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[...]
Posts Tagged ‘Kiva Fellow’
My Hips Just Don’t Move Like That
One of the biggest challenges of living in Latin America: dancing like a local. Even the most awkward adolescent boys can shimmy their hips in a way that feels physically impossible to me. Over time I’ve gradually resigned myself to the fact that I will never be able to dance like them. It would b[...]
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, [...]
Day in the Life: Barranquilla Carnival – ¡Quien lo vive, es quien lo goza!
The motto of Barranquilla’s Carnival, or Carnaval in Spanish, is ¡Quien lo vive, es quien lo goza! (literally, “Anyone who lives it, is who enjoys it”). Over the past month, life in Barranquilla has been turned upside down as people live and enjoy the start of the Carnival season. Sin[...]
February 9th, 2010 - 10:19 am § in Colombia, Tips & Resources
Weird Words and How to Learn Them
It almost goes without saying that language is one of the main reasons that people volunteer in Latin America. It could be that they may want to learn or improve their Spanish or Portuguese language skills, and if you speak the local language, you automatically have a connection with people you’re[...]
Cusco on My Mind
If you haven’t heard, there have been terrible floods in Cusco, Peru in the past week. Since we are in the thick of la epoca de la lluvia (the rainy season), rain is expected but the level of destruction seen in the area is unimaginable. Tourism is the main industry in Cusco, and the damage [...][...]
Estaré en Paz en La Paz (I Will Be at Peace in La Paz)
Hi La Vida Idealist! My name is Sheethal Shobowale. For six months, I am serving as a Kiva Fellow in South America, working with two Kiva partner microfinance institutions in Peru (Asociación Arariwa in Cusco) and Bolivia (Emprender in Laz Paz). I have pretty much lived my whole life in New York, [...]
January 26th, 2010 - 11:46 am § in Around Town, Colombia
¡Por Fin, Me Quejo!
If you’re not a Spanish speaker, the title means “At last, I complain.” No, this doesn’t mean my Kiva Fellowship placement in Barranquilla, Colombia has gotten off to a sticky start. It’s from a sign we saw while on a journey around the city to get our bearings earlier in the week. The sig[...]
33 Tips from Kiva Fellows in Latin America
All bound by a shared love of Kiva.org and its “Loans that Change Lives,” Kiva Fellows – many of whom have never met each other in person unless part of the same training group in San Francisco – keep in touch via mass emails for a multitude of reasons ranging from simple camaraderie[...]
Tags: advice, being prepared, Kiva, Kiva Fellow, Latin America 1 Comment
September 25th, 2009 - 11:10 am § in Around Town, Doing, Good Ideas, Social Entrepreneurship, Tips & Resources, Volunteer
When Boredom Attacks
One of the images you don’t conjure up when dreaming of a trip to South America is the one of you on your laptop, messing around online for four consecutive hours. In other words, those days when lunchtime is by far the most thrilling part of your day. On Sunday night, I was excited to begin [..[...]
Tags: boredom, Kiva, Kiva Fellow 3 Comments
