Habits I´ve picked up in Bolivia

1. Accepting anything.

Example 1
Neighbor: “There is a protest today. You’re going to have to take a taxi to where they’re blockading the plaza, walk past it, take another taxi to where they’re blockading the market, and walk the last ten blocks to work.”
Me: “Oh really? That sucks. Okay.”

Example 2
Other volunteer: “They just revoked the 22nd amendment.
Me: “Oh really? That sucks. Okay.”
Other volunteer: “I was kidding.”
Me: “Oh really? Okay.”

2. Giving long, formal opening statements at meetings that involve individually thanking every person for their attendance. Sitting through said statements of everyone else at meeting.

3. Dealing with fleas. It’s no longer appalling when I get fleas from the campo (or a bus ride, or another volunteer…). Nor is scratching the fleabites until they bleed. I’ve thought about using the cheese grater, but I’m not quite there yet.

4. Being able to sleep through horrific, long bus rides over broken rocks and rubble with a spanish-dubbed Steven Seagal movie blaring in the background.

5. Eating cream cheese. By itself. With a spoon.

Things I will never get used to in Bolivia:

1. Listening to static.

2. Yapsss, or Ya pueeees…

3. My Bolivian work partners hiding from me. HOW OLD ARE WE??

4. Walking reeeally slow while blocking the entire sidewalk.

5. Kicking starving dogs, games that involve burying live chickens in the ground, etc.

FUN FACT / QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Como es...en Gringolandia?” (What´s it like...in Gringoland?) -My Bolivian work partner