Isabel Allende

On my last two trips to South America (Colombia & Brazil), I brought an Isabel Allende novel [The House of the Spirits & Eva Luna].  Her long form descriptions and ability to transcend reality bringing her reader through a mystic journey perfectly complemented my own travels and travails. Maybe it was the headspace I was in, or the long bus rides, or just simply her talent as a writer that allowed me to escape cualquier physical space I was in at the moment, and be taken to the alternate reality she created.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from Eva Luna -House of Spirits coming soon-

pg. 8: “That is the Most Holy Virgin Mary,” the nun explained to her. “She is God?” “No, she is the Mother of God.” “Yes, but who has the say in heaven, God or his Mama?”

pg. 43: “There is no death, daughter. People only die when we forget them…If you can remember me, I will be with you always.”

pg. 53: “You’re grown up now, and I can’t keep you. You’ll have to go to work and earn your living and be strong, the way it should be,” said my madrina. I was seven years old.

pg. 70: At night she slept in her coffin, partly to become accustomed to it, to lose her fear of it, and partly to irritate the patrona, who never got used to the idea of a coffin in her house.

pg. 76: He even wrote a letter to the Ministry of Trade, suggesting the possibility of towing an iceberg from the polar zone, crushing i, and scattering it from airplanes to see whether it might change the climate and combat the laziness of his country men.

pg. 141: …but many had no way to pay because only rarely did they have money in hand. They were, in fact, suspicious of the paper money that today was worth something and tomorrow might be withdrawn from circulation, according to the whim of the current leader, printer paper that could vanish if you turned your back–as did happen with the collection for Aid to Lepers, devoured by a goat that ambled into the treasurer’s office.

pg. 164: I believed I had become truly invisible.

pg. 173: Rolf Carle began working with señor Aravena the same month the Russians launched a space capsule containing a dog. Rolf’s Uncle Rupert was infuriated when he heard the news: “That’s the Soviets for you, they don’t even respect animals!”

pg. 187: “As I approached my seventeeth year, I grew to my full height and my face became the face I have today. I stopped examining myself in the mirror to compare myself to the perfect beauties of the movies and magazines; I decided I was beautiful–for the simple reason I wanted to be….

I began to wonder if anything truly existed, whether reality wasn’t an unformed and gelatinous substance only half-captured by my senses. There was no proof that everyone perceived it in the same way; maybe Zulema and Riad, Halabi and others had a different impression of things; maybe they did not see the same colors or hear the same sounds I did. If that were true, each of us was living in absolute isolation. The thought terrified me..

pg. 203: It took a constant effort of imagination to fill in the parts of my past that were missing. Even my mother was an ephemeral shadow I had to sketch clearly in my mind each day if I was not to lose her in the labyrinths of memory.

pg. 214: …although she was a vegetarian, she ate like a rabbit.

pg. 281:…then sell me a past, because mine is filled with blood and lamentation, and I cannot use it in my way through life.

The other component I found out about half way through the House of the Spirits is that everything she wrote was deeply rooted in political history and representative of a time of serious unrest within Chile. Choose to read into the history of these battles and the experience reading her novels may be that much more enriched; I have not, but plan to do so then reread the novels in Spanish… 🙂

vocabulario

estudiando para el GRE — una lista de (algunas) palabras que necesito aprender! 

deified — deify — worship

probity — having strong moral/ethical principles

renowned – famous // enduring – long lasting

acerbic – sharp and foresight

caustic – sarcastic in a scathing and bitter way

to keep abreast of a topic is to remain current to – abreast side by side

taciturn – reserved / quiet / doesn’t disclose much

tepid – showing little enthusiasm

quixotic – unrealistic and impractical

panned — reviewed negatively

venerate – to regard with great respect

coda – ending conclusion

simpatico (english) of the same mind

presciently – seeing into the future

inure – accustomed to something

effusive – demasiado / expressing gratitude in and unrestrained or heartfelt manner

maudlin – self-pitying

syncopate – often in music so strong beat or accents become weak and vice versa

amortize-  reduce or extinguish – gradually

quagmire – awkward / complex / hazardous situation

recidivists – those who return to committing a crime

deft – neat and skillful in one’s movement

consanguineous – relating to the decedents of the same ancestors

chary of – cautious or suspicious of – wary of

fecund – capable of producing new growth / fertile

progeny – off spring

ephemeral – lasting for a short time

desuetude – state of disuse

restive – stubborn, hard to keep still or silent, impatient

puissant – having great power or influence

sanguine – cheerful/optimistic

verdent – green/lush also signifying new/unexperienced

castigated – reprimanded severely

convivial- outgoing cheerful

facetious – treating something serious/grave with not respectable humor

novel – new

artifices – clever or cunning devices to trick from the truth

pedantry — obsessive concern with minute details and rules

pulchritude – beauty

minutiae – small, precise, trivial details of something

probity — quality of having strong moral

ascetic — severe self-discipline, typically from religious reasons

profligate — recklessly extravagant or wasteful

hedonism — pursuit of pleasure

fledging — novice

flagging apparently also means tired..

