Australia, Argentina and Bolivia: 3 different worlds
So its been a while since I wrote and Ive been in Australia for 6 weeks, Buenas Aries for 3 days and back in Bolivia for 2 weeks. Its been a whirlwind and all three places were such a world apart from each other, its taken a while to process. Here are some observations of an expat.
Paula with Joel (my nephew)
Australia 
My first impression of Australia, having not been back for 2 years, was that everyone drives new cars, and most of them are white! The shock of driving from the airport to my parents house was incredible. Everything seems shiney and new, everything was clean, there was no smell of urine or rubbish in the air and people actually obeyed the traffic laws!
Having been in transit for 2 days and leaving Bolivia in a state of tension, it took atleast a week to take stock of being back. As always it is the people who I travel to see and it was great to spend time with my family and friends. Everyone seems to have become mellower, and that could be because we are older now and the things that seemed to bother us in our 20s are no longer issues.
The issues now seem to be health, fitness and career. Im not really interested in any of those things which is probably why I live in Bolivia (although I am healthier here than I have been anywhere else) but I noticed that everyone else was. Im not criticising it, its just an observation, perhaps this is a trait of being in our mid 30s, who knows. But gone are the days of sleeping late and staying out at the Town Hall until 5am (although I did manage this for old times sake a couple of times).
Politically Australia is both exciting and depressing. The resignation that nothing will change and the depression which followed the taking control of the Senate by the conservatives on July 1 made me itch to return to Bolivia. However I found out about some really amazing things that were happening. The refugee action collective fighting for justice for refugees, incredibly committed people who will bring about a change in the policy of mandatory detention. I certainly didnt feel a sense of defeat here at all, and I found it inspiring.
Im not sure Im ready to return to life in Australia but its not all a dead loss as I thought it might be!
Argentina
Having spent 6 weeks last year in Argentina I was determined, on my short 3 days, to seek out the other side of Buenas Aries, the side hidden to tourists and the world. There are huge slums in BA, mostly made up of Bolivians who have migrated to the city in search of work. They live in tall housing blocks and houses made of any material they can get their hands on. And its not just B
olivians living like this. Just 2 blocks from the Caminata in La Boca, a huge tourist district of BA, there a people living in makeshift houses.
Walking along these streets it made me realise that when you travel you only tend to see the side of a country that they want you to see. The mountains, the museums, cultural centres etc, but there is always another side to a place and to understand it, for me, I have to seek it out.
I also found the Madres de la plaza de Mayo building. This organisaiton of women began in the late 70s when, at the height of Operation Condor and the military dictatorship, their children disappeared. Every thursday they protested in the main Plaza, against repression and violence, they went back every week, and they still go back to demand answers and justice. They are the most incredible group of women and they now have a bookshop, cafe and public university devoted to public education on political issues. Its organisations of this that give hope to the world.
Bolivia
Returning to Bolivia was a sigh of relief for me but very odd. Having left in a state of uncertaintly, its like nothing ever happened. The same issues are festering, the election has been called for Decemeber 6 and poltiical parties are manovering. Who knows what is out there for the country.
There are things I crave for when I am away from Cochabamba, things like sitting on the Prado drinking beer and eating Pique Macho discussing potato prices with an economist friend, walking to the Saturday market, buying fresh flowers every week and sitting in my garden contemplating the world and the future. These are things I could do anywhere in the world (except for potato prices that is) but with the mountains every where I look in Cochabamba, it just wouldnt be the same.
My first impression of Australia, having not been back for 2 years, was that everyone drives new cars, and most of them are white! The shock of driving from the airport to my parents house was incredible. Everything seems shiney and new, everything was clean, there was no smell of urine or rubbish in the air and people actually obeyed the traffic laws!
Having been in transit for 2 days and leaving Bolivia in a state of tension, it took atleast a week to take stock of being back. As always it is the people who I travel to see and it was great to spend time with my family and friends. Everyone seems to have become mellower, and that could be because we are older now and the things that seemed to bother us in our 20s are no longer issues.
The issues now seem to be health, fitness and career. Im not really interested in any of those things which is probably why I live in Bolivia (although I am healthier here than I have been anywhere else) but I noticed that everyone else was. Im not criticising it, its just an observation, perhaps this is a trait of being in our mid 30s, who knows. But gone are the days of sleeping late and staying out at the Town Hall until 5am (although I did manage this for old times sake a couple of times).
Politically Australia is both exciting and depressing. The resignation that nothing will change and the depression which followed the taking control of the Senate by the conservatives on July 1 made me itch to return to Bolivia. However I found out about some really amazing things that were happening. The refugee action collective fighting for justice for refugees, incredibly committed people who will bring about a change in the policy of mandatory detention. I certainly didnt feel a sense of defeat here at all, and I found it inspiring.
Im not sure Im ready to return to life in Australia but its not all a dead loss as I thought it might be!
Argentina
Having spent 6 weeks last year in Argentina I was determined, on my short 3 days, to seek out the other side of Buenas Aries, the side hidden to tourists and the world. There are huge slums in BA, mostly made up of Bolivians who have migrated to the city in search of work. They live in tall housing blocks and houses made of any material they can get their hands on. And its not just B
olivians living like this. Just 2 blocks from the Caminata in La Boca, a huge tourist district of BA, there a people living in makeshift houses.Walking along these streets it made me realise that when you travel you only tend to see the side of a country that they want you to see. The mountains, the museums, cultural centres etc, but there is always another side to a place and to understand it, for me, I have to seek it out.
I also found the Madres de la plaza de Mayo building. This organisaiton of women began in the late 70s when, at the height of Operation Condor and the military dictatorship, their children disappeared. Every thursday they protested in the main Plaza, against repression and violence, they went back every week, and they still go back to demand answers and justice. They are the most incredible group of women and they now have a bookshop, cafe and public university devoted to public education on political issues. Its organisations of this that give hope to the world.
Bolivia
Returning to Bolivia was a sigh of relief for me but very odd. Having left in a state of uncertaintly, its like nothing ever happened. The same issues are festering, the election has been called for Decemeber 6 and poltiical parties are manovering. Who knows what is out there for the country.
There are things I crave for when I am away from Cochabamba, things like sitting on the Prado drinking beer and eating Pique Macho discussing potato prices with an economist friend, walking to the Saturday market, buying fresh flowers every week and sitting in my garden contemplating the world and the future. These are things I could do anywhere in the world (except for potato prices that is) but with the mountains every where I look in Cochabamba, it just wouldnt be the same.
posted by Paula Pfoeffer at
7:51 am
