The last 10 days been more intense than I had anticipated. First I went too Cochabamba to meet the Oil Labor Union. I, Ørjan and Reidun was invited to watch their first meeting after the corruption scandal some months ago. The Director of the national oil company YPFB is found guilty for corruption. It was a very bad situation since he was one of the leading figures of MAS. For MAS and Evo Morales the fight against corruption been very important and therefor it was very serious when a such important leader was corrupt. Now there are a new director and he also came to the meeting and meet with the labor union for the first time. First they was talking about the corruption and then about what they want from the new Director. The first day was very intense, 10 hour of meeting with only one break for lunch. I have problems to understand how they manage to stay focused under such long meetings, and I have no chance to follow everything, not that I understand everything either. When they finally called it the day they invited us for a cook out. Which was really fun. Several of the union leaders been to Norway before through LO and Energi og Miljø. It was really social where they all was talking a lot to us. Even to me and Ørjan that have a limited spanish they included in all conversations. Something that we appreciated a lot, since it is not always people feel for speaking slower and use a easier language. However, at midnight we called it the night, had more meeting the next morning, last night I had a 10 hour buss ride and was going on a camp the next day. So when they wanted us to come to a karaoke disco we said we was sorry. Another thing that always suprises me is how they see nothing wrong in getting drunk the day before work, or like this example, the day before hours of meetings. Anyways the next day the meetings started at 9 and before that we had to prepare some interviews. After a night in a hotel, with comfortable beds and hot water I felt amazing and ready for the day. They showed up, more or less on time and begun with the same intensity as yesterday. We could'nt stay the whole day since we had leave too a camp for young leaders at 12. 15 past 12 we was running to the hotel. Found a Trufi that goes to Villa Tunari and enjoyed the comfort of to many people in the same car for 3 hours.
We arrived a couple of hours late and in good mood. Something that was not the situation for the others. They arrived yesterday and had a night in a tent with a loot of rain. Luckily all the young leaders from around the country was in good mood and ready to begin. It was around 100 boys and girls from different organizations around Bolivia in the age around 15 - 22. What they had in common was a talent for leadership and that their organizations had propositions for laws that will benefit people between 15 - 30 years. So you can imagine when 100 leaders gathers for only 2 days, they don't all get to say as much as they want. Thing took time, nevertheless it was great. The last night we had a football tournament and my team won :) Then Sigurd and I went out with the others. Was fun and a little strange, most of them was between 15 and 19 years old and we a little older. There is also the fun fact that Bolivian girls always say they are around 5 years older than they really are. Was some funny conversations and both Sigurd and I laughed of our self. At the club it also came around 10 gringoes, and it was funny to observe how they behaved as well. Cant say I was proud to see my own culture then, and I was trying to imagine how the locals usual look at me, it left some questions marks for later. The next day we finished, said goodbye and left, arrived in Santa Cruz after to many hours on the road, again.
Yesterday and today I been in Santa Cruz and made interviews. With a Priest that was a little conservative and with a local radio in Plan 3000. Have some more organizations and people ready and will continue this the next days as well. Takes time preparing the questions, find some information in advance, and later use the information. I am very excited about using this information later and that is where the big job is.
Enough about the boring part. I now have a cold, it actually exist a cold winter here, I truly could'nt believe that. At the same time some days are warmer than the summer home and the next is cold. Cold is 15 degrees normal and down to 10 degrees sometimes, those times are hard. It does'nt exist any heating and inside and outside always is same temperature. I never use socks or shoes, so my feets are always freezing, I have started to use a sweater. Little warm bedcloathes, those blancets that exist isnt warm, thank god for the sleeping bag.
And now that the seasons are over I get excited about what will happen on the transfer marked. Have Real bought Kaka, and what will happen with Tevez??? So many questions and so many rumers. I almost feel that off season is more intense.
hadet
