New pictures

Santa Cruz gang or the lowlanders as the other group calls us.
My Bolivian brother.
poncho works magic
the room we spent many hours in making the travel letters and had many presentations during the political program
Statue to the Womens, with some Norwegain womens in Cochabamba
I and Jesus.
A day at the office. Sometimes it is ok to have some fun.
The whole group with there diploms.
Salsa lesson. Only had one and many more are needed.
Norwegian boys casual dressed and Bolivian girls, not so casual dressed. It was a dancing performance and some of the groups was really good.
Walking up to 'El Christo', or the Jesus statue in Cochabamba. And Cochabamba is a fantastic city.
My Cuban Professor gives me my diploma after a course in 'basic leadership', with the organization 'trabajadores sociales' or in English, Social workers. All in Spanish:):):) I was very proud.

I will soon buy a poncho

Cochabamba

The first political program is in Cochabamba. A city in the middle of the country. It is beautiful, between tall mountains, quiet, nice parks and small cute houses. The city lies 2500 meter over sea level and there are still palms, the temperature is warm Norwegian summer and at the nights the air is fresh. On a small mountain in the middle of the city their is a gigantic statue of Jesus (El Christo), its 37m tall and you can walk inside it. There is also many backpackers here and I heard Norwegian and Swedish many times already, which is strange.

To meet the other Brigadist been amazing as well. Hear about their adventures. We are all placed in so different places, nature, climate, poverty, white or indians, everything is different all over. It is impossible to make any kind of generalization. I am really looking forward to visit more places later, and in the end travell around.

The next days we will make our first travel letter, with around 15 different articles, that many in Norway will recieve. We will have many different people presenting history, politics, different organizations and other topics that are relevant. I also been running the first two morning, bearfooted, its so nice with a temperature under 30 degrees, makes it easier to run. I also am so used to get up between 6 and 7 now, that I feel perfectly rested and dont feel for sleeping any longer. So nice to have that feeling again.

Santa Cruz again

Last night when I arrived in Santa Cruz and Jose's house it felt like home. When I left my family at Yapacani, it felt like leaving home. I really feel safe at two different places here, which is good. Andrea and I arrived at Jose's house around 1030pm, and Kathrine, Carlos, Kaja and Andrea been waiting for us and enjoying some wine. We was meet by a very giggling and happy crew. I must also say each time I meet the other one's in Santa Cruz, it almost feels like family to, in Bolivia we are for sure. It's strange to think about that 2 months ago I didnt know any of them and now we have done, experienced and done so much together. During preparations course in Norway, all the earlier Brigadist that talk to us mentioned the special bond they get between each other. I quite sure I know what they was talking about now.

Over on something bad. My mobil, norwegian one, that in Bolivia been used as alarm clock and mp3 player is lost. During the trufi ride (taxi bus) from Yapacani - Santa Cruz it got lost. 4 time I take it away from my bed and I lose it. And now I have no mp3 player. So there are bad thing happening. Nevertheless, of all the bad thing that could happen it was a good one. I wasnt very attached to it anyway. So now I have to go to the police and report it stolen, so the insurence does it part of the deal.

Its been raining incredibly much here today, so the temperature is nice. And I am watching the Man U game, being happy, when Scholes gets a red card and Fulham scores on the penenlty. What the F is happening, first the last L-poooool game and now this. Its almost ruins good days.

Soon Cochabamba

This week I been tired. I been wanting to read, relax, sleep a little more and just chill. However, it is impossible. My problem is that there is to much happening all the time, which is really good. I am not used to being social each day the whole day. When I am already tired it is really hard focusing on talking and understanding, I end up just looking stupid at people many times. At the same time so spanish I can speak now almost without thinking, some easy sentences, and I sometimes can trust my intuition. Which is fun.

On tuesday Andrea and me joined a course for educate leaders for the alfabetisations campaign. It was three intense days at an institution in San German, where we all also slept. We participated and got a diploma in the end, really fun. Meet many young, prosperous leaders from the state Santa Cruz and hopfully I get to meet them again soon. It was an institute, but they liked call it a university. There was pigs and chickens walking around, the water we got from a well where the pigs like to play, and the kitchen was outside and we had to chase the pigs away from there all the time. The worst was my madrass and blanket, it was so smelly and dirty I slept on the floor with my clothes on insted.
On wednesday night, after everyone else gone to bed, I was sitting outside listening to the sounds, looking at the moon and stars (it is easy to see the milkway) and enjoying a quiet time. Was so nice just sitt there and think, listen, be scared from the spiders (they are huge) and be alone. I have to enter the jungle soon, one of my plans after the meeting next week.

