These are posters of a girl who graduated from my school last year. Do you think
we graduate quality students? Different posters of her all over town. I met her and her parents a few nights ago at a restaurant. They heard I was the new Director and came over and introduced themselves.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
You can see a lot from this one picture.
First, the indigenous Bolivian in the foreground. We are looking at hundreds of years in that face. The Incas probably looked just like that.
Fantastic bread everywhere - cruise bread for those who know what I mean.
I was there at 6:30 in the morning so most of the "stalls" are not open for business yet. Guy on the left is opening his. The stalls stretch as far as you can see, and more. And, you walk down about 20 yards and there is a cross passageway, stretching left and right as far as you can see, and ten yards down either way there is another cross passageway heading the same way as this one. You could get lost in here forever.
First, the indigenous Bolivian in the foreground. We are looking at hundreds of years in that face. The Incas probably looked just like that.
Fantastic bread everywhere - cruise bread for those who know what I mean.
I was there at 6:30 in the morning so most of the "stalls" are not open for business yet. Guy on the left is opening his. The stalls stretch as far as you can see, and more. And, you walk down about 20 yards and there is a cross passageway, stretching left and right as far as you can see, and ten yards down either way there is another cross passageway heading the same way as this one. You could get lost in here forever.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
I had been complaining about not doing anything, so we all decided to go on a little hike. My Counselor said that he had taken groups up to Mt. Tunari ten different times. Ten of us decided to go, so we hired a guide and took off.
To put it bluntly, it was horrible. Hardest physical thing I have ever done in my life. Half way up my heart was beating out of my chest. It started skipping beats. Seriously, at 17,000 feet there is very little oxygen and I felt it.
Anyway, after we reached the top I jumped the counselor about how he had brought ten different groups up here. He said, "I didn't say they made it." Come to find out for ten years he has taken groups up there and this is only the second group to reach the top.
We are going up the mountain in the center of this picture.
MAKE SURE YOU DOUBLE CLICK ON THE PICTURES - ESPECIALLY THOSE TAKEN FROM A LONG WAY OFF. YOU DEFINATELY SEE A LOT MORE!!
To put it bluntly, it was horrible. Hardest physical thing I have ever done in my life. Half way up my heart was beating out of my chest. It started skipping beats. Seriously, at 17,000 feet there is very little oxygen and I felt it.
Anyway, after we reached the top I jumped the counselor about how he had brought ten different groups up here. He said, "I didn't say they made it." Come to find out for ten years he has taken groups up there and this is only the second group to reach the top.
We are going up the mountain in the center of this picture.
MAKE SURE YOU DOUBLE CLICK ON THE PICTURES - ESPECIALLY THOSE TAKEN FROM A LONG WAY OFF. YOU DEFINATELY SEE A LOT MORE!!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Joeline is kind of a nut about flowers and has me take pictures of them all the itme. In fact, she has me buy new ones every Saturday at the open market. They do brighten up the apt.
Anyway after 17 years at Christoval where the only flowers were the ones in a picture on my wall, this is refreshing. At Christoval we had one yard man to take care of the weeds and mesquite on three campuses. Here I have 10 yard men to take care of my one campus. They work 6-6 six days a week, and the campus shows it.
Anyway after 17 years at Christoval where the only flowers were the ones in a picture on my wall, this is refreshing. At Christoval we had one yard man to take care of the weeds and mesquite on three campuses. Here I have 10 yard men to take care of my one campus. They work 6-6 six days a week, and the campus shows it.
I have been here for about three months and haven't seen any dancing. There is a place called Regelleta where there are 6 or 7 good restaurants together with a number of bars. I have eaten at most of the restaurants, my favorite is there, at one of the bars there is a sign that advertises a band that plays 70-80's American music. I have never been there late enough but last night thought I would give it a try.
I talked to Joeline on the internet until 9:30 and then left to check the place out. I got in the bar at about 9:45 and asked the waiter what time the band started. He said 11. Way past my bedtime. I nursed one drink for 45 minutes and then decided there was no way I was sitting there till 11.
I left to go grab a taxi, but then remembered that there was a very good place to get a good coffee only three blocks away. I went there, had a coffee and amaretto, talked to the owner and her husband and finally left there a little after 11. I was feeling a little more awake so I walked back to the bar. It was 11:30 by the time I got there, and gues what? The band had not even set up yet. Again, Bolivian time. Eleven meant sometime after midnight. That is when the band STARTS. I went back to the apt. and played poker until 2.
Moral of story is, you do not even go out to party here until after midnight. I am a slow learner.
The first two pics are of a couple of the restaurants last night. The third is the traffic at 11:30 as I was getting a taxi to come home.
The last is a billboard on the street. I keep telling Joeline that the billboards here are almost XX. Thought I would show her an example of one.
