¡voy a bolivia!

Two Weeks? Bo town, down.

2009-07-01T19:41:00.000-07:00

I don't have a more imaginative title, I'm sorry.
I know it's late also to be writing a blog, but hey. Better late than never?
I have a lot of things rolling around in my head, and lots of amazing experiences that I've just had though, so I thought it would 'vale la pena' (be worth it) to write some downnn.
Because I'm realizing that unlike the faithful bloggers this year, I won't have millions of blogs to read and remember when I'm sitting bundled up in hoodies beside an electric heater next winter.
I mean, I do have journals full of stuff, and pictures, but those don't really count.
ANYWAYS. continuing on.
first of all - hello all. Just over 3 weeks til I touch down in Winnipeg. What an intense feeling.
I'm left with the typical end of year emotions - sadness, stupid excitement, more sadness, more excitement over opening the fridge when I get home, more sadness as my kids start telling me 'no vaya profeeeeeeeee' (dont gooo), and then more excitement again and I think of all the things that are waiting for me at home. BUT, then sadness to leave this heat, culture, colours, micro rides.. ok. thats enough. the point has been made.
I think we're all reaching the point though where.. we've been starting to have our 'despedidas' - goodbye parties.. our families are realizing we're leaving.. our workplaces.. it's just getting to be enough. There's a point of knowing that you're leaving and saying so many goodbyes thats just sad and draining - it's just about time to go.
But, a few last things to take care of before we go.
SUCH AS.
buying thingssss. If anyone has last requests for Bolivian 'things' let me know. I'll be loading up on touques, mitts, legwarmers, fabric, sweaters, etc before I leave. Mostly for me, but hey. Send a request, it's yours. But not fo free! Cmon, I've been volunteering all year and am broke - I ain't no sucka! ha.
OK, moving on once again.
This past weekend I finally got to go to the small town where my mom grew up, and it was one of the coolest experiences I've got to have here so far. More than anything it was a great way to say goodybe to the mountains, tropical rainforests, flocks of wild peacocks and parrots..
but more than that it was just a great last experience with a Bolivian family. Just getting there.. the town is such a typical small bolivian town.. colour, andian tiles, cobblestone and dust, in the middle of the tropical mountains.
The house there too is a very typical old Bolivian house. One that has been added on and on over the years, and has an open setting. Walk in off the street through rooms, go outside and about 50 feet to the kitchen, turn the corner through my grandpas workshop, past the clothes lines of hanging meet to make 'charcas' or jerky, up the stairs to where the bedrooms are. Or should I say two bedrooms where about 20 of us slept.
It's a house that I would have loved to grow up in as a kid. So much to do, huge hiding spaces, you can walk on the multiple roofs, really close to the market. It was just a really cool place.
And my grandma had baked soo much bread, and meat and food.
Anyways, my mom and I arrived late the Friday night after the most awkward bus ride I've had yet. 7 hours of people packed completely in. In the aisles, kids under my feet, chairs that have no recline. My mom is a very funny person and was openly complaining, but mostly for me. I find it very endearing how protective my mom gets over me when she can tell that I'm in discomfort. "EXCUSE ME, you're arms are pinning down her hair. EXCUSE me, you're all over her arm rest." It's a little embarrasing, especially when I don't mind - but shes such a fiesty wonder tiny woman, that I just can't help but laugh and find her terribly endearing.
So anyways, went to bed after a late meal with the WHOLE family that was rolling in at different times during the night, and woke up bright and early Saturday morning to go out to the 'estancia' or i suppose, farm for the annual cow branding, ear cutting.. time. lol.
I love how Bolivians do things though. It could have been a boring event with 3 guys lasso'ing and cutting and branding..
but noooooooooooooooo.
We get there at about 9 probably.. and immediatly are invited for a drink that I completely forget the name of.
BASICALLY, it's a shot of vodka mixed with cinnamon and sugar, and then we went up to one of the workers sitting beside a cow, who squirts milk straight out of the cow into your glass. Bottoms up.
It was actually super super good, frothy and tasty. But apparently you're supposed to have ALOT of alcohol in your first drink to kill all the things in the milk - and then apparently you're 'fine' after that. But my mom was dead set against me having a hearty glass of vodka.. as was I. I was still waking up. So needless to say, I was sick for the rest of the weekend.
But anyways, after drinking my glass - and laugihng around as many others drank manny a glass, they started with the cow branding and ear cutting. They invited me to try, but I just couldn't bring myself to sprint from an open pit of fire with a questionably hot rod 50 feet over to a bulging eyed calf and push it as long as it took to stick onto his back. AYE. lol.
Anyways, lots of the women were outside of the cow area (theres probably a more ranch term for that, but I can't find it) preparing a calf that had been killed, and mote (which is basically corn).
So about an hour later we had a pre-meal of 'pica' or just a variety of things. Cheese, meat, corn, hotsauce. But... once again, the meat was really tasty, but had probably been out for awhile - and even though my stomach has gotten so much tougher, it still didn't hold up super well later to all of what I was eating. But whatever, I didn't think about that at the time. That meat was good.
Thennnnnnnnnnn the chicha came out. Oh, chicha. It's basically the Bolivian moonshine drink I would say? Some carbonated grape wine type drink I suppose you can call it. I don't really know what's all in it. I know for a fact that this stuff was so much better than the stuff we all tried in cochabumba. That stuff we all ran away from as countless people tried to 'invitar' us.
This stuff, I definitely had a second glass. It was hot outside, and it was good.
Anyways, after that I wen't with some of the cousins to a lagoon while they continued on lasooing the 70 odd calves that had to be done. The lagoon was really cool, filled with flocks of parrots and so much wildlife. And cow crap, since that's where they drink.
AFTER that we came back, and they all started up around the guitar, singing I suppose you could call 'mariachi' type songs, although Bolivians would kill me for that because it's very Bolivian styled. Very traditional lyrics, often about a smuck trying to get a hot girl, or lost loves, or a drunk man who falls in love with a girl, or about the beauty of Bolivia. My family is blessed with amazing voices though, from my grandma down to Carla (my sister) so I just sat there watching cows get branded, soaking in the sun, and listening to four part harmony racious mariahi. I shouldn't saw racious, I just mean that they sing with passion. pride. fuerte. (strong). they have strong voices.
It was just another one of those moments, and I knew probably one of the last of the moments I had here where I just felt.. in a corny/cliche way - perfect? Out of body. watching a culture just living. It was amazing to see the joy in my family too. Most of them have now moved to Santa Cruz, the big industrial booming city where I live. But it was amazing to see how happy and rejuvinated they were, back in the country, all together, singing and just being.
I don't know, I think it's cool in any family to see everyone get together - all the joy it brings being in the places you grew up.. etc. It was just really cool to see that side of my family, get a different perspective on where they came from - other than the lives they now lead in Santa Cruz.
It was also just so peaceful there. There's so much noise in this city. So many cars, people everywhere, selling everything, micros, taxi's. There's always so much going on. It made me miss my home in lockport. Just hearing quiet, feeling peace.
Anyways I'll stop. Just sitting there, watching/laughign with the rest of my faily at my great aunt trying to lassoo a cow after a few two many cups of chicha and telling everyone how they used to do it in the old days is something I will remember for a while. Oh, and she's mean with that lassoo. Seriously, it was impressive.
Ok, moving on. Then we had a huge churasco (meat, a special rice, salad, yuca) for my grandpas birthday at night with a huge cake. I got to be with all the woman in the family preparing the meal, making the cake, eating the left overs with the cousins - it was great. It once again made me miss my family. Laughing with my mom in the kitchen.
THEN, on Sunday. OK, this once again just made me laugh. Oh, Bolivians.
I told my mom that I had to be back sometime in the afternoon because I did a big money report for MCC that I by-accidently (sp?) deleted on the Friday right before we left.. (typical) and I had to do it for that sunday, before Monday work day hit.
My mom told me the night before, "ok we have the tickets for the bus, we're going at 11"
They my aunt told her, no no, we can give you a ride home in the afternoon. "Ok kathleen, we're giong wtih the aunt" "ok."
Wake up, and my mom says "kathleen you ahve to get up! we have to go to the market to get stuff for the bus" "Oh, so we're going on the bus?" "Of course! we have tickets" "Ok."
go to the market, get apples, and a bunch of veggies because its so much cheaper.. and because they think everything in Comarapa (the town) is the best tasting in Bolivia.
Head back to the house, I go upstairs, come back down with my bag ready in a rush...
"Oh, kathleen, we're going with the aunt now." ".. (mentally, haha) Ok."

