We FINALLY got to go out to el campo today! As I mentioned in my last post, we were supposed to spend three days out there but that was before the biggest, most intense thunderstorm of my life. That lasted. TWO. DAYS. I would have been willing to brave the weather but the roads out there were trashed, so no dice.
But today, Fabi and I headed out! I got to interview families and water committee members about the water systems -and folks, I did this all by myself :) Etta Projects put in an expansive water systems in four villages a couple of years ago and it was amazing to hear how having clean, accessible water has changed these families' lives! One young mother told me that she used to have to carry gallon after gallon back to her house from the pump -in the blazing heat. I don't know if she took her young children with her or left them at home by themselves but either way, not a good situation. Now, all she has to do is walk out her front door and turn on her facet! So great.
It was soon after this visit that I ran into a man on my way to the next house. Fabi told me she was going to go find the president of the water committee so when this guy approached me, I assumed it was him. And then just in case it wasn't him, I asked him if he was the president of the water committee. He says yes and proceeds to tell me how he's in charge of blah, blah, blah. I'm starting to notice that he has a really strange accent...like he's slurring his words. And I'm thinking, "Shesh, this guy is going to be really hard to understand for a whole interview." But I've had some difficult interviews before so I ask him what he thinks of the water system. He thinks for a moment...and starts talking about my pink hat. Yikes. "Am I really that hard to understand??" At this point, Fabi waves at me to come from farther down the street. So I tell "the president" to hold on for a moment. Fabi tells me he's drunk. And I feel stupid. But HE TOLD ME HE WAS THE PRESIDENT. Gah. So dumb!
After I interviewed the REAL president, it started to rain, really hard. And then there was thunder and lightening and wind. Fabi was worried about us making it back into town. Remember all that dust I talked about earlier? (See here -Oooo look, I got so fancy posting a link!) Well, it turns the roads into the equivalent of butter and our truck has a hard time churning through that stuff. We booked it out of there really fast.
On our way out, two soldiers ran out meet us. And I'm thinking that a Bolivian prison sounds like a miserable experience (although it would be a great blog entry!) but they just want a ride into town. So they hop in the back. "Eeeeexcellent," I think. Not because I enjoy a man in uniform (and shesh, I have a boyfriend people!) but because if we get stuck -they can push us out!
But we didn't get stuck, and we all made it back to town were I ate the best piece of chicken in my entire life. And we all lived happily ever after until the next blog post.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Monday, October 10, 2011
"You're not from here, are you?"
I get asked this question a lot. A lot. A lot. A lot. And if it's not the question, then it's the glance followed shortly by the double-take. The really gutsy people ask for a photo. I don't know if I'll ever get used to that.
This sequence of events doesn't usually bother me but what DOES bother me is this question: "She's not from here, is she?" Why does this bother me more? Because it's directed at whichever Bolivian I'm with at the time, meaning that this person is not only assuming that I'm not from here (which is a correct assumption -obviously) but that I can't speak Spanish. And I CAN speak Spanish. Usually, I speak up and tell them "Yes, I'm from the States."
Although this frustrates me, what really gets me is when the people still insist on speaking to my Latino comrades after I've already answered them in Spanish! "So, does she speak Spanish then?" I want to be snotty and retort, "No, I'm just speaking Spanish on accident. It's a total fluke." But I don't because I'm not rude. And because I know I've been an idiot with foreigners before too.
This whole conversation happened a few days ago when I was out to eat with two of my housemates, Guillermo and Fabi. After the woman finally figured out that I could communicate, she started telling me that her and her family are trying to move to the States because "Bolivia is a dirty place full of crime and it's just a terrible place for children. The culture of the United States is so much better than here. Everything is better in the United States."
Awkward! My Bolivian housemates are sitting right next to me while this woman is dissing her/their culture, town, and ultimately identity. Sure, there are things that are awesome about the States. I love the States and I especially love Washington. But I'm from that culture, I'm supposed to be biased. And there are things that are better in Bolivia. The way people just sit around and talk in the evenings for entertainment...the way mamas carry their babies close to their hearts....the motorcycle taxis....the ice cream. Those are great things!
