April 09, 2004
Mom’s Birthday. I’m thinking about you! Happy Birthday & I love you.
April 08, 2004
I visited the Children’s Home today. The children in the home are in need of medical care and have been abandoned by their family. It is somewhat of an orphanage too. There are children there with physical and mental problems. Many of the babies (there were about 15) have suffered extreme malnourishment, neglect, and/or abuse. Many babies were lethargic and unresponsive, very sad. Many of the older kids had obvious deformities. They were missing appendages, were in wheelchairs, or bedridden. The home was very comfortable with a pretty outside play area; it’s ran by an American doctor from Florida. He’s been here for 30+ years. I have to say this has been my most meaningful experience yet. We walked in the doors and were immediately swarmed by kids. They wanted hugs and to play. Some of the older kids (18-22 years old) were a little bit more stand-offish, but once I sat down and talked with them, they warmed right up. I spent time holding the babies, helping feed them, and playing games with the kids. The saddest part was leaving, when they wanted to know when you would be back.
My group of Noah and Jim got started on our community youth project. We met with the youth, about 15-20 in all, and made signs about not littering for this weekends festivities. It is Holy Week and The Avocado Festival. That means groves of people are coming into town to escape from the city. People see this community as a rural area for relaxing/vacation/and getting away. With all these people, they bring trash and more than likely with toss it into the streets. We’ve also been invited to march the parade on Saturday for our efforts.
Holy Week around here is a HUGE deal--hence the Catholic influence. Schools and businesses close Thursday - Monday.
April 05, 2004
A volunteer from Piura visited us at training today. She is in an “extreme” poverty site. She doesn’t have electricity and also has a very little water. She described Piura as very hot, yet with wonderful people. I’m either going to Piura or Trujillo… can I really live like that? House evaluations are being done today. That means one of my professors does a home visit to make sure my living situation is working out properly. Kinda scary! They ask my family about how I’m interacting, Spanish fluency, etc. Hope I do ok. Some stuff about culture around here—flip-flops are considered house shoes here. It is highly inappropriate to wear them out in public. What a shame, right? My food always contains rice and potatoes. Peru’s national dish is guinea pig. And no, I have not tried it yet. They also have a raw fish dish, called Ceviche. Everyone greets each other with a kiss on the cheek. I like it. Peruvians are very into physical contact. Not uncommon to see friends holding hands/arms, hanging on each other. That means the kids are always climbing all over you! Clothing is very dressy. Men always wear button up shirts. Women wear skirts and pants, button up shirts. My mom told me she told my professor the truth that I was doing great. Relief. The community doctor had dinner with us tonight. Interesting conversation, about the need for cultural diversity, US politics, helping those less fortunate and education. I comprehended almost everything!
April 04, 2004
Slept till 9:00, that’s late for me. I rearranged my room, really feeling at home here now. Made my first trip to town alone today. Freedom! I spent some time in the internet café, did some shopping (for a mirror, shirt, and tangerines). I found this really cool guy who hand-makes sandals out of leather—ordered a pair at $28 soles, that’s $8 US, can’t beat that. I ate a churro, which was absolutely amazing. Think hot donut, rolled in sugar, with a fresh apple stuffing. It was scrumptious. On the bus home, I encountered an American man who lives here. He said he and his wife have been here for 14 years and they work for the Baptist Mission. He invited me over. I’ll have to check it out. I needed some me time today, did me good!
April 03, 2004
Took a hike to the waterfall today, how beautiful! All and all it’s been a good trip. I certainly appreciate my little room here. I am learning that home can be any place you lay your head. As long as you give yourself time to adjust, you will be fine. I’m working on 3 weeks from home, odd hat it’s been that long. As times it seems so short, at others so long. I am learning so much here—what it truly means to be a minority, to be of a different religion, learning Spanish. I feel so “wanted” here. The people of Peru are so welcoming and generous. Finally made it home at 5:00. The 2:00 bus didn’t leave until 3:30, that’s how it goes.
