Or perhaps because it’s often very hot and dry here (like 25 *C, 40% humidity!)
Of course it COULDN'T be because I spend consecutive 12-hour days keeping up with these munchkins:
But whatever the reason, one day I came out of the dryer looking like this:
Great Scott! Just call me Doc Brown.
Or a piece of work. :)
1) I bought a paintbrush. Yes, that’s right; I bought I paintbrush from the hardware store. Tourists don’t paint their houses, only locals do. J
I so enjoyed carrying it all the way back home. When people gave me the common “what planet are you from?” glare, I just proudly gripped my paintbrush as if it were a rite of passage. Yup, I may be from another planet, folks, but now I LIVE HERE!!! J
2) I spent like an hour yesterday reading a Spanish encyclopedia. I’m proud of myself for understanding most of the entry titles… such as “George Washington” and some uber-Spanish-word titles like “Paraguay.” Yup, used lots of fluency and intuition on that one. J
3) Today I got asked if I was Bolivian!!! (That's twice now, actually). Nevermind the fact that it was a taxi driver to whom pretty much my only words had been, “Tiquipaya por favor; Avenida Ecologica.” And nevermind the fact that the insinuated meaning was probably, “Hey gringa, you’re sure not Bolvian.” Nope, I’m positve that it was because of my stellar fluency. (Hey, I’ll take what I can get!) J
...as opposed to one with cheesy jokes. Or milk cows. J
Anyway! Glimpses from the past few days…
A 4-year-old running into the kitchen with a funny stride, as if he was trying to keep a basketball between his legs, yelling desperately, “There’s no paper! There’s no toilet paper in the bathroom!!!”
A 6 year old girl (chewing very loudly with an open mouth about 6 inches from my ear) leans even closer to tell me something. In a comically creepy whisper – slowly and dramatically, she says, “I know you, Tia" as if she had just read my entire journal. “YOU have PAINTED toenails!!!” (Since I always wear tennis shoes at work, this knowledge is apparently top-secret, but she was in the know! Savannah had brought her to our language school Christmas party, where I wore sandals. Quite the little spy!) J
I spent an hour or so alone with ALL 12 kids today (while trying to clean up from dinner, make certain kids finish their food, get the rest’s teeth brushed, in pajamas, and some to bed… whew!) Apparently I could’ve used some extra not-getting-into-trouble hands. The 9-year-old girl summed it up pretty well in a carefully-recorded note of wrong-doings to show to the other Tia later: “A. pulled his pants down in front of E. and E. did it back to him… M. won’t eat his food… L. doesn’t want to go to her room, and A. doesn’t want to go to her bed.” J
Haha. I really love these kids. I’m hugging, tickling, holding, wrestling, or snuggling at least 1 of them almost constantly for all 12 hours straight. I need them perhaps more than they need me. It’s great. J
Shopping is interesting down here. J
At first I was stumped about where to buy stuff – there’s not Home Depot, no Safeway or Giant, no Kohl’s… not even garage sales, haha.
BUT… in a country where not nearly everyone has their own motor vehicle, there are MANY little stores that I didn't even recognize as such at first. In a way it’s quite convenient. There are at least 2 office supply stores within a few minutes’ walk. I just hopped over to one of them to buy paper… could’ve also stocked up on nail polish, shampoo, or kid’s toys while I was at it. And we’re talking all this random stuff in a room that’s about 10x15 feet!
Many of the stores are simply the front part of a house. (So I guess it could be said that there's LOTS of garage sales down here! :) Often the gate is kept shut and customers walk up and shout through the gate if nobody is behind the counter. Then someone from the house will come out, fetch what is asked for, and hand it through the gate. As for products like flour and sugar, you can tell them how many kilos you want to buy, they weigh it out of a big burlap bag into a little plastic one, hand it to you, you re-weigh it with YOUR scale that you bring whenever you shop, pay, walk a few paces back home, and that’s that. J
(Got that last pic from the internet, but it really looks like some of the shops down here!)
As those of you who have seen my Facebook know…
I’m in love with a guy down here! He’s been pursuing his career for a couple years now (even though he’s not exactly sure what he will end up doing…), he’s great with kids, and he’s super cute!
