Archive for the ‘Around Town’ Category

March 11th, 2010 - 5:14 pm § in Around Town, Belize, Doing, Good Ideas, Volunteer

“Don’t get your reading material from the dump.”

This morning while heading into work, we dumped our garbage. Driven by our protected areas manager, Nat, two other volunteers and I assisted in the process by tossing bags and crates of rubbish on top of one of many exposed piles of trash along a road off the highway. Nat, jaded by his time in [...][...]

March 10th, 2010 - 7:46 am § in Around Town, Costa Rica

When Body Language Goes Too Far

Sometimes I worry that I’ve gotten too good at reading body language. When I’m tired and need a break from thinking in Spanish, my mind often wanders from the conversation at hand, especially if it’s a group conversation about something completely irrelevant to me (like the details of my bossâ[...]

March 9th, 2010 - 4:56 pm § in Around Town, Colombia, Day in the Life

Day in the Life: Times are Changing

I feel I know Barranquilla reasonably well: I’m finding my way around the city, making friends and—at last—working out how to use the bus network, without needing to get off the bus because I misread where it was going. But for all I think I know Barranquilla, there’s another side that I’v[...]

March 5th, 2010 - 2:33 pm § in Around Town, Nicaragua

I’m on a Boat: Joys and Sorrows of Pangas

A panga boat ride is similar to when your best friend takes dad’s Porsche out for a spin: fast, unnerving, uproariously fun with fist-clenching close calls. This is the Caribbean Coast’s main mode of transportation, and how blueEnergy can access our communities. Our two-hour panga ride on a rece[...]

March 4th, 2010 - 4:29 pm § in Around Town, Chile

Can English Really Open Doors?

As soon as Meridith Price had her first taste of travel, she knew she’d been struck with a bad case of wanderlust. While searching for a cure for her condition in Latin America, she found herself petting alpacas in Cusco, mountain biking in the San Pedro de Atacama desert, dining al fresco in San [...]

March 4th, 2010 - 12:04 pm § in Argentina, Around Town, Tips & Resources

Not Too Far Gone

I’ve kind of been out of action for a while, so excuse the long gap between posts. But after crossing the six month mark in Argentina, the novelty has worn off and the differences between a volunteer life and a professional life have started to blur, and I feel further and further removed from my [...]

March 2nd, 2010 - 8:11 pm § in Around Town, Colombia, Tips & Resources

Amigos

Once you’ve arrived at your ideal volunteer placement in Latin America, there’s often an awkward moment of realization when it feels like you’re back at your first day at school because you suddenly realize that you don’t know anyone and might be doing a lot of reading. Luckily for you, [...]

February 24th, 2010 - 1:17 pm § in Around Town, Costa Rica, Day in the Life

Life Without a Cell Phone

In many places you travel, picking up a cell phone with prepaid minutes or an international SIM card is simple and reasonably cheap. Unfortunately for me, Costa Rica does not fit in this boat. I’ve heard mixed opinions about how hard it is to get a cell phone. The consensus is that you can get [..[...]

February 18th, 2010 - 8:48 pm § in Around Town, Chile, Volunteer

Intern Spotlight: Opening Doors in Chile

As soon as Meridith Price had her first taste of travel, she knew she’d been struck with a bad case of wanderlust. While searching for a cure for her condition in Latin America, she found herself petting alpacas in Cusco, mountain biking in the San Pedro de Atacama desert, dining al fresco in San [...]

February 18th, 2010 - 9:58 am § in Around Town, Brazil, Day in the Life, Event, Looking, News

Removal is a Social Crime!

Last week, I went to a demonstration in downtown Rio where favela residents were protesting against the city’s decision to remove several of their homes and neighborhoods. About two hundred men, women, and children —representatives from several communities — gathered in front of City Hall with[...]





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