April 02, 2004
Day #2 at CBT. What to say? It’s a pretty boring place. Tranquilo, as they say. A farmer’s wife’s work is never done. This woman just keeps working all day! I just watched a kid running with a curved blade, not good. As for our project here, I think we are on the way. We went to the school and scheduled 4 presentations about self esteem. We’ve got some work to do. Learning to live without modern conveniences has a positive side—you learn it doesn’t take money/things to be happy and people like you for you, not what you have or have not. It’s a real challenge to be hygienic. My fingernails are always dirty and my clothes look like I’ve been in a dust storm. Very few Peruvians wear glasses. Sad really, that they are too poor to afford things like vision care. Just heard a burro. They use them as pack animals to bring their products in from the field. Sounds like he’s dying! Since there are no telephones in this town to communicate with each other, they use a load speaker that is located in the steeple of the church. At times, it plays music and also makes announcements. I visited the medical post with my mom. There’s one lady doctor that does everything – secretary, pharmacist, etc. Dogs freely roam around the examining rooms. There are posters on the walls about parasites and the necessity of having a proper bathroom. I played soccer with the kids in the town center today. I think we have done a good job of integrating with our families and meeting with the kids. I am working on a good farmer’s tan. Sun is bright up here! The town is having a special mass service tonight. I explained to my mother that I am not Catholic, but Christian and would like to attend the service. The service was not unlike services I’m used to. A few children read bible verses and everyone sang a hymn. The most interesting part of the night occurred right after the service. The older women of the church came up to us and asked if we would like to carry a statue of the virgin. (After the service, there was to be a processional). Obviously, the women of the church were asking us because it would be an honor. We had to say no because we were not Catholic. How odd to ask complete strangers/foreigners to carry something as important to them as the virgin.
April 01, 2004
Holy smoke! I’m definitely isolated here, about 3 hours north of Lima. I am staying with a really nice old couple. They are in their sixties and all their kids live in Lima, so it’s just me and them. Talk about stilted conversations. I think my living arrangements here are above those of my group members. I am here with 3 other girls and I was lucky to be placed in my home. I have a nice clean bed with a flush toilet and shower. My friends didn’t fare so well. Emily doesn’t have a shower, has dirt floors, and she’s sharing a room with 3 other people. The worst thing I can say about my family is that there are no children in the home. So, the “youth” development part will have to start outside my family somewhere. Tomorrow we are going over to the school to see about doing a presentation for them. I think I figured out my trend in anxiety provoking situations. It’s the first night thing—my first night in Miami was a shocker, so was my first night in Peru, and now here. Maybe with practice it’ll get easier. A little about this town—it’s a small pueblo of about 800 people, high in the foothills of the Andes. I was a little altitude sick when we arrived. The road is treacherous! It looks like a donkey trail, no kidding. I can’t believe a bus can make it up here. Buses run at 5:00 am, 2:00 pm, and 6:00 pm. That’s it. So, plan ahead if you head to civilization. There is one phone in the entire city, no post office, no internet, and an unreliable water supply to the houses. They have a school, a medical post, central park, and a church. Everything pretty much centers around those areas. Most homes are made of cement with various parts of the homes being outside, like the kitchen or living area. It is a small farming community. The men of the town work in the fields all day, while the women stay at home and cook, clean. If the women have time in the afternoons, they help in the fields. The children attend school, but irregularly. Often they are needed to work in the fields. On weekends, the family heads to Lima to sell their products. They grow avocado, chirimoya (a very sweet fruit that tastes like bubblegum), limes, lemons, apples, peaches. I think I would give a body part, for some hot water right now. It’s cold up here, and just about miserable trying to bathe. I have to be careful what I eat too. All my water has to be boiled and vegetables have to be washed in a bleach solution (to kill parasites). So far, so good. I haven’t gotten sick yet. The PC Doctor tells us it’s inevitable. You know, something else I’m missing is ranch dressing. I haven’t had any since I left the states. Truly, I am so thankful that I have this opportunity to see Peru, not as a tourist, but as a worker here to help.
March 31, 2004
I had to give a presentation in class to day over the folklore of this community. I did ok in the beginning, but could have done better. Now I know better for next time. Oh, yeah… it was a 15 min. presentation in Spanish. Our first, but the first of many to come. That’s one of the main focuses of our training, to learn how to give interesting, informal presentations to groups. Kate, PC Director, came to talk to us about rules/regulations of service. Most important is that we can’t have visitors for the first 6 months. After class, I came home and talked with some friends of my family. We had an interesting conversation about ethnic diversity in the US. It’s funny to listen to stereotypes that Peruvians have of America. Like that we don’t have cheese. Where did they get that from? I can really tell my Spanish is improving. I understood almost all of our conversation. I went to the soccer field with Noah’s sister, Lucianna. She’s 14 and really ahead of her time. She’s into poetry and writing music. We played Frisbee and went for a walk. Peru plays Colombia tonight in soccer. That’s all the town is talking about. I head north of here for 3 days tomorrow. Community based training they are calling it.
March 29, 2004
I had a pretty good day. Class was class with a fun exercise where we went to town and I had to make a community calendar of events. It was fun after I found someone who actually had some information to tell me. I talked to a an old guy that was waiting for the bus. He said he was from Lima and he definitely couldn't hear very well. He told me to very careful because I am a North American and I could be robbed if I wore valubles. He also had to make a few comments about the US and our president and our business over seas. I didn't really have the spanish skills to respond properly. It was my first experience in Peru with a person who had an opinion about American politics. I gave a presentation in class which taught me just how much more spanish I need to know to be able to give a presentation to the Peruvian public. After class I went to use the internet (10 minute walk), then I played Frizbee with some other trainees and several Peruvian teenagers. It was a good time. I just got off the phone with Keisha, my cuz, it was good to hear from her. I told her I was eating good and having fun. Only to have been homesick once. I think that I have found a mentee. Yet, another community project we are working on in class. I told my family about the Mentoring project, where we mentor a kid for 1 hour a week for 10 weeks. They suggested a 9 year old named Bianca... we'll see I guess if it works out. Obviously, my job at Family Connection prepared me for PC service – mentoring, at risk youth, community services, working with city & country agencies. He knew what he was doing!
March 28, 2004
What an eventful day! Got up at about 9:00, before anyone else. Ate a couple of rolls and jelly, had some coffee. I'm really feeling at home now. At first I felt like a paying guest, now I'm stepping up and helping with things around the house. Today I helped with the laundry. Most things are washed by hand and hung on the roof to dry. I went with my mom and my sister to town to do some shopping. We bought a ton of groceries. First we went to a supermarket of a sort, I was glad to find it. Now I know where to go and get some things I may need. Then we went to the vegetable ad meat market. Meat market is unlike anything I've seen. It's a covered area of the open market. Dogs scavenged for food freely and the meat is unrefigerated and uncovered. The workers have blood everywhere! It was really gross and unsanitary. Hopefully, as long as my mother cooks the meat throroughly I'll be ok with eating it. Then we went to the fruit stands. The fruit is so rich and delicious here. Best watermelon I've ever had. Strangest thing I saw today was a man with a megaphone strapped to his head. He had this terrible sore on his leg that was covered with gauze, but oozing :( He was saying that he had leg cancer and was begging for money. It was super gross. My mom says that if you don’t have money, you can’t get medical services. So sad. I had "chinese" food for supper, at least Peruvian "chinese" food. It was good. We went for a walk after lunch, which turned into a hike to above our house on the mountain. My sister and brother are very knowledgeable about local plants and fruit trees. They were constantly showing me herbs and fruits that were growing wild. We found avocado trees, apples, mint, and many more I can't remember the names of! We also visited a family of pigs that were in a lot behind our house. After we got home from our hike, we watched The Passion. A pirated copy from a market vendor. A good movie, but definitely very graphic. I appreciated the point Mel Gibson was trying to make.
