Today was an interesting day. Since it’s the last day before our trip to field based training it was pretty slack. We had a dental talk from Suni, our friendly neighborhood PCMO, which can be summed up into floss, floss, floss. It’s expensive to buy in Peru so don’t bother, she’ll give it to us for free…oh the joys of PC life, free floss…now I just need to get in the habit of doing it every day…it’ll make Dr. Jordan happy (my dentist from home). But after our talk we had a very animated 3rd year PCV named Joshua come in to talk to us. Let me just say this guy cracks me up! He just had some lines today that were so funny, I actually wrote them down in my notebook for the SOLE purpose of sharing them with you all faithful (I’m sure) readers of my blog. So here we go, let’s start the show:
“When worse comes to worse, get your mom to send you a $%*# ton of chocolate.”
Ok, so Joshua didn’t actually say this, his friend Cheri (I’m guessing another PCV) did. But it’s just so perfect. There is chocolate here in Peru. Every trainee in our group can tell you a Sublime bar is kinda a taste of home (think a really thick Mr. Goodbar, but way better chocolate to peanut ratio). But every now and again, we just need an M&M. In all my trips to markets and supermarcados here in Peru I’ve yet to encounter M&Ms…and I just can’t for the life of me figure out why. Its chocolate, that the Mars company swears doesn’t melt in your hands…but I can state for the record, it actually does…but its just so dern good I’m not sure how Barney has made it to this country and not M&Ms. Any way, onward to the next quote
“Don’t turn away food…you’ll give them a complex.”
So in Peru food is a VERY important part of establishing confidencia (confidence…yeah you guessed right, I love cognates too). Like I’m talking no matter how big the plate of rice and potatoes is that they put in front of you, you better darn well find room for it in your stomach to fit it. You see when I soon travel to my site for the next 2 years, the first 3 months will be spent doing what is called a Diagnostic Report, basically a written out report saying how everything works (or doesn’t work) in my soon to be barrio, and who’s who in the area. So in order to gain people’s confidence, and get to know them, what do you do in Peru? Why you go to their house for lunch, dinner, lonche, a snack, a baptism, a wedding, a birthday party…well really whatever they invite you to and you EAT. And I’ll tell you what; Peruvians can eat some rice and potatoes! But that’s ok because I’m about 98% sure I’ll never get sick of potatoes…but maybe I shouldn’t say that only a month into training…
“If you don’t care for your host family’s food then invite them to peanut butter on a regular basis. They will understand how you feel about their food.”
Ok for the most part, Peruvians are not a fan of peanut butter…no clue why, because lets face it its AMAZING. But for the most part, not big consumers of PB…que triste. But Joshua’s point was if you find your self eating the same…well untastey meal over and over again, just offer them some of you S./16 Peanut butter (yeah that’s about $5 a jar…a small jar) because most likely they aren’t going to like it either. But as part of Peruvian culture, since you are offering…they must eat it. And at some point they will reach their limit, because obviously peanut butter is WAY grosser than say chicken liver…haha. And they will ask to not have any because they aren’t really into it. Then that provides you the perfect opportunity to say: now that you mention it, I’m not really feeling the chicken liver either…no matter how much iron is has for me. Problem solved.
“Stear clear of the fridge. Its DANGEROUG….that 3 seconds of artic wind that come out when you open the door will cause you to get deathly ill.”
So to Americans the before stated will sounds crazy. How can you get sick from the fridge. The fridge keeps your food cold and actually prevents sickness from grossness that can grow in food right? WRONG. Ok so in Peru, Cold=Bad, no ifs, ands, or buts, about it. I was sick for the first 2 weeks I was here because I was wearing chacos when my mom and dad came to pick me up. I’m going to get sick because today I walked barefoot to the bathroom this morning…what I really had to go! And the list goes on. When you’re sick you can’t drink cold things, it’ll just make you worse, only hot things, so hot infact you’ll lose the linning to your mouth. But hey this is a cultural exchange so we’re all making the best of it, trying to wear our “house shoes,” not let our mom see us leave the house in chacos, you know the drill. But man, careful when you open that fridge, infact its best if you stand behind the door as you open it, use the door as a shield. And don’t stand in front of it for too long…that’ll get you sick in a heart beat.
Now let me clarify, I’m not mocking, There has to be some truth to the fear of cold, I mean I did actually get sick for a day after I went to that night soccer game in chacos and without a hat on my head…so my mom must know her stuff. It was just a shocker when we all came here to go from cold gingerale when you’re throat hurts to NOTHING COLD, ONLY HOT! But hey, I love hot tea, so it works out.
Well that’s all the insite I can share from our buddy Joshua, he was a hoot. I love hearing from the current serving PCVs because they all have so much information to share, and we all need to take in as much of it as we can…I mean we’re 6 weeks through training…only a few more left! GASP!
As for now, I’m heading to Jilili, Piura for Field Based Training. I’ll be sure to let ya’ll know how it goes!
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Cuy Caca Powered Houses
Hey guys and gals!
