May 30, 2016

     Wow, what a day. I am typing this update very late at night and I will explain why shortly. The title of this day should be “A Day of Surprises”. In the morning before breakfast I was hanging out in the kitchen with some of the girls. I was helping them clean up some of last night’s food that were left out. At one point, I picked up a small blue cup that looked like it was filled with milk. But that was not the only thing residing in that cup. Swimming around the top of the milk was a cockroach the size of a USB drive. I screamed like a little girl and backed away yelling “Cucaracha!” (I knew that word thanks to that little song haha). Anyway, that is how my morning started.

        After breakfast, Elena (my German friend) asked if I wanted to go to the health clinic with her and a little 2-year-old girl to get her checked out because she had a nasty cold. I agreed and off we went! We rolled out in a motorcycle taxi (with the two-year-old on the driver’s lap!) and got there safe and sound. The clinic was a small building with a courtyard in the center. It was very crowded and we had to wait an hour to see a doctor. When we finally saw the doctor, our visit was less than 2 minutes long. He hastily scribbled down some prescriptions for medicines on a piece of paper and we were on our way to the pharmacy down the street to pick up the drugs. After we picked up the medications and came back to the office, two nurses gave a shot to the poor little girl. I have never heard a wail so violent before. We left the clinic and went back to the Hogar via motorcycle taxi again (little did I know at this point that I would return to this location two more times today!).

        When we got back to the Hogar I decided to help around with the little kids. So I go off to the Santa Anna building to lend a hand with whatever they needed. When I arrived to the building I saw Carina and Chiki looking through some girl’s hair. I knew immediately what they were doing. They were searching for lice. I offered a hand and spent an hour on another girl’s head. It was covered. I had to pull 50+ lice eggs off the hairs and many lice that were crawling on the roots. I hope I don’t get lice! So far I have been pretty healthy (occasional nausea and other issues) but the last thing I want is lice. It would stink to have to go back to the short hair (and be squirrel boy again).

        I finished up with the lice hunting and was about to help some girls with homework when I was invited to lunch with Mother Superior, her assistant, and a land worker there. It was very nice and I held a good conversation! Mother Superior has noticed my increase in listening ability so now she is talking faster when she speaks to me. But, she also told me to work on my talking (I’m having problems with my tenses) haha. After lunch I was invited to go to different stops around town with Mother Superior and her assistant (Profesora Lilly). I hopped into the car that Mother Superior pulled up in and recognized the song that was playing, “That’s the Way (I Like It)” and she told me she loves listening to old US music! She enjoys listening to the Beatles and Bee Gees. On our trip we listened to “YMCA” and also their favorite song “Survivor”. Mother Superior even sang and danced a little! Anyways, we went back to the clinic and Mother Superior talked to a doctor. She got me set up with him to watch a surgery tomorrow! I’m super excited and nervous for what’s about to come.

        We make a few other stops then get some ice cream to celebrate Memorial Day (they felt bad that I wasn’t with my family for the holiday). We arrived at the Hogar at around 6:00. At this point I thought my day was about done (boy was I wrong). I decided to Facetime my family and then go to my room to write about the already filled day. While I was using Facetime with my parents, four girls came running in the room saying “Chris we need you to come here NOW!” I said goodbye and ran out of the room following them into the San Francisco part of the building. I run into the sleeping quarters and I see a bunch of girls surrounding a bunk-bed in the far left corner of the room. I run over to the bunk-bed and there is a girl shaking uncontrollably (very seizure like) but also whimpering. The girls were speaking a million miles per hour and time slowed down. I was then instructed by Professora Lilly to pick her up and take her the street where a taxi would pick us up. I picked up the 12 year old girl (who was shaking mildly at this time) and went to the street. We (Profa Lilly, Carina, and I) waited there for 10 minutes while I sat there with this poor girl shaking and moaning in my arms. I felt her forehead and she was burning hot so I had some girls fetch me a towel soaked in water to cool her down. I placed the towel on her forehead and I think that it helped a little. During this whole time, she was unresponsive by the way. Once the taxi arrived we went to the medical clinic for the third time of the day. When we arrived I carried her into the clinic and placed her in a bed in one of the rooms. I was then instructed to leave the room after they asked me a few questions. While sitting in the waiting room I could hear the moans and the sounds of the doctors and nurses working hard. I saw nurses running in and out of the room getting more and more drugs and needles for her. She apparently she would nope stop shaking and continued to be unresponsive. After what seemed like forever, we were instructed to transfer her to the town’s hospital for further treatment. By this time, Mother Superior and her posse of nuns showed up and were assisting in the transfer. We put her in the back seat of Mother Superior’s truck (needles still inside of her) and moved her to the hospital. At the hospital we waited for an answer to what was going on. I heard many different things while I was there. I heard that she might have chikungunya or another illness similar to it. After waiting outside the hospital for some time Mother Superior took Carina and I back to the Hogar. I will update when I find out more information tomorrow. Till then, I am extremely tired and need some sleep. I will answer any questions in the comments below. Chao!

