While in Santa Cruz for the best/hardest day of my life, I was able to stay with Dr. Carmiña's family in their lovely home. I am expecting some reverse culture shock when I get back to the States but I wasn't expecting it to occur before I touched down in the good ol' USA. I'll be honest, it made me nervous.
My first clue that I may not be prepared to re-enter my old life (ten days from now!) was when Dr. Carmiña asked me to please fasten my seat belt when I got into her car. Whoops. I've only worn a seat belt twice in the last three months -and both times were in a airplane, not in a car. I wouldn't have even done it then if the flight attendant hadn't blasted it over the intercom. The vehicles that I ride in regularly don't even have seat belts.
Dr. Carmiña then apologized that the air-conditioning wasn't working very well. I almost laughed out loud because I was thinking about how I'd forgotten that cars even have air-conditioning and what a glorious invention it is. Seriously folks, there is cold air that blows and it keeps you refreshed even when it's freaking hot outside. How wonderful is that?
When I entered la doctora's home, I was only more impressed. "There's a flat screen TV and a computer with internet and leather couches and HOLY SMOKES, is that microwave? This house is amazing! This house is like...my parents' house...and...it's like MY house." It was such a weird moment. Seriously, I was genuinely excited to use a microwave. A microwave. Who knows what my reaction will be to other household appliances...like a TOASTER :)
I recently read article on how to give your fridge a makeover. I was thinking it would be about how to keep your fridge clean but nope, it was actually about how to keep your fridge pretty, literally pretty. Things like use labeled french canning jars to store leftovers in, buy products with pretty packaging, wrap cheese and meat in butcher paper and tie with twine, put a vase of flowers in the fridge...have I just been in South America too long or is this ridiculous? If people's priorities are to put petunias in their fridges, not sure that this is the culture with which I want to identify.
Plus, there are mangoes here.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Thanksgiving Certainly "Delivered"
Holy smokes, people. You will not believe what I got to do for Thanksgiving!!
I mentioned in my last post that I got the opportunity to tour a hospital in Santa Cruz with a nurse who I met a few weeks ago. What I didn't know was that my friend is not just a nurse but the head pediatric doctor in the maternity ward. That's right. The head honcho!
Before I go much further, I should explain that labor/delivery/prenatal care has always been an interest of mine. No, really ALWAYS. Way back in the day, my favorite episode of Sesame Street was when the Robinson family had a baby and my siblings would scream in horror when I watched A Baby Story on TLC. "Please not a c-section!" my five year old brother would wail (What five year old boy even knows what a c-section is? Sorry Joe!). So basically, I was out of my mind excited to get to go to this hospital and experience the action in real life!
That said, my expectation for the day was this: Watch a lot of things through glass windows. Maybe get to actually have some patient interactions. And that was about it.
My expectations were blown out of the water. Completely.
My first hint that I would be doing a whole lot more than observing was when Dr. Carmiña handed me a white nurse's uniform. "Cool, I'm playing dress-up!" I thought. But when we arrive at the hospital, she lets me follow her around as she examines all the newborns -eighty newborns. There were about seven moms to each room (Seven!) and no curtains giving anyone any privacy. While the hospital was obviously old (think wrought-iron beds and stark white walls) it was pretty clean, although it was obvious that this was where the poorest of the poor come to give birth.
Sarah Groves wrote a song and the lyrics are as follows:
I saw what I saw and I can't forget it.
I heard what I heard and I can't go back
Something on the road, cuts me to the soul.
Your pain has changed me.
Your dream inspires
Your face a memory
Your hope a fire
Your courage asks me what I am afraid of
And what I know of God.
And that's exactly how I felt while at the hospital. I saw beautiful moments of motherly love and tender care of the world's newest members. Precious twin baby girls with the thickest, softest baby hair. Mommas nursing for the first time or comforting their little ones after getting their blood drawn. A lot of anxious, fish out of water, new dads. The proudest grandparents.
But a lot was also completely heart wrenching. The fourteen year old little mamas (yes, there was more than one) that are so unprepared that they don't even have diapers. The mom with Huntingtons disease that can barely control her body enough to breastfeed and another young mom weeping with postpartum depression. Mommas that can't give the daddy's name on the birth certificate because they were raped and babies no bigger than my hand covered in wires and tubes...I saw what I saw and I can't forget it.
Life can be so beautiful and so awful.
---
I'm having a once in a lifetime experience helping Dr. Carmiña when the most freaking embarrassing moment of my entire life happens. All of a sudden I start to feel horrible. My stomach is flippity flopping and my limbs feel like million pounds. And then I start to BLACK OUT. I can feel my knees buckling so I clutch the nearest table thinking "Well, I guess a hospital is probably one of the safest places to pass out." Dr. Carmiña realizes what is happening and guides me to a chair. After I'm seated and drinking some juice, I immediately feel much better -except for being completely humiliated in a room full of woman who have just been through the worst pain in their lives. Are they collapsing? Oh no, it's the wimpy gringa who is passing out -for no reason!
I still don't know why that happened. I'm not queasy around blood or hospitals and I'd eaten breakfast that morning too. I hadn't even seen the worst of it at this point. Maybe I was just too excited? Not sure. Thanks a lot, body :(
After I recover (physically, mentally I am forever shamed), I get to help one of the nurses give all eighty infants their TB vaccinations. This was one of my favorite things even though we made all of them scream their poor little hearts out, it just meant I got to cuddle them afterward.