And then, they were indignant because I wasn't going to see the "Laguna verde" the green lagoon thats famous there.. so they were like "Ok well we'll just go there a sec, I promise you wont be home that late." "Ok."
Hit the road out to this place, we stop along the way... finally get out there. Tour around, see the lagoon that was gorgoues.. head back. Stop to visit my grandpas mill where they make do all the flour for the community.. they took time to show me how everything works, made the workers turn it on for me to see, took pictures with me with it.. etc.
Finally leave after cutting plants to take.. etc and get home at like 3 in the afternoon. Have a late lunch, and hit the road at about 4. Stopped about 3 or 4 times for food.. twice at peoples houses.. got home at about 10:30 at night.
It was just so funny and typical.. and a liitttllee frustrating. But i've gotten so used to the relaxed pace, that I juts kind of laugh now, and make it work. I was falling asleep over my money sheet though as I drank coffee and cranked it out until like midnight.
That kind of stuff though is good for my North American self. We get frustrated if people are dallying for 15 minutes.. we make plans for what we're doing days in advance.. we get upset when things don't go our way. Everything is about time, and how much we can squeeze into it. I'm glad I've learned how to make plans on the fly now, staying calm and relaxed, stopping to chat with people and eat with them if we run into people. It's been a hard thing to learn, but such a good thing to learn.

Ok, so that was basically my trip in a large nutshell. Sorry if I went into huge detail, it's maybe a ltitle selfish of me, but like I was saying. I want to be able to read these things when I get home and remember a bit.
Anyways. So now! Getting everything ready to go home.. last minute stresses and saying goodbyes to host families etc.
We're kind of in the calm before the storm. The storm hits next Friday as we leave work, have the 50th anniversary of MCC Bolivia which is going to be huge, leave our host familys the following Tuesday and are gone to the states that Friday the 17th.
So, I'm trying to enjoy the calm. Be chill, get things knocked off my list - buying things, saying goodbyes, visiting places, etc.
I'm nto looking forward to saying goodybe to my kids, or my host family, but I'm looking foward to having that done. Putting those goodbyes behind me, and being able to move on.
Change always excites me. Whatever it is. It brings new challenges.. new anything. I'm so excited to come home.
So anyways, it's late.. I'm going to go crash into bed.
Theres lot's more to say, but I'm home in a few weeks - so I'll jsut be able to TALK to pepole soon.
love you all, see you SOON.
kathleen
ps i'm not reading this over - so please excuse run on sentances and bad grammer and horrible punctuation. kthanks.

It's easter, I'm going to go buy me some chocolate.

2009-04-12T15:08:00.000-07:00

helllllllllo everyone.
it's easter:). happy easter. since my mother's easter package (containing what I hope to be many a mini egg) has gotten heldup somewhere in south america, I will walk to the tienda later and buy horrible chocolate to try and make up for it.
But nothing will make up for my mother's paska. sigh.
Anyways, hello all. It's been forever. Really, life has just been busy! And other than travelling, lots of the same, so. I didn't have too much to write a blog about.
Anyways, here I am now.
I just came back from a great weekend trip to Samaipata. I'm really going to miss that place. It's a really cute town up in the mountains.. very touristy, close to ruins and waterfalls, but just gorgeous and a lot of fun.
Four of us SALTer's went (toni, sita, heidi and i), and then 3 volunteers from my work came along too.
It was a little bulky travelling with all 7 of us sometimes.. like our taxi ride up and back (2 in the front, 4 in the middle, one in the back trunk area), or trying to find room in holy week at a hostel, or places at restaurants..
but other than that, it was so great to travel all of us together. and a great weekend was had, swimming in waterfalls, and generally just bumming around in the sun. Oh, and in the coldness at night! ughh, it was so nice to put on sweaters, and wake up with my nose cold. sigh.
Going back to santa cruz was like an overwhelming hit in the face of humid and hot. Maybe it's just me, but it is HOT today. I hope it rains soon.
Anyways, I'm posting pictures on my facebook as I speak of travels.. if they decide to work. The internet connection has frankly been crap today.
So feel free to check those out.. or if you're a bit older.. check them out on a younger relatives account (coughmomcough) :).
Ohk, moving on from travels. I think the last time I blogged was before I left to La Paz with Heidi? Or maybe it was right after?
Anyways, the pictures will show you all that trip. A lovely time had as well.
And since then, I have really just been working my trasero off.
The kids all came back in the beginning of February, and we've been doing things very differently. New programs for them, including computer classes, arts and crafts type classes, farming, and a lunch program for some. Those programs, coupled with a higher student enrollment have just really equalled a ton more work for all of us.
We've all settled now, but it was just a lot of figuring stuff out.. getting into a rhythm.. getting used to the pace.. etc.
But for the most part, we've all gotten there now. Oh, yes. The old Bolivian volunteers left as well in December (their year ended then), and so we've had a new Bolivian named Natanial join as, as well as two Canadian girls from Morden. All of us have become really close, and that is awesome. It's so great to have a good Bolivian guy friend here, and nicole and sharmayne (they'll be in my newest pictures) are fantastic, and it's maybe a little bit of a selfish treat but such a good one to be able to speak and joke around in english a bit throughout the days. Although our kids keep us in check, because they hate when they can't understand us lol.
Oh yes, and speaking of that. It's been so great to get new kids.. I've gotten so attached to all of them. They are quite hilarious, and my morning class especially is quite cute.
I'm teaching the grade 1 and 2 kids in the morning, and they are all just fantastic. Some of them are a little off the wall, but you know. That's fine. I was too.
My afternoon class I have some older students. Although I have less, they are alot more challenging. They are great kids, however they just often come in with a lot of baggage from home that they have to work out with us. But once they get it out of their system, they're great. And my girl, Arasmelly (Araseli) is in my class, and she just brightens my mood everyday. She is literally the most hilarious kid I have ever met. I'll get some videos of her (and the rest of my kids) hopefully up soon.. if my internet decides to cooperate.
Anyways, what else has been new. This past week there was 'dia del nino,' and I was in charge of food along with Sharmayne and Nicole, so we came up with the idea of doing make your own pizzas. It was great, and turned out super well and the kids loved it. But holy hannah, it was a little stressful.. just getting all the ingredients for 70 people.. doing quotes on prices.. getting everything prepared.. it was just lots of work. But the kids loved it, and were so excited about all the shapes of their pizzas. Basically, if they couldnt make a circle we'd just make it into something else and be like 'look! it's better!' .. before they cried and got upset lol.
So we had a few butterflies.. some hearts.. some dinosaurs.. you know. It was great. But I was so exhausted that it was just silly.
Oh, yah, we also had games and stuff with them that the other profe's planned. It all was just fantastic.
Other than that.. man it's been a long time.
I had dengue fever for my 21st birthday. That was not very fun at all. But at least I'm certain that for my 22nd birthday in February in Manitoba, I will be certain not to have a mosquito airbourn desease. Thank the Lord.
Life is moving really great out here now though. Month 7 (February) was a little crappy.. but judging to the 'culture shock chart' that we saw before coming, it was going to be. Just coming off the high of the half way point.. realizing that theres still alot to go.. that you would actually really like to go home for a bath and a home cooked meal.. that kind of stuff.
The dengue didn't help for me. I'm sure glad that phase is over. But now.. goodness, we have 3 months left here. Three months. That's just silly.
And so now we are really just enjoying ourselves. Soaking everything in. We have such a tight group at work now.. and with all my kids.. and Carla (my sister) and the rest of my family..
I'm just really loving my days. I'm really going to miss it here.
I'm glad it's that way though, and didn't stay in the 7 month phase.. or the 2 month phase.
I'm glad I love my life here now. I think I'm just going through an early mourning phase of leaving.
However, on the flip side, I think things are so much more fun for all of us.. because we know that in before long, we'll be home. And there is such a weightlessness that comes with that feeling, that it just really lets you enjoy your time.. no holds barred? For lack of a better term.
In 3 months (and a few days), I'll be getting myself a tim hortons mocha and having dinner on the deck with my family. That thought makes me silly happy.
I think just in general however, i'm really seeing more and more the fruits of my time here, and more of who God is. I have gone through times where I've questioned why I'm here.. what I'm doing.. how I'm going to get through a bad week alone.. and I just feel like I'm truly coming out the other side of those times. That God is showing me why I came, what I was meant to learn, and is filling me up with all these thoughts and lessons to take back with me.
Coming here was the perfect thing for me to do this year, and it really is just a great feeling to come out of some hardships, and see the payoffs of endurance and faith. It has me smiling/singing my days away.
Anyways, on that note. It's getting late, and facebook will just not let me upload pictures.
I'm going to go home, take a shower, and crawl into bed.
Hopefully, however this time I'm not making any promises, I will write in a little bit.
Either way, I will see you everyone shortly. I hope spring finally done teasing everyone, and will make an apparence soon. I wont lie, I am QUITE glad I missed this spring. lol.
Ohk, oh, and if a few of the Schellenberg gang are reading this tonight.. happy easter! I love you all. Stop Adam from quoting Will Ferrel all night long, and freeze a piece of paska for me please. I miss you all alot. That John Denver's full of shit eh?
On that note.
Big gulps eh?
See you later,
Kathleen

One more timee.

