Last day of class

I finally finished my second semester at the Universidad Central de Venezuela in July. The last day that we had our space seminar (see this entry), we had a small recognition ceremony with the head of the ABAE, a few of the presenters who came throughout the semester and other professors from the International Relations graduate program.

The class on our last day

Me with other professors from the UCV. At far right, in the white shirt, is Prof. Becerra. Behind him is the director of the ABAE, who graded my final paper. Next to him is another ABAE employee who gave a presentation on risk management.

After the awards ceremony

Road Trip to BAMARI

Back in May, I had a once-in-a-lifetime (at least for me) opportunity to visit one of the land control stations for the Venezuelan communications satellite, Venesat I. To give a little bit of background, I was in a seminar last semester about space exploration and space programs in an international setting. That is, how different countries and space programs cooperate, share information (or not) and some of the effects these actions have in international relations. Quite frankly, it was one of my favorite classes at the UCV.

Our teacher, Professor Robert Becerra, is probably one of the most intelligent people I know, especially in this area. He has worked in the Venezuelan version of NASA from the time it was just an idea, back in 2002 when it was decided that Venezuela needed to explore the idea of developing and launching its own satellite. Professor Becerra works in the International Relations department of the Agencia Bolivariana de Asuntos Espaciales (ABAE-Bolivarian Agency for Spacial Affairs). He drew upon all of his resources to bring us specialists in different areas of space and space exploration (technology, physics, risk management, history and the development of the Venezuelan satellite program, etc.) to give presentations during class and answer any questions we might have. Every week my knowledge of everything space-related increased exponentially. I will be posting more photos of the last day of class in another entry.

In an effort to give us more of a "hands-on" learning experience, Prof. Becerra took us to BAMARI (Base Aerospacial Capitán Manuel Ríos), a military base in Estado Guarico where one of the control centers for Venesat I is located.

We were given a very warm welcome by the people who work at the satellite station when we arrived and given a tour of the grounds. The only place we weren't allowed to go, the main control room for the satellite, was shown to us via video. We were even allowed to climb up and see the different antennas close up , which made some of us feel like kids again, as seen in the second picture.

Each of the antennas served a different purpose, whether it be send out the signal to shift the satellite's position, access a different signal (like DirecTV or Global Positioning), etc.

After the tour, we headed to the classroom/conference room to continue with a few other activities. However, nature called to some of us and we made a pit stop before going to class. When I went into the bathroom, I was glad that I understood the Spanish part of the sign that told me not to throw the toilet paper in the toilet, because the English part befuddled me.

According to wordreference.com,

extrude
A	verb
	1	extrude, squeeze out
				form or shape by forcing through an opening; "extrude steel"

I'll leave that for you to try to figure out! It didn't make much sense to me.

In the classroom we listened to a speech by one of the BAMARI/ABAE employees and did other activities, like constructing the satellite below. I somehow managed to finish mine successfully before anyone else (I used scotch tape, they used glue, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out how I got done first!) and got a reward in the form of Venezuelan chocolate- yum!

After the arts and crafts activity, we went to the hallway to participate in a team-building exercise. We were divided into two different teams and had to form a sort of human worm. After we got into position, the two teams raced to the finish while trying not to break the worm. It was truly a group effort, because if one person put in more effort than the person behind him, the worm would break. If a person was slower than the rest, the worm dragged. We were rolling on the floor laughing by the end, and the professor's point about everyone having to do his/her part had been made.

At the end of the day, we were tired yet satisfied with the day's activities. Thanks, Dr. Becerra and ABAE for helping make this day such a success!

"This is why the young people are leaving..."

A few days ago, El Nacional newspaper published a graphic photo of the conditions of a morgue in Caracas. The result was mixed, from outrage to quiet recognition. I have kept myself out of places like that and tried to avoid violent areas, but even so, I saw a cadaver on the side of the road one Saturday morning. A cadaver! I remember that we had to pass by that spot twice, so I was sure of what I saw. I was surprised by what I saw, but more surprised by the fact that I wasn't thoroughly shaken and haunted by nightmares. I just accepted what I saw as sad, and moved on.

No one, pro- or anti-government can deny that there is a serious problem with violence here. Anytime the topic is brought up in daily conversation, essentially every person has a disturbing story to tell, whether it be about something that happened directly to him/her or to a family member. I'm not going to share any of the stories; suffice it to say that most of the victims were not involved in illegal activities or anything of the like. They simply wanted to live a normal life. I don't think I will ever get to the point where I can understand this kind of violence.

Some people tell me that security and safety are a state of mind. I agree that how safe you feel and the way you live your life depends on your own perspective. But the facts don't lie- crime and homicides are widespread in Venezuela, which is very unfortunate for this beautiful country. I have grown to love a lot of things about this country and can only hope that they will find the way to move forward and make it a safer place.

Read this article for more information.

Hermano

I just saw the Venezuelan movie "Hermano" and will admit that it was a bit more than I had bargained for... but then again, it isn't the first time that I have felt that way this year. The movie is about two brothers who are fighting to get out of the poorest slums in Venezuela (and the biggest in Latin America)-Petare. Soccer is one brother's plan to get both of them out.