That afternoon, Dr. Carmiña told me that she was assisting during a cesarean and asked if I wanted to attend! HECK YES was my answer. Once again, I'm thinking looking through a glass window is all that I'm going to be able to do but when we get there, I get handed a pair of scrubs, a face mask, and those little plastic booties that go over your shoes. I am freaking out from excitement but also worried, remembering that my body apparently HATES me and is completely unreliable. "If I pass out during this delivery, I will never forgive myself," I'm thinking as I step into the operating room.
But I don't pass out, in fact I don't even flinch as I see EVERYTHING. I will save you the gory details but I saw it all. My cheeks were hurting from smiling as they pull out a baby girl and I witness her first breath. I get to be the second person in the whole world to hold her, less that five minutes old. I whisper "bienvenidos chiquitinga" (welcome little one) when she opens her eyes and looks at me. And I can't decide whether to laugh or cry so I sorta do both.
And I could have been eating turkey! Best, most unforgettable Thanksgiving day ever!!!!!
Many thanks to Dr. Carmiña for letting me tag along with her. You truly gave me the world this week.
I mentioned in my last post that I got the opportunity to tour a hospital in Santa Cruz with a nurse who I met a few weeks ago. What I didn't know was that my friend is not just a nurse but the head pediatric doctor in the maternity ward. That's right. The head honcho!
Before I go much further, I should explain that labor/delivery/prenatal care has always been an interest of mine. No, really ALWAYS. Way back in the day, my favorite episode of Sesame Street was when the Robinson family had a baby and my siblings would scream in horror when I watched A Baby Story on TLC. "Please not a c-section!" my five year old brother would wail (What five year old boy even knows what a c-section is? Sorry Joe!). So basically, I was out of my mind excited to get to go to this hospital and experience the action in real life!
That said, my expectation for the day was this: Watch a lot of things through glass windows. Maybe get to actually have some patient interactions. And that was about it.
My expectations were blown out of the water. Completely.
My first hint that I would be doing a whole lot more than observing was when Dr. Carmiña handed me a white nurse's uniform. "Cool, I'm playing dress-up!" I thought. But when we arrive at the hospital, she lets me follow her around as she examines all the newborns -eighty newborns. There were about seven moms to each room (Seven!) and no curtains giving anyone any privacy. While the hospital was obviously old (think wrought-iron beds and stark white walls) it was pretty clean, although it was obvious that this was where the poorest of the poor come to give birth.
Sarah Groves wrote a song and the lyrics are as follows:
I saw what I saw and I can't forget it.
I heard what I heard and I can't go back
Something on the road, cuts me to the soul.
Your pain has changed me.
Your dream inspires
Your face a memory
Your hope a fire
Your courage asks me what I am afraid of
And what I know of God.
And that's exactly how I felt while at the hospital. I saw beautiful moments of motherly love and tender care of the world's newest members. Precious twin baby girls with the thickest, softest baby hair. Mommas nursing for the first time or comforting their little ones after getting their blood drawn. A lot of anxious, fish out of water, new dads. The proudest grandparents.
But a lot was also completely heart wrenching. The fourteen year old little mamas (yes, there was more than one) that are so unprepared that they don't even have diapers. The mom with Huntingtons disease that can barely control her body enough to breastfeed and another young mom weeping with postpartum depression. Mommas that can't give the daddy's name on the birth certificate because they were raped and babies no bigger than my hand covered in wires and tubes...I saw what I saw and I can't forget it.
Life can be so beautiful and so awful.
---
I'm having a once in a lifetime experience helping Dr. Carmiña when the most freaking embarrassing moment of my entire life happens. All of a sudden I start to feel horrible. My stomach is flippity flopping and my limbs feel like million pounds. And then I start to BLACK OUT. I can feel my knees buckling so I clutch the nearest table thinking "Well, I guess a hospital is probably one of the safest places to pass out." Dr. Carmiña realizes what is happening and guides me to a chair. After I'm seated and drinking some juice, I immediately feel much better -except for being completely humiliated in a room full of woman who have just been through the worst pain in their lives. Are they collapsing? Oh no, it's the wimpy gringa who is passing out -for no reason!
I still don't know why that happened. I'm not queasy around blood or hospitals and I'd eaten breakfast that morning too. I hadn't even seen the worst of it at this point. Maybe I was just too excited? Not sure. Thanks a lot, body :(
After I recover (physically, mentally I am forever shamed), I get to help one of the nurses give all eighty infants their TB vaccinations. This was one of my favorite things even though we made all of them scream their poor little hearts out, it just meant I got to cuddle them afterward.
That afternoon, Dr. Carmiña told me that she was assisting during a cesarean and asked if I wanted to attend! HECK YES was my answer. Once again, I'm thinking looking through a glass window is all that I'm going to be able to do but when we get there, I get handed a pair of scrubs, a face mask, and those little plastic booties that go over your shoes. I am freaking out from excitement but also worried, remembering that my body apparently HATES me and is completely unreliable. "If I pass out during this delivery, I will never forgive myself," I'm thinking as I step into the operating room.
