Next Big Step

This month of March has been a whirlwind of fun and new experiences. Throughout the whole month I have probably had 3 nights by myself. I started the month off in Guna Yala on a sailboat. A few days after coming back to the city, Rebecca, a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant, came into town for a week. She headed out to Santiago only a couple days before Samantha, a Fulbright Researcher, came into town for a week. I had one night to myself before Elizabeth, the final Fulbrighter to arrive, came to stay with me until I leave for Guna Yala.

While it has been a major distraction for my research, I have absolutely loved serving as a host for these women. I remember how grateful I was to have someone pick me up from the airport and give me a place to stay my first night here, and now I am paying it forward. I could see the relief on each of their faces when I first welcomed them to Panama, and they have all repeatedly told me how wonderful it has been to have someone show them around and give them a home for the first few days. Each of these intelligent women have incredible stories and are hungry to learn and gain new experiences. Being able to spend so much time with them has been a gift that has greatly enhanced my experience here in Panama. It is amazing how many new opportunities I am able to take advantage of just with the added social and personal security of a second person. I traveled to a new city because of Rebecca's placement in Santiago, Panama, I have met a host of new friends thanks to Sam's outgoing nature, and I am already excited to experience life in Panama City with my new neighbor, Elizabeth.

For over a month my life has been in constant flux, and Monday morning, around 5am, everything will change again. For the month of April and most of May I am moving out to the island of Nargana in Guna Yala.

There I will be living with a Guna family who will serve as my hosts for my 7 weeks of intensive research. From my base in Nargana, I plan to travel to many Guna islands to interview and observe the culture and experience of these people, particularly surrounding their understanding and treatment of albinism.

I have an official letter from the Guna Congress approving my research, my bags are (mostly) packed and Captain Kevin has agreed to take me from Carti to Nargana. Once in Nargana I have been told I have a home to stay in for the month of April and May. I still have to book my taxi to Carti, Guna Yala and beyond the information I just shared, I really know little else. I feel as though I should be freaking out, but by this point I seem to have developed the skill of just going with the flow.

Though I finally feel as though I am really getting the hang of Panama City, and I am sad to leave the new friends I have made, I am excited for Guna Yala both in terms of my research and personal growth. In Guna Yala I will have the opportunity to fully immerse myself in my work. The island does have electricity, but my internet will be minimal. The city is a distracting place, and I find my research harder and harder to focus on the longer I stay. In Guna Yala I hope to find a similar degree of focus and intensity in my work as what I had while in Uganda. (The elimination of constant connection to Facebook should help with that a lot). Personally I am excited to see how much my Spanish improves while I am Guna Yala. Besides learning Guna, I hope to enhance my proficiency in Spanish as there will be fewer opportunities to speak English. I am also excited to see what new things I learn about the Guna and myself while I am living in a new community without the support of a home institution or other foreigners.

My travels and experience have lead me to this point and I feel a wonderful sense of excitement and confidence in my abilities to take this next big step.

Cooking Cheap with Kelly Part II - Dealing with Leftovers

I am both a lazy and a frugal person. This combination has lead me to develop some very useful skills in the kitchen. I hate throwing out food that has gone bad, especially because we do not compost here. Since I also like to keep my trips to the supermercado to a minimum, most of the recipes for my meals are made on the spot. For this post, I'd like to share with you two meals I made to show how this cheap cooking is done.

Step 1 is always to take a tally of what you have and what is going to go bad first.

Ciabatta Pizza:
What was in my fridge: Ciabatta, Monterey Jack cheese, onion, green pepper, garlic, 1/5 can of Prego tomato sauce:

The other day I bought a loaf of ciabatta bread which ended up not being all that great. While stale isn't great for sandwiches, I thought it might serve as an excellent base for a pizza.
  - Cut the Ciabatta loaf in half of however much you want to eat (you may have to cut it down a little more to fit it in the toaster)
  - Toast the bread
While I didn't have any mozzarella, I'm not too snobby when it comes to cheese, so I loaded that toast up with the Monterey Jack I had on hand

Next, check out the vegetable drawer and see what's going bad:
That particular day was onions and green peppers.
- sauté whatever vegetables you have in a pan with olive oil and garlic
- if you want, you can include meat at this point


My roommate had just left this pan with bacon grease, adds a nice flavoring, just make sure it hasn't been out too long...