Anyway, it was one of the weirdest experiences that I've had so far. Honestly, I was even offended that she was insulting the place that I chose to live for three months. Her comments stung because I love Bolivia.
Coming up next: I hope a bunch of stories from el campo! The team and I will be spending a lot of time out there for the next three days and I am excited!!
This sequence of events doesn't usually bother me but what DOES bother me is this question: "She's not from here, is she?" Why does this bother me more? Because it's directed at whichever Bolivian I'm with at the time, meaning that this person is not only assuming that I'm not from here (which is a correct assumption -obviously) but that I can't speak Spanish. And I CAN speak Spanish. Usually, I speak up and tell them "Yes, I'm from the States."
Although this frustrates me, what really gets me is when the people still insist on speaking to my Latino comrades after I've already answered them in Spanish! "So, does she speak Spanish then?" I want to be snotty and retort, "No, I'm just speaking Spanish on accident. It's a total fluke." But I don't because I'm not rude. And because I know I've been an idiot with foreigners before too.
This whole conversation happened a few days ago when I was out to eat with two of my housemates, Guillermo and Fabi. After the woman finally figured out that I could communicate, she started telling me that her and her family are trying to move to the States because "Bolivia is a dirty place full of crime and it's just a terrible place for children. The culture of the United States is so much better than here. Everything is better in the United States."
Awkward! My Bolivian housemates are sitting right next to me while this woman is dissing her/their culture, town, and ultimately identity. Sure, there are things that are awesome about the States. I love the States and I especially love Washington. But I'm from that culture, I'm supposed to be biased. And there are things that are better in Bolivia. The way people just sit around and talk in the evenings for entertainment...the way mamas carry their babies close to their hearts....the motorcycle taxis....the ice cream. Those are great things!
Anyway, it was one of the weirdest experiences that I've had so far. Honestly, I was even offended that she was insulting the place that I chose to live for three months. Her comments stung because I love Bolivia.
Coming up next: I hope a bunch of stories from el campo! The team and I will be spending a lot of time out there for the next three days and I am excited!!
Friday, October 7, 2011
Do's and Don'ts
Do eat the ice cream. Everyday.
Don't use the ice.
Do learn to ignore the bugs.
Don't eat intestines.
Do miss Bellingham and fall.
Don't feel guilty about it.
Do invest in relationships.
Don't pet the animals.
Do go out in the town by yourself.
Don't do it at night.
Do speak Spanish as much as you can.
Don't be afraid to sound stupid.
Do say yes when people want you to hold their babies and take a picture of you.
Don't say yes when it's a man that wants a photo. Or your phone number.
Do miss home.
Don't miss it enough to not enjoy where you where you're at, the people you're with, or the country you're living in.
Don't use the ice.
Do learn to ignore the bugs.
Don't eat intestines.
Do miss Bellingham and fall.
Don't feel guilty about it.
Do invest in relationships.
Don't pet the animals.
Do go out in the town by yourself.
Don't do it at night.
Do speak Spanish as much as you can.
Don't be afraid to sound stupid.
Do say yes when people want you to hold their babies and take a picture of you.
Don't say yes when it's a man that wants a photo. Or your phone number.
Do miss home.
Don't miss it enough to not enjoy where you where you're at, the people you're with, or the country you're living in.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Suga Suga and Eat My Dust
I'm sitting in the living room right now, wondering if my ride to church is still coming. That's the thing about Bolivia -you never know if you just didn't understand correctly or if they are simply running on Latino time. I'm honestly debating whether or not I should go back to bed but I just had a cup of coffee so I think that option is probably out.
Anyway...I've been meaning to talk about the sugarcane on here for quite sometime. One of the first things I noticed when I got to Montero was the smell. While it's not as bad as manure or dying things, it is distinct and very strong. Guillermo informed me that it comes from the sugarcane refineries here in town. And while you might have an image from Charlie in the Chocolate Factory in your head, that's not quite accurate.
Sidenote: My ride is here!! Only an hour and half later than they said. I'll finish this later...
