Mis Padres!!!

It was great to have my parents in country with me for 2 weeks… We had some great adventures and saw so many amazing things. I am so happy that they came and now they both know more about Bolivia and my Peace Corps life here.

We spent the first weekend catching up and exploring Santa Cruz City. They got to experience the strange mix of intense poverty and little patches of glittering new money establishments around the city. The days were random, moving from gritty, dirty markets where people tried to sell us dogs out of bags, areas full of fruit, then bread, then meat, then chicken legs, pigs feet… to later the same day we found ourselves enjoying a fancy café with all of the traditional “camba” accompaniments- canapés, sonsos, pan de arroz (basically all different forms of yucca- cheese bread.

After the city we headed out on “the death train”. 7 bumpy hours later we arrived. I was happy that we all survived the trip. We were greeted by the kids selling tea, meat on a stick and empanadas- a foreign sight for them, but a familiar one for me. Having my parents in San José was great because they got to see how many people I know and we got to really enjoy the natural beauty outside the city. It was also on little hard for me to have them in San José because it was a struggle for myself to be there because of my frustrations and bitterness. Getting back to San José I once again felt the negative feeling of wanting to work but not being supported or used as a resource by the community. These negative feelings were really weighing down on me, and I hope that they did not carry out too much on our trip.

The moment we left to do a “Jesuit Mission Circuit” trip I felt more relaxed and was really able to enjoy my parents company. I really realized how lucky I was to have with them. We hit the road with our driver, to conocer (get to know) the pueblos of San Miguel, San Rafael, San Ignacio, Concepcion and Santa Ana. San Miguel and San Rafael were quaint towns with unique mission churches. I found them to be cute compared to San José, and cleaner as well. The stop in Conce was great because we saw a lot of Peace Corps friends and got to stay in a little condo on a lake. San Ignacio was the best of all, we stayed in a fancy hotel, and really enjoyed walking around the clean streets. Our trip along the “mission Circuit” coincided with “The Baroque Music Festival”, an international festival that occurs every 2 years, bringing musicians from around the globe. We were lucky enough to see quite a few amazing concerts both of local and international artists. When Spain conquered parts of the Chiqitania they brought with them their music traditions, for this reason there is a great history of Baroque and chamber music in this area. Driving around the Chiquitania in our big white pickup was an experience I will never forget.

At the end of the trip we had a little more time in San José. We got to visit some of the local schools that I work with. One great day was doing a hand-washing project with a kindergarten class. The kids were so excited to meet my parents and sang us each a song- saying nice to meet you! I did the hand washing presentation, and then the kids practiced using a “Tippy Top” we had given to them. Afterwards they had to have their hands checked by Mama and Papa to make sure they were clean enough- too cute! Another great thing about our time in San José was that we all had bikes- and did some great bike rides. I had found 2 pretty nice but out of use bikes in a storage room in my house, I got them fixed up by my favorite bike guy- who also became Papa’s friend! One day Papa and I rode to the top of The Mirador- our mesa/mountain. This was something that I had always wanted to do, but didn’t think I could. We broke physical and mental barriers that day.

One of the best things about having my parents here was seeing how much the people that I know in San José and even in other places we visited went out of the their way to make their trip special. People were really honored that they had come all the way to visit their country. I was so proud and happy to have my parents meet my Bolivian friends.

Frusterations

I have to apologize for the lack of postings lately… I have been a bit distracted. After Semana Santa I hit sort of a slump. I had begin to realize that the excited talking that people, especially in the government office had been doing for the past 8 months was just that, talk. I began to feel useless, unwanted and unappreciated. Not what you expect of a Peace Corps volunteer right? It definitely wasn’t in the vision that I had in my head for my service, I expected to be embraced into the community and my ideas and projects accepted with thanks. Day by day I was growing more and more frustrated. I continued to go to the Alcaldia to find that usually 90% of the people that I needed to talk to were not there. I began to notice more things that I would classify as corruption. I noticed that I was becoming very bitter. The worst was when my boss came for his 2nd visit (of 3 total visits) I found that my work partners had left without canceling our confirmed meeting. I broke down in tears and told everyone that I was ready to move to a community that wanted a volunteer and wanted to work. I was fed up… Thankfully my boss is a very supportive figure and was able to help me see the good things that I have going in San José.

A couple good things: I along with others have started an Environmental Committee, a group of interested people from different areas of the pueblo. We meet about every week and talk about environmental concerns, especially in relation to trash problems in San José. This is a group of motivated, educated people willing to work together to do something good for the pueblo. I have connections all over the pueblo. If I have accomplished nothing else in the last 10 months in San José I have established relationships in all sectors, barrios and of people of all ages. These 2 things mean that I have opportunities… Thankfully in the midst of my frustration, my parents came for a much needed visit.

Semana Santa

My holy, holy week

Semana Santa (Holy Week) in Bolivia is very holy. I enjoyed learning and experiencing the Bolivian traditions. The relationship between the indigenous leaders and the elected leaders as well as the towns indigenous traditions and catholic traditions were all very visible during the holy week.

