Discovering Peru

My Final Post

2009-09-28T16:17:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back. In the U.S. that is, and the truth is, well, I love it. And seeing as I'm no longer there, I feel that I am no longer discovering Peru. So I'm going to type up a quick, I'm-back-and-this-is-what-I-now-know-or-think-I-know-or-I-guess I have discovered about Peru.

My first stop in the "Ari's back" tour began in Missoula, Montana where I spent three and a half fun filled days with a few of my friends, former co-workers, and taking in the sites and sounds of one of my favorite little cities in the world. I ate at all my favorite restaurants and always with my favorite people. I even got to visit the new cohort for IYFD, and I think they're an amazing group of people. I stayed with Amber one of my best friends, and two of my close girlfriends made a 5 hour trip to see me for a total of about 8 hours (part of that sleeping, most of it talking). I visited my all-time favorite professor, and one of the members of my IYFD cohort (I miss them all dearly, it was just nice that Anna could come and visit). And I saw a ton of MCT (my former company) and visited with one of my friends who I have known since childhood. She's got a baby now!

I was so content being home. I then spent about six days with my parents. I did another little presentation for a class in my dad's new school district. It was interesting just rattling off information about my time there and trying to make it interesting for a group of teenagers. So I talked less about my work and more about how totally cool Peru is when you travel around and really dive into all that she has to offer.

After my brief trip to Oregon, I moved to Arizona! That's right folks. I'm living here in the desert, and I LOVE IT! It's so warm and beautiful all the time. I don't have a job yet, and I'm putting all my eggs in this basket. My driver's license says Arizona and all my accounts etc. are down here now. So here's hoping for a great job!

At the Diamondbacks game my first days in Arizona, of course, with a cold brew.

Well, back to the promised "lessons learned" section.

Here is what I learned discovering Peru:

1. Friends don't necessarily have to have the same interests, abilities, talents, political/religious views, or even speak the same language. Friends are the people who are there to offer you part of themselves even under the most difficult of circumstances.

2. Guinea pig is a tasty, but labor intensive food. Regardless, Peru has a lot to offer in wonderful gastronomy. (Is that the right word?)

3. Peru is a diverse country with different types of people and soils. The jungle grows cotton, while the Mountains grow potatoes, while the coast produces rice and bananas (to name a few of the many wonderful things grown in this amazing place).

4. Peruvian people do not trust very easily or quickly, but once they do you have a friend or friends for life.

5. The Peruvian school system needs a lot of help.

6. BUT good teachers do exist and do offer their students a quality education if only in the subject matter the teacher teaches.

7. Lima is not the best place to visit when traveling in Peru, and if it's the only place you go, I question your reason for living.

8. Starbucks is better in Peru.

9. But if you want something really great, go to California Cafe or Cafe Andino in Huaraz, Ancash. Heck, Ancash is just better, period.

The awesome Peace Corps crew from Ancash about a month before I left. Some of them are still there, some of them are not.

10. There is more to Peru than Manchu Picchu, and if you've been, I can guarantee you that your guide lied to you...a lot.

If I think of more, I probably won't post them, but if I start a new blog, I'll make sure everyone gets the memo so you can follow along wherever I land. Also, if you could be sending prayers and positive thoughts for me, I'd appreciate it. Especially now as I look for a great follow-up job to my Peace Corps experience. Peace Corps really was the hardest job I ever loved and one of the best decisions I ever made, but more importantly I'll never have to start a sentence with "I should've..."

Thanks for following me as I discovered Peru. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Peace.

ARGENTINA!

2009-08-13T10:16:00.000-07:00

So absolutely loving my time in Argentina. I'm just about to travel to Chile for a few days, but I'll be back. So here are some pictures from the first part of my trip. The following are some pictures of Loly and I at different places around Buenos Aires. For those of you who don't remember, Loly was my host mom from training, and now she lives in beautful Buenos Aires.

In Tigre, where I did my souvenouir shopping.
At the world famous botanical gardens, so peaceful.
The Eva Peron museum near the botanical gardens.
The combination of my two favorite things books and theatre! El Ataneo in downtown Buenos Aires.

Now, officially, a RPCV (Returned Peace Corps Volunteer)

2009-08-05T15:45:00.000-07:00

I know the title is mis-leading. I haven't really returned from anything, yet. I'm headed off on two glorious weeks of fun and travel to Argentina and Chile. But today I C.O.S.-ed (yes, we do make verbs out of everything). So I Closed my Service.

And I left Jangas with many tears. I saw both of my host parents cry for the first time. I held my host sister, Yuli as she sobbed uncontrollably at the bus station. I gave my boyfriend (now ex-boyfriend as we decided we couldn't make it work long distance) a quick kiss and got on the bus to Lima. I sat down on the bus and probably very awkardly scared the poor woman to my left as I cried silent tears as the bus pulled out. I smiled for a second as I saw my host sister and boyfriend standing on the corner waving good-bye to me one last time, I blew them a kiss and turned away as the tears started to fall - hard.

August 4th was by far the most difficult day of my service. I can't believe my two years are up. I can't believe that the life that has become so normal is now about to change to become like a dream. The phrase I heard the most in the last week was "no nos olivides" (don't forget us) and as I promised each person time and time again that I would never forget them, I realized they knew I wouldn't forget them, but that they were asking me, in their way, to return one day. And I absolutely plan on doing everything in my power to do just that.

So, I thank you faithful readers. I don't think this will be my last post as I have so many pictures to post, and maybe more stories to tell as they come back to me, but I am no longer an "official" PCV. And I'm crying a little bit just thinking about it. I'll try my best to write over the next couple of weeks, but I can't make any promises as I will be jumping from place to place. But maybe I'll have some time and some funny stories to tell. Until then..."no me olvides."

Long Time No Write

2009-07-16T10:20:00.000-07:00

I didn't mean to go on a month long hiatus. But with the end of my service coming quickly, finding things to write about and time to write about them have been very difficult. So I hope you will all forgive me as this blog will just be a collection of photos. I will try to get a good in-depth blog up before the end of my service (only a week and a half left), but if not...thanks for following me as I spent two years and three months discovering Peru.

Two of my students working on their "typical foods" presentation in English class.

Same class, other students. Not an impressive pic.

At the Pacasmayo Marathon, I was only a judge, but here I am giving a high-five to my good friend Bron as she was at km 7 of a half-marathon.

My family took a trip to the Chavin ruin. Here we are in front of the bridge that connects one side of Ancash to the other side.

I took a quick visit to my friend Jason's site with a good friend of mine from Jangas. We walked to the Cave of Gibberish, and I had a really good time.

Plans for life after Peace Corps

2009-06-11T11:45:00.001-07:00

This question has been in the cue for awhile, but like all people that have no idea what they're doing with their life, I procrastinated. So here's the plan as I know it. I plan on spending my birthday in Jangas. I also plan on spending the day after in Jangas (because who wants to travel on an overnight bus on their birthday - not me). So my last official day as a Peace Corps volunteer in Peru will be August 5th. The next day I plan on traveling to Argentina to visit my host mom from training. Loly now lives in Buenos Aires, and I can't wait to see her again, meet my host dad for the first time, and see my little sisters who are probably all grown up two years later. I have to admit, I am very nervous to travel by myself, and I just read about how H1N1 is hitting Argentina and that's not helping to calm me any. Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those people who thinks that it's as easy to get as many think, but I will for the first time since...well, I don't know...will be without consistent health care.

After approximately a week in Buenos Aires, I plan on traveling to Igazoo Falls, Mendoza, and Santiago, Chile. Right now, it's all tentative and I don't have a firm plan yet. Which means I will finally be testing my Myers-Briggs profile to see if I actually am a thinking or a feeling person. (Travel was the analogy used by the first person who helped me try to figure out my M-B, and in case you're wondering I still don't know).

I found a pretty cheap round-trip ticket, and so I will fly back to Lima on the 24th of August and leave that evening to return to the States. I should be landed in Missoula at approximately 4:00pm. And yes, I am very excited to see all my friends there again. So, Missou crew, let me know if we can get together any time on the 26th or 27th, because on the 28th my dad will pick me up, and we'll head to Oregon in order to give my Mom a big hug.

I'm not sure how long I'll stay in Oregon, but eventually I plan on moving to Arizona. This is actually another long story that I should probably save for another day. And the truth is, knowing me (and I do) life happens and my plans will change. Probably more than once.

So Much to Say

2009-06-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

...but I won't be doing it in this post.

Instead, I want to share something that I thought was kind of cool. Over the past week my host mom has been harvesting quinoa - the super food, we're starting to hear so much about in the States. Well, it is grown here in Peru, and it's pretty cool.

It's very nice to see your food go directly from the field to the table. It makes one feel connected to what they eat. I recommend everyone grow a small herb garden or vegetable garden. I guess just one of those things I learned in the Peace Corps (well, and from my family...but I'm not blogging about that).

Selva Start

2009-05-24T16:45:00.000-07:00

You can't really see it in this photo, but this restaurant is called "Ari's Burger". The first time I've ever seen a restaurant with my name.

WATCH OUT! I'm driving the boat that took us to Iquitos.

We took a four day canoe trip into the Amazon Jungle. It was so gorgeous. That's Bailey in

It's been a long time since I climbed a tree. I believe this one is over a 100 years old.

This was one of the bathrooms during our trip. We tried to take pictures of all our bathrooms. This one was literally a wood box with a hole where the excrement dropped straight into the river. Obviously had to take a picture.

This is me with a sloth. How cool?

Well, the jungle was definitely one of the best trips I've taken while in Peru. As you can see from the sunset, it was absolutely gorgeous. We had a great time and I highly recommend it if anyone ever comes to Peru. I'll try to write more later, but I thought you might enjoy seeing a little about the trip.

Just a quick note

2009-05-08T16:14:00.000-07:00

Hey all!

I hope life is treating you well. I just wanted you to know that I'll be heading out for a few days to go to the jungle. So I will not be blogging during that time, BUT I should have a lot of fun pictures and stories from my time there. So be patient with me and I will try to turn out a great blog in a week or two.

Thanks.

My friend Yuli

2009-04-28T12:06:00.000-07:00

After almost a year in site, I finally have a good friend outside of my family. Her name is Yuli (like my host sister) and we hang out a lot. It's been really nice to have someone closer to my age (she's 24) to hang out with and to spend time with. She works at the municipality, has three older brothers and two younger brothers. Yuli, her younger brothers and I all go running (sometimes), and we all go out to the clubs (sometimes as well). When I'm bored or just want to speak some Spanish, I'll go to her house and we'll visit for awhile and then I'll return to my house and eat dinner. It's been nice to have a new friend.

I'm always amazed at how difficult it is to make friends in Peru. My first attempts in Catilluc were completely foiled by my misconceptions about the culture. When we make friends in the US it's usually based off of some connection. I'm friends with people who like theatre, go to church, play basketball (whatever). But here people have been friends their entire lives, and their parents were friends for their entire lives before that and their grandparents before that etc. So it's much harder for people, like me, to come in and for only two years try to develop strong friendships. I have been completely burned and back stabbed in my friendships here.

Yuli is an interesting case as she grew up in Ancash, and her family was very poor. Her father was a carpenter originally, but as he sent his sons off to the police academy, mechanics school, and now one of them is getting his degree in accounting. As they have gained more education and therefore more money, they family's standing in the community has gone down. There is a lot of jealous. Yuli went to college in Lima and wants to go back again. Which is part of the reason we connected. She doesn't necessarily have a lot of good, good friends but she also knows what life is like outside of Jangas. And she's educated. We have a lot of fun together. Lately we've been joking that we're two CRAAAAZZZY chicas. I think it's interesting that in the last blog post I talked about how my host mom and I get along even though we have nothing in common, but this week I'm talking about a friendship I have with someone with whom I have a lot in common. It's nice to have a diversity of relationships.

Enjoy the pics. They are from various events (and Yuli's bedroom) that Yuli and I have gone to together. We do typical girl things. We check out the hot guys and avoid the drunks, and of course we crack each other up.

Just a Quick Word

2009-04-21T12:15:00.000-07:00

For all you faithful blog followers out there (all six of you)I want to let you know I'm still here. And sometimes I even have ideas to write about, but I've been doing so much writing (for IST Theatre Manual, Youth Newsletter, IYFD Group, Resume, Cover Letter, you see what I'm talking about) I haven't been able to get myself in blog writing mode. Nor have I taken many new pictures lately. I'll try to do that.

I do want to let you all know, I have really been enjoying the company of my host mom. The other day we had a really deep and intimate conversation about marital relations in Peru. I think I've said how much I adore my host mom, Mama Gi, but sometimes I'm so amazed at how different we are, but how much we get along and enjoy each other. She's told me on a couple of occasions that she is sad when she comes home at night and my light's not on. She has truly become a good friend and sometimes I have moments with her and I just want to cry thinking of leaving her. So far I've been holding it together, but I'm waiting for the tears to fall. It's gonna be a faucet here before too long.

Okay, more soon and hopefully pictures.

Six-Word Memoirs

2009-04-01T09:11:00.000-07:00

So Smith Magazine recently ended and published a book called "Not Quite What I was Planning" that includes six-word memoirs "by writers famous and obscure". In this vein, I thought I would give it a try myself. Here are my six word memoir ideas:

1. I survived Chosica, Catilluc, and Jangas.
2. To be: Returned Peace Corps Volunteer
3. I am not a sex object!
4. No more rice or potatoes please.
5. Let me survive this combi ride.
6. Spanish is not my first language.
7. Don't make me go to Lima.
8. Ancash: beautiful mountains, beautiful people, beautiful.
9. So many projects, so little time.
10. Life is absolutely fabulous in Jangas.

So there are 10. I'll try to take some new pictures to put up in the next week or so. There just hasn't been a lot of new going on...although, school is back in session and I do have some projects in the works. Wish me luck.

Good Day

2009-03-24T12:52:00.000-07:00

It's hard to think of the last time I could post about one of my most perfect days in Peace Corps, or a day that I've had such a quality day of work, friends, and personal time. Yesterday was just such a day.

I woke around 6:00am which is my normal time and I read a chapter or two (or three if I'm honest) of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. Around 8:30 we had a great breakfast of vegetarian lomo saltado (I think in that case it's just saltado) which is a combination of homemade french fries, tomatoes, and onions all fried up. Breakfast is always better on days when Papa Julio has a day off from driving his combi. This breakfast was no exception. Papa Julio and Mama Gi had an important day of trying to find a ram to breed with her five female sheep (ewes), and so I decided today was the day to check back in with all of my community partners. So what did I do? I read another chapter or two (or three if I'm honest) of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, got ready to be seen in public, and trotted off down the hill to visit my contact in the town hall. Before I made it past the plaza, I ran into him (Professor Alberto) and we chatted for awhile. Mostly, he told me he doesn't see there being any work, but he wants the Youth Association to take advantage of my presence before I leave in August. He also asked me if I was going to marry some guy from Jangas, but that's really a normal conversation for me. Before long we ran into my friend Hugo (who has been such a huge help since my first day in Jangas - he's really a god-send). Hugo and I set off on a mission to re-organize the Youth Association.

We visited a couple of people we knew to be leaders, and then I headed off to check in at the Health Post, Hugo in tow. It had been almost a month since I had set foot in the health post. The last time I was there, I left a little annoyed with the staff as they were taking a project I had spent many moments working on and turned it into...well, a big mess. But I felt it was time to eat humble pie and rectify the situation. I'm glad I did. I ran into Julia - the woman in charge of the health post - and we chatted for awhile. She felt the way I did about the group we were trying to create and encouraged me that we could make it more youth friendly and do a restart in a couple of weeks. I felt reassured.

Next stop, the school where I set up a couple of meetings, but Hugo and I had a mission. In our plan to re-start the Youth Association we decided to invite the 5th year students (think Seniors) to join the group. So we went to the two classes and invited the 5th years to come and take part in the planning meeting. Three community partners down, one to go. Hugo and I then went to the president of the split off youth association (oh what a tangled web this is) and invited him and his group to come and reunite the two groups into one, new, stronger, happier super group. Okay, that's a bit dramatic...Truthfully, I'll be happy if 5 people show up. And then we called to my main community partner who is currently working at one of the mines (like silver - I think) who we managed to wake up at 11:50am. I'm not sure what his work schedule is like, but that was very weird. He was invited, then allowed to go back to sleep. Hugo and I decided on a location, said good-bye, and I headed back to my house.

When I arrived, lunch wasn't ready but it was going to be good (black-eyed peas and rice which I planned on eating with the hot sauce my sister just sent me in a care package). So, I sat in my room and decided to study a little Spanish. One of my new methods for doing so, is to watch the Argentinian series Mujeres Asasinas (Women Murderers). Yes, it's as scary and demented as you would think, but I've learned a lot of new words (some swear words and bad phrases) to keep improving my Spanish.

Lunch was served around 1:45pm, and today it was just my older, younger sister Yuli and me. It was special though as we had a sister-to-sister heart-to-heart which we haven't had in months. We talked about things like if we were dating (that's a no on both of us), if she was excited to start classes again, and my excitement and sadness to leave Jangas in a few months. It was a wonderful meal, not just for the food, but I felt like I hadn't been connecting well with Yuli as of late, so this meal put all my fears to rest.

The rest of the day was spent watching more Mujeres Asasinas, reading one chapter or two (or three if I'm honest) of A,V, M, and then taking some time to watch the second season of Mad Men and completing about 10 Suduku puzzles. Papa Julio and Mama Gi did not find the ram that they hoped, so they'll have to try again at a later time.

Really, a pretty good day. Sorry no pictures, but I guess that's just how most good days go, we don't have pictures to remember them by except in our hearts.

Back to Lima

2009-03-07T10:18:00.000-08:00

Ah yes, WID/GAD (Women In Development/Gender and Development)is upon me again, and I am headed back to Lima to work on how to encourage other volunteers to promote gender awareness in their sites. I enjoy these meetings as it seems to be one of the few times I get together with a diverse group of volunteers to discuss this and other gender related issues. On the other hand, Lima has become even more foreign to me even though I go there about once a month. I guess for the first time since I came to Peru, I feel like Peru and Jangas more specifically is (deep breath) home. I have good friends. I have a great host family, and in truth, I don't have a lot of reason to leave, unlike Catilluc which I tried to leave every chance I got. Now the thought of leaving, even for short periods of time, is daunting. Yet, with only five months left, the idea of leaving my Jangas days behind me is becoming all too real. And therefore, I am already finding myself in random moments of sadness while sitting in the kitchen preparing and eating dinner with my host family or when I'm hanging out with my other friends and community partners in Jangas. I am going to be a wreck when I pull out of here in August.

Yet, Lima is a nice reprieve. Seeing as I've been in the rain and clouds for a couple of months now, I am looking forward to a few days of sun and my non-Ancash Peace Corps buddies (many of us converging for different meetings next week) to chase away the Seasonal Affective Disorder, that I swear I have although I've never been diagnosed. Plus, even though I try to fight the McDonaldization of my life, I am looking forward to three whole days of trips to Starbucks for the latest treat or just a chai. In the Peace Corps, work is considered to be 24/7 in one's site so I have learned to appreciate the quick trips to Lima, even though I almost always go to work on some project. It's a change of pace, a reminder of what life is like outside of the campo where the sheep and the chickens roam freely to the city life where you need to be careful crossing the street. It's a reminder of life as it used to be, but not how it currently fairs. It's nice, but only for a time...then I return to the peace and tranquility of 3:00am rooster wake up calls. A life I am beginning to prefer.

Another Question Answered

2009-02-17T11:27:00.000-08:00

If you were recommending places for someone to visit in Peru what would be your top 3 places you'd recommend? Why?
Choosing places to visit in Peru is much like trying to decide your favorite child, merely impossible. I would just like to say from the get-go that everyone who likes to travel and wants to see the world needs to make sure that Peru is at the top of the list. Not only can one visit the beautiful coast in places like Mancora and Hunchaco, but you also have a number of amazing ruins – both well traveled and less well known and on top of it there are these amazing cities to visit like Cajamarca and Arequipa. Not only that, but you can go on treks, hikes, climbs, kayak trips, etc. It’s a virtual paradise of experiences and adventures. With that said, my top three would have to be:

1. Ancash – I know I live here, but I really have seen other parts of Peru and still find that I like this place the best. There is just so much to do and see here. Plus, Huaraz is a small capital city and is easy to navigate and find people who are willing to help you figure out your travel adventures. In Ancash you can easily see Huascaran (the second largest mountain in the Americas), go on any number of treks, hikes, biking, etc. And on top of that there are some pretty interesting ruins and small cities with a lot of history. It’s also a pretty well kept secret. Everyone comes to Peru to see places like Cusco (where Machu Picchu can be found) and the Amazon River, but I have yet to meet the disappointed tourist in Ancash.

2. Chachapoyas – A sleepy little town near Kuelpa (Pre-Columbian ruins), Gocta (7th largest waterfall), and a number of other little things to go and do or see and still a decent night life. For historical value, Cusco is probably a better bang for your buck, but in terms of people, I have not found nicer people than the people I met in Chacha. It also could be your gateway right into a trek down the Amazon River because Chacha is on the border of the jungle. It was very beautiful there, but mostly the people were so great.
3. I know people expect Machu Picchu on this list, but I’m going to give this final spot to Zorritos, Tumbes where we stayed at this beautiful ecological lodge. Not as nice as Mancora, but less traveled which I really enjoyed. Plus, the Peruvian coast is gorgeous no matter what. Plus the mud baths there are so worth the 2 soles it costs to enter.
Well, there are my top three. I haven’t been to the Amazon yet; it’s ultimately my last big trip in Peru before I return to the States. So of course, the list might change before I leave, but for right now, if you’re coming to Peru make sure you try to hit some of these smaller, lesser known places.

And then none...for a week.

2009-02-10T09:20:00.001-08:00

I really thought I was on some kind of a roll with the last couple of blogs, but apparently it can be just as easy to slip back into apathy.

Here, many communities have a summer vacation program called vacaciones utiles or "useful vacations". In Jangas teachers are teaching traditional dance, theatre, soccer, volleyball, math, and yours truly is teaching nine (count them - nine) computer classes. This started out as one of my favorite things to do, but as kids don't come or come on weird days, I'm starting to get a little bored with it all. Not to mention I have students that can do some of the most advance work and some students that don't know how to turn a computer on.

But one of my bigger successes has taken place. Since I arrived in Jangas, I have been trying to start a Youth (& Young Adult) Health Promoters Group. And it finally is in action. I have about 6 active young adults and adolescences that attend a weekly talk on everything from nutrition to first aid to STIs. I hope this group will grow and we can use it to go into the communities and teach others what we are learning. At the very least there are 6 more people who know how to help a burn victim. I love it when I have good things to report, and this is an even sweeter thrill because I didn't think it was going to actually happen. I was about to give up on it all.

So there is a quick update. I'll keep answering your questions in the next few posts. Keep them rolling in.

Two In One Week!

2009-01-30T09:58:00.000-08:00

2. Is it safe for you to walk around there at night?

Ah, safety…I have heard some very wise people (even recently) talk about the fact that what most people fear is the unknown. For example, we don’t fear public speaking but rather what we fear is the unknown reaction the audience members will have to our topic, our dress, and/or our delivery. We’re not fearful of spiders, per say, but of the unknown: if they will bite us, if they are poisonous, if we’ll die, etc. I think you get my point. So a lot of people have chosen to not travel because of concern for their own personal safety. I’m not saying that is bad, but I’m saying that given the right information and safety training the fear of the unknown in terms of safety and security can be overcome. In the Peace Corps we are given a ton of training in safety and security during our first three months in the country. This has been very effective in helping us understand and try to avoid potentially dangerous or compromising situations. With that said, nothing is perfect. And every year Peace Corps volunteers are robbed, assaulted, pick pocketed and even (sadly and rarely) raped.