Continued:
Montero is known as "The Sweet Town" and is the capital of sugarcane in Bolivia. It's very common to get stuck behind a huge truck loaded to the brim with stalks of burned sugarcane. That's right, burned sugarcane. Harvesters burn the cane to get rid of excess leaves and branches, leaving only the stalks intact. This makes the harvesting easier once they start hacking at it with machetes. Also gets rid of all the snakes (shudder). Snakes are worst than dogs. True story.
Anyway, supposedly the refineries and plantation owners are not supposed to accept burned cane, but it's obvious that this rule isn't enforced. Burning saves the harvesters from a lot of work and I was just reading that it's actually helped decrease child labor here because the harvest requires less workers. However, it can easily destroy whole forests full of monkeys, birds, and tropical foliage, leaving behind ugly, charred ground in its wake.
Often times when we are returning from el campo, there are whole fields burning. Once, I thought I was going crazy because it looked like it was snowing but it was actually just the ash falling from the sky. You can imagine what the smoke/ash combo does for the air quality here. Excuse me while I cough up a lung. Imagine the poor little ones out in el campo with asthma! I've heard many, many mothers complain that their children get sick from the smoke. It's also common to burn your garbage out there too, only aggravating the problem further.
The dust is the other thing that doesn't help the whole breathing thing. If we get stuck behind a huge truck full of cane or there's the slightest breeze, it's like the dustbowl of the 1930's all over again. Fabi can barely see well enough to drive.
Needless to say, I return SO filthy after a full day of work. The dust acts like I put on sunscreen just so it could stick to me. On the bright side, I look really tan if you're not looking too closely. And this type of tanning doesn't give you cancer, so it's pretty much win/win.
Although I'll probably just get cancer from all the Coke I'm drinking instead. You win some, you lose some, folks.
Anyway...I've been meaning to talk about the sugarcane on here for quite sometime. One of the first things I noticed when I got to Montero was the smell. While it's not as bad as manure or dying things, it is distinct and very strong. Guillermo informed me that it comes from the sugarcane refineries here in town. And while you might have an image from Charlie in the Chocolate Factory in your head, that's not quite accurate.
Sidenote: My ride is here!! Only an hour and half later than they said. I'll finish this later...
Continued:
Montero is known as "The Sweet Town" and is the capital of sugarcane in Bolivia. It's very common to get stuck behind a huge truck loaded to the brim with stalks of burned sugarcane. That's right, burned sugarcane. Harvesters burn the cane to get rid of excess leaves and branches, leaving only the stalks intact. This makes the harvesting easier once they start hacking at it with machetes. Also gets rid of all the snakes (shudder). Snakes are worst than dogs. True story.
Anyway, supposedly the refineries and plantation owners are not supposed to accept burned cane, but it's obvious that this rule isn't enforced. Burning saves the harvesters from a lot of work and I was just reading that it's actually helped decrease child labor here because the harvest requires less workers. However, it can easily destroy whole forests full of monkeys, birds, and tropical foliage, leaving behind ugly, charred ground in its wake.
Often times when we are returning from el campo, there are whole fields burning. Once, I thought I was going crazy because it looked like it was snowing but it was actually just the ash falling from the sky. You can imagine what the smoke/ash combo does for the air quality here. Excuse me while I cough up a lung. Imagine the poor little ones out in el campo with asthma! I've heard many, many mothers complain that their children get sick from the smoke. It's also common to burn your garbage out there too, only aggravating the problem further.
The dust is the other thing that doesn't help the whole breathing thing. If we get stuck behind a huge truck full of cane or there's the slightest breeze, it's like the dustbowl of the 1930's all over again. Fabi can barely see well enough to drive.
Needless to say, I return SO filthy after a full day of work. The dust acts like I put on sunscreen just so it could stick to me. On the bright side, I look really tan if you're not looking too closely. And this type of tanning doesn't give you cancer, so it's pretty much win/win.
