May 29, 2004
Back home by 10:30 am and cleaning up a little. Hand-washing all your clothes is not fun. I definitely have appreciation for my old washer and dryer. I can’t believe we swear in as volunteers in less than a week. It is crazy that training is almost over. I am excited to get started with the next step in my adventure. Santa Eulalia has a new internet cafe. Yeah, I won’t have to head to Chosica every time I want to use the internet. You would know internet would make it here a week before I move!
May 28, 2004
We went back to the school. The director was there, but he didn’t think we should do a presentation. We’re not really sure what to make of our last visit to Callahuanca. I think in a lot of ways our novelty of being Gringas has worn off. On to plan B, we are going to plan a playtime for the kids at 3:00 and hopefully sneak in a couple of words about leadership (our homework for our last visit). We had an announcement made on the loud speaker, inviting the whole town the Peace Corps activity and it worked. We had several kids and adults showed for our activity. We played ‘Leader of the Band’ then ‘Trust Walk’ and had a discussion afterwards. The kids brought up some great ideas about what they would do if they were president of Peru. We continued to play with the kids and took another walk. Another early night for me, I am in bed at 9:00 pm.
May 27, 2004
We’re back in Callahuanca for our final visit. I am staying with the elderly couple again. It is definitely a little uncomfortable, we just don’t have much in common and there are several ‘silent’ moments. They are sweet and their home is comfortable. We visited the school to set up a time to do a presentation, but the director wasn’t there, so we have to try again tomorrow. Ate lunch, boy was it yummy! Speaking of my eating habits, you might as well call me a vegetarian, cause I am not getting meat. All I eat is pasta, rice, potatoes, and bread. I buy my own fruit to supplement my diet, but I can really tell my body needs more protein. After lunch, we had Spanish classes, and then we took a walk with the kids of the community. I pulled out my Uno cards and had fun teaching the kids to play. In bed by 8:00 pm, I guess it’s lot of rest for me!
May 26, 2004
Language class this morning was better, not quite as boring. Maybe I just had more energy. The PCMO came today. I always like the days she comes, her sessions are always fun. We talked about security again. PC really takes that part of their job seriously. She also took our blood, since we are on malaria medication. After classes, we talked about who should speak at our ceremony and would you know, they picked me. Needless to say, I am already nervous and I have no idea what to say; but what an honor, to speak on behalf of our group and to such important world leaders. After class, we watched Shrek II; it was good to just enjoy a movie in English. Pirated movies/dvds/cds are the craze here and you can get them for cheap. I taught my family to play Uno. They liked it. I also showed them my gadget box that has my locks, binoculars, flashlight, and Gerber knife. They were so intrigued by it all.
May 25, 2004
The Country Director visited today for lunch. She cleared up some questions about our swearing in ceremony. Looks like it is going to be a pretty big deal! The Peace Corps Director from DC will be there and so will the Peruvian President, Toledo. It is going to be at the Presidential Palace, think Peruvian White House. We have to pick someone to speak on behalf of our group during the ceremony.
May 24, 2004
Today was definitely nothing to write home about, but I will record my thoughts for future reference. We started out the day with an alcohol workshop that we can do with youth. We had 2 volunteers present to help out. It is always good to get to know other volunteers and hear about their experiences. After lunch, I had language training. Our professor took us to Chosica for class which added an air of excitement to the afternoon. Then I went to internet and home. This is a really challenging time for me. I feel so ready to get to Trujillo, to get things started and organized. I don’t want to rush things, but I can’t seem to help my feelings of impatience. We have about a week left of training.
May 23, 2004
I headed to Lima with a friend. We went to Jockey Plaza again for some shopping and “Americanism”. We had Starbuck’s and Burger King. It was great! I made it home by 5:00 because my sister said that she wanted to go to her school’s party, but we didn’t end up going. That is a thing about this culture that really gets on my nerves. They may or may not follow through with their plans. They always just say what they think you want to hear. So I headed back to Chosica for some internet. When I got home, my sister helped me with my homework and the family hung out in my room, eating my fruit, and generally having a good time. It was cool.
May 22, 2004
We had classes this morning. Not fun to get up on a Saturday for school, believe me. After lunch, we headed to Surco for an environmental session. This included local girls leading us on a hike to the waterfalls of Surco, a small town about an hour from Santa Eulalia. On our way there, we were pulled over for illegally passing someone. Our driver had to pay the cop off -- $4. And the ticket would have cost him over $150. We made it there and made our way up the trail to the waterfalls. Because there hasn’t been much rain, the river was a bit dry and the waterfall not as impressive. But I did get to see some really cute sheep up close. In fact, I picked up a little white lamb and I thought its mom was going to ram me! We had a scary experience—one of our trainers, fell on the slippery rocks and cut his nose. There was blood everywhere. We had to escort him off the mountain and then to the hospital. He had to have 3 stitches. I made it home before dark and decided to stay in for the night.
