On the Andean Side

Now, I am over a week back in Portland, Oregon. I am thousands of miles away from the vast Bolivian altiplano, rickety old buses and the political showdowns and bloqueos that continue to unfold across the country.

Now what?

Portland has been socked in by relentless days of rain. Not unlike the rainy season now passing though Cochabamba -- in Oregon and Washington State the skies are laden with rain clouds.

I knew that coming back would be a process. The process of re-acclimating to familiar routines and sights is a strange one. I am struck by how predictable life here seems and how easily I have adjusted to 3 dollar coffees and an on-time bus system. Everything runs well in Portland - toilets are clean and flush with incredible power, garbage is almost invisible and yet I am back in a "disposable" society that is the richest in the world and is envied for buying and disposing of unimaginable quantities of stuff.

So, how was Bolivia and what did you do there?

It's a fair question, but it's a difficult one. I don't really have an answer yet. I am scrambling to figure out how to answer such questions from curious friends. My response has evolved...from:

"It was great"
"Good times were had, you know what I mean"
"Yup, it was really different than I expected."
"Bolivia is in the middle of South America and Cochabamba is in the middle of Bolivia and I was in the middle of Cochabamba."

Sometimes, I elaborate or choose a story to share, but sometimes I don't feel like saying a whole lot. At times, the trouble with travel is that many experiences don't translate very easily. The feelings and the thoughts you have abroad remain with you, but are also connected to the place you left behind. But, I am trying to take steps each day to continue my relationship with Bolivia. I do not want my relationship to fade, though I know it will.

Now, I am trying to find work and reintegrate into the culture that I left a year ago. It is a bit awkward and at times confusing to know how to re-start things here. But, most days I continue to have fond memories of Bolivia at its many wonders. For now, that is making the transition easier.

Kim and I left Cochabamba yesterday on a 6 a.m. flight from Jorge Wilsterman Airport. We touched down in Baltimore at 11:00 p.m. last night. Our final day in Bolivia consisted of a few final moments with friends and, for me, a delicious last lunch with my host family. I am now back in Eldersburg, Baltimore in the house of my girlfriend's older sister, Bridget. Their family is in the midst of preparing for the upcoming holiday. Shopping, cleaning, decorating and catching up on the events of the last year.

It is nice to back among English speakers and familiar cultural sights, but, sad not to hear the familiar saludos in Spanish and the sights that were part of my daily experience in Bolivia. But, passing through Miami International airports last night, I was reminded of how many Spanish speakers and South Americans are arriving in the US each day. Bastante!(plenty)

My first three impressions upon re-entry include being in awe at the size of the gallon milk containers, the smoothness of the highways, and, of course the magic toilet paper that is abundantly available and disposed of in the toilets.

Have a great holiday season, and looking forward to seeing you all soon!

The Bolivians elected Evo Morales yesterday, with more than 51% of the vote, the magic number required to make him the next President of the country.

He will become the first indigenous president (Aymara) of the Republic and the first president who is so clearly against the neo-liberal agenda which has shaped the country for the past 25 years and counting. An agenda that includes heavy pressure to privatize Bolivia’s natural resources, transportation systems and financial systems with heavy foreign investment and management. An agenda that has burdened Bolivia with massive debt and dependency under financial institutions like the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

I read today that CNN ran the headline listed in the title above, and that the N.Y. Times already pigeon-holed Evo Morales a the "coca advocate" President. It will be interesting to see how the Morales Presidency is framed over time by the US press and within US foreign policy circles. A US journalist covering Bolivia commented today that the US and the Morales Administration will undoubtedly spar over the coca leaf.

Although, this conflict seemed imminent long ago, I think the Morales´ Presidency may now pose a greater challenge to the U.S´s long standing influence over Bolivia´s natural resources. For example, Morales has been pushing all along for a nationalization of petrochemicals, rich in Bolivia’s soil. Although, nobody is sure how it would be possible to nationalize gas without heavy outside financing to pay for refineries and all of the additional costs of manufacturing gas within Bolivia.

But, for now, Evo´s presidency is seeming being framed in major US media as threat to America´s stringent policy around coca leave reduction and cocaine eradication in Bolivia.

