I tracked down and the link "What I've Read" under my Links list on the sidebar. We started on my aquaduct this Tuesday. I hauled 3 loads of gravel and 5 loads of sand between our drop-off point and our springbox - on my back. In all, my community hauled 3 yards of gravel, 3 yards of sand and 13-110lbs sacks of cement, 4 tubes, 3 bars, and multiple tools the 30 minute hike uphill to my spring. My mason got hurt so we had to postpone work for 3 weeks. I met up with Mary and some friends. Ryu got leisch, but now is cured. I might have an idea for my thesis, something like "A Springbox Construction Manual." I read Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer in less than 6 hours, finishing late last night. School started again. I sent 6 kids to a Panama Verde camp put on by other volunteers. My brother and sis-in-law are expecting their first baby. I got a really long email from my buddy Ryan in the Dominican Republic. My regional leader moved houses. Pivetta and I surveyed my aquaduct. I bought a chakura for $1.50. I ran into a Columbian "Survivor" filming crew. My handheld GPS, my USB drive, and my camera (my 3 most expensive items in Panama) all stopped working within a week. My camera is now working again. My long awaited personal ATM card finally arrived in the mail. I bought a non-stick frying pan but it only lasted a week until the fake teflon all scraped or burnt off. I killed 5 more scorpians. I went snorkeling and saw dolphins. I walked into my site late once without a flashlight, used my cell phone to light the path, but got lost 2 seperate times even after I asked a family to borrow their flashlight. It took me over 2 hours to walk the 30min path. I cut my foot, it's not that bad...not related to being lost. I sat in an a political speech in my site...some guys running for something talked a lot. I stuck around for the food they brought, probably like everyone else. They asked these dudes for materials to build a latrine for the school, nothing like buying votes...my name was mentioned a lot during their speeches...I have no clue what they were saying. I finally bought a curtain for my shower, but prefer to shower in shorts so I can wash them at the same time. I completed Grand Tourismo on the hardest setting...just kidding...a Streets reference. I helped a kid translate some words into Spanish but was stuck on "bruy" and "truc." I beat Jacinto, Francisco, and Basilio (twice) in "Damas," a local version of checkers. It was the first time I beat an opponent that was sober. I got the headstand down, but still have a lot of trouble with the forearm stand and handstand. I let a 40 something Panamanian sleep in my bed and I made him 2 meals (my mason). Yeah, that's definitely it for know. I'll try to keep more up-to-date.