Bonita Cochabamba

Hola Everyone!
I arrived in Cochabamba with a majority of my abroad group. We landed at 7:45am and didn't stop until 11pm... Aye. Orientation lasted only 3 days but it felt like 2 weeks. I hate to admit it, but I think it was some of the hardest days in my life so far haha. I am so used to traveling and such, but this time, I am on my own. We went over health and safety, our curriculum, and finally our ISP; we did this all in Spanish. Needless to say, my head was swimming. On the second day, Our directors took us up to the Cristo, which is a statue of Christ (similar to Brazil's) overlooking the entire city. This is where they left us. We were divided into pairs, and from here , we took a tram down the hill and were left to discover the city for ourselves. I was paired with Seth, and our task was to locate Aldeas SOS, a non-profit that works with orphans in Bolivia. We had 4.5 hours to find it and return to our hotel. With Seth's mad map skills, and my... "help" we found it within 2 hours. After that, we were free to roam the city.
Cochabamba is beautiful (muy linda). It is located in valley and surrounded by mountains. The weather is perfecta. It is just like spring or a cooler summer. The city is full of beautiful homes cascading down the valley, and the fruit is incredible. Bolivianos are very friendly and on most occasions, they prove to be very helpful. The diversity is very interesting. There are those of the upper class (yes, there is a kind of class system) in more modern clothing, and then there are many men and women in traditional clothing, carrying babies and fruit on their backs. There are many parks in every zone of the city, and the night life is bustling. We even stumbled upon a protest dealing with coca leaves. Coca leaves are only a small ingredient in cocaine; otherwise it is used on a daily basis by Bolivians in their teas and and just to chew. It helps to curb hunger and to boost energy. The protest was basically to remind the governments that coca leaves are not cocaine.
Speaking of coca leaves, I did try them. On the second night, our group went to the home of my academic director, Ismael. I do I describe Ismael? It is so difficult. I want to say he is like a cross between a Hippie and Jackie Chan. That is not even a close or accurate comparison but, you get the idea. He is not only an academic director but a lawyer, teacher, and Tai Chi instructor. His house is 3 floors and he and his wife designed it. There are two Tai Chi studios--one in the yard and on as the first floor. He holds classes for paying students and our group as a special option.
Before we entered their home for dinner, Ismael and his wife prepared a special Hindu/Buddhism/Indigenous ritual for us to do. All I can say is, the gong at the end was the icing on the cake. I was not sure where it was going, but it turned out to be a fantastic start to the semester. The ritual involved mother earth, coca leaves, numerous corns and grains, and red and white wines, all ritually placed on the fire. We each took turns completing the series of rituals. What a night!
The next night, I meet my family, which is completely nerve-wracking. We went to dinner at this fabulous restaurant, complete with traditional Bolivian music, tropical birds, and lots and lots of dancing! I danced with my host papa, Bruno, and my host mama, Tirsa. I met one of my 3 siblings that night as well. Aside from an awkward silences and broiled chicken flying off my plate, it went relatively well.
Yesterday, orientation came to a close (Thank God). It was concluded with a workshop fears and expectations. It was lead by Micheele and Pachi, two good friends. It consisted of art and movement. It really calmed my nerves. After that, I hopped into a taxi with my host family, and we traveled to my new home. Bruno y Tirsa have a landscaping/gardening business, and so their house/yard is open and airy. Their courtyard has a greenhouse and numerous potted plants. My room is right by the front door and it is perfect! The whole house is very simple with good light. There is one bathroom and a small kitchen, living room, and dining area. Tirsa loves to paint and design, so the interior is very nicely done. Besides 5 family members, I am now sharing a home with 2 dogs (one is 2 months old!) and 2 cats. They will definitely be a comfort!
After I unpacked, Andrea, mi hermanita ( she is 11 years-old) took me on a walk around the neighborhood. We lost track of time and walked around for hours! Our house is located in zone Villa Moscu. The focal points of the city are many recreation areas and a huge Morman temple.
I start classes tomorrow, which I am both excited for and dreading! I begin my history seminars in Spanish and 3 hour Spanish classes. They will prove to be helpful. After only a few days, I feel like my Spanish has improved quite a bit, although a majority of the time i just smile and nod and use choppy Spanish. I can't wait to see what three months does! In two weeks, my group will take an excursion to La Paz. I can't wait!

Love to all--

Yikes!

So... I leave for Bolivia in two days! I am pretty stoked, pretty nervous... all of the above. The anticipation is killing me. I have finished packing my monsterous backpacking backpack (if only I was as hardcore as it looks) and my school bag ( which is bursting at the seams). Congratulations to me, I am going to throw my back out.

People have been asking me what I want to get out of this. Why Bolivia? Well for starters, I am not setting my expectations too high or too low... travel and life is very unpredictable so I am going to take advantage of every moment and take it as it comes. I chose Bolivia for its diverse beauty and culture. I chose it because I wanted a challenge; both personally and academically. I chose it because my gut feeling won.

I will be living in Cochabamba, Bolivia. It is known as the city of eternal spring with average temperatures of 75-80 degrees. I will be thinking of all of you stuck with mounds of dirty snow and chilling temperatures ;). I will be staying with a very nice family of 5 in the heart of a city of 800,000 people. Isn't that bigger than South Dakota's population?

Anyway, I am very excited to embark on this new portion of my life. I will miss you all dearly and will keep in touch when I can.

More later...