This week has been a crazy busy blur of homework, projects, birthdays, and cuy guano. So let’s start with the homework bit and make ya’ll wait on the cuy guano part (gotta save the juicy stuff for last). Well I moved up a level or two in my Spanish classes. I was a Novice High, now I’m an Intermediate Medium—and as with any advance in levels of classes, there is an increase of homework as well. Now to qualify, really it’s not anymore homework than I got each night in High School or College (but in College I had more time to work on stuff, seeing as class only took up a portion of my day) but as I mentioned last time I have about a 1-2 hour window to do homework…so it just seems overwhelming sometimes. So far I have been able to finish it all, with the help of my lovely family. They have been checking it to make sure it sounds reasonably intelligent, and that I use the right vocabulary and verb tenses.
Then to add to the homework pile, we have charlas to prepare for!! Charlas are just mini lectures using non-formal education techniques. I.E. not an old school lecture when we get up and preach a subject and everyone pays attention, or falls asleep—because let’s face it, those don’t work in English, let alone most of our broken Spainsh. Rather we teach charlas using games, activities, posters, and well, fun! So for next week my groups have to have 2 charlas ready. For Tuesday we (Ryan, James, and I) are giving a charla on alimentacion complementaria, complementary feeding, of infants between the ages of 6-11 months to all of the PC Staff and PCTs. So we are going to work today (Sunday) on a way to make that…well fun…to people who don’t have an infant and who aren’t thinking about a baby for, well we hope, at least the next 2 years. Then for Thursday my language class (Saritia, Frieda, Mark, and I) are presenting everything we could find about Lambayeque (a province in Peru). So far…we need to find more information. But my mom has agreed to help me cook a typical dish once I find one…so the internet will be my hero later on today.
Moving on to BIRTHDAYS! Our lovely Robyn had her 23rd birthday earlier this week and we all celebrated with an amazing cake and gaseosos (soda) at the St. Nicholas Heath Center where we have been having class recently. The cake was great, but sadly it didn’t leave me with much room for my awesome lunch of Aji de Gallina! Ok so this dish is by far my favorite dish in Peru (it was last time as well, but my family never made it…but this family loves the stuff!!) Its some sort of pure of aji, think hell of spicy pepper, milk, and who knows what…mixed up with shredded chicken served over potatoes and rice. MMMMMMMMMM. Ok moving on to the next birthdays. Brad has a birthday and a party, but I was feeling tired so decided to skip the “its Friday lets go grab something sweet or a beer to celebrate making it through the week” gathering and catch a nap. So I walked the 30 minute trek home (I hate combis so I avoid them when possible) and open the door to have my sister grab my arm and whisper something in my ear. Wait let me frame this for you. I was walking with my iPod in listening to country music, because let’s face it they just don’t have it here and I miss it! And my brain hasn’t quite gotten the English-Spanish 0.20 second switch time down yet. So I still have Josh Turner’s “Would You Go with Me?” stuck in my head and I get a “Yennifer! Nos Olvido la cumpli de mi papi” (aka my whole family forgot that day was my dad’s birthday…oops!) So the whole family, including me, goes into super rush mode trying to go buy a Lonche (a snack before dinner) and some gaseoso to throw together a last minute mini party before my dad makes it back from his accordion jam session down the hill (yeah how bad ass, my dad plays the accordion). Needless to say it was funny as heck, and we celebrate what I think was my dad’s 60-something birthday. Now before you mock me for not knowing my dad’s age, I’m sure they told me the first day I was here…but I forgot, and it’s IMPOSSIBLE to guess how old a Peruvian is.
Ok on to the part you all really have been reading this far for. CUY GUANO! So we went to a “green” house, that was actually called the white house (casa blanca)…have I lost anyone yet? Well this house was about 2 hours away from the center in Chaclacayo in…Pacaha…something Lima. (sorry I stink at town names). But it was basically a husband and wife team, with assistants, who have a completely 100% green and self sustaining house. They grown their own food, veggies, fruit, and meat, and power their house off of methane gas released from this huge underground digester that basically eats everything that doesn’t go into compost. It was really cool. They run everything that’s usually gas powered off, well basically farts. So the stove and gas lights, and then run a gas generator that powers their indoor lights, tv, and so on. Not to mention the older couple were cute as hell, it was just a fun day.
After the day of cuy farts, I decided I was going to go to this AMAZING pastry shop near my school to buy a postre (dessert) for my dad’s real birthday party we’re throwing today. I got the most amazing apple pie I’ve ever seen…sorry dad, but its true…just…wow, mouth water to look at, I can’t wait to taste it later! I’ll let ya’ll know how it turned out.
Before I leave to go join in on the usually Sunday rituals of a late breakfast and lots of laundry I’ll fill you in on my newest piece of information: I’m going to Alta Puira for field based training the week after next. While I was originally a little sad to find out this information, because I had always associated Puira with the beach…and well flat land--Jorge, one of our AMAZING PCMO (Peace Corps Medical Officer) has a presentation of PCVs sites all around the country. And low and behold…Alta Puria has MOUNTAINS and GREEN STUFF!!! God it looked amazing in the photos. It literally turned me from a grump to the happiest person in the room. Cause ya’ll know I love me some mountains!!!
Ok my laundry is calling, time to go add to these calluses on my hands and do this stuff the old school way! Miss everyone back home! Stay safe ! Love ya’ll, laters!