March 27, 2004
I had a pretty good day at school. We learned how to compost, make a garden, and plant herbs in buckets. Definitely something they want us all to do in our future sites. Sounds good to me. After class, we had lunch of fried steak, rice, and creamed spinach. It was good, I have to say. Although everything I eat in ladden with carbs and not very good for me. I went with Emily and Victoria to town. Shopped a little for some necessities. We had some great coffee in a little restaurant in town. Then went to the internet where I found a place to upload my photos. Yeah! I went out for a stroll with my sister, Noah, his sister, and Jim. Noah fell into a sewage hole. No kiddin'. It was definitely gross. Just another great thing about living in a 3rd world country -- litter and dangerously huge holes in the street.
March 26, 2004
Today was good. I had to vent a bit about the fact that I'm stuck up here far away from the other 7 trainees and can't ever do anything fun. The guys close to me are into their own thing and I'm just here hanging out with the family. I just don't like being stuck inside because I'm a girl, a foreigner, or what ever. I guess that just means i have to put myself out there more. I had chicken soup for supper and I've eaten so many sweets today. I have to be careful. I'm eating so many sweets and complex carbs! I wanted to hear from someone tonight via phone, but nobody called. It's actually harder with people calling, but it's a double edged sword because I get lonely and want to hear from someone, then they call and I'm sad. Next week we are going to another community to do training for 4 days. It should be fun.
March 25, 2004
I had a good day. I went to town with my class (of 4 trainees) and our professor, Claudia. We "learned" how to use the combis (buses) and how to go shopping for things we need. We have a project where you must use a recipe to shop for ingrediants of a pervian dish and then go to the post office to "learn" how to mail letters/packages to the US. It's $4.80 soles to send letters home and $50 soles to send a package that weighs 2.2 lbs. Not cheap.
March 24, 2004
Peru is a strange place. It’s unlike any of my expectations. The people are extremely nice. Everyone goes out of the way to be hospitable. I have not sensed any Anti-Americanism, which I thought I would probably have to deal with. I think it is mostly that the people here are just ignorant of American politics and happenings. They have American movies, but one must have money to go to the cinema and most don’t have it. Supposedly, 60% of Peru’s population is under 18 and living in poverty. That’s a lot. This is a very “macho” society. Men rule the roost. As you know, I’m pretty independent and being at home by dark because it’s “not proper” or safe to be out at night is really getting on my nerves. I have to rely on 2 guys (volunteers like me) that live close to me to “accompany” me to town (where internet, stores are). So, as for support here -- I have it, which is necessary and good. We have class Monday-Saturday 8:00-5:00. After class, I go home and hang out with my family. Today, Melissa, my Peruvian sister, taught me to salsa and meringue! Peru is 85% Catholic. There is a huge statue of Jesus in the town center and “pirated” copies of The Passion being seen at home on people’s TVs. I have TV, but not English-speaking stations. So, I’m certainly not keeping up with Reality TV. The water here is freezing! No hot water to bathe in, so it’s get washed as quickly as possible and get the heck out of there! We have water most of the time, so there are some days I just have to suffer. As for things I need, I’ve realized very quickly what you can really live without and be ok. Can you believe I never dry my hair now, don’t use more than shampoo and soap, wear the same clothes for 3+ days, wash my underwear in the sink, make due without a mirror, rely on public transportation, and don’t have power outlets. And honestly, I’m doing great! When I complete PC training, I will probably be going to either Trujillo or Piura, two very hot, coastal sites. Good and bad. Good that I’ll be near the beach, but bad that it will be so hot. No air conditioning, anywhere. Not even in stores. PC pays for everything. I haven’t spent any of my own money yet and I don’t foresee that I will ever have to. So, that’s great. I enjoy reading my emails when I get a chance. It costs $1-2 Sol per hour. Exchange is 3.5, so that’s like .60 US $. Can’t beat the price, but it’s just getting there.
