The preliminaries included a tour of the school facilities, a presentation of the class format (two or three students per class, four hours daily), and meeting fellow students. We received a tentative class schedule as well. But this is subject to change after I have a placement exam Tuesday morning. Once the coordinator conducts an interview with me to assess my language skills, I may be moved into another class more appropriate for my level of proficiency. Having heard my introduction to the students in passable Spanish at the coffee break, the coordinator says I will likely need to be placed in a different class than the one she had in mind. She thinks, contrary to the written questionnaire I submitted to the school a few months ago, that I am not a beginner. We will find out tomorrow.
If I am transferred to another class, it may change my schedule significantly. Instead of classes from 8 in the morning to noon, I may need to attend classes from 1 to 5 p.m. But it would not be a permanent assignment. Courses are six weeks, and they change at mid-term, with new tutors rotating in. This means that a course that begins as morning class could shift to an afternoon class, and vice versa. I may be re-tooling my weeks with some frequency. So stay tuned, friends—what is true today will change tomorrow.
Much of this morning was devoted to commonsensical things.
We talked about how to stay healthy in Bolivia. Don’t drink the water! Drink only bottled water or purified water. Don’t eat food sold by street vendors unless you trust them to sell clean foods and beverages. Don’t use ice! Choose restaurants carefully. Choose menu items carefully. Do not eat lettuce or strawberries at restaurants—you just cannot be assured that they have been properly disinfected. That said, diarrhea is normal. But beware when symptoms persist, for you could have a bacterial infection or, worse, a parasite. Whatever you do, don’t self-medicate! Seek a doctor. Also, avoid dogs. Strays are everywhere on these streets. Rabies is a risk not worth taking. Do not pet any dog you do not know. Make no eye contact with them. If a dog threatens you, make like you are picking up a stone (or better, pick up an object) like you were going to hurl it at the dog. (Forgive me, Saint Francis.)
We talked about how to stay safe. Thievery is common in the city. Wear a backpack. Conceal your valuables. Stow valuables in zippered pockets. Better yet, do not carry valuables with you. Never carry your passport, but carry a photocopy. Never offer your passport to anyone purporting to be police—the Bolivian police do not ask for your passport or make random stops on individuals walking or driving or sitting in public spaces. Beware of scammers (we went through several scenarios). We learned where not to go, or when not to go somewhere.
We talked about cultural norms, too. Time is relative in Bolivia; a party announced to begin at 5 p.m. begins at 6 o’clock. Do not wear shorts. Always wear your shoes, even indoors. Do not rest your feet on the furniture. Do not throw toilet paper in the toilet; the pipes here are too narrow, so every bathroom has a basket for waste paper. Hand items to other people; do not toss an item to someone (this is very disrespectful).
We also talked about getting around and getting to city landmarks. Now I know which buses to take from Convento San Francisco to the school (the old red buses marked A or 3V), and how much to pay (1.5 bolivianos). Now I know about La Cancha, the 50-block open-air market several blocks to the south of the convent. Now I know about Cristo de la Concordia, a pilgrimage site with an enormous statute of the Christ of Peace, accessible by cable car or by ascent of a great many steps (I will visit during Lent and write more about it, I hope).
From the commonsensical to the institutional, we learned a few things about Maryknoll Mission Center. I encourage you to explore social media as well as Maryknoll Mission Center’s website for a summary of all its programs. The Maryknoll priests, brothers, sisters, and lay missioners have served Latin America for over 75 years. They have been teaching languages in Cochabamba since 1965. Through total immersion, both cultural and linguistic, they teach Bolivians and foreigners Spanish, Quechua, and Aymara. The aim is not merely language acquisition. The goals are missionary formation, intercultural solidarity, “horizontal” human relationships, and personal and social transformation. Weekly plenary assemblies feature guest speakers who talk about various aspects of Bolivian culture, politics, religion, and society. Field trips through the city and country are a regular part of the course—our learning is contextual and equips us to really live out our lives in Spanish. There are also volunteer opportunities at hospitals, orphanages, safe homes, and elder care homes where we may serve and grow in our cultural and language proficiency.
To follow in the footprints of the many Capuchin friars who have been formed here for Spanish-language apostolates is a distinct honor, an amazing privilege, and a charge to keep. I’m feeling proud and happy to be here representing the Capuchins in this undertaking. Brothers, I won’t let you down!
Time now to switch gears, recollect, and offer thankful prayers in anticipation of the things to come at the school and the friary.
We talked about cultural norms, too. Time is relative in Bolivia; a party announced to begin at 5 p.m. begins at 6 o’clock. Do not wear shorts. Always wear your shoes, even indoors. Do not rest your feet on the furniture. Do not throw toilet paper in the toilet; the pipes here are too narrow, so every bathroom has a basket for waste paper. Hand items to other people; do not toss an item to someone (this is very disrespectful).
We also talked about getting around and getting to city landmarks. Now I know which buses to take from Convento San Francisco to the school (the old red buses marked A or 3V), and how much to pay (1.5 bolivianos). Now I know about La Cancha, the 50-block open-air market several blocks to the south of the convent. Now I know about Cristo de la Concordia, a pilgrimage site with an enormous statute of the Christ of Peace, accessible by cable car or by ascent of a great many steps (I will visit during Lent and write more about it, I hope).
From the commonsensical to the institutional, we learned a few things about Maryknoll Mission Center. I encourage you to explore social media as well as Maryknoll Mission Center’s website for a summary of all its programs. The Maryknoll priests, brothers, sisters, and lay missioners have served Latin America for over 75 years. They have been teaching languages in Cochabamba since 1965. Through total immersion, both cultural and linguistic, they teach Bolivians and foreigners Spanish, Quechua, and Aymara. The aim is not merely language acquisition. The goals are missionary formation, intercultural solidarity, “horizontal” human relationships, and personal and social transformation. Weekly plenary assemblies feature guest speakers who talk about various aspects of Bolivian culture, politics, religion, and society. Field trips through the city and country are a regular part of the course—our learning is contextual and equips us to really live out our lives in Spanish. There are also volunteer opportunities at hospitals, orphanages, safe homes, and elder care homes where we may serve and grow in our cultural and language proficiency.
To follow in the footprints of the many Capuchin friars who have been formed here for Spanish-language apostolates is a distinct honor, an amazing privilege, and a charge to keep. I’m feeling proud and happy to be here representing the Capuchins in this undertaking. Brothers, I won’t let you down!
Time now to switch gears, recollect, and offer thankful prayers in anticipation of the things to come at the school and the friary.
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