 This little girl is 3 years old. She has a very good stare.

 This is one of my favorite girls! She is either 4 or 5 (I will update later) and she is always following me around. I think she is the cutest girl here at the Hogar.

 This is Carina teaching the girls numbers. The girls of Santa Maria are ages 2-5. They were struggling with the numbers.

 This is the picture I got of the clinic when I went there the first time. Notice how crowded it is and how tiny the waiting room is. The room that I placed the sick girl in is right behind me in this picture.

 This is the doctor looking at the 2-year-old. The doctors there wore whatever they liked with a scrubs shirt on top. I saw one with an Adias sweatsuit on and scrubs!

While waiting outside the hospital, an ambulance arrived. It's the only picture I took at the hospital.

May 29, 2016

     Today was a little slow but I made it! It started off interesting and then was pretty normal the rest of the day. When I strolled into the main room of the Hogar (right next to the kitchen and dining hall) I heard screams from inside the dining hall! I ran over and what I witnessed is the definition of chaos. There were girls on tables and chairs, girls running and screaming, and some even swinging brooms in the air wildly. Guess what all of this was for? There was a rat on the loose hahahaha. The rat was running around the dining room floor then into the main room when I grabbed one of the brooms from a screaming five-year-old. I proceed to hit the rat a few times and save the children of the orphanage. That would be a great thing to put in my resume wouldn’t it? “Saved an orphanage full of little girls from a menacing, disease carrying animal”. Anyways, they told me I have to say a prayer for the rat at church and throw it out back haha.

        We then went to mass and it was the same as always however, I am noticing that I can pick up more words in the service! I am also able to hold a solid conversation with the girls now! My Spanish is actually getting better!!! After mass and in the afternoon, Chiki and Carina and I went to a fast food place in the city to have lunch. It was called Chriss (hehe). I had some hot wings with French fries and OH MY did I need that. I don’t think I can eat boiled chicken and lukewarm canned meat ever again after this trip.

        In the evening I played basketball and soccer with the girls. It was a lot of fun and I taught them the basketball game “Knock-Out” (I told you my Spanish was getting better!). To add to that, I was undefeated at Knock-Out the times that I played (I hope I’m making you proud Coach Coop). I also learned some new Spanish words dealing with basketball so that was neat too. When we got bored of basketball we switched to soccer which was a lot of fun! Some girls had some serious skill and really impressed me. Others were very physical and one even attempted to slide tackle me (ON CONCRETE!). These girls here are tough as nails. I have seen one (3 years old) run straight into a metal pole, fall down, shake it off, and continue playing. I have seen others fall off tables and chairs without a sound. Like I said, tough as nails.

        To end the night, I had a nice hour and a half long conversation with three girls (age 15). I was talking to them about everything and anything and it was a very insightful experience. I learned some swear words (DON’T TELL ANYONE!) haha and some other things about their lives. One girl has lived at the Hogar for 12 years (the other two have been here 5 years and 7 years). It made me think and realize how fortunate I have been to live in such a stable environment my whole life. I knew that I was lucky before but this put my life into a new prospective. These girls don’t go to other countries or vacation spots. These girls have no parents to help them get through the day. Some girls have no family whatsoever. These girls have each other and that is what I think propels them forward.

        Anyway, I hope that you can spare a thought for these girls. It really is heartbreaking to see the situation that they are in. These are treated tremendously well here at the Hogar Sagrado de Corazon but nonetheless, the life they are living is not meant for anyone.

Chao.

 The fast food resteraunt that we ate at. Notice that I didn't make a typo earlier!

 These are some girls holding up their ages. The girl on the right is 10 but she didn't want to hold up her age.

 This is me on the court playing goalie. The girl that took this picture was sitting on top of the goal post.

There are three boys at the orphanage. This is our youngest one, Leonardo. He is 2 months old.

