Supermen

PCV Michelle recently wrote a funny post about how unrealistic her expectations for men will be after living here in Panama. The men we live with are freakishly strong, can work all day in hot sun without water or food, and are ridiculously handy at fixing everything with literally no tools at their disposal. It´s been a while, but I don´t remember men in the U.S. being able to do anything but play fantasy football and flirt with women on facebook instead of in real life. I am going to be so disappointed when I go back. What do you mean you can´t cut perfect 2x4´s with just a chain saw? And I don´t understand why you need a lawn mower. A machete works just as well, and it makes your arms look amazing.

Last week we began construction on the first composting latrine. We had ordered wooden floats to use on the cement floors, but the hardware store didn´t have any. My host-dad Angel saw my face knitting itself into fretful worry, and he said ¨Oh, it´s fine, Cati. I´ll just make some.¨ He sat down in the shade of a tree, grabbed some wood scraps and the essential Panama multi-tool, his machete. Within half an hour, he produced two of these: