50 days in

Hey everyone.
So, today is the 50 day mark since I jetted off from winterpeg. I feel like maybe thats some sort of landmark? In a semi cheesy way I actually feel a sense of accomplishment, since I can certainly say this has been the most interesting 50 emotionally of my life. lol. It feels good to have that behind me - although there were lots of good days, it was at times i think a little too rollarcoastery for my liking.
But anyways,
on Monday I finally start my job at the Guardaria, and I´d say i´m pretty excited.
The onllllyy thing I´m not excited about is up til now i got to sleep until like 800, 830 every morning (which at home doesnt seem late at all..)
but, now i start work at 8 - and my micro ride is abouuutt an hour. So. Its going to be a little ´adjustment´ for the year.
but i suppose after getting up early for a year, 830 classes wont be so bad anymore next year?
.. no they probably still will be, since here i actually go to bed at like 11, 12.
THE other night, about two week ago, i went to bed at like 9 oclock, for the first time since i´d say grade 8. I woke up feeling fantastic, let me tell you.
anyways. moving onto interesting things.
no, yah so my work seems great. i went and visited it yesterday and saw what i´ll be doing -
i have a group in the morning, and we eat breakfast and then have session from 830-1030 doing homework etc with a snack break in the middle- then they have an hour of recreation- playing games etc - so i´ll either do that with them, or do filing, or get a little break - and then its lunch from 11:30-12:30
and then my schedule repeats itself for the afternoon with a new group - and i´m done at 5:)
they have internet at the guardaria, which i´m excited about - and i´m going to be working with primarily 9-12 year olds i think.
but theres kids of all ages there, that i´ll get tohang out with at lunches and stuff.
the people who own the place are canadian, and they actually have a son whos a fourth year at CMU (dont quite remembr the name.. ) lol but i thought that was a swell connection.
they seem great, everyone seems really nice - and the grounds are really big -
with pigs, cows, chickens - because its also a daycare for 150 kids, as well as a home for about 50 i think. so its a big place. well.. a big area, with lots of different little places lol. i´ll take pictures.
if i can ever upload them. these computers are so frustrating. but i´m going to borrow a friends at some point.
ANWYAYS. things i´ve been up too.
the past weekend we went off to santiago de chiquitos - its a little town about a 13 hour train ride away.
FIRST of all, about 5 of the 7 of us were sick. I was just getting over ´mayalo´ is how its pronounced, probably not spelled that way - but anyways it was a small mosquito disease that made me shiver uncontrollably for a few hours, then fever/splitting headache, delerious (which was kind of funny.. well, a little scary at the time), throwup, lalalaa.
so i was still all achey and headachy - and the rest had stomach problems etc.
and so the trainride was interesting for us. its interesting in general. i think its one of my favourite bolivian experiences to date.
many times the train goes only about.. 5 kilometers an hour, for like stretches of 10 minutes at a time.. and it rocks back and forth the whole time like we´re on a huge boat with big waves.
the chairs are actually fairly comfortable- and once it gets cruising you can bump along at about 50 kms an hour.
but its just really interesing, it makes a lot of stops along the way - and vendors come on to sell food - and its often kids who bring on the food that their parents are making outside and selling to others - but some of them, like in the town of San Jose, had such .. for lack of a better word.. interesting accents as they were shouting out the food lol - its hard to describe typing. but it was wonderful. (and a little bit funny in the most culturally sensitive way).
Anyways. the vendors come by with all shorts of food. (all spelled wrong probably)
but mahadito, which is basically meat on a stick, lots of picante de pollo, heletina (jello), lots of limonada fria, and in the morning, on our way back - oh gosh, i´m still salivating.
we didnt eat much on the way there, because no one was feeling good - oh, i think a few people had some cheese empanadas (they looked really good)
but on the way back, we had FRESH cunape in the morning at like 700 - and it was the biggest, best looking cunape i´ve seen yet here, and it was just. ugh. so fantastic.
cunape is like a .. for lack of a better word, bun you could call it. but its baked with cheese throughout all of the dough, so when its fresh, you can just pull it apart and its just.
ugh. for someone who loves all things doughy and wonderful like me. its freaking heaven.
but anwyays. more santiago.
It was absolutely gorgeous, and just a really nice break from the city for a few days. This city is so busy, and always has some sort of noise going on - and santiago, was soo tranquillo.
the roads were red like in PEI, and in the town square there were just a few people milling about, with cows and donkeys and chickens milling about too -
(theres a guy whos job it is to shoe the cows out of the town square lol)
anyways, and we stayed in an inn that was just, wonderful. We´d step out of our rooms and have a view of this.. well i´d say a small mountain (which we scaled, no big deal) - but also mango trees, and there were so many chickens, and baby chicks - i´d be taking a little afternoon nap and all i´d hear was like a little tiny ´cheap cheap´ and i´d have a baby chick beside my bed with its head cocked looking at me lol.
and we ate our food outdoors, in an open room, and the woman who did our cooking and maintained the inn with her daughters (she was wonderful, and i forget her name.. shoot - but shes going to be Peters (another salters) host mom for the year) - anyways they cooked everything over just kind of an open fire. It was great.
although something made my stomach not so great, so i spent one day with pains, and then.. um.. lets just say in one fell swoop it all left? :P.
hopefully soon all of our stomachs will adjust. but you just kind of get used to having stomach problems sometimes. they come. they go. and my stomach i feel is a lot stronger now.
anyways. we did two hikes though - one up a mountain, the view was amazing.