I talked to Joeline on the internet until 9:30 and then left to check the place out. I got in the bar at about 9:45 and asked the waiter what time the band started. He said 11. Way past my bedtime. I nursed one drink for 45 minutes and then decided there was no way I was sitting there till 11.
I left to go grab a taxi, but then remembered that there was a very good place to get a good coffee only three blocks away. I went there, had a coffee and amaretto, talked to the owner and her husband and finally left there a little after 11. I was feeling a little more awake so I walked back to the bar. It was 11:30 by the time I got there, and gues what? The band had not even set up yet. Again, Bolivian time. Eleven meant sometime after midnight. That is when the band STARTS. I went back to the apt. and played poker until 2.
Moral of story is, you do not even go out to party here until after midnight. I am a slow learner.
The first two pics are of a couple of the restaurants last night. The third is the traffic at 11:30 as I was getting a taxi to come home.
The last is a billboard on the street. I keep telling Joeline that the billboards here are almost XX. Thought I would show her an example of one.
Last Sunday I was tired of staying close, so decided to take a drive. I ended up driving for about four hours. I was going no where in particular, just driving up in the Andes.
I ended up on a dirt road skirting the foot of the mountains, sometimes dirt, sometimes cobblestones. Eventually I decided to go to the Brewery. It took a while and when I found it, it was closed. The guard did tell me of a restaurant that was open.
The pictures are from the restaurant. Again, I put the pics in reverse order, but here is an explanation.
First is my appetizers, fantastic salad, but some kind of beans I could do without. Like huge lima's, I don't even like small lima's. Notice the one piece of bread? What a joke, I kept having the waiter bring me more and he would bring me one more. Finally he brought me a basket of six and I ate all of them. Amazing bread.
For the main course I ordered Loma, which is Filet Mignon. Interesting presentation. At the bottom is rice, then french fries, then on top of that 2 sunny side up eggs, then onions.
Very good and hardly any chlorestoral! (Right?)
If you look closely at the views, you will see the statue - as a little white dot on the top of one of the hills. Gives you an idea of the size of this valley and city. The one pic that makes the statue look closer is with a 10X zoom.
In one pic it looks like the restaurant is empty - that is because the outside tables filled up first, by the time I left the place was full.
I ended up on a dirt road skirting the foot of the mountains, sometimes dirt, sometimes cobblestones. Eventually I decided to go to the Brewery. It took a while and when I found it, it was closed. The guard did tell me of a restaurant that was open.
The pictures are from the restaurant. Again, I put the pics in reverse order, but here is an explanation.
First is my appetizers, fantastic salad, but some kind of beans I could do without. Like huge lima's, I don't even like small lima's. Notice the one piece of bread? What a joke, I kept having the waiter bring me more and he would bring me one more. Finally he brought me a basket of six and I ate all of them. Amazing bread.
For the main course I ordered Loma, which is Filet Mignon. Interesting presentation. At the bottom is rice, then french fries, then on top of that 2 sunny side up eggs, then onions.
Very good and hardly any chlorestoral! (Right?)
If you look closely at the views, you will see the statue - as a little white dot on the top of one of the hills. Gives you an idea of the size of this valley and city. The one pic that makes the statue look closer is with a 10X zoom.
In one pic it looks like the restaurant is empty - that is because the outside tables filled up first, by the time I left the place was full.
It's been 10 days since I posted anything and I am getting some nasty emails from my family. So, although nothing exciting is happening, here goes.
When I was in High School, in World History, we spent about thirty minutes studying Machu Pichu. I have no idea why, but that place has intrigued me since that time,and how long ago was that? 20 years? OK, OK, more like 48, so what.
Anyway, for some reason MP has always been number 1 on my Bucket List. I know, most people would say, Rome, or Greece, or Paris - but for me, Machu Pichu is it. A teacher of mine here, just came back from there. She said it was simply amazing - which I knew, but she told me something more important. In January, so she was told, they will be closing the place forever. Tourists will still be able to go to the site, but not allowed inside the actual ruins. Kind of like going to the Pyramids in Egypt, but only being able to look from a distance - might as well watch from tv.
So, it is now or never for me. I purchased my plane ticket from here to LaPaz. Then another ticket from LaPaz to Cuzco, Peru. From there you walk for hours, or take a train or bus. My time is short, so I have to take the train.
How many of you are going to see the #1 thing on your Bucket List? I really do feel blessed. I know what Joeline's #1 thing is. If you know Joeline you can probably guess - that's right, she wants to see the Crown Jewels of England. Actually she probably wants to try them on, but doubt that we can get that done. But, our next trip will have to be to England, although other than the Jewels I can't think of any other reason to go there - it's certainly not for the food (kidney pie?)
Don't know what my #2 is, probably Rome or Paris
How about writing a comment as to what your #1 and #2 are. I am very curious.