2009-01-23T14:01:00.001-08:00

Well, I have finished my month of vacations, and am now a few days away from the half way point.
A pretty neat feeling to be starting up the second half of everything, but one I haven't quite had time to process yet since this past month has been such a whirlwind.
But, now with things (kind of) settling back down, it's about high time that I sit down and debreif a little on my blog.
This past month, and a suppose bit now, was just fantastic.
Starting with experiencing Christmas here..
Everyone celebrates Christmas on Christmas Eve. We had two dinners, one at about 8:00 with one family, and then went over to my uncles house and had second dinner at about 11:15, since the big celebration comes at 12:00. It was actually one of the coolest cultural experiences I have had.. every family in Santa Cruz shoots off fireworks for about 30 minutes (or as long as they last) at midnight. In the streets.. parks.. right by your house.. back yard.. anywhere. We did it in the street, and shot off just cheap fireworks (but TONS of them). While I kept thinking of how potentially dangerous this was, I was easily distracted by how beautiful and crazy it was to see thousands upon thousands of fireworks literally light up the entire sky. It's definitely something I'll remember in my future Christmas' to come.
We didn't get home until the wee hours of the morning though, and since our parents were gone to visit my mom's parents in a small town (it didn't work out for Carla and I to go) Carla and I promptly slept in til noon.. something 'crazy' with the locals here.. Carla couldnt get over it, and I didn't quite want to tell her how it is with teens over holidays in North America. lol.
But anyways, we slept in and watched the 'look who's talking' movies in Spanish for the day (does it GET much better than that??), before going to an evening service at the church. A pretty good Christmas day, I'd say.
Although phoning my mom on boxing day was a little harder. I think all of us found Christmas a little hard just in terms of missing home. We all didn't realize how much you can miss the little normal holiday traditions. Just the family gatherings, all of the great food (on the Vitt's side, grandma's halopchis.. mmm), all of the great family jokes that happen, present opening, a Christmas tree. I found myself missing all of that alot, and all of my family alot. PS, thankyou so much from those family members who sent me cards etc - they were more wonderful to read than you may realize, and all of them brought chuckles (and maybe a few tears) to my eyes.
Anyways, enough about Christmas missing - since I don't really want to dwell on that :P, and once my mom came on the 30th, all of it promptly transformed into joy:).
We had such a great time together. Mom and I have never had a chance to kind of go off together alone and do some travelling, and let me tell you, we shared some laughs and some good times. For 97% of the time we travel great together lol, and really, it was just such a wonderful thing to get to have my mom come for the half way point.
It was a little surreal at the same time though when she first got here though, since, my life here is just completely seperate from home. I associate Bolivia largely (and maybe subconciously) with me away from my family and friends. That anything from home is NOT here. So it was just a bit surreal and kind of like 'wait, why are you here again?' a few times as I looked at my Mom.
Sharing the new year here with her under a shower of VERY close fireworks in the main plaza with her was wonderful, and as she left I really felt re-juvinated, and like I was starting my new year and second half with some good family mom love and a nice travelling break from life here. (oh, and also with a crap load of candy and gum. YES.).
Anyways, after my mom left my friend Heidi and I headed off to La Paz and surrounding areas for about 6 days to end my vacation. It was really great - all up in the Andies mountains. La Paz is one of the highest cities in the world, but, since I had just come from Sucre (a still very high city, but not quite as high), it didn't affect me too badly.
La Paz was a crazy city. Tons of people packed into kind of a bowl or two in the mountains. It was a workout for the legs as well, let me tell you. Especially at that altitude (about 4000 m), you take about 3 steps up hill with your backpack on and your heart is pounding and you look at how much of the hill you still have to climb and your heart just sinks.
We stayed at a few different hostels though, and they were all great. One was especially fun - it was owned by some Irish people, and was chock full of people from all over Europe.. Australia.. etc. Awesome place to meet some backpackers, who all were great fun.
After La Paz we heading up to lake titicaca, the highest lake in the world, and it was breathtaking. We stayed at the top of an island there.. higher up than La Paz, so that climb sucked. But, it was all just very gorgeous though - tons of culture, tons of great people, and an extraordinary amount of amazing landscape/sea scape to see.
Yah, so that basically spelled out my month of break. This week back to 'reality' hasn't quite been that. Us SALTers first went to meet the new PROJUSE workers..
its basically the Bolivian equivalent of our SALT program, one year of service for youth, but starts and ends in January. So we met all of them, I met the two guy's I'll be working with (they seem sweet). Although for the first time I was the kind of 'older student' (they were all fresh out of highschool).. and so that was an interesting experience. It made me feel 21 years old (in two weeks) that I'm getting old. Ha.
Anyways, apart from that, It's now our MCC Bolivia/Paraguay focus weekened (happens about twice or three times a year.. but is during the week so noone understands the title), so everyone was in once again for these past two days from all the towns and stuff. And thats always a blast. All of us SALTers and our friend Kelsey from paraguay spent the night here yesterday watching movies and Friends.. and just laughing lots and hanging out. Such a nice break, and some good 'North American' bonding time. (Not like I'm really in a need for that right now though, with all of my travels etc).
And today we all spent time around here painting etc together. These buildings havent been painted in a while, and our one facing the street was kind of this 80's hospital greeny blue.. anyways. Very much needed to be changed. So we all spent a day painting, eating and hanging out together. Very fun. And it looks so fantastic now.. kind of a tuscan reddy brown on the bottom and a beigy white on the top. Very MCC ten thousand villages colours, but they look great.
But, in typical me form, I have paint everywhere. Just everywhere. So I'll go scrub that off soon. Oh, and then we played volleyball which was fun. But I was playing barefoot on super hot concrete, and now I have some wonderful blisters on the bottoms of my feet. fantastic.
Once again though, funny how my body (/everyone's bodies) have adjusted to the heat. It was 34 today in the shade, probably around 38, and no one said a thing, and in fact I thought it was a quite pleasent day, if not a little on the warm side.
Judging from the struggles with the cold I had in Sucre (where Mom and I went), and La Paz.. I'm just not looking forward to the cold of Manitoba next year. Although, how much I miss hoodies and warm clothing will hopefully make up part of the gap. We're all also missing snow and lovely winter things, although definitely not the bitter cold. Maybe Calgary really is the place to be? I heard about the plus15 weather there. Can anyone say global warming.
Oh, speaking of Politics etc., I was lucky enough to somehow get Tuesday morning off before our retreat with the new PROJUSEs, and was able to sit down and watch Obama's inognoration (sp?).
It was great to kind of share in that from over here (even though Carla couldn't understand why I was SHHing her when she was yelling things at me from the other room during Obama's speech.. or why I was so pumped about this political change).
We can feel it over here in Bolivia though. Even though everyone is more focused on the referendum vote over the new constituion on Sunday (that's really another blog post in itself.. but a new consitution is trying to be passed, and this country is just worked up over it.. from the supporters.. to those who think this is the worst thing ever.. everyone has a strong opinion, and it's insane how much people get into their politics here. I'll have to write another blog after Sunday shakes down.) Im going to start talking out of parenthesis lol. No, on Sunday everything in the entire city is closed down for the vote. Should be interesting times, especially here in Santa Cruz who is very anti the new constitution, when it most likely passes. Lots of uprisings against it. You should check this all out in the news though. Basically the new constituion promotes more human rights, indigenous rights, and opens the door for abortion and homosexuality (as well as a bunch of other stuff). But Santa Cruz is very against those new proposed changes, and.. anyways yes. Like I said. Interesting times ahead :).
Ohk where was I.. Right! Evo, our President, has made talks about making a new leaf with the states now that Obama is in power.. which is big since we tossed out the US ambassador here a few months ago. Obama has a chance to make a lot of new beginnings, and hopefully this will be one with Bolivia.
Anyways, phew. This post was a doozer. .. By that I mean basically just huge. But thankyou for sticking in there! I will be better and more consistant again with blogs this new year, and that will hopefully lead to shorter, less mentally strenous posts.
Half way though. It feels good. A huge uplifting feeling. My time left here really feels kind of short now. When it was like '9 months left..' sometimes it could feel a little long.
And now that I have a great community here from work, to SALT/MCC, to my family etc etc set up here, I'm really expecting a great second half. It's looking to shape up well.
So, what is it, Friday now? Yes, the kids come back on Monday (I miss them, and am actaully quite excited to see them) - and it will all settle back into some sort of ruitine.
Hopefully I'll write again in a little while when work has started back up.
But, anyways. It's time to head home, it's been a long past little while.
My heart feelsl ight and happy now, as I know that I get to enjoy the rest of my time here, but that home is ever drawing nearer and nearer with each passing month.
I hope that everyone at home is doing well, and that the beginning of 2009 has been a good one. I just have a feeling that this is goign to be a good year.
Missing you all always, once again thanks to all of you who were able to send out a little message with my mom at Christmas time.
Tons of love,
Kathleen

feliz (early) navidad

2008-12-10T08:24:00.000-08:00

helllllllllo everyone.
sorry for the lack of blogposts in the last while -
a one Kaelin Beriault informed me of this yesterday,
going to such extremes as to tell me that she clicks on this link just about daily, only to be disapointed everytime and left dejected.
and you know, i dont want that to happen kaelin.

