So I am situated. I have friends. I have quite the happenin social life. I am happy. And I am leaving in a week. Asi es la vida.
Meanwhile. As I am conciously creating memories, knowing that the end is coming far too soon, I am still having new experience after new experience. The past week I have been part of a trio. I, my roomie Alex and this remarkable woman, Romina, have been practiacally inseperable. The time includes much sun bathing and writing on the roofterrace of Rominas apartment, blasting Joss Stone or Bob Marley, having sleepovers. Waking up before work to get the BBC World news. Making creative lunches out of the scraps in our refrigerator. Talking about life, love and international development with other friends at a cuban resturant. Drinking tea until all hours of the night. Looking forward to the 4 pm 'bread and tea' snack break at work. Constantly churning over ideas for a new nonprofit. Dancing until 5 am before going to work at 9 am. Tea Parties with fancy pasteries and fresh flowers. Rehashing the night before with friends over a fresh glass of juice at the bolivian equivalent of starbucks: Alexanders. Overall, with a rhythm and support system, a good handle on the city and the language, I feel at home. I feel like a Pacena. (La Paz local)
So, my birthday was Thursday. And I didnt have very high expectations for festivities, since I had only been here little over a month. However, boy does this office enjoying celebrating birthdays! There is a list of the month's birthdays in the kitcen ,and everyone knows and anticipate, with: so your birthday is this thurdsday, no? And then on the day of.. there was a suprise Saltena party (delicious empanadas) with Happy Birthday in both spanish and english. and later we had a mini ice cream party with the two bosses. I took the opportunity (since i had been trying to have meeting with the two of them all week about a partnership plan) to steer the conversation, not so subtley to: "So, since I have you both in the same room"... and proceeded to pitch my NGO ideas. They were well recieve - a birthday gift in and of itself. I got ballons and my first day working on my birthday was not half bad. After work Alex, Romina and I got dressed up and went to the most amazing steak place you can imagine. Defintely in the top three best steaks I have had in my 22 years of life. And the night had just begun, as we danced until 5:30 am. I had my faced stuffed in a birthday cake (apparently a cultural experience) and still had dulce de leche in my hair the next day at work. With 2 bottles of champagne, great company, and awesome music we danced the night away.
And then proceed to roll out of bed 2 hours later to get to work on friday... not the most productive work day. Continuing to make the most of my time here, and now not wanting to leave the city, we went to a work party (my guacamole was a hit) where everyone sang Karaoke. And then went out and sang more Kareoke the next night. This country likes its Karaoke. But it is a sit in your chair, and the microphone comes to you type of Karaoke. Must admit, I do enjoy the audience aspect of US karaoke a little better. (shocking, I know).
Life is filled with little pleasures. Like getting my favorite Bolivian chocolate: Sublime. (pronounced suubleemaay). Having your dirty underwear countered out on the table at the laundry service. Dashing across the street, scared for your life. Thinking someone is honking at you, but really, they are just honking to warn they are coming to an intersection and not slowing down. Bargaining for everything. And on the street you can buy the most amazing delicacy: Salchipapas. French fries. Sliced Hot Dogs. Mayonesa. Salsa. mmmmmmm.
Asi es la vida... en Bolivia.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
MORE PHOTOS
Here is a link to more photos.
http://ucdavis.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2177652&l=d3265&id=3202326
Enjoy.
http://ucdavis.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2177652&l=d3265&id=3202326
Enjoy.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Field Work 2
Ah. were to begin/continue. My mind is still spinning from this past week with thoughts about international aid, micro finance, organic farming, rural living, vegetarianism, fair trade, comparative advantage, economics, health, education, gender roles, family values, entrenreuers, windy roads, flor and fauna, modern commodities, and more. I could go on and on. To see our work in action, and participate in the lives of these communities was more than eye opening, in the respect that there is complexity in even the smallest piece of life. And I cant even begin to tell you how much I learned. I dont think I can even comprehend how much I learned There are some species of bees, for example, that have two wings, others that have four. Who knew? Helping purchase one blender for a woman to prepare papaya juice outside her home can change so much, and yet so little. Buying an oven for someone can begin the first bakery in town. Yet the new refrigerator for the meat vendor may still be unused. Complex issues.