But I don't pass out, in fact I don't even flinch as I see EVERYTHING. I will save you the gory details but I saw it all. My cheeks were hurting from smiling as they pull out a baby girl and I witness her first breath. I get to be the second person in the whole world to hold her, less that five minutes old. I whisper "bienvenidos chiquitinga" (welcome little one) when she opens her eyes and looks at me. And I can't decide whether to laugh or cry so I sorta do both.
And I could have been eating turkey! Best, most unforgettable Thanksgiving day ever!!!!!
Many thanks to Dr. Carmiña for letting me tag along with her. You truly gave me the world this week.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Dia de Gracias
Well, I don't think I will be having the traditional Thanksgiving dinner here in Bolivia. I first realized this when Helen (my American housemate) and I went to the market to buy pumpkins for our pumpkin pie and came back with acorn squash. But don't pity me too much, my Mom is a gem and Thanksgiving part dos will take place when I get back to the States.
Traditionally, my family always goes around the table before we eat our Thanksgiving feast to say what we're thankful for. If I was going to be there tomorrow, I'd probably mention some of these things for which I have a thankful heart!
1) I'm not scared of bugs. I pick the ants out of the sugar jar without flinching every morning and actually have to remind myself that the spiders here might be dangerous so I should be a little afraid of them. Even the lizard in my bedroom barely raised my blood pressure.
2) I got to go on an amazing trip to Peru, see my dream of dreams, and experience a little more of South America. And I didn't get raped or robbed! Success.
3) My boyfriend emails me. Every. Single. Night. Sometimes, he writes a lot, sometimes a little but there's always an email. You rock, Joey Kelly!
4) I've gotten to hold so many BABIES. Almost every time I go out to el campo there's a little one to love.
5) Skype. I love Skype. And it's free. It's a free, good thing. I'm writing a thank you letter to whoever invented Skype when I get back to the States. (Anybody have his/her address?) :)
6) I am here during the peak of the mango season. I know I've mentioned my undying devotion to them before but my housemates told me that -no joke- I'm starting to smell like them. They are leaking out of my pores. I haven't turned orange yet but I'll keep you updated.
7) Montero is a pretty safe town to explore. I walk around by myself all the time without problems and this gives me a freedom that I'd go crazy without.
8) The fan in my bedroom. My room would be a hotter oven without it.
9) I've only gotten sick a handful of times and never for more than a day. I might owe my body a thank you letter when I get back too.
10) Mirna, our secretary is such a great friend. And her 2 year old son finally likes me! There may have been some bribery with cookies involved in that one, he's a timid little guy!
11) Disney movies in Spanish. So great!
12) The weather here is beautiful. I'm worried that I will freeze to death when I head back to Washington.
13) The street food here is so amazing! If you can get over the sketchy-ness of it, it's some of the tastiest food ever! Last night, some friends and I sat at a woman's cart, where she had raw chicken in gallon buckets that she was frying up with yucca (that weird potato thing) and veggies. A plate was less than the American dollar!
14) Jesus isn't just in America. Amen? Amen.
15) Tomorrow, I get to tour the prenatal care/birthing center at the hospital in Santa Cruz! I am so excited that this opportunity fell into my lap as I've always been passionate about maternal/child health. It's not how I'd usually spend Thanksgiving but one I'm sure that I won't forget :)
Traditionally, my family always goes around the table before we eat our Thanksgiving feast to say what we're thankful for. If I was going to be there tomorrow, I'd probably mention some of these things for which I have a thankful heart!
1) I'm not scared of bugs. I pick the ants out of the sugar jar without flinching every morning and actually have to remind myself that the spiders here might be dangerous so I should be a little afraid of them. Even the lizard in my bedroom barely raised my blood pressure.
2) I got to go on an amazing trip to Peru, see my dream of dreams, and experience a little more of South America. And I didn't get raped or robbed! Success.
3) My boyfriend emails me. Every. Single. Night. Sometimes, he writes a lot, sometimes a little but there's always an email. You rock, Joey Kelly!
4) I've gotten to hold so many BABIES. Almost every time I go out to el campo there's a little one to love.
5) Skype. I love Skype. And it's free. It's a free, good thing. I'm writing a thank you letter to whoever invented Skype when I get back to the States. (Anybody have his/her address?) :)
6) I am here during the peak of the mango season. I know I've mentioned my undying devotion to them before but my housemates told me that -no joke- I'm starting to smell like them. They are leaking out of my pores. I haven't turned orange yet but I'll keep you updated.
7) Montero is a pretty safe town to explore. I walk around by myself all the time without problems and this gives me a freedom that I'd go crazy without.
8) The fan in my bedroom. My room would be a hotter oven without it.
9) I've only gotten sick a handful of times and never for more than a day. I might owe my body a thank you letter when I get back too.
10) Mirna, our secretary is such a great friend. And her 2 year old son finally likes me! There may have been some bribery with cookies involved in that one, he's a timid little guy!
11) Disney movies in Spanish. So great!
12) The weather here is beautiful. I'm worried that I will freeze to death when I head back to Washington.
13) The street food here is so amazing! If you can get over the sketchy-ness of it, it's some of the tastiest food ever! Last night, some friends and I sat at a woman's cart, where she had raw chicken in gallon buckets that she was frying up with yucca (that weird potato thing) and veggies. A plate was less than the American dollar!