When I was in High School, in World History, we spent about thirty minutes studying Machu Pichu. I have no idea why, but that place has intrigued me since that time,and how long ago was that? 20 years? OK, OK, more like 48, so what.
Anyway, for some reason MP has always been number 1 on my Bucket List. I know, most people would say, Rome, or Greece, or Paris - but for me, Machu Pichu is it. A teacher of mine here, just came back from there. She said it was simply amazing - which I knew, but she told me something more important. In January, so she was told, they will be closing the place forever. Tourists will still be able to go to the site, but not allowed inside the actual ruins. Kind of like going to the Pyramids in Egypt, but only being able to look from a distance - might as well watch from tv.
So, it is now or never for me. I purchased my plane ticket from here to LaPaz. Then another ticket from LaPaz to Cuzco, Peru. From there you walk for hours, or take a train or bus. My time is short, so I have to take the train.
How many of you are going to see the #1 thing on your Bucket List? I really do feel blessed. I know what Joeline's #1 thing is. If you know Joeline you can probably guess - that's right, she wants to see the Crown Jewels of England. Actually she probably wants to try them on, but doubt that we can get that done. But, our next trip will have to be to England, although other than the Jewels I can't think of any other reason to go there - it's certainly not for the food (kidney pie?)
Don't know what my #2 is, probably Rome or Paris
How about writing a comment as to what your #1 and #2 are. I am very curious.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
I had been working in my office since 6:15 a.m. and got sick of it. So, I got a coke and a snack from the cafeteria and went outside to sit under the trees.
Wordsworth might be able to put the scene into perspective, but I am not a Wordsworth, so let me just say it was beautiful.
Sun was shining. Somewhere around 80 degrees - it's always around 80 degrees here. I was absentmindesly looking into the trees when I suddenly realized that there were dozens of different kinds of birds.
Three types really caught my eye. There were, what I would call canaries. Little yellow dudes that look just like the ones in pet shops. Dozens of what looked like large humming birds. About 6 inches long, same long beak for flowers, and same incredibly rapid wing movements, but these would stop their gathering and sit on brances for a few seconds.
But, most amazingly there were two - at least I only saw two - pocket Parrots. Small parrots, but parrots just the same.
Course there are doves all over the school all the time.
Nice little break from paperwork.
Wordsworth might be able to put the scene into perspective, but I am not a Wordsworth, so let me just say it was beautiful.
Sun was shining. Somewhere around 80 degrees - it's always around 80 degrees here. I was absentmindesly looking into the trees when I suddenly realized that there were dozens of different kinds of birds.
Three types really caught my eye. There were, what I would call canaries. Little yellow dudes that look just like the ones in pet shops. Dozens of what looked like large humming birds. About 6 inches long, same long beak for flowers, and same incredibly rapid wing movements, but these would stop their gathering and sit on brances for a few seconds.
But, most amazingly there were two - at least I only saw two - pocket Parrots. Small parrots, but parrots just the same.
Course there are doves all over the school all the time.
Nice little break from paperwork.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Me, my counterparts; Dr. Matthew Kirby Director of the American Institute in La paz, Bolivia, and Dr. William McGulliguhui (sp.) Director of the American Institute in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.
Kirby is Canadian, has been in China as the head of a school there for 4 years, before that he was in South Africa, and before that he was in the Phillipines.
William has been in Santa Cruz for 7 years, before that the was Director in six different international schools in the last 20 years.
Think I am kind of the new kid on the block?
Kirby is Canadian, has been in China as the head of a school there for 4 years, before that he was in South Africa, and before that he was in the Phillipines.
William has been in Santa Cruz for 7 years, before that the was Director in six different international schools in the last 20 years.
Think I am kind of the new kid on the block?
You need to understand that this country is going through a "little" trouble. As such, it is not safe for any Americans to leave the city of Cochabamba, and we have to be a touch careful here.
Soooo, I am limited to work, apartment, market, etc. All very boring, and certainly not adventuresome.
A teacher of mine and I walked up the mountain to the statue Sunday. Thought a couple of these pictures would interest the camera bugs amoung you -Jody.
The pictures were taken with a Minolta Model 5006 with a F stop of 82, and microsensitive Lumix lens covering at 10X zoom and we used a ultra sensitive, wide angle, zumangi ometex thing.
No one appreciates my humor but me. I used a camera,and set it on that little heart thingie that means I do nothing but aim.
Soooo, I am limited to work, apartment, market, etc. All very boring, and certainly not adventuresome.
A teacher of mine and I walked up the mountain to the statue Sunday. Thought a couple of these pictures would interest the camera bugs amoung you -Jody.
The pictures were taken with a Minolta Model 5006 with a F stop of 82, and microsensitive Lumix lens covering at 10X zoom and we used a ultra sensitive, wide angle, zumangi ometex thing.
No one appreciates my humor but me. I used a camera,and set it on that little heart thingie that means I do nothing but aim.
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