Dances and Steak

Today, Sunday, marks the end of the first week. One-ninth of the time I am to spend in Bolivia has passed.

Wow. When I think of it that way, it seems like the time is flying by. And it seems that I still haven´t really found my niche yet here. All I´ve really done at CEDESOL is correct some web pages and do grant research. However, I suppose I can move things forward. There´s a couple grants I think I can help get written, and maybe even a technical project I can do if the wind blows right. The CNC plasma cutter the foundation purchased came with a CAD package. I checked it out the first day I was here, and it´s a little different than AUTOCAD, but not too bad. And there´s supposed to be a way to program the plasma cutter by feeding it a CAD drawing of the part to be cut. Actually, that would be pretty cool.

It is a bit lonely here, since I still can´t understand Spanish very well, ergo it is difficult to really talk and relate to people. Also, last night I had a very good dinner of charrisquo y sebollos (steak & onions) which then came back with a vengeance at 1:30 in the morning. I blame the onions. It seems to have passed now, though. Health is still lovely.

Since today was Sunday, I sat in bed praying the Rosary since we weren´t going to mass. I´ll have to ask if I can go next week, or whether the family goes to mass regularly. There´s a sacred heart of Jesus sculpture over my bed, though, so I´m sure I´ll get there sometime. I hope soon. Around noon we went to the Colegio de Juan Bosco, a primary/secondary school where Andrea´s mom is a math teacher. We went to watch her great-niece (gransobrina?) take part in a dance exhibition. There were a lot of great dances to great music, and freaking everyone was there. It was like watching a youth baseball tournament in the States, except without all the yelling and pressure. That part I liked. Afterward, the whole family went to a a charrisqueria for a celebratory lunch. Direct english translation: steakhouse. I had a real nice steak with a mustard sauce on top and tomato soup and drank like four glasses of Fanta, while at times managing to engage in conversation with the family. The Fanta was a nice, familiar touch. Since everyone did their own thing in the afternoon I read part of No Country for Old Men and now I´m here.

Tomorrow, I go to the workshop where Sobre la Roca and CEDESOL produce stoves. Hopefully there I can find something technical to make myself useful with.

Miss you all.

Drew