Bolivia Bound

last week here ....

2009-06-08T20:18:00.013-04:00

(Hermana Yolanda and Profe Aida at breakfast)

(Britty and her daughter, Hanna Luz)

(Tia Adela let me take her portrait)

(the oven in the panederia)

(Making bread)

(Tia Adela)

(Cristian; a premature baby that has been in the home for a couple of months)

(a little size differential for you)

(Sarita is about 1; kid in the home)

(Micah and Sarita were playing)

(Micah had a toy lion, and was holding it like her baby)

(this paricuular morning I was supposed to follow wherever she went; Captain Micah)

(Kevin can sit all by himself)

(post-breakfast clean up)

(Hermana Yolanda)

(I had myself a treat before going to the movies with some friends)

(Cine Center: a different view of Santa Cruz)

(this kid loves food)

(salad; lunchtime at the home)

(Tia Martha trapeando)

(Don Mario cleaning the lawn mower)

(snacktime; eggs)

(snacktime for Infante A)

(Profe Aida and Leidy spinning around in a detached slide)

(snacktime)

(Don Mario and his tomatoes)

(he put up guides for the plants)

(that's the slide they were rolling around in. It got messy.)

(Paola and Carla Patricia)

(Aida and Leidy in the slide)

(clothes drying)

(sunset)

(Lizbeth)

(I got home just at the tail end of this soccer tournament)

(and I very quickly lost my light ... )

(and this is what it looked like then)

(and this is the room in Chuck and Cindy's house where I am staying. I took this photo from my bed)

de las luces que a lo lejos, van marcando mi retorno

2009-06-04T11:51:00.010-04:00

(Anna and Kevin)

(Tia Adela, lunch)

(Kevin and Chuck)

(its everybody washes their own)

(Don Mario in the hen house)

(chicken!)

("Mira, tan chiquitito el huevo ..." look how small this egg is!)

(He smiles like that quite a bit)

(they were particularly interested in my flip flops)

(and they wanted to escape)

(eggs!)

(these hens produce 1200 eggs/week; and there are always some left)

(Don Mario is explaining to me how he grows tomatoes)

(there is a shop class on Thursday mornings for kids who come to the daycare center)

(this was pretty neat to shoot)

(I snuck a photo of Don Mario's tatoos)

(they were making covers for the trash baskets)

(in the shop)

("junk" drawer)

(Luis Fernando welding)

(Luis David welding)

(Don Mario is shop teacher)

(many, many tools)

(I did my best not to look at the bright light, but I had a headache later anyway)

(Luis Fernando)

(over at the daycare, Onescoli was eating her breakfast and doing her homework in the Biblioteca)

(Guineo = just one possible way to say banana. see also: gualele, platano)

(breakfast dishes at the daycare)

(most breakfast foods at the daycare come in a cup)

(Britty)

(Micah is interested in this whole Kevin-eating thing)

(Cindy and Kevin)

(Kevin often holds Cindy's hand while he eats)

(Micah: always mugging for the camera)

(This is in La Ramada. I finally worked up the courage to take the camera to a market with me. And so I hid myself and took this picture)

(They had a 'culto', or worship service, in the dining hall on Tuesday night)

(culto)

(people were still trickling in)

todo me parece bonito

2009-06-03T16:31:00.009-04:00

(the Stansberry courtyard)

(from the other side, different time of day)

(the Biblioteca del hogar)

(behind the Casa Esperanza)

(Infante A; I love that kid's face)

(the same face!)

(Nidito on the swings)

(Hermana Karina)

(in front of the Casa Esperanza)

(the gomeria is right outside of the home. They have been working on that machine for days)

(Me, Anna, and Tati watched Tati's one Cosby/day together)

(this is cunape. cheese and yucca and yummy)

(I like to distract these ladies from working)

(Patty in the sun)

(Yara)

(making cunape)

(she made a lot of them)

(Hermana Yolanda)

(baking sheets here are made from scrap metal, and called latas)

(zapallo again; usually they are a lot bigger than that)

(we made zapallo pie last year, and I've also had zapallo cheesecake.... mmmmm)

(zipline!)

(the kids are mezmorized by the camera)

(this was hilarious and went on for far too long)

(Alex is a kid from the Home that spends daytime in the daycare. He calls me "Bigite Tia")

(this is near the beginning of the cunape process)

(more cunape. its yucca flour, sugar, salt, lard, cheese, and eggs)

(Mancha wanted the hardboiled egg leftovers. Mancha means spot)

(eggs in the comedor)

(educadoras)

(Micah)

this week so far

2009-06-02T09:51:00.007-04:00

(a sort of attempting panoramic of the houses were the kids live with the families)

(Hermana Karina over at the daycare)

(zapallo is a squash that they eat a lot here; its a huge gourd that they just hack slices off of and sell by the kilo)

(it would seam that we have very photogenic cows)

(Tia Martha)

(some flowers behind Chuck and Cindy's house)

(some laundry on the line)

(the drainage)

(that chick has legs for daaaaays)

(this is the entrance to Stansberry)

(we got a winter storm, and this is the aftermath)

(barro = mud)

(going the other way)

(another attempt at this shot)

(at the Feria del Libro)

(Aida is a wizard)

(display at the Feria del Libro)

(vaca)

(for serious, I think I have a fixation)

(Onescoli)

(exchanging numbers)

(Silvia Patricia)

(by the library)

(cafe decor?)

