It’s been a long time since the last blog, and a whole lot has happened. Moreover, I’ll be leaving Bolivia in less than a week (on the 28th), and I’m not ready to leave–just really started to get comfortable in the past few weeks…

But I’m also looking forward to all the upcoming things: getting back to Amsterdam, getting all my thoughts down in the thesis, seeing wonderful people, and eventually getting back to the states to do wonderful things. But I know that I’ll be back here one day, and it hopefully won’t be too long.

Also, today I’ll be moving from my apartment in Sopocachi (downtown neighborhood) to the Zona Sur (southside)–more specifically San Miguel tonight and Achumani tomorrow. Anyway, still trying to cram in as much work as I can before I leave, as there are so many people I wish I had talked to while being here. On the other hand, I have a ton of interviews done, over 150 pages of interviews transcribed, some articles read, and most importantly I can communicate in Spanish!

…Yesterday was my birthday, and it was definitely fun–and the festivities started on Saturday and won’t quite stop until I leave, I guess. I’m hoping that the plan to go to Coroico (a valley a few hours away from here, and valley=tropical!) this weekend, a folkloric concert on Friday, a big university party on Thursday, and who knows what else.

Anyway, it has been an incredible 3 months, and I CANNOT believe it’s already over. This won’t quite be my last blog from Bolivia, and I’m thinking that when I get back to Amsterdam I’ll change the name and continue with some kind of monthly update, but we’ll see how that goes.

Here are a few  pictures from the last few weeks…

a street blockade I ran into, organized by 3 schools. The cops here are negotiating w/ the community leaders--a few minutes before the cops literally pushed a few hundred protests out of the streets (carrying giant tear gas guns and other intimidating funnery)

cute baby, bad picture... also at the random blockade/school protest

This guy had an incredibly manicured bed-head. I thought it was funny...

this is the La Paz-area urban teacher union, protesting the proposed education reform (which I am researching). They hold a strongly 'Trotskyist' political view, rejecting any non-socialist and dictatorial state. Very interesting to talk to them. I think their critiques of the law and the government are very on point.

The teachers' union as they were taking over the biggest street in La Paz. The cops ran in front and tried to get as many cars to pass as quick as possible... there were probably 600 teachers there.

Another education protest--this time it was by students in the Normales (teacher training institutes). After starting the march in El Alto (WAY up the hill), they finally arrived at the ministry of education to be greeted by many cops in riot gear. I find it disturbing that the ministry of education somehow felt the need to guard itself against the students it is "working for".

You can't tell from here, but the billboard in the background (also in front of the ministry of education) says '200 years of freedom'--commemmorating the bicentenial (La Paz freed itself from the Spanish in 1809). I found this ironic in the context of riot-geared cops blocking the ministry from students...

This is BEAUTIFUL La Paz, from the view from one side of the apartment window. It started raining/thundering/lightning all of a sudden for the first time since I've been here. It's an INCREDIBLE sight, because from an apartment on the 11th floor you can see lightning crashing around the mountains ALL around. La Paz is INCREDIBLY beautiful...

This is a view during the storm from the other side of the apartment (my bedroom window)

...and this is that same view from my bedroom window, about a half hour later

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