Outings.

Its been a bit since I've posted, but I just didn't have anything interesting to report.  We started diving into our research projects last week, so I've been consumed with trying to organize myself for that.  Also, two of the girls have been sick, so we've all just been kind of hanging around the house.  However, they both got antibiotics and are already feeling much better, so we've ventured out the past couple days.  

Last night, one of our Bolivian friends from class, Nicole, invited us to go to a concert with her.  It was a really famous (and really talented) Bolivian classical guitarist named Pirai Vaca.  One of the classes at Governor's School is a classical guitar class, and the man who teaches it, John DiChiaro (spelling?) is amazingly talented.  I've seen him play several times.  But this guy....I've never seen anyone play any instrument with that kind of passion before.  The passion of the music really showed on his face.  It was moving.  Passion is something I've picked up on a lot during my time here.  There are certain things people are very passionate about, and Bolivian pride is definitely high on the list.  This guy seemed to cater to wealthier classes, but I was once again struck my the sense of unity in the building, just like at the museum when everyone in the crowd was dancing and singing together. No one danced or sang last night, but they all knew his music and called for the same songs during his two encores.  I'm writing about community in my research project, so its something I've been searching out the past few days.  Honestly, its not all that hard to find.  Things are very community-based here, and people can usually claim membership or citizenship in several different groups.  For example, every profession has a union or sindicato, even the illegitimate ones.  Indigenous people commonly claim membership in their ayllu, or kinship network, which is broader than just blood family.  Students have membership in their specific carrera in their university, which is like majors in the States, except Bolivian students have to declare what they want to study before they enter and then take only classes related to that subject.  But those relationships go way beyond school or work and carry with them a sense of responsibility and reciprocity.  Its very interesting.  We went to the cemetery today to do participant observation, and I observed a sense of community there.  Bolivians as a whole care for their deceased very well.  One's membership in a family or group doesn't end with death.  People here believe very strongly in the presence of spirits and ancestors after death.  Once you have a place in a community, its hard to lose your "membership" and all the benefits that come with that.  Consequently, if you aren't a member of any community, its very hard to have any agency in Bolivian society, on any level.  I'm working on describing this phenomenon for young women who are victims of human trafficking and who don't have a home to return to once they're rescued.

See, people are even buried in their worker groups.

I got some souvenirs today! I got some awesome pants that I've been wanting since I got here, and then I found presents for my dad, my brother, and Adam.  After the shopping, Sarah and I went back down to UNICEF to get some more information for our projects.  The lady who works in their library is really nice and helpful.  Now we're just back at the house after dinner and some grocery/movie shopping.  Sarah and I are watching Criminal Minds in bed haha. We love it.