Christmas day started off by opening up a little gift my parents sent me - a scarf, necklace and pendant. It was a cute little morning with my little strand of Christmas lights on. After that and my morning run, I left the house to figure out how I could spend the day (nothing was going to happen in my host family´s house because my host grandmother went to Trujillo and my grandfather apparently doesn´t like celebrating the holiday). After walking around for a while, checking out the internet and chatting with people in the Plaza, my friend who is the president of the water office in San Ignacio called me to join her for lunch.
Lunch of papa de la guancallina - me encanta! Then we went to several different caserios. At the first one, La Falda, they served us each a plate of the cow they killed the day before. It was taste, but I was so full! There was traditional dancing in La Falda called negrito. This is a dance where one person dances at a time, stomping their feet on the ground at different tempos with the rhythm of the music (played by a harpist and violinist). It´s normal for everyone to participate, such as people 80 years old to 5 years old, so, when they asked me to dance I really had to. It was so fun and so difficult! Really doesn´t look that hard, and I am embarrased to say I danced for 8 years when I was younger, but it really is quite difficult. But, alas, the gringo danced, so they all cheered and loved it! Haha!
Well, Vilma and I continued onto Las Viscas after this and did more of the same - chillin´, dancin´, and laughin´. At this site I also asked the violinist if I could use his instrument and play. So, we spent a bit of time trying to teach eachother different songs - him teaching me the tune for the dance and me teaching him fiddle. It was fabulous!
Then, returned back to La Falda because there were tons of people! This is where my friends Teigan and Kate met up. We watched more dancing. I did more dancing. And Teigan caught it on film! (I wouldn´t realize it until later how many people had caught it on film and how practically everyone in Palpa knows I danced at La Falda...talk about a ´quick win´ Peace Corps!) Then it was off the celebrate Christmas the American way...
Teigan, Kate and I went back to my place and made hot cocoa (with a splash of the lovely American Baileys), lit a candle, and chilled. It was so relaxing. Nice to get the warm feeling of being around people who feel like long time friends. Then we attempted to watch Elf, which didn´t work, so watched something else...but I feel asleep 5 minutes into it dreaming of snow.
Next day, we woke up at 4 ready to go fishin! A friend, Alberto, picked us up at the hora Peruana (an hour later) at 5 and we hit the road with 3 other home made cars that resemble sandboarding cars and 10 other people. A trip these guys take each year, and one that Alberto invited us to join in on. Got to the beach using back sand roads 2 hours later, a layer of sand in our hair, and barely able to keep our eyes awake after 2 hours of sleep. But the beach certainly put some life back into us! It was gorgeous! The anticipation of getting there was great too. We could smell the salt and feel the wind before seeing the water as we came over the top of the sand dunes. This beach, Puerto Caballa, only has 3 people living there, about 6 houses and only a total of about 100 people know about it. Just gorgeous and crystal clean.
Whiel there we had a little Thermodynamics review as we watched the clouds being pushed over and down the sand mountains and dissipating into the ocean, bringing the wind and dropping the temperature. Nerds, I know. But, we are all WatSanners. Caught fish (using a net that we let sit out for 2 hours) and went off to a little incove to look for little crabs. The cliffs of the incove reminded me of New Zealand (flash back of other good times). Made a soup with all the goodness. So rico! Pulled in the fish line and cooked the 6 fish we caught. They were soooo great! Finished the day with a nap, when I got burned, teaching the guys how to play frisbee, and swimming in the water. It was a perfect day! Got back at 6:30 and craaaaashed. Little burned, good food in the belly, and too warn out to attend the celebration of Palpa´s anniversary.
Next day we cooked a cake. Chocolate cake. Mmmmm...
Monday, December 28, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
quick summary of the past few weeks
so, i haven´t been doing a good job keeping up with this...but that´s the way it goes. i had a sweet, sweet birthday celebration last week. i was going to meet up with teigan and kate in la venta, teigan´s site, at 5. but, alas, one should never tag a time to an event because it just won´t start at that time. i think just because i was so excited to get out of my site and hang out, it intentionally took longer. so, it started that friday with me visiting a water system in san ignacio with 5 other people...keep in mind, ´hora peruana.´
well cleaning goes as such: one man puts a rope around his waste, another man lowers this one into the 6m deep well. the man in the well takes one end of a 50m long half-inch thick wire and sticks it as far into the tube as possible to clean out roots that are stuck. this goes on, and on, and on, because there are tooons of roots clogging up the well. i thought it would only take 2 hours, and took 4.5. so, by the end of cleaning two wells and lots of tubes, we get back to the taxi to start the 15 minute journey back to palpa. however, the car doesn´t start - as to be expected. the taxi driver fiddles with some wires which does nothing; we climb to the top of a hill to get cell phone service, which doesn´t work; finally we push start the car and get it going. so, now we´re all back in the car and starting the climb up the mountain on the road...i hear a ´hiss, hiss, hiss´ and then we stop the car and get out - the TIRE POPPED! of course. so, we change the tire. get back in, and the car won´t start! omg, at this point i didn´t even think i was going to be able to leave. well, a car comes around the road luckly (it´s kind of far out there and not many cars drive by), so i get a ride back in the car with the taxi drive who is going to get help and we get back to palpa. i felt bad ditching the rest of them, but they told me to get in and go and, well, i didn´t refuse. got on the soyuz, peruvian style late, and headed off to la venta.
now, that´s just friday...the 18th...
then was saturday. i will sum it up because i am currently ´late´ to the christmas celebration that is going ot happen tonight in San Ignacio. saturday i got two packages from the mail box from my parents (THANKS!). went sandboarding in Ica which i would recommend to everyone! then, topped off the night with gluten-free cake that kate baked and the three of us had a blast frosting and late night swimming in the oasis and pool. it.was.a.blast. :)
headed back sunday (my real birthday) and bought a bike in Ica which is beautiful and now i feel free to travel around anywhere, and had a small dinner of pollo a la brasa with my friend here. it was small and sweet.
now is Christmas time (24th) and the big day for celebrating the holiday. I am currently going to San Ignacio and told there will be dancing, music, and killing a cow. They also told me they will cook Panchamanca since I told them it was my favorite Peruvian food. Not exactly sure what to expect though! Late tonight there´s supposed to be dancing in the Plaza in Pala and a big church service. All there festivities happen leading up to tonight at midnight. Tomorrow there isn´t much of anything, so it´s quite a bit different. Not Santa, trees and present...but then again, I do get to help kill a cow. So...it´s all just a little different!