and also IS about high time i write a fillin.
I really will try and be better with putting up some blogs. I just am, quite the procrastinator by nature though, and have been quite busy (and dealing with silly bolivian computers. im so excited for my laptop when my motherdearest comes).
But anyways, hello all:).
Wow, its December 10th already. This past month and a bit has just really flown by.
And that feels so good. I feel like ive finally hit stride with my life here,
and am feeling less in the air.. foreign.. in the ´making friends´ stage. And that really is just the best feeling.
ha, it just started pouring and my kids just came running in with drenched hugs. which was.. kind of nice? except for the drenched part, and the fact that there are computers here.
im so happy its raining though, the weather in santa cruz for the past month has been SO. HOT.
i think we hit a snap of about a week and a half that was about 37 and over. a few days im pretty sure it was 42 or 43. I mean, i love the heat, and normally am fine with it. but a few days there, i just layed under the fans at lunch on the tables lol, and tried not to move.
butt, because of that weather, i was just so cold when we travelled to Moro Moro this past weekend.
Our group of SALTers went and met up with Remi, the SALTer working in Moro Moro. Its this great little town kind of just nestled in the middle of a bunch of mountains. Really gorgeous.
But it was probably around 13 or so degrees celcius for part of the time, and i was. cold.
And that just already makes me dread next years winter lol. Im going to be one of those people who I make fun of, who cant handle the cold and complains at like -15.
I´ll just wear constant longjohns. And no one will know.
Anyways. back to something relevant. Yah, the trip to Moro Moro was great.
Not like im not really enjoying my job, but after a little while of routine day in day out for awhile.. it was super nice to get away.
The friday we went on this awesome hike winding along the outsides of the mountains, passing rural farmers who farm up the less steep slopes. It was gorgeous and fantastic and one of those times when you felt like you kind of had to stop every 10 minutes to make some sort of ´wow´ noise.
HOWEVER. that 6 hour hike also made me realize again how horridly out of shape I am. sigh.
i mean, its finne. but, those of you who know me, know that i like to stay in shape. good shape, if i can. I just love using my body , and making it work hard.
And so now, Im just not used to my muscles not knowing what to do, and failing me. Im just kind of like ´are you kidding me? you used to work. what happened.´ lol. i just kind of want to stare at my leg muscles shaking my head, with a mix of confusion and dissapointment.
soo. im trying to find ways to find physical things to do.
We had a few soccer games last week, the women of the Guardaria (day care/after school program) vs the women of the hogar (childrens home).
it was hilarious, those women are so funny. But also very serious about their futbol. We were rocking jerseys, and going (fairly) hard in like plus 36 heat for about 40 minutes.
after like 10 minutes one game i just turned to one of my little girls (who I call arasmelly.. haha, her name is Araseli. K, that may sound more rude than funny, but shes a hilarious kid, and i explained to her what it meant, and she laughed really hard, and now its an inside joke). anyways, i was just like. ´arasmelly. water. please. im going to die.´ and she just looked at me, nodded her head, and took off at a sprint to the kitchen lol.
but, other than those two games, time for physical activity is hard to comeby.
its not really a cultural norm here for girls - guys play soccer.. and girls can play volleyball, but still. its just not really a cultural thing. And i cant go running past about 8 at night, due to my host parents being worried for my safety, and actaul danger. And i just often dont get home from work or being out earlier than that.
And i just cant hack the early morning run, never have. early morning track practises and waterpolo practises in highschool were just about the death of me. i was always the last one to take my sweats off and get in the pool for waterpolo, and in track, i always tried to come 15 minutes late (to skip warmup).
But anyways, I tried 3 times to set my alarm for 6 am to go runnin haha, and gave myself like nighttime peptalks ´you WILL wake up kathleen! you can do this´
but the first night i rolled over at 4 oclock, and half alseep thought something just like ´ha! that was a funny hope´ and changed my alarm, 2nd night im pretty sure the same happened, because my alarm was changed again, and the third morning i actually did manage to sit up in my bed at 6, and then was just like ´screw this.´ and fell back down.
so whatever. who needs physical activity. thats my new motto. im having fun, without staying fit. ha. lol.
nah. ill find something. because my body just has so much pent up and restless energy that pretty soon ill just go run into a tree to get it out. lol.
anyways, moving on again.
so, quick fill in on some significant past monthly events?
1.) IPOD STOLEN. ughhhhh. even though it was done in a very epic manner, im still just. heartbroken. i still just cant really think about it. we were stopped in the market though on the bus, and i was sitting in a seat, and just pulled it out of my bag to change the song (stupid), and were watching me and jumped in from OUTSIDE the bus through the window infront of me (mine was closed), snagged it out of my hand, and bolted.
I think it was just so hard because it was one of my last little home connections. All my music that reminds me of people, winnipeg, etc. and plus, theres only so much spanish music a person can take. i swear if i hear ´EN MI CORRAZOONN´(in my heart) one more time. ill just, kick the radio. buuut, im trying to learn to appreciate it more, and obviously lots of latin music is great. it might all have the same beat (reggaetone), but hey. its a good one. lol.
ohk. this is starting to get long, but i still have a little more to type. i guess thats what i get for not posting for a month.
what else has happened. ohyah.
2.) heidi (other salter who works with me) and i went with a group of girls from our work to Samipatis (sp?), a cute town kind of in the mountains too, but much closer to santa cruz than moro moro. its fairly touristy, because its close to great waterfalls, inca ruins, and just the scenery and town itself is just fantastic. anyways, it was just a blast. easily one of my best weekends yet. we went and saw the inca ruins, and just hung out, and got to meet got guys from france, italy, israel, and a few other places in europe that i cant really remember.
It was so much fun, and i just think that i loved that fact that we often were in groups where people were thinking in about 4 or 5 different languages, but all of us spent all of our time together in spanish. i guess it was just nice to finally be able to make friends by using a foreign language, with people who were doing the exact same.
It did make me a little envious and wistful hearing some of the backpackers stories though, and i think i always knew i would, but i think it pretty much made up my mind on the spot that i will end up coming back and backpacking south america.
anyways. im going to about wrap this up. i have a few more stories, but ill save them for antoher time.
my month of vacations starts after next week, and when it ends, ill be at the half way point of being here. crazy.
ah, yah, i havent even touched on christmas though! ohk ill try and blog again next week lol.
my mom is coming in about 19 days though as of now, and i am just SO excited. were going to go travelling to Sucre, and it´ll just be a ´hoot´ as momma vitt is often been known to say.
i think im also going to be off travelling to comarapa with my mom, maybe some water falls with work friends, and then heidi and i are going on an undecided trip from the 10-19 after momma bear leaves.
and then after that, i think my travelling itch will be sufficiently scratched, and ill settle into the second half of my year, with some new staff here etc.
ohk. yah. im going to go sleep though, because im super tired. im getting over probably my best (or longest lasting) sickness here - and so im still feeling a little off, etc.
but ive heard that you cant win em all.
ohk, sorry if this was unfocused, ill blame it on the tired and trying to cram a month into one post.
i hope the christmas season is going well for everyone though.
Its making me miss home quite a bit right now, just hot coco, and decorating the tree with bad Rita McNeal playing in the background, baking.. snow..
yah. its been making me wistful. but thankgoodness i have a fantastic christmas present coming my way in in roughly 5 foot 2 sized packaging. :D.
ohkkkkkkk byeeeeeeee. miss you all. love you tons.
kathleen

´hey heidi, it doesnt seem too hot today - whats the temp?´ heidi: .. its 34.

