The One with some Holiday Cheer

When I was a youngin’ my parents took me to visit Santa Claus, a common American tradition right? Well, that particular year I courageously deviated from the norm that little holiday children usually follow. What I wanted from Santa was different. It was nothing tangible, it was not something he could buy at the store, or even fabricate in his workshop. I wasn’t going to ask Santa for a new Poly Pocket playhouse, or a fancy new slammer to add to my Pog collection. I already had a nice Bike, my own skis, a collection of sleds, fancy roller blades, a homemade go-cart, a zip line, a large playhouse, a huge trampoline, the wilderness in my backyard and an imagination…. Really, what else could a little girl want? I think I recognized my good fortune even at this young age. That is why, that year, I asked Santa for nothing more than Peace on Earth.

Oh, what I would give to go back to a time where I naively assumed that if we didn’t have Peace on Earth, it was only because no one had ever asked for it yet. And if anyone could grant that Christmas miracle, it was surely Santa. My poor parents, what do you do when your child asks Santa for Peace on Earth? Looking back I imagine this was probably a good clue as to which way my life would be heading, either a Peace Corps volunteer or Miss America .




I was a bit nervous about this Christmas, my first Christmas in the village. By now I feel very comfortable here, but from the stories I have heard, I still felt like I had reason to worry. The consciences among my community members was that “Christmas was a time that the men drink a lot and fight a lot.” But, even with this unsightly warning, I still wanted to stay in site for Christmas. To me, this was another ‘now or never’ opportunity. Cultural exchange is a large part of why I am here. So bring it on, I thought, good or bad, I was ready to experience Christmas Buena Esperanza style.

Seizing an opportunity to fulfill goal number 2 of a PCV, and share my culture with my community, I cooked up a little something for each person. Something truly American, Rice Krispie treats. Ok, so I guess there was not much “cooking” or “baking” involved, really all I did was melt one thing and then add another thing to it. But I didn’t tell any of them that… they were all very impressed by my culinary abilities and I didn’t want to down play my moment of glory by revealing how basic the recipe is. Many of them had never seen a marshmallow before, and the only type of cereal they know is Corn Flakes. I was asked numerous times if I had made the treats using corn. Initial this made me laugh but the more I thought about it, they are actually not too far off. I am sure both the Marshmallows and the cereal have enough high fructose corn syrup, to deem corn a major ingredient.

I went to every house in the community, between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, passing out the treats, along with some photographs I had taken throughout the year. Each household was celebrating a bit different than the previous. But in general they celebrate with a lot of food, usually a special type of bread and a soup with some type of meat mixed in. They stay up late on the 24th to welcome Christmas day. At midnight, they eat the soup and give hugs and kisses to each other, much like a new years celebration. They even have fireworks. The fireworks are not set off at any particular time. They started about a week ago and I am sure will continue until after the new year. This fireworks don’t emit light or sparks, I guess they could be classified more as a popper, but the ‘pop’ sounds they make sounds more like a gunshot than an innocent little ‘pop.’ And unfortunately for me , the pyrotechnicians don’t give any warning or sound of anticipation. So the loud “pop pop” always catches me off guard, which they find very humorous.

I asked a few households about Santa Claus. Everyone knew of him, after all the image of Santa Claus was a fabrication of Coca- Cola, and we all know that Coke is in every corner of the world. So they know who Santa is, but the idea of someone coming in the middle of the night to leave you presents would never work here. Who is going to do the undercover work so that Santa can keep his good reputation? I think believing in Santa Claus is a first world luxury. I even think we could use Santa as a way to measure economic stability of a country =) I say forget about measuring GDP, let’s just go around asking children if they believe in Santa, that will give you a pretty quick answer about their standard of living.

One household however, had acquired a unique holiday gift, they were very excited about. Let me preface this by saying that my community members, all of them, love jigsaw puzzles. So, upon visiting the Ellington household, I was not surprised by their eagerness to show me a new “puzzle” that Mother Nature had given them. They whisked me outside, where I immediately was confronted with a very large skull of an animal I couldn’t identify; next to it was a hefty bag overflowing with miscellaneous bones. This was their puzzle….a Dolphin. I heard a rumor a few months ago that a Dolphin had washed up into the mangroves. Apparently, this family kept an eye on it and once the vultures had done the dirty work, they went out to collect the bones before they were washed back out to sea. Now they were going to work to put it back together. They gave me a tooth as un recuerdo of Dolphin bay. That surely is a Christmas present I will never forget

So, I am sure you are wondering about the excessive drinking that I was forewarned of. Yes, it was as they said it would be. Many, but not all, of the men drank. And those that did drink, drank a lot. A few were ‘fighters,’ usually the most belligerent. The other men would provoke the drunkard for awhile as entertainment while the woman watched and gossiped from afar. Inevitably the man would either be tied to a tree or drug under a house, and the men would resume drinking until another would warrant the same handling. My friend Isaac, the guy who lived in Switzerland, told me that this is how they play “survivor.” He instructed me that whoever remained at the end, I had to take to Hollywood to collect his prize money.

Last Christmas I wrote on my blog that while all my previous Christmas memories may eventual blend together, I will always remember that one Christmas I spent at the Beach in Panama with my friends. And following in suit, this Christmas too will forever uniquely hold its own. But two unique Christmases are enough… Next year it is back to the snow, and all those warm and fuzzy moments of spreading holiday cheer with my family and friends. Maybe I will even make rice krispie treats or them =)

And so, nearly 20 years after I asked Santa for Peace on Earth, I find myself down here in Panama, as a “Peace Corps Volunteer.” I know my duties don’t really include bringing “Peace” to the world, that is an undertaking suited only for a Christmas miracle. But, Peace on Earth does exist. My community members may not have a lot, by American standards, but through good food and good company, they passed a beautiful holiday with a lot of love, happiness, and yes, Peace. I feel fortunate to have been a part of it.

Happy Holidays,
Meti

Here is some video I took on the 24th and 25th. There is no footage of the men's “Survivor Series,” sorry.
Make sure you have your speakers on, the song will make you want to dance.