A: arroz = rice (very short because it has been so dry)
A: ajises = creole sweet peppers
B: botas = boots
C: caña = cane (a general word for sugarcane, or bamboo and related grasses)
more caña
CH: chakara = traditional woven bag
D: DVD = DVD player, becoming a status symbol/must-have as electricity becomes the norm in houses in rural areas
F: frijoles = beans, here one can see the climbers in the background
F: frijoles = beans, this time drying for storage or seed
H: hamaca = hammock
J : jasmín = jasmine flowers
L : lavar = wash, here being done in a creek (see letter Q), but often done in a sink, bucket, and in what are called semi-automatic washing machines, in which the machine agitates and drains the clothes, but a human has to control the cycles, and switch the clothes to the centrifuge dryer, which works great to wring out most of the water before the clothes get hung in the sun.
LL: llave = key
M : maíz = corn, a staple here. ground up with water it is most frequently made into thick patties and fried, and called a "tortilla", but it's not at all like a tortilla from a mexican restaurant...it looks like a yellow hockey puck and if it's fresh, it's a delicious warm crispy crusty outside and chewy soft inside.
N: nariz = nose. my favorite picture in this series
N: nance = a weird fruit I don't particularly like, sort of like an olive in texture. Panamanians love it though, eating it plain, making it into a sweet punch, popsicles, and a pudding-like dish which is about the only way I've liked it, though it's high calorie and thus shouldn't be consumed in large quantities
O: otoe = taro-like root
P: pipa = the green coconuts that are used for their nutritious water, not their pulp
P: platano = plantain, another major player in the Panamanian diet. Fried green or boiled.
Q: quebrada = creek. water is so beautiful when it's actually flowing.
R: ropa = clothing. wearing clean clothes is very important to people here, but the mud and heat and rain mean clothes must be constantly changed and washed, and people tend to own a lot of clothes just to keep up with the work.
R: rastrillo = rake. must keep a clean yard!
T: tomate = tomato. one of the few vegetables that grows well. these tomatoes are the wild kind that stand up best to the heat and rain cycles.
T: totuma = gourd that is dried and made into bowls and cups.
V: virgen = Virgin Mary, obviously a major part of people's faith here.
Y: yucca = yucca or cassava, another starchy vegetable that packs on the pounds. deliciously soft boiled with salt. grows well in poor soils, but doesn't do much nutritionally besides fill the stomach and provide calories. could we genetically modify yucca to contain essential vitamins? in this case, I am for GMO's.
yucca #2
Z: zapatos = shoes. clean shoes are a must when going anywhere. if you aren't wearing clean, closed shoes, it's considered disrespectful.
ñ: ñaju = okra (this is the flower, and from my very own garden)