Depending on the tomato sauce you have leftover, you may want to add some seasoning to the veggies. Oregano is always a favorite of mine when it comes to tomato sauce meals.

- Cook the veggies for about 5 minutes, then add in your pre-made tomato sauce. The great thing about the jars of tomato sauce is that they still last a while and you can easily reseal them and keep in your refrigerator.

- Stir the sauce until it is hot
- Spread on your toast over the cheese, allowing the cheese to melt
- Let cool to desired temperature and enjoy!

Left-Over Chinese...Something:
What was in my fridge: leftover Chinese noodle soup, chicken breast, onions, green peppers, garlic

There is an amazing authentic Chinese restaurant that a fellow researcher likes to go to. She spent 4 years studying in China and is fluent in Mandarin. This is a vital thing as the restaurant is so authentic, the menu is entirely in Chinese and the wait staff speaks minimal, if any, Spanish. Last time we were there, we ordered their popular chicken noodle soup equivalent and had a lot left over. While it was super tasty, I found myself craving something with a little more substance the next day. But the soup provided a wonderful base that I have no idea how to make, from which I could make a new and different meal.

The soup already had chicken, but not a lot, so I pulled out that frozen chicken breast a few hours before. The soup didn't need much seasoning, but I wanted to make sure the chicken was seasoned to complement the soup, so I sautéd it with the onion, some salt, pepper and curry. Added in the green pepper and stirred until cooked.

Since I was making a meal with something already cooked, I made sure not to add the pre made food until the last second so that it wasn't overcooked. I added in the soup with the chicken and veggies and cooked just until hot.

Happy cooking!

Cooking Cheap and Healthy(ish) for 1 - Part 1

The last blog was food for thought, now some thoughts on food!

Moving to Panama has challenged me in a lot of different ways. It has provoked many sessions of self-reflection and evaluation. My blogs are very much a byproduct of the new life I am experiencing and my desire to share it with anyone willing to listen.

Not everything I deal with is something that shakes my moral compass. Many times I am just trying to adapt to this new city and lifestyle. A big change that has nothing to do with my geographical location is that I am living on my own for the first time in my life, and because of that, the concept of cooking and grocery shopping only for myself is a truly foreign concept for me.

Some Cuisine Context:

In my childhood home, there is a magical place that is my mother's kitchen. The pantry is loaded with pastas, rices, boxed and canned ingredients, some bought and forgotten long ago. The spice cabinet is several shelves stocked high with most any seasoning you could possibly imagine. The freezers (yes plural) contain meats, fruits, breads and more! (no one really knows what lies at the bottom of that icy parallelepiped). The refrigerator is typically full of fresh vegetables, cheese of all sorts, more seasonings and sauces, and wonderfully delicious leftovers. Also to be found in this kitchen is almost every earthly invention one could desire to supplement the cooking experience.

Present-day Provender

With the move to my apartment in Panama City came the daunting task of making my own kitchen. Now, the kitchen itself was architecturally in-place, what I mean to say is that I needed to stock up on supplies that would allow me to cook for myself without needing to buy for a specific recipe every time I went to the supermercado. What I have learned may be of use to those of you out there who are also trying to cook for yourself on a budget. However, I believe I have found some tricks that may be useful to even those who are cooking for more than one, but who hate wasting food. It has taken 2 months, and I am definitely still learning, but there are a few tricks of the trade that I have learned while here.

