New Address

My new address and care package ideas:

Erika Kelsey, PCV
Cuerpo de Paz
Casilla #3998
Santa Cruz, Bolivia
South America

Cellphone: from the US dial 001-591-7-310-4000. Same time zone as NY.

Please don’t feel compelled to send me anything! I have plenty to eat, layers to wear and lots to do. Given how few resources my town and school have, I feel almost sick requesting things for myself. But many of you have asked me, so here’s what I came up with:

Needs:
1. World maps. If someone could find me a blow up globe, that would be amazing. Most people here have no concept of geography, so it’s hard to explain where I’m from, where I’ve been and on which continent is that country on the news today.
2. Plastic balls from the dollar store for my teething pet. She adores them; they keep her occupied for hours (and keep me amused). Furthermore, we’re down to our last one.
3. Chewable children’s vitamins, generic brand is fine. I hate the horse pills Peace Corp provides.
4. Oil-free sunscreen, spf 45. I am almost out of my Coppertone and the PC version wreaks havoc on my skin and generally makes me feel dirty in a land where I can’t shower it off every day.
5. Magazines!!! I am so out of the loop. What’s happening with the election? The world? Time, Newsweek, Week in Review, Vanity Fair, Esquire, Economist, Harper’s, New Yorker, Mother Jones etc ad infinitum. National Geographic in English. I will scrutinize every page, pass them on to other volunteers or cut up the photos to use in my English class.

Wants:
1. Rawhide bones and chew toys for the pooch. Milk bones. All virtually impossible to find here.
2. Spices! This is more of a fervent desire than simple want. Can’t seem to find allspice, dry mustard or a decent curry. Happy to cook with whatever else you deem appropriate including sauce packets (gravy, tacos, alfredo).
3. Long sleeved shirts, size medium usually. Plain colors are great. Old Navy and Target are good options. It’s surprisingly cold here at night.
4. Can somebody send me a simple recipe for making my own bread? I have no temperature gauge on my oven and limited resources. Snail mail or email.
5. Crystal light packets to make my filtered water taste less gross.

Guilty Pleasures:
1. Good, dark chocolate would cost me more than a month’s rent here. Lindt, Ghiradelli, Godiva … lord. I am drooling. York peppermint patties. Gummy snacks (Yeah, Emily! The wine gummies rocked).
2. Girl scout cookies: Thin mints. 20 postcards to whomever actually finds me these.
3. Dentyne or otherwise sugar-free good for your teeth type gum (Good choice, Tommy and Joan!)
4. Books: Read something lately you thought was good? Pass it along, and I’ll donate it to the library afterward. Highly recommended read for you all is the Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (Dana, thanks for the tip!)
5. Letters. I want these more than anything on this list. They don’t have to be epic, just tell me what you did today, what you had for lunch. Enclose a photo or two, a caricature or a silly article from the paper. I miss being a part of your daily life.

As a reward for reading this far, two funnies:

For real, my host mom here is an Avon lady! And it’s so awesome to me that the whole catalog is in Spanish, prices in Bolivianos, yet the women here have no idea what to do with half of the items especially the cooking stuff. For example, that contraption where you cut eggs for egg salad … no one here can figure out why you would want to slice an egg up like that.

My host parents are friends with a man who goes by Don Booby. He’s super nice and here all the time, but I can’t say his name without smirking. I explained it to my host mom using the appropriate gestures and now we both crack up every time he comes in.

Also, the reason that the cup for püro is rounded on the bottom is because it’s not wood; it’s a big old seed! Mystery solved … stay tuned for more.