Santa Cruz!

Today we celebrate the 202nd Anniversary of the Independence of Santa Cruz!  In area, it is it largest department in Bolivia and is home to 2.8 million people.  I live in the capital city of the dept, called "Santa Cruz de la Sierra".   Each topic deserves a full post, but the newspaper gave a wonderful overview with pics:

Pre-Spanish era, the area was home to a number of indigenous tribes with no
or little written language so not much known history

The city is arranged in concentric rings. I live between the first and second,
as it gets less safe for foreigners further out in the rings

It's a city of immigrants, with now almost 1/2 million per year
Big populations here include German, Japanese, and Mennonites

This picture appropriately captures the growing urbanization
of the supermarket contrasting the "mercado" in foreground

"The City that Never Sleeps" was the title of this spread. Shown is prostitution, said to be growing,
as well as people preparing the "mercados" at all hours

I didn't escape materialism as much as planned.  As always, it further serves to
segregate the classes, as iPhones run for about $700 as they dont have contracts 

Soccer is big here (vs. basketball in La Paz), and shown is a
court set up in some free space next to a cemetary 

According to the paper, 60% of the regional economy is unofficial,
like this mercado selling used clothes

Despite all this urbanization, outside the city exist houses as such.
These are the houses still at risk for Chagas (contrast with my modern apt building).

Happy Day Indeed!

So I was bummed about spending my birthday in another country so far from those I loved. While working in Japan it was lonely and all around awkward just telling random people about it, and I figured this would be no different.  But with Jackie and some Bolivian folk, here was my day:

Woke up with 4 texts from 2 am from my fridge repair man (who had come the day before, and Jackie told him of my birthday)!

Walked out my door, ran into the most beautiful, sparkly streamers and found myself a tiara on the kitchen table (thanks Jackie!!)

 

Ate papaya, yogurt, honey cereal, carrot cake, and some coffee for breakfast.

Got a huge, genuine hug and kiss from a totally random resident for it being “doctors’ day”, and then he found out it was my birthday and gave me another set.

 Paola!

Met with Paola, the nurse working with us, who had prepared a mini present for me (and one for Jackie too hehe) and a prayer.

In Sook and Jackie

 More genuine hugs and kisses from the head of medicine and one of the cardiologists.  Got invited to a party for “doctors’ day”.

Went to see In Sook, a Korean lady who owns the cute coffee shop below my apt.  Free cupcake and we picked up my HUGE cake!  With whom would we eat it all?!?  After one month, we really only have one friend in Santa Cruz (Omar).

Omar, Jackie and I

Checked the internet to many great blessings from everyone (thanks!), including a blog post shoutout from my good friend Kara, without who I never would have met Nate!  Also, a JibJab card from my brother Koko with a small note that said “PS, Kathy and I got engaged!”  : )

Came home to a text from Malasa, our American friend in a Bolivia town, and a text from a previous taxi driver (he goes on a 3 hour route daily and also gives park tours) who had driven us a week ago! 

Went to Doctors’ Day party with Jackie and Omar- perfect outdoor spot and good food and live Bolivian music.  Music stopped to play Happy Birthday, and then everyone- mostly strangers and a few residents- yelled at me to “bite the cake”, which is a tradition here…

…just to line the birthday child up to get their face shoved into the cake!!

Hung around, danced a little to some music, chatted away, generally enjoyed ourselves into the night.  Jackie and I were speaking conversational Spanish the whole time, without ever really realizing it (medical and work Spanish is still difficult though).  We came back and went to a “good” sushi place (if you could call it sushi), where we all got a free glass of wine to top off a grand birthday.  Bolivia isn’t the smoothest and most amazing transition, but days like this make me darn proud to turn another year here.

Feliz Día!!!!

Today we celebrate five different holidays in Bolivia:

Feliz Día del Amor!!  Happy day of Love!!

Feliz Día de los Estudiantes!!  Happy Day of Students!!

Feliz Día de los Médicos!!  Happy Day of Doctors!!

Feliz Día de Primavera!!  Happy Day of Spring!!

Feliz Día de Mí!!  Happy Day of Me!!

Animals On the Road

Jackie and I took a weekend trip out of the cement city and passed some animals on the way.  You just have to check the daily classified section in the paper you can find a listing of animals for sale too.

Why did the cows cross to the other side?
To get water.

Goat chilling in road

Horses! And finally we finally found the beautiful part of Bolivia just outside Santa Cruz city.  Yay Yay! Neigh Neigh!

Price Differentials

Entrance is $10 for me
$5 for the lady selling popcorn at $.40

I really like the idea here that nationals have cheaper access to a number of the tourist destinations so they too can experience their own culture.  Better access to all, and those traveling foreign tourists with money can pay more to support the system.