olio/melange — mixture / medley

wry – expressing humor/mockery

dearth – widespread lack of something – famine etc

quietus — death of causing something death

fetid– smelling extremely unpleasant

wizened – shrunken with age

traipse – walk or move warily

Medicinal Plants

At my new house, I don’t have internet or cell service so I have just been reading all of the books on medicinal plants. I compiled this list, enjoy!

Aloe Vera: (also similar to mozote de caballo)

Use:

The gelatin inside the leaf is used to alleviate skin problems such as burns, sunburn, insect bites, cuts, bruises, eczema, psoriasis, fungal infections, and acne. It is also use on strains and sprains prevent arthritis/reduce inflammation around joints & as hair conditioner! If you ingest it treats problems like heartburn, constipation, and a lot associated with liver, gallbladder, kidney, and bladder problems.

Prepare:

Cut leaf in section and lubricate area of interest

OR separate gelatin from skin, add water, and blend (add papaya to improve flavor and enhance healing properties!)

Basil:

Use:

Improves digestion and prevents fermentation and gas in digestive tract – also used as a mild nerve tonic – eat in foods or steep in hot, not boiling, water for 5-10 minutes with honey (good for body cramps!)

Borage:

Reduce fevers and accelerate recover of patients with colds/flew (if used in excess can experience nausea/vomiting)

Prepare:

1 tsp of dried herb to 1 teacup of hot water – drink more than 2-3 cups a day for up to a week

Broom weed: (yes used to make brooms too!)

Externally an effective medicine as good skin wash and for infections and injuries – drinking tea to alleviate colds/flue/coughs/fever/burning urine

Prep:

1 cup of fresh leaves in 3 cups of water for 5 minutes – drink between meals

Castor Bean:

Constipation/anti-inflammatory/analgesic/parasites (also wormseed good for this – targets parasite with no secondary effects)

Prep:

1-2 tbsps of oil with glass of warm water

Cayenne:

Antiseptic/antibacterial – as oil used to free digestive tract of unwanted microbes, increase circulation and provide relief for colds/flu

Prep: Seasoning frequently to prevent health problems or mix warm water/ lemon/ honey/ garlic/ ginger

Chamomile:

Tea for sleep/eyewash/improve digestion/mild calmative

Cilantro/Cinnamon: Steep 1 tbsp of leaves with 1 L of water (combine mints if want) for treating upset stomach, vomiting, and diarrhea

Cornsilk:

Kidney stones/burning urine/bladder infection

Dry out cornsilk and add 1tbsp to 1 L of water – if not using immediately store in airtight container

Dandelion:

Inflammation/pancreas and liver problems/acne/skin diseases/anemia/age spots/water retention/low blood pressure/heart burn/insomnia/cramps and much much more

Can mix young leaves in salad but root is most potent part of plant. Boil 1 teaspoon of powdered root into 1 cup of water – drink between meals

Dwarf Poinciana:

Soak leaves in a hot bath to treat sluggishness and depression

Ginger – tons that we already know add in about any tea but also supposed to be good substitute for coffee!

Gumbo Limbo

Ingest the bark for fever/vomiting/parasites/kidney & bladder problems/cold/flu/sunstroke

Cut 10×30 cm piece of bark and then chop and boil it in about 4 L of water for about 10 minutes – tea can also be used for skin wash!

Hibiscus – best for cramps!

Hoja de estrella –

Only externally – sore muscles/skin problems/acne and pain/swelling/ headaches

Maceration by crushing leaves with fingers/blenders or boil 2 handfuls in 4L of water for about 10 minutes

Horsetail – also easily found as pill in supermarket

Kidney/bladder problems – prevent hair loss, stimulate nail growth, strength teeth/bones/skin, also used as skin wash

Lemon grass – good as tea but also used to ward off mosquitos when brewing!