Part I of this series of Kelly's Kitchen is about how to prepare your kitchen:

Supplies:

I was lucky to find an apartment with a fully stocked kitchen. We have an oven, stove, microwave and toaster. The kitchen interments are nothing close to my mother's. However, I find I don't have many problems cooking for myself with these essential items:

1. Knives: a pairing knife and a bread knife

2. Wooden spoon

3. Pans: a small frying pan and both a small and large sauce pan have helped me from everything from eggs to stir fry.

4. Cutting board: if necessary a plate or a clean counter can work, but you will probably end up ruining both that way.

5. Can opener

Non-Perishables

1. Sugar & Spice

The big three are a must: Sugar, Salt & Pepper. But what can really help out a bland dish are having a couple other spices such as curry, oregano and some form of cajun seasonings. Cinnamon is another wonderful spice to have that can be used for sweet and savory dishes. Vegetable or chicken broth packets/bouillon cubes are another kitchen must.

2. Sauces

For sandwiches, salads and stir-fry I keep mustard, italian seasoning and soy sauce on hand.

What's great about these is that each one can also be used to make great marinades.

Tomato Sauce: Sometimes you just don't want to deal with making sauce from scratch. You can get pre made jars or bags of tomato pasta sauces, which are always on-hand. I recommend getting the most basic ones, that way you can add your own flavoring to it. Tomato sauce is great for pastas, poultry, pizza, salsa or soup.

*New to the list, to be added once I go to the grocery, will be boxed wine for marinating and sauces.

3. Oil 

I have yet to buy butter since I have been here. Olive oil is healthier, and I find it to be a better way to cook as it doesn't give as heavy of a flavor to your food. It also does not require a refrigerator, which is nice when you are only allotted one shelf in the communal fridge. 

4. Cans

Canned vegetables are great additions to fresh vegetables, pastas and other dishes. Canned fruit is good to eat just as itself. A good note is to save the liquid that the canned fruit comes in. I like to add it to the juice concentrate I buy at the store; it makes it last even longer and gives it a new and tasty flavor! Both are good to have in case you run out of fresh fruit or vegetables or they go bad. When I came back from a week in San Blas/Guna Yala, I had remembered to get rid of any perishable items, but I had nothing but rice and spices to eat for dinner when I got home. 

5. Grains and Pasta

Rice is one of the best things to have in a kitchen. It's cheap and lasts for awhile. Pasta is another good thing to stock up on to add a little variety to your meals.

6. Chocolate

I try not to keep too much chocolate around. Fun-sized bars or individually wrapped Dove chocolates are good to satisfy my cravings for chocolate but keep me from over-indulging (most of the time).

7. Peanut butter (and Jelly) and Crackers

If you are allergic to peanuts this is a bad idea.

I am not allergic peanuts and I love the stuff. It's great as a snack or as a quick lunch. Besides having bread, I like to have crackers on-hand at all times because it takes a lot longer for them to go bad. Peanut butter can be used in a lot of things to help you get some protein in your diet and for a nice flavor. You can use it in stir-fry, your morning oatmeal, or with fresh fruit. Add some chocolate for an extra treat, like this chocolate peanut butter "fondu" I made in the microwave. Great with pineapple!

The empty jar is also super handy as tupperware.

Save $ & the environment by reusing jars.
The peanut butter container is now my salt holder

The Perishables:

1. Vegetables

These are the most important in terms of keeping you healthy and from just loading up on the carbs meal after meal. The kinds of vegetables to buy are really a preference thing for everyone, but try to buy local and in-season. Lucky for me there are fruit stands near my house open every day. Garlic should always be on the list. Besides that, I like to buy onions, red and green bell peppers, tomatoes and carrots. Unfortunately spinach is not widely available otherwise that would be on the top of my list as well. Try to buy smaller onions and tomatoes and peppers. That way you can use a whole one each time you cook, rather than half of one and trying to keep it from spoiling in the meantime. 

2. Fruit

This is the best snack to have on-hand. Again it's best to buy local and in-season. Another trick that I am still learning is to buy different levels of ripeness, that way the fruit can last you throughout the week rather than having to eat it all the first day or wait 4 days before you can eat any of it. If you find the fruit is getting too ripe before you have a chance to eat it, cut it up and freeze it. You can use it for smoothies, in your yogurt, or just as a snack. Frozen cantaloupe is delicious by itself. It gets a bit of a sorbet texture after being in the freezer for an hour or so. 