The towns that we visited varied from 300 people up to 3000. No one has a phone. So the two phone booths in the town, in the evening has a line down the block waiting to call the cousin in La Paz, or who knows. Also, they have implemented the most ingenious system. Since the town is small enough there is a loud speaker on top of a building, and for 12 cents you can make an annoucement over the loud speaker to the entire town. Such as, "Mr. Fernando, come home for dinner right now" or "my bike has been stolen, my bike has been stolen!" very clever.
Also, since there is no phone and no map of the area, in order to do the interviews you just drive to the town that you know the beneficiary lives near, and roll down your window and ask someone where Mr Lopez the black bean famer lives. "around the third bend in the road on your right." so there you go... and sure enough around the third bend there are some steps up to a wooden house with a tin roof that has bricks on top to hold it down. so I hike up the hill in my fashin shade and hiking boots to the interview. outside, the wife is cooking lunch in a pot sitting directly on a couple logs that make a fire. They quickly accomodate you, wipe off the bench and popping open a two liter bottle of coca-cola (i drank SO much coca cola). And as i talk with the husband, the wife swings the child around that was in a sack on her back, and begins breastfeeding.
Also, along the way I ate papaya, bananas, oranges, cacoa and coconut that I picked myself. I saw green eggs, a turkey, birds building nests, cotton growing on the plant, tried wine from grapefruit (a variation on the coca cola hospitality.) and we saw a dead porcipine by the side of the road that the people i was traveling with proceeded to pluck the pines because apparently they are a good remedy for something...
All in all, I was enamored by the pace, generosity and lifestyle of the region. And it churned within me emotions of passion for natureand love of simplicity. I felt an ache confronted with poverty, toyed with the dream of living on a farm myself, and was stuffed with frsh fruit and coca-cola. I began reflecting on the work i have choosen to do. And had 5 very intense days of evaluating the life we choose to lead. Most of all it made me grateful to have a choice.
The towns that we visited varied from 300 people up to 3000. No one has a phone. So the two phone booths in the town, in the evening has a line down the block waiting to call the cousin in La Paz, or who knows. Also, they have implemented the most ingenious system. Since the town is small enough there is a loud speaker on top of a building, and for 12 cents you can make an annoucement over the loud speaker to the entire town. Such as, "Mr. Fernando, come home for dinner right now" or "my bike has been stolen, my bike has been stolen!" very clever.
Also, since there is no phone and no map of the area, in order to do the interviews you just drive to the town that you know the beneficiary lives near, and roll down your window and ask someone where Mr Lopez the black bean famer lives. "around the third bend in the road on your right." so there you go... and sure enough around the third bend there are some steps up to a wooden house with a tin roof that has bricks on top to hold it down. so I hike up the hill in my fashin shade and hiking boots to the interview. outside, the wife is cooking lunch in a pot sitting directly on a couple logs that make a fire. They quickly accomodate you, wipe off the bench and popping open a two liter bottle of coca-cola (i drank SO much coca cola). And as i talk with the husband, the wife swings the child around that was in a sack on her back, and begins breastfeeding.
Also, along the way I ate papaya, bananas, oranges, cacoa and coconut that I picked myself. I saw green eggs, a turkey, birds building nests, cotton growing on the plant, tried wine from grapefruit (a variation on the coca cola hospitality.) and we saw a dead porcipine by the side of the road that the people i was traveling with proceeded to pluck the pines because apparently they are a good remedy for something...