This week has been a crazy busy blur of homework, projects, birthdays, and cuy guano. So let’s start with the homework bit and make ya’ll wait on the cuy guano part (gotta save the juicy stuff for last). Well I moved up a level or two in my Spanish classes. I was a Novice High, now I’m an Intermediate Medium—and as with any advance in levels of classes, there is an increase of homework as well. Now to qualify, really it’s not anymore homework than I got each night in High School or College (but in College I had more time to work on stuff, seeing as class only took up a portion of my day) but as I mentioned last time I have about a 1-2 hour window to do homework…so it just seems overwhelming sometimes. So far I have been able to finish it all, with the help of my lovely family. They have been checking it to make sure it sounds reasonably intelligent, and that I use the right vocabulary and verb tenses.
Then to add to the homework pile, we have charlas to prepare for!! Charlas are just mini lectures using non-formal education techniques. I.E. not an old school lecture when we get up and preach a subject and everyone pays attention, or falls asleep—because let’s face it, those don’t work in English, let alone most of our broken Spainsh. Rather we teach charlas using games, activities, posters, and well, fun! So for next week my groups have to have 2 charlas ready. For Tuesday we (Ryan, James, and I) are giving a charla on alimentacion complementaria, complementary feeding, of infants between the ages of 6-11 months to all of the PC Staff and PCTs. So we are going to work today (Sunday) on a way to make that…well fun…to people who don’t have an infant and who aren’t thinking about a baby for, well we hope, at least the next 2 years. Then for Thursday my language class (Saritia, Frieda, Mark, and I) are presenting everything we could find about Lambayeque (a province in Peru). So far…we need to find more information. But my mom has agreed to help me cook a typical dish once I find one…so the internet will be my hero later on today.
Moving on to BIRTHDAYS! Our lovely Robyn had her 23rd birthday earlier this week and we all celebrated with an amazing cake and gaseosos (soda) at the St. Nicholas Heath Center where we have been having class recently. The cake was great, but sadly it didn’t leave me with much room for my awesome lunch of Aji de Gallina! Ok so this dish is by far my favorite dish in Peru (it was last time as well, but my family never made it…but this family loves the stuff!!) Its some sort of pure of aji, think hell of spicy pepper, milk, and who knows what…mixed up with shredded chicken served over potatoes and rice. MMMMMMMMMM. Ok moving on to the next birthdays. Brad has a birthday and a party, but I was feeling tired so decided to skip the “its Friday lets go grab something sweet or a beer to celebrate making it through the week” gathering and catch a nap. So I walked the 30 minute trek home (I hate combis so I avoid them when possible) and open the door to have my sister grab my arm and whisper something in my ear. Wait let me frame this for you. I was walking with my iPod in listening to country music, because let’s face it they just don’t have it here and I miss it! And my brain hasn’t quite gotten the English-Spanish 0.20 second switch time down yet. So I still have Josh Turner’s “Would You Go with Me?” stuck in my head and I get a “Yennifer! Nos Olvido la cumpli de mi papi” (aka my whole family forgot that day was my dad’s birthday…oops!) So the whole family, including me, goes into super rush mode trying to go buy a Lonche (a snack before dinner) and some gaseoso to throw together a last minute mini party before my dad makes it back from his accordion jam session down the hill (yeah how bad ass, my dad plays the accordion). Needless to say it was funny as heck, and we celebrate what I think was my dad’s 60-something birthday. Now before you mock me for not knowing my dad’s age, I’m sure they told me the first day I was here…but I forgot, and it’s IMPOSSIBLE to guess how old a Peruvian is.
Ok on to the part you all really have been reading this far for. CUY GUANO! So we went to a “green” house, that was actually called the white house (casa blanca)…have I lost anyone yet? Well this house was about 2 hours away from the center in Chaclacayo in…Pacaha…something Lima. (sorry I stink at town names). But it was basically a husband and wife team, with assistants, who have a completely 100% green and self sustaining house. They grown their own food, veggies, fruit, and meat, and power their house off of methane gas released from this huge underground digester that basically eats everything that doesn’t go into compost. It was really cool. They run everything that’s usually gas powered off, well basically farts. So the stove and gas lights, and then run a gas generator that powers their indoor lights, tv, and so on. Not to mention the older couple were cute as hell, it was just a fun day.
After the day of cuy farts, I decided I was going to go to this AMAZING pastry shop near my school to buy a postre (dessert) for my dad’s real birthday party we’re throwing today. I got the most amazing apple pie I’ve ever seen…sorry dad, but its true…just…wow, mouth water to look at, I can’t wait to taste it later! I’ll let ya’ll know how it turned out.
Before I leave to go join in on the usually Sunday rituals of a late breakfast and lots of laundry I’ll fill you in on my newest piece of information: I’m going to Alta Puira for field based training the week after next. While I was originally a little sad to find out this information, because I had always associated Puira with the beach…and well flat land--Jorge, one of our AMAZING PCMO (Peace Corps Medical Officer) has a presentation of PCVs sites all around the country. And low and behold…Alta Puria has MOUNTAINS and GREEN STUFF!!! God it looked amazing in the photos. It literally turned me from a grump to the happiest person in the room. Cause ya’ll know I love me some mountains!!!
Ok my laundry is calling, time to go add to these calluses on my hands and do this stuff the old school way! Miss everyone back home! Stay safe ! Love ya’ll, laters!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Poco a Poco
Hey Everyone!