(the wall of the cathedral)

(photobooth me and Kevin)

(photobooth Micah)

(I'm guessing this is ink from carneval; cathedral wall)

(door replacement; I like the new one)

(I passed this really sweet jewelry store; you can buy bolivianitas there!)

switches and plugs

2009-06-02T09:40:00.005-04:00

... as per my assignment ...

what I shot this week

2009-05-28T17:02:00.012-04:00

(Tia Adela, Tia Martha, Cleonice)

(Hermana Karina, Aida, and Charmayne)

(Profe Charmayne and the kids from the Biblioteca)

(Chuck and Kevin, Micah)

(Micah)

(Micah, Alex, Chuck)

(I was taking pictures of Cleo, so she wanted to take one of me)

(Cleonice)

(Tia Martha is not actually looking for Cleo's lice)

(Tia Martha, Cleo, Tia Adela)

(Tia Martha, Cleo)

(cebolla)

(Tia Adela)

(this is how you make pasta: you fry it first)

(Mr. Kevin likes his feet)

(The lightswitches are sometimes poetic)

(Refrijerio; eggs, because we have so many)

(Cindy and Kevin; breakfast)

(Kevin andhis toes)

(behind the taller)

(birthday lunch)

(behind the taller)

(behind the Casa Esperanza)

(gallina)

(its not the swine flu; its where they slaughter pigs)

(behind Hope House)

(this is where the hens live)

(near where the pigs live ... )

(A view of the children's home from the daycare)

all that I can put up at one time ....

2009-05-25T20:52:00.009-04:00

(laundry at night before the rains)

(the washing room and the deposito)

(the electric box)

(la vaca)

(el pan de cada dia)

(Tia Adela in the panederia)

(Don Mario; my gardener friend from House 1)

("el pan y la panza": the bread and the belly)

(Kevin's little toes)

(Tia Adela, the cook at the children's home)

(Dovanna, Tatiana, and Micah)

(La Casa Esperanza; Hope House)

(there are sinks everywhere)

(pateando; kicking)

(Marcos and Becki)

(Chicharron de chancho; pig fat)

(Heidi in the Sala Cuna)

(Cindy and Kevin; the bottomless pit)

(Behind Hope House)

(Dovanna)

doce de la noche en la habana, cuba

2009-05-22T15:00:00.000-04:00

(Marcos and Becki; bread making time)

(a little bicho I found by the daycare)

(the home has laying hens; they produce about 190 eggs/day)

(Kevin has strong little legs and likes to kick the sofa)

(that baby is just so darn photogenic)

(Kevin)

(clothes drying at the home; there are multiple clotheslines, and they are always full)

(this cow likes to escape)

(I took portraits for sponsorship cards in the 'Sala Cuna' (baby room) one day)

(Marcos and the cows)

(Tia Adela, the cook at the children's home)

(Dovanna shares a snack with Micah)

(Tatiana wants some too)

(Cindy feeding Kevin. He came to the home at 6 monhts weighing 7 pounds.)

Hello all! I am back in Bolivia for a little while, as some of you may know - this time its photo project time! So, I'll be posting some photos up here, and I would love some feedback on them. Since I am here for 3 and a half weeks, there is a limited amount of time to follow your advice, so the speedier I get it, the better. Feel free to e-mail me your thoughts, or comment right on the blog.

I arrived here in Santa Cruz on Tuesday evening, and have been able to catch up with a few friends since then, and revisit my SALT position here at the Stansberry Children's Home. My former bosses and the directors of the home have been kind enough to let me sleep in their guest room, eat their food, and sometimes hold the little baby they are currently caring for. He is precious. Most of the photos that I will put up here in the next couple of days will be from within the gates of the children's home and daycare center - my camera and I are currently a little shy of the outside world. We'll get there though. I will probably also be visiting another children's home in the next couple of days. I already received a photo assignment here at the daycare: taking photos of the kids for their sponsors! So that has occupied me for the last couple of days. But stay tuned: I will have pictures that aren't of kids soon.

