I live in Panama, nine degrees north of the equator. There's a little over an hour difference between the shortest and longest day of the year. Supposedly, there's a wet and dry season, but in Bocas it's more like wet and wetter. In other words, today was a lot like yesterday and chances are will be a lot like tomorrow.
I live in Calante, an indigenous community about 3 hours from electricity. The idea of commerce and calendars and deadlines is relatively new. There's a small group of daily activities that children learn to carry out through adulthood like harvesting food from the finca, looking for firewood, or washing clothes in the river. In other words, today was a lot like yesterday and chances are will be a lot like tomorrow.
I have two years to integrate with a community, decide what work there is to be done, carry out that work, evaluate progress, and make any final plans for the future of the community. After my two year deadline, I will pack my bags and head back to the States.
I came to Calante with a head full of ideas about scheduling, planning, time. I have an internal clock telling me I only have X amount of time left to make an impact on the community (it's the same clock that tells me I only have X amount of time left until I return to the US). These are all new ideas out here. There are no deadlines. There is no pressure to get things done (I'll address "progress" in another blog at some point). They will get done when they are done.
When the days, weeks, years run together there isn't the pressure to complete something. When time is thrown out the window, you're just left with lower blood pressure and things slooowww waaaay doooowwwn. And it can be frustrating at times, trying to motivate people to work on this arbitrary schedule. After all, long after I leave, they will still be collecting firewood, having children, and maybe getting around to that aqueduct. But I just have to remember that I was born into a world of watches and calendars with cute puppies for each month. Heck, even California gives a subtle nod to the idea of seasons.
The sticking point is who has it right. It's easy for an outsider to drop in, dismiss Ngabes as lazy, and head back to their world where machines make every task easier. But they may be on to something. I always had a bad habit of living for the future. I was constantly thinking about the next step. What´s next after Peace Corps? Whoa. I´m still here for another year and a half. I feel like sometimes I've been so involved in the future that I forgot to enjoy the here and now. I have to admit when I'm in my site, I spend a lot more time in the present. Sure some days can sometimes approach monotony, but I've never lived so much in the moment. And it helps you to enjoy it. I enjoy my morning cup of coffee. I enjoy my hike to a neighboring village. I enjoy my waiting the obligatory hour after the meeting time for people to show up. I enjoy digging that ditch to lay more tube. I've never been so here. I've never been so now. Makes you think.
I live in Calante, an indigenous community about 3 hours from electricity. The idea of commerce and calendars and deadlines is relatively new. There's a small group of daily activities that children learn to carry out through adulthood like harvesting food from the finca, looking for firewood, or washing clothes in the river. In other words, today was a lot like yesterday and chances are will be a lot like tomorrow.
I have two years to integrate with a community, decide what work there is to be done, carry out that work, evaluate progress, and make any final plans for the future of the community. After my two year deadline, I will pack my bags and head back to the States.
I came to Calante with a head full of ideas about scheduling, planning, time. I have an internal clock telling me I only have X amount of time left to make an impact on the community (it's the same clock that tells me I only have X amount of time left until I return to the US). These are all new ideas out here. There are no deadlines. There is no pressure to get things done (I'll address "progress" in another blog at some point). They will get done when they are done.
When the days, weeks, years run together there isn't the pressure to complete something. When time is thrown out the window, you're just left with lower blood pressure and things slooowww waaaay doooowwwn. And it can be frustrating at times, trying to motivate people to work on this arbitrary schedule. After all, long after I leave, they will still be collecting firewood, having children, and maybe getting around to that aqueduct. But I just have to remember that I was born into a world of watches and calendars with cute puppies for each month. Heck, even California gives a subtle nod to the idea of seasons.
The sticking point is who has it right. It's easy for an outsider to drop in, dismiss Ngabes as lazy, and head back to their world where machines make every task easier. But they may be on to something. I always had a bad habit of living for the future. I was constantly thinking about the next step. What´s next after Peace Corps? Whoa. I´m still here for another year and a half. I feel like sometimes I've been so involved in the future that I forgot to enjoy the here and now. I have to admit when I'm in my site, I spend a lot more time in the present. Sure some days can sometimes approach monotony, but I've never lived so much in the moment. And it helps you to enjoy it. I enjoy my morning cup of coffee. I enjoy my hike to a neighboring village. I enjoy my waiting the obligatory hour after the meeting time for people to show up. I enjoy digging that ditch to lay more tube. I've never been so here. I've never been so now. Makes you think.