Sorry I’ve been so bad about posting blogs, finding the time to sit down and type up one has been harder than I thought. Here’s a lil rundown of my day to day life: Usually I wake up around 6:30 (6:15 if it’s a shower day) get dressed, eat breakfast, and am out the door and meeting the other guys in the neighborhood by 7:20 to walk to school, or to get to someone’s house if language classes are in the neighborhoods that day. Classes start at 8 and the first session goes until 12. Then its LUNCH time--a wonderful time of day where all of us 20-somethings (and a few 30 and 60-somethings) regress back to our elementary school days and play “who has the best lunch” or “who the hell wants to trade??” Its actually really amusing to watch us eat. Peruvians eat a MUCH larger portion of food than Americans, and most of it is filled up with potatoes and rice, with a meat of some sort, and a sauce with some veggies. Therefore I get a kick out of watching us rationalize eating as much as we did in our little Tupperware containers. “I ate all my meat and potatoes and half of my rice…if I give the rest of the rice to the compost or the cat then it won’t go to waste…and my mom will never know I didn’t finish.” Yeah ya’ll might laugh, but that is a daily occurrence at the training center.
After lunch we have our technical training classes (health, wat san, and medio amb) or lectures as a whole group depending on the day. And we wrap up classes by 5, then its either hike it on back to 3 de Octubre, or stick around the center for some PC activities. Some people have started a running group, a yoga group, music group, salsa dancing, then there are the pc t-shirt committee, and other fun things that go on till 6. Either way after that long day I get back to my house around 6 or 7 depending on what happens after class and fill my family in on my day and watch the news until…the soaps come on!!! I made myself a promise…I’m not exactly sure when, but long ago I said I’d never get into watching soaps…well good luck trying to keep that going in a Peruvian household with a tv! From 8-10 its soap time! Victoria is the favorite in my house—If I could tell you what it was about I would, but from all I have gathered there’s one woman named Victoria with way too much drama and men in her life. But after some tv/parents time with some homework squeezed in there, I usually pass out in my bed by 9:30 or 10:30 depending on the day and start the whole process over again.
So tonight being another normal night, I’m sitting on my bed in my room listening to Victoria (my room is technically walled in, but there are 2 windows without the glass part that have curtains over them, so sound travels well—but the good part is my room has the best air circulation in the house!) and typing up this blog at 8:57pm. I only tell you the time because I know that I won’t be able to post this blog for at least another day and I don’t want to confuse people with times. I just had an awesome dinner of arroz (rice), with papas (potatoes), cebollas (onions), zanahorias (carrots), and a fried egg—sunny side up style. Big surprise on the rice and potatoes I know—but somehow in Peru we manage to eat the same 10 foods, but every time it tastes different. I swear sometimes at lunch we all can do nothing but laugh when someone asks us what we got for lunch, because 8 times out of 10 we don’t know the name of the dish. So it’s, “Hey today I got rice and potatoes with some chicken” followed by someone else saying, “dude me to! Wait…mine’s yellow, yours is brown…is yours spicy?”, “Naw its chifa [chineese type food here in Peru].” Congratulations you have now felt what it is like to sit at the PC lunch table, just multiply that conversation by 10.
Oh and today I received my first letters/care packages from home, so to all you other slackers step up your game! My mom was kind enough to send me a beany baby (yeah remember those things!) for my 2 year old niece. Tonight we taught her how to say Bones in both English and Spanish (hueso in Spanish) and I translated the poem that comes with them and apologized for it not rhyming. She LOVES this thing, it has not left her side for the past 2 hours and I think I hear her throwing a fit now because she needs a bath and Bones can’t go with her. I tell you what it’s the small things here that just make me so happy. My mom also sent me some news paper clippings—a few with my RHS girls Field Hockey pictures!!!! Sorry about the East Chapel Hill game girls, but congrats on the Jordan victory!!! You’ll be happy to know your photos have now been shown to dern near my whole neighborhood. My mom was so proud to show off “her gringa’s field hockey team” to the neighbors tonight, so Carmen, Merissa, and Abby ya’ll are now famous in 3 de Octubre!
Another thing, sorry but I have a lot to catch ya’ll up on, I had my first Charla on Monday. A charla is basically a lecture, they can be given in a formal way (ie a standard lecture, the teacher talks, and prays that the students absorb all the information), or in an informal way (through games, facilitations, skits, puppet shows, the list goes on). And special thanks to my favorite Outdoor Leadership Instructors Tommy, T-Dash, and Ted for helping me be the most bad ass facilitator I can be! This charla would have been SO scary had ya’ll not made me (for a grade of course) practice so many lesson plans and lectures. Our lecture was on the importance of cleaning your teeth. Sam, James, and I drew up some teeth and had a happy side and a sad side. We asked the kids T/F questions about brushing their teeth and if they thought the answer was true they’d show the happy side, and if it was false the sad. Then after we passed out drawings on dulces (sweets) with tape on the back and had then put them on 4 of their classmates who were “teeth” for the activity. We then “brushed” the teeth and “flossed” (with a piece of climbing rope!! Yeah buddy!) to remove the sweets from the teeth. All and all I think the charla went really well. We gave the lecture twice in 2 classrooms in a primeria (elementary school) to the 3 and 4th levels (around 8-10 year olds). The kids knew most of the things we taught about brushing their teeth, because they have had local government officials and doctors talk to them. But the problem with most places in Peru is not the lack of information; it’s the lack of follow through and the lack of available resources. As one kid in one of the classes pointed out, “it’s hard to brush your teeth when you don’t have the money to buy a toothbrush or toothpaste.”
