So much to say. So much I have seen lately that rocked. Mango trees hanging low with the bounty of ripening fruit looking like gaudy 80`s earrings. Days of rain with only a bit of blue sky for a moment in the morning. Wet clothes that never seem to dry, socks oh wet socks are the worst. Three of us spunky ladies staying up late into the night making chocolates filled with delicious cappuchino cream and roasted coffee beans. A frighteningly close fireworks display so that I dont ever have to wonder what would happen if you were underneath the shower of sparks. Night walks along the road with the full moon shadowing the endless mountains. My new room with open windows and the shriek of finding a new kind of bug in my bed everyday. And most absolutly amazing, thirty americans crammed into a hostel room watching the change our country has been screaming for.
All beautiful things in their own special way making me realize spectacularity.
trying to get more pictures for you all too...
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
fall is hot and the rain twinkles on my tin roof
Spotted: one golden Papaya on Wed, fruit day in La Via
Bought: for 2 soles 50
Eaten: this morning sliced in half attacked with spoon
accompanied by fresh from the cow milk
Issac and Jesus helped me out
they are just two of the many people that are in my house all the time. all the time.
I love my host mom, but times are tough with such close quarters, there are always parties and all the people she cooks meals for never leave and well i am feeling a bit claustrophobic looking to ammend the situation soon.
then i streatched for an hour because i went for a walk yesterday ending up halfway up the mountain- I went to check out the reforestation project the district is doing, saw the little coffee beans sprouting and sang songs with the five kids in the school. The teacher goes up and down everyday from my site to the school 2 hours away. Incredible.
I am sitting in the bank with Issac and Javier, Patty and Milagros just walked in. The house follows me wherever i go ahhhhh. I am using the internet and spontaneously dancing around to the brilliant techno jams Issac has chosen as our ambiant music this fine day. Last night we made tacos, we being Cheriden and her best friend Marisella, who makes toffee filled chocolates, and her family and tio came over and we rambled long into the night whilst devouring a container of Dulce de Leche.
I have a friend in the Mayors office. He told me the other day that if I hang out with him I will work, a lot. This is good. The rainy season is begining soon and though I will prepare myself with oodles of books and baking ingredients I hope to do something with some of the kids who hang around. So me and my friend are planning a summer school of sorts plus a rec center deal. So the kids have some options other than waiting for three months for the rain to stop. We are thinking dance, art, cooking, movies, theater groups, reading club, cheriden made a twister board I am ready to use that! really whatever they want to do I am game. Lately i have been having impromptu creative moment moments with my host brother and his cousin, they like to be puppets and move like sad and happy and angry and loud and quiet and surprised and shocked puppets, but only if their homework is done.
Another barnacle to my house runs a milk program for the kids in the smaller towns round us and we are talking of starting gardens to go along with the milk. Actually I dropped the idea one night over rice n meat and salad and guineo which they love here but its just kinda like a real unripe banana and coffee, coffee at night all the time but it is esencia that they make. Like a strong syrup that they mix into hot water. Of course I didnt realize how concentrated it was and the first time I drank it was vibrant and shaking for the next hour or so. hehe. So anyway the next day he and another engineer working with the coffee growers tell me they are 90% done with the planning for the gardens have talked to five communities and we just need to talk in terms of how much we want to plant and plan the budget. Yikes!
Went to the Parolles the other weekend. BBQ and swam in the pool beneath the waterfall. Durring the rainy season the pool overflows and makes another smooth waterfall, like a nutrual waterslide into another pool...cant wait! And they say Aguas Blancas is incredible, though a four hour hike into the montains it was just discovered after this last years rain washed so much sand and silt away creating a run of falls and swimming holes. It is totally wierd to have friends I am not working with, cant say the living feels much different than the boarding school in Bolivia but its cool to walk around a town with other people some I have never seen playing volleyball with a net they have strung up across the street.