I'm not going to summarize the movie here, it really needs to be seen and experienced to be truly understood. I said before that it was more than I had bargained for because it hit too close to home. Throughout this year I have met different people who also want to "get out," whether it be figuratively or literally, and haven't been able to. Some of the people who study at my university are doing so in order to better themselves and provide for their families with one or two good jobs rather than four or five odd jobs. Other people simply do not see where they fit in in the current societal situation. Many have commented that they feel like they don't have an opportunity to grow and develop themselves personally and professionally here in Venezuela. but don't really have a choice. I can't begin to imagine the impotence they must feel.

It was one of those movies that taught me as much about myself as it did about Venezuelan life in Petare. The times that we have had to pass through Petare for whatever reason, we always did so fearfully, taking every possible precaution to make sure nothing happened to us as we drove through. We were suspicious of anyone who got too close. Forget getting out of the car. But as "Hermano" reminds us, the people living there are not monsters, they have just grown up differently than we have and have not had the same opportunities. However, I don't plan on driving down to Petare to lend a hand anytime soon, because I've realized that I really don't understand what life is like there and it would be pretentious of me to assume that I could make a difference without that understanding. "Hermano" gave me a glimpse into that world and boggled my mind, reminding me how much of the world I don't yet comprehend.

This entry is a bit scatter-brained because that's how the movie made me feel. Certain scenes keep repeating themselves in my head and I have a feeling they will for quite some time. I can't fathom having to go through what they did- one brother was abandoned as a baby and the other puts food on the family table with "dirty money," people they love are senselessly murdered.... I was not the only one who needed a tissue.

However, the message that shone through the whole movie was positive- the people that you care about are your family, and it is the most important thing you've got. That's the message I choose to take to heart.

Feeling Like a Kid Again

I never thought I would actually enjoy it. In fact, I thought it would disrupt my sleep and make me feel claustrophobic. That couldn't be further from the truth! In fact, I'll admit it- I love my mosquito net.

Right after I returned from a trip to Peru and Ecuador, I found myself about to be homeless, and frantically searched for a place to stay. Fortunately, my Rotary contacts came through for me, and I moved in with my good friends Pedro and Gina, who have a beautiful house and lush gardens and trees around it. I was a little bit nervous about the mosquitoes and other bugs that live in the gardens, as they tend to feast upon my foreign blood (it must be like filet mignon to them) and make me itchy for weeks.

Luckily, they have lived here for years and are well-prepared. I was instructed in the proper use of the mosquito net for my bed (make sure it covers the whole bed and doesn't rest on me, because they will bite me through the netting, check and make sure there aren't any bugs already in it before I go to sleep, and don't open it a lot if I get up to go to the bathroom) and tried it out. I slept like a baby the first night and felt this sort of power surge- the mosquitoes couldn't get to me! I fought the mosquitoes, and won, at least at night. This may not seem like a lot to other people, but it was a huge relief to be able to laze around under my mosquitero without a care in the world. Plus, it kind of felt like when I was a kid and constructed forts in the living room with chairs, sheets and cardboard boxes, something I haven't felt in a long, long time.

My "big kid" fort

The Calm During the Storm

Caracas has been more tranquil since I last wrote, which is a relief. When the rains started back in April, life calmed down again. Throughout the year, I've noticed that the city goes through a fairly rapid ebb and flow depending on different factors like the weather, politics, etc. It surprised me that I was able to perceive these changes so easily because normally one does not notice them when living in the midst of them. For example, a friend is much less likely to realize you just got a haircut if he or she sees you every day than if she hasn't seen you in six months.

Now that I've piqued your interest, what exactly am I talking about?

One change was obviously the rain because it was drastic- after a drought so severe it caused long-lasting wildfires and drastic energy cutting measures, the rains started to fall every day. Whereas before I wouldn't even need to worry about taking a jacket, now I had to make sure to pack an umbrella in my bag every time I stepped out of the house. I feel like my year here is coming full-circle because I arrived in the rainy season.




Caracas is returning to its lush, green self, which puts me in a more positive mood. I remember that through January, February and March I would look out the window at my university and wonder if the brown and yellow trees would ever recuperate. It's amazing what a little water can do for everyone and everything.

Tying up Loose Ends

It has been almost a year since I touched down onto Venezuelan soil for the first time. This place has made me grow, learn, experience and create in a way that I never had before. I haven't written very much in the last few months because just living in Caracas was enough to keep me occupied, both mentally and physically, especially in the last weeks of my second semester at the UCV.

Over the next few weeks I hope to do a little "catching up" and reflect on some of the different parts of my experience here that I haven't written about. I had to move for the second time and am now living with some amazing Rotarians who have been there for me the whole year, and even more so recently when I had nowhere to go. So for the few weeks I have left here in this unique country, I will be writing more in an attempt to tie up some loose ends and see if I can understand a bit more of this "mundo al revés," as some call it.

For now, I leave you with this picture, taking on a scuba-diving outing off of Margarita Island. If you can't tell, I'm the one in the middle. :)