Tag Archives: Community

Power outage, our community, and more kiting.

By the time our guests left on Sunday afternoon, our power and water had gone out. There is no great story here. We were just without power and water all afternoon and evening. We ate leftovers for dinner by candlelight – more spooky than romantic, given the spiders and creepy-crawlers around, then went for a short drive around town to see who had electricity. Then…what else were we going to do? We fell asleep.

Eating leftover chorizo and yogurt in the dark

On Monday and Tuesday, I started to get into a routine. I did some writing each morning poolside, then yoga, then dishes. On Monday I also took a walk to explore the neighborhood, as it were. Here are a few pics from that walk, to give you an idea of what’s around. These aren’t necessarily representative of Punta Chame as a whole, but rather just things I thought were interesting.

Both evenings we went down to Machete. The wind was too strong for Eric’s kite size (10 m) on Monday evening, so we just got drinks at the bar and sat on the beach to watch the sunset kiters…my favorite thing ever. On Tuesday, we walked the 1.4 miles to Machete together, and Eric went out in a mass of 25 or so kites and did a great job in all the traffic! I sat down with Itzick and Roco for a bit, and Itzick commented on how well Eric was doing. Then both Itzick and I took pictures of the bulldog in the sunset b/c, well, Roco’s awesome.

 

 

Itzick and Roco – can’t tell if Eric’s in the background or not. Sometimes it’s hard to tell at sunset.

 

 

Back in Raleigh!

We’re back in Raleigh!  We’re currently living back in our old house downtown, but in one of the bottom apartments instead of in the whole upstairs like we used to.  We’re doing the minimalist thing while we search for a house, so it ain’t pretty, but we’re comfortable.  And Addie has finally calmed down and settled in, which is important.  The poor dog has gone from this house to Asheville (with my parents) to Panamá to Asheville to this house (but the wrong part of it – she keeps trying to go upstairs where she belongs) all in the past 16 months or so.  She’s a little confused.

Addie

She obviously suffered at the hands of my parents.

It’s been exciting to reconnect with friends and family over the past week.  We were able to hang out with Eric’s parents, brother and sister-in-law, and their kids on our first day back.  My parents came the second day.  We visited my sister and her family on the third day.  During the following days, Eric reconnected with his frisbee group, I visited my dear friend Becca and her 10 month old, we had sushi with DRay and Sarah – who are soon to be married! – and spent another evening reconnecting with my sister’s family.  It’s been a great week.

Summer and Eric

Our 10 month old niece, Summer.

It’s been funny to see what cultural differences have made an impression on us.  I think the biggest thing I’ve noticed is that the grocery carts here are HUGE!  Panamá had two choices – a smaller and a larger size – but even the larger is no match for Kroger or Target’s carts.

 

And of course the driving has been different.  Although driving in Panamá is pretty intense, Eric and I both developed a deep appreciation for the mindset of drivers there.  Nearly every Panamanian driver pays close attention to the road at all times…because you kinda have to.  People don’t seem to get as angry with each other because they just expect that other folks are going to do crazy things – turn left from the right lane, ignore stop signs, turn a 2 lane road into a 3 lane, turn out in front of you, etc.  When you’re prepared for that, not only do you not get mad when it happens, but you start to do it too…which can be kinda fun.  I’ll miss it, for sure.  I’m a lot calmer and more attentive driver in Panamá.  Working on that one…

 

Another thing is my feeling of security.  I VERY rarely felt unsafe in Panamá.  I was cautious, of course, but I can’t remember a specific time when I felt nervous or worried about my safety.  Oddly, I think I felt more alike most of the folks there.  Or maybe I just didn’t notice the differences among others there because everyone was different from me…language, culture, color, everything.  Here, it’s easier to pick out the folks that I am alike and distinguish them from the folks that are different from me in smaller ways.  We share a language and a geographical background, so I focus in on the smaller details.  I’m not sure.  It’s a strange feeling and something I’m trying to work through as I’m writing this.  It makes me remember Panamá fondly, but also makes me realize how comfortable it is to be back.  I’m not sure if any of that makes sense…

Anyway, a couple of notes about the end of our Panamá adventure.

We went to our last Panamá fútbol game vs. Haiti…and WON!  We had lost the previous two games that we attended, so it was really cool to win our last one.  We got covered with celebratory flying beer, and loved it.  I also managed to get us two free tshirts from the group next to us, which came with an invitation to be in their group photos.  Fun!

