Mi ultima semana...

Well, I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's my last week in Bolivia. It has been a little nuts with political unrest...we were confined to our house in Santa Cruz today because there is a 6-province wide strike. On Sunday, we went to a soccer game and it was crazy...we played the team from La Paz, and there's a lot of racial and social tension between the 2 provinces. Let's just say we booked it home afterwards! I got some good pictures but my computer is taking forever to upload right now. We celebrated thanksgiving right this weekened prepared by mom and dad (charlotte and derek) and me. I have to say, it was quite scrumptious, turkey, stuffing, & all. I did miss Aunt Mary's cranberry sauce, though! Tomorrow is volunteer training day for my public health project and I'm a little nervous...there have been quite a few road blocks...figuratively & literally...but I'm trusting that God's gonna work it out. I can't believe it's almost December...we had temp.'s in the 90s this week...ugh. I'm actually looking forward to real winter!

Happy Thanksgiving

Really missing my family, especially this time of year...I wish I could be there with you! I'm back in Bolivia safely and I have to say, I'm especially glad to be from the land of the free after a week in a communist country, but it was a very eye opening experience! I'll be at the clinic on Thanksgiving day so I won't be able to call :-( Love you guys! Here I am in country gooding jr, a little bit nervous to be holding the flag!

Bichos

Last week, we did a test run for the deworming/nutrition/hygiene project that will hopefully be in full force starting in February. International public health is no joke: lack of reliable transportation, communication, resources, differences in cultural practices, etc. But having the opportunity to interact with these kids & knowing how much better their lives could be without these parasites makes it more than worth it. "Worms" affect over 2 billion people worldwide. They contribute to vitamin and nutrient deficiency, decreased cognitive function, and increased risk for getting other diseases. They affect people in poverty stricken areas and haven't gotten enough attention to make needed changes. I feel BLESSED to be in a position to bring education on prevention and treatment to these people in hard to reach places.

We did the Monster Mash

To celebrate a pointless yet enjoyable American holiday, we had a party at our house last weekend. We had no problem finding costumes - there's a strip of stores that are ALL costume and party stores. But surprisingly, no trick or treaters. I wonder who's wearing all those costumes (besides us). Some of the highlights: Mike the giant penguin, Popeye & Olive Oil (aka Derek & Charlotte). I decided to go the home-made route and dressed up as Mrs. Homer J. Here are a few fotitos! Oh, last night I woke my roommates up because I was sleeptalking in Spanish...WHAT?

Survival Skills

Okay, so I'm on a blogging binge. Our internet is going fast, so I want to make sure to take advantage of it.

Halloween night:
11:30pm We were driving back to the clinic after a rousing game of volleyball when we noticed the ride, although normally bumpy, was especially bumpy. We got out to check the wheel, and sure enough, it was completely demolished.
12:00pm We can't find one of the parts to the car jack.
12:10pm Guinda (one of the clinic nurses) and I go to look for help. It's pitch dark, and we are serrenaded by sounds of insects, birds, and who knows what else for a couple miles.
Meanwhile, Ethan & Rich work their magic with no flashlight to put the spare tire on.
12:30pm Guinda and I arrive at pastor's house and wake him up for help. Just as we head out to leave, Ethan and Rich pull up. They did it!

Alex Trebek - Revisited

I've been informed that although a picture was posted, I didn't explain my encounter with Alex Trebek on my blog. People have asked, "Who's that guy your with?" and "Is that your dad?" Obviously not Jeopardy fans, I will recount our meeting to clarify. I was sitting in Lima, Peru waiting for my flight to Santa Cruz. After 2 days of travel and very little sleep, I needed some fuel for my fire. Just as I started to doze off, a strapping older man caught my attention...could it be? Weeknights at 7pm have been spent with him for decades. And there he was, sitting just across the room from me. As I thought of a witty way to approach him, all I could mutter out was "ARE YOU ALEX TREBEK?" Classy. I talked to him and his wife Jeannie about my trip to Bolivia for a few minutes and documented it in photo. I think I even said the ultimate star struck phrase, "I'm a huge fan." So there you have it.

!Que la Muerda!

I have so much to catch up on my blog! I have not been very good about this. I'm going to go back to my birthday (over a month ago). There's this tradition where the birthday girl/boy takes a bite out of the cake after blowing out the candles. Everyone chants "Que la muerda" (take a bite) and the birthday person goes in for a dangerous bite...dangerous because someone sneaks up behind them to push their face in the cake.I had the pleasure of doing this several times, as my colleagues found it amusing to take every opportunity to sing happy birthday once they discovered that it makes me blush. Charlotte finally took the bday torch a few weeks after me! Here's a couple pictures of us going for the plunge.