His name is J....
... and he’s 3 years old. J
Nothing like a good love story, eh?
(Too Much Inergy! J)
Boy, do these kids ever have it! The past 2 days I've worked at House 2 of the orphanage. It's more out in the country, the kids are older (4-13 years), and I really enjoy working there!
As you can hopefully surmise from these few action-blurred glimpses... playtime is ALL OUT!
…up and down!
(Note: playing on a see-saw with a kid this little on the other end gives your legs a GREAT work-out!)
Anyway. Up and down. At the same time…. Like me. Ha. A lot is going through my head right now.
On the “UP” side, there are so many perfect moments down here.
Like when I have 4+ kids all scrambling over me, some snuggling, or enjoying my rough-house tickles and up-side-down twirls, others just happy to stroke my arm (and others ganging up on me trying to steal my phone, camera, hat, and sunglasses… the little twerps! J). The mutual affection, both having so much to give, and so willing to receive it, is so much rewarding.
Or when I was in the middle of the desert. On the 400th kilometer of bumpy road, getting jostled to sleep in the back of a Land Cruiser packed with 6 other people, watching the sun set over the peaceful desolation. It was so… harmonious. Just us and the endless sand and the sun, now slipping calmly away from us to attend to the other side of this crazy world.
Or bouncing home in a taxi that probably did not have shocks, enjoying observing the nightlife of the city – loud music coming from little hole-in-the-wall restaurants, tons of little empanada stands, a bunch (20?) fuseball tables set up on the sidewalk… There’s just so much to see here that you don’t see in most parts of the USA.
On the “down” side… Well, it’s one of a few stages, actually.
1) Initial short-term tourist perspective: “Wow, look at all this crazy stuff. This is cool!”
2) Getting hit by the realities of living here: “Ugh, I’ve gotta puke. Why doesn’t the shower work again? The smell of burning garbage is NOT what I need on a nauseous stomach. Why can’t everything just work and be clean??? I don’t want to take a Trufi (public transportation van-bus) with approximately 7 million people crammed inside. Is there any good reason to litter like this? Or honk for who-knows-why? (Maybe it’s a cultural game? “Honk every time you see a stray dog! Honk every time you see “vote for Evo” graffiti! Honk every time your odometer rolls a digit! If you’re happy and you know it, honk your horn!”)
3) Realizing I’ve over-reacted and can be quite happy without some familiar commodities. “I love it here. Stop getting bent out of shape over cultural differences. You know you’ll miss this when you leave, so just start enjoying every minute for what it is.”
I’m somewhere between 2 and 3. J
So… just updating ya’ll here. Less introspection and more action is to follow. Stay tuned! J
"HAS MASSIVE IMMIGRATION DETERIORATED AMERICAN CUTURE?"
("IF SO, HOW?")
"IS IT SELFISH TO WANT TO PRESERVE AMERICAN CULTURE FOR OURSELVES?"
Well, now I can say I’ve eaten over a ton of SALT!
Recently, I went on a rugged adventure through Bolivia’s salt and sand desert. The salt part is 12000 sq km, and several feet thick of hard white salt.
Our group was 15 people from language school.
Tour guides took us in 3 Land Cruisers, along with all the food, cooking equipment, and gasoline we’d need for 3 days. They worked so hard for us and did a great job.
We saw red lakes….
And green lakes…
A volcano…
Llamas…
An "island" with cactus...
And some rail road tracks...
But NO telephone poles!
Bouldering is so much fun!
The incredible desolation was so peaceful. We drove 800 km seeing not much more than sand, salt, distant mountains, and some tough wildlife that had to be pretty serious about living to survive (I’m convinced a certain type of Alpaca/Deer can sustain itself from eating stones… ) and it was so beautiful!
Your fears have been realized folks; the local industry has gotten a hold of me.
Maite offered me some Coca Tea, and I couldn't D.A.R.E. to say no.
"What is cocoa tea?" I wondered. "Is it really tea made from chocolate?"