Palm Sunday:
The town proecessions started. A large loop (a few blocks larger than the plaza) was done each night. At each of the four corners of the loop there were altars set up with candles, pictures of Jesus, and flowers. On Palm Sunday the town processed around with their large, beauiful palm fronds that were adorned with gorgeous tropical flowers. Palm Sunday in the states is my favorite because it is such a nice visual mass, but this was like that times 100! Bella!!!!

Mass for me started back again on Holy Wednesday. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday all consisted of processions around the town. Each night I was grabbed ahold of by my friend of the week- an older woman named Lola. Lola never married or had any kids, so she really appreciated having someone to spend holy week with. She is a fiesty woman, who had her favorite spot in the procession right behind the Virgin Mary. There was nothing that could keep Lola and I from getting the best spot in the procession, she grabbed ahold of my hand tightly and dragged me through the thousands of people in the procession and the military marching band! Each night mass started around 7:30, the processions ended around 10 and then there was a traditional flag waving dance done by a different indigenous leader. The flag waving dance was extremly different and beautiful. It was almost like a combination on martial arts and dance. The leader would take a specific number of steps forward holding a large flag on a long pole and the wave it in a figure eight type movement. Every move was calculated and intentional.


Holy Wednesday:
The indigenous leaders in the town had been preparing for weeks for Semana Santa. Every year they make thousands of candles from pigs fat! I was lucky enough to be given one of the precious candles in Holy Wednesday mass. It was obvious that this was something special from the looks on anticipation and then excitment on the older women's faces when they recieved their candles. It was like they had waited all year to recieve this candle. Just seeing their excitment at recieving this simple thing brought tears to my eyes. During the processions, I occasionally got whiffs of bacon- kinda good, but also occasionally really bad whiffs of burning fat- yuck... my hands were also covered in greasy wax- gross!

Holy Friday:
Holy Friday is the day that Catholics and Christians recognize as the day that Jesus died on the cross. In the mass on this day, I got to witness a real dramatic version of taking Jesus down from cross. The lifesized Jesus, was very lifelike with joints that moved as he was taken down. Immediately everyone in the church lined up to physically kiss the statue. After this, he was then placed in a glass tomb in the front. I had noticed that many people had brought little bags into church, and now they were opening them... it turned out that everyone brought their own perfume/ colone or water to "perfume" Jesus, as was done in the Biblical story... after being sprayed by hundereds of perfumes, Jesus and the church was quite smelly, and we started out on the procession.

Holy Saturday:
This was the real celebration of Jesus's resurrection. Before mass there was a blessing of fire and water, the natural elements of the earth. There was a huuuuge bonfire outside of the chruch and we all lit our pigs fat candles from the fire. People brought old soda and oil bottles filled with water to be blessed as well. Mass did not start this night until 10:30. It was a long mass and many of the old women I was sitting next to were falling asleep. n The head bobbing in church always makes me laugh uncontrollably, but I tried to hold it in. I usually go to bed reaaaallly early too, so it was a little bit of a struggle for me as well. The mass consisted of many readings and some beautiful music accompanied by my new Argenitine friends who are working with the local orquestra and choir. I was exhausted especially after being at mass so much in the past week and I was thinking of trying to skip out on the procession, being that it was already past midnight. But once again, I was grabbed excitedly by Lola, and I couldn't turn her down, so off we went.

It turned out that this procession was totally different- it was a celebration! The women all went one way, following the Virgin Mary altar, and the men went the other way, following the Jesus altar- a race to the other side! The women, were excited, and walked fast, we sang happily and reached the other side before the men, who were not singing (I think it was the singing that really sped us along). The women won!!!!!! After this, I was invited to Lolas house for cake and coffee- it was already 2:30 am. When I finally got home at around 3 am I excitedly opened my easter basket/box from Granny and Grandpa. They had surprsed me with candy and treats from the states! yummmm! What a great easter celebration!

25 in Bolivia

I was a little worried about spending my birthday in my site... but it turned out to be a wonderful day. I woke up to a radio that my host family had placed outside of my window at about 6:30 am, the announcer was wishing me a happy birthday on his "Good Morning San Jose Show". " Happy birthday to our gringa Annita... " I was invited to breakfast, lunch and dinner with different neighbors, family and friends! Dona Rosita made me a beautiful breakfsat with egg salad sandwiches and fig crepes. Lunch was with Deisy, Negro,(the family I live with) Patty, Pierre (Deisy's daughter and son in law) and Jenny (my sitemate), later Jenny and I, along with 2 new Argentine friends went to Patty's resturant for a light dinner and a banana split! yummm!!!!! I was so happy to be able to talk to so many friends and family from home, along with feeling very appreciated by the people in my town. I was even given a couple little gifts; a towel, an Ayureo Indian necklace, a mug! so nice!

The San Jose Girls; Patty, Clara, Ani, Deisy, Jenny



Later some celebrations with some Peace Corps friends
Typical Bolivian Kareoke- a camba favorite

Abe, Mathias, Josh

Is this an alien???

I found this strange bug in the shared kitchen I use...... what in the heck is it?????

Too cute

Posing for his centerfold? Check out that milk belly!