Two years ago Jackie and I were in Iquitos, Peru, we found that the admission to Machu Pichu was far cheaper for the Peruvians.  Unfortunately, none of our colleagues we met had visited Machu Picchu.  Not one.  It was just far too expensive to even take the $200 plane to Cusco, the jumping point.  Sad that every North American who pops down manages to go and snap some picturesque facebook photos, but no Peruvian outside Cusco actually can afford to see this piece of their heritage.

For a somewhat parallel I offer the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC: admission is a suggested $20 and $10 for students.  This an opportunity to see thousands of pieces of the world’s finest art with constantly updated special collections.  Suggested means that anyone- whether from the pits of projects, or homeless, or mentally ill and unable to hold a job- can come for a dollar or even free.  It’s a public privilege I fully support and I will rant to no end when fellow students will easily blow $20-50 out on a Friday night and won’t pay the $10.  So next time anyone thinks to complain about those suggested donations, think twice about the rationale, and just make sure I’m not around to hear.

tyler

thank you for a fantastic 17 years and the excited tail-wagging every time : )

stealing my shoes and hiding them around the house, leaving surprises for mom (hence "poopsie"), letting me pet the hair between your toe pads, running away and coming home hours later, jogging with anyone who could, giving that terrible rope burn to Daryl, eating all moms sandwiches off the counter, being kenji's favorite thing about coming home, inspiring "boo da doo" from koko, waiting at the window for us, responding more to "squirrel" than your name, being malea and daniel's toy, and loving everyone of us unconditionally despite it all

love you, puppy

My Address and Phone Number

*Updated!  Apparently you can put your phone number at the end so the post can call if need be!

Emi Okamoto

899 Calle Libertad

Plaza Libertad - Apt 401

Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Santa Cruz
Bolivia, South America

+ 591 781-913-99

We have mailboxes as well as the security guards who hold/ deliver packages
I just read a story online about how once a package mailed to Bolivia went to Bulgaria, so best to include the continent for those not so geographically-learned

Proud to be an American

Eleven years later, we all remember.  And now as I lay comfortably in bed, with my debit card handy and air conditioning ready at the push of a button, I realize how lucky I am.  Today I am going to InterPol with a passport copy and cash to get a long term visa here.  I come from a wealthy country with good foreign diplomacy that allows me to study, travel, and have beyond basic rights.  It's so simple yet so complex.

Here in Bolivia things are different.  Not having a good mastery of Spanish, I haven't yet been able to really find the pulse of things here.  But I hear stories, and I see signs, and the news shows demonstrations, and slowly I will piece the picture together.  Things here are broken in many ways.  I don't have a good sense of President Evo Morales, except he is not well received in Santa Cruz, the largest city (the government sits in La Paz, which is the mountainous high plain area in the east).  

A scanning search on Google acclaims Evo as a world hero.  He won the "2009 World Hero of Mother Earth" award for the UN.  On democracynow.org (a trustworthy organization) it further describes his commitment to the environment and the people.  On wikipedia, it talks of him making an unprecedented 57% cut of his salary to $1875/month. 

But these stories of Evo say nothing of what I hear around the town.  Like the highways to help export the coca leaf (cocaine) he planned to plow through villages with 3 almost-extinct indigenous groups.  Or the $1875 salary that now serves as a cap for many salaries, including public doctors, which deters higher education.  And how at our public hospital no one over the age of 5 has insurance, and yesterday one of our patients died of an arrhythmia very preventable by an implantable defibrillator.  

No, the United States is not perfect, but it is a country I feel extremely fortunate to be from.  Thanks to the men and women defending us.  The other day, Nate told me about his newest story pitch- go to Afghanistan to embed with one of the first and last troops in the area.  I cried all day.  Yesterday he explained to me why: the longest war in American history is still going on, with not one mention in either the RNC or DNC last week.  There is a story that must be told and this is his calling.  So yes, Nate, I have your back.  And we all await the tale of America finally finishing this chapter...

To spice up your weekend! (Music!)

Bolivia is bordered by the monstrous Brazil on the east, and is quite influenced by their culture.  There is a large minority of Brazilians here, especially among the medical community.  Students come here for med school, as it is much cheaper in Bolivia (something like $300/month), and then leave after graduation to train in Brazil and forget their short-lived stint with Spanish.  Anyways, you can hear the Brazilian music from cars driving around and a number of the clubs.

It’s getting pretty old now, and has already been picked up by Europe (the dance further popularized by the European soccer leagues), but here is the hit song this year!  When it comes on, everyone just stops what they are doing to dance to the craze led by this clad in plaid and rather dorky looking superstar, Michel Teló.  Be careful, it’s catchy. 

Get ready to dance- YouTube of Ai Se Tu Eu Pego

Lyrics, explanation (it's a .org!)