Since the 1980´s the US, represented in Bolivia by the Drug Enforcement Agency (or "DEA" - head-quartered a block from my house), has been set on eradicating cocaine production in El Chapare and Las Yungas, the two main production centers of the coca leave, used to produce cocaine. Morales has earned a reputation as a strong union leader for the Coca Growers Association and has used this position as way to rally support for his candidacy. In 2002, he ran second in General Elections after the US ambassador threatened to pull economic support out of Bolivia, if the people voted for Morales. This public denouncement rallied huge support for Morales and almost made him President 3 years ago.

The U.S. continues to have a strong presence in the coca growing regions mentioned above. DEA agents have been trained to monitor and eradicate coca and cocaine production sites across Bolivia (The coca leave can now only be cultivate in small quantities for medicinal use and sale within Bolivia).

As I saw in El Chapare, DEA agents are easily identified, as they drive sporty 4x4 land-rovers and many look like ex-football players or military. But, unfortunately for the DEA and for US foreign policy makers, the coca leave is a national and sacred symbol in Bolivia and other Andean regions (a bit like apple pie in US) and is not going to be easily plucked away. The coca has been used as a medicial and spiritual offering for the Andean people long before the colonists discovered ever tabacco in the Americas.

In recent years, the US has attempted to implement alternative crops (the soya bean) in an effort to provide new employment for the coca growers who have been forced to seek out new jobs and sources of income. Most folks I have spoken to in Cochabamba are not at all impressed with the proposed alternatives that have been offered by USAID (United States Aid & International Development) and other NGO´s working in these regions.

Bolivians, like Morales, continue to wonder why they are being penalized for U.S. and European consumption of the drug. As long as the demand exists, the supply will too. A USAID worker told me that studies have shown that most of the Bolivian cocaine is consumed in Brazil, and not the US. Columbia´s cocaine is much more accessible to North, through Mexico, he said.

What is significant in all of this, in light of today´s new? Well, yesterday, Bolivia chose a President who has made a successful political career, in great part, in response to US foreign policy in his workplace and its impact on his co-workers. Morales has stated that he will seek to develop relations with the US that are "not oppressive" or "unfavorable" to the Bolivian people. Is today´s news a sign that the U.S. is losing its touch in hand picking and managing the campaigns of Latin American presidents? How could Morales have won by such a large margin otherwise?

As an observer here in Bolivia, it is very hard to say what will be different now. Obviously, the election surprised everyone here, especially, the decisiveness of Morales´ victory. But, no one has figured out a way to effectively govern Bolivia, a nation divided, corrupted and exploited almost since its inception as a Republic 150 years ago. Even for a popular leader like Morales, developing trust and a unified vision will be very difficult task.

Only time will tell what is ahead here. The election of Evo Morales definitely signals a new chapter in the country and its development. Hopefully, this new, indigenous president, will learn quickly how to navigate the muddy political waters inside and outside Bolivia that have saddled so many of his predecessors.

Last night, Kim and I flew back from La Paz to Cochabamba on an Aero Sur plane that was headed on to Santa Cruz, in South-eastern Bolivia. As we waited in line to board the plane, I spotted Alvaro Garcia Linera, the top seeded candidate for Vice Presidency of Bolivia (running mate of Evo Morales). He was talking on his cell phone and appeared quite calm on the eve of Bolivia’s National Elections. Alvaro sat just a few seats behind Kim and I, in economy class, and was headed down to Santa Cruz.

Since I have arrived in Bolivia, I have appreciated the various modes of transportation that you can use in the country. Each mode of transport has afforded me a view on the wide spectrum of lifestyles that you can find here.

If I were asked to rank the types of transport available, I would roughly list the following from most economic to most expensive. Of course, I will also provide examples illustrating the costs and benefits of each.

Walking ($free): While in El Chapare (the largest of Cochambamba´s provinces), Kim and I were surprised at the high costs and lack of public transportation. Our taxi driver explained that the elevated rates are due to lack of people and a lack of demand. He explained that most people live off the road system in scattered, small jungle villages and can only reach trading posts and larger communities on foot. Walking provides good exercise, but can burn a couple of hours or days for some folks deep in the jungles of El Chapare. Also, carrying 100 bananas on your back can lead to some discomfort. I have never been able to keep pace with a campesino walking full stride, no matter how many pounds of stuff he or she is hauling away.

