Sorry VZ, I love you a lot.

I think my blog has officially turned into my "let's rant about venezuela" page rather than a fair and unbiased picture of my time in this land. This blog will be dedicated to a little bit of ranting but I promise to bring up the good next post.

I am frustrated a bit with my work. The level of apathy at the University where I am working is really unsettling for me. Higher education here is free and I think it is excellent that this opens the door for many people to study who otherwise would not be able to. At the same time, people can study when they want and for how long they want because it is free and I see some big problems with this. Students do not try because they do not have to and this creates a very low standard of learning. Many people do not see the value in the education they are getting because everyone is getting it and it costs nothing. The good and the bad of free education...

It is difficult to work in this environment and I feel like it is hard to get things done because classes are cancelled a lot. I applaud the teachers who are able to be productive in this environment, because I certainly am struggling.

Annie Waits

I feel like that Ben Folds song is appropriate to life here. Everything will happen tomorrow, the next day and you just wait and wait and wait for everything. If you are not proactive in Venezuela, or at least this is how it is for me in Maturin, I think it is safe to say that life might actually go by without too much happening. It would be fine and I am sure it would still be fine, but I am trying not to fall into that trap. Life has been surprisingly good as of late. No, I have not had tons of work, but I have had enough to keep me satisfied and have met and been spending time with some people I really enjoy.:) There is this bar by my house and I swear it is magical or something. Every time I go I have more fun than the last time. It is weird because they sell food and beer and there is no real dance floor, but we always have a blast there. It is officially my favorite bar in Maturin. The music is top notch and the drinks are reasonably priced. They also made a shout out to the americana last night!


I will say that I am not a huge fan of the machismo that exists here. Why is it the woman who should stay home and take care of the baby every night while the husband gets to go out and do what he wants? WTF. I don't think so. One of my friends told me it is not weird for a guy who is married or dating someone to hit on you and want to go out with you and that disturbed me. How can women just accept it and think it is ok?


Not all men here are like that, but the way that some think makes me really angry. We did interviews about STDs and condom use on the street and the general consesus of the older generation of men was that STDs and condom use is the women's responsibility and that they should not have to worry about that. I am happy to report that guys around my age were much more open and responsive to the questions and more educated on the answers. Hopefully a sign that society is progressing...


I also hate men interpret kindness  towards them as a sign of interest in them. Can't we just be friends? The dialogue that I say after we have a conversation and they begin to hint they want to date me (in my head, because I can never say it out loud) goes something like this: No, there is no way I want to date you. You are a jerk who thinks you can just take advantage of women of do whatever the hell you want. Yes, I am aware that you have a girlfriend and/or wife that you probably haven't told me about. Please do me a favor and never speak to me again. Thanks.


I also hate the cat calls. They are not as intense here as in the Dominican Republic, but seriously, is it necessary to holler at every woman you see just because you think she is pretty? Is that actually accomplishing ANYTHING productive? Sorry guys, but it is doubtful.


Sorry about that ranting, but come on Venezuelan men. Get it together.


In other news, I am going to the indigenous community tomorrow! FINALLY! I am super pumped about it and excited to see what we find.  Thursday mornings I get to be with the Cuban doctors and I have found the Cubans to be extremely warm, welcoming and comitted to their cause. They have taken time out of their days to show me their facilities and what Barrio Adentro is like. Their lives in Venezuela are not easy. They do not get paid extremely well and are kept busy all the time, but from what I have seen, they treat their patience very, very well.


I am trying to get everything together so after Christmas I can get my stuff together and hit the ground running with my work and really do something to help some of the great people I have met in Venezuela.


Things I want to do (I am writing them here so it gives me more motivation to really get them done):
-Create a course for students to take teh TOEFL exam, get students ready to apply to study outside of venezuela through whatever means possible
-Design a cinema course to teach for next semester to students
-Improve the conversation club for students, figure out more activities to help them improve their English
-Complete this project in the indigenous community, working to improve sanitation
-Learn to dance salsa
-Hike Roraima to do that I must...
-Get in shape first


Please check on me to see how I am doing with those goals. I need it.:)