and another hike we took to a waterfall, which was my highlight of being here so far. Its still kind of the dry season, so there was an extreme amount of water - but a few of us jumped off rocks into pools under the waterfalls, and we got to go swimming, and the hike was awesome -we saw blue and red parrots, and lizards, and it was all over like valcanic rock (well, part of the hike)
it was amazing how much the landscape varied, even in santiago. bolivia has some of everything it seems.
anyways. unfortuantely though i got really burnt, in the shape of the beater tanktop i was wearing - which just looks fantastic. for a while i looked liek a canadian flag. red. white. red.
and now my skins bubbling. ew. next time i´ll take better care in the sun mom, i promise.
UM. i know this is getting long, i just havent blogged in awhile. I´m nneearr done lol. kind of. hang in there.
So this past week, we finished up with our tutors - we all sat in a circle and cried. No, kidding, but we did get to be good friends with them - and it´ll be good, i´ll get to still hang out with a few of them since i think i´ll be going to their church on saturday nights with another salter here toni, and then with my family on sundays.
They took us to this gigantic ferria here that happens for a week every year in bolivia. Itshuge, and its basically an expo for a bunch of companies - car companies, technology, food, everything - but its just HUGE. it was cool to see, but just really different. There were lots of gringa (white) models wearing hardly anything selling everything from oh, juice, trinkets, cars. different. it was a little hard for my north america self to swallow - i just kept thinking, wow. in NA, this just wouldnt fly. But, gender equality is at very different levels in all parts of the world. Its just interesting coming from a place with extreme equality, to a country where gender roles are still very traditionally defined. It´s taking a bit of getting used to, and a bit of explaining as to the fact that yah, in Canada, girls actually play lots of soccer. ´but why?´ ´umm. i dont know? why do you like to play?´ lol. y0u get the idea.
Last night too carla took me to another ferria with her cousins, asmaller one. It was a ton of fun. The freshly made candies, and treats and stuff were so awesome - and the street food too.
I´m realizing more and more how treats in the states and canada at oh say, movie theatres, that are all prepackaged and made months ago, just cannot compare to freshly made treats and food. We had strawberries scewered on a stick, and then kind of made liek candy apples, with that sugar etc and then cocunut on top, or, just the candy apple stuff, or chocolate strawberries with sprinkles, or marshmellows with chocolate and sprinkles. They were so good.
Candied strawberries, gosh, amazing. lol.
And then we all had sonso, which i just loved too. Its kind of, i would say the equivalent to bannock on a stick? .. for all you metis´ers out there. (so just dad.. adam.. and grandma).
but they take yucca (which is like potatoe, just different tasting) mix it with cheese, and mash it like potatoes, and then form it around a individual wooden sticks and cook it over and open fire.
oh my gosh. warm it is soo good.
anyways. getting away from food. they had rows of fooseball tables there, so that was really fun, we all played lots - and they made me.. test my luck? you basically pay 5 b´s, pick a number, and get the prize that is that number - but obviously some are much better than others.
i didnt do so hot. i got a ceramic horse.
lol but i found it so funny, its pretty tall, shaped liek a trophy - its up on its hindlegs- and so i carrieed it around for the rest of the night -and almost forgot it where we ate sonso and they all laughed as i ran back saying ´mi caballo! mi caballo´ lol.
anyways. i think thats about it for me. i´m kind of taking the day part to myself today.
i´m going to go shopping, hopefully find myself a pair of shoes. maybe a few lightweight shirts, because it is so. hot.
but. yah, work starts mondya, and thne my days are going to bemuch busier, which I think will be an enjoyable change from the slow adjustment pace of this first 6 weeks. It was very necessary for adjustment purposes, and learning spanish, but sometimes it left a bit too much alone time for my liking lol.
Lastly, I´m finding the concept of a year such an odd amount of time. It is both, so long, and so short.
I´m having trouble coping with both aspects - since its short enough that I´m alreaaddy thinking about home, next year - and letting myself kind of a bit already have that picture of home in the horizon? but a year is also long enough that i need to establish myself here, make good friends, set up a bit of a life here - because when you´re living out a year in another culture, as i´ve found so far, it can seem like a freaking long time at some points lol, especially if you dont have things and people to keep you busy, and smiling.
But, things are going well, i feel like i am establishing a bit of my own life here, and i´m excited to start doing a large part of why I wanted to come here - working with youth. And things are going well. I´m feeling a lot more normal, and less in a culture shock daze.
time is moving. and i´m learning more than i feel i have room for in my head (which, i love), and i´m becoming increasingly more and more able to soak in and enjoy being in another culture.
But, at the same time, being in another culture also makes you keenly aware that you are not from this culture, that you have your own culture where you belong. And that makes me sometimes long for the norms and things/people i love from my own culture. I know thats normal, but still all i´m saying is that even though i´m really enjoying engaging in another culture, and want to be here for this year, i know i will be(and am a little already) excited to come back home, with my own friends and family, where my life is.
I think ive realized that being away from your life either makes you either question it, or appreciate it. i´ve really been appreciating the life i have back home, and everyone. And i really enjoy that.
anyways. enough sappy endings for now. until next time. stay fit, have fun. .. and for all you universityers, enjoy your last few weeks before midterms (i´m really sorry for you all). lol.
so much love. thinking about everyone.
kathleen

