Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Punta Gorda is a town of about 6,000 people commited to helping save our planet. Conservationists have conviced local authorities that the best way to attack the world's energy crises to lead by example. The solution: cut the flow of current to the entire southern district, without warning, during peak consumption hours. Some would say, "Extreme," but to us it's living greeeeeen!

Being without electricity isn't as bad as it sounds. It not only breaks up the day, but makes room for those tasks that don't seem to get accomplished when the lights are on! For example, Cristina took advantage of yesterday's outage with a team building exercise. Always the 'go-getter,' within 30 minutes of the shut off she had the staff piled in her pick up truck headed straight to the mountains. En route to Blue Creek we made brief, but necessary, stop to take a dip in the river for which the village it is named. That out of the way, we were able to complete our mission of dropping off a book donation to a local school. Tumulkin high school is locally renowned in that incorporates classes in traditional Maya trades into its curriculum: basket weaving, canning, bee farming, butchering, music and dance. The students are so successful in their practices that their preserves and honey are sold in shops around town! During todays outage Morvin climbed up one of the tree is Cristina's yard, wacked off a bunch of coconuts, and we enjoyed a mid afternoon snack- yum :D

After meeting for a second time with the pricipals where JCS supports students, all seems to be in place for the peer tutoring program to commence. Tuesdays & Thursday I will spend at Julian Cho Technical High School and Wednesday afternoons at Toledo Community College.

The upcoming weekend boasts two great outings: a visit to the farmer's market and an overnight voyage to one of the keys.
Until next time......


Growing pains by ANITA

My child-eyes cried for chocolate treats...And sticky sweets...'Twill rot yu' teet'!
Tinkly silver wrapper hides...Germs....Worms....Decay....How can a child-eye see?
This child-heart cried for mid-teen love....A blow, a shove.......Study yuh' book!

Leather jacket.....Football boots......Are not the most sought-after truths...

How can a child-heart know?

So watch the young-girl-heart take wing!....Watch her groove.....And watch her swing

She's old enough....She's strong and tough.

She'll see beneath the silver wrapper...beneath the flashy football boots...

She'll find the great sought-after truth.

That child-eye tears are not as sad......And child-heart pain is not as bad...As grown-up tears and grown-up pain...

Oh Christ, what do we have to gain...

From growing up....For throwing up...Our childlike ways..

For dim.....Disastrous.....Grown-up days

1 comment:

  1. we used to have powercuts in Sri Lanka...it is hard at the beginning and then you get used to it...it just seems like something you could never do in the US...we are so dependent on electricity!

    Coconuts...ah...makes me miss home. Did you like them?

    Inthu

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