3. Bread

I finally stopped getting sliced bread and took a note from the French. Baguettes are the way to go. Good for sandwiches, easy pizza, dessert, etc.

4. Meat

I don't eat a lot of meat, but chicken is one of the best things to add to any meal. Buy several pieces of chicken (or any meat) at once and freeze most of it, SEPARATELY. Separate the chicken into ziplock bags of however big of portions you will want at any one time. For example, I buy boneless chicken breasts and freeze them separately.

5. Cheese

Again, this is your choice, but I like to keep around Monterey Jack or Sharp cheddar cheese. Something with a kick but that is also generic enough to be used in a lot of recipes.

So now that you are set with you kitchen, stay tuned for the next installment of Kelly's kitchen 

when I talk about how to make the most out of leftovers.

Who is Really The One Being Ripped-Off?

A constant annoyance of many expats when they are in foreign countries is that they get ripped-off because of their perceived nationality. While there is a recognition that yes, they really could afford $4 instead of $2 for a taxi,

“It’s the principle of the thing”

If you have ever thought this/agree with this statement, this entry is directed to you.

How many of us have traveled and wanted to fit in and to be treated like the locals? This desire seems to become especially strong when we in the “developed world” travel to the “developing world,” (I have already stated in a previous post my distaste for these sorts of labels, so I will not go off on a tangent here).

Just Creations - KY Fair Trade store

We want to hail a cab and get all the way across the city for the same cost as the locals do.

            Not for the price we pay in our own 

            taxis back home.

We want to buy fruit in the marketplace for the same price as the locals.

            Not for the price we would pay in 

            our supermarkets.

We want to buy crafts and souvenirs for half the price they tell us it is, because we know we are getting the “Gringo price”.

Not for the exorbitant prices we would find the same object in the international boutique back home.

When we are charged any more than this (and we find out about it), we are angry and feel that an injustice has taken place; that we have been tricked by “greedy” and “dishonest” people.

I remember this aggravation when I was in Ghana and Uganda. In Uganda I got in a fight with a taxi driver for what was the equivalent of $0.10 US. When I got mad at that taxi driver, I was granting myself the status of a local, merely because I happened to know enough Luganda to hear what the price was for everyone else on the bus.

It has taken me a good deal of experience, conversation with others, and self-reflection to realize what is so ironically wrong with this insistence that Muzungus and Gringas,  (insert any other term for western/white foreigner here) should be charged “fair” prices.

In its simplest form: We are NOT locals

What sets us apart in these interactions is that even if we are poor westerners, we are far wealthier than the average local of developing countries. So what is the issue?

The “fair” price is not fair:

Taxis 

Internet photo of Panama City tranque

Taxi drivers of developing countries spend long hours waiting in the horrendous traffic that one encounters in these typically overcrowded cities that have expanded far faster than their infrastructure can manage. Gas is expensive. In Panama City, the price of gas is about $3.90 a gallon. A “local price” to go across town in a taxi is about $3.  The same ride in the US would first of all be metered, meaning that you pay for sitting in traffic. An equivalent drive of 10 miles here in Panama City, after accounting for time wasted in traffic, would cost what I would estimate to be at least $30 in the US.

The “fair” local price hardly covers the price of gas. Depending on the traffic, it is likely that taxi driver will lose money.

Farmers

People in the US talk about working hard for their money. No doubt some of them do. But when it comes to paying someone fair wages for the actual level of work, who should be paid more? The person working 9-5 at a desk in an air-conditioned building, or the person working from sun up to sun down on a farm in the tropics.

We want “local” prices for vegetables and fruit that have been grown by hand and with minimal resources. Yet in the States we are willing to pay more for the products of factory farms owned by CEOs.

