Home Life
|
 |
Most staff members live near the school for ease of transportation and proximity to other staff members but, of course, you can choose to live wherever you want. Upon your arrival, the Incoming Staff Coordinator will show you a variety of houses and apartments available for rent. Rent usually ranges from $300 - $450 a month. Most houses have a maid’s quarters, an outdoor sitting and grilling area and some have small private pools. Housing is provided furnished or unfurnished which, like in the U.S., can mean anything from some couches and an old bed to furnishings complete down to the kitchen utensils. If you decide to rent an unfurnished house, you can buy furnishings for a fraction of American prices in Santa Cruz. We will help you find housing that fits your lifestyle and any furnishings you need to make your home comfortable.
 Household Help
Having a maid work in your house is one of the perks of living in Latin America. The hours a maid works in your home are dependent upon your agreement but maids typically work from around eight o’clock in the morning until late afternoon or dark three to six days a week (not Sundays). Agreements usually include coverage of breakfast or lunch and minor medical bills. Most Bolivian homes are built with a maid’s quarters and live-in maids are common. Maid services can include daily cleaning, laundry, cooking, food shopping, childcare and just about anything else you might need for domestic help. A hard day’s work for skilled labor such as painting or carpentry typically costs a little less than $10 a day. Please see the sample budget for more information regarding pricing of products and services but you can expect to help support lower class Bolivian families by hiring a maid, a seamstress, a maintenance man, a pool man, a gardener, etc. as necessary. These services are a blessing but they are also a cultural departure from the “do- it- yourself” American mentality.
Managing Your Household
For Americans accustomed to doing household duties when they find the time, having household help can be a bittersweet experience. While the work is done for you, you will now have a “staff” to manage which has its own challenges and can take up some of your free time.The American attitude of adherence to the clock is non-existent in most of Latin America. For example, you may agree to meet an electrician at your house at 9:00 a.m. and wait until the next day before he arrives. Or, he may arrive at 10:30 a.m. to talk to you about what he is going to do, set down his tools and come back sometime in the next few days. Scenarios like these are part of the culture and will be part of your Bolivian experience. The speed of life is slower and more relaxed but can sometimes be frustrating for even the most laid-back American.
Communications
While at home, your telephone, cable and internet will connect you with the outside world. Cable TV connection is available through your home telephone provider or an independent company. There are three options for internet connections: Dial-up, cable (DSL) or WIFI. Cable internet and WIFI are similar connections and which one is available to you depends on where you live. Home telephones are connected through one of the local telephone companies and you will pay a package rate depending on how many calls you think you will make. Cell phones can be purchased all over Santa Cruz ($45-100). Incoming calls cost nothing on cell phones (including international calls) and outgoing calls are subtracted from a credit you enter from a purchased phone card 20, 30, 50 or 100 Bs at a time. A 10 minute local phone call is about 3 Bs. Home telephone numbers have 7 digits, starting with a 3, and cell phone numbers have one extra digit and start with a 7. Outgoing international calling can be quite expensive and the most economical option is going to “Punto Viva” or “Punto Entel,” small stores found throughout the city usually with both phone booths and internet stations. In addition, Skype is also an option, and works well with a home Internet connection.
|
|
