A Few Things are Different Here

(Some of my fellow language school students at a Cochabamba Day party.)

One of my teachers asked me to keep a journal of cultural observations so I can process through why things are the way they are here. Since language school isn't providing a lot of exciting stories I thought I'd share with you some of the things that have surprised me.

• In Bolivia there are no interstates, expressways, or freeways, so a half hour plane ride is an overnight bus ride.
• Everyone from outside of the U.S. seems to associate KY with KFC.
• I was introduced to carbon pills as a toxin absorber, for digestive issues that are common among newbies like me.
• Bolivians really do greet everyone in the room with a kiss when they enter.
• There are very few street signs, which makes map reading hard, but the lack of stop signs is a whole 'nother story. You just honk and proceed hopefully through the intersection.
• The buildings all have walls around the outside for protection. I already knew this, but I've recently learned that the plants decorating the walls are thorny as well.
• Toyota seems to have reserved some cars from the U.S. market. Have you ever heard of the Sprinter or the Starlet?
• It is acceptable to call others fat, in fact I'm told that it is culturally preferable to be plump. I'm still running though, haven't quite embraced this idea.
• You will need a knife to eat soup. In the States we would usually cut the meat off the bone or the corn off the husk before putting it in the soup, but that is not so here.
• Everyone has to get out of the car to have it filled up with natural gas, but not gasolina.
• I have seen four people riding on a motorcycle, parents carrying a car-seat on a motorcycle, parents wearing helmets while their kids ride helmet-less, three people with a tuba, and three people with a goat.
• When a woman commits a crime here, there is usually no one to take care of her kids, so she takes her children to jail with her. However, there are organizations that help take care of those niños, and organizations to help those women. I'm looking forward to serving in such places soon!