Um… no. Coca. Cocaine. While Maite assures me that the tea is processed in a way so that it has none of the narcotic/stimulant, my brother is pretty much saving up for bail. Ha. But I’m down with this tea. It’s pretty dope. J
As for other foods here... they aren't the greatest, but I can't complain. (I'm just spoiled 'cause I grew up on the greatest. J) Bolivian food can be summed up with, "Bland carbs, and lots of 'em!"
Bolivians love fried anything - bananas, rice, potatoes, pastries... you name it. The pastries are good. They're called "empanadas" and are bread pockets filled with anything such as meat, cheese, or jam. Thousands of places around the city (generally wheel barrows on the sidewalk) sell this popular food.
Food is part of the adventure. I'm learning to rave about tough meat (hey, at least it's meat!), and politely decline stale bread. However I really am enjoying the fresh pineapples and avocados that are plentiful here, and was served the best lasagna I've ever had!
Oh, and take a look at this PIZZA!!! Who says everything's bigger in Texas?
The most enjoyable part of working with the kids is giving LOTS of hugs! As a snuggle-bug myself, it’s so rewarding to love on the kids who are so eager for affection. It’s amazing how quickly they open up their hearts to another “Tia,” as they call us. The very first day I arrived, a 3-year-old kept asking me to sit down, just to crawl up onto my lap!
Another striking thing about the Baby Homes here is how, even with so many kids, there is a definite structure to each day and they all know the program! As I watched a 6-year-old take almost 10 minutes to make her bed PERFECTLY, I was astounded at how kids are capable of so much, and how easily they rise to the occasion when something is expected of them.
An active 5-year-old brain is an interesting thing.
It's completely random, with rapid, spontaneous changes of subject. For instance:
"I know karate and kung fu. I’m a ninja my dad’s 37."
And how 'bout this snatch of our 2-hour conversation:
J: It’s so hot down here in the summer. It’s like Egypt. Egypt is really hot too.
Me: Have you been to Egypt?
J: No, but my dad… knows where it is.
Me: *laughing* Well then, you've practically been there, huh? =)
Okay, here's just a few random notes and journals from the past few days for all my die-hard fans J:
Llamas are a highly revered animal here. They have long been a part of Bolivian culture, used for farming, yarn, food, and rituals. (Some believe that burying a Llama fetus under the cornerstone of a new house will bless the house). There are wild Llamas on the mountains, the fetuses are sold at the market, and really cool “cave art” style Llamas are embroidered on much traditional clothing.
The standard greeting here is a “kiss” on the side of the cheek. It’s not necessary to actually touch one’s lips to the other person, just the sides of your cheek while making a kissing sound. Everyone – men, women, and children – do it upon arriving and departing.
The people here are interesting. I’ve been spending lots of “Spanish-only” time with Maite & Teresa (hosts) and my tongue is finally loosening up to the language. There are also people here from Australia, Germany, New Zealand, Scotland, Switzerland, and Tanzania! It’s really weird to be talking with someone else in Spanish who also speaks it as a foreign language. Lots of fascinating stories.
Maite is my buddy down here. We walk all over town together, have long conversations, talk and play on a see-saw like chicititas, and dare each other to try Tabasco sauce in mint icecream (an improvement in my book… whoever thought of putting toothpaste on cake anyway???J)
Saturday (10-24): I went to a concert at CIC (Cochabamba International Church). True to Latin American culture, they had AMAZING sound and lighting equipment – and this was just a temporary outdoor setup! Christian songs were played with traditional Bolivian instruments, and there was also some people dancing in traditional costumes. Keyword: LOUD!
Sensory overload!!
Sunday (10-25): Went to CIC, then to another church for a musical puppet show for the kids. (A couple days ago, Maite asked me if I wanted to come to watch their puppet show practice. {Me *laughing: “Why not?”} So, today was the show and I got to operate a puppet. I made sure that it sang its head off, lol.)
I never see gringos walking around town, but there were a lot at the cross-cultural church today. Even though I’m trying very hard to not permit English to enter my ears or escape my mouth, there is something very refreshing about simply talking with your own countrymen. It’s more than the language, though. “Home” is the people who know the place. And it’s lovely to have a bit of home here. Oh, and at the evening sermon today, the preacher started talking in Quechua (a major local Indian language). Then, I realized that it wasn’t Quechua after all, but English in an extremely thick New Zealand accent!