So awsuuuume to have Cheriden here. A blessing really. She has been so thoughtful and helpful with my transition and I love getting to hear all about her service. It will be sad when she leaves but weird thing is she has family four blocks from mom and dad in Min. Crazy. Thursday means pulseritas, friendship bracelets with the girls in the boarding school. Reading a good bit, Loving listening to Javier go crazy with the stamps on all the bank papers right now, but I have been inside too long and am craving a peach and more coffee and raul should be home by now. Yesterday we played with his cars and we like to read together at night, I want to start on Harry Potter with him I think.
eep almost forgot! you know the smell when you enter a conservatory garden, especially in the winter and the fog and humidty and tropical madness enters your nose? I smelt that all day yesterday on my hike just around me all over. beautiful.
the nights a cold
and the winds a blowin
its the time of the scare crowin
chains a rattlin in the attic
scaring up a bit of static
whoooos gonna be running down those streets
the sound of pitter patter little feet
you know whats right around the corner
ghosts and witches, black cats and skeletons
dragons and pirates all out of order
Bought: for 2 soles 50
Eaten: this morning sliced in half attacked with spoon
accompanied by fresh from the cow milk
Issac and Jesus helped me out
they are just two of the many people that are in my house all the time. all the time.
I love my host mom, but times are tough with such close quarters, there are always parties and all the people she cooks meals for never leave and well i am feeling a bit claustrophobic looking to ammend the situation soon.
then i streatched for an hour because i went for a walk yesterday ending up halfway up the mountain- I went to check out the reforestation project the district is doing, saw the little coffee beans sprouting and sang songs with the five kids in the school. The teacher goes up and down everyday from my site to the school 2 hours away. Incredible.
I am sitting in the bank with Issac and Javier, Patty and Milagros just walked in. The house follows me wherever i go ahhhhh. I am using the internet and spontaneously dancing around to the brilliant techno jams Issac has chosen as our ambiant music this fine day. Last night we made tacos, we being Cheriden and her best friend Marisella, who makes toffee filled chocolates, and her family and tio came over and we rambled long into the night whilst devouring a container of Dulce de Leche.
I have a friend in the Mayors office. He told me the other day that if I hang out with him I will work, a lot. This is good. The rainy season is begining soon and though I will prepare myself with oodles of books and baking ingredients I hope to do something with some of the kids who hang around. So me and my friend are planning a summer school of sorts plus a rec center deal. So the kids have some options other than waiting for three months for the rain to stop. We are thinking dance, art, cooking, movies, theater groups, reading club, cheriden made a twister board I am ready to use that! really whatever they want to do I am game. Lately i have been having impromptu creative moment moments with my host brother and his cousin, they like to be puppets and move like sad and happy and angry and loud and quiet and surprised and shocked puppets, but only if their homework is done.
Another barnacle to my house runs a milk program for the kids in the smaller towns round us and we are talking of starting gardens to go along with the milk. Actually I dropped the idea one night over rice n meat and salad and guineo which they love here but its just kinda like a real unripe banana and coffee, coffee at night all the time but it is esencia that they make. Like a strong syrup that they mix into hot water. Of course I didnt realize how concentrated it was and the first time I drank it was vibrant and shaking for the next hour or so. hehe. So anyway the next day he and another engineer working with the coffee growers tell me they are 90% done with the planning for the gardens have talked to five communities and we just need to talk in terms of how much we want to plant and plan the budget. Yikes!
Went to the Parolles the other weekend. BBQ and swam in the pool beneath the waterfall. Durring the rainy season the pool overflows and makes another smooth waterfall, like a nutrual waterslide into another pool...cant wait! And they say Aguas Blancas is incredible, though a four hour hike into the montains it was just discovered after this last years rain washed so much sand and silt away creating a run of falls and swimming holes. It is totally wierd to have friends I am not working with, cant say the living feels much different than the boarding school in Bolivia but its cool to walk around a town with other people some I have never seen playing volleyball with a net they have strung up across the street.
So awsuuuume to have Cheriden here. A blessing really. She has been so thoughtful and helpful with my transition and I love getting to hear all about her service. It will be sad when she leaves but weird thing is she has family four blocks from mom and dad in Min. Crazy. Thursday means pulseritas, friendship bracelets with the girls in the boarding school. Reading a good bit, Loving listening to Javier go crazy with the stamps on all the bank papers right now, but I have been inside too long and am craving a peach and more coffee and raul should be home by now. Yesterday we played with his cars and we like to read together at night, I want to start on Harry Potter with him I think.
eep almost forgot! you know the smell when you enter a conservatory garden, especially in the winter and the fog and humidty and tropical madness enters your nose? I smelt that all day yesterday on my hike just around me all over. beautiful.