Do I feel less safe in Peru than I do in the United States? The honest answer is that it depends on the situation. Most days (or nights) walking through my relatively small town I feel fine, but if you add even one drunk man to the mix, I get a little nervous. As I believe I have written about before in my blog, there is a huge problem with alcoholism in Peru and combine that with machismo and sometimes you have a very dangerous combination. I have been grabbed by drunken men and not given the option to escape (although I did figure out how to do it eventually). I have also been chased by a drunken man back to my house in Catilluc, Cajamarca one night after a dance. In both cases, I hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol. Being a white girl in the middle of Peru can make you a walking target sometimes it’s only wanted or unwanted attention, but sometimes the attention can change to comments, whistles, and undesirable actions on the part of those around you. Peruvians on the whole are great people, and the rare occasion that I don’t feel scared to walk by myself at night usually involves someone else drinking alcohol. The amazing thing about being a volunteer is that I always have a group of other volunteers around if we decide to stay out late. If I want to go home early from dancing, there is always another volunteer or two who will want to go back themselves or will at least escort me back and then return to the dancing. This is the family aspect of my time in Ancash. We try very hard to take care of each other here especially in terms of safety and security.

So to sum up, for the part I feel safe walking around alone at night in my sight, but in places that I don’t know well I choose the buddy system or a taxi (which has its own safety concerns, but I’ll leave that for another blog). I wish I could say I feel absolutely safe all the time, but that’s neither the reality in Peru nor anywhere else in the world.

In Answer to Your Questions:

2009-01-27T07:44:00.000-08:00

Describe a typical dish. What foods are your favorites?

I think we’re always curious about how others eat. If you think about it, we schedule meetings, dates, and reunions around food. Food is a part of our national culture and we are fascinated by other types of meals around the world. Go to any major city in the States and you’ll find pages and pages in the phone book of Mexican, Thai, Chinese, etc. restaurants. Not so in Peru. Even in Lima, I have only ever heard of one Mexican food restaurant and not many more than one or two of any other restaurants with different ethnic foods. Peruvians are very proud of their food. I once heard a Peruvian say that they had read that according to an article she had read, Peru had the third best food in the world after France and Japan. I tried not to laugh when she told me she had found the random article on the internet. Plus, let’s face it; there is great Indian food and Italian food that might rank a little higher in the minds of others. The good news, for me, is that I don’t hate Peruvian food. But I do admit to coming to Peru hoping for great Mexican type foods. Spicy dishes full of flavor on sizzling plates with homemade tortillas. The reality, although still very tasty, is quite different.

Here a typical family eats foods high in starch and carbohydrate content. Most dishes come with a mound of rice AND a mound of potatoes or a mound of potatoes AND a mound of pasta. Peruvians really enjoy condiments (as they call them), but it’s not like mayo and mustard (although those are included from time to time) usually they like sauces like chili sauce examples include aji Amarillo which is generally put over potatoes which is not really that spicy but is very tasty or papa/cuy picante which is spicy potatoes and guinea pig with ground up rocotto (the chili of Peru) on top. This is one of my favorite foods. I became a vegetarian in Peru (for health reasons) but I still eat cuy (guinea pig). The way I see it is I only get two years to eat the cute little things we put in cages and call pets, so I should take advantage. Not to mention, cuy is very expensive for Peruvians so it would be impolite to not eat it if someone put it before me. For every ounce of starch I eat, I probably only eat about a ¼ of an ounce of vegetables, and I would never eat fruit if I didn’t buy it for myself.

I might have written about this before, but there are a lot of myths of health based around food. Like many in the world, many Peruvians believe that water – at room temperature or colder – will cause a cold. What we consider “old wives tales” prevail in parts of this culture as science. The worst one in my opinion is the idea that fruits are “cold” foods that will cause someone to be sick longer. I don’t know many people in the States that don’t know that Vitamin C can help prevent colds and boost the immune system, and what’s the best source of Vitamin C? Citrus fruits, of course. I get so frustrated when people ask me which vitamin they should take (actual pill-like vitamin) to heal themselves. I’ll tell them the vitamin and then I’ll say, but it’s really better to get your vitamin intake from foods like broccoli, oranges, strawberries, etc. They look at me like I’m crazy and then tell me their DOCTOR told them to not eat those things. Their DOCTOR! I don’t frustrate very easily when it comes to obvious cultural differences, but this is one that really bothers me. I can’t handle when medical professionals believe the same myths that science has proven aren’t true. Science has proven that we can drink cold beverages and not catch a cold or that “cold” foods do not give you a cold, right? Or am I crazy? That’s always a possibility.

Some Peruvian food really is good though, even if it does lack a side salad, and I appreciate my family’s recent efforts to include more vegetables in their diet. I’ve even been able to introduce such foods as macaroni and cheese, lasagna, tacos, and my family’s personal favorite: vegetable soup! My host dad calls it, sopa de colores (soup of colors) because I’m always expounding on the idea that all you need to do to have a good vegetable dish is to have a number of different colors and I tell them the key to good vegetable soup is to find as many different colored vegetables (and fruits b/c we always include tomatoes) as possible. My host sister, Yuli has now made this soup twice without me around. I’m pretty proud of her and excited if this is the one dish they will continue to eat after I leave. I’m trying to write a blog about taco night, because when I came into the Peace Corps, I strangely enough had the idea that all food in Latin America was like Mexican food, oh how wrong I was, so more on that later.

These pictures are of California Cafe where I spend my internet time. Pretty cool place, huh?

I know, I know more posts!

2009-01-13T08:46:00.000-08:00

Okay, well today I'm really just posting to post. I don't mean to go days without putting something up, but I don't really have a lot to report right now. I'm currently in the planning stages of summer vacation activities for youth. So please forgive me. Also, let's take a survey. In the post section of this page, post your questions about my time in Peru, and I'll try to devote an entire blog post to your questions.

Take care, until then.

Trip with the Family

2009-01-02T14:11:00.000-08:00

So my silence is based purely on the fact that I've barely seen a computer in the past couple of weeks. I took a couple of weeks vacation to unwind and of course, hang out with my parents and my sister. It was so great to introduce my family to this beautiful country. Here are some of the pictures.

My whole family in front of Machu Picchu.

Lake Titicaca...beautiful view.

In front of a beautiful church in Arequipa. I don't remember the name now.

More pictures to come!

Opinions and the Recommendation Game

2008-12-15T08:56:00.000-08:00

For I love to play the recommendation game. You know when you are sitting in a restaurant and you’re not exactly sure what you want, you ask the waiter or waitress, “what do you recommend?” Now the answer in the States usually includes an answer. “Well, I’m particularly fond of the blue cheese chicken or if you’re into salads, I’d try the cob.” I like this game. It gives me an opportunity to try something new AND not make a decision. The game is only fun if the other party will play it with you, and I have a hard time finding participants in Peru. The other day I was at the fruit stand and I knew I only wanted to buy a small quantity of fruit, but I wasn’t exactly sure what I should get. So I asked the woman working at the tienda what she recommended and her response was, “it’s all good.” I believe her, but that wasn’t the question. The question is what she would get if she were in my place. So being the former journalist I phrase the question a different way, “what’s good during this season?” The senora again responds, “It’s all good.” I still believe her, but I’m growing increasingly frustrated that she won’t play one of my favorite games. Finally, after a long silence where I’m not sure how to get my new friend to play my game she finally says, “It’s mango season.” So thankful that she has at least tried to play along I buy two mangoes for my host sisters (I’m already sick of them and it’s only the beginning of mango season).

I encounter this problem a lot. I’ll be sitting in a restaurant here in Peru and again I’ll be unsure of what to order and so I’ll ask for a recommendation. I’m usually lucky to get an answer, but if I do, you can bet that I order that particular item because I want to give Peruvians the idea that their opinions and ideas have value. The underlying problem here is twofold. First, it’s a matter of self-esteem. Peruvians (as a generalization) are not taught that their opinion matters. But when you’re playing the recommendation game with me, your opinion always counts. I rarely ever turn down a recommendation. One of the things we do in the youth development program is not only teach about self-esteem, emotions, and self-knowledge but recently I went to several classes and put signs on three different walls in the class room. The first reads, “I agree.” The second, “I don’t agree.” And the third states, “I’m not sure.” Then I read different phrases (the older the group, the more controversial) and the students then have to walk to the sign where their opinion is stated. One of the phrases says, “You can get good work even if you don’t finish high school.” The students then have to defend their answer – not all of them, but I call on different ones to see why they think what they are thinking. I’m amazed with how little these students think about their own opinions. Many students thanked me for the activity after class saying it was the first time they had thought about the topics I had brought up (everything from education to abortion) and they appreciate that I don’t judge their opinions which is key to teaching these types of classes. I absolutely have to put my opinions and ideas out the back door, but I do get to play devil’s advocate and it is fun to get people to think about their answers. Now that I think about it, I would love to get more activities like this – so if you have any, feel free to send them to me.

The second fold in the twofold underlying problem is that this is a culture of people who don’t want to offend other people. They are a very polite culture. For example, sometimes people are invited to a party in which they know they cannot attend, but regardless they will accept the invitation and then just not show up. Because it is better to save the face of the person who is inviting you to their face, if you don’t show up the inviter can always say they never invited the invitee. So while playing the recommendation game people don’t want to offend nor be offended. They don’t offer up their opinions readily in case it’s contrary to yours and then you would be offended. I like aspects of the polite culture, but it is frustrating when you set up a meeting or invite people to event and they never show.

I have had minor success playing the recommendation game with younger children. Often times they will be helping out their parents and somehow they’ll catch my eye, and so I’ll ask them what do you recommend. After some hesitation, and maybe a little prodding on my part, they will quite frequently give me a response. And no matter how good or bad the recommendation I always take it to show the child that their ideas are valued and valuable. I guess it’s one of the little things I try to do on a daily basis to improve the lives of those I encounter.

CHACHAPOYAS! Finally...

2008-12-06T07:48:00.000-08:00

So after making several trips to Huanchaco (in La Libetad) and Piura, I was ready for a vacationto a new part of Peru. So six of my close PC friends and I got our act together and ventured off to Chachapoyas right on the edge of the Amazonian Jungle. While there, we walked around Kuelap (the oldest, most intact city of the pre-Columbian era) and we hiked to Gocta the third tallest waterfall in the world. As you can see by these pictures, it was absolutly gorgeous, and I had a great time. If you come to Peru, make it a point to head up to Chachapoyas. It's not overly touristy yet, and it has some of the nicest people I've met yet. They really respected us and it never seemed like they wer trying to rip us off. That's a real plus after 1 year and a half in country.

The following pictures were taken by my friend Alex. I think sometimes my blog is a little shy of pictures of me, so here you go. Enjoy!

My friend Freddie and I in front of Gocta - very wet, but very refreshing after a long hike in the Andino Sun.
The hike to Gocta.

Touring Kuelap. Yes, I wore that hat all weekend, I'm trying to protect my skin.

Maybe the best picture of me yet in Peru. It shows just how much funI was having.

Life Goes On

2008-11-22T11:09:00.001-08:00

Huscaran - the second largest mountain in the Americas.

One of the biggest challenges of life overseas, or in this case in the Peace Corps, is that as you are facing all of these great new adventures in a new culture with cool people, all the cool people you left behind in the States (or elsewhere) are having great adventures that you are missing. For example, my friend Brenda emailed me today to tell me she will be having her fourth child in just three short days. I have barely been a part of her third child's life and now I'm over here and won't even be in the same country (let alone the same state or city) for the delivery of this child. And sometimes this thought makes me very sad.

But maybe what makes me even more sad is the passing of my good friend Noah Ginnings at the age of 26 after a 7 year battle with brain cancer. I recieved the news Thursday afternoon via email from another good friend and have pretty much cried the last two days. It's hard to lose someone, but it's even harder when you have no one else to mourn with, no one who knows who you are talking about and what impact that person had on your life.

And these are only a few examples other friends have had babies, gotten married, found new jobs, started dating, broke up with the love of their lives, etc. And yet, what I do now, where I live now has become the new normal. I wake up to the knowledge that I am often more concerned with how my PC friends are doing, or if my counterpart's grandson has been released from the hospital, and how my Spanish is fairing in any given setting. All adventures. I guess sometimes it just feels like a shame that we only get to live one life at a time. And sometimes, I guess that's more than enough. But right now, for me, it's just not enough. I want to be able to hold my brand new niece or nephew (Brenda's child, yep, she's like a sister) shortly after s/he is born. I want to attend Noah's memorial service and cry my eyes out with others whose lives he touched. But I also want to be here hanging out the with the students at the school Virgen de las Merecedes and cracking jokes with my host family at dinner.

The next step, of course, is that I return to the States and I start to miss out on the adventures here in Peru. I find myself thinking about this more than I should while I'm still living here. I'll miss the graduation of my favorite class of students to work with, my host sisters will get married and have children - hopefully after they finish university, and my host grandparents will pass away (also hopefully after some time).

I did sign up for this, and the double life is one we live whether we want to or not. So, I guess I write this post to say "keep in touch." I still want to be a part of your lives, and I write this blog to keep you firmly in mine.

Yes, I live here. Don't hate.

Dia de Los Muertos

2008-11-13T12:34:00.000-08:00

My host sisters in front of their grandfather's grave.

November 2nd this year was El Dia de Los Muertos and unlike last year when I was headed to Cajamarca to say good-bye to another volunteer from Peru-9, I attended and really appreciated the beautiful sentiment that comes with a day like this.

A private moment for Mama Antu.

Now we have Memorial Day in the United States, and the month before I came here I made my first trek to the family grave site with my ailing granny and family (including my older sister) to put flowers on our family's gravesites. But really, here in Peru (and maybe most of Latin America) this is a special day set aside to remember those that they have lost. I went with my host sisters Yuli and Yoshina and we met up with my host grandmother, aunts, and uncle in the cementary. We started at the gravesite of my host mom's brother Javier and I watched as my host Aunt Gloria carefully decorated and sprinkled water on the headstone. This took at least 30 minutes. Then we went to my host mom's grandma's site and the same commenced.

My Tia Rosa in front of Javier's grave.

I wish we took things like this more seriously. I really think that this is a celebration of life and way of remembering those that have passed. I think I'll start to take Memorial Day more seriously. I know it's supposed to be about our troops, but I think we should remember all life and what our ancestors have given to us, plus the lessons we have learned thanks to them.

Peace Corps Love Lives

2008-11-01T08:33:00.000-07:00

I’ve been meaning to write a blog like this since the first few months at site. I think about all the things that you guys (all five of you that are still reading my blog) would like to learn about, and I have to think that one of the things I would want to know, if I were you, is about relationships in Peace Corps.

The first three months you are saturated with other US citizens, now effectively known as your training class. You learn together, party together, and stress out together. This, for many, is the best opportunity to hook up with another Peace Corps volunteer. There are always attractive parties in any given training class, but obviously like most relationships people connect because of their backgrounds and beliefs. And we’re all thrown together in this crazy experience, so we’re bonded. I have heard RPCVs (Returned Peace Corps Volunteers) say that they were hugely tied to their training class. I’ve met my share of people who met in Peace Corps and got married. Peru-9 hasn’t had many couplings (less than any other training class in Peru), and the ones that are starting to come out of the wood work have taken a long time to mature. I think part of the hold-up is that you could fall for someone in training and then be sent to the other side of this big country for your site assignment. And that is what has happened to others. I know couples that are only “together” when they are physically in the same place. Others have broken up at the end of training. Others just haven’t dated knowing that they would be separated by hundreds of miles of geography. And still others get together in training, break up at the end of training, but end up back together when they get to their sites; no matter how far away those sites happen to lie.

A few do actually manage to start relationships with volunteers in the field. I can’t think of many, if any, relationships across numbers (i.e. an 8-er with a 10-er), but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened and I just don’t know. I do know that once you get to your capital cities eager to start your “official” service, and then you go to your site which is incredibly isolated and lonely, you do start to see the other volunteers in your department through different eyes. I have seen this in my friendships. People that I was barely friends with in training have become some of my best friends based purely off of geography and who I could trust to be in the capital city at the same time I happen to be with a shoulder to cry on or enough soles to split a beer and a pizza (not like in the States – the pizza, that is). People tend to change when they get to site. How can you not when you’re faced with poverty and a life you have never known? And so sometimes volunteers start to meld together, they start to understand each other and develop relationships, again, based on their new background and beliefs. I have not been fortunate to have a relationship like this. I adore the male volunteers in my group, and they’ve become friends and more often than not, obnoxious little brothers – who I love and adore.

I have gone on a few dates with Peruvians. Now the stereotype of Peruvian men (maybe latino men in general) is that they are all machismos, very likely to cheat on their spouses or girlfriends, and who think that being with a gringa (light skinned, light eyes) is another notch on their belt. In other words, we are warned very early to be careful of dating Peruvian men. I’d like to think I’m a good judge of character and that (from time to time) I can see someone’s potential when no one else sees it. At least that’s what my mom always tells me. So I have had the distinct privilege of dating at least three really great Peruvian guys. They have all been very kind, sweet, and just the right amount of romantic (I’m not overly appreciative of romance in general, but I appreciate a guy who “gets me”). They also have a way of helping me with my Spanish. I always learn new vocabulary when I go on dates or meet a guy in a club (or outside one as one of my stories goes).

It would be interesting to do a comparison, but I’m pretty sure that more female PCVs marry Peruvians than male. Recently, I heard about two female Peru-8ers that have gotten engaged. I think another complication of the US Citizen-Peruvian relationship is the where do you live and how do you get them into the United States or find work outside of Peace Corps in Peru. I have heard that it can cost upwards of $2000 to get a Visa to get your Peruvian significant other into the States (and that’s before the plane ticket). This has been a major hold up for me as I’m afraid I’ll be the gringa notch on the belt that then proceeds to help him escape from his life in Peru so he can go the States and leave me. I’ve heard plenty of these kinds of stories as well. Although, I haven’t heard it happen to a Peace Corps Volunteer. Plus, once you get them into the States to start your life together (let’s imagine this is a good guy) then you have to deal with the racism, the looks your significant other would get while trying to learn a new language, and the cultural differences. How would a Peruvian male feel about a wife who could make more money than he does? Do you help said spouse get other family members into the States? Do you continually hope that one day his/her English will get to a place where they can go to school and get a college degree? All these and so many more questions need to get answered before a final decision is made. A number of volunteers have had serious relationships in PC knowing full well that they will break up and leave the significant other behind. This might sound harsher than it really is, but sometimes relationships are unavoidable as is the oncoming break-up.

This, of course, has back-fired from time to time. As relationships with Peruvians in site have caused major drama whether the young lady has said that the PC volunteer is the father of her child or just the gossip that comes with a break up, especially of the local PC celebrity in the community. It can be so extreme that PCVs are removed from their sites or have to deal with incredibly messy break-up situations (like attempted suicides or threats of arson from significant others’ parents). Relationships are always complicated, and I guess we should never enter into them lightly, but in Peru we tread even more cautiously. I currently, am not seeing anyone, but I do still have nine months, and anything can happen (but maybe this statement effectively jinxed it.) I’ll report if there’s anything to tell. I hope all five of you are doing well. You are missed.

A Day in the Life...again

2008-10-21T10:22:00.000-07:00

A while back I think people asked me to give an update on how I spend my time at site. Now that I've moved to Ancash and have a ton of projects, I think it is again an appropriate time to talk about this topic. Of course, it varies on a day to day basis depending on meetings, classes and travel. But for the most part, here's how it works.

6:00am I wake up. Everyday, no matter what, I'm usually up by this time. Then I usually listen to some music or a podcast or I do a bunch of reading. I try not to do anything before 8 not because I'm not up but because I want some quiet morning time to start my day.
8:00am (this varies) but usually around 8 my host mother calls me to have breakfast which is usually bread and avocado, but sometimes egg. I've tried to adopt a vegan lifestyle as much as possible (I'm really bad at it right now). Lately, I've been buying enough avocado to have a half every morning and to give the rest to my host sisters. This is usually when Mama Antu (my host grandmother) makes her first visit, greeting me with "Buenos Dias Adriana." Even though we remind her, she never seems to remember that there is no 'd' in my name. She usually asks me some kind of health tip; today she wants to know what vitamins she she should buy to get better - she's had a sore throat for weeks. I tell her that she really should be eating her vitamins, and that Vitamin C and E are what she wants and she can find that in oranges, mandarines, and carrots but she complains that they are cold and she shouldn't eat them because they're "cold". Side note: there are a lot of beliefs here that "cold" water and food cause illness. First, if they ever realized that it's not that "cold" and that it doesn't cause sickness, I don't know what they would do - mabe start eating more vegetables. But who am I to argue, I've never seen the studies to know that they are wrong. Regardless, I try to convince Mama Antu that she needs to eat more oranges and mandarins. We'll see.
8:30am - I'm usually headed to the school to teach Quien Soy Yo or a Values Class or something of the sort. Lately on Mondays I've been teaching Gender classes at 8:00am.
10:30/1:30- I head to the health post (on some days) to see if I can meet up with anyone. They have been so busy there lately, I feel more like a nuisance. So I'm hoping that I can find time to work with them after October. Maybe during the summer vacations from school, we'll see.
1:00 - I eat lunch with my family. It's usually rice and beans or something of the sort.
2:00 - I retire to my room to plan lessons, read books or magazines, listen to podcasts (my latest favorite NPR's "Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me!" (Thanks for the rec. Julie), watch a TV show or two.
4:00 - I usually do a half an hour of yoga.
5:30 - I head down to the municipality to teach a two hour computer class (this happens Mondays and Thursdays right now, but we'll see if it expands)
8:00 - I return to eat dinner at my house. This will usually be the first time in the day that I will see my host father. Also, we watch a Mexican Soap Opera called "Victoria" and 9:00pm Megali starts (a Peruvian gossip show that I can't stand - but more on this in a sec.) So around this time I retire to my room to plan lessons, read books or magazines, listen to a podcast, or watch a TV show or movie or maybe listen to music.
10:00pm - I'm usually hitting the hay or going to sleep.

So, that more or less is my day. Sometimes I have more classes and meetings and some days I have nothing. Some days I walk all the way to the school, health post, or city hall only to have to return because my meeting or class has been canceled.

As for Megali, think the TV show "Extra" combined with a show like "Ellen" (I say that only because Megali likes to dance in the opening as well - "Ellen" is a much better show in my opinion). Megali Medina is one of the biggest celebrities in Peru. She reports on all the gossip, but she also is homophobic and the show is kind of in bad taste in general. That being said, Megali was arrested about a week ago which I personally believe is an injustice. Now don't quote me on this, but the Peruvian law structure is very similar to ours and I think that Megali was in her rights even if what she did wasn't for the best of motives. She was arrested last week for taking pictures of a famous Peruvian Futballer (Soccer player) on the sidewalk in Miraflores (which is a really nice part of Lima) with a model. She has evidence that they were together, kissing and hugging. And she got arrested because that soccer player brought chargers against her. Now, I don't support the paparazzi or anything, but from my Journalism law classes (and if the Peruvian law structure is as similar as I think it is) she took the pictures from the sidewalk, and he was doing it in public - which means he has absolutely no grounds to have her arrested or sued. Anyway, we'll see what happens with Megali in the next couple of weeks as she fights for her freedom. But in truth most people believe a huge injustice has happened here and there is a huge abuse of power. I think someone recently told me that they think that government wants her arrested so she'll stop reporting on their private lives as well. What do they have to hide? And like I said earlier, I don't support her, nor am I a big fan of her program, but this is obviously an abuse of power.

