La Paz by day and night

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Hola! Last time I posted I was about to venture out into the streets of San Miguel to do some shopping. It was an interesting experience buying a cell phone here, especially with my lackluster technological vocabulary. But despite mild confusion (there were some difficulties activating the phone once the sim card was inserted, because the teller was unaware of the security code).. tengo mi celular nuevo! Anecdote: It's somewhat amusing to purchase things here, because due to my language difficulties, cashiers look at me skeptically when I show them my Bolivian ID.

Upon returning to my house (about 6 streets away from the center of San Miguel, where there are shops and restaurants), my cousin Javier invited me out for dinner. Around 9pm, we started our night at a new tex mex restaurant in San Miguel. It was funny to see the Bolivian take on the American "southern" culture, with decorations consisting of cowboy hats hanging on sand colored walls, a large Jack Daniels mural, and waiters dressed all in checkered shirts and cowboy boots. After dinner we headed across the street to a bar owned by my cousin's friend. Now, La Paz may have a large population, but it is a very small crowd of people who regularly wine and dine, so anybody who is anybody knows everybody. This is something common in places where there is a large wealth divide, and while it is enjoyable to reap the benefits of this culture, it is also difficult to fully embrace the privileged life in a poverty-stricken nation.

The next day, my cousin and his friends took me to lunch at the lowest point in the valley, where I enjoyed trucha al limon and live entertainment consisting of traditional dances and music (all deeply symbolic, as each dance often tells a story of the Bolivian Indian culture). We then drove to the highest point in the valley, where I took some photos of the magnificent Illimani mountain and enjoyed the breathtaking view.

We went to a German pub for a delicious fruit and cheese platter and began our Saturday night. After a round of wheat beer (with orange slices dropped in to give some zest), we met friends at my cousin's house, and went to karaoke to sing the night away! Bolivians are fun-loving and extremely welcoming, so I felt right at home with them, enough to sing a duet or two (really all 10 of us were just shouting the lyrics into two microphones).

This afternoon I awoke to a phone call by my aunt, inviting me to the very same tex mex place for lunch! I have a feeling I will become a regular at some restaurants here, as dining out is a frequent occasion for all ages. Tonight, I will join mi tia y mis primos in attending the largest movie cinema in South America, located uptown in La Paz. I was not expecting such a busy social life my first few days here, but I am very grateful to be welcomed with open arms.

Tomorrow is the start of the new week, which means like everyone else, I will be getting straight to work. I plan to meet with Anthropologist Maria Calvo (my father's cousin) in order to plan out the general approach and first round of interviews for my project. Meanwhile, I will get started on reading through the local newspaper for more relevant stories regarding justicia comunitaria.

Until next time,

Nejla

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