I’m going to try to cram two weeks into one blog post this week since last week I wasn’t feeling 100% and didn’t have the energy to put one together. Now, let’s see if I can remember what has happened in the past two weeks…
Well for starters, from Oct.8-11 I went to on a work retreat at a lodge outside of a city called Cochabamba with all of the staff members from FONCRESOL. In total there were around 30 of us and everyone was very fun and loved cracking jokes. We spent the days listening to presentations and participating in workshops, and in the evenings we enjoyed the pool, which was heated by thermal springs, and playing games. On Friday night, we were split into teams to compete in a number of events. Among the events there was a karaoke competition, a dance-off and a Jell-O eating contest. Somehow I was picked for the Jell-O eating contest, which was probably quite fortunate considering the alternatives.
The four other participants and I knelt beside a table and, with our hands behind our backs, were forced to slurp through a bowl of Jell-O containing various fruits and whip cream on top. Within 10 seconds, three of the participants had smashed their bowls after they tried to pick them up with their mouths. I looked up briefly, but my teammates encouraged me to keep on going so I went back to work. As I continued, I came across a hard object in my mouth and was not too surprised to find that it was a big shard of glass. After I removed the glass from my mouth, they called the match. Although in the end it was really just a two-person competition, my teammates were really happy when they announced me as the winner!!! Coincidently, the next day I began to experience strange issues with my stomach.
This past Friday I ended up going to see an Abba cover band accompanied by a choir of about 100 people. It was a very strange experience and even as I sat there I felt like I was in a dream; it might have had something to do with the shimmery-silver vests they were all wearing. I’m not claiming to be a music critic, but I have to say that it was not a great show. I’m not sure whether it was the acoustics of the building or the sound equipment, but some parts of the performance were pretty painful to sit through. The highlight of the night was a solo of ‘The Winner Takes It All’. I should also note that the choir did a decent job of ‘Chiquitita’ and ‘Fernando’. Unfortunately they butchered ‘Take A Chance On Me’, and I think that might have put a sour taste in my mouth for the rest of the performance.
On Sunday I took a trip with my family to the cemetery in La Paz. The two grandfathers of the family I live with are laid to rest there and the family visits almost once a week to place fresh flowers by their graves. At this particular cemetery, bodies are not buried but rather placed in long cement cubbyholes aboveground. The tombstones are generally protected by a glass door and the flowers and a small glass of water are placed inside. The glass of water is left for the soul of the person in case it gets thirsty.
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