That's just the local news.

Yuly's Birthday and Other Cultural Things I Didn't Know

2008-10-14T12:04:00.000-07:00

So my older younger sister turned 18, October 1st and here in Peru Birthdays are very important, but mostly an important time for family. So all of my host mom's side of the family gathered to eat cuy and celebrate Yuly's 18th. This date marks the first time I actually found myself sad to think about leaving them in the summer of 2009. I teared up a number of times, but luckily, no one noticed. All in all it was a pretty chill day, but for the record: I love my host family and even my host extended family.

The birthday girl is to the right and my host dad "Papa Julio" to the left. The cuy was good, but not as spicy as normal.

This is my host mom's mom. They call her Mama Antu, and I love her. She's so great. She always says how much she' going to miss me when I leave and she's always checking to see where I'm gonna go. One day I asked her what she thought about having four girls before she had a son and she said, "I think it's pretty great."

Another thing I learned lately is that sheep are not allowed to eat alfalfa because it knots up their stomach. Below are pictures of my host mom and aunt (Tia Rosa) pressing the alfalfa out of the stomach of a sheep that didn't know any better. Notice they are using a sandal. I love Peru!

Never a dull moment in the Peace Corps.

All about the IST

2008-10-04T11:28:00.000-07:00

A scene from one of the final skits from our Theatre IST.

Every Peace Corps group in Peru gets one In-Service Training during their service. Peru 9 Youth Development’s was last week. It was held up in Piura, and yours truly plus two of my good friends from Peru 9 lead and taught it. The IST was about starting a Teen Theatre group in these small communities to talk about social issues. It was a three day workshop taught entirely in Spanish as volunteers were required to bring a Peruvian Community Partner with whom they would start a Teen Theatre group upon returning from the IST.

My Community Partner and I. Elba is so much fun. I'm glad I took her.

I am most proud of the fact that my Spanish managed to hold up, and that I did one of my favorite workshops entirely in Spanish. I'm really proud of our efforts to make it the best IST possible, and we heard that this is the first time PC-Peru has used volunteers to teach the Workshop. So we're very excited that this will be replicated with Peru 11, and that they will have our Peru 11 trainers.

But I think pictures say it best, I mean theatre really is all about action.

Volunteers playing the improv game "Machines".

Jamar and Jah playing props as Peruvian Cumbia Singers in a Music Video.

Ali, Elena, and me the three Volunteer trainers. We had such a good time, really NAILED IT.

All in all, I feel like people had a really good time. I didn't hear a negative comment the entire time, and people who were only doing it to do it, said they learned a lot and are excited to go back to their sites and use it. So I think we should be pretty happy. I think there are ways we can fix it before the Peru 11 IST, but that will come when it comes.

Welcome Back ONW Spanish Students

2008-09-29T09:37:00.000-07:00

I just returned from a long week of teaching trainings, and so my brain is mush. But I just wanted to drop a quick post saying that I am doing wonderfully. Both of the trainings (one for WID/GAD and the other an IST about starting a Teen Social Theatre Group) went off without a hitch. I learned a lot and even taught people in Spanish. Teaching in Spanish is both a comfort, as I realized that I can speak a lot more than I think, and a challenge, as I realized I have barely a grasp on the more complex grammatical concepts.

I'll post more on this in my next post when I have pictures and can explain all that we were doing.

But I also wanted to send a big shout out once again to the Olathe Northwest Students from Olathe, Kansas. I'll be responding to your email within the next week. Keep up the hard work, learning Spanish is so worth it, as is travelling to other countries and seeing the world! I highly recommend it. More news to come!

Quien Soy Yo? - Who Am I?

2008-09-15T06:57:00.000-07:00

"Quien Soy Yo?" is a program curriculum for children between the ages of 8 and 14 to learn more and develop their own self-esteems. It was created by a Peru-5 volunteer who only recently returned to the States after taking a third year and being a tech trainer for Peru-11. The curriculum uses activities such as personal flag, discussions about the things that make us special, as well as tools that help the children think about their favorite things and what they like about themselves. This has become an important tool for Youth Development volunteers here in Peru. It's a great curriculum that you can just jump into as soon as you get to site whether your Spanish is great or poor. Plus, any teacher, public official, health worker, social service worker, or educated person in Peru will tell you that everyone in Peru needs to have their self-esteem built up.

In the United States we don't really ever think about this. My generation has been practically raised on self-esteem and self-discovery, but it's easy to see the effects that a low self-esteem can have on children or their country. I know that might sound dramatic, but really believe that working with young people and their parents to raise self-esteem would help drop the statistics on alcoholism, familial violence, and poverty. Having a healthy self-esteem not only makes you more confident in yourself but in your ideas and your ability to carry them out. Their is a lot of idea stealing in Peru. If one business sprouts up that is successful, in a matter of weeks you will see five more just like it and right next door. Yet, Peru is country rich in resources and the people I have met have the most untapped potential.

When I arrived in Jangas, I immediately started teaching "Quien Soy Yo?" in two classes of fourth graders. They seem to enjoy the class, and every where I walk I get greeted with a "Buenos Dias, Profesora" and a kiss in the cheek. I already see some of the quieter kids coming out of their shells. And the kids now state with a little more conviction their likes and dislikes. But they're still learning to appreciate themselves and those things that make them special. I'm hoping to rap up this class and move on to something else. I also am looking forward to doing similar curriculums (but slightly different in the older classes).

These are the two teachers that I work with. The top picture is of Prof. Blanca and the bottom is Prof. Rosa. They're great teachers. I'm very impressed with their professionalism and desire to work with me. Plus, their students are pretty well-behaved.

Elections, elections, and more elections

2008-09-06T08:48:00.000-07:00

Many people ask if we PC Volunteers keep up with what's going on with the U.S. elections, and the truth is we can be as involved and aware or uninvolved and ignorant as we want to be. I actually watched much of the Democratic National Convention from my hostel room in Lima. And I get email updates about the elections where I could watch the speeches at the Republican National Convention. So I know what's going on. It's not as in my face here, and I do have to do some research, but I appreciate those people or organizations in which I am a member that keep me posted on all the important political and entertainment issues happening around the world.

In this new time of massive globalization I can't really walk down any street in Peru without being asked about the United States elections, and even more specifically I'm often asked about Barak Obama which I think demonstrates that the world is watching us during this election, and people from other parts of the world find Obama intriguing and his nomination as ground breaking and interesting. People rarely ask me about McCain. Sometimes I'm asked about Bush, but more and more people want to know about Obama and if I'll be voting for him. We're not supposed to take a political side being PCVs, and I'm pretty private about that kind of thing anyway. But it has helped me develop some more political vocabulary. And it's a topic that opens up doors to hear their opinions on their own President (Alan Garcia for those of you not paying attention), the Free Trade Agreement between the US and Peru, and their ideas and thoughts about the US. Sometimes where I live, people are a little closed off from stating their opinions and critical thinking isn't really taught in schools here. So I enjoy when my friends or students or co-workers (non-PCVs - because they have no problem stating their opinions) in Jangas talk about their thoughts.

In other news, I have been doing exceptionally well lately. I have been working on my Work Plan for the next four months and the truth is, I'm overwhelmed. I have so many potential projects, all of them are something I'm looking forward to working on, but it's a question of time and whether or not my community partners are excited on working on them. One of my newest frustrations is that I'll set a meeting, show up to meet, and then have to set another meeting because either everyone forgot or are busy or in another activity. So with a few organizations I have had multiple meetings to try to create new projects and activities. It's kind of crazy, but asi es la vida. In the grand scheme, it's such a minor frustration.

More to come...with pictures. I couldn't upload them today.

Reflections of One Year

2008-08-26T18:28:00.000-07:00

I actually wrote this post at our one-year-in-country mark, but today we had our one year anniversary IN SITE. Although, technically this is my second site, and I haven't been in Jangas for one year yet. Anyway, enjoy:

At the beginning of June I officially lived in Peru for one year. That year has had its ups and its downs. I have lived in three different locations with three very different families. I loved Yanacoto and my family from training. Loly is still one of my closest friends, even though she now lives in Argentina. I liked, then hated, and finally loved my family in Catilluc. Maybe the greatest lesson of my time in Catilluc is that everyone deserves an extra chance and extra efforts because sometimes those people with all their extra chances just go on to prove themselves to you. And you also then get many chances to prove yourself to other people. On the other hand, I loved my community in Catilluc and then hated it there. During my months in Catilluc I felt like I was being taken advantage of, manipulated, and everyone expected me to do their work or the work they wanted me to do. And on top of it, they felt like they could gossip about me regardless of the truth. Yet, I don’t think I would change my journey to this point.
I am so thankful to be in Ancash. I now have a great and supportive family. They have been beyond kind to me, and they are always ready to share a laugh or at least a smile. Every night at around 6pm, I go to the kitchen to watch and help my host mom cook dinner. At around 8pm, my host sisters roll in from school, and shortly after my host dad drives his combi into the yard, and we eat and watch a Mexican telenovela called “Victoria.” I’m glad that my Spanish is starting to improve because I can actually follow the story-lines. That and I can communicate slightly better with my host family and the people I want to work with. I have a long way to go with my Spanish, but I sure have come a long way from where I started.

In this past year I have learned a lot about Peruvian culture and myself. Here’s a brief list of the things I have learned:

It was the best of times; it was the worst of times – Catilluc and the nine months of growth through challenge has taught me that I can survive anything. But more importantly, I have learned to hold on in bad situations.

Peace Corps makes strange bedfellows – I have become friends with people that I probably wouldn’t have given a second thought to in the United States. This has therefore helped me learn more about myself and open up my mind to new ideas and opinions.

You can poorly speak two languages – my Spanish is no where close to where I need it to be, but now I’m losing my English. Add a little Quechua to the mix, and well…I can barely communicate.
Friends and family back at home are so important – I always knew this, but I have received more support and encouragement from those who have known me and love me than I have at times from PC staff or other Volunteers, although both are supportive in their own right and own ways.

Here’s my checklist of cool things I’ve done this year:

I have danced cumbia, huayno, salsa, meringue, and other dances…very well.

I have danced marinera…very poorly.

I have made friends with people from Peru, US, Argentina, Germany, Italy, Spain, England, Ireland…to name a few.

I have seen Huascaran, the second largest mountain in the Americas.

I have seen the Pacific Ocean from the Southern Hemisphere.

I have become a member of the Women in Development/Gender Analysis and Development Committee.

I have met a person from every Peru group since we re-entered Peru 5 years ago.

I have dated a few really cool Peruvians and a couple of duds.

I have walked among ruins, was rained on in Machu Picchu, and took self-portraits all over Cusco.

I have stared into the deepest canyon in the world.

I have received phone calls and counseled other volunteers in their times of need.

I have found people to call and counsel me when I am in my times of need.

I have attended Catholic Mass and celebrated Catholic celebrations that I had never heard of before.

I have had an egg passed over my body to tell me that I’ve had evil eyes cast upon me…an Andean tradition to identify ailments.

I have missed my friends and family dearly, but have yet to really miss my life in the states.
And maybe most importantly, I have lived, laughed, loved, cried, and survived…maybe even thrived here in Peru.

Thanks for all of your support in this year. I really have less than a year left now.

The Final FBT Chapter...Finally

2008-08-23T14:45:00.000-07:00

Friday was the big day. The trainees would work with 200 students from Colegio Virgen de Las Mercedes in Jangas in the areas of self-esteem and team building. They decided the day before that they would break up into teams of two with a stronger speaker and weaker speaker as teammates. And the students broke into grade levels and moved around to the different groups. Leanna and Alex did a team over-under game with a ball (I hope you can imagine what I'm talking about). Milene and Kelly did a self-esteem exercised where a box with self-reflective questions on it was passed around the music and when the music stopped the student with the box had to answer one of the questions. Erin and Elizabeth did the spiderweb game where you receive a ball of twine, say your name and something about yourself and then pass it to someone else, keeping part of the twine. When everyone has participated you have a spiderweb with the twine. Jason and Margret did a number of team building exercises like sitting on each other's laps in one big circle. And Kat and Glenn put together a puppet show (in less than 24 hours) about a young girl who learns that beauty is found on the inside not on the outside.

Who knows if the students really enjoyed it, but I was speaking with two of my favorite teachers and they were asking me about using games in their classes. I hope to springboard this into a class for teachers to lean how to use icebreakers and games to teach and review themes in their classes. I've already spoken with my main counterpart at the school and the Directora and they're both on board.

Afterwards, they ate lunch and met a friend of my fellow Peru 9-er Jake's (who lives across the river from me) and heard more about the issues facing the youth of Peru. The trainees said they really learned a lot from this discussion, so I'm really glad that we had this talk in place. The friend did a really good job of highlighting for the trainees all that young people in Peru deal with, their misconceptions about sex, the lack of support and help from the local and national governments, the difficulty getting into and then paying for college, etc. The trainees later stated that it was a real wake up call for them about what exactly they will be dealing with their two years in Peru.

After lunch we went on a tour of Jake's artisan studio. Jake works with ceramicists here in Ancash. He is a Small Business Volunteer, and it was good for the trainees to get to see what he does. Then we followed it up with a conversation about working across cultures. The rest of the night they had free to hang out and do what they pleased, after working so hard that day, they deserved it.

The next day, our final day together, we all became tourists and headed up to this gorgeous glacial lake called Llanganuco. It's a glowing crystal blue, and we all walked around it, and a couple of the trainees even had the courage to jump into the ice cold waters (with bathing suits, of course). We had more sickness on Friday, some people dealing with altitude sickness and some with food that hadn't agreed with them. So not all were present for our little excursion. We then returned to Tarica where they all got packed up and then we headed into Huaraz for them to get to know this gorgeous capital city.

Me and Jake at Llanganuco. Isn't it beautiful? By the way, before you all email me - we're just friends.

When I knew the last combis would be heading out of Huaraz, I said my good-byes and left. They wouldn't leave until 11:00 that night. All in all, I had a great time. I made a bunch of new Peace Corps friends, and I learned that I really like that aspect of training. I would love to be a trainer in the future, but it is all so dependent on schedule and getting the job.

I have since seen the trainees, and as of yesterday, they have been sworn in and are now officially volunteers. They had their big ceremony yesterday. Congrats you guys! I have so enjoyed getting to know you.

And now onto other topics.

The Third Installment of the FBT Chronicles

2008-08-16T11:27:00.000-07:00

Alright, so after a very long silence, I’m back in Jangas. I want to finish talking about FBT before I post about my thoughts after a year in country, my vacation for Fiestas Patrias, and my time in Lima for our one year med checks and program updates.
I left off with us still in Caraz…
All 14 trainees, 2 volunteers (Vishal and myself), plus the two trainers left Caraz early Wednesday morning to Carhuaz and then we all caught a combi to Shilla, Vishal’s site. A quick note about Vishal: He’s one of my good friends from training. We had the same language class together and we both lived in Yanacoto. So it’s been cool to move to Ancash and to be nearer to him and to Frank, both of whom I rank as really good friends. Shilla is a very small town of around 1,000 people who still speak a lot of Quechua. He has the most amazing view of Huascaran, and the people there are very friendly. They all greeted us as their donkeys passed by carrying food for the guinea pigs. The trainees didn’t get much time to settle in; they quickly threw their stuff down in Vishal’s house and headed directly to the colegio. The night before, as the trainees were planning, they made the decision to split up into two teaching groups based on language ability and those that had the courage to discuss sexuality with a group of 16 and 17 year olds that they didn’t know.
The lower level Spanish speakers taught a Nutrition class, and they did a really good job. They had a great class planned with activities that had the children moving, running, and learning about the four food groups. They used a house as a metaphor for the importance of the food groups, and they had a “check for learning activity” where the children had to find the foods scattered outside and come back to their groups to place their food in the proper place in the food pyramid. The kids really seemed to enjoy this activity. I was impressed with the activities this group chose, and I plan on stealing a few and using them with the kids here. The advanced speakers had the difficult task of giving a charla on sexuality. They used magazines to talk about the images used to portray sexuality. They then talked a little about a definition of sexuality, and then they answered what questions they could about things related to sex and sexuality. This was really just a starter class getting the students amped to work with Vishal more in depth on this particular topic. With this group, I was impressed with their courage to tackle this topic especially in a mountain community – which are known to be a little bit more conservative and closed.
After both groups finished teaching, we settled into the hostel where we ate some lunch and the trainees enjoyed the rabbits hanging out in a lofted caged area. After lunch, Vishal lead us on a hike just outside of Shilla. It was a really beautiful hike with a gorgeous view of the surrounding area and of course Huascaran was just in your face. Maybe the best part is that I spent the entire hike with Isa, the tech trainer (who was one of our language trainers), and we talked about a lot of different things from how training was going to what I would be doing in the future. I really got to know Isa well on the hike, and she tried to talk me into becoming a trainer in the future. The truth is, I would love to, but it all depends on how it all ends here and what I do in the year after I finish. When we returned from the hike, the trainees wrote their first solicitudes (these are important, bureaucratic documents that really are a pain in the ass of any volunteer – they help you get things). They also planned their sessions for the next day. Later that night we ate dinner with Vishal’s family, and many of the volunteers ate their first cuy. The trainees returned and went to bed, and many of them passed a sleepless night because of the cold Ancash night.
The next morning they got up early, ate breakfast, and we headed to Jangas. The trip was very quick and the trainees got settled into their third and final hostel while I headed into Jangas to arrange some last minute details. We re-met around 9:00am and the trainees got to know the colegio where I work. They also got to meet some of my favorite teachers, and they also got their first bump in the road.
I wanted to give them a real-to-life volunteer experience (which means that something would fall through or everything would change) and that’s exactly what we got. Within the first few minutes that we got there, we discovered that the Director of the school needed to change the times for the culminating field day event as the students were preparing for a parade; also, she decided that instead of a few classes doing the field day event on Friday, the whole colegio would participate. This would mean that this group of trainees would work with 200 kids within a two hour period. Luckily, they still had a day to figure it out, but that’s truly what happens. I will often walk in to a class to do one thing and end up needing to prepare myself for something else. Or even more commonly, I get used to having to put off a class because the kids are preparing for a parade.
Even while working through the administrative details for the next day, they still had a class they had to teach. Again they broke up into groups based on Spanish language ability and they taught classes on self-esteem. When they finished with those classes, one of my counterparts (Professora Elba) and I gave them an opportunity to improve their lessons and give the same one again to another class. Both groups took the opportunity and improved their first classes a little bit. I was very proud of them for accepting the challenge, and I know it was a great experience for the students as well.
The rest of that day they either planned for their field day or we took a tour of Jangas. My counterpart, Milton, and some of the youth from the association took them around Jangas and into the Cordiellera Negra to see the view of the Callajon de Hualas. I really enjoyed this part of the trip as I felt like I needed breaks throughout the day from planning and organizing. Plus, it gave me more of an opportunity to get to know the trainees on an individual basis. This has become so long and boring, I think I need to write a Part IV. So forgive me, I’m going to have to post again another day to finish the last two days. I’m somewhat backed up on blogs. I have more things to talk about than I have time to post. More to come!

FBT Training - BLOG # 2

2008-07-24T11:21:00.000-07:00

For a while there it felt like I had nothing to talk about, and now all of the sudden there is a flurry of activity in my Peace Corps service that I want to report about on this blog. I’ll try to divide all of these new topics up into different blog entries in order to give you bite size chunks in the place of one long rant. But let’s start with Field Based Training Peru 11.
As you might or might not remember the first 11 weeks are only training for PCT (Peace Corps Trainees). It is a time to improve your language skills, get a better understanding of your host culture, and to get to know the people who will be spending the next two years and three months with you. Around week six the trainees are sent to different locations around Peru to get their first taste of life as an actual Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV). Because as hard as they might try in training, and as close as they get with the resources they have, there is still a huge gap between what life is like in training and what life is like as an actual PCV. So each training round APCD’s call up groups of volunteers and ask them to prepare a week for a given number of trainees. I received this call the weeks before I left Catilluc.
Monday, July 14th, 10 Youth Development PCTs with one Technical trainer and one Language and Culture trainer arrived in Huaraz tired (from the long and sleepless overnight bus ride), but eager to spend a week outside of Lima walking in the shoes of current PCVs. We immediately exposed them to the 9,000(+) feet difference in altitude to walk to the combi stop that has combis heading to Caraz. It was the first test of whether or not they would hold up to the high altitudes where they would be staying for the next week. In Caraz, they met Frank, a PCV from my training group, he immediately gave them a small, two-hour community analysis for them to go into the community and learn about Caraz and what opportunities there are to do Youth based work based off of information obtained in the community from citizens themselves. This is one of the first small glimpses PCTs receive before entering their communities to do their own community diagnostic.
After lunch, they heard a few words from Frank’s counterpart and a number of the PCVs in Ancash came to do a Volunteer panel. I’m not sure how helpful that particular panel went. A volunteer panel includes volunteers sitting before the trainees fielding any and all questions about PC life. I felt like it was one of the weaker aspects of the week. But if they learned just a little bit then that is a good thing. Also, it gave them a chance to meet some of the Health, Small Business, and Environmental Volunteers.
We put them to work right away. Monday night they discovered that the PCTs would be dividing into two groups and would be teaching a hand washing charla to second graders the next day. The divided up and worked together to plan what elements they would use to teach kids to wash their hands, a big problem in Peru and other developing nations…and sometimes even that person who walks out of the public restroom without washing his/her hands. You all know what I’m talking about. Anyway, they spent a couple hours working on their lessons for the next day and finally got some much sleep that night.
At this time I think it’s important to talk about this group of Trainees and how impressed I was with them. Here in Ancash, we received three male and seven female trainees. In the group, there isn’t one bad one amongst them. I was so pleased at how hard they all worked, and how excited they all are to be here and to get started. And still they are very appreciative of the training they are receiving. At this point a year ago, I was so sick of training and so ready to be a volunteer. But these PCTs all spoke about how they are enjoying training and can’t wait to go back and learn. They also loved the beauty of Ancash and seemed to enjoy their FBT. I can’t even say that there were standouts. At different points throughout the week I felt that each of them stepped up to take over a class or to do something impressive outside of the classes or our interactions with each other. I did have a strong connection with Leanna. She became a friend that I hope to maintain throughout the years. We had so much in common from our love of movies to our understanding of development work. I was impressed with her drive to improve her Spanish, and she motivated me to work on my Spanish again. There have been very few Volunteers that I have had an instant connection with, and I’m really hoping that she gets placed in Ancash so we can go hiking, camping, and get our nails done together (yes, I still have my girly moments).
On Tuesday we stayed in Caraz, one to allow the PCTs to give their charla in one of Frank’s schools, but also to give them more time to plan for their next day in Shilla with PCV Vishal (also from my training group). One day I’ll get a picture up of these all-stars so you can see them for yourselves. Tuesday night we also had a great little barbeque. It was nice to get some casual time with the PCTs to get to know them better, as well as to give them a few minutes throughout the week to chill and not think about working with children. Well, as you might be able to tell, I spent last week with the PCTs so I didn’t do anything at site. I need to plan some lessons so part II will come in a few more days.

Just a little taste of FBT....

2008-07-20T12:31:00.000-07:00

So I don't have a lot of time to write. I need to process through this last week. I will say this though. I had an absolutely fabulous time. Peru 11 rocks and they are going to be a great group to work with.

Half of the group giving a charla to a third grade class in Jangas. (r-l. Erin, Kelly, Kat, Jason, and Alex). They did a fabulous job.