May 28, 2016

     Another good day south of the equator! It started off very very early in the morning. I got up at 4:30 for mass and we were on the road by 5:00. I’m being literal when saying on the road because we walked an hour to mass. There was about 60 of us in the convoy walking down the middle of the streets in the pitch black. The people that made up this convoy were the nuns, workers, and assistants of the Hogar. Also, people would come from their houses along the route to go to mass with us. This steadily increased our group’s size. The really neat and beautiful part was that one of the nuns brought a microphone with a loudspeaker. While walking, the nuns said the rosary and the girls sang songs over the loudspeaker. It was surreal. Everyone was holding hands and walking in the same direction. Even though it was really early in the morning, the energy in the crowd was electrifying. Definitely one of the neater experiences of my life. Anyways, we got to mass about 5:45 and mass started at 6:00. All the seats were full which really surprised me considering it was so early in the morning. After mass an old lady came up to me which the girls have nicknamed “Loca Lucia” (Crazy Lucia). She said hello and welcomed me to Bolivia which was very nice. Then she proceeds to not let go of my handshake until I had to really slip my hand out of her hands. The girls say she’s my girlfriend now haha.

        After that nothing much happened throughout the day that was noteworthy. Just some work for my project and preparing for the big fiesta of the night. I learned that the fiesta was for Mother’s Day. In the afternoon the dancers and I (all girls and me as the only guy) went to a little shop to rent costumes for the big event. The store was filled to the brim with colorful clothing, hats, and various other props. I got my costume and props within 10 minutes and then I had to wait an hour till the rest of them got what they wanted. I guess things don’t change too much culture to culture.

        The night of the big dance had arrived and at 6:30 some people from the town were allowed into the Hogar to watch. My group of dancers and I watched most of the show before we needed to head into the back to change (we were the grand finale). I got to watch the girls of the Hogar play instruments, sing, and dance during the show. They were all very talented and it was a pleasure to watch the traditional music and dances (except one dance was to Pitbull’s hit single Fireball, not so traditional). I have videos and I will post them as soon as I figure out how to do it. For now, pictures will do. Anyways, a funny little thing that happened to me: I had the honor to hand out the prizes for the night’s raffle. When this old lady won a basket full of potatoes she came up to me and began to shake my hand. She then pulled me closer (I didn’t know if I should’ve do the kiss on two cheeks kind of thing) and I kind-of gave her a hug. It was awkward and embarrassing and I think I heard some people laugh.  

        My part of the show came up and I did pretty well! I messed up one part but the girls told me I did very well and was the highlight of the show. I will post the video of the dance ASAP. After the show there were snacks! The snacks included pastries, chips, and popcorn. Apparently in Germany they don’t put salt or butter on popcorn (to add to this, they sounded repulsed of the idea of putting butter on popcorn)! They just put sugar on it! Today I learned that the Germans have not lived life to the fullest yet haha.

        Overall it was a good day! I look forward to reading the emails you guys send me so keep those up! Thanks so much for your support. It really is helping me get through this time down here in the “land of surprises”-Mother Superior. Other than that, Chao!

 This is us leaving the Hogar. I will try to update with a video ASAP! Notice the only light that morning came from lamp posts.

 This is me washing my clothes. The girls made fun of me because I had so much laundry.

 George and Tom made it to the early morning mass. They were much more awake than me.

This is me after trying on my outfit for the dance in the store. The made me change behind a pile of clothes.

 These are some of the girls that sang (ages 9-13)

 More singers (ages 13-16)

 My tinko outfit! It was kind of itchy...

 This is the part of the dance I messed up. I was supposed to do a spin and put my arms up but I just stood there.

The dance crew at its finest. Notice that me and the two German girls are the tallest people there.

May 27, 2016

     Hola! Today was a very fun day without any dangers (thankfully). I started off the day with the normal routine of waking up and grabbing breakfast with the girls. I then went back to my room where I planned out my day. I would first help out at the Santa Maria house (the building for girls 2-5) and then I would go to the market to buy an outlet converter because mine broke the previous night. I proceeded to go into the Santa Maria house which reminded me of a preschool. It had toys in little carts by the walls and colorful tables lining the center of tennis court sized room. There were also murals of Disney characters on the walls (the painting were very impressive). When I walked in Carina, and Elena were teaching them a dance for a fiesta tomorrow. I don’t know what the party is for but I am not going to argue with another party! Anyways, I quickly learned the dance and now I am going to be on of the leaders in their little show! After tirelessly trying to teach these girls for over two hours we put them to bed for a nap (imagine trying to herd cats).