Biking ($15-$200 per stolen bike): There seem to be more bike shops in 1 sq mile in Cochabamba than there are in the entire City of Portland, OR (voted biking capital of the US). Biking is fun, but in Cochabamba, you will have a hard time finding 1)a helmet, 2)people that respect your safety, and 3)a basic understanding of the difference between an aluminum bike frame and a 2 ton steel car frame. These rational make no difference to people here; there are lots of bikers on the road.

Camions ($.50-3): You can take a camion or open roofed truck to the most inaccessible places in Bolivia. They are the most uncomfortable and dangerous option for long road trips. They can be superb for fostering community - with livestock. The views from the truck are 360 degrees and you will never have to worry about the windows not rolling down. A lot of Bolivians are accustomed to long distance travel in trucks; it’s a good way to discover that you are not really a Bolivian.

Trufis($.20-.35): How many people can you really fit into a Toyota? 5 is recommendable, 10 is not, and 14 is hard to imagine. Although nobody really keeps track, across Bolivia, trufis, or collective taxis, routinely pack in excessive amounts of people, who are eager to save some dough. In Cochabamba, these trufis follow a fixed route and are a popular form of transport. The advantage is that you never get lost, the disadvantage is that trufis are often worn, old cars without seat-belts or solid steering wheels.

Buses($.20): Cochabamba has 190 lines of public transport. If the bus drivers were happy all the time, things would be great. But, they are not, and they are unionized. Hence, blockades and strikes are nearly a monthly event. Generally, if you can decipher the bus codes, you can arrive almost anywhere you want in Bolivia for between 20 cents and 5 dollars.

The local buses in Cochabamba must have been inspired by Ken Kesey, since they appear more a psychedelic mix from the 60s than the American school buses they once were. Many of the bus drivers have their vehicles blessed in one of various sacred sites around Bolivia to protect themselves from curses or worse, accidents. It is interesting to see a crucifix hanging from the driver’s dashboard along side the latest Bolivian centerfold and a collection of stuffed Disney characters. What is good about buses is that almost anyone can scrap together 1.5 Bolivianos (20 cents) to ride one; the downside is that it can sometimes be faster to walk.

Taxis(highly negotiable): When you take a cab in Bolivia, you better be ready to haggle the price. There is no such thing as a fixed or metered price, although some drivers will argue that there are set fares. As a passenger, your rate will depend on your ability to play the game. Generally, the taxi rates vary between day and night and fluctuate depending on the number of passengers. The price is agreed upon between the curb and the car. The taxis are the life blood of the city. Taxi drivers deliver people, sides of beef, medicines, bed frames and those 100 bananas, I mentioned earlier.

Motorbike($300-1000): Super dangerous, but very Latin. If I could afford one, I would buy one against every grain of common sense I have.

Plane(80-200$ a tix): Hardly anyone in Bolivia flies. Those that can afford a ticket are normally tourists, Bolivia’s elite class and Vice Presidents. In my limited time on Bolivian airlines, I have sat beside the General Manager of McDonald’s Bolivia (which folded due to a lack of business), an attorney with US AID, hired to help re-write Bolivia’s Constitution, Kim Keefe, my girlfriend, and former Director of Los Embajadores, and my Mum.

I have yet to see a person dressed in indigenous clothing board a flight in Bolivia (this does not mean that Quechuan, Aymaran or others are not flying, but is a marked visual difference from my experiences with all other forms of transport in Bolivia). The advantages to flying are obvious, it saves between 12 to 15 hours in a bus, you don´t have to share a seat with 2 other people, and you get a free soda -- but you will miss the livestock, the scent of grain alcohol and the massively discounted prices.

Today in Bolivia, Dec 18th, the General Elections are underway. Ironically, no one is working today and so the streets and skies are devoid of all forms transportation (there are only International flights out of the country). But, the Bolivian people will be working to elect a new president. I ask that you keep the country and its people in your thoughts in the next few days. Since the seat of presidency requires a 51% majority, it is predicted that the outcome of the elections will be drawn out till January, until a decision can be reached.

I will try to offer some reflections on these significant elections (from here) and my final thoughts on Bolivia as I prepare to return to the US this coming Thursday. Gracias!

Yesterday, I celebrated my 31st birthday in a kindergarten in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Here´s a list of 10 things that I would recommend if you are thinking of doing the same...

