"Live like you're gonna die forever"

Last week at work we finished our project! Yay! So the model we constructed has seven risk factors and each factor is assigned a value depending on that particular loan or borrower. From there, the value is given a weight and then a final point value. With this final point value, we created a set of interest rates ranging from 15%-28% depending on the risk of the loan. And I have to send a big thanks to Mansi because she basically set the whole model up... but I do think I could create a new one from scratch if I had to.

Esteban and I then wrote a 35 page report compiling all of our information and then created a PowerPoint. Well that was done on Thursday, to be edited and handed back to us so we could finish it up this week, but TIB (This is Bolivia), and I'll probably have to wait a few days. Now just what to do in the mean time.... I will need to pick a new project.

Over the weekend, the entire FSD summer volunteer group went to the Chapare, or the jungle resort 4 hours outside of Cochabamba. Half way there, I started feeling sick, but I thought I was just car sick. Turns out, I had food poisoning. It probably goes without saying, but I wasn't feeling too good when we took this group photo at lunch.

As soon as I got to the hotel, I curled up in the fetal position and slept basically until the next afternoon. And then, miraculously, I was better! I did miss a hike through a national park which was sad though. Instead I was at the hotel alone, and I hiked down to the river, went swimming. Took a little walk across the rocks, and then went up to the hammocks to start my new book, Mountains Beyond Mountains. Yes... I finished Three Cups of Tea, and it was fabulous... definitely recommend. When the rest of the group returned from the the national park, I went down to the river again with them, and then we had a "discussion" about our internships so far.

Then it was a dinner, and a riotous night of Napoleon (a very awesome card game that is extremely frustrating) and Catcho (the Bolivian dice game like poker). An American we had met by the river earlier that day came to hang out with us with his Bolivian girlfriend. Since I decided not to drink any alcohol (due to my earlier stomach incidents), I got to experience the entire night and actually remember it. Here is how it went:

1. Bottle of rum + Coke
2. No more rum... no more coke
3. Instead of breaking into the building with the bar, we should probably ask them to sell us more rum
4. They won't sell us rum
5. Mateo is inside, how did he get inside? Oh... he climbed on the roof of the people's home and jumped into the building on the second floor.
6. Mateo is unlocking the door and carrying out a bottle of rum + coke
7. Problem solved... leave them a note with money inside
8. But wait... we want cigarettes now?
9. Lets go back in and search for the key for the locked cigarette box
10. The glass box breaks... Let's leave.
11. Next morning... the rum's price increased by 150 Bolivianos ($21).
12. Lesson = don't break into a building to steal alcohol... don't break into a building to steal anything... don't break into a building period!

The next morning, I felt great and rested, but everyone else was still a bit groggy. Mateo ate eggs for breakfast. We smelled it all day long. We went to a monkey park and had monkeys scrambling all around us. And then we ate lunch, and then we headed back to Cochabamba. Back in Cocha, I ran home to shower, met two of the Northwestern girls who had just arrived with the Service Learning Group, and then ran to CineCenter to catch Plan B with Mateo and Mansi. It was the funniest movie ever, but not because it was supposed to be funny, but because it was so stupid.

Yesterday at work, I didn't have much to do, so I researched opportunities for after college. I decided that I am going to apply to the PeaceCorps, Teach for America, and a Fulbright Scholarship. Then before lunch I went to the pool to register and pay for the swim classes. They said I couldn't register and I had to come back at 3. I decided I would miss a little work to register. I went back to the pool after lunch at 3. They lady wasn't there. She finally arrived at 4. Then there was a line to register. And then TIB (This is Bolivia), so everyone decided to cut the American who waits patiently in a line. And then finally I registered which took 1 minute, but for some reason everyone in front of me took about 10 minutes each to register. Next I needed to pay, which was at the stadium next door. Finally, I found the place to pay and paid. Now it is 5:15. They tell me I need to get a medical examination before I can swim. So I go to the room next door to get examined. Another line, of course. Around 6PM I finish the examination, and it is pretty much pointless to go to work, so I skipped.... ooops. They will understand. At 8, I went to the swim class, and it was really good and really difficult. I needed it. Now I'm ready for the day ahead and will try to find some work to do.