But then again, that’s why I’m here--to help provide not just information, but resources to a rural community in Peru. As with everything else in my new PC life “poco a poco” is the way to think about everything (that is “little by little”). Sharing information, cultures, technology, education, resources, etc. takes time, it all happens poco a poco.
Sorry I’ve been so bad about posting blogs, finding the time to sit down and type up one has been harder than I thought. Here’s a lil rundown of my day to day life: Usually I wake up around 6:30 (6:15 if it’s a shower day) get dressed, eat breakfast, and am out the door and meeting the other guys in the neighborhood by 7:20 to walk to school, or to get to someone’s house if language classes are in the neighborhoods that day. Classes start at 8 and the first session goes until 12. Then its LUNCH time--a wonderful time of day where all of us 20-somethings (and a few 30 and 60-somethings) regress back to our elementary school days and play “who has the best lunch” or “who the hell wants to trade??” Its actually really amusing to watch us eat. Peruvians eat a MUCH larger portion of food than Americans, and most of it is filled up with potatoes and rice, with a meat of some sort, and a sauce with some veggies. Therefore I get a kick out of watching us rationalize eating as much as we did in our little Tupperware containers. “I ate all my meat and potatoes and half of my rice…if I give the rest of the rice to the compost or the cat then it won’t go to waste…and my mom will never know I didn’t finish.” Yeah ya’ll might laugh, but that is a daily occurrence at the training center.
After lunch we have our technical training classes (health, wat san, and medio amb) or lectures as a whole group depending on the day. And we wrap up classes by 5, then its either hike it on back to 3 de Octubre, or stick around the center for some PC activities. Some people have started a running group, a yoga group, music group, salsa dancing, then there are the pc t-shirt committee, and other fun things that go on till 6. Either way after that long day I get back to my house around 6 or 7 depending on what happens after class and fill my family in on my day and watch the news until…the soaps come on!!! I made myself a promise…I’m not exactly sure when, but long ago I said I’d never get into watching soaps…well good luck trying to keep that going in a Peruvian household with a tv! From 8-10 its soap time! Victoria is the favorite in my house—If I could tell you what it was about I would, but from all I have gathered there’s one woman named Victoria with way too much drama and men in her life. But after some tv/parents time with some homework squeezed in there, I usually pass out in my bed by 9:30 or 10:30 depending on the day and start the whole process over again.
So tonight being another normal night, I’m sitting on my bed in my room listening to Victoria (my room is technically walled in, but there are 2 windows without the glass part that have curtains over them, so sound travels well—but the good part is my room has the best air circulation in the house!) and typing up this blog at 8:57pm. I only tell you the time because I know that I won’t be able to post this blog for at least another day and I don’t want to confuse people with times. I just had an awesome dinner of arroz (rice), with papas (potatoes), cebollas (onions), zanahorias (carrots), and a fried egg—sunny side up style. Big surprise on the rice and potatoes I know—but somehow in Peru we manage to eat the same 10 foods, but every time it tastes different. I swear sometimes at lunch we all can do nothing but laugh when someone asks us what we got for lunch, because 8 times out of 10 we don’t know the name of the dish. So it’s, “Hey today I got rice and potatoes with some chicken” followed by someone else saying, “dude me to! Wait…mine’s yellow, yours is brown…is yours spicy?”, “Naw its chifa [chineese type food here in Peru].” Congratulations you have now felt what it is like to sit at the PC lunch table, just multiply that conversation by 10.
Oh and today I received my first letters/care packages from home, so to all you other slackers step up your game! My mom was kind enough to send me a beany baby (yeah remember those things!) for my 2 year old niece. Tonight we taught her how to say Bones in both English and Spanish (hueso in Spanish) and I translated the poem that comes with them and apologized for it not rhyming. She LOVES this thing, it has not left her side for the past 2 hours and I think I hear her throwing a fit now because she needs a bath and Bones can’t go with her. I tell you what it’s the small things here that just make me so happy. My mom also sent me some news paper clippings—a few with my RHS girls Field Hockey pictures!!!! Sorry about the East Chapel Hill game girls, but congrats on the Jordan victory!!! You’ll be happy to know your photos have now been shown to dern near my whole neighborhood. My mom was so proud to show off “her gringa’s field hockey team” to the neighbors tonight, so Carmen, Merissa, and Abby ya’ll are now famous in 3 de Octubre!
