Bad Weeds Never Die
Anna and Carlos Aliaga are a force to be reckoned with. Step into their house and it’s like their beautiful, chaotic minds exploded onto every corner and crevice of every room. Drawings, old photos, art, pictures of revolutionaries, old plants — everything has as much character as they do. For those of you who don’t know, Anna is the founder of AHA Bolivia and Bolivia4Ward, the organizations we fellows are working with this summer. Carlos, her husband, is helping two other fellows with their Earth Regeneration project.
Every Friday we have lunch at their home along with other friends, colleagues, and family members of theirs. Last Friday we were all gathered around a table full of delicious food on their outdoor patio, exchanging stories and laughter. Carlos was telling us about how much he appreciates life, its fragility, and the fact that every moment on this earth fills him with an electric excitement. Carlos is someone who truly lives life to the fullest. “I’m a bad weed,” he said, “And bad weeds never die.”
My time in Bolivia so far has been filled with excitement — whether that be getting lost on a trufi for two hours, watching the copa mundial, giggling with pure joy as I’m playing with my (almost) 2-year-old host brother, stumbling across a feria as we’re wandering the streets of Cochabamba whilst looking for tattoo parlors (don’t worry mom and dad), running through the vibrant colors of the water displays at a park, or working with 80 wonderful kiddos con hartas ganas de aprender (for the most part). As Bolivia4ward, our classes with the kids started on Monday. The purpose of our work is to provide these groups with extra academic help during their 2 weeks of winter vacation. Ale, Brandon, and Ariel have been assisting the students with math via Khan Academy, and I’ve been organizing and facilitating science activities. So far, I’ve taught them about gardening and food production by helping them make their own compost cups, and have introduced them to the topics of climate change and ocean acidification via some eggs and an aggressive amount of vinegar. The reactions of genuine interest and curiosity I get from certain children twist and turn my heart in a way that serves as a refreshing reminder about my eagerness to keep learning about the world around me. This thirst for learning is a bad weed, and bad weeds never die.