Although I'll probably just get cancer from all the Coke I'm drinking instead. You win some, you lose some, folks.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Struggle with Struggle
"Ours is a planet of polarity: the poor and the rich; the hungry and the well fed; the healthy and the terminally ill. Within these apparent contradictions we struggle for meaning. For dignity. For equality. The human story is built into this struggle...Yes, humanity's song is the absurd, the tragic, the comic; the profane and the beautiful; the fallen and the redeemed. Our society is fraught with inconsistencies and absurdities...The highs and lows, the dark and the light. This is the absurdity of our bipolar existence. Stretched thin between the dichotomy of death and breath, ashes and cash, pain and beauty. The scope of it all is enough to drive a man crazy. " -- Jon Foreman, in the article "Vice Verses: Making Art Out of Tension."
Today was a harder day in el campo, visiting the neighborhood of Paraiso. Paraiso means "paradise" but in this neighborhood, things are not what most of us consider to be paradise. I've often heard people say, after seeing someone living in poverty, "I learned to be happy without material things because these people just radiate joy and happiness." I think I've said this myself. And we're content with that because we've put a band-aid on the gaping wound of poverty, calling it "happiness despite."
But what do you do when the people aren't happy? When they are tired and defeated. When their baby is sick and the last cow just died. When they don't want to invite you into their homes because they're ashamed because they know you're at the other end of the dichotomy. The FAR end. And the truth is, you're ashamed too because "the scope of it all is enough to drive a man crazy."
I don't doubt God's plan but I don't claim to understand it either. Why was I given what I was? My family, my house, my car, my education? If you have an easy answer, I honestly don't want to hear it because this answer isn't easy. It can't be easy when the lives of some people are so hard.
I think we have to be ok with not knowing what God was planning when it looks like He divided the pie unequally, unjustly. I think where Christians run into trouble is when we try to answer these questions too quickly. I think we undermine peoples' suffering when we do that. We need to take the time to wrestle those answers out, to struggle with why people struggle.
Yikes, sorry folks. That may have been a downer. I'm just trying to do Bolivia justice.
Deep breath...publish.
Today was a harder day in el campo, visiting the neighborhood of Paraiso. Paraiso means "paradise" but in this neighborhood, things are not what most of us consider to be paradise. I've often heard people say, after seeing someone living in poverty, "I learned to be happy without material things because these people just radiate joy and happiness." I think I've said this myself. And we're content with that because we've put a band-aid on the gaping wound of poverty, calling it "happiness despite."
But what do you do when the people aren't happy? When they are tired and defeated. When their baby is sick and the last cow just died. When they don't want to invite you into their homes because they're ashamed because they know you're at the other end of the dichotomy. The FAR end. And the truth is, you're ashamed too because "the scope of it all is enough to drive a man crazy."
I don't doubt God's plan but I don't claim to understand it either. Why was I given what I was? My family, my house, my car, my education? If you have an easy answer, I honestly don't want to hear it because this answer isn't easy. It can't be easy when the lives of some people are so hard.
I think we have to be ok with not knowing what God was planning when it looks like He divided the pie unequally, unjustly. I think where Christians run into trouble is when we try to answer these questions too quickly. I think we undermine peoples' suffering when we do that. We need to take the time to wrestle those answers out, to struggle with why people struggle.
Yikes, sorry folks. That may have been a downer. I'm just trying to do Bolivia justice.
Deep breath...publish.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Weekend Thoughts
I apologize ahead of time for the choppiness of this post! Some days, I feel like I've got the writing groove going on but today that groove has alluded me. But the weekend has come and gone so here we go!
Mirna invited me to go with her and her family to a concert in Santa Cruz on Saturday night. The first group to perform was pretty much the Bolivian version of the Backstreet Boys -only with matching orange and blue outfits. Their dance moves made me giggle, they were so sappy! But the sappiness was missed by every teenage girl there so I kept my giggling to a minimum. Not that I was heard over the screeching/screaming that was going on anyway.
The next group was a traditional Bolivian band and the crowd really went wild for them! They may be the equivalent of U2 in the States. They were pretty neat and I enjoyed them! But honestly, what I enjoyed most about the concert was this coconut milk popsicle thing I had. I'm telling you, these people know how to make ice cream, yogurt, and juice. Which, ironically are things that I cannot easily take back to the States with me. Rats.
