Saturday

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Hi all,
It´s great reading your blogs so I could at least get the photo thing right! I´ve left the camera behind today so don´t even have the chip to upload photos, so please be patient, good pics coming sometime before I leave this place.
First, Sarah and Al, sorry to hear Jed is poorly again. At least we know what the problem is this time.
Richie, I would ask the techo here about how to upload pics, but I think that might require Spanish 102!
Could you perhaps write an explanation here, please?
IN the meantime, to try and give you a word picture of this place - I haven´t yet found the relaxed part of the city where you can hang out in cafes and not stare at bags of rubbish, perhaps it doesn´t exist, but then I´ve stopped after a few bad experiences, trying to be independent, and follow the Spanish speakers in the group around - they seem to have less of a need for comfortable AND clean.
Still I don´t add to the ambience, with coughing and spluttering.
The most vivid of all the visits for me was to one of the Barrios (neighbourhoods where all the houses are jammed together in a precarious looking way, across hillsides). I have the pics...
The look really dilapidated and life looks hard, but then we got up close, and inside they weren´t at all what I expected. We visiteda model kindy and Balivarian school in one Barrio. The schools weer immaculate (I´m starting to sound a little obsessive about cleanliness), the walls in playgrounds, corridors and rooms were covered with the faces and statements of revolutionary heroes including Simon Bolivar. The kids all got free (from the state) uniforms, and the school teachers interact regularly (including visiting homes every year) with members of the community, who had quite an unput into the learning ´projects´of the schools.
I talked about how in NZ teachers often left the system through administrative and work overload. They had been very positive about their system, but they agreed that this was an issue for them also.
Pro-Chavez posters are everywhere, also because there´s a campaign to get people to vote in the next referendum for a constitutional ammendment.
Formal employment 50% plus; informal employment 40% -ish (!) and unemployed 7%.
I wondered what life was like for those street umbrella and DVD sellers....
We´re going to a referendum rally tomorrow, then Monday and Tuesday are packed with visits. I tried to get the number of visits cut down from 3 a day to 2, but unsuccessful.
I will have to stop now, but really appreciate hearing from you all, glad you´re enjoying Turangi Lynda, and thanks for joining Judy and Paula.
XX Chris.

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Comments

[Barbara]

Pero es bueno, el café?
It sounds hectic - maybe you're not allowed to stop for coffee? - but the visits sound so interesting. You redoubtable NZer, you. I know you'll survive the squalour - nay, grow to love it even. Looking forward to the photos. Bxx

[Richard King]

Photos
Hi Ma, Put the camera's SD card (you refer to it as a 'chip') in the Lexar USB converter that Paula lent you. Then, plug it in to the USB slot of the computer you are using and browse to the files (in this case photos) as you would with any normal USB stick, Pen drive, memory stick, USB key, memory key, or whatever you call it. But we are enjoying your blogs so please keep them coming. Elaine is really enjoying using your place. She loves Parnell.

[Kiddo]

Good blogging Mama
Hey Mama, thanks for the update. Jed is doing well, she's been here on the couch with us all afternoon watching cricket. Don't stress about working out the photo thing, sounds like you're really busy. The important thing is to take the photos, and we can do a slide evening when you're back.