Cochabamba, Bolivia

Finding a gorgeous, exemplary photograph of the city of Cochabamba was not an easy feat, considering there are numerous pictures that I found on-line that show what a majestic place this city is, which is tucked deep inside the Andes Mountains in South America. 


I've briefly mentioned before about my stay in Cochabamba, but only in passing. I believe that the truth behind what this city can offer deserves it's own introduction. I can only hope that others will adventure off into the unknown like I did once I had graduated from high school. I know I cannot do it justice, but I can recommend for EVERYONE to adventure out and discover this gem of a city - well, a country. Everything was wonderful - the people!!, the food, the music, the culture, the ancient traditions, the languages, the dress, the weather in Cochabamba is considered the most perfect in the world (I'm not lying), the parties, and all the while the country will welcome you with open arms and take good care of you.


It all began in my junior year at my relatively large high school in upstate New York. Our school announcements were during 2nd period and I was used to listening to them, not paying too much attention once I had sat down after pledging allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. Until one day. I heard the question - would you be interested in being an exchange student in another country? The answer previous to that day had always been "no". Although I was attracted to foreign cultures and language, I had never thought about being an exchange student myself. In fact, I didn't even find the idea of anyone being an exchange student impressive or "cool". So what happened that morning? I don't know. I'm still unsure. Whatever it was, the announcement either made studying abroad sound attractive, or it was exactly what I needed at that time in my life; I like to think it was the latter. I needed to get out of that town in upstate NY and discover the world, or at least one country in one area of the world.


From what I remember, I had from the end of my junior year until the first semester of my senior year to make a decision as well as apply. I do remember really wanting to complete my application, but I was also applying to colleges, looking for scholarships, taking the SATs, and other responsibilities that high school upperclassmen on their way to college have to accomplish. I was really stressed out from my school load and other activities (and responsibilities) in the beginning of my senior year and I almost didn't apply. That would have been the mistake of a lifetime. With the help and support of my parents (my stepdad had been a drummer in a band that traveled with the Army and my mother had had the dream of being a flight attendant when she was younger) as well as a prominent judge in my town, who is a Rotarian, I did apply. I wanted to get a scholarship from the Rotary Club Exchange Student program. And I did. 


I distinctly remember that we were asked at the time of completing our application which were our top ___ choices as to our destination, being reminded that we were not guaranteed to be sent to the country of our picking. Needless to say, Bolivia was at the bottom of my list; I didn't know anything about the country except that it was in South America and the official language (well, at least one of them I later found out) is Spanish. My first choice was Spain because as a 16-year-old studying high school Spanish, I knew for a fact that in Spain people speak Spanish. Somehow, NOT to my surprise, I was told I'd be studying abroad in Bolivia. I felt that I knew I was going to be sent there and I was not disappointed. Although I had not adventured farther than Canada, Texas, and Florida, I was up for the challenge. I accepted my scholarship and was on my way to Cochabamba in August of that year.


Rotary was wonderful! Not only are they a worldwide organization working to make a difference through service and fellowship, they offer young people the opportunity of a lifetime. And that is exactly what it is. I absolutely LOVED my time abroad; it changed my life. I would not have changed my major from Speech Language Pathology (which is what I had planned to study at a particular SUNY school where I had deferred my entrance for a year) to Anthropology and Spanish at an even better, more prestigious SUNY school. I would not have gotten a minor in International Studies, or studied abroad in Uruguay, or worked abroad in Peru, or worked in Brazil as an EFL teacher - meaning I would never have chosen the profession I have today or have married the man I did. That one, seemingly small, decision affected everything I've done in my life. Amazing if you ask me.