14) Jesus isn't just in America. Amen? Amen.
15) Tomorrow, I get to tour the prenatal care/birthing center at the hospital in Santa Cruz! I am so excited that this opportunity fell into my lap as I've always been passionate about maternal/child health. It's not how I'd usually spend Thanksgiving but one I'm sure that I won't forget :)
Friday, November 18, 2011
Back on the Band Wagon
After a rough couple days, some venting, and a brief (ok, maybe not so brief) pity party, I woke up yesterday resolved to get back on the band wagon, cram those rose-colored glasses back on my face, and make Bolivia wish she'd never messed with me. As we headed out to el campo for the day, I decided to imagine that I had one of you guys along with me, as an attempt to see things with fresh eyes.
A lot of bloggers say, "If I had you over for coffee right now, we'd..." Well, if you were with me in Bolivia yesterday you would have...
...Wondered why we had to go to two gas pumps to get gas. I would have explained to you that the first pump is "air gas" ...and that I don't have a clue what that means. But we have two tanks and sometimes we use air gas and during times we need more power, we use the regular liquid kind. You also would have thought that the gas attendants' uniforms are a little strange. Their high heels, tight skirts, and lipstick reminds one of another um, profession.
...Enjoyed the ride out to el campo. It's a bumpy, two-hour, dust churning ride but the views are amazing and quite unique. I would have pointed out some parrots and owls to you and told you about the time I saw a capybara -the world's largest rodent.
...Been amazed at how great the children are! We would have tossed the frisbee around and answered questions about the States. You would have joined me in giving out as many hugs as possible and I might even have shared the 15 week old baby that I got to hold, if you asked me really nicely.
...Been introduced to my dear health promoters -sixteen women that are about my age but have led completely different lives. Most have at least a couple children and haven't done things like ridden on a airplane or gone to college. You would have been so impressed by the amazing health fair they put on!
...Worried with me that one of the new mommas left her newborn at home all day. And they don't bottle feed in el campo.
...Loved the lunch, as long as you're ok that it was served in gallon buckets and delivered in a wheelbarrow. Chicken with rice served with a savory sauce, YUM! I would have encouraged you to eat everything on your plate because it's rude to waste food.
...Laughed when I attempted to sing a song when the kids begged for an "English song." My song choice was "Pumped Up Kicks." Pretty glad that they can't understand the lyrics to that song, although the tune is catchy.
...Been so impressed by my stick-shift driving skills! Marco taught me on the back roads and I didn't kill it once.
...Come to appreciate a ice-cold Coke. It's the only thing cold in el campo.
...Joined me in dancing with the elderly Quechua women at the fiesta commemorating anniversary of the water system in the town of Rio Viejo. We would have eaten grilled pieces of meat with our hands and I would have shown you how to discreetly feed the gristle to the dogs.
...Thought the lightening bugs on the drive home were the coolest. Plus, there was also lightening in the sky too. All of that, plus the fact that it's the first time we've sat down and cooled off all day makes for a lovely ride home.
...Laughed with me as we discover leftover confetti from the fiesta, smeared with the dust on our skin when we get home. To me, that perfectly encapsulates el campo. Dust with confetti, hardship with celebration, suciedad con esperanza...
Yup. Back on the band wagon, folks! Hope you enjoyed your little trip to Bolivia :)
A lot of bloggers say, "If I had you over for coffee right now, we'd..." Well, if you were with me in Bolivia yesterday you would have...
...Wondered why we had to go to two gas pumps to get gas. I would have explained to you that the first pump is "air gas" ...and that I don't have a clue what that means. But we have two tanks and sometimes we use air gas and during times we need more power, we use the regular liquid kind. You also would have thought that the gas attendants' uniforms are a little strange. Their high heels, tight skirts, and lipstick reminds one of another um, profession.
...Enjoyed the ride out to el campo. It's a bumpy, two-hour, dust churning ride but the views are amazing and quite unique. I would have pointed out some parrots and owls to you and told you about the time I saw a capybara -the world's largest rodent.
...Been amazed at how great the children are! We would have tossed the frisbee around and answered questions about the States. You would have joined me in giving out as many hugs as possible and I might even have shared the 15 week old baby that I got to hold, if you asked me really nicely.
...Been introduced to my dear health promoters -sixteen women that are about my age but have led completely different lives. Most have at least a couple children and haven't done things like ridden on a airplane or gone to college. You would have been so impressed by the amazing health fair they put on!
...Worried with me that one of the new mommas left her newborn at home all day. And they don't bottle feed in el campo.
...Loved the lunch, as long as you're ok that it was served in gallon buckets and delivered in a wheelbarrow. Chicken with rice served with a savory sauce, YUM! I would have encouraged you to eat everything on your plate because it's rude to waste food.
...Laughed when I attempted to sing a song when the kids begged for an "English song." My song choice was "Pumped Up Kicks." Pretty glad that they can't understand the lyrics to that song, although the tune is catchy.
...Been so impressed by my stick-shift driving skills! Marco taught me on the back roads and I didn't kill it once.
...Come to appreciate a ice-cold Coke. It's the only thing cold in el campo.