All in all, I was enamored by the pace, generosity and lifestyle of the region. And it churned within me emotions of passion for natureand love of simplicity. I felt an ache confronted with poverty, toyed with the dream of living on a farm myself, and was stuffed with frsh fruit and coca-cola. I began reflecting on the work i have choosen to do. And had 5 very intense days of evaluating the life we choose to lead. Most of all it made me grateful to have a choice.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Field Work: 1
So, since i began work I have been aggresive about mentioning to anyone that would listen that I would like to go into the field. It paid off. The past week I have spent in the northern part of Bolivia, in a remote, tropical region experiecing the most enriching, exhuasting and fulfilling 5 days ever. As ACDI/VOCA we help implement small mico business plans that people propose, such as a juice stand, a bakery, etc, by helping purchase a new oven, a blender, to help them get started and expand the buiness. My role was to interview beneficiaries of the project, to see how it all worked out. To felt like I was contributing in some small way was both exhilerating and rewarding, and to see the success of these programs was humbling to be a part of.
The week started at 6 am, at the office, where I piled into a car with Martin, a programs coordinator, and Vlady, the driver. Certainly the most luxurious roadtrip I have taken since I got here: I had the whole backseat of the car to myself. And after ten hours of driving along dangerous dirt road (that means 10 hours of conversation in Spanish) we were right outside of town, about 5 km, when we saw a family killing and slicing a cow, that was hanging from a tree right next to the road. We stopped because we KNEW them. It is one of the people i will be INTERVIEWING because we gave them a new table, a refrigerator, and a display case for their meat mercado! the veins of the thighs were still pulsing and flies were swarming as the family patiently peeled the skin, seperated the four stomachs, and with a regular carpenters saw cut right down the spine of the cow. they usually slaughter two cows on Mondays, I learned, but this was a big one, so they were just doing one that day. quite an experience.
We continued on to the hotel, with a veeery old dueno (owner) who did not remember our reservation, nor did he remember which rooms were occupied. We would come in at night and he would be in front of the television full blast, with eyes shut and mouth wide open, his snoring competing with the commercials. I got settled into my room, amd went to wash my hands. Turned on the faucet, and i felt like i was in a movie where someone was playing tricks on me. the water pressure would surge and then stop, trickle and then stream. drip and then slash. it had a mind of its own. later that night i got home to bursh my teeth... there was no water. no water at all. not to flush the toilet, brush my teeth. that makes the shower decion pretty easy, i thought! then i was laying in bed and WOOSH, i guess i had not closed the faucet and the water was back on.. full blast! I jumped out of bed, toothbrush in hand, and by the time I got to the faucet it was already at a drip, drip drip.
Palos Blancos. a very very humid little town, in the Alto Beni region, was our home base. I keep imagining it would be exactly like hawaii before it was developed. dirt roads lined with banana, papaya and coconut trees. wild orchids, and houses made with palm fran roofs. really beautiful, but very dusty too, because this is the dry season, so the red dirt from the roads kicks up a lot. and i drenched myself in insect repellent to avoid mosquitos, polvillinos (little dust bugs that pínch), and the mutitpldue of other insects. There is an ACDI/VOCA field office in Palos, with internet and electricity that work occasionally. And when the internet doesnt work, that means the entire towns internet isnt working because there is only one server in the town. There are very few glass windows. Most are just a green screen to let air pass through. The front door is a screen door. People work late into the night because it is cooler then, and so after checking into the hotel we went straight to work until 11 pm. This town is DEFINITELY not in the lonely plant. but it is just a normal town, with normal rhythm and normal people, trying to make ends meet. ah, traveling sure opens your eyes huh?
The next morning I woke up at 5:45 sharp to an entire flock of roosters outside my window. and could not go back to sleep. Late nights. Early mornings. Very full days.
MORE SOON:
The week started at 6 am, at the office, where I piled into a car with Martin, a programs coordinator, and Vlady, the driver. Certainly the most luxurious roadtrip I have taken since I got here: I had the whole backseat of the car to myself. And after ten hours of driving along dangerous dirt road (that means 10 hours of conversation in Spanish) we were right outside of town, about 5 km, when we saw a family killing and slicing a cow, that was hanging from a tree right next to the road. We stopped because we KNEW them. It is one of the people i will be INTERVIEWING because we gave them a new table, a refrigerator, and a display case for their meat mercado! the veins of the thighs were still pulsing and flies were swarming as the family patiently peeled the skin, seperated the four stomachs, and with a regular carpenters saw cut right down the spine of the cow. they usually slaughter two cows on Mondays, I learned, but this was a big one, so they were just doing one that day. quite an experience.