Another thing, sorry but I have a lot to catch ya’ll up on, I had my first Charla on Monday. A charla is basically a lecture, they can be given in a formal way (ie a standard lecture, the teacher talks, and prays that the students absorb all the information), or in an informal way (through games, facilitations, skits, puppet shows, the list goes on). And special thanks to my favorite Outdoor Leadership Instructors Tommy, T-Dash, and Ted for helping me be the most bad ass facilitator I can be! This charla would have been SO scary had ya’ll not made me (for a grade of course) practice so many lesson plans and lectures. Our lecture was on the importance of cleaning your teeth. Sam, James, and I drew up some teeth and had a happy side and a sad side. We asked the kids T/F questions about brushing their teeth and if they thought the answer was true they’d show the happy side, and if it was false the sad. Then after we passed out drawings on dulces (sweets) with tape on the back and had then put them on 4 of their classmates who were “teeth” for the activity. We then “brushed” the teeth and “flossed” (with a piece of climbing rope!! Yeah buddy!) to remove the sweets from the teeth. All and all I think the charla went really well. We gave the lecture twice in 2 classrooms in a primeria (elementary school) to the 3 and 4th levels (around 8-10 year olds). The kids knew most of the things we taught about brushing their teeth, because they have had local government officials and doctors talk to them. But the problem with most places in Peru is not the lack of information; it’s the lack of follow through and the lack of available resources. As one kid in one of the classes pointed out, “it’s hard to brush your teeth when you don’t have the money to buy a toothbrush or toothpaste.”
But then again, that’s why I’m here--to help provide not just information, but resources to a rural community in Peru. As with everything else in my new PC life “poco a poco” is the way to think about everything (that is “little by little”). Sharing information, cultures, technology, education, resources, etc. takes time, it all happens poco a poco.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
TEMBLOR!!!!
Ok so This post is probably going to be relatively short since I'm sitting in the local internet cafe and its not very conducive to thinking. But I wanted to tell you all about my very first earthquake!!!! Now before you all (and my mother) flip out, according to the news today it was a magnitude 4 so it wasnt that bad. But the story:
My host dad Elipo has just finished asking me to explain hurricanes to him. The news Last night was about all the issues going on in America (PS someone fill me in please...we are all out of the loop) and the announcer mentioned hurricanes. So mid sentence of me explaining that hurricanes were not like earthquakes all the dogs in the neighborhood start barking. And then literally 2 seconds later my mom gets this look on her face--it can be best described as the one a coach gets right before their team gets scored on--and then the house starts shaking. Next thing I know I'm being yelled at in Spanish to get outside FAST. The tremor has stopped by the time we all got outside, and it really wasnt that big of an earthquake. But the funny part comes next. So I apparently had the biggest smile on my face once we all got outside--I mean it was my first earth quake--and the only thing I could say was "es verdad, en cierto" aka "seriously, really?" my mom just laughed and called me a silly gringo.
But needless so say there were no other trembles, everyone is ok, it was just exciting for me since it was my first. My new friends from Cali didn't think anything of it.
Tomorrow I actually have a DAY OFF!!!!!! My first day off in my entire 3 something weeks here in Peru--there is no free time in the Peace Corps. So I look forward to updating this blog some more tomorrrow.
Till then: love you all, miss you all!
ps Wendy and Derrick: send me plants 101 so I can translate it to Spanish. Sounds like I'll be doing more community gardening than I thought and I'd like ya'lls help!
My host dad Elipo has just finished asking me to explain hurricanes to him. The news Last night was about all the issues going on in America (PS someone fill me in please...we are all out of the loop) and the announcer mentioned hurricanes. So mid sentence of me explaining that hurricanes were not like earthquakes all the dogs in the neighborhood start barking. And then literally 2 seconds later my mom gets this look on her face--it can be best described as the one a coach gets right before their team gets scored on--and then the house starts shaking. Next thing I know I'm being yelled at in Spanish to get outside FAST. The tremor has stopped by the time we all got outside, and it really wasnt that big of an earthquake. But the funny part comes next. So I apparently had the biggest smile on my face once we all got outside--I mean it was my first earth quake--and the only thing I could say was "es verdad, en cierto" aka "seriously, really?" my mom just laughed and called me a silly gringo.
But needless so say there were no other trembles, everyone is ok, it was just exciting for me since it was my first. My new friends from Cali didn't think anything of it.
Tomorrow I actually have a DAY OFF!!!!!! My first day off in my entire 3 something weeks here in Peru--there is no free time in the Peace Corps. So I look forward to updating this blog some more tomorrrow.
Till then: love you all, miss you all!
ps Wendy and Derrick: send me plants 101 so I can translate it to Spanish. Sounds like I'll be doing more community gardening than I thought and I'd like ya'lls help!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Chisme is Funny!
Hey everyone. Sorry again these postings haven’t been as regular as I was hoping. It’s been incredibly hard to find the free time to connect to the internet…in fact right now I’m technically looking up facts about Peru’s health situation. I’ve become rather adapt at multitasking, more so than when I was in the States. For instance I am now no longer thinking in English and attempting to talk in Spanish—I’m just thinking in Spanglish and talking in slightly better Spanish. It’s been a long 2 weeks. I forgot how hard it is to talk in Spanish all day…let alone on top of 10 hours of class and work.
So to fill you in on the new stuff…ok as soon as I typed that I realized the week has become a complete blur. So I will attempt to summarize with some highlights. Yesterday (sat) we went to the Agriculture University located about 40 minutes away from Chaclacayo outside of Lima for our first “Farmer” lessons. It was SOOO much fun. Tomorrow I will hopefully finally get some pictures up for everyone. And P.S. Derrick and my Family you will be so proud: I actually knew some of the plants!!!! I now have a new favorite fruit in the whole wide world. It’s called a Pepino, a Cantaloupe like fruit. It’s about the size of a softball and is a pale yellow with purple stripes. It tastes like a piece of candy but is juicy like a watermelon. Our instructor for the day was a really cool graduate student named Jamie and he took us around the whole farm and in all the green houses. It was so much fun playing “guess that plant” with all the little seedlings. AND the best part, I am now the proud mama to some seedlings…I forget exactly what the seeds I got handed were. And before you go mocking me, he told us the names in Spanish, the packaging was in Japanese, and it was right around lunch time…so I’ll get back to you on what they were. But we also had Clearing and Tilling 101 (old school style with a shovel) where I was complemented on actually knowing how to handle a shovel…I think it was a complement at least. It was a lot of fun and I can’t wait to go back next week!
