November 21st

Well, it’s been a good two weeks since I’ve sat down at my computer and written about my time here in Bolivia. I guess there are many reasons for that. The most prominent being that this has been one of the most difficult experiences of my life, I have absolutely nothing similar in my life that I can compare this too. I think that it takes a somewhat emotionally disconnected person to live so far away for extended periods of time. This experience has taught me that I am much connected to my loved ones at this point in my life to travel alone, for long periods of time. I do believe there are friends to be made everywhere, but it has proven difficult in a country where very few can speak my language. Don’t get me wrong there have been aspects of this trip that have been incredible, and lesson I’ve learned that I will value for the rest of my life.  Though Canada is not exactly the model for a perfect country right now (Harper, Duffy, Ford....) I am so humbled and grateful that I was fortunate enough to be born and raised in a developed country, with opportunity and a chance to have a wonderful life. People do not choose to be poor and they do not choose to go hungry as I’ve learned living in a developing country. The circumstances they are born into are beyond their control.  I have also discovered that while I do have a desire to travel and see this world, living and working in a foreign country is an entirely different thing than backpacking, which is more so like one long holiday. I believe this experience has made me a much stronger person, and no one can take that away from me. When I first arrived in Cochabamba, I was miserable. I fought my parents everyday to let me come home, until eventually I realized that this was something I NEEDED to finish, not only because of the work I would be doing, but for myself. To prove to myself that I am capable of being removed from my comfort zone and thrown into a completely foreign country that has 37 official languages, none of which are English and I can adapt. As I mentioned before, absolutely no one can take that away from me and it is an experience that will stay with me until I die.

I’m constantly bombarded with the “make the best of it” and “you can do it” affirmations of encouragement, which while I do appreciate them, are sometimes unwarranted as no one can truly understand unless they have been here and lived this occurrence themselves. People experience things different and I feel I’ve done my best for the situation I was put in. I am making the best out of each day that I am here, but my heart really just can’t wait to be home, back in Canada, with all my family and friends. With a newfound appreciation towards being a Canadian citizen, I have also had the realization that I am so lucky to be blessed with the friends and family I have in my life. Without needing to name names, countless people in my life have given me nothing but support, including the friends who stayed on Skype with me into the wee hours of the morning listening to me vent, cry, yell and basically express every emotion that can exist within a person. Someone important to me once said that it’s the people in your life who make you who you are, and I have to say I have come to fully understand this statement. I’ll spare you the grotesque amount of sap going through my mind right now, and just sum it up by saying I would not be here today, finishing a 90 day internship in a developing country in just a few weeks without the amazing people who love and support me no matter what. Much love, you all know who you are! xo

November 1st-20th

The first week of November, our friend Juan took us to see a traditional cemetery in Cochabamba which was really interesting. It also happened to fall of “Dia De Los Muertos” which translates to Day of the Dead. We saw many families gathered by their late loved ones graves with blankets and tables covered in a variety of different foods, ranging from sweets and breads to full meals such as soups and meat dishes. Funerals in Bolivia traditionally consist of three day ceremonies which are still very common in the more rural areas. The funerals that take place in the more urban areas are usually condensed. Similar to North American customs, the mourners all wear black. The wealthier Bolivians are buried above ground in private garden cemeteries, which we saw a lot of during our visit. They varied from simple mausoleums to lavish glass houses surrounded with beautiful floral arrangements and ornaments.

My 2^nd week in November consisted of a look at the economy in Bolivia, and the different factors that negatively affect it.  The GDP per capita in Bolivia is 5000$, with the natural resources such as tin, natural gas, crude oil, silver, gold, and lead, and mining being their major industries. More than half of the labor force in Bolivia is in agriculture, with Coca being the largest cash crop, illegally of course, coca being the main component in the creation of cocaine. There have been efforts to reduce Coca trafficking, as the plant itself has many legitimate uses in Bolivian society, which include medicinal (altitude sickness, nausea etc.) and dietary. Coca is a large part of Bolivian culture and it really is a shame that drug traffickers exploit its production and uses; I have enjoyed many cups of coca tea since arriving in Bolivia! Bolivia is the poorest and least developed country in South America, and second poorest country in Latin America next to Haiti. The access to adequate health care, education and economic opportunities directly affects the lives of most Bolivians, especially those in the more rural areas. Approximately one third o the population lives in poverty, as mentioned before, surviving of less than 2$ USD a day. I study international development at Saint Mary’s and have always read and studied poverty, thinking I would be prepared for the experience of seeing it firsthand, and I must say it is a thoroughly different reality when it’s directly before your eyes as you walk to work each day.

Anyone interested in international development or who is studying it, at one point or another has likely heard of the “Cochabamba Water Wars”.  In 1998 Bolivia faced a political and economic crisis related to water. The government began construction of a pipeline, and started to consider the taxing of water to fund the $450 million project. In Cochabamba, which is Bolivia’s third largest city, the state owned water supply was sold to a private association of international companies. Construction of the pipeline was supposedly to aid Cochabamba in obtaining water from several rivers located in the city’s mountainous surroundings. In December, 2000, the government raised water prices by 35% which caused protests prompting the government to lower the prices. However, in April of 2000 the government again considered raising the prices of water, which sparked mass protests not only in Cochabamba but neighbouring cities as well. Demonstrations lasted 2 weeks in total, and ended in 8 deaths and 22 arrests. The army was heavily criticized for their tactics against protesters.

It has been interesting learning all the history that exists in Bolivia, and being a girl who has a keen interest in politics, the political history is particularly interesting.  If you are a lover of intense and captivating political history, I suggest taking some time to read about Bolivia’s history. The current President is Evo Morales, who was elected as a leftist and indigenous leader, part of the Aymara indigenous peoples, which was a first for Bolivia’s political history. Bolivia has one of the richest natural gas reserves in South America, though even still the majority of people still live in poverty. Morales was elected on the basis of a message that he would take back control of the country’s natural resources for the benefit of the people and not the corporations. This is what makes Morales a popular leader as he appeals to the 65% of indigenous people who currently reside in Bolivia.

October 23rd-31st

Hello!