Tomorrow I go to Santa Cruz and meet the other and on the evening or on sunday morning we take the bus to Cochabamba for our first Political Program. Will be so fun see the other ones and hear about their experiences the first month. Time passes way to fast, I am getting afraid not have time to do everything I want.

I think that was all for now, or all I remember for the moment.

A new week

Or the new week started some days ago, but anyway.
Was good to be back. James had missed me a lot. Simona said he been sleep talking about. Asking when I would return. I also had some really personal conversations with my Simona. She been telling many things I never imagined she would talk about. It been so interesting and touching, she had and have many fights and care much for her children. She also said she really appreciated me being there and she is sad its only 3 more months. It was an amazing conversation and I was so amazed by how much I could understand and tell. My spanish has made great progress.

The weather the last 5 days been rain, rain and more rain. All the streets are mud and I catched a cold. My nose is running. So annoying, but I guess it since my feet are wet all day and that I never manage to keep my bed clothes on me when I am sleeping. A fun fact is that I havnt used socks since the flight between England and USA.
Today I was running again, felt wonderfull. I must continue to do that, but my willpower have problems at 5.30 in the morning. I also meet the Cubanos again and they wondered when I will come and play football again. I will try on thuesday. Its hard, each day I have so much to do from morning to night, but I should prioritate football next week. Make some more friends, now that I am able to communicate I should make some friends and practise.

I am looking forward for sun, for the great and important game tomorrow between Manchester and Liverpool. Hopfully I get to see it, but I am not sure and it begins at 730 in the morning. Not the best time to find a place either.

Weekend in Santa Cruz

This weekend I been in Santa Cruz. To celebrate Kaja's birthday, have internet, plan the coming weeks and enjoy the luxury of a swimming pool.
On saturday it was a party for Kaja and for Cecilie at Jose's house. Much food, barbecue and meet the people in Santa Cruz again. I made good progress on my Spanish since I now could understand much of conversations they others had, and occationally respond. It made a good fealing.
The next morning was the international womens day, and I (unlucky me :P) was in house with 4 girls. So I got up earlier, cleaned from yesterday, bought some food and made breakfast.
Later I waked to the city, listening to music and visited a sunday market with local handcraft.
I thought we was going to return to Yapacani on monday, but on the morning planning meeting they said it was necessary we stayed one more day. Then we went to a march for female rights, that was held by the organization two other brigadist works for. The sight of the screaming and determined white womens scared me. I lost the march and failed to find it again, so I explored so more of the city. Then under a the threat of heavy raining I hided under a roof, were I ended up having a 30min conversation on spanish, all by myself.
Monday night was a suprise party for the mother of Kaja, one of the scary feminist and we went there. It was so fun. Many of the people there were in there 60 and had problems walking, pain in their backs and almost looks ready for retirement. When the music started they was dancing for hours, just like they was 20, I was sitting and watching with huge admiration. They made a great show and had so much fun.
Today we finished planing, and i am waiting for Andrea to come back from the city so we can return. It been a great weekend, but I am looking forward to return to my family.

No malaria, no dengue and no trash

Riding the truck ready for gathering trash.The last days several schools participated, helping to clean the streets in the city center.
Me and Andrea with a note saying 'Young rebels, making history'.
Live on TV, speaking about trash on Spanish.
In the middle of a lot of normal trash, a bad full of injections. Not safe to find that unmarked, we have no idea what they been used for.
Where we dump the trash, by the river Amazonas.
Security on the roads are not as strict as home.
A meeting to plan the campaign.
The roads in the city is just sand or mud when its raining. This is two kids walking home from school.
Meeting with the Mayor, filmed by local TV.