1. Allow ample time for your Bolivian friends to arrive -- between 1-3 hours from the official start of the fiesta (there are always exceptions).

2. Hire someone to cook for you. Locating, buying, seasoning, and serving 16 kilograms of meat (sausage, chops, and chicken) is not for amateurs!

3. Serve La Garapiña or La Chicha, a traditional Bolivian beverage. Bolivians love the stuff. Attention!! La Chicha is a grain based alcohol that may leave some of your guest numb, or in some extreme cases, blind. The guests yesterday finished 8 liters of La Garapiña in about 1 hour.

4. When offered a gift, open it immediately. Bolivians may not attach easy to read cards or name tags that identify who gave you the gift.

5. If you are the one celebrating the birthday, don´t get angry when someone takes your face and smashes it against your birthday cake. It is a popular Bolivian custom, called La Mordita. Enjoy the tingly sensation!

6. Be sure to have handy some Bolivian folk music to entertain the guests. The more nationalistic, the better! Be aware that Bolivians expect you to be able to do their dances. In some cases, these dance can last longer than you may expect, just go along with it and smile.

7. Have a speech or two in your pocket for the occasion. You will likely be asked to share a few words, both as the birthday boy/girl or as a guest, talking about the birthday boy/girl.

8. Have doggie bags for your guests to take home remaining slabs of meat, rice or salad.

9. Remember that in Bolivia, the salad is still mainly for decoration. Your guests are going to be mostly interested in the meaty dishes and La Chicha.

10. Finally, everyone loves birthdays in Bolivia. No matter what age you turn, it will surely be a memorable day!!!! Whether you are turning 31, 13 or 103.

Thanks for the birthday wishes from up North and the emails from my family across the pond in Ireland. The only thing missing from my birthday fiesta was family and friends from back home.

I missed you all, but I felt your presence here in Cochabamba yesterday.

Cheers!

I just received the following article (via email) from Jim Schultz, an American journalist and the Director of the Democracy Center (where I was volunteering briefly). He has been living in Cochabamba for the past 7 years or so with his family. In this piece, he attempts to sum up some of the major themes he sees in the upcoming Bolivian elections -- set for December 18th. I found the article informative.

I hope it helps to shed some more light on how Bolivians are approaching these elections and how crazy politics can be down here!

By Jim Shultz

The Democracy Center

BOLIVIA'S UNPLANNED ELECTIONS

On December 18th the people of Bolivia will go to the polls. It is an election that no one planned and that few asked for and in which the nation will elect its sixth president in as many years. To the casual observer abroad, Bolivia looks like a nation in a state of democratic meltdown. Some analysts have warned that Bolivia is on its way to becoming the Afghanistan of Latin America.

On the ground, however, what is going on now in Bolivia is the latest act in a long struggle for social justice by people who rank as the poorest in all of South America. At the center is the demand by Bolivia's indigenous majority for a fair share of political and economic power, in a country where they have had little of either. At the forefront as well is the widespread popular rejection of a draconian economic model largely imposed on the country by powers from abroad.

HOW BOLIVIA GOT HERE

Landlocked and poor, for two decades Bolivia has been the unwilling test lab for a set of economic policies known as the "Washington Consensus". Topping the list has been the privatization of the nation's natural resources into the hands of foreign corporations, along with economic belt-tightening that falls heavily on the nation's poor. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have made these policies a key condition of giving Bolivia crucial international aid.

Five years ago Bolivians started taking to the streets to battle those policies from abroad and they have won one major victory after another.

In 2000, the citizens of Bolivia's third largest city, Cochabamba, stood down government troops and a declaration of martial law to win back control of their public water system. Under pressure from the World Bank, the water had been privatized into the hands of the US corporate giant, Bechtel.

In February 2003 in La Paz, mass protests led by a unit of the national police forced the government to drop plans for a tax increase on the poor, a program initiated under IMF pressure. Thirty-four people lost their lives. That October, protests against a proposed gas export deal to California were repressed under fire, by troops sent out by then-President, Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada, a close US ally. After more than fifty deaths in the streets, broad public opposition sent Mr. Sanchez de Lozada into US exile, where he still remains.

In 2005, these protests have continued. In January the people of El Alto followed in Cochabamba's footsteps and forced out a private water company owned jointly by the French water conglomerate Suez and an arm of the World Bank.