the nights a cold
and the winds a blowin
its the time of the scare crowin
chains a rattlin in the attic
scaring up a bit of static
whoooos gonna be running down those streets
the sound of pitter patter little feet
you know whats right around the corner
ghosts and witches, black cats and skeletons
dragons and pirates all out of order
Monday, September 29, 2008
there are beets in peru too
mmm empanadas
they make the day so delightful
quick update for those in the dark. Peace Corps was evacuated from Bolivia Sept. 14th 2008 after president Evo Morales kindly asked the ambassador of the US to leave the country. Amazing things going on in Bolivia these days, quite interesting in fact, but maybe not the best place to try and get work done amidst road blocks, gas shortages and consolidations. In my eight months of service we had, I believe, 6 EAP's (emergency action plans), 2 consolidations, and 1 evacuation. Quite the record.
So for those wondering, yes I am still in Peace Corps, but have moved to Peru, the northern province of Piura. Really terrible to leave Bolivia and my Bolivia volunteers, but now we have many people to visit all over the world! Today I am going to site for the first time. It is about four hours on the bus, up in the mountains where i hear it smells like roasting coffee half the year and the other half it rains. I will be living in a much larger community than in Bolivia which will be a change, in a good way. Looking forward to getting settled again and not feeling like I am floating around in PC limbo. The paperwork and transfer process was not the most fun thing to do. But that is done now and I LOVE Bolivia, so much, I cant wait to go back and visit and see all the things I planned to see and do. Someday soon. For now I will concentrate on getting to know Peru. I changed projects from Ag to youth development and am excited to play with kids but still have plans for a community garden and to hang out with the coffee growers some.
new mailing address:
Lebo Moore
Cuerpo de Paz
Apartado Postal 066
SerPost Piura
Piura, Peru
South America
looking to get some postcards out soon! Hope everyone is well. Prayers to Mittens and Grandma and Grandpa are comming from me from across the Panama canal. Maybe I'll see some of you done here soonish, you know Lima has Starbucks....crazy!
will post again with news of the rainforest, maybe I can have a monkey as a pet....?
love
lebo
they make the day so delightful
quick update for those in the dark. Peace Corps was evacuated from Bolivia Sept. 14th 2008 after president Evo Morales kindly asked the ambassador of the US to leave the country. Amazing things going on in Bolivia these days, quite interesting in fact, but maybe not the best place to try and get work done amidst road blocks, gas shortages and consolidations. In my eight months of service we had, I believe, 6 EAP's (emergency action plans), 2 consolidations, and 1 evacuation. Quite the record.
So for those wondering, yes I am still in Peace Corps, but have moved to Peru, the northern province of Piura. Really terrible to leave Bolivia and my Bolivia volunteers, but now we have many people to visit all over the world! Today I am going to site for the first time. It is about four hours on the bus, up in the mountains where i hear it smells like roasting coffee half the year and the other half it rains. I will be living in a much larger community than in Bolivia which will be a change, in a good way. Looking forward to getting settled again and not feeling like I am floating around in PC limbo. The paperwork and transfer process was not the most fun thing to do. But that is done now and I LOVE Bolivia, so much, I cant wait to go back and visit and see all the things I planned to see and do. Someday soon. For now I will concentrate on getting to know Peru. I changed projects from Ag to youth development and am excited to play with kids but still have plans for a community garden and to hang out with the coffee growers some.
new mailing address:
Lebo Moore
Cuerpo de Paz
Apartado Postal 066
SerPost Piura
Piura, Peru
South America
looking to get some postcards out soon! Hope everyone is well. Prayers to Mittens and Grandma and Grandpa are comming from me from across the Panama canal. Maybe I'll see some of you done here soonish, you know Lima has Starbucks....crazy!
will post again with news of the rainforest, maybe I can have a monkey as a pet....?
love
lebo
Sunday, August 31, 2008
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
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
Sunday, July 13, 2008
sorry i have not been so vocal lately much has happeed. wrote a lot down but my computer doesnt want to turn on for me to upload anything. kinda knew it would happen at some point, wasbanking on it lasting more than six months though. amazing how it is the last thing on my mind though. Six months! amazing and I can tell you what a crazy ride. I have been up and down this rollercoaster of emotions high high up and far far down as some have had the pleasure to hear, my experience is all over the place.