It’s been about a week since I’ve had any energy in me to write, so here I finally am sitting at my computer. I wish I had more to blog about, but this experience hasn't been exactly what I expected. I'm sure I should have came into this with zero expectations, then I would have been fine. Oh well!  Where should I begin?  Well as per usual here in Bolivia, I have been on and off sick the past week, symptoms ranging from a fever, nausea and headaches, but the days I’ve been well I’ve been able to make some interesting observations. 

This post is going to focus on nutrition here in Bolivia. It’s a strange world here where in one meal you are served potatoes, rice, noodles, yucca and a small ounce of protein and rarely any sort of vegetables. In fact Lydia and I have actually brought our own vegetables to certain restaurants as they are not commonly served with meals here.  As one of the mass producers of the “Super Grain” Quinoa, you would think that it would be more of a staple in the Bolivian diet, however it is also rare. The decline in quinoa consumption is linked to the increasing global market for the grain. Seems unfair seeing as they produce it, yet are unable to afford to consume it. Through my adventure I have been two exactly ONE restaurant that has quinoa on the menu, and it was one of the more expensive, “tourist” restaurants.  The starches do vary by region, yucca is more so consumed in the lowlands, while corn is abundant in the valleys and potatoes are a staple all over Bolivia as they grow in most regions. Most of the food here is fried and locals often use a seasoning called Llajua which is a spicy salsa. The most common meat used is Chicken; however in Southern Bolivia they consume more beef as barbecues are common.

In my opinion, the malnutrition Bolivia faces is due to a lack of awareness and knowledge in terms of proper nutrition. This is something that should be of focus in schools as well as advertised through the government as many of the older generations are unaware as well. Lydia went to a market where one lady actually asked her what she should be eating, because she was worried about her weight. They simply don’t know how to eat properly here, and the abundance of cheap, fried, carbohydrate heavy foods do not make it any easier. The food people consume here does not offer enough of the necessary vitamins and minerals needed for proper health and nutrition. The Andean grains, fruits and vegetables are all available at the markets for cheap prices; however it seems people gravitate towards the cheaper starches and even miss out on proteins more often than not. I was speaking with a local yesterday about the issue of malnutrition amongst children, and he told me that during the time babies breast feed they are normally in good health and receiving the vitamins and minerals needed to sustain proper health, it’s after the breast feeding when they are switched to solid foods when the lower weight and vitamin deficiencies begin. Awareness is vital to change, as it is impossible for one to change what they do not know they are doing wrong.

October 18th-23rd

Hello!

Finally able to think of something to write about today, considering I was YET AGAIN, sick! Thankfully I went to a doctor and was able to find out what’s been going on with me. I will spare you the details however, just need to be a little more cautious about what I am eating and drinking. During my time spent being ill, I was able to do some reading about Bolivia and actually learned something’s that I didn’t know despite all my initial research into this country.

 The population of Bolivia is about 10, 461, 953 people, with an urban population of about 67%. An interesting fact about Bolivia is that about 55% of the total population is of indigenous ancestry. The largest groups being the Quechua, Aymara and Guarani; Quechua Indians are prevalent throughout the country but are especially concentrated near Sucre and right here in Cochabamba! This makes for a diverse selection of official languages, 37 to be exact! The most common are Spanish, Quechua and Aymara. In terms of religion, approximately 95% of the people here in Bolivia are Roman Catholic. I didn’t expect the number to be that high, but i assumed it was fairly high as just about everyone I meet asks me what my religion is. I usually dislike discussing my personal beliefs, but to avoid being considered rude I just smile and say “Christian”.

 

Another topic that fascinates me here is the Holidays, in North America we LOVE our Holidays, so I thought it would interesting to dig a little bit into what the customs are here. Most holidays in Bolivia have fixed dates. The 3 most important holidays are Independence Day, Carnaval, and the Holy Week before Easter. Independence Day is held on August 6^th and is the anniversary of the establishment of the Republic in 1825. They usually have a parade, with a fair or festival at the end. Carnaval begins forty days before Easter, on the Saturday before Ash Wednesday. The month starts with a parade in which groups of people dress up, dance and sing while following the parade for miles. On the last day which falls on a Tuesday people all over Bolivia perform the “Ch’alla” ritual, which consists of sprinkling a sacred liquid to bless things and making offerings to Pachamama (Mother Earth).  After Carnaval, comes The Holy Week in which the people of Bolivia repent all of the wrong doings committed during Carnaval. Catholics refrain from eating meat, only fish is permitted.

As you can see I’ve learned a few very interesting things about this incredible country while being sick, so it’s not all bad! It is so interesting to learn the different practices of another culture, that without this opportunity I would have never been exposed to. Not every single day here is as pleasant as I would hope, but when I look back to life in Halifax, I have bad days as well. Feeling better now, back to work and hoping to have a great week! Only 17 more days until I get to see another country in Latin America....Chile! Nick arrives on the 9th of November and I could not be more excited!

October 15th-17th

Ola Bloggers!

Cómo va la semana de todos? (How is everyone's week going?) Haha, I am finally starting to learn some Spanish. Not much of it, and I still get flustered when it comes time to actually try to converse with people, but I did manage to buy a pineapple on my own, and even asked for a larger one than he initially gave me. Progress people, progress!

At the office today, enjoying a nice cup of lemon green tea...that could potentially have some aunt residue as Lydia found a few ants in her tea....Yum... It's been a good week so far, I managed to finish a presentation due November 5th that discusses the legal framework and politics of seeds. All I can say is wow...I never imagined to be so interested in the topic, in fact when I first discovered that was what we would be researching, I wasn't too excited. Now that I have done quite a bit of research, I find myself reading articles about the subject on my own time, and talking about it with my peers (even when they don't want to listen to me!). Seeds are essential to this earth, they are the reason that humans have food in their bellies, and because of some bio-tech giants, they are also the reason many people do not. Developing countries all over the world rely on farming to ensure their livelihoods and feed their families, and these companies are coming in and creating GMO (genetically modified organisms) seeds, along with toxic herbicides and pesticides.  Previously, farmers just replanted their own seeds and exchanged them among themselves, this is now an illegal practice in many parts of the world, and is causing devastating effects. These companies sue farmers who are not using their patent seeds, or who are "seed saving"  thus sending small-scale farmers into a horrible world of mass debt and inability to provide for their families. These "government regulated" seeds are completely eliminating entire indigenous varieties of seeds. You know all those interesting looking heirloom vegetables you find once in awhile?  A lot of heirloom varieties are by definition not identical. That is what makes them so valuable for the resilience of our agricultural systems – they have genetic changeability that can adapt to small environmental changes. These are steadily becoming extinct, and will soon be impossible to find leaving us all with the same cookie-cutter, genetically modified, pesticide riddled produce. Not only is this bad news for vegetables, but it's bad news for our health. Numerous studies have shown that GMO'S have negative long term health effects. In the United State's alone 90% of the wild bee population has been wiped out due to the use of toxic pesticides and herbicides. This is stuff humans are ingesting...keep that in mind.

