Not as if ever Radiolab podcast isn’t incredible, but this one in particular is very insightful! Longer than most it ranges from the monetary value we assign to human lives and how we give worth to natural ecosystems. For just the environmental piece start at about minute 50: http://www.radiolab.org/story/worth/
P.S. Phoenix is hot. Really, really hot. Trying to revitalize my little cactus.
I plan to explore the documented hydrological impacts of the Payment for Environmental Services Program (PES) in Costa Rica. PES, introduced to Costa Rica in the 1980s by the World Bank, aims to promote a more sustainable relationship between humans and nature as users receive payments for various environmental protection programs globally. Funded by taxes, international donors, and down-stream benefactors, PES is a voluntary service that promotes poverty alleviation, carbon sequestration through forest conservation, as well as increased water quality and availability as its primary objectives. The breadth of Costa Rica’s programs, unlike other countries, implements both forest conservation and water quality provisions for human consumption and hydroelectric generation. The social and economic implications of these programs have been written about extensively justifying the theoretical and economic frameworks underlying the payments. However, the claimed environmental benefits have yet to be thoroughly reviewed. With a specific focus on the hydrologic projects of Costa Rica, I will study the extent to which there is clarity in the water quality PES objectives and the monitoring of expected results. Thus far, there has not been clarification as to what projects designed to improve water quality and availability actually entail, and subsequently attain. To address these issues, I will first look at downstream user and governmental motivations for the sites selected, and if there was prior documented degradation that fostered interest in PES participation for that particular region.[1] Second, I will explore the documented hydrological benefits, or lack thereof, in the region to determine the water and watershed effects from this program.
[1] If they are choosing ecologically sensitive areas that would most prominently benefit or if sites are chosen purely on poverty alleviation/other human factors.
08.27.14 – San Rafael de Vara Blanca, Costa Rica
Drank my coffee as I watched (with Picolino) Violeta make us pancakes (panqueques) – she wanted to wait for Oscar to leave for San Jose for us to try the soy milk together with the pancakes 🙂 – eaten with pineapple jam and miel de la cana de azúcar.
08.24.14 – San Rafael de Vara Blanca, Costa Rica
“Hay una broma que dice las esposas nunca van a comer a fuera, y siempre pedieron – pues Violeta siempre esta comiendo a fuera” 🙂
was eating at first on the little bench on the patio but then they brought the table outside and we all ate together 🙂
** pan y piña con marmalade de mora con cafecito
**más pan y piña….
**cereal con banano y avena**
08.07.14 – Puerto Jiménez, Costa Rica
the first “selfie” of the series – avena en agua…
As most would say, my nana recently died. However, even just typing those words is painful. Saying them out loud is impossible. Not simply because it is hard to grasp the “truth” but because I don’t believe that is the truth. I don’t find saying “passed on” to be any more correct, and without any success I have been searching endlessly to find the words that adequately express what has occurred.
This has hit me hard to as I am in Colombia and the language barrier has been one factor that inhibits talking with my friends about what happened last Friday. Although we have been able to communicate many powerful thoughts, I don’t feel as though I have adequately been able to communicate how I feel towards death and dying. I have felt that the English language, or my knowledge of the English language, lacks the sophistication and relationship surrounding death to articulate the way I feel. In many ways, as I believe you agree, quality of life over quantity. But first, I do not believe in the word death or dying. I do not believe anything or anyone ever dies. In this vein, I believe in a cycle of life and regeneration of life constantly feeding this beautiful world. If you look in nature for three seconds you will see this process naturally, beautifully and necessary for the continued prosperity of physical life. While nana’s body may have passed, her spirit (also not a fan of this word but for lack of better I think you follow) is still living through us and with us. I believe so strongly in this and as I watch through agriculture, composting, decomposition, nutrients in soil to feed the plants (that maybe feed the animals) that give the nutrients we give to our body, there is a continuous cycle of regeneration. However, I believe this process transcends the physical and informs the “metaphysical”. I know she is with me and constantly informing my decisions, my mental and physical health, and bringing me much happiness.
She has not died, and nothing ever dies. She has not “passed on,” because I don’t know if I believe that she is necessarily “passing on” into anything. Reincarnated is definitely not adequate either. I believe her soul and spirt is here. Although her physical body is not physically feeding (nutrients, etc) into this cycle of life that we naturally witness through – more on coffins later I believe, really need to investigate how that originated because in many ways I believe it is the literal and figurate trapping of a person in ways that make me uncomfortable – her energy, substance, and vitality are definitely being fed back into many peoples daily livelihoods. I believe the energy she posses is transferred and lived through every decision I make, and I believe there are many others that knew her that would say the same.
Maybe I am still debating this cycle and look forward to how this thought develops over time. Currently feeling so much love, so much tranquility, and so much prosperity for the future. I know that this will hit me so much harder when I return to the states and am not able to talk to her everyday like I normally would. I have lost the reader and criticizer to every one of my essays. I have lost one of my best friends. I am at a loss for words to describe what has happened; how is this expressed in other languages, other cultures? Is this a fault of english alone?
The following Saturday I walked to the neighbors house to charge my phone and expressed my grief because I did not yet know whether she had made it through the night. He immediately went into the house and by the time he came out I had found out that her physical body was no longer with us (I think I like that articulation best so far), and before setting down the hot cup of panella he asked if I wanted bitchee instead (a type of alcohol directly from the indigenous peoples of the region). For them, when someone passes (nope don’t like that..) the physical body is no longer present (sounds so awkward but I think it’s right..) it is an immediate celebration of their life, so yes bitchee was appropriate in his mind, but I could not accept.