        I decided to ask my German friends if they would like to go with me to the market to get my charger converter and Carina agreed to go. She brought along one of her friends who is also an assistant here, Chiki (female 22). Off we went to the market. It took us all of 5 minutes to find what I needed and I got it for 5 boliviars (or about 75 cents). Nice. I was then invited to go to the supermarket with them to buy food for a little dinner they were having in the evening (I was then invited to the dinner). So off we went to the supermarket via motorcycle taxi. When we arrived I was surprised of the similarities with their supermarket compared to the supermarkets of the US. There were different sections for different types of food/drinks and the atmosphere felt the same. The clean white tiles and bright lights brought back found memories of shopping with my mom in Giant Eagle. Anyways, they bought our food and I got myself a much needed American snack. Oreos… I was so happy to get a huge sleeve for only about $1.50. We went back to the Hogar and I took a nap to pass the time before the girl’s second practice. [By the way, I tested my new charger converter and noticed it didn’t work. I then angrily tried to plug my charger into the wall without using an adapter and it happened to work. The wall outlets here can support both type 1 and type 2 outlets. I’m dumb.]

        After I slept for a little I assisted the little dancers again. I think they know about 50% of the dance. While taking a little snack break I was informed that I was going to have to learn another dance with the adults for tomorrow’s fiesta! Oh great… After we finished they second practice I had the dinner with Carina, Elena, and Chiki and it was very good (Pasta and a spicy sauce mmmm). The dinner conversation included questions about each other such as; What type of music music do you listen to? What is your favorite food? Can you show me what the Chicken Dance is? All-in-all it was a great dinner.

 At 7:00, 7 other assistants of the Hogar (including Carina, Elena, and Chiki) and I began practice the dance. The dance is a typical Bolivian dance that they take great pride in. I think I did really well! They kept laughing and smiling at me while giving me two thumbs up. I will take that as a good sign. The dance included a lot of stomping and hunching over while swinging my arms. Some of the little girls watching even said I am a very good dancer (first time that was ever said to me about dancing)! We will be getting outfits for the dance tomorrow morning after mass. Guess what time the mass is? I bet none of you guessed 5:00 am. That is right, 5:00 am. I will be getting up at 4:30 tomorrow morning to get ready. Yay. To make things better, it is a Friday night and I can hear LOUD music all throughout the city as I write this in my bed. No sleep for me tonight! If I have time tomorrow I will update the blog. Hasta luego.

 I got to have lunch with the girls. It consisted of rice and chicken.

 This is Veronica. She is one of my favorite girls because she is always smiling. Unfortunately for her, most of her teeth have cavities because of the lack of proper hygene.

 This is the guard dog that ran after me. As you can see he is very scarey!

 This is where the girls of Santa Maria sleep. The walls of the room were painted like an ocean floor.

 This was our little dinner setup for the night.

From left to right: Elena, Chiki, Carina, and me!

May 26, 2016

     Anyways, my day starts as usual. I begrudgingly wake up at 6:15 and then get ready for breakfast. This time however, when I left my room to go downstairs and to the kitchen for breakfast I felt that something was off. There were no girls crying, playing, or even talking. The silence was deafening. When I went up to the kitchen building and noticed all the doors were still locked it hit me. Today was Corpus Christi and the girls didn’t have school so they didn’t need to get up early. “Ok no big deal” I thought to myself as I started to walk back to my room. While walking back to my room I noticed the door to the part of the Hogar where the dogs are kept was open. When I noticed this I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach. The dogs were still out… I picked up my pace. As soon as I started walking up the stairs one of the dogs came running around a corner of a building about 30 yards behind me. I ran like I stole something. I went up the stairs, ran down the outdoor hallway, took out my keys, put them into the door, opened the door, and closed the door before the dog got to the hallway. I couldn’t fall back to sleep after that… I am not making this up or falsifying any of the details. It was horrible haha.

        After that scenario I laid in my bed for a little and then analyzed some of my notes for my project when I couldn’t fall back to sleep. I wrote some paragraphs for the final project about myself and then decided the coast was clear when I heard the sounds of girls crying, playing, and talking. I proceeded to have my usual breakfast and then asked Mother Superior what I could do to help out around the Hogar. She directed me to the back of the Hogar (where the dogs are kept) and then I helped the girls work in the large garden/small field. I assisted in moving rocks and tree trunks and also moving some soil around (sidenote: while I was typing that sentence I heard a buzzing coming from the bedside table. I just killed what looked like a black beetle that was a little smaller than my thumb. No joke. I’m not going to be able to sleep tonight). While I was working, Carina and Elena invited me to eat lunch at the Convent with them and some nuns. I agreed and we walked there immediately. The lunch consisted of a meat (not exactly sure what kind), mashed potatoes, fried plantains, rice with eggs, and a soup that reminded me of wedding soup, except it wasn’t wedding soup. The nuns were asking me questions about my stay and I was batting around .500 until a really quiet nun started asking me questions. It’s not that I didn’t understand the questions that she was asking, but I couldn’t hear the questions she was asking. Both parties ended up frustrated and so we continued our meals after a valid attempt for conversation.