Noni – easiest to find in “wild” smells awful!! (from experience also tastes horrible raw..)

Run on skin to absorb facial oil or to dry out pus from infected sore or boil

Also relieve symptoms of arthritis/diabetes/remove head lice (also pokeweed & rat killer tree good for lice)/or to staunch bleeding from deep cuts

Drink after you strain and blend fruit with pineapple or a citrus OR make a poultice (grind up more or less) and apply to skin

Papaya: Eat or make into juices (with aloe vera too!) to treat host of digestive problems or use rind of fruit to heal skin problems or “simply as a beauty treatment” – sap of trunk good for treating warts

Passion Flower – easy to spot

“Emergency herb for nervous disorders, particularly insomnia, hysteria, depressions, and nervous headaches” also ground seeds good for deworming agent

“Half-fill a glass container with leaves then top off with vodka. Seal the container and shake the bottle vigorously once a day for three weeks. Decant the liquid and store in a dark bottle for future use. Use 15-60 droplets per day for about a week. Use sparingly to avoid overdoses.”

Prickly pear cactus – very easy to grow in kitchen

Pulp used to treat skin disorders and digestive problems – also used as an INSECT REPELLANT

Prep:

Carefully peel the rind from the stem segments and chop the inner pulp into small squares. Soak the pulp in water overnight. In the morning the liquid will be very mucilaginous. Drink 3-4 glasses per day between meals. ALSO use chopped pulp to make a meal called nopal from Mexico – peel stem segments, cut the pulp into squares then coat pulp with breadcrumbs and bake!

Sansevieria:

SNAKE BITES – chew on leaves to remedy venomous SNAKE BITES –

Can also drink or use as skin wash much like aloe vera – also used to feed chickens and keep them healthy..

Required Reflection Essay

Symbols of reflection throughout the country of Costa Rica, through the hammocks on every patio or the tranquility of the water ways, have been points of meditation woven into the fabric of the culture. Through months of foresight and preparation to the contemplation as an intregal part of my time in the country, three fundamental lessons have been imparted to me. In my interaction with the farmers of infinite importance was the development of listening skills, not only of hearing, but also absorbing the experiences and wisdom shared. This paradigm has also exposed the faults within compartmentalization of ideas, as well as the need for intersectionality of disciplines within academia. Having been exposed to life within small communities has eccentuated the significance of local markets indigenous to that country as well as a larger less defined impact on global markets.

 

With Gregory Schwartz, a doctoral geography student at the University, we have aimed to give a voice to the people who are most often not heard, or not taken seriously. We have spoken to the farmers in the Osa Peninsula, those who participate in the Payment for Environmental Services program and those who do not, with a special emphasis on the voice of the female land owner. I worked months in advance to put myself in a position to be an asset during the research process.

 

Throughout this experience, I have learned the power of being a good listener directly as I learn Spanish and through each interview. First, is the underlying factor that I was not fluent in Spanish. I spent time in Colombia before arriving to Costa Rica, and in my the first couple of weeks in Colombia, I was forced to just listen — to listen to the accents, to listen to direction, and to learn as much as I could through every conversation with my Colombian friends. This process of observation, of diligent attendance to every word said, contributed to my ability to listen with patience and humility to the farmers. Beyond studying the accounts and perspectives of famers for our theses, we are here to provide an open and gentle ear to their narratives. Vigilance, commitment, and conscientiousness for their feelings and opinions contribute vitally to the listing component of the interviews. In addition, these characteristics are essential to guiding the time spent with farmers in constructive manners to receive the information they can offer to our specific studies of these incentive programs they are involved in. This adeptness comes from not being silent and writing notes, but rather being engaged through body language, through eye contact, through nonjudgmental and generous insights that allow them to feel safe and comfortable. We allow ourselves to be a medium through which they can vent, anonymously, and know that their concerns are truly being heard.

 

Through these interviews, 85 in total, I have been made aware of a wealth of issues that I did not previously think could have been intertwined to my studies. This complexity has illuminated the dynamic real-world relationships between history, anthropology, government, and ecology. For example, when one questions how farmers think of land conservation or sustainable agriculture, we must remember that we, in the west, have coined these terms. While the farmers are passionate about land conservation, they are still trying to make a livelihood for their families from generations of farming. The majority of the farmers have less than a fifth-grade education, and words like “environment” or “sustainability” are not simply ideas but lived realities that are intricately interwoven and rooted, ultimately, in the welfare and survival of the farmers themselves as people who live off the land. A proper academic approach, I discovered, should not isolate the study of agriculture, economics, or conservation, but view them from a more holistic, integrated perspective. This integration, I believe, can allow our studies to provide both academic understanding and practical application.

