More QBEs and a few new things... (Susan)

Hola to all!

Sorry to have been off the air for awhile! A power outage last weekend put a damper on our Internet activity, since we share the connection in the office with someone who is there usually the entire business day, leaving us to try to get over there after dinner or waiting until the weekends. Anyway, we are back now, and I have many things to tell you about.

First, a new QBE for you. Jeff and Delaney and I sometimes "eat out" for supper by heading to the kiosks on campus. It is 10 Bs (about $1.50) for a plate of rice, fritas, fried bananas or plantains, and whatever the meat of the day is (chicken, an egg, or a flattened piece of heavily seasoned "hamburger") laid on top. It is simple, local food fixed by campesinas who live right here on or near the campus. Many are relatives of staff and/or students. This week, many of the staff/faculty who live on campus (ourselves included) ran out of gas by Thursday or Friday (it had been more than two weeks since the truck came), so Friday night we all found ourselves eating at the kiosks, and there was a part-like atmosphere as we all sat there at our little tables in an oasis in the dark, chatting and eating and visiting. At the kiosk, the kitchen is inside, and a window opens out onto a covered porch that stretches the length of all four kiosks. A picnic table sits lengthwise under each window, plus chairs at the end. When you go, you step up to the window from the side (sometimes over the back of whoever is sitting at the table) and let Dona know how many plates you would like, then you find and take your seat. While you are waiting, others come and go, and most people who walk past greet you. Some stop to chat. It is a very pleasant, sociable experience, and so very Bolivian!

Next, some have asked about our daily schedule, and details about our home. Classes are held Tuesday - Saturday. I teach three classes, one Tues-Wed-Thurs, one Tues-Fri, and one on Thursday nights. All except one are one-hour classes. Weds morning is a two-hour class. I usually prep about an hour per class hour, including grading time and dictionary time (I use my S-E dictionary a LOT to make sure my students understand some of the concepts I don't have the vocabulary for in Spanish). Plus I have 5 hours of posted office hours each week, an English department meeting once a week, and various other meetings and commitments that keep me busy during the day and sometimes the evening as well. I usually get up about 8, and I generally go to bed about 11-11:30. My classes are during lunchtime, so I often find myself grabbing something after the lunch break is over -- sometimes I have leftovers from dinner at home, sometimes one of the kiosks has food left. I try to be home to fix supper every night, although sometimes Delaney or Jeff fixes it instead, which is nice. Everything is from scratch, so dinner prep can take an hour or more. We try to do baking on the weekends or if one of us has an afternoon off. So, my days are usually busy, but the bright spot is always my students, whom I love very much!

In my next post, I will talk some about our apartment, our neighbors, and what life is like for us here.

Abrazos to all ~
Susan