Jason and Kat playing human knot with the students at Virgen de las Mercedes in Jangas.

The Young Adult assosciation in Jangas surprised me with roses. They like me! They really like me!

More to come! Plus Fiestas Patrias (Peruvian Independence Day!) is coming up. There will be a lot of picture opportunities again.

New Trainees New FBT

2008-07-12T11:36:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to write. With my extended time in Lima and trying to plan Field Based Training (FBT) for 10 Peru-11 youth Development Trainees my time and mental capacity have been limited.

The good news is that Peru 11 will be here on Monday, and I'm very excited to get to know them better and to get to see them in action. Of course, I'm stressed out bcause I've only been here for a couple of months and I'm going to be introducing these trainees to classes I have yet to work with. It's a lot of work to put together a week of FBT, but more than that, I feel like my FBT was really strong. So I of course, want to help these guys have a good FBT as well.

Wish me luck! More to come!

Good-bye Wisdom Tooth...and Peru 7 members of WID/GAaD

2008-06-30T16:05:00.000-07:00

They pulled my wisdom tooth. Apparently if you self-medicate long enough, they (the doctor types) see it as important to take action. I self-medicated for nine days, so Washington gave the okay to pull it. And let me tell you, it was the easiest trip to the dentist I have ever had. I was in the chair, he gave me an injection to numb my mouth. I went back out into the lobby to chat with my friend who came along to take care of me. They called me back into the chair and maybe seven minutes later I was holding my wisdom tooth, perfectly intact, between my thumb and my forefinger. I haven't had any pain, bleeding, nothing. I feel great.

With that said, I'll be heading home tomorrow. I'm excited to return. Now that I love my site, I don't like being away for very long. So I'll return on Wednesday.

Our WID/GAaD time was really productive. It will be sad to say good-bye to our Peru 7 members, but I think we'll have a good crew for our future endeavors. The training with Peru 11 went very well. They are a very positive and energetic group. They took the workshop very seriously, and I hope they had as much fun as I did. I look forward to working with them in the field.

It's always really great to get to meet the newbies, although it always signals that we're losing another group. Many in Peru 7 C.O.S. (close of service) August 2nd which means that I'll get to say good-bye to them before they go, but talk about a good group. They will definitely be missed, unless they're taking a third year. And then there are still more memories to be made. Peru 7 showed us the ins and outs of this country and what it means to be a Peace Corps volunteer. They took us to the good restaurants, told us which hostels give PC discounts, and danced the night away with us in the local discoteques. But, I don't want to say good-bye, to those seveners that will be leaving us, too early. I still have a month with a few of them.

But again my time in Lima is coming to a close, and for the first time since I started my service. I can't wait to leave Lima and return to my "home". That's nice. I think it shows that I finally love my job.

Still Normal

2008-06-23T10:23:00.000-07:00

I've been having trouble sleeping for the past few weeks. I wasn't sure if it's because we're eating dinner just before I go to sleep every night (usually between 8:30pm-9:30pm), if it's the environmental noise from the roosters who have chosen to crow at 3:00am and every half an hour after that until we're all up and moving, or if it's something else. I've been trying to wear earplugs, but that didn't help. So last night, I grabbed my new sleeping bag (thanks Katie) and I climbed in and didn't wake up until 7:15am. It was so nice. Although I think I woke up briefly in the middle of the morning (probably a rooster), I managed to fall back asleep immediately so it doesn't feel like I woke up at all. Ironically, I'm more tired today than I have been on nights when I didn't sleep very well.

I also am having a wisdom tooth problem. My upper right has decided to grow in with a vengeance (I know, I know you're asking yourself - "at her age!") but regardless it's the most painful wisdom tooth I've had to date. I'm not sure if Peace Corps will pull it or not, that decision lies in the hands of some dentist who reviews cases like mine in Washington. I could of course always just go to a dentist here to pull it without PC permission, but I doubt I would take that kind of risk. My former host mom in Catilluc had tooth pain, went in and pulled one, and then lost six more or something. She's 29 and doesn't have any of her upper front teeth. Not a good option.

I head to Lima this week. I'll be going to training (Peru 11 is here) with WID/GAAD (Women in Development/Gender Analysis and Development) to talk about gender specific issues that we face as volunteers here in Peru. I'll report more on it when I get to Lima on Thursday.

All in all, things are still good. I've started teaching self-esteem charlas to 4th graders, and they now all stop me on the street or in the school to greet me or give me a kiss on the cheek (a common greeting in Latin America). It's nice to be appreciated. PC has also sent some seeds to help start my single mother's garden project. Now, if only I could get the regiadores on board with me, but they've been busy travelling lately. I'm also trying to get tutoria up and running, so I can start teaching values and other important themes in the secondary school. I can't seem to get the teachers on board with me in this project, which has been slightly discouraging. But that's normal. I'll resume my efforts on this when I return from Lima.

So, just a quick update. I'll post more pictures soon. Take care!

Things are too normal

2008-06-15T13:44:00.000-07:00

Well, life has fallen into the normal pattern. You know when you get to a place where you don't even know what's exciting anymore because everything is the same ol, same ol. So, until I have a cool story to tell or more fun information, here are a few more pics from my time in Ancash.

This is the Plaza de armas en Carhuaz which is just north of my site. I've been very impressed with Ancash's Plazas and Catholic churches. Even with the destruction caused by the 1970's earthquake they've managed to really create some cool architectural stuff in their towns and cities. Huaraz might be the only exception, but it still has some cool stuff going on here as well. The plaza fountain does a color show at night.

Mama Gi and her cocina mejorada, so I'm not smoked out of the kitchen every night. She's not a great cook, but she's very sweet. She knows I'm not a big fan of white rice so whenever she makes it for the family she makes fried rice for me. I hope to start cooking for them soon, who knows if they'll like my crazy recipes, but we'll find out soon enough. Gi is very busy and she has talked to me about cooking on the nights that she is off in the field working. I might take her up on that. But only if I can cook the stuff I want.

My first regional meeting we took a hike up to Lake Churup. It was quite the hike and I was out of shape and lagging far behind my Ancash colleagues, but here's the picture to prove I got there. Not a bad view right.

Well, hopefully more to come. I did get my haircut today and a manicure too. Sometimes I can't believe I'm in the Peace Corps.

Chau!

Family Time

2008-06-03T08:19:00.000-07:00

I don't really hve much new to add. I am loving Ancash, and I'm very happy in my new site. Here's a couple more photos:

There was an Parade to Raise Awareness about the Environment. It was really cool to see all of the kids in their traditional dress and signs in Quechua.

Also, here's a pick of my family (l-r) Julio, Yoshi, July, and Gi. We have a lot of fun together.

In Memory

2008-05-31T09:36:00.000-07:00

Today is the 38th anniversary of one of the greatest tragedies to befall the people of Ancash. On May 31st, 1970 a 7.9 to 8.0 earthquake hit Ancash. Just last August I experienced a 7.9 earthquake that originated in the department of Ica, south of Lima, and it was a little scary. The problem with this earthquake in Ancash was that in the 1970’s the infrastructure of Ancash wasn’t prepared for the damage this would cause. It devastated Huaraz wiping out nearly 80-90% of the city. Many people died. But the tragedy also managed to annihilate an entire pueblo. 17,000 people were killed when a chunk of ice broke off of Huascaran and caused an avalanche and landslide that wiped out Yunguy killing the entire population except for 400. A small group of youth that were off performing a play or watching a circus (depending on the source) in another town, and were spared, but their families weren’t. Yunguy is only 45 minutes away from Jangas. In total 47,000 people died in the department of Ancash with estimates upwards to 66,000. Picture of the wrecking from phoitus.com

My host father, Julio, remembers the earthquake well. He was seven years old. He told me that he was sweeping the floor of his house, while his older brother was cleaning dishes, and his younger two-year old brother was playing nearby. Julio said it started as loud sound, and then the earth started to rock, then shake, and finally the ground would open up and then close again. He and his three brothers ran outside to an area where there weren’t any trees or walls that would fall on them, and they watched the walls of the mud houses around them tumble a little bit. But thankfully because the strong structure of the adobe houses, there wasn’t much devastation in Jangas. Julio told me that very few died here. Huaraz on the other hand looked like a wrecking ball had gotten loose. I recently saw an amateur video taken of the carnage; there were walls, windows, and dead bodies everywhere. Yunguy was nothing but a mud slab.

This picture is from www.phoitus.com. You can kind of see where Yunguy formerly resided.

The new National Park of Old Yunguy. (There is a new town of Yunguy).

I recently visited Old Yunguy which is now a National Park. It is a flower garden with a few memories of what was left after the earthquake finished. The only thing that survived intact was a white statue of Jesus that was located in the Plaza de Armas. That statue currently resides over the cemetery looking out over the expanse that was the former Yunguy.

I can’t describe how sad I felt walking through Old Yunguy knowing that thousands of people were buried beneath my feet, families, young children, communities, and entire city all gone in a few moments. The death-toll amounts to 16 Sept 11ths or the entire city of Wilson, North Carolina being wiped off the face of the planet. Coincidentally, almost 10 years to the day Mount Saint Helen’s erupted on May 18th, 1980 killing 57 people and a number of animals. Recently, some volunteers were told that there is a prediction that another big one is going to hit Ancash this year. Here’s hoping this prediction proves to be false.

Here I am in the National Park in Former Yunguy.

The New Life, The Good Life

2008-05-21T09:48:00.000-07:00

My new room with a REAL lemon tree (right).

I really like Jangas.

I've only started my second week, but I'm already doing so much work. I'm meeting with so many people and we're starting new projects. In a few weeks, I will have easily surpassed the amount of work I did my entire time in Catilluc. I went to a meeting of the Asociacion Cultural de Jovenes - Jangas (my primary project), and instead of people just sitting around looking at me for answers or ideas, they actually had ideas. So I'll be starting an English class this Thursday.

Now teaching English is a big debate in not only Peace Corps, but in the Development Work Community. There are many pros and cons for teaching English. I usually err on the side of not teaching it, because it makes me feel like I'm forcing my culture on them. Although I guess if they ask and I don't teach it, I'm also asserting some kind of power of control. In the long run, I feel better about teaching it in Ancash than Catilluc because I feel like it is more useful here. There is much more tourism in Ancash, and Jangas is so close to Huaraz and Huascaran that them learning English might help them find jobs. And if English can give them a better life, I guess I need to suck it up and learn how to teach English.

My new bed in my new bedroom in Jangas.

Last night my counterpart called and said that one of the Regiadors (advisers, city council member type-people) would like me to teach a class on Parenting. It's pretty cool when they are asking you to teach classes that you hadn't really thought about yet. So I'll meet with him tonight to see if I can be of some kind of service in this area. More and more projects, more and more opportunities.

Of course, I still need to work on my Community Diagnostic Study, which will help me understand and learn more about the community where I know live and work. I guess that will happen when it happens.

The Pics for Jangas

2008-05-18T09:40:00.000-07:00

Finally, I am able to post some pics of Jangas, Ancash. This is a view from a neighboring hill.
To the left of that hill in the background is Huascaran, but this wasn't a very clear day. I hope to go out in the next couple of weeks and get a good shot. It's really beautiful here right now. It's bright, sunny days and lately it's been clear enough to see Huascaran, although I think I need to go down the road a little to get a good picture.

Yeah, I live here now. It's so beautiful. I feel very lucky. And even though it's only been about a week, I really like it here. I was even feeling a little under the weather yesterday and still found myself thankful for my family (that pumped me so full of natural home remedies for my different symptoms) and my new room.

I had a meeting on Friday with the four communication teachers, and it looks like we're going to start a Journalism club. Who knew? I haven't been a practicing Journalist since 2002. This should be interesting. But I guess it's a whole new vocabulary. And I will be working with the communication teachers so maybe they can help me improve my Spanish. It's better, but I've somewhat stalled and now would like to take it to the next level. There are some other potential options for work as well, like self-esteem classes in the primary school, computer classes, and tutoria (which is like a potlach class where I can teach healthy lifestyle and money management classes).

My first meeting with my primary project is tonight. I'll be watching another volunteer give a talk on business, which I am very excited to learn about as well as meet the other members of the Young Adult Association. After Ryan (the volunteer teaching tonight) finishes with his classes we're going to move into learning traditional dances. And after we're going to do some environmental projects.

I've been here just under a week, and I already feel like I've been here for a year.

I LOVE ANCASH! And as the other volunteers in this department say, "Ancash is better."

Good Start

2008-05-14T09:26:00.000-07:00

So I'm here. Well, I'm there. Because I have to use Internet in Huaraz in order to stay in communication. Although you might notice my new address in the upper left-hand corner of the screen. I'm currently having some difficulties putting pictures of Jangas on my blog. So they might have to wait.

Here's the latest information:

I adore my family. I have a host mother and a host father. My host father, Julio, drives a combi (small bus like thing) and my mom, Gi, is mostly a house wife, but she sells cuyes (guinea pigs) and tends a garden. I have two younger sisters. One is named July (pronounced Julie) she is 17 and is studying to be an executive assistant, although she really wants to be a police officer. We're talking about running in the mornings, even though we both talk about loving our sleep. My younger sister just tuned 16 and she is finishing up her last year in secondary school. Her name is Yoshina but we just call her Yoshi. She is so sweet. They have all been so kind to me thus far. Especially my mom who tries so hard to cook meals that I will like. I became a vegetarian in Catilluc, so I realize that cooking for me now is no easy process. I try to be accommodating, but I've managed to lose 15 pounds that I so desperately needed to lose. So, I don't really want to go back to eating too much meat and dairy products.

The main difference between my work in Jangas as compared to my work in Catilluc is that already (day two) I have two potential clubs/classes. In Catilluc it was like pulling teeth to get anyone to work with me. On Friday I meet with a teacher in the local colegio to talk about starting or helping with a Journalism club. As you may or may not know, my Bachelor's degree is in Journalism. So I'm really excited to see if I can be of any service in this area. I also met with a very excited woman who teaches the computer classes. I'll be sitting in on her classes on Monday to see if I can bring anything to the table to help out. My main counterpart agencies have already expressed interest in working in theater and dance, environmental causes, as well as helping the teachers in the local school with computers, and other areas.

My counterpart, Milton, has been such a huge help. He is the President of a Young Adult Association. They do many things in the community like recycling, teaching about nutrition, and they will be my main support during my next year in Jangas. I am so excited to work with them. Currently, they're working with a third-year business volunteer who is teaching them about small business design and application. After he finishes his workshop, we'll start dance classes which I am really excited about. I have wanted to learn how to do more the traditional dances while I am here. After the danza (dance) workshops we'll work on a campaign to teach people about the proper way to burn trash. Apparently, there is a big day where everyone burns their garbage but they include things like plastic bags and other toxins which really aren't great for the environment. It's so hard to believe I have a support system of young people who are excited about getting into the community and making a difference.

I wish these pictures would load, but I just might try again later. Until then...

A New Start…Welcome to Jangas, Ancash

2008-05-12T07:57:00.000-07:00

Although at this point I’ve only spent about three hours at my new site, Jangas [hongus]. Jangas is a beautiful site. Nestled between the Cordillera Blanca and the Cordillera Negra. I have a great view of Huascaran, the second largest mountain in the Americas, and the second highest mountain range (the Andes) in the world. I am feeling a little bit more positive than I was in Cajamarca. I guess that’s just a fresh start. I’m very wary after the last eight and a half months in Catilluc of the people, the work, and of course the expectations on me. And I’m very worried that my next year will be as unsuccessful as my first. So I keep plugging away, hoping that eventually excitement will come over me that makes me love this job.

Yet, Huaraz is amazing. There are great restaurants here. And in general I like the feel. Jangas is only about 20 minutes away from Huaraz, so my local market and internet are here in Huaraz. It’s also only a sol or a sol fifty to get to and from Huaraz and Jangas. It reminds me of training when we used to have to grab a combi every morning to get to the training center. I don’t plan on being here every morning, but it will be nice to sit in a coffee shop and use the wireless internet. Can you believe I’m in Peace Corps? Some days, I can’t.

Speaking of training, Peru 11 will be arriving June 6th I believe. They will be another group of Small Business and Youth Development trainees and then volunteers. I will be heading down to Lima to give a talk with the Women in Development/Gender and Development committee. We do a quick training session on gender problems that could come up during one’s service in Peru.

But today, I’m just feeling nervous. I want this new start to be the Peace Corps service that I hoped for. And maybe my expectations are misplaced, but hopefully, I can modify those as I go. Or maybe that was my downfall in Catilluc. But live and learn, right?

Last Days in Catilluc

2008-05-08T17:10:00.000-07:00

Surprisingly, my last day in Catilluc was much harder than I expected it to be. I expected to pack up, give a couple of hugs and run out the door into the car that would take me swiftly to Cajamarca. Instead, I realized that there were many people who I owed a personal good-bye, as well as, many people of whom I didn't yet have photos. There were a couple of times when I was near tears as I said my good-byes but held it together like Scarlett O'Hara promising myself that I could cry tomorrow. I made a personal list of the five people/families that I would miss, and I'll share it here with you (including photos).

1. My family: We started off very rocky, and my host mom tended to be absent more than she was present, but it's not how you start...it's how you end. And we ended very well. Our last few dinners together we sang songs, told jokes and funny stories, and it was just like what I wanted the whole time. So, I will definitely miss my family, but even more, I'll miss my host mom. She's such a free spirit, and I really hope that she gets her life figured out.

This is the gorgeous quilt my mom made for me, with my family.

2. The Doctor - he was a great guy. He was always very supportive, and he always had a good joke. He was there when I needed to talk about stuff, although I think he was frustrated that I didn't share enough. I really adored his wife and two young daughters as well.

Doctor Ademar and me in front of the Health Center. There's currently a campaign against Hepatitis B.

3. David and Ester and family - David's a sociologist and Ester's not from Catilluc which explains why they seemed to be the only two people at times that "got me" when I lived there. Saying good-bye to them was especially hard. I teared up a number of times. David even joked, when we took a picture together that he was going to tell all of his friends that I was his girlfriend from the US, and I told him that I was going to tell all my friends that he was my boyfriend in Peru. We always had so much fun together.

Here we are in their house with their four children.

4. Professor Edith - she is a science teacher and I met her because I sat in on a number of her English classes (just like in the states, sometimes teacher's are forced to teach things they aren't necessarily qualified for). She was the closest thing I had to a girlfriend, but I have a lot of regrets with Edith because I really wanted to get to know her better. She was gone for vacations during my hardest months.

This is a horrible picture, and we had obviously both been a little teary. My nose gets red when I cry.

5. Last, but definitely not least, Mama Casilda. You guys have seen her picture. I love this woman. She is so campo (from the country), I can't understand half of what she says, but she has adopted me and taken me in like I was her on. I feel lucky to have her in my life, and I will miss her so, so much.

Mama Casilda. I might have posted this picture already, but it's my most recent.

So there you have. I had a massage today, and I let go of all the horrible times in Catilluc. I now leave tomorrow to head to my new site in Ancash. I am so nervous, but incredibly excited.

And Finally...The Big News

2008-05-01T20:26:00.000-07:00

So, I'm finally ready to announce that after much debate, many long months, and a lot of crying, that Peace Corps has decided to move me out of Catilluc and to a new site in a different department. This decision has come after the awful meeting a few months ago with a few of the members of my committee, plus the constant rehashing of this awful event by community members, and the inability for the people of my site to communicated with me like adults. To explain, things have been difficult at site. And then it gets better. And then another bomb will drop and things will be difficult again. And then I'll find something else to love about Catilluc again, only to hear another lie about me in the community. The amazing thing is that I'm not much of a gossip, but I keep hearing all of these things that I have said out of context, blown out of proportion, or a complete falacy.

I've actually known for about five months now that Peace Corps wanted to move me, but it was in March when they made the final decision and I stopped holding out and decided to submit to their decision. I am sad, but not that sad. There will be people I miss in Catilluc, but they're not the people I thought. Now that things are better with my family, I will miss them a lot. I will miss Mama Casilda and some of the teachers.

My little brother Fran, my host mom Yobani, and me in a milk truck on our way to Cajamarca.

But I will not miss the gossip, learning about another thing I had done wrong two months after the fact. I will not miss my counterpart who has been a huge gossip and not much of an advocate. I've also told everyone I'm going to Tumbes, rather than telling them I'm headed to the beautiful department of Ancash. I will still be living in the Andes, and I will still live in a small town, alhough this one is four time the size of Catilluc.

Let's just say I feel a huge relief, and I'm ready for my service to get started on a more positive note. I'll tell you more about my new site when I get there.

My younger siter Ailyn and me in her classroom at school.

Getting along with the Rents

2008-04-22T16:11:00.000-07:00

So since returning from Vacation, I have had the rare opportunity to get to spend a lot of quality time with my host mom. She really is the amazing person that I first met when I moved to Catilluc. The other day we went to a parillada (bbq) and really had a good time. I danced and she helped serve and take care of the people. I got to meet some more of her sisters, my host aunts. And mostly it just felt really chill and naturally to be with her.

My host family (ul Ailyn, me, Yobani, ll Fran, Maximo)

It's good that I'm starting to get along wtih Yobani, because Rosa left me about a month ago. I'm really feeling the lack of good, close friends. Friends that I can confide in and not hear about it the next day in the community. Gossip is an amazing thing in these small Peruvian towns. Not that I can blame them. They didn't have a written language in this country until the Spanish came, and most of their entertainment came through storytelling which caught them up on what was happening with the families in nearby villages. Gossip is just a continuation of that particular tradition. Now, of course, that doesn't make me feel any better when I hear lies about me in the community. But I'm learning I can't always control what other people think or say about me. This is one tough lesson for me, because I always want to be liked by everyone, and I don't want anyone to have a bad opinion of me. But I need to grow up and move on.

Mama Casilda and me.

Things in Catilluc have certainly been difficult since December. I feel like everytime I managed to get my foot in the door while staying planted firmly on the ground, then another big bomb will drop in my lap and completely devastate me. Of course, the current highlight, is just getting to spend quality time with my host mom and host family. It's so nice to feel like I'm a part of this family really for the first time since my early days in Catilluc.

Semana Santa a couple weeks and a few soles short

2008-04-06T14:37:00.000-07:00

So I'm three weeks late of posting about Semana Santa. Many people emailed me to talk to me about what goes on here in Peru during the Holy Week before Easter, and the honest answer is...I have no idea.

The great thing about Semana Santa for me this year was that because it's consists of four vacation days for Peruvians, it also is four free vacation days for us volunteers. And seeing how things at site have been somewhat difficult, I had no personal qualms about getting away from the rain and dreariness of Cajamarca for bright sun, sand, and surf in Northern Peru.

My friend Bron and I went up to Mancora, Piura for a few days to "dry out". It was a good move for both of us. We had a great time. We met up with other Peru 9 volunteers, and we made a bunch more new friends from our great big Peace Corps family.

One night we all went out dancing, and for the first time in my service we were in a big PC group of Peru 7, 8,9 and 10ers all just having a good time. There truly is something that connects you to other people even if you didn't spend three months in training with them.

We also made new friends with some local fisherman. One day we (Bron and I) headed to a remote part of Piura to get away from the Semana Santa crowds with our new friend Brian (Peru 10). What we didn't realize was that we were going to a place that had no restaurant, store, or very consistent transportation. So after a couple hours of lounging around the beach we got hungry. We knew that we were pretty isolated and foreigners so we asked a family BBQ-ing on the beach next to us where we could find some food. In their awesome Peruvian generosity they invited us to eat with them. We had good food with a lot of potatoes (of course), but even more we had great conversation. Again, we were explaining what Peace Corps is and what we do, and they were teaching us about their lives. They were fishermen and so they showed us the fish they caught and how they wash their hands. They explained things to us about Peruvian culture as they knew it living on the coast. All in all, it was a great time, with great conversation. And we made new friends with more of the awesome people of this amazing country.

