Culture: un cultivo, la cultura

According to www.dictionary.reference.com (an obviously reputable source), when used a verb culture can be defined as: to grow (microorganisms, tissues, etc) in or on a controlled or defined medium. I started thinking about the definition of the word when I realized that in Spanish, cultures of microorganisms are called cultivos, while culture of a place is called la cultura. Although the two concepts are separate words in Spanish, I think that English may actually have the right idea this time around.

The culture of Estero

de Plátano is something that has also grown in a defined medium. Flanked on on either side by cliffs and facing the ocean, Estero is a small, defined environment. Most families living in Estero have lived there for generations, growing together and developing a culture, norms, alliances, enemies, and a whole complica

ted network of understandings and assumptions. Some of this culture is what you might expect, like a love of seafood and Bachata music. But other things come as a surprise, such as the general acceptance of transsexuals in a small, rural community in Ecuador.

In comparison, my water cultures are pretty unimpressive. My 48 hours

of coliform growth are pretty simple to understand, even though I had too many coliforms to get a good count. Everything came out pretty much as expe

cted, with no big surprises. And I guess that's the nice thing about bacteria.... they pretty much do what you expect them to do, which brings me to my point (I know, you've been waiting for a point).

This time around in the community, I was much happier with my water cultures than the community culture itself. My water cultures were done in 48 hours and they did exactly what I wanted them to do. Estero's culture, however, proved rather more challenging. Yanapuma has been attempting to install a water purification system in Estero for years. A few months ago, with the help of another NGO in the area, it was finally accomplished. People in the community can now buy 20 liters of water for 25 cents instead of the typical cost of $1.00 or $1.25. The one little hitch? That the people in the community aren't buying the water. The director of the system gets paid from sales, so she isn't getting paid. In short, if we can't get people on board with the water, the system won't be able to stay functional. Why aren't the people buying the water, you might ask? The overwhelming answer is that they don't like the taste, although I personally think it has more to do with cultural norms and distrust of new things.

But don't lose hope, my dear readers! Despite my frustration, I am dedicated to do everything possible to get people on board and make this system sustainable. It's slow going, but well worth the effort. In other news, I made this video about our scholarship students in the community and I have to say it makes me super happy, and hopefully you'll enjoy it as well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meufO_aMSgA