Where in the World?

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Life has been busy. We have been applying for jobs around the world while finding more to do right here at home.

Last weekend was a three day weekend so a dozen of us trekked off to Barinas to go rafting. We arrived Friday evening after a seven hour drive. Our accommodations were a one room cabin for all of us. We swam a little, ate a tremendous dinner, and introduced ourselves to the baby river otter that has taken up residence in the campamento.

Saturday morning it started to rain. This is a good thing for rafting as it brought the water levels up a bit. Unfortunately, it also triggered Z’s asthma. While the others headed off for the river, Carrie and I bustled Zman off to the clinic in the next village. The good news is that we didn’t have to wait at all. The pediatrician was there and saw us right away. He whisked us to the Emergency room, hooked the little guy up with some oxygen and Albuterol and let us sit for three hours. We ended up missing the first day’s rafting and lunch, but Zachary felt much better and could actually get oxygen into his lungs.

The next day found us at the top of a gorge where we embarked on the Class Four portion of the trip. Magnificent views, beautiful water, and several jumps off a tall bridge; this was how we spent Sunday. None of us wanted to go home. After a fantastic BBQ lunch we loaded the cars and headed out. The trip back took a little less time, but we still arrived in Valencia after dark.

We have been losing power every day for the last month. Hugo is trying to get everyone to conserve and use less. One way he encourages this is by cutting off the power every night. Sometimes it’s for an hour and sometimes more. Monday night we lost power about 8:00 and hadn’t regained it by the time we left for school the next day at 7. It’s a little annoying and really hard to get used to. It makes me work that much harder for a new place to go.

We have applied to schools around the world. Some have told us no, some have ignored us completely, and a few have given us good responses. I am hoping for a library position, but am a little discouraged as most places want someone with experience in the position, of which I have none. We keep plugging away, though. We have gotten nice responses from India, Bahrain, Tunisia, and Tanzania so we’ll see how it works out. We probably won’t know for sure until February when we go to Boston for the job fair.

In the meantime we have purchased tickets for Ecuador in December. We are excited to see a new place. We are also excited to get out of Venezuela for awhile. Everything is crumbling here; the latest shortages come in the form of coffee and sugar.

My classes are going well. They are a welcome diversion. It is somewhat difficult to get lessons in on time when the power shuts off at random intervals, but I am managing.

I am a little homesick. I am tired of this nomadic lifestyle and I am tired of doing without my stuff. I miss my things and I want to have them in my hands once more. Of course, I know that should I go home tomorrow, I would have itchy feet next week, but that is little solace. I want to go home.

MJR

Be Careful of the Ice

Sunday, November 01, 2009

It has been awhile since I have checked in. This is not because there has been little happening here, but more because there has been a lot.

In September, Zachary learned how to ride his bike without training wheels! He insisted I remove them Then we went to Campo Carabobo where he practiced. We tied a sarong around his waist so as to be able to hold him and let go without him knowing. He did great. By the time we were through, both Carrie and I were pretty well spent. It was a fun day.

In October we took a trip to a town called San Cristóbal. It was a really long drive for not a whole lot. We did get to drive into Colombia which was pretty cool. Until we got back to Venezuela and were stopped for the umpteenth time by the police.

On our way there, we encountered so many alcabalas (police check points). I swear there was one every two miles. At one, the cop asked for all the paper work. When he was all finished, he asked us if we wanted to buy ice. I had to ask him twice what he said and then I had to verify it with Carrie…he asked if we wanted any ice. We said no and drove on. On the way home, at the same spot, the cops asked us the same thing. We both looked around to see what was there: a truck, a table, and a canopy. We said no and moved on. Later, we confirmed that the police were trying to sell us drugs so that they could stop us again and hassle us for having them.

Our power has gone out at least fifty times since we’ve gotten back. For awhile, we could count on not having power for a significant portion of each day. Lately, this has ebbed and we are grateful for that. We are told the problem will get worse before it gets better. The infrastructure is crumbling and nothing is being done to fix it.

Two weeks ago, the mother of one of my students told me that when her husband returned home late at night, he was jumped in the basement and forced at gunpoint to open his apartment. The thieves tied the two of them up, allowing the girls to sleep and then ransacked the apartment. Eventually they moved on to the other units on their floor. When all had been burglarized, the thieves left.

Last week, several prominent families in the school had a similar experience, except the entire building was hit. One of our eighth graders spent four hours with a gun to the back of her head while the thieves threatened kidnapping. It is a scary time in a scary place. We are anxious to leave and find somewhere safer.

We have been applying to schools online. We have received some good responses and are excited about the prospects. It is always fun to look at information and picture yourself in that new spot. At this point, every country looks better than Venezuela.

I have just finished my class on evaluating children’s literature and am fully immersed in my library classes. I have also been trying to implement some of the new ideas I have learned about. It makes for a busy guy, but it is fulfilling. Carrie is gearing up to start tryouts for The Wizard of Oz. This has her losing sleep already… We are busy counting days, wondering where Christmas will find us this year. We have already booked our trip to Boston for the job fair, but beyond that we know nothing about the future. It’s sort of a fun place to be.

MJR