We continued on to the hotel, with a veeery old dueno (owner) who did not remember our reservation, nor did he remember which rooms were occupied. We would come in at night and he would be in front of the television full blast, with eyes shut and mouth wide open, his snoring competing with the commercials. I got settled into my room, amd went to wash my hands. Turned on the faucet, and i felt like i was in a movie where someone was playing tricks on me. the water pressure would surge and then stop, trickle and then stream. drip and then slash. it had a mind of its own. later that night i got home to bursh my teeth... there was no water. no water at all. not to flush the toilet, brush my teeth. that makes the shower decion pretty easy, i thought! then i was laying in bed and WOOSH, i guess i had not closed the faucet and the water was back on.. full blast! I jumped out of bed, toothbrush in hand, and by the time I got to the faucet it was already at a drip, drip drip.
Palos Blancos. a very very humid little town, in the Alto Beni region, was our home base. I keep imagining it would be exactly like hawaii before it was developed. dirt roads lined with banana, papaya and coconut trees. wild orchids, and houses made with palm fran roofs. really beautiful, but very dusty too, because this is the dry season, so the red dirt from the roads kicks up a lot. and i drenched myself in insect repellent to avoid mosquitos, polvillinos (little dust bugs that pínch), and the mutitpldue of other insects. There is an ACDI/VOCA field office in Palos, with internet and electricity that work occasionally. And when the internet doesnt work, that means the entire towns internet isnt working because there is only one server in the town. There are very few glass windows. Most are just a green screen to let air pass through. The front door is a screen door. People work late into the night because it is cooler then, and so after checking into the hotel we went straight to work until 11 pm. This town is DEFINITELY not in the lonely plant. but it is just a normal town, with normal rhythm and normal people, trying to make ends meet. ah, traveling sure opens your eyes huh?
The next morning I woke up at 5:45 sharp to an entire flock of roosters outside my window. and could not go back to sleep. Late nights. Early mornings. Very full days.
MORE SOON:
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Work, Harry Potter & Weekend Treks
Work is great. I am truly enjoying everyday of grownup life. I stroll in, latin american time, at 9 am, take a goood hour lunch, and head out at 6. The workday includes a lot of translating, summarizing and attempting to articulate succinctly that we have done good work. I have had meeting with an ostrich expert & black bean expert discussing how locals could improve their farms. I could tell you a host of information about ostrich egg incubation, and how to prevent weasels from entering your bean crops now. Interesting no? And I have excellent company with the two other interns from the States. One of them is living with me in my palace, that we have dubbed the House of Doors.
Funny Story: So, one day after work I was talking about Harry Potter with my roomie. She had already read it in english before she came. I am about half way through the photocopy spanish version i bought on the street - before the real spanish version came out. it was about 600 pages, not 800.. I thought, maybe you say things more succinctly in spanish? I was talking about how it is kinda a lull,´ he is playing Quidditch right now` i said. (if you are not a harry potter fan, bear with me). Quidditch??, she said. He doesnt play quidditch in the book..... And it all began unfolding. Now for you harry potter lovers, let me tell you that although my version of the book turns out to be COMPLETELY different... it makes sense, and i was enjoying it. Now i havent read the other book, but here is what my plot included..... if you have read the 7th, apparently this is pretty entertaining: Harry gets picked up at the beginning by one person and he goes to their house, before the weasley wedding... where nothing exciting happens. he goes back to Hogwarts, like normal, on the train, with ron and hermione. things are often akward with ginny. McGonagal takes Dumbledores place and does a good job, and lets harry, ron and hermione run free.. as they search for the peices of Voldemorts soul.. in voldemorts old house, in harry´s old house. They start up Dumbledores army again, but rename it Harrys Army. there is no snape, and so far no one has died. ..... i am enjoying it, and debating whether or not to continue reading the WRONG version. People teased me too.. saying, what if you are reading a different version and you didnt know. hahaha. :( (hint: i wouldnt mind if someone sent me the english version) well, very disgruntled. although entertaining nonetheless. does that mean someone somehow wrote an entirely new story just to sell on the street? ponder that....
