*KTcicatriz’s blog

Tell us about a lesson you had to learn the hard way.

Let me preface this by explaining that In Peace Corps I was an Environmental Conservation volunteer....
I had gotten about 65 saplings from the local environmental organization in Panama, ANAM, to plan with my school children (as part of a class possibly).  I apparently was in charge despite the fact that I had been in site for a little over a month and still had no grasp of what the hell I was doing there.  So I took my kids, over a several day period, to plant this enormous amount of trees (no wheelbarrow, one shovel, and one hoe) to different places along the rivers and streams.  After they were all planted I felt pretty good about myself, and my kids.  Well...unbeknown to me (although I didn't really ask) I had planted these poor Espavé saplings exactly where the rivers and streams overflow during the rainy season.  I think there were 4 left when I left 2 years later. :(

I did get better though, I promise!  I even learned how to combat ants! 

Celebrate good times

One of my most valued friends, a best friend since the beginning (well Kindergarten anyway), is making one of those "next steps..."  The excitement I feel cannot be described in any simple terms, but if it were possible, I would be jumping up and down and up and down continually for days.  My heart still is. 

So CONGRATULATIONS mi amica, it could not be happening to a better person or to a more beautiful, crazier couple.  I don't think the financee (is that with one e or two?) can possibly realize yet that he has just made the best decision of his life.  Cheers to you!

Show us a fool.

JUMP b4 Carnival (12)

What's the infamous story people tell about you? 
Submitted by Cherney.

No idea.  Why don't you all tell me?  I think it differs between groups, or as I call them, my different lives... What do my high school friends tell about me?  What do my college mates think is a worthy tale (spring break exempt)?  What about Peace Corps?  Domincia?  Family?  My brothers probably tell the story that I got everything I wanted when I was little which is a complete fabrication, but I did use my powers that comes with being the only girl in the family to get them in trouble every once in awhile.  :)

Ben and I found a "gym" about a month ago after weeks of looking.  This gym is as open air as you can get, no need for high a/c bills here... here you get a tan while working out.  The gym is basically one guy's, Dalty, dream of owning a gym in a place where gyms are all but non-existent.  The area that the gym has grown is basically the back yard of Dalty's house, there are even chickens and roosters.  The "roof" is a set of strategically placed sheets of zinc (some quite rusted) over the areas with the most potential to attract users.  The equipment is reminiscent of old high school workout rooms.  This is the equipment that you couldn't even get rid of at garage sales in the States.  But now, this old equipment has somehow found its way to developing countries where their 1970s weight benches and squat machines won't have the chance to cause law suits.  The padding is all but worn away.  There are photos of body builders hung up all over the place (think Schwarzenegger before the movies) for motivation purposes.  Then, these are my favorites, the dumbbells are made from cement that has been chipped away and then weighed.  The larger dumbbells (Ben uses those) are molds of tin cans that were filled with cement, a pole was stuck in the middle, and then when the cement dried into concrete, off came the can and a dumbbell was formed.  You aren't completely guaranteed that one 10 lb weight is equal to the other 10 lb. weight, but it is close enough.

The other day when I went, I had to grab my weights with the corner of my shirt, bring them to a shady area, and then wait for them to cool down so that I could use them.  It isn't of any use to use weights if your hands are all sweaty.  My circuit training had to be quite strategic in my movements as I was trying to avoid the direct sunlight coming in and making me sweat more. 

As rustic as this gym is, it makes me realize how the minds of the world are evolving before the infrastructure.  Diabetes and high blood pressure are like a plague to the population of the island and with no nutritionist or cardiologist available (there are none on the island) people are starting to really realize the benefits of exercise.  One problem though, there are no places to perform these activities.  The few open spaces that there are provide no shade, and are often FULL of people.  So a person like Dalty, who provides at least the bare essentials for a healthy body to whomever chooses or can pay the $25 E.C. a month, is revolutionary.  I know that we all have those infomercial purchases that we don't use gathering dust at home... I think that along with books, medical supplies, and money, workout equipment should be available for shipment to developing countries.  Working out is no longer a privilege, it is a necessity for all and it should be treated that way.