Sat Nam and Buenos Tardes!

Did I spell that right? I mean, “the weekend!” I am in a cafe and my dicionario is en mi casa! Well, I am thrilled to read your responses, you are wonderful to write, each of you! thank you! The end of my first week, it was amazing! Let me share the details, they are too much.  I left off on Mercioles, wednesday, I believe that night or the next mis amigos y yo went to the Joy Ride cafe to watch the movie “Che”, it was from a very different perspective than what I had always read. We climbed the stairs in the back of this dark little cafe and found out way into the cinema room.. high ceiling, rich dark wood, and huge sofas everywhere. We had to take the front row, and we slouched down and watched the movie. I was with Yvonne from Holland, great fun lady and her sister Karan (24 yrs old) who was in town for a few days visiting. Karan is living in La Paz for a semester to complete her master’s thesis on Street Children, an anthropological study of why they return to the street once they get help. It is a heart wrenching story and situation here and really everywhere.

Anyway, these sisters are fun and muy bonito! so down to earth, we had so much fun. Thursday back to school, more “verbos”, my god how many verbs we use and don’t even think about it. I have had to go back and am rewriting everything in my notebook, as if you read my notes from day one, it is like I must have had huge wax balls in my ears, NOW I get it, I say as I read my notes!!! Or at least I think so!

Entonces, so, that night we hike, and I mean hike, vertically (no, I was NOT in heels!) but I do have my platform sandles! up to La Recoleta. This is a huge old convent, converted into a museum and school. It sits atop a huge hill, wow, like there aren’t enough of these around! and the view is breathtaking, or is it the altitude? over 7500 feet here in case I forgot to mention that! No wonder we were gasping and could not chat going vertical! Again, thank goodness for all of that pranayama, I can’t imagine how we could have made it. Of course they are a good 14-20+ years less than me.

The view was amazing, the sunset muy bonito and we quickly noticed the drop in temp, so we began the descent. Easier except, don’t fall.

Now, we are at Friday, end of week, I am feeling like I just might be able to handle things, when our teacher, Carla informs us of our final assignment. Yes, go out into the Plaza Square and meet at least 3 strangers, and converse, ask them whey Sucre has 4 names! Okay, I do NOT want to do this.I feel this huge irritation and resistance in me. Then I quickly realize, WAIT, this might be fun. Of course it will be fun, it is a real practicum! Okay,I am ready!   Perdon, une preguenta por favor?  Cuales son los nombres de “Sucre”?  For you non espanol speaking friends, one question please, what are the names of Sucre?

Here we go, three little students out into town. I first spy three 20-30 somethings sitting on a bench, they actually only knew two of the names, and it seemed they were embarrassed not to know, entonces, I thanked them and moved on. NOW, I see them. Yes, they are right off of the cover of Buena Vista Social Club, three older gentlemen, kind eyes and dressed so elegantly. I approach them, pause as they all three look up with huge smiles, and I stammer and ask the question. Frederico jumps up, and clasps my hands and immediately begins to speak in espanol. We introduce ourselves, he is smiling so big, so sweet, and he introduces me to his friends. They are 61,62 and 80! They of course knew the three names, Charcas, Villa La Plata, Sucre and Chogue Chaka. I think they said a whole lot more, but I could not get it all.

Now, they ask me to stop by everyday to see them, as they are there everyday, or todos los dias! So, I will. En la manana, this morning, on my big walk, there they are, and they greet me like I am their best pal! So, they will now be my new friends and teachers too!

Back in class,  we all had had fun experiences, and shared the same info. Seems everyone (almost) in town has great pride in this sweet little town and its history. Me too!

Friday night is Salsa lesson night at school, of course we had to go, first three steps, no problemo, third and fourth, fine, fifth, muy difficile! Lots of people come, not even in the school, all fun. The music is great. I got some photos and will post them, but they are out of focus, as we were dancing and low light, but you will get he drift! what fun! After that, a large group of us went to the cafe Florin for snacks. Yvonne and Karan and I get there first, snag a nice big corner table and order. Then the others arrive, I am pretty sure no one was over 26, besides me, and they are great kids! I talked with the two boys who I danced with, one is finishing his masters thesis on engineering and his pal is doing the same, oh, and plus his other masters thesis on Economics. They were from Sweden.  They had just spent two months in Santa Cruz working with the timber industry. They said the economy has knocked that industry on its tail and they could not do much in the factory, but they got the idea to start their own business with exporting environmentally safe wood. The standards are very high about NOT raping the land, so that was good. We had a wonderful chat. More people kept coming, soon it was a huge crowd. I departed before I turned into a pumpkin and left them to their mojitos!

Saturday morning, relax!!! Long leisurely breakfast and good byes to Yvonne and Karan as they head off to Potosi, La Paz and onward. I return to my rooftop patio and sink into a deep 2 hour asana practice, with a delicious savasana listening to the festival bands playing all over town. One bummer note, savasana was long and I sunburned mi cara! my face, today I look like a tomato!

Later, Nicole, a house/school mate, and I walked all over town again, and ended the day with dinner in Locots cafe. She is French, my age and from Switzerland. She is also in a big life change, sold her home, goods and wants to master espanol, move to S. America and teach math. She is interesting.

Big changes going on in the world, and yet, inside we are all the same, wanting to connect, to feel and give love and to experience that deep, rich understanding from another.

My daughter just said to me this morning (our first conversation since I left) “I love my teachers, one of them knows how to say exactly what you want to hear (regarding her art). But you don’t know you want to hear it until she says it, then you think, wow. that is exactly how I feel!”

That is how I feel, I did not know how it would feel to be here, to leave all of you, and to experience something like this, but with each encounter, each moment, I feel, wow,Yes, this is how it feels, I am still so cozy inside myself, and everything on the outside just makes that better! Of course I miss each of you, but you have a little spot in my heart, mi corazon, and that will never change, it just goes with me everywhere I go. So, you are here too!

ps. am sitting here in a really nice hotel/cafe, they have cloth napkins!!!!!! and I had a delicious lunch and am posting to you. It is pretty safe here, so far, muy bueno!

I will post photos this week, another challenge to encounter!

All my love to you,

Denise Kirpal Kaur i