 

Last, this understanding of the history and economics in Costa Rica has magnified the importance of “going local” on a global scale. If the rapid increase in tourism does not result in direct income to the local Costa Rican economy, we will see devastatingly negative effects. Living and working in this small, semi-isolated community, I have seen the direct impact of my purchasing power on the local economy, where community members directly benefit from the items of sale, from where you chose to eat, to hotel accommodations, and the general products one buys. Here the majority of my purchases are “local,” which stands in contrast to the ways people operate economically in more developed nations. Supporting a local economy not only provides an outlet for your neighbors to sell goods, but also severely reduces the amount of resources used to transport goods both nationally and internationally.

 

My experience in Costa Rica has both increased my passion for the interdisciplinary study of geography and convicted me of its importance, especially in its ability to address sustainable growth throughout the developing world. Actively listening has taught me the importance of being critically engaged at all times, and to constantly connect ideas and perspectives. My time in this small community has also shown me the pervasive influence that international markets can have on developing regions, and the complex ways in which international trade and tourism affects a developing nation, providing both challenges and opportunities for its people and its ecosystem. In addition to studying these economic and sociological trends, I have also been excited to learn more about the physical processes that produced the topography of Costa Rica. Overall, I feel enormously lucky to have had this experience, and believe that it has complemented my academic studies in giving me practical understanding and insight, as well as a wider perspective from which to critically engage in the literature of my field.

History and Themes in Osa So far.

The problem is not whether people are living on the land or not—we have seen and proven that yes, people and animals can live in unison, successfully, the problem is when we are so incredibly demanding, so overtly exploitative of all the land has to offer that animals and “wildlife” and humans can not coexist. We need to be looking for a future in which such reality exists – allow farmers to cultivate complex –Agroforestry and do what they do best. Which is grow a diversity of plants that are local, seasonal, and allow for us to live locally, organically, and sustainably. I don’t understand how we can be trying to get away from that especially in a country that desires to live so strongly in unison with the environment – its external forces…fucking united states… we have to look for ways to sustain local produce – we see changes not only in land use and conservation but in humans health – they will start seeing the rapid decline in health that we have in the states and that all countries with high processed goods are seeing. That is another reason I am strongly interested in plastics and packaged goods… the constant reminders that we are a part of this beautiful world are vital to the continued life of both sides…

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History, themes and future of the Osa Peninsula

All went down hill in the 1980s – first Latin-American country to default on international debt, which forced them into being at the limbs of the international / western community

• Quit subsidies to agriculture – neoliberalism ideologies of opening up trade to international communities to source goods from the “cheapest” places

• Killed the local farmer and eradicated the port in Puerto Jimenez in which farmers could sell their goods

• This also ruined the system in which the government provided seeds and steady market prices for the produce of farmers
• This was one of the first steps in the decline of farmers and peoples in the mountains
PROJECT TO TRACK THE DECLINE OF SCHOOLS WITHIN THE REGION

Secondly, the government, potentially through pressure from international communities, began buying (or maybe other countries bought) the land for national parks and reserves. On one hand this led the forced movement of farmers off of their land – government (or others…) bought land at very cheap prices.
PROJECT TO TRACK THE ABANDONED HOUSES IN CORCOVADO PARK

• Corcovado is one of the only established national parks that is entirely owned by the “state” or at least no private land owners, unlike Piedras Blancas that is 70% private land owners. they are basically trapped inside their land – need to research what they can actually do?
In the past the land was severely threatened by loggers and gold mining, and while these still devastate the area, palma//palm oil the plantations have a much stronger presence in the lives of farmers.

• Lots of propaganda in which they truly believe the palma is great for the animals/land/environment and a win-win situation because they are making a ton of money.

• Even if the majority of people are not living within the national park borders they are more often than not within the biological/forest reserve –what are the categorical differences between the two?

• Gold mining still exists within the national park and there is a lot of gold in the rivers of the farmer’s properties.
The properties are rich in materials to extract and profit from, but the majority of the people do not know how much all of the plants are worth and do not have any interest in extracting goods from the forest. The majority is not even taking wood from the forest. They have no desire to exploit the forest, but when companies show up and want to plant teka or molina or palma it is hard to resist the incredible profits that can be made from these materials.

