Hey All! It`s another sunny day here in Palpa. Don`t be fooled, however, because winter time is beginning! This really just means that at night you need to wear a sweater. Yea, when people told me this when I showed up I didn`t believe that I would ever have to wear a sweater, but it`s true. It gets cold!
Just a few seconds ago I felt a timblor. That would be, an earthquake. They happen quite often in Ica, and when they aren`t big ones they are `timblors` instead of `terrimotos.`
The other day I had my Diagnostico Comunitario, which was an opportunity for representatives to come from the 7 caserios I went to, to listen to the information I gathered. It went really well (except that the powerpoint didn`t function and we started 45 minutes late). Well, hora perunan, as I say. But, a whooping 30 people showed up which is amaaazing! I was so pleased with the numbers, even though unfortunately no one from the municipality came. That was a dissapointment, but hopefully it can be worked around and they can still get involved. To do projects it`s much easier to have the support of the municipality than to do it alone!
So, I am thinking of making a chinese checkers board. Just saw a picture of one on the web, and I think it would be a great game to play with the kids and my brothers here.
All for now....life is good...planning on my trip home to be in august or september! Can`t wait!!!
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Saturday, May 22, 2010
1/4 of the marathon done.
Yesterday I woke up all giddy after realizing the 21st marked a quarter of my service in site as `done`. Yea! Can hardly believe that much is done...and I think, where did that time go?
Well, yesterday I also met an Australian couple who is living in Palpa. To my surprise, when I was at the post office in my town the other day I noticed a postcard written in English. I thought nothing of it until I was walking out the door, and then realized - THERE IS AN ENGLISH POST CARD BEING SENT HERE AND IT^S NOT FOR ME! Wow! So, found out it was this family from Australia and was hoping some day our paths would cross and I would meet them. Well, then the day after that I was running a 5k with a school who just started a new campaign to promote exercise and an older gentleman was running. He just happened to be this guy from Australia. Crazy how the lines cross. So, found out he is here with his family for a bit and went over to meet them. I spent the evening with them and we talked and talked about live abroad, in Palpa, projects, volunteering. Everything and anything. It felt like a little haven into a true and honest perspective on life in Palpa and how to go about working with the people. It was a relief, but then again quite frustrating because at times the coruption of the political council just wears on you. Try to get projects started, them to support you, and it`s like moving a boulder from stone hedge alone. Got to seak another tactic.
Then...I have recently been holding more educational meetings in the villages about good water use and how to maintain household connections to the water line and improve their water system. And looking into starting an Eco Club in the schools, and an NGO Trees for Cities is interested in coming down to help.
Ah, it`s getting cold at night. I actually wear a sweater. During the day it is still roasty toasty hot and the sweat still drips down the back.
Random words for thought:
The other day I was thinking about how each day I feel the need to wake up, get out of my house and go to the hospital, municipality or caserios to do work. Why, I was thinking, do I feel this way. Well, it dawned on me. It`s because I live on the PanAm where there is movement. There is the movement of cars that are going somewhere for an appointment. They have something to do and are on a mission. It is that same feeling I get when I wake up and hear the cars. That I need to do my work, and get going.
Next part, I was thinking, maybe it÷s the fact that there is that change in dynamic. Maybe this idea of `dynamic` could be transfered into another context to simply `changes` that occur. Such as CHANGES IN WEATHER. Also, most countries that are suffering from poverty are situated on the equator. Is this because they never experience a change in dynamic from the weather which creates a new separation of time. By separating time, one is allowed to notice and measure progress within these timeframes that are created. But, if timeframes never exist apart from going to sleep and waking up, then people continue on their normal pace of life. I realize many other factors also influence poverty such as climate, availability to resources, education, health. But, maybe a fraction of the root of it came from this lack of time separation which facilitated the ability to notice progress which then became work and spurred development.
Well, yesterday I also met an Australian couple who is living in Palpa. To my surprise, when I was at the post office in my town the other day I noticed a postcard written in English. I thought nothing of it until I was walking out the door, and then realized - THERE IS AN ENGLISH POST CARD BEING SENT HERE AND IT^S NOT FOR ME! Wow! So, found out it was this family from Australia and was hoping some day our paths would cross and I would meet them. Well, then the day after that I was running a 5k with a school who just started a new campaign to promote exercise and an older gentleman was running. He just happened to be this guy from Australia. Crazy how the lines cross. So, found out he is here with his family for a bit and went over to meet them. I spent the evening with them and we talked and talked about live abroad, in Palpa, projects, volunteering. Everything and anything. It felt like a little haven into a true and honest perspective on life in Palpa and how to go about working with the people. It was a relief, but then again quite frustrating because at times the coruption of the political council just wears on you. Try to get projects started, them to support you, and it`s like moving a boulder from stone hedge alone. Got to seak another tactic.
Then...I have recently been holding more educational meetings in the villages about good water use and how to maintain household connections to the water line and improve their water system. And looking into starting an Eco Club in the schools, and an NGO Trees for Cities is interested in coming down to help.
Ah, it`s getting cold at night. I actually wear a sweater. During the day it is still roasty toasty hot and the sweat still drips down the back.
Random words for thought:
The other day I was thinking about how each day I feel the need to wake up, get out of my house and go to the hospital, municipality or caserios to do work. Why, I was thinking, do I feel this way. Well, it dawned on me. It`s because I live on the PanAm where there is movement. There is the movement of cars that are going somewhere for an appointment. They have something to do and are on a mission. It is that same feeling I get when I wake up and hear the cars. That I need to do my work, and get going.
Next part, I was thinking, maybe it÷s the fact that there is that change in dynamic. Maybe this idea of `dynamic` could be transfered into another context to simply `changes` that occur. Such as CHANGES IN WEATHER. Also, most countries that are suffering from poverty are situated on the equator. Is this because they never experience a change in dynamic from the weather which creates a new separation of time. By separating time, one is allowed to notice and measure progress within these timeframes that are created. But, if timeframes never exist apart from going to sleep and waking up, then people continue on their normal pace of life. I realize many other factors also influence poverty such as climate, availability to resources, education, health. But, maybe a fraction of the root of it came from this lack of time separation which facilitated the ability to notice progress which then became work and spurred development.
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