On another note, the weather here has been lovely the last few days; it was 28 degrees celsius when we landed on Tuesday, and has been breezy and sunny. My first thoughts on leaving the airport were about the smell, there is just something about the way it smells here. Maybe its the toborochi trees, or the pollution, or the garbage, or the fruit trees - but good or bad it smells just the way it ought to. My kids even remembered me, and so did some of the kids that I hadn't worked with so much. It is nice to be called Tia Bridgette, or Profe Bridgette again.

how my heart behaves

2008-07-11T19:42:00.004-04:00

Here are some images from my last week of work in the Biblioteca, which I just finished this afternoon. It was quite a week with a lot of happenings, some joyful and some sorrowful to say the least; just one last tug at the heart string before I head home, just a few more things to miss and to feel for. A very very full heart these days. Also today, about a half an hour before I left the home for the "last time", a cow that we just got yesterday calved, and it seems that it was decided that the calf should be named after me. The great part is... it's a male. haha. One more joking poke to the ribs from Bolivia. The coming week will be an interesting one... I will have a despedida (going away party) one day for lunch at the Guarderia, I will have to (with a sense of finality... since it has already happened on numerous occasions...) de-louse myself, de-worm, de-parasite, and get a test for Chagas - a serious disease that is transmitted by a type of beetle found here in Bolivia. But mostly in the campo, so I think we're fine. Also, there is a lot of packing, gifting of material possessions, buying new ones, and chilling in favorite coffee shops to be done. And of course, the inevitable and rather painful goodbyes to... everyone I know except the two ladies I will be traveling home with on July 20th. *sigh*

So here are some images. I am in a lot of them. haha. It is my blog after all, they are my kids, and how dearly I will miss them. They all gave me cards this week... I went home on the micro today with quite a bag full of cards from my students. Hundreds of hugs and kisses, though so far no tears... yet. Let's just hang on two seconds for that one though.

(circle prayer)

(Sudden rainstorm)

(Tatiana: she wanted to do homework with us)

(Chuck - my boss - and the most important part of the day)

(Monday morning I got presents from Onescoli)

(Tatiana flattened me)

(goofy profe on a Thursday afernoon)

(The little girls discover the wonders of facebook. They met my family.)

(Me and Aida - we match. And it is joyful.)

(Onescoli and I, with our silly Pebbles hair.)

quiero saber que la vida contigo no va a terminar

2008-05-18T21:06:00.000-04:00

In lonely mountain ways 

of this world's trial and care, 

my heart knows naught of fear-scarred days; 

the Master's hand is there.

(me and Aubrey; Salar de Uyuni)

My journey may be long, 

the pathway rough and steep. 

Sufficient for each day my song; 

my way the Lord does keep.

(Llama)

And though when evening falls, 

stone my pillow shapes, 

the vision of our kingdom calls 

and here a Bethel makes.

(Eduardo; the terror sleeping in class)

This – I believe - will be my final post before returning home. I have been trying for about the last month to write a good, long, informative update, but here we are, four weeks before my return to the States, and I just don’t think I’m going to be able to wrap up or explain any of those events or ideas that I had hoped too. Can’t do everything. My priorities right now have a lot more to do with getting things here settled and resolved and closed before the moment of leaving. It is already just hard to believe and FEEL that there are only four weeks left (that it can even be counted in mere weeks is surreal), and trying to extend myself beyond necessities is becoming trying. I have been reading suggestions for returning service workers, about how the re-entry in the home country can be even harder than the exit, and how there has to be a grieving period for the life that has been left behind. The anticipation of all of that, combined with the need to enjoy my last moments here is becoming quite stressful. Updating the blog is becoming one of those things that just doesn’t make it on the list of what to do these last weeks. Unfortunately, it has fallen off along with keeping in close contact with people at home – so I apologize to any of you whose e-mails I may not answer over the next month. Tomorrow is the day I start bringing my camera to work everyday, and by Wednesday I hope to have finished all paperwork/file work for my kids. This week is when I start to decide which of my material possessions will say here, and which things I still hope to purchase before leaving: gifts, personal items, recuerdos if you will. Enjoying time and last moments with people and places, saying goodbye to my kids and coworkers, and all of the people that have made this experience special for me. My SALT coordinator – Wendy – and her family are leaving at the end of their 3-year term next Sunday, so this week will also be about spending time with them, and last moments. A friend here – Dovanna – and I have had several tongue in cheek conversations about how we’re going to cry the whole flight home… but that it’s starting to feel like a reality. Which is ironic and painful at the same time. Trying my best to not anticipate too much the pain of leaving sometimes takes more energy than I have. The most painful part is having no idea when I will be able to return again, which is so unlike leaving home. When we left home, we already knew when we would be able to return, but this situation is different. There is no certainty of returning, and there is certainly no likelihood that the place will really be the same. The major part of the environment here has been created by the people, and so many of those key people are leaving, that returning in no way guarantees that anything will be similar. But I remind myself, that at least when you feel strong emotions and connections like this, at least you know you’re living. The things that tug at your heart, sadness of leaving, joy of having experienced, the feeling of missing people, all of these things tell of that we are alive. So, here you have some of my final thoughts, albeit sort of unorganized, and to be honest, very confused. And the pictures are sort of some favorites from the year, and from a trip I took recently – that I hoped to be able to describe a bit… - and the songs are what has been rolling around in my head… I’ll work on a translation for that one….

paz.

Hasta que nos vemos…

(Dovanna, inappropriate MCC conversations...)

Déjame atravesar el viento sin documentos

que lo haré por el tiempo que tuvimos.

Porque no queda salida

porque pareces dormido,

porque buscando tu sonrisa

estaría toda mi vida.

Quiero ser la única que te muerda la boca,

quiero saber que la vida

contigo no va a terminar.

(getting my hair pulled...)

