Staying with my mother's cousin hasn't been fun, to say the least. I didn't expect to stay there long but I had to shorten my stay even moreso than I expected to. I mentioned before that there are several people in the house and that she stays in an area that is mostly latin. Well when I first arrived I got up early one morning and walked around the neighborhood to see the changes because I had been in this same neighborhood 12 years ago. Things didn't look too different but I did notice the fact that there were few black people in the area (I don't remember seeing black folks in the area as a youth but then I didn't think too much of it).

When I got back to the house my cousin was up and she told me not to go out again. She explained that the area was mostly latin and that because of my appearance and the fact that I am a stranger to the neighborhood, the residents would call the police on me and I would be taken to jail. Because of my non-mastery of the español and my hair, they would take advantage of this and tear up my passport, put me in jail and cut off my hair. (I've heard these stories before but only by my mother{s side of the family would come from the Panama province, but my family in Colon Province laugh at this and say it is nonsense.)

She told me that I can only go out if someone accompanies me. I didn't mind that at the moment because I hadn't really learned the bus system (this was the night after i arrived) and didn't know my way around, so I agreed with her. So this means that unless I go somewhere with her husband or one of her daughters, I really can't go anywhere. Like i said I wasn't planning on staying with her for long as I have other relatives. I was just there cuz she lives near the airport and picked me up, and I decided to at least stay until I got my delayed luggage.

Both she and her husband are retired but her husband volunteers at a credit union in Paraiso during the week so he takes the only (working) car during the weekdays. My cousin stays at home all day and never goes outside except to hang up the clothes to dry. Anywhere she goes she is driven. The daughter, Bambi, that lives with them sits around the house all day doing chores (its not that much to do cuz this ain't the country) and running errands for her mother, while the 12 yearold granddaughter, Linny, helps and the 4-year old grandson,Eán, plays.

If I went anywhere its was with Bambi and that was only to the local stores and stuff. My aunt met me and Bambi and the bus stop one day and we went to Panama City but that was it. My days of boredom were long but I sustained myself with playing with Eán along with my capoeira. I practiced in the gated area in front of the house when the car was gone and early in the morning I went to the side of the house which is a small neighborhood playground tha ti can tell is not used anymore. A sign says "no jugando futból" and back when I was last here that is all that was done there. Oh well...

So 6 to 8 in the morning i was out practicing my movements and the early morning neighbors got to see the strange, scary man dancing? Bambi and Linny are friends with some of the neighbors and told me that they were curious about me and what i was doing (of course they would be). One neighbor said she saw me and told here daughter to come back inside the house. LOL! Throughout the day I would go and practice more in the gated area or I would just play my berimbau for hours at time. Passers by would look with curiosity and keep walking. Never would they greet me or smile. Not very friendly...

So last Sunday it all came to a boil. When i got up in the morning to practice, my cousin told me "Don't go out there this early, someone will snatch you up, do it inside" (inside includes the outside gated area. I reluctantly concede. One of the reasons I got out to do it is because the car is in the gated area in the morning and there is no room. ¡Demoncio! I did a few pushups and other stuff then went to the shower and back to bed.

Later my cousin tells me that people are talking about me and asking alot of questions. She claims that I'm creating a disturbance in the neighborhood and that when I leave I will be the "talk of the town." She claims that Panamanians have a different culture and don't get up that early and don't do things like that (all bs but i let her talk.)

"In the states you can do that and people will crowd around you and cheer but here people look at you and think you are a fool," she claims.

Can somebody please explain to me WTF she is talking about? Where the fuck does this happen? Think I'm a fool? If only she knew the looks I get from people everyday in the states when I do shit.

Eventough i know she is talking nonsense, to correct in ANYWAY would be totally disrespectful. I learned the hard way from my grandfather as a child when i told him that Kareem Abdul-Jabaar was the name of the Lakers player ( he said somethin else that i can't remember ahora). So I let her talk said ok and watched tv. Later on when I couldn't make myself watch anymore tv I went and go my berimbau and went outside to play.

I played for awhile and then heard "Lando, what is da meanin uv dat?" Uh, oh... I went inside and she said that she has seen guys playing that and they were "llamando sus dios." Dios = God. She claims that the instrument is calling the "spirits" and that she is and Episcopalian and only believes in the Episopal and Catholic God (that white mofo that she has plastered up all over her house). I don't tell her that she is wrong (because in all honesty she isn't this time) but i tell her that the berimbau tells the people playing capoeria what kind of game to play. Whatever. She doesn't care and tells me not to play it anymore... (At this point I know i must leave soon)

(BTW didn't we just have a discussion about this in the "Religious Justification" post? Weren´t there some people claiming that playing capoeira doesn´t interfere with one´s religion? Yeah yall need to get real.)
Later when I'm sitting on my ass not doing shit, bored out of my mind and trapped in the house. I go to the gated area to play around with Eán. I go and play with him doing capoeira movements while he runs around. My cousin calls me in and scolds me for doing that. She tells me that I can't do that anymore and tells me that she just heard a little girl pass by and call me a "resbaloso" (panamanians leave the "s" silent). She explains that a "resbaloso" is a one of those people during carnival who jumps around.

"is it a bad thing?" I asked.

"Orlando you{re not listening to me, don't do those tings here, this is not the states, this is a different culture!"

I found out later that resbaloso means "slippery". These men during crnival are usually covered in oil and appear slippery. They playfully chase you around for money (small change) and wear scary masks or weird wigs. I remember them now as when I was young I remember seeing this guy greased up with his shirt off and wearing cut off jeans. It looked like he had a wig on (looked like a james brown wig) and he was covered in red paint which I think my mother said was pig blood.

That night I called my uncle and told him to pick me up the next morning and so I am there now. I had my luggage so I didn't need to be there anymore. Now I can play my capoeira again. :-)

...continuaré luego...