I hope you all ´desfrutar´ your Christmas day with family and friends! All my love!
well cleaning goes as such: one man puts a rope around his waste, another man lowers this one into the 6m deep well. the man in the well takes one end of a 50m long half-inch thick wire and sticks it as far into the tube as possible to clean out roots that are stuck. this goes on, and on, and on, because there are tooons of roots clogging up the well. i thought it would only take 2 hours, and took 4.5. so, by the end of cleaning two wells and lots of tubes, we get back to the taxi to start the 15 minute journey back to palpa. however, the car doesn´t start - as to be expected. the taxi driver fiddles with some wires which does nothing; we climb to the top of a hill to get cell phone service, which doesn´t work; finally we push start the car and get it going. so, now we´re all back in the car and starting the climb up the mountain on the road...i hear a ´hiss, hiss, hiss´ and then we stop the car and get out - the TIRE POPPED! of course. so, we change the tire. get back in, and the car won´t start! omg, at this point i didn´t even think i was going to be able to leave. well, a car comes around the road luckly (it´s kind of far out there and not many cars drive by), so i get a ride back in the car with the taxi drive who is going to get help and we get back to palpa. i felt bad ditching the rest of them, but they told me to get in and go and, well, i didn´t refuse. got on the soyuz, peruvian style late, and headed off to la venta.
now, that´s just friday...the 18th...
then was saturday. i will sum it up because i am currently ´late´ to the christmas celebration that is going ot happen tonight in San Ignacio. saturday i got two packages from the mail box from my parents (THANKS!). went sandboarding in Ica which i would recommend to everyone! then, topped off the night with gluten-free cake that kate baked and the three of us had a blast frosting and late night swimming in the oasis and pool. it.was.a.blast. :)
headed back sunday (my real birthday) and bought a bike in Ica which is beautiful and now i feel free to travel around anywhere, and had a small dinner of pollo a la brasa with my friend here. it was small and sweet.
now is Christmas time (24th) and the big day for celebrating the holiday. I am currently going to San Ignacio and told there will be dancing, music, and killing a cow. They also told me they will cook Panchamanca since I told them it was my favorite Peruvian food. Not exactly sure what to expect though! Late tonight there´s supposed to be dancing in the Plaza in Pala and a big church service. All there festivities happen leading up to tonight at midnight. Tomorrow there isn´t much of anything, so it´s quite a bit different. Not Santa, trees and present...but then again, I do get to help kill a cow. So...it´s all just a little different!
I hope you all ´desfrutar´ your Christmas day with family and friends! All my love!
Friday, December 18, 2009
The Final Countdown
Birthday countdown: 3 days!
Plans: going to Teigan’s site in La Venta where we’re to bike around with Kate (the Three Muskateers reunite!), frolic in asparagus fields, climb mounds of dirt, make oatmeal pancakes, eat watermelon, drink wine, listen to music blasting from Teigan’s phone (soooo ghetto), and laugh lots!
Today: I found a pool in Palpa. Yep. A legit pool, quite green since they don’t chlorinate nor treat their water, but none-the-less, it’s a friggin’ pool in a posh lookin’ hotel! Gunna check out my 5th water system since being here in Palpa in the caserio (village) of San Ignacio. Quite excited about this because it’s a sweet looking little place and has a pretty view of the mountains.
This past week: Rollercoaster. It started out so down in the dumps. I was sad about missing my family and friends, that I’m going to miss Jen’s graduation, our birthday (this will be my first time celebrating it alone!!!), Christmas, New Years, Secret Santa’s with the family, sledding, hot cocoa (I did buy some, but it’s not the same to drink it in the desert), stockings, Christmas breakfast…along with that, I was just not feeling at home here and couldn’t figure out why I was feeling so down about it. So, after fishing into the depths of myself and shedding many tears I realized that I need to change my host family. It’s just not working out with me... Rather than feeling like I have to put up with it, I am going to change, so I am currently in the real-estate market. I have several prospective families I am going to talk with and quite excited for the change. After figuring all that out, it’s been so so so great! I been making headway with the people here. Instead of feeling like I have no idea what I’m doing here in Palpa and talking with anyone to try and figure out to get people to do what I want, I am now more demanding. It’s the difference between tip-toeing around the community trying to be polite because I am not sure what the custom is here, and walking boldly knowing what I want, who I need to talk to and what I’m doing. It feels good.
DNT: Beto and I are starting Do Nothing Tuesdays which happened accidently. Last Tuesday happened to be a Saint’s day so work was canceled for everyone. Instead it was a big day for the First Communion and we ended up celebrating with some friends here. After the communion in the morning we drank beers, rode horses, and went swimming in the Rio Grande River. Yea, it was totally paradise -mountains in the background, fields of beans, animals, good company. Then, this past week we ended up skippin’ town and checkin’ out Nasca which apparently is just another tourist town. It’s good for Christmas shopping, seeing the Nasca Lines and drinking Sherly Temples in tourist bars, but otherwise it’s just another town.
Things I need to do: wash my clothes (hm….it’s been 3 weeks and I just haven’t had 4 hours of time to wash them at Beto’s yet), make peanut-butter, finish my Christmas presents to mail home.
Christmas countdown: 8 days!
Exciting things coming up: Christmas! Not sure how I’m going to spend it yet. I think I am going to celebrate with some people in my community. But, not my current family because my grandmother is going to Tibillo and my grandfather doesn’t enjoy celebrating it. So, several other families have invited me over which I am excited about. Then, New Years and I’m also not sure how I’m going to celebrate that.
Birthday gifts for myself: a fan, a guitar, and a bike.
Plans: going to Teigan’s site in La Venta where we’re to bike around with Kate (the Three Muskateers reunite!), frolic in asparagus fields, climb mounds of dirt, make oatmeal pancakes, eat watermelon, drink wine, listen to music blasting from Teigan’s phone (soooo ghetto), and laugh lots!
Today: I found a pool in Palpa. Yep. A legit pool, quite green since they don’t chlorinate nor treat their water, but none-the-less, it’s a friggin’ pool in a posh lookin’ hotel! Gunna check out my 5th water system since being here in Palpa in the caserio (village) of San Ignacio. Quite excited about this because it’s a sweet looking little place and has a pretty view of the mountains.
This past week: Rollercoaster. It started out so down in the dumps. I was sad about missing my family and friends, that I’m going to miss Jen’s graduation, our birthday (this will be my first time celebrating it alone!!!), Christmas, New Years, Secret Santa’s with the family, sledding, hot cocoa (I did buy some, but it’s not the same to drink it in the desert), stockings, Christmas breakfast…along with that, I was just not feeling at home here and couldn’t figure out why I was feeling so down about it. So, after fishing into the depths of myself and shedding many tears I realized that I need to change my host family. It’s just not working out with me... Rather than feeling like I have to put up with it, I am going to change, so I am currently in the real-estate market. I have several prospective families I am going to talk with and quite excited for the change. After figuring all that out, it’s been so so so great! I been making headway with the people here. Instead of feeling like I have no idea what I’m doing here in Palpa and talking with anyone to try and figure out to get people to do what I want, I am now more demanding. It’s the difference between tip-toeing around the community trying to be polite because I am not sure what the custom is here, and walking boldly knowing what I want, who I need to talk to and what I’m doing. It feels good.
DNT: Beto and I are starting Do Nothing Tuesdays which happened accidently. Last Tuesday happened to be a Saint’s day so work was canceled for everyone. Instead it was a big day for the First Communion and we ended up celebrating with some friends here. After the communion in the morning we drank beers, rode horses, and went swimming in the Rio Grande River. Yea, it was totally paradise -mountains in the background, fields of beans, animals, good company. Then, this past week we ended up skippin’ town and checkin’ out Nasca which apparently is just another tourist town. It’s good for Christmas shopping, seeing the Nasca Lines and drinking Sherly Temples in tourist bars, but otherwise it’s just another town.
Things I need to do: wash my clothes (hm….it’s been 3 weeks and I just haven’t had 4 hours of time to wash them at Beto’s yet), make peanut-butter, finish my Christmas presents to mail home.
Christmas countdown: 8 days!
Exciting things coming up: Christmas! Not sure how I’m going to spend it yet. I think I am going to celebrate with some people in my community. But, not my current family because my grandmother is going to Tibillo and my grandfather doesn’t enjoy celebrating it. So, several other families have invited me over which I am excited about. Then, New Years and I’m also not sure how I’m going to celebrate that.
Birthday gifts for myself: a fan, a guitar, and a bike.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Palpañian
So here is my normal day in Palpa: wake up, run (sweat), shower, dryoff (sweat), make breakfast of eggs yogurt with fruit, walk to whatever office I am going to visit that day (sweating, of course, along the way), show up (all sweaty), and hang out. Talk a little, all the while being conscious of how I am sitting to best maximize whatever little breeze is trickling through the room. All the while I am working my way through the Spanish I know and pretending I understand more than I really do with head nods. When it´s around 1 I make my way back home, being conscious not to turn my back on anyone and show them the embarrassing sweat marks that probably show through my pants as I leave the room. Then, it´s lunch, refreshing shower, nap, and back outside for the second part of the day.
From this routine, I have learned which pants are best to wear. Jeans are HOT and don´t allow for much airflow, unfortunately. The two windbreakerish pants I brought are great for airflow (thanks Patagonia) but suck at hiding sweat dropplets. For this, I have decided they´re best for night. Overall, caprees are best. Thank god I brought 3 pairs.
What I actually do during the day differs. I will openly admit it though, I am living in Posh Corps here in Palpa. The other day I took a ride with the head of the Office of Agriculture in his yellow convertable VW (dad, you would have loved it) to see some chakras (farming fields). The fields were beautiful, and actually the ones you see in tourist packets of Palpa. Whereas today I was in a parade organized by the Hospital for the World AIDs awareness and then went to check out some water systems in Sacramento with another engineer. Then I chilled in the market with my friend who is an old guy and owns a shop and we watched a lot of the movies he sells about different areas of Peru on his flat screen LCD TV. It was sweet.
Now, after my meal of rice and potatoes, I am going to head home. I may read a bit of an engineering report I got in Sacramento, but more than likely I will just try to finish the movie Milk I have been watching the past 4 nights and can´t seem to finish because I keep falling asleep.
Other cool things I realized:
1. Don´t bring up beer with your mayor unless he does first
2. I may look into doing a Masters at Michigan Tech with the joint PC program while here...I have been told it´s possible!
3. Doing Secret Santa´s in the Peace Corps is a fabulous idea!
4. Washing clothes by hand takes about 4 hours
5. Drying clothes in the desert makes them as hard as cardboard
6. Tuna on rice with chopped carrots isn´t that bad
7. You can nod your head through about any conversation and get away with people thinking you understand
8. Naps in the middle of the day are great
Until next time - paz y amor from your Posh Corps Volunteer in Palpa.
From this routine, I have learned which pants are best to wear. Jeans are HOT and don´t allow for much airflow, unfortunately. The two windbreakerish pants I brought are great for airflow (thanks Patagonia) but suck at hiding sweat dropplets. For this, I have decided they´re best for night. Overall, caprees are best. Thank god I brought 3 pairs.
What I actually do during the day differs. I will openly admit it though, I am living in Posh Corps here in Palpa. The other day I took a ride with the head of the Office of Agriculture in his yellow convertable VW (dad, you would have loved it) to see some chakras (farming fields). The fields were beautiful, and actually the ones you see in tourist packets of Palpa. Whereas today I was in a parade organized by the Hospital for the World AIDs awareness and then went to check out some water systems in Sacramento with another engineer. Then I chilled in the market with my friend who is an old guy and owns a shop and we watched a lot of the movies he sells about different areas of Peru on his flat screen LCD TV. It was sweet.
Now, after my meal of rice and potatoes, I am going to head home. I may read a bit of an engineering report I got in Sacramento, but more than likely I will just try to finish the movie Milk I have been watching the past 4 nights and can´t seem to finish because I keep falling asleep.
Other cool things I realized:
1. Don´t bring up beer with your mayor unless he does first
2. I may look into doing a Masters at Michigan Tech with the joint PC program while here...I have been told it´s possible!
3. Doing Secret Santa´s in the Peace Corps is a fabulous idea!
4. Washing clothes by hand takes about 4 hours
5. Drying clothes in the desert makes them as hard as cardboard
6. Tuna on rice with chopped carrots isn´t that bad
7. You can nod your head through about any conversation and get away with people thinking you understand
8. Naps in the middle of the day are great
Until next time - paz y amor from your Posh Corps Volunteer in Palpa.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Tubs of Soap
I have decided that Peru has the sweetest dishwashing soap in the world. It’s quite simple, a little bucket of granulated soap (similar to detergent if the powered stuff was wetted and then dried out in a clump). You simply put your sponge in the bucket and swipe out what you need, then wash the dish. I dunno why, but I don’t get nearly as sick of washing dishes now as before, and I think the only thing that’s changed now is the soap…or the location…not sure.
Tomorrow is already Thanksgiving! Well, my entire family is in Portugal and I am here, in Peru. I would love to have dinner with them all (especially in Portugal – Rion, you’ve got some great pics!), but am happy to be sharing it instead with my PCV-Ica family here. American holiday Peruvian style – perfect. A celebration of when pilgrims shared food with the indigenous… seems similar to what PCVs are doing now, only it’s Peru and not the land of paradise (or efficiency and convenience, and I now know it as).
So, I have been in site for 3 days now and am learning to love it more and more. I guess I should say I wasn’t that thrilled to be placed in the desert, but after being here and starting to connect with the people…it’s obvious, once again, that it’s really the people that make the place, and not necessarily the place that makes the people. Regardless that it’s hot as an oven here ALL THE TIME, the people are awesome, there are several trees to hide under, and there are some sweet sweet ruins in the mountains that line all sides of the town. I have started to run every morning as a means of getting to know the layout of the town since I don’t yet have a bike. I haven’t seen any ruins, but after going to the free museum today, I know what directions to run in now. The other day my site mate, Win, and I did venture on a 1.5 hour hike with his ‘socio communitario’ to the top of some hills to check out some hieroglyphics. They are so absolutely amazing! And the sweet thing is that they are all over here, free of charge, and some were only discovered 3 years ago! I know, REALLY? How could people not have known about them? I’m not sure…but I feel like I am living my 5 year old dream of being an archeologist as I check out these old sites with all this history from forever ago.
So, what am I saying? If (When) you come to visit…there are super sweet things to do!
Tomorrow is already Thanksgiving! Well, my entire family is in Portugal and I am here, in Peru. I would love to have dinner with them all (especially in Portugal – Rion, you’ve got some great pics!), but am happy to be sharing it instead with my PCV-Ica family here. American holiday Peruvian style – perfect. A celebration of when pilgrims shared food with the indigenous… seems similar to what PCVs are doing now, only it’s Peru and not the land of paradise (or efficiency and convenience, and I now know it as).
So, I have been in site for 3 days now and am learning to love it more and more. I guess I should say I wasn’t that thrilled to be placed in the desert, but after being here and starting to connect with the people…it’s obvious, once again, that it’s really the people that make the place, and not necessarily the place that makes the people. Regardless that it’s hot as an oven here ALL THE TIME, the people are awesome, there are several trees to hide under, and there are some sweet sweet ruins in the mountains that line all sides of the town. I have started to run every morning as a means of getting to know the layout of the town since I don’t yet have a bike. I haven’t seen any ruins, but after going to the free museum today, I know what directions to run in now. The other day my site mate, Win, and I did venture on a 1.5 hour hike with his ‘socio communitario’ to the top of some hills to check out some hieroglyphics. They are so absolutely amazing! And the sweet thing is that they are all over here, free of charge, and some were only discovered 3 years ago! I know, REALLY? How could people not have known about them? I’m not sure…but I feel like I am living my 5 year old dream of being an archeologist as I check out these old sites with all this history from forever ago.
So, what am I saying? If (When) you come to visit…there are super sweet things to do!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
moving on
so, i just had 5 days of site visit and they were interesting. i am located in Palpa, Ica which is in the deserts of ica. the community is in a valley located along two rivers - the rio grande being one. because of this is it a farming community and there are crops around the town. luckily this makes for a somewhat green location, but because every side has mountains there isn't wind...but the mountains are rather pretty! one is quite large and i was told it takes about 4 hours to hike up, so i am going to venture up it soon with another volunteer and see how long it really takes!
i will be living with two grandparents who are nice. they run a hostel, and i am excited to meet travelers coming through since palpa is a tourist trap from the ruines situated around there, the great food, and the nasca lines just 45 minutes south.
well, honestly i want to write more but there are sooo many things i have to get back to doing right now. i only have 3 days left in my neighborhood here in yanacota before leaving this saturday (after swearing in! big event!) to my community, so i am going to get some sleep and continue my packing tomorrow. the update though, is my mailing address. send stuff here:
Jess Smith
Cuerpo de Paz
Cailla #52
Serpost, Ica
Ica, Peru
if you do happen to send it to the first address, no worries, the office will forward them.
paz y amor...(sorry this was brief, more to come in a week when i am in my site.)
i will be living with two grandparents who are nice. they run a hostel, and i am excited to meet travelers coming through since palpa is a tourist trap from the ruines situated around there, the great food, and the nasca lines just 45 minutes south.
well, honestly i want to write more but there are sooo many things i have to get back to doing right now. i only have 3 days left in my neighborhood here in yanacota before leaving this saturday (after swearing in! big event!) to my community, so i am going to get some sleep and continue my packing tomorrow. the update though, is my mailing address. send stuff here:
Jess Smith
Cuerpo de Paz
Cailla #52
Serpost, Ica
Ica, Peru
if you do happen to send it to the first address, no worries, the office will forward them.
paz y amor...(sorry this was brief, more to come in a week when i am in my site.)
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Orange Country
So, here´s the news...I will be living in Palpa, Ica for the next two years! My stomach is happy to hear that because it is known for it´s fruit - specifically for it´s oranges. There are a lot of ruines situated around the community. They are similar to the well known Nasca Lines, but can be seen after hiking a mountain and not necessarily by plane. There are farms all around the community as well, which is where the majority of the work I will be doing is situated. The community itself is in a desert, as all of Ica is known for, which means HOT HOT HOT! Honestly, I never expected to be placed in a desert, so this will be quite an adventure! My first night here I met my family which is Felix and Laura. Both an older couple who never had kids, but they have hosted other people in the past and also run a private hostle, and are well known around the community. I call them my grandparents, and they call me their ´hija´ which means daughter. Laura is a crafty lady who is totally on the ball and doesn´t let anyone mess around with here.
I had an exciting morning today going to the market with her. After I said ´buenos dias´to someone on the street she told me not to do that, and to only greet people if I knew them or they greated me. All this custom stuff I am not familiar with. So, she proceeded to demonstrate to me how to do it correctly when we walked by the next person. Then, we passed a group of men who were chillin on a bench outside a store. She told them goodmorning and they didn´t do anything, so she offered them her hand and they gave her a weak shake. Hah! From here she made fun of them for not being strong enough to give her a good greeting. After teaching them how to properly greet, and laughing it off we continued. Then she told me about the machistic community that is throughout all of Peru, and which I was already well familiar with. So, my grandma is assertive and one of a kind. Quite good to know. She doens´t take crap from people and is totally doing a great job teaching me the ropes around the town. The different people, the different places. But, she is still my grandmother and has an instict to grab my hand when we cross the Pana Americana highway, which is a little embarrasing. Well, guess her intentions are good.
Felix is a fabulous grandfather who is a master cook! Currently they are remodeling the kitchen so it is bigger and I will be able to cook whatever meals I want there. Felix said he would teach me how to cook, which is great! He has given me pointers also on places to go around town, what to look for, who to and not to talk to...
Oh, and last night I was on the local TV station, Cadena Sur Noticia, with another volunteer who happens to be 5 minutes away in the town of Rio Grande. Being interviewed was an interesting experience! I was sooo nervous, because ALL of Palpa had access to watching it, and there I was, trying to look calm and speak in Spanish. In all honesty, I think it went well and I was so surprised to see myself talking spanish so fluently when I watched the tape...but I still have more to learn for sure. My interview consisted of answering questions such as why I was in Palpa, what Peace Corps is, what I plan on doing, what my home is like...ect. Then my friend got up there and did his interview which is great. In the end they told us we could return whenever we wanted which will be a fabulous resource for getting news out!
So, that´s the story! I will update you on my address, but I haven´t got it yet. Let me know how you all are doing! I miss you all!
p.s. Here is an interesting article about Ica, Peru which is the Department provence the Palpa is located in. It talks about deforestation which is something that is a problem here as well and I want to try and address in a project. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/world/americas/08peru.html?_r=1&ref=energy-environment
I had an exciting morning today going to the market with her. After I said ´buenos dias´to someone on the street she told me not to do that, and to only greet people if I knew them or they greated me. All this custom stuff I am not familiar with. So, she proceeded to demonstrate to me how to do it correctly when we walked by the next person. Then, we passed a group of men who were chillin on a bench outside a store. She told them goodmorning and they didn´t do anything, so she offered them her hand and they gave her a weak shake. Hah! From here she made fun of them for not being strong enough to give her a good greeting. After teaching them how to properly greet, and laughing it off we continued. Then she told me about the machistic community that is throughout all of Peru, and which I was already well familiar with. So, my grandma is assertive and one of a kind. Quite good to know. She doens´t take crap from people and is totally doing a great job teaching me the ropes around the town. The different people, the different places. But, she is still my grandmother and has an instict to grab my hand when we cross the Pana Americana highway, which is a little embarrasing. Well, guess her intentions are good.
Felix is a fabulous grandfather who is a master cook! Currently they are remodeling the kitchen so it is bigger and I will be able to cook whatever meals I want there. Felix said he would teach me how to cook, which is great! He has given me pointers also on places to go around town, what to look for, who to and not to talk to...
Oh, and last night I was on the local TV station, Cadena Sur Noticia, with another volunteer who happens to be 5 minutes away in the town of Rio Grande. Being interviewed was an interesting experience! I was sooo nervous, because ALL of Palpa had access to watching it, and there I was, trying to look calm and speak in Spanish. In all honesty, I think it went well and I was so surprised to see myself talking spanish so fluently when I watched the tape...but I still have more to learn for sure. My interview consisted of answering questions such as why I was in Palpa, what Peace Corps is, what I plan on doing, what my home is like...ect. Then my friend got up there and did his interview which is great. In the end they told us we could return whenever we wanted which will be a fabulous resource for getting news out!