And of course I had more fun in Bolivia than I knew what to do with. I won't go too much into details because it was a fabulously exciting ten months and I couldn't possibly put into words all that I saw or did, but I can try to sum it up....maybe...I lived with two open, kind families (5 months each - that's the Rotary way), I had an additional family to support me!, I went to a fantastic school where I was able to make lifelong friends and learn Spanish. I had graduated from high school by the time I went to Bolivia, so I just attended high school to attend (best decision ever - to go after high school versus during). Plus, with their school years being opposite ours in the North, I wasn't actually in school that much; but I still liked it. The teachers and students were unforgettable. I was given $50/month which was fantastic seeing as Bolivia is an extremely inexpensive country to live in, and of course my food/board/schooling was all paid for. I also had money saved up and my parents didn't even need to give me money until the end. I traveled all around the country, eating, sightseeing, smelling, experiencing a COMPLETELY different, exciting world. I even visited Machu Picchu and Cusco in Peru.

Tiwanaku, Bolivia

If there is ANYONE out there who is considering this opportunity (I hope this gets to you, or send it to someone you know) then TAKE it. Don't hesitate. A friend of mine who graduated with me took advantage of this and studied in Argentina at the same time that I was in Bolivia and I know it changed his life, too. Rotary tells you at their numerous pre-departure workshops/weekend trips (which are well organized, informative, and exactly what a high school student needs) that you will mature in one year as much abroad as you would have one year in the U.S. This is true. When I returned I was ready to focus on my studies and take life much more seriously. I am grateful to my parents, to Judge Rose for his support and encouragement, to my family and friends, and especially to Rotary for this experience. 


And of course, THANK YOU Bolivia for all of the memories and love that you have given me. I am a better person today because of you. I will always respect and love you,

ANOTHER visit to the Brazilian consulate and *Miami*

I know I have mentioned our multiple visits to the Brazilian consulate again and again and again because before today I think we took three trips there between December and May. Without these accomplishments, we wouldn't be bound for Brasilia so they were all necessary. Oh yeah, and and it would have been more if we hadn't mailed the application to renew E's passport (versus driving down and dropping it off and picking it up). That's too many. And guess what? We still had to come back (I'm still here) today. But this is it. No more. I promise.


The thing is that I get really nervous before and during our time at the consulate. I worry that I'm missing a document, that something will go wrong (on their end), that even worse, that we'll be told that the consulate won't be able to give us back whatever it is we went there to do and that we'll have to return the following day. We've never had time for that. I live more than three hours north of Miami and I had to miss work twice to go to the consulate. I can't return the next day. Plus, that's a lot of gas, waking up early, missing work, driving, money for food and tolls. It adds up.


Today's visit to the consulate was to have a document legalized. A document that will save us lots of money. E had to complete a form (except I always do everything because I know what needs to be done, and maybe I'm a bit controlling? But he doesn't mind that I take charge) stating that he's lived outside of Brazil for at least one year; this way he - well, we - won't have to pay taxes on his personal belongings when he returns to Brazil. Easy enough. The form is called declaracao de residencia no exterior and it's short and to the point. The Brazilian citizen just needs to write a few examples of the proof that they have of living outside the country and then will need to present these upon arrival. They don't need to be presented to the consulate. For instance, a phone bill (or any other utility bill), a lease agreement, stamp in their passport, and/or proof of paid taxes in the country of residence will prove that the Brazilian has not been in Brazil for at least a year - whether legally or not, it doesn't matter. I thought that the letters/receipts from Homeland Security that are regarding residency and citizenship would do, but the woman who helped us wasn't convinced so we came up with a list of four kinds of "proof" and that's what we'll show. Now we just need to print out the last 13 months of our phone bill since they're in E's name. We've sold our printer so it's not as easy as it sounds, but we'll figure it out. If our phone company mails them to us then they'll charge us $5 a copy. How sweet.


