I´m back at the hotel after nearly an entire day of observer training. I´m so excited to get to observe the democratic process here, but I´m also rather intimidated by the situation. The process of running elections here is rather complicated. Each voting table is staffed by four people, two from each party. Each person has separate jobs designed to document each voter, but the process could quite easily be corrupted (and has been in the past, which is why there are hundreds of observers like me here). There are also various elections officials who will be observing each table, as well as ¨vigilantes¨ from each party who also help monitor elections. With all the party officials around, it could be quite hectic but rather fun as well.
Yesterday, several of us met with representatives of two cooperatives, a coffee producer and an artists´ workshop, as well as analysts from an economics watchdog group. It was absolutely fascinating the hear the stories behind the people who produce both products and to learn about the difficulties of operating a small business in a country with an economic situation that hasn´t always been friendly to them.
As a bit of a foodie, I have to say that I am enjoying the food so far. Rice and beans are pretty much everywhere, but the local fruit and vegetables are also delicious. There are a lot of foods here that I haven´t had in a long time or don´t eat too often (like papaya, avocado, and fried plantains), so I´ve been pretty excited about that.
The next few days I will be spending in the city I will be observing in, so I may or may not be updating this often. As a final note, I´d like to let everyone know that I will be publishing detailed essays and photos on this website after my trip.
Until next time,
Chris
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