        During lunch I was told that because today was Corpus Christ there would be mass tonight. I didn’t think anything of it and got ready for mass as I normally would. (Note: The nuns said something about this being a big mass with a lot of people but I really didn’t catch everything). After getting ready, Carina, Elena, two nuns, 7-10 girls, and I rolled out in the typical fashion of in the pickup truck. When we arrived at our destination I was surprised to see a huge futbol (soccer) stadium. When I asked what we were doing here I was told that the mass was held inside and it would be a four hour long mass. FOUR HOURS!!! I survived. I will use the pictures to help describe it below but what I can tell you is that it was very different. It was kind of like a normal mass but with dances in between prayers and many shows on the field. Pictures will help you visualize this weird occasion.

 Anyways, after the mass concluded, everyone began to leave the stadium at once. It was becoming dark now and outside the stadium there looked like a parade was beginning to form. It was actually a huge group of people following a cross to the central plaza and church of Montero. While walking through the crowd with the girls and my German friends, I noticed that everyone was looking at me again. It was probably because I was the tallest person in the crowd of 5,000+. I could literally see down the whole street over everyone’s heads! When we stopped in the plaza after a half of mile walk, girls started coming up to me asking for me to take pictures with them. I obliged for the first several photo requests but then the girls (orphans) told me not take anymore picture with anyone. They said that they wanted me for themselves and to make the next people have to pay to take a picture with me. I was also holding us back from moving so that could also be a reason they wanted me to stop. So that I was not be rude to the next people that asked for a picture I just pretended to not know Spanish (“WHAT DO YOU WANT?”). This got a lot of the girls laughing including my German friends! After we watched some fireworks in the plaza, I went to eat some food with Carina and Elena. I guess I should give you some background information of them. They are both 20 years old and came to the Hogar as a part of a volunteer organization in Germany. They have stayed eight months and will leave in August. Anyways, we went to a Chinese place that was actually really good! I got noodles with chicken and a Coca Cola. When we finished our meals we took a motorcycle taxi back to the Hogar. All in all, it was a great day and I had some very interesting experiences! Keep sending me those emails because I really do enjoy them and they mean a lot to me! Chao!

 This is the best picture that I could find that shows where the dog came from. The dog came from behind that red building. I am standing in this picture on top of the staircase that I ran up.

Apparently there were 5000 people at the mass.

 They made what looked like a heart on the middle of the field. It was really interesting!

 The sunset that I could see during the mass.

 I would just like to point out that this picture was taken at eye level for me. I felt like a giraffe in the savanna!

I dont know if the video will play or not. It is a video of us walking and fireworks going off with bells ringing in the backgroud.