Déjame que te cierre esta

noche los ojos

y mañana vendré

con un cigarro a la cama.

Porque no tengo más intenciones que seguir

bebiendo de esta copa

que no está tan rota.

Quiero ser la única que te muerda la boca,

quiero saber que la vida

contigo no va a terminar.

(me and my pollera)

Porque sí, porque sí,

porque en esta vida

no quiero pasar un día entero

sin ti.

Porque sí, porque sí,

porque mientras espero por ti me muero y

no quiero seguir así.

(sunsets)

Let me cross the wind without documents

Which I would do for the time that we had

Because there’s no exit left

Because you appear to be sleeping

Because I could spend my whole life

Searching for your smile.

I want to be the only one who bites your mouth

I want to know that life with you

Will never end.

(our tour group on the Salar de Uyuni)

Let me close your eyes tonight

I tomorrow I will come to bed with a cigar.

Because I have no more intentions

To continue drinking from this cup

That is not so broken.

I want to be the only one that bites your mouth

I want to know that life with you

Will never end.

(I caught Aubrey sleeping...haha)

Because yes, because yes

Because in this life

I don’t want to spend an entire day

Without you.

Because yes, because yes

Because as I wait for you I die

And I don’t want to go on this way.

(early morning on the 3rd day; -15C outside, 36C in the water)

wait a minute

2008-05-06T12:55:00.002-04:00

oook - so I don't know if any of you are up on world news ...or more accurately South American news... but just in case you are... you will know that Bolivia has recently made it into World News - which is funny cause with all the problems that I hear about daily, it's interesting to see what actually puts this place in the news. My rundown of things would look pretty biased, and probably embarrasingly ignorant, so I will direct your attention to more credible sources; though I still suggest swallowing this information with a generous helping of salt.... These issues are so polarizing, and bias can be so obvious on both sides, that you're better off reading everything and then guessing that the truth lies somewhere in the middle of what you read.

To lay the groundwork, on Sunday the department of Santa Cruz had a vote for autonomy - which is not actual secesion, but has more incommon with the rights of states and provinces in the US and Canada. However, it is also - on Santa Cruz's part - an attempt to block Evo Morales's efforts to redistribute land (which here is valuable, vast, and in very few hands) and to nationalize the country's gas. And in my personal opinion, if it's not actual driven by racism, it's certainly presented that way. This is a coin with many sides. Personal opinion: the idea is good, the execution and tone of the whole movement sucks. But on the other side, the opposition to Santa Cruz's bid for autonomy (a.k.a. the Morales government) has not exactly been 100% out there honest and kosher about its actions. It seems to me that no one is really in the right here. Morales' government says that the vote for autonomy is illegal and unconstitutional, but Santa Cruz claims that the constitution is invalid because of the manner in which the Constitutional Assembly was handled last year.... which is also a fault that can be found on both sides. The root of all of this opposition? Gonna go ahead and say it's has little to do with autonomy or land distribution... but that's a personal opinion.

For you viewing pleasure:

I suggest the Democracy Center Blog (http://www.democracyctr.org/blog) - a view from the more Western, Altiplano, side of things, based in Cochabamba - they have some really good continuing coverage on this stuff. Scroll down and read the stuff from earlier last week. It's really the best source I've found for news here.

I would also suggest reading the World News stuff that can be found on sites like Yahoo and MSN or CNN. Most of the news concerning this on an international level is best in Spanish, but that being as it is, I suggest these sources. Still thinking the Democracy Center is everyone's best bet. It will even give some insight into culture and the background that it gives to these events. It does, however, tend to bias a little to the West, though does not leave Morales free from fault, which is a tendency of the Bolivian news that I've read on an international level.

The results of this vote and the divisions and separatism that are creating tension here right now will be seen play out over the next few months, as the federal government and the department of Santa Cruz seem to have come to a bit of a standoff right now, waiting to see what the other will do. It could get interesting. Positive thoughts for a united Bolivia anyone?

100 Degree Christmas

2007-12-20T20:06:00.003-04:00

(The lovely ladies of SALT: Aubrey, Dovanna, Wendy - our coordinator, and me. Francis just had to get in on this one too!)

Some Christmas thoughts I suppose, right? Well, here we are, December 20th... I think... Thursday, almost the weekend. I've been shut up in the dining hall at the Children's Home for the last three weeks, first scraping all the paint off the walls (cement walls, oil paint... not good) and then painting, so the weekend coming is a good thing. Unfortunately, if we don't finish the job in time, it will only become Saturday's job, which would be largely inconvenient for me, since I have some hardcore Christmas shopping to do. It's hot too, man, seriously not Christmasy around here. I am expecting my parents and sister to come and visit the day after Christmas - that's funny: refering to it as if it's not a set thing.... haha. I mean: my parents and sister are coming on the 26th and staying until the 3rd of January, so I have a lot of stuff to get ready this weekend. Pack some things to send home, wrap some gifts, buy some gifts, and make Jam-Jams for the Bolivian host family.

(Dovanna and Aubrey - looking lovely for the Christmas party.)