Don't let these beautiful tomatoes disappear!

Awareness is crucial if a change is to be made. I know that not everyone can completely modify their diet to organic foods, believe me, I know how hard it is! Especially because in North America it is a challenge to really be sure that what you buy IS in fact organic. In Halifax we have an incredible market called the "Seaport Market" which gives buyers access to farm fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs etc. and the chance to at least change some aspects of your diet. Find a local market and talk to them, ask them where the produce comes from, I'm sure they will be happy to tell you. Previous to my trip here, I made small attempts to buy organic produce from my grocery store but due to higher costs and other excuses, I was not always consistent. However, now that I have been able to see firsthand some of these heartbreaking struggles farmers and families are going through in developing worlds, I will be extremely conscious of the food I am buying, and I hope my family will be as well!


This weekend is going to be a good one I think! My new friend Gustavo told us about a Wine Festival happening here in Cochabamba, that has over 80 different selections of wine for us to try, along with some really great cheese ( I LOVE cheese).  I'll be sure to fill you all in :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well, it's thanksgiving! First Holiday I've spent abroad without people I love. It's not so bad I guess. I still have so much to be thankful, starting with those people I love. I have the most amazing family a girl could ask for, sure they push me a bit sometimes when I'm a little lost, but only with the intention of ensuring I become the best possible version of myself! Sometimes it's easy to feel a bit useless here because again I DO NOT SPEAK SPANISH and the littlest things can be overwhelming and complicated (trying to express that as much as I can so everyone gets it), but instead of dwelling on that, I realize it's given me the chance to create a strong research question and find a good amount of Academic journals and interesting articles relating to my research.

I'm also very thankful for my friends today, it's great to have such an amazing support system and so many strong relationships that remain strong even halfway across the world. Waking up to an inbox full of support and love from the people who really know me and love me is really a fantastic thing and I'm lucky to have these friends! My thanksgiving meal was Sushi last night from a very upscale restaurant here in Cochabamba called "Goss". It's close to our apartment and absolutely delicious. They have Ipads as their menus! How cool is that? I had a passion fruit daiquiri that was so good, along with some quinoa salad and a few sushi rolls. Amazing dinner! It was sort of surreal eating at a such a fancy place in a developing country, knowing that over 2 million people in Bolivia live off less than 2$ US per day. I keep this in mind every time I eat a meal here, and am truly thankful that I am able to afford meals, clothing, a roof over my head etc, as I know this privilege is not one that every one in this world is fortunate enough to have. A valuable lesson I have learned here in Cochabamba is that you really do need to be grateful for every single thing. Even when everything feels as though it's going terribly and you feel incredibly alone, there's light in everything. I find light in my family and friends, along with the incredible things I am learning through living in a developing country. The ability to go to university and study in a field I am passionate about is grounding, as proper education is something many people around the world do not have access to. In fact in some areas of the world, women need to fight for their right to education, as it's being taken away from them due to terrorists and people who fear a well educated woman, like Malala Yousafzai for example. If you have not heard of this incredible woman, I really suggest you look into her story. It's heartbreaking, yet incredibly inspiring that such a young woman continues to fight so bravely for her rights, and the rights of women all over this world to pursue a proper education, even after an assassination attempt on her life.  This clip nearly leaves Jon Stewart speechless, which anyone fans of Stewart out there, know what a rarity this is.

 I am already finding out some extremely useful and interesting information through my research paper and I am really excited to share it all with you once it's complete. It's easy to feel useless here sometimes because I don't speak the language fluently, but instead of letting anyone or anything make me feel that way, I just do my work! That's all I can do so that is my focus now. My attitude hasn't always been spot on here, it's been more so up and down, not that I need to explain myself, but it's a very difficult experience. BUT I know I am so blessed in my life and that's something I need to focus on, along with the amazing opportunity I was given to live in another country and study something that has always been of interest to me. To find out why Bolivia's food situation is the way it is, has been and will continue to be so fascinating and I am truly looking forward to my final results and final research paper.


Thanks for reading, and happy thanksgiving to all of my fellow Canadians! Enjoy that turkey :)

October 11th 2013

Hey everyone! I promised I would write a legitimate post soon enough, so here it is.


This week has been MUCH better. I don't know how to describe the last few weeks without sounding like a miserable oaf. I feel like my spirit had been really broken the last couple weeks, I got wrapped up in being homesick and obsessing over the way things are in Halifax, instead of adjusting to the way things are here in Cochabamba. I remember reading about culture shock when I first found out that I would be going to Bolivia, but I just shrugged it off and figured that I would be fine. Boy was I wrong! Culture shock is most certainly real, and I definitely suffered from it my first few weeks. It came in cycles of frustration with locals, isolation, helplessness and then just awfully dark sadness. It's different from the regular blues I've had from the comfort of a developed country. It's much more intense and leaves you with a very empty feeling because I really can only actually socialize with minimal people here, which I'm not used too being an extremely social person where I live in Canada.  The only contact you have with people you love is via a computer screen, and though I'm grateful for that it does get really frustrating being here sometimes.  Not knowing the language is extremely frustrating, and as someone who enjoys my independence I especially dislike having to be dependant on other people to help me with normal day to day things. It's easy for people to say things like "oh it gets better!" and "oh you just have to TRY" ... alright, well I AM trying, why don't you come live in another country for 3 months where you don't speak the language, and you let me know how that goes for ya! It's much easier said than done .Enough with the sad though, luckily I have been able to pull myself out of it, and I think living in a great area close to downtown has really helped as well. Before I was so hesitant about going out alone because it meant taking a bus, remembering where to get off, trying to tell the bus driver where to stop with the little Spanish I do know, and then finding my way back. In the area we are now I can roam around, go have a nice coffee at a cute little café, do some shopping and still find my way back to our apartment without any issues.