a little frazzled to write much we shall try to coax my comp to be kind and let me use her a bit more. wont be in for a while but ill try and find a way to keep updated.
really hope you are all doing well and being very good to yourselfs.
i love you dearly
lebo
a little frazzled to write much we shall try to coax my comp to be kind and let me use her a bit more. wont be in for a while but ill try and find a way to keep updated.
really hope you are all doing well and being very good to yourselfs.
i love you dearly
lebo
Sunday, June 1, 2008
and that is why you eat pancakes with a friend
May 25th
Today is a great day. I knew it waking up too. Not only have I decided that at this point for me Rubber Soul is the greatest Beatles album ever, but two things happened today. I was reminded of life before Bolivia (LBB) and it made me realize why I am so happy here.
One: Mom and Dad sent me some pictures I had taken last summer and fall of school friends and ropes course buddies in NY. I hung them on my wall and it was like I had forgotten everything I had been doing last year. Sad, but it made me happy to have a reminder and made me feel settled here in my room with pictures of my friends and of things past that were lovely. I realized I was busy and happy enough to be well involved in my work here, which is a really stupendous thing.
Two: After lunch today I helped with the bread. We make it once a week, enough to last the week. That’s a lot of bread, one roll per person twice a day. A lot of bread. Anyway, amidst the rolling, placing, transporting to the clay oven up the hill, quickly baking and testing the warm doughy goodness I somehow got to thinking about dance. And I decided I was quite lucky to be in this little valley as the sun was setting making bread and jokes with my friends and though I miss dance it just is a lot better this way. Plus I bought this felt bell shaped hat this weekend. It is so rad.
“ The future still looks good
And you’ve got time to rectify
all of the things you should
Do what you want to do
Go where your going to
Think for yourself ”
- Think for yourself, The Beatles, Rubber Soul
One problem with those lyrics is the word “should”. I don’t like it. I think that it has a negative connotation. Think about it, anytime you say “I should do this or that” “you should go here or there” it implies something that you don’t necessarily want to do but have to. The only time I can see the word doing any good is when you are working on something and out of confusion you use it. Example: this should work. But then again if it doesn’t work and you want it to that can be negative as well. So lately I have been trying to use the word less. Unfortunately it seems to be similar to when you learn a new word, it pops up everywhere. So now I think I am saying it more than I used to, I really should stop…haha see negative vibe, I know you felt it. Now what makes it negative? Seems to me this linguistic dilemma of mine stems from my recent adjustment to la hora Boliviana. Knowing that things will happen in good time and not worrying if they aren’t finished in time. In time for what? In what time? Is how the Bolivians live. Anyway I don’t limit myself and certainly don’t do anything I don’t want to. That is all. I still like the song.
I thought about “should” more. I guess it can be useful in some ways as a sort of motivator. Hmmm now I am torn.
Spotted: on a brisk fall morning, 7:30 am in the chapel. The Annunciation by Fra Angelico, tucked into a corner illuminating a small space with the glory of the angel Gabriel’s multi-colored wings.
June 1 2008
Don Hugo asked if I wanted to give art history classes! How awesome would that be little cultural sessions on Saturdays of course starting with the Venus of Willendorf all the way to what…anything I suppose, though I would probably load up on all my favorites! Not so sure it is something that would interest the gatos, but if I had enough pictures it may work. Really I just want to emulate Ms. Glynn, my high school humanities teacher who instilled the love for art in me. I remember her asking if we could own any piece of art what would it be. I said a Della Robbia blue ceramic piece from the Della Robbia factory in Florence. They made white ceramic busts and sculptures that had this deep blue background. No one could ever replicate the blue. They are gorgeous. I would still want that and a Matisse.
Made banana bread for mothers day somehow managed to feed 120 people that showed up
Danced barefoot circles in a maroon toga
Noticed excellent improvement in two bee hives
Started a community bank with the graduating class
Made pasta for the teachers who drenched it in ketchup and mustard
Managed the phone in site for a week, something I refuse to do again
7 layer dip with Helen for the potluck
Pancakes with syrup and jam
Chocolate with coffee
Today is a great day. I knew it waking up too. Not only have I decided that at this point for me Rubber Soul is the greatest Beatles album ever, but two things happened today. I was reminded of life before Bolivia (LBB) and it made me realize why I am so happy here.
