Hey all:) I can not believe I have been here over a month!! I'm contemplating catching everyone up or just starting from here on out...how bout a little of both! Here goes...
I can't really describe what I felt when I first got here at the Universidad Adventista de Bolivia but the first two weeks were pretty gloomy for me. I was constantly in a state of depression/anxiety/fear. I was not prepared for how different it was here. I never thought I would experience culture shock. Nobody smiled at me, everyone stared, the food made me sick, the altitude made me lethargic, and when I heard all the rules, (I'll get to that later) I had to double check to make sure I hadn't stumbled upon a convent. My usual thought processes went something like this: "WHAT THE HECK WAS I THINKING COMING HERE ALL ALONE AND STAYING FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR?!?!"
At the end of the first week I got very sick. I think it was a mixture of stress and the dog *ahem* I mean, chicken I ate in the neighboring pueblo of Quillacollo. I woke up in the middle of the night extremely dehydrated and vomiting like there was no tomorrow. Nothing says "Welcome to Bolivia" like
1.) having dry heaves,
2.)random doctors having to skip out on church to tend to the poor lil american girl, (God bless him) and trying to explain my symptoms in a language that is not my own (ps diarrhea is the same in spanish as it is in english)
3.)getting an injection in my hip, (only because I kept throwing up the anti-throwing up pill)
4.) and lying in a deathbed thousands of miles away from home. Ok so it wasn't quite that bad...but to say the least, I was not a happy camper.
Three days, and 25 pounds later (kidding), I was back and kicking! Thank God for coca tea.
While my sickness subsided, I became aware of the way of life here. Enjoy.
1.) Wake up at 5 every morning for "culto" (worship) And on Sabbath we have like, 5 different cultos! haha...
2.) If you decide to sleep in (God forbid) and miss culto you will be punished (see above picture)
3.) Skirts are required for every meal and for both worships every day. Did I mention they have to be 3 inches below the knee? We're rockin the Ellen White look here ;)
4.) I can't leave the campus whenever my heart desireth like I could back at SAU, you have to have signed permission from the deans in order to leave.
5.) They turn off all the lights in the dorm at 11PM and turn them back on at 5AM so you have no choice but to wake up.
I missed my freedom dearly. How was I ever to survive?!
Well I have survived, very well actually. No, waking up before dawn hasn't gotten any easier, and it's really hard to find skirts to wear everyday. But I have adjusted and I have adapted and...I am happy. I've come so far since I've gotten here! I look back at those first 2 weeks and can't help but chuckle to myself. I don't really know what it was that changed my perspective, but I really like it here. The weather is beautiful, we have sunny, blue skies everyday. The flowers are starting to bloom. The food doesn't make me feel icky anymore. I can understand my teachers. People smile at me now. I have friends (with whom I can carry on a semi-educated conversation in spanish hehe). The altitude doesn't really bother me anymore, in fact, I go running in the mornings to build up my endurance.
I am so glad to have been given this wonderful oppurtunity.
I am going to be juuuust fine.
Love you all, till next time
-Bri
I can't really describe what I felt when I first got here at the Universidad Adventista de Bolivia but the first two weeks were pretty gloomy for me. I was constantly in a state of depression/anxiety/fear. I was not prepared for how different it was here. I never thought I would experience culture shock. Nobody smiled at me, everyone stared, the food made me sick, the altitude made me lethargic, and when I heard all the rules, (I'll get to that later) I had to double check to make sure I hadn't stumbled upon a convent. My usual thought processes went something like this: "WHAT THE HECK WAS I THINKING COMING HERE ALL ALONE AND STAYING FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR?!?!"
At the end of the first week I got very sick. I think it was a mixture of stress and the dog *ahem* I mean, chicken I ate in the neighboring pueblo of Quillacollo. I woke up in the middle of the night extremely dehydrated and vomiting like there was no tomorrow. Nothing says "Welcome to Bolivia" like
1.) having dry heaves,
2.)random doctors having to skip out on church to tend to the poor lil american girl, (God bless him) and trying to explain my symptoms in a language that is not my own (ps diarrhea is the same in spanish as it is in english)
3.)getting an injection in my hip, (only because I kept throwing up the anti-throwing up pill)
4.) and lying in a deathbed thousands of miles away from home. Ok so it wasn't quite that bad...but to say the least, I was not a happy camper.
Three days, and 25 pounds later (kidding), I was back and kicking! Thank God for coca tea.
While my sickness subsided, I became aware of the way of life here. Enjoy.
1.) Wake up at 5 every morning for "culto" (worship) And on Sabbath we have like, 5 different cultos! haha...
2.) If you decide to sleep in (God forbid) and miss culto you will be punished (see above picture)
3.) Skirts are required for every meal and for both worships every day. Did I mention they have to be 3 inches below the knee? We're rockin the Ellen White look here ;)
4.) I can't leave the campus whenever my heart desireth like I could back at SAU, you have to have signed permission from the deans in order to leave.
5.) They turn off all the lights in the dorm at 11PM and turn them back on at 5AM so you have no choice but to wake up.
I missed my freedom dearly. How was I ever to survive?!
Well I have survived, very well actually. No, waking up before dawn hasn't gotten any easier, and it's really hard to find skirts to wear everyday. But I have adjusted and I have adapted and...I am happy. I've come so far since I've gotten here! I look back at those first 2 weeks and can't help but chuckle to myself. I don't really know what it was that changed my perspective, but I really like it here. The weather is beautiful, we have sunny, blue skies everyday. The flowers are starting to bloom. The food doesn't make me feel icky anymore. I can understand my teachers. People smile at me now. I have friends (with whom I can carry on a semi-educated conversation in spanish hehe). The altitude doesn't really bother me anymore, in fact, I go running in the mornings to build up my endurance.
I am so glad to have been given this wonderful oppurtunity.
I am going to be juuuust fine.
Love you all, till next time
-Bri
Oh my goodness... I've never met you in person but I CAN SOOO FEEL YOU!!! That blog entry made me laugh really hard. Sorry... I'm not laughing at sick people... but... lol... can't help it...
ReplyDeleteIf there is a day (some day) when you don't find the dean to sign your permission or she refuses to sign it because you've missed 2 worships within 3 days... but the internet on campus works anyways... you can have a look at my adventures at UAB =) My first blog entry from Bolivia is from February, 15th of 2008. It was a real adventure for me as well although it wasn't my first time in Bolivia. Wish you all the best for these moments when you feel like going crazy because of lack of freedom, privacy or... SILENCE. You can do it! And when you automatically wake up at 5am one Sunday... you know you've been there for too long... lol
Blessings, maria