Farewell to a Friend

Today October 27, 2005 my beloved cat passed away at the 60 (cat years) due to kidney failure. Rest in peace ol' gal. You were wild and beautiful.

New Day...New Template!

So I was growing weary of the all black format and thought a change could do me some good. So I have gone with this green and white look. The green and white is close to the colors of the Santa Cruz flag (green and white). Anyway, going to have some pics from Juan Latino and the party friday posted soon.

A Special Thanks

Wanted to give a shot out to A-Team for making my post card writing experience oh so easy. With all the money I'll save I can wrap the post card in coca leaves and write the letter with the blood of an ancient Tihuanacan warrior.

Being and Becoming Revised

Josh, the other day you made a comment in one my posts about my time here and how I was spending it. You asked about me about what happened to "being and becomming." I appreciate your words, even though they seemed a little harsh to my ears, because they made me think. What am I doing here? From my parents and other folks here I am always being asked about my future. "What are you going to do with your life Richard?" On the wall of a room in North Carolina hangs my communication degree, and what is it doing for me? What I am going to do when I get home? It's gig time, what t-shirt am I going to wear? Questions like these are really important I know, and I run them through my mind constantly.

But a few days ago I came to this realization. I have these two different worlds that I exist in. Each of these worlds have their own set of goals and priorities, friends and what not. In America I have there are these goals I have regarding work and starting to pay off student loans and creating a new life for my self after college (not in Berea). And originaly when I came to Bolivia study I was still apart of that world. I new when I was going to go home and things were more definite.

However upon deciding to stay and live in Santa Cruz, I created this new world for myself. The goals I have here don't apply to my life in America. Here I have a jobs teaching english both privately and most recently at the Instituto Superior de Idiomas. With this work in place, one of my goals is completed. I also have this goal of serving those in need, and this is fufilled through my work in Juan Latino and working with other Baha'i youth in a local colegio. I also have friends here, and I am part of a social structure. I suppose that for my time here I am very fufilled.

I really don't know yet what I am "being and becoming" yet Josh, all I can tell you is that my time here has had its ups and downs, but my experiences here have and continue to change me physically and mentally all for the better. Perhaps I will discover my purpose here tomorrow, or maybe the day I get on the plane to leave. Until then I am just going to be. And probably get smaller too.

A Recommendation Here...

Josh and Bargo (the rest of the guys as well with consoles), if you have to play one game before the world ends please play Fahrenheit. It is available for X-box and PS2. My roomie bought it yesterday, and it is an amazing game.

The Maid and The Maidless

So this weekend Sebastian is moving up to the 5th floor his buddy Enrique to a new place (with A/C that swine), and Aaron is going to move in here. To celebrate all the moving and the fact that Enrique is also becoming a Baha'i we are having two big parties. Enrique and Sebastian and having some sort of techno "all white" party, thus Alex and I have trying to find a store that rents' white suits. The after party will be here in our apartment. I hope for a very exciting weekend of no sleep (sarcasm).

Anyway, Aaron and I have proposed to Alex that since our maid will be moving up with Enrique and Sebastian (just working, not living), we should just go without one. I mean, Aaron and myself have lived in apartnments without maids. But Alex, like many Bolivians, has lived a maid-full life. Hopefully this will be a interesting change for all of us. Just hope our diet doesn't turn from fresh fruit and meat to a fresh box of Captain Crunch and Frosted Flakes.

Postales

I know this is totally riding on the coat tails of Jonas, but if you want a postcard from Santa Cruz de la Sierra, send me an address. Josh and Jonas I definitely owe you guys a postcard. Josh I think I had your address, but there is a 99% chance I lost it. Either that or I ate it.

By the way, on my last post I was complaining about the incredible hotness in the city. Scratch that, because it is cold and rainy today. But as Ruha said, live with what you got.

Remember When...

Guys, remember when the air conditioning used to break in Kentucky all the time for various reasons (rain, wind, a bird landing on it, sun rises, calling it bad names, God, etc)? Remember how it became impossible to do anything because it was miserably hot and all you could was either lay on your bed or play Double Dash or CS? Well, it seems that you can take a man out of Berea, but you can't take the Berea out of the man.