...Joined me in dancing with the elderly Quechua women at the fiesta commemorating anniversary of the water system in the town of Rio Viejo. We would have eaten grilled pieces of meat with our hands and I would have shown you how to discreetly feed the gristle to the dogs.
...Thought the lightening bugs on the drive home were the coolest. Plus, there was also lightening in the sky too. All of that, plus the fact that it's the first time we've sat down and cooled off all day makes for a lovely ride home.
...Laughed with me as we discover leftover confetti from the fiesta, smeared with the dust on our skin when we get home. To me, that perfectly encapsulates el campo. Dust with confetti, hardship with celebration, suciedad con esperanza...
Yup. Back on the band wagon, folks! Hope you enjoyed your little trip to Bolivia :)
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
The Fetal Position
I feel like my last post must have hurt Bolivia’s feelings or something. Like she thought I was saying, “Alrighty, I’m out of here in a month, do your worst” because this week was rough. Emotionally, spiritually, relationally, and now physically difficult (horrible, horrible stomach pain all day today), Bolivia brought me to the fetal position in more ways than one. I was about write a formal retraction regarding the last post, claiming a severe case of rose-colored glasses because honestly, this week blows.
I think a lot of little things accumulated but some big, bad things were in there too. For example, one of my dear friends here, Rachel left Montero today, due to visa problems. She was the only other English-speaking christian here in Montero (that I know of) and I miss her. Even if we didn’t always get the chance to talk, the thought that she was a short walk across town was comforting to me. Wish you the very best, my dear Raquel!
Cultural things as well have really just been a drag lately. I can’t write about a lot of them (“thou shall not complain about friends or loved ones on the internet” is one of my blog rules) so instead I’ll share this story that my Mom told me today while I was venting we were chatting.
My Mom lived with a host family while she was here in Bolivia and one day the little niña in the family complained that she was hot. So naturally, my Mom offers her a glass of cool, refreshing water out of the refrigerator. So far, so normal. Just as the child is about to take a sip, however, the host mother gasps, grabs the glass away from her daughter, and starts screaming at my Mom. Soon other family members join in the screaming too, making my Mom one bewildered gringa.
You’re probably thinking something along the lines of “What the heck?” right now. Or maybe, you’re hypothizing that the glass was full of pesticides or that the daughter is allergic to water and the host mother was just saving her life. (Side note: The confusion, hypothizing, and general “what the heckness” that you’re experiencing right now? Welcome to my world). The fact is, none of those things is the case in this story. The family believed that drinking cold water is bad for children because it would make them ill.
So what was my Mom supposed to do at that point? Tell them how wrong they were? Sit there and take the screaming? Calmly explain that you. are. crazy?
While I didn’t get screamed at over the past few days, I certainly struggled with those questions and cultural differences. But the truth is, we have super weird things that we believe in the States too. Don’t even get me started on how so many Americans believe that Vitamin C cures the common cold. And I know that there are countless other things that we do/believe that are ridiculous too.
And I also know that this is just a week. One of twelve, and that perspective is helping. But Bolivia, please chill out. Let’s be friends again, yes? Por favor!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
"This place where you are right now, God has circled on a map for you."
Tomorrow, I will have exactly one month left in Bolivia. And I don't know how to follow up that sentence because there are just so many emotions. I am out of my mind excited to return home. Woods coffee with my housemates, Bellingham sunsets with the boy, laughing with my fam, playing with my sweet "nephews" -my heart yearns for those moments and aches for the ones I missed while I was gone.
And yet, Bolivia has embraced me and hasn't let go. Housemates that throw me in the kiddie pool (twice, in one evening!), church friends at bilingual Hillsong concerts, freezing cold showers after a hot, dusty day in el campo, holding babies with deep brown eyes, homemade mango ice cream, mango juice, mango marmalade...I'm on a serious mango kick right now. They are practically leaping from the trees into my open mouth.
In all seriousness though, I don't know how I'm going to leave. I'm used to living here and in a month I won't be here at all. It gives one a desperate "must do everything and love everyone all the time" feeling. Don't want to leave any regrets. But I'm thankful that I don't want to leave because if all I did was want to go home, I'd have missed out on something real good here. And the little ache at the thought of leaving means that I did some living.
I know that God and I chose the exactly perfect amount of time to be here, whether it seems like it or not when the time comes to say "chao." Not only the perfect amount of time, but in the perfect place, circled for me. It's so clear that although I didn't know where I was going until what seemed like the last minute to me, God has truly been preparing me for this trip my whole life. For starters, by giving me a Momma that raised a little world traveler (and yet a Momma's girl at the same time...how did she do it? :] ).
I wrote this on her FB wall the other day but it's worth repeating on the interwebs:
And yet, Bolivia has embraced me and hasn't let go. Housemates that throw me in the kiddie pool (twice, in one evening!), church friends at bilingual Hillsong concerts, freezing cold showers after a hot, dusty day in el campo, holding babies with deep brown eyes, homemade mango ice cream, mango juice, mango marmalade...I'm on a serious mango kick right now. They are practically leaping from the trees into my open mouth.
In all seriousness though, I don't know how I'm going to leave. I'm used to living here and in a month I won't be here at all. It gives one a desperate "must do everything and love everyone all the time" feeling. Don't want to leave any regrets. But I'm thankful that I don't want to leave because if all I did was want to go home, I'd have missed out on something real good here. And the little ache at the thought of leaving means that I did some living.