I don't have a lot of very exciting news right now, but here are some pictures from the Christmas party that we had for MCC. The SALTers really brought the heat at the dinner: all you can eat buffet, and lookin' flawsy, flawsy. Oh yeah. It was really great for all of us to be together, since we are not often all in one place at the same time. Stephen is rocking out to a hopping social life, Aubrey lives in Santiago, and I am currently just about always working. Of the SALTers , I see the most of Dovanna, who got to go home for Christmas! Lucky. Gets to see snow. I do have to share one wonderful experience that I had last weekend though, that may seem just a little too far left of center to some people. But bear with me. One thing that a lot of us miss around here as North Americans is hymn singing, since music in church here is a whole lot of 7/11 on high volume, out of tune. That can be painful for Mennonites. So when we have our MCC English Potlucks every Wednesday night, we usually sing a few hymns, currently lots of Christmas ones. And if you know Mennonites, you can imagine the lovely four part harmony we fall into... Especially if both Aubrey and Wendy are there, since they are both more musically educated and inclined than the rest of us. Aubrey was in town this weekend, but she missed out on Wednesday night, and really wanted a chance to sing Christmas songs. We went for a walk on Sunday night (she headed back Monday) down to the plaza central where an orchestra and choir from one of the poorest barrios in the city was performing parts of Handel's Messiah in the Cathedral. Although even I could hear the imperfections in the execution of this music, it nearly moved me to tears just because it brought me so close to home, I could feel it in my chest. Aubrey and I couldn't help but join in on the "and he shall reigns". Afterward, we walked all the way to the cathedral and back to MCC singing Christmas songs in the empty streets of Santa Cruz, Aubrey singing alto and me with the soprano parts (mostly cause I can't harmonize. That makes me only half-Mennonite). It was lovely to be able to sing together, however strange it is to sing in English in public, late at night, I think it was strange and wonderful. There weren't that many people, and in any case,everyone stares at two gringas walking down the street: might as well give them something to stare at.

(Me and Stephen. We're pretty much models. I sunburned that day. If you can't tell.)

Here are also some pics of my kids from the Biblioteca and the kids from the Children's Home from when we had a day camp style end of the year thing about a month ago.

(Aubrey, Me, and Dovanna. We are fishies.)

Merry Christmas - though I'm sure there's more to come on this subject.

(The kids, waiting "patiently" for their bible lesson to start.)

(getting ready to play "dinamicos" on the cancha.)

(Paola and Maria René got Profe Aida!)

(Juan Pablo chasing Michele.)

Just a Quickie

2007-11-28T16:13:00.000-04:00

If anybody has been following or would like to follow the current political situation in Bolivia, this is the best website that I have been able to come across for accurate English coverage. Political climate seems to be changing very rapidly here, so read up! The second blog post that you see right now gives a really good explanation of what has been going on since last week. PEACE.

http://www.democracyctr.org/blog/

For the Beauty of the Earth

2007-11-25T11:03:00.003-04:00

For the beauty of the earth

For the glory of the skies,

For the love which from our birth

over and around us lies.

The night is beautiful,

So the faces of my people.

The stars are beautiful,

So the eyes of my people.

Beautiful, also, is the sun.

Beautiful, also, are the souls of my people.

- Langston Hughes

This week was Thanksgiving at home, but here in Bolivia - where we had a whole different set of pilgrims, some thankful, some not - it was not. Haha. But, our group of Señoritas and Jóvenes at MCC made it a thankful occassion anyhow. (Unfortunately, I don't have any of the pictures of the joyous occassion because my camera battery charger is MIA...bummer) Aubrey - our Santiago SALTer - came in to Santa Cruz on Tuesday, so it has certainly been a joy to spend this time with her; and we all just congregated at MCC on Wednesday night, Dovanna, Marcos, Stephen and myself worn out from a long day of work. I had gone during my lunch break to buy the chicken (whih still had a head and feet...), potatoes, corn, milk, butter, etc, and so arrived laden with food and ready to cook. Once we got going we just couldn't seem to stop, making a chicken with stuffing (turkey is about 4 times the cost per pound...), vegetable mix, mashed potatoes, and three pies (apple, mango, and pumpkin). The real joy of preparing this dinner was the community of being able to share time and food and inexperience together. None of us had ever made stuffing, or cooked a whol chicken, or made mango pie... So the whole evening (we ate at about 10:30 pm) was a real adventure, a break from Bolivian food that we may or may not like, and a chance to share a different kind of learning together. It was truly a blessing, and for me, something to be enormously thankful for on Thanksgiving. Other things that I am thankful for this Thanksgiving: Bolivian sunsets, apple mangoes, oranges, motoyoé*, the occasional Sur, my children, and that it is almost December. There are many more things, but these are some of the first ones to come to mind. I have recently discovered a love for mangoes, which is convenient since it is now the season when people with mango trees have to throw them away or dump them somewhere, or if possible, sell them in the street. They fall green, and litter the ground, and if no one eats them, they just rot. Amazing to think how expensive it is to buy mangoes at home. PS - mango in Spanish is actually "manga", which strangely is also the sleeve of a shirt. I have a particular love for the "manga manzana", which is a really big juicy one, reddish yellow when ripe, and unfortunately one that gives me a rash. Haha. A lot of North Americans apparently show up in South America, and find that they are mildly to seriously allergic to mangoes, while Bolivians walk around with them sticking out of their mouths like an extra appendage. The method of eating seems often to pop a hole in it, and just suck all the flesh out. They are often very fibrous. Though the manga manzana is very smooth, and I eat mine with a knife. All over the roads and sidewalks and the outdoors in general there are these funny-looking, furry, oblong balls of "hair", which are in fact the pits of mangoes that people have demolished and abandoned. They are eaten like candy and are dirt cheap and delicious. I am thankful for the abundance of mango. The oranges are also excellent - so sweet and pure - and I often eat about three a day. I'm working on my orange-eating technique still, cause it's not a section-it-off kind of thing like it is at home. You peel the orange first, but only the outer skin, try to leave as much of the white part before the fruit as possible - though I tell you that is the hardest part, cause these oranges don't have much of that. Then you cut it in half (like cutting the sections in half) and suck out all the pulp and juice. When you don't have much experience in this, it can be a very savage-looking and mildly disgusting ritual, but I'm getting to the point where I'm no longer embarrassed by my technique. Practice, immersion in culture takes practice. It's a nice little boost to feel like you can eat the fruit like a native. One of those subtle cultural things, eh?