Here is a picture of the turtle who lives in our building! I can't think of a good name so I've been calling him Ricky Martin. I don't think he knows we are friends yet cause every time I go visit him he retreats into his shell.....but that's okay, soon enough my friends, soon enough.

 

 

Lydia and I have completed our first presentation at CENDA ! It went well, minus me having to read my sections in Spanish....I gave it a shot at least, though I pronounced everything with a French accent, that's the New Brunswick-er in me coming out. I am grateful I am bilingual and can speak french, as it's helping me recognize a variety of different words in the Spanish vocabulary. I had two Spanish lessons this week as well, which went fantastically. My teachers name is "Franz" and he is confident that within a few weeks I should be able to carry out at least a basic conversation!

 

 

It's already October 11th ( Happy birthday Gisele!!!!)....that's so crazy! Before I know it it'll be December 17th, and I will be making my way back to Halifax. This isn't the BEST time I've had in my life, but it's a learning experience and I'm grateful for it either way. 

October is here!

Hello Readers!

My apologies for my lack of posting this past week or so, let me tell you that I have good reasons for this!

This has been the craziest, most hectic and overwhelming week of my entire existence....well potentially. I think being in a foreign country just magnifies everything and makes it seem much more dramatic. We have a new apartment! Turns out paying 300$ EACH per month for a small apartment in Cochabamba is wayyyyy to expensive, and luckily we've befriended some locals who were able to let us know this. It was not an easy process, but at the risk of offending anyone, I won't get into it. Basically just the fact that as foreigners, people think it's easy to take advantage of you in a sense.

Our new apartment is fantastic! It has two FULL bedrooms, with wardrobes built in, a beautiful living/dining area completely furnished, a laundry area, and a nice kitchen with new appliances! The area is great too, as we are close to downtown and tons of different coffee shops, restaurants and bars for those days when a nice cold one is a necessity. I almost had a nervous breakdown however when I found out our apartment didn't have a steady internet connection! I like to push myself academically so I decided taking 3 online courses was a great idea, turns out not so much....but I am getting them done! Life is definitely getting better here, and I feel like I'm slowly adjusting. I definitely don't think I ever in a million years would have chosen to come to Bolivia, but I'm still very grateful for the experience this will bring me and all of the lessons I am learning here.

I am going to try to be more steady with my blogging, work is getting a bit more intense and we have presentations to do and will be interviewing locals at different markets this month, so I will keep you guys in the know about those experiences! Thanks for reading :)

September 27th-30th

Hello again!

I’ve decided instead of blogging/journaling everyday that it’s more efficient to group a few days together and tell you about them in one post.

I had a really awesome weekend here in Cochabamba with some friends that Lydia met on a “Couch Surfing” website. Friday evening we went to a museum called “La Troje” and it was free! Friday the 27^th was actually “Free Admission” day to any museum in Cochabamba which we only found out late in the day and didn’t think we would get to take advantage of so it’s great that we did! It was all in Spanish, so I didn’t get to take in everything but what I did take in was very interesting. They had ancient chairs, portraits, books and a variety of different devices that humans used years ago here in Cochabamba. Following the tour there was a traditional Bolivian dance and a gentlemen handed us two leaves and told us that we could make two wishes, and project all our positive into these wishes, then put them into the fire and that they would come true as we were sending our love to Pachamama, which I explain further down, don't worry! The group we were with decided that we would head to a “Beer Bar” after which was also really exciting. I met some very interesting people from all over the world, including a French lady and her brother who are also here in Cochabamba working on an internship.

Here is Lydia, Danila and I outside the pub! and some pictures from the museum

The "Leaf" Wishes

Traditional Dance!

 

 

Saturday the 28^th was another AWESOME day for us! Around 3 P.M Lydia and I met with our new friends Juan and Danila and started our journey to Punata, a town about an hour away. Once we arrived the town was bustling with people everywhere, locals selling an abundance of different pastries, fruit juices, souvenirs, and some prepared meats. The parade was the highlight of the day, and was really unlike anything I have ever seen before in my 23 years of life.  The streets were packed with on-lookers with smiles on their faces and buckets full of Chicha to share with all of the dancers. "Chicha is a term used in some regions of South and Central America for several varieties of fermented and non-fermented beverage many derived from maize, and similar non-alcoholic beverages. Chicha can also be made from manioc root (also called Yuca or cassava), grape, apple or various other fruits." Big thanks to Wikipedia as that's much better than what I could have explained! My explanation would be as follows “ Chicha is a strange liquid that’s served in buckets, drank from a coconut shell that tastes similar to a combination of beer and red wine" it was so cool to try it. Juan bought us a pitcher of it, and as the parade went on, we were given a few different variations from locals who were interested in sharing with us Gringa’s. The most interesting thing about Chicha for me was how much of a part of the culture it is in Bolivia. We learned that when someone offers it to you, it is considered very rude to refuse, so we ended up drinking QUITE a bit, but some wasn’t with alcohol so that helped.  Pachamama which translates directly to “Mother World” but means “Mother Nature” is considered a "good mother" and people usually toast to her honour before every meeting or festivity, in some regions by spilling a small amount of Chicha on the floor, before drinking the rest. This toast is called “Challa” and it is made almost every day.  This happened every time anyone had a drink at the parade, and it was really interesting to see something that is such a strong piece of the culture here. Pachamama has a special worship day called Martes de challa (Challa's Tuesday), when people bury food, throw candies, and burn incense. In some cases, celebrants assist traditional priests in performing ancient rituals to bring good luck or the good will of the goddess, such as sacrificing guinea pigs or burning llama foetuses (although this is no longer common, thank goodness for me!)

 

Pouring some Chicha for Pachamama!

A lovely Cholita who kindly offered us some Chicha

 

Giving it a try!

 

 We stayed and watched the parade for a little over 2 hours, and I am so thankful that we were able to be a part of this. Not only were we able to watch all the excited and talented dancers, but at one point some of the beautiful dancers invited us to join in the parade and dance with them, even play some of the instruments that they had! It was an experience I will certainly never forget.