I know that God and I chose the exactly perfect amount of time to be here, whether it seems like it or not when the time comes to say "chao." Not only the perfect amount of time, but in the perfect place, circled for me. It's so clear that although I didn't know where I was going until what seemed like the last minute to me, God has truly been preparing me for this trip my whole life. For starters, by giving me a Momma that raised a little world traveler (and yet a Momma's girl at the same time...how did she do it? :] ).
I wrote this on her FB wall the other day but it's worth repeating on the interwebs:
So thanks to my Momma, Jesus, and few other supportive people, here goes one more month! Viva Bolivia :)
Monday, November 7, 2011
Mob Justice
Before I left on the Dream of Dreams trip (see here), I had quite the adventure with one of my friends from church. It all started when she asked me to make spaghetti for her family. So we set out to get the ingredients for spaghetti a la Davielle :)
It was already a weird afternoon, being election day, which made the streets eerily quiet and abandoned. You need a permit to drive on election day so most folks just opt to stay home. You're also not allowed to drink the whole weekend proceeding an election, so all the bars are closed.
Anyway, election day caused problems for us because: Every. Single. Store. Was. Closed. Now there aren't a lot of supermarkets in Montero anyway but usually you can get what you need at the huge outdoor market . However, the market too was mainly closed but we managed to find a few stands and got everything except for hamburger (or "ground meat" as it is called here -if you ask for "hamburger" you're gonna get something with a bun).
Just as we were leaving, I see two men running straight at me. There is a look of complete and total terror on the face of the guy in the lead. Then I notice that there's a huge crowd following them. Scratch that, we're going to call them a mob. I'm starting to get a little frightened at this point because the whole gang is headed straight for me and I have nowhere to go.
They end up catching the guy right in front of me. I get a little jostled by the crowd and realized that they are all shouting "thief, thief!!" Turns out that the guy -who just lost what may have been the most important race of his life- stole a woman's purse. By this time, there's a very large man making his way through the crowd, holding a whip. I'm starting to see where this whole thing is headed and believe me, this was not something for which I wanted to be a spectator but the crowd has boxed me in. I was stuck watching.
You can guess what happened next. They didn't whip him within an inch of his life or anything but it wasn't pretty and I wish I wasn't there. It reminded me of a Bible story, where everyone gathers around while they stone a prostitute. I don't think I'll ever forget the look on the guy's face and if he happened to see the look on mine, it was absolute pity.
After a good whipping, the mob dragged him over to a policeman. I'm not sure what happened after that because I was whisked away on my friend's moto. While we were driving away, I asked her if this type of punishment was common and she told me yes. Once, she said a man did something (I didn't know the verb that she used in Spanish, but you can imagine) to a three year old girl and a mob burned him to death. I'm not sure what the crime rate is here in Montero but with punishment like that I would hope it'd be next to nothing.
It was already a weird afternoon, being election day, which made the streets eerily quiet and abandoned. You need a permit to drive on election day so most folks just opt to stay home. You're also not allowed to drink the whole weekend proceeding an election, so all the bars are closed.
Anyway, election day caused problems for us because: Every. Single. Store. Was. Closed. Now there aren't a lot of supermarkets in Montero anyway but usually you can get what you need at the huge outdoor market . However, the market too was mainly closed but we managed to find a few stands and got everything except for hamburger (or "ground meat" as it is called here -if you ask for "hamburger" you're gonna get something with a bun).
Just as we were leaving, I see two men running straight at me. There is a look of complete and total terror on the face of the guy in the lead. Then I notice that there's a huge crowd following them. Scratch that, we're going to call them a mob. I'm starting to get a little frightened at this point because the whole gang is headed straight for me and I have nowhere to go.
They end up catching the guy right in front of me. I get a little jostled by the crowd and realized that they are all shouting "thief, thief!!" Turns out that the guy -who just lost what may have been the most important race of his life- stole a woman's purse. By this time, there's a very large man making his way through the crowd, holding a whip. I'm starting to see where this whole thing is headed and believe me, this was not something for which I wanted to be a spectator but the crowd has boxed me in. I was stuck watching.
You can guess what happened next. They didn't whip him within an inch of his life or anything but it wasn't pretty and I wish I wasn't there. It reminded me of a Bible story, where everyone gathers around while they stone a prostitute. I don't think I'll ever forget the look on the guy's face and if he happened to see the look on mine, it was absolute pity.
After a good whipping, the mob dragged him over to a policeman. I'm not sure what happened after that because I was whisked away on my friend's moto. While we were driving away, I asked her if this type of punishment was common and she told me yes. Once, she said a man did something (I didn't know the verb that she used in Spanish, but you can imagine) to a three year old girl and a mob burned him to death. I'm not sure what the crime rate is here in Montero but with punishment like that I would hope it'd be next to nothing.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
El Viaje (The Trip)
Yikes, it's been awhile since I've blogged. The excuses -ahem, reasons -are that research for the internship really picked up and then I went to Peru with my housemate. Yup, Peru. Anyway, said all that to say -sorry it's been awhile. Big, long, fat post to make up for it, ok? Ok.
