Tomorrow marks a week since I arrived in Bolivia. I have started placement in La Casa de la Amistad (The House of Friendship), in Cochabamba, where I am working with children who live in the surrounding prisons with their incarcerated parent/s. In fact, I can see two of the prisons from La Casita's window! Already, I have started learning so much about the reality here, and I shall write a blog very soon for those of you who are interested in finding out the ins and outs of everyday life here. Also I will be going inside the prisons too within the next few weeks, in order to work with the parents. So keep a look out for Jungle Beef!
Monday, 24 March 2014
Thursday, 13 February 2014
Vagina watching, you say?
Foreign language errors. We all make 'em. I still am making them! It's all a part of learning the lingo. Recently, I just cannot get it into my head to ask correctly for a pound of chicken (in weight). Instead, I ask for a book of chicken. (WHAT?!)
Pound - libra
Book - libro
As I very rapidly walk away from the chicken seller upon buying my book of chicken, I mean, pound of chicken, one memory keeps coming back; a particular ocassion that continues to be at the top of my list of language errors. Pretty embarassing, but here it is.
(This conversation was in Spanish, but I will type it in English).
I was talking to the guy who part runs the organisation in Ecuador who I first volunteered here with. A friendly, casual chat, about what I was planning to do with the rest of my time in Ecuador, whilst here in 2012.
Me: "I'm going to go to Puerto Lopez to go vagina watching."
Him: "To do what?"
Me: "Vagina watching."
Him: *Very blank expression.*
Me: "I have read and heard about the great vagina watching in Puerto Lopez and its almost the end of the season so I really want to get there in time to see the last of the vaginas. *Hand action of a vagina*
Him: Still nothing. "I dont know."
I was just as confused as he was. Why could he not understand that I was going to Puerto Lopez to watch the vaginas? That's just the thing to do in Puerto Lopez during vagina season. It's in all the guide books, the internet, YouTube. Why did a native Ecuadorian not understand? Had he never gone vagina watching himself, in Puerto Lopez?
Ah.
That would be why..
"Vagina" and "whale" are pronounced very similarly, but, of course, they are two very different words.
Vagina in Spanish is pronounced bahina. Whale, in Spanish, is pronounced bajena.
They say that you often need to make the mistake in order to learn from it. Boy, did I learn from this one! It wasnt until I was in Puerto Lopez the following week that it clicked what I had actually been saying to the poor man. Elder still continues to laugh and tease me about this incident. Its just one more memory of my first Ecuadorian adventure. Ive come a long way from speaking absolutely no Spanish upon arrival in June 2012, to now being able to speak pretty fluently. A rookie error, a blip, a learning curve? An embarassing moment!
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| My first glimpse of a vagina. I mean, WHALE! |
Tuesday, 4 February 2014
An angry lookin' Volcán Tungurahua
So, this weekend was a bit of a scare, but, so far all is okay. Not a scratch, nor a speckle of molten lava in eyesight and, so far, no earthquakes too close to where I am currently staying. But that doesnt mean that I didnt have a thousand overly-dramatic thoughts of what might happen. Roads splitting open, rivers of lava spewing all over the place, gigantic rocks crashing down on the bus that I was traveling in.......Yes, very dramatic. I blame the films.
It all started on Saturday. Well, not really, as Tungurahua has been bubbling away for years and even more so since October 2013. Saturday is when something really pushed its buttons and it decided to explode. Literally.
Elder and I were about to get on the bus from Riobamba to go to Puyo for Elders birthday, where we would stay with one of his sisters, two of his brothers, an auntie, a few of his cousins, a nephew and his parents. (Elder is one of ten siblings so, yeah, a pretty big family.......)
Anyway, so there I was, buying salchipapas (sausage and chips) to keep my stomach content for the journey, when all of a sudden, Elder came over and asked if I had seen Tungurahua. I looked over to see that a crowd had formed in the road and were looking up at something. I wondered over, munching away, and saw this beast......