Last May and June, Bolivia erupted in national protest once again over the gas issue. Masses of people took to the streets to demand that Bolivia take back control of its vast gas and oil reserves (the second largest on the continent, after Venezuela). Those reserves were privatized in the 1990s, and put into the hands of some of the largest oil corporations in the world, under windfall terms for the companies.

The June protests spun the country to the political brink. President Carlos Mesa (Sánchez de Lozada's vice-president and reluctant successor) offered his resignation, triggering a succession to the Supreme Court President and the unplanned elections this month, two years ahead of the Constitutional schedule.

TWO CANDIDATES – TWO BOLIVIAS

The two leading rivals in this month's presidential elections could not be more different, in both their personal histories and in their visions for the nation's future.

Running first in the polls is Evo Morales, an Aymara Indian and leader of the nation's Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party. Morales first rose to political prominence here as leader of the nation's coca grower unions. Known popularly as just Evo, he has pledged to cancel and renegotiate the country's contracts with foreign oil companies and to immediately convene a Constituent Assembly to rewrite Bolivia's constitution, a key demand of the country's indigenous groups. Morales is also a long time thorn in the side of the US Government, having led opposition to the US war on drugs in Bolivia. For months US officials have been claiming that Morales and his movement are really stand-ins for two other US antagonists, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Cuban President Fidel Castro. The US has declined to offer any evidence to back up the claim.

The other leading candidate is Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga. Quiroga served as president previously for a year (2001-2002) when he served out the last twelve months of his dying predecessor's term, Hugo Banzer, a former dictator. Quiroga is a former IBM executive, educated in Texas and married to Texas blonde named Ginger. His speeches are laced with the language of foreign investment and stable economic environments. He’s a man of business. He also presided over more than a dozen government killings in his brief tenure in office. He’s a man of business that also feels comfortable with sending out troops as a way to combat protest, a real concern here.

DO NEW ELECTIONS MATTER?

From the outside it would appear that Bolivia's elections are a dramatic fork in the road, a choice between to very different paths forward. This applies especially to the foreign view of Morales. Outside of Bolivia he has been lifted up as an icon, good and bad. He is alternatively either a Latin American hero or a new authoritarian Fidel in the making. In a recent profile, The New York Times dubbed his ascendancy the second coming of Che Guevara. More than one hundred foreign journalists have asked permission to follow him around in the campaign's closing days.

Within Bolivia, however, most people you speak with see the elections as just one more round of advertising and politicking that will translate into very little change either way.

"The elections aren't something that we asked for, ever," notes Oscar Olivera, the Cochabamba union leader who was at the head of that city's anti-Bechtel water revolt. "What the social movements need to do now is to continue accumulating popular forces, as we have been doing since 2000, to build up our ability to pressure whatever government that comes. A Morales government would be less difficult to move, but it will still be difficult."

Whomever wins will govern under enormous pressure from corporate investors and international financial institutions to stay the IMF/World Bank course. Social movement leaders here point to the steady moderation of their once-fiery Brazilian neighbor, President Lula da Silva, as an example. In the view of Bolivia's social movements Bolivia's future will be decided, not by who wins the vote, but by the ability of the public to articulate concrete demands and to mount pressure for them with whoever wins.

POLITICAL PREDICTIONS

As Yogi Berra once famously said, "I never make predictions, especially about the future." Political predictions, and especially in Bolivia, may be the most risky predictions of all.

If the polls are correct, Evo Morales and his MAS party are likely to come in a strong first place on December 18th, with perhaps as much as 35% of the vote. That would be a substantial increase over his close 22% second place finish in 2002. It would not be enough, however, to win him the presidency. If not candidate receives 51% on December 18th, the election is turned over to the new Congress in January. To be elected one of the two top place finishers needs to assemble 51% of the vote there. Translated, this means that Bolivia's next president will be selected through a complicated set of negotiations and deal making behind closed doors.

All of Bolivia's recent governments have been led by presidents elected with votes of 22-25%, backed by deal-laden coalitions. The most likely coalition prospect is that Quiroga will ally with the certain third-place finisher, Samuel Doria Medina, owner of Bolivia's Burger Kings. The two are ideologically close and the influential US Embassy, eager to freeze Morales out of the presidency, is almost certain to mount heavy pressure on both to reach a deal.