I've been walking around singing this hymn to myself for about two weeks, and I wasn't sure why it was in my head. I kept thinking about that scene in Little Women (you know, the one with Wynona Ryder) when Meg gets married, right before Laurie proposes, and they sing that hymn at the wedding. It's a bit of a Werner family holiday movie - that and The Sound of Music - so I figured that the coming Christmas time was bringing on my nostalgia. But then I took a moment to consider the words, and found that it seemed a whole lot more related to general Thankfulness. Obviously. I was thinking about how I've adjusted to living here, finding my grooves, the routines, the things I am actually capable of. I have been making bread every few weekends, and it always disappears a lot faster than I anticipate (gotta adjust the number of loaves I make...). This week I cooked black beans for the second time in my life, pureed half, and made the other half into a black bean soup that I was actually really proud of. I've never made soup in my life, but I used out chicken carcass from Thanksgiving, and made bean soup and chicken soup. It was so satisfying on Sunday afternoon to eat the soup I made from scratch with the bread I made from scratch. I found that I was thankful that I was able to make my own food, and actually want to eat it. I find so much joy in getting around on my own: walking, running, by micro, or taxi.

I have also been looking around me a lot. It's sort of impossible not too: I've been here almost 3 and a half months, and I still feel like I see new things every day. I've run home from work once, and walked home twice, and have come to the conclusion that even being in a place in public transportation isn't close enough. I think about this in levels: there are people in the city - North American and Bolivian - who do not interact with where they live at all. They live in their neighborhoods with their ten foot walls and barabed wire, drive around in their shiny SUVs with the windows rolled up, and only work and dine out with people who come from ten foot walls and SUVs. If you have money, coming face to face with Bolivia is possible to avoid. For MCCers in general, we are supposed to be amongst the population: our goal is to separate ourselves as little as possible from the average Bolivian. We cannot help but be middle class in reality, but the lifestyle that is expected of us does not include taking a taxi everyday to and from work, or dining in the most expensive restaurants, or shopping in the United Colors of Benetton. We ride micros, walk, or take bikes, MCC cars are used with much discretion, the compound is very nice, but unobtrusive, and don't flash the money around. I have just found that I feel so much closer to the place that I'm in when I'm not separated from it by anything. No that the micro ride isn't an experience, it definitely is, but there is something about walking in the mud and uneven sidewalks, smelling the food or garbage or urine or bougainvillea that you can't get from inside the micro. There is something about seeing for real the place in which you live, not watching it pass as if it were a movie. It may cost me an hour and a half everyday, but I feel like walking might be worth it. Seeing a different veiw of this place and these people, however much they may bother me when I walk.

I am particularly thankful just now for the weather. It has been hot, and humid, and is only getting hotter and more humid, but the sky here has just been amazing. You can tell one or two days before it's going to rain (I think maybe tomorrow), and can see when the wind changes according to which direction the pollution from the Azucero blows. Sometimes I look up and the sky is showing me like three to five weather systems at once. It's amazing, it's existential, it makes me feel good and small. The clouds will be little cotton balls in one direction, dark and angry somewhere else, long thin lines on the other side, and clear and blue with wonderful sunshine behind you. Don't like the weather? Turn around, it's different over there! Sometimes the sunset here is just absolutely incredible. I don't know if it's the pollution in the air, the humidity, or just Bolivia, but for about five minutes on specific days (usually when it's going to rain), when the sun is setting, the entire worl is jsut bathed in this rosy pink glow. The walls of our house look pink, I look pink, everything is like a peach. It's like God put a filter on the sun. Sometimes the sky is blue, sometimes it's peach, pink, purple, or brilliant orange.