May 25, 2016

I had a fun and interesting day today! I woke up at 6:15 to a beautiful sunrise and a rooster that wouldn’t shut its beak. I then proceeded to eat my typical roll and coffee breakfast. But then my routine changed a little. When I finished my breakfast the other German volunteer, Elena, offered her assistance in my research. It was a huge help, and we made a ton of progress on the medical documents. While we were working, I asked her if she would like to go to the plaza and market with me later in the day. She agreed and we decided to go after lunch.After lunch I could not find Elena. Haha it seems like I can’t find anyone or anything around here. Since I couldn’t find her I stopped by Mother Superior’s office. I found her sitting in her cluttered room drinking some tea with lemon. I updated her on my progress with the project and we discussed my plans for future of my stay. I will continue my work with the project but now help the girls with their school work when I have the time. My stay will now include tutoring them in English, Chemistry, and Physics. No biggie right? I am, of course, a Bio-Chemistry major that has done well so far. Boy was I wrong… My new assignment was active immediately and I was thrust into a chair in front of a little library full of girls. Mother Superior looked at the girls and said something along the lines of, “Chris will help you with your schoolwork. Math and science knows no language barriers. Ask him any questions and he will do his best to answer them.” I was feeling pretty good until the first girl came up and asked me a question. It was a Chemistry question in nomenclature (naming compounds). In English, the question would have been cake. In Spanish, not so much. Three things were wrong with this situation; I couldn’t explain the answer because of the lack of language skills, I don’t know the Spanish words for all the different elements in the periodic table, and I haven’t taken inorganic chemistry since 10^th grade. I did my best but unfortunately, I don’t think she went away with a better understanding of the subject. The next student that approached me had a Physics problem. Physics + Spanish = No Bueno. I made her talk through the problem with me in hope that she would find were she went wrong. Luckily she did. WHEW! For the rest of the time (until Carina found me) I helped the students with English. I even got to work on their pronunciation of words (don’t worry, I made sure they learned Pittsburgese the right way, “Yinz need to warsh yer clothes”).     I don’t know why I went to the market and plaza with Carina and not Elena but I things worked out nonetheless. We walked to the plaza this time and I bought some souvenirs for my family and friends and even a few pears. I would like to take this time to give a special thank you to my Mom for teaching me how to bargain with locals for the lowest price possible. I would like to think that I am making you proud J. Anyways, after I returned to the Hogar with my pears and souvenirs I had the opportunity to sit in on a ballet lesson. It was taught by an old man (75+) and boy could that guy move. He was as nimble on his feet as those 13-year-old girls! He was wearing an old YMCA collared shirt and sweatpants which brought back fond memories of some of my coaches that I had. Anyways, the music was interesting and I enjoyed watching the little ballerinas. I think they liked me there too, because they all would look at me when they passed as if to say, “Look at me perform this next move!”  It was all-in-all very enjoyable. After practice I grabbed a quick dinner with the girls, hopped into the shower (by the way the way the showers are FREEZING), and wrote this up! I will update the blog asap and once again; I really appreciate the emails! Thanks for staying updated friends and family! 

 This is the sunrise I woke up to! It was beautiful and gave me a much needed push to get through the day. It also reminded me that Ethan was looking out for me. Thanks Ethan.

 My merienda. La merienda is the snack before lunch that many Bolivians enjoy!

 One of my favorite pictures of Montero, the plaza of ???. I will update with the name soon.

 The workers of the orphanage needed to burn the weeds and old crops in a little field behind the Hogar to make way for the new crops.

 The ballerinas and their coach. I was asked multiple times by the girls if I would like to participate but I declined because I dont think the coach would've appreciated the distraction.

My dinner of egg salad and rice with eggs. It wasn't my favorite meal.

May 24, 2016

Another very eventful day. I woke up at 6:00 a.m. to have breakfast with the girls at 6:30 a.m.. Nobody told me that Bolivians also run on Caribbean time (very slow) and breakfast didn’t start till 6:50 a.m.. Breakfast consisted of a roll the size of my fist and some cold coffee. After breakfast, I proceed to the infermidad to get more work done with the paper. As soon as I started, a volunteer (Carina from Germany) asked me if I wanted to go to the market. I said sure because I needed to exchange my U.S. dollars to Bolivian currency. When we left the Hogar she hailed two motorcycles to take us to the market. I hopped on the back of the one with the helmet (figured he was the safer dude) and we took off. When I say "took off" I really mean it. We went 0-100 real quick. While we were weaving in and out of traffic I thought to myself, “So this is how I’m going to die”. Luckily, we made it to the market in one piece. When I got off the motorcycle and paid him 2 bolivars (which is less than 50 cents) I noticed I was being stared at… by everyone. My German companion told me not to worry, because these people are not used to seeing a 6’1” white male. Anyways, I walked around the market, exchanged my money, and went back to the Hogar. I then worked most of the day with the medical documents.

Around 2 o'clock in the afternoon, I was invited to play with the girls ages 4-6 in a large room with lots of toys. It was a time that I will never forget. When I entered the room, all of the 10 girls dropped what they were playing with and ran to me to give me a hug. I was swarmed. They were all talking a million words a second and it was very very adorable. As time rolled by, about 4 kept clinging to me. I would pick them up and set them back down after lifting them high up into the air. The part that made this very memorable to me was when the started calling me “Papa”. It was very heartbreaking. These girls never had a Dad, and furthermore, men in this country rarely spent time with children that aren’t their own. It’s horrible. The other situation that really affected me was when an older orphan came into the room and began talking to me. She pointed out a girl that was playing by herself and told me how her parents were murdered and that is why she is here. I can’t put into words what went through my mind as I watched the little 4-year-old play with a tattered Barbie doll. It is amazing what these girls go through. That room held some of my happiest, and saddest moments here in Bolivia.

