Culinary Bolivia

Three weeks have passed and so far we haven’t had any weird culinary experiences in Bolivia, until today. We've only had to witness the girls eating slimy chicken feet as snacks and other things like that, but so far we have been able to avoid everything too absurd for us. Before I left Finland I had my doubts about how it would work out being a vegetarian here, but I have to say it has been quite easy even if I sometimes have only rice for lunch or get the same food as others but “without" the meat.  The every-day struggle with the huge portions they eat here and the sweet sugar-water drinks with the food has also been a challenge for Julia and me.

A visualisation of the Chuño-making process, made by Julia

Anyhow, today we had our first “black Chuño”-experience. I didn’t know what it was while eating it, but I had a very hard time getting down what looked and tasted a bit like rotten potatoes. Afterwards I learned that Chuño is freeze-dried-trampled potatoes, traditionally made by the Quechua and Ayamara communities in Bolivia. The process takes five days and basicly consists of freezing the potatoes at night and drying them at day. Then after five days people trample them with their bare feet. Once they have gone through the process the potatoes can last for years. So practically they are potatoes gone bad. Below is a video we found on Youtube, about how they make chuños.

Bizarre Foods Chuños (Bolivia Nov 2007)

So far I’ve been able to shuffle in me all the food I’ve been given, but today I had to say that it just is impossible for me to eat a huge portion of chuños together with a few normal potatoes, flush it down with a glass of sugar-water with a dried swollen peach in it, and top it off with a gelatin-desert. Enough is enough. Here the people are used to a very different eating rhythm. A small breakfast before school, a huge lunch at around 1pm and then something between dinner and supper around 6pm, which usually is a slice of dry-cake or bread, with sweet hot tea, chocolate or coffee – and yes even the three-year-old drinks coffee. Practically everybody is high on sugar all the time here, including me whose sweet tooth is aching all the time.

After a culinary-interesting day Julia and I baked scones for supper. Sunday is a special day as we have Siw’s friends Jhonny, Maria and Wilma (and sometimes David too) here to help us out with activating the girls, and we hope to make it a tradition that on Sunday evenings have supper together with them, just us adults. Two weeks ago it was pancakes, today scones! The reason why we didn’t have supper together last week was because our awesome car broke down when Julia and I were returning home – so we got home three hours late! more about that later on... Off to a new interesting week, good night!

Circus came to town

Alien heads and faces on the local chips... whaaaat?

Last night we watched a movie about circus and today we experienced one here in Tiquipaya. It was a very needed break yesterday to spend our free evening buried in a pile of blankets with a glass of wine and Bolivian munchies. We watched the movie "Water for elephants", which tells about "the Benzini Brothers circus in 1931" - It's not a true story, but it gives an amazing view of the spectacular world of circus. 

I have to say the circus we experienced today was something totally else than the Benzini brother's provided us yesterday. I would say it was the most absurd circus show I've ever been to, but at least we got some good laughs. And the girls definitely enjoyed the show! Unfortunately it was not allowed to take pictures during the show - I now might understand why, considering the shared sense of shame during some of the performances. Well, in the end I can't judge anyone who has the guts to get on stage and put themselves out there because I wouldn't have the guts to do it myself, especially if I'm not good at what I'm doing...

Anyhow, as always, i have to say the clowns where definitely the best part of the show! I just can't get enough of that kind of entertainment - it always makes me laugh and smile no matter of place or language!

Before the circus the girls noticed something in one of the trailers outside...

And there it was.

A bunch of boys from another home, our girls and a clown (a real clown - I'm not talking about myself).

Cholitas Bonitas!