March 23, 2004
Tonight is my 3rd night in my Peruvian host family home. It's been a lot better since the first night. I don't know what happened, except that I've not had such home sickness in all my life. At least that I can remember. Although it might have been a combination of many things. A new job, a new culture, new friends, new everything. And a new home that is far from what I would consider standard. My room has tan conrete walls with a concrete ceiling and floor. The bed is as hard as a rock. There is so much dust and it seems like this may be the storage space also for I have tons of old books and catholic relics in bookcases. There is a bare bulb hanging from all the cielings and I can't find a electrical plug-in anywhere. I have a desk that serves as my catch-all. I feel like I'm settling in and learning new things everyday. I'm making a conscious effort to involve myself in the family. Last night I took a walk with my sister. We went to the park. It seems that all the young people go to the park "to be seen". They circle the park and "hopefully" see a crush. The bathroom in this house only has cold water, so the showers are almost unbearable. The toilet doesn't have a seat, just a bowel. So, not to disappoint anyone, but I definitely won't be shaving in these conditions. My room is on the second floor. Downstairs is the kitchen, dining room, and living room. They have a TV and love to watch the peruvian soap operas. My mom seems to be very busy. Not sure with what, but busy none the less. There is a dog here, named Lassy. She is an Alaskain Husky and very beautiful. Up the stairs from my room is the roof, where laundry is hung to dry and for sitting and watching the passing traffic. All in all, I believe this home is considered middle-class by most peruvians.
March 22, 2004
Moved into house today. They are very welcoming and nice. We went to Lima to Plaza Vea for groceries. It was just like a Wal-mart.
March 21, 2004
I had my language interview today. This decides what class we'll be in. I couldn't remember nada! But that's one reason why I'm here, to work on my spanish. So I guess I shouldn't bum myself out about it.
March 18, 2004
Off to Peru today. Flight’s at 11:55. It's been 2 good days in staging. I'm already learning so many things about myself and about others. Especially on how to deal with other's differences. This group I'm to be with for the next 27 months is an ecclectic group for sure. We would never have been friends in normal circumstances, but that's the beauty of the Peace Corps. You are thrown together and you rely on each other because you have the same culture and background. Everyone is from a different part of the US, but we have a commonality too.
March 17, 2004
Well, it’s begun, my Peace Corps Adventure. I’m in Miami for my staging event (PC Orientation). What a whirl wind of information for me to soak in! I arrived here yesterday with 12 others from all over the US – 4 guys and 9 gals. Everyone is very different, yet very alike. All are college grads and 22-33 years of age. Unfortunately, I´m the only one with a Southern accent, so I’ve already endured many comments about it. We have people from California, Minnesota, Illinois, DC, Arizona, and New York. Like me, they are looking to see the world, help others, and learn some things about themselves. We have been in workshops where we discuss expectations, anxieties, and realities of PC. In order to be accepted into our Peruvian communities, we will be expected to act and dress in a certain manner – professional clothing and conservative actions. It seems like I will have ample opportunity to travel all over Peru and in South America if I choose to. Anyone may visit me in my site, but not until September. Same thing goes for me coming home. Hopefully, I can make it home for Christmas! I have to admit, yesterday was a tough day for me. I arrived at the hotel was sitting in a room with people I didn’t seem to have anything in common with and thought to myself, “WHAT HAVE I DONE?” Thankfully, after a good night’s rest and some time to get to know one another, my heart tells me I’m in the right place. Just to reassure anyone was concerned for my safety while in PC, these guys are fanatical about keeping us safe – both physically and emotionally. They want us to be happy and successful.
