Well Sometimes I tend to forget about this blog, sorry I haven't kept it up more frequently. =/  But anyway. Since my last post it has just been some weird inbetween time. Not until this week did I actually start english lessons again. My weeks have been filled with working with school supplies. Every year IDI provides a package of supplies to each child in the project with note books, pencils, folders, etc. and although that seems simple. but when handing supplies out to more than 500 kids its hard to keep organized. I often felt like it was out of my control at times, but I always did fine and kept my head up.

Since my last post one of the biggest changes is that My sister Rocio left for Korea and the new Korean volunteer has arrived. It was hard having Rocio leave because she was someone I could always talk to about anything, especially culturally. Although Its sad to see her go it has been nearly a month since she left (shows how long ago my last post was yikes!!) The new volunteer speaks very little english and is continually growing in spanish. when she arrived she knew NO SPANISH. yea... learning from scratch.... So watching her learn is a lot of fun. Teaching her things like voy vas va vamos van (I go, you go, he goes, we go, they go) and the basics. I remember when my spanish felt like a babies level when i couldn't talk with people and the other volunteers who had been in bolivia for a while already were like spanish master minds. I know realize that I am that to the new volunteer. Sorry I just realized I haven't told you her name, it is Eun Hye and goes by Ester in spanish. OH! and today was her birthday and she got cake in her face like any good bolivian birthday! Ah, haha not only me!

Next weekend is Carnival. That should be fun. I will be going to Stansberry, the orphanage that Jacob (another RAD participant) works at and we have a camp there of another church. Every year during carnival there are 'campamentos' for different churches, its away to get away from the city while they are all celebrating Carnival. Carnival can at times be dangerous, which means if you stay in your house you stock up on food, so you don't have to leave you house. I don't think I quite yet have a grasp for how crazy it gets but I hope from the after math that I get a better idea of this massive part of south american culter.

I think for lent I will be giving up Internet, which is very do-able but a big change, haven't really told my parents that yet, so I hope they read this or I talk to them before that.... Well.... yup!

Sorry this took so long!

JD

My House

So I just realized there is an acuate way to find where I live here in Bolivia. At the same time as wanting you all to know, I don't think I'm going to put it here in this blog because this is completely public.... So I'll put it on my facebook where you have to be friends with me to see it. So you can visit me on facebook.

Profile Info page you should be able to click there, and log in and friend me or just look down to my favorite quotes ! Questions? Just comment, email me (JDBoliviaUpdate@gmail.com) or facebook me!

An End to Summer Vacation (Jan. 5)

Happy New Year! Similar to Christmas for New Years here they light off tons of fireworks all over the city, from peoples indiviual homes. Mind you these are big fireworks that would be illegal in the US, so its quite beautiful, from full sized firework show type fireworks going off to chinese firecrackers as well as everything inbetween.

Next week, monday the 10th, will be the end of my rather short summer vacation. though it starts with a work retreat to a hotel =). But my days of relaxing at home and translating spanish novels will be much more limited as well as I'll have to wake up before 8. But that is whats to come, I've mist the best part of my vacation! My family came and visited!

So to start my xmas summer vacation, yup its the same thing here cuz its summer, my family arrived here in Santa Cruz. As is here the plans changed almost daily, from how I picked them up from the airport to how I dropped them off. The day before I picked them up I finially got someone to drive up the the airport to help bring them back, I live a good 40-50 minutes away. But things work out in south america they just do. (though sometimes it works out poorly, though this didn't turn our poorly, turned out quite well actually!). Monday and Tuesday, the first two days we visited my two work locations--Which are both churches but run after-school type programs--and had Christmas services at both churches. Wendsday we went to the church I attend for its service and Thursday we all celebrated Christmas, on xmas eve, with my host family. For our Christmas day we slept in after a long nights party, relaxed around our house, my family stayed in the house of my pastor while they were here, and watched movies in the afternoon. It didn't quite feel like xmas but we were all enjoying the bolivian climate. I don't recall saturday.... =/ I think we tried to go to the movies but failed to watch one because they were all in spanish, which was actually odd because the theater we went to was almost always in english with spanish subtitles, so we failed at that. Sunday we went to church and then headed off for Samaipata which is a beautiful vacation town. We stayed in a German Hotel called Land Haus.  It was quite beautful there, with cactus, and flowers of all colors all shaded by large overhanging trees, except for some space by the pool to lay in the sun. I was kinda sick througout our stay in Samaipata but everyone else seemed to be alright the first few days. Our last day in Samaipata my mother joined me in being sick. We returned to Santa Cruz Tuesday afternoon. Wendsday my dad got pretty sick and we stayed at home and watched more movies. Thursday afternoon we caught a taxi to the airport. Though Wednsday I wasn't sure if there were going to be any public transportation because mid week Bolivia's government, Evo Morales--CAUGH  CAUGH-- Decided gas should nearly double, so there was quite a bit of violent riots and strikes where all transportation would freeze. (Note: Non of the violence was anywhere near us, and we say and heard nothing of it at the time). Monday for example there were no public busses and for thursday there was a threat for no busses or taxis, which would make it hard to arrive at the airport.(My buddy who picked them up from the airport had his breaks go out) ANYWAY, we took a taxi and they made their flight, and everyone got home safe with all their lugage =)

Since then I've just been relaxing cuz its my summer break. =) ahhhh....


More photos that gloria has gone to the work of uploading!