Brian, me, and Bron meeting the fish that our friends had caught that day.
Bron learning how to wash her hands like a fisherman with one of our friends.

The sunset in Mancora. It disappeared so fast, I didn't really have time to get a great shot.

Here I am catching up on the latest in movies, music, and television. I'm reading Entertainment Weekly. Thanks Big Sis for sending them to me.

As for the title of this blog, I did come back from vacation totally broke, but it was worth every penny.

Problems with Blogging...for the moment

2008-04-03T14:51:00.000-07:00

I can't currently post my blog about Unsha, but I'll be headed to Cajamarca tomorrow. So I'll give a big, long update about life as of late in Catilluc.

I hope all is well. Forgive my long absence.

Unsha

2008-04-03T14:40:00.000-07:00

A few days ago there was a big fiesta in Catilluc. The Unsha is a traditional fiesta that follows the season of Carnaval. In all honesty, I think it’s just another excuse to party. Welcome to Peru. The tradition centers on a big tree that is put up over night in the town plaza. Then a bunch of “gifts” are hung on the tree. At night there is a big partner dance where the partners work to cut down the tree. When the tree is down people take the gifts with the knowledge that they will replace it the next year two-fold. So if I take on bottle of Pepsi (or whatever), I need to provide two bottles next year. I'm not sure people really follow through with this though because the tree was a little barren. The big “winner” is the person that strikes the final blow to cut down the tree, and they have to underwrite next year’s Unsha. I didn’t take anything; I actually didn’t even get to see the ceremony as the actual dance happened way too late into the night.

The big tree with presents

I did attend the dance for a little while though. Everyone always wants to dance with the gringa. To be honest, I’m pretty sick of dances in Catilluc. You usually dance to one of three types of music: huayno, cumbia, and marinera. They’re all fairly similar except the marinera which I don’t even know how to dance. I hope that eventually I can get someone to teach me in the privacy of their own home. The hardest part about dances in Catilluc is avoiding the drunken men. Last night a guy insisted that I dance with him, even though I insisted I didn’t know how to dance marinera. Eventually a friend saved me, but I ended up having to dance the marinera – very poorly. Sometimes I just wish that I could dance salsa or meringue or even a little hip-hop. Anything else would be great!

I hope to write another entry about Semana Santa which was two weeks ago, but I do have some pictures from my time in Mancora, Piura.

What's a party without futbol?

More pics from the Self-Portrait Tour

2008-03-17T13:59:00.000-07:00

These pictures are in reverse order:

Me, Katie, and the man in the middle, was our guide around the city of Cuzco. He was cool.

Katie and my self-portrait in Manchu Picchu.

In Ollantaytambo...ancient irrigation system.

Me in Pisaq...one of our first stops in Cuzco.

All About the Vacation Photos

2008-03-16T15:48:00.001-07:00

Here are the long awaited photos from Katie's and my trip to Cuzco and Machu Picchu:

Katie and me at one of the other less-famous archelogical sites in Cuzco. Ollantaytambo

Here's me resting in the walls at Machu Picchu...I don't think I was supposed to sit there.

The postcard view of Machu Picchu.

Katie and I on top of Waynapicchu. This is where you get the best view of Machu Picchu.
This place was called Pukapukara, and with a view like that and a name like that how could I not include it on this blog.

Finally, here's Katie and I at the Plaza de Armas in Arequipa. The White City.

The Self-Portrait Tour

2008-03-14T06:37:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the delay in updating. A lot has happened, but it's hard to put it into words.

Katie and I had a great time in Cuzco and Arequipa. We spent a couple of days at Colca Canyon - one of the deepest in the world. We spent a little time in some thermal hotsprings, called baths in Peru. And we at the best Alpaca empanadas (called Sartenas, I believe). We got to meet up with my friend Angie very briefly as she had to return to site, but it's always so nice spending time with your Peace Corps friends, and when you're on vacation they can tell you the best places to go and how to avoid the not so great places. All in all, we had a great time in both departments of Cuzco and Arequipa. We even spent a few relaxing hours in Arequipa, the city, just chilling and walking around. We bought a ton of little souvenirs. But mostly, it's just be nice to have Katie here. We've been chatting and getting all caught up on our lives.

Right now we're in Cajamarca. We'll head back to site tonight. I'm excited for Katie to get to meet my friends in Catilluc and for her to try cuy! She leaves Tuesday. And then I go on another vacation. Semana Santa where I'll get to hang out with morevolunteers that I haven't sen in awhile. I can't wait! Sorry, pictures still to come.

On Vacation

2008-03-06T07:49:00.000-08:00

So, I'm finally getting a little down time. If it can be called that. I am spending a few days with my good friend Katie in Southern Peru. We are visiting the provinces of Cuzco and Arequipa. Two places with a lot of very cool things to do, and Arequipa has some of the coolest volunteers in all of Peru (okay, I would say that about any department).

Yesterday was the big day...MACHU PICCHU. I'll hopefully be able to post pictures in the next few days, but right now all those images are trapped on my camera without a cable or a computer (like my computer) to link them to. So pictures to come.

Our day started at 6:00am which was incredibly early considering that this is a vacation. But we rolled out of bed and got dressed and even managed to have half a cup of coffee before our bus came and we had to load up. We rode for an hour and a half to a place called Urubamba to catch the train. There, we had another, oh so important, cup of coffee. We rode on the train for another hour and forty minutes when we reached the town of Aguas Calientes (hot waters) which is at the base of Machu Picchu, which is actually the Quechua name for the mountain not the town that is there. We had a few minutes to ourselves. So Katie and I went to these cute little Artisan market and bought a couple of wall hangings. We ran back to our guide just in time to catch the bus up to the archaeological site. The bus ride was another 30 minutes on switchbacks. When we first got a glimpse of the beautiful ancient site. We did manage to get an English speaking guide, so I wouldn't have to translate for Katie the entire time. And he gave us the background on the ancient site...which there are still a lot of questions surrounding. No one is really sure what the purpose is, though they think it had to do with agriculture and religion. Which weren't necessarily exclusive to one another to the Incas. We only spent a few minutes with out guides before we were giving the go ahead to climb Wanapicchu which is the larger mountain to the right of Machu Picchu in all the up close pictures. In the aerial pictures, that's probably where they are taking those pictures from. It's an hour climb up a lot of rocky stairs. When we finally reached the look out it was pretty foggy over Machu Picchu, so we waited and took as many pictures as we could when the clouds cleared. Then we hiked back down, Katie overcoming her fear of heights.

When we got back down to Machu Picchu (the mountain and the site) we took a quick look around and the rains started to pour. So we headed back to the buses to return to Aguas Calientes. We found a nice little pizza place and grabbed a table next the adobe pizza oven. We made some friends with five Europeans hiking the famous Inca Trail while we were watching soccer. I believe it was Real Madrid against some team I've never heard of (surprise, surprise). When we finished we went back to bartering and shopping. I've been trying to find little gifts that maybe I can send in the mail, although I have some fears of them being stolen, seeing as that is what happened last time. I did buy a few of the red and black seed bracelets. The seeds are native to Peru and signify good luck. And Katie bought a few gifts for the people back home. We finished all of our shopping and returned to the train station just in time to board the train for the return trip. We got back to our hostel at around 10:00pm. A full and long, but beautiful day. Machu Picchu really is one of the seven new wonders of the world.

Pictures to come.

The Continuing Search for Motivation

2008-02-25T07:52:00.000-08:00

Motivation can be a difficult part of the Peace Corps service. Some people are easily motivated, while others need some kind of inspiration. When I graduated from college I worked three jobs. I didn’t necessarily need the money, and I didn’t necessarily make a lot. I think I just wanted to be busy. Here, in Catilluc, every day is battle to find the motivation to do something, anything. I spend four plus hours every morning alone in my room trying to find the motivation to brush my teeth, get dressed, and be a part of my new community. I’m not sure exactly why it’s so hard to go out into Catilluc proper and start my day or my work. And when I’m not in Catilluc, I am so motivated to try a million projects and interact with the amazing people who live here. And then I return, and I feel weighed down by the burden and responsibility. I’m hoping this is a temporary result of having too much responsibility put on my shoulders by everyone around me. Responsibility that my training and education tells me is not really mine.

One of my greatest fears about development work is making the mistakes of generations before me. There is really no way to apologize for colonialism and imperialism. There is no way to apologize for the mass murder of cultures and societies in the name of development. Now, I’m not naïve enough to think I have some kind of special power that could change the way Peru exists as we know it, but isn’t it the small deaths that lead to the bigger ones. If I just took the full responsibility of the CAID for the next year and a half and then watched the doors close after four years of Peace Corps intervention, would that be a small death or just me being “overly-dramatic”? Or would it be better to walk away from the work right now, and not enable the irresponsibility of others (not that they are irresponsible in all areas of their lives, just in this organization)? And after nine months in country, I have very little to show for my time.

The above sounds so pessimistic; and I honestly don’t feel pessimistic. I feel realistic. Like now is the time of my journey to take a serious look at what I’m doing and why I’m doing it. I am making so me very strong friendships that I would honestly miss if I left tomorrow. The other day I was returning from Llamapampa (a local caserio – 45 minute walk) with my “mama” in Catilluc and it was starting to lightly rain. Now Mama Casilda (as I call her) is no spring chicken. She must be in her 50’s at least (which in this culture makes you look much older than you are), but we started to run. I was surprised by this behavior because I don’t think I’ve seen a Peruvian run yet. But Mama Casilda has this giggle that is infectious, and I found myself running and giggling with her in the rain. Every time I eat with them (which is very frequently as my host family is nowhere to be found) she insists that I need to eat more. Of course usually one plate of plain white rice is plenty sufficient, but I find myself trying to please her because she’s so sweet. Of course I’m gaining weight because of it, but it doesn’t matter at this point. Weight can always be lost, but I would never want to lose her respect especially over a measly plate of rice. Little by little I’m learning new things about myself. Little by little I’m finding that I can be content even in difficult situations. And little by little I see rays of sunshine in this very rainy time of year and time in my work.

Mama Casilda with a sheep head. I love her laugh, and we laughed a lot this day as well.

Bad Days and Good Days

2008-02-20T08:21:00.000-08:00

So my last blog reported on me having another bad day and another bad conversation about the frustrations of development work in developing countries. BUT the next day, was one of the best I've had at site. I spent most of the day with community members, some good friends, some old friends and I'm laughed a lot yesterday. I'm thankful that the time between good days and bad days is decreasing. I still wonder if I'm helping or hindering the process, but I believe that's a normal question. And for the time being, I can deal with the ambiguity of it all.

I received a call this morning from the community phone. We don't have phone lines in our houses. We just have on community phone where everyone receives there calls. Oh! And we don't have cell service either. So I received a call from the Peace Corps office in Lima telling me that my APCD will not be coming to visit my sites. Allegedly the sierra (the mountains - where I live at 10,000 feet) has received more rain this year than normal. Roads are washed out and travel has become very difficult. Also to make travel even more difficult, there is what seems to be a strike of Agricultural workers. They are blocking road ways in protest and some people have even been killed - probably accidents. But that's the reality of strikes in Peru. I bring this up, partly for everyone to understand the realities of life over here, and partly because one of my closest friends in coming to visit me in a couple of weeks. I'm really hoping the strike will reach an agreement or I will be unable to get to Lima to pick her up. The last time we spoke, on the phone, all she said was "Yeah there are things I want to do, but mostly I just want to hang out with you. So please just get here. That's all I'm asking." And because of the rains...it's hard to fly. And because of the strike...it's hard to get anywhere on land. Here's hoping two weeks solves the problem.

...And we're back.

2008-02-19T08:10:00.000-08:00

It rained all of yesterday. It was my first taste of the true rainy season, and let me tell you it was kind of miserable. I usually love the rain. What is that Garbage song, "I'm only happy when it rains." In this case, it was tough. It didn't help that I had another tough discussion with my counterpart. It seems like we're all still frustrated with the slow progress in the CAID. I feel like I'm taking on a giant share of the responsibility, and I feel like that is unfair. One of the cultural problems in Peru is that everyone is afraid to accept responsibility until something goes well. Apparently there's a long history of the person responsible getting fired or in trouble when their project isn't successful. Needless to say, no one is assuming responsibility for the future of the CAID, and I believe that hinders the success.

One of the reasons I joined the Peace Corps, rather than another organization is that I knew I was going to a) be taken care of b) receive proper training c) work within the context of the local community and costums. I can't take part in "c" without the help of someone working along side of me. In fact, I hate the idea of working alone in a foreign country with only moderately decent foreign language skills. That's not development work, that's imperialism...and I have no interest in being a colonialist or imperialist. But of course, I'm faced with that inevitable questions: Am I helping or hindering the progress of the CAID by being here? I don't have an answer, but my APCD will be visiting on Thursday and I hope we have nice long talk where she can give me clarity on the matter.

Until then, I have to live with the ambiguity of it all. And now that internet is back up in the colegio, I hope that I can blog a little more frequently with my answers to the above and any other questions that come up along the way.

Getting to Know the People of Catilluc

2008-02-16T07:01:00.001-08:00

The past two weeks have been impossible to do anything on the internet. I can't wait until school starts in March so that I have slightly more consistant (and faster) internet access.

Last time I blogged, two weeks ago, I forgot to mention that I went to a special wedding during Carnaval as well. Below are Esther and David. Esther is one of the technicos (think pharmacist) at the Centro de Salud in Catilluc, and David is a hometown boy who owns a bunch of cows and has his degree in sociology. They have actually been living together for over 11 years and have four children.
Esther and David have been two big, big advocates for me. David with his background understood from the first moment that I was probably a little timid. Esther told me, about a month ago, that she didn't like me when she first met me, but after I met David and David defended me she took a step back and realized that her initial impression of me was probably more my timidity (especially with Spanish) than my snobbery. Since, she has turned out to be a good friend who his very honest with me. That helps because Peru is a country of saving face, and it's hard to save face when you don't know what you're doing wrong.

So they invited me to their wedding. It was a very simple ceremony. It was a very Catholic ceremony with their younger daughters being baptized in the middle of it. The role of the padrinos (God parents) was promenent as they sat at the front with the couple the entire ceremony. The priest was very bossy. He kept telling people to control their children (a first for me in Peru), from where they could take photos, when the congregants were reciting a prayer he made them do it over - loader, and he even yelled at a couple at one point. That would never fly with a bride in the US, but Esther and David just sat there calmly. It was really just an honor to be invited.

Progress in the moving area is slow, but moving along. My new family has put in the door to my new room and the woodwork of the windows. They are going to put up plastic on the ceilings (you guys know how much I love rats) and glass on the windows and electricity. What I really need is stairs. Next chance I get, I'll take pictures and post them. For now, enjoy this picture with me and my soon-to-be host father.

Here's a picture of Ricardo and me at the Minksa. I took it self-portrait style.

That pictures comes from a day of volunteer work in the community. The former Andean tribes had a quechua word for these group activities. It's called Minksa and it was used in ancient times to call people to come together and help one member of the tribe or another. It is still used in Peru to bring people together, in this case, to clean the town and the lagoon.

Here's some of the men from Catilluc getting ready to dig a larger lagoon.

Like I said, hopefully I get to post more frequently when school starts again and I have internet fromt he colegio.

CARNAVAL!!

2008-02-03T17:33:00.002-08:00

My good friend Alex and me at our favorite bar in Cajamarca

I write tonight from a Peace Corps Superbowl Party. It's a little crazy to be taking part in such a US institution while listening to the play by play in Spanish. But as I write Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers just gave a pretty good little half-time show and the undefeated Patriots are leading the Giants by 4. If you're reading this now, you probably already know the winner, and so do I. FLAG!

I'm actually able to watch the Superbowl because many of my PC friends old and new have converged on my capital city to celebrate Carnaval. A time of drinking and getting soaking wet or starting paint wars. So as people are celebrating Mardi Gras in a hopefully recovering New Orleans, those who can't afford to go to Rio de Janero for their last hurrah before Lent come ad hang out in Cajamarca, Peru.

We had so much fun. We started off the day by a quick breakfast, but before we knew it the streets had converged into madness of music, shouting, water, and paint. I didn't even make it back to the hostal from breakfast before I was attacked with paint thrown in my hair, on my clothes (luckily I had dressed for the occassion), and I had cream paint rubbed in my face. I eventually made it into the hostal to really prepare. We spent the rest of the morning filling water balloons and painting our faces. My friend Alex (again), me, my friend Lillian (third year volunteer), and my good friend Sarah (Peru 7)

When we felt adequately prepared we dashed to the streets to pelt or paint anyone in our way, and to receive a little in the way of water and tint for ourselves. We had so much fun, and we danced and made merry. Before long we were out of ammo and headed back to the hostal for round two. This time I filled a bag just for myself and took the streets with my Peru 9 crew to show these Peruvians how to throw a water balloon. I am now convinced that the Olympics needs a water balloon event. I'm pretty sure Team USA would win any year the Chinese didn't. I was impressed with the skills of my fellow Peace Corps volunteers and, to be honest, my own. I hit an old lady on a balcony by splitting threw here protective doors. And before you go all "Old people abuse" on me, she started it by throwing a bucket at us. So much fun. When we weren't throwing balloons or squirting water guns, we would throw paint. Sometimes you would load it on your hand and rub it all over someone's face or handprint their back. All the action accumulated in the Plaza (remember every Peruvian city or town has a Plaza de Armas). Here we threw more balloons and used a water balloon launcher before we danced and started throwing paint on everyone. It was such a blast. My friend Bron and I returning to the Hostal to load up on amo with the rest of the crew.

I hope you enjoy the pictures. And if you think about coming to visit me. Carnaval would be a good time. Now I guess the only question left is: what do I give up for Lent?

Finally, we're talking about...sustainability

2008-01-29T17:21:00.000-08:00

It feels like my life has taken on somewhat of a comfortable continuity, except that the internet isn’t working so I haven’t been able to check my email in a number of days or update my blog. I would be frustrated by this if I actually felt like I had something to write about, but lately it’s been the same ol’, same ol’. Yet something fantastic happened the other day. During a cancelled meeting, five members of the CAID committee and I met and talked about the future goals of the CAID. Now I didn’t set these goals, but surprise of all surprises…one of the main goals is sustainability. Apparently, they have been listening, and many people had ideas about how to accomplish this. I am so excited. My work is not in vain.

Now it’s never easy to take a step back and let someone else be in charge of everything, but I’m learning to give up me ego in that respect. During my courses last year, we spoke frequently on the importance of an international volunteer learning to be second in the eyes of the people they help. Especially if that volunteer will only be in that country for a short time. This can be difficult for a control freak like me, but I’ll take it over the crazy thought that as a volunteer from another country I should be doing all the work and assuming all the responsibility of a foreign institution.

On a personal note, I haven’t seen my host mom since before Christmas. There’s a lot of gossip around town that her and my host dad have split up. I don’t know that I believe that. I also haven’t seen my host dad in over a week. I leave for Cajamarca to attend a wedding on Thursday. One of the workers at the Health Center is getting married after being in a civil union for over 11 years. I am very excited for her. Also, coming up is the big, huge pre-Lent festival…Carnaval! More details on that soon.

Life is Better in Catilluc...sorry to worry you.

2008-01-19T15:15:00.000-08:00

So, I know that was quite the cliffhanger I left you with the last time I posted, and I’m sorry about the infrequency of blogs, but Internet has been touch and go in Catilluc as of late. I don’t have constant access like I do when school is in session.

But the good news is that everything is better. I really love my time in Catilluc. I’m either more able to handle the situation or the gossip has died down. Either way, I am the happiest I’ve been since I came to Catilluc. I feel like I’m starting to develop some great friendships. At the top of the list is my next-door neighbor, Rosa. She’s been such an asset and advocate for me. I have been spending more and more time with her family, so much so that I call her mom, “Mama Casilda.” And now that I’m starting to speak proficiently and making connections in the community, I have begun to figure out who is part of Rosa’s/my extended family, and we jokingly refer to each other as aunt or niece or whatever. It makes me feel like I’m starting to become part of the community.

Of course, I’m moving and so preparations are under way to move into my friend Marly’s house. I’m excited and nervous about the move. I am excited to leave my current situation, as I really have no idea what is going on with my host parents. They seem to be having problems, but it’s not like they would talk to me about it. In fact, the other day when Maximo returned home he went into his room and cried. I only know this because his four year old soon was in the common room and he whispered it to me. And both of my parents are gone. I haven’t seen my host mom since before Christmas. And Maximo tends to be a little passive-aggressive, and in a culture where that is already fairly prevalent, this is a hard thing to handle. I feel like my next family will be much more direct with me about how I’m doing. Yet, I don’t have any furniture and they don’t have a door or glass on their window. So, I’m still waiting until I can move in.

I’ve been opening the CAID everyday, but I do feel like there is other work I would like to do. I feel like I would much rather work with teenagers than the pre-teens and children that tend to show up at the CAID all the time. I’m not sure how to get more teens to come without isolating the youngsters, but I know I’m much happier working with the older group. Plus, I feel like a lot of the work is on hold until school starts again in March. But I have a number of ideas in which to work in the secondary school.

Here’s an update of pictures as well. Take care.

Dancing with the Prof. Antenor at the primary school promotion.

My siblings from training lighting up firecrackers at midnight on Navidad.

The long overdue Christmas and New Year update

2008-01-05T09:50:00.000-08:00

So here’s the much-promised update from the last few weeks:

Christmas was awesome. I am so glad that I chose to spend it with my family from training as I know, love and miss them very much. Loly and the girls will be leaving at the end of January to move to Argentina. We spent three days hanging out together. Loly even went with me to get my haircut, as there are many rumors from Peace Corps volunteers of hairstylists in Peru cutting off way too much hair. No one really noticed that I even had a haircut so I don’t think that this stylist cut off too much. Christmas in Peru is very different from Christmas in the States. First of all, you barely know it’s Christmas. There isn’t a lot of advertisement or stores filled to the brims with holiday decorations. Also, Peruvians mostly celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve (Buena Noche). They all stay up and ring in the Christmas day at midnight. Papa Noel visits the home and places presents next to the nativity scene for all of the children, usually about one present each. Adults toast the day with champagne and they light fireworks and sparklers to announce the birth of Christ, then the children put the missing baby Jesus into the nativity. Some Peruvians have a Christmas tree, but all Peruvians have a nativity. And the tradition is that at midnight on Christmas morning baby Jesus is put in the manger. Then families either eat turkey or sometimes chicken as well as a midnight meal with more champagne. It was really beautiful and simple. I hope to carry some of these traditions into the US with me, as I really appreciate the significance and low emphasis on materialism.

New Year’s also has a number of new traditions. First, for luck you can wear new yellow underwear to ring in the New Year. Also, when the toll strikes midnight of the New Year you can eat 12 grapes for good luck, or if you want to travel you can take your suitcase and run around the plaza (every town or city has a plaza). Also, there are a lot of fireworks and champagne drinking. Oh, and you can burn a dummy full of straw to burn all the bad from last year and start the New Year fresh. Allegedly in the outskirts of most cities there are big fires with big dummies. I didn’t really get to see that as I was in the center of town.