PROJECT IS TO TRULY INVESTIGATE THE GOLD MINING IN THE PARK

THE POSITIVE ALTERNATIVE IS TOURISM…OR INCENTIVES…

• Problems with tourism
o Roads/promotion/establishment of tourism projects – need upfront costs/need to speak English/need to have access to promote your business/it is seasonal…

• Incentives
o Positives: allows the farmers to stay on their land within a reserve area or in an ecologically sensitive area and not feel pressured to “harm the environment” through poor agriculture practices or through hunting or extracting wood, a positive source of income, pride in the biodiversity of their land, allowing humans and animals to live in harmony and respect each other

o Negatives: farmers are not getting the money, or if they are it is hardly enough to actually sustain a healthy lifestyle, subject to exorbitant amounts of processing fees and paperwork that is truly debilitating to the continuation incentives and is an inhibiting factor to other farmers that cannot pay or complete the paperwork

If the Costa Rican government continues this process of urbanizing the population and expanding the national parks systems in which the majority of their territory is not being “used” by their people, where do they think that will get them? There is in fact a growing middle class and their population is largely urbanized, but as we are seeing in the states we cannot have a population sustained on imported and processed foods. This “neoliberal” mindset that we need to consolidate might be to the advantage of Costa Rica’s conservation objectives but harmful to the mental, political, financial, and physical health of their people. Although they do have pretty good sanitation rates, literacy rates, and general hygiene, it is mentally debilitating to feel as though you do not have the right to your land. Furthermore, several farmers do not technically have land ownership, just possession and the process of acquiring such titles also involves several years of paperwork and processing fees that they often do not complete the process.

PROJECT LAND INSECURITY AND OWNERSHIP IS A HUGE PROBLEM NOT ONLY FOR THE FARMERS BUT ALSO THE COSTA RICAN GOVERNMENT

–PARRALLES IN HOW THE COSTA RICAN GOVERNMENT IS DEFAULTING ON DEBT AND THEIR TREATMENT OF SMALL FARMERS — Farm as collateral to banks – primary forest as collateral to international community

PROJECT CHANGE IN LAND USE AND AGRICULTURE OVER TIME –land ownerships changes over time//crop changes//deforestation rates//places of high risk

PROJECT ELEVATION PROFILES OF NEW PROPOSED TRAILES IN CORCOVADO – where can we create new trails within Corcovado to feasibly expand tourism throughout?
PROJECT MAP OF WATERSHEDS AND SUBTERRANIAN WATERSHEDS—areas of high sensitivity

PROJECT MAP OF BIOMES AND THE EFFECT CHANGE IN CLIMATE WILL HAVE – projections of rain change patterns that will devastate sensitive areas

PROJECT MAPS OF PHYTOGRAPHY – SATELLITE IMAGERY

Questions within Corcovado National Park:
o Gold Mining: previous materials? Current process? Officials approach to this practice? Bribery?
o Locals have done this for 100s of years, then kicked off land but still feel attachment so continue to extract gold
o Visitation Rates? Duration of Stay? Country of Origin? Requirements for guides?
o Rates of Deforestation at park borders?
o Amount of facilities on the property? Abandoned houses included…
o Who owns Corcovado…other parks?
o Human – wildlife interactions…?
NEED TO STUDY THE LEVELS OF RESERVED LAND CLASSIFICATIONS & THE DISTRIBUTION OF SUCH PROPERTIES AND THE INHABITANT RATES…

Ultimately, people want to conserve, people are proud of their land, yet they need to sustain their own lives. International companies easily persuade people especially when campesinos have no other source of income.

It is dangerous to keep isolating humans and nature – if the end result is vast amounts of land without people living on them that means we are potentially not thinking about how to make the land we do inhabit environmentally friendly

Historia, las temas, y el futuro de la península de Osa

 

En los ochentas, Costa Rica fue la primera país en Latinoamérica “to default on international debt”, entonces “forced” a hacer que quieren las personas internacionales y “western”

 

• Se acabó los subsidios de agricultura – los ideólogos “neoliberal” como abrir el mercado internacional para recibir los precios más bajos de todos

 

• Se murió la vida campesino y el mercado local en Puerto Jiménez donde les “pueden” vender los cultivos

 

• Además, el sistema donde el gobierno vende pare? y no más era precios fijado a los campesinos

• Este proceso fue una de los primeros “steps” de el disminución/descenso de gente o campesinos en las montañas

 

UN PROYECTO LOCALIZA LAS ESCUELAS A MENOS DE ESTE REGION

Segundo, el gobierno, posiblemente con PRESSURE de las comunidades internacionales, empezó a comprar (o posiblemente las otras países compraron) la tierra para hacer parques nacionales y reservas. A un mano “forced” los campesinos no “pueden” vivir más de la tierra y el gobierno (o otras personas) se compró la tierra con bajos precios.

