A month in

A friend of mine, state- side, asked me recently what I miss the most from back home besides the obvious, family and friends. Well to be perfectly honest with you there are some commodities that cannot be found here. Things I didn’t really take into consideration during the first three months, probably because I was so busy all the time, and now that I have ‘some’ free time on my hands I tend to daydream or just think about the goods that are so hard or impossible to find here. Things like good chocolate, pretzels, options of opti-free that aren’t ridiculously overpriced, micro-brews, cream cheese, and just cheese in general. Don’t get me wrong I am living comfortably, let’s just say I have become much more of McGyver here (you know that guy that could do or make anything out of nothing). An example, I have decided not to purchase a mini oven of sorts, even though I would love to make cookies every once in awhile. Instead, I stick to the Dutch oven. For those of you who have never tried, do it! It’s incredible what you can do with a pot, a layer of sand, and a tuna can. My site mate and I have made some pretty tasty banana cakes, and are experimenting weekly with new ingredients. I think I might try some cayote (squash) bread sometime in the near future.

Still no friends, or at least that close girlfriend I can shoot the shit with. Thank god for Garrett is all I can say, I don’t know how I would deal without someone to hang out with over dinner. It gets lonely sometimes, especially since there is no clear, defined path of work. True I was assigned with the Superintendent of this municipality but he is new in his position and has a hard time understanding my role as a Peace Corps volunteer. My work partner, who is super nice, is so busy that she doesn’t care what I do. So I’ve been doing my own thing, walking around, presenting myself, finding those professors or NGOs who want to collaborate with me. Work is different here. The education system is different. The teaching styles are different. The difference is sometimes super frustrating because it’s so inefficient. For instance, the superintendent wants me to hand in a cronograma, a schedule, of my whereabouts and what-abouts, which is hard to design because I don’t have a steady schedule at the moment, and probably won’t for the first few months. I tried explaining this to him, but no matter, he wants something to refer to. To back the cronograma up I have to write out Actas de Visitas or Trabajo, which basically state that indeed I was where I was supposed to be and then it is stamped by the professor or whomever I am working with - more paperwork. Last week he stopped me and told me he wants me to sign in everyday at 8am like his employees. Which I am refusing to do because I am a volunteer, I have a role that is unpaid by this municipality. It is such bullshit. Can you tell I have been frustrated lately?

This week marks my one month here in Sacaca and I can still honestly say I have no idea what I am supposed to be doing here yet. I know to work within Environmental Education, but the idea wasn’t for me to teach, it was for me to facilitate and support the teachers. Today I have come to the conclusion that indeed I am going to be teaching. I grew some news balls yesterday and walked up to a new school and blindly introduced myself and what I am doing here and made dates to go and help teach next week. One of the classes is teaching English and the other is in Natural Sciences. Vamos a ver.

This past weekend all of the 12 volunteers in the Altiplano got together in Huari, along with some Bolivian friends from Oruro, to commemorate two birthdays. We prepared my first P’ampaku, which is a Quechua tradition of cooking in the earth, while we celebrated by bonfire overlooking Lake Poopo and its beautiful sunset. It was so awesome! My times away from my site are more exciting than my times here. I hope that changes soon, because it’s pretty depressing to not want to return to site. I am having no problem living here, the town is beautiful and the locals are friendly enough, but it takes a toll on the happiness level to not have friends and to have no direction in work. Supposedly this is the norm for the first three months. Does that mean I have two more to go until I get it? I’ve decided to buy a guitar soon. Perhaps picking up an instrument will give me some structure that I’m lacking in my life. I’ve gone back to making lists, thanks to some good recommendations from other volunteers who too find that work is the hardest part of being a Peace Corps Volunteer.

I’ve also gone back to writing real letters; however I only get to mail them out those days I am in the city. I get in usually every other week. But I do have a mailbox, so any of you who would like to be my pen pal, feel free to begin writing me at:

Casilla 585
Oruro
Bolivia
South America

*In case of packages, please do not send packages over 4 pounds please, because the post office charges out of the wazoo… and it would be good to write ‘cosas religiosas’ on the mailing so as not to have any pirates try and pry open your goods.

I end with you knowing that I am still happy to be in Bolivia and hopeful that work in Sacaca will come.