so ambitiously us three ´pasantias´(interns) decided to take off after work on friday to Cochabamba on a night bus. we bought seats for a bus cama (bed). we show up, and the misleading title ¨bus cama¨was a mentira. it was a regular bus with a little extra leg room... which made our 8 hour bus ride a little less comfortable than expected. We rolled in at 6 am for the longest day of tourism in all of Bolivian history. We saw and tasted everything and walked more than any Bolivian has ever walked before. From old churches, artisan fairs, museums, to 3 glasses of fresh orange juice off the street.. it was only noon. we climbed a mountain (1254 steps) in the afternoon to a 33 meter tall christ statue that overlooked the city. (a meter for every year of his life, plus some) and by the end of the day felt like true ¨cochabambinos¨because we knew the city inside and out. It is a lovely, flat suburban feeling city. Very managable and comfortable. A vespa type of city, but a little dirtier. If I lived there I would implement bike lanes... and get some of these people out of their cars. A very nice, full, yet relaxing weekend. And it was so wonderful to have such kind, likeminded company. We took a late afternoon bus back on sunday.. prepared for the leg room situation, where we watched the Simpsons Movie dubbed.. and you could see a head in the bottom corner of the screen. Classic pirateing.
Got back midnight sunday. And monday moring (5:30 am) i left to do fieldwork in the northern region of Bolvia. An adventure like absolutely none other en mi vida.
Funny Story: So, one day after work I was talking about Harry Potter with my roomie. She had already read it in english before she came. I am about half way through the photocopy spanish version i bought on the street - before the real spanish version came out. it was about 600 pages, not 800.. I thought, maybe you say things more succinctly in spanish? I was talking about how it is kinda a lull,´ he is playing Quidditch right now` i said. (if you are not a harry potter fan, bear with me). Quidditch??, she said. He doesnt play quidditch in the book..... And it all began unfolding. Now for you harry potter lovers, let me tell you that although my version of the book turns out to be COMPLETELY different... it makes sense, and i was enjoying it. Now i havent read the other book, but here is what my plot included..... if you have read the 7th, apparently this is pretty entertaining: Harry gets picked up at the beginning by one person and he goes to their house, before the weasley wedding... where nothing exciting happens. he goes back to Hogwarts, like normal, on the train, with ron and hermione. things are often akward with ginny. McGonagal takes Dumbledores place and does a good job, and lets harry, ron and hermione run free.. as they search for the peices of Voldemorts soul.. in voldemorts old house, in harry´s old house. They start up Dumbledores army again, but rename it Harrys Army. there is no snape, and so far no one has died. ..... i am enjoying it, and debating whether or not to continue reading the WRONG version. People teased me too.. saying, what if you are reading a different version and you didnt know. hahaha. :( (hint: i wouldnt mind if someone sent me the english version) well, very disgruntled. although entertaining nonetheless. does that mean someone somehow wrote an entirely new story just to sell on the street? ponder that....
so ambitiously us three ´pasantias´(interns) decided to take off after work on friday to Cochabamba on a night bus. we bought seats for a bus cama (bed). we show up, and the misleading title ¨bus cama¨was a mentira. it was a regular bus with a little extra leg room... which made our 8 hour bus ride a little less comfortable than expected. We rolled in at 6 am for the longest day of tourism in all of Bolivian history. We saw and tasted everything and walked more than any Bolivian has ever walked before. From old churches, artisan fairs, museums, to 3 glasses of fresh orange juice off the street.. it was only noon. we climbed a mountain (1254 steps) in the afternoon to a 33 meter tall christ statue that overlooked the city. (a meter for every year of his life, plus some) and by the end of the day felt like true ¨cochabambinos¨because we knew the city inside and out. It is a lovely, flat suburban feeling city. Very managable and comfortable. A vespa type of city, but a little dirtier. If I lived there I would implement bike lanes... and get some of these people out of their cars. A very nice, full, yet relaxing weekend. And it was so wonderful to have such kind, likeminded company. We took a late afternoon bus back on sunday.. prepared for the leg room situation, where we watched the Simpsons Movie dubbed.. and you could see a head in the bottom corner of the screen. Classic pirateing.