UN PROYECTO LOCALIZA LAS CASAS ABANDONADOS ENTRE EL PARQUE

• Corcovado es uno de los parques que “estaba establecido” con propiedad solamente del estado o al menos no hay dueños privados, “unlike” Piedres Blancas que tiene 70% dueños privados. La gente están atrapando por la tierra – necesito buscar las reglas de las categorías y que queden hacer los campesinos
En el pasado, “threatened” con la gente que quieren extraer madera o oro – todavía estos son problemas pero la palma está creciendo a un problema más grande de todos

• Hay mucho propaganda y resulta en un conocimiento que la palma es bueno para el medioambiente, especialmente para los animales, poco gente sabe que es malo para el suelo Y los campesinos también ganan mucha plata

• Ni siquiera la mayoría de la gente no están viviendo entre la parque nacional todavía están viviendo entre un reserva forestal o biológico—cual son los niveles?
• “La extrae de oro” todavía existe en el parque nacional y hay mucho oro en los ríos de las propiedades de los campesinos.
Además la tierra tiene muchas cosas muy valerosa; a los campesinos solamente son bonitas y genial pero no saben el precio de las cosas no-maderas. Entonces el MINAE quiere saber que tiene los campesinos! Los campesinos no quieren extraer plantas o aun madera o “exploit” la tierra. Pero cuando llegue las empresas de molina o teka o palma, es muy difícil a resistir los precios altos de la madera.

 

PROYECTO A INVESTIGAR “LA EXTRAE DE ORO” EN EL PARQUE
LOS ALTERNATIVOS POSITIVOS – TURISMO/INCENTIVOS

•Calles malos/como “promote”/ como hacer un proyecto turístico – los primeros costosos/es necesario a hablar ingles

 

 

 

 

• Positivos de incentivos →los campesinos pueden permanecer de la tierra entre una reserva o un lugar sensitivo de ecología y no están “harming” el medioambiente con mal practica de la agricultura o casería o de extraer madera – un fuente de ingresos a los campesinos, tienen orgullos de la biodiversidad, pueden vivir “in harmony” con los animales salvajes con respecto a todos

 

Negativos: Los campesinos no están recibiendo el dinero, y si están es precios bajos y no pueden vivir con buen salud

• “subject to” mucho tramite que es muy costoso y muchas personas no pueden completar el proceso (no pueden leer o no tienen la plata, etc)

 

–Si el gobierno sigue con esta proceso de urbanización de el populo y de “expanding” el sistema de parques nacionales “in which/donde?” no hace nada con la mayoría de la propiedad, a donde va?? Es la verdad que hay un “middle class” y mucha gente vive en la ciudad, pero como ocurre en los estados unidos no puede vivir de comida importada y procesada. (¿?) El consumiente “neoliberal” que necesitamos “consolidate” está ayudando con los objetivos de la conservación del bosque pero está malo a la salud de mental, político, financia, y físicamente. Aunque ellos tienen higiénico bueno, es “mentally debilitating” a sentir si no tiene las derachas de la tierra. Además, muchos de los campesinos no tienen el titulo/ la escritura de la propiedad, solamente posesión y el proceso para obtener la escritura es muy difícil con mucho tramite y es muy costoso. Entonces mucha gente no realiza el proceso.

 

UN PROYECTO DE LA INSEGURIDAD DE LA TIERRA Y “OWNERSHIP” NO SOLO ES UN PROBLEMA A LOS CAMPESINOS PERO EL GOBIERNO DE COSTA RICAN TAMBIEN.