IMG_7709

 

During our last weekend, a good part of the capoeira group gathered at our friend Auri’s place for a going away party.  Auri made arepas and empanadas – amazing – and Eric was happy.  Jessie also gave me a mug that says “Fula,” which is Panamanian for blondie.  Very sweet.

Kike! Again, pronounced Key-kay.
Dario’s former brother-in-law, Auri, Auri’s daughter Vicky, Mahalia, Jessie, Paola, and me
My girls!
Mahalia, Jessie, Paola

 

The next day, Eric and I took Lourdes just outside the city to her mom’s house so we could pick up her daughter Cari.  On the way back to the city, Lourdes began to feel really sick and had a lot of abdominal pain.  She insisted that she would be okay and just needed to go home, so we dropped her off, bought a few groceries for her, delivered them to her house, then left with a promise to check on her the next day.  Early the following morning, she texted me to let me know that she was heading to the emergency room because she had been sick all night and was still in a lot of pain.  I rushed out of the house, picked her up at work, and took her to the ER.  Luckily, she turned out to be fine – it was a gastrointestinal thing that they said could be cured by laying off the greasy food.  Hard to do in Panamá.

Eric and Lourdes – sweet friends.
Poor Lourdes in the ER waiting room.
Check out the wooden wheelchair!

 

The night before we left, we tried a restaurant called Donde José in Casco Viejo.  Only 4 small tables plus 4 seats at the bar.  10 courses.  Pure amazingness.  Definitely competed with the Fearrington House Restaurant outside of Chapel Hill, which had previously been my favorite splurge restaurant.  The food was absolutely spectacular.  Interesting combinations, wonderful flavors, very creative.  And beautiful!  Look!

The couple from Birmingham with which we spent a good deal of the evening talking.
Pork belly – usually not my fave, but this was just perfect!
Pulpo – octopus. I just can’t do it. Left this one for Eric. But the shell/crust thing is just milk. Very strange.
Can’t remember what was special about this, but isn’t it the cutest chicken wing ever?
The tiniest pot of a “levantamuertos.” That literally means dead-raiser, and is a word used for a hangover cure! Oyster stew.
This was one of the best courses. A yuca waffle with yogurt and some kind of…maybe honey syrup?
Course #1, a cheese fritter with truffle sauce and flowers….because flowers.
We fancy.

 

After dinner, our sweet friends Lourdes and Mono came over, as well as our British neighbor Elliott from upstairs.  As is always the case with them, we had a great time talking and laughing.  Elliott ended up staying until nearly 1…then left with plans to meet us at 6 am for the sunrise on the roof of our building.

 

5:55 am came and Eric and I actually got out of bed.  We banged on Elliott’s door on the way up…no answer.  We went up to the roof anyway, and it was just gorgeous.  We each made one last climb up to the very tip-top of the building, a place with one skinny wobbly handrail and a tilted inclined walk up to the point.  It’s scary, but the view is worth the climb.

 

Now that we’re back home, I have about a week and a half more before I return to my old job at North Carolina Prisoner Legal Services.  I’ll be doing civil work, which is what I was originally hired to do back in 2011.  It is also exactly what I want to be doing.  I’ll also be serving as our intake attorney, which means working with my dear friend Elizabeth, the paralegal with whom I worked on my big class action case for about 5 years.  I’m very excited.

 

Eric has his office set up at a folding table in the kitchen of our little apartment and seems happy enough for the time being.  His office is just a short walk from here, so he also has the option to actually put on pants and go in, should he chose to do so.  Kidding…he’s actually very good about hopping up, showering, putting on real clothes, and going into work mode at home.

 

Thanks so much for all of your support over the past year and a half.  It’s been an adventure, and we were so glad to have all of you checking in on us and following our story.

 

 

Batizado photos – Unidos Pela Capoeira 2015!

I’ve been avoiding writing this post because I’m overwhelmed by how amazing an experience the batizado proved to be.  Not to mention the fact that I have over a thousand photos from the week, thanks to Eric!  I’ll attempt to sum it up for you…

As I said in my last posts, it was hard.  I worked harder that week than I ever have – physically, at least.  It was hot.  The gym was stuffy and once a day someone would get the brilliant idea to turn off the fans so we could hear the mestres speak.  Personally, I’d rather not die of heatstroke and just plan on reading body language and hand signals, but no one asked me.  But gosh…it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.  Amazing people from all over, all working hard together, all encouraging, all with a sincere desire to improve…completely committed to this crazy sport and to the people who practice it.  It was inspiring.  The mestres were incredible, not only to watch play, but to play against…talk about a challenge.  Yet I always had a smile on my face in the roda because I was falling more and more in love with capoeira…with the mandinga – the malice or clever trickiness with which capoeira is played.