2008-11-01T10:07:00.000-07:00

hey everyone-
i know i just blogged about two days ago.
but i think im going to write another one, just to make up for about the 3 weeks that i didn´t write a thing.
plus.. im kind of just procrastinating. because i have to do my big PMR (where i write out on excel every boliviano i spent for the month.. and.. well its kind of like pulling teeth).
oh, and my blog title is just because i couldnt think of anything else, and really found that a funny exchange between heidi and i the other day after work.
anyways, cool happening today- i was strolling back from buying my lunch (an chocolate icecream bar with almonds on the outside - delicious.. and almonds? helloo, thats nutritious) when i see a white woman in professional business attire looking like how we all look when we go to a new country and are trying to find things on our own-
she was standing outside of a house, staring alternatively from her map/address back up to the house with that, slightly worried, nervous, ´i think im at the right house but they arent answering and now have no effing idea what to do´ frustrated look on her face.
i kind of found all of this amusing, but more interesting by the fact that she was outside the house of one of the families here (from bleumenort (sp?) manitoba).. and the fact that she was holding a ziploc bag which contained boxes of sourpatchkids, nerds, and mike and ikes. lol.
anyways. to make this pointless ramble shorter, we made eye contact, and she kind of shouted over `hola.. do.. youspeakenglish?´ lol. i assured her that i did, and she gave me that instant ´thankgoodness sigh.`
anyways. now for the interesting part. shes a reporter from CBC doing a documentary on the old colony mennonites here. very cool.
seems like shes a pretty high up reporter - shes from winnipeg originally (so we got to bond over that which was fantastic) but now lives in the states. She also tosses out in regular conversation things such as,
´well, when i was at a newsconference last week with the minister of defence of the united states..´
and im like, ahhh, yes of course.
anyways - i invited her into our MCC abode here and we just hung out for an hour chatting - we talked aobut the old colony mennonites lots, and she was just very interested in our whole process, life here, just everything. very cool person, and made my day alot more interesting.
we also invited her back for pizza later on with all of us tonight (were having a ´lets make pizza and watch juno´ party with all of us.. and since one of our other SALTers is in from Conception, and thats always exciting).
anyways. im going to be interested to see her documentary if i can when i get back. maybe ill get a few more details about it, so i can post a link to it later or something.
since the old colony mennonites here are fasinating. ha, since shes with CBC though she had to get one interview in french here - which, well obviously, almost proved to be impossible. but looks like she found someone. we just found that funny though, i dont know why, but a french person here in bolivia just is kind of a funny concept to me. maybe just because i dont think you can be farther seperated culturally from the culture of bolivia, to the one say of paris france.
i very much like both, but just very different vibes.
anyways. moving on.
yesterday night heidi and i had a really nice time with agroup of girls from our work. theres an indoor gokarting track here - so we went to it -and my word. we got to wear like, belaclava masks, helmets, gloves, vests with like racing stripes and stuff on it. just hilarious. i was so bummed when i turned on my camera and there were no batteries. but it was just ´a hoot´ as my mom would say, and its so much fun to get to know the girls of our workplace better.
however, unfortunately, coming around a corner i was going pretty fast and i kind of spun out and crashed into a corner (which isnt a big deal).. butt, unfortunately plastic curve of the seat jammed right into my ribs/ab on my left side. ughhhhhhhh. that felt like an explosion of.. goodfeelings.
i wonder when my abs on my left side will ever heal (i tore them in march) - i think they were doing really well for awhile, but now that im working with kids all day long - well. yes, i know mom, i can tell them not to jump on me. but they remember that for about 3 seconds, and then jump on me again.
and when babies/toddlers stick their arms up to be held (from the other classrooms, when i stop by to say hi) .. i mean i just cant turn them down.
anyways. just a hard thing not to be frustrating now. its hard not to feel like all that time i put into not lifting things and being really careful with my body (which i hate) is potentially now for not.
not to mention that well, plain and simple, it doesnt feel wonderful when they are hanging off of my left arm, and i dont really have the muscles to be holding them up. Its just kind of like sometimes, ´no, really, GET OFF!´ lol.
but. this is all teaching me patience, especially with my body. a lesson i need to learn. ive never had an injury that takes 6 months to a year to heal, and its proving to be fairly frustrating for me.
but hey, ive heard that you cant win em all. :). and especially now that my left side feels like someone was doing boxing practise on it for a few hours (after last nights gokarting fun), i think ill have a little chat with my students and really assert into them that you know what. maybe for a bit, lets just CALMDOWN. lol. and i have a month off soon, so that should be great.
ohk. well, gosh, i was going to do kind of a list of things that i love from here and things that i cant get used to - but turns out i have to go. laura needs some help buying ingredients for the pizza party tonight.
basically, i guess ill just say two.
I MISS warm showers. with every essence of my being. have i typed about this yet? shoot, sorry if ive already typed this. but goodness, yes its nice when its like 38, but, i shower early morning or late at night, and by then its cooled down - and that freezing cold water. i still have to pep talk my self and do a countdown before i JUMP in and feversishly try and scrub my body and wash my hair. im pretty sure id do good in a race now.
i think thats one thing ive realized about canadians. you know, we will NOT really complain that much about the cold weather. whatever, we have so much of it, we have to deal with it, unless its over -25, were not really going to say too much. .. unless its - 20 in april.
HOWEVER. our showers, are supposed to be warm. that is one part of our day, that is supposed to be warm. if we do not have warm water in the winter, we would deefinitly go shower at a neighbours or friends lol. now, i know its not winter right now, actually polar opposite from that. but still. i dont like it. its really cold. lol.
second thing i miss. lazy mosquitos. who would have thought i missanything about mosquitos. but the only thing more annoying than a mosquito, is one that you cant kill.
i have killed i think only like.. 5 since ive been here (in three months). they are SO quick, they are like our flies. and they are out to get you. i swear i let out a huge cheer everytime i kill one, and carla just laughs. but.. i guess the good thing about this.. when i come back to winnipeg - the mosquitos dont stand a chance.
last thing because i really have to go now.
odd thing i will miss.. subtitles. the tv screen just feels naked without them now.
ohk, laura is bside me with bags raring to go.
see you all later. love you tons.
kathleen

one. quarter.

2008-10-30T09:01:00.000-07:00

yep, thats right.
tomorrow its the 1/4 mark.
word up with that. I really feel like, especially this last month and a bit -
time has just flown by.
Time moves so quickly with this job. I really feel so blessed with the job I have, gah I love it.
Let me quickly taking you briefly, and hopefully unboringfully through a typical day.
So, hope a micro right outside my door at 7, cruise off for about 40 minutes - and then every morning i just love where i get to change my micros.
its on this corner (im going to take white touristy pictures of it and put them up over christmas when i get my comptuer)
but
¨ o nescoli mmmmolina¨
ha, my girl onescoli who is so cute just came over and asked what i was up to and wanted to write her name. it took about 5 minutes, and clearly there arent supposed to be that many m´s, but. she is now super pleased that everyone in canada (who reads this blog.. so.. mom?) is going to see it.
ohk. back to what i was talking about lol.
anyways. i get to change at this corner with so many little food shops, fresh orange juice, empanadas with curried pototates and meat, my favourite - salteñas - kidn of like a baked emanada with chicken and a bunch of different things inside. im going to miss them so much when i get back to canada. and of course the little venders that house my favourite occasional treat.. yes.. at 740 in the morning - chocolate sticks, called batons.
its basically the ONLY chocolate here, or rather, decent chocolate (sorry santa cruz, but its true)
so anyways. when im like, dear lord, i want some chocolate. yep. batons.
but the other day i asked for banderas by accident.. which means flag in spanish. and the woman just looked at me like, really? youre asking for a flag at my little candy wagon
anyways. it all worked out, and i got my chocolate. i guess a flag would have been cool too though.
ohk anyways. so i change micros there, a nice tranquillo ride and get to work at around 8. make myself a cup of coffee (instant, with powdered milk). WHICH. suprisingly is growing on me so much. i mean, dont get me wrong, its not like coffee coffee. but still. yummy.
its so odd though to be in south america, and have every love instant nescafe. apparently its largely the same in central america too. just kind of ironic, i suppose.
anyways. i sit down to journal and drink coffee for about 20 minutes, then my kids come -
have my first session with them.
1030, refrejario (snack) and hang out with them for an hour. today we tried to learn how to salsa, marengue and dance to reggaetone. all were hilarious, especially for me.
and then they made me spin them around, until i thought i was kind of going to throw up.
and then we had races, which relaly helped with the throwing up feelings.
and then i have a nice long lunch break, and then starts another time in the afternoon with my other group.
two hours of homework with them, one hour of fun. clean up, and head home between 530 and 6.
somedays are hard with them, and really draining. but for the most part, they are so great.
and the vibe of this place is great, and the more and more spanish i learn, the more and more friends i get lol. thankgoodness.
its nice finally to be able to talk and joke with people.
im really excited for these next two months. añldksjf.
first, starting on the 10th, my kids have summer holidays (backwards from home)
so. we have a month of fun with them. instead of homework, well do things like - oh, paper mache, potatoe sack races, movies, just. things liek that. and i think i get monday thursday mornings off. to sleeeeeeeeeeeeep in.
and then. the other youth my age that i work with right now- their year of service wraps up in december (in january ill be working with new people) - so. well have about a week of, wrap up stuff for them, improvements for next year.
and then i get a month OFF. hpoefully head out to the salt flats first, which should be gorgeous, then go travelling a bit for christmas with my family, and then my mom comes for 10 days!
which i am just already so excited for.
speaking of that. now, this is kind of an odd thing to say. and this is NO, absolutely zero pressure.
but, for all of you at home, if you wanted to send a little letter or card or something along with my mom for christmas (which.. i wont lie.. i would just absolutely love) - you know, im just saying, you can. lol.
i think it would be one of the best christmas presents for me, just to have little messages from home to look at.
anyways. yah. so thats my next two months. i really think they are going to fly.
and then, start fresh with my second half here come mid january.
im going to head out now though, its lunch time, and my stomach is calling me.
love you guys all tons. i know this wasnt a really good fill in, but ill do a better one later.
i jsut felt like i hadnt written in awhile.
things like thinking about halloween make me wistful and sad, since i love costumes and candy.
but. then i look at my mango tree, which is SO close to being ripe. and things just dont seem so bad.
missing you all.
ps, next week im going to start staying fit and having fun, at a track right near my work, with Aida. Im excited:)
ohk. thats all for now. love.
kathleen

I like it here.