Leaving to the parade - in our space miracle

On Monday the 23 of September which is the Tiquipaya day (El día de Tiquipaya) the girls and tías from Corazon Grande joined the city-parade, and of course Julia and I were there as well. Unlike the girls and tías who where dressed in green Corazon Grande t-shirts, someone persuaded us to dress as Cholitas, and so we did. Cholitas are so called "native-women" that belong either to the Ayamara or Quechua tribe. They both have their own language and wear traditional clothes that represent their culture. The typical Cholita clothes actually originates from the time Bolivia was a Spanish colony, as the Spaniards forbade the natives to wear typical native-clothing, and instead presented the clothing the Ayamara and Quechua tribes still wear today. 

To honor the native cultures and the city of Cochabamba we; Julia, I and two of our youngest girls dressed in sky-blue and lavender colored Cholita outfits. The color depends on the area you come from and as the color of Cochabamba flag is sky-blue also the outfits were. I have to say - not exactly my favorite color. A part of the style is also to wear two braids, a white sombrero and bright red lipstick. Haha you can imagine how I enjoyed that lipstick! (Which I "by mistake" rubbed of before we even got to the parade :D)

A picture bought from a photographer at the parade

You can also imagine how often the people of Tiquipaya see blond Cholitas, and the amount of attention we got. People were applauding, whistling and shouting "Bravo bravo!" as we passed by the audience. We were in the front row of our group so we walked right behind the Corazon Grande flag. The highlight of the parade was when we got the the main square where the mayor and other important people were watching the parade. Cool and confident we marched by and waved to the mayor who didn't hide how excited he was of our effort. After parading we stayed to watch other groups but sometimes we felt the groups who were parading were watching us more. Though I have to say the best part was to get compliments from "real" Cholitas, and trust me they didn't spare their kind words!

Dancing in the moonlight

The best moments are never captured on camera, but those are the ones you'll remember. Tonight when we were taking two of our younger girls home from their ballet lesson we passed by a street corner in Tiquipaya where someone was playing Bolivian folk music from loudspeakers. Julia, I and Siw (the founder of Corazon Grande) spontaneously started to dance while walking, and of course in a very silly way. The girls got a huge smile on their face, right before they joined us in our dance. There we were with two girls dressed in ballet-outfits, in the middle of the street, dancing to Bolivian folk music in the light of the full moon. Not caring a bit what the local people passing by thought of us. A moment to remember.

Not easy like a Sunday morning

We are halfway through our second week here and I have to say it hasn’t been an easy start. In addition to the protests in Tiquipaya it’s been challenging to find our places here at the girls home. Volunteering at a children’s foster home in a developing country is unfortunately not all about hugs and kisses and getting the feeling of being needed. Since we arrived I’ve felt a bit our of my game, like I suddenly wouldn’t have any idea what I’m doing or why I’m here. The girls here are just like any other happy kids, though behind their innocent child-like smiles these small humans beings have gone through things that I don’t even want to say out loud. It’s not so easy to get close to them, and you have to earn their trust. 

Tired tías

The everyday routines gives structure to the days, but it’s sometimes hard for us to know what role we should take and how we can help without interfering with anyone’s tasks and the daily routines. They have their way of doing things and there are moments when we feel like we’re more in the way than being helpful. The one thing we feel really irreplaceable at is driving the girls to church on Sunday mornings, especially as we both take it easy and self-confident when cruising around in Cochabamba, with a small van filled with 24 girls and a few adults.

Little Yanina, 3 years old - always making us laugh

Bombs away!

What a perfect timing to arrive here we thought last Monday when we were told that it happens to be the Cochabamba-week, which means a whole week of special events and celebration. The next day the protests here in Tiquipaya started, which practically made it impossible to leave our home. Luckily the situation calmed down on Friday, so were able to enjoy the last bit of the Cochabamba week.  

To the honor of the Cochabamba day, which is on the 14 of September we spent Friday evening enjoying a free concert at the stadium and a parade in the city. I have to say that it felt a bit absurd that on the day before we met soldiers near our house, and the next day they were marching and playing orchestra music in a parade. Among city workers, volunteers, soldiers, marines (even though Bolivia doesn’t have a coast!) and others there where schools represented from all around Bolivia, apparently orchestra-activity is a huge thing here. Also some of our girls from Corazon Grande were playing in the parade, and for them it definitely was an important thing. 