In the evening, I was invited to a show (put on by the girls) for Mother’s day. After the festivities I had dinner with the Hogar’s staff (nuns, book-keepers, and landscaping men). Mother Superior tried to make me feel welcome by introducing me and asking me questions. The problem was that I got really nervous when 20 people were silently looking at me expecting a good answer. At least I made them laugh with my fruitless attempts to explain what I do for mother’s day and what kind of music I enjoy. At one point I said the words in Spanish “I don’t know, know in Spanish”. I felt like I wanted to just become one with my chair at that point. At least the meal was nice; chicken, rice, salad, and red wine. After the dinner I played a little volleyball with the girls and now I am in my bed! I will try to update my blog tomorrow and finish looking at the medical documents. This will finish the first part of my research. I must do a lot more still. I will then attempt to ask the head nun what she wants me to do for the next two and a half weeks! Thanks for keeping up with me everyone and I do really appreciate the emails! Chao! 

 The morning breakfast. Sorry for not showing the roll, it was eaten too fast.

 These are just two of the girls that took a liking to me and wouldn't let go of my shorts.

 Another picture of the girls. They may call me "flaco" (skinny) but I am determined to prove them wrong.

 I forgot about old George and Tom until they dug through my bookbag and found them. Looks like I have to take more pictures with them.

Funny story: The song that they are dancing to is called "Crocodrilo" or Crocodile in English. From what I could tell, the dance and the outfits were a little naughty for a Catholic orphanage. The dance was for mothers day so they did it in front of the women of the house. If you look closely, you can see mother superior smiling. 

My First Day

Un Bolivia Viaje

May 22, 2016 – June 11,2016

May 22, 2016

The Flight

        There were no problems getting on the airplane to go from Pittsburgh to Miami. During the flight I met a person flying to Santa Cruz named Natalie. She was very friendly and helpful. She showed me around the Miami airport and assisted in me finding the Miami-La Paz gate. Unfortunately, when we got to the gate, the flight was delayed AND moved to another gate. So 100 Bolivians and I move to a new gate (I was the only white guy there and had to stick out like a sore thumb). No biggie. I got on the flight and was able to pass out immediately! I woke up to “Flight Attendants, please prepare for landing”. In La Paz I didn’t need to get off the plane which was very nice. I was then seated next to two friendly North Carolinians on their way to Santa Cruz. They showed me pictures of their adventures to Lake Titicaca and Machu Pichu. Anyways, I landed in Santa Cruz and went through the tedious task of customs and baggage pick up. When going through the final bag check I saw the Mother Superior and a girl that's 14 years old. I was so relieved and happy that a huge smile broke over my face that hasn’t left my face since I arrived.

        They took me back to the orphanage and talked to me in only Spanish. I would like to think that I held my own but some of the conjugations of the verbs got me. When we arrived in Montero (45 minutes from the airport), I was in awe. Small dirty building with dirt streets cutting through them. Motorcycles and trucks whizzed by our car making me feel very nervous. Mother Superior called the motorcycle people “loco” and I had a good laugh. I then got to see my room which was very nice and exceeded my expectations.There is a very nice bathroom behind the wall in the picture with a shower, toilet, and sink! We then went to three different churches and even stayed in one for mass. It was very pretty and there are many many similarities with the masses from the US and Bolivia.

When Mother Superior and I got back from mass, we had a little lunch which consisted of una torta con carne and fruits such as pears, apples, and oranges. Then she made me take a nap. She asked me in Spanish, “How long of nap do you want to take”. I responded with, “One and a half hours please”. She then proceeded to give me a dirty look and said that I will sleep for no less than three hours and I should get all the rest I need. I laughed because I thought that my nap would be way too long.

After my nap I was introduced to the girls. Immediately when I walked in the room, 50 girls started talking and talking and talking. This flustered me. So when Mother Superior introduced me and told them I was still learning Spanish they laughed at my bright red face. It got worst when Mother Superior told me to say something in Spanish to them and I didn’t even understand what she said to me. Agh. When Mother Superior left I could not get these children off of me hahahaha. Every single one was asking me questions and holding me like I was a tree and they were monkeys. They were all super nice and loved talking to me. A few older girls (12-14) got up the courage to introduce themselves to me and even some of the girls had the tenacity to feel my abs and biceps. It was a very weird and unforgettable experience. I then went to dinner with them where they made me say the prayer (I didn’t want to because I didn’t want laughed at again). At dinner, they asked me all sorts of questions. For example, they asked me if I had a girlfriend and what was her name (they looked upset when I said yes). After a light dinner of bread and butter we were off to go play basketball, which one girl assured me that she would “kill me”. Not the thing you want to hear in a foreign country… The basketball game was fun. I felt like a giant and I feel like they are calling me “giraffe” behind my back. Actually, I was called that to my face multiple times.