2008-10-07T15:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, as I was walking away from my work down a winding dirt path with manderine trees, cows, and mango trees along side it (in the lazy South American pace that fits this place so well) I just had the a resounding thought come into my head, ¨I like it here.¨
I don´t know why I keep thinking back to it - I dont know why those four words to me seem so important. But maybe its just because, for the past week or so, I have just finally really felt at peace with being here, and I like it. Plain and simple, this place isn´t feeling so foreign anymore. I am starting to feel less like a north american tourist - taking virtual pictures with my eyes at everything I see, oo´ing and aww´ing different things.
In my sandals, with dirty feet, on a pleasantly hot day, strolling through my work with one of the kids I work with to see the cows, pigs, tortoises, and parrots I now am starting to feel like im strolling behind my house beside the wheatfields, ducks, and mosquitos.
gah, the moquitos here. ill have to get to that later. i better not forget.
But no, now that the conflict and violence here has calmed down - life here is really just settling back into normality. Things feel calm and tranquillo.. well, for the most part. In the markets, mm, not so much.
Ha, i think i wrote in my last blog that i was about off to go do some shopping in the markets by myself - funnny. I think I had an image of myself strolling leisurely through a market in like france or north america, getting to stop and look at things, maybe try some things on, buy some food, just kind of.. stroll.
I dont know how I forgot the atmosphere of the Bolivian markets? lol, i mean dont get me wrong, they are great. You can get what you need - its an awesome atmosphere -
but there are TONS of people. everywhere. it is hectic. it is meant for pushing to the stand you want (los posos is huuge though, covering streets). But, people know where they´re going. the clothes section, meat section, bread, all the different sections.
It is NOT meant for a solo gringa girl to ´stroll´through, casually looking at stuff. The minute you pick up a shoe, a woman will be at your side, speaking ridiculously quick spanish, trying to get you the other, and i feel almost putting them on my feet lol. Or, you walk down a hallway with little shops on either side (in the inside part) and its kind of very interesting.
its like a crescendo of voices as you walk through.
I would call it, ´the wave´ of voices.
you start walking, and all the way through the voices follow you as you pass their stall
´senorita, una ployera bonita para usted?´ and they stop as soon as you pass.
its just really funny. sometimes i just kind of want to run through, like people do trying to get the wave started. or, go back and forth, igniting the different voices over and over in different patterns.
anyways. my head has probably gone too far with that one, but to me, its a hilarious mental image. maybe too, you need to hear the venders voices. its just a distinct tone, that i often find funny.
just like newscasters in north america have ´taht newscasters voice´ so do venders here. for women, its almost a bit high pitched and winy, and slow.
so anyways. lets move on, i really spoke about that for awhile.
wow ok sorry. my work. is wonderful.
its been a transition to long days, i leave the house at 7, and dont get back til 7, and if i choose to go to the MCC offices after work (for english dinner wednesdays) or to make a phonecall, i often dont get home til 10, 1030, and crash into bed.
but, my days are lovely. Aida, who is the leader of our biblioteca program is just wonderful -shes 23 and great.
and my kids are, just fabulous. At times, like any group of kids, sometimes I just want to.. throw a chair through a wall?
but for the most part, they are loving, hilarious, and all have great personalities, they honestly make me laugh a ton, some of them are just so. funny.
and as my spanish with them is improving (i had to learn all of the terms in math, and things like pencil sharpener etc) but im having better control over them, and their listening more.
the first few days were a little hectic as i was new, and dont have perfect spanish, and they were trying to see if they could take a little advantage of me.
psh. tsh. fhh. shh. .. well, i mean they probably did. but i think i held my own.
on friday, i got some updates of the kisd living situations - and some of their daily realities is a hard thing to take, but, i knew that it would be.
they are just such wonderful kids. and its hard to see them come in some mornings flying into my arm yelling ´proffy katie!!´ (im katie, or katty - their prounciation of kathleen came out like cafe. and they were onthe brink of calling me cafe for the rest of the year. good thing i got out of that one).
but anyways, some days they come in with just huge smiles, and others. just polar opposite. head down and hanging, sad, wont look me in the eye.
its hard to see that, and to know that occasionally these kids get hit by their parents for not knowing their numbers, letters, getting things wrong. Its not kind of not to feel pressure to make them learn it all? just so its ensured that everything will be good when they head off home.
but, i mean, all of these families are coming out of tough situations - poverty, and all of the extra difficulties (alcohol, abuse, etc) that often come with that.
but. aside from that, i love working with them. its kind of cool to know that I am the person that taught a girl how to count to 100. I mean, i know, i know - another person would have - but its just kind of cool to know that along with me someone learned something basic that they will use for the rest of their lives. all interesting to me.
but - the other workers my age are all fantastic. I have such respect for them - not only are they volunteering for an afternoon or morning, but they are almost all in school, and all have jobs on top of that. its pretty humbling to see their work ethic.
but anyways, i think i´ll wrap this up soon.
these past couple days have just been really swell, saturday was great - it was POURING rain - but we had a great english day (toni heidi and i) and went out for pizza, and bought movies, and it was great.
gah, the rain here though, its already getting wild. and becuase my work is far outside the city center, almost EVERYTHING is mud. basically i just roll up my pants and walk through in flip flops, and wash my bottoms of my legs off when i get to work lol.
oh. also. the first time going home - you know, ive kind of realized that any time i ahve to take a new micro route for myself, SOMETHING is going to happen. and its kind of like i knew something was going to happen this time, and it just kind of made me smile/laugh/get ready.
and it diidd. it had poured all day, the 5 or so lanes of traffic (there probably only should ahve been.. 2? lol.. but bolivians dont really obey that, especially when traffic is moving slow)
anyways. all of the lanes of traffic were just covered in mud - but I realized i had just missed where i was supposed to get off. so i was like FRICK. ´PARE POR FAVOR!!´
and leapt down into kind of the middle of all of the lanes of traffic, sloshed down into the mud, tried to lift my feet up - and one after the other there go my sandals (havanas type) but the toe piece pulled out of both of the bottom feet part of my sandals in the mud.
and my sandals are black, and it was pitch black out - but, i found them, and ran barefoot through the mud holding my sandals through the lanes of traffic while people made all kinds of different noises ranging from what i feel was a.) ooo, poor gringa b.) thats hilarious! sucka c.) hey, you´re white, even in the mud im going to hit on you.
anyways, i finally knocked on the right micros door, gave him my saddest eyes ever, and he opened the door for me. and i trudged in, muddy footprints my way to the front, muddy paid him, and muddy fixed my sandals and sat down with a sigh lol.
ohk, anyways. i think that just about wraps it up for now.
i had a one day work week this week, which was jsut wonderful. i got to sleep in today (til 9 :D), wash some of my clothes (such. a. workout by hand), and then came to MCC for a great lunch, and we scooted off to get bankcards.
and now tomorrow, off to retiro (our fall retreat) for 3 days, and im so excited. Everyone from MCC Bolivia is coming, and i think one girl from MCC paraguay (who seems wonderful, shes 21 and in Paraguay for a year helping to organize the mennonite world conference happening next year). We´re all heading off though to I suppose a type of conference center outside of santa cruz, and it should be just wonderful. (and it has a pooool. maybe this time ill get a tan without peeling off half of my back:) ).
ohk, well, ill blog in the next few weeks. I miss home like a dull ache as always though, but its great to still be able to talk to people from home. Right now, home doesnt feel so far away. And thats a really comforting feeling.
Ha, toni and I had another tim hortons fantasy today though. We´ve already decided that upon getting off the plane in winnipeg, we´re going to the tim hortons and hes getting black coffee and a boston cream and im getting a mocha extra whip with 3 (or maybe 12) sour cream glazed timbits.
fan. tastic.
i hope everyone is doing well though, and enjoying the beginnings of fall. Its odd, my body seems to be doing what its always done for 20 years and is getting into gear for fall, expecting cold crisp days, getting that lovely fall wistful pumpkins and thanksgiving is coming feeling - and then im like, oh wait, its spring here. shoot.
but im readjusting. and it helps that mango season is about a month away. we have two trees in my yard and i look at them almost every day just HOPING they´ll ripen faster lol.
OHK! im really going now - i really do hope everyone is doing wonderful, love you all so much, and miss everyone just.. tons.
as always, stay fit and have fun :).
kathleen (L)

50 days in

2008-09-27T09:26:00.000-07:00

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.

2008-09-11T15:59:00.000-07:00

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

culture shock?

2008-08-29T08:10:00.000-07:00

holllllller.
i finally have a bit of time (i think) to write a good blog entry.
I don´t really know where to begin, but, i´ll just start typing.
um. hokay. so.
i moved in with my host family on sunday.
they are wonderful.
my dad is big and boisterous - hes a pastor at a church here. hes really loud and funny though, although, i super cant understand him. the men here are so hard to understand. but i´ll get into that later. he also calls me katrina, because he cant pronounce my name. none of them can, but some of them try? ´kat-leen.´ i´m considering other names. lol. they tossed out kathy, which would be katty.
but, if you know me, you hopefully know that i hate. the name kathy.
anyways, we´ll see lol. i´m thinking, katie, or katrina for the old people. although, katrina just reminds me of a figure skater. katerina witt? anyways. thats not really important lol. this blog is going nowhere.
MY MOM. is soo short lol and super cute. i´m taking some pictures of life now, and so it´s my goal to get them up for next week. i just didnt want to be walking around my first few days snapping pictures. i´m white enough as it is here. and santa cruz isnt exactly a ¨tourest city¨
anyways. yah. my mom is a feisty little woman, but super caring, and has a swell laugh.
my sister, carla, we share a room - shes 22. I super like her, shes just wonderful. she´s studying english 5 nights a week, and i´m studying spanish freaking all the time it seems, so´together we´re piecing together sentences and helping eachother out. She´s really funny though. Oh, and we´re watching some spanish tv together. the other day we watched The Hills in spanish together, which i found hilarious.
hokay. thats the low down on the family. they also have a cat and a dog. and their uncle and grandma live in houses attached to theirs. and they have a massive extended family that gets together quite often. i´ve already seen them twice, but, then again it was my sister (older sister who lives with her husband) ´s birthday, and my moms birthday.
is this all confusing? i hope not. my family only has two daughters though. carla, and daniella - the older, moved out, married one.
HOKAY. enough about my family.
oh, one more funny thing though. the last salter that stayed with them, christina, introduced them to dutch blitz. and all of the cousins are addicted to it. and i just found it really funny, in the middle of bolivia, to be playing a gigantic game of dutch blitz. lol.