One: Mom and Dad sent me some pictures I had taken last summer and fall of school friends and ropes course buddies in NY. I hung them on my wall and it was like I had forgotten everything I had been doing last year. Sad, but it made me happy to have a reminder and made me feel settled here in my room with pictures of my friends and of things past that were lovely. I realized I was busy and happy enough to be well involved in my work here, which is a really stupendous thing.
Two: After lunch today I helped with the bread. We make it once a week, enough to last the week. That’s a lot of bread, one roll per person twice a day. A lot of bread. Anyway, amidst the rolling, placing, transporting to the clay oven up the hill, quickly baking and testing the warm doughy goodness I somehow got to thinking about dance. And I decided I was quite lucky to be in this little valley as the sun was setting making bread and jokes with my friends and though I miss dance it just is a lot better this way. Plus I bought this felt bell shaped hat this weekend. It is so rad.
“ The future still looks good
And you’ve got time to rectify
all of the things you should
Do what you want to do
Go where your going to
Think for yourself ”
- Think for yourself, The Beatles, Rubber Soul
One problem with those lyrics is the word “should”. I don’t like it. I think that it has a negative connotation. Think about it, anytime you say “I should do this or that” “you should go here or there” it implies something that you don’t necessarily want to do but have to. The only time I can see the word doing any good is when you are working on something and out of confusion you use it. Example: this should work. But then again if it doesn’t work and you want it to that can be negative as well. So lately I have been trying to use the word less. Unfortunately it seems to be similar to when you learn a new word, it pops up everywhere. So now I think I am saying it more than I used to, I really should stop…haha see negative vibe, I know you felt it. Now what makes it negative? Seems to me this linguistic dilemma of mine stems from my recent adjustment to la hora Boliviana. Knowing that things will happen in good time and not worrying if they aren’t finished in time. In time for what? In what time? Is how the Bolivians live. Anyway I don’t limit myself and certainly don’t do anything I don’t want to. That is all. I still like the song.
I thought about “should” more. I guess it can be useful in some ways as a sort of motivator. Hmmm now I am torn.
Spotted: on a brisk fall morning, 7:30 am in the chapel. The Annunciation by Fra Angelico, tucked into a corner illuminating a small space with the glory of the angel Gabriel’s multi-colored wings.
June 1 2008
Don Hugo asked if I wanted to give art history classes! How awesome would that be little cultural sessions on Saturdays of course starting with the Venus of Willendorf all the way to what…anything I suppose, though I would probably load up on all my favorites! Not so sure it is something that would interest the gatos, but if I had enough pictures it may work. Really I just want to emulate Ms. Glynn, my high school humanities teacher who instilled the love for art in me. I remember her asking if we could own any piece of art what would it be. I said a Della Robbia blue ceramic piece from the Della Robbia factory in Florence. They made white ceramic busts and sculptures that had this deep blue background. No one could ever replicate the blue. They are gorgeous. I would still want that and a Matisse.
Made banana bread for mothers day somehow managed to feed 120 people that showed up
Danced barefoot circles in a maroon toga
Noticed excellent improvement in two bee hives
Started a community bank with the graduating class
Made pasta for the teachers who drenched it in ketchup and mustard
Managed the phone in site for a week, something I refuse to do again
7 layer dip with Helen for the potluck
Pancakes with syrup and jam
Chocolate with coffee
pulling back the curtain
May 22 2008
Don Hugo of course has a burly semi cholita wife. Don Hugo is the administrator of the center. He is new, only has been working for about a year but a real whippersnapper of a guy. Mid sixties I would say, real skinny and well dressed. Today he was wearing a camel v neck sweater with a blue, gray and white plaid scarf tucked nicely into the front. His jeans are always clean and he always wears his hat, always. And he looks kind of like a cartoon character. Oh and he loves his pocket knife. Always finding reasons to use it and I think enjoying those moments quite simply. Sometimes he stresses me out, other times I am so glad we sit at the same table in the dinning room. Often I feel like everyday he has a new project for us to work on.
