March in Pucará

March in Pucará is lovely. The sun shines brightly with a gentle wind, the days still remain rather long, and best of all the rain tapers off into afternoon showers instead of day-long monsoons! Fields are green, and I was able to go blackberry, peach, and apple picking, mmm! The flies are fewer and I can leave the windows open throughout the night.
March in Pucará also had its moments of frustration. I experienced my first moments of “ohnoihave20moremonthsofthis”, work came to a standstill, my bathroom leaks into my neighbors house, and I lost my first companion. My puppy, Gatsby, was run over by a car; alas, these things happen. But these events I suppose just showed me that I cannot change the course of certain events, only how I react to them. So after being mad at the world, things got better. I have started working in the biblioteca more, often doing puzzles and playing with kids before they go to school in the afternoons. Computer classes are going along, and today and tomorrow are sign-ups for the April course. A lot of the alumni from the course now come and type homework, and show off their skills to their friends. They still ask me each week whether we have gotten internet hooked up yet…they seem more anxious about getting internet than electricity. I suppose the hype of cyberspace reaches the depths of Bolivia as well!
March in Pucará had its share of funerals as well. I have been to more funerals during my service than I ever had in the States. Living in a small town, everyone goes to the funerals, and a small town with an aging population increases the death rate considerably. A time of mourning also becomes a time where Pucareños seem to lean on each other more and really come together to help each other out. The funeral of Sr. Pedro Montaño last week was beautiful. We processed from his house (where people had prayed the entire night before) up the hill to the cemetery on the outskirts of town. The parrots and birds were chirping, a band played typical Pucareño procession music; and slowly the cemetery was filled- with solidarity, with tears, and with sweet notes of mourning.
I travel to Cochabamba next week to reunite with B40 and have an in-service. This means I get to return to Bella Vista and visit my host family; this also means a nice vacation from the campo life and time to rejuvenate in the city. Then I will be ready to tackle whatever April may bring…