moooving on lol. the first two days that i left the MCC center, and moved in with my family - i wont lie, were some of the hardest of my life.
it just, all of a sudden, was INTENSELY overwhelming - moving out of the comfort of at least bein garound english people, or a computer or phone, and into an extremely busy city that i dont understand, with a family that i´m not similar to.
i just felt really lost, and really alone. and scared.that hasnt happened to me for a long time.
BUT. these past 3 days have been a lot better. as i´m adjusting to my house and my micro (those are the busses) routes and etc - i´m becoming more comfortable, and settling in more.
it still right now though, is overwhelming to think about a year. but that thought too, isnt as bad as it was monday and tuesday lol.
it was funny, i was at my spanish teachers house on monday and tuesday and she would be like
¨describe your mom¨
and i´d be like in my head ´are you kidding me´ lol. because i spent those two days semi on the verge of tears.
and i´d be like ¨mi madre es.. *lip quiver* simmppattiiccaa..¨ lol. but i held it together.
and honestly, these past three days, have been a lot better.
i wake up everymorning a little scared. but. í´ve been having fun days.
heres whats shaking down for my first 5 weeks now.
in the mornings monday-thursday, i micro to my spanish teachers house for a 2 hour class.
(ps she is i think the cutest old woman ever. she reminds me of my old piano teacher, mrs halpenny.. but spanish. she has huge black rimmed rectangle glasses, and is so small. and shakes her finger at me. and its just, fantastic lol)
ANYWAYS. after her class, i micro home and have lunch with carla. normally we go out for lunch. the food here is just, so cheap. yesterday for a huge meal for both of us with drinks etc was 27 b´s.. which divide by 7.. like 3.60 cents?
you get the idea. just so cheap.
and then. after that i come to the MCC center and spend two hours in the afternoon with my tutor, my, ¨paid friend¨ - who takes me around santa cruz and shows me things and makes me speak spanish some more.
and then after that. i maybe chill out with some salters, hang at the MCC center, lala. and go home by about 7 or 8.
my fam doesnt get home til about 830, 9.
so thats monday - thursday. friday - sunday: next two weekends we´re travelling. this weekend we´re just all chilling today. its friday. making food together, hanging out.
its nice to have a break and get a chance to chill with the other salters. because, normally, after i´m done with my tutor - my head hurts so bad from all the spanish i´ve already had to speak, that all i want in life. is english.
thankgoodness my house has some english tv lol - they have cable, so i´ve gotten to watch both friends and grey´s anatomy - well parts, i dont have that much time to watch tv. but. its actually good practise with the spanish subtitles.
yesterday though, i went out for a bit of something to eat at night with my mom (they, dont eat supper really. maybe a bit of bread, yesterday a small empanada. here, lunch is big. but, in general, they dont really that much in general, i would say). anyways. where i was going with this. i actually carried a convo with my mom, for oh i´d say 25 minutes. i mean, it wasnt a complex conversation, and i´m sure i messed things up, but hey. i´ve heard somewhere that you cant win em all. and i think i won that one.

SO. i´m about ready to wrap this up. but i say that, and i have a few more things to type about, so mayyybee i´m lying lol.
the micro rides. lol. oohh the micro rides. let me tell you about my history on the micros lol.
so. the first time going back from my teachers house i got soo lost on a micro. got off. had NO idea where i was in this CRAZY busy city. there are just, so many people eevverywhere. so many. espeically in the markets.
anyways. so i got a taxi, but, he wasnt from santa cruz and took me to the wrong street and was like ¨there you are, ciao.¨ and i was like ¨hey! espera! no es correcto!.. idiothead.¨but he was already gone.
and id idnt know how to describe where my house was. but i had a map.
so finally with the aid of a man, i took another taxi. and got home. carla laughed at me though when i came in the door, i think i looked pretty haggered lol.
my micro rides yesterday. the first one, i sat up right behind the driver (they are normally so packed that you dont have a seat, but, i saw this one so i nabbed it)
but i think people didnt take it on purpose. because out of the wall right beside me, was crawling out oohh i´d say about 30 or so beetles and bugs and things of all different sizes. and i´m normally ok with bugs. but. they were crawling up the back of the drivers chair, and up onto the roof, and about 5 fell on me around corners.
i think what topped it off too though, is that my stomach has been DYING for 3 days.
i´m fairly certain that i have a parasite. but it may just, pass on through right away. everytime i eat though, its quiite sore. like knife´y type pain. lol my family keeps making me drink camimille tea - which does help, but, yah not a ton. its funny though, the whole family knows and i keep having random people being like ¨how is your stomach?¨ lol.
i´m sure soon though, it´ll just. work itself out. if not, i´ll just, take these pills that apparently take out the lining of your stomach, all the bad, and the good. so thats wonderful lol. aparently though, you just have lots of yogurt, and it builds your lining right back on up.
whatever. i´m just waiting for my stomach to improve on its own. i thought i had an iron stomach. i guessssss i was wrong.
oh. and then my last micro ride last night. i just, would have never thought it was possible to fit THAT many people, onto one little bus. thankgoodness i´m 5´4. they are so short, some of them, my head brushes the top. poor remi, a salter whos with us. he´s 6´4, and on long rides he just dies lol. um. yah though. we were so squished that other peoples body parts basically just molded into my own lol. we were like, one van mold of people. and the door wouldnt even close. but then the driver was yelling at us to close it, and they were all yelling back at him. and i was in this big mans armpit and dying for air and wondering how the EFF i would see my stop to get off lol. so finally we all just like sucked in even more and i got shoved into his armpit, and they closed the door and then we had a bit more room. by a bit more room, i just wasnt, SHOVED into his armpit. thankgoodness i somehow spidersensed out where my stop was.
anyways. thats the fill in on my micros to date lol.
i think thats it for now. the spanish here is really hard to understand. the men all talk in the front of their mouths and dont really open it, like their mumbling,
and. they cut off all their s´s, and a lot of the ends of words.
¨gracia¨ ¨despue del me¨ - which should be, despues del mes¨ and when they´re all talking killer fast. i´m just like ´oookkkkk. juuustt smile.¨ so i laugh when they laugh. and then i realize that they were actually asking me a question. and them like, crap. repeta por favor? lol.
oh. also. they arent from santa cruz. their from santa cru
so. i´m thinking about starting my own santa crew. maybe it will be a dance crew. we´ll see.
um. oh. i´m trying to think of any last things.
yes. its so hot. and its WINTER. its 34 normally, but, with the humidity. ugh. my sister changes here clothes normally oh i´d say at least once or twice a day lol.
so it hink i need to go buy a few more light weight tops. because, i wont lie, i just would rather be naked. thats how i feel. its just so hot, that i dont want clothes on.
acutally though. it rained alot yesterday, and its ¨cold¨here today. probably like, 19.
which actually is fairly cold for here. but everyone was in jackets and sweaters this morning.
and i´m actually really mad at the fact that i didnt put one on too lol.
because, i miss being able to wear sweaters soo much. even though thats normally the last thing i want to be wearing.
i just, love sweaters though. and i´ve probably missed out on the one opportunity i´ll have to wear one in a few weeks. ugh. whatever lol.
LAST thing i´ll talk about. now that i´m on my own alot, and just walking around the city etc.
i´m getting.. i dont know a good word for it.. ¨harrassed¨ seems to extreme. but, the men are super, yah. everywhere i go, cars like slow downnn - men who are about 50, my dads age, whistling and ¨hola momma sita.. lala.¨
yesterday a ¨little person¨ man, who was probably 4 feet tall, maybe less, started following me and hollering and whistling and doing everything. and i just wanted to be like ¨seirously? i could punt you.¨ lol. anyways. its just something new to get used to. you just have to, brush it off. and i do. but sometimes, even though i know they arent really harmful, its still, a little scary. just when they are following or near me. and its not all the men. it doesnt help also that my teachers house is right by a construction site lol.
so anyways. yah. thats the one time i pull a big gringa card (white person) - and put my ipod in (my bra, so it cant get stolen) and just, listen to music and normally just laugh lol, because its fairly ridiculous.
ok. i´m off. its time. this was super long though.
um. yah. we´re all just hanging out this weekend - some of us salters are going to one of our tutor´s church´s tomorow night for a college and career (youth) type event, hopefully that´ll be fun. its nice to start making some bolivian friends our age, even if right now its basically our tutors, and they aree paid lol.
anwyays. next week back at teachers and tutors and then the weekend off traveling to i think moro moro.
hopefully i´ll blog in about two weeks, after my trips to moro moro, and santiago.
it´s also my goal though, like i was saying, to get pics up early next week. so feel free to scope them on out.
hokay. i hope moving in to new homes, and university etc is going well for everyone (who is in unviersity).
i cant really think about home right now though, because, its just too hard. i miss everyone so much, but, i´m trying not to focus on it right now. because, thats just silly. i´ll never make it through this transition culture shock then.
but sometimes. i look at my pics of home. i really should have never printed those off lol.
hopefully soon i´ll settle into a routine though. and life here will become normal.
ok. i´m thinking about everyone so much though. i´m still excited for this year, but, i already cant wait to be home. yah.
ok. til next time.
stay fit and have fun everyone
kathleen(L)
ps. i dont have time to read this over. so if things dont make sense, soorry.

