1st week with families

Wow, hard to believe its been a week. In some ways it feels like we´ve been here so much longer already. In other ways, it has flown by. There have been many new things to get used to -- new food, new smells, new friends and family, new climate, new time zone, new transportation methods... the list could go on and on. But there have also been things that have seemed like home -- enjoying animals, being challenged each day, reading and writing, and of course time with Erica.

We are both very grateful to have each other through this experience. We´ve heard many times about the loneliness a volunteer often faces during their service and the long, difficult days of learning a new culture. We feel very lucky to be at the point in our lives to share this adventure.

One of the most shocking things to me was the concept of living off less than 20 Bolivianos per day (about $2.50). To my surprise, we´ve been able to do it and have money left over. This includes going to the town fiesta, buying towels and other toiletries at the Cochabamba market, having ice cream a few nights, and celebrating a fellow trainee´s birthday with a few cervezas. The concept of money and wealth is sure to be one that we all ponder during our service.

Most of the group is looking forward to the Superbowl this weekend. Go Bears! Again, hard to believe I was 9 years old when they were last in the big game. I´ve waited a very long time for this weekend. And to experience it while here in Bolivia is quite surreal. We will be watching the game at the house of another host family who has cable, maybe the only one in the village who has cable. It will be nice to experience a bit of US culture so far from home. Too bad we´ll miss all the commercials!

It has been great to finally have a free day today, our first. Training has been intense as promised. Four hours of language each morning, lunch, then tech and culture training on alternating days until about 6pm. I have really enjoyed meals with our family. Simple breakfasts of bread and bananas, then rice, potatoes, chicken or beef, and some veggies for lunch and dinner. Lunch has been in soup form every day so far -- slightly hard to get used to when it is about 80 degrees in the afternoon. We´ve had lightning and thunder at night three or four nights.

Today I learned to wash my clothes by hand. Amazing how much time it takes. A normal sized load would be cleaned in 25 mins in the US then dried in another 30 mins. It took me just over an hour to wash and the clothes will be drying all afternoon. I better remember to bring them in before the night´s thundershowers.

Hasta Luego,

Marcos