 

 

 

 

–PARALLELES EN COMO EL GOBIERNO DE COSTA RICA “IS DEFAULTING ON DEBT” Y “THE TREATMENT” DE LOS FINCEROS PEQUEÑOS – la finca “es colateral” a los bancos – y el bosque primaria es colateral a la comunidad internacional

 

UN PROYECTO DEL CAMBIO DEL USO DE LA TIERRA Y AGRICULTURA “OVER” TIEMPO – los cambios en dueños y cultivos//rato de deforestación/lugares de “risk” alto

 

UN PROYECTO DE MODELES DE ELEVACION DE SENDEROS NUEVES EN CORCOVADO –donde puede construir senderos nuevos entre corcovado para “feasibly expand” el turismo “beyond the current places”
PROYECTOS DE LAS CUENCAS Y SUB CUENCAS – áreas con “high sensitivity”

 

PROYECTO DE CAMBIO DE BIOMES CON EL CAMBIO DEL CLIMA – proyección de cambios en lluvia que va a afectar áreas con “high sensitivity”
PROYECTO DE UN MODEL DE PHYTOGRAPHY – desde los imágenes de satélite

 

Preguntas sobre el parque nacional de corcovado:
• La extrae de oro: los materiales de empresas pasadas? “current” proceso? Que piensen los oficiales ya ahora? “bribery”? chorizo…
• La gente local ha extrayendo por más de cien años, “kicked off land” pero todavía tiene un conexión a la tierra y todavía quiere extraer el oro
• Cuantos personas va al parque? Por cuanto tiempo? De donde son? Los requerimientos de los guías?
• Rato de deforestación a la frontera del parque?
• Cuantos facilidades hay en el parque? Casa abandonados también…
• Quien adueñado el parque? Los otros?
• Interacción entre la gente y los animales salvajes?
NECESSITO INVESTIGAR MÁS DE LOS NIVELES DE LAS IDENITIFICACIONES DE LAS RESERVAS//PARQUES Y LA DISTRIBUCION DE ESTES TIPOS DE PROPIERDADES Y CUANTO PERSONAS VIVEN POR ALLÁ?
“ultimately” la gente quiere conservar, son orgullos, aun necesitan sostener la vida…Las empresas internacionales “persuade” la gente, especialmente cuando no hay otro fuente de ingresos…
Es peligroso a separar la gente y el medioambiente…si quiere muchas montas de tierra sin gente resulta, posiblemente, en un conocimiento sin pensando en como hacemos una vida de la ciudad en conexión del medioambiente…

 

“but..veganism will save the world..”

For many years I have taken issue when people simply say, “but if everyone was vegan we could save the world” or really any variation of that statement. Yes, veganism is a diet and if all people were vegan the world would look a lot different. But, veganism, just the diet alone comes with a wide range of problems as well; when people say to me it will save the world and are ignorant of the host of other perspectives, ethical or spiritual for example,  I feel as though they are ignorant to the reason we got to this stage of agricultural and truly worldwide crisis.

A few examples : coke and fries are vegan. pasta with prego sauce is vegan. the mass production of soy is creating many negative environmental and human health problems — so too is the rise in palm oil production that can be found in many vegan alternatives.

vegan DOES NOT mean healthy.

I believe that most vegans, ideally, see themselves of living in moderation, as a representative that they have control over what they purchase and put into their body. That by having economic and physical control over what you invest in and ingest you are interacting with and thinking of this planet in greater ways than to purely serve your desires. That those who are not vegan, or those people who are not thinking of where their dollar is going,  do not care about (or want to think about) the terrible practices underlying our agricultural and food systems and therefore do not have the underlying (I would say essential) ideologies and connections to this planet that “vegans” would. Those who embrace this dietary choice are doing so, ideally, because they have this spiritual (or more broadly ethical) connection with the land.

It is possible to NOT BE VEGAN and still have morals and practices that allow you to treat the other life on this planet with the respect it deserves.

However, from interacting with different people and different vegans, everyone has their own (often negative) connotations of veganism. I have many ways I academically justify my veganism in connection to western societies that distinguishes it from the spiritual connection to the world that I also hold.

I always shy away from speaking of the spiritual or moral relationships I have to food and society because that often makes people uncomfortable. More often than not people, including vegans, have not thought of their own spiritual relationships (separate from, or apart of, any religion) and its manifestations in the cultural and societal contexts. Therefore when explaining my dietary choices it is easier to connect by simply saying “I just like to feel okay with where my money is going, and that has led to a vegan lifestyle” vs saying “I have this spiritual and ethical obligation and connection with this planet that does not allow me to interact with this society in a non-vegan way.”

In sum, over the years I have broken down “veganism” and separated it from the dietary choice and the underlying ideologies – depending on the level of comfort and intellectual curiosity others have strongly dictates the conversations following the statement, “I am vegan.”