We’re also blessed with incredibly friendly, easy-to-talk-to mestres.  This was particularly important to me as a non-Portuguese speaker.  Everything was done in Portuguese, so I had to rely on my Spanish knowledge to interpret what I could from what they said.  It took a lot of work, and plenty of interpretation help from friends, but throughout the week I picked up a lot.  Eric, however, was less than pleased when I came home speaking a few phrases in yet ANOTHER new language.  He’s finally warming up to Spanish…I don’t think I’ll push it with Portuguese just yet.  I do, however, want to continue learning on my own, as it’s so important to capoeiristas.

Getting to the next level in capoeira is not just about the physical aspects of the sport.  You must also learn to play all the instruments, sing in Portuguese (eventually leading the songs for everyone…eek!), learn history, learn the language, and work diligently within your school.  As you move to the higher levels, you are depended upon to help teach classes, work with lower level students, work with the kids’ classes, etc.  It’s really easy to come up with capoeira-related tasks/events for every day of the week.  This isn’t a sport that you really want to pick up casually…or at least I don’t.  I’m in, and I love it.  I want to stay in, although I’m nervous about how that will look once we move back to the States after having it be my whole world here.

With that, some photos.  First, a few of our special guests and teachers, Mestre Barriga, Contra Mestre (CM) Ivan, and Contra Mestre Rodrigo.

Jessie and the mestres – serious as always!
CM Ivan, Mestre Barriga, CM Rodrigo llegando a Panamá
CM Ivan in Casco Viejo. I love this shot! Not mine…
CM Ivan in Casco Viejo.
CM Rodrigo in his signature pose. I don’t know where it originated, but most photos throughout the week featured someone in this pose. Oh, and that’s Jhonnatan with him. Nickname: Por que…b/c he asks a lot of questions.
Mestre Barriga
Árabe, Paola, George y CM Rodrigo at the rooftop pool at Jessie’s apartment.
Mono y Contra Mestre (CM) Ivan
CM Ivan
CM Rodrigo
CM Ivan and CM Rodrigo

Hanging out throughout the week before and the week of the event:

Profesor Apaxe from Colombia. He’s the one who I played against on stage on the last day in order to get my green cord. He also awarded me my cord. Great salsa dancer too!
Hanging out with Árabe in our cool shades.
Mono has gotten to be a really good buddy to me. A great coach, an encourager, and a dear friend.
When you put a capoeirista in a pretty setting, you can guarantee that theyll end up upside-down and asking you to take a picture of them
The guys watching the girls do a little samba on Árabes birthday. Not obvious at all there, boys.
Jessie! My sweet gringa friend.
Our gorgeous view!

Kids’ class, random practice photos:

Red light, green light, but with a mestre. Fun!
The guys practicing the Puxada de Rede (roughly, the pulling of the net…a classic Brazilian dance).
CM Rodrigo leading the kids’ class on the final day of the batizado. They had a blast with him!
Daughters of two friends (Auri’s daughter Vicky and Lourdes’s daughter Sara)
CM Rodrigo helping a little girl to do a cartwheel or au.
The roda is a little different when you have a giant man playing against a tiny little girl. Hilarious. So sweet.
Some of the kids have some serious talent!
Auri’s daughter Vicky trying to push CM Ivan down. Not technically a thing in capoeira, but gosh it was amazing to see how he could stay in his handstand while she shoved him! Hilarious too.
Prof. Apaxe spinning on his head because, well, he can.
Flying!
After the kids’ class.
All the kids under CM Rodrigo’s influence…for better or worse!

Okay, I still haven’t gotten to the final show, but I think I’ll leave that for another day.  Thanks to everyone who’s asked about the event!

We’re flying to Madrid tomorrow night.  We’ll go through Tangier (Morocco), spend Christmas in Salamanca, visit a friend in Barcelona for a few days, then head back to Madrid to fly back to Panamá.  We get back here on Dec. 30…then Eric heads to Raleigh from Dec. 31 – Jan. 9th!  Whew!  Busy!