So my "dream of dreams" (or "sueño de sueños") for quite sometime has been to visit Machu Picchu. It's something of a vendetta for me because I was almost able to go in high school...and then I wasn't. Ever since then, I thought it'd be the COOLEST to go and see that abandoned city. Plus, Peru has Inca Cola, which is the best soda on the planet. And while Bolivia isn't exactly close to Machu Picchu, it's closer than I might be for awhile, so I jumped at the chance to go!
For your reading pleasure, here are some of my memorable moments:
Bus or butcher shop?: We're on a eight hour bus ride and I awake from a short snooze to the sound of a woman butchering a sheep. She's literally on the floor of a bus with a sheep carcass, hacking at it with a machete, and selling the meat to nearby passengers. I don't know what weirded me out more, the fact that my bus was also a butcher shop or that I actually really wanted some of that meat, it smelled so good!
The Machu Picchu view: Most anticipated moment of the trip, for sure. I got up at 4am to hike up the mountain (and beat the crowds, as I did not want a bunch of poncho-sporting tourists in my pictures!!). I reached the crest of the mountain, holding my breath, waiting for that iconic postcard-worthy image, and as I rounded the bend....I saw....fog. Nothing but FOG. No ruins, no mountains. It was a whole lotta nada. However, not even five mins later, the fog cleared out and everything slowly emerged, revealing the prettiest view that I have ever seen. There are no words, folks! The fog just made things more dramatic.
How Machu Picchu almost wasn't: We were "sold" Machu Picchu tickets by a man named Oscar, who insisted that if we didn't buy right then and there, we'd be unable to go. Unwilling to risk my dream of dreams, I "bought" the tickets from him against my better judgment. But he didn't actually give us the tickets. Instead, he said that his coworker, Maria, would give them to us when we got to Cusco. Yet when we arrive in Cusco, there are no tickets and even worse, no money. Maria is late to every meeting and incredibly unhelpful. She just keeps telling us "I have no money, can no buy tickets." Finally, I end up telling her that it's her responsibility, her business, and we need the tickets by that night. I also may have complained to other tourists in the hostel lobby. That finally got her moving and she borrowed the money from her son so she could buy us the tickets. To say that business practices down here are inefficient and frustrating is something like the understatement of the year. Learned my lesson though, I'm never dishing out money unless I get some tickets in my hands! And just in case you feel bad for Maria, Oscar eventually gave her the money (the day we went to Machu Picchu -just a little late).
White does not equal red, white, and blue: Before leaving from Peru, I had the assumption that all white people here in South America are from the States. Boy, was I wrong! I met some Brazilians, Australians, and a ton of Europeans during my travels. I think I met more Dutch people on the trip than I did Americans. Meeting people from other cultures was one of my favorite parts of the trip, for sure!
Best meal: It's a tie between the Alpaca steak in Puno and the trout from Lake Titicaca. I also really liked the street food in Cusco, super cheap stuffed peppers that I would eat everyday if I could. And Inca Cola, that stuff gets better every time I try it!
Art Criminal: Our first time out in the big city of Cusco, we were stopped in the main plaza to admire some painting that a young man was selling. Art is one of my favorite souvenirs to purchase, so I found a painting that I liked and prepared to pay for it. But just when I was about to hand the guy my money, the police come and without so much as a glance in my direction, they grab the art dealer by the arms and haul him off. I was stunned. Welcome to the big city of Cusco! I asked a shopkeeper about it later and she said it's illegal to sell things in the plaza so that's why the guy got canned.
Taxis are scary: My father, being the great dad that he is, scared some good sense into me before leaving on the trip. That coupled with some research on the most common ways of kidnapping, and I was convinced that every taxi driver was taking us to our deaths, or at least going to drain my bank account after torturing me for hours to get my debt card pin number. So I am freaking out already during our first taxi ride, when our driver veers off the main road and starts going down a dirt one. "Awesome, robbed during the first hour of our trip," I'm thinking. Turns out, he just wanted to show us a beautiful view of La Paz. Glad I'm not prone to heart attacks.
Las islas flotantes: Besides Machu Picchu, the floating islands were one of the coolest things that I saw. These people literally build the land using peat and reeds. And then they live on it. Seriously folks, go google this or something because it's nuts. I also got to ride on a reed boat during this adventure while the sun was setting and that was amazing!
Just part of the crowd: It was really refreshing to blend into the crowd for once down here. Since we hit a lot of tourist attractions, I was never the only gringa and the locals were used to blondes. That is very different than here in Montero, where everyone stares at me -all the time. It was nice to not be unique for once!
Savor the moment: After a long stressful day of travel, while still recovering from almost not getting tickets to the dream of dreams, we got to relax in the hot springs outside of Machu Picchu. The little town we stayed in (appropriately called Machu Picchu Pueblo) is nestled in the rain forest, with towering mountains on every side. My house in Montero is lovely but there's not a whole lot of vegetation there so it was very refreshing to be surrounded by so much green! After some much needed relaxation, we got absolutely dumped on by a cool jungle rain. It was a very special moment, one with a lot of gratitude. I am so fortunate to have had this opportunity to travel and experience these beautiful countries and people -and to better myself, to stretch and grow, to find out what I am made of and what I can do. I don't take this trip for granted for a moment!
