Two for One Special

I apologize for the lack of posts this week. I wrote one last weekend (which I’ve posted below) but had trouble finding an internet café with a USB outlet for some reason. Apparently the Bolivian internet gods didn’t want me to update my blog.

So now that I’ve been here for two months I thought I should compile a list of the things I take for granted/no longer think twice about/are unique to Cochabamba and Bolivia in general:

1. People sweeping and water sidewalks. We used to make fun of Notre Dame for watering the sidewalks instead of the grass, but people here take after the ND grounds keeping department in that they are ALWAYS sweeping/watering their sidewalks.
2. Families on motorcycles. It is not unusual to see a family of 4 piled onto one motorcycle…all without helmets or any form of protection.
3. Dogs wandering the streets, sitting in the middle of the street, sleeping on the sidewalk, and dogs in coats (yes, stray dogs wear coats).
4. That every meal includes rice and/or potatoes.
5. Not having to check the weather in the morning because I know it’s going to be in the 80s and sunny all day – even if there is an occasional rain shower.
6. Not seeing white people. We went out to a bar the other weekend and there was a group of about 8-10 gringos from the MaryKnoll Center who were out together and I felt very uncomfortable around such a large group of white people who were not interacting with Bolivians.
7. Getting whistled at. Even by the boys in my own house. But always by complete strangers as I walk down the street.
8. Mountains. Cochabamba is located in a mountain valley so everywhere you look you are surrounded by huge mountains. Nothing like this exists in Delaware or South Bend and I almost forget what it’s like to not have them.
9. Amazing mass transportation. I’ve never had such an extensive mass transportation system before – you can travel over an hour away on mass transportation no problem.
10. Being asked if I’m married or have kids. And then having them drop their jaw in amazement that I don’t even have an “enamorado” or boyfriend. Doña Sabina has taken to telling everyone that I don’t want a boyfriend (false) and my security friend that I see on the way to work every day thought that David (a boy from my house who has started working at Solomon Klein) was my marido (husband) and when I relayed the information that I am, indeed, not married – he proceeded to tell me that time goes by fast so I should get married soon.

Other highlights of my week include that Doña Albertina came back to work and I was reassured that I am not crazy for thinking that the kids act out more around her because on Wednesday they switched all the mama’s around because Albertina shook one of the kids at breakfast and Emma saw and didn’t like it. So then on Friday Doña Emilen worked with Albertina (instead of working with Doña Sabina like usual) and discussed with me how she thinks the kids cry more around Albertina too and then went to talk to Emma about how she doesn’t want to work with Albertina and shouldn’t be punished and have to stop working with Sabina just because Albertina screwed up. This discussion occurred right at the end of the day so I don’t know how it went, I guess I’ll find out on Monday. It was also funny because Doña Sabina came in for a meeting on Friday and came into the bathroom when it was just Emilen and I and was like “Katy, who do YOU like working with more?” – kind of jokingly because she knew my answer – but it was funny nonetheless. Needless to say my favoritism of days when Doña Sabina works has been restored and cemented even further. Thank God she is working MWF next week.

It has been over two months and on Monday I will FINALLY have my visa process complete. Americans actually only have 30 days to complete the visa process on their tourist visa, while everyone else has 90. When I asked the Rita, the lady organizing our visa stuff, why that was the case she said “because Evo (the president) doesn’t like Americans.” Awesome. Thanks Evo. Now I get to pay 20b’s of a fine for every day over 30 days it took to complete my visa (35) – none of which was my fault for being delayed, all because the Bolivian government loves to take their time with things. I’ll just be glad when it’s all done.

My relationship with the boys downstairs has also gotten a lot stronger in the past week or so. Hanne is good about interacting with them and kind of gives me the courage to do so too. I’ve always wanted to do interact with them more, but I was timid because of my lack of confidence in my Spanish before, but I think I’m pretty good now. It also helps that I have an “in” with David because we walk to work together every day. I even gave him some of my music this week and I woke up on Saturday morning to them playing “Kids” by Chiddy Band and “Shark in the Water” (both songs I have to give credit to my brother for giving me, but the boys don’t have to know that…they just think I have awesome music taste). I will take full credit for getting all of Bolivia up to date on the music scene.

_______________________________________________________________________________

(older post below haha)

Going into this week I was convinced that at the end of the week I would be unsatisfied with where I’m working and what I’m doing here after getting to visit all the other Amanecer houses. That I would have to sit down and talk to Tom and Melissa about how I really don’t belong at Solomon and should be working with the street kids at Yaycuna or the girls at Madre de Dios. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Usually when they do the tours of the Amanecer houses they don’t stop at Solomon Klein because having a large group of visitors around a bunch of kids age 5 and under is usually a recipe for disaster. However, when we began our tour on Wednesday and Melissa told me that we were actually going to make a stop at Solomon I got this feeling in my chest that I can describe as nothing less than love and pride and pure jubilation that I was going to get to show off my kids to everyone. We were only there for twenty minutes or so, but I wanted nothing less than for all of the other volunteers to get to know my kids like I do, to see how absolutely amazing they are. Instead, as we were leaving the general consensus was “I could never work there, how do you do it?!”

How do I do it?

Twenty-three screaming, crying, always fighting 1-3 year olds for eight hours every day. Twenty-three baths. Twenty-three (at least) dirty diapers. Twenty-three little voices shouting “Mama! Mama!” and raising their hands to be picked up. Twenty-three screaming cries as soon as you put one down to pick the other up. Jonaton constantly headbutting other kids just to get attention. Omar constantly biting other kids for attention. Benjamin generally creating chaos wherever he goes.

How do I do it?

Because they are also: twenty-three sources of unconditional love. Twenty-three smiles that could brighten any day. Twenty-three laughs that ring in my ears. Twenty-three little people climbing up on my lap. Twenty-three besitos (kisses) every day after I put their shoes on and send them out into the play room after bath time. Brittany’s ability to mimic a scrunched nose or shrugging of shoulders. How Maria Leanor runs full force into my legs, looks up at me, and giggles. Gonzalo knowing exactly when he needs to be chivalrous and bop another boy on the head for being mean and then looking at me and smiling, know he’s saved the day yet again. Omar’s love of dancing. How Benjamin has taught Juan Carlos to snort out his snot and then giggles every single time. Andres’ ability to completely melt my heart with every look.

Sure, there are times every day (and sometimes entire days) that I don’t think I can take a single minute longer of the crying and screaming. But the number of times I am completely and totally 100% head over heels for my kids outweighs these not so pleasant moments 10 to 1.

Coming down here I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to do, that working with these kids was just a short-term thing and when I got back to the US I would move right back to working with older kids and not think twice about anyone under the age of 5 until I was some day having kids of my own. Now though, I’m not so sure. Hearing the stories of my kids who have been abandoned, tortured, and generally maltreated and knowing that they have absolutely no voice of their own is overwhelming at times.

I have officially been here for two months and I am simultaneously 100% certain that this is where I’m meant to be and what I’m meant to be doing and 100% lost as to what this means for my future. But I’m okay with that. I met some really great new people this weekend too and had some fascinating conversations that I look forward to continuing in the future – but what I took away from all of it is that just when I was expecting nothing, expecting the worst, life has a way of surprising me and reassuring me that everything is happening for a reason. I can’t believe it’s been two months already, but I can’t wait for the next seven.

Oh, and Andres, Brittany, Navian, and Maria Leanor are probably coming home with me in my suitcase. Mom, I hope you’re ready for a few more kids around the house.