After the concert, we headed further into the city of Santa Cruz. The last time I was in Santa Cruz was when my plane landed and I remembered not being super impressed by how nice it was. My coworkers kept saying, "Isn't this pretty? Look at that! How impressive, no?" And of course I would smile and nod but inside, I'm thinking "Yeah, it's nice but it's not amazing." Well, after a week in rustic Montero, my eyes were sure opened! Almost every store and street had me captivated by how beautiful and shiny everything was. There was even a shopping mall! Whoah, right? Country girl meets the city :)
We were able to go to a fair in Santa Cruz and it was there that I risked my life on a ferris wheel. It wasn't until I got on the ride that it occurred to me that I was trusting rusty arms of steel to plummet me to earth just short of suicide. "IS THAT BOLT LOOSE?" There were way too many creaks and groans for my liking but it made what could have been a boring ride, anything but! I have to say though that the view from the top was incredible!
By this time, we were all hungry so we ate at a street side BBQ. And by BBQ I mean, there's a woman, with a decrepit grill, slices of meat, and a big pot of soggy rice. You sit yourself in the patio furniture and she serves you up. It's pretty crazy. It was here that I had my first taste of some sort of intestines. Folks, I cannot recommend them. Whatever the gray paste inside of them was, it was really, really...yucky. Not even Mirna's daughters ate them. I pulled the whole spit-it-out-in-your-napkin-while-acting-like-you're-wiping-your-mouth trick. Love that one.
Mirna's family was very, very hospitable and super nice to me. I cannot express in either of the languages that I know, what it means to be invited into a family for a night when you have barely known them for a week. It is definitely making me wish that I would have reached out to international students more when I was at WWU.
On Sunday, I was able to attend church here! The service was definitely different than what I am used to but it was great and I was able to understand the pastor without any problems. I also met two sisters and they've already invited me to go to a celebration with them next weekend. I'd like you to take a minute to appreciate whatever community/friends/family that YOU got to hang out with this weekend. Fellowship is something that I definitely don't take for granted here!
Ok, last thing and then I'll end this mammoth post: I had completely forgotten the custom of greeting a newcomer during church services in Latin America and so when the announcement guy started talking about "our newcomer, David" I was completely clueless -until one of the sisters told me to stand up. It was then that I caught on that I was David. The whole church then recited a greeting to me, while I turned a deep shade of scarlet. Luckily, I didn't have to say anything.
Phew, ok. Believe it or not that was my weekend in a nutshell. Good job if you got through all of that! I'll try to make the next one shorter :) Thanks for reading!
Mirna invited me to go with her and her family to a concert in Santa Cruz on Saturday night. The first group to perform was pretty much the Bolivian version of the Backstreet Boys -only with matching orange and blue outfits. Their dance moves made me giggle, they were so sappy! But the sappiness was missed by every teenage girl there so I kept my giggling to a minimum. Not that I was heard over the screeching/screaming that was going on anyway.
The next group was a traditional Bolivian band and the crowd really went wild for them! They may be the equivalent of U2 in the States. They were pretty neat and I enjoyed them! But honestly, what I enjoyed most about the concert was this coconut milk popsicle thing I had. I'm telling you, these people know how to make ice cream, yogurt, and juice. Which, ironically are things that I cannot easily take back to the States with me. Rats.
After the concert, we headed further into the city of Santa Cruz. The last time I was in Santa Cruz was when my plane landed and I remembered not being super impressed by how nice it was. My coworkers kept saying, "Isn't this pretty? Look at that! How impressive, no?" And of course I would smile and nod but inside, I'm thinking "Yeah, it's nice but it's not amazing." Well, after a week in rustic Montero, my eyes were sure opened! Almost every store and street had me captivated by how beautiful and shiny everything was. There was even a shopping mall! Whoah, right? Country girl meets the city :)
We were able to go to a fair in Santa Cruz and it was there that I risked my life on a ferris wheel. It wasn't until I got on the ride that it occurred to me that I was trusting rusty arms of steel to plummet me to earth just short of suicide. "IS THAT BOLT LOOSE?" There were way too many creaks and groans for my liking but it made what could have been a boring ride, anything but! I have to say though that the view from the top was incredible!