í´m heeere.

2008-08-20T17:14:00.000-07:00

hey team.
well, its what, wednesday today? yes. so i´ve been here for 4 days now. wow, i just had to count, i´ve lost all track of time. i really have no sense lol.
but, i tthiinkk i´m kind of starting to BEGIN to settle in lol.
the mcc center here is super rad. there are tortoises outside which i looove (two of them, i have yet to name them. but the names are going to be wonderful) and right now there are puppies and they are sooo cute. yesterday i took a nap with one of them at ´siesta´time for like 30 minutes zipped into my zipup hoodie with its head poking out, and it was potentially the cutest thing ever. lol.
thats another thing. siesta is just the best thing ever. like, from 12-2 everyone just goes home and eats, naps, often showers because its so hot - etc. i know its semi similar in europe, but i´ve never actually been in this lifestyle before.
i dont know how i´ve lived without it. lol, its just the best thing ever.
today we had a busy day where we went to where 3000 families have been relocated too in the city, quite a poor part of town, and we were there almost all day getting briefed on what programs are going on there etc - and so anyways. by like 2, all of us were like falling asleep during the presentation lol. or just, like restless.
maybe because it was SO hot out today.
the bus ride home, they´re called micro´s here. anyways. so hot.
we were also a group of like, 15 white people, or gringo´s. which has nothing to do with it being hot. but a group of 15 white people on a public transport bus in bolivia gets staaared at.
its odd to be walking down a street, even with just like a few of us, and getting stared at by eevveryone. i´ve been with guys so far though, so i havent really gotten bothered much by the guys.
buutt, soon that´ll start. meh. i´m going to just put my ipod in my bra (so it doesnt get stolen), and sing my little heart out.
kidding. i´d look crazy, but, yah - ipod in fosho. its a nice way to get a nice little breath of home too -
listening to matisyahu, or wailin jenny´s, tegan and sara, modest mouse - they all remind me of people in a good way. in a way that doesnt make me super sad, or homesick.
i´ve been pretty good so far - sometimes i get overwhelmed. or, i wish i was fluent in spanish already.
but even in 4 days, i´ve learned and brushed up on so much spanish. remi and i talked about this today. we had (at different times) this one moment where someone said something in spanish
and i understood it liek someone had just spoken enlish. and when i realized it i was just like ¨aslñdkfjasdf¨ lol.
i´m also excited for these next 5 weeks.
i move in with my host family on sunday, which i´m a little nervous about - but anyways
then for the next 5 weeks i have spanish lessons in the morning for 2 hours - my friend caleb and i with the spanish teacher.
and then in the afternoon i get a tutor, or, a ´paid friend´ to go out just with me and go wherever i want to go - and they dont speak any english - so its a way for me to get to know how to get around the city, and speak spanish with them etc. i´m going to make mine take me to the zoo lol.
.. and i guess the things i need to know too. like how to get to my work. i guess thats an important one.
anyways. and then two of those weekends we go out to rural cities/towns of moro moro and conception - where remy and caleb will be working.
so that´ll be fun.
i´ll type more about the country soon. and post pictures hopefully.
i´m enjoying it though so far, i think i´m going to like it here for a year.
tonight was wonderful - theres like, a few fmailies doing orientation with us too - and so theres about 8 kids running around between the ages of 2 and 9. they are so much fun. and also my workout for the day.
they are super cute though, and just a good way to have fun in a day goofing around with them - since this can be a bit overwhemling and scary.
missing home comes and goes, and really, i´ve only been here for 4 days.
i´m just trying to absorb everything, and take it one day at a time.
the people are really nice here though - mcc ers and bolivian people alike.
i´ll write more soon - but now i´m going to head out and go for a walk with remi and toni around the city before it gets too late and potentially a bit dangerous.
this blog was kind of all over the place, but most probably will be.
i dont have the most computer time in the world - like, today, yah. 20 minutes.
which is fine - it just makes my typing really rushed.
ok, bye all. love you all so much. write more soon when i can about the city, the people, etc. hopefully soon i´ll have time to actually write a good fill in.
anyways.
i hope transitions to september are gonig well - an achy part of me wishes i was there, but all in all, i´m super happy to be where i am - i´m getting pushed so much and learnign so much already.
ok. tons of love. bye.

Orientation

2008-08-14T10:16:00.000-07:00

Well hey there everyonee.
We finally got an hour and a half break during the day today, so I thought it was finally time to come on and create a blog.
This will probably be the most frequent way I communicate with home next year -
they really want us to shy away from using computers and connecting with home ALL the time -
they put big emphasis on going through the full experience of not using a support group for problems and stuff at home, but pushing yourself to find one in your country.
so.
i'll be sending letters and facebook messages to people occasionally - i'm not quite sure how that'll work out. I guess i'll just play it by ear.
Anyways WHERE I'm going with this ramble is that i'll probbablyy post a blog, once every week and a half, 2 weeks. so. yes.
oh. but. send me messages and letters though sometimes please! every time I get a facebook message, i'll respond. I just, don't know how often or whatever i'll be able to. Already i'm even feeling here how great it is to get little messages from home though. It super helps to deal with some of the lonliness that meeting tons of new people and missing everyone brings.
anyways. orientation.
its been wild. but super good. Our complex here is like, one big 10000 villages store. its AMAZING. everything is either fairtrade or local too, like food, etc, so its super rad. The food is awesome, and the rooms are so cool - huge big wooden sliding doors, and beds, yah. just awesome.
ALSO. i don't know if anyone checked out my facebook status. but.
out of 5 drinks in the vending machine, one of them was diet doctor pepper (my favourite drink in life). AS IF. oh, and for 50 cents. i'm taking like, 14 in my carry on. and i'm not kidding.
hokay. so.
Theres like 50 of us here going on SALT (people from north america going to other parts of the world)
and 100 people here on either IVEP of YAMEN (which are people coming from other parts of the world and either going to North America, or back into other parts of the world).
so its wild here. its awesome meeting 100 people from south america, africa, asia, middle east and europe.
so many cool differences, perspectives, and like even differences in worship. our morning worship is super cool. yesterday we learned a few african songs and we were trying to dance and it was super awesome.
anyways. i cant type for much longer. this is getting long anyways. but our days are super busy - so many workshops, on just, thigns we'll be experiencing etc. my brain like, permanently hurts. i'm so glad we had this orientation though - theres so many things we've discussed that i've been like "wow. i would have made that mistake, and super offended my host family/culture."
yesterday we had an awesome game of soccer with all the north americans who wanted to play vs africa, asia, and south america.
needless to say we got owned. but we kind of held our own? it was so much fun. a girl broke her elbow though, and that sucks. at least they didnt cast it - shes going to a remote village in indonesea, and getting the cast off couulldd have posed some problems lol.
theres 7 of us going to bolivia. 3 from canada, 3 from the states, and 1 girl from mozambique.
therse going to be 4 of us in the city that i'm staying in. Everyone is super nice - in my city i have a Toni from steinbach, Heidi from BC, and (pronounced) Sta-bi-Lay, from Mozambique. All are awesome, and I'm super looking forward to our year in Santa Cruz.
Anyways. I'm off. I'll message again once I've been in Bolivia for about a week or so.
We have a week at the MCC (mennonite central committee, the group i'm going with) center in Santa Cruz (the city i'm staying in) and then I move in wth my host fmaily and have 6 weeks of intense language training and travelling the country before I start my placement in the children's home Guardaria Moises.
Anyways. I have to go get dressed up. All of the IVEP'ers are leaving today for their placements in Canada and the US so we're having a big service and stuff with everyone dressed up in traditional gear.
maybe i'll just wear some of the canadian stickers i brought? that probably wouldnt go over well.
my canadian towel it is.
anyways. I miss home already, this week has pushed me a ton, and they've done a good job this week semi scaring the crap out of us - BUT, at the same time i'm super excited. I miss everyone already from home though, send me a message when you get the chance, even if its small. its nice right now to get some news from home. Also, keep me in your prayers, I could definitely a few these next couple weeks.
OH. travelling saturday. we leave here i'm pretty sure at either 2 or 4 in the morning, go to miami, have a 9 hour layover, 8 hour flight to bolivia, we get there sunday morning and have to pull a full day. :. allriigghhhtt.
ok. i really need to go now. i hope everyones last bit of summer is going well!
stay fit and have fun. love you all a ton.
kathleen.