Double Takes

I can honestly say that almost every day in Bolivia has it's own unique story. One morning last week, the bell rang and the water metre man was standing outside my gate. Normally he measures the water metre with his little machine thing, hands me the bill, and leaves. Apparently he woke up on the chatty side of the bed that day. He began to comment on my height and said that he was still a little taller than I (unusual!). He asked if I was German and I told him my family originates from Holland. At that point I was opening the gate to my missionary neigbour's place so that he could work his water ways over there. The conversation continued and I thought, "He is quite good looking...and tall! Maybe he follows Christ too!" He whipped out his metre one more time, looked me in the eye and said, "Como se consigue su numero?". Which in English means, "How does one get your number?" I held his gaze, slightly unnerved, but not too much because being hit on by Bolivian men is a regular occurence. At which point he shook his head, laughed, and clarified,"I mean your feet! Where do you find your shoe size?" So, instead of flattered, I was reminded of my freakish size.

The same week, while at the girl's home, Hermana Delmira and I were cooking lunch when the phone rang. It was the mayor's office with an offer of clothes for the home. I'm told that when the mayor and company call and have something to donate, one always says yes or the next time you will be bypassed. Off went the Hermana to collect on the call. She arrived a couple of hours later accompanied by two mid-sized cattle trucks full of clothes...old, out-of-date, really smelly clothes. It was not the handful of bags that my co-worker was expecting when she set out. The act of charity on the behalf of the local government turned into a forced acceptance of unwanted clothing on our part. In reality, we helped them, they did (and do) nothing for us.

It is a good rule of thumb to take everything you hear and see in Bolivia...and wait. Wait until you are sure that what you are hearing and seeing is really what you think you are hearing and seeing.

Sorry, no picture of the water man...