Crafts(wo)men

When we buy local art and crafts in these countries, we are told to bargain. (Depending on what you are buying, this might still be a good idea, but that may be a blog post for another time). But take the molas or the beadwork that the Guna women make. Each mola is hand-stitched using a technique that is unique to the Guna women. A regular-sized mola takes a couple months and is typically sold for around $30. The beaded anklets must be strung as they are wrapped around the leg or an equivalent-sized branch in order to perfectly line up the geometrical pattern. This careful skill is sold for $20. I would estimate that the same item made by a person in the US would be sold for $120 at the least.

The Big Picture

On a couple occasions, people have asked me what I think would solve “Africa’s problems”. There are MANY things wrong with this question, one of which being that as a minor in African Studies at a small liberal arts school in the US, I have absolutely no claim of expertise on this matter. However, I have a theory that is about as vague as this question. My theory is that aid is not the answer and neither is microfinance. The answer is trade and wages. The powerful countries of the world need to allow for actual fair trade that allows for the workers of the world to be paid legitimate wages for the hard work they are already doing. This of course means that the consumers of powerful countries must stop paying artificially low prices for goods. So those children who made the shirt you are currently wearing will get paid a minimum wage that will allow them to afford such things as, I don’t know, food. This means that you will then have less money to buy 10 more shirts.

People in developing countries deserve to be paid more for their work. I think that’s something most of us can get on board with. And maybe we can even agree that those with money should pay a little bit more. That’s why we support nonprofits like Anchal (A wonderful organization, please check them out).

I noticed a horrible hypocrisy in my actions:

I was preaching fair wages while at the same time I was trying to take full advantage of the unfair wages in the countries I was visiting.

We pay far more in developed countries than even the inflated “Gringo prices". What changes when we are in developing countries?

I can talk about what does NOT change:

Even at minimum wage, we in developed countries are still making far more money than the average person in a developing country. While I come from a country where the minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, I was demanding to pay the same price as someone in Uganda, where 30% of the population live on less than $1 per day.

And this is the sad part: a lot of the times they will give you the local price.

When it comes down to it, that taxi driver needs to be able to at least pay the cost of gas. So even if he isn’t going to make a profit, he still might take you. The Guna woman still wants to send her kids to school, so she might sell her months of specialized labor for $20. You walk away praising yourself for saving a couple bucks, they go home with the consolation that at least they didn’t lose as much money as they could have.

If they do try to take advantage of you, can you really blame them? Yes they try to get more money from you because you are a Gringo. Are they incorrect in their assumption that you have some money to spare? After all, you are able to spend time away from home not making money or subsistence farming. While you feel it a personal attack and a poor reflection on their character, what do they have to lose? You say no and they still have the same amount of money they started with. What shame should they have in trying to make ends meet.

The PRINCIPLE of the thing is that we live in an economically unequal world, and that we as holders of a disproportionate amount of wealth, have the ability to directly affect that. No we cannot end poverty, (despite what Bono and Jeffrey Sachs say), but we can limit our perpetuation of the system by paying the price we think is fair.*

* I must add a note that this advice is oversimplified for the benefit of that which is good blog-reading: a personal narrative that ends with an easily digestible and poignant message. Yet of course the issue is complex. For example: I believe that the growing and harvesting of plants is an incredibly difficult job, (Perhaps because I cannot grow a cactus without forgetting to water it enough). 

Yucca farm in Tamale, Ghana

A “fair” price for a pineapple might be $6.00 rather than $0.75. However, if I keep shelling out $60 at the local fruteria for my weekly groceries, I might run the risk of getting robbed for flashing that kind of green around Panama City. There is also a balance between recognition of labor and your own ability to pay inflated prices and being patronizing.

Living in a Desktop Image

I believe I may be in the running for having the best life ever. Not to make you all feel bad, but I'm about to do some quick comparisons:

From Only HD Wallpapers website

The Scenery:
Above, you see the typical island oasis image often relegated to desktop fantasies by many of those who spend their days laboring in front of a computer.
This was my backdrop for the past 9 days, which I spent without touching a computer or a cellphone:

(You'll have to excuse the fact that I did not have my SLR camera with me, so the quality of the photo does not do justice to the beauty of the Guna Yala/San Blas Islands.)


