Half way…

As I write this I am reaching the half way point in my time in Cochabamba… I should be half way to being fluent in Spanish! That may be something of an exaggeration but I’m certainly growing in confidence and hopefully I’m making more and more sense to my host family who I feel must be very practised in the art of patient listening.




The family here have been great and it’s been a joy to be part of family life again in such a close way. The two sons here - one a university student, Marcos, the other a civil engineer, Ronald - make sure that my Spanish isn’t too old fashioned and no doubt teach me some of the phrases that textbooks don’t teach! Mary and Alfredo have made me feel totally at home here and a real part of family life.




I’ll know I’ve really made it though when Mattias, the parrot finally learns my name (for many weeks his Spanish vocabulary was certainly larger than mine!). One great privilege recently was to celebrate Mass for the wider family on the feast day of the Exaltation of the Cross. Handed down over generations is a large crucifix and the family gathered for the feast day and to continue with a lunch for everyone squeezed into the house.




Politics are never far away from the conversations here. The turbulent history of Bolivian politics means that there’s always plenty to discuss. Most recently president Evo Morales has been to the meeting of ‘non-aligned’ countries in Cuba and is now attending the meeting of the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York. Fiery statements abound concerning the foreign policies of the United States and in return the US accuses Bolivia, with its considerable production of the coca leaf (mainly for non drug related purposes), of slacking in the war against drug trafficking. What is certain is that more Latin American countries are speaking out against US policy. Quite where things will lead is anyone’s guess for these nations where the dollar bill is very much the accepted and often the preferred currency in everyday life. What is clear is that more and more recognize the present injustices of world trade and the reality of terrible crimes committed by regimes supported by the foreign policies of powerful nations.

To end on a happier note, a word about the current fiestas here. Last Thursday was Cochabamba day, commemorating the city’s liberation from Spanish rule nearly two hundred years ago. Once again the parades and bands took to the streets and people danced and celebrated all day and probably all night! This coming Thursday is national student day and I wonder what everyone will be doing to celebrate the lives of students! Whilst schools, colleges and universities will all be free for the day the definition clearly doesn’t stretch to returning students of language school. We will be celebrating with a full day of Spanish classes!