After “farming 101” I tried to round up a few people to head to my Host family’s house from last time. It didn’t work, there was too much else to do. Paloma I PROMISE I’ll come next weekend! A group of us went to Jockey Plaza and got some “American Food” then headed on to Miraflores to see the beach. It was a lot of fun because I got to play tour guide for our group of 7 gringos. We went to Larco Mar, Parque de Amor, and then down to the beach to see the Pacific. We then crammed all 7 of us into a taxi to head to the combi stop to head home. After a 2.5 hour combi ride I was back in 3 de Octubre with my host family and ready to party!
No I have not turned into a crazy partier, but my town has. Our town virgin (all the towns have them) is being celebrated this weekend. So we have had LITERALLY nonstop dancing/drinking/and music. It has been just insane. There were fireworks last night at 2 am that were UNBELIVABLE. Totally would have been against every fire code law in the United States. They constructed this 20 foot tall wood (yes wood, as in flammable) tower that has spinning and sparking, and howling fireworks attached to it. Now I know some of you are thinking “well jenny, that doesn’t sound too bad” I forgot to mention we were on the Chancha (the soccer stadium about the size of a basketball court) with 400 of our closest drunk friends. After the fireworks there was some dancing and more music, interrupted for one minute when some guy in the crowd decided he didn’t like the song and threw a punch at the band…haha.
But the new town “chisme” (gossip in Spanish) is now that Ryan O’Hara and I are dating…completely not true. But to frame this story for you: 1. In Peru if a guy walks a girl home it’s a date. 2. If you dance together it means something’s up. Okay so I’m the only girl living in 3 de Octubre, thereby I am forced to walk home with 4 of the males that live in my barrio…therefore making me look…well somewhat flirty. Then due to the fact that Ryan and I like to walk while the other guys prefer to ride the combi, I walk with him more than others. Add the cherry on top with him forcing me to dance at the party last night…ta-da I am now apparently not single…small town gossip. Go figure.
On that note I’m going to get back to actually doing work and talk to you all later!
Love you all!
So to fill you in on the new stuff…ok as soon as I typed that I realized the week has become a complete blur. So I will attempt to summarize with some highlights. Yesterday (sat) we went to the Agriculture University located about 40 minutes away from Chaclacayo outside of Lima for our first “Farmer” lessons. It was SOOO much fun. Tomorrow I will hopefully finally get some pictures up for everyone. And P.S. Derrick and my Family you will be so proud: I actually knew some of the plants!!!! I now have a new favorite fruit in the whole wide world. It’s called a Pepino, a Cantaloupe like fruit. It’s about the size of a softball and is a pale yellow with purple stripes. It tastes like a piece of candy but is juicy like a watermelon. Our instructor for the day was a really cool graduate student named Jamie and he took us around the whole farm and in all the green houses. It was so much fun playing “guess that plant” with all the little seedlings. AND the best part, I am now the proud mama to some seedlings…I forget exactly what the seeds I got handed were. And before you go mocking me, he told us the names in Spanish, the packaging was in Japanese, and it was right around lunch time…so I’ll get back to you on what they were. But we also had Clearing and Tilling 101 (old school style with a shovel) where I was complemented on actually knowing how to handle a shovel…I think it was a complement at least. It was a lot of fun and I can’t wait to go back next week!
After “farming 101” I tried to round up a few people to head to my Host family’s house from last time. It didn’t work, there was too much else to do. Paloma I PROMISE I’ll come next weekend! A group of us went to Jockey Plaza and got some “American Food” then headed on to Miraflores to see the beach. It was a lot of fun because I got to play tour guide for our group of 7 gringos. We went to Larco Mar, Parque de Amor, and then down to the beach to see the Pacific. We then crammed all 7 of us into a taxi to head to the combi stop to head home. After a 2.5 hour combi ride I was back in 3 de Octubre with my host family and ready to party!
No I have not turned into a crazy partier, but my town has. Our town virgin (all the towns have them) is being celebrated this weekend. So we have had LITERALLY nonstop dancing/drinking/and music. It has been just insane. There were fireworks last night at 2 am that were UNBELIVABLE. Totally would have been against every fire code law in the United States. They constructed this 20 foot tall wood (yes wood, as in flammable) tower that has spinning and sparking, and howling fireworks attached to it. Now I know some of you are thinking “well jenny, that doesn’t sound too bad” I forgot to mention we were on the Chancha (the soccer stadium about the size of a basketball court) with 400 of our closest drunk friends. After the fireworks there was some dancing and more music, interrupted for one minute when some guy in the crowd decided he didn’t like the song and threw a punch at the band…haha.
