Well we have been here for almost 3 months. Unbelievable how time flies. I have been keeping a running list of the 10 items I will miss the most when I leave and the ten things I won't. Now that we are almost one quarter into this adventure I think I can share with some certainty my list. It will be interesting to see what the last list looks like at the end of my trip. Anyway, here it goes.
Things I will definately miss:
1) Maracuya-otherwise known as passion fruit but the ones here are not like the ones in NA. Intense and sour but amazing when mixed with milk and sugar and made into a drink. Heaven on earth.
2) Fresh cheap fruit all year long- You eat what is in season and you eat a lot of it. It goes bad quickly because it has no preservatives and it was picked yesterday. Bolivia is blessed.
3) Weather you can enjoy- Every day is patio season. Cool evenings and hot days. I will be envious within a week of returning.
4) People who aren't busy- Most of the people here work very hard to make a modest living and work long hours yet they always have time to sit down and eat a meal, have a drink or find a way to connect. We have much to learn.
5) Puffed Quinoa- This amazing ancient grain has been harvested here in Bolivia since the days of Christ. It is gluten free and high protein and when you puff it like pop corn and mix it with cane sugar it makes the best breakfast cereal ever.
6) Teaching English- It is a far cry from writing mind-numbing reports. I have always enjoyed teaching and teaching English is lots of fun. I have a committed group that are slowing learning and growing. Besides, who doesn't like being called teacher.
7) Speaking Spanish- It has been 10 weeks of Spanish lessons and although I have a lifetime of learning I know catch myself conversing in Spanish or cracking jokes....on purpose. What a joy to be able to communicate.
8) Football games- We have been to two games. What a hoot. There is no alcohol (legally) at the games yet everyone is insanely passionate about the game and sound like they would kill each other during the game. But at the end they all leave together and get back to their lives. We could learn something here.
9) Saltenas - The Bolivian's answer to the perfect snack food. It is a like a pizza pocket with a stew inside. The dough is sweet and the inside can be normal or spicey with chicken or beef. Healthy, filling and cheap (less than $1). They are so awesome and so South American "que triste" (how sad).
10) Walking - Being car-less can be a drag but it does invite the opportunity to use the mode of transportation God gave us. It is healthy and it gives a person time to think. I will miss my daily walks.
Ten Things I won't miss
1) Car alarms- I don't get it. When they go off all day I think you effectively inoculate the population to ignore thieves.
2)Barking dogs- I didn't like them in Cananda and when you have so many strays who knows who started it. I have learned to sleep through a lot.
3) Not having yellow pages- I can't understand how you people function in a country where you "just know" where stuff is. It is the ultimate land for guys because you need to "have a guy" for everything.
4) Not having a car- like I said, I like walking and cheap taxis but some days a car would be nice.
5) Living in an apartment- Not since 1994 and I will be ready for a house again in 2010.
6) Being able to understand people- Some days you relish the opportunity to learn more Spanish but other days you just want to scream, "speak English already". Trying going to China town and ask for some 1/4" fine thread bolts without your Chinese dictionary. You get the idea.
7) Espensive and slow internet- 256kb/s for how much? Are you kidding?
8) Cable TV- I watched too much TV at home and it comes with the apartment here. Thankfully most of it is in Spanish but I still tend to decompress there. Bad habit I hoped to break it is now a growth opportunity.
9) Dog do-do on the street- It isn't great in Canada. Now multiply it by 10 and add sunshine. Yummy.
10) The smell that comes from drains- 6 months of dry weather tends to not flush out, that which should be flushed. After some corners a nasal transplant is required.
Well, there is another snap shot of Bolivian life. I hope you enjoyed it and I hope you noticed, like I did that the positive list is full of things that matter and the negative list is full of petty things. This describes my life in Canada. I am learing to recognize petty and put it in perspective.
Ciao,
Brian
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
How else can we celebrate?
We've just finished a week of festivities that started last Sunday. Sunday Sept 6 was pedestrian day. Not just a suggestion like we do in Canada these guys take this serious! All day long there were no cars, buses, trucks, micro's only people walking or riding bicycles and motorbikes. It was fantastic to see the street lined with people walking down the middle of the roads with their children and dogs. We walked up the road to a neighborhood church and then walked home. In the afternoon we made sure a Sunday afternoon ice cream trip was involved as well. The streets were unusually peaceful and for 1 short day a year the pedestrian actually had the right of way.
On Tuesday we went to a weekly prayer breakfast at the Bolivian Baptist Union offices. This week everyone brought food to share as the new Latin America Team Leader - Jim McBeth and his wife Diane were introduced. The McBeth's were previously missionaries in Angola for 4 years and have just arrived in Bolivia in the last 2 weeks.
On Friday we were invited to celebrate Cochabamba day with the children of the Casa de la Amistad who had prepared for the day's festivities. It involved banners and posters that the kids had made, a presentation about the province and singing the hymn for Cochabamba, a dance presentation from the little ones and of course food. We were able to purchase small bowls of typical Bolivian dishes ( 5 in all). It was great fun and we were even introduced as honored guests.
Saturday we were invited for dinner by the McBeth's to the apartment where they have been staying. We joined the Guthrie family and all had a great evening eating Quesadilla's and getting to know each other more.