Book Problems

There is a constant tension of distillation of knowledge and “fully exploring a topic.” I don’t know when that equilibrium will ever be reached. I find this to be the case in many social sciences books, geography in particular, and a recent book I read 5 Ways to Save the Planet (in your spare time). The author, my research partner in Costa Rica, also spoke to this issue openly, pointing to the fact that he just wanted, needed, to lay a foundation for people to start thinking about this issue and hopefully they will be intrigued to research further. Yes I understand this, of course I do. But how do we determine what is the base, how do we prioritize our issues.

In a geography textbook I had to recently read I took such offense and great issue to the ways in which Colombia was written about. They had about 2-3 pages for each country, it was a human geography book, and they only wrote of the cocaine industry. For a plethora of reasons Colombia is so much greater than a problem with cocaine. Beyond that is the way that is textbook is educating the youth. Literally, they have the power, all authors have the power, to frame issues, countries, solutions, in a certain way, and to belittle a country of such diversity to a drug problem is just wrong.

I guess both of these are examples in which there just isn’t enough time. There isn’t enough time or energy on both parts, reader and writer, to “fully flesh out” an issue, and then I could write about the issues in which one thinks they have fleshed out something and the subjectivity therein. I applaud Greg for writing this book because it is vital to highlight and make aware these issues (more on these here), and I strongly condemn the authors of my human geography book.

 

“work ethics are just different here”

great conversations yesterday, today is a rest day : follow – up post on the incredibly insightful dialogue between these farmers to come.

 mornings in Puerto Jiménez

the drive home.

Why Costa Rica? Why this project?

Draft of quick reasons why I care about this project:

-purely for the people by the people – working as much to be a vessel through which they can voice concerns and perspectives -(puramente?) de la gente para la gente

– yo deseo estar un (medio/vessel) en donde ellos pueden hablar sobre preocupaciones y perspectivos  

-combination of academia, agriculture, governmental project, international agencies

-es la academia, la agricultura, proyectos del gobierno, y las agencias internacionales juntos

-environmental responsibility

 -de quien es la responsabilidad del medioambiente 

-really learning spanish

-estoy aprendiendo el español muy muy bien/bueno (jaja)! 

-map making – routes, locations, land space distribution

 -estamos haciendo las mapas, rutas, ubicaciones, y mirando a la distribución de la tierra y la propiedad en este region   

-at this point in my life I really feel as though I don’t have much else to contribute other than purely listening

— ahoritica yo solamente necesito escuchar, ya no sé mucho de estos temas a fuera de las clases a la universidad y  es muy importante que yo presto mucho atención en las temas que son muy importante a la gente y el medioambiente 

-learning how to drive a motorcycle

estoy aprendiendo como manejar un moto! 

-every day is a surprise, teaching flexibility, patience, understanding, how to really serve

– cada día es una sorpresa, necesito tener flexibilidad, paciencia, acuerdo?, y serve la gente

-“stuck with” mundane tasks that I really enjoy!

– Yo necesito hacer todo de las cosas tedioso…pero me encantan…! 

-photography that is non-intrusive and only when they ask! and they are getting the copies

– fotografía que es sutil (?) y solamente cuando ellos quieren! Y les regalamos todas de las fotos también

-feel morally good about this overall

– me siento que es un proyecto con principios éticos que me gusta mucho.  

Field Work Costa Rica

I have recently arrived in Puerto Jiménez Costa Rica where I am assisting Greg on his project and simultaneously sorting through what my own research goals/thesis will be about. Greg is investing the Payment for Environmental Services program and gender disparities in the region.

To do so he has/we have:

– a motorcycle

-a list of names

-a road map

-raincoats

We set out on the motorcycle each day and interview the farmers of the region; when it is appropriate I will talk to the women in a separate room. This process in the last two days alone has created a wealth of opportunities to engage with and give voice to farmers outside of any political or economic motive. We are purely here to listen, learn, and try to make sense of the changing agricultural practices, perspectives on conservationism, governmental/international organization programs, with, when possible, an emphasis on the female viewpoint.

You can read more about the Payment for Environmental Services program here or here or here.

I will, as often as possible and with consent, be posting photos of our daily adventures. We have an outline of questions but allow for as much flexibility of time, interviews ranging from 30 minutes to 5 hours. We want to build trust and be a positive outlet for the farmers, anonymously, to contribute their perspectives and concerns. We will both be writing our thesis’ in english and spanish to make the material accessible and worthwhile to all parties involved.