So, that´s the story! I will update you on my address, but I haven´t got it yet. Let me know how you all are doing! I miss you all!
p.s. Here is an interesting article about Ica, Peru which is the Department provence the Palpa is located in. It talks about deforestation which is something that is a problem here as well and I want to try and address in a project. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/world/americas/08peru.html?_r=1&ref=energy-environment
Monday, November 2, 2009
My New Love
This past weekend my initial discontentment at the idea of living in a desert for the next two years (if my site ends up being in Ica instead of Libertad) changed, and my conception of organizing projects was inspired. My tech group spent 3 days in Bernales, Ica learning how to build dry bathrooms. For perspective, Bernales is a big sandbox. There are no trees, the only green areas are the fields being cultivated for crops, which are few and far between, located by the water source. Everything else is desert. The houses are all painted bright colors and constructed from adobe. We were at Bernales because it suffered from the earthquake two years ago and a lot of the houses are lacking a wastewater system. Well, most are lacking toilets and such as well.
We worked with a family that needed a septic tank. When we had a site visit Thursday night, we met the family – Diana, Sr. Lopez and their 4 year old son. Their house was built of walls out of woven straw (‘estero’ in Spanish), which is a very common building material in Peru. Sr. Lopez prepared the hole where the septic tank was to go. It was 2 meters deep and 1mx1m. A huge sand pit. Sand. That was a huge problem. The idea behind us doing this project was that we would be able to get a chunk of it done this weekend. Since a foundation hadn’t been laid with cement for us arriving, it was impossible to pour one and expect to be able to work on it that same time without it needing time to work. Because of this, we had to improvise the foundation of the septic tank hole. Instead of a concrete footer, we used huge rocks, followed by a layer of gravel, sand, and a slab of bricks mortared together. (We are crossing our fingers that this will withstand any sinking into the sand.) Improvisation – a new word all WatSanners love. Then we spent the next two days mortaring bricks up in the pit for the walls, mixing cement (which can never be done as well as a Peruvian can do), transporting gravel, and playing with poop pipes. At the end of the time we had finished laying the plumbing tubes for the toilet, sink, shower, the trench for the piping to the septic tank, and the septic tank. It was hoss. Great. Beautiful. And, we were one dirty group that hadn’t showered for 3 days.
On the way back we adventured to an oasis. A literal oasis. This is when my perception of the desert changed. I have found that I am happiest where I am living somewhere that is green and with mountains if possible. But, if there is something as cool as a lagoon with wildlife in the middle of the desert near my site I would totally be happy. In addition, Bernales is beautifully situated with mountains in the distance.
For Halloween I ended up being a gringo and celebrating with the WatSan crew. A little lame, but finding a costume was less pertinent than showering and relaxing! We stormed through a grocery store and bought candy to trade as simulation of Halloween treats.
November 1st was Day of the Dead here and I celebrated with my family. The whole day was hilarious! It is tradition to make dolls out of dough to cook and trade with family. The word for this doll is ‘wawa’ which originates from the Chequa word for baby. So, all day I was hearing my family say “wawa this” and “wawa that.” I kept thinking I was surrounded by grown up babies crying out for attention. It was so funny. Also, I was making it with my aunts and grandmother and they were all bickering over who’s bread was who’s when it was coming out of the oven. When, in reality, they each had literally enough bread for a month - two huge tubs worth of bread dolls each, yet claiming the bread coming out of the oven was theirs. I was thinking, “Honestly? How much bread is really necessary to have?” I still don’t know how it’s all going to get eaten before they turn to croutons. I chilled the evening eating gluten-free bread out of my mix of rice flour, quinoa, and corn flour (sooo fabulous!) and painting with my aunt. By the end of the weekend I loved the potential of deserts, the word ‘wawa’ and how it creates adult babies, and painting.
Count-down: 4 days until I find out my site for the next 2 years!
We worked with a family that needed a septic tank. When we had a site visit Thursday night, we met the family – Diana, Sr. Lopez and their 4 year old son. Their house was built of walls out of woven straw (‘estero’ in Spanish), which is a very common building material in Peru. Sr. Lopez prepared the hole where the septic tank was to go. It was 2 meters deep and 1mx1m. A huge sand pit. Sand. That was a huge problem. The idea behind us doing this project was that we would be able to get a chunk of it done this weekend. Since a foundation hadn’t been laid with cement for us arriving, it was impossible to pour one and expect to be able to work on it that same time without it needing time to work. Because of this, we had to improvise the foundation of the septic tank hole. Instead of a concrete footer, we used huge rocks, followed by a layer of gravel, sand, and a slab of bricks mortared together. (We are crossing our fingers that this will withstand any sinking into the sand.) Improvisation – a new word all WatSanners love. Then we spent the next two days mortaring bricks up in the pit for the walls, mixing cement (which can never be done as well as a Peruvian can do), transporting gravel, and playing with poop pipes. At the end of the time we had finished laying the plumbing tubes for the toilet, sink, shower, the trench for the piping to the septic tank, and the septic tank. It was hoss. Great. Beautiful. And, we were one dirty group that hadn’t showered for 3 days.
On the way back we adventured to an oasis. A literal oasis. This is when my perception of the desert changed. I have found that I am happiest where I am living somewhere that is green and with mountains if possible. But, if there is something as cool as a lagoon with wildlife in the middle of the desert near my site I would totally be happy. In addition, Bernales is beautifully situated with mountains in the distance.
For Halloween I ended up being a gringo and celebrating with the WatSan crew. A little lame, but finding a costume was less pertinent than showering and relaxing! We stormed through a grocery store and bought candy to trade as simulation of Halloween treats.
November 1st was Day of the Dead here and I celebrated with my family. The whole day was hilarious! It is tradition to make dolls out of dough to cook and trade with family. The word for this doll is ‘wawa’ which originates from the Chequa word for baby. So, all day I was hearing my family say “wawa this” and “wawa that.” I kept thinking I was surrounded by grown up babies crying out for attention. It was so funny. Also, I was making it with my aunts and grandmother and they were all bickering over who’s bread was who’s when it was coming out of the oven. When, in reality, they each had literally enough bread for a month - two huge tubs worth of bread dolls each, yet claiming the bread coming out of the oven was theirs. I was thinking, “Honestly? How much bread is really necessary to have?” I still don’t know how it’s all going to get eaten before they turn to croutons. I chilled the evening eating gluten-free bread out of my mix of rice flour, quinoa, and corn flour (sooo fabulous!) and painting with my aunt. By the end of the weekend I loved the potential of deserts, the word ‘wawa’ and how it creates adult babies, and painting.
Count-down: 4 days until I find out my site for the next 2 years!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
(Cuba) Libre!
So, yesterday I remembered how amazing it feels to have the world at your fingertips - I got a cell phone. At the end of the day all the aspirantes got a box with identical phones inside. Immediately after getting our little boxes with the phone, headset, and recharger cord, all 56 of us were figuring out how the change the language to english, and deciding which of the 10 ring tones to pick from in our feeble attempt to personalize them. The ease of contacting each other is still settling in as we gleefully joke at the truth behind the words: 'call me later!' Oh, me encanta estar conectado.
The other exciting thing coming up is HALLOWEEEEEN! With the limited resources I brought with me, I have to sift through my clothes and come up with something. Here is what I am thinking:
-Peter Pan (I brought green spandex because I never leave home without them)
-A genie (my Indian yoga pants are perfect for this)
-The paperbag princess (seriously, part of the outfit is to NOT wash the hair - how perfect!)
-A gringo (borring, I know, and practically a costume I wear every day regardless of how hard I try to integrate.)