We dropped off our form and were able to pick it up about two hours later. All that needed to be done to the form was to be legalized by the Brazilian consulate. That meant a couple stamps and a sticker. Nothing really. But it still cost us $20. We were also going to "regulate" E's CPF (like the American SSN) and change my surname on mine, but we were told that it'd be faster to do it in Brazil (versus the 3-month wait time here). That was only $5 a piece so I figured it'd be quicker and cheaper to take care of it here, but I was mistaken. I also wanted to do that now so we don't have to take care of it later, but oh well. So we're done with the consulate. At least before we leave. But we're not done with paperwork forever. There is still a lot to do once we arrive in Brasilia, like register with the federal police, register at the America consulate, get E an American passport, make sure our CPFs are in order, get my "work card"...and that's all I can remember off the top of my head.


As we were finished at the consulate at 1:15 p.m., we decided to head to Miami Beach to relax on the warm sand, sunbathe (at least I did), and swim in the salty water. VERY nice. After about two hours there we were ready for dinner and revisited the local Bolivian restaurant for some delicious food. We had to buy a hair brush and wait in the world's longest line at CVS since we somehow forgot mine this morning, and then we drove to the hotel. 


It's been a long day, it'll be a long one tomorrow, and I have a king-sized bed for the night....so...
Boa noite,

Accents, Languages, and Confusion

Me (answering the phone): Hello?


Man: ochkochbogoshvendochkoshcarbogsh


Me: Excuse me?


Man: something along the line of, are you selling your car? (but this time I understood the language of the man to be Portuguese) how many miles does it have? is the price negotiable?


So I mumbled a response along the lines of, talk to my husband because he's the Brazilian, I gave him the price and answered that yes the price is negotiable. Really I didn't want to talk to the potential buyer because E knows how to negotiate, I had company over, and because my company are Spanish speakers and I had just spent who-knows-how-long speaking Spanish. I can't then be forced to switch languages, can I? And plus, he had a strange Brazilian Portuguese accent. Maybe he's from the Northeast? I know I always need to get used to the accent of a Brazilian who is from a region that I am unfamiliar with.


Have you ever tried speaking Spanish and then need to switch like a light being turned on to speak Portuguese? It's not easy. 


I started studying Spanish as an exchange student Bolivia, right out of high school. I had studied Spanish in high school, but we all know that you don't learn to say much more than "Me llamo...."  and "Tengo xx anhos [I don't have the accent mark so I cannot write this correctly]". I became quite fluent after returning from Bolivia as I majored in the language and studied and worked abroad. But then I went to Brazil after college. That's when my language skills got all messed up. I initially used Spanish in Brazil when I wasn't supposed to; but hey, it was an easier language to fall back on because people generally understood me. My neighbor once told me that I sounded like a Hispanic; that was a better compliment that being told I sounded like a gringa when I spoke Portuguese.


Now that I'm fluent in Portuguese and speak it on a daily basis, my Spanish has really suffered. In fact, I have difficulty creating a sentence in Spanish without mixing in Portuguese words. Or should I say throwing in? Either way, I speak portunhol very well. And yet I still try to speak Spanish Monday - Friday as I have a few students from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic who either don't speak English almost at all, or at least don't with me. This has forced me to be more confident and try to separate the two languages in my mind, but it's not been a walk in the park. I have to think before I speak and try to slow - that's the part I dislike the most. I want to speak quickly like I do in English and Portuguese.


That brings me back to my conversation today. I tried so hard to speak Spanish to my visitors this afternoon that stopped by because I know that my friend feels more confident speaking Spanish. Plus, her mother-in-law is visiting from Venezuela and I know she understands a great deal of what I say in English, but does not speak it. They're so patient, kind, and understanding, but I feel like a mumbling fool sometimes as I try to get my brain to transfer from English to Portuguese to Spanish. 


God knows I spoke espaporinglish (a word a Colombian student of mine created as we used to speak a mixture of the 3 languages when we had get togethers with her family and Brazilians) to the my guests today and then spoke portunhol to the Brazilian on the phone. But I guess that's all part of being a trilingual. At least I can have fun with it sometimes. You gotta laugh at yourself once in awhile :).

What a freakin' headache!

.....AKA the Brazilian consulate of Miami.