The Food:
Did you know the average supermarket apple
is 14 months old? - We bought this beautiful selection of fruits and veggies off a kayuko - sort of like a farmer's market that comes to your door, except it's a canoe that comes to your starboard.

Normally we are accustomed, (In the U.S. at least, particularly in landlocked areas such as my hometown) to seeing our seafood in gift wrapped packages of cellophane and styrofoam.

The tuna you see below was caught that day and sold to us a few meters from where it was caught for $1 each. Lobsters were $3 each.

Another dining option was free fish speared by our very own Captain Kevin.

The Neighborhood: 

Downtown living: On the larger islands you can be in walking distance of your job, the grocery, hospital and school. The big choice to make is whether you prefer running water or electricity...             

Adjoined islands Carazon de Jesus and Nargana (pictured to the left), are one of the more urban islands, with a mixture of huts and concrete homes plus electricity.

Population of each inhabited island town ranges from less than or around 100 to a couple thousand. 

The Established Locals and New Neighbors

A great place to raise a family:

There is no shortage of kids, as women start having babies pretty much as soon as they are biologically capable.

Public Pool/Playground

Kids have free range of the islands. The local playground is close-by and the swimming pool is crystal clear! Best of all there are no membership fees!

Morning traffic

Meeting Together for a Potluck

Only Guna indians are allowed to own property in Guna Yala, but that doesn't mean you can't become a part of the community, it just means that your life will be somewhat more aquatic.

You can't beat that morning commute! (I am compelled to admit the sailing community tends to be a bit geriatric).



Each night I was lulled to sleep by the calming rock of the boat, the sound of the surf and the glow of the moon and a sky full of stars.

Yesterday I stepped out of that desktop image with sea legs and some more melanin to ironically complement my growing understanding of albinism and how it is understood among the Guna people. I left the calming surf, the fresh ocean breeze, and the lulling rock of the Amuri Mina sailboat and returned to the unnerving sirens and tones of the city, the smog and the frustrations of the tranque (Spanish for traffic jam), and the solid tiles of my 5th floor apartment (which my inner ear still tells me is rocking).

I am glad to have fresh water and a shower, but I will greatly miss my pool/immediate air conditioner, the fresh and cheap food, and the ship's dress code; i.e. as little as you feel comfortable wearing.

This blog post would go on too long if I were to divulge every wonderful moment. To meet a nice balance between telling you what I experienced and meeting the demands of an easily digestible blog post, I will highlight a few of my favorite moments in a list:

• Rocking in the hammock between the masts of our sailboat in perfect peace as I looked on the beach lit by moonlight; its rays reflecting off the white, pristine sand, while being absorbed into the silhouetted palm trees.
• Guna children enjoying their childhood in the best playground there is. Their freedom to explore and freedom from stress is evident in their broad smiles and messy clothes. (It is my belief that there are very few occasions when small children should be wearing clothes without grass stains or dirt).
• Uagi's celebrity status. At every island we were greeted with inquiries as to the baby Uagi's whereabouts. A charming 2 month old, the son of Captain Kevin and Julie, Uagi ("Dolphin"in Guna) gained his popularity in his parents' decision not to return home to Canada or Germany, but to have their son on the island of Nargana.
• Snorkeling in the reefs. The water is so clear one almost doesn't need the mask and snorkel. An entirely different and incredibly diverse world lies just off-shore of many of the Guna Yala islands.

Hopefully what will come next is my move to Guna Yala for April and the beginning of May. I plan to live with a Guna family, probably on Nargana, and to spend this time interviewing and getting to know the people of Guna Yala. After one week in this tropical paradise, I decided it wouldn't be too difficult to stay a few more...



* If you or someone you know is interested in sailing in San Blas, I HIGHLY recommend Captain Kevin and his Sail San Blas tours.