-Something with a bandana: pirate, harley davidson chick (hm...), bumb, hick
Regardless of how much time I put into determining what I will be, inevitably Peruvians will see me for who I am - the gringo - so I can't really fail. And, reminiscing of times when it was so easy to go door-to-door for Halloween and collect a pillowcases amount of what I now see and prized candy (Reeses Pieces! Peanut M&Ms! Baby Ruth's!) I will be sipping on my Cuba Libre, texting aspirantes and soaking up the new kind of candy - connection to the world via my little black cellphone.
The other exciting thing coming up is HALLOWEEEEEN! With the limited resources I brought with me, I have to sift through my clothes and come up with something. Here is what I am thinking:
-Peter Pan (I brought green spandex because I never leave home without them)
-A genie (my Indian yoga pants are perfect for this)
-The paperbag princess (seriously, part of the outfit is to NOT wash the hair - how perfect!)
-A gringo (borring, I know, and practically a costume I wear every day regardless of how hard I try to integrate.)
-Something with a bandana: pirate, harley davidson chick (hm...), bumb, hick
Regardless of how much time I put into determining what I will be, inevitably Peruvians will see me for who I am - the gringo - so I can't really fail. And, reminiscing of times when it was so easy to go door-to-door for Halloween and collect a pillowcases amount of what I now see and prized candy (Reeses Pieces! Peanut M&Ms! Baby Ruth's!) I will be sipping on my Cuba Libre, texting aspirantes and soaking up the new kind of candy - connection to the world via my little black cellphone.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
WatSan!
So the past three weeks so many things have happened! Spanish is definitely improving which means I can hold a steady conversation without having to say "eh, como?" between each sentence (but this also means I am forgetting English words which means I get brain-fort moments when trying to speak...what a trade-off), I have visited two different locations outside of Chaclacayo/Lima area giving me a great appreciation of Peru (my home here is only composed of sand hills and there is more dust here than I have ever known could exist), and my tech classes and projects have been sweet. "Wat SAN!" is my groups' cheer, and with a group composed mainly of guys, there is this idea that we need to prove ourselves as the best. Whether true or not, I agree that we are doing sweet projects.
Last weekend we went to the elementary school in Yanacoto (my neighborhood) and taught the importance of hand washing to the different ages. It was quite fun and easy to fill the 30 minutes. We used the method of engaged learning by incorporating games as a fun means of teaching the kids information on the illnesses that can result if they don't wash their hands. It was great practice for us to become comfortable teaching this to kids in school, and the 6th grade class I taught was perfect for our Spanish speaking capability! Overall the language part went really well, except I was told at the end that during the whole thing I was using this word to mean "treatment" that doesn't really exist in Spanish. Oh well! I admit, I make up words when I have to take a wild guess because most of them are quite similar. Works most of the time.
After this we took a trip to Canete to learn about recycling systems in place for two different locations. One location is the most dangerous in Peru (located in Lima) and we had 10 police escorts with us when we went to check it out. I didn't realize how dangerous it was until the end when the Police told us that if they hadn't been with us more than likely several of us would have been robbed. Well, guess that's what to expect with the most dangerous neighborhood in Peru. The other neighborhood we visited was not nearly as dangerous. They were both great examples of how a working trash system is supposed to function. I am a little speculative as to how long it would/will take for us to instigate a system like this in our communities if we are starting from nothing... After checking out dry toilets and meeting the mayor we enjoyed the evening relaxing and speaking spanish with our teachers.
This past week we focused on water systems. We took a day cleaning out with water reservoir in Yanacoto which entailed getting into the water tank. Yes, swimming. SWIMMING! It was the first time I had swam since being here and it was great. Granted, it was the drinking water provided for the neighborhood...but they weren't going to drink this water. The water was chiiiilly and came up to my hips. With the "leche" (water and chlorine solution) we scrubbed the walls with a broom and the ground. The idea was the bleach the walls and get everything clean. Then the water was drained from the tank. We all got out of the tank half wet, and I realized what a bad idea it was to wear white pants. As the water was draining from the tank it flowed down the ditched on the side of the road following the ravine that was made for it. Well, until it got a certain distance and then we realized a truck had blocked up the path. This meant all the water was diverted in a different direction and ended up flowing down the hill and through a woman's house! She started yelling out of fright that a landslide was happening through her house (which is common in my neighborhood). She ended up with a toooon of chlorinated muddy water in her house and we had to work extra long to sweep it all out of her house. Learned that jobs more than likely will take longer than expected from unexpected things coming up.
Yesterday we went on a 3 hour hike in Ayas up a mountain to view a water distribution system. It was gorgeous! Finally we were able to see some grass, fields, and greenery instead of just dirt and dust. During the hike we stopped to check out all the water connections, pressure boxes, and to the very very top to see where the water was originating from. There was a point when we were descending and a truck was blocking the road trying to load back 2 bulls into the back. Scarry part was that they were bulls. They were big bulls and moving around along because they looked angry (as would I be if I were forced back into a small space). Well, our guide was just like: "it's safe, pass, pass." Riiiight! With bulls looking freaked out? I sped walked past there as fast as I could causing commotion.
This next week we are going to take another 3 day trip to a different community, and then find out the week after were our site will be for the next two years. All I know is for me it's between Ica and La Libertad. I have my hopes on La Libertad with a spot in the mountains, but we'll see what happens! Chao! Hasta luego!
Last weekend we went to the elementary school in Yanacoto (my neighborhood) and taught the importance of hand washing to the different ages. It was quite fun and easy to fill the 30 minutes. We used the method of engaged learning by incorporating games as a fun means of teaching the kids information on the illnesses that can result if they don't wash their hands. It was great practice for us to become comfortable teaching this to kids in school, and the 6th grade class I taught was perfect for our Spanish speaking capability! Overall the language part went really well, except I was told at the end that during the whole thing I was using this word to mean "treatment" that doesn't really exist in Spanish. Oh well! I admit, I make up words when I have to take a wild guess because most of them are quite similar. Works most of the time.
After this we took a trip to Canete to learn about recycling systems in place for two different locations. One location is the most dangerous in Peru (located in Lima) and we had 10 police escorts with us when we went to check it out. I didn't realize how dangerous it was until the end when the Police told us that if they hadn't been with us more than likely several of us would have been robbed. Well, guess that's what to expect with the most dangerous neighborhood in Peru. The other neighborhood we visited was not nearly as dangerous. They were both great examples of how a working trash system is supposed to function. I am a little speculative as to how long it would/will take for us to instigate a system like this in our communities if we are starting from nothing... After checking out dry toilets and meeting the mayor we enjoyed the evening relaxing and speaking spanish with our teachers.
This past week we focused on water systems. We took a day cleaning out with water reservoir in Yanacoto which entailed getting into the water tank. Yes, swimming. SWIMMING! It was the first time I had swam since being here and it was great. Granted, it was the drinking water provided for the neighborhood...but they weren't going to drink this water. The water was chiiiilly and came up to my hips. With the "leche" (water and chlorine solution) we scrubbed the walls with a broom and the ground. The idea was the bleach the walls and get everything clean. Then the water was drained from the tank. We all got out of the tank half wet, and I realized what a bad idea it was to wear white pants. As the water was draining from the tank it flowed down the ditched on the side of the road following the ravine that was made for it. Well, until it got a certain distance and then we realized a truck had blocked up the path. This meant all the water was diverted in a different direction and ended up flowing down the hill and through a woman's house! She started yelling out of fright that a landslide was happening through her house (which is common in my neighborhood). She ended up with a toooon of chlorinated muddy water in her house and we had to work extra long to sweep it all out of her house. Learned that jobs more than likely will take longer than expected from unexpected things coming up.
