I am convinced (now, this is just my opinion - go ahead and disagree, but I’m stickin’ to my guns, here) that you only really get where you’re from.
I can learn to like, love, even appreciate places to which I move, but there’s only one place where everything just makes sense, overall, to me. (more…)
Tonight, on the way to dinner, I saw a lady walking a pig. Much better than a donkey, don’t you think?
Filed under: Anne
Just wanted to add to my “You know you’re in Bolivia when . . .” list. Today Avery and I were at the playground, and she yelled, “Look, Mommy!” I turned around to see a cholita (woman in traditional indigenous dress) urging three donkeys (or are they mules??) down the sidewalk. She was batting at them with a switch as they struggled to carry the hay strapped to them uphill. I have to say this never happened to us in North Carolina. Geese we saw by the dozens, but no donkeys!
Filed under: Aside
Easier than email…
Come on, you know who you are: you faithfully check our blog posts, you smile and perhaps say a prayer for us, then click away to another site. But you never comment! Come on! It’s easy - just click on the title of any post or on “more” on longer posts, and you will have available to you the easiest way to get in touch with us. We receive a happy little email telling us the great news that someone has lovingly left us a comment, and then we can either comment back or email you, and (best of all) we feel so loved and encouraged just knowing you’re out there! So, after reading this and other posts, make our day - leave a comment! Thanks.
Filed under: Anne
Click here for a link to our Facebook photo album of our recent visits to local parks in La Paz:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=8382&l=cba18&id=641192218
We have really enjoyed visiting the parks here. For less than two dollars, our whole family can usually pay to enter the park and do activities like crazy slides (see photos), merry-go-rounds, bouncy houses, trampolines and all kinds of playground equipment.
Filed under: Anne
Two recent bizarre musical occurances have happened to me. I have realized that American 80s music is actually quite popular here. Earlier this week, Avery and I were munching on fried chicken (surprisingly good) at a local fast food restaurant called Pollos Copacabana. It is actually much cleaner and nicer than fast food places in the States, and it is complete with a kids’ playland. But anyway, Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl” starting blaring from the speakers, thankfully in English. I turned to Avery and said one of those dumb things you think you’ll never say until you’re a parent, “This song was popular when Mommy was a little girl!”
Then today, we were at one of the bakeries near our apartment, gazing at the mountain view. This time we were munching on donuts (really, really, really good), and I heard George Michael’s “Careless Whisper”. Not only that, but the Spanish-speaking donut lady was singing along!
These songs were strangely comforting and just weird all at the same time! And by the way, I do feed my child healthy food at home sometimes. . .
It was with fear and trembling that we returned to a Spanish-speaking church for the first time in 3 weeks (last week, I had a stomach thing, so we worshiped at home, and the week before we were lounging in hammocks in Coroico). Not that we don’t like to participate in corporate worship here; it’s just that, well, only I actually speak Spanish, so it’s kind of hard to not stress out a bit. (more…)
Filed under: Anne
Many of you have asked what I miss about the States, especially foods. Well, it’s very weird what you start wanting when you can’t have it! For instance, the before mentioned brown sugar. (more…)
Filed under: Anne
This week was a trying week in terms of issues around our apartment. Our internet went out twice, our electricity for the whole apartment went out for several hours, our toliet was leaking, we thought our electric meter was wrong and needed to be checked, we needed a water jug dispenser since you can’t drink from the tap and our light fixtures in the living and dining room needed to be replaced. (more…)
Filed under: Aside
CREO en un solo Dios, Padre Todopoderoso, Creador del cielo y de la tierra, Y de todas las cosas visibles e invisibles: en un solo Señor Jesucristo, Hijo unigénito de Dios; Engendrado del Padre antes de todos los siglos, Dios de Dios, Luz de Luz, Verdadero Dios de Verdadero Dios; Engendrado, no hecho; Consubstancial al Padre; Por quien todas las cosas fueron hechas: Quien por los hombres y por nuestra salvación descendió del cielo, Y fué encarnado por el Espíritu Santo de la Virgen María, Y fué hecho hombre: Y también por nosotros fué crucificado bajo Poncio Pilato; Padeció, y fué sepultado: Resucitó al tercer día según las Escrituras: Ascendió a los cielos, Y está sentado a la diestra del Padre: Y vendrá otra vez, con gloria juzgar a los vivos y a los muertos; Cuyo reino no tendrá fin.
Y creo en el Espíritu Santo, Señor y Dador de vida, Procedente del Padre y del Hijo; Quien con el Padre y el Hijo juntamente es adorado y glorificado; Quien habló por los Profetas: Y creo en la Iglesia Una, Católica y Apostólica: Y reconozco un Bautismo para remisión de pecados: Y espero la Resurrección de los muertos: Y la Vida en los Siglos venideros. Amén.
