Companeras companeros saludos,
In my last entry i alerted you that today would be Paro Civico throughout the country. We have a few hours left of Paro, and in such a weird way, I must say WOW what a great day. Paro Civico ( when your city is not directly involved in physical unrest) equates to the sweetest snow day ever. Last night my bro and his friends had a little reunion of joyousness to celebrate the eve of a birthday. everyone was able to celebrate care’free cuz knowing the snow day was to come. The night was full of guitars and singing and young shenanigans, not exactly what I was thinking would precede the doom the news was fortelling, but in Bolivia life is this funny mix. The eve passed in much the same way that Paro did today. I awoke today to my happy busy family downstairs spraying down every inch of their outside patios. I suppose if crazyness outside unfolds, you best be keeping your inside surroundings spic and span.
Anyways, Cochas Paro civico for the Cuba Bordas consisted of: futbol with little kids in the tranquil streets (although attitudes in Cocha are delightfully ¨tranquilo¨´ streets are NEVER so), basketball, popsicles after basketball, Almuerzo Pariallda (grilled meat meal eaten outside with friends,which my fam only has for special occasions…apparently snow days count), several games of cards, ún descanso rest time (which led to the nap I just woke from), joining my sis and mama´s Xmas sewing project, and now it´s almost 6 and Paro in Cocha will have passed peacefully. Oh yeah and literal Paro consisted of really pretty tree branches thrown across all major road ways and bridges to prevent any movement that doesn´t involve popsicles and happy sports game playing people. Since Paro is a political demand of a certain group of people (right now with greater mobilization in different parts of the country), the people not so involved get to enjoy a crazy lax day of biking in the streets and playing as if a generation younger than you actually are.
Hopefully this subsides any worry some of you may have had for me. Sadly, Cocha is an exception. I haven´t gone to watch the news yet but imagine that Sucre and possibly Santa Cruz continued to be quite the violent mess today. I described a bit of my very lame and very new understanding of what has been happening here in Bolivia in the last week. For a much better update, please read today´s entry of the Democracy Center´s blog (in ENGLISH) http://www.democracyctr.org/blog/2007/11/constitutional-reform-in-boliviaand-now.html. These are foreign and native journalists based in Cocha who have been following the unrest in Bolivia since the Water War of 2001. They have a left leaning stance and when I was here last were very much in support of Evo. I see now that with this last report indigenous Evo has lost some of his appeal. They do a great job of explaining what the latest bloody mess in Bolivia is all about. It is good for me to have this to contrast the words of my host family which follow the more conservative (and always economic) side. My dad fears the country is turning more socialist eveyday and this it is. But even now the socialists don´t seem to be representing anyone but their own narrow interests, and there lies the protest on every end. Evo, who has been fighting the way the media has covered the latest unrest, has gone as far to say that he will socialize the modes of communication at any cost. He wishes to not have one corporation or family running/corrupting the sources of information but like his other moves of socialist nationalization, the results will be mixed at best. In Santa Cruz (the city where I´ll be living for half my time with the clinic) offical offices were taken over on Saturday by protestors, but again this seems minor disturbance and not unusual for business here.
I´m not sure as an American I´ll ever truly understand Paro Civico. What I see through the news is a lot of angry looking faces fighting whatever and whoever they can. Evo doesn´t seem as strong and hopeful as when I was here last and the country is more divided than ever. It was a nice day, but Oye chicos …. to enjoy a real snow day ya gotta have some snow!
Oh yeah tonight I also met with Hanna, my friend from our original study abroad program in Cochabamba. She has also returned to Bolivia (funded by a grant) and is currently living in Mizque an outlying village of Cochabamba. She´s been here three months already, seems strong, accustomed and happy. It´s pretty amazing that we have both returned, able and wanting, to know how it actually is to live and work here. Oh yeah, and speaking English was a joy. Hearing about what a horror it is to procure a work visa, not such joy... pero lo que sea.
All the best guys. Keep me on my toes with what´s happening in all of your lives and what´s what in that amazingly stable country of ours:)