I mentioned just the other day that I felt like something wasn't right with what the consulate was telling me vs what I was reading about the permanent visa. Turns out I was right. Big surprise. Big headache.

I felt nervous when I first arrived at the consulate today, but I always do since we have to drive all the way there and I want everything to go like it should so I don't feel like our trip was in vain. Unlike our last visit to the consulate though, there was a huge line for people wanting a visa (probably due to Carnaval), but we did eventually make it to the window to be waited on. That's when my fear was confirmed. I was told that I needed to fill out an application and have my husband complete an affidavit of support for me in order to get my permanent visa. I was told that everything that I believed about getting my visa was wrong. That made me nervous and pissed because I don't have time to take off of work and drive to Miami to be told that I'm missing a lot of paperwork. I stress out about these things and that's why I got mad.

Now that I look back on this morning I do realize that I probably overreacted a bit. But that's not the point. The issue is that the website AND the consulate's confusing e-mails were wrong. I had been told that we only needed to take a few documents to request the visa (the first step), and then complete the second step, listed on the consulate's website, once the authorization came back from Brazil. It's at that time, the second step, that we pay and complete the application. Of course this was wrong. I tried to tell the girl that, too, but she wouldn't have any of it. Of course the consulate's website was not wrong. Imagine that! And then the e-mails. No way. Ooooh, I was so mad. And of course you can't call. There is no way to contact the visa department by phone.

The thing is that I have to take off of work to drive to Miami to take care of this stuff and it stresses me out. I don't need some chic telling me something else, especially when I can tell that she doesn't know how to do her job right. And the affidavit? Not mentioned at all on the website. Now completing that form was a piece of cake, but that's not the point, is it?

In the end, what we had to do was complete the affidavit of support, which I filled out while E went downstairs to the ATM to get cash to pay for the visa + legalization fees. He signed it later. I then had to complete the visa application on the computer, print out my protocol number, AND get a passport picture taken. Luckily for me, a girl who was at the consulate to get her visa gave me a business card of a Brazilian company only 6 floors below us who'd take instant pictures.

This didn't take us too long to get, but I was still mad and then worried because it was almost noon and the visa department is only open 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. So we were rushing around to get everything done and even though we finished after noon, we were allowed to finish our process since we started at 10:30 a.m. But I didn't know that when the girl told me that all the information that I had was wrong and that I was missing a lot. I also didn't know that I could get my picture taken in that building and that the affidavit was easy to complete. I freaked out because she was telling me all that we needed to complete and I didn't imagine that we could get it all done that day.

Once we had everything completed and paid our visa fees, we handed in everything to a different woman (thank God). She seemed very competent and organized. She was polite, too. She went over all of our documents and was very thorough (and gawked in confusion at E's birth certificate, even showing it to her co-worker, since she'd never seen one like his before), she made copies, and then returned all of the originals to us. That didn't take anymore than 10 minutes, tops.

Finally, I was told that the permanent visa could take up to 6 months to be approved (which I was aware of), but once it is, the consulate will call me and I can pick it up. They have to collect all of the paperwork from us - copies of our passports, our marriage certificate, the marriage registration from the consulate, proof of my residency in Florida, E's passport, the application, the affidavit, and of course the money - and then send it to Brasilia to be approved (or denied). The weird thing is that if we had been married 14 months longer than we have been, my permanent visa would be approved in 5 business days right there at the consulate.  

Now all I can do is wait....and hope that it is approved in much less time (which I think it will be). I was told it can take a little as 4 weeks. Let's hope that's the case.

------------

On the bright side, I have successfully applied for my permanent visa and there is nothing else I need to do, legally, about moving to Brazil. In addition, since we're in Miami we decided to take a trip to the beach, relax, eat at a Bolivian restaurant, and now E is training at a jiu jitsu academy while I write and study. All in all, it was a worthwhile trip, even with the headache.

Biscayne Bay

Bolivian Food - Pique Macho

In Little Havanna