 Young Dancers! So cool

They let me try on their hat!

Part of the parade

 

My lovely dance partner!

Another thing I without a doubt will never forget is the dead Llama that some of parade participants carried around and a few locals posed to take pictures with. I’m quite an animal activist so this was a bit of a shock, but I do understand this is a part of their culture and that Llamas have been sacrificed to Pachamama for thousands of years. I tried to find out if this Llama was killed for the parade or had already been dead, but my attempts were unsuccessful. Please don’t chew my head off! I’m new to this and slowly getting used to how things work, as it’s quite different in Canada. The aspect of animals is something that is taking me awhile to get used to, and I think that’s normal. The stray dogs here are absolutely everywhere, I’ve walked by dead dogs on the streets, dogs without limbs, and dogs that just look absolutely starved. It is painful for me as this is not something you see in Halifax, and I want to help them all but do not have the means.  It is impossible to deal with an animal issue when a country is struggling to feed all the human mouths, and that is something I am really starting to understand. I can only hope that the work I do here will in some ways help those who are suffering and give progress and change to this wonderful country and it's people. Big dreams I suppose!


Overall I had a really incredible and eye opening weekend, and I am happy that I am starting to settle in and feel comfortable here. I knew it would take time, which is why I never gave up and pushed through the bad days. It’s easy to have hard times and throw in the towel, but that’s not what I’m about to do. This experience will help me grow as both a woman and a humanitarian and I truly look forward to those changes. Starting a new work week today and looking forward to finishing our presentation that is due by the start of next week. I will write more on this soon! Thanks for reading everyone J

Sick Week :( Sept. 23rd-26th

Hello fellow bloggers,

 I’m so sorry I haven’t been writing this week, but unfortunately I have been doomed with some sort of illness that has not given me much motivation to do so.  I wanted to save you from an unnecessary blog post telling you all about my exciting week of 9 cups of tea a day followed by a few good naps and of course watching the entire first season of “The Mindy Project” in 3 days.  Sick days in Bolivia are not so different from my sick days in Halifax it seems.

While I have been sick all week, it certainly has given me some time to reflect on me feelings and thoughts compared to those of last week. I am settling in just fine, Lydia and I spent about 100$ each and a good two hours at the supermarket Monday night and our apartment is finally starting to feel just a little like a home.

I still find it hard to believe I am actually living in Bolivia. Rewind to a year ago, if anyone would have told me “Hey so you’ll be living in a foreign, undeveloped country in a year’s time!” I would have A) given them a look of utter confusion and probably thrown in a “Yeah right” and B) Ask them why they are going around predicting random girls futures. Point being, I never would have saw myself here. To be honest, I’m still having a hard time accepting that I am actually here....for another....Wow, this time I don’t know the exact number of days. This is good, right? Time will pass quickly; hard to believe that as of today I have been in Bolivia for 2 weeks already. There are a lot of things that I miss about Halifax...I miss my friends, family & boyfriend, I miss my cat....I miss Netflix, I miss Alexander Keith’s....and in a way I really miss the everyday routine of rolling out of bed at 9:45 and rushing to my 10:00 A.M class and seeing all my peers, socializing and being a regular SMUdent.  My routine here is much different and I guess that’s a bit difficult to get used to. Another thing I never really thought about or appreciated in Halifax, was how safe I felt. Not that I don’t feel safe in my home here in Cochabamba, the people who’ve helped get us set up have done an amazing job, truly angels in disguise and I don’t know what we have done without their generosity and graciousness. However, in Halifax it’s so much different there. Of course there are problems, just last week my friends suffered a horrible beating near Gottingen St, there are problems everywhere you go. In general though, I can walk down Spring Garden Rd. And catch just about any taxi and know that they will take me home. Whereas here, it’s not a good idea to just hop into any car that labels themselves as “Taxi” because many times this is how people are robbed. You always here to horror stories, and in a way that has been what is plaguing me and causing so much anxiety. To add another comment to the horror story aspect, before I arrived I had no idea what the people here would be like, how could I? Google only really helps so much in that regard. I had come up with so many scenarios in my head, but none of them were correct. The people here are warm, kind and gentle souls. There are bad people in every country you go to, no matter what. Bolivians may not be used to tourists, and initially be a little uneasy about speaking to us, but I can totally understand that, I would be too. All I can be thankful for is that Lydia and I are here to help, here to develop a more in depth understanding and we are fortunate enough to get to know some of these people on a personal level and hear their stories, and it is our job to tell them.  We have been given this great platform to do so, and I don’t take that lightly. I don’t feel safe at all times, but that is because I’m out of my comfort zone. Things don’t run the same way they do in Halifax, and realizing how sheltered I’ve been in that sense is very grounding and interesting to me.

Taking the day to rest and get some work done from home, we have our first presentation to our co-workers due on October 8^th, in which we will be discussing Canada’s indigenous peoples and the large amount of natural resources we have access to in our beautiful homeland. It will be interesting for us to discuss these things, as we were told that this will be the first introduction our co-workers have to these topics and how things work in our country. Therefore we get a chance to teach other people all of these wonderful things about Canada, while still discussing some of the problems we have, as no country is without issues. Until next time friends! If you’ve found this blog via Facebook, Twitter, any of those ever so popular social media websites, please feel free to share! It’s awesome to see that people are reading this, and hopefully enjoying it! Chow J

The 21st of September

Saturday, September 21^st

Lydia and I woke up bright and early this morning, and prepared for our adventure to “La Cancha” market which is the biggest open market in Bolivia. Lydia woke up around 7:30 and I woke up at 8 as Veltza and her daughter offered to drive us to a halfway point, and we could walk from there. Lydia and I are both learning that the time frames given here in Bolivia are much different than Canada. Not a bad thing, just a different culture. Around 10 A.M we arrived downtown, near La Plaza and began our market adventure. IT wasn’t a far walk at all, just a few blocks. I was amazed at all the people on the streets selling jewellery, snacks, and even artwork. I walked by a man selling hand painted portraits of famous people, and the first one to catch my eye was a gorgeous painting of Bob Marley and for a total of 10 Bolivianos, it is now mine! I can’t wait to get home and hang it up in my room.