Maybe in a couple of days – I have been celebrating her life and feeling her presence everywhere, yet still can’t fully grasp how I feel. I don’t know if that the english language is at fault, this is the first major death I have ever experienced. It is hitting hard, but I am with great people in beautiful places, but I miss my papa, and I know the first time I go back to their house, it will hit even harder.
so much love – comments really accepted.
Before I begin the story of the last week or so, I should assure all, especially my grandparents reading this that there is a safe and happy ending.
I had spent the prior week in Bogota exploring small sections everyday, yet there is still so much more. I enjoy this city more than I initially thought I would, but had a friend (of a friend of a friend) who was in the Pacific and I was itching to go. I had met this fellow prior because like my other friends in Colombia he is studying at the University and I listened to him defend his thesis in the series of presentations that all of my other friends had to give as well. Past the initial invitation to travel with him to the Pacific he gave me when we all got drinks after the presentations, I had not been able to talk to him directly. I was unable to go at the same time, but he assured me I could come whenever and con gusto he would recieve me. I was eager to go, but without talking to him directly I was skeptical. His phone was always off when I tried to call. However, another friend was able to talk to him and gave me the heads up to go, so I bought a ticket for the next day…all I knew was that I was going to La Barra. To get there I would take a plane to Buenaventura, then catch a boat to La Barra…it was just a small island, so I thought, and I could easily find him..
(There was also a small misunderstanding between my friend in Bogota and I about the dangerousness of this adventure. My spanish skills failed me for about 4 hours as I thought the city I was arriving in was very dangerous, therefore I should get there early so as to mitigate any chances of serious danger. However, once I expressed more concern about traveling alone, she was speaking in the fact that I wanted to get there early because the sea is rougher later in the day and I would have a better chance of catching the boat to La Barra the earlier I got there 🙂 )
On the plane ride, I befriended the older woman sitting next to me who had lived in Buenaventura her whole life. She gave me specific directions on what I was supposed to do, and we shared a cab to the port. This eased my initial fears that morning and I trusted everything would keep going this smoothly. I easily bought a ticket for the boat, and had to wait about an hour.
I befriended a girl about my age who then informed that I was not actually traveling to an island, but rather this region is so isolated that no roads connect from the closest big city. Therefore, I had to take a boat to get where I was going 😉 (Another avid belief of mine while traveling is to never look up information prior, this always includes pictures or other travel information, but I do sometimes look at maps. Finding out information through actually talking to people is, maybe not ALWAYS better, but I enjoy the process.) She assured that I got on the right boat and also gave me her number if I needed any further help, another `god send.`
On the boat, I was seated next to a little girl, about 7 who was eager to practice her english speaking skills, and we became good friends. Once we arrived, her family knew where I was going, the furtherest of the three `neighborhoods`, and although they weren not going that far, we shared a tractor-wagon ride to the second furtherest `neighborhood`.
Once we arrived, thinking the hard part of the trek was over and I would just look in the panaria for my friend, I sat and had a beer and watched the end of Colombia’s first game in the World Cup at a small shop on the main “road.” Words can’t express the joy in the air when Colombia scored let alone won!! After the game, I was told I would need to walk about an hour down this “road” to La Barra. I began walking and quickly met up with an older fellow who was also headed to La Barra and I felt good. It was a tiny enough region, sure I could find my friend. We eventually arrived in La Barra which is the most undeveloped “neighborhood” of this region and the fellow I was walking with dropped me off at the “large” shop to ask around for my friend. The shop was crowded with men who were still hanging out from the end of the game with Colombia and stared me down. First feeling of nerves.
After my initial asking for a boy named Sancho deemed unsuccessful, (all I could really say was, Estoy buscando por un muchacho se llamo sancho..didn’t really have much other information) I went to the bathroom to change and gather my thoughts. (I was still in jeans and a long sleeve shirt since I was coming from Bogota where that was totally appropriate attire!) Okay, I’m in the middle of nowhere, alone, and it is starting to get dark, and was now raining – WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?! It was now about 4pm, I’d left my friends house in Bogota at 5am and was also starting to get a little hungry. I came out of the bathroom and asked to see the small mirror on the counter so I could put in my contact lens thinking that would help me out a bit. I will never forget the look on every single persons face as they stared at me like I was out of my mind poking myself in the eye… Luckily though by the time I was done they had convened and one of the guys thought he knew who I was looking for – skeptical but with no other options I trusted him. We walked away from the shop, I looked him in the eye and asked en serio, conoces Sancho? He described him perfectly, in my mind at the time, now I realize that description could have been anoyone, but something told me he knew and I felt safe. Althought, we had to back track for about 15 minutes, we came to a beautiful home and there was Sancho, sitting on the bench. One of the happiest moments of my life.
This house was constructed solely by a single man over the course of 6 years. It is three stories tall, built from the wood from the rainforest, powered by solar energy, and water from the mountains. He also has planted just about everything that will grow in that region, so we frequently ate coconuts and yucca that were ripe. The others still have a couple more years of maturation before they will be really producing. Needless to say, it was heaven. Although, as you probably realized, I did not have access to post everyday. I will now play catch up! I will miss this place and it will forever have a special place in my heart for healing, strength, and beauty that was greatly needed towards the end of my stay there. (Pictures to come in follow up posts.)
05.29.14 – those handles and that lip
http://www.linesballet.org/company/alonzo-king/
last night – alonzo king – write up to come soon
Jessie's High Horse 