Being unable to type with my left index finger, courtesy of a late-night cooking accident (see healthcare), now is a fitting time to provide the logistics of living here.[...]
Archive for August, 2009
August 25th, 2009 - 12:50 pm § in Colombia, Tips & Resources
What You Need to Know About Living in Bogotá
Little Differences
Coming from Canada, I never gave much thought to how much choice we have and how we are continuously being bombarded with the ‘latest and greatest.’ But it was not long after volunteering at Holy Cross Anglican School that I started noticing little differences between the kids in Belize and in C[...]
August 21st, 2009 - 5:43 pm § in Ecuador, Good Ideas, In the Field, Looking for Opportunity, Tips & Resources, Volunteer
It Pays To Do Some Research
We’re in the process of checking out different ways we might be able to volunteer when we head back to South America in a few months. As was the case last time, we’re doing our homework and throwing the net pretty wide as we explore several of the options out there. Upon inquiring about [...]
Spark Teams: Promoting Innovation
Chispudo refers to a person who is proactive, perceptive, curious and clever. It’s a guatemaltequismo, a word found only in Guatemala, which plays with the word in Spanish for spark, chispa, turning it into a personal attribute for those people capable of generating sparks in the different facet[...]
First Impressions: Ins and Outs
After my last post, you might be wondering why I choose to work in these “‘dangerous” communities. Once I had heard that favelas existed, I had to see and experience them for myself. I went to Brazil, and through some personal contacts, was able to join a group of college students taki[...]
The Highs…and the Lows
Living and working in Nicaragua (or any developing country, really) isn’t always an exhilarating and heartwarming experience. For as high as the highs can be, the lows are equally as low. I’m not trying to be a downer, but I also want to be honest. Apart from the typical nuisances of day to day [...]
Almost There, Again
My post-volunteer life is different from most others. But I suppose that everyone has their own story to tell. Some people choose to travel a bit after they have volunteered. I heard several stories about Peace Corps volunteers in Ecuador who bought a car and drove from Ecuador, through Peru, down t[...]
Where I Volunteer and What I Do
For two weeks now, I have been helping out at the children’s foundation, Futuro Juvenil. Founded in 1968, the organization subsists without any government aid. The kids at Futuro Juvenil come from the poorest parts of Bogotá. Some have no family. One six-year-old girl had witnessed her Dad ki[...]
Expanding Opportunity
The news is a downer. We’re on a news diet in our house, but I switched it on for a lightning speed session. In just a couple of quick minutes, I learned a lot about how the USA’s unemployment rate is set to spike above 10% (despite the recent dip). Of course, [...][...]