I had never seen anything like that before, so I wasnt really sure what what going to happen, if anything. Elder was ridiculously calm, which is a good thing, but my stress levels were rising due to the cloud expanding so damn quickly! We got on the bus and left the terminal. 15 minutes later, this is the photo I took of the same cloud, from the back of the bus......
Elder was laughing at my worriedness but I had a bad feeling and really wanted to turn back. About 10 minutes after taking this photo, the bus stopped and said we couldnt go any further. I was so happy. But then all the passengers started complaining that they had stuff to do so "vamos!" Uhhhh.....excuse me, have you seen that angry volcanic cloud of ash, acid and who knows what else, that is following us?! I think your washing can wait love!.....(is what I wanted to say).....but before I knew it, the bus was back in motion. Great.
So we carried on going for about an hour, until the police stopped us and told us we had to go back, for real this time. Now it was serious. Yet again, the passengers continued to request that we at least continue on to the next town. NO NO NO NO NO NO NOOOOOOOOOO. My chest was hurting by this point which Elder said was due to worrying, and I am sure he was right. But I was convinced my body was slowly filling with volcanic acid.
Finally, we turned back. The passengers wanted $10 compensation. It cost $1 to get to where we were. I was so happy to get off the bus and what I thought was away from the volcano and back to safety. Elder and I got back to the house, listened to the radio to hear that the cloud was actually headed in our direction and that earthquakes were a possiblity. Bloody brilliant. I planned my route of action. Under the bed. I awoke in the night struggling to breath. I knew it was just a cold but no, at that moment in time, it was the volcano coming to get me. I awoke the next morning. I had made it.
Sunday. We set off again to catch the bus. Everywhere was covered in thick grey ash. Brand new cars in the garages were filthy, the crops in the fields were no longer green. You could see every foot step clearly on the pavements from where people were walking through the ash.
Moral of the story: we finally made it to Puyo, despite having to drive around Tungurahua. I shall complete this blog with a few photos I took yesterday on our way back to Riobamba. Heres to hoping my remaining weeks here will be lava free!
BBC News: Ecuadors Tungurahua volcano spews ash and lava
In other news, my next destination, Cochabamba in Bolivia is not looking too great at the moment. Thoughts go out to all the families who are currently suffering and hoping that the remaining people will be found safe and well. Fingers crossed the situation improves very soon!
Bolivia: 29 killed in torrential rains so far this year
It all started on Saturday. Well, not really, as Tungurahua has been bubbling away for years and even more so since October 2013. Saturday is when something really pushed its buttons and it decided to explode. Literally.
Elder and I were about to get on the bus from Riobamba to go to Puyo for Elders birthday, where we would stay with one of his sisters, two of his brothers, an auntie, a few of his cousins, a nephew and his parents. (Elder is one of ten siblings so, yeah, a pretty big family.......)
Anyway, so there I was, buying salchipapas (sausage and chips) to keep my stomach content for the journey, when all of a sudden, Elder came over and asked if I had seen Tungurahua. I looked over to see that a crowd had formed in the road and were looking up at something. I wondered over, munching away, and saw this beast......
I had never seen anything like that before, so I wasnt really sure what what going to happen, if anything. Elder was ridiculously calm, which is a good thing, but my stress levels were rising due to the cloud expanding so damn quickly! We got on the bus and left the terminal. 15 minutes later, this is the photo I took of the same cloud, from the back of the bus......
Elder was laughing at my worriedness but I had a bad feeling and really wanted to turn back. About 10 minutes after taking this photo, the bus stopped and said we couldnt go any further. I was so happy. But then all the passengers started complaining that they had stuff to do so "vamos!" Uhhhh.....excuse me, have you seen that angry volcanic cloud of ash, acid and who knows what else, that is following us?! I think your washing can wait love!.....(is what I wanted to say).....but before I knew it, the bus was back in motion. Great.