Lampshades on parade!

You might say that our first week here was a bit more challenging than usually, as the atmosphere in general was a bit anxious and the every day routines had to be adjusted to the situation as the girls didn’t get to school and some of the staff couldn’t get here. I also have to admit that there were moments when I felt a bit restless due to the unawareness of what’s going on, but maybe it’s better to have a rough start than get surprised later! Also the fact that even some taxi drivers are afraid to drive us home because of the distant place we live at says something. But mama don’t worry; we take good care of each other and ourselves :) Off to a new, and hopefully more peaceful week!

Pyromaniacs at the Andes!

One small step at a time

I have so much I would want to write about that I don’t know where to begin. As I already mentioned we’re in the middle of the Andes, so you can only imagine what the views are like here. To wake up in the most comfortable bed I ever slept in and see the mountaintops from the bedroom window though gives a somehow unrealistic contrast to the not so peaceful life here.

Before I left Finland I had imagined the worst about this place, but realized quite soon it’s far worse than I thought, but in a different way than I expected. I can’t really explain what I mean, but I’m sure I’ll find words later during my time here. The poverty in Cochabamba is overwhelming, and it’s everywhere here in the suburbs. I could say the whole area we are surrounded by looks like a slum, except for the few so called “coca-houses” which means luxurious houses that are built with money earned from cocaine business.

Luckily Corazon Grande is located just a bit outside the suburbs on the countryside, so here you can still feel the fresh thin mountain air (which to be honest sometimes smells like shit) in difference to the suburbs and the city where cars run by gas and the dirtiness of the streets hit you in the face. Unfortunately I don’t have any pictures outside Corazon Grande yet, as I haven’t dared to bring my camera anywhere. Since yesterday there have been riots going on here in Tiquipaya and there are roadblocks everywhere so it’s almost impossible to get out of here, except by foot which isn’t considered to be very safe. Even the girls have to stay home from school.

We have been here for only three days now, but in some way it feels longer. We are still trying to make sense of the everyday life here and find our places with the girls. The first day we felt a bit hopeless as the language barrier made it hard to get contact with the girls or the staff here, even though they all gave us a warm welcome. Now, just a couple of days later it feels like we’ve progressed a lot with the girls and our roles as volunteers here at Corazon Grande. 

The day before yesterday we made macramé-bracelets the whole afternoon with all the girls; luckily I had some materials with me from Finland. They loved it and we even got the other “Tías” making bracelets with us. For that, you don’t need a common language, just a few words like under, over, left, right, wait and very good! Haha :D at least we had fun. It feels so good every time you have been able to “have a conversation” in something between English, castellan and body language. Every contact we get with the girls feels like a step forward, even though they are tiny steps so far. After all, we’ve only been here for a few days and still have about 90 to go.

Vámonos!

So here we are now, in the middle of the Andes on an altitude of 2600 meters, in the heart of South America, Bolivia. After more than 35 hours, four airplanes and a cab ride we finally got to our destination, the city of Cochabamba. Here, in the village of Tiquipaya there is an amazing place called Corazon Grande, which means Big Heart, a home for girls that have nowhere else to go. For the next three months it’s going to be our home too, together with 24 3-18 year-old girls and a handful of people who run the place.

So far South America has only treated us well and offered us views of some of the most amazing wonders of nature, including the most awesome and at the same time scariest thunderstorm I have ever seen, experienced from an airplane at nighttime. Later on a bumpy but breath taking ride over the Andes and the kind and generous people greeting us with open arms have given a good first impression of Bolivia.

After two days without almost any sleep, spending the day with a three year old eager to get to get to know us and an afternoon enjoying lunch with all the girls, we are finally settling down in our beautiful new home, our own house, Casa de las tías. Tired but happy!