“Sabes que” (you know) he will say, “ a tourist agency contacted me we can work with them”
or, “ I talked to the mayors office they could buy part of our harvest for the meal programs in the schools”
“ oh and did you know that with the five rabbits we have now we could have fifty in six months,”
Of course I agree enthusiastically, really I am excited but then the list gets longer everyday and I don’t know where to start working. Good news is though that I finished the project proposal for the bees to be presented to the Foundation so we may get some funding sooner than I thought. Plus this means I already have a project written for when I can submit to Peace Corps! Yeah! And I am eating raspberry jam by the spoonful as I write because well it is raspberry jam and I don’t have any bread, am sick of moraditas which here is a whole sixth food group and I wanted something sweet after lunch, besides the chocolate milk. First glass of the day, sometimes it is only one, other days its three. Why is powdered milk so good, you tell me, I just couldn’t live without it. Couldn’t live without Don Hugo at my table either because without him awkward silence especially since the gatos changed seats so we have a new group. They don’t talk and when I ask questions always one worded answers even though outside the dining room we converse normally. I don’t get it. And Luisa she is great, really invested in her work, but she’s so funny she gives Guillermo her potatoes out of her soup everyday but then eats the ones in the second plate because she says they taste better??. I don’t get it they taste the same to me, like a potato. So Don Hugo’s wife is here for her first visit and she is exactly the impressive big personality one would expect to accompany such a strict determined guy. And she has pink crocs!
Saturday we get to march in a parade for the anniversary of Chuquisaca. Last night we spent an hour marching around the cancha (sports court) in the cold. I didn’t march I guess the teachers just walk behind the students. I have to buy a light pink dress shirt and black pants for the occasion. Odd choice of colors since the flag is red yellow and green. Speaking of colors the Bolivians are mad for red and navy blue. Like every other piece of clothing they have is one of those colors. One day Nabel wore a lime green shirt and it floored me. I kind of forgot about green. I love green. So I went out and bought a green paper lantern to hang over my bare light bulb. Miiiiistake. Once I finally found a ladder to reach my very high ceiling I was doused in a eerie hospital twilight zone glow. Awful. I think because the walls are so white the light just has nothing to blend with, its creepy I need to change it but the ladder was so scary I have to wait a few days.
When I first read my site description, I was so excited about being around high school kids, learning from them and being there in case they needed to talk. That’s what Pepe told me at first was that being so far from home they often need someone to talk to. Great sign me up.
So two things.
They have sought out my advice which is awesome and so soon. After a month I have people coming to my room after dinner to talk get help with homework etc.. Problem is that I just don’t have the words in Spanish yet. I keep giving the same advice over and over again because I don’t know how to say anything more in depth. Very frustrating. And the problems are so sad. Nothing kids this age need to deal with. It all leads back to money, money for tuition, money for their sick family members, money for the baby they just had etc.. breaks my heart cause I can’t give them money and then what I am doing seems rather trivial even though I know its not and really is better in the end but it is so hard to listen to their stories and to empathize and understand and not feel guilty. Especially since they are my friends and I would do anything for them.
Second problem.
They are high school students. I knew this but didn’t remember what that meant. The foundation works with university students studying psychology so twice a month they come for a few days to give presentations to the teachers and talk with and observe the kids. Last week we had presentations all about relationships and identity and all the awkwardness of adolescents I soo quickly forgot about even though it isn’t that far behind me. So then that led into thoughts and discussions about behavior and discipline. It seems like after every meal the principle has something to say to all or some of the students some punishment or lecture and so we sit on stools without backs for a half an hour sometimes listening, feeling worse and worse about our behavior. Thankfully the psychologists said this had to end because we were beginning to associate the end of a meal with a lecture and negative feelings. So that’s good, but things keep happening. Cell phones are stolen at least once a week. Why? There is no where to go, 60 people is not that big and someone is gonna get caught, where do they think they will hide it???
A couple weeks ago some kids stole vegetables from a neighbors garden. Turns out the neighbor is the one helping us build the canal we so desperately need for all of our dried up gardens, orchards and vineyards. So then the gatos had to pay, of course they couldn’t round up the 80 Bs so then they had to work, keeping them out of school, giving the school a bad reputation round the hood and the guy didn’t want to continue helping. Machetes are missing everyday after agriculture classes and are found under the pile of potatoes in the garage! I don’t know if they are bored or tired, definitely hunger is a reason for stealing veggies. I don’t want to think what it will be like once we have honey, pretty soon all the honey will be gone, nothing to sell nothing for the bees to eat. it’s a rough time. I don’t envy them and I am scrapping my brain for things to keep them busy. I really want to play sardines and kick the can but its sooo cold at night might have to wait.