So we carried on going for about an hour, until the police stopped us and told us we had to go back, for real this time. Now it was serious. Yet again, the passengers continued to request that we at least continue on to the next town. NO NO NO NO NO NO NOOOOOOOOOO. My chest was hurting by this point which Elder said was due to worrying, and I am sure he was right. But I was convinced my body was slowly filling with volcanic acid.
Finally, we turned back. The passengers wanted $10 compensation. It cost $1 to get to where we were. I was so happy to get off the bus and what I thought was away from the volcano and back to safety. Elder and I got back to the house, listened to the radio to hear that the cloud was actually headed in our direction and that earthquakes were a possiblity. Bloody brilliant. I planned my route of action. Under the bed. I awoke in the night struggling to breath. I knew it was just a cold but no, at that moment in time, it was the volcano coming to get me. I awoke the next morning. I had made it.
Sunday. We set off again to catch the bus. Everywhere was covered in thick grey ash. Brand new cars in the garages were filthy, the crops in the fields were no longer green. You could see every foot step clearly on the pavements from where people were walking through the ash.
 |
| The base of Tungurahua |
 |
| Ash covering the slopes of Tungurahua |
Moral of the story: we finally made it to Puyo, despite having to drive around Tungurahua. I shall complete this blog with a few photos I took yesterday on our way back to Riobamba. Heres to hoping my remaining weeks here will be lava free!
BBC News: Ecuadors Tungurahua volcano spews ash and lava
In other news, my next destination, Cochabamba in Bolivia is not looking too great at the moment. Thoughts go out to all the families who are currently suffering and hoping that the remaining people will be found safe and well. Fingers crossed the situation improves very soon!
Bolivia: 29 killed in torrential rains so far this year
Tuesday, 26 November 2013
'Prisons' and 'Children' - would you put these two words together?
I've been procrastinating a lot recently between essay writing and attempting to start exam revision! I've been looking further into the concept and the reality of prison children in Bolivia, considering this is the main reason I am heading off to South America in a few weeks. It's pretty interesting/shocking stuff and I thought I'd share it in a short blog with you.
These prisons are not at all like British prisons. There are no guards, uniforms or metal bars on the cell windows. Inmates have to pay for their cells and will usually work inside the jail in order to do so, by spending their days selling groceries, hairdressing or shoe-shining, for example.
Children suffer discrimination outside the jail, and face sexual abuse within. Usually, there is nowhere else for them to go and they have no other family members with the financial means to take care of them. Some are born in the cells and do not know any other way of life other than their prison life. Check out this BBC Photo Journal: inside a Bolivian jail article to find out more and to read short quotes from prison inmates.
I'm going to be going to a central region of Cochabamba where, according to another article, living conditions are no better. Children often witness violence and prostitution in the cells. According to the Bolivian authorities, the number of children living in prisons has increased since the 1980's, when the government took a tougher line against drug-trafficking. This article on Bolivia's prison children reveals more.
When I go to Bolivia, I will be working in a day care center outside of a jail where prison children attend each day. The children range from 0-16 years old. I hope to speak in depth with some of the older children and to try and understand their viewpoints, feelings and opinions, and to attempt to grasp a small part of this reality of Bolivian life. We all know it's not as simple as always trusting media sources, so I'll continue to report back to you through my blog with my own research!
These prisons are not at all like British prisons. There are no guards, uniforms or metal bars on the cell windows. Inmates have to pay for their cells and will usually work inside the jail in order to do so, by spending their days selling groceries, hairdressing or shoe-shining, for example.
 |
| "I can't afford to buy it, so I rent it for 80 bolivianos ($10; £6) a month." |
Children suffer discrimination outside the jail, and face sexual abuse within. Usually, there is nowhere else for them to go and they have no other family members with the financial means to take care of them. Some are born in the cells and do not know any other way of life other than their prison life. Check out this BBC Photo Journal: inside a Bolivian jail article to find out more and to read short quotes from prison inmates.