By this time, we were all hungry so we ate at a street side BBQ. And by BBQ I mean, there's a woman, with a decrepit grill, slices of meat, and a big pot of soggy rice. You sit yourself in the patio furniture and she serves you up. It's pretty crazy. It was here that I had my first taste of some sort of intestines. Folks, I cannot recommend them. Whatever the gray paste inside of them was, it was really, really...yucky. Not even Mirna's daughters ate them. I pulled the whole spit-it-out-in-your-napkin-while-acting-like-you're-wiping-your-mouth trick. Love that one.
Mirna's family was very, very hospitable and super nice to me. I cannot express in either of the languages that I know, what it means to be invited into a family for a night when you have barely known them for a week. It is definitely making me wish that I would have reached out to international students more when I was at WWU.
On Sunday, I was able to attend church here! The service was definitely different than what I am used to but it was great and I was able to understand the pastor without any problems. I also met two sisters and they've already invited me to go to a celebration with them next weekend. I'd like you to take a minute to appreciate whatever community/friends/family that YOU got to hang out with this weekend. Fellowship is something that I definitely don't take for granted here!
Ok, last thing and then I'll end this mammoth post: I had completely forgotten the custom of greeting a newcomer during church services in Latin America and so when the announcement guy started talking about "our newcomer, David" I was completely clueless -until one of the sisters told me to stand up. It was then that I caught on that I was David. The whole church then recited a greeting to me, while I turned a deep shade of scarlet. Luckily, I didn't have to say anything.
Phew, ok. Believe it or not that was my weekend in a nutshell. Good job if you got through all of that! I'll try to make the next one shorter :) Thanks for reading!
Friday, September 23, 2011
Frequently Asked Questions (and Injections!)
There are a lot of different questions that I get asked by friends and family, so I thought I'd cover a few of them here!
1) What's the food like?
A typical meal so far here is a slab of beef, some potatoes, and rice. Variations of this have been: a fried slice of meat, meat with a fried egg on top, fried chicken, and yuca. Yuca is like a potato, only drier and with a completely different flavor that I'm not going to try to explain. It's all been really good! OH! And Coca-Cola! SO MUCH Coke! We drink that more than Washingtonians drink coffee!
2) And the weather?
Goodness gracious, the weather here is the weirdest! It's almost always really, really, really hot. But every once in awhile, the wind will pick up and you need a light jacket. Or it will pour rain for five mins. Today I heard thunder too! To describe the weather in one word: Unpredictable. And hot :)
3) How is your Spanish?
Honestly, I am a little frustrated with it. It is hard to sound dumb all the time! But I know that it will improve and Helen just told me today that I'm doing better than she was when she first got here. I just need patience! I'm pretty happy with my comprehension, most of the time.
4) Why are you there again?
I'm completing an internship with Etta Projects so I can graduate with a Bachelors of Science in Community Health in December! (PS My BA in Spanish is already complete, just in case you were confused!)
5) How long are you going to be there?
I'll be here until December 10th! Three months.
6) Do you miss people?
Um, YES! But technology has made being so far away pretty easy! And I haven't cried yet, so that's always good.
7) Are you safe?
Yes, mostly. I get stared at pretty often but I haven't felt threatened, except for once, when Helen and I went out after dark by ourselves (that lasted one block and then we turned around, back to the house!). Katie, my director, has been robbed at gunpoint twice but she is much more adventurous than I am. I don't carry a purse with me, ever. Honestly, I'm not that worried about it but I am trying to be wise! You are always safest where God wants you anyway!
8) What are your housemates like?
They are fun-loving group of people, for sure! Fabi has grown up in Montero her whole life and is a real jokester! Guillermo is originally from Peru - he is a fantastic cook and serenades us every night with his guitara. Helen is the other intern from Michigan. Her and I have bedrooms right across from each other and share a bathroom. She's great and plays the violin like nobody's buisness!