Not all of what goes on round here, but a few examples. My mornings are still time for cleaning and working on my own things and the afternoons are Ag classes. Throughout the week I will stop in on Dona Marina and help with lunch or dinner. We gave our first bee class on Monday, simple theory stuff to start while we wait for materials to actually get the gatos working with the bees. I go to the morning prayer twice a week. Sundays and Wed. sometimes Friday for a whole mass when the priest comes. I have some favorite songs and on the days I don’t go I like laying in my bed listening to them sing. I have fire now so I planned 12 menus. 12 Wednesdays when I will invite a group of four to make our own dinner and get to know each other better. Quite amazed at how quickly the time is passing and love the days when I can sit in my balcony open all three sets of doors in my room and let the afternoon sun make it all nice and cozy for the cold nights. That’s when I read or write letters and watch the gatos go swimming, too cold for me still.
Weird how it feels like this is exactly where I want to be right now. Good. Though I think of NY all the time and Backus and summers on the porch in my house on Niles on the futon spending a whole day reading cause I know that’s what Nora does on the weekends and everyone is going up to the lake at some point and the summer movies and concerts in the parks are starting and central park picnics can’t be beat. But then again, I am going to Sucre soon and will explode with all the English words I have been wanting to say and eat brownies and Chinese food and maybe the SAS (grocery store) has brought back the Dr. Pepper or fountain Fanta and we can go see a movie and people will call me Lebo. I don’t mind Yvonne, just not used to it and well my attempts at changing it haven’t taken.
Don Hugo of course has a burly semi cholita wife. Don Hugo is the administrator of the center. He is new, only has been working for about a year but a real whippersnapper of a guy. Mid sixties I would say, real skinny and well dressed. Today he was wearing a camel v neck sweater with a blue, gray and white plaid scarf tucked nicely into the front. His jeans are always clean and he always wears his hat, always. And he looks kind of like a cartoon character. Oh and he loves his pocket knife. Always finding reasons to use it and I think enjoying those moments quite simply. Sometimes he stresses me out, other times I am so glad we sit at the same table in the dinning room. Often I feel like everyday he has a new project for us to work on.
“Sabes que” (you know) he will say, “ a tourist agency contacted me we can work with them”
or, “ I talked to the mayors office they could buy part of our harvest for the meal programs in the schools”
“ oh and did you know that with the five rabbits we have now we could have fifty in six months,”
Of course I agree enthusiastically, really I am excited but then the list gets longer everyday and I don’t know where to start working. Good news is though that I finished the project proposal for the bees to be presented to the Foundation so we may get some funding sooner than I thought. Plus this means I already have a project written for when I can submit to Peace Corps! Yeah! And I am eating raspberry jam by the spoonful as I write because well it is raspberry jam and I don’t have any bread, am sick of moraditas which here is a whole sixth food group and I wanted something sweet after lunch, besides the chocolate milk. First glass of the day, sometimes it is only one, other days its three. Why is powdered milk so good, you tell me, I just couldn’t live without it. Couldn’t live without Don Hugo at my table either because without him awkward silence especially since the gatos changed seats so we have a new group. They don’t talk and when I ask questions always one worded answers even though outside the dining room we converse normally. I don’t get it. And Luisa she is great, really invested in her work, but she’s so funny she gives Guillermo her potatoes out of her soup everyday but then eats the ones in the second plate because she says they taste better??. I don’t get it they taste the same to me, like a potato. So Don Hugo’s wife is here for her first visit and she is exactly the impressive big personality one would expect to accompany such a strict determined guy. And she has pink crocs!
Saturday we get to march in a parade for the anniversary of Chuquisaca. Last night we spent an hour marching around the cancha (sports court) in the cold. I didn’t march I guess the teachers just walk behind the students. I have to buy a light pink dress shirt and black pants for the occasion. Odd choice of colors since the flag is red yellow and green. Speaking of colors the Bolivians are mad for red and navy blue. Like every other piece of clothing they have is one of those colors. One day Nabel wore a lime green shirt and it floored me. I kind of forgot about green. I love green. So I went out and bought a green paper lantern to hang over my bare light bulb. Miiiiistake. Once I finally found a ladder to reach my very high ceiling I was doused in a eerie hospital twilight zone glow. Awful. I think because the walls are so white the light just has nothing to blend with, its creepy I need to change it but the ladder was so scary I have to wait a few days.