I'm going to be going to a central region of Cochabamba where, according to another article, living conditions are no better. Children often witness violence and prostitution in the cells. According to the Bolivian authorities, the number of children living in prisons has increased since the 1980's, when the government took a tougher line against drug-trafficking. This article on Bolivia's prison children reveals more.
 |
| The Palmasola prison holds entire families |
When I go to Bolivia, I will be working in a day care center outside of a jail where prison children attend each day. The children range from 0-16 years old. I hope to speak in depth with some of the older children and to try and understand their viewpoints, feelings and opinions, and to attempt to grasp a small part of this reality of Bolivian life. We all know it's not as simple as always trusting media sources, so I'll continue to report back to you through my blog with my own research!
Tuesday, 5 November 2013
6 and a half weeks until take off!
Hello everyone!
I have made this blog page so that some of my friends and family who don't have Facebook, will be able to keep up with where I am and what I'm doing on my next trip.
As you can see, I am going to South America from 19th December 2013 until 29th July 2014. The main reason for this is to undertake my second (and final!) work placement as part of my Anthropology degree.
I have chosen to go to Bolivia for between 3 and 5 months, depending on how things go once I'm out there where I will be working as part of a Prison Children Program - more info on the left of the page. I plan to begin my placement in March, which means I will be spending the first couple of months including Christmas and New Year, back in Ecuador in Shiwakucha and the Amazon! For those of you who don't know, Shiwakucha is where I spent the majority of my time for my first placement.......and where I 'went native' and got myself a boyfriend......
I will travel from Ecuador to Bolivia via Peru for a couple of weeks. After Bolivia, my plan was to go to Brazil via Paraguay, however, I will be right in the middle of the World Cup at that time! Two words - expensive and chaotic! The World Cup is scheduled to take place in Brazil from 12th June to 13th July. So, I have decided that I am going to take some time to go to Argentina instead (a country I have always wanted to go to!) and perhaps try and Au-Pair for a few weeks if possible and replenish some funds!
Then, I will be heading back up to Brazil via Paraguay or Uruguay where I plan to stay for the closing few days of the World Cup and then explore a bit of Brazil! All of my travel between countries will be done using the public bus services over the border crossings.
6 and half weeks to go and I am bricking it about flying.....as per usual! The definite drawback of my passion of travelling. Can barely sleep a wink on flights!
I have made this blog page so that some of my friends and family who don't have Facebook, will be able to keep up with where I am and what I'm doing on my next trip.
As you can see, I am going to South America from 19th December 2013 until 29th July 2014. The main reason for this is to undertake my second (and final!) work placement as part of my Anthropology degree.
I have chosen to go to Bolivia for between 3 and 5 months, depending on how things go once I'm out there where I will be working as part of a Prison Children Program - more info on the left of the page. I plan to begin my placement in March, which means I will be spending the first couple of months including Christmas and New Year, back in Ecuador in Shiwakucha and the Amazon! For those of you who don't know, Shiwakucha is where I spent the majority of my time for my first placement.......and where I 'went native' and got myself a boyfriend......
I will travel from Ecuador to Bolivia via Peru for a couple of weeks. After Bolivia, my plan was to go to Brazil via Paraguay, however, I will be right in the middle of the World Cup at that time! Two words - expensive and chaotic! The World Cup is scheduled to take place in Brazil from 12th June to 13th July. So, I have decided that I am going to take some time to go to Argentina instead (a country I have always wanted to go to!) and perhaps try and Au-Pair for a few weeks if possible and replenish some funds!
Then, I will be heading back up to Brazil via Paraguay or Uruguay where I plan to stay for the closing few days of the World Cup and then explore a bit of Brazil! All of my travel between countries will be done using the public bus services over the border crossings.
6 and half weeks to go and I am bricking it about flying.....as per usual! The definite drawback of my passion of travelling. Can barely sleep a wink on flights!
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