Sunday came and we finally after 2 1/2 months took the kids up the Gondola to see the world's largest Christo. It was a scorcher of an afternoon but nothing a little more ice cream can't fix. The kids enjoyed seeing the city from way up on top of the hill, and it's always good to spend time a little closer to God. We of course couldn't go alone so we invited the Guthrie family to join us and graciously they offered to drive. We finished the afternoon/evening off making pizza and hanging out until late into the night.
Monday (yesterday) was a provincial holiday. The kids had no school so we thought we needed to go check out the parade down in the main prado. Of course thinking like Canadians we thought we should go early to make sure we got a good seat. 1 hour early + 1 hour late parade + 3 hours of parade watching and it still wasn't done we figured we had seen enough. There were rumours that the Bolivian president would be there but instead we did see the vice. Many were the government officials, the veterans, the military groups and marching bands, the civic workers of every department, the unions, the women's groups, the disabled groups, the youth and whatever else came after we left. It was fun to take it all in and the kids although exhausted were troopers. Of course the vendors selling their foods and crafts were in the hundreds and our comfy plastic chairs did come at a price of 10 bs/chair.
Monday (yesterday) was a provincial holiday. The kids had no school so we thought we needed to go check out the parade down in the main prado. Of course thinking like Canadians we thought we should go early to make sure we got a good seat. 1 hour early + 1 hour late parade + 3 hours of parade watching and it still wasn't done we figured we had seen enough. There were rumours that the Bolivian president would be there but instead we did see the vice. Many were the government officials, the veterans, the military groups and marching bands, the civic workers of every department, the unions, the women's groups, the disabled groups, the youth and whatever else came after we left. It was fun to take it all in and the kids although exhausted were troopers. Of course the vendors selling their foods and crafts were in the hundreds and our comfy plastic chairs did come at a price of 10 bs/chair.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
An update!
Hello all,
I'm sorry we haven't had many posting on the blog lately but life is catching up to us. The kids have been in school for three weeks now and the homework is definately here to stay. Matthew being in grade 7 is in high school here in Bolivia and the workload reflects it. Sarah is now in grade 5 and in a class with only 11 students. They both have spanish in school 2-3 times per week and are learning new words little by little. Both Brian and I are pleased to see the progress that his English class is making. When Laurier Heights sent us here it was with the desire for us to be an extension of our STEP partnership. The great thing is that currently around half of Brian's class are teacher's from the Casa de la Amistad project that our church has partnered with. It's fun to watch grown adults laugh at us as we butcher their native language spanish and us giggle together with them as they step out into English. Most days the class goes by way to fast and there is always so much vocabulary that we both need to learn.
Matthew started at a youth group last Friday which also allowed us to go meet some other families at another Mission organization group called New Tribes Ministry. While the teens were across the street at the church we gathered at the Missions guest house and compound to play cards for 3 hours. It was a successful evening for Matthew and us as well. The church is within walking distance from our apartment which is nice as well. Sarah found some other younger siblings to play with while we played cards. Who doesn't enjoy phase 10 and popcorn. Last Saturday the kids school had their annual Beginning of school BBQ. It was again a beautiful sunny Cochabamba day and a good chance to meet some other families.
Today we experience our first public transportation strike ( Buses and trufi's) which included the school buses for the whole city. We were awoken by an early phone call at 6:30 that school was canceled due to the strike. Unlike Canada, strikes also include road blockades which we watched from our television. The school buses parked themselves sideways along major routes into down town, throughout the traffic circles and the city's most important roadways. We of course all just stayed home and caught up on housework and homework, every bodies favorites. By 12:30 it was all over and life carried on. I think the kids were hoping for a longer break from school.
I'm sorry we haven't had many posting on the blog lately but life is catching up to us. The kids have been in school for three weeks now and the homework is definately here to stay. Matthew being in grade 7 is in high school here in Bolivia and the workload reflects it. Sarah is now in grade 5 and in a class with only 11 students. They both have spanish in school 2-3 times per week and are learning new words little by little. Both Brian and I are pleased to see the progress that his English class is making. When Laurier Heights sent us here it was with the desire for us to be an extension of our STEP partnership. The great thing is that currently around half of Brian's class are teacher's from the Casa de la Amistad project that our church has partnered with. It's fun to watch grown adults laugh at us as we butcher their native language spanish and us giggle together with them as they step out into English. Most days the class goes by way to fast and there is always so much vocabulary that we both need to learn.
Matthew started at a youth group last Friday which also allowed us to go meet some other families at another Mission organization group called New Tribes Ministry. While the teens were across the street at the church we gathered at the Missions guest house and compound to play cards for 3 hours. It was a successful evening for Matthew and us as well. The church is within walking distance from our apartment which is nice as well. Sarah found some other younger siblings to play with while we played cards. Who doesn't enjoy phase 10 and popcorn. Last Saturday the kids school had their annual Beginning of school BBQ. It was again a beautiful sunny Cochabamba day and a good chance to meet some other families.
Today we experience our first public transportation strike ( Buses and trufi's) which included the school buses for the whole city. We were awoken by an early phone call at 6:30 that school was canceled due to the strike. Unlike Canada, strikes also include road blockades which we watched from our television. The school buses parked themselves sideways along major routes into down town, throughout the traffic circles and the city's most important roadways. We of course all just stayed home and caught up on housework and homework, every bodies favorites. By 12:30 it was all over and life carried on. I think the kids were hoping for a longer break from school.
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