oh, politics.

hey team.
SO. this blog is going to be fairly about the political situation right now in bolivia.
because i would say, at the present moment, its a fairly large.. ´hot potatoe´ for lack of a more unlame metaphor.
SO. the long and short of things, before I go into how its kind of affecting life here.
(sorry if a little bit of this information isnt bang on, but this is what i´ve gathered from the spanish i can piece together. so its probably all wrong. lol kidding, its probably 90% correct)
ANYWAYS.
ok. so the population of bolivia is about.. 60% indigenous, 40% mixed/european descent etc.
the main amount of the percent of mestizos (the mixed, euro) live in santa cruz, where i live.
santa cruz is the largest city, and as you can probably guess, the most wealthy. so they´ve always held all the power.
NOW. Evo Moralez (sp? on the last name) ran for president, and he´s an indigenous man. So the indigenous people realized they could vote one of their own in, and so they did.
And now, basically long and short, there is a huge backlash right now from santa cruz etc - who now wants independence and the ability to govern itself - from the rest of bolivia
because now Evo is spreading the money more around the country, giving more to the indigenous, the elderly etc - and santa cruz isnt enjoying its money getting spent for these purposes - and also claim that Evo is spending their money innapropriately/is scared of losing their money, etc.
I´m not sure the full story on this either, i´ve only heard the biased form from people from santa cruz - so i´m sorry i dont have a more complete report of this -
but Bolivia has a wealth of natural resources - mostly gas, as well as iron and others.
before Evo came into power - companies from the states and other countries had major companies here, and Bolivia wasn´t profitting. However, Evo came into power, and reclaimed the gas for Bolivian compaines, and for the Bolivian market. Which I´d say is a good thing.
But, Bolivia has been barely able to keep up the demand for their gas to their own country as well as the surrounding ones, and because of the blockados that are being set up around the city of Santa Cruz, the gas isnt reaching the city - and propane is what people use to cook here -
and so theres big shortages, and people are getting REALLY upset at the government, and its wild - on my ride to my professoras house every morning there is the most gigantic line up of people all with propane tanks outside of this distributing place.
The people of santa cruz claim that evo is hiding the gas from them, and stealing it. but i dont know.
Santa Cruz is also starting to talk to other countries again, such as the states, and bordering countries, wanting their involvment now with regards to the gas, and potential military aid. And i hope that doesn´t happen.
And, people just destroyed the gasline to Brazil, so now Brazil isnt too happy either - but I think thats fine.