9) What's your address? And can you post pictures?
The mail here is really unpredictable so I'm not giving out my address. Sometimes it takes up to four months for something to get here, in which case -you can just give it to me when I come back! Pictures are on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150296639897747.333906.562022746&l=ad1b7d9dfe&type=1
10) Are you sick?
NO! I'm not! Que bueno, no? I do get some sharp pains in my stomach daily, so my stomach has noticed that something is different but other than that, I've been totally fine! I'd like to thank close family friend, Jen Penrose for suggesting that I take pro-biotics. I think that they are working! And God for answering my prayers for a stomach of steel!
11) How was practicing injections yesterday?
Ok, so no one asked this, I just wanted to share :) It was great! We went to a village about two hours away with first aid kits for the neighboring seven communities. Each community has two health promoters that met us there to learn basic first aid -which here includes giving injections! I got to learn that too and practiced on my friend Mirna! It was awesome! Although that needle was seriously looooooong. And don't worry, I was fair and let her practice on me too! It was another great day!
1) What's the food like?
A typical meal so far here is a slab of beef, some potatoes, and rice. Variations of this have been: a fried slice of meat, meat with a fried egg on top, fried chicken, and yuca. Yuca is like a potato, only drier and with a completely different flavor that I'm not going to try to explain. It's all been really good! OH! And Coca-Cola! SO MUCH Coke! We drink that more than Washingtonians drink coffee!
2) And the weather?
Goodness gracious, the weather here is the weirdest! It's almost always really, really, really hot. But every once in awhile, the wind will pick up and you need a light jacket. Or it will pour rain for five mins. Today I heard thunder too! To describe the weather in one word: Unpredictable. And hot :)
3) How is your Spanish?
Honestly, I am a little frustrated with it. It is hard to sound dumb all the time! But I know that it will improve and Helen just told me today that I'm doing better than she was when she first got here. I just need patience! I'm pretty happy with my comprehension, most of the time.
4) Why are you there again?
I'm completing an internship with Etta Projects so I can graduate with a Bachelors of Science in Community Health in December! (PS My BA in Spanish is already complete, just in case you were confused!)
5) How long are you going to be there?
I'll be here until December 10th! Three months.
6) Do you miss people?
Um, YES! But technology has made being so far away pretty easy! And I haven't cried yet, so that's always good.
7) Are you safe?
Yes, mostly. I get stared at pretty often but I haven't felt threatened, except for once, when Helen and I went out after dark by ourselves (that lasted one block and then we turned around, back to the house!). Katie, my director, has been robbed at gunpoint twice but she is much more adventurous than I am. I don't carry a purse with me, ever. Honestly, I'm not that worried about it but I am trying to be wise! You are always safest where God wants you anyway!
8) What are your housemates like?
They are fun-loving group of people, for sure! Fabi has grown up in Montero her whole life and is a real jokester! Guillermo is originally from Peru - he is a fantastic cook and serenades us every night with his guitara. Helen is the other intern from Michigan. Her and I have bedrooms right across from each other and share a bathroom. She's great and plays the violin like nobody's buisness!
9) What's your address? And can you post pictures?
The mail here is really unpredictable so I'm not giving out my address. Sometimes it takes up to four months for something to get here, in which case -you can just give it to me when I come back! Pictures are on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150296639897747.333906.562022746&l=ad1b7d9dfe&type=1
10) Are you sick?
NO! I'm not! Que bueno, no? I do get some sharp pains in my stomach daily, so my stomach has noticed that something is different but other than that, I've been totally fine! I'd like to thank close family friend, Jen Penrose for suggesting that I take pro-biotics. I think that they are working! And God for answering my prayers for a stomach of steel!
11) How was practicing injections yesterday?
Ok, so no one asked this, I just wanted to share :) It was great! We went to a village about two hours away with first aid kits for the neighboring seven communities. Each community has two health promoters that met us there to learn basic first aid -which here includes giving injections! I got to learn that too and practiced on my friend Mirna! It was awesome! Although that needle was seriously looooooong. And don't worry, I was fair and let her practice on me too! It was another great day!
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