Yesterday we went on a 3 hour hike in Ayas up a mountain to view a water distribution system. It was gorgeous! Finally we were able to see some grass, fields, and greenery instead of just dirt and dust. During the hike we stopped to check out all the water connections, pressure boxes, and to the very very top to see where the water was originating from. There was a point when we were descending and a truck was blocking the road trying to load back 2 bulls into the back. Scarry part was that they were bulls. They were big bulls and moving around along because they looked angry (as would I be if I were forced back into a small space). Well, our guide was just like: "it's safe, pass, pass." Riiiight! With bulls looking freaked out? I sped walked past there as fast as I could causing commotion.
This next week we are going to take another 3 day trip to a different community, and then find out the week after were our site will be for the next two years. All I know is for me it's between Ica and La Libertad. I have my hopes on La Libertad with a spot in the mountains, but we'll see what happens! Chao! Hasta luego!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Birthday Bashes!
So I found out this Monday there is such a thing as a birthday fanatic. Just as there are pyros for people obsessed with making fires, there are people obsessed with planning the biggest and best birthdays ever (definitely that this is not a bad thing)! Monday was the first bithday during training for someone in the group and 30 minutes before the end of the day music started to fill the lecture hall we were all sitting in. Then, 5 people dressed in the traditional Peruvian garb entered the room playing their stringed instruments and sining 'feliz cumpleanos!' Amazing. Firstly, it was fabulous because I think everyone was getting their fill of looking at pictures of people with ghonnorea and syphilius, and secondly beacuse there was a band who had come to serendade Travis, who's birthday it was.
They serenaded him with several songs, then a girl from our group got up and with her passionate voice she sang a merriachi song dedicated to Travis in honor of his birthday. With all the girls in the group dancing in a circle around him, while, one at a time, we all danced with him it was fabulous. To top it off another group of people had ordered a cake, so at the end of the day everyone won! Travis got an amazing birthday celebration (which happened to be his day back from being sick), the lecture on STI's got cut short, and we all got graced with a Merriachi band and then had cake! The fun has just begun, however! With our party-planning leader and the bar set high for what to expect at each birthday, the group seems fierce and feverish to continue celebrating each one in a unique and huge manner.
With 57 people in our group, there are several birthdays to happen during training. The second one happened to be tonight. We agreed to celebrate it after training sessions so important messages such as STIs wouldn't be cut short. At 5 the cake arrived, the pinata was stuffed, and the Barney costumed was rented from the local library. :) Yes, Barney. We weren't able to organize for the two clowns to show up, so we settled with the next best thing. This Barney costume was made for the average Peruvian male height of 5'5" and worn by one of the tallest men at training, Chris, who happens to grace the tapemeasure at 6' at least...probably 6'2", but details don't matter. Wearing a costume that didn't pull up to Chris's shoulders, was entiiiirely covered in dust (and probably hadn't been worn in years - literally) with stains and spills all over it, Barney appeared to grace the guests in dinosaur happiness, dust, and probably tons of contageous diseases. :) It was miracious! Needless to say, the next birthday is next week and I will update on what fabulous events occur.
They serenaded him with several songs, then a girl from our group got up and with her passionate voice she sang a merriachi song dedicated to Travis in honor of his birthday. With all the girls in the group dancing in a circle around him, while, one at a time, we all danced with him it was fabulous. To top it off another group of people had ordered a cake, so at the end of the day everyone won! Travis got an amazing birthday celebration (which happened to be his day back from being sick), the lecture on STI's got cut short, and we all got graced with a Merriachi band and then had cake! The fun has just begun, however! With our party-planning leader and the bar set high for what to expect at each birthday, the group seems fierce and feverish to continue celebrating each one in a unique and huge manner.
With 57 people in our group, there are several birthdays to happen during training. The second one happened to be tonight. We agreed to celebrate it after training sessions so important messages such as STIs wouldn't be cut short. At 5 the cake arrived, the pinata was stuffed, and the Barney costumed was rented from the local library. :) Yes, Barney. We weren't able to organize for the two clowns to show up, so we settled with the next best thing. This Barney costume was made for the average Peruvian male height of 5'5" and worn by one of the tallest men at training, Chris, who happens to grace the tapemeasure at 6' at least...probably 6'2", but details don't matter. Wearing a costume that didn't pull up to Chris's shoulders, was entiiiirely covered in dust (and probably hadn't been worn in years - literally) with stains and spills all over it, Barney appeared to grace the guests in dinosaur happiness, dust, and probably tons of contageous diseases. :) It was miracious! Needless to say, the next birthday is next week and I will update on what fabulous events occur.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Muy Chevere!
That's the Peruvian expression for 'very sweet/cool/fantastic' and what would sum up my time here so far. It's the end of my second week of training and has just flown by! Training has been a compilation of health sessions, technical training sessions for my Water and Sanitation (WatSan) group, and Spanish classes (which are 4 hours a day).
The first health session was one to remember. It was an hour about kaka (poop), and the little kid inside all of us was trying to stifle our laughter. The novelty of hearing the word didn't provoke the same giddy response, but since it was talked about in a technical manner - using graphs and charts to define the 7 different the types and qualities - the humor is revived. Apparently how the kaka changes, so does the health. So during the next two years, kaka apparently has potential to be the main topic of conversation. Here is a fun fact we were told at our last health session: 70% of volunteers are eventually doomed to poop in their pants. Sounds like something to really look forward to!
Spanish classes are going well. At first they were frustrating and it seemed as though I was only understanding part of what I was hearing, but now things are picking up pace. Each morning my group of 4 of us meet for 4 hours at someone's house. Guess it's all paying off because it's becoming easier to talk with people! Yesterday my group and I went to a nearby community, Chosica, to venture on a scavenger hunt. We had to talk with people, take mototaxi rides places, and bargain for fruit. Two weeks ago I would've had no confidence in my ability to do this. Yesterday it was great though. We looked for the state engineer for water distribution and purification and asked him a list of questions about the water systems in Chosica. After getting a thorough answer, he offered to give us copies of documents and AutoCAD drawings of all the canals, pipes and hydroelectric systems that the community uses. It was certainly interesting, but also quite much for the little scavenger hunt with the only real purpose of getting us comfortable talking with anyone.
After that I had lunch in with friends which consisted of chicken, rice and salad - three of the staple foods in a Peruvian's diet. I have had more rice here than I probably have had in my life. At every meal there is rice. At about every lunch and dinner there is chicken, with the occasional hamburger or hotdog instead. My family is really good at including vegetables which I think they understand American's enjoy eating because they have hosted 5 volunteers prior to myself. Breakfast is normally friend sweet potatoes and bananas; sometimes an egg, sometimes oatmeal, and sometimes yogurt. Not quite the variety that is offered in the states, but it's sufficient. As for now I haven't grown bored with the repetition, and hopefully that won't come for a while since it looks like this will be what I'm eating for 2 years.
The technical sessions are such a blast! Our first mini project was to make "tippy-taps." these are small hand washing devices made from 3 L plastic bottles. Quite simple. You just need to turn the bottle upside down and cut the bottom. Then rotate the cut piece and place it back into the bottle, poke two holes to loop a string through it and hang it up. The body of it is filled with water and the top part is for putting soap. Vualah! You have a hand washing sink! We were supposed to work our creativity juices and tweak the design. I transformed mine into the "camel-back tippy-tap" meant to be carried as a back pack. It becomes as easy to function water bottle with a straw to sip potable water from, or a hand washing sink. The possible applications for it are endless! :) We made a compost pile next with another group (environmental education), and are going to make vermiculture chambers tomorrow. I am greatful to have a background in construction through working with ASP, and am excited to start have hands-on time mixing cement and constructing the design.