When I first read my site description, I was so excited about being around high school kids, learning from them and being there in case they needed to talk. That’s what Pepe told me at first was that being so far from home they often need someone to talk to. Great sign me up.
So two things.
They have sought out my advice which is awesome and so soon. After a month I have people coming to my room after dinner to talk get help with homework etc.. Problem is that I just don’t have the words in Spanish yet. I keep giving the same advice over and over again because I don’t know how to say anything more in depth. Very frustrating. And the problems are so sad. Nothing kids this age need to deal with. It all leads back to money, money for tuition, money for their sick family members, money for the baby they just had etc.. breaks my heart cause I can’t give them money and then what I am doing seems rather trivial even though I know its not and really is better in the end but it is so hard to listen to their stories and to empathize and understand and not feel guilty. Especially since they are my friends and I would do anything for them.
Second problem.
They are high school students. I knew this but didn’t remember what that meant. The foundation works with university students studying psychology so twice a month they come for a few days to give presentations to the teachers and talk with and observe the kids. Last week we had presentations all about relationships and identity and all the awkwardness of adolescents I soo quickly forgot about even though it isn’t that far behind me. So then that led into thoughts and discussions about behavior and discipline. It seems like after every meal the principle has something to say to all or some of the students some punishment or lecture and so we sit on stools without backs for a half an hour sometimes listening, feeling worse and worse about our behavior. Thankfully the psychologists said this had to end because we were beginning to associate the end of a meal with a lecture and negative feelings. So that’s good, but things keep happening. Cell phones are stolen at least once a week. Why? There is no where to go, 60 people is not that big and someone is gonna get caught, where do they think they will hide it???
A couple weeks ago some kids stole vegetables from a neighbors garden. Turns out the neighbor is the one helping us build the canal we so desperately need for all of our dried up gardens, orchards and vineyards. So then the gatos had to pay, of course they couldn’t round up the 80 Bs so then they had to work, keeping them out of school, giving the school a bad reputation round the hood and the guy didn’t want to continue helping. Machetes are missing everyday after agriculture classes and are found under the pile of potatoes in the garage! I don’t know if they are bored or tired, definitely hunger is a reason for stealing veggies. I don’t want to think what it will be like once we have honey, pretty soon all the honey will be gone, nothing to sell nothing for the bees to eat. it’s a rough time. I don’t envy them and I am scrapping my brain for things to keep them busy. I really want to play sardines and kick the can but its sooo cold at night might have to wait.
Not all of what goes on round here, but a few examples. My mornings are still time for cleaning and working on my own things and the afternoons are Ag classes. Throughout the week I will stop in on Dona Marina and help with lunch or dinner. We gave our first bee class on Monday, simple theory stuff to start while we wait for materials to actually get the gatos working with the bees. I go to the morning prayer twice a week. Sundays and Wed. sometimes Friday for a whole mass when the priest comes. I have some favorite songs and on the days I don’t go I like laying in my bed listening to them sing. I have fire now so I planned 12 menus. 12 Wednesdays when I will invite a group of four to make our own dinner and get to know each other better. Quite amazed at how quickly the time is passing and love the days when I can sit in my balcony open all three sets of doors in my room and let the afternoon sun make it all nice and cozy for the cold nights. That’s when I read or write letters and watch the gatos go swimming, too cold for me still.
Weird how it feels like this is exactly where I want to be right now. Good. Though I think of NY all the time and Backus and summers on the porch in my house on Niles on the futon spending a whole day reading cause I know that’s what Nora does on the weekends and everyone is going up to the lake at some point and the summer movies and concerts in the parks are starting and central park picnics can’t be beat. But then again, I am going to Sucre soon and will explode with all the English words I have been wanting to say and eat brownies and Chinese food and maybe the SAS (grocery store) has brought back the Dr. Pepper or fountain Fanta and we can go see a movie and people will call me Lebo. I don’t mind Yvonne, just not used to it and well my attempts at changing it haven’t taken.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