One thing I'm really not into, are the cicadas. Sure, they're very interesting, but putcha they're loud. It's like this constant hum or buzz, like some electrical wire, with this occassional insane noise (really kind of indescribable) that's kind of like somethign dying, or squealing belts, or faliling brakes or something. Only louder.

* Motoyoé - a fruit (that's the Camba name) tree that we have outside of the gate of Stansberry. About a month ago it was about the most amazing this ever. These little round seed pods kept falling, and then the whole neighborhood came to gather them, and then mothers started coming with their kids and sending them up the tree to throw them down. There would be about 5 or more kids in there at any one time. It's kind of a weird fruit, cause you can't bake with it, make juice, or really do anything other than eat it fresh. So that's what we did. Squeeze the seed pod, and this fleshy, wet grape-like peach stuff pops out, all wrapped up around a pit. You just sort of suck on that until it loses its flavor and spit it and pop the next one. My first motoyoé was the strangest experience: we all know how smell is the strongest sense tied to memory, but I never really realized how closely related taste is until I popped that first motoyoé. It was the strangest sensation, like I had eaten it before, but for about two weeks or more I couldn't place it. Then I talked to Jillian and she reminded me of wild grapes we used to eat at grandma and grandpa's house in Steinbach, and that was it. It was like going more than ten years back. Only now in Bolivia. Oh, the wonderous connections of memory and new experience. I wish I could eat motoyoé every day. But now it's out of season...

Keep walking, though there's no place to get to.

Don't try to see through the distance. That's not

for human beings.

Move within, but don't move the way fear

makes you move.

Today, like every other day, we wake up empty and

frightened.

Don't open the door to the study

and begin reading. Take down a musical

instrument.

Let the beauty we love be what we do.

There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the

ground.

- Rumi

"Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird"

I do not know which to prefer,

The beauty of inflections

Or the beauty of innuendos,

The blackbird whistling

Or just after.

- Wallace Stevens

a view of my world

2007-11-19T17:32:00.000-04:00

La linea amarilla, the yellow line, Santiago de Chiquitos

So this is a gonna be a really word-aenemic blog post. I've found that every blog post I make, I browse through my pictures for FAR too much time, and most the time the pictures have very little to do with what I'm writing about; I just want to put them in there and give you guys a view of Bolivia as I have seen it. So I'm just gonna shut my pie hole for now, and attempt to let the images speak for themselves.

Flowers, Santiago de Chiquitos

Sandstone formations, Santiago de Chiquitos

Me, September 2007, Santiago de Chiquitos

Red Hibiscus Flower, Cochabamba

This is what too much lunch looks like in the end, Cochbamba

Pensive, Wendy, Cochabamba

Pink Flowers, Cochabamba

The Arcade, Cochabamba

Salteñas, food of the Gods, Cochamba

More to come once I can stand to wait for more pictures to upload...

Que voy a hacer

Je ne sais pas

Que voy a hacer

Je ne sais plus

Que voy a hacer

Je suis perdu

Que horas son, mi corazon

Me gusta la canela, me gustas tú

Lengua de Suegra

2007-09-06T13:13:00.001-04:00

hello all - my apologies for the delay in blog-postage; and I not a very loyal correspondent it seems. Well, I am now in full swing of language classes, tutoring, and getting to know this great city in which it now seems that I live. still have to remind myself of that every so often. I began language study at the beginning of last week, with a class for an hour and a half each morning one on one with a woman from Switzerland who I meet with just two blocks from MCC. Luckily, it is only about a 15 minutes commute from my house. In the afternoons, the other two SALTers and I meet with our tutors - who are university students here in the city - and we usually go on little excursions or adventures in and around the city in order to understand our surroundings, opportunities, and means of transportation. Eating salteñas, empanadas, and café con leche, cruising the plazas, riding micros, and finding all the "parques de besos" as Aubrey and I like to call them.

I have been running in the late afternoons after tutoring in a park near my house called the Parque Urbano, which I would classify as one of these "kissing parks". It's ALL couples, strewn around on the grass like a carpet, and then some people playing fútbol. Running in the park is a welcome break from the catcalls that are pretty standard on the street here: people don't say inappropriate things to you or whistle if they're all wrapped around their girlfriends. I find the catcalls exhausting, but I find it even more exhausting that they're not even supposed to bother me. In this culture it seems that women are always under this intense pressure to look a certain way, and it really reflects in the styles of dress here - I could write an entire entry about that - but it also is reflected in the attention that is recieved from men in public. I wouldn't go so far as to say that catcalls are welcome, but it seems to be an accepted part of the culture, and one that I find myself hard pressed to be able to accept as a difference and not a negative point. It's a display of machísimo, it's degrading, and I hate it. I am not, however, privelged with the right to retaliate; I know that it would make no difference what I do, so most of the time I make it a joke, trying to come up with witty reponses (though my language skills are a little lacking for that at this point), or when I'm running, I just pretend that they're cheering me on, and I run faster. I have a feeling that this part of the culture will be an ongoing battle for me this year. I thought counting up my whistles for the day would make it funny for me, but really it becomes depressing. It will be nice at some point to be a little more annonymous, but being fair skinned and fair haired in this city does not really lend itself to that possibility. When I walk somewhere (which I tend to do a lot) it's almost like someone is walking in front of me with a sign saying "hey everyone, look at the gringa!" But also sometimes it seems to me that this would not be South America if this element was absent.