Another possibility, a far slimmer one, is that Morales seeks his own deal with Medina, a possibility amplified by Medina's recent campaign rhetoric against foreign corporations (BK not among them). Making such a deal to win the presidency is the subject of real debate among Morales' backers. Some will argue in favor, anxious to finally get their turn at governing. Other backers believe that it would be a recipe for failure to enter government completely compromised from the start, with heavy opposition in Congress, and a mountain of impossible expectations from the public.

In the end, Morales may not even try to convert a first place win into the presidency. Instead he may use the power of his victory at the polls to demand the immediate convening of the citizen assembly to rewrite the constitution. That demand, backed by heavy street pressure around the country is very likely to be the first major flash point for Bolivia's new government. This month's elections, in the end, are more of a pause than a solution to the social conflicts that have erupted here for the past five years. The year 2006 may well bring the fiercest conflicts of them all.

The main strip in the City of Cochabamba, known as El Prado, translates to "meadow" or "pasture". Although, El Prado is far from being a verdant meadow, it does have a sizable collection of towering palm trees and tropical flowers -- along with several statues of Bolivia´s military heroes. It is also notable for containing a variety of bars and restaurants that are popular as grazing spots for beef eating, heavy drinking and dice games on weekend nights. But, since late September, El Prado has become notable for something else -- as political propaganda, party head quarters and obnoxious loudspeakers have arrived to dominate the boulevard.

On December 18, 2005, the Bolivian elections are scheduled to occur. Currently, there are two leading candidates, Evo Morales, of M.A.S (the blue team) and Tuto Quiroga, of Podemos (the red team). As this election approaches, the city is quickly being transformed into a bowl of political fruit loops as national and local parties transform houses and store fronts with jars of paint and campaign posters. Along highly trafficked areas, like El Prado, the faces of candidates and their slogans are now hoisted up on huge canvases and party headquarters can be found dotted along the way.

As a North American, it is strange to be seeing the red and blue again, and to notice some of the characteristics and parallels marking the Bolivian and U.S. Presidential elections.

Bolivians are approaching these election with a mix of cynicism, hope and desperation. The cynicism is easiest to understand, as Bolivians have been robbed, lied to and mislead by countless presidents and local leaders. There is also a hope that this election will make a difference, and move the country in a new direction. Unfortunately, I think much of this hope stems more from false campaign promises and less from genuine interest from the political parties to break from business as usual. But, what about the desperation?

Desperation is something you witnessed daily in Bolivia. I have seen it in the faces of the campesios blocking highways, in the hands of children seeking food and within middle-class families seeking reasonable economic opportunities. I believe that desparation is an powerful undercurrent in the upcoming Bolivian election and beyond. It is truly a double edged sword that could lead the country further into disrepair, but may also plant the seeds for real, dramatic and unifying changes.

The pressures on Bolivia and the Bolivians continue to multiple. One fifth of Boliva´s population lives in extreme poverty, the country´s debt makes any hope of an economic turn around bleak and foreign economic aid continues to foster dependence on the IMF, World Bank and other financial institutions that have a heavy hand in managing the country from abroad.

On the other hand, the Bolivian people have shown themselves to be a fiercely nationalistic people, vehemently opposed to international "interventions" and highly aware of the oppressive policies and tactics of their own government and countries from the outside, insistent on laying claim to Bolivia´s rich supply of natural resources.

In the last U.S. Presidential election, as the red states battled the blue, I too experienced a mix of the cynicism, hope and desperation that is now being mirrored in the comments of Bolivians I have come to know in Cochabamba.

In 2004, in Oregon and across the U.S. I think desperation contributed to a huge turn-out of people (previously uninvolved), who got involved in the political process and learned how they could help to alter the outcome of the elections.

With less than a month left to go till the elections, I am hopeful that these elections will also spawn greater citizen participation across Bolivia. I am hopeful that the Bolivans can find a constructive end to their deep seeded desparation that will deliver them true hope and quell some of their cynicism.

As was made clear in the 2004, in the US elections, there was much more to the political picture than what represented the red and the blue teams. Today in Bolivia, the same could be said about people and groups who are pushing for change inside and outside of the political process.

Often, the narrow political reality that frames elections, is a far cry from the actual reality and needs that exist in times like these.

For now, by the looks of the red and blue streets in Cochabamba, it seems like the Bolivians and the Americans may have a lot more to teach one another than they think.