Got back midnight sunday. And monday moring (5:30 am) i left to do fieldwork in the northern region of Bolvia. An adventure like absolutely none other en mi vida.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
PHOTOS
here is a link to some pcitures from the past few weeks.
http://ucdavis.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2167774&l=307e7&id=3202326
http://ucdavis.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2167774&l=307e7&id=3202326
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Cafeterias, Waterfalls and Independence Day
So this Monday was a day off... Independence Day. And after a very exhausting week I decided to take advantage of the long weekend to get a change of scenery. I selected Coroico as my destination, which had a description of being a relaxing hammock and pool town with a lovely plaza. I have declared it the Sister City of Sorata, where I went last weekend. But there are some very important differences that altered my weekend experience. Coroico is also known as the weekend getaway for Bolivian families. And of course this was the weekend of Bolivian family getaways. Put them together and you have a little sleepy hillside town swamped with La Paz -ian travelers. The buses were full even getting there and you had to elbow your way up to the front of the storefront to put your name down on the list for the next bus. And once I got there, in the late afternoon I trekked from edge to edge of town, trying to find a room. All full. Most had signs posted on the doors saying No Hay Habitaciones, so that you wouldnt even ask. I even stopped at a couple little markets and asked the Senora owner if she had a bed in her house that I could pay her to sleep on. I was ready to sleep in the plaza. I had a pillow, and a towel I coud use as a blanket... I was already thinking (Bari style). And then I found a hotel that had cleared out its cafeteria. And I was given an air matress on the floor, of the cafteria, with three young Bolivian couples. With the cafeteria tables put on their sides for 'privacy,' and a 'ducha fria' (cold shower) upstairs I was set. One of the couples took me under their wing for the weekend and invited me to dinner at the local Comedor with them. For 75 cents I had a full 3 course meal. That night, the boy of the couple I went to dinner with snored like I have never heard anyone snore in my life; as if he was enhaling a semitruck, and in an empty cafteria, that echo just topped it off. I woke up early the next morning, ate breakfast (0f toast, butter, jam and eggs, fresh juice and coffee) before I ran into the couple again. They invited me to breakfast at the local Comedor. I had a second breakfast of a heaping plate of rice, several very fried eggs, and a huge steak that fell over the edge, with a tomato. Along with coffee and bread, it was another 75 cent meal. I enjoyed the waterfall right outside of the city that afternoon, but at the end of the day was ready to return to my own warm, big, real, (bedbugless) bed. I woke up early, took a long hot shower before hitting the streets to enjoy the Independence Day Parade, and some folkloric dancing. (Pictures coming soon..)
There is a new girl who is staying in the guesthouse with me. Very nice, and it is also nice to have some company in your House of Doors, as we have named it. Week two is turning out to be just as pleasant as week one of the internship.I have also had lots of time to process, reflect and examine the world from a different light. I am so grateful for health and safety, and learning about how scary and awful the world can really be. There is so much injustice in the world, from unconscionable violence, to people living without clean drinking water. It is our job to instill a sense of security and support, do our bit of good in the world, think positively, and everyday be grateful for the loved ones we have around us.
There is a new girl who is staying in the guesthouse with me. Very nice, and it is also nice to have some company in your House of Doors, as we have named it. Week two is turning out to be just as pleasant as week one of the internship.I have also had lots of time to process, reflect and examine the world from a different light. I am so grateful for health and safety, and learning about how scary and awful the world can really be. There is so much injustice in the world, from unconscionable violence, to people living without clean drinking water. It is our job to instill a sense of security and support, do our bit of good in the world, think positively, and everyday be grateful for the loved ones we have around us.
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