Watts Happenings in Bolivia 4 - July 29, 2005
Dear Family and Friends,
¡Hola from Bolivia!
Well, what's new since last time? We've started our Spanish lessons with Blanca de la Rosa (really her name!) who is an older woman who has taught for 30 years. She came well recommended by Pat and Terry Janke and Dennis and Judy Sherman. She keeps us strictly on task (which we like) but is able to have a laugh now and then. For example one day as we were going over masculine and feminine nouns (like French, but makes a bit more sense) she was telling us that most nouns that end in a are feminine and most that end in o are masculine. But she then went on to tell us that contrary to the rules, el problema is masculine and la solution is feminine! It's a ton of work - one hour classes three days a week and LOTS of homework! Anna isn't enjoying homework on summer holidays, and I must say there are other things I'd rather be doing (root canal, for instance), but we are learning slowly. It's not very meaningful yet, though. As Anna said, how likely are we to have a big conversation with someone about what colour shoes we're going to buy! Poco a poco!
Raul (computer guru) hasn't yet gotten the Follett (library) programme on the computer yet, this time because the programme needs Windows 2003 and the computer doesn't have it and it'll cost about $300.00 US and no one has come up with programme or money yet. Hopefully it will all come together soon because I want to get the catalogue on the computer as soon as possible and get someone trained to take over.
Shopping is always an experience here. For fruit I can rely on the fruit man who comes every day wheeling a huge cart of bananas, pineapple, oranges and papaya, announcing what he has through a loudspeaker. If we could live on bananas (25 for 5 bolivianos - less than a dollar) we'd afford to bring back lots of beautiful alpaca sweaters! For vegetables we can get them at Friday's market outside the Seminary where there are two blocks worth of stalls set up on both sides of the Avenue. We look the other way as we pass the meat stalls, or I think we might become vegetarians but Poquito the little dog, likes bones from the market. This market sells mostly fruit, vegetables, cleaning products. The next step up is the supermarket, where, for a price, you can buy mostly anything. We get our meat here and any "treats", rice, pasta, milk, etc. With it all evened out, groceries are about 1/3 to 1/2 cheaper than home. When we want to buy anything else (embroidery thread, a frying pan, a bedside light, an alarm clock that doesn't work - they don't seem to have Sears return policy!) we head to La Concha - 10 city blocks by 10 - a veritable rabbit warren of little stalls.
We're enjoying having people in for meals and getting to know new friends and reaquainting ourselves with old friends. Sara (who's in her 20's) has been very kind to Anna and has let her hang out with her and some other girls from the seminary. School starts soon so things will get better for her soon.
God bless you all and thanks for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers.
We love to get emails!
Susan Watts
¡Hola from Bolivia!
Well, what's new since last time? We've started our Spanish lessons with Blanca de la Rosa (really her name!) who is an older woman who has taught for 30 years. She came well recommended by Pat and Terry Janke and Dennis and Judy Sherman. She keeps us strictly on task (which we like) but is able to have a laugh now and then. For example one day as we were going over masculine and feminine nouns (like French, but makes a bit more sense) she was telling us that most nouns that end in a are feminine and most that end in o are masculine. But she then went on to tell us that contrary to the rules, el problema is masculine and la solution is feminine! It's a ton of work - one hour classes three days a week and LOTS of homework! Anna isn't enjoying homework on summer holidays, and I must say there are other things I'd rather be doing (root canal, for instance), but we are learning slowly. It's not very meaningful yet, though. As Anna said, how likely are we to have a big conversation with someone about what colour shoes we're going to buy! Poco a poco!
Blance de la Rosa in front of her casa blanca!
In the library, I'm weeding away and am about 2/3 of the way through. Today it was books of sermons in English by ministers I've never heard of on obscure "relevant for the day" topics. OUT! Ruthless! I also keep coming across bizzare cataloguing - where are Eve and Cidalia (my PCS library aides - yes I have aides!) when I need them ?¿? Hopefully having a well deserved holiday!Raul (computer guru) hasn't yet gotten the Follett (library) programme on the computer yet, this time because the programme needs Windows 2003 and the computer doesn't have it and it'll cost about $300.00 US and no one has come up with programme or money yet. Hopefully it will all come together soon because I want to get the catalogue on the computer as soon as possible and get someone trained to take over.
Shopping is always an experience here. For fruit I can rely on the fruit man who comes every day wheeling a huge cart of bananas, pineapple, oranges and papaya, announcing what he has through a loudspeaker. If we could live on bananas (25 for 5 bolivianos - less than a dollar) we'd afford to bring back lots of beautiful alpaca sweaters! For vegetables we can get them at Friday's market outside the Seminary where there are two blocks worth of stalls set up on both sides of the Avenue. We look the other way as we pass the meat stalls, or I think we might become vegetarians but Poquito the little dog, likes bones from the market. This market sells mostly fruit, vegetables, cleaning products. The next step up is the supermarket, where, for a price, you can buy mostly anything. We get our meat here and any "treats", rice, pasta, milk, etc. With it all evened out, groceries are about 1/3 to 1/2 cheaper than home. When we want to buy anything else (embroidery thread, a frying pan, a bedside light, an alarm clock that doesn't work - they don't seem to have Sears return policy!) we head to La Concha - 10 city blocks by 10 - a veritable rabbit warren of little stalls.
Spice Seller
Kent's favorite activity is not shopping (too many years of doing gift wrapping in the malls!) so to find some of the more obscure things in the market we called on our Bolivia friend Sara to come to our aid. She whirled Anna and I round the market and we christened the new cookware that evening and invited her for supper. Another time we were down there as a family looking for a tablecloth (we had a team of volunteers that was here from Kitchner ON and some other friends in for supper and I wanted the table to look a little better than it usually does) and we wandered into the crafts part of the market - witchcraft! There were dead llama fetus and dead amadillos and people with bells and soap and flower offerings and lots more but Anna was so grossed out at the hanging animals that we hurried through. Although we are enjoying being around the students and profs from the seminary, there is a lot of spiritual darkness in Bolivia. Pachemama is still a big spiritual influence.We're enjoying having people in for meals and getting to know new friends and reaquainting ourselves with old friends. Sara (who's in her 20's) has been very kind to Anna and has let her hang out with her and some other girls from the seminary. School starts soon so things will get better for her soon.
God bless you all and thanks for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers.
We love to get emails!
Susan Watts
posted by Bibliomaniac | 6:33 a.m.
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