My family and house

This is my brother Alcides, he is 16 years old and we share room together. This is my bed and my part of the room.
During Carneval all kids was running around with waterballons, spray and sometimes painting. Its was not safe to be a Gringo in a small city those days, or anywhere for that matter. Does in La Paz and Santa Cruz had all the same experience. This is my youngest brother James and two other neighbor kids.
Me, my mother Simona and Juan Carlos preparing food. I am preparing Yuka, a root vegetable we eat a lot of, its really tasty, jsut a shame it mostly grows in Paraguay, Bolivia and Brasil in the tropical zone.
Celebrating Pacha Mama (mother earth), in my yard.
Me dancing Quechua dance at Juan Carlos b-day. And my aunt in the background is very pleased.
Birthday to Juan Carlos. The man to my right is my father.
When its raining it comes quick and leaves quick, but it is always thunder and very intense.
Me doing laundry.
My shower that is very tall. I am standing on some bricks in the mud. I havent showered in regulated heated water since Norway. It's never really cold, not even in the mornings and during the day the water can be so warm I cant stand in it.
Breakfast with 3 of my brothers, my mother and the daughter to another brother. I eat rice to each breakfast, lunsj and dinner.

Running

After trying to get up before its warm for the last week to go running, I finally made it today. Was great, only scary thing is that dogs chased me several time. Which ended up in me getting a little lost. Will try to do it 2 - 3 times a week. Alcides that I share room with, been up at 4 the last days for football practice, so its normal and the only resonable thing to do in the heat.

Breakfast today was also a little fun. Rice, which is normal, but to the rice I got fat, just boiled fat with a little meat. It was normal so I ate it without comment, but I wished it was more meat and less fat. The good part was tomato and avocado salat, all in all it wasnt bad.
When i got home for lunsj they were drying coca leafs in the yard.

Now I will have spanish and quechua again.

2 weeks

Today I had the most gross job, stand in the back of a big truck that collects trash. In the end I was standing in old food, broken glass, tires, plastic and all kind of trash, in my sandals and shorts and we had no gloves. In the heat the smell was incredibly bad.
After that my ´friend´, Carlos invited me home, so we drove a motorcycle cab to his house. Played a little command and conquere before I whent home for lunsj. Last weekend that the other brigadist was visiting us in Yapacani he first wanted Andrea, after a small failure he turned his interest on Kaja. So far this weekend me and Andrea been answering questions about what norwegians girls like, etc etc. Ps, Kaja I gave him your number.

Yesterday I had my first spanish and quechua lesson at a colegio. I think me and Andrea will have spanish and quechua monday, wednesday and friday from 2 - 5, that was what we agreed, but plans changes all the time. Hopefully it will be so, I really need some organized spanish practise. To learn a few words, maybe phrases in quechua would be fun to.

The only thing I miss is to go skiing. Its so much snow home now and I want to be a week in the montains. And Manchester won the liga cup final, Hans you are usually able to find any unnecessary thing on internet, but not that. And Robinson, why!!!!!

If anyone have any topics they wont me to write about just say so.

Sunday

Today its sunday and relax day!!! At 7.45 everyone already been up for a time and it was time for breakfast, just as good since it was already increadably warm and people been in and out my room for an hour. Breakfast was rice, potatoes, a egg and some home made chillisaus, todays speciall was coffee, first time in a while. After breakfast I was reading a little before I started to gather trash around the house. They just throw away in their backyard or where they are standing so its more than enough to do, and tomorrow the campaign is in our neighbourhood so it will be collected. After lunsj I will go and visit Andreas family, they live 27km outside the city in a village named San German.

Yesterday evening it was a dance competetion. It was 4 different groups and they had a kind of rap, quechua dancing, wind the crowed competition. Was really fun to watch, even though I didnt understand what kind of funny stuff they was singing about. One of the groups was almost just my family, my mother, Juan Carlos, and different other family members, they finnished second and my mother was not happy with the organisations.

Hans there are a lot of girls here, and they are often looking at me, guess it is because I am the onlyone with blond hair and are a head taller than others. I am getting used to their look but indians look a little different in the face, and I am still getting used to that. A bad thing is that they all have bad theets, something I dont like. Girls are like most places so beautiful and some not so lucky. Many of them are also a little big around their stommach and girls older than 16 usually have 3 kids, a rather scary fact.

I hope Manchester United win tonight against Tottenham in Liga Cup final, I am not lucky enough to watch it, but I will send happy thoughts and pray. All shall do the same.