Back to the silence

All week I had been bracing myself. After 10 days in the States with all the comfort a gal could want- family, NPR, big comfy couches, hot water, store bought hummus-I wasn’t sure how I would feel upon returning to Chimeo. I got into Villa Montes at night and slept at the house of a Bolivian friend who was kind enough to offer to drive me to Chimeo in the morning.

As we made our way up the dirt road that next day, I felt my blood pressure drop a few points. There was a breeze again. Silence was back. Butterflies the color of Easter eggs floated around on all sides, the only break from the deep green of the fields and burnt amber of the road. I was greeted by enthusiastic children in the street and a house with weeds up to my waist. It rains about every day now, so any seed takes heartily to the soil. I set my things down, gave the house a quick sweep, and without missing a beat set to clearing out the meter tall bush. The start was overwhelming- I knew I needed to clear all this grass fast to keep out the snakes. This is nearly impossible to keep up with as just one gal working between downpours. The neighborhood kids came to look at books, but upon seeing me working alone, they all brought machetes and hoes to help in whatever way they could. I didn’t even have to ask-they just set to work. We slashed and chopped at weeds all afternoon, and as payment I doled out Cremosita cookies.

There were some unanticipated rewards to my unkempt yard- among the weeds we found two thriving watermelon plants and one giant squash, which must have grown from discarded seeds. Despite the its weedless state when I left, the garden was likewise covered in knee high intruders. After hacking my way to its fence, I could see that the carrots and onions are nonetheless thriving. That these tiny seeds, with a tiny bit of work on my part, will provide delicious carrot cakes and crunchy salads, never ceases to amaze me. I can hardly wait to make a meal out of something that I planted, something I (inadvertently or not) made happen. As soon as I get the weeds cleared out, Ill be expanding the garden to make way for a spinach and cabbage patch- these are my favorite foods and it will save me many a trip to Villa Montes if I can just grow my own. Ah, agriculture. Its miraculous.

In the evening some neighborhood kids stuck around to play with some of the new gadgets my Uncle Carl and his lovely wife Ann have donated. I finally got to sit down and enjoy the silence and simplicity of Chimeo. It felt wonderful to have spent the day working towards one simple goal- clear the yard- after feeling so overwhelmed by the world while home. I took my coffee and gave each kid a piece of dark chocolate that my mom sent with me. I’ve never seen a square of chocolate so thoroughly enjoyed- they must have lasted 25 or 30 minutes. Despite the care they took in preserving their pieces, however, when I turned on the porch light to guide them home, each one of their faces were smeared with sugary brown. It was a pleasant surprise to see how easily pleased the kids are here- just one piece of chocolate and one simple new game and they were set. In much of the US, we raise our kids with a thousand distractions, never giving them a chance to really enjoy one thing or to entertain themselves. We retain this need for distraction and background noise as adults- a tv going in each room, plus the CD player and a couple of computers as back up. While home I felt as though I were caught inside of a Picasso painting- tons of complicated and beautiful stuff. So much though that I couldn’t see or enjoy or understand a single thing. Being back in Bolivia is like stepping back into a minimalist work- maybe Black on Black No. 7, a favorite at CMFA. Its just one color, one idea, and you can really focus on just that blackness and see it in a million different ways. Granted, sometimes I may get sick of the monotony, but even that monotony can lead to new ideas, new thoughts, new projects. I know that eventually Ill have to go back to my Picasso life Stateside, and eventually Ill remember how to step back and see the whole confusing work for all its beauty. For now though, Im taking this empty fullness for all its worth.

Id like to take a moment to thank all the people who have given to Chimeo over the past year (that’s right- Jan 23rd will be my one-year anniversary of arriving in Bolivia). To Kate Pugsley, Dr. and Mrs. Pugsley, Mary Cozine, mom, dad, and my sister Kate for the toothbrushes and toothpaste. To Uncle Carl and Aunt Ann Janovich, Aunt Ellie Brysacz, Maryann Wood, Marilyn and Jessica McCoy, mom, dad, and sisters Kate and Gail for stocking our fledgling library with books and brain teasers. Many others have sent me wonderful packages and letters that have helped me to feel connected to life in the US. I don’t know where Id be without Steve’s Economists, NYT, and music, Mary’s US weekly, Kate’s cookies, mom’s everything, Kaity’s t-shirt, and dad’s kilbasa (moldy upon arrival, but certainly wins in the originality category.) Thanks to all of you, package sender or not, and may you have the fullest of 2008s.