Lydia passed some fruit vendors in La Cancha so we stopped and got some grapes, apples and later we bought peanuts from the same merchant. As we kept strolling it was amazing to me to see all these North America brands filling up the streets; shoes, sweaters, body care products, hair care, they had it all. We passed by huge spot selling different pieces of clothing, I spotted a pair of leopard print leggings that were absolutely awesome. We stopped and chatted with one of the ladies working there, and she showed us a variety of different patterns and styles. She offered us 3 for 150 Bolivianos, so I bought two and Lydia bought 1. They are so unique, I can’t wait to wear them. The best part of the market was a section that sells handmade items such as bags, socks, ponchos, souvenirs, hats, basically anything you can think of and all in the beautiful original pattern that you see in many different areas of South America. It was hard to stop myself from buying absolutely everything they had to offer, but for about 28$ Canadian, I was able to purchase quite a bit for myself and a few gifts for my family and friends. Can’t wait to go back!

We decided that since it is after all Saturday night, that we would go out and find something to do. We are so lucky that our neighbour Oscar was kind enough to welcome us into his home and go over some of Cochabamba’s best and safest nightlife.  

We went to an AMAZING restaurant, I can’t remember the full name of it now, but it was something “Diablo” which means “Devil” in English.  We started off with a local beer that we were told was the best in Cochabamba and it surely did not disappoint.

Here is Lydia and I enjoying our brew!

 

 

 

We both were quite hungry but weren’t sure what to order, until we saw “Mixed Table” which had dried fruit, nuts, cheese, bread and cured meats. The best possible choice we could have made! It was incredible, so many varieties of cheeses, amazingly flavourful cured meats, and delicious homemade breads.

 

 

To go with our mixed table appetizer, we ordered a salad so we felt at least a bit healthier ordering some vegetables, it was also incredible. Overall it was a great first night out in Bolivia, it actually reminded me of some of the places you would find downtown Halifax, which was in strange sense very comforting.  Back to work on Monday, going to finalize our research question and start really getting into our work. I’ve also emailed a few Language schools so that I can start taking Spanish lessons and become more comfortable speaking with people here in Cochabamba! Until next time bloggers.

Friday, September 20th

Friday, September 20^th

Good news! I am feeling GREAT today.  Yesterday was an awesome day; Lydia and I walked to work around 2:00 and arrived at about 2:30. We were greeted by some sort of road construction directly in front of the entrance to our building; I like to call it a “moat”. Luckily we leaped across and made it safe and sound.

 

 

We were given a tour by our supervisor Klaartje. The office has a kitchen, with lots of teas which excited Lydia and I as we are both tea fanatics. It’s seriously all we drink here. Klaartje showed us to our desks, which are situated in a room with other employees as well, who all speak Spanish and no English, so I feel as though this will be a great way to pick up on some conversational Spanish. I looked over and work plan and decided to get right to it. We have to create a presentation that gives our co-workers some insight to how things work in Canada, so I think I have finally found my niche and means to feel as though I may finally be of some use with CENDA, the NGO we are working with. The first presentation we decided to research is Indigenous Rights & Agriculture in Canada. I immediately thought of the issues surrounding the Bear River First Nations in Nova Scotia, and the problems the privatization of the fishery industry have caused for our indigenous people. We worked from 2:30 until about 6:15 and then started our trek home.

 

Here I am at my desk !

 

Klara was nice enough to accompany us on our walk home, and brought us to Avenuda De America. On the way we passed a swimming pool that is open to the public everyday of the week, from about 9 A.M until 1 P.M. As a child of the water, this was awesome news. Once we hit the Avenue America, there were tons of shops and little restaurants for us to chose from. We decided to eat a place called “Frankffurt”, where they had tons of different style burgers, steak, ribs, chicken, basically anything you could imagine. Lydia and I both ordered the same thing, pictured below. It was a giant piece of steak, cooked perfectly, some salad with vinegar and oil for dressing, and the most amazing root vegetable thing I have ever tasted. It’s called a “Yuca” which is found all over South America, and it was superb. It was deep fried of course, so what isn’t good deep fried right? Lydia told me that it’s just as good boiled with salt and pepper, and that they sell it in the produce sections in Halifax, so I will definitely be cooking it when I get home and treat my friends to some Latin America cuisine.

 

 

 

 

After dinner we were on our way home, and came across an act from the “Cochabamba Jazz Fest”, and stopped in to see what it was like for a few minutes. It was so cool seeing some extremely talented musicians from this part of the world.

 

Overall I am feeling much more optimistic about my journey here in Cochabamba, and I am excited to see what the rest of the 87 days will bring, (yes still counting!). Off to work soon and then our first weekend off here! We are going to check out the main market called “La Cancha” and hopefully find some awesome Bolivian goodies. Can’t wait to fill you all in tomorrow! Chow

Settling In

Good morning!

Lydia and I have settled into our humble yet adorable apartment in Cochabamba. It has two bedrooms, small kitchen and a nice bathroom. I feel comfortable here, which is a very nice feeling. I have also determined that the only real time I feel overwhelmed is as soon as we leave a "home like" environment and venture into the city. I'm trying to establish why this is, and what makes me so uncomfortable about being downtown. It's much different than Halifax, no marked bus stops, it just kinda stops wherever on the street and locals just know. The worst part for me is crossing the street! You literally never know when it's okay to cross, and the exact moment you feel a slight sense that it may be okay....nope, taxi comes raging through nearly slamming into you. I guess in a sense that's really not THAT different from Spring Garden Rd. in Halifax.

Here is a photo of my bedroom! Pretty cute.

I'm going to remain optimistic about this experience, because I know at the end of the 88 days (yes I've been counting) I will have learned so much about myself, and this culture. You can read about poverty and the hardships other countries face, but no matter what extent of reading I've done, I don't think it could have ever prepared me for the realities here in Bolivia. Even in just the short period of time I've been here, it's truly opened my eyes up to just how lucky I am to be Canadian, and have such a high quality of life. People here did not chose to be poor, no one does. It has brought into fruition just how fortunate I am to be able to turn my tap on in Halifax, and drink the water without having to worry about contracting diseases such as cholera, hepatitis and Chagas, a parasitic disease that causes intestinal problems and early death by heart attack. In 3 months time I am able to fly home, and spend time with family and friends and enjoy the Christmas season with plenty of food, a roof over my head, and clean drinking water, these things alone are a luxury to some of the people in this country suffering from immense poverty. I am going to push through my periods of frustration and culture shock, and really give myself the opportunity to adapt, adjust and take in as much as I can.