So anyways sorry. Ok. so what is happening now.
For the last week, people have been putting blockados up on the roads leading to places. It started off just to, Argentina, and a few different cities - but now has spread to every road leading outside of Santa Cruz. So we´re blockaded in.
Then today and yesterday, rebels from Santa Cruz took over the post office, train station, and bus station. So theres really no way to get anything in or out.
And that includes us, we were supposed to go travelling this weekend, so thats unfortunate.
And three days ago, is when action really started happening in santa cruz -
rebels (ok, to clarify however, that makes these people sound really dangerous - which they arent really)
they are only firing flairs and rubber bullets right now. they arent dangerous because they ARE from santa cruz, and they dont want to harm santa cruz, or its people. well, harm the city a bit, but not the people really.
but, for example, the day that it started - they took over the 4 government buildings, a tv station, and.. intel phones lol - but i´m pretty sure that one was just for looting. people looted all of the phonecards and stuff - but obviously intel just cancelled those phonecards - so that was a kick for them lol.
but ANYWAYS. we were hoping that everything would go down today, but its unfortunately only increasing.
acts of violence are being committed against indigenous people here, which, just makes me so.. frustrated/sad/mix of emotions that i obviously cant describe it well.
It´s just very different being here, than sitting at home and watching on the news. These people are just wonderful. I knew unjust violence would hit me hard, and it is.
But anyways. Apparently we´re hearing now that they´ve took over the 3rd ring where I live, and are starting fires throughout the city etc.
I¨m fairly certain its still fairly unviolent - the people of santa cruz still dont seem too worried about it. Because it´s their own people. It´s still more to just make a statement.
But the more it goes on, the rowdier it gets.
It is still most likely that soon, this will just disappate.
Because right now, what is the point? They are ransacking their own city, which really doesnt make sense lol, and they´ve blockaded trade, yes - which IS a kick to the government.
but its also a kick to them. and sooner or later, whether you´re camba or coya, everyone is going to need stuff in this city.
SO. hopefully soon, it will disappate. Butt.. there isss a distant chance of a civil war. Apparently we came in an ´interesting time in bolivia´s history.´ Before when the smaller, richer, percent of Bolivias population was in power, things were running ´smoothly.´ But now that the indigenous are in power, things are finally coming to a head. Lots of the change is good, I´d say. Bolivia is the poorest country in South America, and the poor need to be heard, and helped.
But, theres not a lot of democratic thought going on right now. It´s one side, or the other. No in betwee, no discussion. It´s even really interesting seeing the news - because whether you watch coya or camba news - you see the exact same story, but spun in an ENTIRELY different way. It´s actually almost comical. But its because theres no real, accountability for the news. Theres not enough stations, enough people, enough ways to be like ´no, hey, you cant tell the story that way. that didnt actually happen. ´ So. the news has a lot of sway here. And its really putting the two sides more and more against eachother.
But, in general, thank goodness the bolivian people are just so warm and nice, and for the most part dont want violence. Hopefully that will win out, and things will calm down, and the two sides will just kind of breathe and listen to eachother and simmmer down. Thats still the most likely thing thats going to happen. So lets just hope for that.
Buttt, still in any case, I dont think I can go home tonight - i´m kind of stupid too and forgot my copy of my passport, and our visas arent in yet -
and two of our mcc workers just got stopped by the military tonight -
and it probably wouldnt be the best if i got stopped, a solo gringa girl, with no phone, passport or visa, and who cant speak the best spanish yet.
So, its all cool, i´m just going to wait this out here, and have a nice night.

OTHER than all this political crazyness - my days have actually been going really well lol.
Yesterday we went to a pool, and since its so hot, that was just fantastic.
I´d say i´m also getting a more firm grasp on the spanish here. It´s just, well, ok. Heres how i would describe it lol. In Spain etc - i would call that, proper spanish. (oo, my sister here would super hate that lol, bolivians think their spanish is the best in the world).
BUT. i´d call bolivian spanish, santa cruz spanish in particular, street spanish lol. and its rad, i like it alot, its just a bit harder to understand/learn. Like, when i talk to my professora (whos a 65 year old woman who loves pronounciaton and grammer lol), or, other white people here - i can understand. But still, when carla (my sister) is speaking super fast, i´m like, ´wooahhhhh carla. lets calm down please. dessppaaccioo´ (slowerr).
but. we´re getting along so well. she is just the best. so that´s wonderful. she makes me laugh a ton.
maybe because the other day, shes learning english,
and instead of saying ´focus´ she said
thats the main fucurs. haaaaaaaaa. i was laughing so hard, and she was like ´what! what! fucurs? whats wrong with that. kathleen! fucurs. fucurs. kathleen!´ ahh. fantastic.

anyways. i´m going to bounce. go make myself some instant coffee, with powdered milk (it actually, tastes better than it sounds lol)
and chill out for the night. since i´m not going anywhere. oo, apparently we´re making some food. :)
my days though, other than being a bit nervous right now, are going well. my culture shock phase is passing, and i´m really starting to enjoy this culture, the people, and my days. also, as my spanish is improving, its just making my days so much easier.
i can have conversations now with my family, and tutor where i dont sound like i´m in grade 2. at least i´m like, grade.. 6 now. lol.
and, i´m starting to meet more people my age too, which is just, the best.
I guess this is obvious, but, starting to have friends now and being able to talk to them is making my days pass so much more quickly/lots more fun.

But, I still miss everyone a bundle though - but i mean, i´m sure that will just stay a little constant. which i´m happy about. it gives me a good balance - excited to be here, and excited to come home and be with everyone again.

I have to go though. Love/miss you all, i´ll write an update on the political sitch when I get a chance. If you can, keep Bolivia and Santa Cruz in your prayers.

Kathleen