As for the work, I’m learning a lot about how you can really offend in a culture that you don’t know or understand. I’m also learning how important it is to have friends who explain stuff to you. Almost three weeks ago, I had a big discussion with my committee where they attacked my method for working with the CAID, but they did it in a very personal way. I now realize that there is a lot of jealousy on the committee. I hadn’t realized how jealous these people are of me, and I’m not really sure what to do with it. Anyway, when in this meeting I felt attacked and like I was going to offend, I excused myself from the meeting and left. Well, apparently, I did it all wrong, because the few committee members present wrote a document to give to the head of the Health Center saying really mean and personal things. The thing about writing documents in this culture is that first, I didn’t know I had offended anyone and no one took the time to explain it to me before they decided to write me up, and second, they don’t talk about the document. So, in other words I was in trouble without knowing I was in trouble. This has been a very difficult week, as I feel very betrayed by the people who were supposed to support me and help me navigate the Peruvian system. I have found out that the jealousy of these people is so strong they would rather kick me out of the CAID (also because they want me to do all the work, and don’t like that I am insisting upon their assistance) rather than try to work out how we can work together.

At a recent CAID committee meeting the committee voted to keep me, but now I’m not so sure I want to stay. There are certainly a number of other projects I would love to work on, and sometimes I see the CAID as a sinking ship. The committee can’t get out of their own ways, a few members of the committee are too busy judging and attacking me and my personal choices. It’s really frustrating to be such a public figure. It’s even more frustrating to work with people who don’t understand me and haven’t taken anytime to get to know me. I am working really hard to not do the same thing, but I am definitely hurt by their actions lately (not all of them just a handful). Of course one of the ringleaders is my host father who has been spreading untrue gossip about me in the community. I can’t wait to move out, but don’t have any options at this point. This is a really uncomfortable situation. Hopefully when I move things will get better. I love many people in this community and I think they are really neat people so I’m hoping to continue to grow in my love for Catilluc, and little by little I think I can forgive the committee members.

Luckily, it’s a New Year and I’m ready for a new start. I am happier than this blog post probably suggests. I certainly am starting to discover who are my friends and who aren’t in the community. And little by little I feel like my Spanish is improving. So, I am learning to take the good with the bad and not overly generalize a complex situation. Pretty good lesson for the New Year.

Currently, I'm having email problems, I'll just have to send the photos in one big update when I'm in Cajamarca.

Another quick update

2007-12-31T16:02:00.000-08:00

Well, it's happend, I now only have one internet source in Catilluc and it's not very good. So a longer update will be forthcoming.

As for now, I'm currently celebrating the New Year with my new friends feeling thankful for the gift of these new friendships and hopes that they can deepen, and that my work in Catilluc starts to find balance.

Thank you all for following my blog this year. I will write in the New Year, so don't give up. And I hope that all of our deepest healthiest desires come true for you in this next year. Take care.

Feliz Navidad

2007-12-26T12:09:00.000-08:00

Reprieve!

I took a few days to run back to Yanacoto to visit my family from training. I needed the break as things in Catilluc were still hot when I left, which also means I need to return and finally deal with all that happened.

BUT...I had a fabulous Christmas with Loly and the gang. Christmas is much calmer and smaller here whichis a nice antithesis to Christmas in the States, but I really think there should be a combination of the two. I will try to post some pictures when I get a chance. I just want everyone to know that my Christmas was fabulous and that I'm feeling much better.

Happy New Year!

Hangin' in, in Cajamarca

2007-12-19T14:26:00.000-08:00

So I guess it would be a good idea to talk a little about my recent struggles at site because development work isn't all puppies and roses and British Children running through daisies.

Last Friday night we had a meeting with the committee. My counterpart wasn't there, neither was Rosa, and some of other members were unable to attend as well. The meeting didn't go well, but let me back up because you have to understand how quickly things compounded and how much I felt ambushed in the midst of all this.

About a month and a half ago, my host father sat me down and explained to me that I would need to move out because they don't own their house. I thought, fine. We don't really have a connection, and they have financial and marital problems. So, I figured, it was about time to look for something else. Well about three weeks ago, my dad sat me down again and told me I could live with them, they didn't think they were going to have to move. Then five days ago they told me that I could stay, but they're both going away for the summer vacations. Peace Corps rules state that I need to be with a family for my security. And trust me, I like that rule. So that same night in the meeting of the CAID committee, the topic was brought up that we all needed to talk about my housing situation. Well, my host dad, who was upset about something else, stated out and out that I needed to move out of their house. That he only said that he would take me for three months and those three months are up and now I was the committee's responsibility. His sentiments came out of nowhere, but I can't say that I'm not ready to move. They're good people who have let money get the best of them and their marriage. It's unfortunate, but a reality of life in all of the world.

So as we were discussing my housing prospects one of the committee members said, "and when you find a good house you'll start turning out better work." Well this caught me. I have been opening the CAID everyday for a few hours, but I haven't been giving workshops or "talks" because I'm waiting for the committee to help me find someone who can work with me. Peace Corps policy (and any good development policy) says that I should be second place and that I shouldn't be doing all the work, let alone all the work alone. So I brought this to their attention, and in essence the five of them that were present told me that all of the problems of the CAID were my fault and that I need to work because I had the time and it was my responsibility. I got upset. Left the meeting, went home and cried, slept poorly and woke up the next morning, marched to Llamapampa to call my APCD in Lima and ask for a site change. Well, after a half an hour or so my APCD talked me down from the ledge. She supported me and my decision to not work for the CAID until we figured out a better working situation for me. She also had the foresight to send me away for awhile to decompress and process.

Hence, I went to San Miguel for a few days, received the support I needed, and am currently in Cajamarca hoping I'll get to talk with my counterpart about all that transpired in Catilluc in her absence. I'm worried about what she'll think, but I know there is work in Catilluc even if I'm not working with the CAID. There are a number of health initiatives that I could help the medical staff work on. Also, some members of my community have approached me about cocinas mejoradas (better kitchens) as they cook over lena (campfire) in their homes. Smoke everywhere. Long story short, I have hit a wall, but I think I'm going to try to find another way to work in Catilluc for awhile. I haven't given up on the CAID, but until the committee and I can reach an agreement about how the work will progress I will find other ways to be useful in Catilluc.

And one of the important lessons has been to separate the problem from those things I love about Catilluc. And the truth is, I don't want to live Catilluc, I have just reached a roadblock in my work. The people of Catilluc are good people, as is my host family and committee members. The problem is the mentality behind their desire to lay all the blame, responsibility, and work on someone else's shoulders. It's more a statement of their culture than it is about the "bad guy" role I am required to play for (hopefully, a short time). Wish me luck.

Madrina Duties

2007-12-18T13:01:00.000-08:00

The gift of cuy.

Well, I have fulfilled my first Madrina duties. And except for the fact that my speech was pretty shoddy and I couldn’t think. I actually enjoyed myself. Plus, I was given a big stack of cuyes to eat.

Of course like any good party in Peru, it started very, very late. And it might only have started late because there was never really an exact start time to begin with. The great thing about Llamapampa (the caserio in which I was to be madrina at the primary school) is that it’s a sure location where I can actually make phone calls on my cell phone (Catilluc doesn’t have cell phone service, although we were supposed to get it a month ago, this month, and next March, I’m not holding my breath). Sometimes Internet is not available either, as it hasn’t been this week, so sometimes this one small little spot in Llamapampa is my only connection to the outside world. Weird, no? Anyway, I went a little early so I could communicate with some of my friends from Peace Corps. Thank you for free cell to cell calls within Peace Corps sometimes that is the only thing that keeps me sane.

Long story short, it started to rain in the middle of one of my phone calls so I found some friends and passed a couple of hours just chatting with them before the ceremony started. The hustle surrounding the preparations was interesting. It reminds me of all the simple pleasures we have in the United States. I watched the parents spend about 30 minutes trying to string electricity into the little school. One lonely light bulb was responsible for lighting the room, and there was another chord spliced for a little boom box to play the music that we would later be dancing to.

Presenting the gift to one of the graduating students.
The ceremony was pretty straightforward. We started off by singing the Peruvian National Anthem, which is fairly common. Then the Director, my friend Professor Segundo gave a few words, and then there were poems and speeches from the children being promoted and a few of their schoolmates. I gave a quick, and poor, speech about the importance of education and continuing onto University after they’re done with secondary school. Then I presented them little gifts. I bought long sleeve T-shirts that said “Promocion 2007, Llamapampa” and fleece pants, because it’s pretty cold in Llamapampa. They don’t open the gifts in front of you, so I don’t know if they liked them or not. After my presents came the presents from their padrinos or madrinas, they each have an individual godparent for the promotion as well. Their godparents gave a quick speech and then we ate and danced. A nice, simple little ceremony.

As for the work, I am definitely in the three to six month stretch because I am so frustrated with my work. And I am going to have to move. My family is having some financial problems and can’t manage life with me added to their other stresses. This is a pain because I don’t have a lot of options for housing and I’m pretty much guaranteed I’ll need to buy my furniture which was easier when I had a little extra dough from Peace Corps. I will need to move in January. So on top of work being difficult, needing to find a new family, and being hit on every day by some Peruvian (sometimes under very sketchy and scary circumstances) I feel a little stressed out. So, I’ve been given a quick reprieve to go visit some friends in Cajamarca. So I’ll be headed to San Miguel tomorrow to discuss my circumstances with a couple of other PC volunteers. We’ll see if I can clear my head a little bit.

More about Culture and Accidents

2007-12-09T18:01:00.000-08:00

Libby, Peru 10, and my family from training. They're all so great!

One of the popular traditions in Peru is the idea of a Madrina or Padrina. This signifies godmother or godfather. There are madrinas/padrinas for everything. You can have a madrina for all of your life or just to get a haircut. Peace Corps volunteers are asked to be madrinas/padrinas quite often. Of course, there is a huge difference between being a madrina of a haircut because that’s a one-time thing. It’s another thing to take on being someone’s godparent for the rest of his or her life. Then you are responsible for gifting to that child for the rest of your life, and if something happens to the parents…then the child lives with you. They take this responsibility very seriously. Sometimes, with poor language skills PCVs end up being godparents without realizing the commitment.

A picture from the pre-school promotion. How cute?

That being said, I have become a madrina of a school promotion. This is a one-time thing. I will give little gifts (a long sleeve t-shirt, and some sweat pants) to three students from a local caserio. I felt like this was something I wanted to do once. This was an easy choice for me, but turning down being a madrina the future could be difficult. Yet, this is a hugely important part of their culture.

On a completely different note, a little less than a week-ago the bus company that I take to and from Cajamarca had an accident. The bus flew completely off the road, with my counterpart, Tania and the nurse, Ellie and her young son in tow. Everyone on the bus was badly shaken with minor injuries, but thankfully noone was killed. I rode in Hernandez (that’s the bus company) the day after and took a couple of pictures of the accident. It’s a constant realization that bad things can happen especially when traveling in a developing nation.

Here's the bus.

As for my mental health, everything’s great. Once again, I feel like my Spanish is back on track. I’m finding small ways to get out of the house even though the committee wants me to wait until January to start work. I’m hoping that I can create a project plan to get money from either the municipality or the ministry of health to fund an employee of the CAID. I believe that this will be an important advancement for sustainability. Of course, this requires a lot of work and writing a report in Spanish, but I’m up for the challenge, and I believe in the CAID and the work that it could do to enhance lives in Catilluc. Wow, is that Disney movie of the week, or what?

New Recipe: Arroz Verde

2007-12-04T10:07:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been awhile since I posted a recipe. Here's one of my favorite. I hopefully will be posting more pictures soon. Take care.

Arroz verde

Peel and chop carrot
Cut chicken into pieces
Heat up the oil with garlic (2 cloves)
Add liquid cilantro (chopped and blended)
Add salt
Cook well
Add water (6 cups to 5 cups of rice)
And salt to taste
When the water is boiling, add the rice
After the rice is cooked, add a little more oil
Enjoy!

Help for the ONW paper

2007-11-29T17:23:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of the women who sell me my vegetables in Cajamarca. They are so great they scout out stuff that they don't have so I don't have to go running all over the market. And I love the traditional Cajamarcan sombrero.

So I have returned to Catilluc, finally. I feel like I haven’t slept in days even though I slept a little on the bus the first night of my return trip. I never sleep on the bus to Catilluc but that’s because the road to Catilluc is windy and treacherous and the bus isn’t that comfortable. It’s really old. I am looking forward to slowly diving back into work. The committee for the CAID decided a few weeks ago that it would be better if I started with my real work plan after the New Year when the students are on vacations and after La Navidad (Christmas).

I want to send another shout out to the Olathe Northwest Spanish Four class, and potentially give you a little help on your most recent assignment from Senora Winkler and Senorita Robinson. I hope I’m not too late. Also, I received your cards. Thank you so much. I will respond to them as soon as I get a chance. For those of you not in ONW Spanish classes, feel free to read on anyway.

So there are four areas you were supposed to compare and contrast with the United States: “A Day in the Life,” “Food,” “Family,” and “Cultural Oddities.” Here are a few brief thoughts on each topic.

A Day in the Life:
Well, there was an entire post on this, but let me talk a little bit about what I see from other people. Life is much more tranquil here, that’s too be expected. Many people pass the days just sitting on a bench outside a local store (tienda) and gossip or the women knit. Knitting is very common in Catilluc and can’t walk down the street without finding a woman in the middle of making a scarf or a shawl or a poncho.
And you can’t just walk down the street you are required to saludar (greet) every person you see. It’s part of my daily life as the walk to the Internet takes me right through the center of town. To not greet someone is to say you don’t like him or her. This is something I’m not used to at all, but I work on every day.

Food:
Mountains and Mountains of rice and potatoes - carbohydrates. I am gaining a lot of weight in my stomach because this is mostly what I eat. We were told in training that any Peruvian meal begins with a lot of rice. Rice cookers are a fairly common household gadget. My family doesn’t have one, but we still eat a lot of rice. Come to think of it, I haven’t eaten a piece of fruit or a vegetable today. I really need to run to the store to buy some.

Family:
Multiple generations live in one house, and more often than not families stay in the same communities. Although this is changing some with modernization and globalization. Poverty is driving many people into the major cities to find work. It’s more common to see three siblings in this generation of adolescents, but just one generation back you see families of 8, 9 or 13 plus.
Couples don’t have to be married officially. In fact, often times they have common law marriages and later get married in the church. There are often two declarations of marriage, but many people avoid the church, even if they call themselves Catholic. Divorce is very unheard of and is very stigmatized. I have heard several snide comments about the United States in this regard, how we have so many divorces. Of course the problem is, there is actually a lot of domestic and sexual violence that occurs in families. And women are often stuck in awful, terrible marriages. That’s not to say that there aren’t good marriages, but they are somewhat few and far between sometimes.

Cultural Oddities:
I didn’t know where else to put this, but gossip is rampant and awful here. I’m fairly used to it in the states, but this takes on a whole new connotation when I hear things about my that I either entrusted to someone else or I hear complete lies about me.
Instead of the use of Senor or Senora, Don and Dona are used, for example, Senor Last Name or Don First Name, same with women’s names. When I first came here I thought there were a lot of men named Don, and I wasn’t sure where the name came from.
The system of education here is very, very poor. There are two warring factions: the union (called SUTEP) and the Ministry of Education. Often teachers strike, abandoning their classes for days or weeks at a time. And sometimes they just don’t show up to class for a long time. Of course they aren’t entirely to blame. They don’t receive much support from the Ministry of Education. Basic supplies are dramatically missing. This of course means that the burden can often fall on parents to provide supplies, or money, or labor for new building projects.

All right, so just a little more. I apologize if I’ve covered this before, but this is what came to mind as I was thinking about it. Feel free to email me if you have any questions. More positive blogs to come.

Women in Development and other reasons to go to Lima

2007-11-25T15:01:00.000-08:00

I am currently writing from the Peace Corps office in Lima. I have now been out of site for over a week, my first big trip since arriving at site three months ago. I can't believe it's been three months. To quote Kelly Clarkson (possibly for the second time), "Three months and I'm still sober."

So a few weeks ago, I applied to be part of the WID/GAD committee. Peace Corps has five (possibly more) side initiatives in all countries. They include: HIV/AIDS (this one is fairly obvious), Women in Development/Gender and Development (research shows that countries with strong or growing women's rights move out of the development stage quicker), Children (also fairly obvious), Information and Computer Technology (was much more of a buzz a few years ago, but still very important), and Municipality Organization (don't know anything about this, but the name sounds pretty explanatory). I received a position on the committee and now I'm in Lima researching ways that we can incorporate women into our work. It's really a cool initiative and I'm really thankful that Peace Corps is thinking about these things.

Another great reason to be in Lima...lattes. I miss them desperately and can't find good latte places in Cajamarca, if they exist at all. I've been stopping by Starbucks (I know the name itself brings up cringes in many) daily. It's so nice. I would say it's weird the things you crave at site, but the truth is, everyone knows I'm a latte fiend. So it's not weird at all.

I'm sorry it's been several posts since I've put up any pictures, but I'll try when I return to Cajamarca. I don't have my USB for my camera right now.

I did get to go see Loli for a brief day and meet some of the Peru 10ers. They are really cool, and I'm excited that this is the group we will work with the most extensively for the next year and 9 months. The girl who is staying at my house is so sweet and so nice. We call ourselves training sisters. Of course, she's going to Tumbes (far, far north)...so who knows when we'll see each other again, except on Tuesday when the WID/GAD committee talks to the new group about the women's initiative.

A quick shout out to Olathe Northwest Spanish classes. I will try to post a little more regarding your future papers. And hey Dona Annie! I hope all is well.

Update

2007-11-21T15:08:00.000-08:00

Sorry, I have been unable to get internet the past couple of weeks. Here's an old post:

So it has been a wild ride in Catilluc the past week. I think I’ve said it before, but I’m not sure how much work the teachers of Catilluc do. Case in point, this week was the 25th anniversary of the secondary school. And there really wasn’t school all week, but there was a beauty pageant, two dances, and a whole day of cultural happenings. Many of which I missed because I either didn’t want to go, or I have a big Peace Corps presentation in a week, and really don’t know where to go or what to do with it.

The pageant was very interesting. It was like any other pageant, except a little more boring and a lot more whistling (silvando in Espanol) and oogling (not sure there’s a translation for this) by the audience members. In fact, I would easily say that two thirds of the attendees were men. The girls weren’t even dressed scandalously. Pageants have never really bothered me before, but this one really did for some reason. By the end of it, I just wanted to leave. The other interesting thing is that my mom did the make-up and the very naturally beautiful girls looked like clowns. Thank you Victoria’s Secret Beauty (my one year of work) for making me so aware of make-up tragedies. It was so depressing I didn’t stick around for the dance. That, and I spent three painful, make-up and whistle filled, hours watching the pageant on my feet.

I did dance the night away the following evening. Like I’ve talked about a number of times, alcoholism is a big problem. So I spent most of the night dancing with drunken men. Luckily, there is no such thing as slow dancing in Peru so I didn’t have to be touched and fondled, but I had to listen to the rude comments (being a gringa gets a girl way, way too much attention). I love to dance or I wouldn’t have stuck around. I also wanted to get walked home, but the teachers I passed the night with wanted to stick around much longer than I wanted to, and I don’t want to doubt their reasons, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that they wanted me to start dating one of their colleagues…but I’m not sure about that (p.s. no interest there). Anyway, I ended up running home because the said drunken colleague was in pursuit. My host family didn’t open the door right away, so I pounded and pounded until finally I could get in. Nothing bad happened, except for maybe my manners, but hey, he was drunk so what does he remember now.

I’ve been working on researching my community as part of a Peace Corps presentation. It saddens me to learn about the problems that can be found in this tiny berg. In the past three months I have learned that teenage pregnancy is at 4%. Poverty is incredibly high. I’m learning more and more about the culture of alcohol. Earlier tonight, a good friend of mine told me she was sad because she works all day and her husband takes the money, spends it on alcohol, gets drunk and then (at the least) mental abuses them. She didn’t say anything about violence, and I didn’t see any marks, but I hope to talk with her more as the days come. She has been a good friend to me.

I’m back to being frustrated with my Spanish. After having a couple of good weeks, I’ve started hanging out with the local doctor. He’s a cool guy, but right now he’s driving me nuts. He’ll ask me a question, give me three seconds to process it, and then turn to the next person and tell them I don’t understand him. Sometimes I do, but my self-esteem is dropping slowly. I told my counterpart today that I want to take a “pause” from him. But just a few minutes ago, he harassed me again about my Spanish and then told me I took it too seriously (which was so the wrong thing to say with how I’m feeling about my Spanish right now). So I denied an invitation to his house, began to cry in front of him, and then (practically) ran to my house to avoid making a scene (probably too late). I’m in a weird state right now. I can’t really explain it. I’m sad half the time, and yet I’m happy the other half. I feel very manic, and when I try to figure out why I’m so upset I can’t figure it out. Then I’ll be happy again, and forget that I was sad two seconds ago. Luckily, I go to “reconnect” our Peru 9 three month reunion where we present our research and catch up with the other volunteers in our class. I am so excited to see the good friends that aren’t in Cajamarca. I’m excited to see the volunteers from Cajamarca too, but I did just see them three weeks ago. Anyway, I hope to post one more time before I go (this Saturday) but Internet has been sketchy. Take care.

Cajamarca Vacations

2007-11-06T18:00:00.001-08:00

So in most cases, Peru has a very easy geographical system. For many of the departments' (think states) capital cities are named after the department. So I live in the department of Cajamarca, and the capital of this deparment is also named Cajamarca. In the Peace Corps (Peru - at least) we get permission to go into our capital city once or twice a month to buy supplies, jump on highspeed internet, and see some of our other friends to exchange stories and get advice about projects. Sometimes we have meetings to discuss departmental projects, and let me tell you...I have lived in smaller and larger cities for too long because I LOVE going to Cajamarca. Sometimes I love it so much that I don't want to return to Catilluc. I like the slightly faster pace. I like that I can go grab food that I am somewhat accustomed to, and I like that I can speak in English (for the most part) with my PC buds. I can call my family and friends to catch up on their lives or lend support if they need it. It's really a nice retreat.

Life is still beautiful in Catilluc. I adore my family and feel us growing closer everyday. I bought a book for my siblings in Cajamarca. They seem to really enjoy them, so I thought I would help build their library a little bit, especially because I am always reading - or try to set a good example. I haven't seen my counterpart yet this week, but things are a little crazy here as the next three days are the 25th anniversary of the secondary school. I'll try to remember to talk more about the system of education in Peru in an upcoming blog, but for now I'll just say, give them any reason to not have school, and they don't. (Gross overgeneralization, but that's my experience in Peru so far). More on this later.

I'm doing well. I'm somehow managing to avoid the cold/bronchitis that is going around. I don't feel lonely, but I do feel like I can't get a handle on the classes I want to teach in the CAID yet. I really need support (someone who will work beside me) or this will never be sustainable, but for now I'm working on patience. One example is I started reading Leon Uris' Exodus, and my copy is missing thirty (really good) pages. So now I have to wait till we can send me another copy. Ah well, I need to learn patience. It's a good start.

Sex and Food Peruvian Style...Part II

2007-11-02T11:08:00.000-07:00

I learned the other day that there is a caldo de maiz out there that the children don't like very much...must try it and report back. And I only say that so that title rings true because I want to write about...

My first conversation about sex in Spanish with a Peruvian, and I was shocked. I was walking back from working in one of the local caserios with one of the teachers who also serves on my committee and along the way he decide to tell me all about his new concerns for his love life with his wife. Like I said, I was shocked. But being someone who likes to talk about sex even though I don't have much training in counseling or sex, for that matter, I thought I'd give it a shot and so I talked about hormones, sexual drives, the feminine mystique and a few other things too. I was very proud of my ability to articulate myself.

