Dun ta da da... Dengue

My remarkable luck with tropical disease infection and living with royalty continues.

While in still treatment for round four of amoebas, yesterday I received a positive test result for dengue. Symptoms started a couple days ago: a headache to rival all others, fall-down dizziness, fever and chills, all over body pain, a complete loss of appetite, diarrhea, and a general lethargy. Initially I thought I was just a wimp or maybe amoebas aone bazzurk. But eventually I cashed in all my toughness and went to the doctor, where he said that he thought I had a problem with my ears. Really, my ears. He sent me to the lab for a blood count. Suspecting something else, I asked the lab to also run a test for dengue. While waiting for the test results, I was given a couple IVs, one with meds to raise my low blood pressure and the other with painkillers. Three hours later I picked up my result. Prueba de Dengue: Reaccion Positiva (IGGe IGM). Despite the positive dengue result, other aspects of my health are improving. I noticed from the blood count I am no longer anemic, so yeah for that. The doctor says I will have another 3-4 days of symptoms before the mosquito-transmitted virus finishes running its course. But at least now I have drugs: a daily shot in the butt with an anti-viral (painful enough on its own right to cause me to change my sleeping position of preference), painkillers, and drops to keep my blood pressure up.

In regards to royalty, I was in Panama City last weekend for a medical visit (oddly enough unrelated to amoebas or dengue) and on my return I spent a day hanging out with my host family from training in Santa Clara. Unknowingly to me, my trip would coincide with my host mom being crowned queen of the senior citizens society. It was a full day of activity with cooking, decorating, and cleaning. I filled in where possible and snapped pictures between deboning chicken and blowing up balloons.

Life back in my community is going great. I am super excited (amidst my dengue-induced lethargy) to get back and see how progress is going on my house (they’ve been working on it in my absence… amazing) and get back to work with the most amazing folks Panama has to offer. Ugh, I know I have been reprimanded lately for a lack details in my entries, but I feel a crazy headache returning.

Watch out for the day feeding Panamanian mosquitos! Hasta luego!

A visual update

the beginning of roof construction

sewing the roof

my unfinished roof from inside my house

rushing to get a roof up before the rain... rain won

topping off the roof

walking to the waterfall

at the waterfall

Jazmin and Heromi

the visitors bidding farewell

Roofing, Waterfalls, and Tourists, Oh My!

So my tiny village had its first taste of eco-tourism yesterday. It went really, but really well. Everyone, the visitors and community members alike were all so happy. I divided my time between construction work on my house and sharing the role of tour guide and translator (I must beef up these English classes ASAP). It was a day that made me really proud of the farmers that I work with. The festivities included lots of great food, a trip a waterfall, a fair bit of walking (and falling), purchasing of artisan work, some folklore and dancing, guitar strumming and free styling, horse back riding, and, of course, pictures.

Work continues on my future home. It is looking amazing, and thanks to some patient teachers Friday I learned to ‘knit’ thatch with bailing twine for my roof. Already the floor is down (that was finished yesterday), and the roof is three-fourths finished. Lunar farming is popular here and because the moon changes on Tuesday, we decided to squeeze one more work day in tomorrow to cut and sew the thatch to finish off the roof. By the end of the month I should be moved in to my first house! Ahh, excitement!

Pictures to come. Internet here is super slow.

Orange Jam

My first few days back form the U.S. were hard emotionally (I had left my sad and suffering family behind), professionally (on my second day back I was to deliver a presentation to my boss, my community, and the Naso king), and physically (I had to readjust to the mud, humidity, and heat). So in this time I mentally compiled some of the reasons why I really enjoy my Panamanian life. Here are a few:

1. I wash my clothes in a crazy beautiful river. And when my clothes is super dirty, I beat them against a rock just ‘to get the filthiness out.’

2. I live in the last traditional monarchy in the Americas. That’s cool. The following is recent exchange with king Valentín Santana, who lives in my community:

I walked quickly down the muddy path from the chiva stop because it looked like rain. When I stopped to talk to an acquaintance in the path, king Valentín caught up. He smiled, ‘Caminas rápido’ (‘You walk fast’). I laughed, ‘Ja, pero me caigo rápido también’ (‘Ha, but I also fall fast’). And we continued on in silence. Five minutes later the king slipped, and recovering he giggled, ‘También me caigo rápido’ (‘ I fall fast, too’).

3. I am a local celebrity. Upon my return, people I had never even seen before were asking me about my family and my grandma in particular.

4. As my sister recently pointed out, I will soon be a home owner. My house is coming along well. Yesterday we cut, bundled, and carried the leaves for my roof to the construction site. I think/I hope we will finish this month.

5. I no longer make small children cry. The kids in my host family now run out of the house to meet me. The scariness of a ‘tall’ white person is finally wearing off.

6. I get to introduce some of the kindest folks I’ve ever known to new pleasant things (e.g., grape jam), and they not only share my excitement, they ask me if we can make jam from their oranges.

7. I have mastered the extreme sport of chasing oranges downhill full speed on muddy terrain. AND I have been promoted to orange picker, which means I get to wield the really long bamboo pole with the wooden hook tied to the end.

8. Cacao. Enough said.

9. I am humbled here. Last night my host mom brought home soda and sliced bread for her kids. Their excitement was unparalleled.

The list goes on, but my will to continue typing does not.

the PC Bocas del Toro regional meeting in Chiriquí

bundles of leaves that will be my roof. we will be sewing them Friday

some of the seeds that my Naso teacher uses to make jewelry

Poetic Update

From Wednesday: The following poem I wrote on the bus on the way to today’s regional meeting. One of our assignments for the meeting was to express “how is it going’ through song, interpretive dance, charades, or poetry. For the sake of time, in lieu of a normal blog entry, I am leaving my update in poetry. To my non Spanish-speaking audience, I apologize for the Spanglish.

Diarrhea, gas, and vomit I no longer spew,
It appears that my adventure with amoebas is through.
No more chicha was PC doc Lourdes’s command,
But when working in the loma I just don’t give a damn.
I take the communal chicha cup with its floating ants
While hoping that later I won’t poo my pants.
A day sin chupar naranja is incomplete.
Boiled green banana is algo I now enjoy to eat.
As for my house, it is looking good.
I spent Saturday jalando wood.
We planned to continue the following day,
But at dawn I was almost too sore to levantarme.
In a few weeks I will have a new home.
I’ll go from being 1 of 11, to be living alone.
Last week Aimeé came for my 4 month visit.
Llegaron muchos for my community diagnostic.
At my side sat the Naso king with his fancy bastón.
He played with some seeds while Aimeé babbled on.
With months of thinking my permanencia in site had not a prayer,
It just may be that the Naso king no me vaya a correr.

My community diagnostic meeting

Anita, helping carry boards for my house. She makes it look easy, but it was pretty tough.

Shoo-ing the goat by throwing orange peels at him

the start of a window frame

the nearly-finished frame that will be my house

Ernesto, the ornery man who is donating land, wood, thatch, and lots of time and labor for my house. I consider him my grandpa here.

Jorge, my Naso teacher and future neighbor, helping with construction

my host mom peeling rice