I wanted to try to eat a bit healthier living here, but that has also proved to be a bit of a challenge. Potatoes, rice, milk products, and bread, lots and lots of bread are common staples in the Bolivian diet. Lydia and I went to the "IC Norte" which is the Canadian equivalent to "Sobeys" and were able to pick up some of our groceries. I found a jar of Vlassic dill pickles and it was somewhat embarrassing how excited I was. Lots of fruits, vegetables, some brown rice, yogurt and a couple snacks for when we are at work. We sat at our dinner table once we got home and enjoyed a pre-cooked chicken (so good) and some rice that Igor taught Lydia how to prepare and it was AMAZING. The bottle of wine we bought had a cork, and we didn't have access to a wine opener so Lydia spent a few minutes battling with it, and eventually won.

I am feeling optimistic and content this morning, despite my ferocious battle with a foreign species of hornet who decided he wanted to hangout with me in my room. I did not appreciate the company however, so after about 45 minutes of debating with myself which method I would use to be rid of him, I decided to spray him with just a bit of bug spray, enough to confuse him, and then lured him out my window and quickly shut it. I won! Today is going to be a good day, I can feel it. Lydia and I will be walking to CENDA's office around 2:30 P.M so we can get to know our route to work a bit, and see some of the things around the area we are living. I'm looking forward to this, and the rest of time here, as I feel like it will just keep getting better. Not everyday will be fantastic, but there will be fantastic days here and I look forward to those. I am going to return to my homeland a new woman, with new perspectives on life and a true realization of just how fortunate I really am.

 That's all for now!

Day 1 in Cochabamba

Monday, September 16^th, 2013

Today was my first full day in Cochabamba, and I will admit it that it was quite the experience. Lydia and I relaxed and ate some breakfast in the morning, and then went to visit Igor’s sister Veltza who lives in the house that our apartment is in. Our apartment is great, two bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom and laundry on site for 300$ canadian a month. This is very reasonable. Igor informed us that Veltza is a linguist, and speaks Russian fluently. She is very kind and welcoming, and I’m glad I get this sense even with the language barrier. Speaking of such, this barrier brought about a variety of different emotions within me today. We went to see the NGO CENDA’s office where we will be working, and this is the point I believe I felt the most overwhelmed. Not because anyone was rude, simply because I had some feelings of helplessness whilst everyone was discussing the projects and our work in Spanish and I could only sit there and nod pretending in some sense I had at least an idea of what they were talking about...I didn’t. There is a lady there who does speak english so she translated most of the conversation for me, but again I feel like more of an inconvienience in this situation, needing a translator for every word spoken around me. We discussed the work on food sovereignty and food security that we would be completing, along with some presentations about Canadian politics and agriculture that we will present to the CENDA staff during team meetings on the last Monday of each month. CENDA produces a local newspaper with their findings and reports, and travels to boardering cities and villages to sell this newspaper, as well as interview some of the locals who they then feature in the newspaper. I really need to work on learning Spanish, as I feel like this expereince will be uncomfortable for me if not. I can pick up on certain words and sayings, and reading the signage around Cochabamba hasn’t been a problem, it’s mostly just conversation that I’m lacking. It’s a difficult feeling to describe when you can only converse with two people in your own language in a massive city. I would love to be able to converse and meet some of the locals as everyone we’ve met for the most part seems to be very friendly, but unfortunately I’m not able to just yet. Veltza, the lady who owns our apartment and lives on site does not speak much English but has offered to help me in the morning this month and teach me Spanish; which is so kind of her. Pointing at items, writing things down and speaking with someone who does not speak English may be a very interesting way of learning the language. I’m definitely feeling the culture shock today, it seems more than tempting to just stay in bed but I am going to hopefully venture out and see some of the city and go for lunch at a nearby local cafe. I knew this early on there would be some shock and feelings I wasn't quite used to in the comfort of Halifax, NS so I just need to take deep breaths and keep in mind that things will get better here. I know it won't be too long before I adjust and adapt because that's what people do! There's a lot of beauty in this city, kind people and a vast and deep rooted culture that I feel honoured to be able to experience. I will write again this evening to document my feelings througout my second day here in Cochabamba.

I've also been enjoying this tune my Tracy Chapman, for some reason it makes me feel a bit better!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ0kh3k0LKE

Arriving to Cochabamba

Well, Lydia and I have made it to our home base for the next 90 days! We left Loki in La Paz around 12:30, and took a bus to Cochabamba. The bus ride was....unique. It was incredible to be able to see Bolivia's vast and amazing landscape, from miles of flat desert like scapes to being right in the middle of ginormous mountains basically touching the clouds. We drove through many different small villages, most of which had half built building and many stray dogs running wild. It's hard to explain how I felt driving through some of these towns that were just so so poor, and seeing a big "Coca Cola" montage painted on a building that was falling apart. I was told that the reason for so many buildings here in Bolivia not being fully finished is due to the fact they don't have to pay tax if they construction isn't complete. Driving through a town called "El Alto" we saw scarecrows hung up throughout the city. I found out that this is to warn everyone of the penalties for committing a crime in this town, as they do not have official police. Men are hung and women are stoned to death, still to this day. Pretty surreal.

We stopped in another little village that had a tiny restaurant, and at this point I was famished so I bought some pringles, and a "Pollos" a.k.a chicken sandwhich. They ended up giving me one chicken and one "Carne" which means beef. They weren't amazing, but I didn't expect them to be. They had a small piece of a tomato and a bit of what I think was mayo...I was worried about getting sick but I seem to be feeling fine. Overwhelmed, but fine. The bus ride did go smoothly, our luggage was safe, and I managed to get a little nap in. I wish my nap would have lasted longer, as the locals on the bus requested that a movie be played, and they chose an English title just for us "Gringa's"....and they went with FINAL DESTINATION 5.....worst.movie.choice.ever. I was already feeling extremely anxious, and to add to it I had a screen in front of my face that I couldn't shut off showing different freak accident scenarios where young people die extremely brutal deaths...Lydia and I were not enjoying this whatsoever, but the local people were laughing and loving it. I was told that scary movies are a common favorite here, which is fine...but maybe not for us Gringa's on an 8 hour bus ride through an unknown land.