Alright, after 11 months, I am no longer drowning in the Spanish that I am hearing in conversations with co-workers and friends. Though, I continue to butcher the language and horribly misconstrue things on a daily basis, I have managed to grasp most of the the basics of what is going on around me. Recently, I have also come to appreciate some of the unique features of Cochabambino-speak. The Spanish spoken in Cochabambino and around many parts of Bolivia has been morphed and influenced over time by the presence Quechua and Aymara that is spoken widely across Bolivia.

One important feature of Cocha-speak is the diminutive. A diminutive is a small suffix that is tacked to the end of word in Spanish to give it a new feel or meaning. The use of the diminutive in Cocha-speak has the effect of sugar-coating the language, a cute, but at times slightly bothersome habit. Here are a few examples.

Among friends it is common to start a conversation with a simple greeting like "Qué tal, amigo?". Here, this common greeting would be identical, except that amigo would become "amigito" - which would translate to something like - "way cool friend of mine", or "special buddy". Papa - is morphed to Papito - which I have heard used to mean, "Daddy-o", "little cutie", and "french fry" depending on the context. Of course grandparents are termed, el abuelito and la abuelita.

Along with affectionate uses of the diminutive, many Cochabambinos use this cultural convention to bargain with you. Taxi drivers, fruit sales-people and others will try to make a slightly, or heavily overpriced item sound reasonable by offering the price with a touch of their linguistic sugar and Cocha-speak. Instead of 10 Bolivianos for a cab ride, you will often hear "Sólo 10 Bolianitos", which is the same price, but is adjusted to sound warmer and more acceptable to the buyer.

Finally, the word for "now" is "ahora" in spanish, but don´t expect to hear it in this form here in Cochabamba. Here, it is "AhorrrrrrrITA". This is a special case of the use of the diminutive. It is not being used affectionately, nor to sell a product. I once thought, it was signifying sooner than later, or right now, but I have learned differently. In restaurants, when your waiter tells you "ahorrita, llevaráita la comidita" (your food is coming). The amount of time can be clocked between 5 minutes and half an hour. And so, I am still trying to decipher in general, what, if any meaning this term holds in Cocha-speak.

Reggie, my old Bolivian host father, and a Spanish teacher of 35 years, was fond of reminding me that the "subjectivity" of the Spanish language is not a teachable thing. Rather, it something, that can really only be absorbed from a language through the ears of a child or teenager. I am now grasping the meaning of his wisdom, as I notice the infinite regional and individual expressions used here among the people. One of many differences here, is the sugary, sometimes sneaky -- dimunitive "ito" or "ita" that you find used in endless forms and styles within the Cochabanbino lexicon.

Ummm, like, you gotta love d´em Bolivanos an´da way they talk, pretty cool, huh...

For several weeks now, I have been renting a room in a Bolivian house located just above a kindergarten (my 4th residence here in Cochabamba). The kindergarten school is generously decorated with the Disney characters, Mickey, Minnie, Donald and the rest of the gang. Although, the school is advertised as a bilingual kindergarten, I have not yet heard much english spoken among its students or teachers. But, on occasional, I have heard English nursery rhymes and songs from the children. It has been slightly disorienting to be awoken to a chorus of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" from the 4-year-olds assembled a floor below where I sleep.

The family I am living with, developed an interest in English after spending sometime in England around 10 years ago. The mother, Anna Maria, is now directing the bi-lingual kindergarten. Although, she admits that her English has faded over the years, due to a lack of regular practice. The father, Gustavo, is an accountant, who hasn´t revealed too much of himself, other than he likes to play billiards and talk politics. Lately, he encouraged me to read a political magazine full of investigatory reports on the corruption that infects every level of Bolivian life (according to reports in this magazine).

There are two sons in the house, Nicholas, 5 and Alex, 15. Alex recently started his summer vacation, because that´s how things are in the Southern hemisphere. I think Nicholas is also on vacation, but I am not entirely sure. The two brothers are currently enamored with their playstation 2 and a new video soccer game that Alex acquired. I have to admit the games are almost as real as what you would see on T.V. My bedroom, once stuffed, full of Nicholas´ toys is near to the playstation in Alex´s bedroom, where I can often hear the yells and arguments that ensue when somebody is fouled or a goal is scored during the video game.

