Aguantar, "to endure"

The last week in Panama has been a difficult one. I have been safe, up in my mountain home. But down below there have been country-wide protests that shut Panama down for a week. As a result, the national Assembly is revisiting the mining and hydroelectric laws that are disputed by the Ngabe protesters. We are all waiting to see what will result from the dialogue! Here's an article describing the situation, from Panama's La Prensa newspaper.

A little excitement

Ngäbe-Buglé close highway in Chiriquí | Locales-Ultima Hora | Prensa.com

The tribe is protesting a proposed copper mine in the Comarca, their reservation. Or more specifically, the laws governing mineral rights. The main and only highway across the country has been closed for 3 days by protesters, and the radios, which are on in every house, blare stories of spoiled produce and pregnant women in the stopped vehicles. Happily where I actually live, in the mountains above the highway, is more calm, or "todo tranquilo" as they say.  Though many community members are down at the protests. Prayers for a peaceful and just resolution to a long standing dispute are appreciated.

On another subject, I'm definitely not an early adapter of technology. Nor is my family, as I typed most of my high school papers on a typewriter. But thanks to the generosity of friends who've donated a smartphone (thanks Ken and Katherine) I am now able to cruise, or rather,  slowly crawl the internet from my mountain village, at least "de vez en cuando," once in a while. Thus I'm able to share this with you today!