and the beet goes on

It’s been a while. My apologies. I find myself now listening to the varied music collection on the schools computer, backstreet boys for the moment, I might put it on repeat…just saying. I never thought I’d do it, but I made it two consecutive weekends in site and really enjoyed myself. Read two books on worms and spent the days dozing in my room or at the river while all the kids did homework. Had two really great productive, in a peace corps way, weeks and think, if I needed to i.e. more bloqueos kept me from going to Sucre I could probably stay again. In would only need someone to bring me some chocolate. I am embarrassed to recount the number of glasses of chocolate milk I have made. I almost finished 1800g of powdered milk in 14 days! But before I get carried away let me briefly update.

End of June and July was all a mess but nowhere to go but up….
Regional meeting rescheduled but good
Made honey shampoo with some Ag peeps for a fair
Visited some friends for a mental vacation and re-inspiration
First ultimate game midst the chuqui gang and first annual Eduardo Sureña hands
(Sureña being the local brew)
Visitors to site from Cordoba, one being an Argentine George Michael, which I loved (Arrested Development not the singer)
Work wise kinda a bust since three weeks were vacation but I planted a seed bed! Woot!

August arrived
All PC Bolivia (120 of us) got together for a conference, project meetings, open space etc…really enjoyable to meet everyone share ideas, projects what not, it felt like a well deserved vacation. Though work in site isn’t really going yet, I still sleep 10 hours a night and am exhausted from trying to learn everyone’s names and roles and my role and possible projects and ahhh felt good to go swimming multiple times a day, charps* the saunas, beach volleyball and dance my heart out at the all vol cross dressing ball oh and sing about Quinoa with Misahy.

*Meghan and I are slowly translating slang into Spanish
Charps:
Origin: aprovechar pues
Meaning: make use of that, pues, or preferably, tap that

After the all vol came back to site and had those two great weeks. Reason being, well I actually did some stuff. The first week the administrator, the Ag teacher and the fruitculturist and I all made a FODA, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, for the Ag program in the center. We also budgeted for all the projects and made a yearly calendar. It felt really good to be on the same page with everyone and agreeing on things we need to collaborate on. So I guess it gave me a sense of justification, that I really can be a part of the team and make some changes, so that felt good.
Also I made a compost pile, which seems so small, but was so exhilarating. We, the fruit guy and I gave a little lesson on compost and made a demonstration pile and in a day things were heating up and wowed everyone. We are spending way too much money on manure when we can make compost for free. I forgot too that I have started with a school garden in a community a half hours walk up the mountain. I also gave a lesson there on compost and am learning a few Quechua words every time I go. My plan is to go once a week with kids from my site who can teach all the beautiful things they are learning about vegetables.
Instead of just observing the kids in class I actually feel like I have something to contribute and I’m uber stoked about worms now. Actually I have decided to dedicate myself to soil seduction. I don’t just want one box of worms I want lots to harvest eggs from and plant in our soil so little by little we introduce wormy worms who are gonna make us better soil and tastier veggies and fruits. Because the peaches and apples and plums are all flowering now and they are so beautiful I can’t wait to bite into them!
But I have to be careful. I have learned two things
One: The center has had a plethora of people projecting. But nothing has lasted once the volunteer has left. The grapes and olives are dried up almost, the Apiary lost six colonies of bees, the rabbits are in sad shape and the chicken coop was built two years ago with not one penny in the budget to actually buy chickens! Que Marcan! So I am not going to start on a new project until what we have is working well and organized and I’m sure it will continue once I leave.
Two: The changeover in staff and teachers at the center and in the foundation is so quick that I’m actually starting to question if anything is sustainable if the people I work with and teach leave. The kids don’t stay either so who can manage? Just today I was telling my work partner that we found an entire drop irrigation system in the garage that we could totally charps for the vineyards. Because they are dying of thirst and the canal system is a waste of resources, ¨Oh yeah¨ she says ¨they installed that when they planted the grapes and the peach trees but then administration changed and we took it all out¨ Now what do I do with that? It sure doesn’t give much hope for anything I do. That’s why I’m starting from the ground up; literally, I will be the queen of worms, able to bait my own hook next time I’m at the lake!

That pretty much brings us to the here and now. Many more thoughts, feelings, doubts etc have all surfaced and I am ever thankful for skype and being able to talk to mom and dad and Nora for some perspective. Life goes on and my room feels like home, really and I after four months this is what I have learned….

I know that the third bell at 8 means I have two minutes to get in line for Breakfast
That at least once a week we have cow stomach or pig skin and I have to find a way to scalp it to the dog or to the students saying it’s too spicy
I know that if I don’t show up for a meal someone will come find me
And that Don Mario always has cookies or chicha
I know when I go to Sucre I can vent and drink litres of yogurt which I always crave and have tea with Roxanna at our hostel and loose myself at the cinesas in a movie
I know when the padre says we leave Monday morning at 7 it really means 830
And that when someone tells me ahorita me vengo it could be 2 hours or tomorrow
I know all the students and staffs names and they call me yvonniendo and always want their picture taken or a piece of fruit, because they know I buy it for them
I know that it has only been four months and I have twenty to go but I’m not even counting down the days and I love myself in this place and want to share it with any and all who will listen and or visit.

Peas
Love
Lebo