Finally, the family has an empleada, or maid, who assists them with daily chores like cleaning, cooking and laundry. She is given her own room in the house along with a monthly salary. Unfortunately, the family recently learned from a local shop owner that she has been seen stealing items from the shop. This moring, Anna Maria told me that the family has lost their confidence in her and will be looking for someone new. Since this young lady has been living with the family for several months, Anna Maria and the family are understandably struggling with their decision.

For me, having a second opportunity to live with Bolivians, is another chance to glimpse at Bolivian family life. Although, much is different about this new family, compared to the last, there are some common themes. For one, there is a stong desire to find away to send the children abroad for educational purposes. Anna Maria has been actively looking for study abroad programs for her son, Alex. Since, Alex was born in England, he has a great opportunity afforded to few Bolivianos -- the ability to obtain an English passport. In the previous family, Isabel, the youngest daughter had applied to medical school in Cuba and her sister is now living in Canada.

Secondly, this family exhibits a closeness that I also experienced living with the Rojo family for my first 5 months in Bolivia. Kim, had also noted this characteristic within her Chilean host family. At times, when I am home, the house can seem empty, when in fact the whole family is here, but all in the parent´s bedroom. It seems, the parent´s bedroom serves as a refuge and social place for the family. Recently, I was invited to enter this room to have a private conversation with the parents about what had occurred with their empleada. I felt a bit awkward, like I was entering a sacred room in their house that had been strictly off limits previously. Nicholas, the youngest son, also sleeps in this room with his parents.

Finally, there is the theme of financial uncertainty. Of course, this is not a uniquely Bolivian experience, but the financial future is clearly something that has concerned both families I have lived with. Last night, Kim invited some Bolivians to her apartment for dinner. The father of the family shared with her that his salary, paid by a European company, had been reduced significantly. He explained that international investment, a very sizable part of the Bolivian economy, has been slumping in light of ongoing political instability within the country.

Clearly, the Bolivian political roller coaster continues to affect all aspects of life here and makes it difficult to predict one´s personal financial outlook. Bolivian retirement plans and stocks don´t real exist to afford you much financial security. Of course, the same could be said these days, for many American families.

In my time with both families, I have been appreciative of the lessons that have been offered to me. I am especially appreciative of the hospitality I have received from the Bolivians and from my new friends Donald Duck and Goofy.

One of the intriguing aspects of living abroad is reading the newspaper. I read the Bolivian papers mostly for their entertainment value. Even though, the Bolivian elections are approaching on December 18th (possibly this date), and I feel some civic responsibility to be informed, I continue to find myself surfing the lighter side of the daily papers.

As I was cleaning out my room today, I came across two clippings that I wanted to share. The first is a sports story and the second a quasi-political story.

My brother, a golf editor in NYC, has probably not yet heard of Mauricio Mendoza. And yet, Mendoza has done what few golfers have achieved in the world. A story from ¨Los Tiempos¨(Cochabamba), reported in October that Mendoza had registered two consecutive holes in one at a tournament at the La Paz Golf Club. Mendoza, a Cochabambino, hit the golden one ball on the 6th hole and followed with a second, the following day, on the 12th hole. On the sixth hole, according to the story, his golf ball flew directly into the hole, which is to say it never touched a Bolivian blade of grass on the green.

The second story I clipped included a photo of soccer idol, Diego Maradona and Cuban leader, Fidel Castro kicking a soccer ball together. Diego Maradona now has his own late night T.V. program in Argentina called ¨La Noche del Diez¨. The story praised Maradona for securing something few journalists have obtained -- an exlusive interview with Fidel Castro.

The interview between the two Latin idols was filmed in Cuba a few weeks ago. Maradona asked Fidel about his relationship with Che Guevara and his opinions on the Summit of the Americas which recently took place in the Argentinean Plata del Mar. Fidel reported that he was not invited to attend the summit, but would not have gone anyhow. Apparently, Maradona and Castro have been acquainted for a few years, and first met when Maradona was in a drug treatment program in Cuba for his well publicized cocaine addiction.

When Maradona informed Fidel that he was planning to attend the Summit of the Americas in protest against the aims of the conference and against the policies issued by the Bush Administration, Fidel exclaimed proudly to Maradona,

¨A statue to Diego!!!!¨