So my "dream of dreams" (or "sueño de sueños") for quite sometime has been to visit Machu Picchu. It's something of a vendetta for me because I was almost able to go in high school...and then I wasn't. Ever since then, I thought it'd be the COOLEST to go and see that abandoned city. Plus, Peru has Inca Cola, which is the best soda on the planet. And while Bolivia isn't exactly close to Machu Picchu, it's closer than I might be for awhile, so I jumped at the chance to go!
For your reading pleasure, here are some of my memorable moments:
Bus or butcher shop?: We're on a eight hour bus ride and I awake from a short snooze to the sound of a woman butchering a sheep. She's literally on the floor of a bus with a sheep carcass, hacking at it with a machete, and selling the meat to nearby passengers. I don't know what weirded me out more, the fact that my bus was also a butcher shop or that I actually really wanted some of that meat, it smelled so good!
The Machu Picchu view: Most anticipated moment of the trip, for sure. I got up at 4am to hike up the mountain (and beat the crowds, as I did not want a bunch of poncho-sporting tourists in my pictures!!). I reached the crest of the mountain, holding my breath, waiting for that iconic postcard-worthy image, and as I rounded the bend....I saw....fog. Nothing but FOG. No ruins, no mountains. It was a whole lotta nada. However, not even five mins later, the fog cleared out and everything slowly emerged, revealing the prettiest view that I have ever seen. There are no words, folks! The fog just made things more dramatic.
How Machu Picchu almost wasn't: We were "sold" Machu Picchu tickets by a man named Oscar, who insisted that if we didn't buy right then and there, we'd be unable to go. Unwilling to risk my dream of dreams, I "bought" the tickets from him against my better judgment. But he didn't actually give us the tickets. Instead, he said that his coworker, Maria, would give them to us when we got to Cusco. Yet when we arrive in Cusco, there are no tickets and even worse, no money. Maria is late to every meeting and incredibly unhelpful. She just keeps telling us "I have no money, can no buy tickets." Finally, I end up telling her that it's her responsibility, her business, and we need the tickets by that night. I also may have complained to other tourists in the hostel lobby. That finally got her moving and she borrowed the money from her son so she could buy us the tickets. To say that business practices down here are inefficient and frustrating is something like the understatement of the year. Learned my lesson though, I'm never dishing out money unless I get some tickets in my hands! And just in case you feel bad for Maria, Oscar eventually gave her the money (the day we went to Machu Picchu -just a little late).
White does not equal red, white, and blue: Before leaving from Peru, I had the assumption that all white people here in South America are from the States. Boy, was I wrong! I met some Brazilians, Australians, and a ton of Europeans during my travels. I think I met more Dutch people on the trip than I did Americans. Meeting people from other cultures was one of my favorite parts of the trip, for sure!
Best meal: It's a tie between the Alpaca steak in Puno and the trout from Lake Titicaca. I also really liked the street food in Cusco, super cheap stuffed peppers that I would eat everyday if I could. And Inca Cola, that stuff gets better every time I try it!
Art Criminal: Our first time out in the big city of Cusco, we were stopped in the main plaza to admire some painting that a young man was selling. Art is one of my favorite souvenirs to purchase, so I found a painting that I liked and prepared to pay for it. But just when I was about to hand the guy my money, the police come and without so much as a glance in my direction, they grab the art dealer by the arms and haul him off. I was stunned. Welcome to the big city of Cusco! I asked a shopkeeper about it later and she said it's illegal to sell things in the plaza so that's why the guy got canned.
Taxis are scary: My father, being the great dad that he is, scared some good sense into me before leaving on the trip. That coupled with some research on the most common ways of kidnapping, and I was convinced that every taxi driver was taking us to our deaths, or at least going to drain my bank account after torturing me for hours to get my debt card pin number. So I am freaking out already during our first taxi ride, when our driver veers off the main road and starts going down a dirt one. "Awesome, robbed during the first hour of our trip," I'm thinking. Turns out, he just wanted to show us a beautiful view of La Paz. Glad I'm not prone to heart attacks.
Las islas flotantes: Besides Machu Picchu, the floating islands were one of the coolest things that I saw. These people literally build the land using peat and reeds. And then they live on it. Seriously folks, go google this or something because it's nuts. I also got to ride on a reed boat during this adventure while the sun was setting and that was amazing!
Just part of the crowd: It was really refreshing to blend into the crowd for once down here. Since we hit a lot of tourist attractions, I was never the only gringa and the locals were used to blondes. That is very different than here in Montero, where everyone stares at me -all the time. It was nice to not be unique for once!
Savor the moment: After a long stressful day of travel, while still recovering from almost not getting tickets to the dream of dreams, we got to relax in the hot springs outside of Machu Picchu. The little town we stayed in (appropriately called Machu Picchu Pueblo) is nestled in the rain forest, with towering mountains on every side. My house in Montero is lovely but there's not a whole lot of vegetation there so it was very refreshing to be surrounded by so much green! After some much needed relaxation, we got absolutely dumped on by a cool jungle rain. It was a very special moment, one with a lot of gratitude. I am so fortunate to have had this opportunity to travel and experience these beautiful countries and people -and to better myself, to stretch and grow, to find out what I am made of and what I can do. I don't take this trip for granted for a moment!
Pictures from the trip can be seen here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150351238347747.345008.562022746&type=1&l=18bfd49899
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