So long story short. It was a fun conversation, and just this last week I feel like my Spanish is so much better. I feel like I understand more and can talk more. So thanks for all the positive thoughts out there. I mean when you can start talking about sex with someone...

Sex and Food Peruvian Style

2007-10-30T20:05:00.001-07:00

My friend Mily and her two children, Sylvia and Jorge.

Sometimes I think about the number of phrases that will make my blog pop up on a google search. It scares me.

So in continuing with speaking about culture, I thought I should fill everyone in on the meal situation. Most mornings I wake up to eat soup. Caldo verde is really common. Caldo means broth and verde means that the soup has a bunch of cilantro blended up in the broth with potatoes and sometimes macaronis. They might put parsley and basil in, but I don’t think so. I think it’s mostly just cilantro. Maximo, my host father, once told me that caldo verde is good for diabetes. I don’t really know, but it sounds right. Sometimes for breakfast we just have bread (pan). We don’t have a panaderia in Catilluc so usually the bread is brought in from Tongod (about 45 minutes away) and stored for a week until the next market day (Wednesdays). Sometimes my family or I buy paltas (the Peruvian name for avacados) and we’ll put that on our bread, and sometimes we’ll buy jelly (marmelada) or butter (mantequilla) but those are both treats. Sometimes we have café for breakfast with the rest. Sometimes we don’t. Oh, and if we have caldo in some form or another, we usually have hard boiled eggs and as hard as it is sometimes, I try to eat two because I’m pretty sure I’m lacking protein here and that’s a pretty good source.

Lunch is usually the biggest meal of the day. The food always varies. But there is usually a heaping mound of rice and potatoes. Sometimes we have lentils or beans (my favorite lunches) or a small piece of chicken or meat, and even more rarely we have trout. There is a nearby stream that apparently provides Catilluc with fresh trout. About once every two weeks my mom splurges and we go eat at the local restaurant run by a really nice family who are good friend with my family. Tuesday is pollo alabraso and papas fritas (rotisserie chicken and French fries). It’s pretty tasty. When my mom isn’t here or just when they invite me, I’ll eat at my neighbor’s house. We’ve had ceviche with trout (a typical Peruvian dish), papa de la huancayina (boiled potatoes with a slightly spicy cheese sauce), and cuy (guinea pig – you’ve seen the pictures). Today, I ate at a friend’s house and we had tallerines (noodles) with aceite and atun (oil and tuna). It was pretty tasty, of course even my noodles were served with a huge side of rice.

Dinner is usually a little smaller. Mostly it’s coffee (for me tea because I try to avoid caffeine after 4pm – I am such an old fart) and pan. I feel I need to mention at this point that because I live in a small town, that we only have one kind of bread. It’s white bread rolls. They’re hard to explain because they’re not like what we eat in the States. But to locate pan integral (wheat bread) or pan de trigo (also wheat, but tastes different), one needs to buy it in the larger cities. Sometimes I buy some in Cajamarca when I go, and I try to share it with my family. It’s pretty expensive by their standards. There are times when we have a bigger meal at dinner. I can’t really tell why this is except when we have parties and then you eat way too much rice and potatoes just before bedtime. I love it when we have fried eggs that we can put in our bread.

Beverages, on the other hand, are a whole other matter. I can’t believe how little the people drink here. I am going through serious latte withdrawals (yep, snobby and preppy thing to say, don’t care). I miss my Bear’s Brew, Loosecaboose, and The Break (to name just three of the coffee houses I frequented in Missoula). Like I said, for most of the time we have tea or coffee with most of our meals. At lunch you might see a juice of some kind. I’m really starting to love banana juice. Also at lunch a person can have maracuya or some other drink the name I can’t remember. Sometimes I drink a juice (sometimes hot, sometimes cold) where they put gelatin in water.

And now on to sex. The reason I wanted to talk about this a little is because last week a young girl surprised everyone when she popped out a little baby boy. No one knew she was pregnant and her sister delivered the baby in their room, at home, in the campo. Then because she had so much shame, the mother then went into postpartum depression. So to make a long story short, teenage pregnancy is looked down upon here, but it is a major concern. Also, a lot of young girls’ first sexual encounters come from a rape. The girl sometimes gets pregnant and then has to marry the man who raped her in the first place. Sexual education classes are taught boys with girls. I think that this is a mistake because I feel like women can be taught how to say “no” if there isn’t the peer pressure and goofing around that comes with a topic like that. And our obstetriz (think nurse practitioner) told me that women marry young here (this presents power dynamic problems when the husband is ten years or older) and will not know sexual pleasure in their entire lives. Interesting, no? I do know that birth control is bringing down the number of births in the district of Catilluc. We have more evangelicals than Catholics here, but even the head of our Catholic church here believes in birth control. So it is used. It’s often just those that don’t visit the health center or young girls that get pregnant.

I’m doing well. It’s been raining a lot here, and apparently it will get worse until May and then it will get cold. I’m fighting off a minor cold with herbal remedies from the states. And I’m dealing with some body image problems because I think I’ve gained too much weight. If the scales are to be believed, at 5’1” I weight 149 pounds. I don’t believe the scales, but regardless dragged myself out of bed to go running for the first time. It practically killed me, but it felt so good. So this has been a long post. Enjoy a couple of photos. I’ll write when I can.

The missing Parillada pictures

2007-10-24T18:56:00.001-07:00

The missing parillada pics. The vats of rice and potatoes. Carbo overload!

A picture of two of the committee members.

Professors Segundo (think Junior) and Maximo (my host dad, yes, I'm taller than he is).

Committee members, friends, and spouses helping to prepare the meat.

Parrillada

2007-10-19T08:27:00.000-07:00

So three days ago the committee for the CAID held a parrillada to raise funds, we currently don’t have any money, and long story short, I had a good time, but we didn’t make any money.

The preparations started on Sunday when all the shopping was done. A parrillada, by the way, is a barbeque. But don’t think hamburgers and bbq sauce over chicken wings, think rice and potatoes (the traditional dish of Peru) and a big old slab of meat. On Monday night a big group of us got together to peel potatoes. We peeled two large bags of potatoes and set them in water to a wait the morning. The next day at 8:30am we started to set up and cook. At around 10 or 11 people started to show up. Now, what is a barbeque without beer, and if I haven’t explained the intricacies of drinking and alcoholism yet, let me interject…

In Peru there is a huge culture of alcoholism, but not in the sense that people realize they have a problem and head to AA or the Peruvian equivalent. No, it’s extremely common to find a group of men standing around in a circle on the street passing a large 40 oz bottle and a little plastic cup. This is known as “paso el vaso.” Did I mention this could happen at any time of day, even in the early morning? So by mid-afternoon or mid-day it’s not uncommon to find some very drunk men. This was the case at the parrillada.

At around 5:00pm the director of the secondary school and a local rancher (campesino) got into a fist fight right in front of me. They were both totally wasted, so the fight was rather humorous, but it was the first time I really saw the toll that “paso el vaso” could have on the community. I don’t drink in Catilluc because one of my good friends is the local Evangelical pastor’s wife, and according to her, Evangelical Christians don’t drink. So I don’t drink here, not that I’m much of a drinker to begin with, or truly an Evangelical, however, it’s culturally important to participate in this activity. So I’m between a rock and a hard place in Catilluc, and yet, I feel like my decision to not drink here has been a good one, especially considering the fight.

At the end of the day the committee gathered and realized that not enough people had attended to make any money. Our costs were too great and our income too little. So, all that work, and we still have a cash flow problem. I have pictures, but can't get them to upload. I'll try again tomorrow. Take care all. Cuidate.

A Day in the Life and Rumors…

2007-10-11T18:33:00.000-07:00

So, as requested here is a breakdown of my typical day in Catilluc.

I wish it wasn’t true, but I wake up around 8:00am everyday. Although I just bought an alarm clock in Cajamarca, and I hope to start waking up at 6:30pm to run and make breakfast for my family on occasion, or learn how to cook caldo verde (a soup with potatoes and cilantro, usually eaten for breakfast). As of this morning, I’m still rolling out of bed around 8:00am. Then I stumble downstairs and eat breakfast. Often it’s just my little sister and me, when we finish she dashes off to school and I return to my room to heat up water for coffee or tea. Sometimes I spend my morning researching the past activities of the CAID, studying Spanish, reading a book or a magazine or meeting new people in the community.

This morning a trudged down to the secondary school to interview the director, who wasn’t there (a fairly common thing in Peru), and instead I interviewed one of the math teachers and one of the science teachers. I also sat in on one class. I returned to my house at around 11:00am and started making lunch for my little sister and me. She showed up around 12:30pm and we ate black bean soup at 1:00. She left for school again at 1:30pm. Then I went back to studying (because it’s raining). I spent the afternoon drinking coffee, studying Spanish, listening to music, reading Newsweek (current project: identifying all of the world leaders), and reviewing my research. I kept waiting for the rain to break to see if any kids were going to the CAID, but the CAID isn’t well attended when it rains, so I’ll just have to wait until tomorrow when I have my group of Senoritas.

On a regular day, I head to the CAID at around 3:30pm and stay there until 6:00 or 6:30. Afterwards I come home, eat, and then I head to the secondary school (often with my host mom or my siblings) to jump online. I return an hour later and hang out in my room. I usually go to sleep around 10:30pm. So a pretty tranquil day for the most part, it’s nice to have my life to slow down a bit.

As for the aforementioned rumors…I’m discovering what chisme (gossip) is like in a small Peruvian town. The other day I discovered that a gentleman in my community, who has seemed to be a big supporter of mine, is questioning and “investigating” the Peace Corps. He works for his cousin, the mayor, who thinks that at some point my predecessor brought in all this money from Peace Corps and that my counterpart and another member of our committee stole it. Which isn’t true in the least. At first I was upset, but now I just laugh. Obviously they have no idea what the Peace Corps is all about, because there isn’t any money sitting around waiting to be spent on little projects in Catilluc. These two people believe that if they can find out what happens with the money then they can get some…Of course, this could just be a rumor too, which is why I’m choosing to handle it in a completely un-Ari-like-way. I’m ignoring it, but updating my Spanish vocabulary with words that could explain the Peace Corps better in case the need ever arises.

Here are some pictures of my life here in Catilluc:

My room with my kitchen

The CAID

And a cool sunset in the department of Cajamarca

Lessons learned

2007-10-05T18:21:00.000-07:00

So a good friend recently wrote me with three very good questions. I thought I would answer them for everyone. So in no particular order:

What am I learning?
What's great?
What's not so great?

Peru is great. I'm loving life here. I'm really very content. Lately I've been cooking a little more which is something I've always wanted to do and tomorrow I head to Cajamarca to buy a guitar because I want to learn how to play! By the time I come back to the States I might be able to accompany myself on the guitar.

Let's see what am I learning, I imagine you're not referring to my new desire to cook or play the guitar...so I'm learning a lot about patience, about a loosening up and letting go. I used to be so afraid to "let my hair down" and now I realize there was nothing to fear. I hope that I am much more fun and learning to have fun is a valuable lesson that I continue to learn everyday here in Peru.

What's great? Peru in general, my younger siblings, taking it easy, my counterpart, good Spanish speaking days, when people love my cooking, and emails, letters, and packages from home.

What's hard? My bad Spanish speaking days, potatoes and rice, lack of communication, cultural nuances that drive me nuts, my mom being gone all the time, being so far from the one's I love and not having anyone to share this with (that's not neccessarily referring to romance either). I miss my friends and family.

So yeah, life again is really grand. My mom is back and we spent a lot of today cooking. I hope that we can continue to build on our relationship.

Frustrations

2007-10-03T19:05:00.000-07:00

Because life in Peru is not always puppies, roses, and British children running through daisies. I thought I'd give a quick list of frustrations with some explanation.

It is often said of the church that 20% of the people are doing 80% of the work. That truth carries over to the committee I work with here in Catilluc. Part of Peace Corps goal is to make a given project sustainable, which means it will carry on after the volunteer and PC pull out. This is hard to do when no one shows up to help me work with kids, but that's okay because...

I am bored with the Youth Center right now. I'm no where near ready to start with my lessons yet, but I would love to do something more than watch the kids play, break, lose and steal the toys at the CAID. This will hopefully change soon.

Communication. I have been telling my family for weeks that I need to go to Cajamarca (my capital city) this weekend, but it was only yesterday that I learned that my father's birthday party is this weekend. Which makes me have to change my plans because birthdays are a big deal here. My weekends revolve around how quickly I can get back to Catilluc to work at the CAID...this new development makes that slightly hard.

Speaking of family, my mom is probably my biggest frustration. She's gone a lot. And last week I gave her 100 soles to buy some vegetables, knowing it would be way more than she needs. She returned with very few vegetables, no change, and a sandwich maker. Suspicious, no? We still haven't bonded yet, and I know Loli (my mom from training)is a hard act to follow, but it's easier to bond when two people are at the same place at the same time.

All in all, I still love this place and feel very lucky. I'm not bonding with my mom right now, but I am bonding with others in the community. My counterpart and I had a great chat today, I watched a pick-up game of volleyball (I might play one day), and I came to the internet with my good friend who is the Pastor's wife which made the frustrations barable (sp?). I am very content, but there are always minor glitches. There's no such thing as a perfect place or person.

La Arianita

2007-09-26T18:48:00.000-07:00

A newish picture of me.

Greetings Family and Friends and soon to be friends,

I'm doing great! I just returned from an unexpected moon hike with my host mom, her sister, and her sister's boyfriend. It was a crazy experience. I spend part of my time mostly upset with my mom, because she's gone more than I would like. Don't get me wrong, she's a great mom, I just get bothered when she leaves for the weekend yet doesn't return until Tuesday or Wednesday. But during our crazy hike I realized tonight that she's a free spirit. She just goes with the flow, which explains her lack of time management. She is the kind of person you like having in your life because crazy things are going to happen, like you're going to end up hike through a random field to get home with only the full moon to luminate your path. I need to spend more time with free spirits as they ease mine.

This picture is from the Dia de Juventud. I was supposed to go on a hike with a bunch of kids, but ended up with just these three which was cool in the aspect that I got to get to know them better and we took a ton of fun pictures like this one. We also got caught in the rain which was bacan (cool)! I love the rain, of course, that might change in a few weeks, but as for right now... I love the rain!

I am well known around town as Arianita, Gringita, or (and this one's my favorite) La Gordita (little fat one) which is for the record a term of endearment, not one I'm particularly endeared to, but one nonetheless. I think the funny thing is Spanish isn't well known for its double letters. Where we have book, committee, and Arianna they have libro, comite, and Ariana. In fact, the other day I caught myself writing my name wrong. I corrected it, but it's funny to adapt to the culture in ways you never expected.

So I'm going to sign off now. Take care.

15 minutes and not much to report

2007-09-19T19:20:00.000-07:00

I take an hour everytime I go to the cabina (internet place), but of course after reading and responding to all the emails I have very little time. So here's a quick update off the cuff so to speak.

I'm doing much better. The past couple of days I have felt a dramatic improvement in my Spanish with quite a few examples. A couple of days ago I spoke at the Town meeting, and I managed to speak for about five minutes in Spanish without any gramatical problems, at least that's what my friend said. And I believe her because several people took me for, if not fluent, at least proficient...until I corrected them.

Oh the fun thing about the town meeting, is that if you don't show up for two, you have to pay a fine. It's only 5 soles (think $1.66), but when you live in a town without parking meters it's a pretty good way to raise some dough. And it makes people attend. Of course I want to start instigating dramas and songs so that at least it's not boring and the important information is not lost on the masses. But we'll have to see how that idea flies.

Also, I think the rat problem is fully taken care of. I have seen my guardian angel cat a few more nights, and our little kitten is starting to chase them away in the rafters also. Not to mention I now have my ceiling completely covered with mismatched plastic, but I don't care. Also, finally have the pictures of friends and family up on my wall in my room...it only took me a month.

Navigating the Faux Pas

2007-09-16T18:56:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm writing this one off the cuff. My host mom sits next to me, laughing at the pictures of herself, we're bonding today but more on that later.

Until now I've considered myself somewhat culturally sensitive. And yesterday and today it has really hit me in the face that one of the things that is deeply ingrained in US culture is directly at odds with the culture here in Catilluc. That thing is eating, food, and accepting invitations.

So I'm not much of an eater. Anyone who knows me knows that I have to be hungry to eat. Now depending on the time of my life I might be hungry all of the time, or I might not eat for days. I used to worry my parents to death. Here, it's bad to not accept an invitation and I refused three in a row all pertaining to food. In Catilluc, they believe that if you don't want to eat their food, you don't like it. So usually you have to suck it up and eat it, but for me this comes with an added consequence (those with queezy stomachs be duly warned), I'll throw up if I eat when I don't want to. In essence, I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place...oh, and I'm a people pleaser. Not a good combination. So I rejected, and I rejected, and I rejected. Bad, bad, bad. Then I went home and cried, cried, cried, because I knew I was doing the wrong thing in the eyes of the people of this culture. Even worse, I cried in front of my host family at lunch, and they thought I didn't like the food. Which is crazy, I love the food! I just don't want to eat potatoes and rice the size of my head. Is that too much to ask?

So the new solution, garnered with the help of my family, is that I accept all invitations and what I can't eat, I take away in a bag. I don't like the idea, but it's a small sacrifice to make in the name of cultural sensitivity. And even though I cried in front of them, my mom took it in stride. She really seemed to understand the difficulties of transitioning to a new culture. She said she had a similar problem when she moved to Catilluc. So I feel like we have broken through some wall and now we're heading in the direction of a really great friendship. I hope so. I think she's great so I'm hoping that this only grows and grows. I really do love it here. I guess it was just one of the days that I needed to get out of my system. There's always a lot of adapting that happens in the first couple of months (and beyond). I'm glad I'm getting the full experience. Tomorrow will be a better day filled with invitations, acceptance, and bags of food.

Week 3 in Catilluc

2007-09-13T18:29:00.000-07:00

Las Senoritas on the river

Week three. I wish I could say my life has taken on some kind of steady schedule, but my brain is rebelling against the very thought. Every time I try to wake up early to go for an early morning walk, my brain screams “Didn’t we just do this for 20 months? Cut it out! You’ll have the rest of your life to have some kind of schedule.” So currently I’m rebelling. I won’t rebel for long, but I will rebel until I buy an alarm clock, which I almost did at my last visit to Cajamarca city, but rebelled against it then too.

Our first three months are supposed to be about research and not about work. Currently, my life is the opposite. I open the CAID (youth center) everyday except Sundays, but I have yet to ask a stranger a question about their community. In my opinion, this is bad. I need to get on this research thing, but for right now I’m just enjoying getting to know people especially the children. My favorite groups are my two groups of Senoritas. I have one group of the girls in secondary and one for the girls in primary (ages 9-11). Last Tuesday, I took the older girls on a hike up the river. Or should I say, they took me on a hike. It was really fun, but I noticed that although I was trying to stay sure-footed they were scampering around in flip-flops. We enjoyed a picnic of yogurt and my favorite vanilla tasting crackers. It is when I’m with these girls that I feel like I’m doing something worthwhile, even though we haven’t really started the “worthwhile” yet.

Yesterday, I went to Tongod (the nearest city, and city it really isn’t) with the woman who is quickly becoming my good friend. Her name is Luz and she is the Pastor’s wife. She is 24 and so far we get along great. My other good friends include my host parents. My mom, Giovanni, is only 29 and my father, Maximo, is the nicest guy I have ever met, but I think I talked about them recently in a blog. I am also good friends with my next-door neighbor, Rosa, who was really good friends with the volunteer I replaced. Rosa is the biggest helper at the youth center. She is 30. So it’s nice to have friends my age even if their lives are very different from mine (they all at least have two children aged 9 or older - do the math, that´s fun).

Rosa is on the right, my mom, Giovanni is on the left.

Also, yesterday, I went to a birthday party at a friend’s house. And let’s just say I was a little confused. The Spanish is improving, but it’s times like these that I just want to laugh at myself. I had come under the impression that it was the birthday of my friend Milly so when I got to the house I wished her a happy birthday. She laughed, it wasn’t her birthday. I then heard her say something about Brian’s birthday. So I thought to myself, who’s Brian, but I went along with it anyone. Eventually I figured out that Brian was the younger son of my other friend Violet, but to make things even more confusing we were also celebrating the birthday of her older son, Arnold. Apparently they were born three years and one day apart. By the way, Violet is one of the older mothers in town. Oh, and I had brought a present for Milly, not for two boys ages 6 and 3…oops! Is that a culture faux pas? Anyway, other than being offered more food that I can eat (a common problem I encounter) fun was had by all, and I actually managed to have an intelligent conversation with the guests. Baby steps.

Here´s a photo of Brian and Arnold. I did buy them gifts today. It was a cultural faux pas.

Guardian Angel Cat

2007-09-10T18:59:00.000-07:00

So, I'm still absolutely in love with Catilluc and the people here, but I'm still not sleeping through the night because of the rats. All though last night, I had a guardian angel cat who I could hear chasing and terrorizing (and honest, hopefully killing) my little roof visitors. Let's hope it comes back tonight. All help if welcome and I would love to have a deep REM sleep eventually.

I find myself being a little moody, partly because

Cooking with the Gringa Part II

2007-09-06T16:17:00.000-07:00

First of all, a shout out to ONW Spanish 4 Class and Doña Annie. I hope all is well, and I look forward to getting to know you guys over the next year. ¡Buen Suerte chicos!

Second, another pic from Swearin-in the lady in purple is our Training Director, Kathleen, she's awesome!

From time to time, I learn another Peruvian recipe. Here's one for you to try. It's one of my favorites because it has my favorite herb...culantro (cilantro).

Arroz verde

Peel and chop carrots (you could probably add other vegetable to this, Peruvians don't cook with them nearly enough)
Cut chicken into pieces
Heat up the oil with garlic (2 cloves)
Add liquid culantro (chopped and blended)
Add sal(t)
Cook well
Add agua (6 cups to 5 cups of rice)
And salt to taste
When the water is boiling, add the rice7arroz
After the rice is cooked, add a little more oil
¡Enjoy! ¡Disfruita!

You might be a gringa...

2007-09-05T18:37:00.001-07:00

You know you’re a gringa living in the Peruvian campo when:

Part of your job description is to “accustumbrar a las ratas” (get used to having rats around)

You haven’t bathed in a week, changed your clothes in five days, brushed your teeth in three days and you’re still considered the best looking thing in town.

It’s a good day when you remember to brush your teeth and you don’t have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

Fats and sugars have switched places with fruits and vegetables on the food pyramid.

There is a church service every night of the week.

Taking a shower rates right up there with gouging your eyes out with a spoon.

A mosquito net is used less for mosquitoes and more for large things that could drop on you while you are sleeping.

Walking the length of your town takes less time than walking across your University campus.

You now eat animals regarded as domestic pets in the United States.

Even though you’re well into your 20’s someone else now cooks for you, washes your clothes, and yes, even dresses you.

You carry around a key bigger than your wallet.

A little humor for you.

Great Rats!