Arriving in Cochabamba was very overwhelming for me. Lydia was very calm, and was able to speak with some locals about which taxi service was safe and where the main entrance was. We were able to call our contact Igor from CENDA who decided it was safest to come pick us up...I was very grateful for this. The terminal was massive, people everywhere, lots of shouting, and people honking their horns. I just felt uncomfortable lugging all my big bags and having so many people stop to stare at us and point "Gringa Gringa", but I have come to understand that being that Cochabamba is not a tourist spot, they are just not use to seeing us and are very interested. Igor arrived and we drove to his house which is located a bit outside the city. Wow what a beautiful home he has! It is in a very secure and safe area, has gated security which made me very happy. The view from his balcony is incredible, definitely will be posting pictures soon. We can see the "Cristo De La Concordia" from here, which is giant statue of Jesus Christ, very similar to the one in Rio, Brazil but a bit bigger actually! I'm all settled in, got to Skype with Nick my boyfriend which was very comforting after the long day, and Igor made us a ham and cheese sandwich with some tea he makes himself, very good! I feel absolutely welcome here, Igor has truly gone out of his way to accommodate us which is so nice. He even has set us up with a house viewing tomorrow close by, safe area and for only 300$ Canadian a month! Quite the difference from my two bedroom flat in Halifax, Nova Scotia. We are going to relax in the morning, and go have some lunch, view the house and then stop by CENDA to meet some of the people we will be working with. Igor discussed a bit of the work we will be doing here, which all sounds incredible. Lydia and I will be studying and reporting our findings on food security and food sovereignty in Bolivia.. I am very grateful to be able to experience all of this, and I know this experience is going to be one that will stick with me for a lifetime. Though it's overwhelming at times, I'm sure it will pass, this is my first big trip after all! I miss my family, and friends but I am focusing on all the good this trip will bring and have a feeling the 90 days will be over in the blink of an eye. Off to bed now, will post again soon!

Wow, what a day I've had so far! Lydia and I decided to venture outside of La Paz a bit and go see " Valle De La Luna" which means "Valley of The Moon" in English. What an experience! Probably not the safest place, old railings and such but we were careful. Such a beautiful spot and was truly breathtaking to see the city from so high up. We saw tons of different cacti and even some mysterious rodent creatures that we aren't quite sure what they are. We took a taxi there, which was about a 45 minute drive and only cost us 20$ Canadian each for a drive there and back! The taxi driver even waited for us while we explored, such a cool experience. Loki is throwing a "Jungle Themed" party tonight, really looking forward to it! Love that I have made some really amazing and interesting friends from all over the world because of this experience. I'm definitely going to do my best to make it back to Loki, La Paz before I head back to Halifax. Kat, the hostel manager is truly a great person and I feel like we are bound to be great friends.

 Off to get ready for this party. Post soon!

My first night in La Paz...

Alright, so my first NIGHT here definitely differs from my first day. Kat the hostel manager and I decided to buy a bottle of wine, and sing a few songs at the karaoke party....what a blast. I sang some Miley Cyrus with some guys from Brazil and some Aussie's hahaha.

This is my friend Dean that I met at Loki, he's from England and has been here in South America for awhile now. This photo was taken at the "Jungle Party"

It's hard to explain exactly how I'm feeling, I do miss Halifax, my family, my boyfriend, my friends, so much but I just wish I could fly them all out here because I wouldn't trade this experience for the world. I am meeting so many people from all over the world, as well as learning so much about Bolivia and the culture here.  There is a ZOMBIE party tonight, and those who know me....know I LOVE ZOMBIES! I'm SO EXCITED. I will be going out for a late dinner with some of the staff here, my Canadian friend Corrine, Astrid from Holland and a few others, then we are going to come back and get ready! This all feels so new and exciting and it's really only my first 48 hours here! Can't wait to see what the rest of my journey will bring. Everyone I've spoken to about Cochabamba says that it's absolutely beautiful and that the weather there is the best in all of Bolivian. Can't wait! Talk soon, will be filling you all in about this zombie party!

first day in La Paz

 

 

Hey everyone! So I have arrived safe and sound to La Paz. Currently sitting at the Loki hostel bar enjoying a glass of red wine and observing all the other travellers who are embarking on similar journeys. So far I have noticed that there is a ton of Australians here, which is super cool. Everyone at the hostel is very friendly. There was a bit of a mix up this morning, when I arrived at 5 a.m the reception staff did not have my reservation on file, so I have to wait until 9 a.m to actually have a room, was a bit frustrating but the hostel manager Kat was an angel and helped me out, even gave me a free glass of wine, so who can complain! My initial thoughts on La Paz when I went wandering the city with Osvaldo early this a.m was that it was VERY different from anything I had ever seen before. I noticed many poor people asking for money, much like Halifax, but they seemed to be so much more desperate here. One older lady was even crying and yelling "Senorita por favor" as I walked by. There was vendors everything, selling everything from toilet paper to trident gum....The photo above is actually Quinoa juice! First time for me with that stuff. Really interesting taste, tastes like Quinoa just a bit sweeter, they use apple juice to sweeten it. It's served warm and you can find it everywhere. I wonder how good it is for you! I know Quinoa is a superfood....hmmmmm..

 

 

 

 

 

.Another thing I noticed when exploring was that it is clear to all the locals that I am a full on GRINGA. The looks, the stares, even some people following me for a few minutes...it was a very new experience for me. Anyways, I would highly recommend Loki Hostel to anyone travelling South America. They have hostels in Peru and Argentina and the vibe here is just really exciting and great for young people looking to meet other like minded travellers doing the same thing they are. Lydia my travel partner arrives this morning at 5:30 |A.M and I'm looking forward to seeing a familiar face and hearing her thoughts on this amazing place! Will blog more later, about to go indulge in a chicken sandwhich was an avocado salad from the hostel bar and restaurant! Talk soon :)