At the end of each day there are organized things that happen at the center - yoga, running, dance classes, soccer...So I normally don't get home until after 6:30. Then comes the much dreaded hike up the mountain of Yanacoto to my home. Yanacoto is a neighborhood built into the mountain. The main road is asphalt and all the side roads are dirt. That's an understatement - the entire mountain is a pile of dust/dirt. There is always a layer of dust on my stuff when I leave the windows open, and the only green things are green in yards and the grass people decide to grow if they can spare their water. Mototaxies are always driving up and down the hill at an amazingly fast speed, and if there weren't speed bumps in the road I think they would easily reach 50 mph on the way down. After climbing up the mountain to my house (and luckily I don't live too far up the hill) I always get the best greeting home from my 5 year-old- sister who runs from wherever she's at yelling my name to give me a hug and kiss. Then I normally read book with her which is fabulous practice for me as well at practicing Spanish. Dinner is around 8 or 9, and after that I try to put in homework before slipping to bed at midnight with the sound of the creak outside my window.
Que chevere, que chevere.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
The Viewing Hole is Growing
Tonight over dinner I had the best experience with my Spanish yet. It was a two way street of sharing information! I could finally participate in the conversation, understand what was being said, and give my opinion (me parece que....). The conversation that spurred it was about water purification and distribution! My "father" had so much to share with me about the waste water discharge systems used in Peru. I was actually quite amazed with his technical drawings and depth of information about septic tanks and cisterns, but shouldn't have been because he has a technical background (he reviews structural designs and has the qualifications of an engineer). I shared with him my information on compost latrines, gravity fed water systems and sand filters. There is nothing better than being able to convey your opinion and to see the connection of understanding in the other person's eyes. At dinner tonight it felt as though I was beginning to see a bigger picture and have a greater understanding of what was actually going on around me. As though my viewing hole had expanded from that of a small pipe to now something bigger. The conversation wrapped up at 10:30 when my brain began shutting off. By this point each night my ability to conjugate verbs declines an exponential rate, and it's to just head to bed.
I have begun to have dreams in Spanish and am measuring my progress by the ease with which I can say things in the dreams. Last night it was quite hard to say stuff, we will see how I do tonight.
!Buenas noches!
I have begun to have dreams in Spanish and am measuring my progress by the ease with which I can say things in the dreams. Last night it was quite hard to say stuff, we will see how I do tonight.
!Buenas noches!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Life in the Mountains
I have dreamed of living in the mountains, and when I woke up my first morning on Peru I realized I was living my dream. The first day the group of 57 of us went through orientation. This group of PCV (Peace Corps Volunteers) happens to be the largest one yet accepted in Peru, because the program has expanded to include Water and Sanitation Volunteers, the group I am part of. We met the PCP (Peace Corps Peru) staff - all whom are incredibly nice - met the APCD (Assistant Peace Corps Director), the head of each respective project, and the crew of spanish teachers that will be teaching us. The day continued with a spanish quiz which caught me off guard! Everyone had a 20 minute interview in spanish to assess what level of spanish we are at. I went in and with confidence in being able to hold a conversation and during the interview I found that I need to work on expanding my 'muy piquenito' vocabulary! But all in all, I still have confidence that I can survive. :)
As part of surviving I had to go to the store to buy banana chips and snacks, because Peruvianos eat lots, and lots of bread. Bread, pasta, more bread, crackers, noodles, more bread, all things I can not eat. As of this afternoon I thought I would only be surviving on on the meat inside the sandwiches, rice, snacks and peanut butter. But now, I have my Peruviano family and my mother is soooo accommodating!
About my family - they are amazingly nice. The way it was set up, we were having lunch with our language teacher and families came into the PC compound to meet the person that was going to live with them during the next 10 weeks. It was quite interesting, actually. I felt like I was in an orphanage waiting to see what parents had I had been assigned to! When they walked in, they were smiling from ear to ear - my mother and two sisters (15 and 5). We exchanged kisses and greetings, then got the new family photo right from the beginning. :) It was sooo welcoming! I also found out that the neighborhood I am living in is host to a total of 15 volunteers, so I am probably going to get to know a lot of the other families here.
This day has now been so jamb packed with interpreting spanish, being one space shy of winning 200 soles in a game of Bingo, going to a carnival, meeting the extended family, and having two very filling meals. I have almost moved into my room, but am going to leave the rest of the moving for tomorrow.
My training starts for real tomorrow with language, water and sanitation information (we are going to be building a latrine and learn about water purificaiton this week). I think I am going to start up a yoga class for the other volunteers as well, since there are about 10 of us who do, or are interested in doing, yoga.
So much to do, so much to soak up, and so much to share. Time to close my eyes and wait to wake up to the mountain view tomorrow. Tengo excito!
As part of surviving I had to go to the store to buy banana chips and snacks, because Peruvianos eat lots, and lots of bread. Bread, pasta, more bread, crackers, noodles, more bread, all things I can not eat. As of this afternoon I thought I would only be surviving on on the meat inside the sandwiches, rice, snacks and peanut butter. But now, I have my Peruviano family and my mother is soooo accommodating!
About my family - they are amazingly nice. The way it was set up, we were having lunch with our language teacher and families came into the PC compound to meet the person that was going to live with them during the next 10 weeks. It was quite interesting, actually. I felt like I was in an orphanage waiting to see what parents had I had been assigned to! When they walked in, they were smiling from ear to ear - my mother and two sisters (15 and 5). We exchanged kisses and greetings, then got the new family photo right from the beginning. :) It was sooo welcoming! I also found out that the neighborhood I am living in is host to a total of 15 volunteers, so I am probably going to get to know a lot of the other families here.
This day has now been so jamb packed with interpreting spanish, being one space shy of winning 200 soles in a game of Bingo, going to a carnival, meeting the extended family, and having two very filling meals. I have almost moved into my room, but am going to leave the rest of the moving for tomorrow.
My training starts for real tomorrow with language, water and sanitation information (we are going to be building a latrine and learn about water purificaiton this week). I think I am going to start up a yoga class for the other volunteers as well, since there are about 10 of us who do, or are interested in doing, yoga.
So much to do, so much to soak up, and so much to share. Time to close my eyes and wait to wake up to the mountain view tomorrow. Tengo excito!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
The Leaping Pad
Now my adventure as a Peace Corps Volunteer has begun. Almost. I am currently in the "leaping pad," as I call it, which is DC. This is where our orientation will be for a day before heading to Peru on Friday and in the mean time I am visiting friends and family.
When I get Peru I anticipate being overcome by new sights, sounds, smells that I will relay back here when I have time. I will have an address where letters and packages can be sent while I am in training for the first three months. It would be great to hear what you are doing! Paz, amor, y salud. Chao!
Jess Smith, PCT
When I get Peru I anticipate being overcome by new sights, sounds, smells that I will relay back here when I have time. I will have an address where letters and packages can be sent while I am in training for the first three months. It would be great to hear what you are doing! Paz, amor, y salud. Chao!
Jess Smith, PCT
Cuerpo de Paz
Calle Vía Láctea 132
Urb. Los Granados, Surco
Lima 33, Peru
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