As for the activities of the next couple of weeks, tomorrow afternoon, myself, Stephen, Aubrey, Wendy (my boss), Dovanna (a SALTer from last year who has extended for a second term), and Marcos (volunteer associated with MCC) are traveling to Santiago de Chiquitos, a town in the campo where Aubrey will move in a month to work as a music teacher in a community program. We will be staying there until Monday night, when we will take the wonderful ten hour train ride back. I imagine that the weekend will include some hiking, and campo-esque activities, which include eating great food that often has guts in it (mmmm protein), getting really dirty, and bug bites. Naturally, I'm pretty pumped. Next week we will resume our language classes on Wednesday, and conclude with our tutors on friday, though I think that both Aubrey and I at least intend to continue with my lessons. I really like my teacher; she makes me tea every morning and we discuss cultural differences. I wish I could learn every language that I want to learn this way: it is so easy to understand something when you have someone's undivided attention. I really think that my Spanish is getting better, though it still comes and goes, I understand practically everything that is said to me. Bolivians here in Santa Cruz have a very distinctive accent and really speaking very messy Spanish. Esther - my teacher - is trying to make sure that I will speak proper Spanish and not Cruceño Castellano. Once I stop with my tutor lessons, Wendy and I are going to trek it over to the Guardería Moises one day to speak with my supervisor and get me set up to begin half days while I am still in language study with Esther. This is very exciting; I think that in some ways life will be a little easier once I can be in a more set routine of activities. The rigor of a work schedule will give me the structure that I really need right now to distract me from the things that can be difficult about being here. As they say, may the road rise to meet you, may the wind be always at your back. Keep on keepin' on.

(ps - "lengua de suegra" is a dessert empanada-like thing here. the term literally means 'mother-in-law's tongue')

boliviaboliviabolivia

2007-08-20T13:45:00.000-04:00

HA! And now I am finally here, after all the months of planning and packing and worrying, I am here in the MCC Compound in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. This first week here is one of orientation and some good old fashioned relaxation before we move in with our families, begin language study, and then start our jobs. We are staying here at on the MCC grounds, meeting the other volunteers, both local and foriegn and basically getting a hold on our surroundings. To sum up the city from my point of view, I would have to say that EVERYTHING is different. The way people dress, the way they talk (Camba spanish is a little different), the way we shower, what time we eat, even directional signals and car horns mean different things. This week is about seeing what we can and becoming at least some what accustomed to it before we leave this MCC property for life with our host families. Next Sunday is when they will come to pick us up and take us to our respective homes to move in. Next week we will start five weeks of language study both with tutors and one on one teachers. In the next few weeks we will also be traveling to Santiago de Chiquitos where one of our group will be working, and to Cochabamba for an MCC ¨focus weekend¨. I will know more about these trips later. This morning we had refreshments (called refrijerio) with the other MCC staff and volunteers, and learned about how our financial matters will work while we are here. I have my first wad of currency - Bolivianos - at an exchange rate of 8 Bolivianos to 1 American dollar. Things seem insanely cheap here, though I know that it is all relative. For example, calling home is 50 centavos a minute, which came to 10 Bolivianos for a 20 minute call. But ten Bolivianos is just over a dollar. It is hard to adjust to seeing the Boliviano as having an equal value in this society as the dollar has in ours.

I am also practicing my Spanish as much as I can, which isn´t hard: most of the workers here at MCC are Bolivian, and there is a rule here that if there is even one person in the room who does not speak English, we speak Spanish. The odds are pretty good that the language of choice will be Spanish at any given time. Good practice for life outside of MCC´s walls. Thats all for now; just taking time to relax and adjust and gear up for the coming months.

Arrived in Akron for orientation

2007-08-12T22:16:00.000-04:00

Me in front of "Africa House" where I will be staying at the MCC Welcome Center in Akron, PA for the duration of my orientation. More to come ...

(posted by Mom)

Hello

2007-08-02T20:58:00.001-04:00

So, this is my first Blog post ever! How exciting.... There are now nine days until I depart for Akron, Pennsylvania to start my MCC orientation. Orientation will last for a week - until about the 18th - when I believe I will be flown to Bolivia!!! Once I arrive in Bolivia along with the 5 other MCC volunteers I will be traveling with, I will begin my MCC Bolivia orientation, and will then start a month-long period of language study. From there the details get a little murky, but somewhere in there I imagine that I will meet and move in with a host family, unless none can be found for me, and will begin my job at the Guarderia Moises/Stansbury Children's Center outside of the city of Santa Cruz.

With August 11th fast approaching, there is a lot still to do! I seem to be continuously making and losing lists of things I have to do, buy, or remember to bring! Putting time with friends and family first is also a current priority, and I find that keeping the stress level low is difficult and a daily balancing act.

Well, thats all for now! More to come...