2007-09-05T18:25:00.001-07:00

Sorry, I've been having some computer problems in Catilluc...This was written about a week ago:

A pic from swearing-in

Rats! And I mean that quite literally. I don’t like rats one bit. I never have. I can deal with mice, snakes, and spiders, but I am scared witless with rats. And last night, day two/night three in Catilluc, my trust was shattered as I watched a rat (dare I say ROUS – Princess Bride reference) crawl up the wall on the right side of my room and scurry out the space in the roof. I could not sleep for the rest of the night. It doesn’t help that I had two more instances with said rat. One time it fell (possibly fighting with another) on my stove. I screamed and it scurried away. And the ultimate time was when I heard it crawling back down the wall right next to my bed. At this point I had put up my mosquito net so I was scared but at least felt somewhat secure in my bed. Although I sleep in a double bed and my mosquito net only fits a single bed. We put up some plastic on the ceiling to at least give me a little more protection, and I believe we have rat poison ready for consumption in different places around the casa.

The plastic going up

Other than the great rat race of last night, I love Catilluc. I love the people, and I love my work. I have already spent three afternoons with the children who frequent the CAID. Yesterday we exchanged songs and then games. It was so spontaneous and fun. I’m hoping to play “Boppity-bop-bop-bop” today. Here goes nothing. We’ll see if I can explain anything with my broken, but improving Castiliano (Spanish).

I truly adore my family. I have two younger siblings again, Ailyn (Aileen) and Fran (short for Franklyn). Ailyn is four or five years older than Fran who is four turning five here soon. She takes really good care of him, and is more responsible at nine than many young adults I know. My mom was missing for my first couple of days here, and Ailyn took really good care of me also bringing me coffee and lunch. I certainly saw the humor in my nine-year-old sister taking care of my 27-year-old self. I think I’m going to get an insight into what it must have been like watching Mardy (my older sister) and me grow up. Ailyn takes great care of Fran, and Fran is just rambunctious. My “parents” are so wonderful. Again my mom is almost my age. Giovanni is younger than my previous host mom, Loly. Maximo is a teacher in a local school. They are the sweetest most accommodating people I know. They have been very generous with me.

I’ve been practicing yoga every morning as some sort of exercise seeing as last time I stepped on a scale I needed to lose at the minimum 15 pounds. At the most 25, but that’s not my greatest concern as I am trying to be as polite as possible, even if that means eating way more carbs in one sitting than a person would need in a week. I’m taking a multi-vitamin too, as I am just not getting enough fruits and vegetables in my diet. I also finished the final Harry Potter, and now I know I need to go back and read all of them. I don’t know what that has to do with anything, just wanted to put a word out that if you would like to discuss the book…email me.

I have also begun my research. Part of our job description gives us three months to research our community and then report back to Peace Corps at “Re-connect” (our three month gathering with trainers and staff). Catilluc is a great place, but it has its share of problems. When I get down, I just remind myself that I have yet to work the perfect job and this place isn’t any better or worse than working in the States – rats aside. All in all, I will truly start researching next week.

Please note the address on the side of my blog. I know it’s expensive, but if you can send a letter or a package it would be really nice. If you can send a package (I’m not picky, send anything), please write “regalo” on the outside and send it through standard USPS mail. Don’t send expensive stuff or electronics (not that you would). Any mail, email or snail mail is appreciated. You guys are the best.

Cajamarca...at last

2007-08-26T09:04:00.000-07:00

Hello faithful followers of my blog. Sorry it has certainly been a long time since I've posted an update. So here's a very brief wrap-up.

The past week has been spent preparing for swearing-in and departure. I passed my Spanish exam, and the other significant tests like safety and culture to swear-in with the rest of the group on Friday. Swearing-in was a formal but sweet occassion, other than the really crappy soundtrack (I mean they played "I will always love you" directly after the ceremony) it was really nice. We had the chance to meet the new Abassador to Peru, and we learned that Peru is one of the few countries that still has some appreciation and admiration for the U.S. It's a miracle, I know.

Anyway, we mingled and took a lot of pictures, but before we all knew it we were saying good-bye to our awesome training host families, and jumping on a combi to leave for Lima. We got into Lima late (because once again our drivers didn't know where we were going). Once we arrived at our hotel we took off for a nice dinner and some post dinner drinks with our trainers. It was really great to see everyone one last time. A lot of tears that day.

Yesterday, we hung out in MiraFlores and then late at night we jumped on an overnight bus to Cajamarca city. We got in literally 30 minutes ago, and I am excited to be writing about my trip to Catilluc. I head there tomorrow with my Counterpart, and I say good-bye to my Cajamarca crew and Peru 9 for at least a couple of weeks. I'm really ready to move in and get settled into Catilluc. I'm ready for the humbling that comes with being a US citizen in the middle of an entirely Spanish speaking, campo living community. There are going to be so many mistakes.

Well, that's the update. I don't know when I'll get to post again (I think my postings will cut back a bit) but I will do my best to post asap with more information about Catilluc and my adventures there. Thanks for keeping up with me.

Not a Hypochondriac

2007-08-18T15:07:00.001-07:00

So, Pepe does exist, and Pepe has existed for awhile.

I have been unable to shake this cough (symptom of something bad happening), but a few weeks ago one of the doctors told me my stool sample came up negative for any parasite. I didn't believe because I had tried cold medicine and allergy medicine and nothing had worked. It didn't make sense.

So I went and visited my Doctors again and allegedly I got the wrong news about my stool sample. I do have a parasite, a bacterial parasite...can you have a bacterial parasite? Anyway, Pepe will be killed starting Monday.

I'm just glad to know that I don't have these symptoms from stress.

Now if there was only a pill to make my Spanish better, I would be lovin' life.

Feeling the Earth Move and other thoughts on earthquakes

2007-08-16T14:37:00.000-07:00

I know everyone is concerned because of the International news about the 7.9 (last I heard) earthquake that hit Peru last night around 6:45pm. The epicenter was around three hours south of Lima in a Department (think state) called Ica. You'll remember I visited Chincha, Ica about two months ago. That's exactly where the earthquake hit...or should I say four earthquakes. According to the Peruvian news there were four, but we were feeling aftershocks even today. Felt two pretty awesome ones last night at around midnight.

I'm fine. All is well. I felt the first earthquake, all two minutes of it, and the ones following, althught we just thought they were aftershocks. But other than the climbing death toll in Ica (the epicenter) all is well. Allegedly Pisco, Ica (known for its amazing alcoholic beverage of the same name) is leveled. We have one Peace Corps volunteer in Pisco. Thankfully, she was in Lima editing the environmental newsletter. All five PC volunteers in Ica are accounted for. Coincidentally enough, they were all away on PC business, dance competitions, or vacations. Everyone in Peace Corps is very thankful for that.

We're all just going to have to wait and see how this pans out. There might be some disaster relief involved for the Peace Corps. Our swearing in is Friday the 24th. I have my final language exam Saturday. Please be thinking positive thoughts for me as if I don't make the right level I am delayed in starting my service in Cajamarca.

But the big news for my friends and family is that I am fine. Thanks for all the emails and postings. Feel free to email with any questions. You guys probably know more in the states than we do here.

And the winner is...Catilluc, Cajamarca

2007-08-12T19:23:00.000-07:00

Or maybe that's the other way around. I'm the winner, and I've won a trip to Catilluc, Cajamarca. I'll be living and working here for two years.

Catilluc (Kah-tee-youk) is a small pueblo anywhere between 300 and 800 people. There are 17 surrounding caserios. It is surrounded by green, hills/mountains, and cows. Dairy, potatoes and corn are the main exports and the main jobs in town.

It's also a very progressive town. They have built a youth center, and my job is to run it. But what they don't know yet is that I'm trying to work myself out of a job. I'm trying to make it sustainable. I have a great counterpart who is on board with me. And I'm replacing an amazing girl, Laura, who did some great work while she was here. Here's a pic.

I've tasted my first cuy (guinea pig). It's not bad and very nutrious. So I'm pretty excited. I really feel like a lucked out. Of course there is only one phone in the entire town. And internet access might be difficult so my blog might drop off a bit. But know that I love hearing from everyone.

Oh, and by the way. I think Pepe and I have parted ways. Although I still have this cough...I guess we'll just have to see.

Training can feel sooooooooooooo long sometimes

2007-08-01T15:02:00.001-07:00

So just another quick post today...

Lately I've been bemoaning training. Don't get me wrong I appreciate training, I just want it to end very soon. Apparently this is very common among trainees. It seems to get to a point where you just want to be at your site doing your work, but fortunately (and sometimes unfortunately) they need to teach you how to do your job. I know this sounds like I'm complaining about a good thing. And maybe I am, but I want to be honest about the trials as much as the successes and this is one of them. Training can feel soooooooooooooooo long sometimes.

But we only have three more weeks left. And we find out our new sites on Friday. Interesting story behind sites. It's a somewhat common topic of conversation among bowel movements and food we love from Peru and miss about the States. We are all speculating about where we could possibly go. Our APCDs (Associate Peace Corps Directors) work very hard to find the right placement for the right volunteer. This is important because if a volunteer isn't a good fit with their site things can get messy. Like the volunteer being incredibly frustrated and give up or leaving (which is always bad for any given site as there is a good chance they won't host again). Sometimes when the fit is not as good as it could be, the APCD will make an exception and move the volunteer. My APCD allegedly has a great track record at this, and to this point I have no reason to doubt her. I am one of the few youth volunteers that doesn't have even the slightest clue where I am headed next week (for site visits, one week only and then we return to training). So Friday is going to be like Christmas the years I don't make a list and leave it to fate. So everyone wish me luck.

I went to Peru and all I got was this stupid parasite

2007-07-27T17:57:00.000-07:00

Let me start off by saying there is no official diagnosis at this point, but my symptoms are leaning toward a potential parasite.

Here's what Wikipedia says: In some people, intestinal parasites do not cause any symptoms, or the symptoms may come and go. Common signs and complaints include coughing, cramping abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence and diarrhea. In more serious infections, sex loss, skin-itching, fever, nausea, vomiting, or bloody stools may occur. Some parasites also cause low red blood count (anemia), and some travel from the lungs to the intestine, or from the intestine to the lungs and other parts of the body. Many other conditions can result in these symptoms, so laboratory tests are necessary to determine their cause.

I definitely have many of these symptoms. Not the more serious infection symptoms. So hopefully I'll get to the bottom of this with our fabulous Doctors here in the Peace Corps.

Until then, I think I'll name my parasite - Pepe the parasite. What's the old Marilyn Monroe quote: "If I'm gonna be alone, I'd rather be by myself."

Chincha Part II

2007-07-24T17:16:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday we went to Laran a town just outside of Chincha and we worked with a much poorer subset of children at a Campo (farm) de niños. This was a different experience because we were working with an environmental volunteer who liked working with kids and one of her projects involves working with these kids on recycling and cultivating a farm. Her name is Abby and she’s amazing. Anyway, we paired up with a couple of the children and went out into the community to collect recyclables. Let me just say this, we could have done this all day. There was garbage on every street corner, but we certainly grabbed a lot of recyclables and brought them back to the campo. Then the trainees (us in Peru 9) put on a sketch about hand washing and we did an activity where we put a little oil on the kids hands and they pressed them on a sheet of clean paper to see how dirty their hands were. Then we actually washed hands and ate oranges. I liked this kind of environment for working with kids. This is definitely more of a community-based approach, which I’m starting to believe I want to see what it’s all about.

On Thursday we worked with kids in a cemetery. These are street kids of their own kind. Many of them living in the cemetery with their parents who work in the cemetery selling flowers, candy, or washing the graves while some of the kids selling candy on the streets of Chincha. These kids were very active and somewhat difficult to manage, but it’s not that big of a deal ultimately. I’ve certainly dealt with tougher in the United States. We performed the same skit from Wednesday and played similar games to those we played on Tuesday, learning from our mistakes I must say. Both Wednesday and Thursday we had glitches with water, but that’s part of the learning curve I guess.

Friday was the big event. We took a collection of children from all three sites and held a festival for us, planned solely by us (except for the details – thanks ladies of Ica you rock!) By far one of the coolest experiences I have had is riding the bus with all of those kids and the looks on their faces and the sound of awe in their voices. Definitely a true Peace Corps moment…need to put that one in the heart to call on when it gets tough out there.

We did a new skit this time. It was one that I’ve seen done a number of times, but the kids really liked it. And we played various games with various dynamics. To say the least it was fairly difficult with so many kids and so many volunteers, but so worth it. One of the important reminders we received came at the end of our time there, as another group showed up and proceeded to leave shortly after the arrived. Allegedly, a group of 70 students decided to jump on a suspension bridge that our group had crossed nearly an hour earlier. Needless to say the suspense bridge couldn’t handle the jumping and collapsed taking the kids with it. There were some serious injuries, teeth gone, bloody bodies, broken bones, but thankfully no deaths. It’s a reminder that we are responsible for the safety of the children we come into contact with.
I’m sick today. It’s not fun to be sick, but it’s kind of fun to think I have a parasite…how’s that for a cliff hanger?

Chincha Part I

2007-07-22T15:36:00.000-07:00

So a week away from the training center for Field Based Training, and now I have all of these new emotions and thoughts to sort through. Field Based Training (FBT) was supposed to be a time of seeing what happens in the field and what kind of work will be good for you. There are two kinds of work found in Youth Development in Peru. The first is working with a Center-based organization, think orphanages or group homes. The second involves Community-based work where a volunteer works with three or four or more organizations, schools, churches, etc. in a given community, but all in all, the volunteer is largely on his/her own. I was part of the group sent to explore center-based work in Chincha, Ica – south of Lima.

I think, based off of my limited knowledge, that center-based work is what we are used to in the states. It’s very similar to any work in any bureaucratic organization like social services or public schools. I imagine doing this work would be just fine for me, but after my week in Chincha I’m hoping for a community based site which shouldn’t be too difficult seeing as there are 14 community based sites and only 4 center based sites available for my training group. Let me explain:

We arrived in Chincha late Sunday night and checked into our hostel. Our hostel was nice and for a time actually had hot running water, which was a change for most of us. For the most part, we spent that first evening just hanging out and resting, a thing we actually get very little practice in during training. The bus ride over was interesting for me given that it was the first time I actually questioned why I had joined the Peace Corps for the first time. I know week six, not bad. I quickly brushed those thoughts aside realizing that Chincha was the first taste of the unknown outside of the safe confines of training, our training staff (although we did have a few trainers with us), and our total group of 30 from Peru 9. I thought it was an important moment though to realize that I was human and that I was going to experience some real emotions during training rather than staying so busy that I don’t have time to think about it.

The next day we met all of the volunteers currently serving in or around Chincha. There are only five from two sectors. There are two youth volunteers and three environmental volunteers. We toured the city and learned about how the city works. Later we had a volunteer panel where we heard about the experiences of the volunteers thus far, three of them COS (Close of service) in just over three months. All in all, I’m impressed with the volunteers they are great ladies (yes, five females). It’s always nice to hear about other volunteers’ experiences, but you do tend to hear the same answer for many of your questions…“It depends.” We also found out that this would be a working week, not the semi-vacation I had hoped for, but that’s okay. Now that it’s all said and done the experience was so valuable.

On Tuesday we went to Hogar de Niñas (Home for Girls) in Chincha to have a fiesta with the girls there. This is a center-based site. A rotary club from Cananda started the hogar. It’s a home for girls found on the streets, taken out of their homes for abuse or neglect, or girls that were sexually abused or exploited. I have been to orphanages before in other countries, and I guess this isn’t truly an orphanage like the ones I have been to as many of these girls still have parents, in fact their parents come and visit or call or possibly both. We played games with the girls all morning, and it was really fun. And it’s good to know that adolescent girls don’t change that much between the U.S. and Peru. Yet I found myself not wanting to work in that environment right now. I realized that the US system is much like that, and I could end up in that system for the rest of my life.
One of the major lessons I learned at the hogar is that throwing money at something doesn’t make it better. The community and the world have been incredibly generous with these girls, but what these girls really need are people who are willing to spend time with them. They need family.

Gone for a bit

2007-07-15T09:52:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to send out a quick post letting everyone know that I might be out of blog/email range for about a week, but we'll see. Our entire crew is breaking up into smaller groups to go to three different places in Peru for Field Based Training. I'm going with seven of my friends to the Department (I think that's what they call they're state type things) called Ica. It's just below Lima (the department not the city). I will try to email and post while I'm there, but if I don't get around to it I apologize.

Other than that, we had another day at La Agraria. This time we learned about beekeeping and cuy (guinea pig) raising. It is fascinating how nutritious and valuable guinea pig is to eat. I do hope I get to try some soon. We tried some fresh honey and man was it great. I've been somewhat addicted to honey since I've been here. Usually for breakfast I have a cup of coffee con leche (with milk) and two rolls with mantequilla (butter, but really margarine) and honey. It's wonderful.

Anyway, our time at La Agraria cruised by and then a few friends and I went into Lima for a little time. We decided we needed a quick pizza fix so we went to the Calle de Pizzas (Street of Pizzas) in Miraflores. The pizza was as close to home as I imagine anything can be here, but then of course I haven't visited a fast food restaurant yet.

Afterwords, we headed to a little Artisan marketplace so I could buy a purse to take with me to Ica. We found many other wonderful treasures too, but are wary about buying until we know where we are going in our site placements. Remind me to talk about site placements eventually. I found a cute little purse and we were off to meet a friend of one of the girls I was exploring Miraflores with. We are getting really good at asking for directions around here because we have to do it a lot. Eventually we arrived at our destination and had some great food for a really affordable price. In fact, we had a cold beverage, a sandwich with fries, a pastry, and coffee all for 22 soles (s/.). That's about $7. It was heaven. We returned somewhat late, but I still beat my family home from their daily activities.

Now we head off on a new adventure to see new parts of Peru. I'm so lucky!

Cooking with Edith

2007-07-12T17:52:00.000-07:00

Today was a busy day. We started off by attending classes de idoma y cultura (language and culture). In this class we learned to cook two traditional Peruvian dishes. We cooked papas rellanos, these great stuff, fried potatoes, and arroz con leche (very similar to tapioca pudding, but a little better). My teacher Edith is the best. She’s been so supportive and helpful during this training period. We got to eat our product, and I’m telling you, I am one heck of a cook…when I have people directing me and cooking with me. This is one of many exercises we do in utter and total Spanish. It’s a great exercise, and I love to learn how to cook here. Peruvian food is so good. I have a feeling my Spanish will really improve when we get to site and we’re not speaking so much English. I’ve kind of taken the pressure off myself and feel a little better.
Another training activity, which is new to trainees in Peru, is that we have Youth Groups we go to and teach the objectives of the Peace Corps Youth Development Program in Peru. We are broken up into our "core groups" which for me includes two other people. Every week we go to a local school and play games, educate them about health, jobs, and other things. This has been the best learning activity so far. It is very hands on, sink or swim with the students in our community. Of course it is slightly difficult to hold a youth group when the teachers are striking, but that's a long story that I will save for another post. Talk about educational drama, this is pretty interesting.

We are also required to find a Community Contact (DCC) and find some way to build our community and do research at the same time (CDA) all while learning a language and cultural customs. It's no small task to be a Peace Corps Volunteer during training. Remind me and I'll try to talk about both of these activities down the road.

With all humor...I'd like to note that there is a sport down here that is almost unheard of in the United States. It's called "futbol" or otherwise known as soccer. Now I know we are all aware that we have a women's soccer team in the US (and they're pretty good), but I think we are unaware that we have a men's soccer team from the US. And apparently this "men's futbol team" plays in tournaments with other countries like Peru. Actually, they play a lot of tournaments that I've never heard of like the CopaAmerica or the PanAmerica Copa (which is allegedly taking place in the US - can you believe it). In fact, I'm pretty sure there is a "men's futbol" tournament at any given time of the year. Of course the US "men's futbol team" isn't very good which is why none of us have heard of them. They keep getting beat by countries like Argentina and Mexico. Didn't we invade these countries at one point? Anyway, just wanted to let you know about a little, unknown sport that is happening under our own noses in the US. Once again that is "men's futbol/soccer". All jokes aside, it's kind of fun to learn more about this sport. I wished I was here during the World Cup until I learned that Peru isn't very good in futbol/soccer either. Why do my teams always lose?

Take care, I love hearing from you.

Composting and Bautismo

2007-07-08T17:47:00.000-07:00

So I didn’t get a chance to post yesterday because I had a busy day. But first…

Friday I found out that I moved up a level in Spanish. I have qualified for service, for now. I am at Intermediate Mid…which is the lowest level you can be to become a volunteer. It has motivated me to work even harder on my Spanish. So I spend a lot of time just working on verb conjugations. I’m surprised I moved up. But I appreciate it. I still have a long way to go in order to qualify for service.

Saturday was a big day for a number of reasons. First of all, we returned to La Agraria to learn more about organic garden. This time we learned about soils and how to maintain them. We also built our own compost pile. As you can see in the pictures we were motivated to have a very big compost pile. I think composting is really fun. I remember learning about in seventh grade biology class. My grandparents always had one too, and they always had a great garden. More than ever we’re learning the importance of hand washing and food washing. As you can see in this picture, after we get done planting, composting, and in general, playing in the soil, we have group hand washings and it actually takes awhile. Usually when we’re done for the day we hang out in Lima, but yesterday I…

Returned home to attend my little sister’s bautismo (baptism). I was so glad to come back. The ceremony was pretty comical. The priest was unintelligible. He was mumbling at 100 mph behind his book while children were screaming and playing behind me, cell phones were ringing, and three teenagers were gossiping and giggling. Not only did I not understand a word (which is fairly common), no one understood a word. Not even the Peruvians. My friend Danielle and I had to bite our lips in order to not bust out in the middle of this obviously important ceremony. All of Karen’s family and some of Loly’s friends came back to our house for dancing, drinking, and eating. I’ve attended a number of parties like this over the past month (yes, I’ve now been here for a month, miss me yet?). It was fairly crazy for a while, but it’s always fun.

There’s a tradition I want to talk about that happens at every fiesta or dance. Here, they have big bottles of Crystal, no not champagne, one beer made in Peru that tastes a lot like Bud light. The tradition is that you all share from one glass. I can hear you gasping from half a world away. So you get fairly used to pouring a little bit for yourself, drinking it, and then passing it on to someone else. I’m still learning about this tradition, as I learned last night, it is important to allow the men in the group to serve the women. And when one bottle is emptied and the next bottle is ready, you have to add a small portion of the new bottle to the old in the shared glass. Did that make sense?

I still love Peru. I feel more and more confident in my Spanish, but still have a ton of work to do. Please keep sending me your positive thoughts and prayers for Spanish acquisition.

First Fourth for the Ninth in Peru

2007-07-05T16:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I celebrated my third Fourth of July out of country, at least. I might have spent a couple in Australia also. I need to think about that. The staff did a really good job of making the day special. We broke into teams with our Spanish language instructors and played silly picnic games all morning.

This was my team "Los Matadores"

After the games, we ate a lunch of corn chips and guacamole, carrots and celery, and grilled chicken sandwiches plus coca cola. And what would a Peruvian Fourth of July be without Inka Cola? It wouldn’t be. Anyway, I had a great time. On top of that, my friend Cass was celebrating her 21st birthday. Her husband and host family threw her a big surprise party so a bunch of us walked up the hill to their pueblo to see her and celebrate with her. We had a blast.

Dodgeball...what a great game

And what´s the Fourth without a water fight?

Today we had our second language test. I don’t feel very confident about my interview. But I’m relieved to have it over with.

One of the things I forget to post last time was that there are currently 5 Peace Corps groups in Peru. Peace Corps 5 will role out in August (except those that have chosen to serve another year), Peace Corps 6 will leave in November (I think). Then PC 7 will leave August 2008. PC 8 in November 2008. We leave (PC 9) August of 2009. PC 10 will arrive in-country in September (remember they’re the group working in Health and Environment) and will leave November 2009.

Finally, here´s the picture of me eating my first ceviche.