But the new town “chisme” (gossip in Spanish) is now that Ryan O’Hara and I are dating…completely not true. But to frame this story for you: 1. In Peru if a guy walks a girl home it’s a date. 2. If you dance together it means something’s up. Okay so I’m the only girl living in 3 de Octubre, thereby I am forced to walk home with 4 of the males that live in my barrio…therefore making me look…well somewhat flirty. Then due to the fact that Ryan and I like to walk while the other guys prefer to ride the combi, I walk with him more than others. Add the cherry on top with him forcing me to dance at the party last night…ta-da I am now apparently not single…small town gossip. Go figure.
On that note I’m going to get back to actually doing work and talk to you all later!
Love you all!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Greetings from Chaclayo!!!!!!!
Hey everyone, So sorry it has been so long since my last post...Internet has been hard to come by. I finally found a pretty cheap internet cafe near my house, so hopefully I can be more regular with the posts!
Ok to fill you in. I am living in the barrio of 3 de Octubre about a 40 minute walk from the Peace Corps center in Chaclayo. My family is absolutly amazing! I have a host mom, Luzmila, a dad, Elipio, Sister, Liz, brother, Limber, sister in law, Roxanna, and a niece Alejandra. I love them all, they have been so greast helping me with my spanish and feeding me very well! Needless to say I do love Peruvian food!
Classes have been going great so far. The usual bumps in trying to remember my spanish have occurred. My Spanish class is very small, only 4 people in my group (this is normal for a Peace Corps language group) and my Health classes have been very informative! I am just hving such a blast getting to know the other 46 people in my training class. My only regret is that I dont have much time to keep in touch with you all from home. I wake up at 6 and am meeting the other 4 gringos in my barrio by 7 to walk to class. We are done by 5 and spend a few hours getting to know the city and its people. Then I´m usually home by 7 or 8 in time for either supper or the neighborhood soccer tournament. Right now El Cuerpo de Paz has lost 2 games...but they were very close!
But to sum up this post. I´m doing good, I love ev erything here...except for the keyboards...so I apologize for the errors I´m sure are in here! And I miss you all Loads. I will try to post some pictures and a video of my house tomorrow!
Love you all!
Jenny
Ok to fill you in. I am living in the barrio of 3 de Octubre about a 40 minute walk from the Peace Corps center in Chaclayo. My family is absolutly amazing! I have a host mom, Luzmila, a dad, Elipio, Sister, Liz, brother, Limber, sister in law, Roxanna, and a niece Alejandra. I love them all, they have been so greast helping me with my spanish and feeding me very well! Needless to say I do love Peruvian food!
Classes have been going great so far. The usual bumps in trying to remember my spanish have occurred. My Spanish class is very small, only 4 people in my group (this is normal for a Peace Corps language group) and my Health classes have been very informative! I am just hving such a blast getting to know the other 46 people in my training class. My only regret is that I dont have much time to keep in touch with you all from home. I wake up at 6 and am meeting the other 4 gringos in my barrio by 7 to walk to class. We are done by 5 and spend a few hours getting to know the city and its people. Then I´m usually home by 7 or 8 in time for either supper or the neighborhood soccer tournament. Right now El Cuerpo de Paz has lost 2 games...but they were very close!
But to sum up this post. I´m doing good, I love ev erything here...except for the keyboards...so I apologize for the errors I´m sure are in here! And I miss you all Loads. I will try to post some pictures and a video of my house tomorrow!
Love you all!
Jenny
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Staging
Hey everyone!
Greetings from my hotel in lovely Georgetown (aka Washington, DC)! My roomy Rebecca and I have a great view of the Washington Monument in all of its glory. I have just completed my 2 days of “staging” with the Peace Corps. It’s been a lot of sitting and listening to presentations about Peace Corps policy and how to integrate into our host communities, and logistics for our hectic next few days of travel. I absolutely love everyone in my group—Peace Corps Peru 12! There are 47 of us from all across the nation and we are all bringing different things to the plate for our jobs. We are all Health workers, Environment workers, or Water and Sanitation Workers. So to just sum up, they are good people!
Well landing in DC was quite the adventure—I had never been on such a small airplane! The woman sitting beside me actually asked if it was my first time flying. I guess me holding on to the arm rest for dear life wasn’t playing off how much I HATE small airplanes very well…oh well, I made it to the ground in DC and as my dad says “once you land its merely a bus wreck.” The original plan was for me to meet 2 other Peace Corps people at the airport, I had an amazing sign and everything made up. Well by Murphy’s Law I was unable to find Sasha—apparently our baggage claims were in different terminals…and the people who work there were clueless as to where Northwestern actually lands…go figure. But using the sharp wit that will come in helpful as a Peace Corps Volunteer I assumed the 2 guys I saw attempting to carry 4 very large pieces of luggage around the terminal wearing chacos just might be Peace Corps Volunteers—and I was right! So we found our way to the hotel on a shuttle (the driver HATED us due to all the luggage we had. His eyes quiet literally jumped out of his head when he saw the bags) and then started staging. It’s been a long 2 days, but it’s been a fun 2 days! It’s so great meeting everyone, and I’m actually starting to remember most of the names!
But for now I must go, we are going to find a park and play outside before we spend ALL day tomorrow in the airport. Seeing as how we are leaving our hotel around 6am and arriving in Lima around 9:30pm…YAY! I’m suddenly so happy I brought all the games I did.
Love you all, miss you all!
-Jenny
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