After my basketball game I went to mass for the second time of the day. They weird thing with this time is that since there was no room in the car for me and some girls, we had to stand in the bed of the truck all the way to mass! It was a little scary especially with the crazy roads. When mass was over I went back to the Hogar and had a quick snack. I am supposed to sleep in tomorrow (I think?) and then help a doctor in the “infermidad”. As I type in my bed right now I can hear loud cars and a lot of music. It almost sounds like I’m living on top of a bar. 

Sorry for the typos as well, I will edit when I get back home.

     My first picture of the upcoming adventure! I am seen here just before entering the TSA checks with my companions for this trip, George and Tom. A special thanks to my Mom and Dad for taking me to the airport and for supporting me as I go off to Bolivia.

 My first sight of Montero Bolivia. The biggest buildings in the city are the three churches and the hospital.

 This is the first mass that I attended of the day. There were little kids running around in the back and Mother Superior kept giving them glares!

 My very nice room. None of the other rooms in the Hogar look this nice. I am very thankful to receive such an amazing room.

 Just some of the girls at the Hogar. They currently have over 100 girls living here ages 1 month-16 years old.

This is the nurse's office. I spent 8 hours searching through documents for any history of vaccines. Some girls had them, most did not.

 After the second mass we took pictures around the church. Bolivians don't believe in lines, so when communion starts, it is a free-for-all to get to the front of the church.

Project Description (Before I left)

        The world is full of the tired, the sick, and the hungry. People in developing nations fight a courageous battle to survive day-to-day. I have been very blessed in my lifetime to have first world commodities. However, people in other countries have not been so lucky and struggle with surviving. I want to help; I want to make a difference in the lives of the impoverished. Due to family help and the Magellan Project, I will be able to assist at an all girl orphanage in Montero, Bolivia called “Hogar Sagrado Corazón” or “Sacred Heart Home”. During my time there, I will be researching the efficiency of the administration of vaccinations and helping the nuns at the orphanage.

         Starting at a young age, infants around the world receive shots that vaccinate them from multiple diseases. But, in poverty-stricken communities, some infants do not receive the recommended vaccines. I want to find out if the girls receive their suggested vaccinations, according to the World Health Organization’s vaccine guidelines. If they receive their necessary vaccinations, I will be looking into who financially provides the vaccinations, who administers the vaccines to the girls, if the vaccines are always given on time, and how the girls’ medical records are documented. If the girls do not receive the recommended vaccinations, I will research why and then look into setting up a way for the orphans to get their much needed vaccinations. This could include asking churches in the United States to donate money for the sole purpose of vaccinations. The overall goal of the project is to identify the barriers that the orphanage faces and to propose a solution to any of the problems.

         The U.S. National Library of Medicine states that only 68% of Bolivian children are “fully vaccinated”, meaning that they have received all of their vaccinations according to the World Health Organization standards. I will compare these results with the percentage of girls in the orphanage that have all of their vaccinations. Then, I will analyze the details from my comparison to see why the numbers demonstrate those specific results. According to the Governmental Global Affairs of Canada, Bolivia’s Ministry of Health is lacking the technical capacity to address health related issues in the country. By the end of my trip, I will see if this statement pertains to the Hogar Sagrado Corazon.

         Most of my time in Bolivia will be spent at the orphanage. During that time, I will be working in their infirmary and taking the girls to doctor visits since I have a health related interests. If I am not needed in those sectors, I am willing to do whatever the nuns ask of me, including putting my two years of landscaping experience to use! When I have the opportunity to go beyond the walls of the orphanage, or after I have finished my research, I will enjoy sight seeing around the city of Montero. I plan to adventure into the local markets and shop such as “Mercado Germán Morado”, as well as roaming through the Plaza Principal de Montero. Pertaining to my project, I will visit the local hospital to get the physician’s opinion on the vaccinations distributed in the city. Talking to local physicians in the hospitals will give me a better understanding of the problems that children face in receiving a complete vaccination schedule.

         I want to make a difference in these girls’ lives. By studying the barriers of appropriate distribution of the vaccinations, I will be able to make sure that the girls are being cared for in the best way possible. If they are not, I will do my best to help resolve the issue, because no one deserves to live a life with the threat of preventable diseases.